The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • A season of open letters

    A season of open letters

    The General is at it again! When he is not openly criticising the man he facilitated his ascendancy to Aso Rock with his utterances, he is hobnobbing with state governors eyeing President Goodluck Jonathan’s seat and opposed to his second term aspiration.

    But his latest offering in the form of a narcissistic missive is a desperate attempt from his moral grandeur to salvage whatever is left of the wreckage of a crashed landed flight piloted by his stooge.

    The purpose of the mixed grill of a letter must be to rubbish the present administration and Obasanjo has succeeded, in turning himself to a hero, once again. Unfortunately, Nigerians have fallen cheaply for his uncanny ability to draw negative messianic attention to himself with his manipulatively tendencies.

    Little wonder, the reactions that have trailed his controversial letter are legion and everyone, wittingly or unwittingly, has been drawn to join in what is now widely regarded as the ‘shegedance’.

    The former president’s epistle actually overshadowed the attention another leaked complaint letter would have gotten. Dated 25 September to President Goodluck Jonathan from Mallam Sanusi Lamido, his revelation that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Nigeria’s cesspit of corruption – has failed to remit $49.8 billion, being proceeds from crude oil sales between January 2012 and July 2013 to the Federation Account elicited widespread outrage.

    But appearing before the Senate committee on finance, Mr. Sanusi, said an ongoing review of relevant accounts between the CBN, the NNPC and the ministry of finance showed that only $12 billion (N1.9 trillion) was missing as of yet.

    Without the patience to pen many pages of letter which will likely go unreplied and trashed at the State House, the number three citizen of the country, Speaker AminuTambuwal, on Monday, 9 December, at an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association to mark the 2013 International Anti-Corruption Day, came down hard on President Goodluck Jonathan whom he accused of encouraging corruption with his body language.

    He cited examples with the recent Oduahgate that the presidency swept under the carpet while lamenting that anti-corruption agencies have gone to sleep.

     

    The media was still awash with Obasanjo’s letter ‘bomb’ to President Jonathan, as a response was still awaited when the eldest daughter of the Mr Obasanjo, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, joined the fray with an open epistle of her own to her father, not a response or “support to President Jonathan or APC or any other group or person,” she remarked.

    In the purported letter, she ruled out further communication with her father till death, describing him as a liar, manipulator, two-faced hypocrite determined to foist on President Goodluck Jonathan what no one would contemplate with him as president.

    Iyabo exposed how Obasanjo got away with many of his atrocities because “Nigerians were his enablers and people ultimately get leaders that reflect them.”

    Not forgetting the letter to Obasanjo (Daily Trust 15/12/2013) by a former chairman of the PDP,  Audu Ogbeh.

    In his narrative, he challenged Obasanjo over the role he played as then president, when he watched with glee from his seat of power in Aso Rock as rampaging thugs unleashed mayhem and made Anambra state ungovernable, kidnapping former Governor , Chris Ngige, and eventually swearing in his deputy, to cut a long story short.

    In the spirit of the season, a former Chief Justice of the Federation, Dahiru Musdapher, on December 20, weighed in with his own open letter to President Jonathan. He recalled how Jonathan brushed aside recommendations from the National Judicial Council and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to sack former Appeal Court president, Ayo Salami, ignoring firm arguments by the two authorities that Mr. Salami was innocent of allegations against him. Punishing Mr. Salami, they advised, would terribly dent an already integrity-deficient judiciary. But all these fell on deaf ears.

    Back to Obasanjo’s missive, the most weighty of all the letters since it is coming from a past civilian president to the incumbent. My brief here is not to dismiss the message with the wave of the hand because the messenger is guilty of more grievous offences. This will be akin to throwing out the baby with the bath water. There’s no way the message can be separated from the messenger, especially when the messenger is far worse than the recipient. However, it makes sense to review the substance of the message.

    Describe the former president’s letter with any negative adjective like these: hypocritical, satanic, demonic, messianic, self-serving, mischievous, deceitful and instantly, you paint a picture of a controversial epistle from a depraved man persistently tortured by the heinous crime he perpetuated in his eight years (mis) rule as a democratically elected president, culminating in a sham election that threw up a terminally ill Umaru Yar’dua and a docile Goodluck Jonathan.

    He knew the former could not survive one term let alone two. He was not oblivious that Jonathan was incompetent and nondescript, yet he craftily foisted him on us. Obasanjo advertised them both as the only pair capable of turning the country’s fortune around.

    The former president is the personification of everything wrong with Nigeria. He epitomizes corruption, irresponsible leadership, dishonesty, double standard. Our collective amnesia is the only reason anyone will heap praises on the Ota farmer for that letter.

    That said his message is apt for the season and should be taken seriously. The issues raised, though germane are common knowledge save for the part where he talked about 1000 people placed on political watch list and training of a presidential hit squad of snipers to take out perceived and real enemies of this administration

    Obasanjo’s 18 page diatribe will likely go the way of his four previous letters to Jonathan – The trash can. This letter is a reaction from the General’s bruised ego of his previous epistles that were ignored. Maybe Obasanjo should have paused to ponder why his previous letters were shredded considering it would have taken nothing to respond with Jonathan’s horde of frothing aides. Did he not think that Mr. President might have deemed it appropriate to convey in subtle manner the old aphorism: “silence is the best answer for a fool”?

    His missive dripped of charlatanism and unrepentant impunity that reminds us of a freed prisoner who falsely arrogates to himself the title of a ‘Statesman’. Here is a man who hunted his political foes with state instruments, he imposed his stooges in various political offices, undermined democracy with massive electoral fraud just as he flagrantly disobeyed court orders.

    There was fiscal unaccountability of astronomical proportions during his administration. He usurped the petroleum ministry, he is accused of human rights abuse by way of massacres in Odi and Zaki Biam. How can we forget Mr, Obasanjo’s futile attempt to change the Nigerian constitution with billions of naira to grant himself perpetual tenancy, or is it the $16 billion dollar he splashed out to his cronies in government to generate darkness?

    By accusing Jonathan of giving opposition parties support in gubernatorial elections was he trying to insinuate and admonish Jonathan to tamper with the electoral process and impose PDP candidates on the electorate against their wish?

    Obasanjo will easily beat anyone to be inducted in the country’s hall of shame for his recklessness and manipulative tendencies but that should not make us disregard his warnings particularly now that he realises that the man he installed as president is well on course to smash every infamous and dishonest record he set.

    Obasanjo should receive his torture in silence if he is now disenchanted with the ‘anointed one’ he installed as president. His moral grandeur is the height of his self-delusion. He should leave the rest of his life in silence and give opportunity to people with integrity to talk.

    Beyond the messenger, the propriety of the letter and the way it was thrown in the public, there are serious treasonable allegations that in the national interest. From the political watch list to the presidential secret hit squad in covert training; abuse of office; mismanagement of national resources; incompetence; deliberately strengthening the fault lines of clannishness religion and region; factionalisation and weakening of the PDP are just a highlight of the weighty allegations Nigerians are demanding for answers.

    President Jonathan’s electoral promise to fight corruption headlong has since been forgotten as recent allegations from Obasanjo, Sanusi and Speaker Tambuwal that the President is participating in, and facilitating the rapid growth of corruption has blurred any impression Jonathan has made in his effort to fight the scourge. .

    As we match towards 2015, we watch on as the drama of unending political battle of wits between a godfather and his godson unfold.

     

    TheophilusIlevbare is a public affairs commentator. Engage him on twitter, @tilevbare. He blogs at http://ilevbare.com.

  • Ajibola Ige: 12 years on

    Today marks 12 years since my dad, Chief Bola Ige died. I find it difficult to say he died, rather he was assassinated! Assassinated by evil people, still walking the streets free! The sitting Attorney-General at the time, and Minister of Justice of the Nigerian Federation. Yet there was no justice meted out at his assassination! What a nation! The post-mortem report stated that his heart was not diseased and that he could have lived another 25 years, if his life had not been brutally shot down! Oh murder most cruel! How can someone kill someone I loved so much? My hero, my encourager, my One and Only Dad!

    I have noticed that as every end of the year approaches, I am filled with gloom, both sad and happy memories. Memories of the joy and laughter we shared for 41 beautiful years. I was his first and only daughter. He never let me forget that I was precious to God, him and my wonderful mother.

    Twelve years on, I still miss him terribly and remember him everyday. The pain never really goes away, but it isn’t as poignant as the first time. I remember him for the values and morals he and Mum gave us his children and grandchildren. He lives on in each one of us he left behind, in looks, personality and even gaits! The first three grandchildren have followed in the legal footsteps of their grandparents. His prayer and ours is that they may be greater than him – becoming governor, SAN and Justice of Court Appeal like the grandparents.

    We are comforted because we are not alone, the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Teacher and Counsellor is ever-present. We are also surrounded by the heavenly Hosts; and faithful, true friends of our parents. For these and all God’s blessings we are grateful to God and millions of Nigerians who stand with us and by us daily.

    I have been reflecting of different ways to honour his memory and commemorate his life. Earlier this year, on April 10, I established the Atinuke Ige Memorial Scholarship at The Vale Tutorial College, Ibadan. The scholarship is for students who have completed their SSCE in a public/ government secondary school. The successful candidates excelled in a written examination followed by an Oratory Competition. The first beneficiaries of this scholarship are already enjoying the full scholarship which covers tuition, boarding, books, examinations, etc. I am fully persuaded that they will do exceedingly well and I promised them that if they get a Distinction A Grade, in all their A-level subjects, I will solicit for funding to send them to any Nigerian university of their choice. I instituted this scholarship because my mother was a benefactor to many Nigerian students. It is in continuation of these high ideals bequeathed to me by my parents, that the Board of The Vale College decided to institute the Bola Ige Memorial Scholarship at The Vale College. Those eligible for the scholarships must be highly gifted Primary Six pupils in public primary schools, in Oyo and Osun States (the states which constitute the Old Oyo State, where he was the first Governor from 1979-83). Like the older beneficiaries, the candidates must excel in a written examination followed by an oral competition. The scholarship will be for the entire six year course of such student at The Vale College. The monetary value of the scholarship is approximately N2million per annum per student, for six years. We would like many young people to benefit from this scholarship scheme.  I appeal to members of the public, all our family and friends to donate generously to this scholarship scheme. All cheques should be written in favour of The Vale College. I promise that all the donations will be

    acknowledged and judiciously used for the scholarship awards. The first beneficiaries will commence JSS1 in September 2014 to mark the 20th anniversary of The Vale College.

    My thoughts are that since I don’t have ‘the anointing’ to give free education to millions of children, at then same time, like he did in Old Oyo State from 1979-1983, I can positively affect the lives of  the few scholarship awardees who benefit year in, year out, and hopefully they will in turn affect many more lives in their homes and communities. Then I will have the great satisfaction of knowing they only killed Bola Ige’s body, they can never ever kill his soul and spirit, because truly, his soul keeps marching on.

    Goodnight my dad, my friend and hero. You taught me always to do the Right Thing at The Right Time and in the Right Way. I pray that your gallant and forthright soul will continue to rest in perfect peace. You, Tunde and Mum continue to live on in us, your children, grandchildren , friends, admirers and beneficiaries. Sleep on beloved until we meet again on the resurrection morning, it is well with your soul and ours. Sun re o Ajibola Idowu Ige.

    • Mrs Adegbola (nee Ige) writes from Ibadan.

  • Obasanjo’s letter to party-man

    Anthony Momoh, prince of Auchi, it was who as Information and Culture Minister under General Ibrahim Babangida, elevated letter writing to a higher level as a direct marketing tool to engage the citizenry in government’s plans, programmes and policies. He wrote many under the series: Letter to my countryman.

    The art of letter writing has been with mankind since man learnt to put thoughts down in some permanent form. A letter is an exchange of facts, fiction, views, fears, thoughts and ideas between two or more people. In the realm of politics, Momoh’s example was an attempt to hold a conversation with the citizen in a military era, where debate was not a celebrated ethic.

    Two other Nigerians in recent memory known to have used letter writing to telling effect in the nation’s politics are the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Part of Awolowo’s approach to politics was to appeal to reason through cold analysis of issues. Like the trained lawyer and journalist he was, he deployed strong words and imageries to marshal his points, shoot down the opposition, and recommend a different course of action. Having lost to President Shehu Shagari in the 1979 and 1983 Presidential elections, Awolowo had cause to write Shagari at a point that the ship of state was sailing in troubled waters. If urgent corrections were not made to cut waste, and restore confidence, it would not be long before the state ship crashed. He received thunderous abuse from the President’s aides for his unsolicited advice. Many derided him as a prophet of doom, who refused to climb up the political ladder of statesmanship, forgetting public criticism is a form of campaign by the opposition. Barely a year after his warning, Shagari’s government collapsed under its contradictions.

    Obasanjo’s letters to various heads of government who served after him are well known for their intemperate and self-righteous language. His recent letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, no less so. It has also elicited a similar reaction to what Awolowo suffered in the early 80s. It is an open letter, deliberately penned and released for maximum effect. It is a public campaign against the Goodluck administration; a bold attempt to dissuade Jonathan from seeking a second term in 2015. But it differs from Awolowo’s in one respect. Awolowo belonged to the opposition, Obasanjo’s is to his party mate, indeed, a protege.

    If it was legitimate for Awo to have sought to embarrass Shagari through reasoned public denunciation of his programmes and policies, does Obasanjo have a similar moral right?

    Ordinarily no. But Obasanjo has confessed to being shunned on several occasions when private letters were shared with Jonathan, without any acknowledgement much less reply. So in a sense, this latest letter has realized one of its objectives: it has forced the issues into the public domain.

    I submit Obasanjo’s intention is to contain what he regards as the damage the Jonathan presidency has brought on the party through his insistence on rubbishing their succession arrangement, and on the nation through indecisiveness in fighting insecurity, corruption and extolling confidence in the citizenry. It is an admission of the crisis facing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the realization that power may slip away through the President’s perceived perfidy, and the need to avoid the brutal verdict of history. It is a charge to the PDP to do everything to ensure Jonathan’s presidency does not extend beyond 2015 in the face of a growing formidable opposition. To do otherwise is to upturn PDP’s choreographed plot to keep its fantasized hold on power for 60 years with dire consequences for all the star actors.

    Central to the crisis is the zoning principle of power sharing in Nigeria, designed by the PDP to give a sense of belonging to the two broad North and South zones of Nigeria. I am no fan of zoning but recognise its political usefulness (when it is not for its sake) in managing a plural society such as Nigeria. Jonathan’s ascendancy following President Umaru Yar’Adua’s death in office has been rightly seen as fortuitous, which should not be pushed beyond the bounds of understanding in our diverse land. Jonathan’s open secret plan to seek another term in the absence of any inspiring record in office is seen as contributing to the heat in the polity. APC’s grand coalition is perceived as a formidable threat that can erode the PDP’s pan Nigeria credentials.

    As a two-time leader of Nigeria, first as an unelected military Head of State, 1975-1979 and as an elected president, 1999-2007, Obasanjo, in and out of office, loves to sermonize. It is as if he has this self imposed moral burden to chide, guide leaders, and prescribe the path they should tread. Often, he strives to cut an image of the conscience of Nigeria but because he has been so involved in the politics of this country, for good and ill, it is easy to dismiss his utterances and actions as frustrations of a disgruntled old man, ruing his loss of political office and relevance.

    Being a self confessed promoter of Umar Yar’Adua-Jonathan presidency, he has a legitimate interest in seeing Jonathan get it right, not by seeking to turn him into a lapdog. It is not wrong for a mentee to declare his independence of his mentor as long as he demonstrates his mastery of the trade. In their case both come with moral garbage. The mentor comes across as the hypocritical all-knowing oracle, without the humility to admit his own failings; the mentee as the dawdling apprentice. For the sake of his presidency and future of Nigeria, President Jonathan should see beyond the strong words of Obasanjo, address the issues raised, and demonstrate his moral and political superiority to earn a second term or quietly retire to the fishing town of Otuoke.

    • Idowu is CEO, Diamond Publications.

  • Is Kwankwaso Nigerian?

    Is Kwankwaso Nigerian?

    The governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, does not appear to me as a full-blooded Nigerian. His actions never cease to amaze me each time I reflect on leadership in Nigeria. Denied the right to exemplary leadership for so many years in this country, Kwankwaso’s quintessential character has provoked in me some kind of inquisitiveness about his identity. I must warn though that you should not expect any scientific proof from me, regarding his identity, because I lack the capacity for such technical and professional exercise. My simple proof is only through some documentary exhibits, which some of us would probably have been ignoring in our newspapers because of their squint-faced lettering.

    Every week, this man publishes in the newspapers the minutes of his Exco meetings thus indulging the public with an insight into his government operations and decisions on certain issues, projects, programmes and policies. He has been doing this for some years but a 6 plus-month sampling will suffice for my discourse. Starting from June 3, 2013 to the time of writing this piece (Dec. 16), the minutes of his 27 Exco meetings were all advertised except for the 11th meeting (officially the 111th Kano State Exco meeting) which is missing. It should have come between August 19 and August 26.

    I do not know if there is any provision in the constitution compelling this kind of action. But what I do know is that, for the first time in the chequered history of governance in Nigeria, a leader has elected to submit himself to his people by being accountable to them. Even if it is a constitutional obligation, that he is the only one doing it speaks volume of his exceptional leadership. It must be noted that Kwankwaso has been doing this before the Freedom of Information Act came into existence.

    In a nation immersed in reprehensible impropriety, moral bankruptcy, frightening impunity and political irresponsibility, Kwakwaso’s leadership style remains a revolutionary salvo for national leadership revival. It is a paradox that an action like this, which should elicit a whirling vortex of emotion and support for its uniqueness, is being treated with indifference and marginal adoration.

    In one of the samples under scrutiny, the minutes show the number of memoranda brought to the council for deliberations, the presenting officers or ministries, the projects and items that are up for deliberations, their cost implications, the discussions, the decisions and the final approvals by the council. For instance, at the 120th Kano State Executive Meeting held on Wednesday, 23rd October, 2013, the office of the Head of Civil Service presented a request for funds for the absorption/conversion of qualified casual, non-pensionable and contract staff of the defunct Triumph Publishing Company to permanent and pensionable status.

    In the course of the deliberations, the Head of Civil Service “respectfully reminded the council, through contents of this memorandum of its resolutions contained in council… which directed him to submit a proposal for the engagement/absorption of the Triumph staff”. In complying with this directive, a 4-Member Technical Committee was set up to work out the modalities for the absorption. It was the report of the committee that was deliberated upon by the Exco. This was finally approved by the council after formal deliberations.

    Also at the same meeting, the Ministry of Higher Education informed the council that “53 Kano State indigenous Law students were able to scale through for admission into the Nigerian Law Schools from ABU Zaria and University of Jos despite the incessant strikes by ASUU”.

    As such, the Kano State Scholarship Board submitted a request for the release of the aggregate sum of N16,960,000 by council as special grant to sponsor registration for the students at the rate of N320,000 each (i.e. N320,000 x 53 = N16,960,000). This was also approved.

    What could be more transparent than this! I am here in Lagos dissecting the activities of the government of Kano based on the information retrieved from the minutes of the meeting of the governor and his cabinet members published in national newspapers. The government of Kano State has adopted a “lying-in-state” approach to governance whereby all and sundry can come and have a view of its operations and activities for them to commend or to condemn. The important thing is that the government is telling its people that it has nothing to hide. When a government goes to this extent with its citizens, the dividends for the government come in the form of the confidence and trust invested in the leadership to continue to manage their affairs.

    Besides, democratization of governance is a fundamental feature of democracy. It is nothing but sheer arrogance that makes our leaders think that the people do not deserve to know how they are being ruled. Any government operating on the mandate of the people is under very strong moral obligation to act responsibly and one of the ways to do this is to let them know and understand how their government is being motioned. The citizens are more appreciative of a government that shows them how important they are. But they become frustrated, neglected, isolated and psychologically demoralized when they have no idea about what government thinks of them. This is why they have the impression that government only remembers them during election. You can imagine how the Triumph staff that were absorbed and the Law students whose registration fees were approved would feel after reading about their cases in the newspapers. By this action, the government of Kano State and its citizens are conjoined in a covenant of faithfulness and emotional bonding.

    By stating in clear terms the various sums of money being expended on projects and items, the Kano State government is also making itself accountable to the people. They (the people) have an idea of how government is spending their money. Since details of deliberations and funding of projects are made public, government officials are wary of the implication and the damage it will do to their career and reputation if they ‘load’ or ‘bloat’ any project or items. I am sure that under a different operational circumstance, the N320,000 for the registration of Law School students would have been inflated to about N500,000 or even more. But because everything is now for public consumption, the officials have put themselves in check. They know that the authorities of the Law School and the affected students would call the attention of government to any discrepancies in figures. The contractors are also aware of how much was approved for any project and this makes it difficult for government officials to bamboozle them with different figures. In all, the people can always object to or protest against the government if their money is not being spent judiciously.

    In addition, because every citizen knows they can always monitor or get information about their cases in the advertised Exco Minutes, they have no cause to put civil servants under unnecessary pressure to leak information to them. When a government does not allow its citizens access to information, they become desperate to obtain it at all cost and by any means. Since he became the governor of Kano State Kwankwaso has published more than 127 Minutes of his Exco meetings and heavens have not collapsed. Rather, this action has in fact given some deserving credibility to the man and his government.

    Our leaders should be made to understand that government is not run like a secret cult or a cabalistic organisation where initiation rites and other ritualistic practices are shrouded in secrecy. The rituals of government can be performed in the open where the people can also participate. No one is saying that government is not entitled to some degree of confidentiality, I am only advocating for the demystification of the mystery around government bureaucracy so that this lapse is not exploited by its officials for capital appropriation and pecuniary benefits. The crowds thronging government secretariats nationwide could be reduced if government liberalizes its information management by allowing citizens access to certain harmless information through the media.

    Another thing that fascinates me about Kwankwaso’s style is the fact that these Exco Minutes were advertised with religious commitment every week. It is as if the government is under a compelling obligation to honour an agreement whereas it is only a commitment made by the government to convince its citizens of its steadfastness to a creed that binds them together. This consistency and regularity was what caught my attention. Bewildered that a government could show such consistency to a commitment that carries no constitutional or legal punishment, I felt that such a leader deserves a national mention.

    Though I have not been to Kano nor have I met Kwankwaso himself to know if the efficiency that reflects in the published minutes is reproduced in terms of development on ground, I have two reliable witnesses who had visited Kano before and I stake my honour to rely on their evaluation and assessment. The first is Wale Edun, a polo freak, who has been to Kano on several occasions for polo tourneys. In a private discussion we had on leadership in Nigeria, in the presence of another national leader that I will not mention, he confessed to me that Kano is almost at par with Lagos State in terms of road network and other infrastructural development. Edun, a former Commissioner for Finance under Bola Tinubu, is not someone that is generous with encomiums. But when he was talking about Kwankwaso, he was so excited. He said the roads in Kano have walk-ways, good drains, medians and street lights. What more evidence of development do I need if the roads in Kano State have walk-ways? End of discussion!

    The second person is Kemi Rotimi, a history lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. Rotimi, a restless cerebral scholar of unassailable pedigree, is an expert in police history. He is currently on a national assignment with the Federal Government. This itinerant task has taken him to most parts of the country, including Kano. In one of our regular telephone conversations on private and national affairs, without the slightest hint on what I was doing on Kwankwaso, Rotimi told me how beautiful and neat Kano is. He was full of praise for him (Kwankwaso) and his leadership perspicacity. For Kemi Rotimi to have scored Kwankwaso this high, it shows he can pass any leadership test because Rotimi is not a magnanimous lecturer.

    Kwankwaso’s defection from PDP to APC along with his other four compatriots, was therefore not an accident. It was a natural switch. While in PDP, he was in the same vehicle with political misfits who can never appreciate his progressive posturing. The PDP is not the correct party for a man like Kwankwaso who respects his people, who cares for his people and who is responsive to the problems of his people. It is a party with unlimited liability from head to tail. In a not-too-distant time, the PDP will discover that the goodwill it used to enjoy with the people has gone into deficit and that its slogan: “PDP is the Biggest Party in Africa”, is nothing but a stale and impotent catch phrase. Now that he is in APC, Kwankwaso can begin to operate in a natural habitat where his vision of a greater and saner Nigeria can be achieved. His political aspiration for a higher position and office can also be realized in a party that allows for healthy competition of ideas, visions, and ambitions among its numerous members that can boast of competencies in diverse spheres.

    However, Kwankwaso’s recent identification and alignment with the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not sufficient enough to dismiss the case of identity riddle against him. His incredible leadership humility and submissiveness is a very strong evidence to show that he is a very strange leader in this nation called Nigeria.

    It may seem invidious to single out Kwankwaso out of the many progressive leaders of worthy exploits. But let me say without any equivocation that Kwankwaso is being appraised not only for his achievements but for recognizing and acknowledging the inviolable right of the people to access information about the activities and operations of his government with an unparalled accountability and unprecedented consistency.

    When a nation that is agonizingly soused in predatory leadership hallows a leader with a messianic potential, it is a way of showing God, that we can be appreciative, in case, the problem we have as a nation is the pilatic persecution of leaders who could have saved us in the past from our national rot.

  • The Nation of the nation

    The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people. The very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.”— Thomas Jefferson 1787, the 3rd President of the United State of America.

    The above excerpt was part of Jefferson’s message to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788, on the significance of a free press with a view to keeping the government in check by educating, informing and enlightening the citizenry on the practice and processes of good governance. Why would Jefferson prefer newspaper to government? The same reason many avid Nigerian newspaper readers would prefer The Nation newspaper to any other dailies within the Nigerian print media. This assertion is not unconnected to the different categories of the media awards won by some of the members of the organisation’s leadership. The Nation’s “widest circulating newspaper” has really proved its worth within the Nigerian print media as a nation. This conclusion is devoid of any atom of prejudice or partisanship.

    The just concluded 21st Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) in Ekiti marked a remarkable reward for professionalism in the print media. The bedrock of Jefferson’s vote for good governance was anchored on the actualisation of the dividends of democracy. This can only work where key sectors of a nation’s economy is at optimal. Customarily, the editor of a newspaper organisation is primarily responsible for the final output of news and information dishing out to the public by the organisation. Hence the general acceptance of a newspaper organisation by the masses, having met the standard and expectation of the majority is contingent upon the adroitness and resourcefulness of anuncompromising nonconformist editor.

    Little wonder the robust and ever-smiling Gbenga Omotoso-led editorial team performed exceptionally in this year’s merit awards. The Dele Giwa Prize for Editor of the Year would not have been awarded to any other person other than Gbenga Omotoso. Frankly, his dexterous hand and inventive mind was justly rewarded by the NMMA. When he was presented with the award, he said: “I thank God for these awards. They are dedicated to all those unseen hands, the production editors and sub-editors, who are never heard of, yet they are the architects of a good newspaper.”In addition, the opinion section of the newspaper with top writers is the depository of knowledge. Little wonder its’ Editorial Board won the prize for Editorial Writing, aside other laurels it won previously.

    There is no doubt that the power sector has been a major malady plaguing the Nigerian economy over the decades. Nigerians would not have known the rot in that sector prior to privitisation if not for the incisive reports and constructive criticism made possible by The Nation newspaper in its energy coverage. For this exceptional performance, the Nation’s Assistant Editor (Investigations), Joke Kujenya won the Peter Odili Prize for Power Reporting. Also, another critical sector of Nigerian economy where total transformation is urgently needed is the oil and gas sector. Many mind-blowing revelations relating to high level of corruption have been published by The Nation. Kudos to the organisers of the NMMA for recognising and rewarding excellent effort of the Assistant Editor, Emeka Ugwuanyi for runner-up in the Oil and Gas Reporting category.

    Furthermore, it is indisputable that the activities in the banking industry, money and capital market play a crucial role for business to thrive. As a result, local, foreign investors and marketers, to a large extent, depend on the media for informative, educative and enlightening report in their day-to-day decision-making process. In these all-important sectors, The Nation’s reporters have performed exceptionally.

    Olamide Bakare is of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos

  • New governance paradigm for 2015

    The unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable —John F. Kennedy, former President of the USA.

    Those are words on marble and their timelines or relevance to our present confused polity is most obvious in the conflicting opinions we are currently having over the proposed National Conference or Dialogue being midwife by President Goodluck Jonathan. The sore point here is that, whether it is a conference or dialogue, there’s an on-going desire to talk. I dare say, given the complexity of our nation’s predicament, it is time to act, but we must talk sense if we are to talk at all.

    However, if this Jonathan sponsored jaw-jaw is not about a dramatic shift of the governance paradigm as often canvassed by Rev. Chris Okotie, the conference is a barren exercise. At the special Independence Anniversary service of his Household of God church recently, the pastor-politician correctly diagnosed Nigeria’s ills and made invaluable suggestions on the way forward. This is not different from the points he made in his excellent article on Thursday, October 3, 2011 in the National Mirror where he argued that it is not enough to keep celebrating “national survival” as a major achievement; but that our leaders must begin to think outside the box and provide good governance.

     ”We should never succumb to the deceitful argument of the corrupt ruling elite who try to justify their hold on power by saying, “well, we have kept the nation together all this while. Nigerians now demand much more than that. We ask our rulers to up-the-ante, and take this resource-endowed nation into the league of vibrant, performing economies, where it rightly belongs. In the 56 years since oil was discovered at Oloibiri in the Niger-Delta, we have earned $800 billion, twelve times more than what the American government used to rebuild Europe after it was devastated by the Second World War.”

    How can you fault this argument? At 53, Nigeria is like a child who has refused to walk; a man whose mind is trapped in a child’s body. Such a man needs serious medical attention. Perhaps, our leaders realized that, which is why the clamour for a Sovereign Nation Conference, SNC, has been on the agenda of media debates for almost two decades. Now, President Jonathan and his PDP leadership have suddenly decided to give it a shot in the mould of a dialogue of ethnic nationalities. But I doubt if the President is the right physician to carry out a delicate, life-threatening surgical operation on our ailing nation.

    With all due respect, based on his antecedents, Mr. Jonathan does not have the presidential grit that is required to take landmark decisions that could reposition this nation. He is unable to fight the powerful, corrupt cabal and hawks in his government. A man who cannot implement his own Transformation Agenda wants to restructure Nigeria! If this dialogue is not just a clever way to buy time for his 2015 ambitions, then what is it?

    The concern of this writer is that with the limited or restricted mandate in the shape of no-go areas hanging on the conference, the governance paradigm, which is supposed to be the key component of any major directional shift in the proposed restructuring of the nation as envisaged by many, may not happen at the end of the day. This may be another charade and colossal waste of public funds.

    This conference is being viewed with skepticism by many opinion leaders because the President may not have the political will to implement its outcomes. Moreover, what concerns the common man is how to enjoy the dividends of a democracy that, for 14 years, have only benefitted the venal rich and the powerful cliques on the corridors of power. The Nigerian masses are still in bondage of lack. Even, a basic modern necessity like education is getting beyond the reach of the ordinary Nigerian whose children cannot get into the university.

    We must never forget that the demand for an SNC is as a result of the failure of governance; the federal structure that runs like a unitary system; inability of our rulers to utilize the huge national resources to transform the nation; the damage done to the localities where our extractive recourses are taken from etc. To rectify all these, we need a shift in the leadership paradigm. A game changer must come on board. That’s the great take-away from Rev. Okotie’s arguments which he continually canvasses in his various articles in national newspapers and social media platforms.

    Many opinion leaders are buying into his argument because of its logical realism. Do we need just a dialogue or a leader who can walk his talk? Obviously, dialogue has never been the problem. What we regularly contend with is what comes out of our dialogue. There’s a lot of debate going on in the National Assembly and other government fora across the country. What has come out of them?

    The debate we should be having today is how to change the governance paradigm. But it is becoming increasingly obvious that unless we shift the emphasis from party to individuals, we’d find it difficult to get the right people into positions of leadership. Our party system has been hijacked by money bags and political godfathers, whose stock-in-trade is political merchandising. The practice in most of these parties is to give party tickets for key elective offices to the highest bidder. This has corrupted the electoral system and brought all sorts of shady characters into our polity.

    Until we begin to look critically at the personalities and antecedents of those we put forward for elective positions, we cannot rid the electoral system of mediocrity, thuggery and miscreants that dominate the political space. We may recall that certain politicians of questionable character made Anambra and Oyo states almost ungovernable at a time. These elements, acting as godfathers, became political monsters with private “armies” who terrorize opponents and even went as far as hounding an elected Governor out of the State House in one of the states.

    One way to change the governance paradigm is to consider independent candidacy. It is apt that there’s provision for this in the 1999 constitution under review “The people must come first,” Rev. Okotie often argues. If the people do not come first, democracy would cease to be the government of the people, by the people, for the people as defined by the great former American President, Abraham Lincoln. Any government that fails to touch the people directly with its programme is not worth the name. For too long, we have been electing leaders in this country based on political party structures that have no ideological relevance to the problems of the nation.

    After 53 years of roaming in the wilderness of underdevelopment under a group of political dinosaurs, we need a new set of leaders who have what the pastor-politician called “connectivity of empathy”, meaning roughly, compassion for the people that translates into practical provision of good governance dividends.

     •Chidi wrote from Anambra.

  • Architect of new Ogun

    Quality is never ubiquitous. It is always for the discerning. The event was not particularly grandiose. Even the organiser doesn’t pretend it was meant to be. They however made their point in a manner very succinct and unambiguous.

    Members of Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), in the South West conferred on Governor Ibikunle Amosun the award of the ‘Architect of New Ogun State’’ .The award wasn’t their design. It was the product of a survey conducted across the South-Western part of the country. Nigerians residents in Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states were asked to vote for a first term governor they found most impressive and impactful. At the end of three months of voting, Senator Amosun emerged the most preferred.

    Interestingly, 24 hours before the FIBAN award, the South West Zone of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) had similarly named the Ogun governor as ‘the best first term governor in the zone’. The zonal leadership of the NUJ, said that going by several developmental projects, the government of Senator Amosun remains the most impactful in the zone.

    Shortly, before the two awards, the BusinessDay Newspaper, a highly influential and authoritative business news tabloid, had adjudged Ogun State as “the fastest growing economy and the destination choice for industrialists and entrepreneurs in Nigeria”. Indeed, the deluge of awards and commendations is the fallout of the deliberate effort by the state government to strategically reposition the state and prepare it to take advantage of its proximity to the already congested Lagos. Governor Amosun, has never left no one in doubt of his intentions to make Ogun state what New Jersey is to New York in USA.

    He actually set out to accomplish the goal by erecting the requisite structures. Security became an immediately priority as robbers, on assumption of office, practically rode rod-shod over the state. The government responded gamely investing heavily in that once-neglected sector.

    In one fell swoop, the state government purchased 14 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC’s), bought 400 patrol vans fitted with communication gadgets,500 bullet proof vests,500 bullet proof helmets, 1000 AK-47 rifles as well as two million rounds of ammunitions for the use of policemen operating in the state to equip them to face hoodlums.

    The government also established the ‘Quick Response Squad’, Operation MESA (Police/Military joint Patrol) as well as raised the Ogun State Vigilante service to complement the effort of the conventional security outfits.

    Crime statistics crashed in the state with Ogun state becoming one of the most secured states in the country. The investors suddenly found the state a good place to sow while Ogun has become the hosting venue of conferences and seminars for local and international associations.

    The administration also broke all known records in rural electrification with the purchase of a whooping 500 electricity transformers for the use of communities in the state. Remarkably, this was first since the inception of the Gateway State as any administration close to that was the purchase of 160 transformers by the administration of the late Bisi Onabanjo.

    The governor also put his experience as an accountant into bear as he enthroned a financial re-engineering model that has been grossly beneficial. He put in place measures to increase the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from the paltry N730 million to over N4 billion under 30 months in office. Part of that effort is the activation of the Residency Rule law which promises to revolutionize the IGR of the state.

    The governor introduced prudence into public financing and blocked leakages in the financial system of the state. He also slashed salaries and allowances of political office holders and blocked leakages to free funds for developmental projects.

    To tackle the problem of derelict classrooms in its secondary schools, the government immediately renovated 200 blocks of classrooms. It also ensured that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) paid its counterpart funding which opened the door for thousands of classrooms to be constructed and renovated across the state.

    The government also laid the foundation for the 14 of the 26 model secondary schools in a determined move to permanently resolve the face-off occasioned by the return of some secondary schools to missionaries by the last administration.

    Besides, the government also gave true expression to free education as it supplied free textbooks and instructional materials to its students in secondary and primary schools. The move was a re-enactment of Pa Obafemi Awolowo’s free education policy as executed by the late Bisi Onabanjo. The top-up was the distribution of school bags for students to keep the books safe.

    Urban Renewal programme is perhaps the sector where the government of Senator Amosun has drawn the most applause. With 16 major road construction projects going on simultaneously across the state and other reconstruction works on some other smaller roads, Ogun State, is actually undergoing a road revolution.

    The government commenced this urban renewal programme with the reconstruction of the 2.4 kilometre Ibara-Sokori-Totoro road which was used as a model for what is now known as ‘Ogun Standard’ roads. The already completed road came with road furniture including walkways, drainage, median with street lights and flower beds, bus stop, flyover at the Ibara junction and pedestrian bridge.

    Presently, construction work is on-going on the 7-kilometre Sagamu-Benin Express Junction/Oba Erinwole Junction road, the 4.8 km Ilo-Awela road in Ota, 8.7 km OGTV-Brewery junction road, 6 km Moshood Abiola Way, 34 km Ayetoro- Lafenwa road, 9 km Ojere-Asero road, 5.6 km Somorin – Ajebo road, 2.2 km Madojutimi — Muda Lawal Stadium, 850 metre Moriamo–Olorombo road, all in the state capital, are under construction.

    Other roads being reconstructed by the government are the 107 km Ilara-Ijohun-Eegua-Oja Odan-Ilase road, the 25 km Ilishan-Ago Iwoye road, 29 km Mowe-Ofada-Ibafo road, 9km Ejinrin-Oluwalogbon junction in Ijebu Ode, 12 km Magboro-Underpass road, Isheri road and the key 32 km Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu Road.

    Most of these roads are at different stages of completion ranging from 5 to 60 percent. All the roads, except the Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu road whose reconstruction commenced just this October, are to be completed before December 2014. The reconstruction of the derelict Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu Road was flagged off in October and it was aimed at bringing to an end the years of suffering and problem of neglect of residents of the border towns with Lagos.

    With the road construction effort, the problem of unemployment plaguing a continuously growing state like Ogun is equally being tackled. The construction firms are encouraged to employ thousands of skilled and unskilled workers like carpenters, iron benders and bricklayers while several food sheds are also springing up around the various construction sites. And now with the road revolution has come the boom in sales of moulded bricks, sand and gravel supply as well as car-washing business in Abeokuta and other cities where construction work is on-going.

    • Balogun writes from Abeokuta

  • Osun’s developmental strides

    The government of Rauf Aregbesola from inception promised to be a peculiar administration; three years later the governor has lived to its promises. The six integral action plans  of the government remained the compass that guides the working and actions of the government in its core mission to battle poverty, banish hunger, unemployment, restore healthy living, promote functional education, and enhance communal peace and progress.

    At the inception, for eight months the governor did not appoint commissioners as was the custom in many states. This action of  the governor did not go down well with the opposition who threatened to take legal action against him.

    When he eventually appointed the commissioners, he gave his explanation: “ I used the first eight months to save enough fund for the projects and programmes of the government; our predecessor took a bank loan that grounded the financial wheel of the administration to the tune of 18.6 billion naira to finance stadia projects when we were not hosting any sport competition. Every effort to renegotiate with the bank where the loan was taken failed until we found another bank that bought over the said debts and granted us a convenient loan to finance our projects.”

    The next surprise was the employment of 20,000 youths under the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme – OYES. This singular acts was the first of its kind in Nigeria. The ousted government did not waste time in writing off the scheme as ridiculous and insulting for state graduates to be engaged in communal work with ordinary 10, 000 naira per month. They accused the government of deceit over the numbers said to have been engaged.  Aregbesola was not bothered by the negative criticism; rather he asked them to verify the actual numbers under the scheme from First Bank who paid the youths monthly. He also replied the opposition by demanding from them what were they able to do for the same youths for a period of 90 months they were in power in the state.

    Today, the OYES scheme has since received the approvals of the World Bank which in turn  sold the good idea to the Federal government and supported the scheme financially. The federal government has since  kicked off the scheme under the name YESSO. The prophet is said not to enjoy respect at home, the Aregbesola scheme that was ridiculed and disparaged by political opponents is today being celebrated nationwide for reducing joblessness among our youths.

    The government has also mobilised youths into farming via O’REAP. Many have been trained within and outside Nigeria to embrace modern farming techniques. Vast hectares of virgin lands are being cleard for large scale farming, loans schemes and farming equipment as well as fertilizers are also being provided to boost farming in the state. The state is gradually becoming the food basket of the South-west.

    This effort has made Osun to be voted as second best in poverty index in Nigeria. The Federal office of Statistics has also adjudged it as the best among the states with less percentage of unemployed youths.

    An issue that shook the administration was the allegation of islamization of the state by the Aregbesola administration. First, the governor was still trying to resolve the contention between the Christians and the Muslims in the state over the use of hijab by the students in the public schools, when the governor granted public holiday to Muslims in the state in order celebrate Hegira-an Islamic new calendar to usher in New Year 1434. The Christians alleged that Aregbesola was about to convert the state into an Islamic state. His defence was that the Muslim have long being denied the right to enjoy such holiday due to the fact of history that favours the Christians as a result of colonialists’ recognition of Christian holidays at the expense of Muslims.

    He also touched on his mode of dressing which gave room to his critics to accuse him and his government of islamization. He made reference to former governor of Benue State, Reverend Moses Adasu, who for the three years his government lasted wore cassocks and nobody raised an eyebrows. He wondered why people now make an issue about his dressing.

    Almost all his celebrated breakthroughs were misconstrued out of ignorance or envy. Opon-Imo, an educational tablet that has earned the state and the governor international award and recognition was born in controversy. When the tablet was launched, the political elite especially the opposition was acidic in their condemnation of the device. Newspapers’ columnists added insulting articles upon articles ridiculing the government, but like the Wright Brothers were disparaged initially but celebrated till date over invention of aircraft, the Opon Imo has become an international phenomenon, that has earned one award after the other.

    The government educational policy in which schools were reclassified into Elementary, Middle and High schools was similarly misunderstood by some individuals, churches and notably, the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun chapter. But when efforts were made to explain the true motives of the government, it became clear that their action was more political especially when they charged the governor with attempting to Islamize the state, whereas the same individuals and organization crying foul hailed the administration from the onset of the school reformation and reclassification exercise. But time eventually proved them wrong that the reclassification was a fulfillment of government continuous educational reform.

    Sukuk,the Islamic bond that the state of Osun obtained for the pursuit of educational development, turned out to become another controversial issue even by those that ought to know better. CAN alleged that it was part of methods the governor designed to Islamic the state. But government explanation was that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the financial market were behind the bond. Recently, the British Prime Minister declared that his government was set to obtain the Islamic loan. The Federal government has also indicated its willingness to use Islamic loan to finance transport projects in Nigeria. What the opposition thought they could use to rubbish the administration of Aregbesola ended up making him a pacesetter in financial management.

    The government efforts to transform the state into a harmonious environment conducive for living, especially in the core areas are ongoing. The project will cover one kilometre radius of the selected ancient cities of Ile-Ife, Ilesha, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila Ejigbo, Ede,Iwo and Ikire. Osogbo the state capital has been upgraded to the extent that the opposition now enviously accuse the government of concentrating development in the state capital – an allegation that is far from the truth. The government has negotiated with the UN-Habitat with counterpart fund of N100 million naira.

    The reality on ground today is that the governor has done what no governor has done since the creation of the state in the past 21 years. History will surely remember him as a man of vision and purpose who gave his best to transform his people from the wretchedness to prosperous living.

  • Saraki: A life dedicated to the people

    There will be celebrations today in a number of places across Kwara State and in several other locations across the globe as friends, family members, associates and followers of Dr. Bukola Saraki, the medical-doctor-turned- banker-turned- politician marks another milestone in the history of his biological existence.

    The unassailable fact is that Saraki today has become a celebration and issue in, and of, Nigeria. It is not possible again to write the history of Nigeria without making provision for the inputs and efforts of this pride of Kwara, the scion of the political dynasty established by the late Olusola Saraki, who in the second republic made waves as leader of the senate and astute political bridge-builder.

    Glaringly, from his contributions as Special Assistant on Budget to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to his two-term tenure as Governor of Kwara State and now to his seat in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly,  Saraki has impacted on the lives of Nigerians in very  many special ways. His achievements in Kwara State are unquestionable, both in the enhancement of the economic status of the north-central state and in the stability of the political structure of the state which has given Kwara a unique status in the comity of states across the nation.

    And if there was any doubt that with the departure of the founder of the Saraki dynasty  there would be rumblings and an eventual collapse of the political empire, the way the successor-leader has carried the affairs thus far has only shamed those with such expectations: the structure left behind by Oloye at Ile-Loke is waxing stronger and well positioned to continue the winning streak that Baba built into the system all through the years of his labour for the political and socio-economic upliftment of the people.

    Three things are worth celebrating about Saraki at a time like this. First is his unusual transformation into a legislative activist, through which he has deftly used the platform of his leadership of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment to make significant inroads into very many touchy areas of environmental degradation and abuse in several parts of the country that in years gone by would have been confined to just a few officials. The second is his management of the political empire he inherited, and which today has become a veritable tool for the political decision-making of Kwara State. The third, of course, will be his recent political moves which, along with others of like minds, have created history in Nigeria with the emergence of a potent opposition force and voice in determining the political future of Nigeria.

    Saraki the environmentalist is a legislator with passion for the well-being of people even far removed from his political constituency. His champion of the anti-lead poisoning campaign in Zamfara State, involvement with the review of oil spillage issues in the Niger Delta region, concern and public comments over erosion in several parts of the South-east and northern axis of the country as well as latest involvement in the campaign for Clean Cooking Initiative are all revelations of a Saraki many did not know. And why not, for as a governor of the north-central state, he surprised not a few with his many phenomenal programmes such as the innovative commercial farming initiative that has become a landmark for foreign investment in the sector in Nigeria.

    Little wonder he was appointed by Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves as a member of its leadership council in March. The council is a public-private partnership formed during the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2010 by the former United States Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton.

    What of his involvement in the campaign to enforce discipline in the oil sector? No, I am not talking of his robust, ground breaking motion on the investigation of dubious fuel subsidy regimes whose ripples are yet to settle in the corridors of economic and political powers in the land. I am rather speaking about his campaign to minimise oil spillage by enforcing international best practices in the sector, including appropriate punishment for offenders.

    As to how far he has managed the political leadership of the state and in particular the structure bequeathed to him by fate via his father, there is little to say he has not succeeded in the last one year. Take, as evidence, the fact that all his father’s political associates; men and women who influence the voting powers in the state, have come to his side. And this is attested to by the clear political victory his structure gained for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the last council election in the state. And now that he has decided to move into the All Progressive Congress (APC), who are those left behind in the PDP in Kwara? Political jobbers?

    This takes us right to the third issue: Saraki’s involvement in the emergence of a liberation force in Nigeria. Truth is when the issue is national interest, Saraki has always taken sometimes strange but bold decisions that eventually prove his wisdom and political sagacity. That was why despite his strong desire to contest the 2011 presidential ticket of the PDP, once the decision was taken to field Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Saraki fell in line with the national interest. At that time Nigerians wanted Jonathan and Saraki knew it. He followed the voice of the people. And now that Nigerians are yearning for a change to replace the divisive experimentations going on in the national polity as governance, Saraki has since heard the sound from the deep and joined with the voice of change.

    It is appropriate to celebrate this man. Not too long ago, a critic said this of him: “At the risk of stating the obvious, Saraki didn’t have to come into political office to make money. He was already made. As a credentialed young medical doctor, he was  executive director of a leading bank at a time his contemporaries were middle-level managers.  Even after he distinguished himself as presidential aide on budgeting, he could still have made a fortune if that was his driving force. Truth is, Saraki had a choice. He chose to serve his people rather than rise to the commanding heights of banking or becoming a national political gladiator. Clearly, he didn’t come into the game for the money but to contribute to Kwara’s development and serve its people. And the results speak for themselves.”

    Why didn’t I talk about his faults? Because there is no human without shortcomings but here in Kwara we have decided to look into and celebrate the many commendable sides of this great benefactor than to join the short-sighted critics who fail often even in the professional calling of a critic to wit; a critic must not see just the ugly side of the issue but point out the bright ones too.

    Happy birthday, Turaki.

    •Oba is chief press secretary to the Kwara State Governor. He wrote in from Ilorin.

  • For Aliyu, Lamido, It’s time to count gains

    For Aliyu, Lamido, It’s time to count gains

    Activism or taking a stand for democracy and good governance demands consistency of purpose from the individual or group. Same cannot be said of Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger and his Jigawa state colleague, Sule Lamido, who alongside their erstwhile colleagues in the PDP – Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Gov. Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) – waged a war of attrition against the Bamanga Tukur led leadership resulting in the formation of the now defunct New PDP.

    There are many questions begging for answers why two prominent governors in the fore-front of the “struggle” had to stay put or sit on the fence as others cross carpeted to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    The announcement by Governors Aliyu and Lamido that they were not part of the move reduced the impact of what would have become one the few significant political developments in the history of the country and turn the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa to a minority in terms of number of states under its control.

    In the light of the manner the duo backed out of the merger, kudos should be given to the five governors who matched their words with action. We saw reasons to believe that we still have politicians who can question authority and make necessary political alignment and re-alignment to drive their message home. They could have as well given sundry reasons why jumping ship at that point in time was not the right political move.

    However, the action of the defecting governors exposed the underbelly of our topsy-turvy politics.Ours is a politics of convenience, devoid of ideology and any form of political philosophy.

    It leaves one to wonder what Aliyu and Lamido were up to, considering that they were always a part of G-7. Were they spies for the PDP in the nPDP?  What kind of battle were they fighting that they couldn’t resolve issues within the party and remain? Was there some secret pact between this two and the presidency? Are they merely acting out a script? Were they ever in spirit and sync with the other five governors? Why did they start the rebellion in the first place if they weren’t ready to jump ship when the going gets tough, knowing there cannot be two captains in a ship. Or were they just fearful?

    Regardless, the presidency has continued to persecute Aliyu and Lamido and will not hesitate to pull the strings in overdrive should they remain recalcitrant. The line they’ve bandied about that they won’t leave PDP for Jonathan and his acolyte might become a stand too difficult to maintain in due course.

    In other climes, like America, which our politics and system of government is modeled after, mergers or cross carpeting that are a major feature of our democracy is almost a no go area for them. Theirs is a politics built on ideology and political philosophy entrenched in values and culture.It will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for Donald Trump, a staunch Republican, to decamp to the Democratic party.What Republicans and Democrats don’t have in common goes beyond the ballot box. Their personalities, core beliefs and policy ideas are fundamentally different. In these circumstances, it is almost impossible to see an nPDP-APC merger. Ours is a game of numbers, where capacity is everything.If our political parties are ideology based, the moment you move from one party to another, it means you are changing ideological base, which in essence, is political suicide.

    Despite several meetings with the aggrieved governors, President Jonathan’s inability to nip crisis in the bud came to the fore. The leaky umbrella in the PDP today is the aftermath of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) election squabble which as everyone predicted from the outset, had the propensity to polarise the governors in the PDP with wider political consequences.

    There were only two governors who genuinely had problems in their states, they faced serious battles and wanted to be in control of everything – Rotimi Amaechi and Murtala Nyako. They simply manipulated other governors nursing presidential ambition and those who had issues with the national leadership of the party to join them. The likes of Bukola Saraki and Timipriye Sylva, both former governors, were beingwitch hunted by anti-corruption agencies, became easy converts.

    Governor Babangida Aliyu’s case is one of a shaky home base. Moving to the APC might signal the beginning of the end of his political future. He was not a member of PDP but only drafted into it so he could contest the governorship of Niger State.

    Already, renowned statesmen of the PDP like Jerry Gana  and former governor, Abdulkadir Kure are waiting on the sidelines to take over the party structure should he cross over. Losing his political base and by extension, future, was his greatest fear. Neither of these governors can survive or remain politically relevant outside the PDP. Reconciliation at this juncture seem to be the surest option.

    For Sule Lamido, it has always been somewhat personal. Lamido was a governor and he could not deliver Jigawa to President Jonathan, what should we expect from him now that he won’t contest for governorship again? To add salt to injury, his two sons, and some Jigawa state government officials are being summoned to Abuja frequently, either to the State Security Service (SSS) or the EFCC, trying to answer questions on how Jigawa state funds were managed or mismanaged. For fear of the EFCC, he backtracked from the merger.

    But on a second thought it makes sense for a founding member of the PDP, like Lamido, not to leave the party for people he described as opportunists. Lamido was one of the G-34 members who mobilized under Dr. Alex Ekwueme and the late Chief Solomon Lar to present a letter to Gen. Sani Abacha asking him not to contest. He played a very significant role in the formation of the PDP and it will be very unwise for him as he rightly said to leave the party he helped built.

    Moreover, Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu are two of the few northern governors eyeing the PDP presidential ticket capable of posing serious threat to Jonathan at the primaries. The backers of the G-7 had apparently kept them both in the party to form the backbone of the opposition from the north to Jonathan’s second term bid. Should they move to the opposition, who will wrestle power with Jonathan from their region?

    There is a pitfall in this much publicised defection. The merging of G-5 with the progressives should not be mistaken to mean the merging of their large followership base, because “They are not your employees, therefore, some of your supporters might stay” as President Jonathan rightly opined. Same applies to their respective members in the House of Reps and Senate from their states.

    Since the defection of the G-5, it is also worthy of note that after their meeting with President Jonathan, neither Lamido nor Aliyu has announced a shift of ground in their opposition to the Bamanga Tukur leadership of the PDP and Jonathan’s second term bid. This has left two of them with the option of either swimming across to join their colleagues in APC or reconciling with their arch enemy, Tukur.

    Be it as it may, the merger went down in history as the most significant political development in Nigeria.As a close observer of political event described the situation Governors Aliyu and Lamido have found themselves, withdrawal from the exodus of the PDP defection train to the APC seem to have left them on a Political Island – somewhere in-between the PDP and the APC.

     

    TheophilusIlevbare is a public affairs commentator. He can be reached via theophilus@ilevbare.com. Engage him on twitter, @tilevbare. He blogs at http://ilevbare.com.