The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Is anti-graft war on course?

    Is anti-graft war on course?

    House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Aminu Tambuwal has alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan is not committed to the anti-corruption battle. In this piece, VICTOR OLUWASEGUN and DELE ANOFI examine the circumstances that led to the public outburst and its implications for the executive/legislative relations.

    When House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Aminu Tambuwal dropped the bombshell, many Nigerians were taken aback. The number four citizen dissected the polity, saying that the anti-corruption battle was not on course. In his view, President Goodluck Jonathan has not shown enough commitment to the crusade against graft.

    The Speaker attempted to substantiate his allegation. After presenting a paper at a one-day roundtable marking the International Anti-corruption Day by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Tambuwal objected to the manner the President handled the pension fraud, the N255million bullet proof car scandal, and the alleged fraud in the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC). He said President Jonathan is encouraging corruption by his reluctance to promptly address the high profile corruption unearthed by the legislature.

    It was the first time the Speaker would speak against the administration in the public. While some people hailed him for his boldness, others said that his remarks were a brazen assault on the Presidency.

    However, barely a week after, former President Olusegun Obasanjo also wrote a letter to the President, accusing his administration of corruption.

    Few days after the Abuja outburst, Tambuwal dropped another bombshell during the inauguration of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Oil Theft at the National Assembly. He accused the Federal Government of complicity in oil theft, adding that N750 billion was being lost annually. Also, in his letter, Obasanjo alluded to the same crime, urging the President to halt the trend.

    Tambuwal has been a moderating factor in the House of Representatives, although he is largely portrayed as a friend of the opposition. Many believe that, as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, he has been instrumental to the maintenance of a reasonable equilibrium in favour of the President in the House. Therefore, some said that he has a moral burden to refrain from washing the dirty linen of the government in the public.

    However, many legislators supported the Speaker’s approach. They said that Tambuwal’s outburst was borne out of the passive attitude of the executive to the legislative resolutions on corruption.

    Many legislators have expressed concern over the way the Presidency handled the allegations against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) headed by Ms. Arumah Oteh. The matter led to frosty relationship between the two arms of government. The investigation by the Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Herman Hembe, went awry when he was accused of fraud by the Director-General. Eventually, the resolution by the House that the Oteh should be removed and the suggestion that the SEC should be excluded from the budget were ignored by the President.

    Also, the punitive recommendation by the House against the Minister of Aviation over the allegation of N255 million bullet proof car fraud was ignored by the President, who set up an administrative committee to look into the matter.

    Tambuwal frowned at the way the fuel subsidy probe was also handled by the President. He said many of the recommendations were not implemented, based on the fact that the probe was discredited by the bribe- for- clearance allegation against the Ad hoc Chairman, Hon. Farouk Lawan. The House was of the opinion that, in spite of the allegation, the recommendation, if implemented to the letter, would have cleansed the petroleum sector

    Tambuwal’s warning did not start overnight. On Jan 6, he had warned the Executive against corruption while speaking on the amendment of the constitution. The Speaker had sent a clear signal to the Executive and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), saying that the House would not condone a situation where few people feed fat on the wealth of the nation and majority of Nigerians wallow in abject poverty. He said the House will monitor step the MDAs and ensure that the national wealth is judiciously used by them.

    The Speaker said: “We are convinced now more than ever before, that a situation where the majority of the citizens continue to live in abject poverty while an insignificant minority corner the commonwealth is not only unjust, but unacceptable.

    “In this regard, we shall continue to adopt a pragmatic and functional approach to ensure that the war against corruption is removed from the realm of rhetoric by exercising absolute diligence in our oversight function to enhance transparency and accountability in both high and low strata.

    In November last year, the House raised an alarm over the non-remittance of N4 trillion by 60 MDAs indicted by the House panel report. The Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) was summoned to explain $7bn missing crude oil funds. Also, Alhaji Rilwan Lukman and Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke were asked to appear before the investigative committee. The position of the Executive has always been that funds were not missing.

    Sequel to reports by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) over the non-remittance of over N4 trillion by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the 2009 fiscal year, the House summoned the Minister of Petroleum Resources and past chairmen and members of the Board of the NNPC. They are among 60 MDAs investigated by the Public Accounts Committee headed by Solomon Adeola.

    Adeola said that a comprehensive probe into the operation of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is underway. He alleged that the company has not remitted any revenue into the government coffers for seven years.

    “On the issue of the LNG, you will agree with me that the only thing that constitutes revenue today, apart from taxes, is oil. The LNG has been on for over six to seven years and they’re not privatised and we’ve not even heard from them”, he said.

    The House also supported the Senate’s call for the sack of the Chairman of the Pension Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, over pension fraud and corruption. It ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to appear before its committee on Police Affairs to explain why he did not act on the warrant issued by the Senate. But it was later alleged that the Presidency was shielding Maina.

    In March, the legislators, through a motion moved by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Hon. Bimbo Daramola, agreed that the immunity granted the former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, “was not well thought out.”

    On July 28, the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics and Values resolved to investigate the Ministry of Aviation over the award of contracts running into billions of naira. The committee alleged that the contract money was paid for jobs not executed. Its Chairman, Abiodun Faleke, said the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and the Ministry of Works would be investigated for breaching the Public Procurement Act.

    He said: “The impunity with which we do things in this country is appalling, like the abuse of ‘No Objection Certificate’ given by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). All agencies are using this loophole to issue contracts of over N20b without advertising them, once they write to the BPP that allows for selective tendering.

    “Talking of impunity, during an oversight of MDG projects, we discovered that a canal was conducted in Okrika for over N2billlion. The consultancy fee for the project that was not even in the 2012 budget and not appropriated for was N900m”.

    The House has also criticised the Federal Government for the poor implementation of the budget. In its view, the President only selects and implements some items in the budget.

    The 2014 budget presentation to the National Assembly was aborted by President Jonathan at the last minute, due to the insistence of the House on $79 per barrel.

    However, the public has always had the impression that the face off between the House and the Presidency is related to the manner in which the Speaker emerged in 2011 against the will and zoning formula of the PDP. But, Tambuwal is of the opinion that the House was living up to its vision, which is “ pursue an aggressive legislative agenda to reposition itself as a key branch of government, able and determined to deliver on the key elements of governance”.

    A legislator, who craved for anonymity, said that “that is why the House frowns when the Executive says that its resolutions are mere advice”. But another legislator said: “Tambuwal is only playing to the gallery by attacking the President in order to gain favour from the opposition in the House”.

  • Can governor appoint Acting Chief Judge?

    Can governor appoint Acting Chief Judge?

    Who appoints a state’s Acting Chief Judge? Does a governor have the power to appoint an Acting CJ? Yes, says Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Worgu Boms. He says that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has the constitional power to appoint an Acting Chief Judge for the state, following the controversy that trailed the governor’s action.

    In recent times, some individuals and lawyers have been calling on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi CON, to appoint a Chief Judge for Rivers State or, an Acting Chief Judge, pending the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge.

    In particular, an officer of one of the Branches of the Bar Association in Rivers State and, at another time, a Senior Advocate, amongst others, at various media platforms, made the calls.

    It is important, and it should be encouraged, that citizens take interest in their government and its activities, which such calls symbolise. However, it is more important that expression of such interests should be done with accurate knowledge of the facts and a fair and sincere expression of one’s view of the Law on the matter, when the issue at stake borders on Law, so as to assist the citizenry follow more accurately on the issue.

    It is important, before we proceed and since the issues here presented also touch on the activities of that Body, to state categorically that the Rivers state Government has the greatest respect for the National Judicial Council (NJC), and will continue to collaborate with it as provided for in the Constitution in aid of its performance of its duty under the Law for the interest of our people.

    The facts

    The last incumbent of the office of Chief Judge of Rivers State, retired on August 19, 2013. The very next day, i.e. August 20, the Rivers State Governor appointed and swore-in the Hon. Justice P.N.C. Agumagu, as the Acting Chief Judge of the State.

    This was pursuant to Sec 271 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which states that the Most Senior Judge of the High Court be so sworn-in.

    In choosing, appointing and swearing in Hon. Justice P.N.C. Agumagu, then President of the State’s Customary Court of Appeal, the State Government explained that the Hon Justice Agumagu was sworn in as a High Court Judge and seconded to establish the State’s Customary Court of Appeal and is now the Most Senior Judge in the State Judiciary and that according to the State’s Customary Court of Appeal Law, the President of that Court takes precedence immediately after the Chief Judge of the State and sits in the state Judicial Service Commission second only to the Chief Judge and that the provision of the constitution in that regard must be read together with the State’s Customary Court Law as stated.

    As expected, there were other views opposed to this: that the Customary Court Law provision that the President of that court comes after the Chief Judge is only as to protocol and that at any event, according to the opponents of his appointment, that the Customary Court, although part of the Judiciary of the state, is not part of the High Court. None disputed the fact that Hon Justice Agumagu was sworn in as a High Court Judge long before any of the Judges now serving in the state judiciary. Whatever different or differing views, the appointment had been made; the Hon. Justice Agumagu entered his appointed office of Acting Chief Judge and commenced the performance of his duties. There was no challenge to the appointment up-till date. In law, that appointment remains valid until set aside, not by a differing view, no matter how eminent the holder of the view, but by a competent Court.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the said section states as follows: ‘’If the office of the Chief Judge of a State is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office or until the person holding the office has resumed those functions, the Governor shall appoint the most senior Judge of the High Court to perform those functions.’’

    An unbiased reading of the section will reveal that the requirement of appointment of the ‘Most Senior’ Judge is only at the first instance of appointment. Subsequent appointments need not follow any order of seniority.

    This has always been so. For example, when the position of President of the Court of Appeal became vacant and pending the appointment of the substantive successor could be named, after the appointment of the most senior in the system, ie the Hon Justice Dalhatu Adamu, the subsequent appointment, in acting capacity, did not follow seniority and that is how the present incumbent, who is not the most senior in the system is there now as the Acting President and it is valid.

    Not long after the appointment of the Hon Justice Agumagu as Acting Chief Judge, an interested Senior Advocate who also sits in the National Judicial Council (NJC) as a member and who is opposed to the initial appointment and who prefers a particular candidate, ( I am not opposed to those who are opposed to the initial appointment or the interpretation of who is the most senior Judge. I am only opposed to their insistence that their view is the only one the Governor must act on) had hinted that any Judge of the High Court who accepted any further appointment of acting Chief Judge would be sanctioned by the NJC. At that time, the NJC had not had its quarterly meeting then to be held in December.

    True to that promise, the NJC met and thereafter, wrote to all Judges of the High Court in Rivers State that should they accept the acting appointment, the acceptance would be considered an act of misconduct. Further, in that letter to the Judges, the NJC stated that the Governor should appoint a particular Judge who, in its own Judgement, is the Most Senor Judge, as the Acting Chief Judge.

    Clearly, the NJC is dictating to the Governor, the particular candidate, to be appointed as acting Chief Judge of the State. One wonders why the NJC did not warn Justices of the Court of Appeal not to accept the appointment of Acting President of that Court after the tenure of Hon Justice Dalhatu Adamu expired and why they did not and have not still appointed the most senior Justice of that Court to the position of Acting President.

    Does the Njc have any power whatsoever in the appointment of an acting Chief Judge of AState?

    The answer is to be found in that same section 271(4) which, for purpose of ease of understanding, I reproduce again and it provides:

    ‘’ If the office of the Chief Judge of a State is vacant or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office or until the person holding the office has resumed those functions, the Governor shall appoint the most senior Judge of the High Court to perform those functions.’’

    What can be seen, clearly, is that the Governor needs no recommendation from anyone as to whom to appoint as Acting Chief Judge, nor approval of anyone to validate whomsoever he has appointed. The guide provided by the Constitution to the Governor is that contained in the phrase, ‘’ The most Senior Judge of the High Court’’ which the Governor has interpreted and acted on and which, as stated, remains valid and subsisting not having been set aside by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction.

    It is only and only when an appointed person’s tenure has lapsed and the Governor wishes a renewal, that the NJC becomes constitutionally relevant in this regard as it is its Constitutional Powers to approve the renewal. If there is no issue of renewal of the appointment of an Acting Chief Judge, then there is no role for the NJC to play. The relevant Section, therefore, which the Publicists did not bother to refer its listeners and readers to (because they have ruled the first appointment invalid which appointment remains valid because they are not a Court of Law as only a Court of Law can validly so rule) is Subsection (5) of the selfsame Section 271 which states thus:

    ‘’Except on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council an appointment pursuant to Subsection (4) of this Section shall cease to have effect after expiration of three months from the date of such appointment and the Governor shall not reappoint a person whose appointment has lapsed’’.

    It has been our law – and it has not changed – that Bodies established by law (including the NJC) must act within the boundaries established by their enabling statutes.

    Again, we ask, where is the role of the NJC in the exercise of a Governor’s power conferred on him by the constitution to appoint an acting Chief Judge for a State?

    Those contributing and issuing Press Releases and granting interviews on this matter have not even bothered to provide this answer to their audience as to how the issue concerns the NJC or where the NJC derives its power to dabble into it as to insist on the appointment of a particular Judge and to issue threat letters to Judges as aforesaid.

    The simple reason, therefore, for the void in the office of acting Chief Judge of Rivers State is not, as those interested publicists have put it, that the Governor has failed or refused to fill the vacancy, but simply that the NJC, for whatever reason, wrote to all our Judges not to accept the appointment except the Governor appoints a particular Judge. This is curious!

    Although chaired by the Chief Justice and having as its members, eminent Judges and Justices, the NJC, still, is not a Court. Not only that, it is, itself, subject to the Constitution.

    It, therefore, lacks powers to declare a Governor’s appointment unconstitutional as it purported to do; neither is there any authority in it conferred by the Constitution, to threaten Judges not to accept such appointment from the State Chief Executive.

    If the Governor acted outside the constitutional powers granted him, it is not the NJC that has power to so declare, but a competent court.

    The Governor, not interested in setting up any Judge against the NJC, decided not to make the appointment until the issue is cleared, as appointing the candidate the NJC insisted should be appointed, will mean that the NJC, not the Governor, is the ‘appointing Authority’, a Constitutional description which refers only to the Governor and not the NJC. That will amount to an abdication of a Constitutional duty on the part of the Governor.

    For the avoidance of doubt, it is only in the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge that the Governor is to await the recommendation of the NJC before His Excellency makes such substantive appointment subject to approval of the state House of Assembly. There should be no conflation of the two situations of appointment of acting Chief Judge and the appointment of substantive Chief Judge. It is the misunderstanding of the role of the NJC and the role of the Governor in these two separate situations, or, putting it more appropriately, the thinking that the role of the NJC is the same in both situations, that has led, with respect, to the comedy of errors by those who reasoned that the Governor is in error. His Excellency is not.

    The previous appointment having not been voided by any court, the Governor clearly has fulfilled the constitutional requirement of appointing the Most Senior Judge and all arguments on that spent-issue must be regarded for what they are: academic.

    Why did the njc not act in other states with similar situation as it is now acting in Rivers State?

    The impression has been given that the path Rivers State is now treading – of appointing acting Chief Judge- is un-trodden. This is a wrong impression.

    Adamawa, Abia, and Osun States have, at various times, spanning, in some cases, close to a year and in the case of Abia, more than a year, operated their various Judicial Systems with Acting Chief Judges because the issue of substantive appointment was lingering and in the case of Abia, is still lingering.

    Did the NJC write to their Judges there not to accept the acting appointment and that if they did, they would be sanctioned? Up till the time of this writing, Abia State still has an acting Chief Judge. In Adamawa, one Judge acted as Chief Judge for several, several months. Nothing in Rivers State resembles these states’ examples and yet the NJC has gone to the extreme of writing to the Judges of Rivers State with a promise of punishment should they accept to serve in Acting capacity. This selective approach must worry all those who love Law and Order and Justice and Equity and Equality. The only reason for this selectivity in treatment is simply that there is no prominent NJC member in those states with a preferred candidate which is the case in Rivers state. I say no more on this until the appropriate time.

    Is this the first time rivers state would be without a chief judge?

    Publicists and advocates of a ‘preferred candidate’ have continued to argue that “since the 19th of August, 2013, there has been no legitimate Head for the High Court of Rivers State”. They then added: “As Leaders of the Bar in Rivers State, members of the Body (ie Body of Senior Advocates) consider that this does not augur well for the administration of Justice and the maintenance and enforcement of law and order in Rivers State”. I have since confirmed that there are no Bar Leaders as referred to, to whom such views can be ascribed except one interested senior advocate, giving the impression to the public that only he constitutes ‘Bar Leaders’. I am one of the Bar Leaders in Rivers State. Indeed, Virtute Officii, I am the Leader of the Bar in Rivers State and I hereby state that there was no such meeting of Bar Leaders. Interestingly, the Press Release did not state where and what date the Bar Leaders’ Meeting held and who attended.

    To confuse this issue and obscure its understanding, the author of the release used the word ‘Body of Senior Advocates’ interchangeably with ‘Bar Leaders’ and all lawyers know that not all Bar Leaders are Senior Advocates and so not members of the Body of Senior Advocates. Further, whereas it was purported to have been issued by a Body (whether of Senior Advocates or Bar Leaders) it was contained on an individual’s letter head paper. Worse still, in using the word, ‘Bar Leaders’ the Release’s Author seems to be of the view that Elected Chairmen of the Bar Association, are not Bar Leaders. That is wrong. They are. And since they are, they are the ones to speak for the Bar Leaders and certainly not the individual who did not say he has their mandate to so speak for the Group. Each person, it must be conceded, is constitutionally empowered to speak for himself but not to confuse that individual’s constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech with speaking for a group out of presumptuousness.

    It is important that we know which group, exactly, is being spoken for (Body of Senior Advocates or Bar Leaders) so that response will be appropriate to that particular group. Till those Bar Leaders (of which I am one and indeed, the Leader,) speak, the statement must remain what it is: one Senior Advocate’s agitation for a preferred candidate, emboldened by the letter from the NJC to Judges which is now understood as firmly paving the way for that Senior Advocate’s preferred candidate.

     

    Important historical information

     

    When Justice Ichoku, former Chief Judge, retired from the state judiciary, sometime in or about August of 2001, there was no appointment of either an Acting Chief Judge or a substantive Chief Judge until November 2001 when Hon. Justice Iche Ndu was appointed and sworn in as the Chief Judge.

    These ‘Bar Leaders’, were there then and even cooperated with the then Governor and for those months, they did not know or even inform the public that the months of vacuum in the Judiciary hierarchy without either a substantive or Acting head ‘will not augur well for the administration of Justice or the enforcement of Law and order’. This is curious and self-serving, even, hypocritical.

     

    Another historical

    example

     

    In 2003, S.O. Benson Esq., a resourceful Port Harcourt-based lawyer was, along with five others, nominated to the NJC for recommendation to the (then) Governor, for appointment as a High Court Judge of Rivers State.

    The then Governor appointed and swore in the other five and declined to accept the recommendation of Mr. Benson. In effect, the Governor declined to act on the recommendation of the NJC. His Excellency, then, did not challenge the recommendation in court – he just stated he was not accepting it and left it there and nothing happened. No ‘Bar Leaders’ spoke!

    The reason given for the non-acceptance was that after the candidate’s nomination/recommendation, petitions were received from some of his community members alleging his complicity in communal disturbances in his local community in which a life was lost. Although the police later exonerated the candidate from the allegation and a panel of enquiry which indicted him had the indictment quashed by a High Court, the then Governor, still, declined to act on the NJC recommendation. That was in 2003. Ten years later, in 2013, His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, revisited the matter, acted on the recommendation, especially since there was both a Police Clearance and a High Court Judgment, appointed and swore in the candidate as a Judge of the High Court.

    Throughout this period, these Bar Leaders and publicists for their candidate did not rise to the occasion.

    It is thus clear, that the attempt to paint His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi CON, as disrespectful to the NJC is self-serving and unfortunate.

    The ‘Bar leaders’ did not condemn the previous administration which did not appoint a Chief Judge or acting Chief Judge for months, which administration did not, also, act on the recommendation of the NJC to appoint a candidate as a Judge, but is now stating that a Governor who obeyed the NJC in the Benson’s case, appointed an acting Chief Judge promptly when the vacancy existed and is unfairly now being prevented from making further Acting appointment, as assigned him by the Constitution, pending the substantive appointment of a Chief Judge, has failed to appoint an acting Chief Judge. This is unfair as it is a promotion of the now entrenched Nigerian system where those who strive to obey the system are condemned and presented to the public as disrespectful and arrogant while those who do nothing in that regard, who, infact, undermine the system for selfish reason masquerading as altruism, are commended and garlanded.

    Conclusion

    The framers of our Constitution envisaged this situation as Rivers State is now, where, owing to the nature of Governance and humans and politicians, the appointment of a Chief Judge may not be concluded on time and they also knew it would be unfair and dangerous to the society and the Government, that an arm of Government, like the Judiciary, should be without a Head at any given time. It was because of this that they enacted in the Constitution that, pending such substantive appointment, the Governor should, without reference to any one, to no one whatsoever, make the appointments of Acting Chief Judge until a substantive one is appointed on recommendation of the NJC upon approval of the State House of Assembly. Neither the House of Assembly nor the NJC has any role in this acting appointment.

    We salute the wisdom of the framers of the Constitution even as we appeal to the NJC to let the Governor be allowed the constitutional role granted him to appoint an Acting Chief Judge until the issue is resolved and a substantive appointment made.

  • Playing politics with Budget 2014

    Playing politics with Budget 2014

    President Goodluck Jonathan has postponed the presentation of the 2014 budget to the National Assembly. Correspondents VICTOR OLUWASEGUN and DELE ANOFI write on the politics of budget delay and its implications for governance.

    Anxiety is mounting as President Goodluck Jonathan prepares to present the next year’s budget to the National Assembly. The budget presentation was postponed last month, following the shifting political allegiance in the Senate and the House of Representatives triggered by the defection of many legislators from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP0 to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The presentation has been aborted on two occasions. The President may have read the handwriting on the wall. Although the government explaineed that the postponement became necessary because the House of Representatives was yet to conclude work on the 2014-2016 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), and reconcile differences on the crude oil benchmark figure with the Senate, critics said that the delay was informed by political reasons.

    In 2011, President Jonathan presented the 2012 budget proposal before the joint sitting of the National Assembly when the House of Representatives was yet to concluded work on the MTEF and FSP. It was the other way round when the President presented the 2013 budget proposal as the Senate was still working on the document. House Spokesman Zakari Mohammed alluded to that fact when he advised the President to put up other reasons for his failure to appear before the lawmakers as promised. “It is not our fault that the budget was not presented because the House is still within the timeframe for passing the MTEF”, he said.

    Mohamed said the President was being diplomatic, recalling that the President had presented the budget in the past at a time the Senate had not passed the MTEFF.

    “Last year, the Senate was yet to pass the MTEF, but the House had passed it when the President presented the budget. But, it was not an issue then. When we look at it from another angle, the coming of the MTEF to the NASS was even belated because, according to the constitution, the MTEF is supposed to be transmitted to the NASS six moths before the end of the year. But we got this in September,” he added.

    According to Mohammed, the implementation of the budget may suffer. If this happens, he said the National Assembly will not take the blame.

    Sources said the aborted presentation may not be unconnected with the alleged plan to embarrass the President by some aggrieved lawmakers, who have sympathy for the New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was learnt that some of them wanted to demonstrate to the President that he does not command parliamentary majority support. Following the defection of five of seven aggrieved PDP governors, tension had enveloped the National Assembly. In fact, many legislators allegedly boasted that they would take a pound of flesh from the party for its culture of tyranny.

    A PDP legislator from Kano State, Aliyu Madaki, however, urged the Presidency to embrace the reality. He said that the earlier the President and the PDP accept the new political reality on ground, the better for democracy in Nigeria. He said: “For me, I see this as a way forward for our democracy and with this, the future is not only bright for our democracy, but the entirety of Nigerian people. I believe Nigerians will begin to see a more vibrant federal legislature because there is a new order in place. We will leave the PDP. The injustice is too much. We will follow our governors; there’s no doubt about it. We cannot continue to stay and face injustice. This is the moment we have been waiting for, and this will eventually change the leadership in the House”.

    Already, 57 New PDP legislators have openly reiterated their determination to oppose the President, if there is a compelling reason to do so in the national interest, and in accordance with the constitution.

    Also, there are rumours that certain principal officers of the House may be removed. The Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, is said to be working round the clock to appeal to the new power bloc to mellow down. It is believed that, when the 137 APC members and 57 new PDP members join forces, the 194 legislators may pull the rug off the feet of the PDP.

    According to sources, the APC members were initially pushing for the removal of the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, the majority Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, the Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor, the Chief Whip, Isiaka Mohammed Bawa, and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ahmed Mukhtar Mohammed. But, ahead of the APC’s plan to unveil the strength of its members, the Speaker moved to douse the tension generated by the proposed change in the power structure. However, the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the unveiling is coming soon.

    Tambuwal is popular on both sides. Therefore, he was able to persuade his colleagues to avoid any action capable of creating further division in the House.

    The Presidency and the PDP have been scheming to break the ranks of the new PDP and the APC in the House. The desperation, according to a source, was borne out of the benchmark tussle and the need to give the President a soft landing in the National Assembly. It was alleged that the legislators took bribe to toe the party line. But on December 3, Deputy House Spokesman Victor Ogene debunked the allegation that each member received a 100,000 dollars to peg the benchmark of the 2014 budget at $76.5 per barrel of crude oil.

    The benchmark has been a source of contention between the Presidency and the House, with the House insisting on $79 dollars per barrel against the Senate’s adoption of $76.5 per barrel.

    The House went into a two-hour executive session on the issue of parameters to adopt on the 2014-2016 MTEF sent to the National Assembly by the President, particularly the benchmark. Ogene said members did not fight over the issue at the closed door session as alleged by some people.

    “Seriously speaking, you all saw us when we came out smiling. The issues, I told you clearly, was between those who insisted that the benchmark remains at $79 and those who feel that that it was okay at $76.5”, he clarified.

    The lawmaker while referring to the allegations of money- for- benchmark, cautioned Nigerians against glorifying rumours, adding: “If money went round in the Senate, I’m not a senator, and I’ve not read any such report. In fact, I’ve not seen any dollar. So, if money has come from anywhere, the question should be put to the person sending the money. I will be glad to get money on behalf of my people, if you have a leeway to the person sharing the money”.

    Before the defection of the five governors, the cold war was raging in the PDP. A lawmaker said that the development was not surprising, pointing out that the PDP has always been in the minority, despite being the majority party in the House. The PDP member, who pleaded anonymity, said not many were taken by surprise by the defection, noting that, since the inception of the Seventh Assembly, Executive Bills and motions have often been resented.

    She said: “PDP has always been in the monitory. It is not a new development because of the posture of those that have defected now. Though they were in the PDP, they were never sympathetic to the cause of the party. So, it is just only the few of us that have to battle every time to see that bills and motions sponsored by the executive see the light of the day and that has been a tough battle”.

    President Jonathan has not been in the good books of the Lower Chamber. The legislators often complained that he had ignored their inputs into governance. Last month, over 30 bills listed for presidential assent were allegedly ignored. Some of the bills have been with the President for more than 60 days. According to the constitution, the President ought to have assented to them within 30 days. The lawmakers believed that it was a deliberate act, especially when a presidential aide said that resolutions of the National Assembly were mere opinions.

    With the PDP on the brink of becoming the minority party, the days ahead may be difficult for the President. and vice versa for the hitherto opposition party, APC, options of muscle flexing for President Jonathan are disappearing and fast too, says a political analyst, Dr Alfred Armstrong.

    According to a critic, Dr. Alfred Armstrong, the President has two options. He said: “If he sees the office as an opportunity to serve his people and leaves the country better than he met it, then, he must tow the line of compromise. Against what any of his advisers would say, President Jonathan must be ready to make sacrifice by instilling on the PDP members in the House that fact that the nation comes first and that they must not do anything to jeopardise motions, bills and reports emanating from the APC or other parties”.

    Armstrong warned that, if compromise is jettisoned, the President and his party may lose the battle. He said that, even if the new PDP lawmakers refrain from defecting to the APC, their actions and activities would ultimately be detrimental to the interest of PDP.

    “Intimidation and revenge, which are the second option would leave the country worse off. To agree on most matters of national importance would be a Herculean task for both the lawmakers and the Presidency. The power struggle would play out during the budget debate and executive bills would find it harder to scale through. We should also expect more vigorous and targeted investigations from the lawmakers.

    “ If we put these together in another form, our democracy may be better for it, but the PDP would not find the new political equation too welcoming,” he added.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside, said that the change in power structure would bring a better Nigeria. He said: “There has been a lot of alignment and realignment. There’s a whole new political current going on in the two chambers of the National Assembly. One thing that is certain is that the power configuration must change.

    “Now, the change in power configuration will come with consequences and implications. It might affect the leadership of the parties in the National Assembly, and again, it will also affect the way the NASS relates with the executive arm of government. It might be negative or positive, but ultimately, it will be for the good of the Nigerian people. “For the first time, there will be effective checks and balances. It will no longer be family affairs. The days of family affairs are gone and gone for good. The politics of Nigeria will never be the same again.”

  • Yobe warming up for council poll

    Yobe warming up for council poll

    After he succeeded his predecessor, the late Senator Mamman Ali, in January 2008, Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam unfolded his vision for the state during the presentation of the Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly.

    He promised not to subvert the democratic structure at the local government level. The governor immediately directed the Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission to set up the machinery for the poll.

    The governor’s pronouncement a loud ovation. The legislators applauded the decision.

    Barely two months, the electoral body swung into action. It held consultations with the stakeholders, including political parties, security operatives, civil society organisations, and the media.

    The election was held on August 8, 2009.

    According to the Yobe State Local Government Amendment law, the tenure of office for elected council chairmen is two years. However, for six years now, caretaker committees have been administering the councils.

    The Mohammed Abdu-led commission could not organise the election, following the Boko Haram insurgence.

    Gaidam has shown commitment to the development of grassroots democracy. he has said that the election will hold, when the security situation improves. Many believe that he is still faithful to this agenda.

    The umpire, Abdu, told reporters in Damaturu, the state capital, that the stage is now set for the poll. He said it will hold on December 28.

    Abdu also disclosed that both the sensitive and the non-sensitive materials for the poll are ready.

    The electoral chief said that 10 political parties are participating in the exercise, adding that the chairmanship and councillorship candidates have been screened by the agency.

    But the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) has announced that it will boycott the election. The party said that the atmosphere is not conducive, since the state of emergency has not been lifted.

    But the chairman of the commission disagreed with the party, recalling that it had consented to the choice of December 28 as the poll day.

    The PDP Chairman, Lawan Gana Karasuwa, said: “We cannot run an election in a state where there is a state of emergency. Initially, we welcomed the decision to participate in the election, hoping that the state of emergency would expire as at the time the election would be conducted. But, with the recent extension of the emergency rule, we cannot go into that election as law abiding citizens. I think they are just wasting their time”.

    Abdu said the emergency rule declared in the state does not affect democratic structures. He said that, based on this, the election will hold.

    “If they (PDP) decide to back out of it, it is entirely their problem as the commission will not force any political party to participate in the election. We have all our democratic structures intact in the state of emergency. So, we are going ahead with our elections”, he maintained.

    The Coalition of Political Parties in Yobe State has thrown its weight behind he exercise. Its Chairman, Umar Kukuri, expressed confidence in the ability and neutrality of the commission.

    “While supporting all the programmes towards the success of this election, we also call on candidates and political parties to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the electioneering process. Similarly, we urge supporters of all political parties to turn out en masse and elect candidates of their choice”, Kukuri said.

    This is the second time the PDP is boycotting the local government election. In 2009, the party accused the ruling All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) of not providing a level playing ground for the election. The ruling party ANPP won all the chairmanship seats.

    As Yobe prepares for the poll, the argument for local government autonomy is also raging.

    Many have argued that the lack of autonomy has crippled the development of the local government system. Others have pointed out that corruption is rampant at the local government level. The joint state/council account has become their albatross.

  • Wike: I never betrayed Amaechi

    Wike: I never betrayed Amaechi

    The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on the protracted feud between him and Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis and his 2015 governorship ambition. BISI OLANIYI was there.

    You and Governor Amaechi were very good friends. What went wrong?

    The Rivers State governor and I were not good friends. We worked together. Working together does not make you to be friends. I worked for him seriously.

    I cannot leave my party (the PDP). It is not done anywhere. If I quarreled with the governor, would that have been enough to make him to leave the same party that produced him? The Supreme Court said on October 25, 2007 that it was the party that won the election.

    I am not the issue. Am I trying to be President of Nigeria? Am I trying to be the Vice-President?

    What of your 2015 governorship ambition?

    So what? Who told you I would not want to be the President of Nigeria? You are a Christian and you want to go to heaven. Does it mean that you will go to heaven? If I say I want to be the Secretary-General of the United Nations, does it mean that I will be?

    When has ambition become a criminal offence? Assuming I want to be Rivers governor in 2015, so what? Is it because I want to be governor, that is why Amaechi is quarrelling with President Goodluck Jonathan? Governorship is an ambition.

    If you are working hard, people will suspect you. You are working hard because you want to be somewhere. If you do not want to work hard, they will say he is not intelligent. Is there anybody that was born to be governor? Are we running emirate system, where when the emir dies, they know who will be the next emir?

    Governor Amaechi and you are from Ikwerre. He wants his successor to come from another ethnic group or senatorial district. Don’t you believe in the zoning agreement?

    Zoning in which of the political parties? Amaechi ran on the PDP platform, while Dr. Abiye Sekibo, the former Transport Minister, ran on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). So, the PDP zoned it to where? The ACN zoned it to where? If it was the turn of Ikwerre people to run, why did the ACN produce a governorship candidate outside Ikwerre?

    Since Amaechi’s friend wants to be governor, then it is Ogoni turn. If I want to be the governor, it is Ikwerre turn. If Okrika person wants to be governor, it is Okrika turn. If you are from Opobo, it is Opobo turn. Such things do not intimidate me. If I want to run for the governorship of Rivers state, nothing will stop me.

     

    The situation is tense in Rivers State. Can the House of Assembly resume now?

    The police is also in a dilemma. Who presides between Bipi and Amachree/Kwanee? Is it for the police to decide who will preside? If the police envisage that there will be breakdown of law and order, they know what to do. The business of the police is to ensure that there is law and order.

    I watched on television, where Dakuku Peterside, a member of the House of Representatives from Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Constituency, decided to join the so-called lawmakers to sit on bare ground at the centre of Moscow Road (opposite the Rivers House of Assembly) in Port Harcourt. It is clear that he has taken sides and you want the members of the National Assembly to again take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly.

    If Bipi says he is the speaker, you will challenge him in court. All they are doing now by sitting on the road is to go back to the National Assembly and say they are unable to sit, for their functions to still be taken over. Rivers people will resist it. We have resisted it before and we will continue to resist it.

    Amaechi has defected from the PDP to the APC. Are you not worried?

    For you to survive in life, you must take risk and overcome fear. I will never disappoint my supporters. Let nobody worry about what is happening. The PDP is one. Let us keep ourselves together. We will achieve what we intend to achieve.

    In the House of Assembly, there are pro and anti-Amaechi lawmakers. What do you have to say about the face-off?

    The truth of the matter is that the Federal High Court, Abuja, on December 11, gave a judgment. Prior to the judgment, there were issues in contention. Those who went to court, why did they go to court? What issues were raised?

    Those who went to court sued the National Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The National Assembly took over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly and they went to court to challenge it. I do know that, even when the members of the House of Representatives met on July 10, after the July 9 fracas, there was already a pending matter at the Federal High Court, even before the National Assembly took the decision.

    Nobody can stop the members of the National Assembly from performing their functions, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, but the way and manner the members of the National Assembly took over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, were they right?

    The Rivers State Government and the Rivers State House of Assembly were never sued. While the matter was going on, the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (Worgu Boms) filed and joined. The so-called Speaker (Otelemaba Dan Amachree) and lawmakers supporting him, filed to join in the suit, led by Mr. Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). They were never sued. The Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly were sued.

    When they joined, what did they do? For the first time in the history of this country, that the Attorney-General of a state said it was proper for the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The so-called Speaker said the National Assembly should take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly.

    The same people who said they were unable to sit passed the supplementary budget that same day. If they passed the supplementary budget on July 9, how were they unable to sit?

    The House of Representatives immediately took over. The court said the way and manner you took over the functions were not in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. We know the National Assembly members have the right to take over the functions of the Rivers House of Assembly, but there are processes or procedures to follow, which they did not follow.

    What the Rivers governor wants to achieve now is that even if it means to sit at the gate of the House of Assembly, the lawmakers supporting him must sit and pass the budget.

    Is it not true that your group wants to impeach Amaechi at all costs?

    If you want to impeach, where is the Chief Judge? Will you not serve the governor a notice? Will the governor not reply you? If they raise allegations against the governor, he will respond within a specified time. If he responds and you feel that the response is not enough, the Chief Judge must set up a panel. Where is the Chief Judge to set up a panel? People are telling lies.

    Don’t you know how ex-Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye was impeached?

    In the case of Dariye, there was a chief judge. When the impeachment notice is served, a panel will be set up by the chief judge. If there is no chief judge, who will set up the panel? In Dariye’s case, the day the House of Assembly members met, was it the day he was impeached?

    We must face the reality. The court judgment was given on December 11. Have you seen the order? On December 12, they said they wanted to sit, but police did not allow them to sit. On December 12, were police served with the order? So, police would hear on radio or television.

    Even if police receive the order, there are contending factions. Evans Bipi (who represents Ogu/Bolo constituency) is the speaker. Amachree, who was impeached on July 9, following due process, is still claiming to be the speaker. Amachree is overseas, but his deputy (Leyii Kwanee) is saying he is the acting speaker and he and the so called lawmakers want to sit. What do you want the police to do? What is the business of the police to interpret the law on impeachment of a House officer?

    Is it possible for anybody to have sat? Bipi is speaker. Amaechree and Kwanee are saying they are the Speaker. What do you want police to do? What Amaechi wants is for the 2014 budget to be passed today and that is the end of the matter. He needs the money to spend by 2014.

    You and the six anti-Amaechi lawmakers, how do you intend to stop Governor Amaechi?

    Who tells you that Amaechi has 25 lawmakers on his side? We are talking about politics. Some people do not know how politics works. Who tells you that everybody who appears with you is with you? It is clear that what Amaechi wants is for the so-called lawmakers to pass the budget for him. That is why he asked them to go and sit inside Government House, Port Harcourt.

    How can the crisis in the Obio/Akpor Council be resolved?

    The Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, declared the Chikordi Dike-led Caretaker Committee illegal and that nothing should be done again. That will affect the tenure of the Timothy Nsirim-led executive. Amaechi declared a one week holiday, claiming they were for Port Harcourt City Centenary Celebration, just to prevent the Obio/Akpor judgment from being delivered.

    Nigeria will do well, if we stand by the truth. Amaechi is a tyrant and he can be likened to Adolf Hitler. Amaechi is the worst tyrant I have ever known. If you do not know, know it now. I worked there at the Government House, Port Harcourt, as Chief of Staff. So, I can tell you. Amaechi is the only one that God wants to have an ambition. No other person can have an ambition. It is a criminal offence for you to have an ambition, but it is constitutional for Amaechi to have an ambition.

    The man the Supreme Court brought to power has refused to obey the court judgment.

    Let Amaechi go and remove Nsirim. What he is doing is because he wants to seize the money. They are signing Obio/Akpor cheques outside the council secretariat. Those who are doing that should be ready to sew their prison uniforms. Where are they sitting to work to sign cheques? They will go somewhere to sign cheques and say that the governor told them. No problem, go ahead, because that same governor will not be there.

    Amaechi feels he can buy over everybody. He has seen it now.

    You have just said that Governor Amaechi is a tyrant. But people say you have betrayed the governor who recommended you to President Goodluck Jonathan for a ministerial appointment. Can you be trusted?

    When Amaechi was in Ghana, I had everything in my hands to betray him. Go and ask Celestine Omehia what he offered me. How many commissioners I was asked to bring? I said no.

    Go and ask Amaechi what he said at the St. Peters Anglican Church, Rumueprikom, Port Harcourt, when he said Nyesom Wike is a man of character; you can go home and sleep, if he is with you. When did betrayal come in? My local government got the highest votes. What vote did he get in during governorship poll? Everybody, including Magnus Abe, also a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, was always in my house, asking me how it would be. It is not in my character to betray people.

    There is nobody who is working with Amaechi that I do not know. There is none of them that can talk face to face with me. Tony Okocha was the Obio/Akpor LG chairman. He was in the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), when I became the chairman. Because he is from my ethnic clan, I decided to play politics of inclusion and I brought everybody together to work as a team after my election. Okocha worked with the late Eric Asoh.

    That Amaechi made me the Chief of Staff, no. I had choice, to choose where and what. I was the man whom God used. I will not take the glory of God. Amaechi was in Ghana. I had the choice to be the commissioner of finance. I said I would not take. All those who are now talking as commissioners were coming around me and asking of what to do to be made commissioners.

    When Amaechi was in Ghana, ask him what he was calling me. I was taking final decisions. When he won the case, he felt he had become God, no problem. How did Amaechi make me minister? Which recommendation? Your Chief of Staff and Director-General of your campaign organisation was made a minister of state. People forget that there is tomorrow. The problem is that Amaechi underrated me. That is what he is suffering now.

    Amaechi is the former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). He has power. If Amaechi had the party structure, would he have run away from the PDP? Let us go to the field for elections.

    Since I left their government, what has happened? Who is the person who is thinking now? If I was there, would anybody have challenged Amaechi? Will he be having this type of problem? He is now asking lawmakers to go and sit on the road.

    Amaechi will say he has built roads for N100 billion and that the Federal Government has not paid him. Ask Amaechi, if you oppose him in Rivers state, does he pay your money? All those who are opposing Amaechi, ask them, if he has paid them their monies. He said he would not pay them stating that they would use the funds to fight him. After Amaechi abuses President Jonathan from morning till night, he should now sign for you. Nobody has even audited what he (Amaechi) claimed to have spent on the Federal Government projects in Rivers State.

    What you are seeing in Rivers State is that Amaechi has lost touch. APC cannot win Rivers state.

    In 2015, let us go for elections. Let Amaechi perform his magic. Whether they like it or not, Rivers will be a PDP state.

  • ‘PDP, LP can’t dislodge APC in Ekiti’

    ‘PDP, LP can’t dislodge APC in Ekiti’

    Former Ekiti State Governor Adeniyi Adebayo is the All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim National Vice Chairman (Southwest). He spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU and MUSA  ODOSHIMOKHE on the challenges confronting the mega party, preparation for Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections, Jonathan Administration, single term tenure, national security and other issues.

    Why was it difficult to resolve the rift between Governor Kayode Fayemi and House of Representatives member Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele?

    We did everything possible to bring about rapprochement. We tried to pacify all the parties, but I really don’t know why it did not yield the desired results.

    As a big brother, people thought your influence would have robbed off and brought about peace…

    But unfortunately, this did not make the impact and, like I said, I did my best to ensure that the parties involved resolve their differences.

    What do you think is the bone of contention?

    The reality is that Opeyemi Bamidele don’t want to step down for Kayode Fayemi. He has made up his mind to go to another party to contest. All I can say is that I wish him the best of luck.

    It has been speculated that his departure will have adverse effect on the party….

    Sincerely speaking, I don’t see how that will happen in Ekiti State. I don’t see how our members will leave a winning party and join a party that is not yet tested in Ekiti. I do not think that people will move from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Labour Party (LP). It will not have any adverse effect on our party.

    Some people said that Bamidele has grievances, which you elders failed to address…

    Frankly speaking, Opeyemi Bamideles is a non-issue with me for now. He has left my party. So, I wish him all the best in his future endeavour.

    Why is it difficult for the progressives to resolve their differences?

    Your question is hypothetical. I am a progressive and I don’t think I have problem with anybody.

    People are of the opinion that you don’t have crisis resolution mechanism in your party

    You will always have aggrieved people in any political party, whether progressives or conservatives. That is because sometimes, reasons do not prevail where a man has an ambition. And I don’t think this happens only among progressives. We have it in the conservative fold.

    A month ago, the APC only had an adversary, the PDP. But now, it has the PDP and Labour Party to contend with…

    Add both together; they cannot pose a threat to the APC in Ekiti State. I keep saying it and I will say it again ,until we hold election in Ekiti. The APC will win not less than 70 percent of the votes.

    What is responsible this over confidence?

    It is not over confidence. It is confidence borne out of the reality on ground. The governor has done a fantastic job. He has done fantastic a job, in term of developing the state and that is what gives me the confidence. Any attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig the election will be resisted. As a politician, I go round the state. I see what is on the ground and I feel the pulse of the people. The feeling is that the governor has performed. Everybody in Ekiti is desirous of having continuity in government. The problem of Ekiti is non-continuity in government. After I left office in 2003, I think we have had about five or six governors in the state. This has created a lot of disruption within the system.

    So, all we are saying is that we admire places like Lagos as a result of continuity of government. When there is a continuity of government, there will be continuity of policy of development. And many people are saying that, with the kind of job Governor Kayemi has done, if allowed to continue in another four years, he will continue to do the same job by making Ekiti greater.

    And whoever comes after him, the developmental stride will continue. That is what people want to see. All they are interested in is to ensure that there is continuity, in term of development. Now, they have somebody who is doing a good job. So, he will continue.

    Between now and 2014, what do you think should be the pre-occupation of Fayemi Administration?

    I think by the time the detail of Governor Fayemi’s budget is out, it will be the continuation of what he is already doing. He will be involved in bringing more development to Ekiti State. He will continue with the development and construction of roads in Ekiti State. He will continue with the development of infrastructure for school, hospitals. I know there is plan to expand the social security for the elderly people. He will put more money in agriculture togenerate employment. He plans to do a lot and he should be given the opportunity to carry this out in another four years.

    The APC has been protesting the outcome of the governorship election in Anambra State. You are going to elections in Ekiti State and Osun states. What are your fears?

    We have learnt a lot from what happened in Anambra State. We have studied the situation and we are going to ensure that we guard against what happened. We are not going to allow that to play out in Ekiti and Osun states.

    The defection of Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye from the Ogun State APC to the PDP has been described as a minus. What happened?

    I have to ask you why he decided to leave. Sometimes we engage ourselves too much on personalities. It is not the personality that is the issue; it is the followership. For instance, in Ekiti, my deputy decided to go to the PDP, but his followers did not go with him. At a time 14 members of the ACN left and they thought it was going to weaken the ACN, but this did not happen because, when they left, their followers did not go with them. And that is the situation in Ogun State as well. Though Ogunleye has left, many of the followers did not go with him. Many in the APC believe in our party. No party is perfect; there will always be differences. Even within families, there is difference. You are not going to say because you have differences with your children or relatives, you are no long a member of that family. It should not be that way. And incidentally, when these people leave and believe that they are going to move with their followers, they get disappointed. If you want to go, you can do that, f am not happy with what is going on. But I prefer to stay within my own house and fight for my right than abandon the ship.

    Is there no lesson that we can learn from their defection?

    If you say the grass is greener onthe other side, it is when you get to the other side that you discover that it not so. I don’t understand how you profess to be a progressive and you now leave it to the conservative camp. That I don’t understand.

    The PDP is targeting the Southwest for liquidation…

    That has always been their ambition, even when they used might and everything that they have to overrun us in the Southwest. Later, the Southwest liberated itself. They have always dreamt. Let them continue to dream.

    But, how are you prepared to curtail them?

    They did it once. We made the mistake that we tried to support a Yoruba man for the Presidency, but he used everything at his disposal to get us out of office. Now, we are smarter. Our eyes are opened and you can be rest assured that nobody can deceive us. We know what they are planning to do. we are tiding up and prepared to stop any attempt by them to do thingss we considered inimical to democracy.

    You have been celebrating the expansion of your party. How will those who are coming be able flow together with you ideologically?

    If we look at those who have come to join us so far, you find out they have progressive tendencies. And, if you remember, the PDP was formed by progressive politicians. It was unfortunately that they allowed it to be taken over by the conservatives. At the time the PDP was formed and, if you look at the founding fathers of the PDP, majority of them were progressives. Unfortunately, there was an influx of conservatives and, as at today, the party has been taken over by them. And you will find out that it is the progressives among them that have said enough is enough and have moved back to their traditional abode. If you want to get progressives together, people of like minds, you will find out that there is always accommodation.

    There are diasagreements on whether the new governors will have overriding influence in their states…

    We believe strongly in internal democracy. For now, what we are going to face is the registration of our members. Anybody that is interested in our party will be registered and, from then, we will hold our congress. The congress will hold from the ward level, local government to the state level. It is at that point we will know who is in control and who is not in control. What I am saying in essence is that it is the party that will be in control of the party machinery. The leadership of the party will be decided by the people themselves, as supposed to anybody being foisted on anybody. We are not a party where you will say, come ,you are going to be the leader of the party. There is theparty constitution and the leadership will emerge by the will of the people.

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar defected to the Action Congress (AC) 2007 and, after the election he went back to the PDP. What is the assurance that those who defected now will not go back to the PDP?

    I cannot predict the future because I am not a soothsayer. From what they are saying and their body language, I feel comfortable with them. I think they have chosen to come back to their natural abode.

    It has been said that you are eyeing the Senate…

    I always laugh when I heard such comments. I have never nursed any ambition in this direction. I had the opportunity to contest for the Senate and I refused such opportunities. I am not interested in the Senate; my interest is building the party. My ambition, when I was young, was to be a governor. Ekiti State was created and I got into politics and I was elected the first executive governor of Ekiti State. Ever since, I have not shown any interest in an elective office. I still have no such plans and, ever since I left office, I have been involved in the process of building the party from the AC to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now the APC. I have been involved in building a national political party. We have now got to the state that we have to do something to achieve a national party. This will be done such that, by the time we hold our national convention, we will have on ground a national party that will be the envy of everybody and that, for now, is my ambition. I want to state categorically that, either now or the future, I doubt very much that I have such intention. I can tell you categorically that, in the immediate future, I have no interest.

    What is your position on the proposed national conference?

    I have been around long enough. Many people use these conferences for tenure elongation. During the time of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and now President Goodluck Jonathan, I believe that, in this country, we should have a national conference. If we are serious about having a national conference, this is not the time to have it. If President Jonathan was serious about it, we should have had that earlier. This is the same President that had stated categorically that he does not believe in it. And, all of a sudden, it is coming to election time and he has changed. He wants to use it as an opportunity to try and convince some people to get their support. The Yoruba people voted for Jonathan for him to become the President of the country, but the Yoruba have not been treated well under the administration.

    There are complaints in Yorubaland and I think honestly, he must have been advised that the Yorubas are not happy with him and what you can do now to make them happy is to tell them that he will hold a national conference. For someone who for many years opposed the national conference and toward the end of his tenure now decides to hold a national conference is a smack of deceit. I for one do not believe that it is feasible. I do not believe it will work and I believe it was something somebody suggested to him.

    They believe he can use this one to keep people quiet for sometimes and get support from the Southwest. President Obasanjo tried it, which was the beginning of his tenure elongation. The Deputy Senate President has even told us that there should be tenure elongation. He has suggested that people should stay in office for another two years. It is the same script. They are reading the same book, the same attempt that was used by Obasanjo. They have now brought the same script again and the way it failed during President Obasanjo time, that is how it will fail again.

    Does that mean that the proposal will not work?

    Even if we are going to have it, it is not the way he put it to us. Not by saying that the present elected officers should stay for another two years. If we are going to have that, let us sit down and do a proper national conference. We should have proper resolution made; have everything properly put in a constitution. And not that the present people who have been elected to stay in office for four years should now come and extend their tenure. No way. We did not vote for them to stay for six years; we voted for four years.

    What are the factors and issues that will shape 2015 general electionn?

    Number one, it is corruption. There is massive corruption at the federal level. In fact, I am happy that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo Iweala, made a comment yesterday that corruption is a major problem they are unable to tackle. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, said categorically that corruption is being encouraged by the executive. Nigerians are sick and tired of it. That is one issue that we will put on the front burner.

    The mood in the APC tends to suggest that its presidential slot may be zoned to the North…

    Even, if it is so, there will still be primaries. Whoever is going to emerge will be chosen by the people through a democratic process as provided for in the constitution.

    Will the primary be guided or open?

    We have different procedures. Which ever that is decided upon will be used.

    Most of you who are leaders of Afenifere are not prepared for reconciliation in the fold again…

    I believe that, one day, we will all come back together again. Efforts are being made in that direction. At the end of the day, really what is Afenifere all about? It is the wellbeing of Yoruba people. Many of us are in different political parties today, but we still have the wellbeing of the Yoruba at heart. The most important thing is that, as long as we are fighting for the progress of the Yoruba people, irrespective of political parties, then, we are still on course.

    Are you not worried that local government election has not been held in Ekiti?

    The election has not held because of the case in court. The PDP took the government to court and that is what is holding us. It is not something that we are happy about.

  • Has Yero lived up to expectation?

    Has Yero lived up to expectation?

    Alhaji Mukthar Yero succeeded Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State a year ago, following his demise in a helicopter crash. TONY AKOWE  writes on his achievements, constraints and prospects of continuity in 2015. 

    He never planned for it. Neither did he prepare for the great task. But destiny has placed on his shoulders the responsibility of governing Kaduna State. Alhaji Mukthar Yero became the governor on a platter of gold. However, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

    In the last three years, he has been part of the political calculation in the complex state. Yero has served as the Commissioner for Finance under former Governor Namandi Sambo, shortly before he became the Vice President. He was also the deputy governor under Yakowa. Thus, he understands the ethno-religious configuration and its implications for politics and governance in the Northwest state.

    The mantle of leadership fell on Yero, few days after his predecessor had just presented the budget to the House of Assembly for approval. Few weeks before the budget presentation, the government had awarded the contract for the construction of 32 roads across the 23 local governments. The towns and villages feared that the contracts may be reviewed. When Yero succeeded Yakowa. But the governor quickly restored public confidence by projecting his administration as a government of continuity.

    The first few months were challenging for the administration. There was a report that Yero had withdraw the budget from the House and injected new things into it. However, following the scrutiny of the budget, it was discovered that there was no alteration. Apparently thinking that the governor would not continue with the implementations of projects initiated by Yakowa Administration, many contractors handling the road projects abandoned the sites, although they had collected the 25 per cent mobilisation fee.

    However, the governor rose to the occasion. He inspected the projects and told the contractors to hasten their works to avoid the wrath of the government. Yero said: “I can say that I am not satisfied with the level of work on some of the projects I have inspected because it is obvious that the contractors are not serious about the work. However, I am satisfied with the level of work on some of the projects, especially the Soba-Kofar Gayan-Kofar Kuyambana Road.

    “That job is going on well and we would assist the contractor to finish the job in good time. But, the other road projects that we have visited, which we are not satisfied with, we are going back to the drawing board to see what is wrong and address the challenges that we have. We intend to complete the projects in time and the only way that we can do that is by pushing the consultants and contractors to do the right thing.

    “Also, the Ministry of Works has to be up and doing and take the challenge of doing its job properly”.

    To critics, Yero Administration has been slow in fighting the infrastructure battle. But, the administration is steady. In the metropolis, the governor has kept faith with the projects awarded by his predecessor. But, the rural area is still craving for attention.

    There is a consensus of opinion that Yero has recorded a tremendous achievement in the area of fostering peace and harmony in Kaduna State. From the onset, he moved swiftly to address the security challenge. He embarked on the tour of the state and held consultations with religious leaders, traditional rulers, youths and women groups in the three senatorial zones. The first meeting was held at the Kagoro Town Hall, the second at the Zaria Hotel and the third took place at the Kaduna International Trade and Investment Centre. Before he passed on, Yakowa had set up a 70-man Committee on Peace and Reconciliation, the committee’s suggestions were insufficient to halt the trend of insecurity. Yero became a preacher of peace, urging the indigenes to embrace themselves as one. He said that he looked forward to the day when the people will live together peacefully, irrespective of their tribes or religious beliefs.

    Also, the hosting of the International Conference of the Forum of Cities in Transition was the icing on the cake on Yero’s peace move and efforts at restoring confidence. Since then, foreign investors have been visiting the state to explore investment opportunities. Chinese, Indian and Pakistani investors have indicated that they would invest in textile, agriculture, tourism and other sectors.

    Speaking at the conference, Yero assured that his government will provide equal economic and political opportunities to the citizens to reduce the suspicion and acrimony raging in the state. “We have since declared that in Kaduna State, all citizens are equal partners. There is no indigenes-settlers dichotomy in our state. All citizens have equal rights to achieve their full potentials, as long as the laws of the land are obeyed. The best way to resolve conflicts is by agreeing individually and collectively as a people, to dialogue over issues that create division among us, so as to build trust and understanding.

    “ To achieve this, there is need for further action, which is the practical implementation of the recommendations of this conference. Let me assure you that, as a government, we are ready to implement the report of this conference to further enhance our peace-building process in Kaduna. Our administration is committed to engendering permanent peace and genuine reconciliation among the diverse people of the state. We shall not relent, until we re-enact the past history of harmonious coexistence that endured for several decades in this state”, he said.

    Yero noted that unemployment and poverty could predispose idle people into crime. He therefore, promised to provide jobs for the youths to steer them away from social vices.

    “This is for the purpose of galvanizing our people to unite and work together in building a viable today and a better future. Furthermore, this administration is determined to ensure lasting peace through providing massive job opportunities for our teaming unemployed youths. We believe that when our youths are gainfully employed they will shun vices, including drug addiction and violence.

    “The government will also strive to provide equal economic and political opportunities to all citizens of the state to reduce the suspicion and acrimony in the minds of the people. In Kaduna State, all citizens are equal partners, there is no indigenes-settlers dichotomy in our state, all citizens have equal rights to achieve their full potentials as long as the laws of the land are obeyed,” he added.

    Few weeks after assuming office, Yero distributed the SURE-P items purchased by the Yakowa Administration. Incidentally, Yero was the Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the SURE-P. He was also the Chairman of the Committee on the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme. At a ceremony in Kaduna, 700 tricycles, 40 taxis and 40 buses were given out to beneficiaries, with the government paying 50 percent of the cost. The government also launched a training programme for 7,600 women and youths from the 23 local governments. The trainees, according to the governor, will be given starter packs to start their business. Yero, who said that the SURE-P training will gulp N139 million, assured that “at the end of this training, each beneficiary will be given a starter pack relevant to his or her area of training to enable him start business and become self reliant”.

    He added: “By providing you with gainful self-employable skills and the wherewithal to start up your businesses, we have taken a bold step to reverse the ugly trend of youth restiveness. We hope to sustain and consolidate the programme, in view of its far-reaching impact. In addition to the schemes we are flagging-off today, government is collaborating with the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture to provide N1.0billion soft loans for Agriculture and Small and Medium Scales Enterprises in Kaduna State”.

    Yero has also invested in the education sector in the last one year. The government has spent N116 million to build the capacity of teachers of English Language, Mathematics and other science subjects. The goal is to increase their professional competence. Also, N100 million is being spent on the rehabilitation of primary schools. The poor performance of students in English and Mathematics is worrisome to the governor. To address this, the government organised seminars in the three senatorial zones. It also organised another one at the state level, which held in Kaduna. Experts and technocrats made some recommendations. Yero has assured that these suggestions will be implemented. However, the state has recruited 1, 802 qualified teachers to improve teaching of various subjects in our schools.

    In Kaduna State, the health sector is on course. The government has developed the ‘Kaduna State Strategic Health Development Plan (SSHDP). Under the scheme, there are eight priority areas. These are Leadership and Governance, Health Delivery Services, Human Resource for Health, and Health Care Financing. Others are Health Information System, Partnership for Health Development and Research for Health. Among the achievements recorded in the sector are the free medical care for pregnant women and children under five years, the sustenance of antiretroviral treatment (ART), the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMCTC), HIV counselling and testing (HCT) and tuberculosis and leprosy (TBL) programs. The ‘emergency transport system’, whereby over 1000 pregnant women in labour were transported free of charge to health facilities is being implemented, in collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    However, government has not resolved the water crisis, especially in Zaria and environs. It is hoped that the multi-billion Zaria Regional Water Supply Scheme will end the hurdle. The water project is supported by the Islamic Development Bank and the African Development Bank. The government is also intensifying efforts in completing other water projects, including the Kaduna, Zaria, Kafanchan/Kagoro, Zonkwa and Saminaka water supply systems. Also, the government has approved the construction of 46 No. Solar Powered Boreholes and 680 No. Hand Pump Boreholes across the state in the last one year.

    However, Yero has however been accused of showcasing projects that were implemented by his predecessor. Although he was the deputy governor when they were completed, critics have pointed out that he was not the governor who accomplished them. But, the governor has insisted that his administration completed some of them in the spirit of continuity.

    As the administration enters its second year, the people are looking forward to the presentation of his its budget. If Yero performs well in office, his chance of being elected as the governor in 2015 will be bright. But, if otherwise, many gladiators will plot his downfall at the primaries, despite the power of incumbency he wields.

  • Presidency, PDP governors in a fix over Tukur

    Presidency, PDP governors in a fix over Tukur

    In the last few days, calls for the removal of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, assumed a new height, with the Presidency and some of the party’s governors singing discordant tunes on the issue, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo

    Despite his stoic mien, suggesting that all is well, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur seems to be ruing the day he agreed to take the job of the National Chairman of the self-acclaimed largest political party in Africa.

    Like most of his predecessors who were eased out of the exalted office principally due to the complex internal dynamics in the party, Tukur’s reign as the party’s supremo may soon come to an abrupt end if the feelers and body languages of PDP governors and party stalwarts are anything to go by.

    Hours before the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, travelled to South Africa a few days ago to witness the burial of the country’s former President, Nelson Mandela, he presided over a flurry of meetings, which sources say were ostensibly aimed at stemming the seemingly intractable crisis in the party.

    One of such meetings had the President making a last ditch effort to convince two of the former PDP-elected governors, Aliyu Wammako and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to return to the party. But to the President’s consternation, the two governors reportedly vowed never to return to PDP.

    For the President and some of the party’s bigwigs, including his deputy, Namadi Sambo; Board of Trustees (BOT) boss, Chief Anthony Anenih and about 15 governors in attendance, anxiety and frustration quickly set in of what future awaits the party in the run-down to the 2015 general elections.

    To halt the party’s descent into further crisis, a large number of its governors, The Nation reliably gathered, are secretly working on a plan to ease Tukur out. This opinion, according to sources, bodes well with Chief Anenih, who was once alleged to have broached the idea with the President.

    Some months ago, Anenih had, after having embarked on a fence mending tour across some troubled PDP-controlled states, reportedly advised the President to ask Tukur to resign as a way of putting an end to the crisis in the party.

    While the President was said to be non-committal on the advice, the development, it was learnt, created a crisis of confidence between Tukur and Anenih, with the former reportedly confiding in some of his associates that the BOT chairman was aiming at supplanting him from his position.

    A source quipped, “Anenih pointedly told the President that Tukur’s continued stay as the National Chairman will spell doom for the PDP. That was the feelers he got from the aggrieved governors who have now left the party. But it was apparent that the President had other ideas.”

    Findings also revealed that shortly before the parley between the President, Wammako and Kwankwaso, governors under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF) met at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge at the Asokoro area where the preponderance of opinion among those present suggests clearly that Tukur must step aside for peace to reign in the party.

    Quoting Governor Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the meeting, the source said, “It is obvious that the National Chairman (Tukur) has to leave in the interest of our party. But how do we convince the President to agree to this?”

    Other governors who spoke strongly on the matter included Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta and an unnamed South East governor. They were said to be of the opinion that with Tukur remaining on the saddle, the PDP risks the exodus of more of its prominent members in the next few months.

    Curiously, while most of the Southern governors called for Tukur’s exit, The Nation gathered that their Northern counterparts, including the Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda; Katsina State’s Ibrahim Shema and Gombe State’s Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, tactically kept silent on the heated subject.

    The governors, sources disclosed, are calling for an emergency session of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) where it is expected that crucial decisions affecting the party, particularly Tukur’s fate, can be resolved once and for all.

    But the governors are in a dilemma of sorts. None of them has had the courage to tell the President to his face on why Tukur should be eased out without further delay. And the reason, according to sources, is not far-fetched. “They (governors) are aware that the President is not presently in the best of mood and are wary of how he will react to any suggestion of that nature.”

    To find a way around this challenge, the governors are alleged to have penciled down Anenih; the Senate President, David Mark and one of the President’s most trusted aides, Oronto Douglas, to convince the President on the urgent imperative of dealing with the “Tukur challenge.”

    Jonathan may rebuff pressure

    Pending his return from South Africa, strong indications have emerged that the President may not yield to the request of his party men to get rid of Tukur.

    Jonathan’s reason to stick with the embattled PDP National Chairman is two-folds. One, Tukur’s alleged dictatorial actions, which most of the party members are up against, received his tacit backing; and second, the likely tortuous process to find a loyal and trustworthy replacement that will cover the President’s back at all times.

    The President, according to sources, is also mindful of the fact that his opponents in the party are not really after Tukur per se, but rather him (Jonathan) and that sticking to Tukur against all odds is in his best interests both in the short and long term.

    “If Tukur is removed today, I can bet that the President’s opponents will still not be satisfied, so why not stick to a man who has proved his unquestionable loyalty to the President,” said a source.

    Old names still coming up

    However, those who want Tukur out are not giving up after all. Already, several names that were touted in the past as aspirants for the PDP National Chairmanship are being mentioned within the political circles to fill the void if the President unexpectedly accedes to the demand for Tukur’s removal.

    One of the most recurring is that of Alhaji Hassan Adamu, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States and Borno State-born Alhaji Gambo Lawan.

    While Adamu has not indicated interest in the job, those backing him argue that the fact that he comes from Adamawa State like Tukur will placate certain offended interests, the Presidency is, however, not thinking in his (Adamu) direction.

    But whatever decision the President finally takes, what is not in doubt is that tough times still lay ahead the ruling party.

  • Can PDP resolve Taraba dilemma?

    Can PDP resolve Taraba dilemma?

    Following increased pressure from concerned stakeholders for the party to take an official position over the power game between the ailing governor Danbaba Suntai and the acting governor, Garba Umar, PDP is making fresh moves to resolve the political crisis in Taraba State. But given the multiple interests in the crisis, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, in this report, asks if PDP can resolve the dilemma?

    The leadership of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may have been forced by increased pressure from concerned stakeholders to seek new ways of resolving the leadership puzzle in Taraba State.

    A source close to the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party admitted during the week that part of the directives given to the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, by President Goodluck Jonathan, in their meeting during the week, as part of his reaction to the outcome of the last meeting between senate caucus and the PDP National Working Committee, was to draw up “more acceptable way of resolving” the Taraba leadership challenge.

    “In compliance to that directive, the chairman has already taken action. Soon, the party will resolve the matter in a more acceptable way,” the source said, pleading not to be named.

    The source, a top PDP official, however hinted that part of the efforts that are likely to be made in the coming weeks, “may include, finding ways of allaying the fears of close associates of Suntai, by ensuring that the Acting Governor will protect their genuine interests. This is important to diffuse the tension before opposition parties take undue advantage of the situation,” he said.

    Given the demands of the close associates of Suntai, it is not yet clear if they would heartily accept any solution that would not mean returning power to the governor.

    It would be recalled that at the caucus meeting, a concerned senator frontally blamed the party leadership for staying aloof over the leadership confusion in Taraba, occasioned by the return of Governor Danbaba Suntai and the refusal of Acting Governor Garba Umar to return power to him on account of his ill health.

    Before the recent complaint, eight members of the Taraba State House of Assembly had also openly disassociated themselves from the decision taken by the PDP Fact Finding Committee, under the leadership of Senator Hope Uzodinma. The committee had maintained that Umar should continue to govern the state but that he should always consult the governor. This arrangement was described by the lawmakers as “a strange diarchy.”

    The lawmakers’ position, read by the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Joseph Kunini, on behalf of himself and the seven other members, also said such a solution was ‘poisonous’ and “has left the state in more confusion.”

    Political intrigues culminating in the current leadership dilemma in Taraba State date back to the dramatic impeachment of Governor Danbaba Suntai’s former deputy, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, on October 4, 2012. Since then, the political theatre of the state has remained dicey.

    Danladi was replaced with Alhaji Garba Umar, but barely 10 days after, on October 25, 2012, Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, while flying a personal aircraft, crashed close to Yola.

    He was evacuated to the National Hospital Abuja and later on to Germany and finally to a rehabilitation hospital in the United States of America. Reports say there are medical indications the governor suffered brain damage as a result of the crash.

    So, for the first 10 months, he was away from his duty post for over 10 months and after 21 days of his absence, the Taraba State House of Assembly invoked Section 190(1) and the deputy governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, was sworn in as acting governor.

    But following the unfortunate developments, the once warm relationship between Suntai and Umar has become frosty as Suntai’s men accuse Umar of betrayal and over ambition to retain power in 2015.

    How the crack developed

    The crack in the relationship between Suntai and Umar became public knowledge early in the year, sometime around March.

    Then, concerned observers expressed fear not just about the hospitalisation of the ailing governor, Suntai, who was still abroad, or about the fallouts of his absence from the state, but about secret realignments in the state politics.

    For example, there was clear concern then about an alleged political relationship between the Acting Governor, Umar and Senator Jummai Alhassan, a known critic of Suntai’s administration.

    Sources had accused Umar of reaching out to the camp of Suntai’s political enemies, a development Suntai’s close associates considered detrimental to his political interest.

    Suntai’s close aides pencilled Alhasssan down as their political enemy when the lawmaker representing Taraba North Senatorial District in the National Assembly allegedly sparked off debate on the health status of ailing Suntai by alleging that the state government was concealing the true state of health of the governor, who was then still undergoing medical treatment in Germany following the air crash.

    As at that time, allegations of strained relationship between Umar and some of Suntai’s closest aides had also become common place. The fear, expressed by Suntai’s men therefore was that an alliance between Umar and Alhassan will change the face of Taraba State politics in a way that would not favour Suntai and his close associates.

    Given the development, the close political clique, led by Suntai’s wife, began plans to bring the governor back home so as to regain power from Umar.

    By September, after the dramatic return of the ailing governor, the crack had deepened further. Then, the senator representing Taraba South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, reportedly confirmed the deepening crisis when he frowned at the deliberate refusal of the members of the Taraba State House of Assembly to honour an earlier transmitted letter to the House by Governor Danbaba Suntai.

    Suntai had transmitted the said letter indicating his return and readiness to resume duties as the Executive Governor of the state.

    When the House, tactically ignored the governor’s request, the question on the lips of most observers became whether it was the House of Assembly members that acted outside their powers in refusing to accept the letter sent to them by Suntai, or if it was the governor that failed to admit what the lawmakers considered right?

    What followed however was a high wired intrigues as Suntai dissolved Umar’s cabinet and appointed new officials, while Umar ignored the move and continued as if nothing had happened. He was supported by the majority of the House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, a development that heightened tension in the state.

    The political tension unfortunately peaked on November 4, 2013, when it was confirmed that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, who had been the major supporter of the Acting Governor in the political battle, suddenly took ill and died.

    Although official reports said when Tsokwa took ill, he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, where he eventually gave up the ghost, some observers citing the central role he played in the power game between Suntai and Umar, feared his sudden death could be linked to the raging political battle.

    In fact, there were open speculations or allegations by some of the late speaker’s supporters that he was poisoned, although they could not substantiate the claim.

    Even before then, the tension and the suspicion have been intense and deep. It would be recalled that Tsokwa escaped death by the whiskers on September 19, less than a month before his eventual death, when some gunmen attacked his convoy along the Jos -Abuja road.

    Reports of the attempted assassination said he escaped unhurt but that some policemen in his convoy sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds during an exchange of fire between them and their attackers.

    The way forward

    As the PDP moves to resolve the power puzzle in Taraba without splitting the party in the state, The Nation learnt that the presidency may have advised the party’s National Working Committee to approach former Defence Minister, General Theophilus Danjuma, in order to reconcile his position with that of Bamanga Tukur-led NWC.

    This approach, according to an insider, may have been informed by the consideration that Tukur, who was a former governor of the old Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba) is generally seen as one of the secret pillars behind Acting Governor Garba Umar. In fact, since Senator Hope Uzodinma’s Fact Finding Committee sided the Acting Governor, creating what was dismissed as a strange diarchy, associates of Suntai have made allegations that Tukur was carrying out a personal agenda in Taraba State, aimed at controlling the politics of the state. They alleged that since the incident, Hauwa, the wife of Governor Suntai, has been avoiding the National Chairman of PDP and to a large extent, the president.

    This being the case, the new thinking, within the presidency is that General Danjuma, as the known political godfather of Governor Suntai, must be carried along if PDP expects to evolve a lasting solution in the near future.

    “Recall that General Danjuma was one of the first top visitors that held private audience with Suntai after his return, and when he did, the influential general did not mince words, when he demanded that power should be returned to the governor since he fulfilled the constitutional requirement of sending a letter to the state House of Assembly,” the source said, adding that the presidency would no longer take chances with Taraba power puzzle “before the political opponents take advantage of the situation.”

    The source particularly claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan, in a recent meeting with Tukur, reminded him that Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has very close relationship with Suntai and now that Nyako has joined All Progressives Congress ( APC) with the other four former PDP governors, concerted efforts must be made to reach out to respected elders like Danjuma to resolve the matter, as Jonathan is not ready to lose Taraba to another party.

    But given the multiple interests involved, the depth of acrimony within the state House of Assembly and the state PDP, there is visible fear that Tukur- ed PDP may hit a wall in its reconciliation efforts in Taraba as it now seems clear that the party would suffer great loss if it ever sides any of the two sides. At the same time, said Alhaji Ibrahim Tahir, a community leader in Jalingo, “the established diarchy cannot be sustained for too long. So, something must have to go.”

    While all observers seem to accept this fact, what is not clear yet is the thing that would have to go for a lasting peace to reign in Taraba State politics, ahead 2015.

  • ‘We don’t have non-indigenes in Katsina’

    The Head of Service in Katsina State, Alhaji Lawal Aliyu, speaks on how Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s administration is strengthening the civil service to enable it meet the mandate of executing government policies, plus how he is tackling problem of ghost workers, reports Adetutu Audu

    How has it been since you assumed office as Head of Service in Katsina State?

    I think it is all to Allah for giving us the opportunity to be head of civil servants in the state, to be able to reach the pinnacle of my career. My aim then, at best, was to be permanent secretary; just like the military, once you are a general, that is the end, being a Chief of Staff, is an additional privilege given to you by the executive or the Commander-in- Chief. To be Head of Service is a rare privilege given to me by the governor and I really thank Allah and His Excellency for choosing me among the pool of permanent secretaries.

    So far so good, the challenges are quite enormous but with Allah’s guidance and His Excellency, as part of his vision and leadership, we have been able to achieve a lot. By and large, we have been able to maintain the tempo because, since I came in, our civil servants have been dynamic and rising up to the challenges, they have been part and parcel of the developmental structures.

    Since assuming office,what has been your challenges?

    The initial challenge at that time was the backlog of outstanding promotions and the training and retraining of civil servants. The issue of training is very fundamental in civil service and all the outstanding promotions, when it was presented to the governor, he approved all even with arrears. On the issue of training now, we can beat our chest to say the governor has given consideration for training and retraining of civil servants. We have what we call the short, long term and regular training processes. These trainings are on-going. The short term trainings are those ones you go to recognized institutions like ASCON, Centre for Management Development, and other cognate professional agencies like ICAN. The long term trainings are those ones civil servants go on course like our nurses reading BSc. nursing. In this regard, we have sent a lot of nurses for BSc so that they can reach the pinnacle of their career. We have policy and strategic courses at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies which are the main senior executive courses for the award of MNI but they also have the junior policy and strategic courses.

    The issue of ghost workers is common in the civil service, what are you doing about it in your state?

    As you said, it is a phenomenon, it is like it has supernatural consideration but, for us here, you cannot say emphatically that we have it. Since the governor approved the biometric capture of all workers in the workforce of government, I don’t think we have that trend in the civil service; that is people earning pay but not working. We did the biometric in stages. The first was capturing the biometric of all civil servants in the state service. We then did another one for the staff in the local government service, including teachers. So I don’t think we have people in the civil service here earning without working.

    Directors and Permanent Secretaries are not expected to spend more than eight years tenure, is it working in Katsina State?

    It is not a directive. Democratically, since we have the 1999 Constitution and some semblance of federalism,to the best of my knowledge, the Federal Government does not have a direct bearing on the state. It is not like the military command structure thing with the state government. Any circular from the Federal Government is always addressed to the heads of agencies but if the states are willing to adopt it, they get the circular to adopt and adapt to suit their own environment. So it is not a directive per se but any good policy at the top, naturally we always take a cue from it to adopt and adapt to our local environment because the policy is aimed at weeding out aged staff so as to give room for young and dynamic ones in order to improve effectiveness of the civil service, so the state government has keyed into this policy. The governor has even set up a committee to study the tenure policy; incidentally, I am the head of the committee, after vigorous work, the report was submitted to Council which of course approved for its implementation. Let me tell you what makes that of Katsina State special, the governor, in view of the time frame given to civil servants affected by the policy, gave them three months salaries in lieu of notice for those being retired. I doubt if any state or even the Federal Government did anything like that. The implementation took off last September.

    Bureaucracy is another factor that slows down government in civil service. How are you tackling this?

    Redundancy in number in English is repeating what has been done. Bureaucracy in itself is not negative. It is positive.

    Don’t you have duplication of duties?

    We don’t have that. In reality in service, every officer employed has what we call schedule of duty and schedule of duty does not overlap. They can only overlap in terms of seniority. In service, you don’t have redundancy. I always tell people I am a political scientist, I chose to be in the civil service.

    But it can be negative if you operate it in a wrong way, you are dealing with public service and resources and you will need what we called transparency and accountability in expenditure and these are records that are supposed to be beyond you. If people are charged with responsibility of public funds, you must have channel of communication and when people delay, that is when we say people are bureaucratic. Bureaucracy in itself is a good thing in the civil service because it enhances transparency and accountability and also helps to keep records for generations to come about what is done and not done. It is only here in Nigeria that we don’t respect archives and records. In Europe, they have archives. In Nigeria too, we have national archives where you can get what was written about certain things, the correspondences between the writer and the recipient, the colonial administrators. That is what we are talking about bureaucracy. It is very essential in civil service.

    What about the issue of Minimum wage?

    The labour joined the strike regarding the minimum wage at that time not because Katsina State was not paying but essentially because it was a national strike. When the issue of the minimum wage came up, the governor said he was going to implement it but that would be after the biometric capture of the civil service. I was part of the committee that did that biometric. I was Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance then. As soon as the biometric was done, he gave approval to pay the minimum wage in January 2011. As a matter of fact, we are the first in the country to have implemented the minimum wage in total of over N18,500 and something. We not only paid bonus but also arrears after the minimum wage issue. Also every 24th of every month, whether there is allocation from the Federal Government or not, every staffer of the government must be credited by their banks. That aside, we pay pensioners every month before paying regular staff.

    What is the budget of the civil service every month for it to be able to do all that it has been doing?

    The governor would be in a better position to answer this question. But I know that the state as led by the governor is operating a tight fiscal management. But regarding the wage bill of the state, it is not only the public service that takes the large chunk, there are medical workers included, the tertiary institutions workers are also part of it and you know that the salaries of lecturers are higher than civil servants, all these make up the salaries of civil service, all political office holders are included in the salaries we are talking about a state is about 26 years old now. I must also tell you that education from primary to tertiary level is free. Please find where that is possible in this country other than Katsina State. All the WAEC, NECO examinations fees are paid by the state government. The government is also doing a lot in terms job opportunities. Only recently the governor gave approval to employ about 2,000 teachers; this was after the National Institute of Education came and assessed teaching quality of the state and they found out that there is a gap of qualified teachers to employ, and the governor gave approval for 1,000 more teachers.

    We have what we call medical students scheme, that is if you are admitted to read medicine in any university, the state government registers you and you are placed on salary, though, technically, you are not a civil servant but you will be placed on level 06, you will not be paid monthly since you are not a civil servant, these allowances would be collated and you will be paid twice a year, either in January and June or June and December. Reading medicine we all know can be very expensive, this action of government is just to stabilize the students and relieve the burden from parents. The only condition to this is that you sign a bond that on completion of your studies, you come down to the state to serve for two years, that is apart from houseman ship; thereafter, you can take your leave if you want to, but if you want to be retained, with all pleasure, you will.

    Does that include non- indigenes?

    Sorry, we don’t have non -indigenes in the state. All are Nigerians. That is what the governor does not want to hear. He hates it when you call someone a non- indigene. So everybody’s school fees are paid by the state government, whether you are from Sokoto, Kaduna, Ogun or Oyo, once you reside here in Katsina, you are qualified automatically for free education. We have also the free medical care. But this is from age zero to five years old. All aged ones in the society are cared for free. Ante natal care to delivery is free. There is nobody who goes to any of our hospitals for malaria treatment that is charged, it is free. I need to also tell you the welfare packages for civil servants in the state. The state government has constructed over 2,000 housing units, given to civil servants at subsidized rates of 40%. If you are a civil servant either at the state or local government, you will only deposit 10% of the subsidized house and the balance is spread to 15 years which will be deducted from your salary. If you are talking about those who are civil servants, there is room for such people as well. They also benefit from the 40% subsidy; they also pay 10% initial and complete payment within six months, that means within a year, you are given the grace to pay up. The revenue accruing from the sale of the houses is ploughed back to the sector to build more houses.

    Paying of gratuity is a problem to a lot of states. How are you tackling this?

    The pension administrators are at liberty to give you what they feel is necessary, either half or one third of your payment at the end your career but most people would prefer to be given their money in bulk. His Excellency approves payment of gratuities of over N700m to 455 retirees, which is being paid quarterly. As we speak, the state does not owe salaries or pensions. All those who have left the service three months back have collected their gratuities, except those ones who have just left, which, of course will be sorted out this quarter which is being assessed by the Audito General.