The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • North and South-West PDP chieftains battle for ministerial slots

    North and South-West PDP chieftains battle for ministerial slots

    As the Presidency shops for replacement of the recently sacked ministers, Assistant Editors, Dare Odufowokan and Remi Arelowo report on the intrigues in the North and South-Western parts of Nigeria

    It is no longer news that as part of strategies aimed at winning the 2015 general election, President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are planning to appoint ministers in non-PDP states as well as states under the leadership of governors considered not loyal enough to the President.

    Sources say the move is meant to strengthen the chances of President Jonathan in the next presidential race ahead of the declaration of his intention to re-contest in 2015.

    “The plan is to appoint ministers who could sell his candidacy in states considered as problematic. Top on the list of such states for now are the All Progressive Congress (APC)- controlled states and states under the leadership of the seven rebel PDP governors.

    The idea is to position the ministers to be appointed in these states in a way that will make them rivals to the state governors. They are to lead an alternative government of some sort in the states. They will be heavily funded to perform well. Where PDP is not in government, they are to strengthen and reposition the party to give the ruling party a good fight in 2015.

    And in states under the new PDP governors, they are to rival the government there and promote the candidacy of the President at all cost. The recent merger of three leading political parties into the APC is one other reason the President bought into the plot to have ministers lead the PDP in some key states ahead of the 2015 elections,” a source told The Nation.

    Currently, the PDP under the leadership of Jonathan and Tukur can only boast of having 16 states under its troubled umbrella. Its earlier hold on 23 states was depleted when seven governors declared independence and formed the new PDP, now led by Abubakar Kawu Baraje. And the APC having 11 states in its young kitty, sources say, there is tension within the ruling party.

    The recent sacking of nine ministers by the president is believed in some quarters as the first step in actualising the plan. It was also gathered that more ministers will still be shown the door soon as the president’s think-tank continue to appraise the capabilities or otherwise of some of the current ministers.

    In the North, the battle is fierce

    In some northern states where the governors’ opposition to the much speculated second term ambition of the president has subsequently polarised PDP, sources revealed that the president and his kitchen cabinet have been in a dilemma on the choice of ministers to fill the vacant slots.

    Some days ago, the president reportedly hosted a meeting with three of his loyalist governors, ostensibly to deliberate on a shortlist of likely nominees.

    At the end of the short session, the President was alleged to have mandated the three governors: Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) to make further consultations with key stakeholders on the issue.

    In respect of the potential nominees from the North, Shema, according to a source, was specifically mandated to work in tandem with aggrieved opponents of ‘rebel’ governors in the region with a view to presenting nominees with the clout and stature to rally support for the President when the battle for the 2015 general elections gets under way in months to come.

    Na’Abba heads the list in Kano

    After many years in political hiatus of sorts, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, has suddenly resurrected from the blues.

    In the calculation of the president’s strategists, Na’Abba’s political antecedents, particularly his billigerent posture to the dictatorial actions of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure as speaker from 1999 to 2003, puts him ahead of other politicians being considered as ministers from the Nortwest state.

    In recent times, the former speaker has been spotted in a few political functions dominated by supporters of the president. The most recent was the 17th year anniversary lecture of Bayelsa State where he featured as a guest speaker.

    Beside Na’Abba, some Presidency officials are allegedly rooting for a former presidential aide, Dr. Akilu Ndabawa, to be appointed as minister.

    According to a source, what may however work against Ndabawa is his modest political profile that cannot match that of Na’Abba or the state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is one of the arrowheads of the newPDP which is opposed to the president’s continuation in office beyond 2015.

    Between Alkali and Turaki in Jigawa

    Tentatively pencilled as ministerial nominees from Jigawa State to fill the vacant slot of the sacked Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufai, include a PDP governorship aspirant during the 2011 general elections, Mohammed Alkali and a former governor of the state, Saminu Turaki.

    The Nation reliably gathered that Alkali’s continued opposition to the state governor, Sule Lamido, inspite of several entreaties to sheath his sword, was the major factor working in his favour.

    Alkali is reported to be head and shoulders above other candidates being touted, includingTuraki, who sources say may be dropped based on security reports and allegation of corruption that has been hanging on his neck since he left office in 2007.

    It’s between Abba Gana, Wakil and Jato in Borno

    In the Northeast state of Borno, the battle to replace the former Minister of State for Agriculture, Tijani Bukar, has been narrowed down to three popular politicians.

    They include the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ambassador Mohammed Abba Gana, former Leader of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Wakil and a member of the state House of Assembly, Abba Jato.

    But of the lot, foundation member of the PDP,Wakil, seems to enjoy a high rating among the president’s advisers. Factors working in his favour include his loyalty to the party and cerebral disposition.

    For those pushing Abba Gana’s case, he is described as one of the few Northern politicians who are sticking out their necks in support of the president’s re-election in 2015 and could be relied upon when the chips are down. But according to a source, his advanced age is an handicap, more so coming from a state where the opposition has held on to power since 1999.

    “The PDP is determined to win Borno State in 2015, but a man like Abba Gana, given his age, may not be able to withstand the rigours of electioneering, so the president will prefer a younger politician as minister from the state,”said a source.

    Further checks by The Nation revealed that some top PDP leaders are pushing for the appointment of a member of the state House of Assembly representing Bama Constituency, Abba Jato, as minister.

    A grassroots politician, Jato, according to a source, would have emerged as Speaker if the PDP candidate, Mohammed Goni, had won the 2011 governorship election in the state.

    It’s Gada in Sokoto

    Like in Kano, Jigawa, Niger where the governors have been up in arms with the leadership of PDP, the President is allegedly shopping for a candidate from Sokoto State who can challenge the authority of the state governor, Aliyu Wammako.

    And the man leading the race for now is Alhaji Abubakar Gada, who challenged the incumbent governor for the PDP ticket in 2011.

    Tukur decides in Adamawa

    The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, according to a source, has been saddled with the responsibility of nominating a candidate from his home state, Adamawa.

    Though the name of a former governor of the state, Boni Haruna, is being bandied in certain circles as a ministerial nominee, The Nation gathered that Tukur is not favourably disposed to Haruna’s possible nomination.

    With the crisis in the PDP yet unresolved and the President’s alleged sidelining of ‘rebel’ PDP governors in the nomination of candidates as new ministers, it remains to be seen how those eventually appointed can deliver some key northern states for the President in 2015.

    Intrigues in the South-West zone

    There is serious concern over the fate of PDP down south, especially in the South-West region, considered to be the stronghold of the rampaging APC.

    “The fear within the PDP now is that with the party not in government anywhere in the six states of the region, and given the population and place of the South-West, it will be politically dangerous to leave the situation as it is.

    This explains why two ministers from the region got the marching order the last time. In Osun, where former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola is leading the new PDP onslaught, there is need for the appointment of a minister who can stand up to him and give Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the APC a run for his money.

    It was considered that Erelu Olusola Obada was too much of an Oyinlola person to challenge him effectively. In Ogun, the President’s men want to curtail the influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and at the same time rival the APC government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun ahead of the 2015 general election.

    And in Lagos, Jonathan has his eye on the population. To get this, he must do something about the popularity of two people in the opposition, namely Governor Babatunde Fashola and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The argument is that Segun Aganga is not a politician enough to carry out this assignment and he may soon be excused from the cabinet to pave way for the appointment of a strong political figure who, in their calculation, fits the bill. While Caleb Olubolade is believed to be trying in Ekiti, Jumoke Akinjide in Oyo State will only survive the purge with a stroke of luck,” an associate of the President said.

    Already, names are being touted for the jobs. In Lagos, Chief Mrs. Remi Adiukwu Bakare, a former commissioner and two-time gubernatorial candidate, leads the pack. She is closely followed by the likes of Tunji Shelle and Deji Doherty among others.

    Other names being touted to strengthen the party in the region include Olusola Oke from Ondo and Jide Adeniji from Osun State.

    But pundits say victory for Jonathan in the region come 2015 may not be assured even by the appointment of more ministers.

    The Director of Advanced Centre for Sustainable Development, Dr Bode Olaonipekun, has said it would be very difficult for the PDP to make any appreciable showing in the region, if not outrightly impossible.

    He hinged his position on his belief that the PDP has no record of achievement in the period it has been opportuned to rule in the zone. According to him, the achievements in the about three-year tenure of Rauf Aregbeshola had surpassed those of states which PDP had ruled for over seven years.

    “The people are now wise enough to compare the past and present records in order to know which party has touched their lives positively, the difference would be clear.

    Olaonipekun also said the introduction of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), which is in line with the ideologies of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and past leaders, by the leadership of the region, will ensure that the PDP fail in 2015.

    A chieftain of the PDP, Segun Adewale, who contested on the platform of the party in Alimosho Federal Constituency of Lagos State during the 2011 general elections, is also of the opinion that his party’s plan to overrun the South-West could remain a mirage unless the party leaders, who have continually short-changed the party to satisfy their own selfish interests, have a change of heart.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, said not even the appointment of 20 ministers from the region will give PDP victory in the South-West in 2015.

    “Throughout its eight years in government in the South-West, it did not do anything that would make any Yoruba man to want it to return to the helm of affairs in the zone.

    With all the issues raised above, it is left to be seen how the proposed plan to appoint more ministers in opposition states will help Jonathan and the PDP in the South-West come 2015.

  • ‘Include rotation in the Nigerian constitution’

    Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Delta State, Dr. Meyiwa Jehoida Erewa, in a chat with newsmen suggests inclusion of rotation in the Constitution, Gbenga Aderanti reports.

    Former Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Dr. Meyiwa Jehoida Erewa (JP) has stressed the need for politicians to embrace zoning.

    Reacting to the call by his constituency that he should join the race for the House of Representatives in 2015, he said he joined politics because he found it difficult to sit down and allow those who do not have wherewithal to run the politics in Delta State. According to the ex-Warri South PDP chair, it is an insult to allow amateurs to run the affairs when there are better qualified persons.

    While accepting to join the race, he dismissed the notion of money politics because money does not win election, rather the electorates.

    “ I don’t believe in money politics because when I came into politics, I didn’t spend  money. I believe in the quality in you, the way the people assess and

    accept you. All these years I have been in politics, I have grown to the height of my profession where I can be comfortable with myself. But sitting at home and my office will not help mankind. Let me digress a little.

    Daudu Street area, where I hail from in Warri, is still the way it was in 1948, no development. If you view the area I am talking about from the air, you will see that the colonial masters did a lot in terms of infrastructures: most of the structures there were built by the colonial masters.”

    Explaining why he is pro-zoning, he insisted that zoning promotes unity and peaceful co-existence because everybody is given opportunity of serving without any group feeling neglected.

    “In Nigeria, because of our federal character zoning has contributed immensely to our oneness, peace and political stability. It has given a sense of belonging to all sections of the country and it is my candid opinion that it  should be given legal backing by enshrining it in the Nigerian constitution.”If you take the Warri Federal Constituency for example, you will  find out that since 1999 when democracy came to stay permanently in Nigeria, no politician from Warri South LGA has  represented the constituency in the Federal House of  Representatives while Warri South- West LGA and Warri North LGA have been there for two tenures each and we are saying that for political stability, equity, justice and fair play, 2015 is the turn of Warri South LGA. I support zoning because of it’s unifying force.”

    Erewa, who believes in all inclusive government, said Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has done well so far and appealed to the Delta people to support the governor so as not to distract him. “Nobody will ever say the man has not done well. It is not easy to continue from where your predecessor stopped and still do more because first, you will have to maintain the projects he left for you and to improve on the standard to enable the man who wants to take over from you have a platform to continue.

    “Uduaghan, to a large extent, engaged in mega projects which are capital intensive. We may not see the benefit of it until they are completed. When Warri was to be dualized, critics did not allow people to rest but today if you take a ride round Okere, Cemetery, Warri-Sapele and other roads, you will enjoy it because they are all well tarred. Some persons that left Warri years ago, if they return now may not know their compound because the development vis-a-vis political opportunities have transformed Warri. I believe Uduaghan is doing well  and he should be given opportunity to do more, and the opportunity to aspire to higher position  for continuity purposes.”

    While not saying he is against the local government autonomy, he insisted the management of local government funds is an issue. He advocated a surrogate

    “Local government autonomy is local government freedom, they want the funds to be channelled directly to the local government but they don’t consider the relationship of the state and the local government. If you allow local governments to have their autonomy, who will manage the funds? What I want us to look at is the electoral body, how can we be free from that shackle? For example the current local government transition committees that are on board now, are they managing the funds well? What we should look at here is not local government autonomy but who manages the funds? The man who is put in the position can be a surrogate of someone,” he posited.

    He threw his weight behind having an independent candidate because “the bureaucracy of parties sometimes doesn’t  bring out the best. Independent candidacy can allow someone who the people want to contest without passing through the bottleneck of party process.”

    Erewa advised that Nigerians should allow performance to take its place, adding, that the last election in Edo State was done based on performance because Governor Adams Oshiomhole performed creditably well in his first term. “We are coming to the days where performance will determine who to be voted for. Come 2015, anybody that want to contest must have a track record and not money,” he said.

  • Open letter to Governor Amaechi

    Open letter to Governor Amaechi

    My dear governor, Sometime in 1980, under the tutelage of Professor Okwudiba Nnoli, I was introduced to the study of politics and thoughts of radical scholars. Walter Rodney, I was told, before I even had the opportunity of reading him, challenged every generation, out of relative obscurity, to fulfill its mission or betray it. This has been my watchword since then.

    As governor of Rivers State, you are one in whom every member of my generation must be pleased. In the face of tyranny by a federal government that has demonstrated lack of empathy for the people and cluelessness in discharging its responsibility, like a soldier of democracy, you have stood up to the emperor in Abuja, refusing to be crushed. You opted to speak out even when it appears out of fashion.

    In my corner, I applauded when, assured of the support of majority of the members,you held firm to your mandate as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum even as the emperor and his men chose to chase you out.  Since then, the joke has been on them, justifying how 16 has become the majority in a Club of 36 at a meeting attended by 35 members.

    Then came the charging matriarch who, lacking constitutional role, and the restraint that some polish could provide, has been content with mischief making. She decided to engage you in contest for territorial control. The competition is still on. I salute your courage. I laud your tenacity. I remember the words of Professor Wole Soyinka that the man dies in him who keeps silent or acquiesces in the face of tyranny. You have remained vocal.

    My dear governor, let me encourage you in the words of the Bible that when one walks in the path of righteousness, even if he finds himself in the valley of the shadow of death, he need fear no evil as the Lord would be with him. Be assured that as long as you remain steadfast and refuse to bow to their idols, He will grant you the strength to endure, and hand you victory.

    The path you have chosen to take is indeed narrow. As 2015 draws nearer, you will be deserted by many of those who claim to be solidly with you now. As the foe bares his fangs, many of your aides will jump ship. Those who are convinced that the locus of power is in Abuja are likely to run to obtain their share of the national cake.

    But, please do not listen to those who contend that the emperor is a giant before whom all should tremble and flee. There are giants who have only clay feet. The fact that Abuja has failed so far in getting the state House of Assembly to move in the direction it has chosen shows the majority of the people are for their governor and stand for the truth. I know you need no reminder that the battle is neither to the strong, nor the race to the swift and that the Lord God could choose to confound the wise with the foolish things of this world.

    Remember, brother, that Bola Tinubu of Lagos is a man of like passion. At a point when the sea of the country was turbulent and another emperor, perhaps one more vicious identified him as the one who troubles Nigeria, the then governor of Lagos refused to quake or faint. He looked the man who had thought he controlled all powers in the face and dared him to do his worst. Tinubu did not only survive, he won his respect and guaranteed his place in the hearts of most Lagosians. Today, a visit to his Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi residence is enough to show that the true champion in the political arena is the one who has the people behind and by his side.

    Today, you are a governor. Your performance in the past six years speaks for you, whatever anyone may say. This could translate to a permanent partnership if only you could continue on the path of steadfastness.

    Once again, peoples’ governor, it is the moment of decision. Some men of yesterday who chose to dance to the tune dictated by Abuja have totally lost their relevance. Those who located their masters in Abuja are out of range today. But, as many as realised that popular sovereignty resides permanently in the people, still stand today.

    I beseech you, brother, be ye steadfast, unmovable, stand with the people as a God-given assignment. Only then may you reap the promise that the Egyptians you see today, you shall see no more.

    I wish you the very best on this journey and Davidic victory.

    Your compatriot,

    BOLADE

  • 2015: Lagos APC targets 5m votes

    The Lagos State All Progressive Congress (APC) is work ing towards polling five million votes in the 2015 elections.

    The deputy chairman of the party, Alhaji Abiodun Sunmola, disclosed this at the stakeholders meeting of the East Senatorial District held in Maryland, Lagos.

    Sunmola, who is also the senatorial leader, said: “The task before us now is to mobilise the party members and supporters, ahead of 2015 general elections so that the APC would garner, at least, five million out of six million voters registered in Lagos State.”

    He added: “We should mobilise people to come out and vote in 2015. If Lagos APC can poll five out of six million registered voters in the state, it will boost the chances of the party at the centre. Besides, our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, will have confidence to assert his leadership at the national level.

    “Given the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State is dead, we should go back to our various wards to mobilise for our great party-APC that is capable of leading the country to the promise land. The task before us all is that we should make sure the APC wins, not only in Lagos State, but also at the centre.

    “To this end, we are setting up a committee that would visit all wards to assess the performance of each ward in the mobilisation drive. We should avoid distraction and divisive tendencies. APC is one family”, he added.

    The Publicity Secretary Mr Tunde Temiomu had earlier told the gathering that the purpose of the meeting was to disseminate information about the new party to the grass-roots.

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa disclosed that the leadership of the party is working out a formula for sharing positions among the legacy parties that formed the APC. We want to avoid acrimony in our party. Every segment will be carried along in the decision making. We want to prove to them that internal democracy reigns in the APC, he said.

    Ashafa urged members to work hard for success in 2015. He pray God to grant both Asiwaju Tinubu and General Muhammadu Buhari the wisdom to lead the party to the promise land.

    A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lanre Odubote, recalled that the formation of the APC started the day the House was inaugurated in 2011, when the progressive forces teamed up to elect House officers.

    Odubote buttressed his point by saying that the APC is in the majority in the House today as a result of the crisis rocking the PDP.

    The party scribe, Charles Odugbesan, said, while the restructuring is going on, executives at the ward level have not been dissolved. They would remain till new officers are elected, he said.

    “When the time for congress is ready, it will be announced. We have to accommodate members of the legacy parties in the new executive. Harmonisation Committee will meet very soon and work out formula for sharing offices, Odugbesan added explained.

    Those present at the meeting included Alhaji Sunmola, Senator Ashafa, Hon Odubote, Hon Demorin Kuye, Hon. Gori Ogbara, Alhaji Akanni Seriki, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, Otunba Fatai Olukoga, Mr Temiomu, Mr Odugbesan, Mr Tunde Badmos, Pa Banire, Hon. Dele Onabokun, Dr Olaseinde, Mrs Folake Shokunbi, Hon Dele Korede, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, Obafemi Durosinmi, Mr Olusegun Jamiu, Hon Babafemi Durosinmi, Hon S.A. Idowu, Afolabi Sofola, Alhaji Sikiru Banire an Tunde Braimah

  • ‘Sovereign National Conference more credible than National Conference’

    ‘Sovereign National Conference more credible than National Conference’

    The Convener of Yoruba Assembly, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, highlights the conditions for a successful National Conference. He emphasises that a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is more credible than a National Conference. EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.

    Yoruba General Assembly (YA) yesterday said that ethnic na tionalities should freely elect delegates to the proposed National Conference to make it meaningful. The group also suggested that the conference should be organised without hampering the 2015 general elections.

    Its convener, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), said in a statement that the proposed national census should also be put on hold, until the after the national conference.

    However, the former Chief of Defense Staff, emphasised that a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is more credible than a National Conference (NC).

    The statement reads: “Like most of the other linguistic nationalities that make up Nigeria, the Yoruba nationality in Nigeria have, for decades, persistently called for a rational restructuring of the Nigerian Federation, as well as for a sovereign national conference at which the representatives of Nigeria’s nationalities may address the national question in relation to the Nigerian Federation, and work together to make Nigeria a harmonious, stable and thriving land of opportunities for all Nigerians.

    “Virtually every Yoruba citizen of note, and countless Yoruba leadership and civic organizations, have joined their voices to this call at various times. As recently as August 30, 2012, representatives of Yoruba communities and organizations at home and in diaspora met in Ibadan under the aegis of the Yoruba Assembly to discuss, among other important issues, the Yoruba position on the structure and management of the Nigerian Federation and the appropriate constitution for Nigeria.

    “The Yoruba, at one with other Nigerian nationalities, have waited patiently on the Federal Government of Nigeria to respond to these calls. It is, therefore, a welcome development that President Goodluck Jonathan has finally decided, two years after the election that brought him to power in 2011, to organise a national conference.

    “On behalf of the Yoruba nation, therefore, and in respectful cognizance of the expressed demandsand desires of the Yoruba people, and of countless organizations, leaders and fathers of the Yoruba nation, the Yoruba Assembly welcomes the opportunity hereby offered by President Jonathan for Nigerian nationalities to confer and design Nigeria as a federation wherein each of Nigeria’s federating nationalities shall be protected from domination by any other Nigerian nationality, and wherein each Nigerian nationality shall be able to develop its economy at its own pace within the framework of a united Nigerian Federation or Nigerian Union.

    “Although the sovereign status of the proposed conference is not clear in the swearing-in speech given by President Jonathan, the Assembly believes that the President’s decision to establish a forum for a national conference is appropriate and a welcome beginning. However, the Yoruba Assembly urges the National Conference Advisory Committee to note that the most credible conference in the present circumstances of our country is one that has sovereign powers to transform the current pseudo-federal constitution to a truly federal constitution that captures the wishes of the peoples of our country.

    “We also enjoin President Jonathan to employ all the powers of the Federal Government to see the national conference to a successful accomplishment of the task of shaping Nigeria into a Union of harmony, stability, and progress that can allow Nigerians to exercise their rights and responsibilities in a modern multiethnic Nigerian State.

    Therefore,with regards to the modalities and operations of the national conference, the Yoruba Assembly offers the following: “That the linguistic nationalities that make up Nigeria are the fundamental components of Nigeria, and that the Nigerian Federation or Nigerian Union is, and should be, a federation based upon theaction and consensus of Nigeria’s linguistic nationalities.

    “That a national conference convened to work out a better structure for the survival of Nigeria as one territorial entity characterized by peaceful co-existence of the Nigerian nationalities should not be subject to the stresses of partisan political party confrontations, and that the organisation of the conference should be devoid of any direct participation by any of the existing political parties, as political parties, in the country.

    “That, while all Yoruba people respect political parties as vitally crucial instruments for the running of the country’s democratic processes, we believe, however, that involving partisan political parties in the national conversation of the national conference is capable of creating avoidable tension and distraction for meaningful dialogue among the nation’s federating units.

    “That the primary interest groups in the Nigerian multiethnic state are the linguistic nationalities and that the conference should be a conference of representatives of the linguistic nationalities freely chosen by the nationalities.

    “That the conference should be given the freedom and support it needs to do a thorough job in good time, in order to ensure that the national conference will not disrupt the statutory calendar for the 2015 general elections.

    “That arrangements for a national census count, for which the President has already appointed some officials, be postponed until after the ratification of new constitutional provisions emanating from the national conference”.

  • Lagos deputy governor urges transparency

    Lagos deputy governor urges transparency

    Lagos State Deputy Governor Adejoke Adefulire has called on public office holders and career civil servants to prioritise public accountability and efficient service delivery to enable people enjoy good governance, economic prosperity and peace in the society.

    Adefulire spoke at the special service for senior civil servants and public office holders organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), National Headquarters, Ebute Meta. She said there was the need for public office holders to solve various problems through the implementation of people oriented programmes that can address unemployment, education, housing , security, urban and infrastructure renewal.

    The deputy governor said that, since election and appointment into political offices are based on public trust and confidence, it is important that those holding such positions should fear God and implement programmes and policies that can better the lots of people.

    ‘’People holding public offices should be accountable to the people and give priority attention to programmes that can alleviate poverty, reduce hunger, promote equity and love among the citizenry.’ she said.

    While thanking the RCCG for reawakening the consciousness of public office holders through the programme, Orelope explained that sustainable development can only be achieved when leaders allow the fear of God to guide them and treat people with equality, while implementing government policies and programmes in the best way that can have positive impact on the people. She called on men of God not to relent in their prayer for peaceful co-existence in the country.

    The deputy governor, who was optimistic that the country will still regain its leadership position in the continent, charged all the stakeholders to work together and fashion out how sustainable development would be achieved. She equally wantappropriate solutions to be profered to the problem of insecurity that is threatening the peaceful co existence among ethnic groups in the country.

    Earlier, in his sermon, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, urged politicians and political office holders to use their positions to serve humanity and God, warning that every soul and leader would give account of how he spent his life and position. Quoting from the book of Jeremiah, he said: “God is watching you when you are serving government”.

    He also admonished leaders to exercise restraint in their pursuit of power and position, adding that any position that is not of God would claim the occupier at the prime of his service adding””when you are serving God, God is watching but if you serve him dilligently you have your great reward.”

     

  • Sambo, Yero battle ‘New PDP’ in Kaduna

    Sambo, Yero battle ‘New PDP’ in Kaduna

    The crisis rocking the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has spilled over to Kaduna State as some members have declared support for the Kawu Baraje faction. TONY AKOWE reports. 

     

    The battle for the control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna has started between the mainstream leadership and the faction led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje. Since 2007, it has been an open secret that all was not well with the party in the state. However, the warring leaders have been able to manage their differences. The emergence of the the former governor, now Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, did not go down well with some party members, who felt that the former governor, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, now a senator, imposed him on the state.

    A few months after assuming office, the relationship between Sambo and Makarfi went sour. From that moment, the Makarfi team was poised to pull the rug off his feet. But luck smiled on him. He was appointed Vice President, which paved the way for the former governor, the late Patrick Yakowa, to take over as governor.

    There is a renewed hostility now. Many of those loyal to Makarfi have gone back to the trenches, in a bid to wrest the party structure from the Vice President.

    Even though Senator Makarfi has not personally identified with any of the PDP factions, some of his supporters have identified with the Abubakar Baraje-led faction. They accused the Vice President of failure to unite the party in the state. They alleged that, rather than revamp and shore up the fortunes of the party, he has contributed to the downward plung of its fortunes.

    Former Chairman of the party i Audi Yaro Makama, is leading the state faction that is supporting the Baraje faction.

    The leaders of the faction recently argued in a statement that “the revolutionary decision to sack the erstwhile leadership under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and replace it with the current one led by Baraje, needs to be replicated in all states chapters, especially Kaduna State, where the support base of the party has been shrinking, since 2007 when Sambo became governor and decided to rubbish the party and its supporters to no end.” They said this decision was taken after deep reflections on happenings in Kaduna State, since the elevation of Architect Namadi Sambo as Vice President.

    “It is instructive that, since his elevation, the fortunes and prestige of the party has been declining, rather than improving, because he has been incapable of rallying the people under its umbrella. Although this is hardly surprising, since he lacks the political wherewithal and the requisite structure, but it was expected that he would come to terms with his inadequacies and enlist the support of established political actors.

    “This expectation has been a forlorn hope because the Vice President has surrounded himself with political paperweights. These hangers on drive Sambo’s vehicle of political exclusionism by hunting for enemies, even where they don’t exist. All efforts by concerned party members and elders to make him see reason, as well as draw the attention of the sacked party leadership, were in vain”, they alleged.

    The faction, which called itself “Save Kaduna Group,” further said that the “fortune of the party in Kaduna State began to nose dive, since 2007 and the relief envisaged after the 2011 elections was, unfortunately, short-lived and we are today back to the days of the locust. Nothing positive is happening; governance is at a standstill; we have a government that is seemingly an auto pilot and, whenever the pilot remembers that he is supposed to be steering a ship, he begs for navigational and other aids from somewhere else”.

    However, the mainstream eadership of the part, promptly dismissed the split, saying that the PDP is in tact. Dismissing the New PDP, the party said those claiming to be the New PDP are only seeking cheap relevance. Kaduna PDP spokesman Alhaji Ibrahim Mansur, who described the leaders of the New PDP as political opportunists, said that the “group of political opportunists led by Makama and a former member of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Gideon Morik, is completely wrong. He said: “The Kaduna State Chapter of the PDP remains solidly behind the leadership of our National Chairman, Alhaji (Dr) Bamanga Tukur.

    “There is only one PDP, which is the one led by Bamanga Tukur. This much has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. The claim by the so-called group is false and totally criminal, as the party is intact and united under the able leadership of Dr A G Haruna. The PDP in Kaduna State remains undivided and one big family that is committed to the Transformation Agenda of our leader, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his Vice, Arc. Sambo”.

    Mansur lampooned the breakaway group, descring its members as politicians, who are well known for self centredness.

    “Makama and his ilk are self-centred politicians, who are bent on discrediting Vice President Sambo over their insatiable quest for patronage and accumulation of wealth. Any attempt at creating confusion by political jobbers, under the guise of dirty party politics, will surely attract the attention of law enforcement agencies.

    “We reject the negative ploy by Makama and a handful of ‘food is ready’ politicians in his camp aimed at creating confusion in the party. Makama must be reminded that there is time for everything; he cannot remain the chairman of PDP forever. It is his turn to follow others just like he was followed during his time”.

    However, the Tukur faction seems to be gathering support across the state among the youths. The youths said those claiming to be the New PDP in the state were over heating the polity. The leader of the youths, Danjuma Sarki, described those behind the New PDP as desperate politicians and spent forces, who want to fight their way back into political relevance, after failing to come to terms with the fact that their time was up.

    “It is no doubt that this is an obvious move by some spent forces to launch themselves back into political relevance after failing to come to terms with the fact that their time is up and a new order has taken pre-eminence in the state.

    “We, therefore, call on the general public to disregard them and their antics for underserved recognition at a time like this when the party is poised to consolidate on its victory at the last local government council elections.

    “We are baffled that these desperate politicians, who claimed that the fortunes and prestige of the party has been declining, rather than improving because the Vice President, Arch. Namadi Sambo has been incapable of rallying the people under its umbrella. But it must be stated that, in the history of the party in the state, there has never been a time when the party was victorious in 22 out of the 23 local government council chairmanship elections and also won 246 out of 255 councillorship seats in the state. Suffice it to say that Yaro Makama and his co-travellers lack the simple sense of assessment of political fortune and integrity of a party or are they suffering from some kind of dementia,” Sarki said.

    Justifying its support for the Old PDP, the youths said, since the emergence of Sambo as the governor and his elevation to his current position, the party in the state has continued to wax stronger. It added that it would amount to sheer blackmail or crass ignorance to claim not to be aware of the in-road the party is making as a result of the purposeful leadership of the state governor and the vice president.

    They described Sambo as a leader of the party in the state and the entire northern states. “We, therefore, wish to state our unalloyed loyalty to the party leadership in the state headed by Hon. A.G. Haruna, the government of Kaduna and that of the Goodluck/Sambo and call on all well-meaning people of the state to continue to rally round them”, they said.

    Urging the people to remain focused and resolute in the pursuit of the Transformation Agenda, the youths called on past and present leaders to be cautious with their statements. They called for efforts that would further consolidate the purposeful leadership of the governor.

    “We should all learn to explore the necessary process of seeking redress within the party whenever we are aggrieved, instead of resorting to crude means that might polarise us”.

    Similarly, local government chairman on the platform of the PDP also dismissed the New PDP, saying that the PDP remained one in the state. They pledged their support to the state executive of the party and the governor.

    Speaking at a news conference, the Chairman of ALGON said what is happening in the party was normal, pointing out that they remain loyal to the party. There is no doubt that there are serious efforts in the state to ensure that the Vice President loses out in the party in the state, he alleged.

    It is, however, not known what Sambo and his team are doing to ensure that the party remains one. While there are efforts at reconciling the two factions at the national level, there is no effort at reconciliation in the state. Unless this is done, the party may be heading for the rock, especially, with the All Progressive Congress (APC) strongly mobilising ahead of the 2015 elections.

     

  • ‘No plan to change House leadership’

    ‘No plan to change House leadership’

    House of Representatives member Hon. Teejay Yusuf, who represents Kabba-Bunu Constituency, Kogi State, is the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Information Communication Technology. He spoke with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crises.

     

    Few weeks ago, there was fracas on the floor of the House over the visit of G-7 governors. What do you make of such development?

    Ironically, that incident confirmed the fact that we have done well. For the first time in about three years, that was the first time such a fracas happened. In every democracy, the parliament is always a fulcrum of ideas. The House is a forum for the contention of ideas; there is always a contending stream of ideas and opinions on the floor. The Parliament in Britain, America and other places is always a place for the resolution of conflicting ideas. The way you handle such conflicts determines how well you come out or how bad you come out. What happened in the House of Representatives was in tune with parliamentarians’ tendency to openly express their displeasure about certain things.

    The G-7 and other governors and leaders of the party have a right to be in the National Assembly, and nobody contests that fact. Alhaji Kawu Baraje, the purported chairman of a faction of the PDP, has a right to be in the National Assembly. But what was challenged was under which guise or which authority are these persons doing what they are doing. Are you coming as a former National Secretary of the party? Good. Are you coming as a former Acting Chairman or coming as governors of the ruling party? Fantastic. But, if you are coming as a ‘chairman’ to address a caucus of the PDP, we are legislators and lawmakers and we cannot sit and watch such an aberration being encouraged. What we are saying is this: can anybody wake up anywhere in the world and call himself the governor of a state with just a press conference? Will that be a legitimate claim? I am not denying the fact that they could have legitimate grievances that they want to express. But, how you go about it is a different thing all together. What happened on the floor when they came was that a member of the PDP caucus raised a point of order to say “I want to know what the modus operandi of this meeting is”.

    On what grounds are they here? Secondly, how come I, as a Parliamentarian, I’m standing while hangers-on that came here with these people are sitting. It is supposed to be a PDP caucus meeting, but PDP parliamentarians were standing. So, the intention of the Point of Order that was raised was to draw attention towards ensuring that this anomaly could be taken for what it was and corrected. If you observed very well, when the Speaker of the House was speaking, no other contrary voice was heard. But when it was Baraje’s turn to speak, the members said no, let us clarify this. Who are you?

    But the impression that many people now have is that the so-called PDP faction which initially claims to have 57 members, is now strong enough to claimed that it can effect a change in the House leadership. What do you say to that?

    You see, it is natural for those who are disadvantaged to seek unnecessary attention to bolster their ego. You want to encourage and psyche yourself up. If you watch a boxing bout, as the boxer is going into the ring, he has somebody by his side saying to him ‘You are the champ, you are the best’. So, whoever has made such claim is only trying to encourage his co-travellers or colleagues. Unfortunately, our politics, as it is now, the state governors have a huge role to play in who emerges or re-emerges as House of Representatives members. Those who know will always understand that. If you take that away, most of them will not be with those governors. So, they can go with their governors now, but others will not go with governors, who work against their party. We have 288 (PDP) members. The whole of the states, where we have these pockets of agitations, have a total number of about 58 members (in the House of Representatives). So, how can they have 108? Where are they producing it? By every political calculation, is it not logical that it should be us that should have more numbers? But I don’t join issues with such illusions. I can assure you that when we get to the river, we will cross it.

    The PDP House of Representatives members are intact. We are solidly behind the party and we are advising anybody, even our leaders, who have genuine grievances, to go through the right channel of the party. It is not the first time that parties will have issues. All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), for instance, had theirs for about four years. It’s not possible for you to have cleavages and interests struggling for relevance and not have these challenges. But when has it become a National Assembly issue? Was APGA issue brought to the National Assembly? The idea of bringing it is to seek relevance and do some bit of propaganda to help in negotiating and get some mileage for themselves. But we want to say that the business of governance is very important. The House of Representatives is committed to that under the able leadership of the Speaker and we will not allow any distractions whatsoever, to move us from the focus of delivering to Nigerians, the dividends of democracy that they deserve.

    It is also said that many members of the House of Representatives, including people in your group, the Unity Forum, are working underground towards effecting a change in the leadership of the House?

    What has the leadership of the House of Representatives got to do with the issue on ground? Just because some people addressed the press and said they have a new party?

    I’m talking ‘about the’ PDP Patriots’ and the Unity Forum’, the groups to which you belong.

    I thank God that you used two words now, patriot and unity. If you are a patriot, is causing confusion on the floor of the House in any tandem with being a patriot? Is causing disaffection and trying to rock the boat in the House in tandem with the position of unity? I will tell you very loud and clear that there is nobody interested in removing the leadership of the House as it is constituted right now. We believe that we will achieve more, if we do not delve into such distractions. The 7th House of Representatives has been able to achieve this milestone because of the level of harmony that we have enjoyed and the intention of the Unity Forum. For most members they want the House to be insulated from the shenanigan, the needless intrigues that is going on.

    Come to think of it, who amongst us in the House of Representatives was part of these challenges when they occurred? Whose interest were those people serving? If they are resolved, how many of us will be called? So, why should they turn the House to the theatre of the crisis? Of a truth, if you belong to a political party, is it showing loyalty and love for that party to move a party issue on the floor of the National Assembly? Of course, it’s clear they have a different thing in mind. However, I can speak based on the privilege of the group I have had meetings with, that there has never been an issue in our agenda to think of the removal of any principal officer and we encourage the leadership to remain focussed and not be distracted.

    We understand that, once you take 2015 away from this, all the crisis will cease. So, one thing we sincerely appeal to our leaders is to ensure that they do not allow what is in the hand of God, what no man has ability or capacity to determine how it goes and where it does not go, rob us of the privilege and the result we can achieve now. God, ultimately rules in the affairs of men. Posterity will judge us. Posterity will record us. Posterity will play back whatever role we play today. This country emerged from a very agonizing, painful military rule.

    I was privileged to be in the thick of the action as a student union leader and I don’t pray we should return to those days again. We might not value what we have now, but God forbids, if we lose it, that’s when we will understand that we have moved beyond what we can imagine. Power and whoever has it, is in the hand of God. The 7th House of Representatives has a responsibility to continue to give direction and leadership. I believe that the House, as presently constituted, will shape how Nigeria will be in the next 20 years. We have a real opportunity and a real privilege. What we do with it will determine the result we get. What you sow today will bear fruit tomorrow. If you plant the right seed, you will reap the right fruit. You can’t plant cocoyam and reap cassava. They might look alike; they are both tubers. But they are not the same.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • What Agagu ‘ll be remembered for, by Senator

    What Agagu ‘ll be remembered for, by Senator

    In this piece, Second Republic Senator Michael Onukun extols the virtues of the former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu, who was laid to rest at the weekend

    Nicolo Machiavelli took more than 400 years after his death to earn a

    mark of greatness through an epitaph erected at his grave in Florence in

    Latin: “Tanto Nomini Nullum Par Elogium,” meaning: “Of this great man, no praise is adequate.”

    Chief Obafemi Awolowo was perhaps, luckier. It took his condolence register time before his interment to be named the best President that Nigeria never had. Ironically, this declaration was made by those who opposed the acclaimed leader of the people and constantly denied Chief Awolowo their votes to block his many chances of being elected President.

    Geniuses in a generation are very scarce indeed, not easy to find. The ones identified among us therefore should be accorded life-enchancing appreciation and encouragement while still alive, in order to maximize their resources for the general good of the people. The lack of candour and love shown towards our great men often hastened their death, so much so that the rush of post humous encomiums and eulogies became valueless to the dead but constituted a bad lesson to the living.

    I have recognised the traits of a genius in Dr Olusegun Agagu and did not hestitate to tell him so. The realisation drew me closer to him to encourage and advise him and sometimes, to warn about pitfalls besetting the paths of great men. True, Dr Agagu was a loving personality, liberal minded and light-hearted man, who devoted his life and time to the service of his people totally, even at the risk of his own health. He overworked himself no doubt, shunning all admonition to embrace increased delegation to allow himself more time to rest.

    Like Ceaser, Dr Agagu did not fear death. He often argued that his father did not live long enough to make him believe he could do better at the rate he was going.

    Adolf Hitler was a genius of a special class. That cannot de disputed. Wasn’t Alexander the Great a genius too? Whether they had put their abilities and activities to a good use or not is beside the issue.

    In Berlin, on April 30, 1945, Hitler retreated to his room in the bunker, leaving his last two faithful, Jioseph Goebells and Martin Bormann, outside. With the sudden sound of a muffled gunshot from the direction of Hitler’s room, both men raced to burst the door and found the lifeless bodies of Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, lying on their bed. Goebells immediately ran outside and cried: “Our Fuerher (Leader) is dead, the heart of Germany has ceased to beat.”

    Now, Dr Agagu is gone! When comes such another?

    Come, let us join together to sipplicate Almighty God to grant Agagu’s soul eternal rest that he can no longer shun.

     

  • ‘I never influenced Deji’s appointment’

    ‘I never influenced Deji’s appointment’

    Two days before the plane crash, which claimed the life of Ondo State Commissioner for Tourism Deji Falae, his father, Chief Olu Falae, frontline Afenifere chieftain and former Secretary to the Federal Military Government, spoke on his son and his foray into politics. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN met him in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

     

     

     

    Why did you back Labour Party in the last governorship election in Ondo State?

    I didn’t back the Labour Party, but its candidate, Olusegun Mimiko, on self recognition. My support for him was because he performed. Since my party didn’t field any candidate for the election, I decided to back Mimiko.

    I didn’t lobby Mimiko to appoint my son, Deji, as commissioner. Mimiko and Deji came to know each other in 1999, when I was running for Presidency. They were in the field together campaigning for me. That was how they met and they have sustained the friendship till today. I didn’t influence his appointment by Mimiko, first as board chairman, and as commissioner.

    Nigeria is 53. Would you say this is Nigeria of your dream?

    Certainly no. At independence in 1960, my generation was just entering university. We were excited and hoped that, within one or two decades, Nigeria would have completely transformed and occupied a place of pride in the comity of nations. Shortly after independence, it has been crisis after crisis. We had the Western Regional crisis that led to the trial of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo for treason, which led to a breakdown of law and order in the region. Remember operation wet e; thereafter in 1966, there was a bloody military coup in which some leaders like the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Premier of the North Ahaji Ahmadu Bello, and his counterpart in the the West Ladoke Akintola, were killed. The aftermath of the coup was the mass killing of Ibos in the North, which culminated in the outbreak of the civil war that lasted two-and-half years. Invariably, the forces that could not brook opposition in the post independence era drew back the hand of the clock. It shattered our dream of a great nation as young Nigerians then.

    What are those things you think we are not getting right in this country?

    We have not got the right leadership. Nigeria is blessed with virtually everything such as large population, large market, good climate, mineral resources etc. But leadership, which is very critical is missing. That is why other centres of power are not developing that explains why we have been wasting our resources and missing our chances. It was lack of right leadership that had led to the emergence of sectional militant groups like the MEND, OPC, MASSOB, and now the dreadful Boko Haram.

    A joker comes whenever we want to choose a leader. A cabal decides on who becomes our leader. No matter his antecedent. Once he can do their biddings. That is why our leaders have been selfish, sectional and juvenile in attitude-lacking mature minds. Many of our leaders steal public funds to invest abroad. I was in Dubai recently, a business tycoon over there accosted me thinking I was one of the Nigerians, who came to invest billions in Dubai. He told me that one-quarter of his company’s customers are Nigerians. Our leaders invest public funds stolen in other economy, not Nigerian economy. Money that could have been used to build electric generating plants, rehabilitate schools and hospitals, modernise agriculture, reconstruct cities and towns, and provide water for our people are being used to buy houses in Dubai. In the past, it was Switzerland, but now, Dubai has become the first choice in keeping stolen funds. It is part of the illness and tragedy of our time.

    When Chief Awolowo was alive, he lived and dreamt of peoples’ welfare and development. Western Region was a pace setter under him. He introduced the first television in Africa at a time when some European countries were yet to have television. He built the first standard stadium in the country. He was the first to introduce free primary education and free healthcare for children of school age and his government was the first to establish Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in Nigeria despite being a christian. Awolowo used his house at Ibadan as collateral for a bank loan taken by farmers at Elere Village to establish Gari Processing Plant.

    Unless we have government and leaders that de-emphasise the acquisition of wealth and personal aggrandisement, what we are lamenting today will continue to persist. The present day may even be better than the future. I moved into this house in 1979. Since then, there is no public water supply and most of the time the generators are on for power supply. What have we done in the past 53 years with all the oil wealth?

    Do you regret losing the 1999 presidential election?

    I won the election. The result obtained by my agents at different collation centres and brought to me showed that I won the election by 1.2 million votes. Former President Jim Carter of United States, who led an observer team, told me “you are being wronged”. I asked him to say it in public. Carter addressed a press conference and said: “The true result of election observed by my team was different from what was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).” The pressure was on me to launch a nationwide fight, but I told my supporters that I didn’t enter politics to cause pain or crisis. My intention was to serve. It is not a do or die. If you don’t allow the wish of the people to prevail you can never get it right. The power brokers prevented Awolowo, MKO Abiola and Falae from ruling the country because they would not play their game. If you keep frustrating the people’s choice, the nation will never get out of the woods. God is righteous. He can never support fraud.

    How has it being reviving the Social Democratic Party (SDP), ahead of 2015?

    We have started mobilising support for the party. People feel nostalgia for the SDP because it was the party that once controlled the National Assembly, that produced 22 governors out of 30, that had majority in most state Houses of Assembly and that bridged the political, ethnic, religious and other divides in Nigeria. All these achievements surge the minds of the people when they hear the party’s name. It’s image is working for us. It is being well received across the country. People are happy about it. We are launching the party on October 31, in Abuja.

    You were the Minister of Finance when military President Ibrahim Babangida introduced the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which many believe ruined the economy. Sir what do you think went wrong during its implementation?

    Babangida announced the adoption of the SAP on December 18, 1985. That announcement brought to an end the debate over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. I was appointed Secretary to the Federal Government on January 30, 1986, six weeks after announcement. I was never involved in the planning of the SAP. I supported it because the thrust of the SAP was right. SAP was intended to liberate Nigerians from economic bureaucratic control of the Marketing Board, Central Bank, Price Control Board. From 1945 to 1986, it was the Marketing Board that determined the price of cocoa. The cocoa farmers were the highest tax payers in this country as they paid 40 per cent of their earnings as tax. That SAP had stopped. SAP also eliminated import license because people were free to import directly and eve earn foreign exchange. During the Shagari regime, Nigeria imported goods worth $34 billion that we could not pay for. SAP became the solution to the problem. IMF could have paid off the $34 billion but it could have taken over the management of our economy by positioning its officials in the Federal Ministry of Finance. Shagari’s incompetence caused the crisis.

    Prior to the introduction of the SAP, the Cenral Bank determined the foreign exchange arbitrarily. It was stopped. Market forces determine the value of naira. By the time I left government in August 1990, the exchange rate was N5.50k to a dollar. Soon, after I left, it rose. By the time Obasanjo took over in 1999, it was N86 to dollar. The mismanagement led to over valuation of naira. The naira is still undervalued. The level of foreign reserve warrants a stronger currency.

    President Jonathan’s ambition to run in 2015 has split the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the crisis is affecting governance. As an elder statesman, what would you advise him?

    Well, I am not a member of the PDP. I don’t involve myself in the internal affairs of other political parties. But on his 2015 ambition, Jonathan has the right to seek re-election for a second term, based on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. The constitution permits him. He’s acting within the precint of the constitution. The law does not stop him from completing the Yar’Adua’s term following his death. Those against Jonathan’s running in 2015 should go to the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the constitution. If people don’t want him, they will reject him at the poll.

    What is your assessment of the Jonathan Administration?

    He has done fairly well despite the monumental problems confronting him in the past two years. His major problem is the PDP made up of opportunists that ganged up for power. They are not committed to the country but what individual can grab. Besides, some people vowed to make the country ungovernable for him shortly after 2011 presidential election. The aftermath of this threat is the Boko Haram insurgence.

    However, Jonathan himself was not fully ready for presidency. For someone who wants to rule a heterogeneous country like Nigeria he must be well prepared. Before I came out to contest presidency in 1999, i had prepared a blue print with inputs from technocrats, professionals and politicians. Jonathan found himself in trouble because of lack of preparation. The problems are many and complex. He needs to sit down and fine tune his strategy. By and large we have other presidents that have failed the country in the past.

    Are you satisfied with the government’s handling of security challenges in the country?

    Now, yes, but before, no. I have always advocated military action against terrorists. Every fight will end up on peace table. The First World War ended on a peace table. Jonathan wasted about one year dilly dallying on Boko Haram problem. I was not happy with him until he started fighting. Military action is part of the solution. If Boko Haram believes in violence, persuade them through military action.

    The Yoruba leaders have complained against the marginalisation of the ethnic group by the Jonathan Administration. What steps have been taken to reverse the situation?

    The marginalisation is real. Do you know that in some key sectors of the bureaucracy, there are no Yoruba directors in the past 60 years? We under the platform of Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) met President Jonathan to formerly present our case. He acknowledged that there was marginalisation and promised to address it. Now tabulation of appointments in the civil service has started with a view to correct imbalance in the system.

    President Jonathan has set up a committee on the national conference. What’s your view?

    It is a welcome development. The ultimate solution to most of the problems in the country is restructuring. The national conference will lead to that. More powers will be devolved to the regions and more funds would be given to them to perform their functions. That was the British plan for a heterogeneous society like ours. With restructuring, marginalisation will become a thing of the past.