The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

  • State of the nation: Obasanjo is not neutral, says Presidency

    Despite his letter on the state of the nation, the Presidency on Friday said ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is not neutral.

    It said since Obasanjo’s has a political position, his opinion cannot be taken as the gospel truth any longer.

    It said political Fulani herdsmen were on rampage to de-market the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said Nigeria will not break because “it is very solid, it will remain solid.”

    The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, who faulted Obasanjo in an interview with THE CREST online newspaper, said Buhari’s administration is not failing.

    It was the first comprehensive reaction to the ex-President who raised the alarm that the nation was getting to the brink.

    Adesina said: “Whatever former President Obasanjo says now cannot be taken as neutral. It cannot be taken as something from a disinterested party because he has a political position where he anchors everything he says. His opinion then cannot be taken as the gospel truth any longer.

    “It can only be the opinion of one man and he has the right to that opinion.”

    Adesina insisted that the security situation in the country is better than the case in 2015.

    He said Buhari has made a “big difference” in addressing security challenges nationwide.

    He said: “No doubt, there are security challenges in the country, but are things better than 2015? Yes, things are better than 2015.

    “In 2015, do you know how many bombs went off daily in this country? Yes, daily! And with scores dead in different parts of the country!

    “It happened in the North-East; happened in the North-West; happened in the North-Central. Abuja, the federal capital, was not immune from it. But, that has largely been reduced.

    “You hardly hear of those bombs going off again because the government has made a big difference. Now, we have challenges in other areas-kidnapping, armed banditry, armed robbery, and all that. Yes, there are challenges but government exists to solve challenges. And this government is doing its best to solve the challenges.”

    “People also exaggerate things for political reasons. We are not saying those challenges are not there. Of course, they are there.”

    The presidential spokesman said Nigeria will not disintegrate contrary to predictions.

    He said: “But then to now say the entire country has been taken over, to say that the government is failing, is political. Nigeria is still there, it is very solid. It will remain solid. It will remain one, and the challenges will be overcome.

    Read Also: How Mandela made Obasanjo drop his 3rd term bid — Orji Kalu

    “Government is not the only institution responsible for security. It is a collaborative thing between the government and the governed. Government at the federal level is not the only one responsible for security.

    “But what do we find? You find some people, they will go and cause trouble at the local government (level), and they will be calling President Buhari, who is at the centre, to come and resolve it.

    “You have government at the federal level; you have government at the state level. And you have government at the local level. All of them-federal, states, and local governments, must collaborate to end this security challenge. The people as well as the traditional institutions have their roles to play. It is a collaborative thing.”

    Concerning the menace of herders/ farmers’ clashes nationwide, Adesina said the challenges are being aggravated by those he termed as “political Fulani herdsmen” to de-market the administration of President Buhari.

    He said: “The herdsmen/farmers’ clashes are causing security challenges. There are also political Fulani herdsmen; those ones have been created by hidden hostile hands who want to de-market the government.

    “The Fulani issue is there but it is no way near what has been trumpeted, and what has been claimed. To some people in the media, there is no other criminality in the country except Fulani herdsmen.

    “Even when other criminals strike, it is Fulani herdsmen. It is stereotyping. It is finger-pointing which is not based on facts. I am not saying that there are no challenges about Fulani herdsmen due to climate change, dwindling resources and things like that. Yes, we have those challenges. But it is not every criminality perpetrated in the country that is done by the Fulanis.

    “We have always lived with Fulani herdsmen in this country. They drive their cattle from different parts. When the rains are here, you see them. They move southwest and they get forage for their cattle and all that. And when the rains go and the water recedes, you find them following the water as it recedes. In the process, they drive their herds into farmlands and it becomes an issue. There was a way that problem was settled in this country before.”

    “The problem was there in the first republic, even in the second republic. But it was not as bad as we have it now because climate change has affected vegetation and the water table. Lake Chad, for instance, is ten percent of its former size. That has seriously affected grazing and availability of resources because the herdsmen follow the water. They follow where there is green grass to feed their animals.”

    On the delay in constituting his cabinet or announcing some appointments, Adesina said Buhari has a clear direction of where he is headed in his second term.

    He also said contrary to insinuations, appointments made by the President were not lopsided.

    He added: “No, the direction is clear. If some appointments have not been made, it does not indicate that you don’t know the direction. The direction in which this government is going is very clear. Direction is determined by policy. It is determined by pronouncements.

    “It is determined by things you had done in the first term, which you are consolidating in the second term. It is not the appointment that has not been made that will determine the direction.

    “One thing is to appoint the brightest and the best; another is to take care of the agitations against some members of the President’s first term team. Throughout that term, people were always complaining about lop-sidedness in appointments, about ethnicity, nepotism and stuffs like that.

    “If you look at the entire gamut of appointments, it is not true that there was lopsidedness. It is not true. If you look at the totality of the appointments, you will see that there was a balance in the country.

    “People just decided to believe there was lopsidedness because the security apparatus was like tilted more towards a particular section of the country; and security is not something you play politics with. Security is just where you use the brightest and the best.

    “The president has explained many times that he made the security appointments based on the career records of the people. They were the best in the different services at that time; and he appointed them.”

    Asked why it is difficult for government to apprehend the sponsors of this particular aspect of violence against the populace, Adesina said: “They will not always prevail.”

    “I am sure eventually government will get to unveil who the hidden hostile hands are. They are both internal and external.  Nigeria has possibly the most porous borders in the world. The borders in the north alone are about 1,500 kilometres.

    “The entire border area in the country is about 4,500 kilometres. So, people can come in at will; from anywhere-Libya, Sudan, Burkina Faso, generally; and all these places are awash with small arms which they bring into the country. So, it is a problem.

    ”It remains a problem because we have not also tried to study and copy what bigger and better organized countries have done with their borders. There are countries that are three times bigger than Nigeria in terms of land mass, yet, they are well policed. Their borders are tightly controlled.”

  • Put more efforts into combating insurgency, Obasanjo advises FG

    Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised the federal government to put more seriousness into combatting the various security challenges currently facing the country.

    Chief Obasanjo gave the advice on Saturday in his keynote address at the 2019 Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), held in Oleh, Isoko South council area of Delta state.

    Speaking on the topic, ‘Mobilising Nigeria’s Human and Natural Resources for National Development and Stability,’, Chief Obasanjo said “lack of continuity and consistency in governance, corruption, in terms of stealing public funds, fraud, nepotism, favouritism, condonation of misconduct, cronyism, deliberate underperformance and bribery,” among others, are acts that hinder development.

    Chief Obasanjo, who had highlighted the problem that both Boko Haram the banditry in the North-West region of the country had grown into, charged government to get all the proper assistance, both locally and globally, to combat the menaces, which he said were already internationalised.

    “Our charity must begin at home.  The government must appreciate where we are.  Summon each group that should make contributions one by one and subsequently collectively seek the way forward for all hands on deck and with the holistic approach of stick and carrot.  There should be no sacred cow.

    “Some of the groups that I will suggest to be contacted are: traditional rulers, past heads of service (no matter how competent or incompetent they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we are in), past heads of para-military organisations, private sector, civil society, community leaders particularly in the most affected areas, present and past governors, present and past local government leaders, religious leaders, past Heads of State, past intelligence chiefs, past Heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats, members of opposition and any groups that may be deemed relevant.

    Red also: Ex-Police Affairs minister: Nigeria needs 5m policemen to tackle insecurity

    “After we have found an appropriate solution internally, we should move to bilateral, multilateral, regional, continental and global levels.  With ISIS involvement, we cannot but go global.  Without security and predictable stability, our development, growth and progress are in peril.  Let me hasten to add that we must be at the appropriate seat at the table of international discourse, deliberations, agenda and action.

    “That Nigeria from independence has always been in the forefront of any continental initiative, decision, action or programme has put us in some form of leadership position. For Nigeria to be outside the African Continental Free Trade Zone Agreement when it automatically came into effect with twenty-two-nations’ ratification is to say the least unfortunate.

    “A situation where almost 40% of our population are not equipped with education to be able to make meaningful, positive and rewarding contribution to development in this day and age is bad almost to the point of criminality.  Education both in quantity and quality must be seen as the first pillar of our development after we have delivered on politics of unity in diversity in concrete and sustainable policies and actions.

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  • Obasanjo and Buhari: Who is a victim of age

    In Nigeria or African generally, septuagenarian or octogenarian ages are like a double edged sword. It could be a curse or a blessing to someone depending on how he utilizes this special favour from God Almighty in spending these rare years of grace.  So, both suffer either of these two afflictions.
    They can be treasures of wisdom in their communities or nations. But the worse experience is when such people bow to the strings of senility and the instinctual drive of incoherence. The latter category is the problem tormenting Nigeria’s former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ).  And his case seems on the wayward side because innately, he brooks no opposition to his views and parades a  fake aura of superior  wisdom.
    While serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2003) Sen. JKN Waku (of blessed memory) saw the dictatorial personage of OBJ in democratic garbs quite early in the day. And he exposed and   demystified OBJ  in a lengthy  interview he granted, Crystal International Magazine, with the caption, “Obasanjo’s Days Are Numbered.” What has stamped on the psyche of many Nigerians is OBJ’s flaunted penchant of Mr. Know-All. He erroneously passes himself as an embodiment of the collective wisdom of over 200 million Nigerians.
    So, OBJ, the former Military and democratic leader of Nigeria has been restless on the political turf of Nigeria; making pronouncements at every point and countering or reversing himself  on national issues in a manner that belittles his status, as elder stateman.  More than a few Nigerians believe Nigeria has found  itself in the subsisting mess President Muhammadu Buhari has bent backwards to re-fix because the likes of the nation’s former leaders like OBJ fretted away the golden opportunities they had to consolidate on the foundation laid by the country’s founding fathers and nationalists.
    Therefore, the problems of Nigeria are created and nurtured to fruition by OBJ. But how he finds the conscience to exonerate himself and a heart to blame other leaders who are more transparent and honest with the leadership of Nigeria remains baffling. But it is not strange, if anyone is acquainted with OBJ’s obsequious character.
    His inconsistent utterances in recent years have earned him all manner of derogative epaulets. But it appears, OBJ has no sense of shame. And so, he keeps parroting in Nigeria and around the globe on issues he embellishes to blend with his selfish agenda and egoistic pride.
    A few days ago, OBJ  was in Johannesburg,  South Africa  at the launch of a book he  co-authored with Zimbabwe’s   opposition leader and former finance minister, Mr.  Tendai Biti and others titled,  “Democracy Works — Rewiring Politics to Africa’s Advantage.”  But in an asinine twist during an interview he granted AFP, OBJ deviated from the core issues in a book he co-authored to innuendic references in acerbic tirades on the reelection of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari for another term of four years.
    One would empathize with OBJ’s failing senses when what he said in the interview is analyzed. He spoke distastefully  about African leaders who are septuagenarians’ and octogenarians’ clinging  unto power and promoting the sit-tight syndrome, which  he opined, has slowed down the progress of democracy on the African continent.  Good submission, to say, the least on face value.
    But read OBJ’s suggested panacea to the younger generation of Africans in solving the problem; “If the youth think that they will get into power on a platter, they are not getting it right…They will have to snatch it, those (ageing leaders) will not go.”
    It’s really amusing;  but what good can anybody expect from OBJ, a leader without scruples? He imposed the politics of “do or die affair,” as serving President of Nigeria on the platform of the PDP.  OBJ introduced anarchy and chaos in Nigeria’s electoral system and by this utterance; by all nuances means he has refused to purge himself of such tendencies.
    Again, his words; “They will have to snatch it, those (ageing leaders) will not go,” is apt reference to the violence Nigerian people encounter during democratic transitions in Nigeria  today. It explains why the people perceive general elections like a war, instead of a peaceful exercise of electing and empowering fresh leaders through the ballot.
    Signs that senility has heavily weighed down on OBJ, he tacitly lampoons President Buhari for insisting to remain in power at his age, but based on popular demand by Nigerians.  But in OBJ’s jaded perspectives, Buhari ought not to have sought reelection in 2019.
     But who was OBJ’s preferred candidate against Buhari in the 2019 presidential contest on the platform of the opposition PDP? Shockingly, it was the septuagenarian Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, his former deputy and a man he had several condemned, even in his published book, “My Watch,” as corrupt, dubious and someone “with shadowy ancestry,” at the expense of other younger generation candidates in the 2019 general elections.   Its not only when a man walks the streets naked that his insanity is confirmed. OBJ is a classic example.
    Laughably, OBJ has forgotten that when he plotted his failed third term bid   in 2006, on the eve  of the expiration of his second term as Nigeria’s democratic President, he was in the twilight of his septuagenarian age. Yet, he dubiously and criminally sought to cause an illegal Constitutional amendment that would warrant him to contest the presidency for the third time.  Nigerians rejected the idea. And he has nursed the wounds eternally, which accounts for why whoever occupies Aso Villa Abuja, the Presidential seat of power easily incurs the wrath of OBJ,  if he fails to accept his besmirched counsels.  Buhari is such a victim.
    OBJ  believes in his words or actions only when it serves his selfish agenda.  He may feel pained that Nigerians have overwhelmingly reelected President Buhari for another term.  But the difference between OBJ and Buhari is that the latter does not use his powers indiscriminately and dubiously to secure leadership unlike the former.
    Buhari won his reelection on a clean slate, in  free, fair and credible elections. Political spinners or jobbers couldn’t even buy car tyres off him in the guise of fixing his reelection victory.  It’s novel in the history of Nigeria’s electoral process.  OBJ’s lone desire cannot surpass that of millions of Nigerians who prefer President Buhari and, at this stage silence from OBJ would be more golden.
    Truth is sacred and it must be told, no matter who is embittered by it.  The series of gaffes committed by OBJ is an indication that he has more issues with aging than President Buhari. His inconsistency in actions and utterances have confirmed it indubitably. Conversely,  Buhari has never changed unlike OBJ,  his accuser,  who changes from time to time like a chameleon. He needs real help to overcome his multiple personality issues from his nuclear family, to politics and leadership,  which many believe undoubtedly,  it  is as a result of his age which has blurred his wisdom.
    Those close to OBJ should begin to tinker with the idea of working on his senses and  public outings.  He is bringing too much shame on himself and his family for no justification. For all it takes, OBJ is not the only former President of Nigeria still alive. There are the likes of Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. But none of them is this excited on checkmating  every shadow of the occupant of Aso Rock. And until recently, when he joined his ancestors,  Alhaji Shehu Shagari was choosy in commenting on national affairs.
     There is potent evidence that OBJ has wronged God and needs to plead for His forgiveness. It is shameful that OBJ who is a supposed elder statesman will embark on such an empty voyage to satisfy his ego and pride.  A genuine Christian ought not to be as vindictive as OBJ portrays himself everywhere. He needs prayers and God’s attention urgently.
    Tsav is former Commissioner of Police and Commissioner at the Public Complaints Commission, Abuja.

  • Obasanjo an election rigger without peer – Tinubu

    The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday said Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was an election rigger without peer and is responsible for most of the flaws in the Nigerian political economy since 1999.

    Tinubu gave this view in Lagos on Tuesday in a letter entitled: ‘Chief Obasanjo -At War Against his Own Deeds’.

    Tinubu wrote the letter in response to Obasanjo’s earlier letter to President Muhammadu  Buhari, in which Obasanjo chastised Buhari and his administration, claiming, without any proof, that the president was preparing to rig next month’s poll.

    In Tinubu’s view, Obasanjo in levelling the uncorroborated accusation was merely  projecting on to the APC the electoral misconduct he would have  perpetrated  if still in power

    Tinubu, also the Co-Chair of the APC Presidential Campaign, said Obasanjo  was handed Nigeria on a silver platter in 1999. But he chose to squander the opportunity of leadership.

    “This man should have positioned himself to be the father of the nation. All the goodwill that could be granted a political figure was bestowed on him. The global economy was such that it should have fuelled our growth.

    ”Everyone wanted Nigeria to succeed after emerging from years of noxious military rule. Despite the flawed exercise that rendered him president, we all bit our tongues in hope that he would say and do the right things that would move Nigeria forward.

    “Instead of being a unifying figure as Commander-in-chief, he lowered himself to being a divisive, vindictive conniver. There was no table which he neared that he did not upset and overturn, ” he said.

    Read also: Melaye, domestic staff arraigned in Abuja

    Tinubu said that Obasanjo had the opportunity of placing the economy on the path to durable growth and shared prosperity through diversification, industrialisation and creation of a social safety net for the poor.

    ”He tried to convert our young democracy into a one party state. His PDP boasted that they would rule for 60 uninterrupted years. Never did they boast that they would govern us well during even one year of the sixty.

    ”Instead, he handed the economy over to a tight group of cronies, turning what should be a modern economy into a version of the mammoth trading companies that dominated the 17th and 18th century.

    “We hoped that Obasanjo would personify statesmanship, thus showing the way to a more benign political culture. Instead, he bickered and feuded with his vice president and mostly anyone who dared remind him that he was human and thus infallible.

    “Given the vast margin between the good he could have achieved and the nebulous feats that comprise his true record, Chief Obasanjo is the person most responsible for the flaws in the Nigerian political economy since 1999, ” he said.

    Tinubu also described the former president as an election rigger without peer.

    According to Tinubu, the ways of Obasanjo are not those of the APC. And this difference has meant the better for Nigeria.

    “There is no election which occurred under Obasanjo’s watch or in which he participated that did not involve cheating on his part.

    “Even the late President Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua admitted he was the beneficiary of a flawed election engineered by none other than today’s vociferous complainant.

    ”Former President Obasanjo is many things to many people; but he is all things unto himself.

    ”This election will be a free and open exercise of the people’s right to choose their leaders. Obasanjo makes fiery allegations against this right but offers no corroborating evidence; he presents only reams of words.

    ”This is because Obasanjo is projecting onto the APC the misconduct he would have wrought if still in power. Yet, the ways of Obasanjo are not those of the APC. And this difference has meant the better for Nigeria,’ he said. (NAN)

  • Donli’s Naptip: Confronting the scourge against humanity

    In July 2003 under the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the fight against modern broad-day slavery got a boost when it created the National Agency for the prohibition of Trafficking in persons and other related offences Act, otherwise called NAPTIP.

    The creation of the agency was a culmination of years of advocacy by non-governmental organizations such as WOTCLEF, FIDA and others leading to the Act establishing the Agency through a private sponsored bill.

    The mandate of the multidisciplinary agency is to protect the vulnerable against sexual enslavement, forced labour, forced hawking, trafficking of children, harvesting of human parts and other exploitative tendencies against human dignity.

    In the broad spectrum, domestication of the law creating the agency was a direct response of Nigeria’s international obligation to addressing the menace of trafficking especially as a measure to complement the United Nations Transnational Organized Crime Convention (UNTOC) which Nigeria had earlier become a signatory to the protocol in 2000.

    In spite of the steam that heralded the setting up of the organization, the expectations of Nigerians plummeted in recent times until the current Director-General of the Agency, Mrs. Julie Okah Donli took over last year.

    On assumption of office, the new DG could visibly see on the faces of staffers, wearing forlorn faces as activities at the office were at its lowest ebb.

    The morale of workers was nothing to sheer as motivation seemed to have no place in the system. Having gone through reports in the files, the new DG,  Julie Okah-Donli did not betray her emotions and sense of equanimity, but was full of hope in reassuring the management and staff that the challenges were not insurmountable.

    She swung into action by holding several management and departmental meetings to get first hand reports to enable her appreciate the enormity of managing the challenges that lie ahead.

    Those who have watched her activities in the country with keen interest have no doubt, she has something in the kit to effect positive change, given her training, background and transformational leadership skills.

    A law graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University with over twenty years standing at the Bar, fully baptized with professional qualifications as chartered secretary and membership and fellow of several professional bodies fetted on her red cap of an amazon.

    Having worked as private legal practitioner with wide range of experience in corporate practice, former Head of UBA Trustees, Security and Exchange Commission and for about five years she held away as Executive Assistant to former governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State.

    Until her appointment as Director General of NAPTIP, she floated non-profit organization known as the Julie Donli kidney foundation whose mission was solely humanitarian service by lending hands to touch the lives of victims of kidney problem who are in need.

    Coming from this humanitarian background, coupled with her administrative exposure, her appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari was a home coming and endorsement of the article of faith in taking NAPTIP to the next level.

    In spite of her cosmopolitan background as daughter of a very Senior Naval Officer who had passed on years ago; many people may not be aware that back to her home state, Bayelsa, she is known as a grassroots political mobiliser and the rallying point of women in Bayelsa Politics.

    As an ordent believer in hard work, one value orientation which has become her trademark is the conviction that “ a woman’s brain is her only assert that can take her to the top”.

    That has not only endeared her to millions of people but is also the driving force in taking her to where she is today without cutting corners.

    It was same spirit which distinguished her when she won the Faculty of Law Dean’s award in her undergraduate days at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

    Just same way she has breathed life into NAPTIP, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli has no dull moment as she smiles with a heart full of gold at everyone that encounters her.

    In any leadership position she finds herself, she knows her onion as she clearly delineates between pleasure and work without mixing them.

    With a multidisciplinary exposure, she quickly identified poor remuneration and motivation as a key problem militating against the optimal performance of the agency.

    She took up the case of poor remuneration with the presidency with a memo to that effect. Currently the issue is receiving attention of the presidency and when it eventually materializes, staff of the agency like its other counter parts will be given special salary scale.

    This is a testimony of her commitment to motivation of both administrative and operational staff.

    In same vein, she believes that no organistion will achieve its optimal objective without enforcing discipline among its workforce. Enforcing discipline therefore became a key factor in her work ethics and the much vaunted desire to reposition the Agency.

    To this end, the new DG embarked on an in-house cleansing exercise by beaming its torchlight on staffers who indulge in acts of compromising their duties, while those who are  hand working are rewarded accordingly.

    Not long ago, it came like a thunderbolt when six staff of NAPTIP were relieved of their appointments. The charges against them ranged from coordinating sharp practice in what they call professional sureties for suspects for fees to secure their release while awaiting trial; leaking intelligence reports about operation of the agency, thereby exposing officers of the agency to danger.

    Other offence are taking advantage of victims of trafficking by making love advances to them as a condition to render one service or the other to free them and several sundry issues of compromise which are inimical to the corporate image of the agency.

    This is in sheer fulfillment of the promise made by the Director General to reposition the agency along the line of transparency and effective service delivery.

    The bold initiatives taken so far have not only earned global confidence in the organization but have also enhanced Nigeria’s Global Alliance in the fight against the scourse of human trafficking.

    The recent visit to the Head quarters of NAPTIP in Abuja by the Chief of Mission and his team of the international organization for Migration led by Frantz Celestin is a direct result of the new Global confidence in the Julie Okah. Donli led agency.

    The lOM visit was essentially to foster stronger partnership over the task of curbing irregular migration and human trafficking in Nigeria and the West african sub-region.

    The International Organization for Migration, lOM, which had played a pivotal role in repatriating Nigeria migrants in Libya and in other parts of the world promised its continued support for NAPTIP priority programmes in combating human trafficking and irregular migration.

    The new leadership of NAPTIP led by Dame Julie Okah Douli places high premium on training and retraining of officers of the agency.

    Officers are not only exposed to contemporary strategies in combating human trafficking, but are also made to undergo leadership trainings.

    Only in September, 2018, NAPTIP got the partnership of the prestigious 2018 Mandela Watchington Fellows (MWF) and that of the US Embassy to train forty staff of the agency on a Two-Day Leadership training course tagged, “Rethinking public service in Nigeria through Servant Leadership.”

    The workshop which was applauded as highly engaging, interactive and participatory provided a platform for deep reflection on rethinking the public leadership in Nigeria, to imbibe the culture of servant leadership and not positional attitude.

    Only few months back, the 6th edition of Interpol Global Conference on Human Trafficking and Migrant smuggling took place in Abuja where critical issues on the menace of human trafficking were brought to fore.

    Rising to the occasion, Nigeria’s anti human trafficking czar, Dame Okah-Donli assured the august gathering of taking the campaign to the rural areas especially the most endemic areas of Edo, Delta and other places.

    In prompt fulfillment of this promise, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli for the first time in the history of the agency personally launched an integrated advocacy by temporarily relocating to the rural communities and other soft targets to sensitize them about the damage of the illicit business.

    The visit took the DG and he sensitization team to market places at Oghara, Warri, Ajagbodudu, Mosoagar and koko where the market women gave them warm welcome to the admiration of NAPTIP team.

    One of the market women, Mrs. Onome Omoghene could not hold back the joy of NAPTIP presence as she said; “I did not expect to see Government office holders like her (The DG NAPTIP) in this kind of place”.

    She did not even mind the dirt and smelling rubbish in the market. This women is very unique and is doing her work well”.

    The visit enlisted the support of critical stakeholders such as the Chief Judge of Edo State, Honorable Justice Esohe Ikpomwosa and the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli who threw his Royal weight behind the renewed offensive against human trafficking.

    Besides improving its international alliance in tacking human trafficking, NAPTIP under the new vision of Dame Julie Okah-Donli introduced the Rapid Response Squad otherwise called Whistle Blowing Policy to enhance its intelligence gathering modus operandi in tracking down suspects and victims.

    Happily, it has yielded positive results, as NAPTIP under the short period Dame Julie Okah-Donli mounted the saddle as Director-General barely over a year ago has recorded fifty five convictions of persons involved human trafficking which is the highest number of convictions secured within the short period she took over as DG.

    Today, the shinning testimony of the Julie Okah-Douli led NAPTIP is like an open book which anybody can open and read that she has changed the narrative of the agency from that of doldrum to an epic centre of activities, and one of the shining spots of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in restoring the dignity of man.

    The fight against human trafficking is not a tea party. It requires a lot of financial muscle and the political will to confront the cartel involved in the illicit trade.

    This is where the Federal government has to demonstrate its full commitment by shoring up the budget of the agency, so that it will have the necessary fund and strength to confront the monster staring at our national faces.

    On the part of state governments, they should not only as a matter of imperative complement the activities of NAPTIP by taking the sensitization campaign to the rural areas, but should also put measures in place to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking.

    It is not also out of place to suggest the need to create jobs, empowerment programmes and free education for the vulnerable in the rural areas, who constitute the bulk of victims because of the so called search for greener pastures.

    The victims of human trafficking falls within the productive brackets of the economy. They can be galvanized and given a new sense of direction through empowerment programmes for the good of our national economy. Endemic poverty and mis-governance occasioned by lack of priority are some of the factors responsible for the illegal migration.

    The fight against human trafficking and irregular migration is a huge question mark on our sense of humanity and dignity of man. It deserves a collective resolve in confronting it headlong.

    While commending the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli and selfless service to humanity, she should not rest on her oars as many Nigerians are watching the good job she is doing to restore the sense of dignity in man. Certainly, in the fullness of time, there will be a place for her in history.

     

    • Jonah Okah, a legal practitioner and public communications strategist wrote from Yenagoa.

  • OBJ’s visit: Udom Emmanuel’s swansong 

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s visit to Akwa Ibom State on Sunday October 28, ostensibly on a solidarity visit to Governor Udom Emmanuel is another of the many insensitive dark paths by the Udom Emmanuel administration in Akwa Ibom State. But one would, nevertheless accept this one, as a foreshadowing of the end of the administration and the church service with Chief Obasanjo in attendance as a valedictory service to mark the end of the current administration in the state.

    How else would any Akwa Ibom person react to the presence of a man, who while in office did not hide his disdain and unmitigated hatred for the people of Akwa Ibom State in particular and the entire Niger Delta region in general?

    One would have thought that the visit and the church attendance should have been a time for the former president to apologise to the people of the state and seek the face of God in repentance, and forgiveness by the people. But that was not to be. Instead, Obasanjo went into his famed melodrama of an all knowing, all conquering, and omnipresent, all invincible enthroner-in-chief. But the people are not all so forgetful to recount the many actions and inactions of Chief Obasanjo that have continued to cast a pall over his relationship with the state.

    The people cannot just forget the following:

    It was Chief Olusegun Obasanjo that successfully resurrected the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy that the government of Ibrahim Babangida had put to rest. Obasanjo used the instrumentality of the Supreme Court to jerk the obnoxious dichotomy back to life. It took the spirited effort of Nigerians of conscience and the selfless efforts of leaders like Obong Victor Attah, Senator Udo Udoma to make the National Assembly pass the bill that many called political solution to Obasanjo’s battle against the region.

    The first time the legislative arm of government at the federal level, exerted its power over presidential veto under the present democratic dispensation was the over-riding of Obasanjo’s veto against the Niger Delta Development Commission bill, which the president refused to sign into law. It, again took the goodwill of Nigerians and the National Assembly to establish the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as an interventionist agency for the development of the entire Niger Delta region.

    Whilst Obasanjo was president, we cannot point at any tangible development project Akwa Ibom people should have benefitted from.

    All these, notwithstanding, we recognise that Akwa Ibom people, being Christians are enjoined to forgive. But in forgiving, the former president ought to show some remorse and a contrite heart. But this was not the case. Obasanjo, in a highly insensitive and provocative manner, rather chose to lecture the people on how they should go about their choice of who to govern them. Obasanjo and his puppeteers forgot that the former president is an ordinary voter, with one vote; a vote that can only be cast in Otta, Ogun State.

    I recognize this as insulting to the collective sensibility of Akwa Ibom people, but also see it as a further affirmation of the steady journey to political denouncement for Obasanjo’s chief host.

    I advise Akwa Ibom People to disregard the well-known self-glorification and tendentious pontifications of a man in constant search for reinvention and revalidation. Akwa Ibom State has moved beyond the reach of Obasanjo’s political antics. The people are well aware of the need for a total reversal of the current disruptions in statutory governance, occasioned by a clear lack of vision and sinister aloofness to the realities of the state’s current political and social imperatives.

    It will also be important for OBJ and his agents to be aware that Akwa Ibom State of today has completely embraced the tenets of democratic culture where individual’s rights to choice are not only respected, but the collective wishes and aspirations of the people entrenched. This is a departure from the self-seeking, undemocratic disposition, which gave rise to Obasanjo’s aborted third term project.

    We in Akwa Ibom State and the entire Niger Delta region are grateful to the National Assembly for snatching the NDDC Bill from the imminent death on the hands of Obasanjo. Today the NDDC, where an Akwa Ibom son, His Excellency (Obong) Nsima Ekere, is currently at the helm of affairs, restructuring the balance sheet, reforming

    the statutory governance system and protocols, restoring the NDDC’s core mandate and reaffirming their commitment to ethical integrity and value chain management. The agency has driven development and reinvigorated the socio-economic safety net of the people of the region. Akwa Ibom has been a major beneficiary of the inherent developmental considerations that birthed the interventionist agency and we are happy that Obasanjo must have been browbeaten to see the massive development that have accrued to the state as a result of  the divine upturning of Obasanjo’s anti Akwa Ibom wishes and actions.

    I hope they sang the nunc dimitis during the service as a symbol of the drawing of the curtain on the Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration in the state.

     

    • Hon Eyiboh, former Spokesperson House of Representatives, is chairman, Cross River Basin Development Authority and member of the All Progressives Congress.

  • 2019: Is ADC the real third force?

    Following the adoption of African Democratic Congress as the platform Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s coalition intends to use in the 2019 General Elections, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports on the prospects of the Third Force in the emerging scenario

    SINCE former President Olusegun Obasanjo came up with the idea of a coalition designed to dislodge both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the biggest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 General Elections, Nigerians have been eager to know the political platform the group would use to achieve its set objective.

    Taking cognisance of the strength of the two big political parties in the country, some experts had predicted that the coalition’s most viable option may be to engineer merger of many opposition parties in order to get an equally large political organisation that would match APC and PDP’s reach and make the required impact across the length and breadth of the country.

    But while some observers were still speculating on the likely political parties in the envisaged grand mergers, CNM last week’s Thursday announced its adoption of African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the political platform it would use to contest the 2019 elections.

    The leadership of the political pressure group, founded by Obasanjo, said the move was designed “to form a formidable force to wrestle power from the ruling APC in 2019 elections.”

    Former Military Administrator of Lagos State, and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a co-convener of CNM, who made the pronouncement at a press conference in Abuja, said “With this development, the Coalition for Nigerian Movement (CNM) has ceased to exist, having formally collapsed into the political party.”

    Explaining why the coalition chose ADC as the right platform amongst several options, Oyinlola said: “The decision to move in to African Democratic Congress therefore is an appreciation of the progressive essence of the party and its untainted existence on the terrain of our nation’s politics.

    “While I, on behalf of the leadership and the over three million members of the CNM congratulate ADC as the vehicle for national reinvention, I urge us to know that the task ahead is an arduous one that needs further strengthening of the forces of change. What I am saying is that we should be open to new engagements and alliances being forged and crystallizing across the country.”

    ADC and search for new generation of leaders

    Oyinlola had said the vision of his group is to usher in new players in the body politics of Nigeria. As he puts it: “You will all recall that in January this year, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement was formed by some of us across the country as a political platform to create a new generation of leaders for our country.

    “Between that time and today, a lot of grounds have been covered in achieving the set goals. One of such is what we are doing here today – the formal fusing of our movement into the African Democratic Congress.

    “Beyond what we are doing here today, we put our countrymen and women, old and young, on notice that they should expect more from us; that they should expect deepened political engagements across platforms in the coming days and weeks. In other words, this is just the first in a multi layered action plan to give back the country to its much deprived people.

    “As we stated in January during the launch of the CNM, we are taking on this task not minding the inconveniences and other expected and unexpected consequences of our efforts at reinventing the country.

    “We admit that structural inadequacies and failure of leadership have robbed our country of greatness. We also note that a future of greatness for Nigeria will only be birthed by a new generation of youthful leaders with fresh ideas and knowledge of what it takes to govern a 21St century nation.”

    While the key players in the CNM and ADC fusion seem upbeat over the development, some Nigerians, who probably expected a more dramatic merger, told The Nation that it was a big disappointment. “Former President Obasanjo gave us high expectations; we expected something much more dramatic and realistic than mere merger with little known political party named ADC. I think the development is a sign that the so-called third force is neither a force nor can it constitute a serious threat to APC and PDP. I say so because ADC is not in most local constituencies. I consider it as one of those paper weight political parties, good in speaking good English but politics is much more than that. I had expected the Obasanjo-led coalition to make use of a political platform that can reach all the remote parts of the country,” said Dr. Godfrey Onyeukwu, a member of Civil Governance Initiative.

    But Oyinlola had explained that the fusion is not the end of the efforts currently made by the coalition. According to him, it is just the beginning as other likeminded stakeholders are to be brought into the grand alliance. According to him, the aim is to bring in new, young and fresh minds to take up the leadership of the country.

    “This gathering here today is a proof that the modest efforts at waking up the vast majority of our people to for once, take their destiny in their hands as demanded by the constitution are bearing fruits already. Our constitution guarantees all Nigerians their fundamental human rights, including freedom of association and the right to hold political views.

    “We have said it before and we are stating it here again that the current state of despair and despondency in our dear country is an ill wind.

    “It is foreboding and can only lead to a conflagration. Between January ‘when CNM was formed and now, can we say that the story of Nigeria has changed for the better? Have things not worsened at all levels?

    “Indeed, every one of us who has been in power before at whatever level may have a share of the blame for the state of the nation. That fact, however, will not disqualify us from being part of, and indeed, stand at the vanguard of finding a lasting solution to this problem.

    “Indeed, those who have seen it all but with the right perspective are better placed to bring in knowledgeable young men and women to come and reinvent the country for the challenges of the future.

    “ADC and other like- minded political parties should join other patriots in democratically building and enthroning a new set of youthful, knowledgeable and goal- oriented leadership for this country. We believe, therefore, that through right engagements and fundamental reordering of the affairs of our nation, our country will be out of the woods. Nigerians are a very resilient people. They are great optimists.

    “They have invested so much trust and hope in our democratic infrastructure with very miserable returns, so far. As I stated during the launch of the CNM our country must not continue to be condemned to a four yearly ritual of voting without results.

    “To get positive results, therefore, we must get right the choice of leadership. But the apple does not fall far from its tree. Only credible, positive platforms can produce positive results. A tree conceived and nurtured in lies can only bear imaginary fruits. Every government has ideas and programmes – most times packaged in flowery prose.

    “The deficit in leadership is noticed at the point of implementation of the ideas and policies. ADC from its well enunciated policies and Programmes is well placed to make democracy work for the people.

    “ADC is properly placed to join other patriots in moving Nigerians in all the wards, the 774 local governments and the 36 states to join hands to make our country truly great.”

    The founding National Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralphs Nwosu, also confirmed that more people and political groups will still join the emerging organisation to form the real third force.

    According to him, over the years, Nigeria’s biggest resources in human capacity and diversity seem to be weighing her down and tearing her apart.

    He however said: “I do not want to dwell on our failings. I want to assure you all that we, the African Democratic Congress, working with Coalition for Nigeria Movement and many strategic coalition partners, involving a rainbow coalition of political parties, civil societies, labor and trade unions and well-meaning eminent Nigerians are determined to reframe the narratives about Nigeria.”

    ADC’s history

    The party, African Democratic Congress, was registered in 2006 and stood for elections in 2007 with Prof. Pat Utomi, an economist, as its presidential candidate. Utomi reportedly scored about 50,000 votes in that election. The party also participated in the 2011 and 2015 elections. According to the party’s National Chairman, the party has only one elected official, who is a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

    It would be recalled that Utomi, ADC’s former Presidential candidate, was one of the earliest members of CNM that openly criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the economy.

    Some observers are already saying that Utomi may have played a critical role in the CNM and ADC’s fusion.

    The Nation investigation during the week shows that many young and successful professionals like Utomi, who may not be very influential politicians, are part of the emerging third force. But according to some respondents, such professionals may be knowledgeable and with fresh ideas, but they know little or nothing about grassroots politics. “Many of them are only popular in Abuja, Lagos, at boardrooms and in the universities, where they expound very interesting theories. But they can hardly win votes,” said Kingsley Idema, a PDP supporter.

    But ADC chairman, Nwosu, a leadership scholar himself, insists his party is “active in the field.” He was recently quoted as alleging that the ruling party, APC, hijacked ADC’s “change advocacy and slogan to win the 2015 general election.”

    Is Obasanjo out of the picture?

    Following the fusion of CNM and ADC, observers are wondering if former President Obasanjo will make good his promise to quit the scene as soon as his coalition transformed into a political party.

    A source close to Oyinlola-led CNM told The Nation that Obasanjo gave the hint on Thursday evening when he addressed the press at his presidential library home in Abeokuta.

    In a speech he titled ‘My treatise for future of democracy and development in Nigeria’, Obasanjo said, “Let me start by welcoming and commending the emergence of a renewed and reinvigorated African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a political party.

    “Since the inception of Coalition for Nigeria Movement, CNM, many of the sixty-eight registered political parties had contacted and consulted with the Movement on coming together and working together.

    “The leadership of the Movement, after detailed examination, wide consultation and bearing in mind the orientation, policies and direction of the Movement, have agreed to adopt ADC as its platform to work with others for bringing about desirable change in the Nigeria polity and governance.”

    The source confided that besides the formal congratulation, the former president told the new ADC leadership that he would only want to remain a nonpartisan elder statesman. The source however said there is no way the new political organisation would not seek advice from the leader who, according to him remains the group’s rallying point. “You will recall that he is the one that motivated us to begin this new movement. So, we will, I believe continue to seek his advice whenever the need arises,” he said.

    Another source, said “Obasanjo cannot abandon the movement he started. He will certainly not seek any formal position in the party, but we all know he is the chief patron and will remain so.”

    It would be recalled that Obasanjo had, in his original letter said amongst others, “I have had occasion in the past to say that the two main political parties – APC and PDP – were wobbling. I must reiterate that nothing has happened to convince me otherwise. If anything, I am reinforced in my conviction… We have only one choice left to take us out of Egypt to the Promised Land. And that is the coalition of the concerned and the willing – ready for positive and drastic change, progress and involvement.”

    In the second letter, he said emphatically that he would remain a member of the coalition for as long as it has not transmuted to a political party. He had said: I am happy to be a member of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement. The movement is a pressure point towards good governance. This is the commencement for our popular and grassroots association. Of course, the membership will be free to collectively decide on whether CNM becomes a political party. If the Movement decides to transform itself and go into partisan politics, I will cease to be a member.”

    Most of the members of the new ADC who spoke to The Nation during the week however insist that the party would be better off with Obasanjo’s continuous guidance and direction. “He is a leader with experience, so why must he be urged to leave a political party he influenced,” they queried, adding that he is being persuaded to remain, at least in advisory capacity.

    But Olugbenga Segun, an APC member told The Nation that Obasanjo’s continuous membership of the new party will be a burden instead of an advantage. “I think the coalition’s vision is to bring in new generation leaders. If this is true, then it will be better for the new ADC not to admit Obasanjo as their leader. That is the only way the new party will attract youths and untainted Nigerians to vote for the party in 2019,” he said.

  • Obasanjo, Obaseki, Ajimobi, others extol legacy of Pa Abebe

     Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday extolled the legacy of late Dr. Christopher  Abebe.

     

    The dignitaries joined the family, friends and well-wishers at the Funeral Mass of late Dr. Abebe held at the Stella Maris Catholic Church, Iruekpen in Esan West Local government Area of Edo State, on Friday.

     

    Bishop of Uromi Diocese, Donatus Ogun, during the homely, extolled the quality and exemplary life of late Dr. Christopher Abebe, calling on the congregation and Nigerians in general to emulate Pa Abebe, as he lived for God.

    Read Also:Buhari commiserates with family of Christopher Abebe

    Ogun described late Dr. Abebe as a true soldier of Christ, whose life has positively influenced the society.

     

    First son of the deceased, Mr John Abebe, thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for his support, especially in the area of logistics, which accounted for the success of the burial.

     

    John Abebe also thanked the former president of Nigeria and an in-law to the family, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for standing with the family at their time of grief.

     

    Dr. Abebe who died at the age of 99 was at various times the first Nigerian Chairman/ Managing Director of the United African Company Nigeria Limited, and the first Nigerian Chairman of Nigerian Breweries. He also served at various times as the pro-chancellor of the University of Benin, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the University of Calabar.

     

    Other dignitaries at the event included former governor of Edo State, Prof. Osarheimen Osunbor,  Senator Daisy Danjuma, and Odion Ugbesia, among others.

  • PDP rejoices with former President Obasanjo at 81

    PDP rejoices with former President Obasanjo at 81

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as he turns 81 on March 5.

    The party, in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan,  said it remains proud of the former president.

    It said Obasanjo had excelled as an international figure and made outstanding contributions toward global peace and development, particularly, in the African sub-region.

    The party described Obasanjo as an outstanding nationalist; a courageous and a dedicated leader, who has made immeasurable sacrifices towards the development, stability and growth of the nation.

    “Indeed, the PDP intensely celebrates former President Obasanjo who stands tall as one of the best performed Nigerian Presidents, chiefly
    because his administration founded and anchored its policies and programmes on PDP’s people-based manifesto and ideology.

    “The PDP also commends Chief Obasanjo for his continued engagement on national issues, particularly his disposition against poor governance, corruption, bloodletting and confusion that now pervade the nation in
    the last three years.

    “While we value Chief Obasanjo for his concerns for the political future of our nation, we note that our repositioned and rebranded PDP remains the only credible political platform for the much desired broad-based
    engagements among Nigerians and coalitions across board,” the party said.

    The PDP said it was more than prepared to salvage the nation in the all-important task of returning her to the path of good governance, national unity and prosperity for all, come 2019.

    The party prayed God to grant Obansanjo good health, wisdom and strength as he continues to be of service to the nation. (NAN)

  • Obasanjo: Between a statesman and a political partisan

    Obasanjo: Between a statesman and a political partisan

    I have read through Balogun Owu and Ekerin Egba’s intervention on the state of the nation many times over; and I’m really not clear what stamp to put on the latest controversial statement of the two-time Head of State of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Is he, from this statement that has gone viral, a statesman, which he has earned? Or, a partisan, to who darts must be thrown?

    Obasanjo’s statement wasn’t really original, as it is clearly a rehash of what has been on several lips for several months now and written by several commentators in social media. What makes his own speech special is that it gave it a voice that can be heard more resoundingly and a mileage that no one before his own could attract.

    That statement was also a trap that the Federal Government, for its own good, did not fall into. It gave a response that was measured, restrained and polished by every internationally-acceptable standard. And when you recall the Reuben Abati team’s response to such hits in Goodluck Jonathan’s gone by era, I permit myself to say that the tone or language of this response is one up for the Buhari Administration.

    Obasanjo has a duty, indeed a responsibility, to intervene in national affairs as a statesman. His interventions, like or loathe them, remind one of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s occasional interventions in his own time, which earned him universal acclaim even though he was never a President.

    But the point of departure between the two is that whereas Awolowo will condemn a policy and offer an alternative, Obasanjo seems to prefer outright put-down in a manner to make only himself look good. Methinks, that really is not a good attribute.

    But Obasanjo, the big brother I personally admire for being himself all the time, ended being a statesman in his statement and adorned the garb of a partisan. Reading between the lines, one can make reasonable and incontestable deduction that the mercurial master of subterfuge is still enamoured of power and wouldn’t mind calling the shots by whatever means attainable.

    Of course, that being the case, he should expect darts to be thrown at him. I remember a similar dart thrown at Professor Wole Soyinka by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola some years back when the word-wizard got entangled in the arts institute imbroglio in Osun State of Nigeria. Before throwing his dart, Oyinlola first warned his target that a man in white garb fondling a fowl on his laps should not complain if he’s defecated upon by the foul. I sensed the message was not lost on Bros Kongi and he reined himself in thereafter.

    It may sound uncharitable that someone charged the ex-President of still pursuing his oft-denied Third Term Agenda with his Third Force or Coalition of Nigeria Movement idea but happenings after his well-publicised statement seem attractive to those who also want to put down the dandy grandpa of Nigerian politics as a self-seeking politician than a statesman in the mould of a Nelson Mandela.