The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Bayelsa Pdp backs President for second term

    Bayelsa Pdp backs President for second term

    The Sagbama Local Government Area chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has passed a vote of confidence on President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.

    Party chieftains who converged on Tungbo Town applauded the achievements of the two Bayelsa indigenes, urging them to keep the flag flying.

    The motion for the vote of confidence was moved by Mr. Timi Fanama, a former lawmaker, and seconded by Mrs. Ebizi Brown of the State Tourism Development Agency. They urged President Jonathan and Governor Dickson to remain focused, resolute and be committed to the implementation of the ‘Transformation Agenda’ at the federal level and the ‘Restoration Agenda’ in Bayelsa State.

    The Commissioner for Education and convener of the meeting, Chief Salo Adikumo, implored the indigenes of Sagbama support the two politicians at this critical time.

    He said Dickson has surpassed his predecessors, in terms of infrastructural development and equitable distribution of political appointments.

  • Aspirant unfolds plans for Oyo

    Aspirant unfolds plans for Oyo

    Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Alhaji Adebayo Shittu has promised to develop the state, if elected as the governor next year.

    He said: “By the grace of God, I will contest for the governorship ticket of APC. I will win the ticket. By the grace of God, I will become the governor of Oyo State so that things can be different.”

    The politician said that the state deserved a better deal in 2015.

    However, party chieftains told our correspondent that the aspirant is not a serious contender, but a jester seeking for relevance.

    Shittu promised to return Oyo State to the Awolowo era, which was characterised by ‘life more abundant, freedom for all”.

    He said: “Access to higher education is decreasing and I believe that the people of Oyo State want more abundant things of life like Chief Obafemi Awolowo did during his reign.

    “I am a graduate of Awolowo school of politics. I imbibe his philosophy and I want to assure you that, if I have opportunity of being governor, the poor would say bye-bye to poverty. I am equipped with high morality; godliness, incorruptibility, accountability and passion for making the poor the centre stage of governance.

    “Unfortunately, we have been having elitist government in Oyo State. For the first time, by the grace of God, if I become the governor, the emphasis would be on reducing poverty. I want to assure you that Awolowo’s philosophy of governance will be the centre piece of my governance. By the grace of God, instead of concentrating on building roads and bridges, I will concentrate more on building human beings so that, within four years, at least, a hundred new millionaires would emerge in Oyo State.”

    Shittu said that the APC has the passsion to correct the anomalies created by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

    He said: “I very am very positive that the APC would do better when it forms the government. If you look at the symbol of the APC, the personality of General Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande and the antecedents of other leaders on board, you will realise that they are ready for change.

    Shittu predicted doom for the PDP in future elections, saying that its leaders cannot take Nigerians for a ride. He said: “The PDP can never recover from its crisis.”

     

  • Ethnic nationalities warm up for conference

    Ethnic nationalities are holding mini-conferences to brainstorm on modalities for selecting delegates to the proposed national conference, it was learnt yesterday.

    The groups and asociations, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), the Yoruba Council of Elders, the Yoruba General Assembly, and other interest groups are holding underground meetings on how to actualise their agenda at the conference.

    The Federal Government has announced that the dialogue willhold this quarter, although the white paper on the Okurounmu Panel has not been released.

    Critics have objected to the report of the Presidential Advisory Council on the National Conference because it ommited the popular clamour for a referendum to decide the fate of the conference report.

    Also, a member of the panel, Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN) has claimed that he has forwarded a minority report to the President.

    Sources said that the Federal Government may consider the demand for representation based on ethnic nationalities, although how to determine the number and suitability of the ethnic groups is a big challenge.

    However, the ethnic groups have been meeting underground to package their response to the proposed dialogue in whatever form it may come.

    The YCE Secretary-General, Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN), told reporters in Lagos that the group will deliberate on the preparation for the conference during its annual conference this month.

    Sources said that other groups are thinking ahead and debating the type of representation for the conference from their ranks.

    A chieftain of the Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO), Mr. Wale Okunniyi, said that the quality of representation is important, if the goal of the conference is to produce a people’s conference.

    He urged the President to jettison the plan to send the resolutions of the conference to the National Assembly.

    Okunniyi told reporters in Lagos that the next constitution should evolve from the people, instead of the 1999 Constitution, which was foisted on the country by the military.

    He said the group has embarked on a nationwide consultation, on how to fashion out a legitimate constitution at the proposed conference.

    Okunniyi added: “PRONACO wants President Goodluck Jonathan to make the diverse ethnic nationalities in the country the core of the composition of the proposed National Conference as they are the original indigenous component units of Nigeria”.

  • 2015 polls may be chaotic, says Senator

    2015 polls may be chaotic, says Senator

    Senator Akinola Odunsi represents Ogun West District in the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN and MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE on his legislative activities, controversial constituency allowances and other issues.

    WHAT are your expectations about 2015 general elections?

    We can only appeal to Nigerians to allow peace to reign supreme in this country. The struggle for power should not be at all costs. It appears Nigerians have learnt nothing. Those beating the drums of war need to be reminded of the past and I think we need to realise that the relative peace that we have enjoyed since 1999 has beclouded the thought of many politicians. They forget where we were before 1999. I am urging all those who are running around and over-heating the polity to take it easy.

    Could you shed light on the controversial constituency allowances to legislators?

    Let me make a clarification. Every year, when the budget from the President is being presented, we in the National Assembly make a provision also for constituency projects. We are the closest to the people and they hold us accountable for what they call the ‘federal presence’ at least, in our various constituencies. And, in order for our constituents to feel the impact of the Federal Government directly, we have some thresholds of budgetary allocations to zones.  For instance, in the Senate, the allocation to each zone is divided by the number of states in the zone and, in each zone, the state has a pot of constituency allowance at the threshold. The representative, that is the senator, in that state, for instance, would further divide the allowance into three senatorial districts. The same thing is happening in the Lower House and so, what goes to each senatorial district is also shared among the senators, on one hand, and House of Representatives members, on the other hand. At the end of the day, it usually comes to say N160 million, N180 million. I, as the senator representing the Ogun West Senatorial District, would look at the projects that I want to execute from that bulk money and I will write my proposal, as it were, and forward it to the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee. They, the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, will meet and harmonise all these projects and assign them to the various ministries, departments and agencies for implementation of the projects. Not a kobo is handed out to any legislator for projects in the constituency, not a dime is given. So, the breakdown of my N160 million or N180 million is sent to the various ministries for implementation. They advertise the projects in the gazette through the Due Process Office and ensure that the contracts for the execution of the projects are duly awarded. That is the procedure and as I said, not a dime is handed out to any legislator for constituency projects.

    Apart from the constituency allowances, how do you meet the demands of your constituents for projects?  

    There was an area I visited in my constituency where they had water problems. It was at Ilara, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State. I had to personally spend N3 million to provide water project for them in that place. It wasn’t part of my constituency projects; it was a personal donation from me and I can go on and on and give examples of so many other projects that I have personally executed.

    The executives at the federal, state and local government levels should rise up to the challenges of providing for the masses that elected them to govern. For instance, if you look at the projects we have approved and the level of performance, the capital projects really are under-performing. The execution of the 2013 Appropriation waivers is between 40 and 45 percent. With that kind of scenario, you can see that all the plans that are contained in the Appropriation are just grandiose for nothing and are far from being fully executed. And of course, you know that the recurrent expenditure budget, the recurrent part of the budget, which is usually 70 percent, is usually fully implemented while the remaining 30 per cent, which is capital, it is under-performing. So, with that kind of a scenario, the rate of our development can only be at a snail speed. The executive arm of government should wake up to its responsibilities and rise up to the challenges of delivering on the programmes they beautifully craft at the end of the year. The same goes for the state and of course, the local government.

    Can the local government be repositioned to perform better?

    I don’t even see any serious governance at the local government level because many local government councils are just there. They are there as centres for people to go and collect salaries and after, there will be nothing left for the infrastructural development of the areas. They have challenges in the present system. It is either they don’t get enough funds at the local government level or they are frittering whatever they get away. If the truth must be told, there are only a few local government councils in this country that can be said to be really performing. Those who are meant to legislate should legislate and the executive should perform its functions effectively. Our own functions of legislating and oversight are also hampered by the late release of funds or to allow us to do the appropriate oversight of the various ministries, parastatals and agencies of government. The legislature has been vigilant in its duties and that is why we begin to hear so much about what is going on in the public domain.

    The Ijebu people from the Ogun East Senatorial District are agitating for the creation of Ijebu State. Is it true that the people of Ogun West Senatorial District are also agitating for the creation of Yewa State?

    Well, I am not aware of that agitation. When the constitution review public hearings were taking place, I think, I came across a memo for the creation of Yewa State. But, it was not canvassed properly. It was not even presented orally at the public hearing and I don’t think there is any serious demand, as far as I am concerned, for the creation of Yewa State. I think the problem that we are facing today is the unity of the Yewa/Awori people, which I believe, is more critical at this stage for the people. The Yewa/Awori people are marginalised in the scheme of things.

  • Can Inec deliver in 2015?

    Can Inec deliver in 2015?

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 14 and 28, 2015 for the general elections. The exercise is a rare opportunity for the umpire to redeem its battered image. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN writes on the challenges that will confront the commission.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the time table for next year’s general elections at a time Nigerians are yet to overcome the agony of the flawed Anambra State governorship election. Unlike 2011, when Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief from the 2007 flawed polls, the nation is in a nightmare. The confidence of the people in the umpire is waning because it has failed to live up to expectation.

    Many have argued that the agency has failed to learn from it mistakes in the Ondo and Edo state governorship elections. Thus, these pitfalls were repeated in theAnambra governorship poll last year.

    Analysts argue that, if the INEC could bungle the election, despite its extensive preparations and resources at his disposal, its capacity to conduct a hitch-free exercie simultaneously in 31 states is in doubt. Although the Chairman of the commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has promised to rectify the mistakes, the proposed Ekiti and Osun state governorship polls, which will hold this year, are a litmus test for the umpire.

    To conduct credible and transparent elections next year, the agency must avoid the “Anambra mistake,” which had created a credibility crisis for the electoral commissioners.

    Voters’ registration

    The cedibility of an election starts with a credible voter’s register. According to election monitors, registered voters should be able to vote without hindrance A credible voters’ register determines the acceptability of the election results. From experience, many registered voters have been disenfranchised by the INEC. They were turned back by polling officers because their names could not be found on the voter’s register, even when they present voters’ cards issued during the registration .

    In Anambra State, thousands of eligible voters were shocked when they found out that their names have disappeared from the register. In Edo State, there were reports of illegal insertion of names into the voter’s register during the last governorship poll. Also, in Ondo State, the voter’s register was inflated with over 150,000 fake names. In the months preceeding the election, opposition parties had alleged a plot by some powerful politicians to inject fictitious names into the register. But, the commission dismised it as a rumour, saying that critics were raising a false alarm.

    Since the INEC has ruled out electronic voting in 2015, it is imperative that it comes up with a new voter’s register. This will entail fresh registration of eligible voters in the country. The existing voter’s register cannot be relied upon for some reasons. For example, there are allegations that politicians had colluded with some INEC officials to tamper with the register. Most of the machines used for the registration have been stolen. The voter’s register, which the INEC is relying on, is not credible. It is controversial. To avoid rancorous elections next year, the INEC should produce a new register.

    Monitoring of party primaries

    The process through which party candidates emerge is very crucial. The electoral process is in jeopardy when credible aspirants fail to emerge as candidates of political parties. The practice over the years is the imposition of candidates by the party leadership, irrespective of the popular demand. Analysts believe that the imposition of candidates has undermined the nation’s development because wrong people found themselves in the corridor of power. When merit is ignored, the polity will suffer in the post-election period because the beneficiary of the imposition will not perform to expectation. Such candidates are not prepared for the job; they lack the blue print ,which they intend to implement in office.

    The commission should insist that candidates should emerge through primaries, even where party opted for consensus candidates. INEC officials must be present to monitor party primaries to ensure the candidates emerge through the due process.

    A social critic, Bernard Briggs, observed that the imposition of candidates is the root of poor governance. He attibuted the problems confronting the country in the post-Obasanjo period to the imposition of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as his running mate by the former President. Briggs said that, if Obasanjo had allowed the aspirants to go through primaries, better candidates would have emerged and and the prospects of the inept leadership would have been avoided.

    Briggs urged Nirerians to kick against “god fatherism” in 2015, sayinmg that “it encourages planting incompetent people in strategic positions”.

    The President of the Civil Rights Congress, Mallam Shehu Sanni, said: “The quality of our leadership is a derivative of the quality control of our elections. A credible election must reflect the will of the people. For as long as we allow “god fathers” to have their ways in the selection of candidates, we can never get it right”.

    Security

    Electoral security is very important. When patriotic security agents police the votes, democracy will thrive. “What we have experienced over the years is that security men who are supposed to protect the voters are used by the ruling party to intimidate voters in the stronghold of the opposition. There were cases where uniformed men gave cover to party thugs who snatched electoral materials for thumb printing in hideouts, only for the ballot boxes to resurface later.

    “In the last Anambra governorship poll, the security arrangements were suspect. Policemen pretended as if nothing was happening when some politicians were openly wooing voters at the polling units with money. In the last senatorial election in the Delta Central District, it was alleged that the ruling party employed security agents to intimidate other party agents”, Briggs said.

    In the opinion of the activist, the behaviour of the police and other security men on poll day underscored the desperation of the ruling party to perpetuate itself in office against the wishes of the people. He said security agents are not expected to intimidate voters, adding that they have the mandate to maintain law and order. “It is only in Nigeria that you find security men carrying guns during elections to intimidate voters . Election day is a day when voters should feel free to perform their civic right of electing their leaders without intimidation or molestation,” he stressed.

    Campaigns and rallies

    The Electoral Act stipulates that campaigns and rallies should begin three months to the elections. The INEC is empowered to monitor the rallies of political parties to ensure that the campaigns are issue-driven. But, instead of selling their programmes to the electorate, politicians use the forum to blackmail or run down opponents.The umpire is also expected to regulate the “electoral economy”. One way of doing that is to closely monitor campaign funds, how they are raised and spent by parties. The commission is empowered to sanction parties that go beyond the bench mark. The INEC should also be ready to invoke various provisions in the constitution against electoral malpractices. Electoral officers who collude with politicians and police to commit attrocities against the ballot box should be prosecuted.

    Credibility of polling officials

    It is impossible for the agency to recruit permanent staff for elections, hence, the use of ad-hoc staff. It is cost-effective. However, the umpire should endeavour to recruit people of high integrity. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been very useful in this regard. But, the commision should organise in-house training for them, two weeks before the election, so that they can understand the election procedure, timing and materials. Experience has shown that some of the ad-hoc staff were not familiar with the electoral process. They learn on the job, thereby slowing down the voting process. The commission should always make sure that the ad-hoc staff allowances are paid promptly. Some adhoc staff had distrupted elections by refusing to move to the assigned polling stations because of unpaid allowances. In Anambra State, students were recruited, shortly before the commencement of the poll, because the NYSC members insisted that they would not work, unless they were paid. Opposition parties later cried out that the students were drawn from the university where one of the running mates was teaching.

    Polling materials

    The late arrival of polling materials is responsible for the late commencement of voting. The accreditation of voters is expected to start by 8.00 a.m. In some cases, polling officers and materials do not get to the polling centre, until 12 noon. This implies that the accreditation cannot take place as planned. Out of frustration, voters often retun home. In the process, they are disenfranchised. Many observers complained about this trend in Ondo, Edo and Anambra polls. The solution is that the INEC should provide transportation for the movement of polling materials and officers to ensure prompt commencement of voting. The difficult terrains, especially riverine areas and deserts, should be given preferential treatment by hiring speed boats and rugged vehicles to convey the materials and polling officers.

    In Edo, many polling stations did not receive voting materials on time. In some areas, voters complained of fake voter’s register, with many names without pictures. The accreditation, which was supposed to end by noon, did not start in many areas until 11a.m. Many eligible voters could not find their names on the register. Many were also disenfranchised because they were not accredited before the close of the accreditation.

    Collation centers

    Rigging is usually perterated during the collation of results. The agency should ensure that the collation centers are accessible and secured. Only party agents should be allowed into the venue. Only ballot boxes accompanied by accredited polling officers and party agents should be received by the collation officers. The result sheets not signed by all party agents should not be accepted. The collation should been done in the presence of party agents and the result be announced on the spot.

  • Politics of succession in Akwa Ibom

    Politics of succession in Akwa Ibom

    Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the succession battle in Akwa Ibom State and the contenders and pretenders in the 2015 governorship race.

    Nature was kind and the weather was benevolent in Awa-Iman, the heart of Ibiobioland. The gathering was huge and it was not a rented crowd. Party faithful, government officials, traditional rulers, women, and youths were on their seats as early as 8 am. The thanksgiving service organised for the new Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, at the Qua Iboe Church became another platform for political mobilisation. A succession battle unfolded in the oil-rich state.

    After the ceremony, which was witnessed by big wigs in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it was evident that another contender to the governorship in the next year’s election has emerged. Many stakeholders could read Governor Godswill Akpabio’s body language as he reiterated his determination to hand over to a successor from the Eket Senatorial District in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice.

    The beneficiary, if the governor succeeds in his plan, may be the financial expert and former Zenit Bank executive, Emmanuel. He hails from Eket Senatorial District, which has been agitating for the number one seat since 1999. The clamour for the zoning of the slot to the zone enjoys the governor’s support.

    “Should the next governor come from Uyo?”, Akpabio asked? The crowd chorused no. Then, he asked again: “Should the next governor come from Ikot-Ekpene?” The people gave the same answer. Then, the governor said: “Since Obong Attah, an Ibibio from the Uyo Senatorial District, has ruled for eight years, and I, an Ibibio from Ikot-Ekpene would have also ruled for eight years in 2015, it is now the turn of the Ibibio from Eket District to produce the next governor. It is the turn of Ibibio of Eket Senatorial District, not Uyo and Ikot-Ekpene districts. There will be no rigging in 2015. The votes will be protected. In 2015, you people of Eket District should find a young man or woman to take over from me.”

    The service was officiated by the National Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Emmanuel Kure, who predicted that the Secretary to Government will play more active political roles in the future. The cleric recalled the biblical story of David, who was forgotten on the farm, when the first king of Israel was to be anointed by Prophet Samuel. Kure said that the man of God was carried away when he saw the first son of Jesse. But, God did not pick him. Instead, David was brought from the farm and crowned. Kure emphasised that Emmanuel has taken after David, who rose to prominence by divine grace.”God has pulled him out of the private sector to be part of the healing process in Nigeria. When others go to herbalist to turn the heart of the governor, when others kill people to get to positions, the young man was in his office as a professional and he was called to serve,” said the priest.

    The preacher described Emmanuel’s appointment as the SSG as an act of God, warning desperate elements to desist from planning evil in the state in this period of decisive decision on the political front. Urging Emmanuel not to fear, Kure added: “Whatever that will happen, there is a visitation and an appointment with the future; an appointment for destiny for your life”.

    The SSG showcased himself as a man that is not driven by opulence. He was decked in a conservative white agbada, accompanied by his wife, Martha, who adorned the Ibibio costume, and his former boss, Mr. Godwin Emesele, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank. Emesele described Emmanuel as a brand, saying that he is marketable. “You made the best choice as the SSG. In Udom you find a professional, a diligent person”, Emesele told Akpabio.

    PDP chieftains at the event acknowledged that eyes are on the banker-turned politician, ahead of the 2015 polls. Hinting about this political calculation, the PDP Chairman and close associate of the governor, Mr. Paul Ekpo, who described Emmanuel as a dependable man, said that “the event and the prophesies are noted by the party”. Another chieftain, who craved for anonymity, said: “This man is a promising banker and I don’t think that the SSG has much attraction to him, if it will not clear the path for the future. I sincerely believe that he is in strong contention as we move towards 2015,” he said.

    The historic event, which was the first phase of the succession endorsement, was witnessed by the deputy governor, Mrs. Valedy Ebe, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Elder Sam Ikon, former Secretary to the Federal Government Chief Ufot Ekaete, Senator Helen Esuene, former Minister of Science and Technology Ndueso Essien, former Governor Idongesit Nkanga, Air Vice Marshall Nbikak Eduok, the Chief Judge, Mrs. Item Isua, Works Commissioner Don Etim, the Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Godwin Emesele, and a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Okoro.

    To observers, the SSG has crossed the bridge from banking to politics. As he addressed the gathering, he employed oratory prowess and drew applause. It was evident that he has started honing his political skills. In his speech, he requested the governor to further confirm his fitness for the job. On the slippery political field, he emerged as the underdog and a crowd puller. A PDP chieftain, who spoke with our correspondent, described him as the potential inheritor of the Akpabio structure. Emmanuel may have also confided in his kinsmen his future ambition. Thus, when Apostle Kure requested four Ibibio elders from Awa-Iman to pray for him, their prayers reflected the Eket District’s push for power shift. “May you fulfill your destiny for Ibibio, Eket District and Akwa Ibom next year”, one of them prayed. But, the Awa Village Chairman hit the nail on the head. “We hope that, in 2015, you (governor), will return to this community for another thanksgiving service”, he said.

    For the Emmanuel, the ceremony marked the beginning of a turbulent journey to the top. In the unfolding succession battle, feathers will be ruffled and ego will be bruised. That the members of the State Executive Council, monarchs, and other party chieftains are in one accord over the governor’s succession project is debatable. Even, at the ceremony, the governor acknowledged the presence of detractors. Envy and jealousy were bold on prominent chieftains who now take the back seat, following the emergence of Emmanuel as Akpabio’s de facto deputy. Some big wigs responded to gestures from the governor and the SSG with mechanical smiles.

    The governor’s rivals in the party were firing salvos at him from Uyo, the state capital, while he was addressing the crowd at Awa-Iman. Two former deputy governors, two senators and a former SSG rejected what they described as an attempt to impose a candidate on the party and vowed to resist it. They accused the governor of personalising power and marginalising a section of the party, stressing that he was behaving like the lord of manor. However, the Information Commissioner, Mr Umana, said that critics will not succeeded in inciting the masses against the governor because of his “uncommon transformation programmes”.

    The governor has come under attack for shoving aside his ally in the 2007 and 2011 elections, Umana Umana, as the SSG. The former SSG was a strong contender for the governorship before his removal. Many thought that the governor had the intention of handing over to him as he moves to the Senate, if the PDP retains the state.

    Akapabio reflected on the sack of Umana, saying that he has no regret replacing him with another Ibibio from the same district. Describing Emmanuel as God’s choice for the job, the governor hinted that the event will herald more good tidings for him.

    Apart from obtaining the party’s membership card at his ward, Emmanuel has erected a mansion in his rustic town. But, the governor admonished him to remember his roots by pushing for more road construction in his area. He said he is in a vantage position to attract more amenities to his area as the Chairman of the Finance Committee. In response to Emmanuel’s request to confirm his fitness for the job, Akpabio said: “Udom Emmanuel is qualified to be the SSG. It is God who qualifies you. Verily verily I answer you today. By thy fruit you shall be known. By your word, you are qualified. When God chooses, he qualifies. Who am I to qualify God’s choice? A word is enough for the wise”.

    The SSG, who thanked God for the appointment, applauded the governor for giving him the job. He also thanked his former boss, Mr. Jim Ovia, who he described as a mentor.Emmanuel described the governor as a goal getter, urging him not to be deterred by the acts of jealousy by his detractors. Apparently firing salvos at critics who had described him as a neophyte, the SSG, who quoted a passage from Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s new year message, said: “God does not choose those that qualify. He qualifies those he chooses. I thank God for choosing me”.

    Emmanuel faces a future pregnant with possibilities. The road to the State House is laced with thorns. Apostle Kure alerted him to the challenges ahead.”People are planning to take this state by force and scatter everything”, he warned. To survive, he advised him to be humble and shun hypocrisy. “Fear the Lord, do justice and uphold righteousness”, he admonished. A PDP chieftain from the Eket Zone said that the SSG has a lot to do to gain the confidence of his colleagues in the State Executive Council, the party and the traditional institution. He said, in spite of the governor’s tacit endorsement, the SSG must try to court the stakeholders on his own.

    A source said that Emmanuel may declare for the governorship in the next quarter, if the coast is clear. His opponents are formidable, although leaning on the power of incumbency wielded by the governor is an added advantage. In 2007, that incumbency collapsed when Governor Victor Attah could not abort Akpabio’s dream to succeed him. Can the same scenario play itself out in 2015, if aspirants not endorsed by the governor join the race?

    Apart from Emmanuel, other contenders in the race include Prof. Richard King, Senator Helen Esuene, a maritime expert, Michael Onofiok, Commissioner for Rural Development Effiong Abia, former Deputy Governor Ekpenyoing Ntekim, Finance Commissioner Bassey Akpan, House of Assembly Majority Leader Okpolupm Etteh, former PDP Deputy Chairman Bishop Sam Akpan, Ambassador Assam Assam and Lary Esin.

     

     

     

  • ‘Kashim deserves second term’

    ‘Kashim deserves second term’

    Bornu State All Progressives Congress APC) chieftain Alhaji Kadiri Rahis spoke on the challenge of building the party, ahead of the 2015 general elections. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE met him.

    That is the situation in the Bornu State APC?

    It is very unfortunate that a former governor of Borno State, who has benefitted so much from Borno politically with people voting for him on three occasions as senator and governor for eight years will choose to just destabilise the peace of the party. It is very unfortunate Senator Ali Sheriff was the governor for eight years. He handed over to his own son, Kashim Shettima, and whether we like it or not, he also handed over a very big crisis to Kashim Shettima. In 2011 when Kashim was sworn in, there was a bomb blast in Maiduguri and all the major towns. Small boys were carrying guns on the streets and everyone was in perpetual fear. Everybody under -estimated Kashim. Nobody believed he has the intellect and immense intelligence that he later came the former governor didn’t know he would turn out to be so intelligent and independent minded. Maybe, he would never have anointed him in 2011. But it is Allah that gives power. We cannot say SAS didn’t help Kashim in the governorship eldction, but SAS did not win his senatorial election. Allah deliberated brought Shettima to solve the problems of Borno because, if another person had been the governor, there will not be Borno today. The governorhas been able to unite the people of Borno beyond political affinities and party differences. Kashim is like our own small Mandela in Borno. He has embraced everyone, including those that openly opposed him within the ANPP and in the PDP. He is just 47, but Kashim has the wisdom of a 70 or 80 years old. He has a very large heart and he is extremely courageous. Some people mistake his compassion and simplicity for weakness. Kashim was always everywhere, including dangerous spots, sometimes when smoke was still billowing after attacks, risking his life. He was inspecting projects everywhere when people feared that he would be attacked. He is courageous. He is the leader of the APC in Borno.

    How has the APC fared under his leadership?

    Allah gave us a courageous man, who was able to manage the crisis he inherited, who brought stability to Maiduguri, Bama, Biu, all the major towns and many villages; someone who gave security unfettered access, someone who is always on top of situations that he didn’t create, someone whose passion for Borno has never been doubted by even the PDP. But, the former governor is not supporting him.

    But, why are the two politicians quarreling?

    It is about is 2015, the leadership of the APC and lack of sincerity. SAS was the governor twice. He is the only governor that has been re-elected. But, Kashim has performed well too. That is why he will be re-elected. Even, the PDP loves his leadership style. That is why they are coming to the APC. But, SAS is trying to block that re-election plan. For God sake. Borno has a lot of challenges. There are killings. Why should a person who enjoyed a second term now attempt to block the chance of his successor? what kind of thinking is that?What the people want is peace and they believe Kashim is giving them that. So, anyone that goes against Kashim is seen as the enemy of Borno people. This is the mind of the people. I have been in politics for many years in Borno and I know when a leader is popular and when he is not. If Kashim is not popular, he will not be moving freely in Borno, despite the security apparatus around him. When the late Mala Kachallah was not popular, we all rallied round SAS to unseat him. We fought that war for SAS, but today, we have seen a bigger war of Boko Haram and we don’t want it repeated. We want peace and Kashim is working for peace. We are feeling it. SAS and Mohammed Imam were able to come to Borno for a rally three weeks ago because Kashim worked and brought peace to Maiduguri. Mohammed Imam was a friend of Kashim. There was nothing Kashim didn’t do to support him when SAS was fighting him, but today, because of hypocrisy, he is the one fighting Kashim, thinking he will be the governor. In 2011, he lost the House of Representatives election.Who will vote for him in Borno?

    Could you shed light on this leadership tussle in Borno?

    The Kashim Shettima I know doesn’t give a damn about leadership. He is a very humble man. He is not power hungry at all. The APC in its guideline says governors are leaders of the APC in their respective states. Even, Umar Duhu, the Special Assistant to SAS and Interim National Vice Chairman, Northeast, said it last week that governors are leaders of the APC in their states. They are the people on ground. Even in the PDP, governors are leaders in their states and ministers are leaders in states where the PDP doesn’t control the government. Why should Borno be different? Why should the same Duhu want SAS to be the leader of the APC in Borno? Why is Fashola the leader in Lagos, even with Asiwaju around? We all expect SAS to be playing national politics; to help in setting up a Federal Government to make this country better. Ordinarily, Kashim Shettima wouldn’t mind conceding the leadership of the APC to SAS, but the problem with SAS is that there is no sincerity with him when it comes to politics. If two people know SAS better politically in Borno, I am one of them. I was one of his fo, if he is the leader of the APC, he will humiliate Kashim Shettima. There is no form of respect that Kashim doesn’t accord him. Even, his own son cannot respect him as Kashim is doing, if the son becomes the governor. Allah Kashim will be re-elected. But, if Allah allows SAS to bring in someone else, Allah just wants to punish him because whoever he brings will fight him within the first one month of his administration. Maybe, Allah wants Kashim Shettima get a second term without SAS to demystify SAS and remind him, once again, that he is not God. Only Allah has the kind of powers and permanence that SAS wants to ascribe to himself. Kashim Shettima is highly popular.

    Wheoever wants to find out should ask sincere journalists on ground or they should go to the streets of Maiduguri, Biu, Bama, Monguno and all the local government areas to ask people what they think of Kashim Shettima. I am telling you as a politician that Kashim Shettima will win Borno, even as the APGA candidate. I know what I am saying. I know when a politician is popular. I have always been a youth leader. I work with the youths who are the main political actors and I can tell where the majority of them swing at every point in time in Borno State. I have seen some people showing documentaries to show their popularity. when SAS was popular in those days, he never showed documentaries to argue that he was popular. He should be a statesman.

  • ‘Clark not laying good example’

    ‘Clark not laying good example’

    A partian group, ‘Total Loyalty’ yesterday advised the Ijaw leader, Senator Edwin Clark, to lay a good example of statesmanship, instead of heating up the polity.

    The group said in a statement by its leader, Alhaji Oluwatoyin Balogun, that a wise man should engage in acts that unite the country at the twilight of life.

    Flaying the elderstatesman for his uncharitable remarks about Senator Bola Tinubu, the group also correct the impression that noise making is the hallmark of leadership in the Niger Delta.

    According to ‘Total Loyalty’, Yoruba have leaders of impeccable character, adding that Asiwaju Tinubu is one of them.

    Balogun said: “Old age should connote wisdom. But, reasoning and judgment can be called to test when a leader is not constructive in his criticisms. Old age demands that the aged should be more careful before making a statement.

    “Also, as an elderstateman is expected to give priority to the general interest of the country against the interest of his ethnic group. When Chief Edwin Clark said that the Yoruba nation has no leader, he was being malicious. He made an offensive and provocative remark.

    “We have a leader and the one we are proud of. Tinubu’s leadership acumen is evident in the development of his region. It also reflects in the activities of his followers who are governors in five states. In the Southwest, good governance is a priority.”

    Balogun described Tinubu as a dependable leade worthy of emulation, adding that his legacies are evergreen in Lagos State which he served as the governor between 1999 and 2007.

    He recalled that the former governor fought for democracy at a time some elders supported the military regimes.

    Balogun said that Clark is on the prowl because reality has dawned on him that President Goodluck Jonathan will be voted out of power in 2015.

    He added: “Chief Edwin Clark undoubtedly lacks the moral justification to mock the antecedent of this outstanding Yoruba son. Making a derogatory remark against the Yoruba further portrays the Ijaws as ingrate. Chief Edwin Clark should rather confess his fear, which is that his son, Dr. Jonathan, who has not lived up to expectation, will not be re-elected as the Preident in 2015.”

    Balogun challenged the Ijaw leader to list the achievements of the President that will make Nigerians to vote for him at the presidential poll.

    He queried: “ What has the country benefited from his advice to his kinsman in the Aso Villa? In his sincere judgment, is the country fair better under the headship of Dr. Jonathan?”

    Balogun described Clark as an ungrateful politician who has suddenly forgotten the past.

    He reminded the Ijaw leader that a Yoruba man engineered the emergence of a Nigerian from the minority tribe as the President.

    Balogun added: “The Ijaw chief is a beneficiary of that power shift. His region is a beneficiary. They now have a sense of belonging. When his kinsman was unconstitutionally denied the right to leadership, Yoruba leaders rose in defense of Dr. Jonathan. Yoruba spoke above the whispers, staged a protest, supported the doctrine of necessity and voted for him in 2011. But, problem started when the President failed to perform.”

  • Groups back NSITF boss for Delta governorship

    Women and youth groups have endorsed the governorship ambtion of the Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, in Delta State.

    The groups urged the technocrat to declare his aspiration before the end of the quarter, promising to mobilise support for his candidature.

    Former Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development Mr. Raymos Guanah, who spoke on behalf of the ‘Elders’ Forum’, described her as the best governorship material.

    He said: “She appears more charismatic and more composed to raise Delta State to the next level of development.”

    Guanah, who spoke with reporters in Asaba, the state capital, expressed optimism that Olejeme would be the next governor of the state.

    He added: “Taking into consideration the public opinion prevailing among Deltans concerning the 2015 governorship election, Olejeme is the frontrunner. She will break the jinx in 2015 and become the first elected female governor in Nigeria.”

    The politician dismised the insinuation that Delta State is not ripe for a female governor.

    He said: “The best person for the job is Olejeme. Apart from her capability and intimidating political structure, she also commands large grassroots followership because of her love for the poor and the lowly people in the society,”

    Guanah said that the majority of Delta political leaders resolved to support Olejeme because they believed in her ability to do the job.

    He said she will build upon the developmental programmes of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

    Guanah said: “For Delta North to produce the governor, the leaders need to adopt a more holistic approach. They need to work together for the common goal of ensuring that she becomes the next governor of the State” he advised.

     

    The former commissioner appealed to Olejeme not to bow to pressure.

    He said: “No amount of intimidation, threat or blackmail should deter Olejeme. His ambition is in the interest of the state.”

    Guanah pointed out that Olejeme had been in the fore front of gender equality and workers’ progress in the country

    Olejeme is yet to officially declare her interest in the governorship. But, her supporters have been ben holding consultations with stakeholders, with a view to gaining wide acceptance whenever he officially joins the race.

     

  • Why APC national leaders should resolve Ogun crisis

    Why APC national leaders should resolve Ogun crisis

    Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is embroiled in crisis. State Correspondent Ernest Nwokolo examines the issues at stake.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), a formidable opposition party, entered the nation’s political firmament late last year following its official registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It is a conglomeration of democrats and progressives who espouse politics of ideas and peace as opposed to that of violence, thuggery and the machiavellian-like principle of might-is-right.

    This image is what the party at the national and state levels has been striving to protect since its emergence as a registered political party. To certain extent, this has endeared it to the teeming progressive – minded Nigerians, particularly the youth, who are desirous of change from the much maligned and lack – lustre outing of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) at the centre in the last 15 years.

    But in Ogun State the story is becoming different. Discordant tunes and in fighting within the APC in the state are not only disturbing but also an early pointer to the problems ahead of 2015. The recent development suggests that there are some elements within the party that believe in violence and arm twisting tactics to advance their political agenda.

    In the last couple of weeks, Ogun State APC is embroiled in a crisis that bears semblance of the type that had afflictedPDP preparatory to the April 2011 general elections. As a result PDP lost the governorship election and majority of other elective offices to the then Action Congess of Nigeria(ACN). Since then, PDP in Ogun State is yet to recover and put its house in order. The crisis in the state chapter of the PDP was stoked by the struggle for the control of the party structure between former Governor Gbenga Daniel and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    All attempts made by the National PDP to resolve the crisis failed. The party ended up with two parallel congresses held to pick candidates for the April 2011 polls in the state.

    Daniel who lost out in the struggle, herded his supporters and candidates into the Peoples Party of Nigeria(PPN), a political party he floated at the eleventh hour.

    Three years after, APC seems to to be treading this destructive path and with speed.

    Analysts are worried that the silence of the national leaders on the crisis could have adverse effects on the party. They call for immediate intervention of the party’s national headquarters before it gets out of hand.

    The crisis has been there since 2011 albeit in a smouldering form even though the party leaders had been pretending that crisis did not exist. But on January 9, the bubble burst when hoodlums stormed the secretariat of the APC on Leme, Abiola Way, Abeokuta and sacked its Harmonisation Committee meeting convened by Senator Gbenga Kaka.

    Journalists at the venue for coverage of the proceeding were assaulted while the Harmonisation Committee members comprising National Assembly members from the state fled the troubled spot and later addressed reporters at the Oke – Ilewo Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    Senator Kaka(Ogun East), Senator Akin Odunsi(Ogun West), Senator Gbenga Obadara(Ogun Central) and other members of the House of Representatives were at the APC secretariat to inaugurate and announce membership of the state Harmonisation Committee.

    The Committee was expected to work in harmony with party leaders to midwife the stages leading to the planned membership registration exercise as well as congresses at the wards, Local government and state levels.

    The crux of the matter is that while the National lawmakers are gunning for return tickets, the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun on the other hand is desirous of cornering the same tickets for his loyalists. Hence, his alleged overt and covert moves to scuttle the chances of Obadara and his colleagues by scheming to foist only his loyalists as members of the Harmonisation Committee members.

    The implication is that whoever gains the upper hand between the Governor and the national lawmakers in the formation of the committee would determine who votes at the congresses and ultimately, who emerges as party’s candidates in the coming 2014 general elections.

    And barely two weeks later when the dust over the violence that witnessed the inauguration of the Harmonisation Committee was yet to settle, hoodlums wielding guns, machetes and clubs invaded the venue of a sensitisation andempowerment programme organised by Senator Obadara at Wasinmi in Ewekoro Local Government Area. They unleashed terror on party members. Many were wounded and taken to hospital for treatment Thus,the programme billed to take place ahead of the party’s planned registration exercise ended abruptly as people scampered to safety.

    By the time the dust finally settled, Senator Obadara’s Police orderly, Sergeant Sunday Akinbode was wounded at the thigh near the pelvic region following gunshot from the thugs .

    Since the outbreak of the violence, there has been accusations and counter – accusation between the State government/Governor Ibikunle Amosun camp and that of the members of the National Assembly from Ogun State on the ticket of the APC who see themselves as victims of the governor’s high- handedness orchestrated to muzzle them, and the desperate move to highjack the party structure for personal political agenda.

    Senators Kaka and Obadara in separate fora accused the Governor Amosun of sponsoring political thugs to intimidate and harass them.

    The duo in conjunction with their colleagues at the National Assembly, also faulted the recent endorsement of the Governor for a second term in office, dismissing it as “sham and an exercise in futility.”

    The law makers accused the governor of planning to perpetrate a wave of political violence in the state and blamed it on them, ostensibly to achieve his political end.

    But the Interim Chairman of the Party in the state, Alh. Tajudeen Bello, who described what is currently happening in the party as “a great surprise” and handiwork of few elements who are desirous of disrupting the peace of the state, alleged that the hoodlums were brought from Lagos by the National Assembly members.

    In Bello’s reckoning, the state harmonising Committee initiated by Senator Kaka (Ogun East), Senator Akin Odunsi (Ogun West), Senator Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central) and other members of the House of Representatives was a “charade.”

    Bello who addressed reporters on account of the violence at the party Secretariat and festering crisis, blamed the occurrence on the former Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, whom he advised not to destroy a house he has built at a time he is expected to play the role of a “mediator.”

     

     

     

    He argued that what was expected to be done according to the directive of the APC National body is preparation for membership registration and not Harmonisation Committee.

     

    Bello said: “it was a great surprise that a new dimension is being introduced to politicking in Ogun State. Moreso from the so called responsible politicians that the people give very high regard. We got a report from my administrative staff at the Secretariat that some hoodlums came to attack them for no just cause and in the process, they wounded some of our staff there and I had to phone them to quickly vacate the office.

     

    “This is a party that does not believe in violence and you would see the approach of the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on the issue of curbing violence and since he has been on the saddle of governance, you will bear me out that violence in all forms has been reduced to zero level.

     

    “And everybody is now sleeping with his two eyes closed. It is so unfortunate that this sort of things would be happening in the days of progress, an era that we have never witnessed in the history of the state.

     

    “However, immediately after the attack, we learnt that our revered leader Chief Olusegun Osoba also came with members of the National Assembly and addressed the press that he was spoiling for a fight, that he was ready for a fight.

     

    “ I would not believe that he said so because he happened to be a builder of this party and we say what you build, you don’t destroy. As an elder statesman, every expectation is that he should always play a mediatory role in case of any issue whatsoever.

     

    “The people can bear me out that the attack was carried out by hoodlums that came to invade the Secretariat. Generally we all believe that they came in through Kobape. You would agree with me that the vehicle came in through Kobape and we believe that they were brought by people who came from lagos, who had ulterior motive.

     

    “Governor Amosun needs encouragement, he has been performing well and he is well received by the majority of the people. What then is the hue and cries about any issue that would distract the attention of the Governor from the laudable projects he is doing in Ogun State.

     

    “This is a party that Nigerians want, a very matured party

    Who ever that is a bad element in the party in the state and so far as they are exposing themselves, we leave them to the judgment of the people.

     

    “We were peaceful in our state. Suddenly we woke and came under attack, I would not know the motive of the people that came. Thank God there were no serious casualty, they have been defeated, the Governor is moving well and charting the progress for the state.”

     

    But the matter took a worrisome dimension during the week when in published letter by Governor accused Obadara and his group of plotting to destablise the state with an implication to undermine the party and stall the progress being recorded in the state by the administration.

     

    Amosun made it explicitly clear that he was neither in competition with past leaders of the state nor members of the National Assembly from Ogun on the platform of the party, as every body’s duty is “clearly defined and distinct,”

    said he had tried in vain to court the cooperation and support of the lawmakers.

     

    Curiously enough, while the Governor attended Obadara’s mother’s burial last year and Senator Kaka’s function when he opened his Senatorial Office in Ijebu – Igbo, none of the Senators had attended any state event organised by Ibikunle led administration since inception.

     

    The lawmakers in turn, fired back, accusing him of intolerance and plot to high-jack the party from the founding fathers.

     

    In a personal letter addressed to him, the National Assembly members comprising three senators and seven House of Representatives legislators reminded him that the Ogun “APC is not his personal estate” that should be administered the way he deemed fit.

     

    They reasoned that it was the intolerance of the Governor that sent party members, including former Deputy Governor of the state, Alh. Rafiu Ogunleye, away to another political party.

     

    They also faulted his claim that they belonged to a group within the party, saying they have neither been involved in factionalisation nor operated outside the APC structure unlike his SIA’s group.

     

    They accused Amosun of practising political harlotry as well as always striving to destroy any party he courts since his days in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to Congress for Progressives Change to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and finally to APC.

     

    The letter reads in part:”why do you always destabilize any political platform you join – PDP, ANPP, CPC, ACN and now APC? Why do you like politics of intolerance and exclusion?

    Why do you like to disregard party supremacy anywhere you go?

     

    “Could the above be the reason why you change party platforms always? You should please note that a political party belongs to all. APC in Ogun State is not your personal estate, where you can do whatever you want.

     

    “We know your intolerant disposition . That is why your threat to deal with the leaders, who SELECTED you above others aspirants is now coming to pass. Your intolerant disposition made people like Alh Rafiu Ogunleye,a revered party leader and former Deputy Governor to leave the party.

     

    “You claimed we are romancing the opposition. That is in your dreams. But If you think you can chase us out like others, you are greatly mistaken. That will not work with us. We are born progressives.We are known progressives.We have NEVER change political platforms in our lives.

     

    “We are ardent believers of our late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo.We are ardent followers of all our current leaders in the progressive family like Chief Bisi Akande, Aremo Segun Osoba,Gen Mohammed Buhari,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu etc and shall ever remain so.Long Live APC.Long Live the progressives.”

     

    But beneath the crisis, according to analysts, is the hidden but the fuelling hands of Chief Osoba, who is believed to be using the Ogun indigenes at the National Assembly to prosecute a proxy war against Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

     

    Many are of the conviction that the lawmakers are only acting the script of the former Governor and hinged the argument on the fact that the Akirogun of Egbaland had never rebuked his foot soldiers either privately or publicly.

    It is being said that he never wanted Amosun to fly the party’s ticket in 2011 but was prevailed upon by the National leader of APC and its Interim National Chairman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande.

    No fewer than nine aspirants including renowned journalist and publisher, Mr Kayode Soyinka, were jostling for the then ACN governorship tickets when Amosun appeared from the blue and clinched it.

    .However, anxiety is rife in the state that the Presidency has started digging into the APC crisis in Ogun state ostensibly to deepen it and then precipitate its collapse while overture to Amosun is also being contemplated, but how far the APC can go with the crisis, only time would tell