The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • APC: A possible winning formula

    APC: A possible winning formula

    As if he was reading my mind, an analyst, in the Nigerian Tribune, “On the Lord’s day”, 4 August, 2013, p.17 wrote: “I dare to say that whoever the APC picks as its presidential candidate and running mate will, however, go a long way to determine its success or failure in 2015”. The war of words between the APC and the presidency through its media aide, Doyin Okupe, may not help the PDP as a political party. The senseless bold face of Doyin Okupe and his accompanying uncouth language appears to me a contradictory supposition.

    In one breath, he dismissed APC as no threat to the PDP, and in another breath, he displayed the attitude of a man who was so jittery about the appearance of the new party on the political scene that he began to attack the APC viciously, like an Alaska dog! But everybody knows that Doyin Okupe’s boast –an empty one”is a cover-up for the underlying fears of the presidency and the PDP on the glorious emergence of the APC. However, the APC has something to gain from the PDP’s doublespeak. First, it should enable them to develop a strategy of negative thinking. By this I mean, they should take the boasting aspect of the PDP’s strategy and work on it. Working on it is not to take things for granted. Not taking things for granted is to adopt the hypothesis of the possibility or probability of losing the election in 2015 while the PDP holds on to an unjustified belief and confidence of winning the same election in 2015 at all costs.

    As of today, the a priori probability of either of the two parties winning or losing the election in 2015 is 50:50. The party that may likely lose the election is the one that boasts of winning, and this may be as a result of illusion or overconfidence. With such an illusory confidence, the PDP may write off, to its own peril, as Doyin Okupe and the presidency have done, the APC and so do not bother to work hard on the electorate but rely solely on rigging in order to raise their probability of winning beyond 50 out of the 50:50. In this way, they are open to an element of surprise, more so as rigging of election may not be easy or even possible in 2015, owing to the general awareness of the electorate on the national issues at stake, the underlying grievances of the masses who have endured the ruling party’s drunken orgy of corruption, the obscene divide between the stupendously rich PDP politicians and an equally obscene neglect of the poor masses they are supposed to serve and service. Added to this is the general sophistication of Nigerians, young and old, men and women, in this age of the internet when rigging activities of elections can easily be captured by various electronic gadgets.

    While the PDP dreams away in their positive thinking of winning the election, the APC should adopt negative thinking, i.e., think about the possibility, or even probability, of losing the election. It is this negative thinking that would do the magic, as their strategies and activities would be seriously focused on the opposite of losing, which is winning. When a man wants to cross from one side of the road to the other side, his first thought is a negative one, i.e., that he/she may be crushed by an oncoming vehicle from either side of the road if he/she jumped into the road without looking right and left. It is this negative thinking that makes him look right and left before he/she crosses the road. He/she is afraid of instant death, just as the fear of death makes people take their drugs religiously. In this case, I dare say, it is the fear of death (negative thinking) that keeps people alive! So, the APC should think about the possibility or probability of losing. That will make them do the things that would not make them lose. And if they do not lose, then they win.

    What is going on now is APC playing a game with an agent i.e. the PDP. In playing this game the APC has to adopt some of the principles of Games and Decision Theory. First, you must think that your opponent (PDP) is not a fool or unintelligent. You must also think that they are rational, smart, and capable of doing many things and anything to win the election. You then research into all the things – possible or actual – they can do and incapable of doing and then go on to neutralise what you think they can do by means of a superior strategy. To do this, you have to maximise your expected utility or gain and minimise your loss. Maximisation of expected utility would help you make a choice between the uncertainty of alternative outcomes .i.e., winning or losing. It is at this stage of maximisation of expected utility or gain that we propose our possible winning formula for the APC, bearing in mind our quotation at the beginning of this piece, and the fact that ours is a mere proposal or an intelligent guide only.

    It is everybody’s belief that APC would prefer victory to defeat. Imagining defeat would force them into working for victory, and this must force them into making a choice under the uncertainty of the outcomes of the election. The following is probably a good, although may not be the best, option, taking into consideration the past and present political situations, alignment and realignment of forces in the political equation. We shall assume that the APC is not a coterie of selfish politicians.  And we must remember that there are more than 50,001 positions to be filled by party faithful at the federal and state levels.  Obviously, the first and most important office is the presidency. The APC seems to have settled for a Northern President (from the North-West, North-East or North-Central). This is inevitable, since the incumbent president is bent on going ahead to contest. Other things to be considered are a confluence of zonal, religious and ethnic balancing, which are necessary to capture votes from all the zones of the federation. This, at least, is to give every zone a sense of belonging.

    At present, the South-South parades Jonathan as the president. By our political calculation, their counterpart, the South-East, should automatically fill the position of the Vice-President as part of the presidency. The natural choice of candidate may come from Imo State which has worked hard for the APC and is now body and soul in the new party. The state should be rewarded for its loyalty and steadfastness. The third position is the Senate President which, by our formula, should automatically go to the South-West. The fourth and fifth positions of Speaker and Secretary to the Federal Government should be up for grabs by the South-South, North-East or North-Central. The Chairmanship of the party should go to the South-West for obvious reasons, while the position of Publicity Secretary is a ready-made one for Alhaji Lai Mohammed from the North-Central. He is a tested Publicity Secretary, always a thorn in the flesh of the PDP, with his quick and brilliant responses to issues that he always backed with copious researches. To me, he is somebody that the APC must retain as Publicity Secretary from the defunct ACN. The positions of National Secretary, Treasurer and Legal Adviser should be shared by two of the North-East, North-West and South-South states depending on which zones got the Speaker and Secretary to the Federal Government. For the position of Chairman of Board of Trustees, one of the hard-working leaders of the merging parties should be favoured. The positions of Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker would emerge with the realisation that the zones that produced Senate President and Speaker cannot produce the Deputies. By all means, the APC should maximise its expected utility or gain by refusing to play the selfish cards. If they win, all members of APC win. If they lose, all of them lose, and that would be disastrous to all of them without any remainder.

    The APC should make adequate use of high technology, more so as the party is made up of intellectually sophisticated people. For a start, it should embark on an aggressive on-line registration of electorate throughout the country, making sure it captures a greater percentage of the three categories of electorate, viz, the youth, men and women, of voting age. It should then go for the undecideds. The party should also go into romance with the academics, students and workers of different descriptions. Although they are not as many as the poor masses, the industrialists, entrepreneurs, corporations, captains of industries and influential individuals in the society should be courted with popular programmes that would appeal to the working, low, and middle classes, and the general masses of Nigerians whose improved purchasing powers and standard of living would be to the advantage of the big businessmen and industrialists who would find a ready market to sell their products. If APC can win the hearts of workers, students, the academics who make up the low and middle class and make the entire womenfolk fall in love with the party, the undecided could easily fall into line of the progressive voters. The party should have Zonal and National Think Tanks and Shadow Cabinet to monitor the activities of all members of Jonathan’s cabinet.

    Gladly enough, the APC is already known for its popular progressive ideology of the greatest good of the greatest number, or the greatest happiness of the greatest number, prosperity and life more abundant for all, as opposed to the ideology of the greatest good and happiness of a few privileged Nigerians by which the PDP has cornered the wealth of the entire nation to themselves, as researches into local and international newspaper reports and other publications on outlandish corruption, scams and criminal embezzlement of public funds have shown from 1999 to date, not to talk of the incredibly huge bank accounts, indecent styles of living and the fantastic number of houses they have got in places like Abuja, Lagos, Dubai, Britain, USA, Continental Europe and other corners of the globe. If the moon were to be habitable by now, many of them would have used their stolen money to build houses, and stash their stolen money on the moon!

    The APC must tell Nigerians what they would do to stop the selfish and criminal looting and waste of public funds for individual and family gains only. If this alone could be achieved, Nigeria would have more than sufficient money for education (no more ASUU strikes), health, infrastructure, roads, rails, creation of jobs to curb the present unmitigated unemployment, fight corruption and the endless insecurity to a standstill, better wages and improved condition of service and living, cheaper electric tariff and reduced fuel price even before the building of refineries that would spring up in every zone of the country under the APC administration.  In the end, many Nigerians who had fled the country in pursuit of Golden Fleece would like to come back to contribute their quota to the development of their country. Just as the PDP has found it impossible to do these good things for the nation in 14 years, the APC should find it easy to do these good things through political will, integrity and good governance in its first two years of administration. The fulfillment of these promises without remainder would amount to a total change from the past, and the dawn of a shinning light hovering all over the nation. It most certainly would be the birth of a new Nigeria, the kind that the good people of Nigeria have been praying for over the years. So help APC and the rest of us, O God!

    — Professor Makinde is the DG/CEO, Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Osun State, Osogbo

  • What are Obasanjo’s legacies?

    What are Obasanjo’s legacies?

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has absolved his generation from the allegations of leadership failure and blamed the youth for not building on his legacies. But critics who have revisited his tenure in public office have emerged with contradictory evidence, reports Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU

    Olusegun Obasanjo, (rtd) general, civil war commander and two-time Head of State stirred the hornet nest this week during his review of the roles of the national development.

    He blamed the youths for leadership failure, in contrast to his own generation, which he said, led the way with purposeful, progressive and visionary leadership marked by accountability and probity. Obasanjo came up with the list of failed leaders. He said that they failed in their mandate to rule well. To some people, Obasanjo hit the nail on the head, noting that the youths have not shown enough capacity for purposeful leadership because of their dubious approach to life, penchant for materialism, greed, avarice and corruption. However, many doubted the objective of the message, owing to the messenger’s antecedent and pedigree as a cunning, crafty and partisan politician.

    The remarks by the former Head of State have generated reactions because he absolved the older generation of blame for the rot in the polity. He painted a picture of sainthood by suggesting that his generation did not contribute to the economic and political adversity in the country. He avoided making references to the fact that his generation, the soldiers of fortune, dragged Nigeria into an unnecessary civil war, foisted unitary system on the polity, pillaged the treasury under the prolonged military rule and emerged richer than the entire country in retirement.

    Many believe that Obasanjo is a statesman who had the opportunity to make greater impact in office. But, after serving two terms as the civilian President, he left the stage with a perception that has continued to hunt him in public life. Is Obasanjo a democrat or an impostor who craved for greatness without trying to fulfill its full requirements? Is Obasanjo incorruptible, judging by the latest disclosure by another civil war hero, Gen. Alabi Isama (rtd), that he never won the victory he ascribed to himself in his dubious book, ‘My Command’, and also by the controversial third term gambit?

    The history of Nigeria is incomplete without a mention of him. At critical moments in the life of the country, fate had thrown him up for meaningful intervention. Obasanjo was the General Officer Commanding, Third Marine Commando, when his juniors, including Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), brought the rebels to their knees. Even at that stage, he and other top soldiers have started canvassing for increased political role under the Gowon Administration. Then, except Akinwale Wey, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, no other combat soldier was a member of the Federal Executive Council. The agitation for political power resulted into the pressure on Gowon, who made the late Gen. Muritala Mohammed Minister of Communications and Obasanjo Minister of Works.

    In 1979, Gen. Obasanjo made history again. He supervised the voluntary liquidation of military power, thereby emerging as the first military Head of State to relinquish power to civilians. At home, Obasanjo became a critical moral voice, whipping his successors into line, delivering lectures on good governance and chastising the military rulers, who were reluctant to permit democracy to thrive. Besides, he played a role in international community. He was dispatched to troubled spots across the globe to solve problems of civil/military relations. Obasanjo also became the curator of democratic projects in Africa. World leaders hailed him as a man of integrity and credibility.

    When he returned to the State House in 1999, many felt he answered the patriotic call to service; the same task he had performed 20 years earlier. His first term was tedious, but he was about laying a good foundation. When he was re-elected in 2003, Obasanjo became the longest serving Nigerian leader; first as military Head of State for three years and later, as the civilian ruler for eight years.

    However, he had lost the steam by 2007 when he handed over power to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. The major sin of Obasanjo was the flawed general election. When he left the stage in 1979, the ovation was loud. Expectations were high when he made a dramatic return in 1999. However, in 2003 when he resumed a more stable retirement, his record mocked his antecedent. In 1979, Obasanjo presided over a relatively free and fair election. Why then, did he fail to achieve the same feat in 2003 and 2007? Instructively, his successor, the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’ Adua, acknowledged that the poll that brought him to power was flawed. The puzzle is : In retirement, can the former President still lay claim to being an apostle of transparency, champion of democracy, protector of due process and respect of the sanctity of judiciary?

    Critics have argued that Obasanjo retrogressed politically later in life by acting in direct contradiction to the principles and doctrines, which earned him applause in the international community. He was upgraded to the number one position in 1979 following the assassination of Muritala who wanted to return power to civilians. In the saddle, he did not derail the process. By implementing the three-year transition programme , Nigeria joined the league of democratic nations.

    Many commentators adduced reasons for the success of 1979 and failure of 2003 and 2007. One of them, Kayode Ajibade, reasoned that the 1979 setting contrasted with the 2003 and 2007 settings. If Obasanjo had been outside the power calculus, he would have been very loud in condemning the 2007 electoral mess. “Out of desperation, he became an over-zealous guidance of the political process ,” said Bisi Adegbuyi, a lawyer and politician.

    In the past, Obasanjo, as a critic, hit many statesmen with his sword. It was a self-imposed duty of scrutinizing the Nigerian leaders before and after him. It was in the exercise of his fundamental human rights. Today, some of these leaders are celebrated by Nigerians more than him.

    The retired General had mocked the indomitable Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of Western Region, who had visited his school when he was bare footed; a candidate for the Presidency, who missed the position that landed on his palm without struggle. Then, Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe, teacher, philosopher and first ceremonial President was vilified with his abusive pen as a towering leader who fell from the position of pre-eminence nationally, only to carry on with life in his old age as a tribal chieftaincy holder, the Owelle of Onitsha. His assessment of Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, a First Republic Parliamentarian and Minister of Health from Borno, smacked of emasculation. To him, Ibrahim, the rich businessmen, was an unserious politician bidding for power. From the prime of life, Aminu Kano had championed the cause of the repressed and deprived Northern masses. Obasanjo simply dismissed him as a figure renowned for carrying placards, adding that he could even protest against himself. Former President Shehu Shagari also fell under his hammer as a slow and dull President, who was not in effective control.

    The duo of Mohammadu Buhari and the late Tunde Idiagbon, his juniors in the Army, also came under his hammer. They were autocratic military rulers who held the nation in its jugular. Apart from flaying former Military President Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) for detaining Buhari and Idiagbon, he also criticized his economic policies. On the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), Obasanjo disagreed with Babangida on the implementation process, saying that adjustment must have human face, human heart and milk of human kindness. When Babangida tinkered with the transition timetable, Obasanjo rallied prominent Nigerians to protest the elongation of military rule. He was one of the leaders who suggested the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan. He said, the option was regrettable but understandable. The suggestion nailed the coffin of “June 12”. Of course, Obasanjo said the winner of the historic presidential poll, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, was not the messiah.The late Gen. Sani Abacha sacked the interim contraception. He went ahead to imprison Obasanjo after he was roped in a phantom coup. He was saved by divine intervention.

    From grass, he rose to grace. Dusted up by the PDP leaders, he emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate. When he became the civilian President, Nigerians had high hopes. His commonwealth leaders welcomed him back to power with optimism. Former United States President Jimmy Carter hailed his re-emergence. He said, judging by his leadership qualities, he would justify the trust of a model of transparency and leadership committed to higher ideals. It was a wasted expectation. Obasanjo could not fight the infrastructure battle adequately. He left behind a prostrate nation, agonizing over lack of electricity, good roads, good hospitals and good schools. In 2003, there were complaints about electoral malpractices. It was a child play to what happened in 2007. The leader of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, alluded to a large scale electoral fraud unrivalled in Nigeria history. It created a hollow in his record of transparency outside power. Many Nigerians doubted his commitment to the election in the first instance on the account of the third term project, which was knocked out by credible politicians and the media.

    As the election drew nearer, there was confusion. Court orders were disobeyed by a desperate leader itching to force his wish down the throat of Nigerians. The anti-graft body, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was misused to witch hunt his perceived political enemies. Grassroots development was aborted in some states when the power-loaded President banned council creation and seized the allocation to the states that tended to assert their constitutional rights. Obasanjo ran a large administration. The cabinet size was huge. But, it was largely unproductive. The dividends of democracy were scanty.

    When the former President now exposed the ballot box to a virulent attack, all hopes were totally lost. Obasanjo shocked the anxious nation when he said that the contest would be a do-or-die affair. Hell was let loose on poll day. The election paled into a bitter war. Domestic and foreign monitors said it was the worst in the history of the country. Three years after, the cases were still in court. The victory allotted to Obasanjo’s favoured candidates were later upturned by the judiciary after he vacated the exalted seat. Evidence of multiple thumb printing, snatching of ballot boxes, omission of photographs and logos of opposition candidates and parties, ballot hijack, thuggery and violence starred the tribunals and courts in the face. Before he left, it was impossible for him to right the wrongs. Thus, his rating in the international community nosedived.

  • Where are Daramola’s killers?

    Where are Daramola’s killers?

    Seven years after, the killers of the Ekiti State politician, Dr Ayo Daramola, are still at large. EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the agony of the bereaved family and its fruitless search for justice. 

    When Ayo Daramola, Howard University trained nutritional economist, a former university don and World Bank consultant, unfolded his ambition to rule Ekiti State in 2005, little did he know that the assassins would put an end to his life abruptly. Eight years after, relations, friends and political associates of the slain politician are still in agony. To them, the hope of apprehending the killers is getting slimmer, owing to the diminishing commitment on the part of the government and police.

    It is more agonising for his widow, Kehinde, an Ijebu-Ife princess, and his two sons, Folabi and Dimeji. On daily basis, she weeps. “I cannot forget it that Ayo could be killed like that; someone who could not hurt a fly. I have not overcome the trauma”, she said. The grief is still shared by every household in Ijan, a rustic Ekiti town, where the deceased was born, almost six decades ago.

    Daramola was a star kid among his peers. That signs and wonders of leadership trailed him throughout his life time. At adulthood, he emerged as an Ekiti patriot. When he was privileged to serve the Fountain of Knowledge as the Coordinator of Ekiti Poverty Reduction Agency (EKPRA), he did it with diligence and utmost responsibility. On this account, he became a household name in the 120 towns and villages constituting the state. The developmental projects executed by the agency are now his legacies.

    The scholar was comfortable in his lucrative career. Although he had overcome the pangs poverty and misery in life, he could not close his eyes to the plight of his people in Ekitiland. He thought that he could acquire power and use it to salvage the state from the marauders. Before his foray into politics, intimated his wife with his plans. But she objected it, saying that it was a dirty game. But Daramola could not be discouraged. When life was snuffed out of the gentleman and professional in politics, his wife’s worst fears about the slippery political field were confirmed.

    During his preliminary consultations with the stakeholders in the far-flung state, he discovered that his political future was bright. His slogan, which he adapted from the late Chief Moshood Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) was ‘abolition of poverty’. In those dark days, the people yearned for change and transformational government. The elite showed enthusiasm. Commoners were ready to also drive his campaign machinery, although they were still in the dark about the political platform. Ironically, when the new dawn arrived and the envisaged change occurred in Ekiti, Daramola’s seat was vacant. He was only accorded the residual honour due to a martyr.

    Indisputably, the former World Bank consultant came to Ekiti with an intimidating credential. He had the apex degree, which is the academic hallmark of Ekiti scholars. He had wined with the cosmopolitan climes, yet, he was not oblivious of his roots. In fact, in his doctoral thesis at Howard University, Washington, United States, the homeboy focused on the perennial problems of the rural dwellers.

    In that classic work, Daramola beamed a searchlight on the correlates of food nutrition and high mortality rates among pregnant women. He returned home to gather data. But he subsequent exposure as the EKPRA chief provided further insights into the developmental challenges of the rural poor. He vowed to reposition the state, if elected as the governor. “I was poor. Many Ekiti people live in poverty. We can mobilise our intellectual endowment and material resources to wipe out poverty and put smiles on the faces of people”, he told reporters in Lagos.

    Daramola was not an armchair critic. Ahead of the campaigns, he had developed what he described as “solution files”, which encompassed the strategies for solving Ekiti problems sector by sector. He assured the people that hope was not lost, urging them to endure the pains that would herald liberation. He positioned himself as a tested and trusted performer. “We had done it before, we can do it again and we will do it again”, he said, referring to his feats as the EKPRA Chief Executive. “On May 29, 2007, I will be governor of Ekiti State. I know how to do it better, get results and make our people happy”, he added. To the people of the countryside, who had benefitted from his water projects, empowerment programmes an mobilisation for participatory joint projects, he was an idol.

    He was confident that he would be eventually crowned. He was prepared for a game of ideas, and not bullets. He trusted in his brains and intellectual exercise was his pre-occupation. He spoke with bravery, predicting doom for those who had attempted to convert Ekiti into a fiefdom. He was versatile, gifted in delivery and full of candour. His calculation was that he would meet the criteria for governorship, contest the election with qualified rivals and triumph at the polls. The calculation paled into day dreaming that midnight of horror when he was hacked down by assassins

    Had the killers demanded a ransom, it would have been paid in threefold. But Daramola’s life must be on the line. However, in death, his profile remained electrifying, illuminating and captivating. He is remembered as a special breed endowed with charisma. Those who knew him have always attested to his power of ideas, interest in intellectual debate, carriage in social circles, courage in the face of difficulty, and uncanny foresight.

    More importantly, his message of self help for development is evergreen. Through EKPRA, he taught Ekiti the value of collective effort at forging development. Self-help, he said, was not a sin, advising the people to put their destiny in their hand. In communities where that salient idea was put into practice, water ran from the pipes. Health centres sprung up. Rural roads were reactivated. Some towns and villages chose priority projects, put money down and invited the World Bank to fill the other little vacuum.

    The Ekiti obas and chiefs were grateful to him for showing the way and the light. They gave him chieftaincy titles for his good work. At his lying-in-state, long royal staff from palaces across the state competed for space around his coffin in their splendor, reminding those who killed him that, in life and death, Daramola has a towering stature.

    Today, he is also being remembered for his feats in school as a promising youth leader, footballer at Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti, who featured in the memorable soccer fiestas of the seventies, which united the famed Ekiti Confederation. When he was alive, he confessed that, apart from living with teachers who were regularly on transfers, he became an encyclopedia of Ekiti knowledge, traditions, customs and cultures because of those soccer tours which exposed him to the nooks and crannies.

    Among those who groomed him were Chief J.A. Fapounda, his old teacher, who later became the Chief Whip of Ondo State House of Assembly in the Second Republic and Chief S.B. Asebiomo, former Chairman of Ondo State Central School Board. While in Form Two, the school authority made him the Light Prefect, and later, Food Prefect. He had wanted to go to Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo or Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure for his HSC, but Asebiomo, his school principal, prevailed on him to stay on in the school. To encourage him to stay, he offered him scholarship. The old teacher wanted him to continue to play football for the school.

    Daramola consequently became the House Captain. This exposed him to micro governance. “House captainship was a position of pre-eminence and esteem. as a captain, I issued exacts to contemporary students. as a food prefect, I fought for improved food in the dining hall”, he recalled . He was also a member of the Students Representatives Council presided over by Asebiomo.

    After his HSC programme, Daramola became a teacher at Ado Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti. It was a brief stint. Later, he moved to Ibadan to work with the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation as an Administrative Officer under Chief Ayo Ogunlade, who later served as Minister of Information. Already, he had been exposed to foreign scholarship opportunities by the secretary of Gbonyin Students Union, Dapo Awojolu. He was admitted into Howard University, united States. Before left abroad, he briefly taught in Lagos at a school established by the late Chief Esan of Ikoro-Ekiti. The principal was Pa Alake, father of Mr. Dele Alake, former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

    The Ekiti boy shone in the university, proving that intelligence was evenly distributed among the tribes of the world and colour of skin was not a barrier. He also delved into campus politics, contesting and winning series of elections, although he missed being the President of Howard University Association because students objected to his ambition because two Nigerians had occupied the position in quick succession. However, he was consoled by the opportunity given to him to represent the Graduate Hall in the Students Parliament.

  • Governorship aspirant unfolds plans for Anambra

    Governorship aspirant unfolds plans for Anambra

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Godwin Ezeemo, has promised to tackle pov-

    erty and irregular power supply, if elected as the governor in the next general election. He said he will also give priority to education, healthcare, youth and women empowerment, agriculture and value re-orientation.

    Ezeemo spoke at a reception held in his honour by the Association of Anambra Indigenes Revival Initiative (AAIRI) in Lagos. AAIRI is a socio-political group.

    The aspirant, who hails from Aguata Local Government Area, promised to give a selfless service at the grassroots. Ezeemo said: “Politics of bitterness must stop and winner- takes- all syndrome must be discontinued”, noting that” the best cannot be achieved for the people under this situation. Everybody will have to contribute”.

    The aspirant, who studied Marketing at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, lived in Lagos from 1986 to 1993. He later relocated to London, engaging in freight forwarding business. The delibitating condition of the poor at the grassroots stared him in the face six years ago when he visited home. He recalled: “Six years ago when I visited home, what I saw changed my mind. Inspite of the comfort of life in Britain, I started appreciating the problems of our people and decided to make an input. I told my nuclear family-I am going home to serve my people.”

    He promised to provide free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels, adding that the best infrastructure will also be provided to the schools. noting that an articulate populace will be easy to govern. He added: ”I will make sure teachers are looked after to ensure quality education for our children”.

    Ezeemo also said that he will focus on agriculture by making it attractive to the younger generation. This, he said, will be done through the introduction of incentives, including fertilizers and loans. He promised to set up farm settlements to monitor progress of this programme. This, according to him, will guarantee food security, youth employment, buoyant economy and a shift from dependence on oil.

  • My vision for Ekiti, by PDP aspirant

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Ambassador Dare Bejide has unfolded his vision for the state. He

    said he will provide an effective leadership, in accordance with the expectation of the people.

    He said: “The basic motivation is service to the people. I have been around for a while in Ekiti state. Apart from the three years that I spent outside Nigeria as High Commissioner, I have been living with the people, I understand their problems, I know there is pervading poverty in Ekiti State. And I know that, unless we have a governor, who understands the feelings and the sufferings of the people, it will be difficult to make a change. That is one of the basic reasons why I am in the race. And I know I can make the difference”.

    Bejide spoke with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    He promised to provide a conducive atmosphere for industrialisation to boost youth employment and create weath.

    The aspirant added: “ The economic situation in Ekiti is terrible and unacceptable. There are no commercial activities going on in the state. If you rely entirely on government allocations from Abuja, it becomes very difficult to provide infrastructure and, if you don’t provide infrastructure, then, the enabling environment needed for economic development is absent.

    “So, that is the prevailing situation in Ekiti State as today.You impose tax on income and profit. You don’t tax the capital of a businessman. When the level of economic activity is very low, it is very difficult to tax the people.

    “What we intend to do is to make payment of taxes very attractive to those who are paying. In other words, when we increase the level of economic activities, it is very easy to encourage people to pay their taxes.

    “We are going to make sure that economic activities are promoted and increased in the state so that everybody is engaged in one economic activity or the other. We will create new departments in the technical schools that will re-train our local mechanics, vulcanizers, tillers,bricklayers, even if it is for three months.”

  • Deconstructing Peter Odili at 65

    Deconstructing Peter Odili at 65

    Former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili is 65 years old today.  JAMES UME revisits his tenure as the governor and statesman providing inspiration for the younger generation on the slippery political field.

    Democracy would lose its defining egalitarianism, if it forecloseds the benefit of hearing the other side. The absence of this feature would have consigned many of the adherents of this unique Grecian totem to fates worse than death. It is this redeeming dimension that the former governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Otunuya Odili keyed into in his recent autobiography: “Conscience And History – My Story,” where he brushed away the fog and told the story of his stewardship, aspiration to the presidency, how some ‘trusted’ forces scuttled it and more.

    Today, the ex-governor turns 65. At the level of small talk, you could hardly get the better of Odili. But for a scientist, a sturdy doctor of human medicine more at home with analysis and action, this trend of dialogue palls easily. His affable disposition belies an inner steel that has enabled him ride out one of the most compelling and intriguing political saga of recent times. The man who swapped his stethoscope for the political podium has certainly proved that both medicine and politics fundamentally address human development? Up close, the vibration of energy he emits is reminiscent of that from an active volcano. In a sense, he is one. But this dimension could only fairly be applied to the customary intensity of his mission focus.

    Is Odili by any chance on the Vatican’s radar as that conservative Roman Catholic Church vanguard shops for new candidates for sainthood in its more recent effort. He is not. But significantly, the stern, quiet-spoken doctor has not been heard pitching for that esoteric privilege. But buffeted by the circumstances of his political ascendancy, challenged – fairly and often unfairly – the medicine man trained in Nigeria and UK stands tall and holds firm.

    According to the English sage, George Bernard Shaw, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” True to type, Odili, simply never bordered with finding himself. He bought unstintingly into Shaw’s insight and simply created himself. Apparently this Shawian philosophy formed his navigational Northern Star and a key vehicle of his life’s odyssey.

    Over the years, he has evolved a style that uses reasoned facts and perhaps alarming frankness to set his political agenda, provoke enemies and court genuine friends. Perhaps, this derives from his professional training. A doctor of human medicine can’t afford undue sentimentality. The healing turf requires a scientific approach to navigate its exacting arena safely.

    Notwithstanding the often incendiary animosity targeting him and which peaked during his legitimate presidential quest, it cannot be denied that the depth and sweep of his contributions to the medical – and for good measure – political ferment, bespeak the eloquence of old school discipline, commitment and panache. These ingredients that define professionalism, for some reasons, are largely missing in current political engagements and discourse.

    Against this backdrop, Nigerians should then appreciate professionals and politicians who by sheer vision, dint of self-discipline and diligent application of the power of thought have achieved that delicate, firm balance between reasoned governance positions that leverages society and humdrum perspectives that diminish and stunt.

    Amidst contrived political chaos, human misery and governance deficits that continue to define our democracy, many Nigerians are wont to lose faith in the polity. This may be understandable. But history shows that mere loss of faith, a pathway to surrender is taking the easy course. The path of courage is to interrogate the policies, concepts, leadership vision or visionlessness and socio-political triggers that generate regression using reasoned, temperate logic and candour. Next is to offer alternative governance vision to resolve extant human development and socio-economic challenges. In seeking the presidency, Odili consciously sought to change his milieu. His detractors of course would violently disagree. They are entitled to their views.

    Tracking back, Odili, born August 15, 1948, in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State is the thirteenth governor of the state – from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He graduated from the Medical School of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and pursued post-graduate work in Tropical Medicine at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

    In 1988/89, he was elected member and leader of Rivers State Delegates to the Constituent Assembly and in 1992, was elected as the deputy governor of the state. After the Third Republic ended, he was again elected to the National Constitutional Conference and became the Conference Committee Chairman on State Creation. He thereafter became the National Secretary of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN).

    He was elected governor of Rivers State in April 1999, and re-elected in April 2003. In June 2008, Odili had cause to defend his record before the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, denying the charges that had been made against him. Then in March 2009, the same Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Kayode Eso largely exonerated Odili and blamed the crisis during his period of office on both the state and the federal governments, particularly the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. The report further outlined interwoven problems of governance, chieftaincy tussles, cultism, politics of acrimony and insurgency.

    In November 2006 he announced that he would run for president in the 2007 election under the ruling PDP. However a day before the PDP’s presidential primaries held on December 16, 2006, Odili stepped down from the contest, paving the way for fellow governor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to emerge as the party’s flag bearer. He captured the gripping story in his autobiography, a must read.

    In this riveting literary work under reference Odili captures the core of the puzzling script that brazenly derailed his presidential quest in 2007: “What was the genesis of the fight against the possibility of an Odili presidency? Who was threatened by that possibility and why? Whose decision and when was it made to stop Odili by all means possible? Who was the fulcrum of the execution of that decision?

    “How come that for seven and half years nothing was raised by the EFCC or any relevant agency against Odili’s government in Rivers State and suddenly on the ‘eve’ of the PDP presidential primaries all conceivable vile allegations were unleashed? When did we Nigerians acquire such meteoric and forensic expertise and competence to produce a report within 36 hours of instruction to investigate? Just in time for the date line-December 16, 2006. These are questions yawning for answers. God’s time will tell.”

  • Why PDP is jittery, by el-Rufai

    Why PDP is jittery, by el-Rufai

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim Deputy National Secretary  Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was a guest of Kaduna based Liberty Radio, where he spoke on a number of issues. Correspondent TONY AKOWE monitored the programme.

    You recently expressed the fear that Nigeria was sitting on a time bomb. What exactly do you mean?

    Nigeria has a population of about 170 million and every year, about six million babies are born. What this means, as far as policy making is concerned, is that within the next 20 years, those babies will need at least three million jobs. From the six million, one million will die from avoidable illnesses. Any responsible government should be thinking of these challenges. My concern is that not much is being done and the environment is not condusive at all. Electricity supply is going down and industries are dying while competition from China is killing the little industrial base that we have and our leaders are not making the environment attractive for investors.

    We have a large population of young people that are not educated. We have about 15 million almajiri in the North and there are those who feel too big to remain in the farm and are migrating to the urban centres. The security challenges we are currently facing is related to these explosions of uneducated and unemployable young people who are feeling hopeless and this is the time bomb we are sitting on, which is already steering us in the face in many parts of the country. Unless we have a responsible government that will begin to create a new environment of opportunity and hope for these people, we will all be in danger.

    When the explosion comes, many of us, including those who are not guilty will suffer for it. What we are seeing in Boko Haram, militancy, kidnapping is just an indication of the likely future problem that we will face, if we don’t do something and the time to do it is now.

    You were quoted as saying that the ruling party, the PDP, was more afraid of Gen. Buhari than God.

    Yes, I said the PDP is more afraid of Gen. Buhari than God. The PDP has evolved from a party that is trying to be democratic in its practices and to have decency in its governance to one that has become a danger to the people of Nigeria and the only person they are afraid of, who is their nightmare, is Gen. Buhari. So, anytime Buhari makes a statement or does anything, the PDP machine will be at work to twist whatever he says in other to destroy his character and give the impression that he is a religious and ethnic zealot.

    There is nothing, by way of fact, that shows that Gen. Buhari is that kind of person. Buhari has been in public life for so long that, if he was a religious bigot, or ethnic surrogate, it would have been clear. There is no way a man will rise to the position of a Major General in the Army and people will not know his preference for his ethnicity or religion or attained the position he has attained in life without people knowing he has all these qualities.

    The truth is that the PDP is scared of Buhari‘s integrity and his track record of doing the right thing and ensuring that people are brought to justice when they break the law. They are scared of that day when he will become President because they are afraid that he will call them and ask them the source of their unexplainable wealth. They have tried everything possible to paint the man black and they are not even afraid that one day, they will stand before God and defend their action. That is why I say they are afraid of him more than God.

    What do you mean by describing the PDP as a toxic party?

    A party that has earned the highest oil revenue in Nigeria‘s history, but has converted this oil revenue to personal wealth when our schools have remained closed and our educational system collapsing, our hospitals not functioning and fly abroad for medical treatment and send their children to school abroad, is a danger to the Nigerian nation. PDP has become a virus that is infecting and destroying the country and because they are not doing anything productive, they have changed our politics to that of ethnicity and religion; to divert attention from their incompetence, lack of capacity and their looting of the treasury. So, PDP has become a clear and present danger to the existence of Nigeria as a nation and the prosperity of its people. So, it is a toxic party and should be destroyed.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered the All Progressives Congress (APC). What are your plans for the future?

    First, we must give credit where it is due. INEC under Jega and his commissioners did very well by registering the APC. Some people says they didn’t have any choice in the matter because the APC met the requirement. But I am aware that they were under considerable pressure and all kinds of things were being sponsored by the PDP to delay or even scuttle the registration of the party. The fact that for once, it exercised its independence, we should commend it. I hope it’s a sign of great things to come and a foundation for further works to ensure that we have credible leadership in 2014/2015.

    As a party, we recognise that even though we have acceptance across the country, we cannot take the support of the people for granted. The only way the party will continue to earn the confidence of the Nigerian people is to be internally democratic and be an open platform for anyone who wants to join the party to do so. It should have internal rules such that anyone who wants to contest election and has the support of members of the party should be able to do so. We will not be a party where people will win election and the list is changed like is happening in the PDP. This is my promise on behalf of the NEC, that we will have an internally democratic party, and that the members will decide the executive as well as candidates for election.

    That is the only way to go about it because anything short of that will be another PDP and God forbids because we don’t want that. The interest shown by Nigerians in the APC will be sustained if we behave and conduct ourselves differently from that toxic party called the PDP. Our leaders are conscious of that and have made a lot of personal sacrifice to ensure that we get to where we are and our duty as Interim Executive is to sustain that tradition and build on it.

    A committee has been set up under the Deputy National Chairman, North, Aminu Masari to look at all the issues and come out with strategies and guidelines that will ensure that internal democracy in the party is secured. We will not be a party of godfathers; we will not allow a few people determine what the party will be and will be a true party for the people.

    But some believe that the APC is a marriage of convenience, alleging cracks within the party.

    I do not see any crack within the APC. The leadership is united in giving up whatever personal ambition or interest they may have to save Nigeria. Gen. Buhari gave up his own. The CPC was established largely for Buhari’s presidential ambition, but he gave it up for a larger party in which today, he is not even a member yet because the CPC has dissolved and we now have the APC that is yet to register anybody as members.

    That is the type of attitude Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has taken to get us to where we are not. Those who were predicting that we will not be registered have seen that the party has been registered. People thought that when forming the interim leadership, the party will collapse. We have passed that stage and now, they are predicting other forms of doom. I want to assure you that we will overcome all that because, this party is beyond one or two men. It is true that the founders and the moving spirit behind the party remain Buhari and Tinubu. The leadership of the ANPP joined later because we have been working on this since the end of 2011. It is now a depersonalised party and not a Buhari or Tinubu or Ali Modu Sherif’s personal ownership, but a party of the people and when we register the members, they are going to be the ones that will decide the leadership of the party and its candidates for election.

    The Anambra election is the first major test for the APC. How do you intend to handle this?

    The Anambra election is very important to us and for several reasons. We already have an APC state in Imo State under Governor Rochas Okorocha and we hope to present a credible candidate in Anambra State for the election. As far as I know, there are only two party members who have so far expressed interest. They are the Deputy National Chairman, South, Senator Anie Okonkwo and Senator Chris Ngige who is a former governor of the state. The people know how much work he did for the state. The party will treat Anambra State as a special case and register members there and conduct primaries and whoever emerges as the candidate will get the ticket. There is no plan to impose anyone by the party. My appeal is for all members in Anambra to be prepared of an announcement by the NEC to register and turn up for the primaries and vote for the person of their choice. We will set up a committee to screen all the aspirants and ensure they meet the guidelines of the APC. We will all be in Anambra during the election. I will be in Anambra to be a polling unit agent if necessary to ensure that we are not cheated during the election. That is the plan for Anambra and we are taking it very serious.

    We know that we have to submit the name of a candidate by September 6 and the election is November 16 and we will all be there and by God’s grace, Anambra will be the second state in the South East to join the APC train and save it from backwardness and retrogression because All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) under Governor Peter Obi is an agent of the PDP.

    Recently, a high powered delegation of APC leaders visited Gen. Babangida. What was it about?

    Let me clarify something here. We did not visit former President Babangida as APC. Myself, former Speaker Aminu Masari and Senator Nazif Suleiman had already fixed an appointment to see him before the APC registration. It is part of the consultations that we have been carrying out, discussing with many leaders across the north. We have visited Audu Ogbe, a former Chairman of the PDP and now a member of the APC, we visited Gambo Jimeta, former Inspector General of Police, former Governor Boni Haruna of Adamawa State and many others for guidance on how to go about discharging our duty as officials of the party. Masari is the deputy national chairman, north and the entire north is his constituency and I have been appointed the interim deputy national secretary, the entire country is my constituency. So, we felt that Babangida is one of the important stakeholders in this country that we need to talk to and tell them about the APC and seek their support for the party. As we were arriving Babangida’s residence a large media delegation that had come with the NECO board to pay him a courtesy call were there. We didn’t speak to them and they didn’t speak to us, but they made a big issue out of it. We were all APC, but we did not go there in our APC capacity. Some of us have a relationship with him dating back to 1989. We do not agree on all issues. I have criticised him on his handling of certain issues like the June 12 election and I still tell him that what happened was wrong. But that does not mean we cannot consult him. In politics, we have to talk to everybody and anyone who feels that Babangida is not important in Nigeria politics is joking. He is an important stakeholder and we will continue to engage him.

    Doyin Okupe said recently that he would change his father’s name, if the APC lasts more than one year .

    I feel sorry for my brother Doyin. I don’t know the level to which people can be desperate when they are in need of economic rehabilitation. I want to assure him that he should start thinking of his new name because he will certainly change his name. After one year, in July 2014, I am going to call him and insist that he changes his name and if he doesn’t, I will give him a name of my choice.

    The APC is here to stay. The out pouring of support from the Nigerian people towards the party is so clear that I know we are here to stay. Not only are we going to outlive the PDP, we will get Doyin to change his name.

    There is the saying that those who left the PDP and joined the APC did so because of their hatred for Jonathan as a minority…

    That is nonsense. One of the misfortunes of the Jonathan presidency is the deliberate infusion of religion and ethnicity into Nigerian politics and that is unfortunate. For someone coming from a minority ethnic group, the best bet is for him to de-emphasis that and make the whole of Nigeria his constituency. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s political handlers thought that if they introduce religion, they will be able to divide the north and take the Christian part of the north to vote for Jonathan and if they introduce ethnicity, they will be able to get the whole of the south. That was their winning strategy as espoused by neigbour to neigbour. They are now surprise that after dividing the country, they are now finding it difficult to get the cooperation of everyone. The danger of division is that you defeat social trust which makes it very difficult for you to govern and they are still playing this game.

    If Jonathan is from a minority tribe, how did he get elected? Did he get elected by the Ijaw nation alone or did he get elected by other Nigerians? How can anybody start arguing that? You are shooting yourself on the foot because if all decide to be sectional, Jonathan cannot even win election outside Bayelsa State. Outside of Bayelsa State, there is nowhere Ijaws are not a minority in Nigeria. When EK Clark and Jonathan play this ethnic card, is it because they don’t have a better story? If you are performing the work of the people, why do you refer to that? It is one of the tragedies of Jonathan’s leadership that whoever inherit the leadership from him will have to first spend the first one or two years repairing the relationship between the various ethnic and religious groups because everything has been reduced to these two things and it is very unfortunate. Politics is not about religion or ethnicity, but about delivering services to the people.

  • Obiano: Seeking power for public good

    Obiano: Seeking power for public good

    In this piece, NGWU NWEZE writes on the governorship ambition of the prominent banker and businessman, Chief Willie Obiano, and what it portends for Anambra State.

    As the political rain-clouds gather in Anambra State, ahead of the November governorship elections, the already heated race recently witnessed a rupture, with the grand entry of Chief WilliemObiano, the colourful banker and oil industry chieftain, whose emergence has totally altered the political equation in the state.

    The reason is not fare fetched. ChiefObiano carries a spark that lights up any arena he enters like a burst of fireflies in a dark, moonless night. The Aguleri High Chief who is also famously known as Akpokuedike Aguleri comes almost fully made with a rare combination of solid intellect and a common touch that makes many leaders wince with envy. His sartorial style and regal elegance easily stand him out in any crowd. His infectious humour and kindred spirit strikes instant connectivity with anyone that comes his way regardless of age or class. Obiano is nuanced, passionate and full of zest. In a nutshell, the Aguleri high chief has managed to squeeze into one personality, as much complexity as simplicity.

    True, no one is born a king; but Chief Obiano’s leadership inclinations and abilities seem rather inherent. He radiates magnetic warmth that does not only draw people to him, but makes them willing to go the extra mile for him. It was perhaps this rare quality more than anything else that made his Aguleri people to bestow on him the title of Akpokuedike, which can be loosely translated as “the buzz of the warrior.” Obiano has the natural proclivity of an astute administrator and a man with an infinite business savvy.

    Until recently, Chief Obiano was the number two man at Fidelity Bank Plc, as the Executive Director in charge of Business Banking after a glittering banking career that saw him rise through the ranks. Before his retirement, he headed virtually every important segment of the bank including corporate banking, non-bank financial institutions, treasury, foreign operations, oil and gas financing, telecommunications, aviation and several other businesses where he showed tremendous leadership skills and a rare people’s touch. Before he joined Fidelity Bank, Obiano had had an auspicious beginning at First Bank Nigeria and Texaco Nigeria Plc where he distinguished himself as the Chief Internal Auditor for years, driving change and initiating programmes that earned him the accolade of the top management of the global conglomerate.

    At Fidelity, what mostly stood Chief Obiano out was his rare human touch; a deep connection with the people which resonated throughout the bank and a large reservoir of knowledge of the subtleties of banking and a keen sense of the present and how it connects to the future, which most bankers who have fallen by the way side never seemed to have. Obiano knew banking well enough to know that the banker’s reputation is like a house of straws; one bad move and all the years of struggle would go up in a plume of smoke. But Obiano left Fidelity on a high. Not one shred of scandal trailed his years as a top-flight banker. He was well loved by the ordinary staff and respected by the management and the board. At the bank’s annual dinners and social events, Akpokue Aguleri, as he was fondly called by friends and colleagues always stood out. Being a man of style, his remarkable haircut and aristocratic fashion taste always marked him out in the crowd. Smiling comes easy to Chief Obiano as does his hearty gentleman laughter that draws instant fellow feelings from the people around him.

    AkpokudikeAguleri’s entry into the muddy waters of Anambraguber race did not come to many people who know him as a surprise. Close friends and interested observers always knew that his extra-ordinary people skill and leadership acumen would find him out. A close friend once told this writer that ChiefObiano had confided in him that the only way he would contest a political office was if his people invited him to represent them. It is evident therefore, that Obiano’s momentous entry into the race under the APGA platform was not spurred by any vaunting ambition, but one that is borne out of a desire to serve his people of Anambra North, who have never had a shot at the state house in Awka. Indeed there has been a legitimate clamour for fairness and equity in the political governance of Anambra State which has tended to preclude the people of Anambra North from the office of the number one citizen of the state since Anambra came into existence. This glaring injustice has grown in its lingering gravity in the acclaimed tradition of all injustices that do not lend themselves to peaceful burial. It is perhaps in realization of the grotesque obviousness of this imbalance in power that the ebullient governor Peter Obi of Anambra State is rumoured to have declared his intention to deploy his enormous goodwill with the people and ensure that a candidate from the neglected Anambra North succeeds him in office. That way, the genuine cries and supplications of the people would be pointedly assuaged.

    Against this backdrop therefore, Willie Obiano’s candidacy is a bold answer to the clamor among his people for their best and brightest sons and daughters to file out for the highest office in the state. But people who should know are fully aware that Obiano is not just in the race to multiply the options of the electorates. AkpokuedikeAguleri never goes into any venture without adequate risk assessment and strenuous preparation. Indeed Obiano is fully prepared for the battle. What most friends and associates always marvel at is his astonishing brilliance for someone with his exceptional social skills.

    Obiano holds a Second Class Upper Division in Accounting from the University of Lagos and an MBA in Marketing from the same school. He is a class member of the Harvard Business School and Stanford University, both in the USA. He is also both Fellow and patron of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In the course of his career, Obiano attended numerous courses including Credit and Trade Services at Citi Bank, New York, Treasury and Money Market at Northwest London, Emerging Markets at FIM Bank, Malta and Managing Integration Process at Houston Texas, USA in 2006.

    Obiano is a bridge builder of sorts. His extensive contacts are almost infinite; spreading from an eclectic number of serving and retired top military brass, para-military and royal fathers to professionals like doctors, lawyers, fellow bankers and brilliant architects and engineers, among others. Obiano has immense goodwill among donor agencies and portfolio investors in the USA and Europe which he put to enormous use in the service of Fidelity Bank when the bank had successive public offers to rustle up fresh funds. It is believed that these same contacts will be useful when he assumes office as governor. Not surprising, Chief Obiano has been a recipient of many awards and honours in recognition of his eternal warmth, public spirit, candour and generous contributions to society. In May 2012, Obiano received the honour of the 1stUSAfrica’s Distinguished Banker of the Year award in Houston, Texas, USA. In addition to being honoured by the people of Aguleri as the Akpokuedike of Aguleri Kingdom, Chief Obiano also holds the revered title of Otunba Atayase of Ilemeso-Ekiti in Ekiti State. This later recognition from Oba David Adegboyega Oyewunmi (Fasemi II) of Ilemeso-Ekiti underscores his bridge-building capacity and a natural inclination to bond with people from diverse cultures. It is partly for this reason and everything else that the Board of Governors and Trustees of Wisconsin International University, USA, also conferred on him the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership, honoriscausa, late last year. It was a richly deserved honour for someone who has made his mark as a thoroughbred professional and as a man of means.

    AkpokueAguleri is also deeply connected with the clergy and the church. Obiano is a devout Catholic whose commitment to the church is deep. It is perhaps ironic that a man with his high social skills and a profound love for tradition is also deeply involved with the church. It is all part of the high art of personality code-mixing which Obiano has perfected in his simple but complex personality.

    Obiano’s involvement with the church began rather early. Following his early education in mission schools, Chief Obiano has never really strayed too far from the church. His keen interest in the church of Jesus Christ has led him into accepting different roles in the service of God including but not restricted to being the patron of Catholic Women Association, Missionary of St. Paul’s Society, Catholic Women’s Organisation, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria and the Grand Pillar of St. Gerald Catholic Church, among others.

  • ‘PDP ‘ll overcome crisis’

    ‘PDP ‘ll overcome crisis’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Youth Leader aspirant Hon. Solomon Bamola spoke with Muhammad Bashir on his vision for the party and preparation for the special PDP convention.

     

    Why did you withdraw as an aspirant for the position of the PDP National Youth Leader in the last convention?

    Nothing happened really. As a loyal party member, one must learn to defer to the elders of the party. The leadership of the party made an announcement that all those that are aspiring for the position of the National Youth Leader should drop their ambitions and give support to a particular candidate, who was perceived to be the choice candidate for the office at that time. It was to ensure steady internal democracy. And because we believed that the interest of the party is of utmost importance, we temporarily threw in the towel and lent our full support to the party’s chosen one.

    Why are you now in the race?

    It is because I am not satisfied with the representation that the party has among Nigerian youths. Obviously, the former youth leader tried, but I believe that more and advanced steps can still be taken towards the perfection of the party’s youth representation. I am certain that the position is an immense one that could do a lot more for the youths of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We want to make the PDP the impenetrable and largest political party in the sub-Sahara Africa. That is the key factor that gives me the drive to, once again, contest for the office of the National Youth Leader, and, if given the opportunity to represent the youths of Nigeria in the party, I plan to make huge impact on the lives of the youths and ensure that they have a sense of belonging and participation in governance.

    I will also continue to make government understand why the youths must be more actively involved in governance. Concisely, my policy thrust, if elected as the National Youth Leader of PDP, will guarantee that the youths are given 40 percent affirmation in governance, just as our mothers are nearly at the peak of their 35 percent participation in governance. The youths are the engine room of the government of any nation and they must be carried along. A new engine should run with care, if it is the owner’s desire for the engine to last longer. So, the youths are to be fast-tracked with absolute attention, protection and they should be given their rights so that they can see Nigeria as a country they own and think of what they can do positively for the country, not what the country can do for them.

    Are you saying the current administration has not carried the youths along in governance?

    The government can, furthermore, do better by involving private companies and talented individuals to come in and complement the efforts of the government in the areas of youth development.

    The creation of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the laudable designing and subsequent implementation of a workable National Youth Policy, with special focus on youth employment and engagement, deliberate efforts to involve youths in governance and in decision making process, efforts to resolve the leadership crisis in the National Youth Council of Nigeria are some of the deliberate steps taken by the PDP government to address the youth concerns in Nigeria. I think this is quite commendable. It therefore, points to the fact that government is moving away from the deficit-based approach of dealing with the youths and it is creating the enabling environments to institutionalise youth matters with all the key stakeholders and that also includes helping the youths to take their rightful place in government and in the society in general. The newly instituted Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the administration has created more opportunities for highly creative youths to get start-up grants to establish businesses that will further create and generate more employment opportunities for other less privileged young persons. Do not also forget that agencies like SMEDAN, NERFUND, NDE, NAPEP also target economically viable youth population and have also been properly positioned to serve the youth more productively even though there are always room for improvements as we progress even as a democratic nation.

    I am of the opinion that we need to place more emphasis on developing more result-oriented strategies to deal with the issues of quality education at all levels, with a view to embedding enterprise education as ka ey component for boosting the capacities of young school leavers’ view towards addressing the rising rates of unemployment and to impact positive civil and citizenship orientation on them. We must also note that government alone cannot do everything; other stakeholders such as the private sector, NGOs, business community, religious organizations and so many more all have critical roles to play in the development of the Nigerian youth to a desired standard of behavior and empowerment. I must commend the efforts of the PDP – led government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan for the commitment exhibited in addressing challenges facing the youths of this great country as seen in some of the recently launched programmes. It is on this premise that I also wish to ensure that the Youth REAP project key effectively into government’s strategies with a view to ensuring that the overall objective of instituting efforts to address youths’ needs is fully realized within the framework of effectively collaboration among the key stakeholders.

    The PDP is facing some internal challenges. What is the way out?

    Let us examine the PDP, being the biggest political party in the black and let me relate it to “a one big family” viewpoint. We all know that it’s practically impossible for a big family to completely avoid quarrels. And when they do quarrel, there’s no need for an outsider to come in and settle their internal squabbles. It is the role of each individual in the family to come to an acceptable agreement in order to ensure that all the free-for-alls simmer down. PDP is a very big party, and you know they say the bigger the head the bigger the headache. But I am telling you that, with the leadership of the party headed by the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, we will always come out stronger, virile and bigger as usual.

     

  • ‘APC is a mass movement’

    ‘APC is a mass movement’

    Hon. Lanre Odubote represents Epe Constituency in the House of Representatives. He spoke with Musa Odoshimokhe on the constitution amendment, national security and crisis in Rivers State.

     

    How would you assess the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC)?

    The APC started shaking the polity at its infancy. It started at the point of the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal. It was the coalition of all opposition parties, who with other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came together to vote for Tanbuwal. And I can say that APC has been in place since the House was inaugurated in June 2011.

    So, if the APC is now registered, it is just to say, kudos to the people in the National Assembly. We thank God for our leaders for being able to come together this time around, having seen what we did at the National Assembly, to consolidate our position. APC is going to send the PDP away. PDP is insensitive to the peoples’ wellbeing, it is very reckless and corrupt. Talk of anything that is anathema to democratic culture, it is the PDP. The party is associated with the imposition of poverty on the people.

    It does not believe in empowerment of the people, it’s a party that refuses to implement the budget of the people. PDP is a party that refused to believe in democratic institution, otherwise, how can a parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pass a resolution and the party says it is just a mere advice. When it was good for them to use that advice to become the President, they did. They believe in the parliament then, but they are now comfortable not to implement all the resolutions of the House. See what happened in Rivers State, if not for the House of Representatives, Governor Rotimi Amaechi would have been removed from office by now. But we took that decision to save him.

    The APC, in conjunction with some of our friends in PDP worked to bring peace to Rivers State.

    That is why we have some little peace in the state. So, APC is that party that has come to liberate the oppressed, it a mass movement and thank God, today Nigerians are reasoning along that line. By the time we face them in 2015, PDP will realise that it is too late for them. I am not surprised, this is the same PDP that does not believe in the creation of local governments, they are now contesting elections in those created by the Lagos State government. They never saw anything good in the Local Council Development Areas. As far as I am concerned, APC is moving up politically.

    The National Assembly has not spoken with one voice on the issue of local government autonomy. Why?

    I personally voted against local government autonomy on principle. Though my people thought I should vote along that line of autonomy for the councils. How can you give autonomy to local government when the federal government is still holding on to our revenue from Lagos State, there is no principle of derivation, no principle of true federalism. They say Nigeria is a federation, what type of autonomy are you giving to local government? The law stated categorically under Section 7, the local government is an appendage of the state. So, why are you now contravening the constitution? So, as far as I am concerned, local government autonomy is an aberration, it is a part and parcel of the state. As a person, I am not in support of local government autonomy.

    The Presidency has often ignored the resolutions of the National Assembly. What does that portends for checks and balances?

    All over the world, if you are talking of democracy, you must be talking of the institutions. The legislative arm is the parliament for the purposes of governance. Here, not less than 360 representatives are directly elected and 105 senators also directly elected by the people. But on the executive, only two people were directly elected, the President and the vice. Every other person in the executive is appointed. They are like liability to the President, they are not constitutionally recognised except the Attorney General.

    If an institution that is properly recognised is being disobeyed, that means you are fishing for chaos. You are not respecting the tenet of democracy. The Assembly is where issues must be canvassed. That is where we have to do work on the revenue, which is tied to budgetary allocation. Between me and you, why do you have to violate the law when you have signed it and now you are refusing to implement it? We are not saying we are going to impeach him, we are now asking you people in the media and the civil society to appeal to PDP for them to respect all the democratic institutions. A situation whereby an institution like the parliament is passing a resolution and the Presidency is disobeying it, is undemocratic. You are calling for anarchy because when that resolution was brought to you, you singed it.

    Now look as the security challenge, the parliament invited the President to come and brief us about what is happening in the country, about a year ago but the problem is still there and he still want us to be allocating money to him. Unfortunately, we have not yet advanced to that level when constitutional rules have to be implemented to the letter. If it were to be in places where democratic culture are well instituted, the President would have gone by now. We cannot be allocating money to him without proper accountability. We don’t know how much he has even given out over the so called terrorist attack or the JTF and the National Assembly that has the power to allocate the money is calling you and you are refusing to obey. So, Nigeria should not be an exception where rules are obeyed. My position is this, I am very bitter with all these impunity from the PDP led government because by the time you disobey a fundamental institution of democracy, you are calling for anarchy and crisis.

    Now that the House of Representatives has taken over the Rivers Assembly, what happens?

    What has happened is just a temporary measure for the whole thing to calm down. The only advice that I will give the people who say they are the majority party is for them to put their house in order. The House is dominated by PDP people; see the way they are behaving on the camera during the crisis in Rivers Assembly, have you see any ACN state behaving in like manners? See us at the National Assembly, we are the most peaceful people, if you are making contribution, you do that intelligently. See the way we brought out Tambuwal, see the way Nigerians gave us kudos on the matter. Now that the APC has emerged, we will lead and others will follow because PDP has failed the people.