By Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Nigeria has produced 180 governors and 241 ministers since 1999, a research has shown.

The research also shows that about 545 senators and 1,800 House of Representatives were elected within the same period.

But, most Nigerian women and youths have been left out of power in the last two decades.

These facts are contained in a book – “Nigeria Democracy without Development – How to fix it”–  by a renowned Author and Researcher, Dr. Omano Edigheji.

The book said in part: “Since 1999, all four presidents and four vice presidents have been male. At the ministerial level, 85.06 per cent  of the 241 ministers have been male.

“In July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the nomination of 43 ministers for his second term. Out of these, only seven, that is 16 per cent, were women.

“In the four administrations since May 1999 to May 2019, 93.81% of Senators have been male compared to 6.19 per cent female.

“Out of the 1,800 members of the House of Representatives in the period from May 1999 to May 2019, only 93 members(5.2 per cent) have been male, compared to 1,707 (94. 8 per cent) male

“The only female to have emerged as Speaker of the House in July 2007, Patricia Ette, was removed after barely five months in office.

“The declining trend of women representation continued in the 9th National Assembly that was inaugurated on June 11, 2019. Out of 109 Senators, only seven were women. While of the 360 members of the House of Representatives sworn in, only 11 were women.”

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On governorship position, Edigheji said the nation has produced 180 governors and over 180 deputy governors.

The book added: “All the 180 governors in the period between May 1999 and May 2019 in the Fourth Republic were males. In the same vein, 88.3 per cent of deputy govetnors have been male compared to 11.6 per cent (21) female.

“Out of the 2,850 members of the State Houses of Assembly since 1999, only 168(5.89 per cent) have been female compared to 2,682(94.11 per cent) male.

”Again, like in previous elections, there was no woman among the governors that were elected in the 2019 general elections. Only three female deputy governors were elected namely Ezeilo Cecilia Ibioma(Enugu State), Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe (Kaduna State)and Noimot  Salako-Oyedele (Ogun State).”

The book x-rayed the implications of women under-representation.

It said: “What these figures show is that democracy has not been inclusive-women are excluded from elective and other leadership positions.

“The same is true of the youths. It can therefore be argued that Nigerian democracy is exclusionary, leaving out women and youths. An electoral process that makes it impossible for women and youths to be elected is not a democracy.”

The research made reference to the report of the European Union Observer Mission (EOM) to the 2019 General Elections.

It claimed that the EOM report was clear on why Nigerian women and youths were being relegated.

The research said: “The report of the European Union Observer Mission (EOM) to the 2019 general elections highlighted some of the factors that account for the low representation of women in politics.

“These include lack of legal requirements for the promotion of women and in political life. Parties continue to lack policies and practices to promote women in party leadership or as candidates.

“Other factors include the dominance of money in politics, women cannot afford the prohibitive cost to run for elective office; political violence, gender-based intimidation and sexual harassment; the nocturnal nature of politics (meetings are held at odd hours) and; a patriarchal (and even religious) culture that views women’s role as homemakers and discourages their participation in politics.

“It is not uncommon to hear people refer to women in politics as ashawo, that is, prostitutes. Consequently, as the EOM report points out, Nigeria has the lowest rate of women parliamentarians in Africa and has failed to meet the 35% national target of women in elected positions prescribed in the National Gender Policy of 2006.”

By Moses Emorinken, Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja and Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

• 27 on oxygen in FCT hospital

• Lagos shuts events centre

• Wike threatens Rivers lockdown

• Edo reactivates isolation centres

Deaths from coronavirus in the country have risen sharply since the onset of the second wave late last month.

Critical cases have also gone up as states continue to take stricter measures to halt the virus spread.

According to Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 74 deaths have been recorded from the virus this month (as at Saturday).

There are 22 critical cases of people receiving oxygen at one  Federal Capital Territory (FCT) isolation centre.

The NCDC report said after a progressive drop in the number of deaths recorded from September to November, the death toll regained momentum this month. It went up from 27 last month.

The agency confirmed 74 deaths this month, with 15,949 new cases But it is not the highest recorded.  The highest death rate in a single month -305 – was recorded in June. Nigeria had its index case in February.

This is closely followed by 289 deaths in July. There were 229 deaths in March, 134 in Augjust and 99  in September.

It was 56 in April, but dipped to 34 in October and 27 in November before the commencement of the second wave.

Permanent Secretary of the FCT Administration Mr. Adesola Olusade, said besides the 22 on Oxygen, the remaining 64 undergoing treatment at the isolation centes were stable. He said non-critical cases were being managed at patients’ homes.

Only the Abuja University and ThisDay Dome Isolation centes  are in use for now, but he said the other isolation centeres, which were shut, might be reopened should cases continue to rise.

Workers at the Thisday Dome centre are grumbling over non payment of their allowances.

Olusade appealed to residents to take greater responsibility for their personal health

He said there were 42 patients on admission at Gwagwalada treatment centre and 46 patients at the ThisDay Dome.

He said that FCT might be compelled to reopen the shut isolation and treatment centres such as the Idu Centre.

“Ordinarily, we would not have wanted to reopen them, but if there is an upsurge, we will be compelled to reopen them.

“The Gwagwalada Isolation Centre is fully functional and operational; it has become a centre of excellence and reference point.

“However, at Idu Treatment and Isolation Centre, because we were fortunate to have a reduction up to zero level in FCT, at one time, we no longer had patients there.

“But now, with the resurgence (second wave of COVID-19) we have to be prepared to restore the place to be operational.

“We all know our health status. So if you have higher health risk, you need to take greater precautions, so that you would not find yourself battling with the health situation imposed by the COVID-19,” he said.

The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture shut down Queens Park Event Centre on Victoria Island for flouting COVID-19 protocols.

The government is expected to announce measures today through Health Commissioner Prof Akin Abayomi.

On Sunday, Information and Strategy Commissioner Gbenga Omotoso, said the doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers now have more experience on how to handle COVID-19 infection.

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He said the state had not demobilised any of its isolation centres, adding that the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) has not used up to 20 per cent of its capacity.

The commissioner said: “We are ramping up advocacy. Residents are being advised to take responsibility and observe all the protocols. We are also carrying out enforcement and shutting down erring event centres to serve as deterrent.

“We are telling Lagosians to take it easy; that this is not the time for partying; it’s not a time for jamboree and large social gatherings because the virus spreads more in large crowds.”

Edo State has reactivated its isolation and treatment centres.

The governor, Godwin Obaseki, said: ”In as much as the government will enforce the rules relating to COVID-19 in Edo State, it is important that each and every one of us take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and the people around us. We must abide by all public health and safety measures to ensure that we are safe.”

Governor Nyesom Wike threatened another lockdown of Rivers State from January to check the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

Wike, in a  statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri,  after a  thanksgiving church service in celebration of the 90th birthday of Mrs. Priscilla Nwanediye, described as worrisome, the failure  of most churches and markets in the state to enforce the compulsory wearing of face masks.

He explained that his government initially relaxed the restriction on the number of persons in churches, but with the second wave, he would announce new measures to check the spread of the pandemic.

The governor said: “When you go to some churches, they don’t wear masks. Go to markets, they don’t wear masks. They believe COVID is not real. It’s not real because it has not happened to you; nobody had died whom you know. When somebody has died and the person was close to you, you will know that COVID is real.

“I want to appeal to all of you that we have to be more strict now because the second wave is more dangerous than the first wave. It’s very, very dangerous. I know how many people we have lost since the second wave started.”

Wike implored the  Diocese of Ikwerre to prevail on its members   to always wear   face masks, warning: “If you don’t comply, I will have no choice but to shut down the churches; Pentecostal, Catholic and Anglican.”

 

 Frank Ikpefan, Abuja 

 

THE Conference of Igbo Professionals Worldwide on Sunday called for a review of what it called a lopsided promotion of police officers.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the group pointed out that only one officer from the Southeast got a promotion.

It recalled the alleged unfair treatment of the region in recruitment, appointments and projects.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Friday promoted senior police officers during its 10th plenary meeting.

Twelve of the promoted officers were from the Northwest, eight from the Northeast, seven from the Southwest, five from the Southeouth, four from the Northcentral and one from the Southeast region.

In a December 26 letter, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent obtained, the group’s National President, Prof. Patrick Kalu, and National secretary, Dr Uche Mbaka, appealed to President Buhari and the National Assembly to not only set up a panel to unravel circumstances leading to unfair treatment of the Igbo but to also review the police promotions.

They said: “We are constrained to point out that the exercise which ordinarily would have been effected in line with the country’s policy of equity and fairness, was regrettably skewed towards some regions at the detriment of the Southeast.

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“For instance, as observed by us, out of the figure mentioned earlier, the Northwest was apportioned 12 slots just as the Northeast was given eight slots.

“The Southwest, on the other got seven while the Southeouth got five in that order. The Northcentral geopolitical region was given four slots. We regret to say here that unlike the zones mentioned, the Southeast region only got one slot.

“This, to us, is the height of the ongoing desperate efforts of the current federal administration to completely alienate the Igbo race in the Nigeria project. This provocative action is condemnable and unacceptable to us.”

The group said the PSC may have drawn its inspiration to carry out “this wicked action against Ndigbo” from what has been in place since the emergence of the Buhari administration.

Listing the areas the Igbo were being marginalised in the nation’s scheme of things, the group insisted that the President must take urgent steps to “right the wrongs.”

“These infractions included the lopsided appointment of security chiefs; infrastructure deficit including roads, railway, and seaports; unfavourable allocations from the Federal Government; and concentration of interventions of development partners in other regions.

“Others are exclusion from commanding heights of the nation’s economy; delay in the passage of Southeast Development Commission Bill and flying the kite of the 2023 presidency.

“We call on you sir, to address the principle of federal character in the distribution of public resources and appointive positions, especially security chiefs.

“Also, we appeal to the National Assembly to immediately step in to stop these unfair treatments of Ndigbo in Nigeria.

“This it can do by first of all set up a committee to investigate the reason for these actions by the government,” the group added.

 Osagie Otabor, Akure

 

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has said he would have been killed during Lt.-Col. Buka Suka Dimka coup in 1976 if not for the help of Gen. Olu Bajowa (retd.).

Obasanjo, who described Bajowa as a man with conscious Yoruba culture, spoke on Sunday at Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State during Bajowa’s 80th birthday celebration.

Bajowa became a General when he was 38 years old and retired from the Nigeria Army at 40.

Obasanjo, who was chairman of the occasion, recalled that if Bajowa had not invited him to his son’s naming ceremony, he would have been nailed by the coup plotters because the person that was shot with the late Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, was mistaken for him.

He said: “I want to say something about Olu, either he knew it or he didn’t know it. When Dimka coup came, if Olu had not been what he was and what he is, I would have gone with the coup.

“Let me tell you the story. Olu is very respectful. He is very conscious of our culture. He had a child, a boy, and wanted to name the child after me. He had to call me early in the morning that Dimka struck.

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“And because Olu said he was coming, I had to wait a little bit. I waited beyond the time I would have gone out.

“Olu then came, he made the request and I granted the request.

“So, I was a little bit late in going on the route that I normally took to work. And Reinumuje went ahead of me and they thought it was me and they shot his car. They shot his car; Murtala was shot.

“Indirectly, that is how Olu Bajowa saved my life. Bajowa is an honest man, a thorough man and he is a well brought up man.”

Obasanjo said Bajowa performed creditably during his military career by displaying gallantry during Nigeria Civil War while leading 11 Battalion.

Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, Igbotako, Reverend Olaoluwa Oluseyi Pirisola, urged Bajowa to make the rest of life the best.

He enjoined him to support the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as serve him more diligently for the rest of his life.

The event was attended by many dignitaries from different parts of the nation.

They include Admiral Akin Aduwo (retd.); the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Emitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo; the Aboji of Ikale land, George Babatunde Faduyile, and several royal fathers from Southwest.