The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • How Edo savoured Supreme Court judgment

    How Edo savoured Supreme Court judgment

    Joy was bold on the faces of the people. Youths invaded the streets of Benin, the capital of Edo State to rejoice with Governor Adams Oshiomhole, following the affirmation of his victory at the polls.

    They hailed the Spreme Court, which set aside the ruling of the Appeal Court, which had ordered the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal to revisit the complaints of the non-qualification of the governor previously brought before it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenger, Major General Charles Airhiavbere.

    Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who delivered the judgement said the Appeal Court erred in its ruling, as the Edo Election Petitions Tribunal, which earlier struck out the paragraphs relating to non-qualification, was correct in doing so.

    The Supreme Court maintained that the respondent, Airhiavbere, committed an unpardonable blunder by not including the ground of non-qualification in the original pleadings at the tribunal. The apex court maintained that the court is not a father Christmas who dishes out what is not asked for, stressing that a party is bound by his pleadings.

    The judgment doused the tension in the state. There was jubilation across the three senatorial districts. In Benin, youths under the umbrella of Edo Is In Safe Hands, had stormed the popular KingSquare/ Sapele/Airport/Akpakpava/ Sokponba/ Oba Market Road. They were led by two associates of the governor, Mr Osarodion Ogie, a lawyer, and Hon. Philip Shuaibu.

    The victory gave the governor another opportunity for a popularity ride on the street. Accompanied by the Southsouth ACN leader, Pastor Ize Iyamu, Oshiomhole was excited at the crowd. He waved his hands at the people , in appreciation of their support.

    The governor reflected on the poll and the litigation, saying that PDP wanted to manipulate the court to get victory through the back door.

    Oshiomhole said, with the judgment, the petitioner has been made to swallow a bitter pill. He however, lamented that his opponent wasted the time of the court and the ACN.

    The import of the judicial victory was not lost on the governor. He said, with the case over, the ACN government will work harder to give the dividends of democracy to the people. “The people voted freely and I won 75 per cent of the votes cast in the election. The judiciary has always demonstrated the courage, commitment to the rule of law and today, they have again demonstrated that and I can only say we give thank to God”, he said.

    Oshiomhole however, extended a hand of friendship to Airhiavbere. He said:“I want to remind the petitioner that we are friends and brothers and that, in a multi-party democracy, more than one person are entitled to contest, and that is the beauty of multi-party democracy. And when more than one person contest an election, no matter what happens, only one person must win. There is no way two persons can win at the same time.

    “Edo people have spoken. Now that is all over, we ask him to join us as an Edo person, so that together we can take the state to the next level.”

     

  • Sagay: zoning, function of political backwardness

    Sagay: zoning, function of political backwardness

    A legal luminary, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has described zoning as a function of political backwardness and immaturity.

    He said that no democracy can be sustained by the rights of tribes to misrule, misgovern, plunder and under-develop the country. The legal scholar urged Nigerians to imbibe political maturity and civilisation.

    Sagay, who is also a member of the Southsouth Development Think-Tank, spoke in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Sagay also dissected the polity, saying that a constitutional conference is imperative. He said the various ethnic nationalities have the right to discuss the future of the country and their place in that future.

    He said any constitution review that cannot foster true federalism is an exercise in futility.

    In the country, zoning has become an integral part of the political culture. The competing zones in the states believe that distribution of political offices should be based on zoning.

    Also, the choice of party leaders has followed the same trend. Critics have submitted that mert is often sacrificed on the alter of zoning.

    At the federal level, the six geo-political zones scramble for the top political positions because they believe that it gives them a sense of belonging.

    Noting that many developed democracies do not choose their leaders based on ethnic consideration, Sagay said the idea is retrogressive.

    The eminent lawyer lamented that leadership by zoning has roobed Nigeria of merit, standard and excellence.

    He said this approach has continued to draw the country backward, considering the years of misrule and looting.

    Urging the think-tank to distant itself from zoning, he maintained that it is undesirable.

    Sagay also admonished the members of the National Assembly to work out modalities in the constitution amendments to empower states to create local governments.

    He also said the councils should be funded by the states.

    Sagay pointed out that local government autonomy and federalism were incompatible, stressing that local governments should not be listed in the new constitution.

    The retired university don also doubted, if the National Assembly can do a thorough constitution amendment. Sagay said only a constituent assembly can tackle the challenge of making a new constitution for Nigeria.

    He said the inputs into the constitution making would be made by the ethnic nationalities, which are the pillars of the nation-state.

    Sagay said issues relating to true federalism, fiscal federalism, restructuring of the polity, devolution of powers, state police, creation and control of the local government and other critical issues can be resolved at the national conference.

    He expressed worry over government’s aloofness to the call for a national dialogue.

    The convener of the think-tank, Mr. Mike Igini, who is also the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross Rivers State, said that the initiative lacked political connotation.

    He said the group will be a brain-storming assembly of citizens from the zone ready to discharge the patriotic duty of adding value to governance through their constructive contributions to policy making.

    Igini said eminent Nigerians from the zone were determined to focus on issues bordering on revenue allocation and true federalism.

    He called for support for the group from the ranks of professionals. Igini said their experience and expertise are required by the region in the march of development.

     

     

     

  • ‘Kalu has not returned to PDP’

    ‘Kalu has not returned to PDP’

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and Special Adviser to Abia State Governor on Public Relations Mr. James Okpara spoke on the controversial return of the former governor, Orji Kalu, to the party and other issues. AUGUSTINE AVWODE met him.

     

    Former Governor Orji Kalu of Abia State said he has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The state government said he has not returned. Who should the public believe?

    The PDP chairman in Abia State, the chairman of PDP in Bende Local Government Area and other party leaders and stakeholders have addressed this matter. Former Governor Orji Kalu is not a bonafide member of the PDP. The party card he is brandishing is fake. It is not genuine. The reasons are very simple and I will enumerate them. First, every ward has its own serial number and the number of Orji Kalu’s purported card is different from the number series allocated to his ward by the party. Second, there is a register of PDP members and Orji Kalu’s name is not in this register. Can you validly be a member of an association without your membership being registered in the register of members?

    But the ward chairman of the party and other executive members issued the card. How then can it be fake?

    The ward chairman and other executive members who purportedly gave him the card were no longer members of the PDP on the date they gave him the card. Can you give out what you don’t have? In a resolution of November 14, 2012 by members of the Bende PDP, it was unanimously agreed that Orji Kalu shall not be readmitted into the party. The Igbere ward chairman, who purportedly gave him the membership card, attended the meeting and signed the resolution. I should ask you, can you be a member of two different political parties at the same time? Kalu is the founder and owner of Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). Can he be a member of PPA and that of PDP at the same time? The answer is no.

    As a lawyer, don’t you think that, by rejecting Kalu’s readmission into PDP, the state government is infringing on his fundamental right or freedom of association?

    It is wrong to imply that the rejection of his purported readmission back to PDP is being driven by the state government. It is his own people, those who belong to the same constituency with him that vehemently said no way when rumours were strong that he was planning to come back to PDP. The The stakeholders of the party from Bende have, in at least, two separate occasions, unanimously stated that they do not want Orji Kalu in their party.

    We are talking of the freedom of association…

    Don’t you think that the freedom of association of 99.9 per cent of PDP members in Bende council area will be breached by the readmission of Orji Kalu into their party? Have you read the resolution of Bende stakeholders on the matter? The Bende PDP members, in their resolution of November 14, 2012, stated that “the constitution and the extant laws of Nigeria recognizes freedom of association. That friendship or association is by choice and not by compulsion, fiat or coercion”. In order words, you cannot force me to be your friend or associate with you. You have the right to say that you want to associate with me, but in the spirit of freedom of association, I have the right to say sorry, I do not want to be your friend or associate with you. Friendship or association should not be by force. And we can say that political association or political friendship shouldn’t be by force.

    But why this opposition to a former governor’s desire to return to the party, on which platform he ruled the state for eight years?

    During his administration, there was no development in Abia State. Government affairs became a family business. Let Orji Kalu take you round Abia State and point out one thing that he did in his eight years in power. Our people are tired of quarrels and distractions.

     

     

    But many people will say the present administration has not fared better in terms of developing the state. The refrain is that nothing is happening in Abia.

    No, that is not true. Honestly, I am not saying this because I work for Governor Theodore Orji. The governor is doing an excellent work in Abia State . This is one of the distractions we are talking about. Some people have been specifically instructed to run down the governor and his government. Let those who are alleging non-performance by the present administration come to Abia and see things for themselves.

  • ‘Why I want to succeed Akpabio’

    ‘Why I want to succeed Akpabio’

    A  governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Okpo Onofiok, has unfolded his manifesto in Uyo, the state capital. He said he would concentrate on human and infrastructure development, if elected as governor.

    Onofiok also spoke on his programmes during his visit to his ward and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Udung Uko Local Government Area of the state.

    He explained that his consultation with the grassroots leaders was to re-affirm his aspiration for the 2015 governoship race.

    Onofiok, who is an Oron, said power should shift to the zone becaue two Ibiobio, former Governor Victor Attah and governor Godswill Akpabio have enjoyed the slot.

    He said: “When the Oron ethnic bloc is given her due recognition in the state’s political and economic configuration, the unity and peace of the state will be attained without much dialogue.”

    Onofiok appealed to the ruling party and state governmnt not to ignore the goose that lays the golden eggs, stressing that the revenue sustaining the state is from the Oro ethnic bloc.”

    He added: “All the songs the people are singing to Ukana, Uyo and the rest are because of the oil, which is being predominantly explaited from Oro. b Oro has been an integral and productive segment of the state.”

    The politician said the marginalisation of the oil-producing community smacked of injustice.

    The aspirant appealed to Governor Akpabio to use the remaining years left for his administration to transform the area.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Politics of succession is in the air in Akwa Ibom State. Who succeeds Governor Godswill Akpabio  in 2015? Correspondent Kazeem Ibrahym writes on the intrigues and underground moves by the governorship aspirants

    The political parties are on the track. But the contest for the governorship is actually between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Will PDP maintain its hold on power? Will the ACN displace the party Akwa Ibom State sin 2015?

    Governor Godswill Akpabio will leave the State House, Uyo, on May 29, following the expiration of his second term. Ahead of the general elections, alignments and realignments among the politicians have started.

    Akwa Ibom State has three senatorial districts; Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket. The late Chief Akpan Isemin, an Etinan, had ruled the state between 1991-1993. But his tenure was aborted by the military intervention in politics. Preceeding his administration was that of Wing Commander Idongesit Nkanga, an Nsit Ibom man, who ruled between 1990 –1991. Both the late Isemin and Nkanga are from Uyo Senatorial District.

    Former Governor Victor Attah, who hails from Ibesikpo Asutan, ruled the state from 1999 to 2003. It was during Attah’s time that it was agreed that power should shift to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the interest of peace, equity and social justice. That was how Akpabio, who hails from Ikot Ekpene, became the governor.

    The people of Eket Senatorial District are of the opinion that it is the turn of the zone to produce Akpabio’s successor. But this does not go down well with the people of Uyo Senatorial District, who are of the view that the governorship has never been zoned to any senatorial district in the history of the state. They argued that it has always been an open contest.

    Those supporting zoning and those against it are locked in scheming. The Elders Council’ of Uyo Senatorial District led by Otuekong Sunny Udoh is believed to be promoting the governorship ambition of the Secretary to Government, Mr. Umana Umana. It is not clear, if the ambition of the politician has the blessing of the governor.

    The elders are relying on historical facts as they forge ahead in their consultations on behalf of Umana. Udoh argued that Isemin contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts in the Third Republic. He also recalled that, after his emergence as governor, other positions were zoned to the three senatorial districts.

    The elders said in a statement: “Former Governor Attah, who was the governor between 1999 and 2003, contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts. That there was no zoning for the governorship was underscored by the fact that, even within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aspirants from the three senatorial districts were screened and cleared to contest the primaries for the position in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

    “The current governor, His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, won the primaries in 2006 and 2011 on his merit, after contesting against the aspirants from the three senatorial districts who were duly cleared by the PDP. Governor Akpabio won the two primaries deservedly and not because the position was zoned to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. After the emergence of Chief Godswill Akpabio as governor, other positions; Deputy Governor, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Party Chairman;` were zoned, in line with the practice in 1993, 1999 and 2003, to the three senatorial districts. Against the above background, the Elders Council takes serious exception to the statements made by some anti-democratic elements that the governorship in Akwa Ibom State in 2015 will be exclusively zoned to a particular senatorial district.”

    But former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, who is from Eket, disagreed with the elders. He said it is foolhardy for anyone to argue that there are no credible candidates in Eket Senatorial District to run the affairs of the state in 2015.

    Essien condemned the anti-zoning elements in the state, stressing that zoning has always characterised PDP’s electoral calculations in the state.

    “The zoning arrangement has become a characteristic of PDP. In Akwa Ibom State, the first governor in the democratic dispensation emerged from Uyo Senatorial District. At the end of his second term in office, it was agreed that Uyo Senatorial District was no longer contesting the governorship; that it should go to either Ikot Ekpene or Eket Senatorial District. It was also expected that which ever senatorial district emerged in the 2007 election will stand eliminated from the race in the next round of elections for governor. As it is now, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom have had their two terms in office. It automatically stands to reason that only Eket Senatorial District should present a credible candidate for the next round of elections.

    “May be, after the forth-coming elections, the best candidate, the best material and the highest bidder may emerge in the subsequent elections in 2015. But for now, the three senatorial districts have to be allowed to have their turns.” Essien said.

    In his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of Ibom Mandate Assembly, Mr. Iniobong John, who is from Uyo, disagreed with the Uyo Senatorial District’s Elders Council. He said Eket Senatorial District is the only zone that has not produced a governor, since the creation of the state. He explained that the other two zones have enjoyed the slot for 20 years in 2015.

    The letter reads in part: “ Eket Senatorial District is the hub of the oil wealth upon which Akwa Ibom and Nigeria is fed and sustained. In spite of the fact that, with 12 local government areas, the largest among the senatorial districts compared to Ikot Ekpene (10) and Uyo (9), Eket Senatorial Discrict and her diverse ethnic groups of Oro, Ibibio, Ekid, Ijaw and others, the zone is systematically subjected to political marginalisation and economic exploitation.”

    John quoted Article 7 Section 2, Sub-Section C of the PDP Constitution to support his claim on why Eket must produce the next governor. The section of the PDP Constitution reads: “In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of zoning and rotation of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by appropriate Executive Committees of the party at all levels.”

    “Mr. President, it may interest you to know that, following the recently concluded public hearing on the constitution review held across the country, the overwhelming vote of the people for zoning and power rotation in Akwa Ibom reverberated in all the 10 federal constituencies, the three senatorial districts and even at the state level, where Governor Godswill Akpabio lent his voice in support of rotation of power, publicly acknowledging that, himself is a product of zoning.” John added.

    In Akwa Ibom State, 2013 is a mirror of 2015. The various groups are coming up as campaign platforms drawing attention to the aspirations of their sponsors. Observers are of the view that the preparation for the 2015 contest led to the resignation of the former deputy governor, Nsima Ekere, who is believed to be a strong contender for the number one seat. Ekere, who hails from Mkpat Enin, the Ibibio axis of Eket Senatorial District, is banking on zoning to succeed Akpabio.

    But Governor Akpabio recently told The Nation that the resignation of Ekere has nothing to do with the governorship tussle. “I don’t think the resignation of the deputy governor has anything to do with 2015. That is my personal opinion. I think it has a lot to do with the personal decision of a public servant who decides to face other things. It really depends on what make you fulfilled as a person. So, I don’t think it has got anything to do with 2015, but there is nothing wrong in reading political connotations into anything that occurs in any political atmosphere. So, I believe strongly that in 2015, Akwa Ibom people are most likely to say let Godswill continue to be done,” he said.

    Asked if he is interested in who succeeds him, Akpabio said: “As a citizen of the state, I am definitely interested in ensuring that the tempo of development is not relaxed and I will be very glad, if we can have somebody who will be as passionate and dedicated as the current governor of Akwa Ibom State.”

    The governor’s explanation notwithstanding, many people believed that Ekere was almost evicted out of Akpabio’s government before he resigned to avoid any embarrassment.

    However, many also believe that the loyalty of Umana to Akpabio would play a key role in deciding who succeeds the governor in 2015. Umana will need to contend with strong forces from Eket Senatorial District, which are shaping the preparations for the battle.

    These include Senator Helen Esuene from Eket Senatorial District, Effiong Abia, an Oron man, who is serving as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Okpolupn Etteh from Ibeno, who is the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly; Ambassador Assam Assam, former Attorney General of the state and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Russia, and Jerome Isangiedighi, a member of the House of Assembly representing Oron/Orung Uko.

    Observers believe that urgent steps are required by the PDP to address its zoning arrangement and the controversy it has generated to prevent internal chaos that could result in the break down of law and order in the state.

  • ‘Why states are financially incapacitated’

    ‘Why states are financially incapacitated’

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed reflects on the danger of over-dependence on the federal government by the states at the monthly interactive session with stakeholders in Ilorin, the state capital. ADEKUNLE JIMOH was there.

     

    The 2012 budget was described by your administration as a budget of consolidation and development. How would you assess its implementation?

    When we started the administration in 2011, we promoted the concept of continuity of legacies. What did we refer to as continuity of legacies? What were we expecting the people to see in the continuity of legacies? We looked at it from the angle that we have just come out of an administration that had a proper focus; and administration that was drivesn by clear policies. It would only make sense for people to begin to see the benefits of some of the programmes that were carried on from the last administration to this administration. We needed to ensure that there were benefits to the people in terms of completion of projects. We wanted to be sure that the legacies that were erected by the last administration were taken to finishing levels.

    A typical one was the aviation college. The structures had just been completed when we came in. We needed to ensure that every other area that was needed to make it a functional school was taken care of and we diligently pursued that by injecting money. I am happy to tell you that our students are already flying. It is one of the very few aviation training institutions in Africa today. Our people might not feel the direct impact yet. We will begin to see the impact of this school, when we attain the economy of scale with additional aircraft. The Federal Government, through the Vice President, is willing to support Kwara State government in this regard. Within the next two or three months, we will be getting additional 10 to 15 aircraft so that the school can expand to the level where we will begin to feel the economic impact directly in the state.

    We also have the International Diagnostic Centre. It was almost completed when we came in and we had to complete it. I am happy to let you know that we have since completed that project. It has been commissioned by the Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, and it will become functional in few weeks. In order words, Kwara State is going to warehouse the first Internationally recognised diagnostic centre. Inaccurate diagnosis has been the bane of healthcare delivery in Nigeria today. A lot of people have lost their lives because the ailments have not been properly diagnosed. So, no matter how perfect or advanced our doctors are in terms of knowledge, without accurate diagnosis, they will not produced the desired results.This is part of what we call shared prosperity.

    Can you explain why the recurrent expenditure is higher than the capital expenditure in the 2013 budget?

    It is a structural problem in the country. We have allowed government to grow to the level that it is being run with a substantial part of the budget, which ordinarily should be used for capital projects. There is no hard and fast rule to it. If you take a typical state like Kwara State that is largely a civil service- driven environment, what we have is a plethora of workers that we inherited in the current civil service. Go to the federal level, go to local government level, you will see what the government is experiencing. Unless there are deliberate efforts by governments to create a structural change, which will not allow for further growth of the civil service, the situation will remain the same. I saw a lot of criticisms coming out in the papers. I just laughed. If you don’t give it a holistic approach, you will not understand how these things are done. A typical state like Kwara State that is civil service-driven, where the major sources of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are largely supported by the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE). Other areas where we need to get revenue from are hugely untapped because we need to inject more money there to bring them to taxable levels. So, the recurrent expenditure that you see that is high is largely because we need to continue to sustain government the way it is. What is the component of recurrent expenditure? It is largely overhead and personnel.

    You often emphasise the importance of states being less dependent on the federal allocation. Why can’t you lead by example? How do you think Kwara State can reduce its dependence on the federal allocation?

    Our dependence on the federal allocation is largely borne out of very low capacity to generate your own revenue. Ordinarily, the federal allocation should have mattered to the states, but the reverse is the case. We have been heavily depending on the Pay-As-You Earn to augment our recurrent expenditure, to augment our Internally Generated Revenue. Our commercial agriculture is designed to generate what you call a value chain concept, which will see people making money from agriculture away from the subsistent level we used to know. This in itself would generate and drive taxable environment. Revenue comes from taxes, fees, fines, commissions and royalties. Out of these, apart from taxes which make up of close to eighty per cent of what we earn in internally generated revenue, our fees are very small, our commissions are small and, of course, fines are small because of lack of compliance.

    We don’t want to put much pressure on a very low economic environment. To that extent, we have a responsibility as a government to continue to inject some money into driving economic activities that would become taxable. If you want to have an environment where you can raise money, you must first inject money there and convert it into an environment that can generate revenue.

    Last year, you promised to construct the Ajasse-Ipo-Erin-Ile Road, which is a federal road. What is the update?

    Yes, there were two forms of intervention we had in mind. The last time the Minister of Works came to Kwara, we spoke at length on our federal roads and how we are willing to look for money to execute these road projects on behalf of the federal government, subject to the fact that the federal government would pay us back our money. We wanted to reach that agreement. Unfortunately, the federal government has not given a concrete answer on that. Rather, what they have told us is that there is a policy in place, which would allow states to do federal roads and get paid back. Then, we asked them to give us the guideline. They gave us the guidelines regarding Kaiama-Kisi Road. They gave us some guidelines on how to engage contractors, bidding process and getting to the levels of award. We have other federal roads in the state. If we can get a nod to embark on these roads today, I will access the money and start rehabilitation immediately. But, don’t forget that the money would be borrowed. Unless I get assurance that I would be paid within a specific time frame, it would be dangerous for me to go and borrow money that I don’t have a source of repayment to execute roads.

    The second is that, if the federal government is not responding to us as we require, we will on our own embark on the rehabilitation of that road and I think we are taking a combination of the two options. I recall that I went to Offa last year and I emphatically said that, we as a state, will take over the rehabilitation of the road. I meant what I was saying. In order words, we are not going to wait for the federal government. Offa-Erin-Ile road is something that we will try in this year’s budget to rehabilitate. I know it is around N600m to get it to a desired level. Kaiama-Kisi is going to take a minimum of N6 to N8 billion to take it to completion and, of course, Omu-Aran-Kabba. I don’t think that will take less than N8 to N10b and, of course, Jebba to Eiyenkorin will take less than N4 to N5billion. You see, all these are more than our monthly allocations.

    It has been alleged by some people that your administration has been concentrating infrastructural development in Ilorin at the expense of other parts of the state. What is your reaction to this?

    I will completely disagree with that. Let us look at our policies. The reason why we try to drive government business with policies is to be able to isolate the impact that the people should feel. Now, look at our roads. We have spent over N2.7b on rural roads. Not up to 10 per cent is located in Ilorin metropolis. All these roads are located in the three senatorial districts, largely in the villages and other communities. The essence of it is for our people to begin to feel the impact of government. When we renovated up to like 400 classrooms, not up to 10 per cent are within the metropolis. They are scattered across the three senatorial districts. We are renovating five General Hospitals; only one is located in Ilorin. We have two in Kwara South and one in Kwara North. If you keep going, you will see that more activities are spreading to other parts of the state. What they are seeing as concentration is completion of the on-going projects.

  • ‘Forget Sharia, if you want dialogue’

    ‘Forget Sharia, if you want dialogue’

    Former Military Governor of Kaduna State Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd) spoke with Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE on the Boko Haram crises in the North and how the Federal Government can reposition the polity by fighting corruption and mass unemployment.

     

    Former Military Governor of Kaduna State Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd) has told leaders and members of the Boko Haram sect to forget their demand for Sharia in the North, if they are serious about talks with the Federal Government.

    But Col. Umar advises the Federal Government to show commitment in the fight against corruption and unemployment – if indeed the government is sincere in its quest to end the insecurity in the land.

    In a telephone interview with our correspondent at the weekend, Col. Umar blamed both the Federal Government and Boko Haram (western education is a sin) for the strings of deaths and destruction of property brought about by the bombings across many states in the North, particularly in the Northeastern.

    According to the radical former military governor, it will be futile for Boko Haram to insist on Islamisation of any part of the North as the sect has often demanded as one of its conditions for peace.

    He reminded the sect’s members of the secularity of the Nigerian state as enshrined in the constitution, stressing that there is no state in the North that does not have its own fair share of indigenous Christian and Moslem population.

    Col. Umar said: “They should not forget that the constitution says Nigeria is a secular state. That means we cannot run the country as a theocracy; otherwise, we cannot remain as one.

    “They should also know that the North is neither a purely Islamic territory nor a Christian territory. So, if they are seeking to impose Sharia on any part of the country as a condition for dialogue, it will never work.

    “Let them imagine what Nigeria will be like, if every religious organisation seeks to impose its own doctrine on any part of the country. If that happens, then we can no longer remain as one country. Northern Nigeria cannot be cut off from the rest.

    “So, if the institutionalisation of Sharia in the North is one of the conditions the leaders of Boko Haram are projecting for dialogue, then they should perish the thought because that is not achievable.”

    The retired soldier similarly faulted claims by members of the Boko Haram that their bombing escapades are meant to avenge the killing of their leader, the late Mohammed Yusuf, who was extra judicially eliminated in captivity by security agents in 2009.

    He called on the sect’s members to make a conservative estimate of the number of people they have killed in their quest for vengeance on the death of Yusuf, saying the “frightening” number of casualties from their bombings is enough for them to stop the killings.

    “Can they count the number of innocent people they have killed in the course of avenging the killing of Mohammed Yusuf? They should know that this country has witnessed so much bloodshed and instability on account of their activities.

    So, if they don’t ceasefire, then, what in the name of Allah, do they want to achieve?”

    Col. Umar reminded the sect that the elimination of Yusuf was carried out under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and not under President Goodluck Jonathan, who the sect has vowed to fight to the finish.

    Col. Umar urged the Federal Government to address the hydra headed challenges confronting the nation in the most critical sectors of the economy and the polity.

    He identified corruption and unemployment as the two dangerous monsters that must be tamed for any dialogue to be meaningful and for the country to enjoy relative stability.

    To him, the Federal Government’s approach to the anti-corruption war and job creation is insincere in the approach has thrown up a situation where about 80 per cent of the population live below the poverty line, he said.

    Col. Umar lamented a situation where public servants and politicians conspire to loot the treasury, thereby depriving a teeming population of the nation’s youths the opportunities for gainful employment.

    “There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to address the terrible economic situation in which about 80 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

    “For now, there is total shutdown on employment. Public servants and politicians are cornering the available resources in the country. For you to get employment, you must be connected to a politician or a top public servant.

    “When these unemployed youths realise they have no access to employment opportunities, they engage in drugs and other anti-social activities, like robbery, kidnapping, bombing and others, with dangerous consequences for the larger society.

    “People are graduating from the university and other higher institutions only to find out that there is no job for them. In situations like this, there can only be chaos, instability and restiveness among the youth,” Col. Umar said.

    He warned that if care is not taken, the entire country may implode under the weight of corruption, stressing that even the judiciary that the people look up to for salvation has continued to fail the nation.

    To Col. Umar, the two-year jail term with an option of N750,000 fine handed a former police pension boss, Yakubu Yusufu, convicted for N32 billion fraud by an Abuja High Court is ridiculous.

    Col. Umar however praised the cautious stance of the Federal Government on the dialogue offer proposed by the Boko Haram, as enunciated by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim.

    Dr. Marshal Ibrahim said that the Federal Government would watch the sect for at least one month to be sure that it is sincere about the ceasefire and dialogue offer.

    Col. Umar urged the government to accept the dialogue offer, if the sect is eventually proved to be sincere and if its leaders are ready to make themselves available. “It is left for the Boko Haram leaders to prove to the whole world that they are sincere about dialogue,” he said.

  • Legislator calls for devolution of power

    Legislator calls for devolution of power

    Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) member of the House of Representatives Mr. Lanre Odubote has called for devolution of power to the states. He said the lopsided federalism operated by Nigeria has made the federal government to appropriate the powers of the 36 states.

    Odubote, who represents Epe Constituency, also called for state and community police, stressing that the federal police lacked the numerical strength, capacity and resources to properly police Nigeria.

    The legislator, who spoke with our correspondent in Lagos, said much is expected of the National Assembly during the constitution review.

    He said the exercise should reposition Nigeria and foster true federalism, to make it meaningful.

    Odubote said: “The power-loaded federal government is behaving as if the statesd are its appendages. There is the need for decentralisation of powers so that the states can do some things without running to Abuja for approval.

    “One of the issues being debated now is the structure of the police. It has been established that only those who understands the language of a particular community should be posted to the community. Policemen perform better when they know the terrain, not when they are affected by the language barrier.

    “The federal police can remain, but there is the need for governors, who are the chief security officers of their states, to have a measure of control over the police. That is why the governors are proposing a multi-level policing arrangement”.

    Odubote lent his voice to the debate on local government autonomy, saying that the federal constitution has the answer. He explained that, since there are only two levels of governments in federalism, the House of Assembly has reponsibility for the creation and control of the councils.

    He stressed: “There are two tiers of government in federalism. we have the federal level and states which are coordinate with the central government. The states are not the appendages of the federal government. They are coordinate units.

    “Local government exists in the states for easy administration. They are created by the states. It is abnormal to list them in the constitution”.

  • Ogun 2015: Why Yewa can’t produce governor

    Ogun 2015: Why Yewa can’t produce governor

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP chieftain in Ogun State Chief Olukayode Ajibola has said that Yewa cannot produce the next governor in 2015.

    The former state coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, asked the governorship aspirants from the zone to perish the thought, stressing that they are not favoured by the reality on the ground.

    Ajibola, who hails from Ogun West Senatorial District, said the political equation in the state has change, maintaining that power cannot shift to Yewa in 2015.

    Speaking to The Nation in his office, Ajibola, who is the state chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), said the best chance to realise such a long time dream was in 2011. He lamented that the intra-party crisis aborted the dream.

    He said: “Things have changed politically in the state. And if we must be realistic, it is one project that cannot happen now. At that time, Ogun State was a one party state. All the political structures were controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We had all the 26 assemble members, all local government chairmen and councilors. Besides, the former governor made it his project. But today, another party is in power.

    “The incumbent may want to go for a second term and even if he doesn’t he will make sure his party retains power. So for us in the PDP, it is not zoning the governorship to Yewa that is important for now. What is important is how we can overcome the intra-party crisis; form a united front so as to speak as one family and secondly, wrest power from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). These are the primary things for now.

    “So, if you look at the political structure, the internal crisis plaguing and the fact that an incumbent is there with the possibility of a second term, it will be futile to begin the crusade of a Yewa for governor in 2015”.

     

  • ‘Power must shift to Southeast’

    ‘Power must shift to Southeast’

    Tony Osita Oganah is the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. He spoke with JUDE ISIGUZO in Lagos on the agitation for power shift to the Southeast.

    How did the current leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo emerge at the Enugu congress?

    The highest body in Ohanaeze is called Ime Obi. It is made up of past and present leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo, governors, and others. The Ime Obi came up with the memo that power must be handed over early this year. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) adopted and approved the guidelines that the national election must take place on or before 15th of January. So, if you conduct the election on 1st, 2nd, 3rd or up to 10th, you are in order, but if the election is after the date, you are not in order; you are on your own. At the end of the day, the election was conducted, although it was not perfect. What we used in voting were mere papers with names of the candidates and there were wastebaskets that served as election boxes. So, no matter who won or lost, the will of the people prevailed.

    But controversy marred the election…

    There was a period when the former secretary didn’t want the election to hold. 14 out of 15 members of NEC of Ohaneze wanted the election to hold, except the secretary who walked out. The man was ignored. The elections were conducted and the elected people were sworn in. Another group came up and said, ‘We don’t recognize the leadership of Ohaneze led by Ambassador Ralph Uwechue and anything done by Uwechue, we are trying to undo’.   I am happy to report that   their so-called election scheduled to hold in Abaliki recently did not happen because the militant arm of Ohanaeze (MASSOB) made sure that those elements that portray Igbos in bad light were stopped from holding a contrary election. They did not allow the Abakiliki election to hold.  This is to show that the Igbo’s are speaking with one voice now.   I am happy to report that the so-called election didn’t take place. Chief Garry Igariwey leads the new executive and the Secretary General of Ohanaeze is Joe Nwaorgu, a former University lecturer, who holds a doctorate degree in Estate Surveying.   Anybody dealing with any other group or person is making a big mistake. Once we are inaugurated, we will begin a new journey of giving Igbos a befitting leadership. First thing we have to do is to reach out to other aggrieved groups. Ohaneze belongs to people of Igbo extraction. No one needs a special invitation to attend Ohanaeze meetings. Once you are from any Igbo-speaking part of the country, it qualifies you to be a member of Ohanaeze. We want to tell the aggrieved members that this is not the time to go to court; it is time to rally round and build Igbo nation. You can see what the Yoruba people have achieved and what the Niger Delta people are enjoying today. It is because they are organized. We are begging our brothers to come together; everybody cannot be in the executive of Ohanaeze. Some of them can serve in the various committees. We are appealing to them to support the Chief Igariwey led-Ohanaeze in the larger interest of the Igbo nation. We should come together to reach out to the Niger Delta, our brothers in Hausaland, our Southwest members and collapse our selfish interest for the group’s interest. This executive under the Ohanaeze Constitution would last for four years. After four years, other people would take over.  Let us come together, pull our resources to achieve the Igbo agenda.

    What is the stance of the new leadership on the agitation for an Igbo President?

    For Igbo Presidency, we owe no apology. Anytime President Jonathan leaves, an Igbo President has to take over, but the choice is left for Mr. President to decide whether he wants to leave in 2015 or 2019. I said this based on the constitution, which allows the President to contest for a second term. So, it depends on him to decide whether to renew his mandate and also to Nigerians whether they still want him, but the issue is that, whenever he is leaving, an Igbo person must replace him because we were all there when Obasanjo ruled for eight years. It is unfortunate Nigeria is running a tribal system of government. But it appears that it is the only way we can mould ourselves together because the office of the President of Nigeria is about the most powerful office I have ever seen. When I read the Nigerian Constitution, I am always marveled because what Jonathan is empowered to do, President Obama cannot even do them.

    If Jonathan decides to step down, we have to get ourselves really organized. Nobody gives power; so, we have to put in our own efforts. It is a collective responsibility of all Ndigbo. We are not against Jonathan’s second term; it all depends on him, his wife and his God. So, as far as his decisions are constitutional and equitable, Ndigbo supports him till whenever he wants to step-down. So, it is the turn of the Igbo man.

    How would Ohanaeze handle the challenge of disunity among the Igbo elite?

    This time around, I can assure you that Igbo people are speaking with one voice. We would engage our neighbors like the Southwest, South south through peaceful dialogue.

    You would agree with me now that you cannot see an Igbo person doing street begging. Our main agenda in Ohanaeze is to get the environment healthy and conducive to encourage entrepreneurial development and skills acquisition, knowing fully well that our people are businessmen. In terms of crime, 85 per cent of criminals are doing it because they want to make ends meet. So, if the environment is conducive for business, with employment opportunities for our graduates, crime will reduce drastically. Igbo people must be united and stand firm, ahead of the future.

    The first thing the new executive of Ohaneze   plans to do is to go and pay courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan.  We would also make him understand that we are all strongly behind him. Then, we intend to go and visit the Southeast governors and governors of states where you have large population of Igbo like Lagos, Delta, and Rivers States. We are practical people dedicated to the Igbo course.

    How far about the elections in the state chapters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo?

    We have actually concluded all the elections. We started from the local governments to states and then, the national election, which brought us to power. Those that won in local and states were the delegates to the national election.