The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • ‘Ekiti should vote wisely on June 21’

    ‘Ekiti should vote wisely on June 21’

    In this piece, Rotimi Opeoluwa enjoins the people of Ekiti State to vote for a candidate with an antecedent of service and record of honour and integrity during the governorship election scheduled for June 21.

    The speculation had been rife for some time that Abuja, nay the ruling People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), had long concluded plans to “capture” the Southwest at all cost, including the use of “janjaweed tactics” in 2015. Some say, it is fait accompli, given the re-emergence of Ayodele Fayose in Ekiti and Senator Iyiola Omisore in the State of Osun.

    Some newspapers say Fayose has “regained his groove”, but some commentators say it is not yet uhuru for him, citing Anambra and Ondo polls as examples. Those who hold this view say fayose’s emergence is diversionary, adding that the grand objective is to ensure that Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB) of the Labour Party, who they say, has a presidential endorsement to sail through.

    Arguably, whatever anxieties some have about Fayose are not misplaced, given that he was governor between 2003 and 2006 when he be strode the state like an emperor. His rule was iron-fisted. He never tolerated dissent. For Fayose, it is either you are for him or against him. With him, there was no luxury of a middle ground. He outlawed it. He was simply a tornado, leaving in its trail wailings and gnashing of teeth.  During Fayose’s Administration, people were serially killed in broad daylight. Five protesting students from the College of Education Ikere were killed. It happened on March, 16, 2004. We recall the killing of Dr. Ayo Daramola. Tunde Omojola was brutally murdered in Ifaki-Ekiti.

    He simply went berserk. He bore his fangs everywhere. He and his ragtag supporters played god. Traditional rulers were routinely harassed and insulted. He savagely dealt with politicians, especially those who do not share his understanding of politics both within and beyond his party. To differ with him was to court trouble. The university community was not spared his venom. Inferiority complex drove him mad. He engineered the removal of Professor Akin Oyebode, a world acclaimed International Law expert, on flimsy grounds as Vice Chancellor of the University of Ado-Ekiti. Oddity, which was his style, was elevated as an instrument of state policy. He relished brute force and ensured that intimidation of perceived opponents went unabated.

    The fiasco that characterised his reign between 2003 and 2006, before his impeachment leaves a sour taste in the mouth. “Paradise was lost” under his supervision and the tragedy is that he makes light these infractions. Some of his supporters chant that he has changed, but he is still visibly gabby. He exhibited that much in the build-up to the PDP primaries and has flaunted it as a virtue ever since.

    He is yet to come clean on why he was impeached on October 16, 2006 by 22 out of 24 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

    He maintains that he has changed. I ask, “change from what to what”? It is a known fact that the leopard never changes his spot. Fayose represents a grave danger to the sanity and good neighbourliness, which currently pervades the state.

    Some say there is no indictment against him. True, what about justice denied? That Fayose walks free today does not obviate his conviction in the court of public opinion.

    With Fayose’s emergence, it happily gives room for a measure of comparism between him and the incumbent, John Kayode Fayemi. What a world of difference! The former was a huge deficit; the current, an asset. The current is studious and highly methodological, the former is lousy. JKF is a promise still at dawn. One dispenses violence as a currency of his political engagement; the other restored peace and amity. Fayose is incorrigible. JKF is civil, amenable, intellectually stimulating and very articulate. You can disagree with JKF, argue with him and still have your head unbowed. But the former governor does not have the temperament for good conduct. JKF explains, but the former governor is dismissive and rude. In JKF, it is safe to say here is a gentleman in whom there is no guile. That cannot be said of Fayose. He is a divisive character JKF is a unifier.

    Fayose is toxic style. Things have changed since he returned. The PDP secretariat was torched. Some JKF campaign banners across the state were shredded. Given Fayose’s style, it is right to assume that Armageddon is around the corner.

    Fayose is already sure of victory, but he must be reminded of how he lost woefully in his last electoral contest. The then Action Congress senatorial candidate, now Senator Babafemi Ojudu, trounced him silly. The polity is heated up not because of his oratory prowess, not for this promise to drive the state to higher ground but because of his notoriety and appetite for anarchy. This is no time for indifference. No, the moment calls for vigilance. The dog is poised to return to its vomit. Hs deficiencies will make him resort to untoward tactics. It is simply not his fault.

    We dare not ask about his dubious performance as governor, we are only told that he has “experience”. He trumpets that much too. Certainly, his experience includes impunity, looting and debasing our common heritage as highly ethical people. More of his experience includes masking his credibility challenge to the undiscerning. Can anybody say he has a demonstrable ability to govern, let alone inspire the confidence of Ekiti people? Remember his impeachment from office was greeted with spontaneous joy across the land.

    His re-appearance was greeted by a cocktail of violence. But, typical of the PDP, the family affair mechanism has been applied. Fayose has recommended some for ministerial slots and there is now the peace of the graveyard, since the PDP remains, “the chop-chop party”. Peace is a cherished commodity in Ekiti.  We beseech the enfant terrible to maintain some decorum in his delusional race to the government house. This appeal become imperative, given that only yesterday the governor’s convey was allegedly attacked by thugs that poured out of the Fayose Campaign Office.

    Democracy no doubt is intriguing. Imagine its puzzling twist and turns and how such a character well known for abnormality will seek the people’s mandate, yet again after dehumanising them. It is simply ironic. Good enough the electorate know both JKF and Fayose and have seen both in the saddle. In the coming election, Fayose shall be retired for the good and sanity of all.

     

    Opeyeoluwa, is a legislative aide to Senator Babafemi Ojudu and South West Co-ordinator for Young Patriots.

     

  • Who is afraid of state police?

    Who is afraid of state police?

    The security challenge in the country has been on the front-burner, following the Boko Haram insurgency. In this report, Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the viability of state and neighbourhood police in combating crime.

    In Nigeria, the fear of the Boko Haram sect is the begining of wisdom. In the Northeast, economic and social activities are paralysed. Schools are not safe. Traditional rulers have no rest of mind. Non-indigenes are relocating to their states of origin.

    However, other geo-political zones are not insulated from terror. In the South, cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and ritual killings are rampant. In the Northewest and Central, attacks on local farmers by Fulani herdsmen have persisted. Governors have cried out that they are helpless, although they are chief security officers of their respective states. All these have fuelled the agitations for state police to combat crime.

    The impression being created by the Federal Government, despite these criminal activities, is that the situation is under control. But, critics have pointed out that the police and other security agencies highly centralised security agencies lack the capacity to stem the menace.

    Before the escalation of crisis in the North, there were calls for police reforms, in line with what obtains in countries that operate the federal system of government. This issue is likely to take the centre stage when the National Conference starts the debate on the restructuring and devolution of powers.

    In the past, attempts have been made to develop a formidable police. But, these efforts have failed to produce the desired results.

    The proponents of decentralised policing system have argued that the method would foster a kind of partnership between the government and grassroots people in the area of crime prevention. In their view, state or community police will enable the governors to become more pro-active and make security agents more responsive to the security challenge.

    Already, there are unofficial security outfits that perform functions similar to that of the envisaged state police. What is required, critics argue, is to grant them the legal backing that would enable them carry arms and perform functions reserved exclusively for the police. For instance, the Lagos State government introduced the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) to enforce environmental sanitation law. Similarly, the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) was set up by former Governor Bola Tinubu to enforce traffic rules.

    At the height of violent crimes in the Southeast, the Anambra and Abia state governments established vigilante groups known as Bakassi Boys to maintain security. Also, former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau established Hisbah, a para-military outfit, to enforce Islamic legal code (Sharia) to stem social vices.

    A retired Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, who served in one of the police reform panels, said that state police would perform better than the current centralised police structure. Noting that security cannot be considered in isolation, he said that it should be viewed as part of the overall framework of governance. Many issues, Tsav added, must be considered to foster security. These, in his view, include the economy, religion, labour and politics. The ex-police officer said the ball is in the court of lawmakers to introduce reforms that would enhance the security of lives and property in the country.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu apparently shared this view. He called for the amendment of Sections 214 and 215 of the constitution to pave the way for the establishment of state police. He noted that the two sections give exclusive control of the police force to the Federal Government. Ekweremadu said the police should be transfered from Item 45 of Part 1 of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution to the Concurrent List to allow states to operate a policing system under approved guidelines. He urged the National Assembly to provide the framework for the establishment, structure and powers for the state police.

    For the system to work, Ekweremadu proposed the establishment of the State Police Service Commission in the 36 states. He suggested that the commission should be made up of the representative of the governor, a representative of the Federal Government to be appointed by the Police Service Commission, two experts in security matters to be appointed by the governor, subject to the confirmation of the House of Assembly, and representatives of other stakeholders.

    A lawyer, Mr. Tayo Ogungbade, agreed with Ekweremadu’view. He said the establishment of state police has become imperative, based on the principles of equity, justice and fairness. He noted that every state has the power to give judgment through state High Courts and Magistrate Courts and make law through the House of Assembly. The legislators, according to the lawyer, should have concomitant powers to enforce its laws and police the state.

    Ogungbade said: “This is an extension of the principle of federalism to which Nigeria’s federal and state courts exist as stipulated in Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution. Federalism is not complete without the existence of state police. In more advanced federating societies, there are federal and state police”.

    The lawyer pointed out that, in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) exists as a federal police structure while states and councils also have seperate police establishments. He added: “Big institutions like universities and parks have their own police outfits. A critical analysis of the constitution reveals that each of the states constituting Nigeria is supposed to be a complete government on its own, with powers to make laws, enforce them and punish offenders through the judicial arm.

    “Yet, under the Nigeria legal system, the only institution saddled with the responsibility of enforcing laws is the Nigeria Police Force, a federal agency. Section 215(4) of the constitution is unequivocal that a state Commissioner of Police shall be at liberty to refer a directive given by a governor to the President before acting on it. In Nigeria, where most government decisions are influenced by politics, a governor’s directive to commissioner of Police is bound to be misinterpreted and vetoed by federal authorities”

    Ogungbade cited an example of how the Presidency has undermined the state in the case involving former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin in 2011. He recalled that, without waiting for any legal advice, the police, acting the script of the Federal Government, withdrew the charge against Folarin.

    The lawyer, who supported the decentralisation police, said: “The choices before us are clear. One is to continue doing things the old way and continue to get the old and same result. The other is to embrace change by facing the realities on ground and by borrowing a leaf from other vast and pluralistic federal states that have nevertheless, secured their territories. “While the choice is ours, let us never forget that the choice we make today would shape our future.”

    But, there are those who think that, although the current system has not produced the desired result, it could be reformed to perform better. One of their major arguments against the state police is that it could be misused by governors. The antagonists argued that a state police could become a tool of political oppression.

    However, human rights activist Alfred Okagbue disagreed. He said the Federal Government is also guilty of the abuse of the police against the opposition. He cited the example of the demolition of property of perceived political opponents on trumped up charges in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) by the Federal Government.

    Okagbue recalled that the former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr.Joseph Mbu, acted the Federal Government’s script to make life uncomfortable for Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    He said fears over the misuse of state police could be addressed by the constitution, adding that a strong justice system would cutrtail any abuse. He emphasied that the victims of the abuse are likely to be elite who have resources to seek redress in court.

    The antagonists of state police have also pointed out that the state government may find it difficult to fund the police outfits, in view of the especially with dwindling allocation from the Federation Account. But, Okagbue dismissed the argument. He said that, under the new system, the state government will re-order its priorities.

    He added: “No matter the paucity of funds, it is a known fact that the security vote of governors still runs into billions of naira. This could be used to fund the state police.

    “So, the security vote remains a yearly take-off fund for the state police where it will be operational. That means the security vote has to be judiciously utilised. It is commendable that some governors have often used this to procure operational vans, bullet proof vests, arms and ammunition for the federal police operating in their domain. Funds for the state police could also accrue from development partners who need such an institutional framework to provide support for the state government as the need arises.

    Ogungbade maintained that state police has a lot of advantages that are often overlooked. He said that it would ensure the security of lives and property in the community because the security agents understand local environment. It could also complement the work of the “federal policemen”, who do not know the terrain and people and engage in extra-judicial killings. State police will therefore boost the security of lives and property.

    Ogungbade added: “If there is a state police in Borno State before the advent of Boko Haram, the situation would have been different. The state police would have nipped the excesses of the sect in the bud before it escalated. Although this does not mean that countries with long established state police do not have incidence of local terrorism and extremism. But, the efficiency of detecting, tracking and smashing crime syndicates locally is there for all to see”.

    A retired Commissioner of Police, Chief Young Arabame, said the state police would attract a lot of goodwill from the community. He said there will be more commitment on the part of policemen because they are also members of the community.

    Arabame said that state police would reduce the ratio of a policeman to the citizenry. He also said the country has one of the highest ratios of policemen to the people in the world, adding that this partly explains why the crime wave is high. He added: “If state police is introduced, the ratio would reduce and crime would potentially decline, thereby making policing effective. Nigeria is too large and heterogeneous for its security matter to be centralised.”

     

     

     

  • Lagos indigenes set agenda for National Conference

    Lagos indigenes set agenda for National Conference

    Lagos State delegates to the National Conference have resolved to agitate for a special status for the state, based on the agenda set for them by the Committee of the Indigenous Associations of Lagos State during its recent annual conference.  Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI reports.

    DEspite the growing skepticism over the National Conference, the Com-mittee of the Indigenous Associations of Lagos State (CIALS) believes in resolving the knotty national question germane to the development of Nigeria. CIALS, a representative body of the indigenous organisations in the five divisions of Lagos State, recognises the need to promote tolerance among the ethnic groups.

    The theme of its fifth annual CIALS conference, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos was: “National Conference: Answering National Questions.” The chairman of the occasion and former Permanent Secretary in Lagos State, Rev. Julius Idowu Akindele, emphasised in his opening address that the country could only thrive in a federation where the structure is solid and sound. He quoted copiously from the Bible to justify the need to confer and “reason together”. This ongoing conference, he said, “is therefore an opportunity to discuss not only the structure, but we should discuss derivation (resource control), citizenship and how we can live together without being a risk to one another and other neighbours.”

    Delegates from the five divisions were however more concerned about the sub-theme of the conference: “The Yoruba Agenda and Its Implications for Lagos State.” This was evident, judging from the reaction Prof. Rasheed Ojikutu’s paper elicited. Professor Ojikutu is the dean, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. In the paper, Ojikutu argued that indigenes of Lagos must strive to achieve a special status for Lagos, even though as descendants of Oduduwa, indigenes of Lagos equally believe in the Yoruba Agenda. “This is because from whatever telescopic angle one looks at it, Lagos State is embattled from within and without the Southwest of Nigeria, with our Yoruba brethrens leading the scourge,” the dean noted, adding: “To non-indigenes, Lagos State is a mere farm where profits and returns must be maximised.”

    The thrust of Professor Ojikutu’s argument is that the Yoruba Agenda is a good document, but it “failed to clearly articulate its position on a special status for Lagos State”. Therefore he said the indigenous people of Lagos are solidly behind the Yoruba demand for regionalism. The options open to the people of Lagos, he said, is either to fuse with the Southwest and work within its constitution or demand to be carved out of the region as the seventh geo-political zone of Nigeria. He said the position of Lagos as a separate political entity was recognised when Lagos was ceded to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1861 by King Dosunmu. “As a result of this, Lagos indigenes were described as British subjects by birth, while people from the Southern part of Nigeria were known and addressed as British Protected Persons,” he added.

    On the national question however, it was Akindele who echoed the view of many at the occasion when he posed a number of rhetoric questions hanging over the conference. Some of the questions are: “Will the conference end up as another Abuja jamboree? Will the delegates agree to adopt a new people’s constitution? How would the constitution emerge through referendum or the National Assembly?”

    The Director-General of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Bola Akinterinwa, who presented the main paper of the day, responded to Akindele’s questions. Akinterinwa said that the National Conference would not end up as another “Abuja jamboree”. He said that the delegates would agree to adopt a new constitution and that it would be put before Nigerians for approval in a referendum.

    Akinterinwa said that controversial issues that have divided Nigerians would re-surface for discussion. These, he said, include fiscal federalism, resource allocation and resource control, protection of minority rights, state and community police, local government autonomy, derivation formula, regional autonomy, future of presidential system and rotational presidency. Others controversial issues that are likely to re-surface, according to the NIIA director-general, are: land use act, creation of new states, boundary adjustments, tenure of the president, endemic corruption, protection of Nigerians abroad and the controversy over how to implement the outcome of the conference. He added that some unknown or accidental issues would come up in the course of deliberations at the conference.

    President Jonathan had insisted that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable and that the conferees have no mandate to discuss it. But, Akinterinwa said there is no limit to the issues that would be discussed. He noted that the amalgamation of 1914 is a forced marriage and that there has never been any forum for Nigerians to discuss it constructively.

    Akinterinwa said it had been known since 1947 that a federal constitution, which gives autonomy to the constituent units, is the most suitable one for Nigeria. “And yet, rather than take this observation seriously, Nigeria’s leaders have believed, rightly or wrongly, that national unity can be forced… As a result, the main political question in Nigeria from the time of independence in 1960 has been the struggle for regional autonomy,” he added.

    Guest Speaker Senator Oluremi Tinubu admitted that Nigeria is at the crossroads and that there is no better way to get prepared for the challenges ahead “than to share ideas in conferences like this”. In the address read on her behalf by Mr. Kunle Abimbola, member, Editorial Board of The Nation and former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bola Tinubu, the Senator from Lagos Central said there is no doubt that the National Conference has become imperative. She said Nigerians desire a truly Sovereign National Conference (SNC). “Such SNC would go into the roots of our problems and sort out the stark and basic contradictions that make sincerely answering the national question so urgent and compelling,” she added.

    Senator Tinubu expressed reservations about the ongoing conference, the sincerity of purpose of the Jonathan administration, particularly what it seeks to achieve with the effort and the astronomical cost of staging the conference at a time the economy is in dire straits.

    In her opinion, the conference is not different from the two previous ones held under the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha (from June 26, 1994 to June 26, 1995) and the National Political Reform Conference that former President Olusegun Obasanjo organised from February to July 2005. “Why repeat the same exercise, even at a premium cost of N7 billion? What happened to all the previous documentation and deliberations at the previous constitutional conferences? Why can’t we dust up the report, evaluate them, and see areas that need to be included or expunged,” she asked.

    Also, Senator Tinubu is also worried about the issue of trust. Given the fact that the President had earlier rejected the idea of a conference, she said it is hard to believe that he is sincere, and not playing games and using the conference to burnish his image, ahead of 2015 elections. She added: “The present hand-picked National Conference falls short of the expectations of Nigerians. It is a hand-picked assemblage hurriedly put together. I am afraid the ongoing National Conference would not deliver on our aspirations.”

    Prof. Lanre Fagbohun of the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies applauded the theme of the conference. He posited that three assumptions underscored the theme. The first one is that the President would deliver on his promises. Two, that the critical foundation upon which the National Conference is taking place is sound and that it would end in such a manner that Nigerians would shout uhuru. Three, the theme is predicated on the assumption that Nigeria is a nation.

    To illustrate his belief that the problem with Nigeria is that of one compromise after another, Fagbohun related an experience he had on a visit to Austria. He had committed a traffic offence and a policeman approached him to book him for the offence. The professor of Law said he took pains to explain to the officer that he is a foreigner, who does not understand the lingua franca of the country (German Language) and the road signs guiding drivers on how to proceed. Fagbohun said the officer was so sympathetic that he (Fagbohun) assumed he was going to get away with it. But he was wrong. To his surprise, the officer still issued him a ticket. He urged the government and people of Nigeria to stop compromise, because it has become a way of life in Nigeria.

     

  • Abia 2015: Who succeeds Orji?

    Abia 2015: Who succeeds Orji?

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji will step down next year, after completing his two terms of eight years. The succession battle is gathering momentum in the Southeast state. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE examines the chances of the aspirants and the issues that will shape the governorship poll.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abia State chapter, has resolved to zone the governorship to Abia South Senatorial Zone in 2015. This decision also enjoys the backing of Governor Theodore Orji.

    The zone is populated by the Ukwa/Ngwa ethnic nationality, which has not produced the governor, since the state was created 22 years ago.

    Orji has reaffirmed this decision at different fora. When the people of the zone organised a reception for him at Aba, the commercial nerve centre, and when he hosted Ukwa/Ngwa professionals from Lagos and Abuja to the Government House Umuahia, he reiterated that the decision on power shift was sanscosant. Many stakeholders have applauded the governor, saying that he was laying a solid political foundation based on equity, fairness and justice. The decision, they said, would give a sense of belonging to the zone.

    In 1999, Dr. Orji Kalu from Abia North Senatorial Zone was elected and he served for eight years. Orji is from Abia Central Senatorial zone. By the time his tenure elapsesnext year, an indigene of Abia South is expected to mount the saddle.

    Eyes are on Senator Nkechi Nwaogu and Gen Azubuike Ihejirika. But, there are other aspirants in the race. Orji returned to the People Democratic Party (PDP) after a brief stint in the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He has demonstrated a strong political will to unify all the political divides and this has culminated into the oneness and unity that remains the strength of the PDP in Abia State.

    Unless there is a political miscalculation, it may be difficult for any other political party to upturn the political fortunes of the PDP in the state. Orji has managed to carry the majority of the political stakeholders along in his administration. As a result, his ruling PDP remains a party to beat.

    For the PDP, the searchlight for Orji’s successor has been beamed to Abia South where many governorship aspirants have indicated their interest in the number one position.

    Among those eyeing the job are Hon. Uzor Azubuike, Mr. Friday N. Nwosu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Nkechi Nwaogu. Hon. Acho Nwakamma, Chief Emeka Wogu, Dr Okozie Ikpeazu, Ambassador Okey Emuchay and Chief Marc Wabara.

    These gladiators are from Abia South, except, Hon. Uzor Azubike and Senator Nkechi Nwaorgu, who are of the Ngwa ethnic nationality, but geographically located in Abia Central.

    Senator Nwaogu is representing Abia Central. She will complete her second term in the Senate next year. She was a member of the House of Representatives. She was born in Umuapu in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area and married to a gentleman from Osisioma Local Government. Both communities are located in Abia Central Zone, but are part of Ngwaland.

    Her co-traveller in this race is Hon. Uzor Azubike. He is from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area in Abia Central. He is representing Aba North/Aba South constituency in the House of Representatives Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, has always been populated by non-indigenes. This makes the city politically vibrant.

    Orji is believed to have demonstrated enough political will and sagacity in the last seven and half years and he may leave power on a blaze of glory, if he makes good his promise to give the 2015 governorship ticket to an aspirant of Abia South extraction.

    But, in the view of many observers, if the PDP leadership offers the ticket to either Nwaogu or Azubike, it would mean denying Abia South the ticket and the opportunity to occupy the position. That, they say, would amount to retaining the position in Abia Central, thereby denying Abia South a sense of belonging.

    The odds may favour either Nwosu or Abaribe, Wogu, Emuchay, Nwakamma, and Nwabara, to succeed Orji.

    Nwosu is a legal luminary from Umuora town in Obingwa Local Government Area. He is one of the strongest contenders to the number one seat. He is believed to have made wide consultations within the state. He has been involved in various political activities of the PDP, at the local, state and federal levels. He has also excelled in all party functions, activities and responsibilities enthrusted on his shoulders.

    He is a lawyer to the registered Trustees of Nigerian Governors Forum and he successfully defended the forum in the case of Lagos State Governor vs Jonah Jang of Plateau State.

    Nwosu was the PDP counsel at the Abuja High Court which set aside the order of injunction restraining the PDP convention of August 2013.

    Nwosu is a team player, who can be confided in. He is detribalised and non controversial.

    Abaribe, another contender for this position, is a two term Senator and former deputy governor. He contested for the governorship on the platform of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003. He is currently the spokesman of the Senate. He hails from Obingwa Local Government Area.

    Nwakamma, was the deputy governor to Kalu and Orji.

    He is also from Obingwa Local Government Area. He contested the senatorial election in 2007 under the PPA and lost to Abaribe.

    Wogu is the Minister of Labour and Productivity. He is from Aba South Local Government Area. He was the former vice chairman and later, chairman of the council.

    Ikpeazu is the Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) in charge of Aba and its environs. He is an in-law to one of the aspirants and former Deputy Governor Acho Nwakamma.

    His aspiration seems to have severed his relationship with his in-law.

    Also, his rumoured support for the son of the Governor, Mr. Chinedu Orji, has not gone well with many chieftains and leaders of the PDP. The speculation about imposition may tear the PDP apart. But, the governor has refuted the rumour that his family had endorsed him as his successor.

    Ambassador Emuchay and Chief Nwabara are from Azumini and Ohambele in Ukwa East Local Government Area. The former is the country’s Consular General in South Africa while the later was former chairman of the defunct Hallmark Bank.

    But, beyond the political pedigree of these aspirants, other factors that will shape or determine the emergence of a candidate include the ability of the candidate to forge unity in the chapter.

    However, some of these aspirants are employing various methods to get the governor’s endorsement.

    Others are working hard to market themselves to the party leaders and members. But, all of them would be judged based on their performances.

    But, apart from these PDP aspirants, it is expected that other political parties willing to make any impact in 2015 to zone their governorship tickets to Abia South. This is to ensure equity and assuage the feeling of marginalisation in the zone.

  • Fayemi: We‘ve fulfilled our campaign promises

    Fayemi: We‘ve fulfilled our campaign promises

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, who is seeking a seond term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is on the camapaign tour of 130 towns and villages constituting the state. Odunayo ogunmola, who has been on the campaign trail, examines some issues that have made the campaign unique.

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi kicked off his re-election campaign, following the release of the guidelines on the June 21 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The umpire had set March 23 for the commencement of the capaign.

    As a leading candidate determined to renew his mandate, Governor Fayemi, who is running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is already ahead of his rivals in the race for the number one seat with vigorous campaign rallies in the hinterland.

    In every community visited, the governor reiterated that he has fulfilled his campaign promises. He said the renewal of his mandate will make him to continue the good work.

    The first day of the campaign period March 23, was a special day in Mr. Governor’s campaign diary. He kicked off the campaign with a special church service at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Isan-Ekiti, his hometown.

    The event was to thank God for the successes recorded by Fayemi in the last three-and-half years and to commit his bid for second term to the hand of God.

    The day was rounded off with a massive rally by indigenes of Isan under the aegis of the Home Support Group to announce to the whole world that Fayemi’s kinsmen are solidly behind him.

    This was followed by a Grand Rally on March 27 held at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti in which Governor Fayemi was joined by eight other governors from the APC bloc who came to show him solidarity and endorse his candidature.

    The crowd that thronged the Grand Rally was unprecedented in the history of the state and bore eloquent testimony to the popularity of the governor in the state.

    On April 2, Fayemi commenced his community-by-community rallies which would take him to all hamlets, villages and towns that make up Ekiti State in a bid to feel the pulse of the electorate and ask for their votes in the June 21 poll.

    It is on record that only the governor and his party has unfolded a hamlet-by-hamlet, village-by-village and town-by-town campaign, which is being implemented religiously as the election day draws nearer.

     

    The governor has his legacies across the state made up of life-changing policies, tangible and verifiable projects, which have boosted the standard of living of Ekiti people since his ascension to power in October 2010.

    Fayemi has been able to showcase his achievements in his campaign trail while candidates of other parties are only making promises, some realistic and others unrealistic.

    Beneficiaries of the policies initiated and executed by the Fayemi administration, like the payment of the monthly stipends to the aged people, have formed themselves into independent campaign groups selling the governor’s candidacy to other people.

    In all the communities visited, beneficiaries of the Social Security Scheme for the Aged came out in large numbers and prayed ceaselessly for the success of Fayemi at the polls and urged other Ekitis to vote the man that has delivered them from old age poverty.

    Fayemi’s re-election bid has been receiving the support of the various interest groups, who have endorsed his candidacy in the various local government areas visited so far.

    It has been unprecedented welcome for the governor in his whistle-stop outreach to the grassroots ahead of the polls with the appreciative electorate promising to give their votes to the APC flag bearer on Election Day.

    These interest groups include the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the LGAs, student bodies of the communities, market women associations, youth organizations, farmers, ethnic nationalities resident in the communities, traditional institutions, renowned artistes among others.

    During the governor’s campaign tour to Efon Local Government Area, the Iyaloja of Efon Alaaye, Mrs. Asunke Ojo, said all market women in the state are solidly behind Fayemi because of his care for women, youths and aged people.

    The market leader said he various empowerment initiatives of the wife of the governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, has turned around the fortunes of the womenfolk in the state.

    During Fayemi’s campaign rally in Omuo-Oke, Ekiti East Local Government Area, an indigene of the community, Mr. Olusegun Otutebi, said he came home to drum support for the APC standard bearer because of the “great things” the governor has done for his people.

    Otutebi, who donated a bus in support of Fayemi’s campaign, hailed the governor for the massive renovation carried out in his alma mater, Omuo-Oke High School, from where he graduated 31 years ago.

    He told the crowd that he could not recognise his former school again because of the touch of modernity given to it by the Operation Renovate All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE) carried out by the Fayemi administration.

    During Fayemi’s campaign tour to Ise, headquarters of Ise/Orun Local Government Area, an officer of the United States Army who hails from the community, Captain Sunday Adebomi, joined his kinsmen to canvass support for the re-election bid of the governor.

    It is believed that many Ekiti in Diaspora will join Fayemi’s campaign train as the D-day draws nearer judging by their comments on the various pan-Ekiti Internet portals.

    Fayemi’s ongoing campaign tour to Ekiti communities is not about politicians or members of the APC alone but members of the public who don’t belong to any political party but those who appreciate an excellent performance in office and ready to reciprocate with their votes at the poll.

    One of them was Mrs. Bimilade Abe, a native of Ise, who told the crowd that thronged the rally in her community that Fayemi’s leadership has brought change to the lives of people.

    The governor’s rallies in the communities visited also witnessed the defection of a good number of chieftains and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).

    They were attracted to the APC by the good work of Fayemi who has spread dividends of democracy to their communities and kinsmen.

    The Director General of the Fayemi Campaign Organization, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, is adding spark to the governor’s  campaign rallies as he is always at home with the youths who are important component of the rallies.

    Daramola and the youths always add color to the rallies with their razzmatazz as the House of Representatives member is ever ready to mobilize them for door-to-door campaign.

    As Governor Fayemi continues his campaign rallies in more communities in Ekiti State, he has set tone and raised he bar on how a candidate should run a campaign.

    No abuses, no lies, no distortion of facts and grandstanding and purely issue-based. The governor speaks on what he has done which are verifiable and what he will still do if re-elected

  • ‘We need stiff penalty for electoral offenders’

    ‘We need stiff penalty for electoral offenders’

    Dr. Claimz Enamhe is the Special Assistant on Youth Development Matters to Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State. He spoke with Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU on the 2015 general elections and other issues.

    THE resolution of electoral disputes is a major challenges facing our electoral system. What is your view?

    This brings to the fore the clamour for electoral courts or tribunals to deal solely with electoral matters. There is a strong need for the creation of Electoral Offences’ Commission to discourage or reduce electoral offences and fraud in our system. The beauty of it is that, being a specialised court, it will be time conscious so that cases before it will be disposed of before the swearing in of elected officers.

    What minimum penalty do you recommend for those found guilty of electoral offences?

    Well, if people get as much as 10 years, depending on the nature of their offences and people see judgment being administered in the first election, it will serve as deterrent to others and by the second or third election, people will fall in line. The conventional courts drag matters for so long and we can’t find people being punished for electoral offences. The electoral fraud commission should run independently and have competent judges of high integrity. If this is done, it will seriously help our electoral process and confer on our elections the much desired credibility, if the culprits are made to serve jail terms and, in some cases, barred from holding public offices or from contesting elections for a period of 10 years our democracy will be the better for it.

    Don’t you think that the decline in the judicial budget will hamper the courts in the discharge of its duties?

    The decline in the judicial budget ultimately would seriously affect judicial policy implementation. For instance, if judges budget for a proceeding recorder and their budget decreases, they will keep taking records and writing with long hands. This will definitely lead to delay in judgement delivery because their salaries remain constant. The job suffers because the monies should ordinarily be meant for cars for the judges, transportation for judicial staff, refresher courses for both judges and bailiffs. So, I strongly advocate for increased budgetary allocations for the judiciary. I foresee that, with the continuous decrease in their budget, especially in an election year, with the burden of pre-election and post-election cases, the country will suffer for it.

    There has been persistent calls for specialisation in law practice. What is your reaction to this?

    Specialisation is ideal in law, but would it bring the necessary changes in the practice because some lawyers have made some reasonable success in commercial law practice, others in criminal law, and some in election petitions? Well, the beauty of specialisation is that at every given time, the lawyer is on top of his game and this makes research easy.

    what is your reaction to the defection of PDP chieftains to the APC?

    Well, it is all part of democracy. When you feel that your party does not serve your interest, you are free to change and go to where your interest is protected. Right from the beginning, politics has always been a game of interest. so, nothing drives the politician more than his political or group interest.

    Having said that, we are not ignorant of the challenges of leadership in our party. that was the reason for the change of our party chairman. We went for a younger person that has the drive, the passion and the strategy to mobilise and reposition the party.

    What is your assessment of your new chairman?

    Well, Adamu Muazu is a very deep person that has this pleasant and welcoming mien. His gift is in his smiles. He is very soothing and very consoling for the game, a changer who within the short time that he has been at the helms of Wadata Plaza, has shown clearly, his dispute resolution skills, after speaking with him last time, I was amazed to find out that there is no town in the 774 Local Government Areas of the country that he does not have a friend. Do you know that he keeps in touch with his friends at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria till date. The PDP will grow with him and win the 2015 general elections. I can also say without equivocation that, under him, most of the defectors will find their way back into the party. In fact, the return journey has commenced

    Why do you still remain in the PDP, in spite of the allegations of misadministration and poor leadership?

    Well, the PDP is a very responsible party and cannot degenerate to the kind of First Republic style attack by the opposition. Our National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, is a highly cultured and experienced attorney, who has a great knowledge of law and politics. Very soon, the opposition will chew their words because enough is enough.

    Your boss is a lawyer. How do appraise his performance in office as the governor of Cross River State?

    Today, as we speak, in Nigeria, Senator Liyel Imoke is the only politician with a truly good heart. He has no political enemy and can work with anybody on his developmental programmes. Even with little or no resources, Cross River State is more developed than Akwa Ibom and Rivers States. So, you can imagine what he would have done with resources, his cabinet has members of the opposition, youths and 35 per cent of women starting from the wards to the councils. Every local government area has at five women in a 10-man legislative council and where there is a man as a chairman and a woman is the Vice chairman. He has a listening ear and his government is participatory.

    Are you contesting the governor-ship election in Cross River State when the incumbent finishes his tenure?

    Well, I am not in charge of my political destiny. My people would decide, if my antecedents, my attitudes to the electorate can allow them to invest in me in any elections, not necessarily the governorship. Our governor, Senator Liyel Imoke in his rare wisdom just inaugurated the northern senatorial caucus led by Chief Linus Okom. He said we should jaw-jaw and put our best foot forward, I can say on good authority that the Governor means

  • Confab: Delegates’ week of fury

    Deadly attacks by Boko Haram dominated deliberations at the national conference this week, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    Following news of the deadly bomb blast at Nyanya and the abduction of 200 girls in Borno State, the ongoing national conference in Abuja was reduced to a chamber of fury and lamentations as delegates took turn to condemn the dastardly acts individually and collectively.

    It was a week when all the female delegates at the talk shop set aside all differences to turn out in black attire as a sign of mourning what they collectively described as an invasion of Nigeria by agents of destruction. School girls, aged between 9 and 12, were allegedly abducted by unknown armed bandits who drove in a convoy of trucks and buses, invaded the school compound, carted away goods from the stores and carried the girls away.

    This was barely 24hours after an explosion allegedly masterminded by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, killed scores of people Monday at a bus station outside the capital, Abuja. Police confirmed that at least 71 people were killed and 124 injured in the early morning blast. But some local media suggested the death toll could be almost 90.

    A female delegate, Aisha Mohammed Sani Ismail, while  condemning in strong terms what has befallen innocent children, whose only crime was to agree to be educated, urged the federal government to move swiftly to secure the release of the innocent kids.

    Another female delegate, Fati Ibrahim, said the conference must look beyond expression of sympathy and the national mourning and take practical steps to ensure that the girls who have been abducted were returned in good condition.

    “Today is not a day for laughing or smiling because we are all bereaved and so we are mourning and that’s why we are in black. We have not gotten over what happened yesterday; this is another one (abduction of female students) happening today.” She added: “Mr. Chairman, I’m so worried about those girls that have been abducted because we have had cases where women were raped. Some of the security agencies have given reports in the past that some of these girls kidnapped in the past were raped. Our hearts are bleeding today.”

    Mosunmola Umoru (youth), said the abducted girls would go through unimaginable pains and trauma, adding that the implication was grave on the country. She queried what the funds budgeted for security had been used for and called for accountability by security agencies.

    Another delegate, Chief Annkio Briggs said: “I speak as a mother, I speak as a woman,” cautioned against bringing religion or ethnicity into the killing issue. She said the Monday bombing at Nyanya motor -park in Abuja did not differentiate between Muslims and Christians or among Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. “This is no longer about politics, it is about the security of the country,” she stressed.

    Reacting to the Abuja bus station blast, Ebele Okeke, representing retired civil servants, suggested that the leadership, including five women, should visit hospitals where the corpses and the injured from the Nyanya bomb blast were taken to. “We can have two groups with the chairman leading one group and the deputy chairman leading the other group. But it is important that we do not just sit here and talk about it but we should empathise with the victims.

    “Also, these children that were kidnapped, we cannot deceive ourselves, they are going to be serially raped; most of them will not survive and those who survive are totally ruined for life,” Okeke said.

    She urged Nigerians to remember the victims and the abducted in their prayers.

    Ramatu Bala Usman raised the question of whether there are no elders in the communities whose citizens have been subjected to suffering and death, adding that as people who are respected by everyone, the elders should be able to identify those behind and those actually perpetrating the ugly development.

    She said if it were possible to identify the people behind the dreaded Maitasine sect in the past, if it were possible to identify aggrieved youths of the Niger Delta and if it were possible to bring the situation under control, if it were possible to identity the OPC members in the west, then why can’t Boko Haram members be identified?

    Another delegate, Mr. Edwin Clark, said it was imperative that the conference send a message to the federal government on the way forward because the country was no longer safe.

    “I think the issue of my son that was kidnapped is very small now. What is happening in Nigeria is a national issue. Nigerians are being killed day by day. We have a duty to look into this issue and not to play politics with it. It is a national calamity,” he said.

    Clark admonished the conference to know that the existence of Nigeria as a nation would depend on what delegates did with the opportunity the national conference had offered them.

    “We have no other country to go to,” he added, “we hear every day; 200 people being killed and we show no concern; we sit down here deliberating, what are we deliberating about? This conference must send a message to the government,” he stressed.

    He went very emotional and suggested that his daily lunch be monetised and the money sent to take care of those who escaped the bomb blast.

    Speaking on Tuesday, Pastor Tunde Bakare, suggested that proceedings at the conference be stood down as a show of solidarity with the victims of the insurgency. He said it must not be said of the conference that while the nation came under siege, delegates were still sitting and talking, showing no concern. But his suggestion, however was stepped down following counter majority opinions.

    Kunle Olajide in his contribution said events of this week must be viewed with serious concern and demanded that politicians should come together for the sake of the nation to salvage the situation. He said categorically: “It is a state of war. Politicians must take politics entirely out of this issue. There are external sponsors who must be identified.”

    His position was supported by Annkio Briggs, who said: “I speak as a mother, I speak as a woman; I speak as a Nigerian. What is happening in Nigeria happens because of what some people, whether inside or outside, have decided will happen.” She said although one part of Nigeria is principally affected by the acts of terror, it was becoming uncertain whether the killings and bombing could still be contained any longer. Briggs made it clear that it was time for Nigerians to come together and decide on what was best for the country because “this is no longer about politics, it is about the security of the country.”

    Dan Nwanyanwu of the Labour Party drew the attention of the delegates to the bomb blast and lamented; “I think there is conspiracy against Nigeria and the Nigerian people; there must be an enemy within.” He urged the conference to immediately react to the incident by urging the necessary security agencies involved in the fight against terrorism to maximise their efforts in the war against terrorism and end the killing of citizens across the country.

    Chief Segun Osoba and Ledum Mitee offered what some members believed were concrete suggestions towards practically resolving the insecurity which most delegates attributed to infiltration of the Nigerian borders by people bent on destabilising the country. Osoba said Nigeria, at present, is in a state of war; and that gradually the economy and the education system in the northern part of the country were being destroyed in a manner that might be difficult to resuscitate.

    He added that immediate closure of the borders between Nigeria and Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republics as an initial step to curb illegal border crossing. He also suggested that instead of closing down the conference, the secretariat should lead a delegation to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and express the position of the conference to him and the government.

    Mitee, who supported Osoba’s submissions, added that at a time like this, dirty political mudslinging and blame-sharing must give way to decent reasoning among political leaders towards finding solutions to the problem.

    It was also his position that in taking advantage of the human resources available at the conference, the issue of security should crisscross all the committees so that committee members can discuss and make suggestions for the final report.

    “This is not the time to grandstand,” he cautioned, “we may have elders but at a time like this, we need statesmen who should rise up and lead the nation out of this mess. This is no time for politics.”

    Retired General Tanko Ayuba from the northwest suggested a complete overhaul of the security system and agreed with the previous speakers that Nigeria’s borders with some countries should be closed because they were too porous.

    In addition, he said modern surveillance equipment should be acquired and mounted across the closed borders. “The time for talk is over. It is now time to act,” he said.

  • Why I call for modified presidential system- Ekweremadu

    The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who called for a modified presidential system of government during the week has explained that the call was for “effective governance and enduring democracy in Nigeria.”

    This is contained in a statement issued during the week in Abuja by Mr. Uche Anichukwu, Special Adviser (Media) to the Deputy Senate President.

    The statement quoted Ekweremadu as having made the call in a presentation, entitled, “Constitution Amendment in an Emerging Democracy: the Nigerian Experience”. The occasion was at Johns Hopkins University, Washington D.C, U.S.

    “The presidential system has often come under criticism for its concentration of powers in the political chief executives.

    “It also comes with sectional competition for political offices, expensiveness, and promotion of the politics of strong men, rather than strong institutions, “he said.

    Ekweremadu said that though the parliamentary system looked attractive, it, nevertheless, failed the country in the First Republic.

    He said that the challenges of governance in Nigeria were not essentially the choice of governmental system, “but the warped implementation of these systems.

    “Nigeria needed to inject some elements of parliamentary system to entrench greater accountability and cohesion in governance.

    “I suggest a hybrid system or modification of the present presidential system to introduce Question Time in the parliament, to hold the ministers consistently accountable.

    “We can replace impeachment with a procedure for vote of no confidence to make way for early elections when the need be.”

    Ekweremadu listed the tenure of political chief executives, federal structure, fiscal federalism, local government system, policing system, and legislative lists as some of the key issues for constitution amendment in Nigeria.

    He said the National Assembly would ensure the conclusion of the current constitution amendment project and further electoral reforms, early enough to facilitate a free, fair, and credible election in 2015.

  • Kano: Kwankwaso tackles Jonathan

    Kano: Kwankwaso tackles Jonathan

    Following exchange of verbal missiles between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso during the last Unity Rally of People’s Democratic Party in Kano, Kolade Adeyemi in Kano, takes a fresh look at the chances of the APC and PDP in the forth coming elections

    Since August 31st last year, when the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had the controversial Special Convention in Abuja that heralded the walk-out of G-7 governors and eventually the birth of the New-PDP, things have continued to fall apart between President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.  Several meetings held to settle the rift between Kwankwaso and Jonathan failed and at the last count, the Kano state governor left PDP with his supporters and joined the All Progressive Congress (APC), a party he has continued to describe as one that was established with the same political philosophy as his—the Kwankwassiyya. At different occasions, Kwankwaso, who is alleged to be having an eye at the presidency in 2015 has continued to cast aspersions at President Jonathan’s leadership style which to him come short of what should be expected from a president of the largest country in Africa. To many, Kwankwaso’s major grouse against Jonathan is that he refused to succumb to the PDP ‘Gentleman’ agreement that barred him from re-contesting in 2015, as it was said in the agreement that power should return back to the North.

     Jonathan’s enmity with Kwankwaso took a dangerous dimension last Tuesday when the President attended the PDP Unity Rally held at the Polo Ground in Kano and organised to formally welcome former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau into the PDP.

    Before Jonathan’s arrival, Kwankwaso fired the first salvo when he declared that the government and people of Kano State will not welcome Jonathan and his entourage to Kano because the President has been “useless” to the state and its people.

    Kwankwaso further declared that Kano people will not welcome Jonathan, stressing that he has not done anything to better the lot of Nigerians since he assumed leadership of the country. He also regretted voting for Jonathan in 2011 elections, alleging that the president has disappointed Nigerians. “I am regretting for voting President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 Presidential Election, as he has done nothing to move the nation forward”, he alleged, adding that since Jonathan assumed office, nothing has been done towards the development of the nation.”

    According to him, “under Jonathan, corruption, insecurity and embezzlement of treasury have become the orders of the day.

     ”Only a few people are enjoying in Nigeria at the expense of the generality of the citizenry” Kwankwaso said, lamenting that despite the President’s glaring inadequacies, he is bent on being re-elected in 2015,

    Making real his threat, Kwankwaso shunned Jonathan as he visited the state. But Jonathan fired back at Kwankwaso during the PDP Rally, saying Kwankwaso never voted for him, just as he vowed that come 2015, “PDP must recapture Kano.” President Jonathan also challenged Kwankwaso to account for over N225 billion Local Government funds he received from the Federal Allocation within two years.

    “We read in some of the daily newspapers that the Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso, said he regretted voting for me. Let me tell my good people of Kano that Kwankwaso did not vote for me or Vice President Namadi Sambo whether in the primaries or the main election. We have accommodated a lot, but we talk less. Those of you from Kano in PDP knew what happened, that when we entered that Eagle Square; by the time the counting got up to half-way—when it was clear that I was to emerge as the candidate, Kwankwaso left the venue.

    “Even the little money my campaign office provided for refreshment and transportation for Kano delegates,Kwankwaso refused to give them that money. He did that so that the Kano delegates would be angry, so that they would not vote for me. Even in the main election, the little money my campaign office sent to Kano State, Kwankwaso refused to release that money to anybody; now, how can Kwankwaso tell me that he voted for me,” Jonathan wondered.

    The President also expressed astonishment at the insinuations that the federal government abandoned Kano people, saying, “some of you will be asking questions why is it that today, your President is not wearing the PDP dress; I decided to appear this way because there is somebody here in Kano who has been campaigning that the person wearing this bowler hat is a devil. I am here to tell you briefly what the federal government has done to Kano people and I want you to ask yourself whether such a person who has been able to do all these things for you is a devil.

    “Federal Government has taken Kano as a major focus for its agricultural transformation agenda. The farmers of Kano are benefiting enormously from Federal Government Growth Enhancement Scheme. In the last two years, a total of 760,000 farmers in Kano State have benefited from the Federal Government’s subsidized fertilizer programme and free improved seeds for maize and rice.” Jonathan also said that over 70 percent of Kano farmers are benefiting from federal government’s fertilizer subsidy scheme also stated that within a period of two years, about 76, 000 metric tons of subsidized fertilizer have been supplied to Kano farmers.

    Jonathan also used the occasion to send his condolence to the families of those who lost their lives in last Monday’s Abuja bomb blast. “Let me at this point express my deepest condolence again to the family members of those who lost their lives in the bomb blast in Abuja on Monday. I was at the scene of the incident, I also visited the hospitals, but I was so shocked that I couldn’t even talk. Again, I express my condolence to the direct family members of the victims and, indeed, the whole country; and I want to re-emphasize that terror will not stop Nigeria from moving. We will continue to move from strength to strength. We also continue to encourage security agencies. We are looking at different options and we promise Nigerians that we will do our best and we will continue to do our best to make sure that we live peacefully in this country,” Jonathan said just as he expressed appreciation to Kano people for the warm reception accorded to him, saying, “let me thank the good people of Kano State for the reception. From the airport to this venue, people lined up to welcome us.”

    While formally welcoming Shekarau, Jonathan described him as a man of the people, “you all know Shekarau very well. He is the man of the people. When he was a governor, he was a member of ANPP, I visited him two or three times as the Vice President of the PDP; but because Shekarau is a Nigerian, a well-learned man, an intelligent man, he received me in all the occasions I came here.

      “These are the kind of people that Kano needs to project and follow. We thank Shekarau for joining the PDP today. He is fully welcomed and fully integrated into the party,” Jonathan said. Mallam Shekarau during his speech, described the day as memorable and promised to protect and promote the interest of the Kano masses so long as he remains in politics no matter the party platform.

    “As long as I remain in politics, I will be dedicated and do all within my ability and capability to remain loyal to the party so as to do everything within our power to show our solidarity and support to the party. I wish, first of all to pledge my commitment and that of my new members who made the choice to join PDP with me; to work ardently together with the party to achieve the ideals of democracy, inclusion and development to which our dear party, PDP, is committed at the local, state and national level.”

    Dramatically, immediately Jonathan and his entourage left the Polo Ground, venue of the rally, Kwankwaso, his cabinet members and APC elders in Kano stormed the Polo Ground with brooms in their hands, sweeping away, “the dirt PDP brought to Kano.”

  • Distraction, we need action now, please!

    Distraction, we need action now, please!

    Monday morning, 14th of April, 2014, another tragedy.  The bomb blast in Nyanya on the eastern outskirts was heard throughout Abuja. Casualty figures are high; the horror prompts exclamations that invoke the pains of childbirth.  Lives cut short, make nonsense of birth.  Just imagine the waste of lives and property.  Nigeria deserves better, for all its resources and the investment in securing its existence over the years.  This is no longer a regional issue, it concerns us all, and we should not be looking away.

    The proximity to the seat of power made this security breach rather stark.  The President, accompanied by the Senate president were quick to visit the scene, offering words of comfort. World leaders also condemned the attack. According to the spokesperson for the US State Department Jen Psaki, the Obama administration is outraged.  Press reports say the British Foreign Secretary William Hague is deeply saddened by these “senseless killings”. Like Ronald Noble, Interpol secretary general, many have promised to assist Nigeria tackle threats to its security. But why are such comforting words not reassuring?  Why is this not enough?

    This incident is the latest in a long string of atrocities committed by the group and clearly not the last.  You do not need me to remind you of the atrocious acts attributed to Boko Haram. It is more than a religious incursion, nor must it be viewed as a regional or political problem.  Too many innocent lives have been lost, the carnage is fresh in our minds.  We can speak of civilians caught in crossfire, those executed for facilitating law enforcement, there are the servicemen lost in their attempt to restore order, and we must account for lives lost amongst these bands of men who seek to place the nation under siege. All human life is sacred after all. Were it not so absurd, one may imagine that these campaigns by Boko Haram are an indirect population control measure. But no, these are lashes on our national psyche.  No one knows who is next and the problem is more than the loss of lives.

    We are yet to know the full cost of these traumas. Horrific news reports are merely snapshots, albeit graphic evidence of the crippling costs of such wanton destruction.  Consider the burnt out vehicles and motor parks, torched homes and shops, the wares in these and in markets razed to the ground.  Even the seemingly inconsequential tray is evidence of someone’s livelihood, no matter how measly it may appear.  These are hints of the severe disruptions to life and development; roads blown up, telecommunication masts set ablaze, commercial activities paralysed, religious premises made insecure.  Rebuilding these comes at a cost.  Some other project may have to be stalled if what was lost is to be replaced.  Now that is what makes these so senseless. These are disruptions that the nation can ill afford.

    There are no rules in these outrageous assaults; it seems anything goes.  The very latest report (Tuesday 15th April 2014) is of 200 school girls who have been abducted.  The dead are not the only victims.  Perhaps they are the lucky ones as, in death they are now beyond further terror.  Not so the living, those maimed physically and emotionally, those left to mourn the dead.  This but for the grace of God is a lifelong sentence.  Many cannot begin to fathom challenges that lie ahead of widows and widowers, orphans and relatives who have to pick up the pieces of lives broken in this carnage. And there is yet another dimension which concerns the general public. It is the spectacle of mangled body parts which seep through press reports and social media, evading broadcast codes that seek to regulate against such. Time will tell if there will be any comeuppance, for this. These are the unseen costs of wanton destruction of life.

    So far, there has been some reaction from government and other quarters, but these remain inadequate.  To be fair, military response has been intensified.  North-eastern Nigeria is still in a declared state of emergency.  Sections of civil society are at alert, with much uproar in the press and on social media, especially following the March 2014 attack on the Federal Government College in Yobe State.  Nigerian women in different parts of the world marched to protest the mindless killings. Prayers are being offered for divine intervention, but many more look on and the horrors have not ceased.  And life goes on! Many simply look away, perhaps to avoid being overwhelmed.  We just want to carry on as usual, perhaps to frustrate the terrorists; they should not see us cowering.  Perhaps that is what the President meant when he referred to this as a temporary setback, stating that we will get over it. But there was little comfort in that.  Rather, read against the backdrop of his other well publicised activities there is a sinister veneer to the declaration of the incident as an “unwanted distraction”. The question is distraction from what, the gruelling task of nation building or the many frivolities of office? Here is what we have seen; two examples of recent high profile events will suffice.

    The centenary celebrations, carried on in spite of cruel murder of hapless students of a Federal Government College is one.  Our leaders went off to lavish banquets whilst the nation mourned.  Awards were given to many, the same national heroes whom we had honoured in the past and a few miscreants whose wicked deeds we thought had been buried with them were.  Would it have mattered if that latest honour were not given, especially in light of the tragic situation? The second event should have been a private celebration, but Nigerians were called to witness a squandering of wealth.  No one can begrudge the president’s family for celebrating on a joyous occasion, but since it is not a state affair, the wedding of the adopted daughter should not have been transmitted live on the continent’s largest television network – possibly at no charge to the family. This media spectacle was ill timed, coinciding with more Boko Haram attacks.  That just goes to show, that this is not time for repose, Nigeria’s foes are still on the prowl. This problem requires more serious attention.

    It is irksome to hear Nigeria being described as a poor country by some government apologetic discussing the nation’s challenges in diffusing the threats to security on NTA International.  His point is that the military are ill equipped thus hampered in their efforts to tackle the terror of Boko Haram.  That is questionable. Yes, the borders are porous and long, the Sahel region is unstable, but Nigeria is not poor.  Only recently, it was reported as being the strongest economy in Africa.  Going by the well reported extravagant public spending, the opulence on display at public functions, including private parties of the elite, (the president is just one of them) Nigeria is not poor.  So there is no reason for the military to be ill equipped.  If guests at a state function (the 53rd independence anniversary celebrations) or those at the wedding of the president’s adopted daughter can receive gold plated iPhones as mementos, Nigerians should at least be guaranteed of security.  But the nation deserves even more.

    Nigerians deserve good governance, basic infrastructure, means of livelihood and effective policing.  There should be avenues for resolving conflicts before these escalate.  The cadre of the disgruntled who throw their lot in with rogue elements has to be offered meaningful alternatives, and this is not about merely offering bribes to community leaders. Development should be sustained and not merely reactions to aggression.  Progress in the economy should be reflected in the lives of the people not just in the books.  At the heart of our many policies and activities should be due regard for the dignity of life.  A root and branch change is needed but it won’t just happen, we have to work at it.  This calls for much more than mere political platitudes or empty promises.  Having fought to keep Nigeria one, the people of this land regardless of their origin or affiliation should be accorded respect.

    So far, the political elite have shown no concrete actions to stem this haemorrhage of lives. Rather politicians on unofficial campaign trails haul accusation and counter accusations which confirm that public funds are being siphoned with impunity.  Each party it seems, seeks to make the most mileage from this most unfortunate loss of lives.  No wonder Boko Haram is still on the prowl.  Alas, they keep picking on the same soft targets, the hapless victims betrayed by government, undermined by poor infrastructural services, pillaged by armed robbers, and bombed by Boko Haram.  In deed when elephants fight, the grass suffers. The governed in Nigeria are the grass, and the suffering so far has been unto death and there is no meaningful change in sight.  Alas! In the words of Fela Kuti, “Na double wahala for deadi body!” This is why there is no comfort in the promises.  We need meaningful action NOW, if you please.

    -Esan wrote in from School of Media and Film University of Winchester, UK.