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  • Hand over to new caretaker, Mba directs 17 council chairmen

    Hand over to new caretaker, Mba directs 17 council chairmen

    Enugu State Government yesterday ordered local government chairmen in the 17 councils to hand over administration to heads of personnel management.

    It was gathered that the tenure of the council chairmen ended yesterday.

    The handover directive was issued by the Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo.

    He said the directive was in line with the extant laws guiding the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors.

    Ogbodo said: “The tenure of the chairmen and councillors of the 17 local governments in Enugu State formally came to an end on March 4.

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    “Consequently, the council chairmen are expected to hand over to the heads of personnel management (HPM) in the local governments, with effect from March 4.

    “This is in line with the extant laws guiding the tenure-ship of elected chairmen and councillors in our local governments.”

  • Chairmen’s spouses empower residents

    Chairmen’s spouses empower residents

    The Lagos State Council Chairmen Wives Association (LASCCWA) has empowered residents of the Epe Federal Constituency, comprising Epe Local Government, Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDA), and Eredo LCDA, with working tools such as grinding machines, popcorn making machines, sewing machines, 6kg gas cylinders, and food items.
    The event was held at the Epe LGA Secretariat, Itamarun.
    Chairperson of Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA Mrs. Sijuade Anomo, in her welcome address, highlighted the commitment of LASCCWA towards socio-economic development of the communities.
    She emphasised the association’s dedication to poverty alleviation and expressed optimism about the far-reaching impact on beneficiaries and their families.
    Mrs Anomo urged the beneficiaries to leverage the tools they received, emphasizing the rare opportunity presented to them.
    The Chairman of Epe Local Government, Princess Surah Animashaun, commended the chairpersons for their dedication and expressed appreciation for their support in bringing joy to the people.
    The Chairman of Ikosi-Ejinrin LCDA, Wale Anomo, hailed the chairpersons for enhancing their administrations’ efforts at reducing poverty in the councils.

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    He expressed appreciation for choosing Epe as the program’s venue, highlighting the significance of supporting women, especially during the festive season
    Anomo’ counterpart at Eredo LCDA, Ismail Akinloye, said he was proud of the chairpersons, urging them to sustain the gesture.
    He emphasized the importance of husbands appreciating their supportive wives, as exemplified by LASCCWA.
    LASCCWA President, Mrs. Kehinde Ajala, acknowledged and appreciated the three chairpersons for their unwavering support, emphasizing the association’s determination to alleviate peoples’ burden.
    Ajala underscored the numerous association activities and stressed that their best efforts were yet to be revealed.
    Beneficiaries expressed deep appreciation for the support and materials provided valued at millions of naira.

  • PDP Chairmen: From Lar to ….?

    PDP Chairmen: From Lar to ….?

    In 18 years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has produced 13 national chairmen; nine substantive chairmen, three acting chairmen and one caretaker chairman. As the opposition warms up for the election of its 14th chairman at the national convention billed for Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Saturday,   Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU revisits the turbulent careers of the past helmsmen and the crises that drew the curtains on their tenures.

    In 18 years of its existence, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has produced 13 national chairmen. That leadership instability underscores the tragedy of an acclaimed largest party addicted to crisis. Many of the past chairmen have tales of woes to tell. They endured turbulent tenures, which ended on a sad note. They emerged as chairmen, following the battles of attrition waged by them or on their behalf against powerful forces in the fold. The trend of a high turn over has been sustained. Curiously, the party has always survived the multiple crises and forged ahead in its bid for federal power.

    In 1999, the late Chief Solomon Lar was its pioneer chairman. He led the party in the electoral battle against the All Peoples Party/Alliance for Democracy (APP/AD) coalition. After the victory of the PDP at the poll, Lar’s leadership was threatened. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted a party in his own military image. In a twinkle of an eye, the elder statesman  was shoved aside. He was succeeded by another politician from the Middle Belt, Chief Barnabas Gemade.

    Lar accepted his fate. But, his successor did not fare better. When he was frustrated out of office, he cursed the platform.  Brimming with anger, Gemade predicted that the fate that will befall his successors in office will be worse than his predicament. He bowed out in bewilderment. Later, he defected from the PDP. Gemade is now a senator on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Out of the three chairmen installed by Obasanjo-Gemade, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Dr. Ahmadu Ali, only Ali, a retired colonel, who understood the language of General Obasanjo perfectly, completed his tenure. The tenure of Gemade, Ogbeh, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, and Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and Senator Modu Sheriff were full of tension. They were consumed by protracted crises.

     

    Lar:

    Lar was an experienced politician. He took the baton of leadership from its interim chairman, the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi, the Aro of Mopa. In the First Republic, he was a member of the House of Representatives. In the Second Republic, he was governor of old Plateau State. He also served as Minister of Police Affairs under the military rule.  He was the bearer of the G-34’s ‘sack letter’ to former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha in Aso Villa. A progressive, he earned the respect of the founding fathers of the PDP, who did not anticipate the turbulence. Under his leadership, the party was built on a solid foundation. In the early days, the PDP was a beautiful platform. The fold was a mixed grill of conservatives, progressives and repentant military apologists. Yet, Lar was able to wield the fold together. The AD arrowhead, the late Chief Bola Ige, was among the eminent politicians who wrote the PDP constitution. It was after he left the group that Major-General David Jemibewon (retd) became the chairman of the party’s Constitution Committee.

    Lar, a disciple of the Great Zik of Africa, and a celebrated democrat, was to work with Obasanjo, who relished the hierarchical military dictatorial order and command.  Obasanjo’s first move was to get the title of the ‘National Leader’ of the PDP. Following his assumption of office, he agitated for the change of baton at the party’s national secretariat. That was necessary to limit the party’s influence and moderation on presidential activities. There was tension between the “party chairman” and “party leader.” Lar had to bow out honourably. He spent barely a year in office.

    Lar wanted party supremacy and discipline. He was also a crisis manager. Reflecting on Lar’s ouster, one of his aides, Dr Solomon Dalung, who teaches Law at the University of Jos, said: “Immediately Obasanjo was inaugurated as the President, he disbanded Lar’s cabinet and the disbandment of that cabinet remains the PDP’s waterloo today. When Obasanjo came in, being an African General, he came in with the Machiavellian theory of dispensing with whosoever that might have made him king because it was only him who knows the intrigues that brought him to power. He applied this to Lar.”

    Obasanjo made Lar “Adviser Emeritus,” without any role. But, when pressure was mounted on him, he made him the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Board. After edging Lar out of the equation, the former President showed interest in his successor.

     

    Gemade:

    After Lar’s exit, the Northcentral geo-political zone retained the slot. Those itching to succeed Lar included Awoniyi, and Gemade, former member of the Interim National Government (ING), led by Chief Ernest Shonekan. Awoniyi, a Yoruba, was from Kogi State. Gemade hails from Benue State. Other contestants were Senator Ahmadu Ali, Yahaya Kwande, and Sule Usman from Kogi State.

    Awoniyi often described himself as a Yoruba-Northerner. Obasanjo was not favourably disposed to his ambition. He got the shock of his life when Obasanjo from Ogun State declared that, in the PDP, Yoruba could not produce the President and the National Chairman at the same time. Awoniyi fought back, saying that, by geographical factor, he was a northerner. But there was logic in Obasanjo’s thinking. That reality jolted the minority Yoruba in Kwara and Kogi from the illusion that they were northerners. It also fuelled their agitations for the a new geographical design that would re-unite them with their kith and kin in the Southwest.

    Obasanjo knew that Awoniyi paraded intimidating credentials. He was a federal Permanent Secretary, former Private Secretary to the late Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the defunct Northern Region, the late Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, a Third Republic senator. He was a tough politician who could not be tossed around. Awoniyi insisted on his right to contest, but  he was harassed out of the party. On his way out, he lamented the collapse of the party’s due process and the derailment of the vision of its founding fathers. Awoniyi said that he was leaving the party of sinners. He made an attempt to float a new party, but without success. Later, he became a moral voice in the North as the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

    The chairmanship election was not a walk-over for Gemade. A committee of elders from the Northcentral, led by PDP Vice Chairman from the zone, Alhaji Kolo from Niger State, interviewed him and other aspirants at the Agura Hotels. Other members of the committee included former minister, Chief Isaac Shaanu and ormer Kogi State Governor Shaaba Lafiagi.

    Gemade’s move after inheriting a party ruptured by post-presidential primaries was to pacify the aggrieved presidential aspirants. Obasanjo had directed state chairmen to hand over to new chairmen. There was commotion. Gemade went on tour of the troubled chapters. Many of them were polarised. Party chieftains believed that the key to solution was Obasanjo, not the party caucus. Suddenly, there was a push for the extension of the tenure of the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) from two to four years.

    Gemade advised Obasanjo to concentrate on running the party and allow him to run the party. A crisis of confidence was brewing. The chairman was on a collision course with the party leader. His days in office were numbered. Gemade complained that certain powerful forces in the party were making unreasonable and unethical demands from his office, adding that the fall of anybody trying to meet these demands would be more catastrophic than the one resisting the demands. Reflecting on his tenure, Gemade said: “The way I saw the situation in the party at that time, it was clear to me that the mindset of the people who had the party in their control and who had the government in their control that time was such that the meddlesomeness that we were experiencing as the leadership of the party would not change”. At a special convention organised by a committee, led by Senator David Mark, Gemade was replaced. As he put it, it was not a sack, but a retirement.

     

    Ogbeh:

    Ogbeh, who hails from Benue State, was a nominal member of the PDP when he bounce into reckoning in the party. He had risen to prominence in the Second Republic, when he served as the Minister of Communications in the Shagari Administration. He did not aspire, but when he was selected, he embraced the call to service. Other aspirants were edged out of the contest for him to succeed Gemade. All those who wanted to succeed Gemade were edged out by the presidential muscle for him to emerge.

    Ogbeh became the chairman as the party was preparing for the 2003 elections. The party was in turmoil. The state chapters were crisis-ridden and the divisions had weakened the fold. The crisis in Anambra State chapter drew a wedge between the President and chairman. Both canvassed separate solutions.

    Ogbeh’s advise that the PDP should not field former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore as the senatorial candidate for Ife/Ijesa District to preserve the image of the party was ignored by the president. Some party leaders supported him, explaining that, since Omisore had not been found guilty of murdering Ige, he could contest while still in the custody.

    However, the parting of ways became imminent between Obasanjo and Ogbeh. The former chairman publicly advised the President to pay more attention to the sliding economy and the public cry for improved welfare. As the Special Adviser to Obasanjo on Agriculture, he addressed some cogent issues related to governance, based on public outcry. The former President took exception to washing the administration’s linen in the public. The party chairman told the President that he was not his boy. “I told Obasanjo that I was not his cook,” he reminisced.

    Ogbeh’s exit was dramatic. He was invited to the Aso Villa by the Commander-In-Chief. He ate launch with the President. Then, Ogbeh was advised to resign. He dragged his feet. First, he addressed his letter of resignation to Obasanjo. Later, lawyers told Obasanjo that the resignation was invalid. But, when Ogbeh was harassed by security agents, he saw the danger coming. He resigned in 2005 in controversial circumstances and later joined the defunct Action Congress (AC).

     

    Ali:

    Dr. Ali, former  Federal Commissioner for Education under Gen. Obasanjo was the only chairman who had a smooth relationship with him. Ali had been described as a chairman-in-waiting, since he contested against Gemade. Initially, former Governors Fidelis Tapgun (Plateau) and Lafiagi (Kogi); Senators A.T. Ahmed, Alex Kadiri and Abdulazeez Farouk were interested in the job. But they stepped down for Ali.

    When he was inaugurated as the chairman, Obasanjo said: “Now, Ali has come. Ali must stay”, a vague reference to the call for his removal as minister by students who insisted that “Ali must go”. Ogbeh, his predecessor, was absent at the ceremony, which held at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja. Unlike his predecessors, Ali spent his full term.

    Ali unfolded a new membership drive. He stirred controversy when he announced that party members should re-register. To anti-Obasanjo forces, the move was meant to de-register perceived foes. The crisis between Obasanjo and Atiku got to a peak under Ali’s leadership. Atiku became an unwanted spare tyre. An administrative panel was set up to investigate his activities in government. Later, Atiku left for the defunct AC.

     

    Ogbulafor:

    Ali did not seek re-election. Obasanjo has handed over to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Up came former Governor Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State and former Senate President Pius Ayim. The ambition of the two gladiators polarised the party. The pre-national convention rift reflected the struggle for the control of the party by pro and anti-Obasanjo forces. Obasanjo threw his weight behind the former governor. The party was on the brink of disaster. Party elders rose to stem the tide of destruction. A dark horse, Prince Ogbulafor, succeeded. He was intoxicated by party power. Basking in the euphoria of the PDP’s victory at the 2007 polls, he declared that the party will rule the country for another 60 years. The statement irked the opposition. They believed that PDP sent a signal to rig for six decades. Also, Ogbulafor’s statement about zoning sparked off crisis. He said the presidency should remain in the North after Yar’Adua’s death. Dr. Jonathan was irked by the statement. A group, the PDP Reform Forum, called for the dissolution of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC). In 2010, a corruption case against Ogbulafor was exhumed. He was forced to resign from office in controversy. He did not complete his tenure.

     

    Nwodo:

    Ogbulafor was succeeded by Nwodo. Like his predecessor, he also had a turbulent tenure. The former national secretary had once deserted the party when it was engulfed in crisis. He resurfaced when the pro-and anti-Jonathan forces were at war. But, his home state, Enugu, was also in turmoil. The national chairman was locked in a protracted battle with Governor Sullivan Chime over the imposition of candidates for elections. At the PDP presidential primary in 2011, Nwodo was consumed by the crisis.

     

    Bello:

    When Nwodo was shoved aside, his deputy, Dr.Haliru Bello, became the acting chairman. He became chairman, following the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC). But, Bello wanted to be a minister.  When he was appointed as Minister of Defence, the national secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, became the acting chairman.

     

    Baraje:

    Baraje is from Kwara State. He was a permanent secretary in the state. His leader, Senator Bukola Saraki, sponsored him for the position of secretary. When Bello resigned as acting chairman, the mantle of leadership fell on him. He later became the chairman of the new PDP, whose members defected to the APC.

     

    Tukur:

    The next national convention was fixed for March 24, 2012. Like Obasanjo, former President Jonathan wanted to impose a chairman. He insisted on the candidature of Tukur as the chairman. The argument of the President was that, since the governors were in control of the state chapters, he should be allowed to control party structures at the centre. The zonal congresses and national convention were rancorous. In the Southwest, stakeholders protested the emergence of former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni as the National Vice Chairman. Also, some protested over the election of the national secretary, Gen. Olagunsoye Oyinlola. When the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report came, it was discovered that 16 national officers were elected without following the laid down rules. They were advised to step down. The relationship between Obasanjo and Dr. Jonathan had turned sour. Therefore, when Oyinlola and Oni, who are members of the Obasanjo camp, were removed from the NEC, the former President believed that the President was against him. Also, following the court ruling, which recognised the Adebayo Dayo executive in the Gateway State, Tukur directed that the Dipo Odujinrin factional executive, which had the backing of Obasanjo, should be dismantled. Reconciliation between the Obasanjo camp and Dayo executive, which is backed by Buruji Kashamu, also collapsed. Also, former Governor Gbenga Daniel, who could not find his feet in the troubled chapter, defected to the Labour Party (LP).

    Tukur presided over a house of babel. It was an era of strife and rancour. As the PDP prepared for its re-scheduled convention, there were complaints that Tukur excluded some delegates from Adamawa, Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa and Rivers states from the convention.

    Ahead of the convention, Oyinlola, whose election as the national secretary was not voided by the INEC, celled for his reinstatement. He went to the court to challenge his removal. When the court reinstated him, he was suspended from the party.

    During the convention, aggrieved governors and party chieftains walked out. At the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, they set up a parallel NEC. They unanimously called for Tukur’s sack as the chairman. Later, five PDP governors-Wamakko, Kwankwaso, Nyako, Amaechi and Abdulfatah Ahmed-defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Tukur’s reforms were his undoing. His advisers have urged him to cut the wings of the governors, who have become a powerful cult.  Therefore, Tukur decided to liberate the office of the national chairman from the jaw of the governors. He introduced the on-line membership registration and payment of dues by members at the ward level. It is an innovation that could aid aggressive mobilisation of party members. Tukur relied on the governors for money for running the party. Therefore, with the on-line registration, he sought to assert his independence by relying on the party members, whose dues would now be used for running the party.

    Tukur also tried to  sideline the governors by canvassing for the sponsorship of the party by the Federal Government.  The governors felt slighted. Tukur and President Jonathan were governors before. They knew that the governors controlled the party at the state level.

    However, Tukur did not tender his letter of resignation. He just walked away from the party secretariat. He was bitter.

     

    Muazu:

    The mantle of leadership fell on Muazu, who had a case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in January 2014. He resigned on May 20, 2015, following PDP’s defeat at the general elections. He was forced to resign over the humiliating defeat by the APC.

     

    Secondus:

    When Muazu left, his deputy, Secondus became the acting chairman of the demoralised platform. His tenure was to last for three months. But, he exceeded the three months, until he was asked to leave the office by the court.

     

    Sheriff:

    The PDP governors imposed Sheriff, former governor of Borno State, as chairman. His name was not on the list of nominees sent by the Northeast caucus. He was a new comer to the fold, having just defected from the APC. Sheriff was appointed as chairman in February 2016 to complete Muazu’s tenure. He had the financial muscle. Many chieftains thought that he will use his resources to fund the party. But, he started plotting tenure elongation. He claimed that he was elected, not to complete Muazu’s tenure, but to start a fresh tenure. Also, Sheriff allegedly nursed a presidential ambition and promised to make three PDP governors his running mate. The trick of divide and rule leaked. The governors turned against him. They demanded his resignation. But a fighter, Sheriff called their bluff.

    Sheriff became the PDP’s albatross. Although delegates converged on Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital, for a convention, it was rancorous. Instead of electing a new chairman, the party managed to set up a National Caretaker Committee (NCC) headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna State.

     

    Makarfi:

    In the last one year, PDP has been groaning in pains. But, the NCC has been up and doing. Many stalwarts defected to the APC, but the opposition party has not gone under. Under the caretaker chairman, PDP triumphed over the antics of Sheriff. The court ruled that he was not the authentic chairman. Makarfi’s committee has set in motion a reconciliation machinery. While the mission was successful in some states, it failed in other states. On Saturday, no member of the NCC will be vying for party offices. But, can the committee conduct a hitch-free national congress?

    No fewer than eight gladiators are contesting for the chairman. The slot has been zoned to the South. It is now a bone of contention between the Southwest and the Southsouth. The Southwest is agitating for micro-zoning to the region. The Southsouh is kicking against it. If the NCC fails to conduct a credible and peaceful convention, PDP will be back to square one. But, if the committee succeeds, the party will bounce back as a credible opposition ready to fight for federal power in 2019.

  • PDP North’s state chairmen reject micro-zoning to Southwest

    PDP North’s state chairmen reject micro-zoning to Southwest

    PDP chairmen in northern states have urged delegates to the convention to ignore a directive to vote only aspirants from the South-West for the National Chairmanship position.

    A group of elders from the northern zone last week in Abuja resolved to encourage northern delegates to the convention to vote a candidate from the south-west to emerge as the next party boss.

    But PDP Chairmen in the 19 northern states and the FCT, who reviewed the elders’ stance at a meeting in Abuja, dissociated themselves from the directive which they said was “undemocratic”.

    Mr Hassan Hyat, Chairman, Forum of PDP State Chairmen in the North, who read their communique, said it was not right to sub-zone the seat to any particular zone.

    “The position cannot be sub-zoned to a particular zone in the south because that will disenfranchise other contestants. We, as state chairmen, cannot be party to any micro-zoning.

    “The party’s decision at the Port Harcourt Convention is final and binding on all. No one has the right to change or tamper with it,” Hyat declared.

    Recalling the declaration at the Port Harcourt Convention last year, Hyat said that the seat was zoned to all parts of the south and stressed the need to allow all zones in the south to present their candidates.

    “We stand by that position and have resolved to reject any sub-zoning to a particular area,” the Forum declared.

    The Forum further declared that zoning was a cardinal principle of the PDP and should “never be toyed with”.

    It urged delegates to assess candidates on merit and vote as directed by their conscience.

    The party chiefs advised the contestants to be “temperate and civil” in the use of language and avoid actions or statements that could create sharp division within the family.

    “The party’s interest should be the principal guiding spirit. No other personal or group’s interest should be placed over it,” the group declared.

    It urged members seeking positions to “understand that power comes from God” and be prepared to accept whoever God ordained to lead the PDP.

    The group commended the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP for strengthening the party after its protracted crises, and expressed happiness that the PDP was growing stronger “every minute”.

  • Stop Ondo council poll, sacked chairmen tell court

    Stop Ondo council poll, sacked chairmen tell court

    Four local government chairmen and councillors in Ondo State, who were sacked by an Akure High Court and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have urged the High Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital, to stop the state government from conducting a local government election, pending the determination of an appeal they intend to file.

    The former council officials are also seeking leave of the court to appeal the judgement, since they are interested parties in the matter.

    They referred the matter to the High Court, which dissolved the 18 local government areas in Ondo State on April 30.

    Counsel to the respondents, the Attorney General of Ondo State and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ONSIEC) has filed a counter-affidavit to oppose the grant of the application.

    Titiloye argued that the application is a gross abuse of Court processes and should be dismissed.

    He said there was no appeal before the Court of appeal and that the trial Court which has given its final Judgment in the case lacks Jurisdiction to grant an injunction pending an appeal which up till now the applicants have not filed.

    He noted that the applicants exhibited a proposed notice of appeal and not a duly filed notice of appeal which ordinarily commenced an appeal before the Court of Appeal.

    Titiloye argued that the Applicants led by the sacked Chairman of Akure South Local Govt, Adebayo David Alaropon were adjudged by the trial Court in its Judgment as beneficiaries of illegal election and not necessary defendant to be joined to defend the suit.

    He said instead of appealing this interlocutory decision of the trial Court, the applicant deceitfully presented another application as interested party to willing to appeal the final judgment of the Court.

    Titiloye noted that the applicants were in contempt of the Court by still parading themselves in public offices which by the order of the Court they were asked to vacate and they have not till date fill any appeal.

    He asked the Court to refuse the application of the applicants as an abuse of Court processes and award punitive cost against the applicants who he described as contemnors.

  • Minister to council chairmen, councilors: be prudent

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello has urged the leadership of the area councils to embrace prudent management of resources.

    Bello also canvassed for good working relations between council chairmen and councilors of the FCT Area Councils.

    The Minister gave this counsel when the Speakers’ Forum of the FCT Area Council legislative houses visited him.

    He said: “It is very important for you to give maximum support and cooperation to your chairmen because, as a popular Nigerian proverb says, one hand cannot clap. So, no matter what people tell you, know that one hand cannot clap. If you want progress, you have to cooperate very closely with your Chairmen. Support them, discuss with them, cooperate with them and, by the grace of God, you will find out everything will go smoothly.

    “The leadership of the Area Councils should embrace prudent management of resources as a means to achieving the needed development in the Area Councils. Secondly, as an administration, I will like to appeal to you that, as legislative council, you are now operating at a time that we are in a recession. But like we told you here, one kobo of Area Council money, I told them don’t touch. Everything goes to the Area Councils. When I read in the papers, I see that it doesn’t happen like that in so many parts of the country.”

    According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, the minister urged the Councilors to support the Chairmen in various areas of development especially on environmental sanitation.

    He urged the councillors that:” environmental sanitation is not something that you need to even spend much money in. As leaders of your wards, just like the way all of you are skilled mobilizer in your localities and that is why you have been elected, now mobilize people to clean their environment. Every councilor is representing a ward or some wards. So arrange to say, ‘okay today is Saturday, I’m going to be in so and so ward’ to mobilize them to clean their environment. ”

  • ‘Elected chairmen ‘ll complement Ambode’s achievements at grassroots’

    ‘Elected chairmen ‘ll complement Ambode’s achievements at grassroots’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Hon. Adebowale Collins is the Patron of Liberal Minds Grassroots Forum in Lagos State. He spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on the recent councillorship and chairmanship primaries and preparations for the local council polls.

    Lagosians are warming up for the local government elections. What are your expectations?                                      

    I believe that it is going to come out well. But, there are some interests and issues the party and its members need to address. People are ready for the local government elections on July 22. But, there are some issues that need clarifications. Today, we still don’t have the final list of candidates. People are brandishing all kinds of names. But, our party has not released the final list of candidates who will be running in few weeks time.

    But, the party said the list will be out after the conclusion of screening by the LASIEC…

    Yes, normally, by now, the list should have been out. And campaigns should have been started and candidates would have been reaching out to voters to vote for them. They would need three or four weeks to do it. Election is a battle. There are some people that are agitating. They believe that they are the ones that should represent their areas. You are right to an extent. But, the time is very short. People need clarification.

    Is the list not partially out, in view of the fact that 18 chairmanship candidates are being returned unopposed?

    Even with that statement, we have conflicting information. I believe that among the 18, may be, some of them may be substituted. There are rumours. That’s why we need clarifications. Even with that in place, nothing is automatic really. We have heard that some will get a second term. Until the list is out, everything is still speculative. Until our party comes out a list I can read and verify, I am still a little bit on the sideline on who will actually come out on the final list.

    Does this scenario not suggestive of post-primary crisis?

    To an extent. There are areas that have issues, not all the local government have issues. Not all of them have peculiar problems. But, there are quite a number of them that have unresolved issues. I will not use the word crisis. It is a little bit heavy. It is a bit of exaggeration. There are areas where the candidates have no problem. There are some areas where some of the candidates are not popular as some might think. We need to address that because at the end of the day, the voice of the people needs to be heard. That’s why I believe that our party should address these concerns.

    What’s your assessment of the entire selection process?

    My personal opinion is that it could have been done more constructively. The setting was definitely not good. The security provided at the venue was not adequate. They should have been a little bit more transparent. When people engage in a democratic process, they need to be heard. The procedure in some areas could have been better than that.

    Why did the aggrieved aspirants not make use of the opportunity provided by the Appeal Panel headed by Otunba Olufemi Pedro?

    Because by doing that, some of them thought they will be giving legitimacy to something that was not properly handled. For example, in Lagos Mainland, some candidates raised issues about the procedure. They said they did not know the delegates used. The information was not freely shared. Some raised the allegation that some people claimed they were the anointed candidate. You hear all these things during primaries. People peddle rumours. They used the names of people as launching pads to intimidate other candidates. Even, they coerce people to drop their ambition. So, when you have two or three names floating around, that this person is the chairman, that person is the chairman, they start peddling the rumour that a particular person has been endorsed from the top. It makes the environment tense. The issue right now is to address those concerns and make sure that the people’s candidate should emerge. If someone is popular and he can win and we can keep that local government, the party should nominate the person. If the primary is transparent, the candidate will carry along the co-contestants and promote team spirit and prepare for the main election. We should harmonise and work together as one party. The grievances and issues need to be addressed in a judicious manner.

    Is the brewing tension not also a function of communication gap between the party leadership and the bulk of aspirants and party followers?

    That’s a good and very interesting question. Some people believe that the process has been tainted. Some people believe that they were not given a fair chance when they showed interest. You have supporters agitating that the so-called anointed candidates are not popular. So, we have to listen to the pulse; the heartbeat of our people. We have to look at it prudently; we have to look at it very well. The timing is ripe for us to address the issues in those few areas that are heating up our system right now. Until a very clear mandate is given to a popular candidate to represent the party, the tension will still be there.

    In particular, what are the grievances been expressed in your own local government?

    In my area, one of the issue is the winner-takes-all mentality. We all belong to one party. We are one big family. A handful of people are the ones are dominating Mainland politics. So, in a situation like that, I think our leaders need to call stakeholders together and forge unity so that we can have an inclusive approach, instead of being sectional. After 17 years of the democratic dispensation, we can never afford to have a system that leave some people behind. People feel that, as a party, we have grown to a stage where we need young people with energy and vigour, fresh mind, and an inclusive party. In the midst of this, we need to address everybody’s issues, questions and interests. There should be no winner-takes-all.

    Unlike before, is it not curious that, despite these grievances, there have been no defections from the APC to other parties?

    The people truly believe in the manifesto of the APC. I am a loyal party member. I believe in the party. I may voice out one or two issues. I believe that is the beauty of democracy. There are some grievances. I believe some of them are valid points. But, when people feel that there is no hope or when people left out, it can happen when people looks at the alternative approach. That’s when defection or inter-party activity can occur. But, we are not close to it, if it is handled properly. I will hate to experience what happened to us in Mushin where Kako Are defeated us because he was a popular and a grassroots man. People are enlightened now. He went to the Accord Party and won. We should address these issues and whoever can deliver should be given the opportunity. We need an inclusive arrangement where there will be harmonisation.

    How can the party avert the 2015 scenario whereby it lost some seats to the opposition?

    As a party, we are mature. Our leaders are leaders of integrity. They are good leaders. The leaders need to listen more to the youths. The youths are a bit more structured now. With the social media, there is information flow. There is generational issue. We should address the issue of people that are left out so that we don’t have that experience again. Lagos State is working. Governor Ambode is doing a fantastic job. The governor’s performance has given people hope. People who truly want to serve believe that they can work with him at the grassroots.

    Would you call for a poll postponement so that the party can address these issues and prepare for the election better?

    Time is very important. People have been waiting. The masses have been waiting to exercise their right to choose leaders to run the affairs of their local governments. People feel that the caretakers have actually overstayed their welcome. They want to have an election. They want to have their own local government chairmen and councilors. I won’t call for an extension of the date. But, if our leaders feel like it is in the best interest of the party and for peace to reign, I will definitely support it. But, if the party responds to the concerns of the aspirants and candidates, we can resolve them amicably.

    What’s is your advice to Lagosians as they prepare for the elections?

    Our party will do well. The APC is the party of the day. We believe in the mandate of change. Anybody that lives in Lagos can see the change. Lagos is working. Lagos is the pacesetter for Nigeria. If we have the right people at the local government, the achievements of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will be more noticeable at the grassroots. As the patron of the Liberal Minds Grassroots Forum, Lagos is on the right track. Ambode has demonstrated that, truly, government can work. The people looks forward to a peaceful election. They are ready for the election.

  • Kwara chairmen get extended tenures

     

    •PDP kicks

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved the extension of the tenures of Chairmen of Transitional Implementation Committees (TICs) for the 16 councils, and the appointment of new members.

    Secretary to the State Government Isiaka Sola Gold said the move followed the expiration of the tenure of previous members.

    He added that Ahmed made the appointments and extension in exercise of powers conferred on him by the Kwara State Local Government Law 2008.

    But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the move, describing it as “retrogressive”.

    A statement by the factional chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the people expect local government elections to be conducted.

    According to him, the government, by its action, has short-changed the people at the grassroots yearning for the development of their localities.

    Fagbemi noted that the constitution stipulates that the TIC could only operate for six months. He urged the government to stop playing on the people’s intelligence and conduct the local government elections.

    “Only elected council chairmen can bring development to the rural communities. Anything short of this is short-changing the people and abridging democracy,” Fagbemi said.

  • No room for indiscipline, corruption, Akeredolu warns LG appointees

    No room for indiscipline, corruption, Akeredolu warns LG appointees

    The Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, says his administration has zero tolerance for indiscipline and corruption.

    Akeredolu made this known during the swearing-in ceremony of interim caretaker committee chairmen in the 18 local government councils of the state.

    The governor, represented by his deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi,  warned the new appointees that his administration would not tolerate indiscipline or compromise on anything.

    He appealed to the chairmen to carry out legitimate revenue drive to run the councils effectively.

    “Your appointment is critical at this time of economic recession because the local government is the closest to the people. I enjoin you all to key into the cardinal points set up by this government to drive the administration.

    “In the next two weeks, we will embark on massive construction of primary school buildings across the 18 local governments.

    “Go to your councils and implement projects to touch the lives of the people; do your best.

    “I advise you, the local government is the most sensitive, so you go there to promote yourself or ruin yourself,’’ the governor said.

    Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Gani Omoluka, the Owo Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairman, expressed his appreciation of the present administration.

    He pledged to work hard to justify his position and work together with the people to move the local government forward.

    NAN reports that an Ondo High Court in Akure had on Friday dissolved the executives of the 18 local government councils elected during the April 23, 2016 local government election.

  • Ondo councils’ account: Chairmen to sue govt

    Ondo State council chairmen have kicked against the freezing of their councils’ accounts by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

    They said it was flagrant disobedience to the state’s High Court which ruled against dissolution of the councils.

    The council chairmen said the action was not only “incomprehensible but disappointing”.

    They said they were headed to court to challenge the action.

    Their counsel, Olusole Oke, said the governor’s action was not only subjudice but contemptuous of an order of a State High Court, which on January 17, barred the government from dissolving the councils.

    “We are more disappointed because the governor is a senior lawyer, who should understand the dictates of the law and  obey court orders.”

    Oke said the council officials will head to court and de-freeze the accounts, “as it cannot stand in the face of the fact that obedience to the rule of law is guaranteed by the constitution.”

    He added that the order of the state High Court is still in force and has not been vacated by any court order.

    The lawyer  lamented that part of the order which forbade the payment of salaries to non-elected officials of the councils “cannot stand because the mandate of the chairmen who elected them has not ended as declared by the court”.