Category: Politics

When last week the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) axed 28 non-performing parties there was a general outcry. But not so in Anambra State where politicians and stakeholders have heartly endorsed the action. NWANOSIKE ONU reports.

Apart from three or four political parties, others have been largely non-existent in Anambra State. That was before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) axed 28 parties last week for nnon-performance.

The parties that could claim to be on ground and functional include the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Labour Party (LP), All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP) and perhaps, the Progressives People Alliance (PPA).

Some of those that were de-registered only showed some flickers of being alive during the 2007 and 2010 governorship elections.

These were the African Political System (APS), Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP).

And among the three, only two were actually visible and held forth some promise. The electorate in the state were even tempted to think that they had come to provide alternative platform for them.

Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, a well known politician in the state had left PDP to try his popularity in HDP with a senior lawyer in the state, Chief Mike Okoye as his deputy.

On the other hand, another popular figure in the state’s political terrain, Dr Alex Obiogbolu pitched his tent with APS. Both politicians dumped the PDP when they were denied the party’s gubernatorial ticket.

However, the de-registration of the parties last week made little or no meaning to these big time politicians as they had either retraced their steps back to the PDP or joined other parties in the state.

Ukachukwu, refused to be joined in the tribunal matter initiated by his then deputy, Okoye of the HDP against the election of Governor Peter Obi. The matter was eventually quashed by the tribunal.

As for Dr Obiogbolu, the era of APS ended immediately after the Governorship election as he went back to the more established PDP where he is already gunning for the Governorship election next year.

Also, National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP) has gone into oblivion.

It was learnt that many of the candidates who contested on the platform of one party or another during the last election was to spoil the show for the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo for selfish reasons.

They were parties which hadn’t even a single one room office in the state and could not boast of state secretariats like the major ones.

Some of the parties like African Liberation Party (ALP), Action Party of Nigeria (APM), Better Nigeria Progress Party (BNPP), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN), and Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN) among others were at best ‘briefcase’ political parties in the state.

The former governorship candidate of APS in the state, Obiogbolu, told The Nation in the week that INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega was on the right track by de-registering some of those parties.

He said he was of the belief that INEC boss is trying to strengthen democracy in the land by taking the action he took.

According to Obiogbolu, ‘’for me, the INEC Chairman is applying the necessary tools as enshrined in the electoral guild lines, what he has done is important at this particular period of our democratic system’’.

The ANPP Chairman, Chief Patrick Orjiako, questioned why INEC registered such parties in the first place, when it knew that they would not make any impact in the country’s political terrain.

However, he was of the view that such de-registration would now strengthen the existing parties the more.

In his words: “Politics is not a business of buying and selling, politics is a serious business, some of the people who floated political parties did it because INEC was giving subvention to the parties.

‘’ It was easy for the parties to carter for their members and perhaps sponsor candidates both at the states and national level. But when INEC took the decision of not giving money to political parties, most of those parties become handicapped.

‘’A political party should be able to win elections either at the level of councillorship, local government chairman, House of Assembly, National Assembly or Governorship. But I equally blame INEC on the other hand for registering such large number of parties, this is Nigeria and Africa and not America ‘’ Orjiako said.

The Chairman of the PDP’s fresh congress group in Anambra State , Pastor, Emma Obiora, told The Nation in Awka that the move by INEC was a welcomed development.

According to him, ‘’most of the parties were not functioning, then why should they exist, they should allow the functioning parties to operate and perform.

“We in PDP like what INEC did by de-registering those non functional parties, if those parties had members, they should join those on the ground, this multi party system introduced in the system is also helping in killing democracy in the land,‘’Obiora said.

A human rights activist and Anambra State coordinator, Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM), Comrade Obi Ochije, told The Nation in Awka that the INEC chairman needs commendation

He said, ‘’Jega is right in what he has done, a political party should be able to win something during election no matter how small, but let those parties form a common front by coming together for fresh registration as a group, ‘’Ochije advised.

Dr Tony Nwaezeigwe joins the debate on the role played by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Minister of Finance during the civil war.  He argues that the late Leader of the Yoruba is being unduly vilified by Professor Chinua Achebe and other critics.

The Igbo have a moral responsibility to begin to ask questions about the manner in which the secessionist state was run, before passing the buck to outsiders. Has anyone tried to ask why Ojukwu entrusted the responsibility of purchasing arms and ammunition to a lawyer and his kinsman, the same person he appointed to the all-important position of Home Affairs Commissioner, when professional military officers were available? Has the question been asked: why did Nnamdi Azikiwe abandon Biafra?

This is the time for the Igbo to accept internal criticism as a catalyst for quality leadership and for the restoration of popular confidence. It takes only an Igbo mind free from the virus of ethnic bankruptcy to realise that the Yoruba are the most trusted and forgiving friends of the Igbo today. The records cannot be hiden. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, it must be said, rode through the political tutelage of Sir Herbert Macaulay and the bulk of the Yoruba still stood firm behind Zik even after his exit from Western Region.

Is it not also on record that they enjoyed unrestrained formidable political largesse in Yorubaland during the First Republic , producing at the same time Vice Chancellors of Universities of Ibadan and Lagos , as well as the Rector of the Yaba College of Technology? Has it occurred to most Igbo that the Yoruba had reason to revolt against the Igbo for the killings of the January 15, 1966 coup, as did the North, remembering that Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun and Col Ralph Sodeinde were victims?

Those who are ignorant of his past might not know that the worst enemies of the Igbo, past and present, are the Hausa-Fulani, beginning with the Kano riots of 1953 through the pogroms of 1966 and 67 to uncountable anti-Igbo riots showcasing the beheading of Gideon Akaluka in Kano, to the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and Sharia, then the present  Boko Haram. This is why some Igbo quislings who are covertly rooting for General Muhammadu Buhari to rule this nation by attempting to create unnecessary political cracks between the Igbo and Yoruba will meet their political waterloo at the appropriate time. The words of Chief Obafemi Awolowo are clear. In an interview in 1983 at Abeokuta , which was moderated by Okparadike, Chief Awolowo had stated at length.                                                                                                 “As far as I know, the Ibo masses are friendly to me. In fact, whenever I visited Igboland, either Anambra or Imo, and there is no campaigning for elections on, the Ibo people received me warmly and affectionately. But there are some elements in Iboland who believe that they can maintain their popularity only by denigrating me, and so they keep on telling hies against me.”

Could Chief Awolowo be faulted, given the present circumstance, in his claim that there are still some shortsighted Igbo leaders who feel they could rise to political stardom by deliberately misrepresenting his roles in the Nigerian Civil War?

On starvation policy Chief Awolowo stated: “Then, but above all, the ending of the War itself that I’m accused of starving the Ibos, I did nothing of the sort. You know, shortly after the liberation of these places, Calabar, Enugu and Port Harcourt, I decided to pay a visit… some soldiers were not truthful with us, they did not tell us correct stories and so on.

“I wanted to be there and see things for myself… But I went and some people tried to frighten me out of my goal by saying that Adekunle was my enemy and he was going to see to it that I never retuned from the place, so I went. But when I went what did I see? I saw Kwashiokor victims. Then l enquired what happened to the food we here sending to the civilians. We were sending food through the Red Cross and CARITAS to the them, but what happened was that the vehicles carrying the food were always ambushed by the soldiers.”

Even from the above account, it is obvious to an impartial historian of the Nigerian Civil War that Chief Obafemi Awolowo was not fully in tune with the politics that beclouded relief supplies to Biafra . On July 14, 1968 , the New York Times was reported quoting Col Benjamin Adekunle as saying that any plan to send relief materials to Biafra was a “misguided humanitarian rubbish”, stating further that any food sent to Biafra through him would definitely end up in the soldier’s stomachs. It was in fact Adekunle’s obstinacy in refusing to allow relief materials to pass through  Port Harcourt to Biafra  that led the Federal Government to re-direct her route of relief supplies to Awgu.

But again, the Awgu relief project could not materialise because of Biafra ’s refusal to accept any relief material from an enemy for fear of food poisoning. In fact, Biafra’s Special Representative in United States of America, Dr. Nwoye Otue, if still alive could comment on this, as reported by the same  New York Times of July 14, 1968. Put together, the issue of relief supplies to Biafra was not within the powers of Obafemi Awolowo to decide. Biafra was blockaded land, air and sea, and the Federal Government insisted that every aircraft carrying relief materials to Biafra should be inspected first against possible unauthorised cargoes, before landing in Biafra , a proposal which the latter rejected. These are incontestable facts of any war situation which do not have any post-war political propaganda utility.

The fact is that most people in war-torn Biafra, including Chinua Achebe, would confess that they had limited access to news reports, with only a limited few having access to even   what was offered by Radio Biafra. There was also limited freedom of movement. Thus much of the personal accounts of individual participants and observers, including that of Achebe, would be limited. It therefore takes only the historian the duty to put all the factual pieces together to make them whole.

 On twenty pounds, Chief Awolowo was emphatic: “That’s what I did.  And the case of the money they said was not given back to them, you know during the war, all the pounds were looted, they printed Biafra currency notes, which they circulated. At the close of the war some people wanted their Biafran note to be exchanged for them. Of course I couldn’t do that (otherwise) the whole country would be bankrupt.

“We didn’t know about Biafran notes and we didn’t know on what basis they printed them, so we refused the Biafran note, but I laid down the principle that all those who had savings in the banks on the eve of the declaration of the Biafran war or Biafra, will get their money back if they could satisfy us that they had savings there, or the money there.

“Unfortunately, all the banks books had been burnt, and many of the people who had savings there didn’t have their saving books or their last statement of account, so a Panel had to be set up. I didn’t take part in setting up the Panel, it was done by the Central Bank and the pertinent officials of the Ministry of Finance, to look into the matter… and then made some recommendation which I approved.”

The question here is, what better approach should anybody in Chief Awolowo’s shoes have taken under such a circumstance, to exchange Biafran currency one to one with the Nigerian currency?

 Is it not an irony that right there in Biafra, while some people were dying from starvation, other privileged Biafrans were indeed accumulating the Biafran currency through illegal businesses such as sale of the same relief materials, and cross-border trades popularly known as Afia-Attack. It is the same people that wanted the ill-accumulated currency exchanged one to one.

On subvention to the war-torn East Central State , Chief Awolowo had this to say: “During the war I saw to it that the revenue which was due to  Iboland- South Eastern States they called it, at that time East Central State, I kept it; I saved the money for them. And when they were liberated, I handed over the money to them- millions. If I didn’t decide to do so, I could have kept the money away from them. And then when they took over I saw to it that subvention was given to them at the rate of 990,000 pounds every month. I didn’t go to the Executive Committee to ask for support, or for approval because… there were more enemies in the Executive Council for the Ibos than friends.”

One expects any true Igbo man to have the moral courage to commend Chief Obafemi Awolowo for that unsung magnanimity?

Again on the now defunct Igbo banks, Chief Obafemi Awolowo had this to day: “But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and half million pounds to start with. This was distributed immediately, and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time, of the ACB, was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view that you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to the Ibo traders, and if you close it down, they will find it difficult to revive or survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the cooperative Bank for Eastern Nigeria ….”

On abandoned property, Chief Awolowo continued: “And then finally, I saw to it that the houses owned by the Ibos in Lagos and on this side, were kept for them. I had an estate agent friend who told me that one of them collected half a million pounds rent which has been kept for him. All his rent were collected, but since we didn’t seize their houses, he came back and collected half a million pounds. So that is the position. I’m a friend of the Ibos and the mass of the Ibos are my friends, but there are certain elements who want to continue to deceive the Ibos by telling lies against me, and one day, they will discover and then that day will be terrible for those who have been telling lies.”

The reason for quoting Chief Awolowo at length is to open the vista of facts for uncouth critics of Awolowo. There is no gainsaying the fact that Chief Obafemi Awolowo deserved an unqualified apology from those Igbo people still painting him as a villain, while trying to protect the dirty acts of their kinsmen.

Dr Tony Nwaezeigwe is a Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

 The ‘Walk-to-Live’ programme of the government of the State of Osun has been achieving dual objectives. Apart from sensitising the people to the imperative of physical exercise, it has become a test of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s popularity. Editor GBENGA OMOTOSO participated in the eighth edition of the walk in Ilesa.

A SEA of people in white sport shirts and fez caps. Excited drummers in fre-netic display of skills. Singers doing some elegiac numbers in a symbolic flashback to the recent dark days preceding the new dawn. Curious kids and some women with babies strapped onto their backs, apparently wondering what was on the way this bright, sunny morning.

An old man stood there, soaking it all up, just behind the crowd, a white t-shirt pulled over his native Ankara dress, a walking stick in his right hand and a smile of inner satisfaction that seems to say “o, we’ve seen it all” playing on his wrinkled face. Truly, Pa Emmanuel Ajayi, an octogenarian, has been around for long. He recalled the days of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo on the hustings, his eyes betraying a glint of triumph.

“I can’t stay indoors on a day like this; I must be part of this,” the old man said, adding: “It’s a great day.”

But, despite the festive air – drums, songs and dances – it was no carnival in Ilesa, the Osun State home of the Ijesha, who are famous for their shrewd business sense. It was a test of endurance. A seven-kilometre walk; the 10th in the Walk to Live series initiated by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration.

Why would Pa Ajayi join the walk? “I followed Awolowo all my days as a young man. And this governor has been following the footsteps of Awolowo. So, I have been supporting him,” he told this reporter.

For Pa Ajayi, it was a magical moment that brought memories of those days flooding back to him. He recalled how the late Chief Awolowo went on a campaign somewhere in the North and “as soon as he mounted the podium, a swarm of bees flooded the place and there was confusion”.

“Awo brought out a white handkerchief, waved it at the bees and they disappeared. The campaign went on,” he said excitedly.

The myths surrounding the late sage are many. So, it was not unusual for such old men who saw it all and fervently crave for the return of the good old days to identify with anyone they believe is full of thoughts for the common man, just like the late Awo, who passed on in 1989 after a sparkling record that has become a reference point in good governance.

But, what exactly has drawn Pa Ajayi to the circle of those who identify with the governor of the State of Osun? “Look at this road on which we are walking; it wasn’t this smooth in the days of the amunisin (the slave masters). Pupils are wearing free uniforms and eating free food. That’s why, for my house and me, it’s Aregbe.”

His walking stick tapping the ground faster than before as the walk got underway, the old man kept moving to keep up the pace. There were many others in the crowd that kept on growing as the walk progressed. Some of them were in pairs – two men holding each other’s hands or two women holding each other’s hands – as an antidote to getting lost in the crowd.

A man was ringing a bell and shouting: E wa woko igbala; o fe si. Aregbe fe si o. E wa wole o. (Come join the salvation train. It’s leaving now. Aregbe’s train is leaving). Once in a while, he takes a break to address bystanders on why the people should support the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the governor’s party.

Lost in the growing crowd are dignitaries. Aregbesola was there, flanked by Deputy Governor Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori and the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola. Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, the former Eagles coach, who has not missed any edition of the walk since it started a year ago, Taiwo Ogunjobi, the soccer administrator and ex-soccer star Segun Odegbami were there.

There was also a team of movie stars, including Toyin Adegbola, who is also known as Asewo to re Mecca (Cuba, after being part of the state’s contingent to that Caribbean country that has so much cultural affinity with the Yoruba). Yemi Solade and Nike Peller, daughter of the famous magician, the late Prof Peller, were there. So were Dupe Jaiyesimi, Ayisat Abimbola, Muyiwa Ademola and many others.

The walk, which began in front of Ilesa West Local Government, snaked through some major streets, the frontage of the palace of the Adimula at Ereja Square where the statue of the first Owa Obokun, the fiery Oba Ajibogun, stood , a sword in hand. It terminated with an exercise session at the Ilesa Grammar School where some of the dignitaries addressed the participants and the huge crowd of spectators who needed an army of security agents to keep them in check. The emotion was gripping. They all wanted to touch Aregbesola. It was as if the trip was the governor’s first to his home town in about two years.

The Seriki Hausa led the Hausa community. Students were there. ACN Chair Adelowo Adebiyi and Secretary Gboyega Famodun were there. Hon Ajibola Famurewa, member of the House of Representatives, and many other frontline politicians whose robust frames betrayed a dire need for exercises. Every group wanted to be part of the action, which the governor insisted, was no political rally. Some old women representing the elderly, who are beneficiaries of the social security scheme, Agba Osun, mounted the podium to pray for Aregbesola, “who has ensured that we don’t suffer in our old age”. Widows also got a chance to say a word. They prayed for the governor.

The chairman of the local National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Lekan Salami, also spoke. Protocols. Then he hailed his men: “Up national!” “Progress!” They screamed back. “You like me, I like you.” You push me, I push you.” And on and on.

But the atmosphere became moving when the Special Assistant to the governor of Oyo State on Special Needs mounted the podium after Ogbeni Aregbesola broke his speech to allow him. Prince Paul Adelabu was as elated as he was touched by the governor’s gesture. To him, the symbolism of it all is that the physically challenged are as good as other people; they should not be ignored.

“I thank the governor for this honour. It is rare for a governor to break the protocol, especially for somebody like me. This shows that we are all equal, mentally. There is nothing any able bodied person can do that I can’t do. I’ve been to America. I’ve been to London. If you have a child like me, please, don’t throw him away.”

Aregbesola spoke about the importance of exercise, saying it is a sure way to keep diseases out of the way. He urged the people to see it as a daily routine and not a monthly ritual.

He recalled that when the last Walk to Live took place in Ikire, it rained cats and dogs, but the show went on. He then recalled the song the crowd sang on that day:

Se bawa lo laso awa, se bawa lo laso awa; teji ba de, e je o de, t’ojo baro e je o ro, awa kii segbe arojo sa o, se bawa lo laso awa.(Let the wind blow, let the rain pour. We own our dresses. We are not people who see the rain and flee. We own our dresses).

The crowd went ecstatic, with many singing along with the governor.

A walk of about seven kilometers with ease? It was easy because, according to the governor, there was unity of purpose. He urged the people to unite and support the government in its efforts to develop the state.

The crowd dispersed, but the show was far from being over. A reception had been organised in the home of a businessman, Lowo Adedeji (Obafoot). Food and drinks were served. Then a short interview by a radio station during which Aregbesola said his administration had spent over N424 million in two years on primary schools’ grants and examination fees in two years as against “the negligible N64m spent by the previous government in seven years”. He promised more people – oriented programmes, saying “ the figures speak volumes of our efforts at upgrading the standard as well as quality of education” . “And that is in primary school alone.”

A band was playing. Some youths were blowing trumpets and drumming – a southpaw girl-drummer was so skillful that she was applauded by all. They dished out old, familiar tunes that moved Aregbesola to stand up and dance like an excited bride on her wedding day. The dancing was infectious. The deputy governor joined the dancing. The Chief of Staff joined. Soon, everybody was dancing. The atmosphere became electrifying.

Soon after, it was time to pay homage to Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland. His jokes, laced with proverbs, were witty. And quite funny. He told the governor how he wished Ilesa could be given priority in the scheme of things because “the governor is our son”.

Oba Aromolaran recalled his bitter experience during Aregbesola’s struggle for his mandate. He was detested for not disowning “a man whose father’s house I know very well”. Besides, many indigenes suffered untold dehumanisation.

The governor thanked His Majesty for standing firm. He assured him that his dream of a beautiful town would become a reality, but that so it shall be for all towns in the State of Osun; not Ilesa alone because “they all voted for me”.

Aregbesola recalled the horrendous injuries some Ijesa suffered during the struggle to reclaim his mandate. A girl was raped. A former chairman of DHL, the courier company, was beaten up at a filling station where his driver had protested attempts by some people to jump the queue. Chief Komolafe was hit in the head. He died. His mother in-law had her teeth removed as she was being beaten. The list of horror is long.

“We are not for vengeance; vengeance is of the Lord,” the governor said, adding: “But we will never forget.”

As the last of the crowds melted into the night, one could not help but wonder about Pa Ajayi. Did he finish the walk? What was his impression of the day? The crowd was the largest ever in the series. Those who could not join the walk were hailing from their verandas and balconies. Could the exhilaration have been less? It is doubtful. After all, it was the return of a homeboy.

Rauf Aregbesola’s popularity. Editor GBENGA OMOTOSO participated in the eighth edition of the walk in Ilesa.