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Tag: Ekiti

  • Ekiti Tribunal begins sitting as APC alleges plot to burn INEC office

    Ekiti Tribunal begins sitting as APC alleges plot to burn INEC office

    The Election Petitions Tribunal set up to hear grievances relating to the June 21 Governorship Election in Ekiti State yesterday began sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Mohammad Siraj of the Federal High Court, Jos Division, was the only Judge who appeared  at the inaugural sitting on the premises of the High Court complex.

    A motion ex-parte filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow it (the APC) inspect the materials used for the conduct of the election was struck out by Justice Siraj on the party’s request.

    APC’s counsel said it withdrew the petition because events had overtaken the demand, adding that the parties joined in the application were different from the parties in the substantive petition filed against the respondents’ action for the withdrawal.

    Although the APC lead counsel, Alhaji Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was absent at the inaugural sitting, he was represented by Kabir Akingbolu.

    Security was  strengthened around the premises of the High Court. Armed policemen barricaded the courts entrances including the dual carriageway facing the court.

    The state APC said  it has uncovered a plot to burn the INEC office in Ado-Ekiti.

    The party, in a statement, said: “We have it from reliable source that plans are being hatched to have ‘strange fire’ occurrence at the INEC office in Ado Ekiti and all the materials relating to the just concluded election will get burnt. The fire incidence would be blamed on some faulty power surge. But why would any person or persons want to set the ballot papers of a ‘free and fair’ election on fire, especially now that the APC has decided to test the result with the tribunal? Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.”

  • Ekiti women stakeholders reject governorship poll results

    Ekiti women stakeholders reject governorship poll results

    A group of women representatives in Ekiti State, under the aegis of Ekiti Women Stakeholders, has faulted the outcome of the June 21 governorship election, describing it as “a mystery”.

    The group said the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not a reflection of the people’s votes.

    A communiqué by the group dismissed the notion that the touted ‘stomach infrastructure’ phenomenon supposedly played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the election.

    The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi, endorsed the communiqué on behalf of the Forum of Women in Leadership, which comprised women in leadership positions.

    Other signatories were the State Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Funke Owoseni, for the APC Women’s Wing while the Iyaloja of Ekiti State, Chief Waye Osho, endorsed the document on behalf of market women.

    The group dismissed as unfounded the alleged disconnect between the Fayemi-led administration and the grassroots on the premise that the governor’s programmes and policies in the last three and a half years centred on gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.

    Judging by its findings in the past two weeks, the group came to the conclusion that the election was neither free nor fair.

    The statement read: “We represent Ekiti women cutting across social, religious and class divides from all the 16 local governments in the state. We hereby declare that the ‘result’ announced by INEC following the election of June 21, 2014 does not reflect the actual votes of Ekiti people.

    “Fifty- two per cent of the total registered voters in Ekiti are women, of which 70 per cent are ardent supporters of JKF (Fayemi’s) administration as a result of the governor’s gender equality and women empowerment programmes.

    “The 70 per cent instituted a monitoring group at all the voting units across the state and made sure they all voted en masse for Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    “We call on the APC leadership to intensify their efforts, as well as all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to help us unravel the mystery and retrieve our missing votes”, the women said.

  • Ekiti: APC files petition against governorship poll

    The Ekiti state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has filed a petition challenging the results of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti state.

    The interim Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Jide Awe, who disclosed to journalists at the weekend that he filed the petition before the Elections Petition Tribunal in Ado-Ekiti, the capital, on Saturday said he submitted the petition on behalf of the party “since the law allows the tribunal to also operate during weekends”.

    He explained the petition sought the Tribunal to “unravel the hidden fact surrounding the election,” adding “the poll was more of a mechanical exercise than conventional casting of votes”.

    Awe maintained the party decided to toe a constitutional and peaceful path of seeking redress in the open court as it did not want to take laws into its hands or engage in self-help.

    His words: “The results of the election were embarrassing to us as a party and we hold the view that there is no smoke without fire.”

    According to him, the petition was not opposed to the earlier position of the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who had accepted the outcome of the poll and congratulated the winner, Mr Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said: “The governor does not own the party, it is the party that owns the governor, and so the party can decide for him. You will observe that there is no name of Dr Kayode Fayemi on the ballot papers, what was contained on it was name of the party and its logo, so the issue is beyond the governor.

    “Let it be known to you that our candidate, Dr Fayemi, only conceded victory to guarantee continued peace that was prevalent in the state at the time as well as allow the siege laid on the state by the military to seize.

    “You can see that as soon as he announced that he had accepted defeat, the soldiers immediately vacated the state,” Awe noted.

    On the grounds of the grouse as captured in the petition, the APC chair stated that it was based mainly on the alleged manipulation and undue militarisation of the state during the election period coupled with the subsisting impeachment case and other EFCC cases hanging on the governor-elect.

    Awe said Fayose was not qualified at all to participate as a candidate in the election given the cases.

  • Fayose begins moulting

    Fayose begins moulting

    EKITI people may have voted as they pleased in the governorship election of June 21, a fact that only the APC seems to be half-heartedly disputing, but it won’t be long before they are numbed into befuddlement by the unflattering manner they made their choices. They signified their preference for the unprepossessing and rambunctious Ayo Fayose, and disposed of the urbane Kayode Fayemi. In their anger, Ekiti refused to look for any other option but Mr Fayose, whom this column has warned would soon become an albatross around the neck of Ekiti.

    Well, hardly had the ink dried on the thumbs of voters when Mr Fayose started to moult to reveal his pristine self, his unflattering self, his dismaying self. At a PDP rally in Ibadan last week, Mr Fayose, still inflated with the Goodluck Jonathan helium said, “Give Jonathan peace of mind to work. When they were there, nobody disparaged them like that…This is the last time and should be the last time that anybody in this party will disparage Mr. President or the PDP. If you disparage this party, we will sack you. We will suspend you whether you are a former president, former governor or former senator.” The governor-elect was probably referring to Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president who has become the most acerbic critic of the president. But he could also very well be referring to any aspiring critic of the president.

    Ekiti may have punished Dr Fayemi with their votes, but to elect a Mr Fayose who has not the faintest idea what democracy is, nor how decent behavior is defined, nor yet what it means to be a gentleman, let alone a refined one, is to fly in the face of providence. Mr Fayose has begun to talk the talk, but that talk will improve only in obscenity, in language filled with violence, malignity and abrasiveness.

  • Re: The new Penkelemesi in Ekiti

    I read Mr. Bolade Omonijo’s column, Political Turf, of Sunday, June 29, 2014, in which he clothed the otherwise prodigy, nationalist and political icon, Adegoke Adelabu, alias “Penkelemisi”, in an undeserved toga of a rabble-rouser and confusionist, in his (Omonijo) piece titled “The new Penkelemesi in Ekiti”.

    Adelabu should never have been situated with any tongue-in-check, crude fellow of Mr. Omonijo’s fancy either in Ekiti State or elsewhere. For Adelabu was a well-educated, articulate and rationale politician and statesman who deservedly earned the respect of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Chief Anthony Enahoro etc, his fellow politicians and nationalists in the 1950s.

    As I have had cause in the past, exactly on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 to correct an unfair jingoist, illiterate and spoilsport picture of Adelabu painted in the Sunday Punch newspaper (page 19) issue of Sunday, November 4, 2007 by one of the newspaper’s columnists, I am seeking your kind indulgence to refer to my rejoinder of 2007 to correct your (Mr. Omonijo’s) blurred vision of Adelabu, trusting your newspapers well-known sense of fair hearing and objectivity. Below was my published reaction:

    “As it is customary, I read your column of the above title on page 19 in “Sunday Punch” issue of November 4, 2007, and wish to correct the undeserved illiterate, fob and jingoist image your article under reference alluded to the otherwise academic prodigy, wit, nationalist and visionary, the late Honourable Adegoke Adelabu.

    “But, kindly permit me to first declare my interest in the matter of defending Adelabu and projecting the true and correct image of the first (African) indigenous manager of the UAC, former member for Ibadan Division in the defunct Western Region of Nigeria House of Assembly, former Chairman of the defunct Ibadan District Council (today comprising eleven local governments), former Federal Minister and former assistant National Secretary of the defunct NCNC led by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

    “My interests? My beloved late paternal grandmother, Mama Asimawu Odunola Alabi, the matriarch of the Ekerin Ajengbe clan in Ibadan, whose grandfather was the Ekerin Balogun of Ibadan during the reign of Baale Fijabi I (1890-1893), was the woman leader of the NCNC under the late Adelabu in Ibadan in the 1950s before she relinquished the position to her protege, the late Mama Humuani Apampa, alias Orababa, after Adelabu died in a road accident on March 25, 1958.

    “I am a trustee of the Adegoke Adelabu Foundation, the formation of which I played a key role in 1994.

    “If the above reasons for my advocacy are acceptable, then I proceed to seek your kind indulgence for space and time to exonerate Adelabu from the band of nincompoops, not well veiled by you in the article under reference. In the foreword to Adelabu’s book, “Africa in Ebullition” (published in 1952) the great Zik of Africa wrote inter alia: “Whether the world believes it or not, the fact remains that Africa is no longer an exclusive preserve for the depredation of Imperialists. Many factors are responsible, one of which has produced a new breed of nationalists (emphasis mine) of which Mr. Adelabu is typical”…………… without mincing of words, Mr. Adelabu has made it clear that the African is determined not to take a back seat when it comes to shapening his future”.

    “As they say: it takes the deep not only to call the deep, but to also hear the deep. With the above quoted few lines from Dr. Azikwe’s foreword to Adelabu’s book, I might as well rest my case in this ‘defence’ of the stormy petrel, Adelabu, but I am persuaded by the God-given chance of rubbing shoulders with my (three) learned children to prove my point beyond any reasonable doubt(s). Adegoke Adelabu does not deserve to be labelled or lumped with nitwits, imbeciles, cattawallers or what have you? Certainly not! In his contribution to the book titled “The Essential Adegoke Adelabu (1915-1958) “Ibadan-an historical, cultural and social-economic study of an African City (1998) sponsored by the Oluyole Club, Lagos, Dr. Siyan Oyeweso of the Department of History, Lagos State University, wrote inter alia: “Alhaji Adegoke Gbadamosi Oduola Akande Adelabu, the illustrious son of Ibadan, a great Nigerian statesman, the diminutive stormy petrel of Ibadan politics, the lion of the West and ‘Penkelemesi’ (I will come to this appellation shortly) lived a short but active and rich life.

    “Due to reasons that we all know very well, Adelabu and other nationalists in his hue (Adekunle Fajuyi, Aminu Kano, Eyo Ita, Adaka Boro, Mbonu Ojike, Benjamin Adekunle etc) are deprived of history’s fair treatment by an ungrateful country.

    “Born on September 13, 1915 to a successful weaver, Sanusi Ashiyanbi Adelabu, and Awujoola Ajoke, Adelabu had to change his name to Joseph before he was admitted into the Saint David’s CMS Elementary School, Kudeti, Ibadan. An exceptionally brilliant student, Adelabu gained double promotion at Saint David’s School.

    “In 1931, he proceeded to the famous Government College, Ibadan (GCI) on scholarship granted him by the Ibadan Progressive Union (IPU). He again gained double promotion at GCI and left the school in 1935 with a distinction while still in class four. The illuminating testimonials on the prodigy written by his school principal, Mr. V.P.V Powell, and others still continue to shine till today at GCI.

    “In 1936, Adelabu took the entrance examination to Yaba Higher College, then the highest educational institution in Nigeria. He came first in the entrance examination and became the first Nigerian student to win the UAC scholarship. With less than a year to the completion of his higher education at Yaba, UAC “lured” him from school to gainful employment. He subsequently held management positions with the UAC such as African Manager (1936-1937), Merchandise salesman (1937-1938), Inspector Cooperative Department (1943-1944) and Manager, UAC Haberdashery, Lagos (1945-1946).

    “In 1946, Adelabu resigned from UAC into private business before joining politics in 1947, and was a brilliant, active participant in the Nigerian Constitutional talks in London.

    With the foregoing, it will be most unfair, wicked, academic laziness and a clear sign of ignorance to lump Adegoke Adelabu with Nigeria’s political cattalwallers of whatever age – First, Second, Third, Current or Future Republics. Adegoke Adelabu was a genius. Please get a copy of his revolutionary book, “Africa in Ebullition”. Hear his description of himself: “I am a deliberate egoist. I do not regret it. I do not apologise for it. I am an artist. The artist has nothing worthwhile to offer you besides glimpses of his inner self. My philosophy is that the world would be much better and happier if we would only dare to be ourselves completely instead of trying to be faded copies of other unknown and misunderstood mythical heroes.”

    I pray that one will not again be compelled to correct blurred views, more so by people who are supposed to know, on the late prodigy and political icon, Adegoke Adelabu.

    Thank you.

     

    By Oloye ‘Lekan Alabi,

    Aare Alasa Olubadan of Ibadanland

  • Revisiting Ekiti’s penkelemesi

    It was not my intention to comment on the processes that led to the June 21 election in Ekiti State. Even when I got some reactions to the write-up, I chose to keep my vow to review my position only when there are new facts.

    However, I had to vary that decision when Oloye Lekan Alabi chose to “set the record straight”. He wrote in to complain that the late Chief Adegoke Adelabu had been misrepresented in my column under reference. He presented Adelabu as a polished and urbane public-spirited man.

    It was impossible to ignore the weight of Oloye’s submissions. It had passion and, as he indicated, he has cause to take on anyone who might choose to present the late Ibadan politician as grandfather of debased politics. With due respect to Oloye Alabi, nowhere in my submission did I suggest that Adelabu was an illiterate. It was not part of my concern. I know enough of the man- his biographical work and the comments on his person and politics by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the late Chief Bola Ige. Even the factional account by Professor Kole Omotoso.

    All I said, and would repeat any time, is that he was the original writer of the script that the likes of Chief Busari Adelakun, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu,in Ibadan and more recently, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti acted and are acting. It has caught on so much that Chief Iyiola Omisore would not be caught anywhere without roasted corn or yam which he believes to illustrate his commitment to the cause of the poor.

    I appreciate Oloye Alabi’s presentation. Except for his conclusion that I may not be conversant with the subject, he did nothing to impugn my integrity. All I will therefore do is reproduce the relevant section of that piece since Oloye’s rejoinder is published today in this newspaper.

    I leave the Ekiti field, at least for now, for those who want to recant and are trying out a competition on who could abuse the most, whether founded on facts or falsehood.

    What matters to me is what could have instructed such a shift, given the choice available. Fayemi versus Fayose; APC versus PDP. Fayemi- urbane, polished, an achiever and principled. There was also Fayose- background still shrouded in mystery, not known to be a policy man and quite abrasive. Yet, as the people told Pilate when he asked who to set free between Jesus and Barabbas, the people said they wanted the Christ crucified and the criminal Barabbas set free. It was their choice. The Ekiti, too, asked for Fayose.

    The setting is similar to the situation when the late Adegoke Adelabu took on the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Adelabu was an incomparable orator. He was devastating on the soap box and chose to sway the people against progress. He had the appropriate word for every occasion. He knew what to say to each crowd to send the audience to frenzy. He could say one thing in Ogbomoso and another to people in Ijebu.

    Adelabu made waves in the cities across the Western Region. When he surmised that the campaign crowd was made up largely of illiterates, he threw in his clincher: what a peculiar mess. And the drummers showed their dexterity. The people took the word to town:penkelemesi. It was a proof that Adelabu could defeat a native speaker of the English language at any competition. It stuck. The stunt worked

    In Ekiti, contrary to the contention that the people are highly principled and educated and would easily see through cheap gimmicks, they decided to see Fayose as a modern-day Adelabu. Although Fayose was incapable of pulling stunts on the soap box, the theatrics on the road was not lost on the artisans, the youth, the teachers and civil servants. They accepted the PDP candidate and warmed up to him. He did not have to sell a programme; that would have been unlike the party.

    His tactics were simple. He made to sell himself as a friend of the common man. At every point, he identified with him. From one campaign station to another, he elected to jump on any available motorcycle and reward the okadaman handsomely. He became an instant friend of every garri seller. All he needed to prove to them that he would patronize them was branch once at a stall, buy some and soak it there. The news spread that he would continue to patronize them if only he got elected governor.

    The youth had their grouse against the incumbent. They had expected that, as reward for supporting him in the epic battle to reclaim his stolen mandate in 2010, Fayemi would open the till and pour out Naira. It did not matter to them that a modern economy could not be run in such manner. Fayose promised he would provide the much needed “stomach infrastructure”.

    I have utmost respect for Oloye and his accomplishment, but needed, too, to set the records straight in the interest of the readers.

  • COMMENT

    COMMENT

    For Olatunji Dare

     

    Sir, Re-harvesting, then and now. On Ekiti election, I can boldly say time will tell. What I am sure of is Dr Kayode Fayemi has made remarkable footprints in the sands of time and it will remain indelible in the history of Ekiti State. Weep not Fayemi because time will tell. From Comrade Esan Ajibola, Ayedun Ekiti.

    Ekiti State election can be compared with June l2 election where it was finest. From Gordon Chika Nnorom.

    I have just read ‘Vote-harvesting, then and now’. An update assessment of our election. May I add, Ekiti people were also deluded by falsehood this time; apart from going for what they can get, it was erroneously sold to them that all Ekiti federal allocations goes to the pocket of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, as if all the infrastructure and progress recorded by Fayemi were built with feeble stones. That is the lie constantly peddled by PDP to every ignorant listener. One may need to ask from whoever is taken for a fool by that lie to tell Ekiti people what happened to Ekiti federal allocations when PDP were in the saddle in the past, even in other PDP controlled states to date where no record of good governance can be seen? Dr Fayemi has set a pace in Ekiti. It’s better that Fayose key in into it, otherwise, Ekiti would pay dearly for its mistake because no state can enjoy stomach infrastructure and development at the same time- From Barrister M. Atolagbe.

    Re-Vote-harvesting, then and now.  What matters even in those you categorised as having skills or/and brains was to win! Same way, with your brainless and skill-less Ayo Fayose, he won. What matters before anyone is known to be intellectually skillful was to win first. The same negative attributes you and co-columnists dashed Fayose before the June 21 election helped Fayose’s brain the more. Critique objectively always. Did I not caution you all, from over promoting your candidate and run others aground? I cited Ondo October 20, 2012 Mimiko election as a flag for caution.  From Lanre Oseni.

    Sir, in your previous piece-The Nation of  July 24- on the Ekiti election, you were very scholarly-full of detached, dispassionate   analysis of factors that caused the electoral disaster of Dr. Fayemi. Now you have no doubt got hooked to the APC post-election ‘reawakening’  regarding its need to find excuses and scapegoats for its election fiasco! Precisely because of this mentality, it ‘ll lose more elections. As recent as September last year, it was evident enough to non-armchair writers that Governor Fayemi would lose the election. Besides, APC government equally distributed goods and money right on Election Day! Please go to the state and make discreet enquiries. Enough of sanctimonious rationalisation of a monumental failure!!Anonymous

    Sir, it is a shame that you guys in The Nation are always beclouded by sentiments. Fayose is a grassroot politician,while Fayemi is elitist. They don’t vote in elections. So, give it to Fayose for his political wizardry. From Dr.I.O.Ene,Okene.

    Good piece you wrote on vote harvesting, then and now. Method used by Fayose may be unethical but the outcome shows that we should be in governance to address people’s problems and not being highly intellectual about problems. I am hungry; put food on my table rather policies that are bound to be highjacked. From Ndon, Uyo.

    Sir, when I read “Pharaohs and heroes at Aljazeera” by Awoyinfa in Saturday Sun June 28, in which he castigated Egypt for sending some Journalists to jail, I shared his sentiments because of the calibre of media men involved. But at the back of my mind, I knew my sentiment would have been misplaced if Nigerian media men were involved. Your “Vote-harvesting, then and now” would have come in handy for old “tales by moonlight” programme on Television. Sometimes, I wonder how you columnists take Nigerians. Who in Nigeria does not know that Southwest APC leader is the most proficient “arch-fixer” in turning defeat into victory through judicial complicity? And with examples still on ground in Southwest governors, you attempted selling lie to “dummies” you take Nigerians for. I commend Fayemi’s acceptance of result of the poll; simply honourable. Ekiti people chose Fayose; period. That’s it. From Lai Ashadele

    Re-vote-harvesting, then and now-what hapened in Ekiti election was a replica of what had been hapening in the past but in a more public display. This is why corruption can never be fought. The federal might, police, army, security agencies and civil servants (teachers), youth and other allied forces added together are responsible for the defeat of Dr Fayemi.   Careful study of the result will show clearly that it was a well planned exercise. Nigeria can never have a clean/acceptable election. INEC is part and parcle of the scheme. That is the new mode of rigging-only God can intervene- From Pastor Odunmbaku.

    The mindset amongst APC armchair writers is rigid: Governor Fayemi who has performed wonders by transforming Ekiti infrastructure shouldn’t have been voted out by the ungrateful Ekitis. But precisely because of that uncritical mentality, APC will, sadly, lose more elections! Pray, where are the developments being trumpeted? Less than 5% of Ekitis can boast of running water; roads are generally impassable; less than 5% of eligible’s received the N5000 social payout; hospitals are bereft of drugs! You are all challenged to make empirical surveys of the state to affirm or controvert the foregoing assertions. Do wake up to the stark realities! Anonymous

     

    For Segun Gbadegesin

     

    Sir Ekiti people did not reject Fayemi on account of non-performance but reject “voice of Jacob, but hand of Esau” from Bayo Ogunsanya

    Sir, It’s insulting for Fayemi to have accepted suggestions that no reputable contractors in Ekiti  can handle jobs. Anonymous

    Re: “Posers from Ekiti 2014. My comment has roots in the various contributions to the column since the declaration of Mr Ayodele Fayose as the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State. The bottom-line is further rooted in the theoretical foundations of democracy and the attendant assessments following the Ekiti contemporary case. I argue that rationality and irrationality have not recognisable bases in the theory of democracy. They are nothing short of shared sentiments being held to by theorisers. Clearly and without any sense of contradiction, the ideas of rationality and irrationality in relation to individual political conduct, are strictly as possessed by the individual who performs the political act and not that of the assessors. Whether or not the Ekiti people acted rationally or irrationally are entirely their cup of tea ! This point of mine perhaps explains the failure of acceptability of  Robert Dahl’s “polyarchy” in place of “democracy”. From: Dr Adebayo Salami, Political Science, OOU,Ago Iwoye.

    Sir, your 04/07/14 write-up has just earned you an added feather. Just like Dr Fayemi, you are one of our fairest. Anonymous

    Re-Posers From Ekiti 2014: I concur with your submission on this subject matter with a little adjustment that election was ‘bought’ rather than won. Agreeably a fall-out of poverty of head rather than of stomach. Anonymous

    Sir, this is a good write up. Yes Ekiti have spoken through ballot but they will pay dearly for it. Reason: they have allowed politicians see that they are beggars. Ekiti will be lagging behind when regional developmental stride is rooted in South West. Anonymous

    Sir, my comment on Your posers from Ekiti. Please you are very wrong with your statement; let me tell you Dr Fayemi did not conduct local goverment election, which made all LG Secretariat turn to bush area. Dr Fayemi increases school fees by 50 percent in four years. If he continues for another four years, he will take it to 250,000 and he will be telling us that it is only rich men that can send children to school. The man disappointed us in Ekiti. Anonymous

    Re-Posers from Ekiti in 2014.   Those of us watching the pre-election occurrences saw it coming. This is a lesson that no candidate should be over promoted and we should think deep before disparaging another. I cautioned you and others against my statement above before the election! What you thought you were doing well might not be the need/want of many people/citizens a times. It is good to blend in Nigeria. Rigidity works better in developed world. From Lanre Oseni.

    Sir, you have said it all. You are good analyst. Not that Ekiti people are for food only.  As you said there are more to that election. Anonymous

    Sir, your comment on ‘Posers from Ekiti 2014’ Friday, July 4, was a master piece. It was educative and instructive too. It was indeed unbiased. Anonymous

    It is indeed posers from Ekiti. You must be respected for stating your bias at the onset of the back page article of The Nation of Friday July 4. One would have expected for a balanced journalistic piece that you will leave the bias alone and focus on the real reason your preferred candidate lost woefully. He was dogged in prescribing for the Ekiti people the wrong medicine and importation of his  ideals. You continue to insult the people of Ekiti claiming that they prefer politics of the stomach to that of development but failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they were induced to make statement with their votes. Be real. Anonymous

    Re: Posers from Ekiti 2014. With respect to the outcome of the Ekiti governorship election, the basic question to ask the Ekiti people is ‘what were the criteria they used in voting on the Election Day? Personality, policies or political party? From Olumide Soyemi, Bariga.

    Today’s write-up is interesting but slightly devoid of warnings that he (Gov Fayemi) needs not listen to his leaders, rather be focused on more developmental issues. From Davidson, Kogi state.

    Re: “Posers for Ekiti 20 14.” So many things can make electorates vote against a performing governor if the policy of that governor, is not making the people comfortable. Definitely, Governor Kayode Fayemi suffered for his perceived weaknesses. Let me use Lagos State as an example of what might happen in 2015, if the electorates decide to vote against the APC, it may not be based on performance but on the biting policy of the government that is making the people in Lagos uncomfortable. Look at the policy on street trading; when it comes to the enforcement, the Task Force responsible for this goes out to raid defaulters or violators, carry their wares and put the owners in a Black Maria like prisoners. Is this a decent approach to check the excesses of street trading? Impunity of government, harsh policy on commercial bus operators and the various charges imposed and which must be paid whether they like it or not. Even some of the LASTMA officials are not helping due to their excesses and unnecessary arrest. So, if these types of sufferings continue, the electorates may decide to vote against the APC in Lagos in 2015 and do not forget that the downtrodden who are into transportation and petty trading to survive are many and they are fed up. From Prince Adewumi Agunloye

    Sir, I enjoy reading your essay weekly. Posers from Ekiti 2014 captured some of the ‘how’ and “why” almost all of the write ups and the writers glossed over the real issues. I do not want to claim knowledge of all of the ‘preferences’ but APC especially in the South west must revisit its selection process viz avis internal democracy. The late sage Awolowo did not hinge his larger than life status on party programmes and performance alone, but made the indigenous politicians domiciled in each zones the catalyst that brought success. This is not the case since the advent of Action Congress metamorphosing to ACN and now and now APC. One thought the merger will make the leadership have a rethink on how the party structure is composed, but alas! APC constitution was observed in the breach other than in the spirit of its letters, people and their interests were jettisoned. Examples abound in Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Oyo. A government so detached from the people and regards elective, appointments and party posts as the preserve of a clique is bound to fail. It is not much of stomach infrastructure but that of giving to the home based politicians what is theirs, allow for reward to the party men and women who laboured for the party victory. Anonymous.

     

    For Tunji Adegboyega

     

    Re: Imelda Marcos at 85. With all the items in your write-up on Imelda Marcos, most especially her 3,400 pairs of shoes as at 1986, then, Nigeria’s case, in spite of all odds, was/is a saint! I wondered as I read the write-up that Imelda could and was made a House of Representatives member, her son also made a senator. Such an eye sore and ear-deaf would not translate to the ‘world coming to an end’. It only means two things: that their own democracy/political independence was a mistake and a misnomer. It also portends that before the world ends, such open years’ robbery of Filipinos corrections will definitely be made to redefine and refine the Philippine. But, don’t be amazed; Imelda’s son could be president in 2016 in a country/society that believes so much in ‘stomach infrastructure’. From Lanre Oseni.

    Tunji, were you praising Amaechi or what, when he is part of the country’s problem? Please try and be objective in your articles and stop mentioning Amaechi. From Mba.

    Tunji, Imelda Marcos had only 600 shoes! Anonymous.

    Why do some leaders feel that their citizens are fools? Marcos’ family takes their citizens for granted by the first lady proposing her son to contest presidential election despite the monumental allegations of corruption levelled against her husband when he was president. The citizens should ignore her plan for 2016 election and her intention to present her son for president. Even here, the news is making the round that some corrupt leaders are planning to make their sons run for governorship election, especially in the northern part of the country. How then can we move the nation forward when we encourage corruption in leadership? From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

    Nigeria is in a bigger mess than the Philippines. How many rogues do we have in the National Assembly? How many of the sitting governors are clean?  A man that still has corruption and murder charges hanging on his neck has just been returned as governor-elect. How different are many of our local government chairmen from armed robbers? Check out the membership of the ongoing National Conference, 80 percent of them contributed to the ruination of this country. Imagine a Diepreye Alamieyeseigha among those purportedly seeking solution to the country’s problems. Lord have mercy! From Simon Oladapo, Ogbomoso.

     

     

     

  • ‘Militarisation of elections must stop’

    ‘Militarisation of elections must stop’

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi spoke with reporters in Port-Harcourt, the state capital, on the  Ekiti State governorship election, the controversy over the appointment of the Chief Judge of Rivers State, his succession plan and the future of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southsouth state. Excerpts:

    Could you shed light on the  position of your party on the  outcome of the Ekiti State governorship election?

    The APC didn’t say we would go to court on the election. It was Alhaji Lai Mohammed who said the election was beyond the voting; that the process of the election was part of the election. So, the military intervention, which is what the PDP intends to use for the 2015 elections – to employ military men as part of the electioneering process – so, you would be having an unfair election, where APC supporters would be chased away by the military. That is why I said what we have is a diarchy, not a democracy.

    Was there military intervention in the process?

    Look at Ekiti now. They stopped APC governors from coming in. They stopped members of the APC from Ekiti; leaders of the APC were arrested. A senator’s father was beaten up and other things. That is military intervention. People would be scared to come out because they don’t know what the military would do.

    There was an online news portal that quoted you extensively on how bitter you were after the APC national convention…

    That is total fabrication. The convention ended around 5:00am and by 6:00am, I was at the airport looking for ticket to go to the UK. So, when was the interview? I played a prominent role at the APC convention. I was part of the process by which Chief John Oyegun emerged. I was among those making peace, going to people and begging people that we should allow peace because we want to make sure that we have a platform to confront the PDP. So, how did this interview take place? I was in the UK.

    So, you are not bitter that your candidate did not emerge as the national chairman at the convention?

    No, I asked my candidate to step down. We were in a meeting from Thursday night till 5:00am on Friday and I woke up by 6:00am to continue my appeal to people not to confront the party; that we should listen to the party and get a structure.

    Does it mean you were pushing for Sam Jaja?

    I never campaigned one day for Jaja because I told him to wait for us to see what was going on. When we saw what was going on in the party and we needed to beat down the crisis, I told him to step down.

    What was going on?

    The horse-trading that went on

    There is also an insinuation that you were planning to run with Aminu Tambuwal?

    There was nothing like that. These are fabrications by people.

    In October, the number of APC governors would have decreased by one and another election will hold in Osun in a few weeks, what is your party doing to avert another disaster?

    You will help us to tell the President to keep the soldiers in his house. All of us are part of the problem of Nigeria. They impounded newspapers and journalists did not do anything. In other countries, they would have protested on the street. We are talking to him that there is need for him to stop using soldiers to conduct election.

    Does it mean your party is afraid it may lose Osun?

    How can we lose Osun? Say something else.

    Based on the allegation of the militarisation of the Ekiti election, what do you think is the proper security measure for the election?

    The law says the police and let us see the consequences. Are you saying there are no soldiers in Borno?

    But, there is Boko Haram in Borno…

    That is the point I am making. So, it is not necessarily the presence ofsoldiers that will stop violence. After all, if the presence of soldiers could stop violence, by now, Borno should be the citadel of joy and happiness where people would be dancing. There are so many soldiers in Borno – so many military equipment and hardware, yet we still have bombings in Maiduguri. There are many soldiers in Abuja and of all places that we have thought would be very secure is the plaza, which was bombed recently. So, police are enough.

    Are you saying police would be enough in Nigeria’s circumstance?

    Are you going to war? I think in the current security situation, police are enough for security measure during election.

    What is your position on the appointment of the Chief Judge of Rivers State?

    The quarrel we have with the NJC is that the constitution says 10 years at the bar and that is the only qualification for a Chief Judge. It didn’t say whether you should be from Rivers State judiciary or most senior Judge.

    But, there are recommendations by the NJC?

    Yes, I agree. You send your names to the NJC. You send three names; they pick up one and send it to you. In our own case, they sent a name to us and said the reason why they didn’t take the person we preferred was because he was a Judge of the Customary Court of Appeal and that was what disqualified him. Then we wrote back and said you are wrong, the law says 10 years. It doesn’t matter where he comes from. So, I didn’t see where you see the most senior Judge from. And the court said so.

    What prompted you to move away from the normal route?

    It is not true. Was Teslim Elias a judge before? He was a Professor of Law. There are so many abnormal things, if you call that one normal. The law says 10 years.

    Won’t people see that as an interference in the judiciary?

    No. It is not me. They are the people interfering.

    They are in the judiciary.

    The NJC has no such power. Like somebody told me in America, that there is nothing like true federalism. It is the abnormality here that makes Nigerians coin the word true federalism. Federalism is federalism. If we want to pursue federalism pursue federalism. Don’t come here and say today you are a federalist and tomorrow you are a republican, next day you are practicing a unitary system of government.

    In pursuing federalism, the states have the right to choose who will be their Chief Judge and recommend, and you tell them who will be their Chief Judge? That is one. The same law says the governor has the right to accept your recommendation or reject. If he rejects, he writes to you that I have rejected. I rejected in writing and re-forwarded the name of the person I felt by law qualified to be the Chief Judge. They said I have no right to reject. So, you see, I am fighting on the side of the people and I thought journalists would join me.

    You sent three names…

    Yes, including hers (Justice Okocha). But, we said in this order and to help the NJC, we attached all the report on all of them – the SSS report. They said it doesn’t matter because it is not part of the requirement. We sent report by NBA – they all rejected her nomination. All their comments on the three judges were sent to them and we didn’t favour anybody. We said these were the three judges you said we should send and all that informed our choice.

    If they are rejecting number one, for instance, can’t you take the second option?

    The second option is what I said I won’t take.

    Then, go for the third and why did you put the names there in the first instance?   

    It is not me. Don’t forget that there is State Judicial Council. I didn’t mind any of the three, the only reason why I reacted was the reasons they gave for rejecting the first person. Don’t forget that when they sent it, I was aware and I said fine, I don’t mind working with anyone of them. But when they wrote to me to say we reject the number one sent by the State Judicial Council because he is not qualified since he was the President of the Customary Court. I said Haba; that is not what the law says.

    The law simply says 10 years at the bar. He didn’t say it must be a Judge or marry from Rivers State. It didn’t say it must come from Rivers State. We once had a Chief Judge, Justice Douglas. He was already in Court of Appeal in Enugu when they brought him back to Port Harcourt to be Chief Judge.

    What plans have you after office? Is it true you have your eyes on the Senate?

    I will go and love my wife because she is harassing me every day. I have not shown her enough love and attention. So, I need to do that for six months to one year. I will spend one or two years with my children since they lost the chances of staying with their father. That is three years. Then I will be 53 years old. I will go to the university to do another first degree either in history or law. I will do a Masters and a PhD and then I will be 60-something. Then the remaining years, I will teach as I get closer to the grave.

    Are you leaving the political scene?

    It was Channels Television that asked me whether I wanted to run for Presidency and I said I couldn’t answer that question. They asked why? I said because in Nigeria nobody runs for president. You just sit and you become president; you just see yourself one day wake up and become president prepared or unprepared. There were only two persons who have emerged president by wanting to be president of Nigeria. They were Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha. So, the rest, especially the civilian presidents have always sat down in their house and they have been appointed president. So, why not allow me to sit down and see if I would be President.

    It would be unfair to ask me such question since providence has always produced the president of Nigeria. If you go to the civilian presidents alone, Alhaji Shehu Shagari went to the convention as a senatorial candidate, he ended up becoming President. Tafawa Balewa was in his house; somebody won an election and told Balewa to go and be the Prime Minister. After Tafawa Balewa, it was Shagari. Ernest Shonekan was appointed as the Head of Interim Government. He was not looking forward to be president but he became one.

    Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was in prison and they called him out of the prison to come and be president, he became president. After Obasanjo, Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua had packed his luggage to go to teach in Zaria, they brought him back, he became president. Our dear president wanted to become the governor of Bayelsa; he was begging them; “Please sir, I don’t want to be vice-president, keep me as governor of Bayelsa.” They said no, come and be the vice-president. From come and be vice-president, what is he now? So, why do people ask me whether I want to be president after this kind of intervention by God? Why not ask me whether I am fasting?

    What are the chances of the APC in Rivers State in 2015?

    Wait and see. Just tell them to keep their soldiers at the barracks and allow us to go and cast our votes

    What if they bring in soldiers?

    I won’t tell them what I will do. Didn’t you hear Osun State saying carry your charms? Did you read the story of Ombatse? Did you hear that people were handing their guns on their own volition?

    But, you were said to be calling on the name of God?

    How do you know I won’t call the name of God that day and all the soldiers would be handing over their weapons?

    How will the APC presidential candidate and his running mate emerge?

    Leave that assignment for God. Why are you bothering yourself about that?

    Is it going to be by consensus?

    No. We have a process in place. We have a process whereby there would be primaries.

    What about the Muslim tag in your party?

    Am I a Muslim? Is Chief Oyegun a Muslim? Is Timipre Sylva a Muslim?

     At what point do you think there would be total ethnic and religious reconciliation in the country?

    It is not a thing that I can answer; it is the President that you should ask that question. Why is CAN moving from one place to other saying that they have been shown a document? Why do you pitch hatred against Christians or against Muslims if you are a president or a governor? Then, when it is time for fasting, you’ll say you are fasting with Muslims or fasting with Christians?

    A leader must be ready to sacrifice his life for his country. And if I were the President of Nigeria, I would not because I want to win election split this country into two religious lines because one of the consequences of that would be that one day you would wake up and there is a religious war, which is worse than a civil war. When people say Muslim/Muslim ticket, I laugh. The reason I laugh is because the best Muslim, who may love all Christians for a Christian would not be better than a worst Christian in a position to a Christian.

    If you say you are a Christian now, this Muslim likes Christians, he supplied Christians with cars; he gave them foods. Let all the Muslims go and served in that position because of the emotional nature of religion; that Christian would prefer a very bad Christian to go and occupy that position than for that good Muslim. So because religion has that capacity to avoid reasoning, a president or a public officer like me should just keep away from inciting hate and preach love. So when you seek reconciliation, the president must first take the first step to reconcile the country because the level of division now is very high.

    What is the assurance that you would complete your projects before leaving office, especially the mono-rail?

    Mono-rail would be completed. The reason the monorail must be completed at all costs is political. I want to ride in the monorail and call the Amaechi haters to come and see that I am riding on the monorail. Even if it is May 29, 2015, people will ride on the monorail. We would hang rail. What is delaying the monorail is just the terminal where they would maintain it. That is what they are fixing now, once they fix that, it will be ready.

    What about the secondary schools?

    It is huge and that is the problem we had with that. We have completed at least seven out of the 23 that we want to build. The cost is N4.5billion per school. It is huge and basically the financial diversion at the national level – the oil sector has crippled the states. All the states are being denied money. The stealing in the oil industry is so bad.

    I used to get between N20 billion and N25 billion but now I get N13 billion to N14 billion. Surprisingly, I got N17 billion this month and I was celebrating and my commissioners told me that the extra we got came from the non-oil sector and it is not a thing we get regularly; we usually get it once a year. If you are doing N13billion and your wage bill has risen from N2.5billion to N9billion.

    Why?

    There were no teachers. There were primary and secondary schools with two teachers; one teaching English Language and all Arts subjects and another teacher teaching Mathematics and all Science subjects. Tell me what he knows about physics or chemistry? Now, we have employed about 13,900 teachers and that increased our wage bill to extra N1billion. We took over all primary education from local government council, and that cost N2billion. So, if you add that to N2.5billion, that is N5.5billion. Then increase in the minimum wage shot up our minimum wage to about N18.7 million and that increased our wage bill. If you add that to our pension, which is about N1.9billion every month, we are now doing about N9 billion.

    Can you compare your first and second terms?

    First term we had money and the problem we had in the second term is the fact that the wife of the President is here. Anytime she is town, you will see the heavy presence of the police and army and she used to block many roads and the governor won’t even be able to pass until The News magazine wrote a story titled, “Her Imperial Majesty.” They now opened the roads but, with little presence of soldiers. We have a situation whereby she is in direct control of the police, SSS, Air force. I didn’t say she controlled it through her husband; she is in direct control. Kidnapping is back into Port Harcourt and how do I stop it when the forces I used to stop them with have been removed and they put their own person?

    Now, people cannot move freely in the state because of kidnappers. A friend of mine, Sam Onyema, was buried last week Saturday. What happened to him was that he was going to a burial in Imo State with his friend and they wanted to kidnap his friend and shot him dead. So, how do you account for that in a situation where the wife of the president takes over the security? This is not the first time I am saying it; I have said it severally and they have never denied it. The army has not denied it, the president has not denied it, the wife has not denied it, and the police also have not denied it.

    Since the exit of Mbu as Rivers State Commissioner of Police, have there been any changes?

    No. The only different is that one police commissioner is more civilised than other but it is still the same. Whether he is working for PDP, ask anybody on the street. You run a government whereby the police are not working with you at all, so you can’t even say you want to go on demolition and the police will follow you.

    What if the helicopters come in now?

    Before, we had a wonderful security system. So, it was the security system that gave us the control of the state that made us to introduce helicopters where we would have camera in the helicopters and they can fly round the state and whatever we see we act on it. Now, how do you manage it? You have a system where if you go to arrest anybody; if the person says he is PDP or working for the president with AK 47 in his hand, they would let him go. The army arrested seven people with AK 47 and people are not asking, where are they? When they were arrested, I called the brigade commander that I heard that seven people had been arrested. He told me that he has handed them over to police.

    With the experience you have had in your state, would you advocate for state police?

    It can’t be worse. They will checkmate each other. If you are not in the party of the president, he will stop using the police or army against you because there would be balance of forces in the country. Nobody wants a state police if the national police would be fair to everybody.  There are two reasons for state police. First is that the national police is not properly equipped to check crime. So, if you equipped them properly and made them independent, then you don’t need the state police. The reason for the state police is the failure of the national police. And with the personalisation of national police, it becomes the private army of the President.

    It is worse in this period where it is not only the private army of the President; it is the private army of the Peoples Democratic Party. So, when people criticise others, they should institutionalise the police and the military. If they are not answerable and they would not obey illegal orders, then, we would support everybody. If we have a statesman president, who will not use the police, they would be in support of everybody.

    Are you impressed by yourself this second term because you seem to have been distracted by politics?

    A lot of people need to wait. What you bought into is the PDP propaganda machine and if you know me very well, I hate propaganda. I could actually put about N100 million to N300million to the press to start propaganda and meanwhile I am doing nothing on the ground. There was a time we were responding but it got to a point that we stopped. The reason I stopped was because we started commissioning primary schools. In my first tenure, we had only 75 primary schools. We are trying to get children into 300 but it is expensive to furnish. ICT alone is N34million per school, so 100 schools is N3.4billion. So, we say let us raise about N10billion plus to fund 300 and it is not easy.

    Some states have huge debt profile. What about Rivers State?

    You should ask bankers why they still pursuing us to give us money. It is because we are paying every day. We have borrowed close to N300billion and not owing up to N80billion. That is why I said you should ask banks why they are pursuing us. It is because at the end of the month, once they get our money, they quickly take over their money. We are paying N7billion every month to service the debt. You can ask any of the banks. We would not leave debt behind. We are different from others; you can go and ask thand leave some.” I think we still left about N17billion or N18billion out of N53billion. But it is growing again, maybe before we left; it will grow to over N20billion. Not from our savings alone but interest accruing on it.

    Do you think the NGF is still as effective?

    What are we doing before that we are not doing again? The only thing we were doing before that we were not doing again is controlling the stealing of oil money. Now, it has gone bad that nobody can control it. Before when we see the stealing, we come together and tell the President that we don’t like the stealing. They were more careful then. So, if you say, it is politics, it is more to stop us from shouting against the stealing because that was what was annoying the president that every day we were shouting about the stealing in the oil industry. The stealing was controlled by then, but now the stealing has no control at all. Beyond that, has president stopped me from what I want to say? The answer is no because I can still say what I want to say.

     

  • Ekiti CJ orders release of 24 detainees

    Ekiti State Chief Judge Justice Ayodeji Daramola has ordered the release of 24 awaiting trial inmates (ATI), including four women from the Ado-Ekiti Prisons.

    Justice Daramola spoke during a routine visit to the prisons at the weekend.

    He said paucity of funds remained a major challenge for the Ekiti State Judiciary.

    Justice Daramola granted bail to three other inmates, adding that he exercised the prerogative of mercy following diligent investigation as well as advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the police.

    The Comptroller of the Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Prison Service, Mr. Kehinde Fadipe, lauded the Chief Judge for  ensuring that justice was not denied.

     

  • Ikoro-Ekiti protests non-creation of new LCDA

    The people of Ikoro-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State have expressed displeasure over the non-creation of a new local council development area in the town.

    In a peaceful demonstration led by chiefs and other residents of the town, the community expressed displeasure on the recent announcement of 18 new LCDAs by the state government without the inclusion of Eso Oba LCDA.

    In a letter of protest to the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the people maintained that the community met all requisite conditions set by the government for the creation of an LCDA.

    The community underscored the pre-eminent position of Ikoro-Ekiti in the present day Ijero Local Government, which according to the letter, included the town, Ikoro-Ekiti, being the second town to Ijero in terms of population.

    Besides, they said the town is the only one with a first class Oba after Ijero with one-third of the land mass of the entire local government area.

    The community used the demonstration and their protest letter to remind the governor of a similar exercise carried out in 2003 by the Niyi Adebayo-led regime, which made Ikoro-Ekiti the headquarters of the then created Surulere LG.

    The community regretted that lesser towns within the LG were given two LCDAs in the new arrangement.