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  • Delta 2019: Will zoning be a factor in APC primary?

     Will zoning play a major role in the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary? Senior Correspondent OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE examines the preparation of the chapter for next year’s poll, the contenders, their strengths and weaknesses. 

    Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) is full of hope for a brighter future. The chieftains have returned to the drawing board. But, governorship aspirants on the opposition platform are divided by zoning.

    The contenders are mobilising for the party, ahead of next year’s polls. They have embarked on consultative visits to the nooks and crannies of the state to sell their manifestos. They bear messages of hope to their supporters.

    The aspirants include Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Chief O’tega Emerhor, and Chief Great Ogboru. Some chieftains may still join the race as the elections draw near.

    But, can the APC spring a surprise? Can the party defeat the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? What is the chance of the party at the poll?

    According to observers, zoning will be an important factor during the contest. Will the party respect zoning in the state and concede the governorship ticket to a candidate of Delta North extraction? Will the APC throw the contest open for aspirants from the three senatorial districts?

    In Delta, zoning is a vexed issue. It reared its head at a meeting of Delta North APC chieftains. Following its resolve at a recent meeting at the country home of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, in Onicha-Ugbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area, the matter has become a divisive issue.

    Governor Infeanyi Okowa is from the North. In 2015, the PDP zoned the slot to the district. Since the governor is recontesting, APC leaders believe that his main challenger should come from the district.

    In its communique after the meeting, party leaders urged eligible aspirants from Delta North to make their ambitions known to the zone “at the earliest possible time.”

    According to them, “ from the inception of the Third Republic, the Central and South districts have successfully completed two gubernatorial terms and as a result, the right of the Delta North to complete its second term under the banner of the APC is only equitable.”

    They also resolved to “enlist the support of the other zones in Delta State to produce a saleable gubernatorial candidate of Delta North extraction”.

    Delta North appears to have the support of APC chieftains from Delta South. A source said the mood of Delta South APC leaders favoured a candidate from the North in the spirit of equity.

    During their meeting of March 4 at the residence of its chairman,Yemi Omaghomi,   Delta South leaders agreed to support Delta North governorship candidacy with the proviso that such a candidate will “do one term in line with extant power rotation in the state and allow the zone complete its two terms of eight years.”

    According to their communiqué, “Delta South APC notes that the request of Delta North APC is fair, just and equitable  as it guarantees all ethnic groups, particularly the minority ethnic groups in our dear state, fair access to the governorship seat of the state”.

    Some APC chieftains from Delta North extraction appear to have keyed into the idea.   Ojougboh, said he will abide by the resolution and serve for only one term, if elected as governor. But, some analysts said it is easier said than done.

    Ojougboh said his commitment one term is to give operative content to zoning, which will clear the path for the three districts to s complete two “gubernatorial tenures.” He said the arrangement should be preserved.

    Ojougboh is a former member of the House of Representatives from Ika Constituency. He is also a former PDP governorship aspirant.  He said his desire to contest the governorship election is borne out of a desire to rescue Delta State from the PDP’s misrule.

    Ojougboh said: “I want to make it clear that I am not contesting the Delta State governorship ticket just because I am from Delta North. I am not saying it must be me because I am from Delta North. I am not claiming superiority over anyone in Delta State.

    “I believe the APC must take power and all of us must make personal sacrifices, so that there will be change and if, however, you decide that I am capable and you elect me, I want to assure you that I will do only one term. I will not abuse the arrangement on the ground. I am a man of my words. I will do only one term.”

    Zoning is sacrosant in Delta PDP. The formula has guaranteed access to power to strong contenders from the three districts. Thus, the party believes that each district is entitled to two terms.  The implication is that Okowa will get the ticket unchallenged in the ruling party.

    The onus is now on the APC family to present a formidable contender from the North to compete for the number one position with Okowa next year.

    A leader of the party from Delta Central and former governorship candidate in 2015,  Emerhor, is is rooting for zoning. He is yet to declare his intention to run. But, during a consultative visit by Prof Pat Utomi to Evwreni, his country home, Emerhor said justice, equity and fairplay demanded that the ticket should be zone to the North.

    He said: “As an individual, I have decided along with committed APC leaders who really want change in Delta State that we will not do things the same way again this time because the opposition in Delta has not had this type of opportunity that is available to us today.

    “You will recall that in 2015, I ran for the governor of Delta State, and I still have the capacity to do that now. But, I took a decision not to run because the environment supports a different formula that excludes me, and that is why I am not out there consulting like others.”

    However, Delta Central APC has kept a sealed lip on zoning.  The fact that APC Delta Central has not publicly conceded the ticket to Delta North signifies a crack in Delta APC. Lack of agreement, according to observers, may spell doom for the party during the election.

    Although Ogboru, a prominent Urhobo politician from Delta Central, has not declared his intention to run, sources said he is eyeing the ticket. It is a life ambition for him.

    Sources said his ambition is causing disquiet in the party as he is unwilling to back down for anyone.

    Recently, chieftains of the party, including 22 local government chairmen and secretaries, converged on his Abraka country, Ethiope West Local Government Area, to unanimously endorse him as the sole candidate for the 2019 election.

    Despite Ogboru’s denial that the endorsement took place, many are wary of the antics of the charismatic politician

    A source said Omo-Agege, Richard Odibo, Ossai Abeh and others were present at the occasion.

    Reacting to the endorsement, the Coordinator, Light of APC, a pressure group, Ossai Abeh, said: “That is public opinion for you. The charisma and attraction of Ogboru to Deltans is well known the world over and what happened there was a tip of the iceberg and sample of public opinion.”

    However, the position of the Delta APC leadership is that it does not recognize zoning. Therefore, it will not champion the zoning of elective offices.

    The Chairman Delta APC, Mr. Jones Erue, also debunked the insinuation.

    He said: “We hereby make it categorically clear that our party has not zoned the governorship ticket to any zone, and has no intention to do so.

    “We are totally committed to and will strictly follow our party’s constitution in the choice of all candidates.”

    According to him, the party was averse to the zoning of any elective position because it breaches the party’s constitution.

    To further underscore the uncertainty and controversy over zoning, aspirants from the three districts have intensified their consultations and mobilisation, ahead of the primary.

    The aspirants-Ojougboh, (Delta North), Prof Pat Utomi (Delta North), Ogboru (Delta Central), Osiobe Okotie (Delta Central), and Emeka  Nwandiani (Delta North), andVictor Ochei (Delta North)-are not leaving anything to chances.

    The battle for the 2019 govrnorship ticket in Delta Central appears to be between forces who want political control  in 2019 and those who want to wait till 2023 elections, when it will be the “turn” of the Delta Central, going by the existing rotational or zoning arrangement on ground.

     

  • ‘No Atiku factor in Edo politics’

    ‘No Atiku factor in Edo politics’

    Deputy Chief Whip of House of Representatives Pally Iriase (Owan) has debunked speculations that some members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo State will join Atiku Abubakar to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The lawmaker said no member of Edo APC would defect to PDP because “there is no Atiku factor in Edo politics”.

    Iriase, who addressed reporters yesterday at his Otuo home in Owan East, said the former Vice President was unfair to Nigerians when he left the APC because of failed promises of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

    His words: “What Atiku said does not make sense to me, but when campaigns for 2019 resumes, you will see that there will be no Atiku factor in Edo State or Nigeria. This APC government is actually taking Nigeria on the right path; it is just that the rot, which needs to be cleaned before we see light at the end of the tunnel, is so humongous.

    “We, as human beings by nature, want a quick fix but it is impossible to do that. Even as at now, you are talking about predicating our budget on $45 bench mark, all throughout the last administration, we were talking about $90 to $98 per barrel.

    “Can we talk about that kind of money now? People have to be reasonable. You had a wonderful opportunity but you filtered it away. Somebody had the ill luck to take over, when the damage had been done, and he is trying his best to correct the ills and put you on a path of sustainable development.I don’t want to start playing politics now but I can say out right there is no Atiku factor in Edo politics.”

  • 2018 poll ‘ll be defining factor for Osun, says APC

    2018 poll ‘ll be defining factor for Osun, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has said the 2018 governorship election will be a defining factor for the future of the residents, their well-being and sustenance of the transformational development the state has been experiencing since 2010.

    A statement by the party’s spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, said: “This is because the electorate will be making a critical choice between moving forward along the current progressive pattern or reverting to the rot and pillage that characterised governance in the PDP days.

    “It’s a stark choice that will impact the lives of people of every category in the state, most especially the children and youths, whose future  will be hanging precariously in the balance, should a tragic succession in government occurs.

    “This kind of tragedy had happened before and it would appear that a similar conspiracy is underway to make it happen again. This will be the challenge of 2018.”

    APC warned Osun State residents to disallow the experience of 2003 to recur in 2018 “because it could leave an indelible scar on the state for decades, if not centuries to come”.

    The party said the state once had a frugal, astute and highly disciplined Alliance for Democracy (AD) government, which it said was “unfortunately” replaced with a profligate and apparently visionless PDP government in 2003.

    The statement added: “That PDP government generated unspeakable disaster in the state: City centres were left to rot in foul smelling garbage heaps; drainage became refuse dumps that caused flooding in the raining seasons, killing people in dozens and destroying properties. School infrastructure was so obscenely dilapidated. Many of the pupils were living in them like animals, while a good number of the schools became ‘dens of gangsters and juvenile cultists’. Besides, standard was unacceptably low.

    “The extent of this disastrous failure was so huge that it took great efforts in planning and execution (under the Rauf Aregbesola administration’s close scrutiny) to get Osun to where it is today.

    “From one signature achievement to another, the Aregbesola-led APC government so stunned the world in practically every department of governance that the accolades poured in from international organisations, the British parliament and even Federal Government institutions, controlled at that time by the PDP.

    “However, back home in Osun, a vicious campaign of hate, based on envy, lies and deliberate falsification of figures, was mounted by Osun chapter of the PDP against the person and government led by the governor. Unfortunately, a national financial meltdown, triggered by the collapse of oil prices, coupled with brazen oil theft by past administration, negatively impacted virtually all the states of the federation.

    “The impact on Osun was indeed severe. It slowed down several projects and brought in its wake a crisis of payment of salaries.

    “This situation fuelled PDP lies, which took in the characteristics of Hitler’s propaganda machine during the Second World War that brought ruination to Germany. This is where Osun is at the moment.

    “We are in the grip of ravenous political predators and mind twisters who can make you look at an apple and call it a banana (courtesy CNN). No matter what it takes, and how hard they try, the PDP can never be an alternative to the APC. So, the choice will hopefully not be as problematic as many people are suspecting.”

    The party advised that “the people of Osun should free their minds of prejudice and hate”.

  • Anambra: APC, youths and Nwoye factor

    Ahead of Anambra November 18 governorship election, candidates of 37 political parties and their running mates have emerged. There are contenders, but great majority are pretenders in the race. There are parties to watch and parties to mock. Among the three senatorial zones in the state-North, South and Central, the North holds the ace, having produced candidates of the major parties in the election-All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    While the candidates of APGA, Willie Obiano and that of the PDP Oseloka Obazee are of the old political order in the state that needed to be changed, that of the APC, Tony Nwoye is a paradigm shift from the old order. Nwoye’s emergence and overwhelming victory in the primary signalled a new order in the politics of the state. It is a true manifestation of his acceptability in the state, especially among the youths in the grassroots, who are the majority voters. Coming at a time, the National Assembly is considering a bill on “Not Too Young to Run” is quite timely.

    Luckily for the people of the state and entire Igbo land, the choice of Nwoye at a time the South-east zone is in dire need of reconnecting with the “centre” is a blessing in disguise. This is because Nwoye’s victory in the forthcoming election will serve as a huge vehicle to take the zone to the centre ahead of 2019, when other states in the zone will definitely join the moving train there in 2019. This will not only give the people of South-east complete sense of belonging politically, they will have their due share.

    With Nwoye’s leadership records and achievements over the years, he has shown that he is a leader to be trusted with huge responsibility any day, any time, especially when it has to do with his home state Anambra. This is where Nwoye was born and brought up and has always identifed with his people, especially in time of need.

    Nwoye’s giant strides in leadership are not a thing of today. It began at a time not many medical students in the university delve into Students Union Government (SUG) politics because of the enormity of their academic and practical schedules, but Nwoye braved the odds.

    Asa junior student at University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), he maturely led members of the University of Nigeria’s Medical Association (UNMSA), to pressure the university authority to lift the ban on students’ unionism after many years of ban. He later won a seat to represent the medical students in the student’s union House of Representatives. From there, he contested and won the Speakership of S.U.G House of Representatives, becoming the first medical student to serve in that capacity in the history of university.

    Not resting on his oars, with his always-ready-to serve-or-lead attitude, huge leadership responsibility beckoned on him in 2003, when against all odds, he was elected National President of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS). That was how he became the first Igbo man to occupy the position till date.

    Realising the need to maximise his leadership qualities as a vibrant youth, the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State elected him Assistant Secretary of the party in 2005. Following his exemplary performance, he was made the substantive chairman of PDP in 2006 at the age of 21. It was under his leadership that PDP won majority of the seats in state and National Assembly elections in 2007.

    Having provided leadership that was embedded in strength of character, Nwoye was invited by his people to contest House of Representatives in 2011. He contested and was massively voted for only for some forces of darkness within and outside the state to connive and thwart the peoples’ wish by declaring another person winner of the election. Nwoye and his people fought the injustice in court and his stolen mandate was returned to him.

    It is of note to also recall that in line with the confidence and trust the people had in him, Nwoye emerged the PDP governorship candidate in 2013 election. This was despite a protracted legal tussle between him and other bigwigs in the party over the ticket. It took a high level conspiracy between the then APGA-led government of Peter Obi in the state, President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency and other external forces to influence the election in favour of Obi’s now estranged godson and incumbent governor, Willie Obiano. Nwoye emerged second runner up.

    It was in compensation of the injustice meted to Nwoye in 2013 that made his people to re-elect him into House of Representatives in 2015. Having seen that PDP has lost its original vision, coupled with the leadership crisis that hit the party, Nwoye consulted his people who advised him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and serve them better. That was how and why Nwoye defected to APC.

    With the wealth of practical leadership experiences that spanned over a decade, there is no doubt that Nwoye is the man to beat in the election. Nwoye stands shoulder high above all other candidates in the race, including the duo of Obaze and Obiano, who are offshoots of Obi’s shaky political dynasty. APC’s choice of him was not by accident, but popularity, quality and grassroots-based. Nwoye represents hope for youths in the leadership of Nigeria.

    So far, Nwoye has proven that age is just a game of number in leadership. With the way events are unfolding in the state ahead of the election, it appears the people of Anambra have decided to effect leadership change that will place governance in the state on the shoulder of a viable and accessible youth like Nwoye. This is also in fulfilment of the saying that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. Nwoye’s success story in the leadership positions before now raise hope that being given a higher responsibility of governor, he will serve better and selflessly for humanity.

    Nwoye is not only a consummate leader and tactical politician; he is a medical doctor, who decided to suspend practice for a while to serve his people, having seen that leadership challenge has become a recurring decimal. With Nwoye as a leading candidate in the poll, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the APC, youths and people of Anambra State.

     

    • Chimanya, a cleric wrote Awka, Anambra State.
  • Ekiti 2018: Can zoning be deciding factor?

    Ekiti 2018: Can zoning be deciding factor?

    The 2018 Ekiti State governorship race is gathering momentum. Aspirants from the three senatorial districts have started mobilisation. Ekiti North and Ekiti Central have each produced two governors. But, since 1999, Ekiti South has not enjoyed the slot. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the arguments for and against zoning in the  Fountain of Knowledge.

    Zoning plays an important role in ensuring equity, balance and proportional sharing of offices and positions in politics.

    Political parties, in a bid to ensure that offices are equitably distributed, share them to members after winning elections on the basis of where they come from to ensure that no geo-political zone, region, state and local government area is exluded.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only party which has officially adopted zoning as a means of sharing offices in its constitution. Other parties also implement zoning, although they do not have it in their constitutions.

    It is an unwritten rule across the federation that a governor and deputy cannot come from the same senatorial district. Also, the President and the Vice President are not expected to cone from the same geopolitical zone.

    The practice of electing a President or governor from another  zone or senatorial district other than where the incumbent comes from is being entrenched in the nation’s political culture.

    The failure to adhere strictly to  zoning in the PDP was one of the reasons why former President Goodluck Jonathan lost last year’s presidential election.

    The North which felt aggrieved that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua could not complete his term on account of his deaths expected power to come back to their zone after Dr.Jonathan completed the remaining one year and went ahead to win another four-year term.

    In Ekiti State, zoning has not influenced voters’ decision during governorship poll occupies since  1999 .

    Voters in Ekiti.  They always vote in favour of any popular and acceptable candidate irrespective of where he comes from.

    Ekiti State has three senatorial districts; Ekiti North, Ekiti Central and Ekiti South.

    Since the state was created in 1996 and had the opportunity of electing the first civilian governor in 1999 (after being ruled by military administrators for the first three years of its existence), only Ekiti South has not had the opportunity of producing a governor.

    In 1999, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo from Iyin Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti Central Senatorial district who ran on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) defeated Prof. Tunde Adeniran, from Orin Ekiti Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti North senatorial.

    In the 2003 governorship poll, the two major candidates were from Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area in Ekiti Central.

    The winner, Mr. Ayo Fayose from Afao Ekiti, who ran on the platform of the PDP, defeated Adebayo who was seeking a re-election on the platform of the AD.

    It was a battle of two major candidates from Ekiti North Senatorial District in the 2007 contest, Segun Oni from Ifaki Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area running on the PDP platform against Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from Isan Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area?  ran an the platform the flag of the defunct Action Congress (AC).

    Oni was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a long litigation ensued before the Court of Appeal ordered a rerun in 2009.

    Oni won the rerun in highly controversial circumstances after which Fayemi relaunched another marathon legal battle before being declared winner on October 15, 2010.

    Fayemi held office until another election was held in 2014 when Fayose was again fielded by the PDP lost to Fayose.

    It should be noted that before Fayose won the PDP primary on his way to victory at the main election, a battle was launched by some forces within the umbrella party to have the ticket zoned to Ekiti South senatorial district which produced the highest number of aspirants.

    A move was made to adopt consensus to chose the PDP flag bearer but pro-Fayose forces prevailed on the Jonathan Presidency to use a primary election to elect a flag bearer which Fayose won in acrimonious circumstances.

    The implication of is that Ekiti Central has occupied the governorship seat on three occasions (Fayose twice, Adebayo once) while Ekiti North had the privilege twice (Oni and Fayemi, once each).

    As the 2018 governorship election draws nearer, political gladiators from Ekiti South are staking a big claim for the highest office state as it remains the only senatorial district yet to produce governor.

    Ironically, the zone has the largest land mass, as it extends from Ogotun, which shares boundary with Osun State to Emure and Ikere which share boundaries with Ondo State and Omuo, which shares boundary with Kogi State.

    Ekiti South has more local government areas than both Ekiti North and Ekiti Central. Ekiti North and Ekiti Central has have five local government areas each while Ekiti South has six local government areas.

    Local government areas in Ekiti South are Ekiti Southwest, Ikere, Ise, Emure, Gbonyin and Ekiti East. Council areas in Ekiti Central are Ado, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Efon and Ijero while those in Ekiti a North are Moba, Ido/Osi, Ilejemeje, Oye and Ikole.

    Ekiti State has a total number of 177 wards with Ekiti South having the lion share of 64. Ekiti Central has 57 and Ekiti North 56.

    In terms of the number of registered voters voters on the three senatorial districts, Ekiti South comes second behind Ekiti Central while Ekiti North is last.

    Records with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that Ekiti Central has a total number of 301, 687 registered voters while Ekiti South boasts of 239, 243. Ekiti North has 191, 203.

    All these demographic features supposed to work in favour of Ekiti South but the politics being played in the state is peculiar and highly unpredictable.

    The million dollar question in Ekiti politics, ahead of the next governorship poll is: will power shift to Ekiti South, which has never had the opportunity to produce the governor?

    In a bid to realise the dream, a group, the Ekiti South for Governor Movement, has taken up the gauntlet by rallying forces in the  district, ahead of the 2018 poll.

    Members of the group include governorship aspirants, party leaders, interest groups, opinion moulders and leaders of thought from the senatorial district. It recently sponsored an advertorial in national dailies on the Ekiti South governorship agenda.

    They are reaching out to traditional rulers, labour unions and other groups to ensure that the district produces the next governor.

    This explains why Ekiti South has the highest number of governorship aspirants, although only one of them has officially inform his party.

    The two major political parties in the state-APC and PDP-are yet to come out with any zoning formula.

    In the ruling PDP, Fayose, who is expected to vacate office in 2018, holds the ace in determining who picks the governorship ticket. There are speculations that he is planning to defect to another party due to the protracted crisis in the party.

    In the PDP, eyes are on Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola; the Senator representing Ekiti South, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi; former Minister of State for Works Prince Adedayo Adeyeye; former Deputy Governors Adebisi Omoyeni and Abiodun Aluko; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Owoseni Ajayi and the Chairman, House of Assembly Service Commission, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi.

    Olusola, Aluko and Omoyeni are from Ikere,  Ikere LGA.  Olujimi is from Omuo, Ekiti East LGA. Adeyeye and Ajayi hail from Ise, Ise/Orun LGA while Odeyemi is from Ode, Gbonyin LGA.

    All of them are from Ekiti South District and they are being tipped by party members, based on their experience, pedigree and loyalty to the party.

    Fayose had publicly acknowledged Olusola’s loyalty to him. But, his earlier declaration that the two of them were leaving in 2018 may prevent the former from succeeding his boss.

    Olujimi, Adeyeye, Omoyeni, Aluko, Ajayi and Odeyemi are tested and experienced politicians. But, Fayose’s alleged plan to choose a successor from another senatorial district other than Ekiti South is causing disquiet in the party.

    The governor, like his Ondo State counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is allegedly plotting to anoint a successor from Ekiti Central where he hails from. Sources in the PDP allege that Fayose may throw up a politician from Ado, the state capital,  as the party’s candidate for the next election. Fayose’s hometown, Afao Ekiti, is less than 10 kilometers from Ado Ekiti.

    Mimiko’s gamble of anointing a successor from the Ondo Central, where he hails from, backfired in the recent governorship election.

    Unless the game changes with the dynamics of politics, Fayose is said to be mulling over the choice of Mr. Kayode Oso, his former Chief of Staff and Works Commissioner during his first term, who also served, until recently, as Works Commissioner.

    Oso, who hails from Ado Ekiti, resigned on April 6 from the State Executive Council in controversial circumstances, although the government claimed that he resigned on “health grounds.” He traveled abroad immediately after resigning only to return few months later.

    At the Udiroko Festival, which marked the commencement of Ado Ekiti traditional calendar in August, Oso stole the show as he brought his friends and political allies to pay homage to the Ewi, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, which gave a hint of a possible governorship ambition.

    Fayose’s plan to anoint an Ado Ekiti indigene as successor is believed to be the reason why he is executing key capital projects in the city including the palace of the Ewi. Ado Ekiti has about 130,000 registered voters and any candidate that wins there and the second largest town, Ikere Ekiti usually clinches the governorship seat.

    But the Mimiko/Jegede fiasco in neighboring Ondo State is reportedly giving Fayose some headache as voters in other parts of Ekiti may not not be favourable disposed to an Afao indigene handing over to a native of Ado Ekiti.

    In the APC, only the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Olufemi Bamisile, has officially informed the party about his intention to contest.Bamisile is from Omuo, Ekiti East council.

    The APC  parades a galaxy of  aspirants.

    The APC aspirants from the South include Senator Gbenga Aluko, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, Mr. Kola Alabi, Dr. Wole Oluyede, Chief Bisi Aloba, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Chief Dele Okeya, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, Captain Sunday Adebomi, Mr. Bayo Idowu, Mr. Bayo Babalotin, among others.

    Aluko and Faparusi are from Ode. Afuye, Alabi, Oluyede, Aloba Fatoba and Olumilua are from Ikere while Adebomi, Idowu and Babalotin are from Ise. Adaramodu is from Ilawe.

    Aspirants from Ekiti Central include Dr. Adebayo Orire, Dr. Femi Thomas, both of whom are from Ikoro in Ijero Local Government Area. Aspirants from the North include Mr. Bimbo Daramola is from Ire and Ayo Akinyemi Jnr is from Ikole.

    Aluko, Faparusi, Daramola  are former federal lawmakers. Afuye, Aloba, Fatoba, Okeya and Thomas are former commissioners. Orire and Idowu are former board chairmen. Adaramodu is a former Chief of Staff. Oluyede, Alabi, Akinyemi, Babalotin and Adebomi are new breed politicians.

    There is a new twist to the struggle. Oni and Fayemi, who are from the North, are said to be intrested.

    Oni is the APC Deputy National Chairman (South). Fayemi is the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

    Although they have not declared their interests, their foot soldiers are on the field feeling the pulse of party members and selling them to interest groups and the electorate.

    In Ekiti, it is a crowded race.  Parties are neck deep in claculations about how zoning will shape the process. Ekiti is one zone. But, it was divided into three zones, based on the three senatorial slots. The three districts are not different in language, culture and tradition. There is neither a case of discrimination nor marginalisation.

    However, politicians are fueling sentiments about imaginary zoning. It is not a big issue in Ekiti politics.

    The next few months will determine the extent to which zoning will determine who wears the next governorship crown in Ekiti.

  • Missing factor in our governance

    SIR: Most of the challenges bedevilling governance in Nigeria at federal, states and local government levels are traceable to lack of critical thinking.

    Isaac Newton was asked how he was able to propound the Law of Gravity and he responded “by thinking about it all the time”.

    It is high time appointment to public offices be based on the track record of solution-driven thinking.

    For instance despite Donald Trump’s limitations in the nuances of diplomacy and technocracy,

    two critical electioneering imperatives, he continues to dominate in most opinion polls in the U.S.A.

    Most American voters are fed up with pro-establishment leadership stereotype assuming power without a denouement traceable to a demonstrable personal success.

    Trump’s teaming supporters cannot but establish a nexus between his personal success story in commerce and industry and the anticipated American greatness.

    Our domestic politics have little or no such symbiotic imperative between candidate’s track record of success and contest for political office.

    The state of anomy prevailing in practically all the states of the federation shows a pathetic declivity in cerebral engagement.

    The lazy cerebral inclusion in governance is more apparent in Ekiti State with its garrulous governor finding solace in leading a rebellious opposition to a one year old federal administration whilst leaving his state to wallow in crass maladministration. In Ekiti, workers are on strike, Internally Generated Revenue is stagnant and has taken a southward trajectory from Fayemi’s transitional threshold.

    Fayose’s lead balloon is an aggregation of what obtains in other states with exception of Lagos.

    Change remains a rocket science where thirty six states are cerebrally detached from the challenges of the moment.

     

    Bukola Ajisola,

    Victoria Island, Lagos.

  • Address human factor in building collapse, urges ATOPCON

    Address human factor in building collapse, urges ATOPCON

    The immediate past Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde, has said the spate of building collapse in the country is a signal that quality is being compromised.

    Ayinde, who spoke at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), stated that aside the quantity of building materials, labour is also a vital aspect of quality.

    Ayinde was represented at the AGM by Mr. Moses Ogunleye.

    Ayinde, who noted that though  town planners, like other professionals in the build industry are facing challenges, said it was rather unfortunate that the industry is at the receiving end.

    “When incidents of building collapse still stare us in the face, it is a signal that quality is being sacrificed, but that really is the essence of ATOPCON, an association intended to foster quality consultancy services and healthy peer review,” he said.

    Ayinde, therefore, charged the experts and others to ensure that the level of awareness for quality must be raised if professionals were to remain relevant to the built environment.

    ATOPCON, he maintained, needs to enlighten professionals and other colleagues who might just see the association as another elitist movement designed to strangulate some people out of practice.

    Rather, the former commissioner said the association was seeking to bring together experienced professionals, who could learn from one another, and thus cause an improvement in service delivery.

    “There is no better time to convince more people to be committed to quality practice. There, indeed, lies our future. Sustainable systems have always survived on quality service, and ours should not be different. I therefore urge us to begin to think through the various challenges faced in the built environment and the construction industry, and to evolve viable solutions that will make us the pride of the society,”Ayinde said.

    Similarly, a Mass Communication lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Dr. Kadijat Kadiri-Bello, while delivering a lecture titled: “Rebranding town planning firms,” said there was the need for town planners to rebrand and take their place in the built environment.

    This, she cautioned, was not just about change in name, logo or colour, but also about professionals being open to adopting a consistent definition of branding, including evolving and sustaining transparency within their operations.

    ATOPCON’s immediate past Lagos chairman, Mr. Joseph Akande, said it had become imperative for the body to evolve new ways to deliver services. If imbibed, Akande said, it would lead to great improvements in the image and integrity of town planners before the general public, clients and professional colleagues.

    ATOPCON President, Mr. Olaide Afolabi emphasised that the aim of the association is to ensure the evolvement and nurturing of sustainable human settlement and cities.

    This, he explained, would be achieved if its members promote  urban and regional planning practice.

    “Our message to the Lagos State government is that it should  continue its efforts in the development of the city into a true mega city and ensure physical planning is used as an important and vital tool in guiding development plans, schemes and policies within the city.

    ‘’As is obtained in other climes, countries with sound, proactive physical planning and policies develop rapidly and sustainably.  Lagos cannot afford to be left out in creating an enduring liveable city and, as town planning consultants, we have to live up to the calling of our profession and its ethics,” Afolabi said.

  • Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: The Fashola factor

    Like a winding way, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway presents twists and turns. Another development has further complicated the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and reinforced earlier complications. In the news is a new concession claim that is surprising and thought-provoking.

    An October 22 report said: “The Ministry of Works has said that the contractor handling Section II of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction and expansion project, Reynolds Construction Company, RCC, was facing challenges of finance, adverse weather and impatience of motorists. Mr. Nelson Olubakinde, the representative of the Ministry, told newsmen in Ibadan: “The construction company (RCC) is facing challenges of finance, weather, especially rain, and impatience on the part of road users often resulting in accidents within work location.”

    The report also said: “Olubakinde, however, said that the construction effort was under Public Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement with Motorway Assets Limited as leasee, while the ministry was the guarantor.”

    The confusion was compounded by a November 11 report which said: “Oyinloye was quoted in a newspaper report on November 4 as saying: “Motorways Assets Limited has been given consideration for the project. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has to give the concession certificate, while the lenders and investors have to ensure that all the details are properly worked out. We have now got all the relevant approvals.” Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye is Managing Director of the Infrastructure Bank Plc.

    The question is: How did MAL get into the picture?  It is noteworthy that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has moved from controversy to controversy, especially following the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s 2012 termination of a concession agreement with Bi-Courtney Highways Services Limited (BCHSL), which was supposed to reconstruct and manage the toll road. The past government alleged that the company failed to make progress on actualising the objective of the concession four years after the agreement signed with a preceding administration.

    It is two years since the Jonathan administration in July 2013 rearranged the reconstruction, following a N167 billion contract, awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited. Under the new arrangement, two sections of the expressway will be reconstructed: Section I (Lagos to Sagamu Interchange) and Section II (Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan).

    The 127.6-km-long Lagos-Ibadan Expressway dates back to 1978. Apart from connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic capital, the road is the busiest inter-state road, and it is a main link to the northern, southern and eastern regions of the country.

    According to Bi-Courtney, “We are in court because the alleged cancellation of the concession did not follow due process. Apart from that, the so-called contract involving the two new companies handling the project was awarded arbitrarily without a bidding process.”  The company said:  “BCHSL won the concession to reconstruct and manage the toll road for 25 years. It’s a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) arrangement. According to the concession agreement, the road will be expanded to 10 lanes from Lagos to Sagamu and six lanes from Sagamu to Ibadan. Because of this expansion, structures that fall within 60.35 metres from the median on both sides of the road will be demolished, and government will compensate owners of the affected properties.”

    The company proudly argued that it rebuilt the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA2) in Lagos “against all odds”. “It is the first airport in Africa to be owned by a private company on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, the first of its kind in Nigeria, and it was delivered far ahead of schedule,” Bi-Courtney said.

    The company’s response to the allegation of non-performance blamed work delay on the Jonathan administration. In the period of three years and six months that the company had the concession, it was slowed down for two years and 10 months. According to the company, the design process which was expected to be completed within four months took 18 months as a result of bureaucratic bottlenecks at the Ministry of Works. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) corroborated Bi-Courtney’s position.

    From the look of things, the announced cancellation of the concession by the Ministry of Works on November 19, 2012, was the culmination of a chain of unprogressive manoeuvres resulting from behind-the-scenes influence.  While the delay lasted, Bi-Courtney said, “We were advised by the ministry not to do any serious works on the road other than palliatives”.  Before the concession was terminated, the company claimed it “had completed the patching and overlaying of bad portions of the highway, preparatory to full-scale reconstruction”.

    It is interesting to note the new language describing MAL as “leasee” and the reference to Public Private Partnership (PPP). The old understanding was that the contract involving Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company Limited is not a concession unlike Bi-Courtney’s, with the implication that the federal government is expected to fund the road rehabilitation and operate the toll road. With MAL in the picture now, has the picture changed?

    Of course, it is open to debate whether adopting the concession model for the rehabilitation of the expressway promises greater socio-economic benefits than the old way of doing things. However, the attraction of the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) approach, which the concession concept represents, cannot be reasonably discounted in a modern economy, considering reported examples in Western Europe and the U.S. where private investors are involved in infrastructure development based on concession agreements.

    The PPP appeal is highlighted by a recent report: “Contractors handling over 184 federal road projects have abandoned the various sites due to lack of funding from the Federal Government and the huge debt owed them by the Federal Ministry of Works.”  The Lagos-Ibadan dual carriageway was listed among the roads affected by the funding problem. According to the report, “The contractors said they were owed over N600bn, adding that although part of the sum was owed by state and local governments, over 80 per cent of the amount was owed by the Federal Government.”

    This kind of abandonment seems less likely under a concession arrangement that requires the concessionaire to raise funds for the concerned project, rather than wait for government funding that may make a mess of the project, particularly in the context of dwindling government revenue.

    Against this background, the appointment of ex-Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, may prove to be a clarifying factor concerning the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He has a track record of progressive performance.  Fashola was quoted as saying: “Let us design and build roads that last and houses that will stand the test of time. We want to know if some of those problems are man-made or systemic…We want information on what has been done, what remained to be done, and what are the future plans, we want to continue from there.”

  • ‘Obasanjo still a factor in PDP’

    ‘Obasanjo still a factor in PDP’

    Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Chief Joju Fadairo, in this interview with JEREMAIH OKE, speaks on President Jonathan’s re-election bid, the Ogun PDP crisis and other issues.

    Do you think the performance of President Jonathan is enough for him to contest next year?

    Although Jonathan has not declared his intention to contest in 2015, but nothing stops him from contesting. He has done well in the area of constructions and transportation. One of the necessities of life is shelter and that is why he is doing housing projects across the country. In terms of infrastructure and employment which I believe he needs to do more, I think he will be justified in the forthcoming elections. Also, the way he has put women in his cabinet is unprecedented, nobody has even done that in Nigeria history.

    You said he needs to do more on youth empowerment and unemployment?

    Yes. Few days ago, Jonathan was addressing youths on the way and strategies he has put in place to make them happy, which I believe he will soon carry out. I know he has put in place some agencies that will empower the youth so as not to engage themselves in violence or hooliganism. But let me tell you, the youths who are not myopia to see what he has done will vote for him and return him as the next president.

    Why are you insisting that he must return, even without visible achievement?

    I have enumerated some of his achievements and you are asking me if I really want him to return in 2015. You are wicked for saying he has not done anything. He is in my party and I want him back because he has performed well.

    Northern elders have given the president Jonathan ultimatum to return the Chibok girls or he should forget about the 2015 election…

    The Northern elders are not God. If I say Jonathan will be there and God says no, there is nothing I can do because the will of God must prevail. Let me tell you, all these social vices we are experiencing in Nigeria are not peculiar with Nigeria. Jonathan cannot do more than what is doing because he has done many things to ensure that the menace of insecurity stops in the north but the northerners are not helping matters. If they insist, they will continue with their crisis in the North because there is no Igbo or Yoruba man that is among the people threatening the peace of their region. It is their people who are killing them to distract the government. I think the northerners should help Jonathan with this Boko Haram of a thing rather than adding more to the problem because they know who are behind it and they should proffer lasting solution to it. They should forget it, Jonathan is coming back in 2015.

    Do you think your party is on ground in the Southwest?

    We are solidly on ground in the Southwest. Things cannot be going on well all the time. Crisis is synonymous to human being especially in politics. Between husband and wife, father and children there is always crisis but conflict resolution approach must be adopted. There must be time that thing will be rough or they experience misunderstanding. There was a lot of misunderstanding in the party before, but in the last four months, I can tell you we have done a lot of reconciliations and we are back on ground. It is true that some desperate politicians left our party. But, that does not say we are not on ground.

    Some people are of the opinion that without former President Obasanjo the party can win elections. Don’t you think he is still relevant in the party?

    He is relevant. Anybody who says Obasanjo is no more relevant is entitled to his opinion but to me, he is very relevant and we need him the more. As a human being, you have right to you views and opinion. Obasanjo has never said he is no more in politics so I don’t know how people will say such thing when he is still a factor in the party. He is still in politics.

    He is in PDP. If he is not attending meetings and he is still in the party that does not mean that he is not relevant in the party. He was the former chairman of the party BoT, former president elected under the platform of the PDP and he had said it time without numbers that he is a member of the party. If anybody now says without Obasanjo we can’t win election, I will never be part of that. He has his own role to play, which I am convinced that he will play and he will continue to play.

  • Entrepreneurship, the missing factor

    SIR: The grief and fear of low or inconsistency of pension and retirement benefits, the terror of not having steady salary and other domestic challenges mostly lead our retirees to a short life span after retirement.

    More than 90% of those that tried to start up a business usually fails because of lack of financial literacy. Our country is blessed with variety of natural resources.  We are front runners in the continent as an economic power. We are the giant of Africa; we have several opportunities at our disposal.

    Universities and colleges taught us to become good employees so that we can have good and secure jobs but nothing is taught on  entrepreneurship. Although most universities are trying to bring entrepreneurship courses into our curriculum but  they are entirely different from what it is in real sense.

    Nigerian government has failed to provide employment for its citizens; the rate of unemployment continues to rise as new entrants graduate from our institutions with no certainty of having employment.

    No graduate has to die seeking for employment . Let us seek entrepreneurship education so that we can exploit the God-given gifts our dear country is endowed with.

    The sky should be our beginning towards making our country a better one .

    • Ahmad Shehu Kano,

    Kano State