The Nation Newspaper

Category: Lawal Ogienagbon

  • Executive lawlessness

    Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move

    freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any

    part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be

    expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto

    or exit therefrom.

    – Section 41 (1) of the Constitution

    The Constitution lists out the fundamental rights of the citizens and in line with the principle of social contract those in authority, must as a matter of course, uphold those rights. They are charged with the protection of these rights, which the citizens must enjoy without any encumbrance, except where they break the law. These rights are, however, not absolute as they come with responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the citizens to ensure that in enjoying these rights, they do not do anything contrary to the law, which may lead to the abridgement of their rights.

    These rights are enjoyed by everybody, whether king or serf, president or pauper. The king is not expected to use his position to deprive the serf of his right nor is the president allowed to use his exalted post to oppress and deny the pauper or other members of the society their rights because of political disagreement. The lowly too are not expected to abuse the rights of those in power by denigrating them in any form whatever.

    In essence, the mighty and the lowly should learn to live together and accommodate one another’s idiosyncracies. The powerful are not expected to take the law into their hands because they have what it takes to punish the poor. It is always the powerful versus the poor, but once in a while, we see the powerful taking on the powerful. When these two elephants take on themselves, it is usually not on equal terms, as we saw in some instances in the past.

    A few years ago, the late Dim Emeka Odumegwu – Ojukwu took on the then military government in Lagos State over his father’s property in Ikoyi. The government of the day brought state might to bear on the case, despite the high and appeal courts’ verdicts that the property belonged to Ojukwu. Annoyed by the government’s disposition, the Supreme Court described the military junta’s action as ‘’executive rascality’’.

    Governments, whether a dictatorship or a democracy, are expected to obey the law. This is why the sage once said: ‘’Even in the midst of guns, the laws are not silent’’. Yes, the laws are never silent, but we the people are the ones that are silent in the face of tyranny. We keep silent when others are being maltreated because of fear of what the late legendary musician, Fela Anikulpo – Kuti, called: I no want die, papa dey for house, mama dey for house…’’

    We forget that when we keep silent when others are being oppressed, there may be nobody to speak up for us too when we find ourselves in a similar situation because by then, they may all have died or be in jail. This is why Wole Soyinka said in his book : The Man Died, ‘’that the man dies in him who keeps silent in the face of tyranny’’. It is tyrannical for the powerful to oppress the poor and more so when the highly powerful takes on the less powerful.

    The Constitution, which grants every Nigerian the right to freedom of movement, states the condition under which that right can be curtailed. According to Section 41 (2): Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic setting –

    (a): imposing restrictions on the residence or movement of any person who has committed or is reasonably suspected to have committed a criminal offence in order to prevent him from leaving Nigeria.

    Last Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, without respect for this constitutional provision, Governor Rotimi Amaechi was prevented from entering his residence at the Government House by the police that were as usual ‘’acting on orders from above’’. Amaechi and his entourage were returning from an outing when they tried to access the Government House through Forces Avenue in Port Harcourt GRA, which is said to be a shorter route. They ran into the police blockade.

    The blockade of road by the police is not new in our country. They do it at will under the guise of looking for a criminal. At other times, they may cordon off a street when they seal off a newspaper house. We have seen all these before, but to block a road leading to the Government House? That is the height of impunity. Being a governor comes with certain privileges. These privileges include unhindered access to anywhere the governor chooses to go on legitimate business. So, to stop Amaechi from entering his own abode under any pretext is farcical.

    If Amaechi were to be a common man, it would have been understandable. We would have said that is how they treat us. But Amaechi is a governor for God’s sake; his office and person deserve respect. Who is a Commissioner of Police (CP) by the way, to stop a governor from accessing his quarters from any point he likes? Is there any law which says that the governor must come in or go out through a point chosen for him by the police? Who is the CP to direct Amaechi to take another route? Did he do that to show that he can make things tough for Amaechi? According to a Yoruba adage, no matter how mad a dog is, it is expected to respect its owner.

    The police should not forget that they are public servants. They are funded by tax payers’ money and as such, they should be beholden to the people and not to those who are in power temporarily and who will quit when their time is up. What would it have cost the police to move their vans to enable Amaechi enter his house last Thursday, if they had no ulterior motive? When the governor alighted from his vehicle, they should have listened to him out of respect and allowed him to pass, if they had no other agenda. They didn’t because they wanted to humiliate him.

    It wasn’t Amaechi that was

    humiliated but those who

    think that they can use their positions to play god. Why is the governor being harassed all over the place? In one breathe, they are talking peace, in another, they are still using agents of state to fight the poor guy. What did he do wrong to warrant being treated as if he is a commoner? By the grace of God, Amaechi is today a governor and there is nothing anybody can do about that, whether they have the police at their beck and call or not.

    Besides, constitutionally, he is also the chief security officer of his state. So, the police must learn to respect him, no matter the brief they may have to make things difficult for him. I pity the policeman, who reportedly told Amaechi that he ‘’does not take instructions from civilians’’. He is emboldened by the support he is enjoying from those using him now. He will soon realise the folly of his action when they dump him. But I pray, will they let Amaechi be?

     

    What a man can do…

    Before the National Assembly resumed from its seven weeks break on Tuesday, the crisis threatening to tear the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart had reached the place. Some lawmakers had pledged loyalty to the Abubakar Baraje – led breakaway faction. No fewer than 20 senators were said to have pledged allegiance to the New PDP. An equally large number of members of the House of Representatives is also with the group. This was the setting when the faction visited the House on Tuesday hours after it rose from its first sitting after its vacation.

    The meeting with the lawmakers was rowdy. Those opposed to the group came with a set mind to disrupt the meeting. The other side will not allow that. The highlight of the battle was the superlative performance of Binta Masi Garba, an ex – member, who torn the agbada of Hon Afeez Adelowo to shreds. Were you surprised at the woman’s performance? I was not. Isn’t it said that what a man can do, a woman can do, even better? Ride on, my sister; show those lazy men, the stuff some women are made of!

     

  • PDP’s macabre dance

    It was predicted long ago that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will implode because of the way it was being run. Expectedly, PDP dismissed such talks as balderdash, saying as the ‘’largest party in Africa’’ people were jealous of it. In describing itself like that, PDP was referring to its size. Indeed, it is not only large in size, but also monstrous in shortchanging others, rigging and everything that is bad in politics.

    Since 1999, PDP and its members have consistently shown that they can go to any length in order to get to power. The route to power does not matter to them; what matters is that they should acquire power either by hook or by crook. So, the use of foul means is not strange to them. They are at home rigging and snatching ballot boxes during elections. There is nothing they cannot do to win an election, even killing is part of the game.

    Is that how to be Africa’s largest party? Shouldn’t a party which prides itself as such set good examples? PDP is not bothered by morality. To the party, the end justifies the means. This is why it has been coming to power since 1999 through crude and cruel means. As a party interested in power for power sake, PDP has no scruples whatsoever. It uses and dumps its members at will once they outlive their usefulness.

    Its national leaders are not spared this treatment. Many of them were discarded like mere tissues after being used by those they helped into power. Ask Chief Solomon Lar; ask Chief Barnabas Gemade; ask Chief Audu Ogbe; ask Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo; ask Chief Vincent Ogbulafor. These were leaders of the party at one time or the other who were booted out for not doing the bidding of the then president. The party confers a lot of power on its elected members in government, especially the president and governors.

    Any serving president elected on its platform is its national leader and the governors its leaders in their states. So, under such arrangement, its national chairman who does not see eye to eye with the president is an endangered specie. Such a chairman is removed from his post with ignominy. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was brought into the party by those who thought they could manipulate him, were disappointed as he turned out to be their nemesis.

    Obasanjo removed or was instrumental to the removal of some chairmen like Lar, Gemade and Ogbeh. Only Ahmadu Ali, who is a former soldier like him, survived his high-handedness. Nwodo and Ogbulafor, who served under a different president, also got the Obasanjo treatment. Ogbulafor, who boasted that PDP will be in power for 60 years, did not stay long to realise his goal! So far, the party has been in power for 15 yeasrs, counting from 1999. Will it still be in power in the next 45 years?

    I doubt it because it is not likely that PDP will return to power in 2015 if the newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC) and the other opposition parties can capitalise on the PDP crisis to push out the party from power in the next elections. It won’t be easy but it can be done. With nine national chairmen in 15 years, PDP has shown that it is not a party to be taken serious. Only Alhaji Haliru Mohammed and Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who served in acting capacity, enjoyed a peaceful tenure. Others fought tooth and nail for their survival just as Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is doing right now.

    No matter how hard Tukur fights, his days in office are numbered. For now, it may seem as if President Goodluck Jonathan is backing him, but mark my word, the president will soon ditch him in order to realise his aim of seeking reelection in 2015. Tukur is still holding on to power because of Jonathan’s support and he knows that. Since he knows where his bread is buttered he will do everything to remain in the president’s good books, including disowning his people from the North, who are opposed to Jonathan’s return in 2015.

    As long as Tukur remains on Jonathan’s side, the seven PDP governors and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar can only bark and not bite him. In fact, if you ask me, I will say Tukur is not PDP’s problem. The party’s problem right now is the president, who because of his ambition has put Tukur in a tight corner. Tukur is afraid of confronting the president because he does not want to lose his job. To him, the president is a bigger evil, while those opposed to Jonathan’s planned return in 2015 are the lesser evil, which he is sure he can take on.

    His confidence stems from the assurance of presidential support when the chips are down. Tukur is a man buffeted on all fronts. In his home state of Adamawa, in his Northeast zone and at the national level, he is all alone. This political infighting has exposed the underbelly of the PDP. The Abubakar Kawu Baraje – led new PDP has shown that the Tukur – led PDP is a big for nothing balloon, which needs only a prick of the pin to burst.

    The PDP umbrella is leaking

    because of the tiny holes

    punched in it by the Baraje faction. It is only a matter of time before those holes become bigger and the umbrella is torn to shreds. With the new PDP attacking it from one side and the APC and the others from the other side, the PDP is as good as gone. But the opposition must stand firm so as to realise its dream of sending the PDP packing in 2015. The opposition can bury the PDP alive, for after all, the party has dug its own grave. It will be a long and bitter battle, but the opposition and the PDP faction can pull it through if they get their act right.

    Troubled by his conscience

     Offa in Kwara State is a politically enlightened town.

    Its people know what they want and they usually go all out for it. When it comes to politics, they have always aligned with the progressives. One of its prominent sons, the late Chief J.S. Olawoyin, for years led the town on the progressive side of politics. A die – hard Awoist, J.S, as he was popularly known, played a major role in the political emancipation of his people. It is these politically aware people that some vote robbers want to cheat in the last August 31 Offa Local Government Area rerun. In the last 10 years, Kwara has been a PDP state, but it was not always so. It became a PDP state following the rift between the late Governor Mohammed Lawal and the late Kwara strongman, Dr Olusola Saraki. The late Saraki made the late Lawal governor on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The late Saraki left ANPP for the late Lawal and joined PDP for the sake of his son, Senator Bukola, who wanted to contest for governor then. The late Lawal lost in the power game.

    The Offa rerun was a supremacy battle of sorts between PDP and APC because it was the first election the mega party formed from the merger of Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress of Progressive Change and ANPP will contest against PDP. So, the parties threw all they had into the election. Everything went smoothly until the electoral agency began to footdrag over the declaration of result. That was the first sign of trouble. When the result eventually came, it was announced on Kwara Radio! Why would the electoral umpire declare result at a radio station and not its office if it has nothing to hide? Since the announcement, Offa has been boiling. Hardly a day passes without a protest in the town. There was a twist in the tale when one of the so – called winners, Afolabi Jimoh, confessed that he did not win the election. The ‘councillor – elect’ for Shawo Southwest said the APC candidate won. In other climes, that is enough to void his election and declare his opponent the winner. One week after Jimoh’s confession, it is mum from the electoral umpire.

    Will the matter end like this? Will Jimoh stand by his confession if the matter gets to the tribunal? Is this an indication of what will happen in 2015? What are the police doing about this case, especially Jimoh’s confession? Have they started investigating his claim? Jimoh confessed because he has a conscience, but his confession will amount to nothing if the stolen mandate is not recovered from him.

  • The Peter Obe I knew

    Long before I joined the Daily Times in October, 1990, I had become familiar with the name Peter Obe. Who wouldn’t then? Peter Obe was a household name. Obe’s fame derived from his work as a press cameraman. He took worldclass pictures, which stood him out among his peers. Obe’s reputation made him famous. This is why people like me knew him long before we became reporters.

    By the time I joined the Daily Times, he was no longer in the now defunct conglomerate; but he was still active in the field. Obe was an all – rounder. He took political, social and sport photographs. Name the event, Peter Obe was there. Many, at least the older generation, will still remember seeing a man in shorts and sweat shirt and a hat, with several cameras dangling around his neck, running around the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, those days taking photographs during football matches.

    He was everywhere something big was happening. Whether an accident scene, whether a molue (the once – upon – a – time popular commercial bus in Lagos) plunged into the river, whether robbers were being shot at the Lagos Bar Beach, whether a political gathering of note, whether the Supreme Court was delivering judgment on a big case, whether there was a riot or fire, Peter Obe was there. People wondered whether he was a spirit because he was always on the spot where news was breaking.

    There was no event Peter Obe did not cover during his illustrious career. How did I know considering the wide gap in our ages? We will get to that story shortly. Obe took his work with all seriousness. He never allowed anything to come between him and his job. Even after his retirement from the Daily Times he still worked for the paper as if his life depended on the job. That was Peter Obe for you. Wherever he went, he went with his cameras and he had many.

    I knew him from afar in my early days at the Daily Times, but later became close to him. It was some seven or eight years after I joined the Daily Times that I became close to him. I had known him all along as Peter Obe, but at the Daily Times I got to know of his appellation, Exclusive. The appellation derived from the fact that he only took exclusive photographs. The photographs he took those days cannot be found in other papers except in the Daily Times.

    Exclusive took much pride in his job and this I could discern when I became close to him between 1997 and 2002. People of my generation called him Exclu Baba whenever he walked into the newsroom at the Daily Times corporate office on Agidingbi Road, Ikeja. Whenever he came, he came with pictures on the back on which were written the legend : ‘’Exclusive’’. Peter Obe took me under his wings as his son during our relationship.

    As News Editor and later Deputy Editor of the Daily Times, he made it a duty to see me in the office whenever he was around. Some of my colleagues became envious of me. Whenever they saw him parking his car, they will rush down to the newsroom, shouting, ‘’Lawi, baba e tide o’’, meaning ‘’Lawi, your father is here’’. Then Exclusive will bound in, in you guess right, his trade mark shorts, sweat shirt and a pair of canvass. He never came empty handed. Besides pictures for the paper, he would also bring me gifts. Usually, he branched at the Daily Times on his way back from his Igbara Oke hometown in Ondo State.

    During those visits, we will chat and chat. We talked about virtually everything under the sun. I was lucky to have people like him to guide me then. Exclusive, the famous artist/cartoonist, Mr Jossy Ajiboye and the late Akinlolu Aje, a moving encyclopaedia if there ever was one, and a contributor to Headlines, the historical journal in the Daily Times stable, were my Godsent guardians. I listened with rapt attention to the words of wisdom that poured forth from their mouths. In those difficult days in the Daily Times, they advised me to exercise patience, saying things will not continue like that. They believed that the paper will not die, but unfortunately the government killed the Daily Times.

    This is not the story of the Daily Times, but of Peter Obe. But there is no way we can divorce the story of Peter Obe from the story of the Daily Times, a paper, which he served diligently in good and bad times. So did Jossy Ajiboye and the late Aje. These men were totally loyal and committed to the Daily Times. It was not for want of something to do, but because I sense, they were sentimentally attached to that great institution. Obe was a rare breed. He didn’t look at the age difference between us in dealing with me. I consider myself lucky to have been close to him, Jossy Ajiboye and the late Aje.

    Those days whenever the trio gathered in my office, Peter Obe will say to me ‘’Lawi’’, he called me that too, ‘’ma fun Jossy ati Aje ni orogbo ati awon meat pie ti mo ko wa fun e’’, meaning ‘’don’t give Jossy Ajiboye and Aje out of the bitter kola and pastries I brought for you’’, and we will burst into laughter. Yes, whenever Exclu Baba was coming to the Daily Times, he always came with a load of bitter kola and pastries of all kinds for me. At a point, my office became where people came to look for bitter kola because they knew I will always have some in stock, courtesy of my father.

    When I spoke with Peter Obe on phone a few months ago, I felt bad after our discussion because I could barely hear him. His voice was hoarse, but I didn’t know that the end will come so soon. Peter Obe died on Sunday at 81. His death has robbed journalism of one of its greatest photographers ever. The history of the Nigerian media will be incomplete without the role played by Exclusive in the development of what is today known as photo – journalism.

    On Tuesday when I informed Jossy Ajiboye of Peter Obe’s death, he could only moan ‘’ah, Peter, ah Peter, ki olorun ko forun ke’’, meaning ‘’ah Peter, ah Peter, may his soul rest in peace’’. After making his own enquiries, he called back to ask: ‘’Nibo lo ku si, ilu e tabi eko?’’ I replied that Exclusive died in Lagos. Exclusive was among the best if not even the best in his trade.They don’t come better than he did. This is a big loss to the Daily Times family, journalism and the nation, which civil war years (1967 – 70) he captured in graphic details in his book: Civil War Pictures from Nigeria : A Decade of Crisis in Pictures. May he rest in the bosom of the Lord.

    Death so cruel

    Life is cruel and so is death. Last Sunday, a longstanding friend and colleague, Adebowale Adegoke, died in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after many years of struggle. Debo died on the same day with Peter Obe. When the late Debo and people like us started out on this job, we began the hard way. We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into then. We just considered ourselves lucky to have got a job then. It all began in The Punch, the lively paper for lively minds. We were young, vibrant men determined to make a career in journalism. Thank God we had masters like Dapo Aderinola (Baba Africa), Najim Jimoh and Demola Osinubi to mentor us. Things were difficult but we soldiered on with the belief that the future is bright.

    In our search for greener pastures, we moved to other papers. Like me, he also found his way to the Daily Times. He rose to Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times. Last Sunday, he died in Abeokuta, which became his home after years of working there. What a sad end to a life of struggle. Since our oga, Tunde Ipinmisho, broke the news of Debo’s death to me on Monday through a text, I have not ceased wondering how cruel life and death can be. My heart goes out to his wife, Yemisi and children. May God give them the fortitude to bear the loss. Adieu, Debo, till we meet to part no more.

     

  • There we go again

    Shortly before Taraba State Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai returned to the country on Sunday after a 10 – month sojourn abroad, this paper had an encounter with him. It was a lucky meeting between him and our reporter, Joke Kujenya, at the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home on Staten Island, New York, United States. They saw eye – to – eye but could not talk to each other because Joke was there ‘unofficially’, that was how they put it, and so could not walk up to the governor for a chat.

    Despite that, the description of what she saw last Saturday following her chance encounter with the governor before he was brought home painted enough picture of his state of health. Her report, which was published on page three of The Nation on Sunday, reads in part : ‘’While waiting, I did a quick look – around. And there, he was. I got locked in eye contact with the man himself, Governor Danbaba Suntai! He sat on a wheelchair in Room 503 beside his bed laid in white with three pillows well set aside each one.

    ‘’The name tag on his room read : Dan Fulani. He wore a red T-shirt on an off – white pair of trousers. He also wore a grey coloured sneaker to complete the outfit…But, he did not utter a word to the reporter neither did he move his body. He only raised his head on the same spot. On impulse, he looked up and saw the reporter. Then he locked his eyes on the reporter squeezing his face probably for a recollection. This lasted for over 10 minutes…After a while, he looked away and bowed his head’’

    The foregoing shows that no matter what some people may be saying, Suntai still needs care and serious care at that. We thank God that he is getting better, but he should be allowed to fully recover before being rushed home over unnecessary fears that he may be impeached as governor to pave the way for his deputy, Garba Umar, to step in as the countdown to the 2015 elections begins. That he survived a plane crash is enough reason for him and his family to thank God. The cases of many others were not as serious as his and yet they died. I believe that God preserved Suntai’s life because he still needs him, but it may not be in the capacity of a governor. This is the bitter truth his loyalists don’t want to hear. Unfortunately, his wife is on their side.

    Suntai should let the will of God prevail in his life instead of allowing people, who don’t mean well for him to push him around for their own political interest. This is the problem with our politicians. They can play politics with anything, including human life. The signs all point to the fact that Suntai is not in full control of his mental senses. Just a look at him as he was being carried out of the plane that brought him home on Sunday was enough to tell any sane person that the governor still needs to be under close medical watch.

    Why then did his wife , Hajia Hauwa, friends and political associates rush him home in such a critical condition? The answer is simple; they want to manipulate him for their own political gains. I am particularly pained that Suntai’s wife could be a party to the manipulation of her husband. Does she truly love the man? Does she have her family’s interest at heart? It is true that women love power, but a woman must know where to draw the line when the life of her husband is involved. Will Hauwa be happy if something untoward happens to her husband in this bitter contest for power now playing out in Taraba?

    She doesn’t need to travel far to see what happened to people in similar circumstance not too long ago. I am sorry to use the Yar ‘Adua case as an analogy, but I am forced to do so in order to bring home to Mrs Suntai the danger she is playing with in allowing her husband to be used as a pawn on the political chess board of some people. What else does she want after being wife of a governor for six years before the unfortunate plane crash in which her husband sustained the injuries he is nursing? Instead of being thankful to God that she still has her husband to hold on to, she wants to carry her sacrifice beyond the mosque by dabbling into politics.

    I hope she will not end up burning her fingers. Today, Taraba is facing a crisis of leadership because of her husband’s sudden appearance on the scene, despite not being mentally alert to discharge the obligations of his office. What will Suntai lose if if his deputy continues to run the state while he continues to attend to his health? Is being governor more important to him than becoming hale and hearty first? Is it not the person that is alive that can think of holding political office, whether president, governor or whatever?

    At this point, everything lies

    in the hands of Mrs Suntai.

    She can change things by putting a stop to this political shenanigan. What will it profit her if she acquires all the political power in Taraba, but loses her husband? She should not be part of the political statement that her husband is strong, healthy and raring to return to work being mouthed by people like former Information Minister Prof Jerry Gana and one – time publicist of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) John Dara. What should concern her now is the wellbeing of her husband if she wants him to be father of her children till the couple grow old together.

    Unfotunately, Mrs Suntai is becoming too much involved in the political undercurrent of her husband’s illness instead of nursing him back to good health. Though, I was not there, but I believe that the doctors would have told her that ‘’madam, please ensure that your husband takes his drugs regularly and rests well until he returns here for examination’’. Can Suntai have that rest if he returns to work now when we know that the job of a governor demands a lot of rigour no matter how backward that state may be?

    If there is nothing to hide about the health of her husband, Mrs Suntai will not be shielding him from members of the House of Assembly, who have oversight functions over him. Those who say he is fit to return to work or who assisted him in writing to the lawmakers that he was ready to resume should bury their heads in shame. They should remember the damage they did to the country during the Yar ‘Adua saga. They should not make us to travel that road again. Suntai’s life should be more precious to us all than him being a puppet governor.

    Let Ozekhome go

    Every day our country keeps sinking deeper into a morass. People leave their homes without knowing whether they will return safely. We live each day as if it is going to be the last because of the fear of the unknown, When we leave home and return safely, we do thanksgiving. We live in fear in this country today; the fear of Boko Haram, the fear of kidnappers, the fear of ritual killers, the fear of night marauders and the fear of rapists. Of the lot, the fear of kidnappers makes our hair stand on our head because we don’t know where and when they will strike.

    The kidnappers’ latest victim is Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who was kidnapped on the Benin – Auchi road last Friday. Since his abduction, we have not heard from his kidnappers to know what they want. Is it money? Is it that he should drop a case that he is handling? Is it that he should stop his activism? Rather than answer these questions, the kidnappers are keeping us in suspense. If only his kidnappers know Ozek baba, that is how some of us call him, they won’t have snatched him. Unknown to them, they have abducted a man they should have befriended. They may have a reason for their action, but they got the wrong person

    Ozekhome’s place is not the kidnappers’ den. Nobody’s place is the kidnappers’ den any way. So, I appeal to the kidnappers today to let Ozekhome go. They should let him return home to his family unhurt. Ozek baba, I am praying for your safe return.

  • Is Shekau dead or alive?

    Is Shekau dead or alive?

    His grainy internet picture shows him wearing a turban. This is the only photograph of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau that is often used by newspapers. Nobody has seen him in public, except perhaps, members of his group, who are privileged to come in contact with him in the line of their deadly business. Thus, Shekau is more of a spirit than a human being. But he has a reputation of being a hard hearted and non – compromising fundamentalist.

    There is a $7million reward on his head for the atrocities committed by Boko Haram, but Shekau seems unperturbed. He (or is it his ghost?) still comes out once in a while to either  issue threats or claim responsibility for some attacks carried out by the sect. He spoke nine days ago, but the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) wants us to believe that it was not him that appeared on video posted on Youtube on August 13. The JTF claims that Shekau may have died of gunshot wounds in Amitchide in Cameroon on August 3.

    If Shekau is dead, JTF should be able to prove to the world beyond reasonable doubt that this dreaded human terror is no more. The irony of it all is that the JTF itself is not sure whether Shekau is dead or alive. Its statement on Shekau’s well – being did not serve the purpose for which it was issued. The statement, I believe, was issued to clear the air over the death or otherwise of the Boko Haram leader, but it ended up confusing the public the more.

    Until the statement was issued, the public knew nothing about the fate of Shekau. We didn’t know that there was an encounter in which he was allegedly shot but escaped with wounds. The JTF believes that he must have died from those wounds. What informed the JTF’s belief? We don’t know; all that we know is what is contained in its statement, which the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has described as hasty because the circumstances from which JTF drew its conclusions do not ‘’add up’’.

    The military is not known to do things haphazardly. It takes its time to dot the I’s and cross the T’s in life and death matters before it comes out with its position. When it concerns the death of a person, the military is even extra careful because it knows the implication of saying a person is dead when that person’s death is not confirmed.  The military double checks its facts to ensure that they are correct before pronouncing a person, whether a soldier or a bloody civilian like Shekau, dead. That is the military tradition. And JTF, we believe, is  operating under that rule.

    Shekau is not just any member of Boko Haram; he is its linchpin. He is to Boko Haram what the late Osama bin Ladin was to Al Qaeda before he was killed by the United States (US) Naval SEAL 5 in May, 2011. Shekau is not a small fry whose death should not be confirmed before it is made public. In breaking the news of the death of such a person, there is no need to rush things. Such a death  can only be confirmed after a thorough and painstaking exercise.

    If Shekau has indeed been killed, what Nigerians expect is a categorical statement from the authority, detailing how, where and when he was killed. The statement should not be equivocal.  It must be clear, succint and unambiguous. As it were, the JTF statement cannot pass muster. This was the dilemma we found ourselves at our editorial meeting on Monday evening when we got the JTF statement. Do we take it at its face value and run with it that Shekau may have been killed as claimed by JTF? Do we do our independent findings to ascertain the true position of things?

    We resolved to err on the side of caution by settling for the latter option. We found out that even within the military, the JTF claim was not well received. The military found it difficult to believe the JTF story that Shekau had been killed without concrete proof of his death. Where is the body? Which doctor confirmed him dead? Where was he killed? These are some of the questions begging for answers in the JTF statement. If Shekau actually died in Amitchide, Cameroon, has the JTF visited the place to see the body and confirm that it is really his?

    In the face of the doubts expressed by the DHQ over JTF’s position, that statement is not worth the paper on which it is written, except the task force can convince us  with clear cut evidence that Shekau is dead. We saw proof beyond reasonable doubt when bin Ladin was killed by the Americans. We saw his body being buried at sea. And we saw a confident President Barack Obama, exultantly responding to a question that: ‘’I can assure you that Osama bin Ladin will no longer walk the surface of the earth’’.

    We need this kind of compelling evidence and talk to believe that Shekau is dead. For now, we don’t know what to believe. Is Shekau dead or alive?

    Making of an empress

    First Lady Patience Jonathan

    seems to court controversy

    with her actions.  It appears she enjoys the image she is cutting for herself. No first lady has been this controversial in our 53 years of nationhood. Wherever the First Lady goes, she leaves pain and agony in her trail.  She seems not to care what the people think about her and the pain she inflicts on them whenever she visits their states or holds a ceremony in Abuja.

    A few months ago she was in Lagos and the metropolis was virtually shut down because of her. People were held up in traffic for a whole day.  It was a terrible day for most motorists who swore and sweated in traffic. Till today, Dame Patience has not apologised for her action. Her husband, who is our president, does not treat us the way she is doing. President Goodluck Jonathan, give it to him, takes the people into consideration, whenever he is visiting Lagos.

    Since he understands the nature of the place, he does his shuttle in and around town in a helicopter to avoid a traffic gridlock, which his movement on the road may cause. For all his wife cares, the people can go to hell whenever she is visiting their states. As in Lagos, so was it in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, when she visited a few weeks ago.  The Garden City was at a standstill because of her visit. Last week, Abuja had a dose of this treatment. The First Lady was hosting what she called: ‘’Celebrating Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment’’.

    The event was well publicised. Forty eight hours before the ceremony, the people were informed that the access road leading to Eagle Square would be shut to traffic. Motorists thought it would be a minor irritation. But when they got to the road on the day of the First Lady’s event, they got a shocker. There was no movement. They could not get to their offices, which they could from inside their cars. To walk past the stern-looking policemen on the road would be suicidal.

    In short, that day, the Federal Capital City, especially the Central Business District (CBD), was a no go area. It was cordoned off by the stern-looking policemen, who blocked all access routes to the Eagle Square. What the people went through that day is best captured in the words of some of them as reported in the papers last Friday. ‘’I met the traffic right from the Yar ‘Adua Centre and immediately turned away from that road and followed another route only to be confronted by a more serious snarl in the town’’, said a motorist.

    Another said : ‘’I make most of my daily earnings by taking passengers to the Federal Secretariat and Eagle Square but on Thursday, I had to turn down many passengers because all the access routes to the CBD were blocked and there was traffic everywhere..’’ Must the First Lady inconvenience the people any time she so wishes? It is high time the president called her to order, that is if he is not a party to these her  irritating actions.

  • ‘It’s the economy, stupid’

    The economy is a reflection of a country’s development. If a country is doing well, it shows in its economy and if it is otherwise, it also shows. So, the economy is the pivot on which every other thing rests, especially the core elements of the economy, such as manufacturing, banking, finance and insurance, transport, oil and gas and human development.

    Every nation strives for a productive economy and not a consuming economy because of its derivative benefits. In a productive economy, the per capital income is good and the people live well. A nation’s economy says a lot about it. Its strength and ‘’vulnerabilities’’, to borrow the word of the all – knowing Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala, are the determinants of how well an economy is doing. How well is our economy doing?

    Okonjo – Iweala answered this question in an interview in ThisDay on Sunday four days ago. Her answer : ‘’Our economy is strong, with vulnerabilities’’. Yes, we are all vulnerable in one way or the other; so in that wise, Madam Minister was not saying anything. What she should have told us in simple and plain language is either that the economy is doing well or it is not doing well. Rather than do that, she chose to talk from both sides of the mouth.

    That same Sunday, the African Development Bank (AfDB), answered the same question and chose to shoot straight from the hip. Without mincing words like Okonjo – Iweala, AfDB said the Nigerian economy did not do well last year, quoting its African Economic Outlook (AEO) report. The government fought back swiftly, dismissing the report as ‘’false and political’’. Can AfDB play politics with such matters? What will be its gain in being political in a report that covers all countries on the continent?

    Our government is alleging that AfDB was biased against it when statistics showed otherwise. The only basis on which it can sustain the bias argument is to prove that the statistics used is not correct. If the government cannot do that, the best it can do in the circumstance is to look through that report once again and see how it can work with it to improve the economy. There is no need to grandstand over this very serious issue if the government has the interest of the governed at heart. Even in the United States (US). which is far developed than Nigeria, the issue of the economy is taken seriously. This was why in 1992, former President Bill Clinton, who was then campaigning for office, focused on reviving the ailing American economy. The catch phrase of his campaign, coined by master strategist James Carville, was : ‘’It’s the economy, stupid’’. Till today, whether in America or any other country for that matter, it’s still the economy, stupid.

    The AfDB as the continent’s leading financial institution owes it a duty to make its owner member – states to be alive to their responsibilities whenever their economies are not doing well. If it does not do that, it means that it is not doing its job. What then will be the essence of having the AfDB if it cannot comment on the economies of countries under its purview? If the government must know, the AfDB is not there to make life comfortable for countries on the continent whose economies are not doing fine. No, its job is not to praise sing governments, but to ensure that they do the right thing for their people by developing a robust economy. An economy can only become strong when it is properly managed and those at the helm are not stealing as some leaders are doing in Africa.

    We are where we are today in Africa because of the thieves in power on the continent. Many of them know next to nothing about the economy, so they find the criticism of their economic policies hard to swallow. As I said, the AfDB was only doing its job by presenting its report on the African economy and a wise government will take a look at the document and make amends where necessary. It is not for the government to bellyache and impute motives to what the bank did. Despite the bank’s low rating of our economy, it noted that the future is bright if we do the right things. So, it was not condemnation all the way as government officials have been painting it. The AfDB noted that the economic growth last year did not translate into job creation and poverty alleviation, adding that unemployment rose from 21 percent in 2010 to 24 percent in 2011. ‘

    The report said : ‘’The Nigerian economy slowed down from 7.4 % growth in 2011 to 6.6 % in 2012. The oil sector continues to drive the economy, with average growth of about 8 %, compared to -0.35 % for the non – oil sector. Agriculture and the oil and gas sector continue to dominate economic activities in Nigeria. The fiscal consolidation stance of the government has helped to contain fiscal deficit below 3.0 % of gross domestic product (GDP). This, coupled with the tight monetary policy stance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), helped to keep inflation at around 12.0 % in 2012. Short and mid – term downside risks include security challenges arising from religious conflicts in some states, costs associated with flooding, slower global economic growth (particularly in the United States and China) and the sovereign debt crisis in the euro area.

    The AfDB could not have done that because it is supposed to aid the growth of the same economy.

    So, it refrained from throw

    ing the baby away with the

    bathwater in its assessment. Proffering the way out, it said : ‘’There is a high need to diversify the Nigerian economy into the non – oil sector. This will help expand the sources of growth and make it broad based, both socially and geographically. Further development of agriculture, manufacturing and services could broaden growth, create employment and reduce poverty’’.

    Monday, Mr Labaran Maku, Information Minister, faulted the AfDB report, saying it was based on old data. ‘’The AfDB report based on 1996 – 2010 statistics is therefore behind time and does not reflect the real achievements/results of this administration in tackling poverty and unemployment in Nigeria in the last three years. This government has undertaken significant policy reforms targeted at addressing the challenges identified in the report. These policy interventions have contributed positively to turning things around beyond the picture painted in the report. Poverty is a national challenge that transcends the whole country cutting across party divides. In reality, the responsibility of fighting poverty does not rest solely with the Federal Government. States and local governments share in this responsibility too. Dealing with poverty as a partisan phenomenon will be trivialising the problem’’. This is the problem with our leaders. They view every criticism from the political prism.

    They see nothing constructive in any criticism of their policies and actions. Their belief is that their political foes sponsor such criticisms against them. Unfortunately, this is the light in which the government is seeing the AfDB report. It is imputing political motive to the AfDB action. I will not be surprised if the government accuses the opposition of sponsoring the report instead of taking a critical look at it in order to make use of the salient findings therein. Will we ever grow if we continue to think like this? May God give us leaders with large hearts, who will not see every criticism as a ploy to bring them down. By the way, Mr Maku, where are the jobs?

  • Boko Haram: A Maiduguri resident’s first – hand account

    I had always looked forward to meeting someone from Maiduguri, the epicentre of the activities of Boko Haram in Borno State. What will the person look like? Will he look terrified? Will he bear visible scars (not necessarily from personal attacks) of the Boko Haram insurgency? And most importantly, will he be willing to relive his experience in the sect’s enclave. Yes, whether we like it or not, Maiduguri has become Boko Haram’s enclave because it holds sway there.

    For many of us down South, Maiduguri or any of those places where Boko Haram rules are not where we want to visit even when the opportunity arises to do so, with little or no cost to us. As journalists, we literally run away when we are told to come and go to Maduguri on assignment. With mouths wide open, we look at the person talking to us with eyes that that say : old boy na now I know say you no like me.

    It is as if the person suggesting that we should go to Maiduguri wants us dead. On such occasion, we tend to forget that there are people living, schooling or working in the town. This is why I had been anxious to meet someone from there. The good Lord answered my prayer a few weeks ago when I met a female student from the beleaguered city. If I had not been told that she is from Maiduguri, I wouldn’t have known that she is from there because there were no telltale signs of the trouble over there on her.

    She looked every bit like any of the girls you run into on the streets of Lagos daily. With a shiny, ebony black skin, Jennifer, let’s just call her that, did not carry the burden of coming from a place like Maiduguri on her face at all. Instead, she smiled knowingly as Adeniyi Adesina, the Deputy Editor (News) of this paper, and I chatted with her. She pardoned our benign ignorance as we regaled her with how we believe that Maiduguri must be looking like now with Boko Haram ruling the place.

    Jennifer laughed and laughed, saying in between her laughter that things are not like that at all. Maiduguri, she told us is ‘’peaceful’’. ‘’Peaceful’’, Niyi and I shouted, adding : ‘’With all that we have been hearing that place cannot be peaceful’’. ‘’In fact, the peace of Maiduguri had long been shattered’’, I added for effect. The girl looked at me and laughed, wondering what could be wrong with this man who, as the Yoruba would say, ‘’wants to know a child more than the mother’’

    Our encounter with Jennifer was an eye – opener of sorts for Niyi and I about how little we know of what is really happening in Maiduguri besides the Boko Haram insurgency, which has been dominating reports from there in the past four years. Is Maiduguri that safe for habitation that a girl like Jennifer could come from there and be bold enough to engage Niyi and I in discussion about her much beloved town. Even though, Jennifer says she is from Biu, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, she stays more in the Borno State capital than in her home town.

    As a reporter, my mind kept going back to that encounter with Jennifer. Is it that Maiduguri is safe and we are painting a different picture of a ravaged town in Lagos? How do we get her to put this in writing? The reporter in me wanted a story as told by her in order to put a human face to the Maiduguri conundrum. But I could not do that without her permission. To use her story without her consent will be a breach of trust and confidence. Because of the confidence Jennifer has in this paper, she has agreed to tell her story herself soon. Niyi and I were able to convince her that it would take people like her to come out and talk for Nigerians to know that things are not as bad as they believe in Maiduguri. ‘’If you don’t talk, we, like most Nigerians, will continue to believe that Maiduguri is a no go area. But you have just come from the place, looking good, well kept and healthy. There cannot be a better poster child for Maiduguri, at least for now, than you’’, we told her. This was all Jennifer needed to open up during our private discussion later. “Before the death of Moham

    med Yusuf, the sect’s

    founder, in 2009, Maiduguri was peaceful’’, she bagan. ‘’There was cordial relationship between Muslims and Christians. Life went on smoothly. People went about their businesses without being molested. There were no fears of any attack. Things changed after the death of Mohammed Yusuf. His followers wanted to avenge his death because they believe that he was killed by security men. That was when this problem started. People started staying away from the streets to avoid being attacked or caught in the crossfire of attacks.

    ‘’In the heat of this, the government imposed curfew on Maiduguri. Even before the curfew, by 6 p.m., you won’t find people on the streets. Many would have returned home. I attend the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), The campus is peaceful. We go for our lectures regularly without any cause for alarm. Students are in school; even those from the South are among us. We relate very well. We don’t have any reason to fear for Boko Haram. You can’t even know a Boko Haram member. You may even be living with a member of Boko Haram without knowing. There is nothing to distinguish a Boko Haram member from other people.

    ‘’Before Mohammed Yusuf’s death, you could know a Boko Haram member by his dressing. Then, they wore long beards and their trousers were not full length. I don’t remember the kind of dress they wore. The university is on Maiduguri – Bama road, but there is no problem on campus. Lectures are going on. It s difficult to know who a Boko Haram member is. Even, they can be among soldiers and policemen. If you inform the police or the army about any Boko Haram member, you may be looking for trouble because you will be found out and killed. Now, they don’t dress like they used to do while Mohammed Yusuf was alive. So, you cannot tell who is a Boko Haram member or not. But the town is generally peaceful. Women go to the market; children go to school. If Boko Haram attacks anywhere there must be reason for it’’.

    ‘’Is it then safe for me to visit Maiduguri?’’ I asked. ‘’Yes’’, she answered, ‘’as long as you don’t go and report any Boko Haram member to the police’’, and we burst into laughter. You will soon meet Jennifer, mind you, not that Jennifer, in this paper.

    Wild, wild Wike

    They call him Nyesom Wike and he is the Minister of State for Education, a position he got, courtesy of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi when the going was good between them. In their party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), nobody can become minister in a state without the governor’s nod. So, it amounts to empty boast, today, by Wike that Amaechi had no input in how he became minister. He can tell that to the Marines. Wike spoke like that because of the rift between him and Amaechi. We can understand that. Shouldn’t he have limited himself to that statement instead of pouring invectives on Amaechi? You don’t address a governor like that no matter your grievances. What reconciliation are we then talking about if Wike can be allowed to shoot his mouth in public like that? His masters had better call him to order.

  • The Sanusi – CBN years

    The Sanusi – CBN years

    With less than 12 months left for Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to complete his first term of five years as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, talks are on in high places on who will succeed him. By now, the desk of President Goodluck Jonathan may be full with the resume of those who feel that they have what it takes to do the job. The CBN governor’s job is not a piece of cake. It is a job with a lot of headache

    At this critical juncture in our country’s life, we need a CBN governor, who is versed in economic matters, and can hold his own among his colleagues globally. What is the worth of a CBN governor who cannot stand head to toe with Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer or America’s Chairman of the Federal Reserve?

    Our CBN governor should not feel intimidated by others because they are from the so – called developed economies. No, he should be bold, assertive and daring in the discharge of his duties because on him rests the hope of a nation, talking monetarily, that is. As an international scholar, Sanusi’s predecessor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had what it takes to play on the global field. When Soludo spoke while in office, the world listened because he was seen as a man of clout. Despite that, Soludo did not get a second term, which he badly wanted to enable him consolidate on the gains of his first term.

    However, being an international scholar will not automatically translate to success for one as CBN governor. The CBN chief should also understand the terrain in which he operates and do all he can to win the confidence of the people. As CBN governor, has Sanusi been able to do this? In the past four years that he has been in office, what can he point to as his achievements? Can he be said to have enjoyed cordial working relationship with his fellow bankers/economists without breaching the trust reposed in him by the government and the people of this country?

    There is need for us to look at these issues before he leaves so that our leaders will be guided in appointing his successor. Sanusi has already said he is not interested in a second term. Even if he has such an interest, chances are that he may not be considered again, considering his relationship with the present government, Sanusi knows that he is not in the good books of this administration and, as such, it will be implausible to seek a renewal of his tenure under this presidency. He knows that is a dream that will never come true. But should the appointment of a CBN governor be based on relationship with the government in power or on competence?

    Both factors matter because there is no way any president will appoint someone as CBN governor if they cannot work in sync no matter how competent that person may be. Sanusi was lucky because he was appointed by the late President Umaru Yar ‘ Adua, who believed in him. The late president, according to Segun Adeniyi in his book : Power, Politics & Death : A front – row account of Nigeria under the late President Yar ‘ Adua was virtually over the moon following Sanusi’s appearance before the Senate for screening. Segun quoted the late Yar ‘ Adua as saying :

    ‘’I watched some of the exchanges between Sanusi and the senators, and I was impressed. I think the guy is brilliant, but I have also been told about his integrity. I hope I made the right choice’’. Would the late Yar ‘ Adua have said the same thing about Sanusi today if he was alive? The late Yar ‘ Adua gave Sanusi a free hand to run things. Going by Segun’s account in his book, the late president seemed to have more faith in Sanusi than the then Attorney – General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN). This was why he authorised Sanusi to bypass his minister in order to get some bank chiefs.

    Under his banking reform, Sanusi published the list of debtors in newspapers shortly after he took office. We were told the amount these big debtors were owing and they were asked to pay up or face prosecution. For weeks, the alleged debtors and their banks engaged in newspaper battle over the issue. Some debtors denied owing their banks, while those who admitted owing, said they were servicing their debts. Many of the banks rose in support of their customers, saying they were enjoying cordial relationship with them, debt or no debt. The question now is how much of those debts have been defrayed?

    Will it not be good to also publish the list of those who have paid just as the CBN went to town a few years ago with the names of those owing? By far, the most controversial action taken by Sanusi is his removal of the chief executives of Intercontinental Bank, Finbank, Afribank, Oceanic Bank and Union Bank. In one fell swoop, Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental), Okey Nwosu (Finbank), Sebastian Adigwe (Afribank), Mrs Cecilia Ibru (Oceanic) and Bartholomew Ebong (Union) were sent packing by Sanusi because of alleged mismanagement of funds. He also accused them of stealing. He took the action following the examination of the banks’ books by CBN and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

    In law, you don’t punish a

    suspect before his trial. He is

    punished after trial. But in CBN’s handling of this matter, the reverse is the case. In a few days from now, it will be four years that Sanusi removed these bank chiefs and even sold their banks to boot. Many of the things Sanusi claimed to have found out about these banks were for long pepper soup joint gossips during which revellers sat over bottles of beer to give what they consider insider accounts of the rot in our banking system. It is good that Sanusi has unearthed all these as a risk management expert.

    But many find it hard to believe that such a thing could be happening in the sector and yet Soludo, his predecessor, was giving the banks a clean bill of health. By his action, Sanusi is insinuating that Soludo was privy to all the mess. As Segun asked in his book, ‘’the pertinent question therefore was, how could all this have escaped Soludo?” It is a difficult question to answer, but in clearing the ‘mess’ he believed he inherited Sanusi should not be seen doing things to tarnish the reputation of his predecessor and the affected bank chiefs. He should bear in mind that those hailing him today for doing a good job will not hesitate to join others in stoning him if tomorrow they hear that he was involved in one deal or other while in office.

    Some of the questions that will be asked once he leaves are : Is it true that the affected banks were forcefully taken over to discredit Soludo’s banking consolidation? Is it true that two banks were spared similar treatment because of their owners’ connection with the power – that – be? Is it true that BankPHB was seized in order to return the old Habib Bank to the Yar ‘Adua family to reverse the effect of the Soludo banking reform? Was due process followed in the acquisition of the affected banks? How was it possible for smaller banks to acquire some of the banks that were bigger and better than them? Where did the money come from? From Sanusi’s CBN or where?

    Sanusi may believe that he has done well, but I pray that he will not have a successor who will be like him. We can only wish him well after he leaves office next year.

     

  • Mission to save Nigeria

    Mission to save Nigeria

    Five governors have embarked on a shuttle diplomacy  to save the country from destruction. Though of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the governors know that our democracy is being threatened by the actions of some people at the highest level of their party. If we look around us today to  see what is happening, we will be shocked by what these supposed guardians of our  democracy are doing. They don’t care that by their actions, our  democracy may become  perilled. All they are after is the here and now. It is what they get now that matters to them not the future of democracy.

    We didn’t get to where we are today on a platter. It was a long and hard fought battle that got us to this stage of the nation’s life. Some people paid the supreme price for us to enjoy this democracy. If for nothing else,  we should, at least,  remember  these people and what they stood for and make this democracy work. In the past few months, the country has been on tenterhooks. It has been one induced crisis after the other all because some politicians, particularly our president, cannot accommodate others even within his own party.

    If our democracy collapses today, fingers will be pointed at  President Goodluck Jonathan for laying the foundation for it. The president cannot claim ignorance over what is happening in the polity today because he is fully involved in it through proxies. These proxies are ready to die doing his bidding. It is hard to believe that Jonathan can be involved in anything that can derail our  democracy, but that is what is happening. The governors have seen through the lie that he is not involved in the whole mess and that is why they are going about pleading with elder statesmen to intervene before this house falls.

    Things were not these bad when Karl Maier wrote This House Has Fallen in 2000 cataloguing Nigeria’s many crises, including that of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. We survived the June 12 crisis only to be faced with another self – inflicted one 20 years after because of some peoples’  desperation to remain in power,  albeit perpetually. Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) know that recent happenings in the polity have grave implications for the country if something is not done fast to halt the drift.

    Let us face it. Are the people feeling the impact of government? What have the two years of Jonathan brought to us as  a nation? Are we better off now  in the comity of nations than we were before his administration? The answers to these posers are painfully in the negative. United States (US) President Barack Obama was in Africa about three weeks ago but he did not visit Nigeria, the so – called giant of Africa. What does that say about our standing in the eyes of those that matter in the world. It shows that we are a giant with clay feet :  a country that is so blest, but which cannot prove its true worth in the comity of nations because of rudderless leadership. I concede that Jonathan should not take the whole blame for where we are today.

    The question is what has he done to improve our rating in the eyes of the world? Rather than worsen our plight, it is better he leaves us the way he met us, as the Yoruba will say. The president is not ready to do that. He wants to compound our woes before leaving in 2015, that is if he will go.  This is what the governors want to avoid. To avert a bigger mess in future, they have taken the initiative to intervene on behalf of the people to save our country from the hands of  a president whose sole interest is to cling to  office at all costs even when he knows he does not have the capacity to do the job. As former President Olusegun Obasanjo said in his usual ribald way, ‘’you can only look for a job for someone, you cannot assist the person to do the job’’. How true.

    The governors, who first visited Obasanjo on Saturday in his Abeokuta, Ogun State home, were in Minna, the Niger State capital on Monday to see former heads of state, Gen Ibrahim Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar.  In Minna, they urged Babangida and Abubakar to prevail on Jonathan to ensure a level playing ground for democracy to thrive. They implored the duo to get in touch with other statesmen to save democracy. The governors are worried over the lingering Rivers State crisis and its likely consequences for democracy; destabilisation of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF); forcing governors to do the bidding of the presidency; and lack of internal democracy in the PDP.

    These were some of the issues

    they tabled before Obasanjo,

    Babangida and Abubakar. The governors are not done in their mission as they are still planning to meet other elder statesmen to seek their support. Some people may not like the faces of these governors; that should be expected anyway; but we cannot fault the mission they have embarked upon. Loyalists of the president may, as they are wont to, read meanings into the governors’  mission. They may say ha!, it’s all politics. I beg that we should leave politics out of this for the sake of our country. If we truly love Nigeria, this is the time to show it by standing up for our country. Nigeria belongs to us all. Nigeria does not belong to Jonathan because he is president. So, we must all show concern when things are going wrong.

    The governors have taken the initiative; they need our support in order to achieve result on this mission. If we don’t support them, those who feel threatened by their mission will start calling them all sorts of names. Before they start doing that, let me hasten to say that no matter how much they try to tar these governors, the people will see through their shenanigan. Is it not said that we cannot all sleep and face the same direction? That being so, those who may have an alternative to what the governors are doing are free to come up with their option but in a decorous manner and  not by truculent attacks on these personalities.

    Soon too, they may start unleashing Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives against these governors all because they dared to save our democracy  from the hands of a budding dictator. Did I hear you say he has become a full – blown one?

    A clash of faith

    Can man fight for God? This is a question that keeps rearing its head everywhere around the world because of the belief of those who are more catholic than the pope and more islamic than the keepers of the sacred Ka’aba in Mecca that they can fight for God.  These people with their holier than thou attitude see others who don’t  wear their faith as a badge as non – believers or infidels. Yet, these two religions tell us that nobody can fight for God. These fundamentalists do not seem to believe that. They believe that it is by fighting for God that they can make others see them as true believers.  Religion  is a matter of choice. This is why we have seen people convert from Christianity to Islam and vice versa with or without the support of their nuclear families. Usually, it is without the support of their families as we are witnessing  in the case of Charity Uzoechina, the 24-year-old daughter of a pastor, who has reportedly embraced Islam in Niger State. She is now said to be a ward of the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, from whom she sought refuge to escape, rightly or wrongly, the wrath of her pastor father. Her purported conversion to Islam has pitted the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) against the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), which is not happy with the way the CAN leadership is handling the matter. See The Nation of Tuesday, July 23 at page 7. There is no need for CAN and NSCIA to engage in a tug of war over this issue. All we need do is invite Christy before her parents, CAN and NSCIA repesentatives and some neutral parties to tell the world where she stands on this matter. Has she ‘ported’ or not? She should be able to say; after all, she is not a minor. She knows what she wants. And of course, what she does not want.

  • Legislative rascality

    The legislative chamber is a hallowed place. It is a temple of sorts with its members as ministers. There are rules guiding its operation and members are expected to play by the rules. Those who don’t are sanctioned to deter others. In this present dispensation, the National Assembly comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as the Houses of Assembly in the 36 states constitute the legislature.

    In our land, it is a big deal being a member of these legislative houses because it confers prestige and honour on such a person. Even a mere councillor in the legislative house of a local government is referred to these days as ‘honourable’. Now, do you see why being a lawmaker is the next thing to being god! Our senators go by the appellation ‘distinguished’ and members of the House of Representatives (MHR), ‘honourable’

    With such fancy names, they are expected to lead by example. They should be role models for the up and coming, who need to be impressed. But are they? In most cases, our lawmakers’ conduct leaves much to be desired. If they are not quarrelling over allowances and cars, they may be bickering over what is generally regarded as juicy committee positions. They either want to head the finance and appropriation committee or the petroleum committee.

    At other times, they may be split along party or ideological lines which involves matter of principles. If this is the case most times, Nigerians will not begrudge them. We will rather hail them because it is good for a man to fight on grounds of principle. Thus, if our lawmakers fight ideological fights as much as they wage battles over allowances or other mundane issues, we their constituents may not be bothered that much. We only get agitated when they fight for selfish reasons.

    It is always fun watching our lawmakers fight. They roll up their trousers, pull off their shirts to exchange blows. At times, they use the mace as weapon of war as it happened at the Rivers State House of Assembly last Tuesday. The Rivers show of shame was a skirmish waiting to happen. The clash had been brewing for long, but it didn’t start in the Assembly. It started with Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s problem with the Presidency over 2015.

    President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists believe that Amaechi has presidential ambition and so must be stopped from realising his dream in order not to spoil their man’s chances for the exalted office in 2015. The president has not said anything about 2015, but his body language has said more than enough. Jonathan will contest the 2015 poll, I make bold to say before he tells us so next year formally. I am no soothsayer, but all the signs indicate that the president is interested in running.

    It is this interest that is at the root of the crisis in the Rivers Assembly where lawmakers loyal to his minister, Nyesom Wike and by extension himself, and those for Amaechi slugged it out last week. Five of the 32-member Assembly are for Wike. It was this minority that attempted to impeach Speaker Otelemara Amachree and impose Evans Bipi as the new speaker. It failed in its mission because the 27 other members, who are in the majority, resisted the move with all their might. What happened next is now history.

    Some of the lawmakers are still nursing the wounds they sustained in that fight. That serves them right, you will say. But the issue is deeper than that going by what we have been seeing since then. Could the July 9 Rivers Assembly have been averted? The answer is yes, if only the police had been proactive enough. By their own admission, they were invited to provide security at the sitting but never took it seriously until the army intervened.

    According to Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu, ‘’I was nonchalant about the Assembly’s request for police security because it is unusual for them to request for police when sitting. Moreover, there is a police station with men attached to the Assembly’’. The lawmakers, who wrote to him, know that there is a police station attached to the Assembly before coming to him. Something must have informed their action and that was what the police chief did not take into account.

    He did not ask himself this question: Why are these people writing to me when there is ‘’a police station with men at the House of Assembly’’? If he had asked himself that question, he would have thought twice before ignoring the request. The fact of the matter is that if the Army Brigade Commander in Port Harcourt had not written to Mbu, he would have remained ‘’nonchalant’’ about the Assembly’s request. That is not how to police a state which he oversees. He should take part of the blame for that day’s crisis.

    If his men had been on ground

    that day, chances are that the

    mayhem may have been averted. Nobody leaves fire on his roof and goes to sleep; and this unbelievably was what Mbu did in this case. This is, however, not to say that the lawmakers’ action is not condemnable. It is sad that they desecrated the hallowed chambers of the Assembly because of the desperation of a few people to impeach the speaker. It is only in our country that the minority is always scheming to override the majority. They tried it in Plateau and Oyo states and failed in court after the kangaroo impeachment of Governors Joshua Dariye and Rashidi Ladoja, yet they didn’t learn a lesson.

    Why do they think they will succeed in Rivers then? This kind of legislative rascality which seems to always enjoy executive backing must stop if we truly wish to grow our democracy. Our democracy will grow if we allow the age-long dictum of the majority having its way and the minority having its say to prevail in everything that we do. But will our politicians allow that?

     Mandela at 95

    Today, global icon Nelson Rohlilahla Mandela is 95. Although, he has been in hospital since June 8, the world has been monitoring his health and praying for his recovery. There is no doubt that Madiba is in critical condition, but the joy of people worldwide will be to see him get up and walk out of the hospital hale and hearty. There can be no greater birthday wish than that. When he was taken to the hospital, many did not give him a chance to live up to this day, especially with reports that he had been placed on life support. Whether on life support or not, the support that has sustained Mandela up till now is that of the people. They have been going to his hospital daily, praying for him to return home. Men, women and children have been doing that for the past one month. What we have seen so far is the efficacy of prayers at work. This shows that any leader who does well will enjoy the support and prayers of the people. Mandela is enjoying this goodwill because he served the people and not himself and his family. Happy birthday, Madiba.

    Lucky devils

    Many are still in shock over last Friday’s Court of Appeal judgment, freeing Major Hamza Al – Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan of the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. The court said there was no evidence to link them with the murder, wondering where the high court, which found them guilty of the offence in January, last year, got its own evidence from. Since the appeal court has spoken on this matter so shall it be until its decision is tested at the Supreme Court. We can only blow muted trumpet on the matter in this space in the face of the appellate court’s verdict. If many had their way, Al – Mustapha and Sofolahan would not have had their day. These people would have preferred that Al – Mustapha, especially, be publicly tried and disgraced for the atrocities he allegedly committed as chief security officer (CSO) to the late Gen San Abacha. Not many believe the Court of Appeal judgment on account of this; they prefer the high court’s verdict, but their preference does not matter in things like this. Their lordships have spoken and so shall it be until the judgment is reversed by the Supreme Court, that is if the matter gets there. For now, the men should enjoy their freedom. It’s their luck.