The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • ‘National Assembly can prevent budget failure’

    ‘National Assembly can prevent budget failure’

    The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senate Olubunmi Adetunmbi, represents Ekiti North District. The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain spoke with reporters in Abuja on the national planning and the challenge of budget implementation. Assistant Editor Onyedi Ojiabor was there.

    What is the assurance that the 2014 budget implementation will not fail?

    In the course of the year, there has been quite a lot of exchanges between the parliament and the executive arms of government, paricularly the Ministry of Finance, on the implementation of the 2013 budget. We have heard all kinds of figures. In the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, the value that was attached to the implementation of the capital project as at the third quarter is in the range of about 20 to 25 per cent of releases that are actually implemented. That tells us that there is a huge problem, whether of capacity or resources, or both. We are told there are issues of availability of funds for financing the budget, which again raises the question about the accounting for the crude oil production, sales and the repatriation of such monies for availability and use by the Federal Government to fund the budget. A lot of these issues are still shrouded in secrecy. The government is not forthcoming with explanation on why oil, which is selling over a $100 per barrel and a budget benchmark of $74, is not providing money for the country to run its budget. These are things which are still in the realm of investigations. Until an explanation is provided for these, that is an issue. We have the issues of crude oil theft and production shortfall in the Niger Delta, which in my opinion, is an indication of government failure because the responsibility for the security of lives and property and, in particular, for the most strategic asset for this country, which is crude oil, is an exclusive one for the government. There is no government in the world that will say the revenue theft is the reason for the budget failure. The question you will then ask is what is the role of the security agencies? These are questions Nigerians need to ask.

    Where should Nigerians lay the blame for the continuous budget failure over the years?

    It is a systemic failure. This is not an issue of pointing accusing fingers at any arm of government. It is a collective failure that oil production records are not available on a transparent basis. All the monies realised from sales are not being repatriated to the Federation Account. Even at times, they say that there is no money to distribute to the arms of government. It is a failure on the part of the agencies responsible for managing our crude oil. It is a failure on the part of the agencies responsible for managing the treasury. It is also a failure on the part of the oversight agencies. We need to do more oversight. We need to ask more questions. There are quite a lot of public hearings on the issue of the oil revenue going on at the National Assembly at present. At the end of these ongoing enquiries, Nigerians will be better informed on what is happening and how to ensure that it does not happen again. Let me add also that there has been lack of adequate planning in past budgets. As we speak, planning is not a basis of budgeting in Nigeria. The budgeting we do in Nigeria is largely cash flow based. There is this flexible approach to the allocation for resources for capital projects that does not conform to any stated plan. Until Nigeria returns to a regime of planning that everybody is aware of, there will be a problem with budgeting.

    Maybe, the passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill will solve the problems associated with the oper record of oil revenue

    The Petroleum Industry Bill is so central to the sanity that is needed in the oil industry. In Nigeria at present, there are several laws operating independent of one another and this creates conflicts in their jurisdiction. The PIB is trying to harmonise these laws and bring them under one legislation with modules that deal with the various aspects of the oil industry. The PIB is as old as the National Assembly. The current version the National Assembly is workingon, though not a perfect law, represents something positive that Nigerians can start with and improve upon. The bill is presently being worked on by the appropriate committee and, since I am not a member, I cannot tell you anything more. But, I am aware that they have called for public hearing and the report will be presented at the plenary for adoption. My opinion is that the diversification of the economy is the way to go. This dependence on oil seems to be holding Nigeria down so much that it has not been able to wean itself from the addiction to oil, which has been the source of revenue for financing the public expenditure in the country. The danger in it is that, if anything happens to this, we are vulnerable. We need to take more seriously agriculture and manufacturing, which is the basis of taxation. Where jobs are created, people will also pay income taxes that will go into the coffers of the government. It is a collective role for all of us to ensure that the diversification of our economy remains a current issue, until it is addressed.

    Some accuse the National Assembly of compromise and failure of oversight for budget failure.

    The parliament is the youngest among the three arms of government. It has also been the least stable in the history of Nigeria. So, you can understand that the process of learning and perfection and its role in a presidential democracy takes some time. You can also understand the seemingly slow processes it goes through at times. Compromise is a very strong word, which I am not too comfortable with. It is as if you are saying there is a conspiracy of a group of people who sat down somewhere to hatch a plan that is negative to the democratic process. That is purely in the realm of perception. To me, there is a need by the National Assembly to put in place a budget office, which is the equivalent of the congressional budget office that we have in the United States that helps the parliament in the budgeting processes and not to rely on the executive solely on budgeting projections and for the configurations of the expenditure of the country. It is important that the National Assembly sets up a technocratic arm that deals with budget projections and expenditure on a multi-year basis. This will ensure that, when the executive brings a proposal, the National Assembly brings it’s own too and there is a synthesis. So, the best of propositions and counter-positions comes together to give the nation the best of the two arms of government.

    What other areas of divergence can you see in the area of national planning?

    The Brenton Woods, for sometime in local interventions, have said that the whole issue of public finance is supposed to be more flexible and fluid than the rigorous budget planning approach. That has been the debate in developmental circles for a while. Even, the United States has what is called the Office of Management and Budget that does its budget planning, two years ahead of implementation. We can do that in Nigeria. India is doing a five-year plan and it has done 11 of such plans. Those five-year planning structures inform the budget. The same is going on in Brazil. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of Nigeria is an amalgam of what is operating in Brazil and India. But, there are several propositions of the fiscal responsibility act in those countries that have been expunged from our own act. These are issues that require a re-visitation to make it comply with best practices from where they were borrowed. Also, Nigeria has a penchant for saying that what works elsewhere cannot work here. We create a monster that does not fit in anything that works elsewhere. For example, it is only in Nigeria that you have a three tier federalist structure. From India to Canada to Switzerland, Pakistan and other countries, there are only two tiers of government. It is also in Nigeria that we are told that planning is old fashioned and that we should be budgeting like in huge economies. It is our duty to debate these issues.

    The insurgency and our porous borders are worrisome. What is your opinion on the government ‘s inability to solve these problems?

    The issue of terrorism is a huge challenge to the country. Everyone should be concerned. Nobody announces the date of the commencement of a civil war. Civil war usually creeps on a nation and, before you realise it, it becomes a conflagration. The truth of the matter is that there is no constitution operating in Borno State because there is no freedom of expression or movement. There is no safety of lives and property.

    Some people in that region are saying they want self-determination with conditions that are completely at variance with the constitution of the country. Any administration that is in office and that is popularly elected by the people and enjoying currency of tenure has no business asking about its capacity to handle the problem. To find yourself in office means you have the vision and the strength and will power to respond to the challenges facing the people. The present government is in the best position to answer these questions. The expectation of the people is that government should be able to protect life and property.

  • ‘Umar can’t be substantive governor in Taraba’

    ‘Umar can’t be substantive governor in Taraba’

    Former Secretary to the Taraba State Government Hon. Emmanuel Njiwah spoke with Senior Correspondent FANEN IHYONGO on his sack by Acting Governor Garba Umar, the political impasse in the state and other issues.

    You were removed as the Secretary to the Taraba State Government. What went wrong?

    My removal was purely an intrigue of politics. It was far from what I was accused of. There was no correlation between what they said I did and the actual facts on ground. The truth is that, after the plane crash involving Governor Danbaba Suntai on October 25 last year, I visited the injured governor in Germany in January. By that time, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, had been sworn in as the acting governor, according to the dictates of the constitution. Now, after my visit, he also went to Germany and saw the governor.

    When Umar returned, I noticed quite clearly that he was scheming to supplant our boss, the governor. He thought the governor was permanently incapacitated. But, I refused to give in to his demand that I should do a memo to the State Executive Council to kick start the process of booting out Governor Suntai. That is the constitutional provision: I would do an executive memo directing the EXCO to authorise the House of Assembly to set up a medical panel to ascertain the governor’s health. Thereafter, anything could happen, and in the case of Umar, he already had mischief up his sleeves. Pressures were mounting on me from Umar’s supporters, who wondered why I was not ready to assist their man to become the substantive governor. In fact, by April, the pressure heightened. I was promised the deputy governor’s slot, if I could make it happen for Umar. But, I didn’t dance to their tune. Somehow, I knew the governor was not permanently incapacitated, and Umar was just blindly ambitious. I have worked with the military where I learnt that loyalty to your principal must be 100 per cent, not even 99.9 per cent. So, I am 100 per cent loyal to Governor Suntai. Besides, the governor was not permanently incapacitated. What permanent incapacitation means is that the governor would not recover forever or till the end of his tenure. In this case, the governor was recovering very fast. Thus, I became an obstacle and the best thing for Umar to do was to give me a bad name and hang me.

    But, your name was mentioned in the flood scandal…

    That is the intrigue I told you about. I was not in the committees of purchase and distribution. I was in the main committee chaired by Alhaji Garba Umar himself. There were committees A and B which were given money to buy relief materials for the flood victims. Our main committee wasn’t given any money and the deputy governor is there to bear me witness. Go and ask him, if he gave me a kobo of that flood fund. But, I can point to some people he is having now in his fake cabinet, who lobbied for contracts from the flood fund for their wives and relatives. He is with them now in his government. I never lobbied for any contract from the committees.

    So, why have you been quiet over the accusations?

    I am not quiet. We are in court. Immediately we went to court, Umar sent two people to me not to go to court. But, we went ahead because we have to clear our names.

    Do you think that Governor Suntai can still come back to the office as the governor?

    Why not? Governor Suntai is getting better every day. He is already back and, if not for the machinations of Umar, he should fully resume now. We are aware of all the moves to remove Suntai, but we are resisting it, because he is well. This was why Garba used some members of the House of Assembly to say they don’t recognise the governor’s notification of return. This was why he removed the Suntai loyalists from the leadership of the House of Assembly and planted his men there. This is why we were called thieves and sacked. He orchestrated from the start. It is a master plan or road map that he is executing now. We knew his plans. Governor Suntai is fit to rule. An American President ruled from a wheel chair. So, what is the hullabaloo that the governor is not fit to rule? The governor can make full use of all his faculties. So, what is anyone saying?

    Is there a religious or ethnic dimension to the political crisis?

    Ethnic, a big no, but religion, a capital yes! It is a well known fact that Garba Umar, being a Muslim, wants to institute an Islamic state in Taraba state. There are inscriptions in various parts of Jalingo suggesting an Islamic agenda by Umar. Nigeria does not operate on the basis of a Christian or Muslim state. When Suntai held sway, he never dubbed Taraba a Christian state, because Taraba State consists of Muslims, Christians and animists. So, if Umar rules on the basis of being chosen by God to lead a plural state, fine. But there is great danger when you try to pin a religion on the state. And, if he is going about trying to gain the sympathy of other Muslims outside the state, he is going about it wrongly. Taraba is a secular state like other states in Nigeria. Governor Danbaba Suntai did not discriminate against the religions. He built the secretariats of the two great faiths –Christians and Muslims in Jalingo and invited the Sultan of Sokoto and the CAN President to co-commission the edifices. Suntai gave them equal treatment. I do not know where this has been done in Nigeria. Today, Umar is not being fair to his boss, who was totally fair to both faiths. He is going about calling himself the acting governor when the governor is around.

    If religion is such a factor, how can you explain the fact that some Christian members of the House of Assembly are supporting Umar and even want him to replace Suntai, who is a Christian? You see some things are better not said. The fact is that massive funds are at work in the House of Assembly. Garba Umar is manipulating some of the members.

    What is the implication of the crisis for the the 2015 poll?

    Let me start with some basic facts. Taraba is a heterogeneous state with many ethnic groups. A state with 2.5 million people, we have a unique experience of religious harmony. If you go to any homestead in Taraba, you will find members of all the faiths co-habiting. But, Graba Umar does not understand this.

  • How Oshiomhole can succeed, by Edo SSG

    How Oshiomhole can succeed, by Edo SSG

    Secretary to Edo State Government Professor Julius Ihonvbere has urged the people to support Governor Adams Oshiomhole in his bid to tramsform the stste.

    He described him as a man of courage, integrity, and credibility, adding that the governor will do more for Edo State next year, if they cooperate with him.

    The former university don spoke in Benin-City, the capital. He said: “Let us continue to pray for him to move higher after his stewardship here but I think what should concern us is who comes after Oshiomhole. If the person has just 50 percent of Oshiomhole’s quality, we can have parties and dance.

    Ihonvhere urged the indigenes to be weary of fake leaders with myopic conceptualisation and pedestal understanding of the values of democracy.

    He said: “The amount of money this government has invested in reconstruction of roads is huge. It is easy for Oshiomhole to construct cheap roads without street lights and drainages such that what we see is on the surface ,but the governor did not do that.

    Anybody who has been to New York will know that New York does not have any road that is as good like the one Oshiomhole is constructing here and he is doing all these for all of u, our children and generations yet unborn, to show people that government and development is possible”.

    The Secretary to Government called for the evalustion of politics and assessment of the elected representatives.

    He said Edo State must always have in the National Assembly competent people who can articulate its interest in a country whose federalism has been eroded.

    He stressed: “There is also the erosion of our federalism; we need people in Abuja as members of the National Assembly who can speak out because it is not enough to go around as Senator or House of Representatives member and wear suit or agbada, no. That is a place where you educate, where you use your brain, do pure research, articulate ideas, present facts and figures to convince your colleagues to say yes, you know what you are talking about.

    “But they behave as if they are headmasters, who can summon classrooms teachers to the headmaster’s office whenever they like; this is not possible. I hope in the new year, we can take the lead on this.

  • 2O15: Ibibio, Annang, Oron battle for governorship

    2O15: Ibibio, Annang, Oron battle for governorship

    Three ethnic groups-Ibibio, Annang and Oron-are battling for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in 2015. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on their claims and counter-claims and issues that will shape the exercise.

    The tenure of Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio will expire next year. Ahead of the next governorship election, the succession battle has started in the oil-rich state. Three dominant ethnic groups-the Ibibio, the Annang and the Oron-are struggling to produce the next governor. None is ready to step down for the other.

    When the state was carved out of the old Cross River State on September 27, 1987, there was wild jubilation. It was a dream come true for the three ethnic groups.

    The Oron nation was the beautiful bride during the agitation for the creation of the new state. Those who share cultural affinity with the Oron canvassed the retention of the ethnic group in Cross River State. However, the Ibibio and the Annang insisted that the Oron nation should be part of the new state because of its economic importance and maritime advantage.

    When the state was created, a strong bond of renewed relationship was established among the three major ethnic nationalities. The Uyo Senatorial District, which is predominantly an Ibibio ethnic group, has produced two elected governors. Thus, the thnic group has been in reckoning for 10 years. It produced Obong Akpan Isemin in the Third Republic and Obong Victor Attah, who ruled from 1999 to 2007.

    The Ikot Ekpene axis, which is dominated by the Annang, has also produced a governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, whose two-term tenure of eight years will expire next year.

    According to analysts, only the people of the Eket Senatorial District, which also comprises Oron nation, are left in the cold. The ethnic group has not occupied the seat in the 26-year old state.

    The Oron’s quest for power shift, observers argue, has merit. But other ethnic groups contend that even if there is rotation it is not in any particular order.

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, who craved for anonymity, said that equity, fair play and justice dictate that power should shift to the Oron to make the people have a sense of belonging.

    “In the natural order of rotation that promotes unity and an abiding sense of social inclusion, it is only fair to also gives the Oron Nation the opportunity to govern the state, since the Ibibio and the Annang had severally governed the state,” he said.

    Many indigenes of Oron have justified the claim by alluding to Oron’s economic potentials and contribution to the development of the state. They argue that Eket is the largest contributor to the capital base and derivable revenue of the state. However, Ibibio and Annang are also rich in natural endowment.

    For many years, the revenue accruing to the state has been from the oil in Eket Senatorial District. This is also the main source of income for the state and the bedrock of its infrastructural development.

    Many PDP chieftains from Oron also point out that ethnicity is recognised as a key factor in the quest for equity. They also say that, in the PDP Constitution, the principles of equity, zoning and rotation are enshrined in section 7 (2)(c). The section states: “In pursuit of the Principal of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and shall be enforced by appropriate executive committee all levels.”

    President Goodluck Jonathan supported zoning when Akwa Ibom elders visited him at the Aso Villa on March 12, 2012. He declared that he is a product of zoning.

    Also, former PDP National Secretary Gen. Olagunsoye Oyinola reaffirmed the party’s position on zoning and rotation, describing it as a cardinal principle.

    During the constitution review consultative meeting organised by House of Representatives members from Akwa Ibom State last year, the constituents reiterated their demand for the zoning of public offices. They supported the rotation of the Presidency between the North and the South. Also, they voted for the rotation of the governorship among the three senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom State.

    A source said that the founding fathers of Akwa Ibom State had expected the current challenges imposed by the agitation for power shift. “As wise and visionary men, they were firm believers in ethnic equity, having suffered the trauma of ethnic dominance in the defunct Eastern Region. They saw the new state as a model of ethnic equity and had the understanding that its survival would be anchored on the integration of its diverse components”, said a politician from Eket.

    Attah also supported power shift to Annang. Although he did not support Akpabio, he did not oppose power shift to his ethnic group. He was succeeded by Akpabio, who hails from Annang.

    However, other tribes are not leaving anything to chance. The Ibibio and Annang are also working assiduously to also produce Akpabio’s successor. Thus, the people of Obolo, Ibeno and Andoni, and Ekid, which constitute the Oron nation, may not achieve power shift on a platter of gold.

    One of the strategies employed by Oron leaders is seeking the understanding of the rival tribal groups eyeing the seat. They are also mounting pressure on the governor to support their bid for zoning.

    But, where are the governorship materials from Oron? According to the leaders of the ethnic group, the Oron nation has competent sons and daughters, who are eminently qualified to run the affairs of the state in the post-Akpabio period.

    Prominent among them are the promising lawyer, Mr. Ekpeyoung Ntekim, the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Asukwo Asukwo Okpo, and Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development Mr. Efiiong Abia. These politicians have not unfolded any ambition, since they know that the buck stops at the governor’s table.

    PDP sources said that Oron elders are also reaching out to the old politicians from the two rival districts. “The younger politicians may not know how the Orons have supported their leaders in the past. We want the old politicians in Ibibio and Annang axis to explain to the younger ones that the Oron nation has a just claim”, said an Oron leader from Ekid.

    In the Second Republic, a politician from the Oron nation, Senator Victor Akan, mobilised support for Dr Clement Isong, who emerged as the governor of Cross River State. In 1983, prominent Oron indigenes, including Senator Victor Akan, Professor Sunday Mattew Essang and Comdrade Edet Etienam, worked with Senate President Joseph Wayas to ensure the emergence of Senator Donald Etiebet, an Annang, indigene, as Isong’s successor.

    In the Third Republic, Oron leaders, including Chief Iyanam Iyanam, who was a prominent National Republican Convention (NRC) chieftain, and Chief Etim Okpoyo, who later became the deputy governor, played a significant role in the emergence of Obong Isemin as the first governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was an Ibibio.

    In 1999, Comrade Okon Osung, Dr Effiong Edunam, Chief Jerry Okpo and the late Joe Ating, the former PDP Chairman, worked for the success of Attah, an Ibiobio, at the poll. In 2007, when Attah suppored Dr. Undoma Ekerika against Akpabio at the primaries, an Oron indigene, Mr Otu Ita Otoyo, who was the chairman of the ruling party, swung the pendulum of victory towards the direction of Akpabio, who hails from Annang.

    However, party chieftains acknowledged that, although the agitation for power shift is legitimate, the governorship contest will be shaped by other factors. One of the factors is the relative strength and bargaining power of aspirants from the three districts. Another factor is the influence of the governor, who has an intention to anoint a successor. Yet, the zoning formula of the opposition is also a factor. Already, Senator James Akpadonuedoe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is warming up for the governorship. He is popular and he has supporters across the districts. He is from Uyo District.

    So far, the governor is silent on the succession battle, although it is believed that he will not be indifferent to the tendency and sentiments of his successor. Akpabio has only unfolded his senatorial ambition and he is busy mobilising support for his aspiration.

    However, he has given hints about the type of successor he will prefer. He told reporters at Uyo, the capital, that he was motivated to perform by a patriotic anger and desire to effect an uncommon change. He said the people of the state will want this tempo of performance to be sustained. “ The next governor will emerge from this state from the people. The people will elect a good governor”, he added.

  • Taraba and culture of impunity

    Taraba and culture of impunity

    In this piece, human rights activist Comrade Lanre Suraju contends that the political impasse in Taraba State may continue to undermine governance, the constitution and democracy.

    Community-Based Organisations, (CBOs), professional organisations and the human rights community have expressed concern about developments in Taraba State.

    In recent times, governance has virtually collapsed in Taraba State and there seems to be the conspiracy of silence across the country. For one thing, Taraba is in the Northeast, distant from the mainstream media and isolated from the economic hubs in Nigeria.

    Events in this remote state continue to suffer excommunication and isolation from the rest of the country. This is to the excruciating pains of the people of Taraba State, whose economic and political lives are negatively being affected by the inactivity of an ailing governor, who nevertheless has become enslaved and trapped by a cabal that has no legitimacy, no constitutional status and no political structure. Yet, the cabal continues to rule the state by exploiting the ill disposition of the legitimately elected Governor of the state, His Excellency, Dambaba Suntai.

    Governor Danbaba Suntai had an accident during a crash involving a small plane, which he was flying. He was taken abroad. He was yet to fully recover when he was virtually dragged to the seat of power after he was away for 10 months, hence, the struggle for the political and economic control of the State began. In the course of this bizarre struggle, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, slumped at his residence and was rushed to Jalingo Federal Medical College where he later died and was he buried on November 28, 2013.

    This incidence is reminiscence of the case involving the late President Musa Yar Adua when efforts were made by an exploitative cabal to keep him in power against his prevailing health condition.

    In Taraba, a small clique fraudulently claiming to act on behalf of the ailing governor has unsuccessfully tried to hijack the leadership of the state, including the running of the finances of the state. The health challenges of the governor is being compounded by the antics of a self-serving group that wants to keep him in power, instead of allowing him to go for full medical treatment.

    It is appalling that the control of political power and the resources of the state are being lifted above the safety and well-being of the state governor. It is high time Nigerians spoke out and stood on the part of the people of Taraba state who deserve good governance and the right to know the state of health of the leader they had freely elected.

    This is the time to speak out against the criminal and inhuman act of a small, unfeeling group that is more concerned about making financial gains from the misfortune of the state Governor. As it is, Taraba, given the weak democratic institutions and the weak civil society tradition in this great state of cultured people, can no longer speak for itself. The Human Rights Community needs to take over this campaign for sanity in governance.

    One is alarmed that the state of Suntai’s health remains undisclosed to the people that elected him. This has continued to fuel distrust and apprehension. The electorate is therefore not aware if the person they have elected is the one running the state or his unelected, curious and shadowy kitchen cabinet.

    The desperation by the cabal to keep the state in its pocket reached a feverish peak recently when attempts were made to assassinate the current speaker of the House of Assembly. We should also not forget that the former speaker of the Taraba House of Assembly, Tsokwa died in mysterious circumstances.

    The failure of Inspector General of Police, to investigate the forged letter to the House of Assembly said to have been written and signed by Governor Suntai is equally worrisome. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice have refused to obey the court order of an Abuja Federal High Court to cause a letter to the acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar for Medical report on Governor Suntai. An obvious indication of Conspiracy involving government at the federal level.

    At present two, people are standing as governors of one state with conflicting orders. The instability in the state can lead to further break down of law and order, violence and at present constitutes another major threat to democratic renaissance in Nigeria.

    The situation in Taraba has further underlined the fear that politicians value political power, its associated pecks and privileges more than human lives. The House of Assembly in Taraba is to as a matter of urgency institute the process of ascertaining the state of health of the state governor.

    At the height of the controversy, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, intervened, volunteering that it was better for Suntai to resume his treatment in New York where he came from. The association used the opportunity to appeal to governments in this country to vote more money to the health sector. This is to stem down the huge quantum of medical tourism Nigerians currently indulge in. Suntai has refused to either accept NMA’s counsel or allow the state government function with his deputy as his replacement inspite of overwhelming evidence that it would be better to subscribe to both. The National Assembly has been too busy to intervene on this even as the greatest beneficiary of the child of necessity theory in governance, President Jonathan, has also chosen to be indifferent.

    For now, Taraba is one of the few states that hardly make newspaper headlines on account of violent fights. As the fate of the governor hangs in the balance, especially with the sudden demise of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, violence may not be far from bursting open. How often shall it be repeated that those who make peaceful change impossible shall make violent change inevitable? As we speak, neither the concerned state governments nor the Federal Government has any workable solution to the Ombatse phenomenon in Nasarawa. Yet, the protracted Plateau State killings which has taken the lives of thousands including that of a senator remains far from over as it renews by the day.

    As the chief executive of his state, Governor Suntai swore to defend the constitution on assumption of office but the extent of his faithfulness to this today, after a long period of self-inflicted fate, leaves a lot to be desired. Not only has he denied the state the leadership he promised, the character of the leadership he was even able to offer will hardly qualify as a model for anyone. Governor Suntai allegedly acquired three aircrafts, following his assumption of office as the governor of a state that has no airport. The implication of this is clear: He is an absentee governor and got his absenteeism prolonged, even if unwillingly.

     

    Olanrewaju Suraju is the chairman, CSNAC

  • Will there be governance this year?

    Will there be governance this year?

    The next general election is a year away. But, the country is already enveloped in tension. The scramble for power is heating up the polity. The political class is swimming in a pool of controversy and crises. Elected officials are dissipating more energy on conflict resolution, instead of governance. Some circumstances may transform second term governors into lame duck administrators, with the succession battle engaging their time and attention. Dominant political parties are glued to the drawing board, scheming and orchestrating defections. The language of the ruling party is continuity. But the opposition is also loud in its persistent struggle for power shift. It is a year of ego war and media battle. Already, the umpire has alerted the country to the imminence of fractional elections, owing to the growing insecurity in the Northeast geo-political zone. Many state functions are now platforms for political mobilisation. Ambitious politicians are saving for the rainy day, fortifying personal political structures and gathering civilian armies. The polity may be suffocated by the stiff competition for political control. The fragility of political morality on the part of significant actors locked in the protracted battle for power and supremacy may become the nation’s albatross. In all these permutations, where lies the interest of the common man? Will these political activities enhance democratic consolidation and foster political stability or serve as the tonic for centrifugal forces bent on capitalising on the weakness of the lopsided federal arrangement to plot disintegration as predicted by foreign agencies? In this projections into 2014, Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN highlight important political events that will have far-reaching impact on governance, electoral democracy and socio-economic and political wellbeing of the people.

     

    Many critical issues and

    events will shape politics

    this year. Indisputably, the unresolved conflicts and logjams of 2013 will be carried over to the year.

    2014 is a prelude to the election year, 2015, when 31 states will elect governors and federal and state legislators at the general elections. The staggered polls attested to the antecedents of an anxious polity eluded by the sanctity of the ballot box.

    Political crises may create more economic hullabaloos, particularly in an atmosphere of national insecurity. The unresolved national question will remain a trigger for passion. The centenary celebrations may only remind Nigerians about the mistake of 1914 and status of Nigeria as an amalgam of incompatible social formations lacking in national outlook and clamouring for autonomy and identities, instead of exploring the opportunities for national renewal, cohesion and unity. The way and manner these issues and crises of development and nation-building are strategically handled by the competing blocs or managed by the institutions of democracy in the national interest will either make or mar the political process. What is required to navigate the ship of state and prevent it from hitting the rock by the controlling power bloc is courage, patriotism, hard work, creative ingenuity and statesmanship on the party of the Commander-in-Chief. In 2013 and beyond, Nigeria will need a transformational leader in the true sense of the word.

    The major issues and events that will shape the response of stakeholders to the political milieu include the on-going political realignments, Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections, the national conference, the appointment of new ministers, the registration of more political parties, the constitution review, local government elections, the release of election time-table by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the release of nomination guidelines by parties, party conventions and electioneering campaigns.

     

    Political realignment

     

    Ahead of the general elections, there will be more political alignments, defections or cross-carpeting. Already, five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and 37 members of the House of Representatives have defected to the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). In the new year, the tremor may hit the Senate, where many senators have openly identified with the opposition. Parliamentary sources have hinted that 22 senators have resolved to dump the ruling party. Besides, some mushroom political parties are likely to merge with either the PDP or the APC. Others may also explore the opportunities for alliances or accord. The fusion or merger of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) into the APC has changed the face of politics. Today, the presence of other light weight parties notwithstanding, Nigeria is on the fast lane to two-party system. The two-party system does not mean that smaller parties will not warm the INEC register. But they will lack the strength and basis for seeking federal power. For instance, the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) are not showing interest in the presidential contest, except as appendages of the ruling PDP. The PDP is in a turmoil. It is likely to lose more states as more governors may defect to the APC. Henceforth, the Presidency may face heat from the National Assembly because the PDP may lose its majority status in the Senate.

    However, the year posses

    challenges to the APC. In

    Sokoto, Adamawa, Rivers, Kano and Kwara states, the party is expected to reconcile political foes, who now cohabit in the same progressive camp. There are interim executive committees in place at the federal, state, local government and ward levels. But, during the proposed congress, the new leadership should reflect the vested interests. The only way to do that is to prevent politics of exclusion in intra-party politics.

     

    Obi out, Obiano in

     

    In March, Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s two-term tenure will expire. He will be succeeded by the banker-turned politician and governor-elect, Dr. Willy Obiano. Obi is an ally of President Goodluck Jonathan. There are speculations that that he will be drafted into the President’s campaign for second term, when he declares his ambition for a second term. The new governor will battle with legitimacy crisis. Already, the PDP candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye, and his APC counterpart, Senator Chris Ngige, are challenging his victory in the court. Domestic and foreign observers did not give the INEC a pas mark over the controversial Anambra State governorship election. It was severely flawed. The INEC boss, Prof. Attahiru Jega, handed an electoral officer to the police for prosecution. Although a supplementary election was conducted, it could not provide an adequate remedy for the electoral disaster. It is ironical that Obi, who fought protracted legal battles to reclaim his stolen mandate is handing over to a governor largely perceived as a product of a poll marred by irregularities. The poll in the Southeast state has shaken the confidence of the people about INEC’s competence and capacity to conduct free and fair elections in the future.

     

    Ekiti, Osun

    governorship polls

     

    The governorship election in Ekiti and Osun states is expected to hold between June and July. The election will offer the INEC the opportunity to redeem its battered image, following the bungling of the Anambra exercise and its shoddy performance in the Delta Central senatorial by-election. The elections will put to test the strength and the popularity of the APC in both states. The alliance between the PDP and LP will manifest during the election. Already, the LP in Osun State has indicated its readiness to team up with the PDP to confront the APC at the poll. Currently, APC has a firm grip of the Southwest. It is its stronghold. Thus, the party will do everything possible retain power in the region. But the PDP is also not relenting.

    In Osun, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been endorsed for the governorship poll by the party and other stakeholders. The party members have been mobilising support for his second term, based on his performance in office. However, when the party releases the guidelines, some chieftains may also join the race in the Osun APC, with the motive of using it for political bargaining.

    Aregbesola’s major challenger will come from the PDP. The party is bitter over its deposition from power in 2010. The aspirants on the field in the party include former Deputy Governor Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Niyi Owolade, Mr. former Secretary to Government Fatai Akinbade and former House of Representatives member Hon. Oluwole Oke.

    In Ekiti, the popularity of Gov-

    ernor Kayode Fayemi is soaring.

    His people-friendly and developmental programmes have endeared the administration to the people from the 16 local governments. Fayemi has been endorsed for a second term on merit by the party, traditional rulers, women groups and youths across the state. However, cracks have appeared on the wall of the APC in Ekitiland. Recently, his compatriot and House of Representatives member, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has defected from the camp to the LP to contest the governorship.

    Historically, whenever there is a split in the progressive camp in the Southwest, the next election may become hectic or violent. Following the split in the defunct Action Group in 1962, the 1964 federal election and 1965 regional polls were chaotic. Following the parting of ways by the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin and his deputy, the late Chief Akin Omoboriowo in 1982 the 1983 election in Ondo State became a war of sorts. In 2007, when some notable governorship aspirants defected from the AC to the PDP in Ekiti, the election was rigged.

    Apart from Bamidele, a former disciple of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the governor of Ekiti also has the PDP flag bearer to contend with. PDP aspirants include former Governor Ayo Fayose, Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, former Afenifere National Publicity Secretary prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Chief Abiodun Aluko, Mr. Bisi Omoyeni and Mrs. Biodun Olujimi.

     

    National conference

     

    The national conference will hold in the first quarter of the year as announced by President Jonathan. The venue will be Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference chaired by Senator Femi Okurounmu has been submitted. The white paper on it is not yet out. Analysts have continued to raise puzzles: What will be the time frame? How many delegates? How will they be selected? Will delegates come from the ethnic nationalities? How many ethnic nationalities are identifiable? How will they be selected? Will government have nominees? Will there be no-go areas? Will it be sovereign or a mere talk show or a jamboree? Will the outcome be subjected to a referendum or the National Assembly as disclosed by the President? Will the conference be guided to rail road the country into a six or seven-year single term? Can the conference produce a peoples’ constitution?

    The opposition will reiterate its objection to the proposed dialogue in the new year. It is believed that the President turned around to support a national conference, based on his belief that it will shore up the image of its administration. However, despite the fact that the nation has witnessed many national conferences, their reports have ended up in a dustbin. Will this dialogue make a difference? Time will tell.

     

    Constitution review

     

    The review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly is an unfinished business. It started two years ago. The exercise will continue this year. The two chambers of the National Assembly will set up a joint committee to harmonise different positions taken on different issues by the Senate and House of Representatives. These include the six-year tenure single term for President and governors and creation of new states, which the House rejected. The report of the joint committee will be subjected to ratification by two-third of the 36 States House of Assembly before the constitution is amended. But, what will be the relationship between the National Assembly, which is amending the constitution, and the national conference, which is also working towards a new constitution? Analysts have opined that the constitution review may turn out to be an exercise in futility.

     

    Appointment of new

    ministers

     

    President Goodluck Jonathan will appoint new ministers to fill the existing vacancies in the Federal Executive Council. The President sacked seven ministers in September, last year. One of the ministers resigned to take up an international appointment. Observers say the sack of the ministers was a fall-out of the split in the PDP. The affected ministers were those sponsored by the governors and party leaders that were locked in political battle with the President and the leadership of the PDP. The new ministers are expected to come from Jigawa, Osun, Kano, Sokoto, Kwara, Adamawa, Niger and Adamawa states. The reconstitution of the cabinet is likely to give states like Lagos the opportunity of having an indigene in the Federal Executive Council.

     

    Registration of new

    political parties

     

    The 1999 Constitution pro-

    vides for a multi-party sys-

    tem. With the 2015 elections lurking around, new political parties may come on board, if they meet the INEC requirements for registration. Already, 30 political parties are on the register. Only five have representatives in the National Assembly. In 2012, the electoral commission deregistered 35 political parties. Their offence was that they were not assets, but liabilities, since they could not win any elective positions at federal and state levels. Last year, If the words of Jega are anything to go by, the agency may deregister more political parties. According to a school of thought, some people have registered parties, not because they wanted to vie for positions or win power, but because they coveted the grant paid political parties by the INEC before and after elections.

     

    INEC guidelines on 2015 elections

     

    The 2015 general elections may hold between January and February. The electoral umpire is expected to release guidelines on the election, at least, six months before the exercise. These include the time-frame for party congresses and conventions, primaries for elective positions, and submission of names of candidates. The INEC has to screen the candidates, give clearance to those that meet the criteria and give room for parties to provide substitutes for those disqualified. The Commission is expected to release the election time-table in the third quarter of the year.

     

    Political campaigns

     

    The electoral commission is expected to lift the ban on the electioneering by August, that is, six months before the commencement of the elections. The agency is also expected to issue guidelines and monitor campaign activities, particularly the use of language while canvassing for votes, the maximum amount a candidate should spend on campaign, the accessibility of opposition parties to government owned-media and sanctions for electoral violence.

     

    Succession battles

     

    The stage is set for the succession battle, especially in states where the governor’s second term will expire in 2015. There will be an upsurge in political activities, clash of interest, scheming and back stabbing. Many ministers and commissioners will resign to contest for the governorship and parliamentary elections. Out-going governors, including Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Theodore Orji (Abia), and Gabriel Suswan (Benue) are believed to be warming up for the Senate.

     

    Battle for Presidency

     

    There are indications that President Jonathan will soon declare his interest in a second term, the crisis rocking his party notwithstanding. This year, the North will intensify its agitation for power shift. The battle for the Presidency will polarise the ruling party and the polity, with some people appealing to ethnic and religious sentiments. There will also be pockets of agitations for the exalted office by some politicians from the Southeast for the fun of it. Their argument has always been that, except when the late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe served as the ceremonial President for six months after independence and the late Gen. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi for another six months, the zone has not produced an executive President.

     

    Council elections

     

    The agitation for council elections will continue. In the last eight years, many states have avoided the grassroots polls. For example, Anambra State has been postponing the election, since Obi came to power. He has promised to hold the election this month. Oyo State may also hold it, if the court order restricting the state government from reconstituting the state electoral commission is vacated. Members of the commission appointed by former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala had sued the state government over its dissolution. There are also agitations for the polls in Osun and Ekiti states. Ekiti would have conducted the election, if the PDP had not sued the government over the composition of the state electoral agency.

     

    APC National

    Convention

     

    The major opposition party, the APC, will hold its inaugural national convention in Abuja this year. The convention will trail the ward, council, and state congresses. The new leadership that will be elected or selected at the convention will replace the interim leadership.

     

    Election and security

     

    The security situation may shape politics in troubled spots, especially in the North. Last year, there was tension over the spate of killings, bombings and kidnappings in many parts of the country. In the North, the fear of the dreadful sect, Boko Haram, became the beginning of wisdom. In the South, kidnapping has become a lucrative business. Some political gladiators in the South also faced the wrath of kidnappers. The Federal government is expected to review its security strategy and introduce new measures aimed at reducing terrorism. The safety of the environment will determine the political atmosphere of the country.

     

  • Why we endorsed Fayemi, by legislator

    Why we endorsed Fayemi, by legislator

    A member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Segun Erinle, has applauded Governor Kayode Fayemi, saying that he was endorsed for a second term because of his performance.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Legal and Judiciary said that the governor is sensitive to the yearnings of the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

    Erinle, who represents Ilejemeje Constituency, said that Fayemi has also redressed the injustice of the past, noting that those illegally sacked by the previous administration have been reinstated.

    He spoke recently in Lagos, when he was honoured by the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration in Nigeria as a fellow.

    Erinle said: “Some people that were sacked unjustly without reasons by the previous government have been returned to their jobs.

    “They petitioned the House and we looked into it. We believe those who were unjustly sacked should be reinstated. Those whose sack was in order, we told them they have no case”.

    Erinle stressed that the adherence to the rule of law is the hallmark of the administration.

    He added: “The Committee on Justice is to enhance the judicial process in the state. It is to bring in what we have learned overseas. An accused is presumed innocent, until he is found guilty by a competent law court.

    “So, an accused person has the right to legal aids. We are bringing the legal aids system to Ekiti State. You cannot just arrest somebody and put him behind bars, except he has been convicted by a competent court.”

    The legislator explained that the Fayemi Administration has performed exceptionally, stressing that the governor deserves a second term.

    He said that the governor had already been endorsed at the grassroots, urging the people to support the push for continuity.

    Erinle said the governor has transformed Ekiti State through the implementation of his eight-point.

    He stressed:“The way this man has transformed Ekiti State is exceptionally outstanding. And because you want Ekiti to develop, what we are talking about is that we should give him a second term in office. That is why I am an ardent supporter of his continuation in office.

    “We will support this man and stand by him. We will ensure that Ekiti State continues to grow because we know how we met it. He came on board to transform the state; so we shall support him and ensure he gets a second term.”

    Erinle said that Fayemi is popular because he has lived to expectation. He said: “Even, before the man said he wants to run for a second term, those at the grassroots have given him a clean bill. We have 16 local governments in Ekiti State. We have 16 party chairmen and their secretaries.

    “The party is different from the government and, if all the 16 local governments, with the people at the grassroots, say he should continue, why are we wasting our time to go for primaries?

    “It is a waste of time and resources. The constitution gives a party the right to choose its candidate. If all of them have endorsed him, why are we going for primaries again?

    Erinle also praised the leadership of the House, saying that the Speaker, Dr. Wale Omirin, has exhibited the qualities of a democratic leader.

    He said: “As I speak to you now, we have passed 68 bills into law. All the bills touch on the lives of the people.

    “They touch on how to move Ekiti forward. They touch on how the ordinary man in the street will triumph. So, these are the bills we have passed. And that is why I am saying we have done the best we can do.

    “The House will not relent in its efforts to ensure that the people of the state live under the rule of law as being projected by the APC administration in the state.”

  • Hope springs eternal

    Hope springs eternal

    In this piece, former Minister of Aviation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode contends that Nigeria will achieve greatness, if its diverse people have faith in God, develop the institutions of democracy and thread the path of the rule of law.

    There is so much death in this country.

    So many tears. So much evil. So much

    betrayal. So much sadness and so many tragedies. So much corruption and deceit. So many shattered dreams, broken hearts and wounded souls. So much injustice and insensitivity. So much greed and want. So much bloodshed, blood-letting and blood-spilling.

    Welcome to Nigeria- the Federal Republic of Shattered Dreams. A country in which sadism, failure, iniquity, injustice, wickedness, persecution, cover-ups, lies and abuse of power are enthroned. A land in which “men of God” do not pray but instead sell the anointing and buy private jets. A country where common decency, kindness and human compassion has no place. A nation in which the rulers pay homage to the baphomet and make open sacrifices to Satan.

    A country where ignorance and mediocrity is exalted and in which excellence and knowledge is scorned. A nation in which truth has no place and in which those that tell it are hated and treated with contempt. I weep for my country and each day I pray that God delivers her from the blood-sucking and relentless demons that plague and afflict her. Yet, despite all, hope springs eternal.

    Today, our nation stands at a crossroad and it is left for us to decide which path we choose to take. Do we take the path of despair and dishonour and give up on our country? Or do we rise above it all and latch on to the promises of God for our land and for our people? With biting poverty, mounting hopelessness, a bleeding economy, youth restiveness, unprecedented violence, brazen acts of terrorism and all manner of vices and evil thriving in the land one wonders how things got so bad.

    The foundation for our current situation was laid many years ago and since that time we have seen so much suffering and failure at virtually all levels. We were plagued with leaders who lacked vision, who lacked intellect, who lacked sincerity of purpose and who were antagonistic to those that dared to challenge their visionless and purposeless policies. Our country is currently bedevilled with so much negativity that it is easy to look around and just give up. Yet I say that we must never give up because “hope springs eternal”.

    The bible says though the night may be dark yet “joy comes in the morning”. The wise ones say you cannot have a message without a mess. You cannot have a testimony without a test. You cannot get to the top of the mountain without first going to the bottom of the valley. This is true. And out of Nigeria’s “mess” shall surely come her “message”. Out of Nigeria’s “test” shall surely come her “testimony”.

    We have been to the “bottom of the valley” and therefore we shall get to the “top of the mountain”. Our dream for a better Nigeria shall never die and neither can our collective prayers be in vain. I refuse to give up because I know that the God that I serve never fails. He alone rules in the affairs of men. He alone forges the destiny of nations. Out of a deep void and formlessness He ordered the creation of the world. He established it by the power of His word and He gave us dominion over it.

    In the same way He created Nigeria for His purpose and for His glory and that purpose and glory shall surely be established. It shall come to pass and it will be manifest to the entire world. We shall see it and we shall be established in it as a nation and as a people. If God can do it for others, He can do it for us too. We can be great and, by the grace of God, we shall be great. This is my dream and this is what I see. And believe me when I tell you that it is prophetic.

    A Nigeria where every man and woman, regardless of faith, ethnicity, status or political persuasion finds a common cause and relishes in our collective humanity. A Nigeria where the rich have a conscience and the poor have hope. A Nigeria where joy and peace reign supreme and where bombings and killings are a thing of the past.

    A Nigeria where the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac and the adherents of the two great Abrahamic faiths of Islam and Christianity live together in peace, harmony and mutual respect. A Nigeria where the secularity of the state is respected yet where God is revered and honoured by all. A Nigeria where the knowledge and fear of the Living God reigns in the hearts and minds of the people.

    A Nigeria where every man is his brother’s keeper, where leaders show compassion to those that they lead, where justice is done to all and where political persecution has no place. A Nigeria where decency is rewarded, where dissent is tolerated, where non-conformity is encouraged and where equity is enthroned. That is the Nigeria of my dream.

    A Nigeria where youth unemployment is low and where every individual, no matter how high or low, can aspire to any position and live his or her dream. That is the Nigeria of my dream. A Nigeria where human life and human dignity is sacrosanct and where fairness is the watchword of every soul. That is the Nigeria of my dream.

    I have no fears about the future of this great nation because the God that I serve never fails. The bible says the nations are “as a drop of water before Him”. He sits above the circles of the earth and He counts the earth as His footstool. Yet despite His sheer awesomeness and majesty, with Him lies great compassion and mercy.

    Once we return to Him, acknowledge Him, honour Him and are led and guided by Him, He will restore us and shower us with His blessings. The Lord awaits us to make the right choice. We either continue to wallow in self-delusion, wickedness, greed, murder, the persecution of perceived enemies, the abuse of power, evil and insensitivity or we desist from our wicked ways and turn to Him.

    I am persuaded that once we make the right choice our date with destiny, as a people and as a nation, will come far sooner than we can possibly imagine. In his book titled “The Wretched of the Earth” Frantz Fanon said the following- “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover it’s mission and fulfill it or betray it.” Past generations in Nigeria have not lived up to expectation. This is the bitter truth.

    Yet there is still hope as long as we have faith. That hope and faith is our blessed assurance and it lives in our minds and hearts. We know that the Lord will fix it. We know that He is “more than able”. We know that He is a man of war whom none can resist and we know that He restores, redeems and rebuilds even the most broken and wretched walls.

    Dr. Martin Luther King jnr., after delivering his celebrated and inspiring “I have a dream” speech, was felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 4 1968. To those that killed him, his dream died with him. Yet they were wrong. They did not know that great dreams, once birthed, never die. That is why the Word of God said “if the princes of this world had known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory”.

    If those that murdered Jesus, and the devil that inspired them to do it, had known that He would honour His word and rise up three days later they would not have crucified him. They persecuted Him, they humiliated Him, they beat Him, they tortured Him, they spat on Him and they killed Him yet they could not kill His dream or abort His mission. His dream lived on and became a reality for all mankind to see.

    It was the same with Martin Luther King. They killed him but his mission had already been achieved and his vision came to pass 45 years after his sacrificial and selfless death. This is indeed the stuff of which dreams are made. Great things are birthed in great dreams and if you dare to dream nothing is impossible.

    I have a dream for Nigeria. I have a dream that one day Nigerians will see themselves as Nigerians before anything else and they will not regard their country and its people as a collection of strange bed-fellows that do not love, or trust one another.

    Yet this dream can only be fulfilled when those amongst us that call ourselves leaders preach, practice and display discipline, temperance, holiness, morality, restraint, tolerance, mercy and the fear of God in the conduct of our affairs. It can only be made manifest when we stand up and fight against evil, tyranny, injustice, indecency bad governance, the abuse of power , political persecution and sheer wickedness.

    Our dream can only be brought to reality when love is the motivating factor in all that we do. The Lord commands us to love our neighbour as we do ourselves. That is the cornerstone and the foundation of our faith and it is in that faith and that resolve that our hope for a better and greater Nigeria lies. I have a dream that Nigeria will be what God wants her to be, a great and powerful nation that is dedicated to the Living God and that will act as a shining example and a beacon of light for all to see.

    I assure you that despite the dashed hopes and unbearable suffering of millions of our people over the last 52 years, our dream still lives and the Lord shall not forsake us. Our land and our people may seem blighted, in despair, depressed, repressed and confused. It may appear as if there is no hope for a better tomorrow and that nothing will ever change.

    It may seem as if the Lord has forgotten us and it may appear that our story is one of recurrent failure and shattered dreams. Yet this is not so. I have come here today to tell you that, despite all we see and hear, it is not over for us as a people and as a nation. I have come here today to tell you that we as a people have a date with destiny.

    I have come here today to tell you that Nigeria and the Nigerian dream lives on and that it shall be made manifest for all to see in the fullness of time. I therefore urge you to be strong, to hold your heads up high, to be proud of who and what you are and to stand firm. The vision is for an appointed time. Though it may tarry it shall not prove false. Just hold on and always remember that, despite all, ‘’hope springs eternal’. God bless you and God bless Nigeria. Merry christmas and happy new year.

  • Afenifere and its new allies

    Afenifere and its new allies

    The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, is fraternising with strange bedfellows, judging by its romance with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Labour Party (LP), ahead of 2015. The regional organisation is now exhibiting a fascination for manistream politics, report EMMANUEL OLADESU and LEKE SALAUDEEN.

    The Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, is struggling for relevance. In a desperate bid to halt its journey to the oblivion, the organisation is making friends with elements and groups clearly opposed to its ideological orientation. Unlike the past, Afenifere is now jettisoning its position as a virile opposition bloc. The group is now in love with mainstream politics.

    Recently, leaders of the group visited President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Villa, Abuja. The visit was to the embattled President and convey their approval for the proposed national conference. Remarkably, one of the top chieftains of Afenifere, Dr. Femi Okurounmu, chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue.

    The visit was widely publicised. During the visit, the members of the Afenifere faction under the leadership of the Deputy Leader, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, were also on a road show the Southwest chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), they were working harmoniously with like minds across the six geo-political zones to effect change in 2015. Therefore, while the Fasoranti-led faction is building support for the conservative Federal Government, their estranged colleagues are dedicated to power shift.

    Besides, Afenifere is fraternising with the Labour Party (LP), with a view to adopting it as a veritable political platform. Apart from welcoming into its fold controversial PDP politicians, the group is making frantic efforts to join forces against the APC in the Southwest, where its influence is already ebbing away.

    Between 2003 and now, Afenifere has been in the political wilderness. While the group supported the five Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors, it worked against the second term ambition of former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State. The five governors did not survive the onslaught by the PDP. But, Tinubu survived. In 2007, Afenifere floated the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA). In Lagos State, the party had a good governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje. But, the old Afenifere warriors lacked the mobilisation prowess.

    Last year, Afenifere struck a deal with the Ondo State LP to spite its members in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Despite the fact that it had become public knowledge that the LP had become an arm of the PDP, the pan-Yoruba group endorsed the party. Now, as the next election draws near, speculations are rife that the associates of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo are preparing to endorse President Jonathan for a second term, despite his poor performance in the last three years.

    Afenifere has a proud history. Under the leadership of the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin and Senator Abraham Adesanya, the group waged war against the military rule. Afenifere leaders were molested, unjustly detained and exiled by the military and yet, they stood their grounds. The late Adesanya narrowly escaped assassination during the struggle. Ironically, the organisation decided to participate in the transition programme hurriedly put together by the military without examining the flawed 1999 Constitution, which has now become an impediment to the federal democracy.

    However, shortly before the restoration of civil rule in 1999, the leaders were locked in a protracted battle. The group was confronted by two crises. On one hand, the late Chief Bola Ige, the deputy leader of the group, parted ways with his colleagues because they rejected him at the D’Rovans, Ibadan and voted for Chief Olu Falae during the AD presidential primaries. Ige joined the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under President Olusegun Obasanjo without consulting with Afenifere. He never came back alive. Also, the late Chief Ganiyu Dawodu and Tinubu parted went their separate ways in Lagos. Efforts to mend fences through the proposed 60:40 formula recommended by a panel headed by Sir Olaniwun Ajayi failed. The grassroots politician, Dawodu, was bitter. He left the AD for PAC. On the eve of the 2003 polls, he directed his supporters to vote for the PDP candidate, the late Mr. Funso Williams.

    It was distressing to Adesanya that he could not get the two sides to agree. The Leader was even accused of shielding Tinubu from the wrath of the group. When Adesanya took ill, he never recovered. Following his death, a leadership crisis broke out in the group. Fasoranti was acting as the leader. But, when he recognised Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa as the AD National Chairman against his compatriot from Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, the group split into two. The faction rejected Fasoranti’s leadership and pronounced Senator Ayo Fasanmi as the Deputy Leader.

    Despite its achievements, Afenifere’s growth has been retarded by its lack of crisis resolution mechanism. This was evident in the non-resolution of the Ige/Falae, Dawodu/Tinubu, Tinubu/Kofoworola-Bucknor, Akande/Iyiola Omisore, Adebayo Adefarati/Olusegun Mimiko, Akande/Akinfenwa and Adeniyi Adebayo/Adefarati rifts. In fact, between 2003 and 2007, many Afenifere chieftains left the AD for the PDP and plotted the downfall of the party that brought them into limelight.

    Since then, there has been a clash of ego and interests in Yorubaland. While Afenifere’s political influence nosedived in the Southwest, the members of the Fasanmi faction emerged as the dominant political establishment in the region. Tinubu, Akande, Osoba, Adebayo, Fasanmi, Olabiyi Durojaye, Olawale Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, and Kayode Fayemi fought the liberation war in the Southwest, when they sent the PDP packing. But, instead of forging unity, the Fasoranti and Fasanmi groups have continued to work at cross purposes. Efforts by the younger elements who later established the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) to resolve the protracted crises and reconcile the two factions have also failed.

    Falae, who lamented the lingering crisis, could not proffer solution to it. Speaking in Akure, he recalled that the split in the group, which started in the AD, later extended to the Afenifere. He said the AD governors felt aggrieved when Afenifere set up a committee headed by Prof Bolaji Akinyemi to assess their performance. “The purpose was to make sure that the governors delivered what they promised the electorate. People voted for the Afenifere, not the AD or an individual. All we were doing was to protect the legacy of the group”, he said.

    Falae alleged that the governors also exempted the Afenifere in their second term calculation by deciding that the AD would not field a presidential candidate in 2003 without asking consultation with him as the former candidate. “They entered into a deal with Obasanjo that they would support and campaign for his re-election in 2003, which they did. They (AD governors) lost, with the exemption of Tinubu. After the election that swept them out of power, they couldn’t come back to the fold,” he added.

    But Fasanmi had a contrary opinion. He blamed the crisis on the personal ambition of the leaders of the other group. “We tried to mend fences at a stage, but the ambition of their members in the AD led to the disintegration of the party and the Afenifere. Adesanya singlehandedly picked Fasoranti as the acting leader when he had health challenges. I was elected Afenifere leader after Adesanya’s death.

    “At a stage, we set up a reconciliation committee to bring both factions together. I was the chairman of the group. What we agreed on was that Fasoranti should be the leader and I should be the deputy. That arrangement did not stand the test of time because of the inordinate ambition of the Fasoranti group. I warned them that, if we have to introduce politics into dialogue, we have to be very careful. Fasoranti was my long time friend. We were together at the Action Group national conference in Jos in 1962. Ayo Adebanjo is my friend. I feel sad when people like Fasoranti and Adebanjo are not with us”, he said.

    The Lagos State Chairman of Afenifere, Chief Supo Sonibare, said that “the problem of Afenifere has to do with the dynamics of having core leaders who are not in government and having governors who are effectively heads of government”.

    “At the time of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he wielded the power of the head of government and leader of the Afenifere simultaneously. When he was no longer the Premier, there was the aspiration of becoming the Prime Minister as the leader of the opposition then.

    “In the present Afenifere, we have leaders who are not in government and governors who are heads of government. The leaders could only use moral persuasion and cannot compel any governor to do their biddings. That dichotomy of power brought about the discord and the split in Afenifere. This division was managed by the late Chief Adesanya. His successor, Chief Fasoranti, presided over meetings without both factions of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in attendance”, he said.

    The ARG leader, Oshun, said the dispute among the Afenifere leaders manifested in the subversion of the AD. He said some Afenifere declared support for Obasanjo’s second term, adding that the former President supported Akinfenwa for the AD chairmanship.

    “Three years after the 2003 election, we young elements-myself, Ayo Afolabi, Kunle Famoriyo, Yinka Odumakin, Kayode Fayemi, Jimi Agbaje and Dr Adeniji-started meeting and came to the conclusion that we should not allow the dichotomy to continue. We organised a reconciliation meeting at the IITA, Ibadan. Both sides were fully represented. I could remember Akande, Falae, Adebanjo and Niyi Adebayo were present at the meeting. They agreed to sink their differences and work together as a group.

    “Few weeks after, Adebanjo in a press interview, lambasted the former governors over the Afenifere crisis. Thus, the reconciliation floundered again. It was at that point that we younger elements met and decided to float the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) in isolation of both the Afenifere leaders and the former governors”, he said.

    A recent reconciliation meeting organised by the Fasoranti group in Akure, the Ondo State capital, was boycotted by the ARG. The Oshun group distanced itself from reports that it was involved in a meeting where members of the group reconciled with Afenifere leaders.

    Analysts say reconciliation may still be a long way off. Spirited peace moves by the late Justice Kayode Eso, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu and Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi to reconcile the two factions have also hit the rock. The obstacle to reconciliation now is the conflict of political interest. The reality is that, despite the fact that leaders on both sides are committed to Yoruba interest, they are now adopting antagonistic approaches.

    Falae said that reconciliation is still possible. “There is no reason we cannot reconcile if the interest of our people is paramount. We the Yorubas don’t count at the centre. We must come together for the sake of our race. If we reconcile, what do we lose? Without reconciliation, we are wasting our time”, he added.

    Fasanmi shared Falae’s view on reconciliation. He recalled what the late Chief Solanke Onasanya, a chieftain of Afenifere, used to say: “When I die and meet Chief Awolowo in heaven, what would I tell him about the Afenifere?” I too have been asking myself the same question. There is nothing impossible. If PDP governors can change their minds and team up with the progressives, I think reconciliation in the Afenifere is possible”.

    Sonibare also said that reconciliation in Afenifere is feasible. “If countries that fought wars were able to reconcile, why not Afenifere factions?”, he queried. However, he identofied the condition for reconciliation. “Reconciliation in Afenifere is possible where both parties go to reconciliation table with open mind”, Sonibare said.

  • How Oshiomhole can succeed, by Edo SSG

    How Oshiomhole can succeed, by Edo SSG

    Secretary to Edo State Government Professor Julius Ihonvbere has urged the people to support Governor Adams Oshiomhole in his bid to tramsform the stste.

    He described him as a man of courage, integrity, and credibility, adding that the governor will do more for Edo State next year, if they cooperate with him.

    The former university don spoke in Benin-City, the capital. He said: “Let us continue to pray for him to move higher after his stewardship here but I think what should concern us is who comes after Oshiomhole. If the person has just 50 percent of Oshiomhole’s quality, we can have parties and dance.

    Ihonvhere urged the indigenes to be weary of fake leaders with myopic conceptualisation and pedestal understanding of the values of democracy.

    He said: “The amount of money this government has invested in reconstruction of roads is huge. It is easy for Oshiomhole to construct cheap roads without street lights and drainages such that what we see is on the surface ,but the governor did not do that.

    Anybody who has been to New York will know that New York does not have any road that is as good like the one Oshiomhole is constructing here and he is doing all these for all of u, our children and generations yet unborn, to show people that government and development is possible”.

    The Secretary to Government called for the evalustion of politics and assessment of the elected representatives.

    He said Edo State must always have in the National Assembly competent people who can articulate its interest in a country whose federalism has been eroded.

    He stressed: “There is also the erosion of our federalism; we need people in Abuja as members of the National Assembly who can speak out because it is not enough to go around as Senator or House of Representatives member and wear suit or agbada, no. That is a place where you educate, where you use your brain, do pure research, articulate ideas, present facts and figures to convince your colleagues to say yes, you know what you are talking about.

    “But they behave as if they are headmasters, who can summon classrooms teachers to the headmaster’s office whenever they like; this is not possible. I hope in the new year, we can take the lead on this.

     

    “There is the need for us to begin to work on Edo identity where we can have our own anthem, our flag, our broach that we can give to anybody who comes here and this does not mean we do not recognize the national anthem or national flag because Edo is a federating unit.

    “Oshiomhole has a social contract with the people, but before now, there were non. God in his infinite mercies looked down on Edo state and saw that our suffering has gone beyond the human solution and sent us a Moses; even his detractors now agree that yes, he has performed perfectly well beyond the social contract.