The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • When violence trails the Dame

    SIR: There are lots of things to talk about the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan; but let me start with the most pertinent: Why is it only in her Okirika hometown that political violence has continued?

    About two weeks ago, the APC Secretariat in Okirika town was bombed. Now it is the bombing of the APC governorship campaign venue, again in Okirika. Valuable equipment, canopies, constructed stage, etc., were burnt through explosives that were used by militants linked to the First Lady. This happened at the wee hours of Saturday January 24. This particular case may still go the way the earlier one did; no investigation to stop this type of carnage.

    She is also said to be fanning embers of hatred in his husband’s home State, Bayelsa. Currently, she is at loggerheads with Governor Dickson Seriake over who becomes governor in advance of the 2016 gubernatorial election in the state.

    Mrs. Patience Jonathan, it was, that destroyed PDP in Rivers State when she foisted former Minister of State Education, Nyesom Wike as the PDP governorship flag bearer for the February elections. This, she executed against the preferred Riverine candidates, mainly Ijaw speaking, planning in the process that an Ikwerre takes over from another Ikwerre. What about issues of equity, fairness and honesty?

    Let us see how this plays out in the next few weeks. It should be recognized that Dame Jonathan is not the only First Lady in Nigeria’s history and she would not be the last. Suffice it to say that no First Lady has behaved close to what we are now witnessing.

     

    • Dr. Bernard Tamuno,

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State

  • Buhari: What’s certificate got to do with it?

    SIR: The question raised on the educational qualification of General Muhammadu Buhari in the coming election is a typical political antic aimed at scoring cheap political goal. Unthinkable and frivolous were some opinions raised; most were out rightly ridiculous. Those who want to make an issue out of General Buhari’s certificate should be knowledgeable enough to understand that this kite has fractured wings and cannot/will not fly.

    How on earth do the peddlers of the no-certificate-saga think that after ruling the nation as a military head of state and having contested presidential elections three times, General Muhammadu Buhari does not have West African School Certificate or its equivalent and the INEC forgot to disqualify him on those occasions and at the moment to contest? Are the harbingers of this question not Nigerians? These people must be new to Nigerian politics and current affairs.

    Experience they say is the best teacher; therefore, it is important for APC, Buhari and the handlers of his entire campaign to be meticulous, on guard and beware of leaving anything to chances. It should be well understood that Nigerian politics is still at its crude stage where any means fair and foul could be employed by candidates to smear and edge out opponents.

    Meanwhile, the eligibility of persons vying for the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution is absolutely clear as it relates to certificates.Section 131 (d) states inter-alia: a person shall be qualified for election to the office of the president if- “he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

    Section 318(1) titled Interpretation, Citation and Commencement threw more light on what School Certificate or its equivalent means among many other things. It could be a Secondary School Certificate, Grade II Certificate, the City and Guilds or Primary Six School Leaving Certificate. The constitution did not envisage that an aspirant to the office of the President should have a university degree, Higher National Diploma or Doctoral Degree.

    The constitution further describes what School Certificate or its equivalent means as “Service in the public or private sector in the federation in any capacity acceptable to the independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of 10 years, and attendance at course and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the INEC for periods totaling up to a minimum of one year. Others are the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the INEC any other qualification acceptable by the INEC.

    From the foregoing, it is evident that to become a president, “School Certificate” is the most needful criteria. Most importantly, it is at the discretion of INEC not individuals or political parties to determine who is qualified to run for the office of the president in accordance with the above constitutional stipulations.

    When will our politics migrate from triviality to issue based discussions? The issue of certificates of those contesting for various positions is the least Nigerians wants to hear for now.  Political parties are enjoined to showcase implementable programmes and plans they have to uplift and improve the lives of the average Nigerians.

     

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze,

    Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna

  • No to the drum-beats

    SIR: It all started as s joke late last year when politicians from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP)  and the All Progressives Congress (APC) threatened fire and brimstones should their respective presidential candidates lose out in the presidential election that is less than a month from now.

    It was the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi that got the attention of the Department of State Security (DSS) when he threatened that his party (APC) would form a parallel government should the PDP rig the election. The governor got serious warming from both the DSS and the Defence Headquarters.

    But the same security agencies seems to have ignored threats emanating from top stalwarts of the PDP, namely Governors Godswill Akpabio and Ayodele Fayose of Akwa- Ibom and Ekiti States respectively. Doyin Okupe, the Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs was also quoted on the social media to have said that there would be war or a military coup if his principal – President Goodluck Jonathan should lose out in the polls. To the best of my knowledge, none of these war-mongers are yet to get any form of reprimand or caution from the relevant security agencies. Asari Dokubo,  the warlord and militant leader from the South-south has not ceased to remind the nation that his region possess more sophisticated weapons and ammunition than they submitted during the Amnesty Deal.

    We admonish the contestants in the coming elections to address the issues militating against the progress, peace and tranquillity of this nation and stop fanning   the embers of disunity or war.

    Let it be known to all that the elections will be peaceful. It is only those that are sowing the seeds of discord that will reap their harvests while the nation will prosper and make progress in every area of human endeavour.

    If these politicians truly intend to serve the nation at different levels of governance, and not their respective pockets/stomachs, then elections should not be a ‘do-or-die’ affair. Nigerians are seriously praying for politicians irrespective of their political leanings who will truly serve and heal the wounds of this nation and not a group of people who intend to milk her dry and further destabilises or dehumanise her.

    President Goodluck Jonathan is advised to rein in these   mud- sluggers and campaigners of calumny if they don’t have better issues to bring to public domain. May be unknown to them, they may be smearing the President’s image instead of trying to show-case the achievements of his administration in some key sectors like agriculture, transport and power, among others. But issues of security challenges and high – level corruption are competing very hard to dwarf these achievements.

    Those who think of catching the next available flight or jet out in their private jets if what they imagined against the nation happens, may not be that lucky. They may be consumed by the flames of the fire that they are trying to ignite.

     

    • Gbemiga Olakunle, JP

    General Secretary, National Prayer Movement

  • Season of disclaimers

    SIR: At the rate things are going, there should be scant surprise in the event of PDP leaders issuing a disclaimer in respect of their presidential candidate! At the last count, PDP had issued four high-level disclaimers; two of them within hours of each other. Twice within the past week or so, the party distanced itself from a statement issued by one Deji Adeyanju, an aide to Doyin Okupe to the effect that the presidency was contemplating calling on the Nigerian Army to scuttle General Muhammadu Buhari’s impending inauguration. This was followed by another disclaimer in respect of the irascible Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

    I have met indigenes of Ekiti state who claim Fayose is a typical Nigerian hustler. You know the typical Nigerian hustler: those Nigerians who will do anything to get anything. Any person who can wish anybody dead or announce the obituary of the living can do anything. See some of the president’s most reliable lieutenants?

    Judged by the way they are embarrassing the president, one would think Fayose, Okupe, Femi Fani-Kayode and others are moles in the PDP. This same Femi Fani-Kayode who raised valid questions on his ability to rule is now a prominent member of the president’s kitchen cabinet. With such poor judgments in the choice of top presidential aides, Nigerians need no soothsayer to tell them why and how their country was turned into a hellhole.

    Nigerians should share the guilt of poor judgment because, all along, people who never prepared themselves for leadership positions have always walked their ways, with relative ease, to occupy the most sensitive offices in the land. This has been the metaphor as well as the tragedy of Nigeria! Add former resident, General Olusegun Obasanjo to the mix and the picture you get is the political carcasses of unprepared and ill-prepared people being foisted on Nigerians. The stench left by his government notwithstanding, a major fallout of President Obasanjo’s criticism of his protégé, President Jonathan is that we may gradually be coming to terms with the raisons d’être behind crunching leadership paralysis, the main drawback that ensured Nigeria remained a toddler nearly 53 years after independence.

    Let’s get this straight: since October, 1960, Nigerians have not been lucky to have leaders who adequately prepared themselves for the tasking and taxing job of leadership. And this has been at the heart of the many problems with Nigeria. At independence in October, 1960, the man who should have been prime minister and head of government, the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto, opted to govern the north and ceded the throne to the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Give this to Sir Ahmadu Bello: the obvious sign that he prepared himself for leadership role manifested in the indelible and enduring achievements he posted as premier of the defunct Northern Region.

    The trend continued with the return to civilian rule in October, 1979 after 13 years of military interregnum. In his own words, Shehu Usman Shagari, the man who became the dovish president in succession to Obasanjo was prevailed upon to drop his senatorial ambition for the presidency by hawkish colleagues in the defunct National Party of Nigeria.

    The year 1999 brought Olusegun Obasanjo in his second ill-prepared coming. His hand-picked successor, the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, was terminally ill at the time he assumed office. After serving eight years as governor of Katsina State, Nigerians thought Yar’adua needed a deserved rest rather than being saddled with the tasking and taxing job of leading the nation. Obasanjo had a different idea.  Flowing from that self-serving idea, Nigerians have been stuck with Goodluck Jonathan, a man who became president more for compassionate reasons, for the past six better-forgotten years.

    The electioneering campaigns so far have shown that majority of Nigerians no longer feel threatened by the puerile No Jonathan, No Nigeria campaigns of the recent past. The fear factor is dead! February 14 will provide Nigerians a golden opportunity to wriggle out of the snake pit their country has been turned into by a bungling ruling class. The date provides an opportunity to depart from the hurtful practice of celebrating mediocrity through imposition of incompetent leaders who glorify corruption.

     

    • Abdulrazaq Magaji,

    Abuja

  • Enugu: Of dreams and realities of power

    SIR: Ask yourself, granted you have the ambition, why would I invest in pursuit of power? By extension why do men, and women, seek power? Power to do what, show what, or just for the fun?

    There are various directions to these questions arising from fancies and a question requesting answer may get answer that may be akin to a man who fancies his looks: to show how far he can conquer.

    But that is what many power-seekers unconsciously focus their gaze.  Of course, a conqueror has unlimited access to the booty of conquest. And this is the root of sleaze in government.

    Very few employ business strategy to achieve optimum result; to make profit and do good. The business philosophy or policy, Management by Objective – MBO – can make government business more rewarding to do good for the government stakeholders – the electorate.

    Soon after his nomination as the All Progressive Congress gubernatorial candidate for Enugu State, Okey Ezea, in close-house dinner conversation with some friends who occasionally held him by the collar demanding why he should get into dirty Nigerian politics rather than face his successful business outfits quipped: “the pursuit for power is to do good just as presiding over business empire is to earn profit, redistribute it and engender peace and harmony among those who have no access to factors of production…”

    He told his guests that he was not seeking the people’s mandate “for the fun of it or a show of telling anybody that I am Okey Ezea, a lawyer and businessman, but to find solution to the poverty in our land…’ He would add that “the situation calls for men of character, with ideas and solutions to recreate the Enugu State of Wawa dream.”

    I am reliving the dinner dialogue, almost a monologue, because the climate is ripe now that contenders to Governor Sullivan Chime’s seat are on the prowl seeking support and endorsement at election.  More importantly, there have been no known manifestos from his opponents detailing what the Enugu people should hold them accountable in default or in assessment.

    He declared: “hold me accountable in pursuit of the change I seek in Enugu… we advocate true democratic governance where government is for the people, by the people and of the people where my social contract with the people is anchored in wealth creation and poverty reduction, improvement of the health sector and health system, infrastructure development, security of life and property, and accountability and good governance.”

    It seems Enugu may get solid and independent helmsman after Senator Chimaroke Nnamani who held sway between 1999 and May 2007, as the governor.

    “I am my own boss, nobody’s godson or lackey… my pedigree is my business sense which I will use to change Enugu state of our dream… I will create wealth, provide jobs and reduce poverty, develop infrastructure and show that government is a continuum… it is indecent for a succeeding government to abandon a project embarked upon with the people’s money simply because there is irritation between the departed governor and the sitting governor… and mark you the project was duly authorized by the state legislature by way of budget approval…”

    Knocking off after the 45 minutes buffet, he was philosophical “… in social engineering, an effective follower-ship is as important as a visionary and dynamic leadership…getting the people to identify with government and its programmes goes beyond propaganda…it flows from providing leadership by example…projecting open, accessible, transparent and accountable government to earn trust… I will restore the Wawa virtues and values by implementing a mixed grill of ethical reorientation programmes built on known pillars of trust…”

    Will this change come? He quipped; “Certainly for the first time in the east, and Enugu in particular, APC government will show the difference and introduce free education up to Senior Secondary School level…  I cross my crest.. “

    •Obieze Ozoagu,

    Enugu

  • That Fayose’s poisonous advert

    SIR: Ayodele Fayose is a character that appears to defy social norms. Defying social norms is not a problem because it encourages debate and promotes engagement with issues as they develop. There is no rule that says somebody is right because you align with public opinion or with the views of the majority. When people defy social norms, they go against what the ‘majority’ sees as right or wrong. This is perception which may be jaundiced. Hence, a deviant is one who does something or engages in a habit condemned by the majority as unwholesome. It is against this background that the likes of Governor Fayose can facilitate social change (violent or peaceful) through their utterances and symbolic representations such as what has been called ‘death-wish advert’ published on the front page of national newspapers against the All Progressive Congress Presidential candidate, General Muhammad Buhari.

    Fayose did not do anything unusual from what most of us do. The advert is only a reflection of what we all do in our religious spaces. The subtle difference in Fayose’s advert is that whereas we pray for the death of our enemies in churches, the enemies are anonymous and mostly unmentioned. That Fayose chose to go to the press with overt pictorial evidence of the perceived political enemy that ‘should die’ is callous, wicked and totally insensitive.

    Now if Governor Fayose is not sufficiently knowledgeable to appreciate the sensitivity of his message at this time in the history of Nigeria when issues of religion, ethnicity, sectionalism and power become hotly debated, what about his advisers? He who walks with the wise grows wise but a companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20).

    What is the essence of having special advisers on media and public communications who cannot advise their principal rightly? It may not be their fault. The Governor may not be listening to them or they are just yes-men advisers. Whichever way, negligence is condemnable. And if the special advisers were just interested in keeping their jobs, what is the role of the media in ensuring social order? Social responsibility dictates that the press should censor items likely to cause disaffection. I expected the advert clearing house of the newspapers to consider the unintended consequences of using the advert on the peace and unity of the country. Front page colour advert is huge money and tempting but everything should not be about money.

    The foolishness of the advertorial is that it has given the ‘enemy’ of Fayose more popularity and sympathy like the type President Goodluck Jonathan enjoyed during the last elections. At that time, the cabal tossed him around, silenced him until the people rose up and fought for him. It was his persecution that shot him to electoral victory not because people thought he could deliver anything called ‘dividends of democracy’. Again why is age 72 a problem to Fayose? In the same Bible which he quoted in his advert, Moses led the Israelites until he was 120 years!

    Indeed if former President Umar Yar’ Adua did not die, would Fayose have had the opportunity of supporting Jonathan today? The likes of Murtala Mohammed, Sani Abacha, and Musa Yardua came to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria. No man should undermine their contributions. They served us to usher in social change.

    Let Fayose know that death is no history. It is a reality. It is a social fact.  It is a debt which we all owe.. The serial death advert is poisonous, destroying the very fabric that binds us together as a country. People like Fayose have their own children secured somewhere and expose others to death due to their unguarded utterances. Let all those placing hate adverts and making hate comments be warned! Nigerians will not allow the selfishness of ‘polithiefcians’ and their cronies bring death upon them. That is why a change that will end the reign of deaths and hopelessness in Nigeria is desired. The death-wish advert may be a propeller towards that change.

     

    • Oludayo Tade, PhD

    Department of Sociology,

    University of Ibadan.

  • Esan South East: A case of Ugboha polarised by politics

    Esan South East Local Government in Edo State is witnessing a new trend of political dynamism especially with the emergence of two sons of Ugboha clinching the tickets from the two major parties of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Federal House of Representatives. Members of these parties are already on collision course and might be pitted against one another in next year’s general election as partisan divide echoes in respective families in Ugboha community. Ugboha has never had such a good reckoning in the politics of Nigeria producing two candidates for the same political office. Aside from being the tenth and a minority ward in Esan South East, it produced some prominent personalities who also have special places in the political arena of yesterday and today. The political history of Ugboha can never be complete without mentioning the names of Dr. Gbelokotor Okojie, a one-time Minster of Health and founder of Zuma Memorial Hospital Irrua, Major Oboh, Chief Odiboh Akhigbe and Zani Giwa, now PDP Senatorial Leader, Andrew Ojiemekele former Chairman of Esan South East and Thursday Ijeogbe current Vice Chairman. Within the local government, the political office holders and players include Senator Ugbesea former Minister of Solid Minerals and two-time Senator of Edo Central, Victor Eboigbe, APC Senatorial Leader, Festus Ebea defected legislator of APC and now flag-bearer of PDP to Edo State House of Assembly. Joseph Ikpea, Chairman of the local government, and Festus Edughele, flag-bearer of APC to Edo State House of Assembly. For the duo of elected flag-bearers to the Federal House of Representatives, Comrade Irabor Onikoilaise (APC) and Barrister Segius Ogun (PDP), it’s a political shift to Ugboha and is this is building up to a political orgasm for the people of Esan South East and North East constituencies.

    Esan South East located in Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State South-South Nigeria with its headquarters in the town of Ubiaja, is made up of 10 wards comprising constituency one that includes wards 1 and 2, Ewhohimhin, ward 3, Ewatto,ward 4, Ohordua, ward 5 Emu, while constituency two comprised of ward 6 and 7, Ubiaja, ward 8, Oria, ward 9, Ozigono and ward 10, Ugboha known as a minority ward. The local government has an area of 1,306 km and a population of 167,721( 2006 census). While Esan North-East Local Government Area has its headquarters at Uromi town with an estimated population of 119,346 (2006 Census). Esan North East is divided into two constituencies. Constituency 1 comprises Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, while constituency 2 comprises Wards 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, making a total of 10 (ten) political wards.

    Esan North-East has produced well-known individuals who are popular in both state and national politics. These include: Chief Anthony Enahoro-one of Nigeria’s foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activists. High Chief Tony Anenih (Iyasele of Esanland) and a strong leader of the ruling PDP, Architect Mike Onolemhenmhen Minister of Works, Prince Joe Okojie APC leader and a recent Senatorial aspirant, Barrister Chris Ebare Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources and two time aspirant to the federal house of representatives, Chief Friday Itulah two termed legislator at the house of representatives, John Yakubu erstwhile chairman both under PDP and Sam Oboh chairman of Esan North East under APC. Over the years, political dynasties had emerged from wards of these great politicians in Agbazilo now shared into Esan North and South East, these dynasties started from the First Republic, nurtured through the Second Republic and maintained during this dispensation.

    In the concluded primaries of both parties held in December both Sergius Ogun and Onikoilase Irabor were voted by both delegates and executives of Apc and PDP as candidates for the Esan North East and Esan South Federal Constituency of the House of Representative. Sergius Ogun from Otorkhinmhin Ugboha has been the Managing Director of Tubular Running Services Relentech Specialist Nigeria Limited.

    Comrade Onikoilase Irabor from Ida-asun Ugboha known as the labour man is the immediate past Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) former President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, former senatorial aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Edo Central and now Special Adviser on Environment in Edo State.

    The political victory for Ugboha is a certainty that either of these Ugboha sons will emerge at the federal house of representatives come February 2015 and this is seeing some of the aspirants from other wards and local government who lost to them during the primaries shrugging their shoulders and watching the political arena from a distance seeing it more as an Ugboha affair believing they have been sidelined by the leaders of the parties. Others are distancing themselves from the activities of the parties and threatening to decamp just wondering how it all happen. For the indigenes of Ugboha, all are elated, many are sentimental as soon as they have a belly full of stomach structure, while others are staring through their microscopic lenses to access a credible candidate between the sons taking into cognisance the precedents of the PDP and APC in developments in Ugboha and wanting a better deal from this golden opportunity, it is seen as a time to take a critical evaluation of the two terms of Itulah Friday from Uromi Esan North East and eight years tenure of Senator Ugbesea of Esan South East both PDP.

    APC members believes it is their turn of representation at the federal levels if rotation is to be upheld and this will ensure Comrade Irabor ‘s victory come February 2015. PDP members believes they are meant to remain power irrespective of performance and will do all it takes. At Adava Market Ugboha, on the way to the stream, in bars, at cooperative meetings, at elders forum and social events in public transportation, the debate continues on who will be the preferred candidate to represent Ugboha and the constituencies at Abuja. Many calls for non violence, many calls for unity, many calls for collaboration for the candidates to see themselves as brothers who needs to work together for the development of Ugboha.

    •Louisa Ono Eikhomun is an indigene of Ugboha and Executive Director of Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives.louisaono@yahoo.com.08023162297

     

  • Jonathan and Second Niger Bridge

    SIR: “When the first bridge was built, it was during the presidency of Nnamdi Azikiwe; the second Niger bridge will be built under the presidency of Azikiwe Jonathan.” “I will go on exile on the completion

    of my term in office if I didn’t build the bridge by 2015“.

    President Goodluck “Azikiwe” Jonathan made that promise in his remarks at a Town Hall Meeting held on August 31, 2011 in the commercial city of Onitsha as part of activities marking his one-day visit to Anambra State. The issue of Second Niger Bridge naturally came up during the Town Hall Meeting since Jonathan had during his campaigns for the 2011 presidential ballot promised to construct the bridge if elected President.

    To convince his audience that serious efforts are being made to build the bridge, he invited Works Minister Mike Onolomemen and Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to brief the people on what was being done about the construction of the bridge. Typically, Onolomemen reeled out the technical details about the design of the bridge and the companies bidding to construct it, while Okonjo-Iweala unfolded the financial arrangements being made to construct the bridge.

    At the end of the meeting, some of the participants, among them, a businessman, Prince Arthur Eze were so thrilled that they urged President Jonathan to seriously consider seeking re-election in 2015.

    Prince Arthur would be less enthusiastic about President Jonathan’s re-election bid if he were to be interviewed on the subject today. If he exudes the same sentiments and excitements over Jonathan’s

    Presidency beyond 2015, it would be because of something else. And it would because of identity politics.

    A few days ago, the president was seen inspecting the “Second Niger Bridge map” on his campaign trip to Anambra State! This is an indication that no starting block has been signposted in a swathe of

    empty space where the bridge was supposedly “erected”! After four years of deceptive and hollow platitudes the president who chiefly identified himself with the Ndigbo couldn’t fulfil a simple electoral promise.

    Now, the basic presumption amongst majority of the Igbos is that President Jonathan is one of their own. But the more entrenched this politics of overt sentiment and identity surface, the more extreme and widespread poverty that plagues them under the same administration with severe intensity. Yet, the poverty visited on the Igbos by the PDP government is the same thing as the one witnessed amongst the Kanuri, Yoruba, Niger Delta or any other tribes.

    The most annoying aspect of next month’s election is not about President Jonathan’s 2011 broken promises which he repeated in 2015. It’s not entirely because of stunting virtually all the national institutions, namely, education, Military, Police, Judiciary, EFCC, ICPC, and the like. It’s the avowed threat of the President’s men to declare him the winner of the election before the election ever takes place.

    The PDP and its presidential candidate may wish to continue to persuade and manipulate the few who are unable to see beyond the facade and fascist enslavement inherent in the party for all  they

    care. The height of electoral impunity is when a political party or any government for that matter wishes to subvert the people’s mandate and interests and declare itself victorious in total negation and against the electoral aspiration of the electorate. Nigerians are looking up to that watershed, when they will determine their destiny at the polling booths, comes February 14.

     

    • Erasmus Ikhide,

  • Fayose’s denigration of Yar’Adua’s memory

    SIR: It would be unusual for President Jimmy Carter to make an unkind remark about President John F. Kennedy : they both were members of the Democratic Party. What might be offbeat is to hear a president mention in a feature interview that another president from the opposite camp is his best friend. Carter so described Gerald Ford even though both were of different political camps.

    Real statesmen rise above petty-mindedness, they conquer self, consider the feelings of other people and desist from demeaning the dead.

    Whilst it is in order for the electorate to worry about a presidential candidate’s (and other office-seekers) state of health and mental well-being to direct the wearisome day-to-day affairs of state, it is improper, and ill-advised to have statesmen make derisive statements about the health of these contenders in a discourteous  manner to score cheap political point, in this case, the fitness of  Buhari to run for office as credited to the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose to the “effect that General Muhammadu Buhari does not enjoy good health.”

    Worse yet, mischievous, if a passing reference is made to a deceased statesman, particularly with the comparison between, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and General Buhari.

    This linkage calls for concern: Nigerians do not speak ill of the dead especially if that person was a good leader.

    The late president who by the way belonged  to the same party as Fayose (PDP), was his national leader and should be celebrated, not otherwise. The late President was not arrogant, overly-humble, nationalistic in his views, never, religiously opinionated. Yar’Adua was prudent enough to understand his ally and political rivals, he reasoned with several, saw situations with them and, not about them, and negotiated an armistice that saw the end of militancy because he understood what most leaders do not know: situational awareness.

    Great countries are celebrated because of the power of collaboration; he was wise enough to know that all people, of differing faith matter. He embraced alliance, the same way most middle-eastern countries do with western industrialists leading to their vibrant economies, one imagines how unfledged these countries would have been without western involvement despite their insularly partisan religious orientation.

    He was never weak and refused to be despoiled by the frills of power and was ready at a point to submit his office to the opposition if it became clear that his ascendancy to the office was rigged in. He almost turned Nigeria into Ghana where incumbents lose elections.

    He was not known to scapegoat the opposition and tried to disrobe some people duplicitously robed by the establishment.

    Under him, there were shadowy (faceless) cabals who tried to hijack his presidency, but they remained just that: faceless because they lacked guts. But in our day, we have assemblages gutsy enough not to wear veils, who have chosen to daringly make scathing pronouncements promoting ill-will.

    Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had a directorial belief which made him a man of exceptional sterling quality, “I think people should know that you derive the greatest satisfaction from serving others, rather than serving yourself, I would want more and more Nigerians to define themselves also in this light of service to the nation and service to humanity,” he said.

    It is incumbent upon the PDP to polish the image of Yar’Adua by carrying out his programmes perceptively the same way Lyndon Baines Johnson did after the assassination of President J.F Kennedy.

    Could the governor of Ekiti State show democratic-sportsmanship by not joining issues with the dead?

     

    • Simon Abah.

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

  • Certificate society

    SIR: Oh Nigeria! Can someone spare me the explanation? Yes, the general elections are here. Politicking at the peak and politicians jostling for the juicy package. Intense is the mode of the game and only the hard-hearted can survive the heat.  The PHD syndrome is not given any chance to rest. Every aspirant digging deep, searching for opponents’ past records, missive and flaws for a stronghold to campaign. All these define the political terrain of Nigeria.

    Even as Nigerians are wooed by candidates of the different political parties, one major topic remains: Buhari, Where is your certificate? The opposition are making no mistake in blowing to the heavens the absence of certificate for the presidential standard bearer of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari.

    Yes, he has spoken. Hear him: “ I assumed all along, all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army, a position I have been privileged to occupy myself, much to my surprise, we are now told that although, a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificate in my personal file.

    “This is why I formerly requested my old school—the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, which is now known as Government College, Katsina, to make available the school copy of the result of the Cambridge West African School Certificate. This will be made available to the press the moment this is available.

    “However, let me say for the record that I attended Provincial Secondary School, Katsina. I graduated in 1961, with many prominent Nigerians, including Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, former Chief of Staff in the Supreme Headquarters; and Justice Umar Abdullahi, former President of the Court of Appeal. We sat for the University of Cambridge WASCE examination together in 1961, the year we graduated.

    “My examination number was 8200002 and I passed the examination in the Second Division, and although the ruling party may want to wish this away, the issue in this campaign may not be my certificate which I obtained 52 years ago.”

    Well said. He has put rest to this certificate brouhaha?  But for me, campaigns should ascend the era of petty situations. It ought to transcend certificate or no certificate, phone number or not and other kindergarten reasoning pattern.

    The country has had fair share of leaders. In our president lies a man with immense educational status attaining a Ph.D from a reputable institution. Yet, many promises are far from being fulfilled.  One begins to wonder the role of certificates in leadership.

    To me, I hope this issue is resolved quickly. I want to hear candidates debate issues. This kind of politicking endears me to the United States of America elections every four years. These persons argue on issues, tackle themselves intelligently and proffer their perceived super model solution  to several issues.

    If this is not done, we might yet have another four years of sentimental leaders grace the corridor of power.

     

    • Amakoh Kelechi,

    Kelechi.amakoh@gmail.com