The Nation Newspaper

Tag: deputy

  • Ekiti Deputy Governor’s first day in office opens with prayers

    Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof. Modupe Adelabu has urged workers to join the government in sustaining the pace of development.

    She said the Eight-Point Agenda of the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration was designed to better the lot of the masses.

    Mrs. Adelabu spoke yesterday in her office during a prayer session marking her resumption.

    She urged politicians to “drop bigotry and partisan politics” and support the government’s efforts to rebuild the state.

    Explaining that the welfare of workers was a priority of the administration, the deputy governor said: “Any administration that downplays the human factor cannot make any significant achievement.”

    She said the relationship between political appointees and civil servants is mutually beneficial and there should be no division.

    Mrs. Adelabu said: “We must be ready to work in synergy, love one another and be honest, as these are the prerequisites for attaining mutual corporate success.

    “I am not more Ekiti than any of us here. We should not demonise the political office holder or the office. The purpose is lost when the office comes between the occupant and its people.

    “The essence of the administration’s eight-point agenda is to remove barriers in governance and make the very needs of the people the basis of executive pronouncements and the legislations of lawmakers.

    “It has been our vow to govern Ekiti, not by pretence and deceit, but in truth and with purpose, dedication, focus and transparency. My appointment is divine and God, who ordained it, will surely work with me to make meaningful contributions to the success of the Fayemi administration.”

    The Vicar of the Emmanuel Anglican Cathedral, Okeesa, Ado-Ekiti, Rev. Francis Bankole, in his exhortation taken from Philippians 3:13–15, said: “People should not be deterred by past events. Rather, lessons from the past should be taken and applied as one presses forward to achieve a greater tomorrow.”

    He urged workers to support the deputy governor and pray for her success.

    The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Paul Omotoso, told Mrs. Adelabu that the ministry is under her supervision and assured her of the workers’ support.

    Speaking on behalf of political appointees and civil servants in the Office of the Deputy Governor, the Special Adviser in the office, Mr. Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, described the staff as competent, hardworking and trustworthy, adding that they were prepared to work with her.

  • ‘Adelabu will be a loyal deputy’

    ‘Adelabu will be a loyal deputy’

    The nomination of Prof. Modupe Adelabu as the new Ekiti State deputy governor by Governor Kayode Fayemi has ended weeks of speculations within and outside the state, writes Sulaiman Salawudeen.

     

    Nature harbours no vacuum. When the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, passed on, there were speculations about who would fill the void.

    Will the new deputy governor come from Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, like the late Mrs. Olayinka? Will Governor Kayode Fayemi nominate another woman as number two citizen? Will religion play a role in the choice of a deputy?

    These speculations fizzled out, following the nomination of Prof. Modupe Adelabu, a high flying scholar and chieftain of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The Chairperson, Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Adelabu, may be sworn in today following her screening by the House of Assembly.

    In 2006, the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Fayemi, had wanted Mrs. Adelabu to be his running mate. She was favoured for the job by her community and the party. But she turned down the offer, explaining that she needed time to attend to her ailing husband, Prof. Adelabu, who later died.

    ACN chieftains felt that she was the competent person for the job because of her intellectual ability and integrity. She is also a household name in Ado-Ekiti.

    The party also believed that the late Mrs. Olayinka’s successor should come from the community as a mark of honour for her.

    “The Professor is very popular, particularly, among 9,000 primary school teachers in the state. The party’s move is a master stroke and a very tactical one for that matter. It is primarily to enhance its chances, ahead of the 2015 governorship election, especially in Ado- Ekiti ,which has 57 wards. It is the town with the highest number of wards in the entire state,” said a source.

    Mrs. Adelabu, it is believed, shares the same traits with the late Mrs. Olayinka. She has been described as a loyal, diligent and disciplined woman. She has no record of scandals and controversy. Politicians across the divides have attested to her humility. Her grassroots links would also be of immense value, they say. Analysts say that Mrs. Adelabu’s choice would enhance the rating of the governor and boost his second term chance next year.

    Besides, her choice has been described as an affirmation of Fayemi’s commitment to gender balance.

    Mrs. Adelabu will be leaving behind worthy legacies as the SUBEB chairperson. The board has completed many projects primary schools.

    Like her predecessor, she will not be “a spare tyre.” Apart from deputising for the governnor, Mrs. Adelabu will likely oversee the local government administration in the state. She will also chair the Economic Council and Tenders’ Board.

    Hailing Mrs. Adelabu’s nomination, a community leader in Ado-Ekiti, Prince Ayodeji Adejugbe, said that she is the right choice.

    Adejugbe, who is also Adelabu’s relation, said she has leadership qualities, assuring that she would not let the governor down.

    “She is a loving sister to us, a dutiful and committed wife to her late husband, and a successful academic. She remains the backbone of many of us. Really, if anyone were to be considered within the family, she automatically qualifies as the best choice.”

    Another sibling, Prince Dotun Adedugbe, said that Mrs. Adelabu is a disciplinarian and a committed Christian.

    Senator Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central) said Mrs Adelabu has the qualities to succeed as the deputy governor.

    Describing her as an accomplished academic and an expert on a wide range of issues, Ojudu said he had no doubt that Mrs. Adelabu would add value to the Fayemi administration.

     

  • Deputy governor denies reports

    Edo State Deputy Governor Pius Odubu has denied media reports linking his convoy to the distribution of election materials during last Saturday’s local government elections.

    A statement by his Press Secretary, Kelly Odaro, said: “The attention of Deputy Governor Pius Odubu has been drawn to an erroneous report in which he reportedly said his vehicle conveying electoral materials was waylaid and vandalised by hoodlums suspected to be opposition party members in the ward headquarters.

    “To set the records straight, Odubu merely mentioned in the interview that the bus assigned to escort the vehicle conveying electoral materials to Urhonigbe North in Orhionwon Local Government was attacked by miscreants.

    “It is pertinent to say that the deputy governor is not the State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) Chairman, whose duty it is to provide the logistics for movement of electoral materials.

    “For emphasis, what the deputy governor did was to assign some party agents to escort the vehicle bearing the electoral materials to the polling units. And the vehicle was attacked on the way to the units.

    “Dr Obudu, therefore, considers it absurd and mischievous for anyone to suggest or conclude that his vehicle was used to convey election materials.”

     

  • My deputy was not a spare tyre, says Fayemi

    My deputy was not a spare tyre, says Fayemi

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said his late deputy, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, was not a spare tyre.

    He spoke yesterday at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and top officials of the bank paid him a condolence visit.

    Others on Sanusi’s entourage were CBN Deputy Governor (Corporate Services) Alhaji Sulaimon Barau; a CBN Director, Alhaji Abdullahi; CBN Controller, Akure branch, Mrs. Ramat Yusuf and her Ado-Ekiti counterpart, Mr. Adetona Adedeji.

    Fayemi said his late deputy was central to the state’s economic development, having chaired its Economic Management Committee and supervised four key ministries.

    He said Mrs. Olayinka was not a “spare tyre” that could easily be replaced, in view of her outstanding contributions to the government.

    Fayemi said the number of Nigerians who have come to the state on condolence visits spoke volumes about her “excellent service to humanity”.

    Sanusi, who also visited the deceased’s parents, said he worked with the late Mrs. Olayinka in the banking industry in the 1990s; describing her as “a highly resourceful professional, patriotic and woman of integrity”.

    He said he was sure Fayemi found her as a right hand person, “considering the level of transformation Ekiti has witnessed under the current administration”.

    Sanusi said: “I know Funmi very well. She was a remarkably beautiful woman, whose beauty radiates from within. She was a woman of quality. She stood for high standards and I am sure she brought that to bear on her assignment here in Ekiti. I know the two of you had a good working relationship, which reflects in the transformation that has taken place in the state. You are really going to miss her.”

    The CBN governor, who was billed to travel for the IMF/World Bank Conference last night, said he decided to visit the governor and the parents of the deceased before travelling.

    Sanusi said CBN would continue to support the administration in its quest for growth.

    The former Senator representing Ekiti North, Ayo Arise, described the late Mrs. Olayinka as a good ambassador of the state.

    Arise, who visited the governor yesterday, said the late Olayinka displayed the Ekiti values everywhere she went.

    He said his visit to the governor means that Ekiti people are one, regardless of their political affiliation, adding that whatever happens to one is borne by others.

  • Ajimobi, Aregbesola, Mimiko visit Fayemi over deputy’s death

    Ajimobi, Aregbesola, Mimiko visit Fayemi over deputy’s death

    •Imoke, Afe Babalola, Ita-Giwa, Oshun extol Olayinka’s virtues

     

    Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) yesterday visited their Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to condole with him on the death of his deputy, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka.

    Mrs. Olayinka died of cancer on Saturday at the St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos. She was 52.

    Ajimobi, who was accompanied by his wife, Florence, described the late Mrs. Olayinka as “a lady of substance, who lived an exemplary life and achieved much for her age”.

    Mimiko, who was accompanied by his wife, Olukemi, and some top officials of the Ondo State Government, described the deceased as “a strong pillar in the Fayemi administration”, adding that her death was a great loss to the state and the nation.

    He said the late Mrs. Olayinka was active in the struggle that led to the enthronement of the Fayemi administration.

    Mimiko said death is inevitable and will come at God’s time. He urged women to check their breasts regularly to detect any abnormality early.

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola also visited Fayemi on Sunday evening.

    He said Mrs. Olayinka had gone to rest with the Lord and urged Ekiti people to support the governor and the deceased’s family.

    Aregbesola said only God can fill the gap her death has created.

    Signing the condolence register at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, he said it was “such a pain to lose a polished, smart and diligent person like Mrs. Olayinka”.

    Aregbesola said: “Conscious of the transience of life, we are consoled by the fact that her short life was very eventful and successful. We pray for eternal bliss in the bosom of God and the grace of God for her family.”

    Aregbesola and Fayemi visited the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, around 10pm on Sunday night to condole with him.

    Legal icon and founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) said the late Mrs. Olayinka served Ekiti people with all she had.

    Babalola said ABUAD is working in partnership with a foreign university to establish a Department of Pharmaceutical Science and carry out researches on a possible cure for cancer.

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, in his condolence message, said: “Although words seem inadequate to express the sorrow felt by her loss, we must focus on the memories of her good works and life-long achievements.”

    Senator Florence Ita-Giwa described the late Mrs. Olayinka as “a down-to-earth, dedicated and people’s politician, who was humble and knowledgeable”.

    In a statement, she said: “Mrs. Olayinka was one of the few women that ventured into politics at a time when Nigeria needs independent and strong-willed women to help in nation-building. On the few occasions that I met her, I saw a very humble and totally committed woman, who worked very well and cooperatively with her principal.

    “I commiserate with Fayemi, who lost a partner in the development of the state, and the good people of Ekiti, who bestowed a traditional title on me. I pray that God gives them a good replacement for her. I call for more opportunities for women in politics, not only as deputy governors, but as governors.”

    Chairman of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) Adewale Oshun urged the government to provide effective and efficient health care services for the masses.

    Oshun described the late Mrs. Olayinka as a courageous woman, who preferred to be treated in a Nigerian hospital although she had other choices.

    He said: “We are all in God’s hands, but those in government should ensure that our medical services are of international standard.

    “Funmi believed strongly in Nigeria and that must have informed her decision to be treated in the country. With her death, you can see that sometimes we pay heavily for what we believe in.

    “Funmi was the first ARG chairman in Ekiti State. She was a principled fighter and a very loyal person. All we can do is pray for her family as well as the good people of Ekiti State.”

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos State said the party has lost “a priceless jewel and a courageous woman of class and beauty”.

    In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, ACN said: “The death of our beloved Deputy Governor of Ekiti State is like a dagger in our hearts. The pain is deep and our wounds will take years to heal.”

    The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, also commiserated with the governor.

    In a statement, the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Ade Adeyemi-Adejolu, described the late Mrs. Olayinka as “a warm, humble and brilliant woman, who displayed an astute sense of purpose”.

    In her honour, flags in the institution were flown at half-mast, programmes were rescheduled and the monthly staff prayer meeting on Monday was held with soberness.

    The Rector, Mrs. Taiwo Akande prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul.

  • Demise of a loyal deputy

    Death sneaked into Ekiti Government House yesterday, snatching the deputy governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Adunni Olayinka. At 52, she bade farewell to the state and her political family without realising her full potentials. But she died in active service to her fatherland. She left without any legacy of controversy and scandal.

    Mrs. Olayinka hailed from an influential family in Ado-Ekiti reputed for community service. Therefore, her political career was the continuation of her family’s public service to the larger Ekiti Confederation. She had placed her hand on the political plough, after crossing the slippery bridge from banking to politics. She instantly overcome the adjustment difficulties and embraced her new vocation with passion and relentless zeal.

    An educated and intelligent lady, the late deputy governor was a professional in politics. She had already got to the pinnacle of her career in the banking sector before she responded to the patriotic call to enlist in the rescue mission. It was the most difficult and challenging period in Ekitiland. Some conservative politicians had entered the State House through the backdoor and Ekiti was groaning under their yoke.

    UP came Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the challenger of the status quo on the platform of the Action Congress (AC). Beside him was his running mate, Mrs. Olayinka, the delectable and unassuming workaholic banker. She traversed the nooks and crannies of the hilly state canvassing the alternative route liberation and survival. However, when the people voted for power shift, the power that be gave power to the loser and in an epic legal battle which tasked the progressives to the brim. The legitimate mandate stolen, governance became a tea party in the rural state. For the three and a half years it lasted, she never wavered in faith and spirit, until the mandate was restored.

     

  • Life Bencher kicks against removal of Law School Deputy DGs

    Life Bencher kicks against removal of Law School Deputy DGs

    A Life Bencher, Mrs Hairat Balogun, yesterday criticised the “hasty” removal of three Deputy Directors-General of the Nigerian Law School, saying due process was not followed.

    She said they should not have been removed in the middle of an academic session, as that could be disruptive.

    Besides, the law establishing the Council of Legal Education (CLE) should have been amended first before the action was taken, she said.

    She spoke in a telephone interview with The Nation last night while reacting to an interview by Director-General of the Law School, Dr Tahir Mamman, who justified the removal of the Deputy D-Gs.

    The Law School boss admitted in the interview that there were gaps in the law which did not address the management structure of the campuses, but that the school’s Directors ought to have fixed terms as obtainable in other agencies of government.

    Mamman also said the decision to remove the Deputy D-Gs was taken by the government, and that those affected could remain in the system and retain their titles, as the administrative component of their positions “is secondary.”

    “They can remain as Deputy D-Gs in the system,” said Mamman, who will leave office in December.

    But Mrs Balogun said there was no need for the rush to remove the Deputy D-Gs.

    Her words: “They are now taking care of the gaps in the law by decree, more or less. They should wait and pass the law. That is what I am saying. There is something they call due process.

    “If you know something needs amendment, pass the law to amend the status quo. Be patient. Pass the law first, and then you can implement the law. To go ahead and act when the law has not been amended is not due process.

    “The other thing is that this is the middle of a session. He (Mamman) is saying it doesn’t matter. Is that correct?

    “At least, wait till the end of the session, so that in the new session, even the new students will know what they are coming to meet, not half-way through a session.

    “What is the rush? What’s the emergency? They as lawyer should guide the government. Is it not the Attorney-General that will advice the President about the Law School?

    “They are more or less demoting the Deputy Directors-General because the new Directors will be in charge of them as academicians. Half-way through, a new person is coming. Does that sound normal?

    “It’s like a judge who is hearing a case, and another judge is taking over. Do you say because the other judge had gone half-way, the new judge can finish it? No! They start de novo. They must start from the beginning. They don’t just take over like that.”

    Mrs Balogun said rather than removing the Deputy D-Gs, the authorities should have been more concerned with improving the Law School’s infrastructure.

    “The infrastructure of the Law School is appalling. Why don’t they go and see to that? That is more important,” she said.

     

  • Travails of Imo deputy governor

    Travails of Imo deputy governor

    JAMES UKACHUKWU writes on the plight of Imo State Deputy Governor Jude Agbaso, who is struggling to escape a impeachment by the House, following the frosty relationship between him and his boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha.

     

    The fate of Sir Jude Agbaso, the deputy governor of Imo State, best illustrates the plight of deputy governors in presidential democracy. Often derided as spare tires by power drunk imperial, self-serving Presidents and governors, they are always at the receiving ends of cruel jokes; usually harassed, intimidated, and unceremoniously kicked out of office.

    Nigerians will not forget in hurry, the vicious confrontation between former President Obasanjo and his erstwhile deputy, Atiku Abubakar. This power struggle tarnished the office of the President and led to what many commentators depicted as the meltdown of the imperial President. In the states, deputy governors are indeed, endangered species; usually at the mercy of governors who tragically see themselves as potentates and the states they are supposed to administer as fiefdoms, where they hold sway with imaginary absolute powers. In the vain glorious world of these political demagogues, the famous words of Lord Acton, in his letter to Bishop Maldell Creighton (1887), to the effect that “power tends to corrupt, but absolute power corrupts absolutely” is the rule rather than exception.

    The current travails of the Imo State deputy governor follows a familiar pattern perfected in time past by ruthless governors in the days of yore and deployed to devastating effect. Before this media trial over the alleged corruption, it was common knowledge within informed circles that the relationship between Governor Rochas Okorocha and his deputy was frosty because of the 2015 governorship.

    Then, like a well written script, the news broke of alleged demand and receipt of bribe by the deputy governor of a contract kick back to the tune of a whopping N458m. Summoned by the ad hoc committee of the Imo State House of Assembly investigating the abandonment of road projects by some contractors, the Managing Director of J-Pros Ltd told the committee headed by Hon. Simeon Iwunze that he paid the money to Agbaso in two installments after receiving an over-payment in a contract, which he later abandoned. The contractor alleged that he could not deliver on the contract, which he has received full payment for because he was trying to recover money he paid to the deputy governor. The ad hoc committee, relying on the evidence of the failed contractor thereafter, recommended that a vote of no confidence be passed on the deputy governor for acts unbecoming of his person and office.

    Agbaso has denied the allegations in the strongest terms, linking his travails to the intrigues over 2015 election. The deputy governor stated that there was an agreement between his elder brother and chieftain of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Martin Agbaso and Governor Rochas Okorocha in which the governor agreed to serve for only one term, after which power will be zoned to Owerri. He stressed that his travails was as a result of a carefully planned political game, aimed at breaching the agreement reached with his brother.

    Members of the House of Assembly in Imo State have conducted themselves in this entire saga as an appendage of the governor. Our democracy is substantially imperiled precisely because the legislatures in the states are dependent on the governors to the point of atrophy and visionlessness. Instead of asserting their independence, they have become willing tools in the hands of the governors, who usually oil their hands with filthy lucre in order to get them to play a predictable subterfuge.

    In this instance, the cock and bull story upon which the Imo State House of Assembly based its indictment of the deputy governor is political, exposing their mindset of returning a guilty verdict against the deputy governor at all costs. I am in no way an apologist for corruption but it is a very serious issue at the heart of our underdevelopment as a nation. Nigerians of hues should rise up against this monster for us to reclaim our soul as a nation. But even more dangerous is the use of the tar of corruption by competing political interests to settle political scores, as the present case suggests. The contractor who in this instance, confessed that he shelled out N458m of the total contract value of N1.5bn, must be stupid, callous or a chronic gambler. Having paid out that huge sum as bribe (as he alleged) how much is left for him to execute the project at a profit? And this is why any sane person should find his side of the story unbelievable.

    The deputy governor in the face of this weighty allegation has demonstrated unusual candor and openness. He has raised posers, chief of which is the fact that the contractor was introduced to the state by the governor. Is it possible for the deputy governor to demand and receive bribes from a contractor introduced by his boss? He has also called on the anti corruption agencies to commence investigations so as to get to the root of this allegation.

    I am persuaded by the weight of evidence to believe that either the contractor was procured to play a predictable subterfuge or that the grave allegation against the deputy governor was concocted to smear his image. Going by the insight provided by the deputy governor, if the J-Pros Ltd was introduced by the governor to handle this road contract, it will be unreasonable for the Managing Director to yield to bribe demand if ever it existed, since their authority and approval resides at the highest level, in this instance, the office of the governor. Going by the enormous powers of governors, who is a deputy governor to now command the final authority over multi-billion contracts?

    As things stand now, this important project is at a risk of joining the long list of abandoned projects nationwide. And Governor Okorocha should be held responsible for this avoidable failure. Due process demands that before final payment is made, a verification team should have ascertained the status of the project. In this instance, the governor demonstrated high level of incompetence. The permanent secretary in the ministry of work applied for the final approval of the job, the governor gave his approval for the payment of N1.5bn. The governor’s approval was communicated to the commissioner of finance, who instead of routing the N1.5bn to the coffers of ministry of work after due processes would have been completed; the money was routed through the office of the accountant general for unexplained reasons and paid directly to the contractor. All these activities took place while the deputy governor was away in India for official assignment. If the deputy governor did not play any role to influence the contract award and payment, for what services did the contractor ostensibly paid him N458 million? The ant graft agencies have a duty to get to the root of this mind boggling scandal. As evidence, the call log of the governor, deputy governor, contractor and the other major actors in this saga will be useful lead to the truth.

    Given the weakness of the legislature in the states and the willingness of the lawmakers to lend themselves to manipulation by state governors, I think only the various anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC, that can serve the course of justice at this instance by getting to the root of the matter.

    The allegation so leveled against the deputy governor by this failed contractor is so grave that it should not be treated with kid gloves. It should not be left in the hands of political predator intent on scoring cheap political points in the run up to the 2015 elections. Those who have orchestrated this allegation to take out the deputy governor may have miscalculated for the deputy governor is innocent in the eyes of the law.

    The truth, no matter attempts made to bury it, will always triumph over falsehood. If the permutation of those who want to disgrace the deputy governor out of power is to upstage the apple cart in order to feather their political nests, I have one advice for them to wit: those who ride the tiger must in essence end up in the tiger’s belly.

     

    •Ukachukwu, a public affairs commentator, contributed this piece from Owerri.

     

  • Who becomes Kaduna State deputy governor?

    Who becomes Kaduna State deputy governor?

    Following the death of Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa last Saturday, the political arena is charged as the search for a new deputy governor is gathering steam. TONY AKOWE presents the intrigues, calculations and permutations by the godfathers and their wards.

     

    The death of Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who was until Saturday, December 15, 2012, the governor of Kaduna State, has sent shockwaves across the state. It created a vacuum and a scramble has started.

    Already, the late Yakowa’s erstwhile deputy, Mukthar Ramalan Yero, has stepped in as the new governor.

    However, it is not the same story for the position of deputy governor, which consequently became vacant. The scenario has thrown open yet another contest and high-class lobbying among political players in Southern Kaduna where Yakowa hailed from. Interestingly, Kaduna, the heart of Northern Nigerian politics, is politically divided into two – Northern and Southern Kaduna. And the state is constitutionally divided into three senatorial zones.

    Since the creation of Katsina out of the old kaduna State, the tradition has been that when a Muslim becomes governor, a Christian is made the deputy. This is the crux of the interest currently going on towards the appointment of a deputy governor for the state.

    The Nation gathered that many names are currently being bandied by political actors in the state.It has been reported that less than 24 hours after Yakowa’s death, his Principal Private Secretary, Allahmagani Yohanna, is receiving critical support to atep up as deputy governor. This, an inside source said, has angered Yakowa’s wife who felt that it was a betrayal on the part of any of Yakowa’s aides to be showing interest in the office so soon after his tragic death.

    Further findings by The Nation revealed that many other names are being thrown up. They include the current Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga; former Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya; former Secretary to Kaduna State Government and ex-Minister, Felix Hassan Hyat; and Mrs. Charity Shekari, former Commissioner for Health who was wife of Stephen Shekari, the late Deputy Governor of the state..

    Southern Kaduna elders are believed to be against the appointment of Mrs Yakowa as deputy governor. According to sources close to them, they believe that appointing her to such a position would amount to belittling her husband.

    The source said: “The Bible says that the husband and wife are one. So, we believe that Yakowa and his wife were one and if they want to honour him in death with such an appointment, they should look for any of his relations qualifies for such a position since his children may not be up to the constitutionally required age.”

    Another source argued: “As the First Lady, the wife of Yakowa’s Deputy was always coming to take instructions from her. If you appoint her as deputy governor now, she will be taking instructions from the First Lady who was her subordinate before this unfortunate incident. That will amount to humiliating her and the memory of her husband.”

    This perhaps explains why the elders of Southern Kaduna are opposed to having her appointed to that position”. But such arguments mean nothing to those who are pushing for her appointment. They believe that there is nothing wrong in such an appointment.

    Some southern Kaduna elders, The Nation also learnt, are pushing for the appointment of Mrs Charity Shekari as the new deputy governor. The death of Stephen Shekari, an engineer, paved the way for Yakowa to become deputy governor in 2005 and she was later appointed a Commissioner by Yakowa when he assumed office as governor in 2010.

    Charity, a strong member of the ruling PDP, is considered one of the strongest women political players in the area. She is believed to be intelligent, articulate and a team player. And above all, she is believed to be close to the Namadi Sambo Group. Some of the elders in southern Kaduna believe that she will make a good deputy governor and is therefore considered one of the top contenders even though she has not shown any obvious interest in the position.

    However, the Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, who is currently building his political block in the North, is believed to favour his friend and former Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya. He is said to have spoken to some of the southern Kaduna elders about his preference.

    Investigations, however, revealed that Wya’s acceptability in the southern part of the state where he hails from has waned considerably. His people were said to have complained bitterly that when he was Minister, he did nothing to empower them.

    Under the Yakowa-led government, Wya headed the Committee on Power Generation in the state and has his closeness to the Vice President working in his favour. Observers are of the belief that for a man trying to build a political empire and for a government trying to gain the confidence of the people, the appointment of Wya may stand on his way to achieving success in that regard, especially in Southern Kaduna that is predominantly a PDP-controlled area.

    A meeting of the elders from the area is said to be taking place at the residence of Retired General Zamani Lekwot to deliberate on the issue in order to make their position known to the government. But at the time of this report, Wya and Charity still top the list of favourites.

    Another candidate who is reportedly enjoying good followership in southern Kaduna and thus stands a chance is Felix Hassan Hyet, a former Minister who served the Makarfi-led government as Secretary to the Government. Though reports say he is enjoying robust support from his people, he is not known to belong to the Sambo camp. Rather, he is well known as a member of Makarfi’s political camp. Some political analysts in the state believe that appointing him to such a position would mean strengthening the Makarfi camp and this is something that the Sambo camp where the new governor belongs would want to prevent. Though both Sambo and Makarfi have constantly told those who care to listen that they are still good friends, many believe that their relationship has grown worse over the years. The relationship between the two is one of the major factors that may work against Hyet’s candidature.

    The current Chairman of the PDP in the state, Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga, is another man that is close to the Vice President in the southern Kaduna’s political enclave. Bajoga is an ally of former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Hamisu Yusuf, popularly known as Mairago who is believed to be one of the Vice President’s most trusted allies in the state.

    Bajoga, a former top executive of Ashaka Cement is well respected among the old and the young in southern Kaduna, but he is said to have some health challenges, but his name is high on the stake and some of the Vice President’s men are backing and pushing him forward for the position.

    Among Yakowa’s aides, Allahmagani Yohanna stands as one of the most favoured. He has worked as a Commissioner in the state and was Yakowa’s Principal Private Secretary. But a group of youths from Yakowa’s Jama’a Local Government Area wants the position to go to Ayuba Natsa, an architect who is believed to be Yakowa’s relation and served as his Special Adviser on Project.

    The group’s spokesman, John Yuhusa, told The Nation that in the absence of Ayuba, the powers that be should consider the Commissioner for Water Resources, Sunday Marshal Katung or the man who represents Jama’a Sanga in the House of Representatives, Shehu Garba Sarki for the position.

    However, as the days go by, there is the possibility of a dark horse emerging for the job from the growing political camp of the Vice President especially in southern Kaduna.

     

     

  • New roles for deputy governors?

    New roles for deputy governors?

    The position of deputy governor confers honour and prestige on the occupant. But the number two position has also been described as an incurable frustration, judging by the power relations between them and the governors. Can deputy governors get more powers and specified roles during the amendment process? Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU provides insight.

     

    THE Constitution amendment process set in motion last year appears to have thrown up new possibilities. There are open agitations by interests to make changes to the grundnorm. One interest group, however, that has not embarked on open campaign for changes considered necessaries are the deputy governors who were once described as spare tyres.

    Unlike the Third Republic when deputy governors pressed for more powers under the constitution, the 36 deputy governors in this dispensation are somehow indifferent to the proposed constitution review. The Deputy Governors Forum served as the platform for coordinating the agitations of the number two citizen in that dispensation has now become an aberration. Deputy governors now merely exist and function based on the whims and caprices of their principals with whom they share joint tickets during the election.

    It is a hallowed position, nevertheless. Many politicians lobby their parties to get it. Under the presidential system, it commands respect among party followers and general public. The deputy governor, at least, is the nominal second-in-command to the governor. Whenever the governor is not around; either he is on sick bed or annual leave; the deputy governor is permitted by the 1999 Constitution to deputise for his boss. But there ends his power. Unlike commissioners and special advisers, he is not assigned any constitutional roles. Thus, observers deride the portfolio as a spare tyre. The constraints are overwhelming. It is an attractive portfolio, but it is endowed with elusive powers. What makes an office that is often despises as spare tyre important is that, in a rare period of emergency when the governor is impeached or dies in office, the deputy governor instantly becomes the governor.

    Since the idle deputy governors merely warm the seats in the executive chambers, there is usually friction between them and the chief executives. Whenever they raise eyebrows, they are shoved aside by impeachment, the weapon wielded by powerful governors who have domineering influence over the respective Houses of Assembly.

    Throughout the history of presidential system in Nigeria , governors and their deputies have not always maintained cordial relations, despite being active politicians and political leaders in their respective constituencies.

    In the Second Republic , the friction got to a crescendo in Oyo State . The governor, the late Chief Bola Ige, had to withdraw the roles assigned his deputy a the feud and crisis of confidence between them festered. Even, at a time, the deputy governor’s allowances were withheld by his boss. Both the governor and deputy governor were members of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Federal Executive Council. When the crisis escalated, their mutual friend, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, waded into the crisis. The two of them were nearly expelled by the party at the Yola Congress.

    It was worse in Ondo and Bendel states. In Ondo, Deputy Governor Akin Omoboriowo was invested with power by Governor Adekunle Ajasin, which he used to the detriment of the governor. When Ajasin later withdrew the powers, the vibrant deputy governor was left in the cold. A maverick, he rallied many key leaders and launched a virulent attack on the administration under which he served as number two citizen. It was worse in Bendel state where the deputy governor also challenge his boss to a duel during the governorship shadow poll. The cabinet presided by Governor Ambrose Ali was polarised for four years.

    In Ogun, there was relative peace. Former Governor Olabisi Onabanjo sworn in his deputy, Sesan Soluade, as Acting Governor before he went on leave. Omoboriowo demanded for the same treatment, but Ajasin refused. Consequently, the second-in-command fought back and intra-party crisis erupted.

    In Lagos State , sources said that Governor Lateef Jakande and his deputy, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo, enjoyed cordial relationship because the party leader, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, had sat Jafojo down and assured him that he would succeed his boss in 1987, after LKJ has completed two terms of eight years. At that time, Awori were pushing for power shift. The deputy governor was in charge of pools betting and few parastatals. But men of the State Security Services (SSS) were usually on his trail and briefing his boss about his movements.

    In the aborted Third Republic , the new breed who served as deputy governors were impatient. There were signs that many of them wanted rob shoulders with their governors. The storm was gathering, but they could not hatch their rebellion before legitimate authorities were outlawed by the military putsch. However, between 1999 and 2001, many governors and deputy governors have resumed hostilities. Fed up with the recurrent personality clashes in the Southwest, Afenifere, the Yoruba pan-Yoruba socio-political group, advised deputy governors who could not cope with their bosses to resign from government.

    At that time, former Governor Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Senator Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor, could not see eye to eye. When, impeachment dangled on her and she hurriedly vacated her seat. In Osun State , Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore was a thorn in the flesh of Governor Bisi Akande. When her cup was full, he was impeached by the House of Assembly. In Ogun, former Deputy Governor Gbenga Kaka always grumbled about being sidelined. He usually complained that former Governor Olusegun Osoba preferred to saddle the Works Commissioner, Segun Adesegun, with assignments that should ordinarily be assigned by the governor to him. He was imposed on the governor by the Afenifere mafia, although he preferred his erstwhile deputy in the Third Republic , Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye, as his running mate in 1999. Now, in Ogun State, many Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftains have complained that Adesegun is a political isolate in government who has adjusted to the constitutional limitations of his office.

    In other states, deputy governors were emasculated by the governors and their agents. Recently, Taraba State deputy governor was initially prevented from becoming the acting governor, following the hospitalization of his boss who was involved in a plane crash. In Akwa Ibom, the deputy governor was kicked out for showing interest in governorship, which will become vacant after Governor Godswill Akpabio may have served his two terms of eight years. In Abia State , a deputy governor had to leave the government, following protracted feud between him and his ebullient governor.

    Where wisdom had prevailed were Sokoto and Lagos. Under Attahiru Bafarawa Administration, Deputy Governor Ibrahim Wamakko was also Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. In Lagos, former Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan doubled as Commissioner for Education. Her successor, Mrs. Joke Orelope-Adefulire, is in charge of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. In addition, she often represents Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) at important state functions. In Ekiti, Deputy Governor Funmilayo Olayinka is said to be in charge of local government, although the ministry has a commissioner and special adviser. She is also in charge of emergency situation warranting distribution of relief materials to disaster zones.

    Deputy governors and Vice Presidents have always nursed the same predicament. There are indications that many deputy governors actually suffer in silence.

    In the past, big shots avoided being nominated as presidential running mates. They believed the occupant wields a doubtful influence and his comfort in office is conditioned by the wish and preference of the power-loaded president. When the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was indisposed, few politicians in the land would want to be in the shoe of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. There was a big vacuum, but Dr. Jonathan lacked the constitutional power to fill the void. His frustration increased as he was enveloped in the heat created by powerful people who took cognizance of the prospects of a traumatized position underrated as second fiddle.

    Many constitutional lawyers contend that Section 130 of the 1999 Constitution is to blame. It created the positions of deputy governor and vice president as an amoeba, a constitutional parasite without a meaningful shape and deep political root.

    First Republic parliamentarian and Trade Minister Dr. Ozumba Mbadiwe had lobbied for the position in 1978, but the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) did not offer him. Later, he said there was no cause for regret. The ‘man of timber and caliber’ described the post of Vice President as ‘a repeater station of a major network’. A senior journalist, Eric Teniola, who had worked in the Presidency, agreed with this assertion. He captured the plight of the vice president when he stated that, though he is jointly elected with the president, he is just a part of the package; a sort of an appendage to the Presidency. “The only reason for keeping the office of Vice President is that it provides an automatic solution to the problem of succession”, he said. Teniola also stressed that no President and Vice President have ever trusted one another because their relationship is usually characterized by antagonism, envy, suspicion and jealousy.

    Ironically, the President nominates the Vice President and the governor nominates his deputy and their fate are tied together on poll day. But, the romance ends there. Former Secretary to Western State Government, the late Chief Augustine Adebayo, said part of the jealousy between the two leading politicians stemmed from the fact that the deputy governor is constitutionally idle and has no security vote. He pointed out that, the African, by nature, has a pathological hatred for the idea of successor. When that office of a successor or heir-apparent to the throne is institutionalized into the system, the renowned administrator said it is a clear invitation to political disaster. He emphasised that the main function of the Vice President is to wait in the wings to be called upon to take over the duties of the Chief Executive. Waiting, analysts content, is burdensome and laced with anxiety. It is a serious matter in a vast and diverse country like Nigeria where the selection into the number two position is done for ethnic balancing. More often than not, it is the party that imposes the running mate on the presidential candidate.

    The governor’s camp or kitchen cabinet often treat the deputy governor as an outcast or external force, if there is a feud or suspicion between the governor and deputy governor. The deputy governor is perceived as a dignified assistant without much to do, beneficiary of the fall or demise of his principal, an automatic successor in a situation of incapacitation of the number one citizen, and a threat to his boss.

    In Nigeria , the Vice President enjoys office at the mercy of the President. His most important role, apart from deputizing for him, is the that of the nominal chairman of the Nigeria Economic Council (NEC). When former President Olusegun Obasanjo moved against Vice President Atiku Abubakar and withdrew his “enormous powers”, his life was full of tension. Endless reconciliation meetings failed to restore peace, trust and harmony. In fact, some notable politicians close to Obasanjo had warned that it was dangerous to allow his deputy to exercise sweeping delegated powers. Their calculation was that the deputy president could grow wings. Obasanjo woke up very late to this reality during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2003 presidential nomination. The retired General had to prostrate before his deputy to get his nod for re-nomination.

    In the states, governors were wiser. They had emasculated the deputy governor’s office. “There were some states where the governors and their deputies were not on speaking terms’, noted Adebayo, who canvassed the abolition of the position of deputy governor, based on his Second Republic experience.