The Nation Newspaper

Category: Politics

  • Rumpus over Rivers PDP council election

    Allegation of a grand plot to impose a candidate is the cause of unease threatening Rivers PDP primaries ahead of the proposed March local council elections in the state, reports Dare Odufowokan

    The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) recently said it was set for the  March 2, 2013 Local Government polls in Ogba/Egbema Ndoni local Government Area of Rivers State. Consequently, the much awaited council election is generating lots of frenzy among politicians and other stakeholders in the state.

    Within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an alleged plot by the leadership of the party in the state to impose a candidate on the people of the area is now a cause for concern as the state party chairman, Chief G.U. Ake, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi are being accused of masterminding the plot.

    Even as Ake and other members of the State Executive Committee of the PDP deny the existence of any such move ahead of the primary election later this month, the peace of the area is threatened as youth groups and worried aspirants vow to resist the alleged move.

    The Nation learnt that eight aspirants are jostling for the ticket of the ruling party. Following the failure of several efforts by the leadership of the party to arrive at the choice of a candidate through consensus, the aspirants have been told to prepare to slug it out at a primary election.

    “Several efforts were made to pick a candidate via conscensus but it all failed due to the stiff political and ethnic differences among the various contending forces. Apart from group affiliations, clanish consideration is another reason the competition is this stiff,” a source said.

    During the week, stakeholders under the auspices of the ONELGA Political Forum (OPF) blew the lid off the simmering crisis when they appealed to the national leadership of the party to wade into the matter so as to avoid total breakdown of law and order.

    The group accused both Ake and Amechi of encouraging the planned imposition of a candidate on members of the PDP in the local government. Speaking through its chairman, Frank Enebeli and secretary, Amiirinze Ile, OPF said the state party chairman should be called to order if the party is to continue its winning streak in the council area.

    “The people of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State hereby appeal to you and the entire members of the national executive of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for your kind intervention in ensuring that the party’s primary in the forthcoming Local Government Council election in ONELGA is conducted without fear or favour and in accordance with fair-play.

    “This appeal has become necessary considering the fact that the Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and the acclaimed state party chairman, Chief G.U. Ake, have perfected plan to impose a candidate from Chief G.U. Ake’s community on the people of ONELGA who are predominantly PDP members instead of allowing the people to choose a candidate of their choice from the various aspirants,” they said.

    But the leadership of the party in the state has denied the allegation. According to reliable party sources, the allegations exist only in the imagination of those making the wild claims.

    “All I can tell you is that the party is committed to a free and fair primary election. The governor has always warned against imposition. He fought against imposition to become governor, so he will never encourage such,” a party official said.

    Denying the allegation, the spokesman of the PDP in the state, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said the primary election will be transparent and fair to all aspirants. He appealled to all the aspirants to take their campaign to the people and not engage in campaigns of calumny against party leadership.

    He also debunked insinuations that the party chairman is interested in influencing the outcome of the exercise to favour his kinsman. According to him, the most acceptable aspirant to PDP members in the area will emerge as the candidate of the party.

    But another group within the party, the Omoku PDP Vanguard (OPV), has vowed to fight the imposition which it said would not be the first committed by Ake and his allies.

    “The state Chairman of the party, Chief G.U. Ake himself, the Senator representing Rivers West, Senator Wilson Ake, the Special Adviser to the Governor, Ellah Ake, a Personal Assistant to Governor, Ozuruoke Ake, the leader, ONELGA Legislative Council, Hon. Douglas Uzah, the L.G.A PDP Women leader, Mrs. Rose Azumah, the Admin Secretary RSIEC, Mr Egbuniwe Mbonu are all from Erema Town, the group alleged, adding, “Now they want to impose another person, also from Erema Town on the people. They have threatened other aspirants to either withdraw or be disqualified from contesting the primary and rejected the party’s earlier decision to shift the chairmanship position to other wards, particularly Ward 9 in consonance with the cardinal principles of the party which are encapsulated in the party’s constitution,” the group alleged.

    As time ticks on, the situation in ONELGA hangs on like an albaltross, creating an air of uncertainty ahead of both the PDP primary election and the March 2, council poll itself.

  • 2015: State creation and Igbo presidency

    Emmanuel Onwe argues that a president of Igbo extraction is impossible with just five states in the South-east region

    The theoretical case for the emergence of a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction has been eloquently established beyond any reasonable doubt. The economic case is persuasive; the legal case, which is a derivate of the constitutional principle of federal character, is incontrovertible; the political case is self-evident and the moral case is utterly compelling.

    But the establishment of the case at the intellectual and theoretical plane is quite clearly insufficient to meet the rigorous demands of our ambition. Genuine ambition is contingent upon action.

    Ndigbo have, for decades, expressed the desire and the thirst for the prime political office in this country. We have clearly shown, by oral advocacy, why we have that desire and thirst. Now, we must take the forward steps in the direction of the oasis from which we hope to quench our thirst for justice and our desire for equity in Nigeria.

    The next step is the crusade that will take our case to the other three cardinal points of our nation – west, south and north. The legwork and mobilisation that must underpin the theoretical case has been commenced by Njiko Igbo. Igbos should crave, plead and obtain – rather than presume, expect or demand – the support and solidarity of ALL Nigerians.

    The component tribal groups that make up the Nigerian republic have unique experiences arising from their history of participation in the union; but none is quite as unique as the Igbo experience, made so by being the only tribe to have pledged allegiance to two different nations within the same territorial borders – first to Nigeria and then to the Republic of Biafra and then back to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In between this shifting citizenship have occurred pogrom/genocide, starvation and conquest.

    This history and experience place us in a complex category in our union. And no Igbo citizen should be in any doubt that our quest for the presidency has remained a mirage precisely because of this unique experiential history – and nothing to do with the popular myth about disunity amongst us. Accordingly, our challenge in attaining the prime office in this land remains herculean and requires efforts of corresponding proportions to prevail.

    No authentic Igbo citizen should fold his or her arms and wait to be recruited into, or consulted about, this dream. Instead, our recruitment efforts and consultations should be directed at non-Igbo Nigerians. The focus of our pleas and arguments should be firmly directed at those who remain unpersuaded or unsympathetic to the justice of our cause.

    This crusade is an Igbo one, the staff and the rod is Njiko Igbo. But Njiko is not claiming an exclusive right to arms. Other warriors are welcome and, in fact, encouraged to rise to the occasion. Our job is to motivate, consult, mobilise and persuade both Igbos and non-Igbos alike. Additionally, Njiko Igbo is a platform for debate and exploration of deeper ideas about the place of Ndigbo in the Nigerian federation.

    What I have said elsewhere bears repetition on these pages: “As an Igbo man, I harbour a deep sense of sadness at the manner in which we, as a people, have been consigned to the peripheral reaches of the Nigerian power structure for more than four decades. Where is the justice or equity or the idea of equal opportunities in a pluralistic society such as ours?

    When shall these be accorded Ndigbo in order that we can have the assurance that, yes, we are not Osu (outcasts) in a nation family where we have played a brave and distinguished role to make its history more solid and more enduring?

    As a Nigerian, observing our unending national degradation, I feel a sense of outrage that the Igbo option appears never to be in contemplation as a legitimate instrumentality through which our national challenges could be finally confronted in a manner that could genuinely yield transformation.”

    Of course, it’s self evident that we cannot achieve our goal without first putting our house in order. We must show a unity of purpose which must be demonstrated through the pursuit of this one and irreducible ambition. It will entail the sacrifice of the personal on the altar of the collective – which must be demonstrated through allowing ourselves to be dedicated to a purpose greater than our individual selfish commitments.

  • Who killed Olaitan Oyerinde?

    IN May 4, it will be one year after Olaitan Oyerinde who was serving as the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Adam Oshiomhole was murdered in cold blood. Oyerinde, at the time of his assassination, enjoyed working quietly, but diligently and effective. At the time, the crucial Edo State governorship election was approaching and the opposition in the state was desperate to snatch the Southsouth state from the Action Congress of Nigeria.

    It was therefore not surprising that accusing fingers pointed in the direction of the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party. The ruling party and government led the accusation. I also felt so. The contemporary history of political violence is Nigeria is replete with murders and assassinations.

    It was a theory that could not be ignored. But it was a theory. It could not take the place of thorough investigations by relevant security agencies. The onus was on the Police and the Department of State Security to apprehend the murderers and present unassailable evidence that they were actually responsible. They, in conjunction with the officers of the law, have the responsibility to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice. It is the least expected of them in deterring others from treading the same path.

    The list of unresolved murder of politicians keeps growing by the day. A report by the International Society for Civil Liberty and the Rule of Law put the figure of political assassinations since 1999 at 160. The most prominent include Bola Ige, A. K. Dikibo, Marshall Harry, Odunayo Olagbaju, Layi Balogun, Dipo Dina, Funsho William, Dele Arojo, Ogbonnaya Uche, Sulaiman Olajokun, Ayodeji Daramola, Ibrahim Abba Garko and Ahmed Onipede. Others include Barnabas and Abigail Igwe, Victor Nwankwo, Ahmed Pategi and Theodore Egwatu.

    The Nigerian state continues to encourage such premeditated murders by refusing to apprehend the killers and subject them to trial and conviction. At best, the issues are obfuscated and the real culprits shielded, thus paving the way for more killings. Anyone who is well connected can escape the law in Nigeria . This is the shame of a country that prides itself as the giant of Africa and wants to be taken serious in the chase to become one of the 20 leading world economies in the next seven years. Where there is no justice, there cannot be discipline. And, without discipline, there can be no development.

    The case of Olaitan in Edo State is pathetic. The young man readily accepted to work with the comrade governor for the transformation of a state different from that where he was born. Anyone who knew Olaitan knew him as an uncommon Nigerian. He was a revolutionary and saw state boundaries as artificial and would readily lend his services to any state or institution where he could make a difference. He was a Deputy National secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress on secondment to that theatre for work.

    The opposition party has denied that it had any hand in the killing. It has a right to defend itself. It even has a right to feel scandalized by the allegation. Reading the circumstances, those of us who hold that the political environment could have led to the killing also have a right to call for the searchlight to be beamed in that direction.

    The ultimate responsibility to do a thorough investigation is the Police’s. No sooner was the killing reported that the police hierarchy and the president promise that it would not be allowed to go the way of previous murders. But, what did we get? Three months after, the SSS was the first to come up with a report that presented the alleged killers of my comrade. The service said it had recovered the telephones and laptops taken from the house.

    But, to the astonishment of all, two weeks after that, the police also released its own report. A reverend gentleman who is also a prominent civil rights activist in the state, David Ugolor, was identified as the brain behind the murder. The SSS said it was sheer armed robbery and that the killers acted on impulse. The police said their investigation revealed that Olaitan was assassinated. So, what is the truth? The sets of people arrested by the two security agencies were different. One murder, different theories; different sets of suspects.

    Predictably, Ugolor was arraigned before and Oredo magistrate court and set free. It would appear, as Oshiomhole pointed out at the launch of the Police Code of Conduct on Thursday that the police team led by a Deputy Inspector General set out to confuse issues and add the Olaitan murder to the list of unresolved killing in the country. Aren’t officers of the Police Force ashamed that no murder has been handled professionally so far? All that the Police said fly in the face of logic. They call to question the competence and wisdom of those charged with state security. Why didn’t the Police first work on the report of the SSS? What level of collaboration do we have between the agencies?

    Somebody in the Force must account for the murder of Oyerinde. Until the killers are arrested and successfully prosecuted, the Police must be held accountable for the assassination.

  • 2015: Can Lagos PDP get it right?

    2015: Can Lagos PDP get it right?

    For 14 years, Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has coveted the seat of government. But the opposition party has lost its deposit in four general elections. Will the party make a difference in 2015?

    When the PDP leaders from the state visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, recently, they were full of bravado. The chairman of the party, Captain Tunji Shelle (rtd), who led the team, declared the party’s intention to “capture” the Centre of Excellence in the next general election. Firing salvos at the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he assured the former President that no stone would be left unturned, until victory is attained. Lagos Sate PDP Publicity Secretary Ganiyu Taofeek also said that the party would perform better than the ACN, if elected into power.

    The missile was promptly replied. ACN National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the PDP’s motive as empty threat and wishful thinking. He said PDP leaders were busy chasing shadows, adding that the party lacked the programmes that can attract votes from Lagosians. Mohammed also said that the achievements of Fashola Administration have sealed the pact between Lagosians and the progressive party. “They are joking, they cannot capture Lagos,” he maintained.

    Since 1999, PDP has been producing failed governorship candidates in Lagos State. The party has revealed itself as a platform made up of Generals without battalions. In that year, Chief Dapo Sarumi from Epe Division was floored by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, his compatriot in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 2003, Tinubu also triumphed over the PDP flag bearer, the late Mr. Funso Williams, an engineer, who had defected from AD to PDP. The battle was fiercer in 2007, but Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) defeated the PDP challenger, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, a defector from the AD. In 2011, ACN and PDP clashed again, with Fashola defeating the former Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASSA) Director-General, Dr. Adegboyega Dosumu. Since Lagos PDP is perceived by Lagosians as a party that opposed the creation of additional councils in the state, the party could not attract votes from the grassroots at every local government election.

    To observers, Lagos PDP has its inherent structural weaknesses. However, the bane of the party is that it is addicted to crises. Recurrent personality clashes and ego war among party chieftains have deepened the disunity in the fold, making the party to go into periodic elections as a divided house. Although many aggrieved AD and ACN chieftains have defected to the party, they have often lamented their decision to be part of a sinking ship. Some of them have retraced their steps back to the progressive fold. Others who stayed on out of frustration continued to play passive roles in the conservative camp.

    Obasanjo appeared more realistic than the foot soldiers in Lagos. He dissected the ailing chapter, submitting that it has been retarded by the promotion of personal and particularistic interests over group interest. Those claiming to be leaders are larger than their followers. The former Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman described the platform as a party in the wilderness in Lagos State. For members to restore it to the right path, he said they needed to work and build the polarised party together. The former President reasoned that Lagos PDP chieftains must sink their differences to make a headway. “If only the leaders would sink their ego and regard the party’s interest as supreme and above that of individual, then, the party will come out strong and able to wrest power from the ruling party”, he advised.

    Enveloped in protracted crises, Lagos PDP mirrors the rot and organisational deficiency of the party in the Southwest. The baseline is the lack of unifying and transformational leadership to offer a new direction. It is glaring that the chapter needs more than its executive committee to generate ideals, fashion out winning strategies, and offer gerontocratic guidance. While the “G-14”, comprising elders, including Oba Olatunji Hamzat, Tinubu, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Alhaji Busura Alebiosu, Chief Rabiu Oluwa, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and Apostle Olorunfunmi Basorun, moderates the internal tensions in the Lagos ACN, their counterparts in the PDP, including Commodore Olabode George (rtd), Chief Rafiu Jafojo, Chief Alaba Williams, Alhaji Muritala Asorobi, Mrs Modupe Sasore, Senator Seye Ogunlewe, Senator Wahab Dosunmu, and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro belong to different caucuses. The groups or camps are always locked in the battle of supremacy. At a reconciliation meeting held at the party secretariat and chaired by Pa Aderibigbe Shitta, armed thugs invaded the venue and dispersed the party faithful.

    The crisis of leadership that has hit the party is fatal. I has been escalating and the party leaders who are in disarray, have been building on the crisis-ridden edifice. Between 1999 and 2013, AD and ACN have only produced three chairmen-the late Chief Ganiyu Dawodu, Prince Ogunleye and Otunba Oladele Ajomale. But PDP has produced six chairmen; Basorun, Asorobi, Rasheed Williams, Bayo Williams, Setonji Koshoedo, and Shelle.

    Instructively, Lagos PDP had a solid foundation. Its first chairman, Basorun, is a progressive. But his tenure was short. When he handed over to Asorobi, the party started to move at a snail’s speed. The former chairman was rusticated. But his followers kicked and the party broke into several camps. Later, he was readmitted by the Williams leadership. Many believed that had Ajiroba Williams been able to implement his reconciliation programmes fully, Lagos PDP would have been better for it. The former BOT member was abroad when he was abruptly replaced with a caretaker chairman.

    After the 2007 general elections, there was disenchantment towards the leadership of George. The party leader had backed Funso Williams’ widow, Hilda, against Obanikoro. The primaries was deadlock during the rerun. A national leader of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, who observed the congress in Lagos, declared that it appeared to him that Obanikoro carried the day. The result of the governorship primaries was later announced in Abuja, to the consternation of George’s group. The party went into the general election as a divided entity. It was alleged that the campaign structure already in place was suddenly dissolved by George and a new one set up. Party members complained about the misuse of logistics. It was evident that many leaders showed hypocritical commitment to party victory.

    Irked by the dismal failure at the polls, a party chieftain, Sunday Olaifa, said that he had the missed the target of winning power, advising that he should step aside as the arrowhead of the chapter. “Commodore Olabode George should step aside as the arrowhead and leader of the party in Lagos State, having led the party to three general elections without good results”, he said. But it was difficult to shove George aside.

    As the party prepared for the 2011 polls, it was engulfed with more crises. Obanikoro’s camp installed a former state legislator, Hamid Olorunoje, as the parallel chairman. In a swift reaction, the national leadership set up a reconciliation committee led by Chief Tunde Oshunrinde, a party chieftain from Ogun State. The committee proposed a sharing formula for the composition of the state executive committee. The report was jettisoned. Thus, when Koshoedo was in the saddle as chairman, there were allegations of marginalisation against Ogunlewe/Dosunmu/Sasore Camp, Olorunoje Group and Jafojo Group. Few weeks to the 2011 general elections, notable chieftains, including Chief Lanre Rasak, Demola Seriki, Wale Ahmed, and Tunde Salau, deserted the PDP train and joined forces with the ACN. It was clear that Dr Dosunmu, who contested against Fashola, lacked the political pedigree of his predecessors; Sarumi, Funso Williams, and Obanikoro.

    Before the 2011 elections, George, the former Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) , chair, was sentenced to prison for corruption. Yet, he continued to dictate the tune from the prison. It was a setback for the political career of a combative party leader. Out of prison, George continued to play leadership role, but he could not command the respect of many chieftains. Initially, there was a lull in party activities, until the emergence of Shelle as the chairman.

    The new chairman has boasted that he will become the first chairman to produce a governor in Lagos State. He has held series of meetings with aggrieved leaders. During the last Christmas, he and other members of his team visited some leaders, including Ogunlewe, at home to pacify him and elicit his cooperation. Shelle also led the party to a rally in Ikoyi, where he unfolded plans to take the party to grater height. PDP is contesting the results of the local government elections in some Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

    However, ACN has described the party chairman as a day dreamer, maintaining that there will be no vacancy at the Alausa State House in 2015. ACN chairman in Lagos State, Ajomale, said “with the level of work Governor Fashola has done in the state, Lagosians will definitely vote for continuity”. Echoing him, the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Joe Igbokwe, queried: “What has the PDP federal government done for Lagosians to win their votes? What programmes are they offering? What is the party’s score card?” Igbokwe said Lagosians who have enjoined the dividends of democracy under Tinubu and Fashola administrations would not sever relationship with the progressive party. “PDP is a disaster at the national level and Lagos State will not be contaminated by its virus of destruction”, he added.

  • Afegbua: Stop campaign of calumny against Oshiomhole

    Afegbua: Stop campaign of calumny against Oshiomhole

    Special Adviser to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Media and Publicity, Prince Kasim Afegbua, has condemned the campaigns of calumny against the governor over the governorship litigation.

    He urged critics to allow the judiciary to do justice to the matter, instead of trying the governor on the pages of newspapers.

    Afegbua said in a statement in Benin, Edo State capital,that the case involving Comrade Oshiomhole and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, General Charles Airhiabvere (rtd) will be decided by judges and not the rumour mongers on the streets.

    He chided critics, including Professor Tony Afejuku, Hanson Aimofume and Sylvester Ilebhvare for expressing partisan opinions in favour of Airiahbvere, thereby slapping objectivity in the face.

    Afegbua conceded to the critics their rights to express their opinions. But he pointed out that they lacked the right the right to present mere conjectures and concoctions as the position of law.

    He said: “Apart from the competent courts of jurisdiction, any verdict given outside the four walls of a Court is as good an academic exercise as the opinions of these hirelings tend to suggest.

    “The PDP candidate had the privilege to present his case through his counsel in the courtroom. He had the opportunity to assemble his legal team also to argue his case. If in the readings of the supporters of Charles Airhiavbere they now discover that the legal team did not argue their case well, why come to the pages of newspapers to do same?

    “It is more of intellectual laziness for a Professor worth his salt to run a verdict on an issue that is pending in the tribunal>”

    Afegbua maintained that a university don should not arrogate to himself the role of a judge, adding that those teaching in the university should focus their attention more on teaching and research.

    Noting that Comrade Oshiomhole is not the one who is alleging rigging in the court, the governor’s aide said the onus of proof is on the PDP candidate and not the governor.

    Afegbua stressed: “There are questions being raised as to the jurisdiction of the tribunal to adjudicate on pre-election matters, particularly with specific reference to qualification for elections. The relevant position of the law is very clear and that is why, the Comrade is seeking the Supreme Court interpretation on those provisions. Rather than wait for the courts to do their billing, failed politicians in the PDP are busy carrying out media trial.

    “ If they were that brilliant, what stopped them from giving such “informed” opinion to their counsel to present before the tribunal? It is not an accident of history that Edo people collectively spoke on July 14 and gave Oshiomhole the nod to continue his good works in the State. If they had wanted the failed PDP candidate, they would have expressly said so”.

    The Special Adviser queried further: “At what point did he discover that Oshiomhole was not properly certificated, since the law provides that candidates should display their particulars for all to see, object or endorse? Could it be that he was carried away by his selective, ethnically-structured campaign and thought that he would defeat a political Iroko of Oshiomhole’s stature? Why did he not object to the declared particulars at that point before the elections and taken the appropriate steps in the relevant courts for determination before entering the election proper?.”

    Afegbua said Oshiomhole won the 2012 poll massively in the 18 local governments, adding that his victory was hailed by voters who endorsed him.

    He added:”In a matter of days, all these will be put to rest so that the state will be saved the orgy of distraction and deliberate provocations from the PDP. One is waiting to see the real “cat with nine lives” between the promoters of Charles and the law.

    “ Whoever has any reasonable judicial point to make should deliver such to the counsels and save us this culture of media trials with very unintelligent, self-serving and academically deficient presentations. Law as we know it does not pander to sentiments, emotions or sensationalism. Law weighs the facts of a matter before informed judgments are delivered”

  • ‘Presidency not for highest bidder’

    ‘Presidency not for highest bidder’

    Former Deputy Governor of Ogun State Senator Adegbenga Kaka represents Ogun East District at the Senate. In this interview with Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN, he speaks about Jonathan Administration, imperative of power shift to progressives and other burning issues. 

    MANY Nigerians believe that President Goodluck Jonathan has failed to meet their yearnings in the past one year. What is your own assessment?

    I wholeheartedly empathise with Nigerians. There have been a lot of motions, but no movement. There is no point itemising the problems because they are all well known to even the ordinary man in the streets. However, we are likely to have divine intervention in the belief that all the rots in our society have been exposed and there is no other direction to go other than to tackle the rots for us to move on. But we can’t go further down below the zero line. With composition of the current executive council and the direction the ruling party is going, there is bound to be a divine intervention whereby, if something of a drastic change does not occur within us, God Himself is likely to take care of things. I may not be able to say anything about how, and the exact time because I’m not a prophet. But something within me is telling me that we must change our ways of doing things and restore the value system. If we fail to do it willingly, God will intervene Himself. And we must emphasise that it is not all about Jonathan; the governors and the councils’ helmsmen are involved. Across the country today, our public utilities are in states of disrepair and our leaders indulge in one egoistic attitude; rather than rehabilitate and maintain decrepit structures, they will abandon them and build new ones whereas the money used on the a new structure, especially as in the case of our schools, will be enough to reposition the old ones. This is an attitude that we have to eschew. Go to other sectors; it is a saga of rots everywhere at all levels.

    Is the National Assembly not also part of the administration?

    Yes. I make bold to say that it was the outcome of all our various committees in the Senate that led to the exposure of the corruption in the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), the Pensions Fund and the oil subsidy issues, thus leading to the various probes. So, we have been trying although our best may not be enough. But we are not relenting. It is now left for the executive to actualise the committees’ recommendations.

    Can we completely exonerate the National Assembly from this blame?

    On this, nobody in this country deserves exoneration because we are all involved; right from our respective family homes to our various work-places. The politicians, the civil servants, operators of the private sector, the clerics, and the traditional rulers are all involved. We need a total rebirth in the way we have been doing things. We need to go back to the good old days whereby all of us will resolve to shun corruption and the lethargy that have eaten deep into our fabrics. This is the only way the corruption, kidnappings, bombings, all forms of insecurity in the land, deliberate sabotage (as in the case of electricity, those importing generators and their collaborators within government) can end. Those who are manufacturing generators that are not used in their countries have their collaborators here. They will ensure that no matter how much money is sunk into the electricity project, it won’t work. But God is going to intervene before the end of this year if those people don’t stop. A lot of things will happen and how it will end, no one can foretell.

    But don’t’ you think that those in position of authorities should have the liver to deal with these issues decisively?

    As I said, everything that is wrong with this country is known to everybody in the streets and the solution is known to them. In the same vein, the problems and solution are known to those in authority, but why are they not doing things right? Rather than doing the needful, we are busy chasing shadows, pursuing worthless material things that will vanish one day. That is the root of all we are grappling with today. Now, nobody wants to work. There is no more dignity in labour; everybody wants to cut corners. The leadership must show the way and if that happens, the followers will have no choice other than follow the path. But the leadership lacks discipline, which is why there is so much everywhere. What has the government done to those caught with corrupt practices to serve as deterrent to others? Nothing!

    The National Assembly is supposed to provide major checks on the executive. What is the problem?

    In virtually all the legislative Houses, the man that is calling the shots happens to be the man that is paying the piper, thus dictating the tunes and making the legislatures not to function as they should; even making the judiciary not to function as it should be. Even the Press, the Fourth Estate of the Realm is being incapacitated by the powers that be, therefore making it to appear as if we are still under unitary government. And that is why many are clamouring for a more responsible form of government that with jettison the presidential system and go back to the parliamentary system that will make leaders more accountable and responsive to the electorate that put them in positions. Now, there is no more mentoring; what we have is godfatherism and nepotism. The old never-do-wells are now bringing their children who just barely passed through any school to the pinnacle of power. We still recycle the tired brains. Now, you will see people in their 80s, still hungry for government appointment; if they are not getting it, then it must be their sons and daughters to the detriment of the younger generation.

    But I think that era is giving way…

    Look at the PDP; the chairman of the party is about 80; so are those who are jostling to chair the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman. Now, what do we expect from that situation in a jet age? Its awry effect is replicating virtually everywhere, whereby the rot created by the leaders of yesteryears, they still want their children to get there and continue with the unhealthy pillage. That is why I think we are in for a divine intervention and I don’t think God will delay it beyond this year. Those who are wielding power will know that it belongs to God who gives it to whoever He pleases.

    We have people called stock brokers who deprive the poor people of their hard-earned money in the name of shares. They now use this money to build house and buy jets; yet, the same government that should punish them is wring those debts off so that the stock exchange can rebound. What kind of rebound? The same set of people will come back and wreck havoc. We can continue on and on. Is it the pension fund that those who have worked diligently are being punished by those in the corridors of power and are being shielded? Do they think that the God of those hapless retirees will not fight for them? So, it is not the issue of corruption alone; it is whether we are punishing the identified culpable ones or promoting them.

    So you don’t agree with the government when it said Nigeria was moving forward…

    Nigeria is moving forward to where? I laughed when the Minister of Information chastised the Press for painting Nigeria black when indeed the reality is known to the world. That is part of the deceits people are being fed with and which could prompt the wrath of God on bad leaders. This is the same country where the mother of a sitting minister was kidnapped in broad daylight. I am an agriculturist; we have an intelligent Minister for Agriculture and in the current budget, a paltry N79 billion was budgeted for agriculture for the whole country in a year! This is the money that is not enough for two states to give farmers rural road networks. And the man has not deemed it fit to resign. Rather, he is defending the budget and telling us that some amount of foreign investment is coming; from where? Are the investors fools? Are they not after profit making? I respect his brain but one would have expected such a person to have resigned.

    Despite all these, Jonathan’s posters are all over the place in preparation for 2015 elections…

    Yes, they are free to paste posters; it is their entitlement. Let them be for Jonathan or any other person; the truth is, God is going to deal with a lot of us. And besides, 2015 won’t be for the highest bidder.

  • Tambuwal: On the firing line at 47

    Tambuwal: On the firing line at 47

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, is 47 today. To his country men and women however, attaining the milestone is not of much concern. Rather, it is the direction which the amiable lawmaker from Kebbe/Tambuwal Constituency is leading the country that has continued to elicit positive reactions from people across all walks of life.

    Since he became the number four citizen, Tambuwal has perfected an innovative approach to leadership and lawmaking. He has demonstrated the attributes of leadership and taken positions on issues affecting the nation.

    A lawyer by profession, a politician by popular will, an accomplished leader by popular choice, a legislator by trust, Tambuwal has shown enough political dexterity to make him one of the most respected political figures in Nigeria today. His meteoric rise in the legal profession and politics has revealed him as a master tactician. He has built his career on the philosophy of self respect, fair play, hard work and the spirit of give and take.

    Nigeria is passing through a critical time. The are challenges of nation-building, political self-doubt and insecurity. However, civilisation remains a work in progress in Nigeria as the Seventh House of Representatives tries to provide that critical balance that sustains a meaningful presidential democracy and holds up hope for a new Nigeria. No one encapsulates that hope than Tambuwal.

    As argued by some scholars, the basic challenges of leaders reflect two fundamental aspects of leadership. The first is the humanity of leaders in revealing their hopes and fears, traits and instincts. The second is the unchanging agenda of leadership, in all times and places, as revealed in the setting of goals, plans, purpose and strategies, and working through with other people to actualise their vision in a world that is often uncertain, recalcitrant and sometimes, perilous.

    To appreciate the legislative footing of the Seventh House in its attempt to fill the void created by the challenges of leadership confronting Nigeria, one needs to revisit its inaugural agenda. I will recall here the kernel of the legislative blueprint, which was unveiled June 28, 2011 and remains a study in specific prescriptions. It traversed constitution amendment, revival and diversification of the economy, employment generation, strengthening national security, curbing corruption, tackling general infrastructural decay, and improving health system and the educational system.

    According to Speaker Tambuwal, in his inaugural speech titled: ‘Time To Remake Nigeria,’ “over the next four years, the House of Representatives will pursue an aggressive legislative agenda to reposition itself as a key branch of government able and determined to deliver on the key elements of governance. We make to state and with great assurance that the legislature has come of age. It is a new day, a new House of Representatives and we are prepared to meet and surpass the expectations of the people to represent their best interest.”

    In a move that verged on statesmanship and humility, Speaker Tambuwal conceded that the House accepted responsibility for failures and gaps in meeting its brief. “We will be responsive, transparent and accountable in all we do. My period of service as the Speaker of this hallowed chamber will restore the House of Representatives as an institution where the will of the people is done,” he said.

    Almost two years on, the Lower Chamber has kept faith with this agenda. It’s people-oriented footing bears this out. The Seventh House has been at the fore-front of defining important national issues for public discourse.

    American business executive and author, Jack Welch, once argued that today’s hierarchical structure gives the leader in organisation, or appropriately, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), control over strategy, organization and information by creating an organization with its ‘face towards the CEO and its ass towards the customer.’ The system described by Welch may be right in business and to some extent some governmental institutions, but what we have seen in the House of Representatives under Tambuwal is an institution with its face firmly fixed towards the people. Tambuwal has used his considerable experience towards making the legislature a people-oriented entity that elevates participatory lawmaking to an art.

    As he celebrates his birthday today, it is not just the intriguing narrative of how he was elected Speaker of the House that should resonate with political scientists. That experience should also serve as a reminder of the many profound achievements we could record, if we rise above the inhibiting considerations of tribe and religion.

    At 47, Tambuwal’s youth points to a future of hope and possibilities. Besides, his apparent willingness not to be encumbered by the political exigencies or double-speak that had stunted our progress is quite inspiring. For him, what matters is the nation’s interest. Call that an unyielding idealism and you won’t be entirely wrong.

    Born in Tambuwal into the royal family of Waziri Tabuwal, young Aminu attended Tambuwal Primary School, and Government Teachers’ College, Dogon-Daji, also in Sokoto State where he obtained the Teachers Grade 11 Certificate in 1984.

    He then proceeded to Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, where he studied Law, graduating with an LLB (Hons) degree in 1991. He did his one year compulsory legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, obtained BL and was called to the Bar in 1992.

    Besides studying law, the Speaker has attended several courses abroad, among which are the Telecoms Regulatory Master Class–Bath UK, 2004; Lawmaking for the Communications Sectors –BMIT, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2004; Regulating a Competitive Industry-UK, Brussels, 2005; Tulane University – International Legislative Drafting, 2005; Stanford Graduate School of Business – Influence and Negotiation in 2008, among many others.

    He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2003 on the platform of the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). Since then, he had served as Minority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip of the House. He was the Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly and had served as the Regional Representative of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

    He was a member of the National Executive Committee, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), member, International Bar Association, Alumnus, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, USA, Alumnus, Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA, Alumnus Tulane University, USA and a recipient of the Honourary Doctor of Law Degree from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.

    No doubt, Tambuwal’s candor, nationalistic outlook, ability to make fair and inclusive decisions, maturity and his desire to interact freely and affectionately with all members in the House in a professional context, has today earned him the confidence of his colleagues and all Nigerians.

    To this great man of ideas, I say a happy birthday.

    • Imam is the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Speaker Tambuwal

  • ‘Govt should tackle insecurity in Imo’

    ‘Govt should tackle insecurity in Imo’

    Retired Airforce Officer Chief Temple Onyeukwu is a security expert and politician in Imo State. He spoke with Okodili Ndidi on the security and political situations in the state.

    How would you describe the political and security situations in Imo ?

    There is so much lawlessness and indiscipline in the state. Unfortunately, it is a reflection of the level of discipline exhibited by the leadership in the state. In Imo State today, it is the government convoys that break traffic rules. It is the police that drive against traffic, even when there is emergency. Go to Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Fashola lives by example. He does not blow siren, he takes his cue on the traffic. He leaves his house early, knowing that he will most likely run into traffic jam on his way to the office. But, here in Imo State, we have more than 30 different uniformed ‘security’ outfits.

    The vigilante breaks the law, Imo State Security Network breaks the law, the Civil Defence, Police and Immigration all do the same. Add these to what members of the State House of Assembly and those in the executive arm of government do and you get the real picture of what we are talking about. They all behave as if they are above the law. Imo has become a jungle and only those in government, one way or another, are able to survive. There can not be any positive development in Imo as long as the present state of indiscipline persists.

    The rate of kidnapping in Imo and other Southeast states has assumed a dangerous dimension. What could be responsible?

    The rate of crime and criminality in any state is a reflection of the level of good governance in such a state. With a soaring unemployment rate among the youths, and the government does not appear to give a damn to what is happening, and there is no co-ordinated plan for the youths to acquire skills; and graduates are left to roam the streets looking for jobs that are not available years after their youth service, you definitely expect this kind of situation in Imo State. State. The governor is the Chief Security Officer of the state and where those in governance exhibit flamboyance and arrogance, the downtrodden youths have no alternative than to resort to any means of survival, including crime.

    What is your assessment of federalism in Nigeria?

    It appears to me that the Nigerian Federation is terminally dysfunctional. It lacks the capacity, as presently constituted, to deliver sustainable development. The present federal structure has proved a patchwork over the years. History teaches us that no force can stop a political contraption ripe for fundamental restructuring or disintergration. The Soviet Union peacefully dissolved in 1991, the Baltic states, comprising Estonia, Latvia and Lithunia, separated in August 1991, Yugoslavia broke up in 1992, Checloslavokis in 1993 Eretria got independence from Ethiopia in 1993, East Timor got her independence form Indonesia in 1999, South Sudan Separated from Sudan in 2011. We can negotiate the corporate existence of Nigeria. This country is an artificial entity and, in recognition of this, the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher said “the lesson of this century is that countries put together artificially will fall apart”. There is identity conflict. Should Boko Haram continue to waste the lives of innocent Nigerians? Recently, a luxury bus loaded with passengers headed for the East was bombed. There was a conspiracy of silence by the press and the electronic media. Should kidnappers continue to have a field day in Imo and other states of the Southeast and Southsouth? We must choose to discuss the Nigerian project or be ready for any eventuality. To discuss the Nigerian project is the best way to celebrate our 100 years in 2014.

    Do you think that constitutional roles should be given to traditional rulers?

    Why not release the funds due to local government councils and hold them accountable? My advice is that local governments should be developed.

  • 2012: Southsouth’s high and low moments

    2012: Southsouth’s high and low moments

    Political bickerings and violence, kidnappings and general insecurity confronted the six Southsouth states last year. But  governors also fought the infrastructure battle in the geo-political zone with vigour.   Nicholas Kalu, Bisi Olaniyi, Okungbowa Aiwerie, Isaac Ombe and Osagie Otabor take a look at how the states fared. 

    Governorship tussle in Cross River

    It was an eventful year in the Southsouth geo-political zone.

    Last year, the atmosphere in Cross River State was politically charged. Preparations for governorship elections was in top gear. Cracks appeared on the wall in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Governor Liyel Imoke was challenged by other chieftains, including Ambassador Soni Abang, who was believed to be Imoke’s long-standing ally.

    Imoke eventually trounced Abang at the primaries held on January 23. But the victory was short-lived as the Supreme Court judgment of January 27 sacked Imoke from office along with four other governors on the ground that their tenures expired on in May 2011.

    This embattled Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Mr Larry Odey, took over the mantle of leadership in the state, in line with constitutional provisions. Tension ensued, but was rested because Odey made it clear he was just holding brief for Imoke. He said he had no hidden agenda.

    Odey’s efforts to impress his loyalty, observers believed, was because some people felt that he was hobnobbing with a former minister who, it was rumoured, was not working in the interest of Imoke Administration.

    Then, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) changed the election time-table slated for from April 14 to February 25.

    Despite the ensuing fuss about the new date, the elections held on the date INEC set and Imoke still beat his rivals and emerged as governor. Despite stern battles by the opposition, the governor managed to emerge victorious. He also fought legal battles to retain the seat.

    Tuesday, July 10, 2012 was one day that the Cross Riverians would not forget in a hurry. The Supreme Court passed a landmark judgment that gave 76 oil wells in contention between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states to the latter by a unanimous decision. The loss of the oil wells was consequent upon the loss of Bakassi, which made Cross River lose its status as a littoral state. It also dismissed an application filed by Cross River State. Governor Imoke said the loss of the disputed 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State was “merely a temporary triumph of falsehood.”

    Akwa-Ibom: Attah, Akpabio’s truce

    When former Governor Victor Attah and his political son, Governor Godswill Akpabio, exchanged banters at the burial of Attah’s wife, Nnenyin, at Cardinal Ekanem Seminary field in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, they were the cynosure of all eyes.

    The Catholic Bishop of Uyo Diocese, Rt.Rev. Joseph Ekuwem, urged the two leaders to sheathe their swords for peace to reign.

    Also in 2012, the issue of zoning of the governorship after the expiration ofAkpabio’s tenure generated heated argument among political pundits. Many advocated open primaries for aspirants; others preferred zoning to the Eket Senatorial district.

    The people of Oron nation presented to the people of Akwa Ibom their position on the zoning formula. They stated emphatically that it is the turn of Oron nation to fill the slot, but Larry Esin, an Oron man and a former governorship aspirant under the platform of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), disagreed with his kinsmen.

    Rivers: It’s 2015

    governorship fever

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor Rotimi Amaechi, has been partly linked to the face-off between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. This has affected political developmnts in the state.

    Rumour was rife that the cause of the face-off between the two leaders of the ruling PDP was the move by the ex-President to back the joint ticket of Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and Amaechi for 2015 Presidency.

    As the rumour of Jonathan’s re-election is thick in the air, the likelihood of Amaechi emerging as the Vice-President in 2015 with the solid backing of Obasanjo seems clearer.

    To cut Amaechi to size and cripple his administration, ahead of the 2015 battle, the Rivers State’s oil wells were given to neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom, Abia and Bayelsa.

    Aggrieved Kalabari monarchs, chiefs, elders, women and youths from Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema local government area of Rivers State, in black attire, moved to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, to protest the injustice. They later took to the streets of Port Harcourt, insisting on the reversal of the Federal Government’s decision.

    Though Amaechi said he had no plan for 2015 yet, another political issue that heated up the polity in the state was strategising for 2015 governorship race by the three main contenders.

    The 2007 governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Prince Tonye Princewill, who later defected to the ruling PDP, is now positioning himself to take over from Amaechi in 2015. The representative of Rivers Southeast Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, is also interested in the race. Another contender is the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Dakuku Adolphus Peterside, who represents the Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Constituency.

    Criticisms rocked Delta over policies

    Certain programmes initiated by the Delta State government generated controversies. Government policies in many sectors attracted criticisms. The appointment of transition committees by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to run the affairs of local governments caused furore among political parties in the state.

    The chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Adolor Okotie-Eboh, described the action as “undemocratic and unconstitutional. He threatened to challenge the decision in court. His counterpart in the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Chief Tony Ezeagwu ,denounced the policy, describing it as “a setback for democracy”.

    The partial ban on commercial motorcycles in the state caused immense disquiet among residents and commercial motorcyclists alike. The policy caused anger among the army of unemployed youths who were mostly affected by the ban. Worst hit by the decision were Warri, Effurun and Asaba.

    Also, the House of Assembly dissolved the board of the State Interventionist Agency Delta and State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) for “lack of performance and total inefficiency.” The Nation gathered that the dissolution of the boards was not unconnected with disagreement between the lawmakers and the commissioner on contracts.

    After months of delay by the Delta State House of Assembly, the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) Amendment Bill was finally passed.

    But the ACN challenged the powers of the state governor to recommend nominees to the state electoral commission, pointing out that Uduaghan lacked such powers.

    Better times in Bayelsa

    When he came on board, Governor Seriake Dickson never minced words when he said his administration was an offshoot of Alamieyeseigha and Jonathan administrations.

    The appointment of political appointees has remained a major activity of his administration. The non-indigenes in the state were given a sense of belonging. The governor has been consistent with the monthly transparency initiative briefings, in a bid to show his zero tolerance for corruption. In addition, several bills have been passed by the legislature as part of efforts to reposition the state for excellence. The governor has been earning accolades for the people-oriented programmes.

    A stormy year in Edo

    The year was not uneventful in Edo State. During the campaigns, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the people would smile in 2013. So, they were full of eagerness.

    The year started with the fuel subsidy protest that rocked Benin City, the state capital. Civil society groups, including the organised labour, took to the streets in protest over the fuel subsidy removal. What followed the protest was rather unpleasant for the Bureau de Change operators in Benin City. Hoodlums hijacked the protest and looted their offices on Sakponba Road and Lagos Street. Oshiomhole effectively managed the crisis by rallying security operatives and making provision for the affected traders.

    On the day Oshiomhole was to flag off his re-election campaigns, tragedy struck. A trailer rammed into his convoys along Auchi-Warrake Road. Three journalists; Fidelis Ohani, Olatunji Jacobs and George Okosun; were killed in the accident. Several others were injured.

    Three weeks later, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, whom Oshiomhole described as ‘my son’ was murdered by unknown gunmen at his Benin City residence at about 2am on May 4, 2012. Olaitan was the Principal Private Secretary to the governor.

    The governor said the killing of his close aide was part of the plan to truncate his campaigns. Tension heightened in the state during the year as the political campaigns for the governorship seat by candidates of the PDP, the ACN and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) took off.

    Oshiomhole won the election by a landslide in all the 18 local government councils with total votes of a total of 477,478 against Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) of the PDP, who polled 144,235.

    Shortly after he was sworn in, Oshiomhole sacked some teachers and school inspectors after a surprise visit to some public schools in the state. The signing of the Land Use Charge Bill into law by Oshiomhole also rattled many.

    The governor also drew the ire of the human rghts groups when he signed the death warrant of two people convicted for murder. He however, reviewed the death sentence of four other convicts; Callistis Nkem, Monday Odu, Zubeiru Abdulrama and Tijani Mustapha.

    Callistus and Monday were pardoned and released. Others had their sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The governor ordered that a job be given to Monday. Transport fare was given to Callistus to go back to Imo State.

    The members of the State House of Assembly got commendation for dissolving the caretaker committees in the 18 local councils. Before the dissolution, some members of the PDP had invaded some council secretariats, in a bid to implement a court judgment that declared the appointment of the caretaker chairmen as illegal.

  • Constitution review: House will defend peoples’ interest

    Constitution review: House will defend peoples’ interest

    House of Representatives member from Ekiti State Mr. Bimbo Daramola has declared that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) legislators will not jeopardise the interest of the masses during the constitution review. He said the views expressed by the people at the public hearings would be reflected in the new document.

    Daramola urged Nigerians to show more interest in governance by offering suggestions to their representatives in parliament to shape law making and constitution amendment. He assured that the House would not let Nigerians down, owing to the trust and confidence they have in its leadership.

    The legislator said: “It is a critical time in Nigeria and people are fed up with the military constitution of 1999. But it must be stressed that review or amendment is different from writing a new constitution. I assure that the ACN members in the House will not compromise the wishes and aspirations of the masses. We will remain accountable to the people”.

    Daramola said the constitution, when it is amended, would lead to improved governance in the country. Noting that review is a continuous exercise, he called for constructive criticism of the exercise when it fully takes off.

    The legislator, who also spoke on politics in Ekiti State, said the ruling party is united and ready for future polls. He urged members to avoid creating cracks, stressing that the platform is more important than them. He called for support for Fayemi Administration, saying that it is on the right path.