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Tag: credibility

  • Success, credibility of 2023 polls forestalled mayhem, say activists

    Success, credibility of 2023 polls forestalled mayhem, say activists

    • NGO prays for, hails INEC Chair Yakubu for living above board

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the National Unity Forum (NUF), yesterday said the success and credibility of last year’s general election prevented those with sinister motives from causing post-election violence in the country.

    The NUF has set aside February 25 of every year as its National Intercession Day.

    The forum’s National Coordinator Godwin Meliga announced this in a statement after the NGO converged on the Unity Fountain in Abuja for a prayer march.

    The group held intercessory prayers for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the 36 states’ governors and other persons in positions of authority across the country.

    After the session of prayer, worship, and thanksgiving at the Unity Fountain, members of the group embarked on a solidarity march to the headquarters of INEC in Maitama, where they held another round of prayer for the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the success of all future elections in Nigeria.

    The activists lauded Prof. Yakubu for living above board in the conduct of last year’s general election.

    The statement said the NUF prayed for the INEC chairman to succeed in all future elections, describing his position as pivotal to the sustenance, growth, and development of democracy in the country.

    Meliga said NUF’s resort to prayers to seek God’s solution to the myriad challenges confronting the nation was informed by the time-tested efficacy of prayers and scriptural injunctions.

    The activists quoted 1Timothy 2:1-2, saying: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives…”

    The NUF thanked Prof. Yakubu and his team for their strident efforts at ensuring the success and credibility of the 2023 general election.

    Read Also: Greedy politicians fuelling attacks on Tinubu over hardship -Arewa Think Tank

    It noted that given the tense state of the national polity prior to the last general election, due mainly to socio-ethnic and geopolitical diversities, had INEC attempted to deliver a compromised electoral process, there would have been violence across the country, which may have threatened the very fabrics of the nation’s mutual coexistence.

    “But the fact that INEC, under Prof. Yakubu, was obviously above board in the discharge of its mandate during the last general elections, helped to a great extent in disarming all those nursing sinister intentions for the country, including all those who may wish to capitalise on the outbreak of widespread electoral violence to achieve their narrow destabilisation agenda for Nigeria.

    “Our group, therefore, enjoined all patriotic citizens of Nigeria, regardless of their faith, to consider it a civic obligation to spare some moments on February 25, every year to join their hearts in prayers to God for national peace, unity and progress,” Melinga said.

    The activist noted that while other Nigerians “may resort to acts of self-denial, civil disobedience and open protests in order to express their disenchantment with the prevailing socio-economic and political challenges facing Nigeria, the NUF resorted to praying because it is the best option for the country at the moment”.

    Quoting Job 12:23 -25, he said: “He (God) makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations and dispenses them.”

  • The Touchstone: Atiku is a sore, bad loser – Sam Omatseye

    Political analyst and Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation Newspapers, Sam Omatseye, joined by Member, Editorial board, Femi Macaulay to discuss the 2019 Presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory, credibility of the 2019 election, INEC, leadership of the of the National Assembly, and the governorship and Assembly elections.

     

  • Ekiti: People urged to vote for credibility

    An Ekiti group, the Ekiti Solidarity Front (ESF), has continued its sensitisation of the people of the state on the aspiration of the former deputy governor of the state, Surveyor Abiodun Aluko, for the July 14 governorship election in the state with a call to Ekiti people to shun money politics and embrace an aspirant who will develop the state through people-oriented policies and attributes of credibility, discipline and courage.

    In an interview with journalists in Ado- Ekiti, the state capital, the chairman of the group, Prince Yemi Adekunle, said in preparation for the electioneering, political actors must eschew violence in all forms as the progress of the state should be paramount and not individual interests, stressing that a governor that Ekiti needs at this point in time must be God-fearing, intelligent, focused and without any blemish.

    Prince Adekunle further disclosed that the visits to different communities in the state in the last two weeks have shown clearly that the people are yearning for change and that the election should clearly reflect the genuine will of the people and not dictates of ‘godfathers.

    He said: “We are happy to inform the people that from our findings so far, what Ekiti people want now is a peaceful electioneering. It is on this note that we appeal to all aspirants to shun violence  that can portray the people of the state in bad light.

    “On this note, we still stand with the aspiration of Surveyor Abiodun Aluko and we shall ensure his emergence by all legal means.  We shall be meeting different special groups to solicit for the support for the Ikere-Ekiti-born politician”.

  • I disclosed N13.5m monthly running cost for credibility

    SENATOR Shehu Sani spoke yesterday on why he lifted the lid on  lawmakers’ pay.

    He said he did it to burnish the image of senators.

    Sani (Kaduna Central) stirred up a hornet’s nest when he unfolded the N750,000 monthly salary and N13.5million monthly running cost received by senators.

    The Senate defended the pay as “nothing new”, adding that Sani only revealed what had been in existence.

    But many Nigerians and civil society groups have been angry at what they consider to be an outrageous pay.

    Speaking in an interview programme aired yesterday on an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, “Political Circuit”,   Sani, who ran a civil rights group before his election into the senate in 2015, said he saw the need to break the culture of secrecy surrounding the activities of the National Assembly because it had given the parliament a bad name, despite being peopled by by successful professionals and businessmen.

    He said: “The National Assembly is made up of distinguished personalities – doctors, lawyers, engineers, academics and all who have made it in life. But because of this culture of secrecy and silence, people who found themselves in the National Assembly are criminalised and stigmatised.

    “The dome of the National Assembly is being seen to house people of questionable character and integrity. So, what I did was to rescue the honour and credibility of the parliament by removing the veil of secrecy to bring it once and for all to an end.

    “ It has been 19 years of civil administration and it has been 19 years of secrecy, of people not wanting to speak out.

    “We have reached a point where people speculate and say so many bad things about the National Assembly. You see all sorts of figures of what senators are collecting. Some say N50 million, some speculate N100 million. But whatever people say, naturally, others will believe because there is no counter information, no truth coming from the other side.

    “So, I said, ‘I know it is painful, I know that I will lose friends and colleagues within the very establishment that I serve’. But I need to speak because I was part of those who fought and struggled for the restoration of this democracy.

    “I went to jail and was in the forefront of the protest against military rule. It is not possible for me to speak against the military rule and now I cannot.  And, as such, I say it is temporary pain.”

    Sani said he pointed out early that the money was huge but that the parliament did nothing about it, hence he continued to collect it along with his colleagues.

    The senator said following his revelation, he expected Nigerians to ask questions about what members of the executive, judiciary and state lawmakers were earning..

    “Now that Nigerians know what the senators are earning, it is time for them to also ask what is happening in the Presidency, the Judiciary and the other arm of government.

    “Since I have come out to speak, we should also ask people to ask the members of their houses of assembly who also collect this money to speak. I know things are not going to be easy because when I made the disclosure, there was explosion, even right in my own house.

    “I will appeal to Nigerians to now shift focus to the governors, the ministers, those in the Presidency, the SGF, the Chief of Staff to the President, and NNPC GMD, to ask them to say publicly say what they earn monthly.

    “So, I know very well that it comes with a lot of price. But in the long run, our people will not be focusing on the senators. They will now be focusing on other areas and other people who refuse to come out and speak.”

    Sani justified the lawmakers’ bid to reorder elections, saying it is aimed at preventing the usual bandwagon effect of the presidential election where the party of the elected president coasts home to victory in the states.

    The senator pointed out that the National Assembly felt that federal lawmakers needed to stand on their merit in elections to enable Nigerians elect only those they truly believe in.

     

  • Credibility, security and prosperity

    SOME Nigerian protesters in Abuja reportedly claimed that the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives should be allowed to do their work without hindrance by the executive arm of government which is the Buhari Administration which came to power in the 2015 presidential elections. Similarly in the British Parliament Opposition leader Corbyn railed against the visit of the British PM May to Saudi Arabia which he accused of using British arms and ammunition to commit mass killing against defenceless civilians in war- torn Yemen, leading to a humanitarian tragedy of gargantuan proportions.

    In the Middle East the new US President Donald Trump at last acknowledged that the US has sent missiles to the sources of chemical weapons used to kill Syrians by the government of Bashar Assad , thus emphatically reversing the Middle East policy of his predecessor whose red line for the Assad regime was violated while the former US President Barak Obama indulged in rhetoric and hand wringing to the consternation and anger of a keenly watching civilized world .Also in the US, the president Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi to dinner even though he has admitted expecting a difficult hosting of the Chinese strong arm because of what he called Chinese stealing of American jobs. On the surface these raised issues look normal and innocuous and should not lead to any raised eye brows. But that is not really the case.

    This is because they are issues bordering on the topic of the day namely credibility, security and trade. The topic provides their context as they cannot exist in a vacuum which nature diligently and naturally avoids. Elucidating on that fact therefore is the kernel of our discussion today. Starting with the pro National Assembly protests, to the British PM’s reply to the Opposition leader as well as the return of American arms to the battlefield in Syria, dominated on Assad’s side by the Russians and the missiles attack threat posed by North Korea to global peace, we shall show today that credibility matters in leadership and politics and that trade and prosperity can only blossom in an environment that is safe and very well secured.

    We go back to the pro-National Assembly protests and call them a massive and failed charade which is not shared by most Nigerians. This is because the National Assembly has feet of clay in terms of credibility and leadership and Nigerians have not lost their memory over how the present senate leadership evolved and the many charges for corruption that the senate president is facing and pursuing in the law courts.

    In spite of these, he has not resigned his position to clear himself of all charges as should be expected in any mature democracy. To claim now that the existence of the National Assembly is the only measure of our claim to be a functional democracy is a fallacy because the members of the National Assembly are tenured representatives of their various constituencies and have no locus as representatives of their own personal and selfish interests, which seems to be their rationale for representation in our funny and bizarre democracy today. That surely is not acceptable to most Nigerians who also concede that the senate must function but definitely at best like a disabled institution given the albatross of corruption charges on the neck of its leadership.

    The senate must do its work without hindrance from the executive but the legislature must know it has a credibility problem arising from the emergence of its leadership and learn to accept the dictum in law that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Surely credibility matters in matters of state and governance and no pro legislature protests can change that in any democracy in any part of the world including our very own Nigeria. At the British House of Commons the Opposition leader Corbyn accused the PM Theresa May of ignoring the human rights record of Saudi Arabia and paying a visit to a regime that has no regard for human and feminine rights. The British PM, to me gave an eloquent reply by saying that she was going to Saudi Arabia to secure British business interests and to create more trade and prosperity for the UK as Britain cannot be on the sidelines of global business sniping like dog whilst the traffic of world trade passes it by.

    On her visit to Jordan she said that by helping Jordan through trade and improving its economy, Jordan would be enabled to take care of migrants fleeing to Europe and the UK and that too would mellow down the threat of lack of integration of Muslim migrants fleeing wars in the Middle East and exacerbating the security dangers that Europe and Britain are facing from the dangerous and unprecedented influx of refugees nowadays.

    That again appears like nipping the refugee problem in the bud and is comparable to the earlier visit of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to some African nations bordering Somalia, like Ethiopia and Kenya, to help such nations’ economies so as to stem the tide of refugee influx to Europe at the source. Such moves are pragmatic, diplomatic innovations that can only make for a more secure world not only in Europe but also in the nations and societies that the mass of migrants are bolting from, for dear life. With regard to the US missile attack on the facility in Syria, – the Shayrat airbase – from which the plane that dropped chemical gas on Syrians took off , it seems to me that the US has restored its credibility with both friends and enemies in the Middle East.

    Especially with the opposition in Syria which applauded the strike and the Russians which called it an act of aggression against a sovereign nation Syria, which Russia fully supports. But then the Russians were told about the raid by the Americans but they did not send any plane to stop the Americans . The UK naturally has supported the American missile attack which is expected to deter the Assad regime in Damascus against future use of chemical weapons. The Trump presidency has thus restored credibility to American foreign policy and Middle East diplomacy which was highly fractured by the Obama’s foreign policy of highlighting American values over the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime and just doing nothing to deter a repeat.

    This is what the Trump government has done and I give it kudos for making the Middle East safe by just one act of punitive deterrence over the potential or real use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime, or any government in the Middle East for that matter. Predictably when the US President Donald Trump hosted the Chinese President Xi he was at his best in public relations.

    This was in spite of the fact that he campaigned on dealing with China for its well known unfair trade deals. He went on to say he would look for reciprocity in dealing with the Chinese on world trade. But he should be cautious because the Chinese are the biggest global investors in US treasury bills or treasuries. If reciprocity means an eye for an eye, which is Moses’ law then the Chinese too can play the ball of reciprocity to the detriment of US business and economic interests. With regard to trade imbalance and stealing of American jobs the new US president needs to be tutored on the concept of outsourcing which he has labeled job stealing. It is American companies outsourcing jobs to China which has a huge population.

    Outsourcing is just about buying skills you don’t have and it is a hard nose business decision with the goals of efficiency and profitability driving it and that surely cannot be called job stealing. Anyway, the Chinese President Xi told his American counterpart during this week’s visit that –‘we have a thousand reasons get China- US relations right and not one reason to spoil China – US relations ‘The Chinese President later invited Trump to visit China. For now both Trump and Xi are credible world leaders popular in their nations and that is good for world trade and security. Better still, global peace will get a boost if both can use their new found amity to formulate a strong policy that will deter the rogue regime in North Korea that is, like ISIS, threatening the entire world with annihilation and disturbing our collective peace of mind. Once again, long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Mandates, credibility and duty

    At  long   last  the  Nigerian  Senate  had  its  way  when  the  Attorney  General  of the  Federation   and the Secretary  to the Government  finally  showed  up as demanded  by  the lawmakers to answer questions on the court cases of the Senate  President as well  as well  as some comments of the SGF on  some  expenditure  in the 2016  budget. Before  that the Senators  had  threatened  to  impeach the  President  himself  if  his  officials  failed  to  come to the Senate.

    In  the UK  where  a second  lady  Prime  Minister,   Theresa  May  emerged- after the Iron Lady  Margaret  Thatcher-the   First  Secretary  of    Scotland,  which  just  in  2014 voted in  a  referendum  to  stay in Britain said  the new British  PM  did  not  have  the mandate  of  Scotland to  implement Brexit  as she promised on coming to  office  as the new  UK, PM  this  week.  And  in  Dallas  at a memorial for 5  Police  officers killed  by a black  man who  reportedly  was  looking for  white police  officers because he believed they were killing blacks with  impunity, US  President  Barak  Obama   made  a speech  on race  relations that  should  earn  him a Nobel  Prize  on Peace,  and  mark his presidency  for  posterity,  if  he  had  not  been  hastily    given  that prestigious  award  in  undue  haste  at  the  start  of  his  presidency by  the wise  men  of  Oslo.

    These  three  events  then  form  the nucleus  of  our  discussion today. They  revolve  around  political  mandates  and the use  or  misuse  of  them. They  reek  of  leadership  traits in  actions  that  define the  quality  of  leadership and credibility  in  the  line  of  duty.  And  certainly  there  are  home  truths, and  hard  words  on display  aplenty  for  any  electorate  or  democracy  to  learn  from.  At  least      in   order    to   see or  avert  future  pitfalls  and unnecessary  threats to  the much  needed political  stability  and   tranquility  that  our  political systems  need   nowadays.   Especially    with regard   to  the realization  of  our  societal  goals  of  creating  progress, peace  and  prosperity  for  the global  community in  the many  nations  that  make up  our present  comity  of  nations.

    Starting  with the  visit  of  the  two  high  government  officials  to  the Senate one  does  not  know  whether  to  clap  for  the  Senators or weep  for  them on the kind  of  home truths  the two officials  told  them  on the matters on  discussion during the visit.  The  Attorney  General  told  the lawmakers that  he  could  not  comment  on  a case  in court  because  that  would  be subjudice     and  unethical  as he is the prosecutor  and the case files    are  before  the court. The  SGF  told  the legislators  that government  revenue  has  dwindled  by  50%  because  of falling  oil  prices and  government  will  have  to  scrutinize  and reexamine projects  to  fund  or  execute  in the approved  budget including  the  constituency  projects  of  the senators. This  is like  saying that  government  will  have  to cut its  coat according  to  its  cloth  and  present revenue.   Which  actually  is  just  plain  common  or  political  pragmatism.

    Actually  one should    be  bothered  that  it  required  the presence of these  two  officers  to tell  the  Senators  these  obvious  home truths. Anyway,  it  does  not  need  a political  scientist  or  these  two  key  government  officials  to  see  what  is  making  the senators  blind  to  what  is lost  in  plain  sight  to  them.  This    is because   Senate  is    said  to  be contemplating  constitutional  immunity    for   the   office  of  the Senate  President  even  as  the incumbent  is  facing  two  cases  being  prosecuted  by the  Attorney  General. Definitely  this senate  has exposed itself  to  charges of intimidation in  summoning the key    legal   officer  of  the nation prosecuting  the incumbent  of the office  of  Senate  President . Also  the senate  is tampering with  the rule  of law  and the  separation  of  powers  that  guide  and protect  our  democracy  and that was what  the AGF   told  them  so  bravely and  so  eloquently on his  visit . Really  it  was in  bad  taste  to  have  summoned  these    two  officials  on the issues  at  hand  and the senate  has  cut  a   rather  sorry  figure in  the public  domain  given  the hard  and incontrovertible  facts of governance, law  and order  that the two  officials  reeled  out  to    the   red  chamber  which   actually  received   tutorials  on  the occasions.

    To  a large  extent   then,  the issue  of  the execution  of a mandate  of  Brexit   by   the   new  British    PM   falls   into  a similar  excursion  into  the realms  of  hard  facts   and  home  truths. Very  similar  to  what the  two  high  government  officials  dropped  like  bombs  on our  senate. Scotland  on record in the referendum that  gave rise  to Brexit,  voted  to  remain  in the EU . Just as it  voted in 2014  to  remain  in  the UK.  Also  the new  PM was  for Remain  although  it is mandatory   and imperative   for  her to pursue Brexit  because  that  was  the wish  of the British  people  on  the relationship  with the EU. But  then two former  PMs  namely  Tony  Blair and John  Major  had  predicted  that Brexit  would divide  the UK because  Scotland  would  break  away.  That   really  is the  implication of the Scotland’s     First  Secretary  challenge  that  Scotland  did  not  give  the new PM the  mandate for  Brexit  as  she  has  claimed in terms  of execution  of the Brexit  victory  in  the  EU referendum.  In  effect then Scotland is asking  the new  PM who supported  Scotland’s Remain  vote not  to  be more  catholic  than  the  Pope  in  the implementation  of    Brexit.  The    alternative    therefore  is  to  allow Scotland  to  review  is  membership  of  the UK by  calling for  another referendum  so  soon after  the last  one in 2014. Which  really  is a  tall  order indeed in  terms    of  the  unity of  Great Britain.

    Meanwhile  there is no  denying  that a victim and culprit  of  the Brexit vote  is the new Foreign  Minister  Boris  Johnson  who was the arrow  head of  the Brexit  clamour which claimed  the referendum.  It  was  widely  thought  he  would be PM if  Brexit  won  but  the situation  has changed  such  that the acrimony that  greeted  the Brexit    result  meant  that  he had  to take  cover  and was indeed  lucky  to have  been  given  a cabinet  position.  Even  that  has not  gone well  in  European diplomatic  circles  as  both the French  and  German Foreign  Ministers  have  gone out of their way to  call  the new UK  Foreign  Minister  a serial   liar   given  his  vocal  and active role  in  the Brexit  campaign. It  will  be interesting  therefore    to see   how  the subsequent  and inevitable  diplomatic  meetings   between  the three  nations will  go   and  how  that  will  affect  EU  and  UK  relations  post  Brexit.

    Finally  we  shall  look  at the Obama speech  at  the Dallas  memorial  for the five slain policemen  killed  ostensibly by a black  man who said  he killed them  because  they  were  white  and white  policemen  had  been  killing  blacks. R  eally  President  Barak  Obama deserved  kudos  for  the home truths  he  drove  home on  the incident. He  asked  Americans to  open  their minds to  each  other  and change  the  hearts of stone fanning  racial  hatred  .  He  said  he  knows  what  is  happening  and he  sounded credible  and more  believable than  anyone  I have   heard   speak  on  racism . He  said  it  was a fact  of  life in the US  that  blacks  are  being  killed  more  than  any  other  race  but that is no excuse  for  killing  policemen  because  the police  is the  emblem  of  the rule of  law in any  democracy including  the US. He praised  the  Dallas Police  Department  and  the City  Mayor  but  he  also  weighed  in that something  needs  to  be done urgently  on  gun  control  which  has  become a major  campaign  issue  in the on  going  presidential  campaign  in  the  US.

    To  me  the  Dallas  Memorial   speech  should   define  the  Obama  presidency  as well  as his legacy. Rather  than  the gay  rights issue  which  he called  the major  achievement  of  his   administration. Although  his record  on  the international  scene  is  dismal  as  he  has served  as a president with  no  stomach  for  confrontation  and  the use  of  force  to resolve international   issues. Opting  most  times  for dialogue  and  diplomacy   But  it  was  clear  that on  race  issues   that   he was a very  competent  high  priest  of tolerance and  respect  for  human  dignity in racial  relations. That  is a good  legacy  for Hillary  Clinton  to  campaign  on  if  she wants  to  succeed  him  as the next  president  of  the US.  Not  a foreign  policy  that spawned Islamic  State and made  Russia  take over  Syria from  where  the  largest  migration of people fleeing  war  in  history  was  created.

    Let  me end  by dedicating this  piece to  the  15th  of  July  which  was my  birthday. Once  again  long  live the  Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Credibility, leadership and political stability

    I  start on the premise  today  that a leader  with credibility  can get away    with   murder   in any  polity just  because the people he is leading have faith  in him and take him for his words.  If  he is a decent   enough  human being    however, there would  be no need  for him to betray that trust  by leading his followers  by the nose or down  a blind  alley. The  essence of  leadership  therefore  is to  lead  any  political  system  such that there is human progress in terms of the values, goals  and   virtues that make for a progressive   society. These  are   virtues   such  as integrity,  honesty, justice  and justice in  an environment where human welfare and security are guaranteed  and  any   human  being can aspire  to the best  of his ability and  ambition.

    It  is my  intention  to show today that  these  values  are  under  serious threat  in world affairs  for  now,  largely  because of the quality  of  global  leadership and I will  illustrate  that with examples of leadership  in some nations  and events that  happened this  last  week from  such  leaders’  decisions,  actions  and  inactions.  Let  me  also  state  from  the  outset  that some  leaders tax  their  credibility  unnecessarily because  of their  lack  of requisite vision  while  some through ignorance and  lack  of  perception and understanding  of issues or misguided  self- interest  put  the future and unity    of society as  well   as  the  stability  of  the entire  political  system  in  avoidable   and   perilous a  jeopardy.

    I    will  start  by  highlighting the ding dong  battle  for the next  president  of the US  which  has pitched the incumbent US  president in a triangular  verbal  gymnastics  with  the leading candidates of the two major  political  parties  in the US.  It  is  a campaign  that  has no precedent in  terms of abuse  and  mudslinging in the  history  of  the US and  we  shall  look at  how this  came about and  its import  for global  peace  and stability . The  next  port  of  call  will be the  UK where  a referendum on whether  the UK  will  stay  or  leave the European  Union  has  been  slated for  June 23 this month.  Undoubtedly  the  ensuing   debate  has  become so  vitriolic  that  each  side – to leave or remain-  has  accused  the other of blackmail  and is   campaigning  on the premise  and specter   of  fear  to  win  the debate  and  thus  the majority  of  British  voters  for their  point  of view on  the  referendum. We  shall  examine  the leadership  quality  on display  as well  as the wisdom of  the need  for such  an  acrimonious approach to such  a very  serious issue  especially  at this point  in time in British  history  and politics.

    Thirdly  we  shall  come  back  home to  Nigeria and look  again  at  the way  the war on  corruption is going on as well  as the way the anti  corruption  forces are fighting back ‘Especially with the court  case brought  against the incumbent  president  on his WAEC  qualification  and the attempt  to declare  his election invalid if this is proven  in  court  that he did not  have the certificate,  which  he has always  insisted he has. We  shall  look  at this along side the  trust  and credibility   that  Nigerians have bestowed  on their  president  and how  that has  been  seriously  taxed  by the  incessant  clashes  between  Southern  farmers  and gun  totting   cattle  Fulani  herdsmen and  the  president’s reaction  to  that as  well  as the way  Nigerians have  reacted  to  the unexpected increase in fuel  price  from 86  naira  to the  present  145  naira.

    We  go  back to  the  US  again  and  the ongoing  campaign  to elect  the next  US president. Undoubtedly  the candidacy of  Donald  Trump the candidate  of the Republican  Party  has  altered  the political  equation of political  campaign  massively  in the US.  Whether  this  is  for  good  or bad  is yet  to  be seen. What  is crystal  clear  is that Donald  Trump  has scant  if any respect  for  the legacy  of the outgoing  US President  Barak Obama  and the Democratic  Party   candidate  Hillary  Clinton  is campaigning  on that legacy. Which  means that Clinton is ipso  facto  a natural  beneficiary  of  the mistrust, suspicion and disdain  that  the Republican  candidate  Donald  Trump  has  for  the present  and outgoing  US president. Donald  Trump  has  gone far  enough  to insinuate  that Obama  has sympathy  for  Islamic  terrorists  that  is why  he cannot  call such  terrorists  by  their  name and condemn  them  for what  they  are.  He  has given examples  of terrorist acts in San Barnadino  and  Orlando  recently  where  an  American  Muslim  killed about  50 people in a gay  bar before  he was killed  by security  officials. Donald  Trump has  said  that President  Obama  has refused  to  accept  that  terrorism as  propagated  and practiced  by Islamic  State  has  come home to roost  in the US.  Especially  as the gay  bar  murderer called  the police  to declare  he  was fighting for  Islamic  State  which  later  acknowledged him as a fighter  for the borderless  Islamic  state of the Middle  East  based  terrorist  group.  Donald  Trump  had  earlier called  the US president a security  risk, an  allegation  that  the US president  unwisely ignored then instead of using  his executive  powers  to ask  him  to  legally prove such infantile accusation  or face the wrath of the law for disruptive behavior or utterances.  Such  a development  would have subverted  his emergence  as the Republican  Party’s  candidate and  would  have asserted  the benchmark  of  minimal behavior  and utterances  needed  by  those  or anyone aspiring to  lead  or  be president  of the US. Obama’s  prevarication  or  dithering  on the insult turned Donald  Trump into  a hero  overnight  as someone who  can stand up to the president  by calling him  names and getting away  with  it . For  many  Americans  who  hate politicians and  the political  establishment  as well as Wall Street and bankers they  think are milking the economy, Donald  Trump  has become like a modern Robin  Hood  in  political  garb  like  Superman out to rescue them  from their tormentors  and exploiters  masquerading  as political  leaders.

    Donald  Trump’s  emergence  has  divided  the US down  the line  and given their  political  ethos and values  a huge  kick in the ass.  As  the debate  unwinds I do  not  see  how Hillary  can  match  the macho and aggressive  campaign of Trump even  in  a debate which I predict  would  get  rowdy as Trump will not  allow himself  to  be compered in any  debate  with the suave and organized  lawyer like Hillary  Clinton.  Obviously  a great  damage has been done to the quality  of leadership selection in the US and  one can blame both the Obama 8-year  legacy  as well as the personality  of  Donald  Trump  for this. To  say  that this will  affect global  diplomacy or peace is an understatement. It  has already  undermined  both as both friends of  the US  and enemies  cannot  believe what they are  hearing or seeing  in the campaign and  do not know how to say  that the better  candidate will  win as they are totally  befuddled  by US politics on display  in the present presidential  campaign    to elect  Obama’s  successor.

    Similarly in Britain a leader against the UK  leaving  the EU lamented  that such  a development will  lead to the end of  Western  Civilisation. Just  as  some  have  said such  will  lead  to  World  War 3. The  truth  however is that the timing of the referendum is wrong as Europe  is awash in its worst migration crisis  from  war torn Middle  East. That  alone  could  make some Britons long  to be left  alone to manage their affairs and not be given mandatory  quotas of migrants to look after as dictated  by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel  the economic czar of the EU  with a soft heart  for  migrants  running away  from war.

    What  is more  dangerous  for  the result of the referendum is the danger it will create for  national unity in Great Britain. In Nigeria it is widely  accepted  that those who take themselves  to  court  never  become good  friends  thereafter. That  really  is the problem  the political  class  and the leadership will  confront after the referendum  of  June 23 regardless  of the results. I  can  foresee David  Cameron  refusing  to resign if the results go Brexit and I do  not see Boris Johnson accepting a Remain victory  with equanimity  like a sportsman. This  is because  the rhetoric    of the campaign has   been biting and personal in terms of abuses and accusations and this will  tax  seriously  the level of  political accommodation  and tolerance  post June 23 . British political stability and unity  will  be sorely  tested  thereafter.

    Lastly  on Nigeria one  does  not need  to be a soothsayer  to see  the direction  of the pro- corruption brigade  in  the  current  war  against  corruption  which has endeared  the president  to  his  people. But  a case in  court as reported on the internet can win  the battle  against  corruption  for those  against  the war. An  amendment  to a case  against  the president  is seeking to ask  the court  to declare the second man  in the 2015  election a winner in case the president  is  found  not  to have a WAEC  qualification.  The  second man  was the former  president  who recently  declared  overseas that  he  knew  he  was being  probed  by  the present  administration. This  case  is like  the Trojan  horse in the fight against  corruption  and the Trojan  horse  has  been  stolen  in at  night  while we were all asleep. Again  long live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • ‘Igariwey has lost credibility’

    ‘Igariwey has lost credibility’

    Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, has blamed the President–General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey for the seeming leadership crisis bedeviling the Igbo in Lagos.

    Nwachukwu, who accused Igariwey of dividing the Igbo more since he assumed the leadership position of Ohanaeze, said the President–General has lost credibility among the Igbo, hence out of touch with the present day leadership realities in Igbo land.

    Reacting to a recent publication in the Vanguard Newspaper of Wednesday, March 16, 2016, credited to Igariwey, Eze Nwachukwu stated that Igariwey lacks the power to disown him as Eze Ndigbo of Lagos.

    In the publication Igariwey was quoted as having disowned Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu as the authentic Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State since 1999.

    “I was one of those that made Chief Enwo Igariwey President-General in 2012 in Enugu and as such Igariwey and his rented crowd of mischief makers lack power to remove me as Eze Ndigbo of Lagos and have no credible platform to disown me.

    “I was duly elected by Ndigbo in Lagos in 1999 and approved by the Igbo Community, Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers and Ohanaeze Ndigbo. I was subsequently recognised by the late Oba Oyekan of Lagos State and the APC-led governments in Lagos,” he stated.

    Speaking further, Eze Nwachukwu hinted that the issue of Eze Ndigbo Lagos was rested in 2008 when the Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers led by Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, in company of Eze Hope Onuigbo of Abia State, Igweh Orizu from Anambra State, Igweh Onovo of Enugu State and Elder Agom Eze of Ebonyi State visited the then Oba of Lagos State, the late Oyekan and affirmed his election as the Apex Leader (Onye Ndu Ndigbo) and warned Chief Hyacinth Ohazuluike to stop impersonating or parading himself as Eze Ndigbo.

    Explaining further, Eze Nwachukwu alleged that the current plot to divide Ndigbo in Lagos was as a result of his opposition to the plan by Igariwey and Guy Ikokwu to organise yet another Igbo Forum for 2019 election, aimed at deceiving Igbo in Lagos as well as destabilising the current All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in Lagos.

    “As a result of my opposition to their idea of forming a 2019 election forum against APC in Lagos, Igariwey ploted his divide-and-rule mischief by appointing his 12-man Eze Ndigbo regularisation committee to be headed by a PDP Chieftain, Chief Hyacinth Ohazuluike, they also offered me Vice-Chairmansip position which I declined,” Eze Nwachukwu stated.

  • ‘Lack of substance, credibility threaten CSR’

    Credibility and lack of substance are the major challenges of some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects and programmes, the Chairman, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Chief Keith Richards, has said.

    Richards spoke at the 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Public Relations Week of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Lagos State Chapter.

    The theme was CSR: Prospects and challenges in a growing economy.

    He said many companies, especially, multinationals, produced glossy brochures on their CSR activities yet take decisions that have negative effect on the millions of people living in the community.

    To him, if consistency, sustain-ability, relevance, credibility and affordability are tackled, promoters are on the path to developing a CSR programme.

    Richards affirmed that if an organisation has more than one CSR platforms, efforts should be made to ensure that they communicate consistent messages besides adopting the same approach.

     He argued that mixed message could weaken impact and be less cost effective, which would make it harder to build relationships and partnerships.

    The Special Guest of Honour, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, acknowledged the leading role public relations has been playing in the development and growth of a society, ensuring not only a stable society but also one that grows in leaps and bounds economically, politically and culturally.

    “The stability and growth of a society is measured by its public image and I want to say that public relations practitioners in Lagos State have contributed in no small measure to the development and growth that makes our state a true Centre of Excellence.”

    Obasa, represented by Hon, Tunde Buraimoh, said there was an urgent need for a robust partnership between the government and organised private sector anchored on the development of a virile CSR structure.

    One of the discussants, Ken Egbas,  also noted that CSR projects were not well-thought out as many organisations copy what other companies are doing without knowing the reasons those organisations are executing the CSR programmes.

    The chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the institute, Mr. Joseph Okonmah, said the lecture was not only apt and timely, but also worthy of discourse considering the importance of CSR in nation building.

  • CSOs query credibility of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Abia polls’ results

    CSOs query credibility of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Abia polls’ results

    •‘14 deaths, 254 cases of misconduct recorded’

    About 60 civil society organisations (CSOs), under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), have queried the credibility of the outcome of Saturday’s elections in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states.

    NCSSR, whose member organisations had monitors throughout the country, said from reports submitted by members, it was concerned “about the overall conduct of the elections” in the three states because there are grounds to question the credibility of the results.

    It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take steps to authenticate the final collated results from the three states against the polling unit results and make a reasoned judgment about them.

    The Situation Room’s Coordinator, Clement Nwankwo, while giving the group’s assessment of the elections,  told reporters in Abuja yesterday that 268 cases of electoral misconducts were recorded nationwide during Saturday’s elections, leading to 14 deaths.

    He listed the cases of deaths as six in Rivers, three in Akwa Ibom, two in Delta and two in Katsina, among others.

    Sokoto State recorded the highest cases of “disorderly conducts at polling units,” with 18 cases, followed by Katsina with 17 and Akwa-Ibom 10.

    It recorded 112 cases of election-related violence in Akwa Ibom (18), Katsina (17), Sokoto (17), Rivers (16), Abia (nine), Delta (nine), Kano (seven), Anambra (seven), Imo (six) and Benue (six).

    The group said it recorded 60 cases of polling logistic problems in Akwa Ibom (14), Sokoto (12), Rivers (11), Delta (nine), Katsina (eight) and Adamawa (six).

    Thirty-seven cases of “process violations” in Sokoto (with 15 reported cases), Adamawa (six), Delta (seven) and Katsina (nine) were also recorded.

    The group noted that in Rivers, “historically deep-rooted political animosities played out in a brazen, violent and naked manner to subvert the electoral process in many local governments.

    “In Akwa Ibom, there were also serious questions about the veracity of the results because of reports of active and direct partisan interference with elections.

    “There are also concerns about Abia State, which recorded multiple cases of electoral misconduct,” it said.

    The group, while contending that INEC should be concerned about the possible negative public perceptions of the results in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia, urged it to do all it can to protect the integrity of elections in the states as a way of strengthening the trust of the electorate in the voting process.

    It expressed concern about what it termed the weak oversight powers of INEC’s national headquarters over the resident electoral commissioners and state INEC offices in the management and conduct of elections.

    “This makes it easy for compromised RECs and  other state-level INEC officers to undermine the credibility of the election, sometimes with reckless impunity,” it said.