The Nation Newspaper

Tag: credible

  • ‘We need credible leaders to win election’

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Akeem Omoyele has urged members of the party to choose trustworthy members to contest elections.

    He said the party could only guarantee reliable leadership, when people of integrity where voted into offices as chairmen and leaders.

    Omoyele, who advised the party loyalist during Mandate Group meeting in Bariga, said there was no division in the party.

    He said the insinuation that the Mandate Group was divided was a figment of people’s imagination, noting that detractors are not happy that it is a formidable platform in the Lagos APC.

    He said: “It is important that our members meet regularly to review the position of the party right from the ward to state levels. The meeting will afford us the opportunity to know those who we can trust and get elected into offices.

    “In the past some people who have their own selfish agenda to propagate bought their ways into office and as soon as that was achieved they forget the people there were supposed to serve.

    “I also want to use this opportunity to reiterate that Mandate Group is one. The idea behind its formation is to give our political father the necessary support. As the coordinator of Mandate Group Bariga, I have it on good authority that we are one irrespective of personal opinion and standing.”

    Omoyele said the party does not expel members, adding that it chastises those who go astray and reintegrates them back to the party.

    He added: “We don’t expel, we have one Mandate Group and if there is any misunderstanding, it is resolved amicably in the interest of the party. I want to say that we will continue to hold to this principle entrenched by the founding fathers of the group.

    “That is why in the coming election, you screen those who present themselves for elective position and you can only attest to their conduct when we meet regularly to deliberate on our collective interests.”

  • Is credible census possible in Nigeria?

    Three years after assuming office as chairman, National Population Commission, I am in a position to know that Nigerians across every ethnic, state and political divide are genuinely worried about credible census outcomes. They have confronted me with questions touching on the credibility of census outcomes countless of times. The questions are usually framed thus ‘’What is the guarantee that the next census outcome will not be as controversial as those of the past’’?

    Usually, the questions are asked in sceptical tones loaded with pessimism about the possibility of credible census in Nigeria.   The scepticism is not totally misplaced bearing in mind the controversies that attended census exercises in the past. The first census was conducted in 1863 in the then Lagos colony and followed by other 13 censuses. The outcomes of these censuses, rightly or wrongly, have not inspired general acceptability and confidence.

    On my part, I have been very forthright in answering such questions. One such answer is the fact that that the next census is definitely going to be different from past exercises because the commission intends to rely more on technology than human elements. There is a direct correlation between processes and outcomes of any activity. A good process produces a good outcome. In the case of the census, having a credible census must begin with a credible and error proof process.   One major feature of processes of past censuses was the pervasive presence of human elements. Often, everything involving human beings come with certain foibles like prejudice, stereotypes and even genuine errors which are capable of distorting the real essence of the census. The present commission has therefore resolved to divorce the human elements from the entire census processes.  In this new configuration, which will rely on Electronic Data Capture (EDC) devices, the facial and fingerprint features of every respondent will be captured in a hand-held android powered machine.

    What is special about this, you may ask? It is special because experts have confirmed that no two persons share the same fingerprint marks. The EDC will be able to scan the fingerprints of respondents and reject fingerprints of persons that have been counted more than once. The novelty of this approach enables the commission to combat such malpractices like multiple enumeration and enumeration of ghost respondents, which constitute the most viral problem in every census exercise. Eliminating them all together are sure steps to take, if the integrity of census exercise is to be restored. Each handheld device will be configured in such a way that it will receive, store and transmit variety of data collected from each respondent in a given household. By the way, the exercise is de facto in the sense that only persons who are physically present and seen by the enumerators will be counted.

    The capacity of the enumerators to tamper with the enumeration process is severely limited as the EDCs are automated.  Above all, the information received in the device will be streamed real time to servers that will ultimately download the data to the head office. In other words, it will be possible to monitor the activities of the field workers as they go about their duties.

    The issue of multiple and ghost enumeration is hardly the only problem in a census exercise. There is this other problem of overlapping of enumeration areas and omission of certain places. Nigeria is not only vast in terms of size but also has many remote areas which are hard to reach. Some of the challenges experienced in past censuses had to do with the capacity to effectively delineate the country for enumeration purpose resulting in some areas either not demarcated or demarcated more than once. We are trying to solve this problem by embarking on a high technology-based mapping of enumeration areas. In this regard, using high-resolution satellite imageries, we are able to produce maps of every community, town or settlement in this country. When this is done, the commission’s field workers will identify these communities on the ground and proceed to demarcate them in line with the best international practices. The goal here is to reduce the entire country into smaller units, corresponding to enumeration areas, which can be assigned to enumerators for purposes of enumeration of persons and households therein.

    The above in a nutshell represents the efforts of the commission to end the issue of controversial census. Beside, we do not intend to operate in a silo. We want to engage Nigerians on all the steps we intend to take. The reason is to get them to critically examine these steps, including the budget and share their views with us. We shall take corrections where necessary.

    Much more importantly, we expect the Nigerian people to stand up as the vanguards and champions of credible census in the country. The people must be vigilant in the census process and ensure data collected during the census represent the actual demographic conditions of their communities. Perpetration of census malpractices is a great disservice to the existence and well-being of any entity. A faulty census outcome will deny the people the benefits of a good census. A community that colludes with the political class to inflate the census figures will not know the number of children for whom schools are to be built, the number of people to be provided employment and the number of children and mothers who require immunization and health services. While inflated census figures may serve the narrow and short-term interest of the political class, the long term development interest of the community or entity is at risk. The people must therefore constitute themselves into the vanguards of the census integrity and stop any effort to prevent the community from knowing its real figures and its characteristics.  A society that indulges in census inflation is living in illusion and will not discover itself or its potentials.

    The importance of these efforts lies in the larger fact that census is the single most important data generation exercise. In addition to the head count which yields the population figure for the country, there are also other data on such matters as health facilities, household facilities, migration figures, occupational characteristics, educational level etc. Data provided from the listed items above are as important as the headcount results. The commission plans to conduct a census with value added going beyond the simple question of providing answer to how many are we in the country. Unfortunately, it is the headcount result that interest people most of the time. It is this obsession with the headcount outcome that is at the centre of the desperation which makes people do everything possible to doctor or manipulate a census exercise.

    Another question which I must honestly deal with here is the issue of timing of census. There is a palpable apprehension that the times are not conducive to holding a census now.  According to this school of thought, the economy, as weak as it is, cannot support a census now.  This point of view is specious, with due respect to those who canvas it.  I say so, because it ignores the real benefits of accurate census.  It is generally believed that an accurate census is a sine qua non for national planning and development.  If that is so, as indeed it is, is it not at such times like this that we should go back to the drawing board for planning?  Is any person suggesting that the planning can take place in a vacuum without the necessary data?  Or at best, is the suggestion that we should continue to rely on the “about” statistics or data that possibly bedevilled our planning in the past?  That definitely amounts to cutting our nose to spite our face.  Or worse still that amounts to “penny wise pound foolish”.  We must resist the temptation to resort to easy answers or solutions.  We need to take the issue of national planning a lot more seriously because we cannot continue to do things in the same way and expect different result. On the basis of the above, my submission is that this period provides a golden opportunity to do a census because it is almost like ground zero.

    From the submission above, it is possible for Nigeria to have credible census outcomes if it adopts an equally credible and transparent process divorcing the intrusion of human elements from the process through the use of appropriate technology. No doubt, the machines will still be used by human beings but the processes are so thorough and not susceptible to manipulations.  The conduct of a biometric based census through the use of the EDCs will sanitize the census process. However, in addition to technology, we must develop the positive orientation of seeing census for what it is, as a tool for planning for development and not figures to be taunted for political advantages.

     

    • Duruiheoma, SAN is executive chairman, National Population Commission.
  • ‘INEC ‘ll conduct credible poll’

    ‘INEC ‘ll conduct credible poll’

    The stage is set for the Edo State governorship election slated for September 10.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the  police yesterdaysaid that adequate logistic and security arrangements have been put in place for prospective voters to exercise their civic duties.

    The assurance, according to Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Pres, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu,  was given at the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

    Oyekanmi in statement said: “The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike,s said about 22,603 policemen will be deployed for the election. This is aside from several officers to be contributed by other security agencies.

    “The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Sam Olumekun, said the total number of registered voters in the state at the moment stood at 1,925,105. According to him, the state has 18 local governments areas, six of which are riverine in nature. The state has 192 Wards, 2,627 Polling Units and 4,011 Voting points.”

    Prof. Yakubu, who chaired the meeting, commended the Police for putting a robust security arrangement in place. “If we can implement what you have on paper and presented to us at this meeting,” he observed, “then we can all look forward to a successful outing in Edo.”

    In accordance with Section 46 of the Electoral Act (as amended), the public was served with the notice of the election on June 1, while the notice of polls was published on August 27. The distribution of the old Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) was done simultaneously with the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise between June 22 and 26, while distribution is continuing at the local government offices. New voters, numbering135, 877 registered during the exercise, but over 400,000 PVCs remained collected.

    Representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Prisons Service, Immigration Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Federal Fire Service attended the meeting.

    Others include representatives from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Police Service Commission (PSC)

    A Deputy Inspector General of Police, Joshak Habila, led the police team.

  • The Nation: 10 years of credible, impactful journalism

    The Nation: 10 years of credible, impactful journalism

    This Sunday, The Nation will be 10. It hit the newstands on Monday, July 31, 2006. The newspaper, which came at a time of high volatility in the media industry, has continued to brave the odds, setting the pace and positively impacting the nation, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    Investing in the newspaper business is considered a risky venture. For those who are close to managers in the industry, it is a volatile zone to put money in. Some investors liken the industry “to fetching water with a basket.”

    The industry has witnessed the rise and fall of many great papers, papers that shaped public opinion and set agenda for policy makers. They now exist only in the archives of national libraries and in memory.

    The demise of otherwise very influential titles like National Concord NEXT, African Guardian, The Post Express, The Diet, NewAge, ThisWeek, TheWeek, among others, has not  encouraged financial institutions to offer financial support to the industry.

    In spite of the tough operating environment, The Nation has continued to rally professionals and experienced journalists and managers to meeting the vision and mission set by its founders.

    When the newspaper first hit the newsstands, sector analysts said no one gave it any chance of survival because the space was already crowded.

    The paper proved critics wrong, as it has moved from the entry point to the centre stage and competing effectivily with those that came to be long before it.

    With three titles, Daily, Saturday and Sunday, it has become a reference point in credible journalism in the country today. It is one of the top three newspapers in Nigeria, in readership and spread, according to MediaFact 2016. For its journalistic excellence, The Nation in 2013, won The Newspaper of the Year prize at the Nigeria National Media Merit Award (NMMA). The next year, it won the DAME Award as Newspaper of the Year. It boasts of multi-award-winning journalists whose works compete favourably at both local and international media excellence awards.

    The former chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Group Managing Director of SO & U Group, a leading marketing conglomerate in Nigeria, Mr. Uffot Udeme, said: “The Nation has defied the odds of Nigerian print journalism. The paper has navigated a minefield strewn with the corpses of failed publications to carve out a space for itself as one of Nigeria’s most authoritative national newspapers with an amazing geographical coverage and broad readership.

    “It is a testament to its journalistic excellence that it’s readership and indeed advertising patronage cut across all sides of the country’s political divide. The Nation is certainly a case study for all media entrepreneurs intending to enter the high risk market in which the paper has attained success these past 10 years. I congratulate the team on the success of these past one decade and urge them not to rest on their oars.”

    The newspaper has carved a niche for itself among its teeming target audience comprising businesses, the political elite, the affluent, the educated, those in leadership positions in all spheres of life; the upwardly mobile and policy makers.

    According to the media fact report published by MediaReach OMD, a global advertising agency; The Nation is a point below Punch Newspaper in terms of readership nationwide, while it leads the paper in Southsouth, Northeast, Northcentral and follow closely in Northwest and  Lagos markets, according to other market surveys.

    Beyond readership rating, the paper has consistently outwitted other papers at various awards for media excellence, such as NMMA, and Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME), CNN Multi-choice African Journalist of the Year Awards. Since 2009 when it became second most read newspaper in Nigeria, three years after it made its debut on the newstand.

    The strides achieved by the newspaper have been acknowledged by the rating of Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and Media Independent Agencies of Nigeria (MIPAN), which are all major players in the advertising industry in Nigeria.

    As the newspaper begins another phase of its race for largest share of the market, observers believe having crossed the five years gestation period of its business lifecycle, there is no doubt that the future is brighter than before.

  • Traditional practitioners seek credible leadership

    Traditional practitioners seek credible leadership

    The Chairman, Electoral Committee, National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), Dr Idowu Ogunkoya, has called upon members to get set and vote in credible executives in the forthcoming election of the association. He gave the admonition at an exclusive interview at Idiaraba in Lagos.

    Dr Ogunkoya said the available posts  to be contested for are:  Presidency, Deputy President, and Vice President for each geographical zones, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial secretary, P.R.O, Auditor and others according to the constitution of the association.

    He said the tenure of the former administration has elapsed which necessitated the Board of Trustees, chaired by Archbishop Adeyemi  Atilade, to dissolve it, and urgean an electoral committee  to conduct an election before the end of a  year of dissolution of the  previous executive.

    Describing the qualities being expected of  a potential candidate, Dr Ogunkoya said: “We are looking for a candidate that will uplift the standard of NANTMP. Right now, the association does not have a national office, even the website- http://nantmp.org.ng/  is not functioning. We also do not have a traditional medicine college in Nigeria; all these are available in a sister country, Ghana. The association was founded by the Obasanjo administration in 2007 and till date no outstanding feat has been achieved. That is why we are sacrificing our time and money to get a credible candidate to lead NANTMP this time. We seek someone who is able and capable to perform as arrow head.”

    Expressing his views on the previous administrations, Dr Ogunkoya said he found out from the past administrations that most of the officers did not really hold the office. “I found out that the President was doing the work of the treasurer, secretary and others. In such  a set up, there can never be any progress. Now, we want a proactive executive whereby all of them would perform their legitimate functions so that things will go on well.  It was also found that there was dispute between the national executives on supremacy. This actually went down to the states because in each state we have a minimum of three chairmen. Due to this, the board dissolved everybody. The Board was confused on who to communicate with.

    “For instance, in the Southwest, I held a meeting with the leaders. It came to a point, I told them to go and solve their disputes so that when they come back they can speak with one voice. They came back after one hour to tell me that they could not resolve their disputes and started quarrelling all over again, in my presence. I do not understand what they are fighting for. I was left with no choice than to dissolve that particular executive and that is how it happened in almost all the geographical zones. That is how the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) dissolved everything. Once the national executive is inaugurated, it will go to states to reform the chapter associations and conduct elections for them.”

    Dr Ogunkoya further set agenda for the in-coming executive, “The thrust of the new EXCO in the era of change is that we really want NANTMP to get involved in the credible treatment of our citizens, through members that know their onions in this period of Change. We want an executive that would get there, work, get the money budgeted for and improve the standard of traditional medicine in Nigeria. They should be able to get into governance sway interested parties to regulate traditional medicine.

  • Youths to APC: choose credible candidates

    Indigenous youths of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), under the auspices of AMAC Youth for Good Governance (AYGG) have appealed to the leadership of the council chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that a credible Chairmanship candidate is elected from the over 23 chairmanship aspirants in the forth coming party chairmanship primaries.

    The youth who made this call through their leader, Comrade Ishiaku Audu, in a press briefing in respect to the forth coming council elections,  explained that there is the need for the party to trail the path of the good example exhibited by the national level of the party,  where the leadership was not bought with money before the presidential election.

    Audu explained that the youth are worried with the numbers of aspirants that are vying for the chairmanship position and most of them intend to buy their way through with money, saying that since the APC has become the ruling party, that the numbers of chairmanship aspirants has gone beyond the expectation of the people.

    According to the indigenous youth,  it is obvious that with the numbers of aspirants and the ways most of them are going about the chairmanship election,  whereby some of them are trying to buy the conscience of the people with money is something to be worried about, that if the party is not careful,  the wrong person will be chosen during the primaries.

    “We are seriously disturbed, because we do not want the wrong person to be selected by the party during the primaries. We have taken critical look at all the aspirants and if we are allowed to make our choice,  we will prefer the former AMAC Secretary and present FCT APC Secretary,  Hon. Abdulahi Candido,  because he has been the only consistent person in the party, before it became the ruling party.

    “We must understand that the era of buying the conscience of people with money to get their votes is over. We are appealing that the primary election be based on somebody that has what to offer to the people of AMAC.   That is why we believe that Hon. Candido is the best aspirant amongst all of over 23 aspirants and he can continue with the spirit of positive change in the council.

    “We will not keep quiet and let things go wrong in the council.  We have gotten information of how some aspirants are trying to buy the conscience of people, by giving them cars and monetary gifts. That attitude has shown they do not have anything to offer the people, if anyone of them becomes chairman. AMAC people should not sell their future for peanuts. That is why we are appealing that the leadership of the party should not make mistakes during this election,” he said.

    The indigenous youth further advised the AMAC leadership of the party to consider experience and sincerity when making the choice to select the candidate to fly the party’s flag during the election, saying that only an aspirant  that has the experience in the affairs of the council, will be able to know how to affect the lives of the people when elected.

     

  • Buhari and the search for credible ministers

    Buhari and the search for credible ministers

    In this piece, Lagos lawyer Wahab Shittu urges President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a cabinet that will assist him in the implementation of his manifesto.

    Under normal circumstances, no one would have expected the search for credible cabinet ministers by the Buhari administration to have generated this level of controversy in our country, but then these are unusual times.

    Opinions of course vary on the seeming delay in constituting the cabinet by the Buhari administration but I prefer not to join issues with either side of the divide but would rather prefer to focus my searchlight on factors that should guide the President in constituting a cabinet of credible ministers that would deliver on good governance. I am convinced in taking the debate on this direction given the fact that the President had assured that the cabinet would be constituted in September this year and this in my view is just around the corner, I would therefore prefer to give the President the benefit of the doubt and sue for greater understanding on the part of the populace.

    The President came into office with a clear agenda on anti-corruption, security, economy and infrastructure. Clearly, only those who could deliver on these agenda need be considered. Therefore, one fundamental factor that cannot be compromised in the constitution of the cabinet is the issue of competence, character and capacity. One is convinced that persons who are willing to key into the change agenda of the administration are required to drive the process.

    Secondly, it is important to enlist the services of persons with impeccable track records and antecedents. These include persons with credibility who are not lacking in integrity, honesty and ethical dealings in all their private and official transactions. It is clear that persons in this category cannot be found on the platform of political parties alone, the belief being that such credible people are scattered across political parties, professional groupings, private organisations and in all strata of the Nigerian society including outside the shores of Nigeria. The search for these elements must therefore cover the entire field believing that the Nigerian project is a collective enterprise requiring the services of the best hands wherever such talents may be found. It is this realization that can deliver on the quality outcomes required by the change agenda.

    The other issue that should be noted is that these talents abound in all the geo-political zones of the country and no particular geo-political zone has a monopoly of these human resources. Consequently, the searchlight to discover these best hands must be extensive, balanced and reflect the type of federal character that would give every entity within the Nigerian federation a sense of belonging. This will be in furtherance of the President’s commitment at his inauguration when he said ‘I belong to nobody and I belong to everybody’. The President should walk the talk on this fervent commitment of cohesiveness and all-inclusiveness which he made on national television.

    I agree with the President’s promise not to appoint persons who are ‘hostages’ and heavily compromised as ministers in that the President cannot afford to be polluted by persons who do not have his record of discipline, integrity and incorruptibility. Luckily, his Vice-President, Professor YemiOsinbajo (SAN) is already of that orientation and pedigree. The few appointments the President had so far made also agree with his credentials of high integrity and ethical standards. The tempo must be sustained throughout the cabinet.  Persons with the right attitude are required since attitude is everything.

    It would also seem that the President would require a balanced mix of politicians and technocrats in constituting the cabinet focusing mainly on knowledge, experience, exposure and integrity. This is not the time to give jobs to the ‘boys’ but time to allow appointments to reflect overall national interests.

    It is important to note that these are unusual times. Times such as these require the services of great thinkers, people of foresights who can think ahead of time and who are gifted not only with the power of ideas but also the power of action and those with abilities to galvanize the power of action and ideas in to evolving result oriented policies for the transformation of the society. More than ever before, these are men and women required now to take our country to the next level.

    Taking the country to the next level require persons who could see beyond the day’s crisis and who are imbued with vision, the indispensable quality of leadership. This vision should transcend national borders with local and international influence.

    The country also requires persons who can be trusted to manage the destiny of the country and its vast resources. Persons who though may be talented but are unreliable and untrustworthy are not required in the service of our country at this period and may not be required for a long time to come rather we need persons who place emphasis on values and motivation.

    Depending on the circumstances and given the atmosphere of relative insecurity under which we found ourselves presently, we also require persons who have strong political skills to cope with conflicting requirements of multiple constituents. We need to realize that Nigeria is highly diversified country with several tendencies, beliefs and consciousness. Only persons who by their actions and pronouncements are capable of taking advantage of these tendencies in building a cohesive and unified country are required at this critical point in time. We do not need people who are parochial, narrow minded, divisive and shortsighted at the helm of affairs. We need leaders who are statesmen and who are able to rise above primordial sentiments in building a great and prosperous country.

    We need persons of great influence and with capacity to priotize responsibilities based on self-discipline as ministers.

    We can also not underestimate the need to enlist the services of persons imbued with problem solving skills. There is the urgent need to fix the economy, fix infrastructure, fix insecurity, fix corruption and raise living standards. Only those with problem solving skills and can think outside the box need come on board to address these challenges.

    We also need men and women of deep compassion who understand the human element. I mean persons that understand the most appreciable asset is people and know how to develop them including persons who have value for people, commitment to people, integrity with people, standard for people and influence over people. We do not need people who do not value human lives and do not give a damn about basic human needs as ministers.

    We need persons who are decent, patriotic and hardworking as ministers. It is important that such ministers are assigned portfolios relevant to their knowledge, expertise and exposure.

    We need persons who understand the workings of democracy and are willing to abide by the fundamentals of the democratic tradition. Persons who are democrats are required since they will operate in a democratic setting. Consequently, we need persons who are schooled on the theory of constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, transparency and accountability, rights and freedom of others, separation of powers and good governance.

    Finally, we need persons who have a sense of duty and are ready to make sacrifices even at the expense of their personal comfort in making the country great and prosperous.

    In the words of Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest and most quotable American Presidents ‘The worthiness of life is deep-rooted in sacrifice to mankind. If one dies in the process, he becomes a martyr’.

    We need men and women who could make sacrifice. I mean real sacrifice.

  • PDP lawmakers promise credible opposition

    PDP lawmakers promise credible opposition

    Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have promised to engage the Federal Government constructively.

    The lawmakers said although being in the opposition was to them, having been ruling since 1999, the caucus vowed to provide a credible opposition in the House.

    However, while backing  President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption drive, its media group, led by Shawulu Rima (PDP, Taraba), told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the President had no right to define the period of his investigation of corrupt officials.

    Rima, who was with other members of the group, said: “We, in the PDP, played a key role in the emergence of the House Leadership. Majority of our members voted for the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and his deputy, Suleiman Lasun, and we are happy with the way they have  conducted affairs of the House.

    “We will continue to support them. We are not going to indulge in frivolous criticisms, we will support the government and will be a credible opposition.

    “We are not going to behave as area boys in criticising government. We won’t take actions as if we have a predetermined position, which can destroy the system”.

    Noting that the investigation of corrupt official was a welcome development, Rima, however, said the caucus would not accept the investigation limited to certain individuals or the last administration.

    “We support the agenda of the Federal Government to fight corruption; however we want the probe to be all-inclusive since there is no status of limitation to a crime.

    “The President does not have the power to draw a line on the particular crimes he will prosecute. If he does that, he will be flouting a section of the constitution.

    “We caution the present administration to learn from the mistake of the then opposition in Ghana, which came to power and started prosecuting but lost out in national development, which led to its defeat in the subsequent election”.

  • APC chieftain to Buhari: appoint credible people as ministers

    APC chieftain to Buhari: appoint credible people as ministers

    National Legal  Adviser of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Muiz Banire has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint Nigerians of impeccable character to work with him to enable the party to deliver on its electoral promises.

    Banire, who also expressed optimism that the current crisis rocking the party leadership, especially in the National Assembly would soon be over, said that the party has learnt its lesson from the unfolding developments.

    Speaking at an Iftar (Breaking of Fast) session with journalists at Protea Hotel GRA, Ikeja, Lagos , Banire said only people with lawful means of survival would bring about the desired change that Nigerians are yearning for.

    He described the National Assembly crisis as unfortunate and regrettable.

    He said: “I believe we are still a single family and such challenges do often come but I believe that we can overcome it. There is always a way out of every lock jam. May we never had enough preparation because if we have we have had enough preparation, such possibly would not have happened. So, next time we will start early.  I am sure we have learnt our lesson. I do not foresee such happening again for the rest of the tenure.”

    The APC National Legal Adviser attributed the political and leadership crisis in the country to lack of fear of God, saying if all politicians could reason that life is ephemeral, they would not have been so desperate to attain any positions.

    “They should have the fear of God which is the most important thing. Honestly, once you can cultivate that, you won’t have problem again because the inordinate ambition for wealth, the insatiable desire for position for posts and power and the whole things will go because you are not even sure that you will wake up the next morning. So, what are you are desperate about? And that brings me to the fundamental issue which is still lacking. We must start addressing the religious education of our children from school so as to stop breeding of all nuisance and miscreants all over the place. “

    APC, he said, cannot afford to fail Nigerians, saying the messages on the social media showed that Nigerians are watchful and ready to put the government on its toes.

    Banire, however, described as irresponsible, the statement accredited to the Peoples Democratic Party’s Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh that the APC is inexperience to govern Nigeria, saying” APC has quality of the people who are tested and experienced in all ramifications.”

    According to him, “the change that Nigerians desire is realistic as far as I am concern, somehow Nigerians are virtually working up to the realities that they have to hold their destiny into their hands. So, right now, they will not be relenting. I am not an active participant in the social media but I know a lot is being sent daily to put the government on its toes. To that extent, I believe the change is realistic. Nobody wants to fail, nobody wants to end up in the way the last administration ended up. I am sure that our people too will continue to be on our toes.”

  • Body canvasses free, credible, polls

    An Igbo socio-cultural group, Ndigbo for Good Governance (NGG), has called for free, fair and transparent polls that to reflect the wishes of the citizenry.

    It urged candidates to embrace civilised politics of issues relevant to the people’s well-being and national development during  campaigns.

    The body decried violence, saying candidates should remember the Abuja peace accord entered into by their leaders and presidential candidates.

    In a statement by the group’s Coordinator, Mr. Chima Ebere Nwankwo, NGG, describing the elections as crucial for the survival of the country, enjoined eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    It hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for nominating an Abia indigene, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd), as a minister and hoped that the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national vice chairman (Southeast) would perform well.

    NGG enjoined the Senate to confirm his nomination.

    The statement reads: “We condemn the political brawling and violence in recent times, despite the peace accord signed by parties’ leaders and presidential candidates. Violence is politically-dangerous, morally-wrong and socially- reprehensible. It is a step backward in nation building and has tainted our image, battered by insurgency in the Northeast.

    “We demand civilised politics of issues relevant to the people’s well-being and national development. We urge security agents to fish out perpetrators of violence and their sponsors and bring them to book to act as a deterrent to others.

    “We enjoin registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to ensure they vote for credible candidates. The elections are crucial for the survival of democracy. We advocate free, fair, credible and acceptable polls that will reflect the wishes of the citizens.”