The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gambari

  • Ahmed, Sultan, Gambari for conference

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, President-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, will, on Friday, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, open a three-day national conference on the propagation of Islam.

    The conference is organised by the Da’wah Co-ordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN).

    Chairman, Central Working Committee of DCCN, Justice Idris Abdullahi Haroon said the conference would hold at the Banquet Hall, beginning on Thursday through Saturday.

    Governor Ahmed, he said is the special guest of honour, while Emir Sulu-Gambari would be the royal host.

    Sultan Abubakar is expected to commission the newly constructed Juma’at Mosque built by the Kwara State Jamaatu Nasril Islam.

  • How to finish Boko Haram, by Gambari

    Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. Ibrahim Gambari has called for a multi-faceted approach against the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Gambari, who spoke on: “Terrorism in Nigeria: Effects on the Polity and Development”, at the ongoing Nigeria National Security Summit, said Boko Haram represented the greatest threat to Nigeria.

    “Degrading the military capability of Boko Haram is only one of several strategies that are needed to really, in a much sustained way, deal with violence extremism.

    “Following the recent success recorded by the military in the fight, which must be commended and built upon, the non-military threats to national security must now be given utmost priority,” he said.

    Gambari said National Security must now focus on the enhancement of human security, which encompasses non-military threats, such as environmental hazards, socio-economic conditions and transnational crime, affecting the individual, communities and states.

    “In other words, while a state or a part of it, such as the Northeast, may be physically secure, there may be human insecurity within its border,” he said.

    Gambari stressed the need to urgently draw up and implement a National Plan of Action against Boko Haram.

    “The current wave of insurgency and insecurity in Nigeria has introduced additional dimensions to the challenges facing the country.

    “Boko Haram represents the greatest threat to Nigeria’s national security and socio-economic development. In developing a National Action Plan to Combat terrorism and violent extremist groups, a multifaceted and comprehensive approach must be developed, including degrading their military capabilities.”

    He said peace-building strategies to be implemented to address the underlying causes of Boko Haram, should address widespread poverty, social inequality and injustice, and inadequate education.

    It must also address endemic corruption, weak state institutions, stagnant socio-economic development, smuggling networks and sundry trans-national crimes, which provides financial support for the activities of terrorist groups.

    Gambari called for the monitoring and control of small arms and light weapons, including the movement of illegal/economic migrants susceptible to crime within the West African sub-region.

  • Uwais, Gambari: Buhari’s corruption war on course

    Uwais, Gambari: Buhari’s corruption war on course

    •Saraki, Dogara ‘should make
    lawmakers’ budget open’

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s war on corruption got yesterday a major backing, with former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mohammed Uwais and  former Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Prof. Ibrahim Gambari urging him to keep pushing.

    Buhari should remain resolute and vigorously pursue corruption suspects, the eminent Nigerians said, describing as callous “the allocation of Nigeria’s scarce resources to individuals for political interests at the expense of huge losses of lives and property, especially in the Northeast where the fight against Boko Haram continues to rage”.

    Acting under the umbrella of the Council of the Wise, they said: “Ten months after Nigeria’s historic elections that pushed out of power the 16-year PDP government, President Buhari’s APC-led government remains trapped by massive state corruption that has almost ground the country to a halt.”

    They also applauded former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his letter to the National Assembly, calling on Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara to release the expenditure profile of the National Assembly for public scrutiny.

    The Executive Director of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Chad, Amb. Abdullahi A. Omaki, spoke on behalf of Justice Uwais and Prof. Gambari.

    The Council of the Wise operates under the auspices of the SCDDD.  Justice Uwais is the Chairman of the Centre. Gambari is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

    In a statement signed by Omaki, the elder statesmen urged Buhari “to remain resolute in his administration’s fight to free Nigeria from the claws of corporate and individual corruption that have held the country hostage”.

    They described the President as the only Nigerian politician and leader who has the pedigree to engage this systematic corruption because of his own personal record of high integrity, which was personalised during the campaigns .

    The call “is hinged on the mind-boggling revelations on institutional rot that permitted for such callous and heartless looting to take place under the PDP Federal Administration until May 2015.”

    “The Executive Director notes that President Buhari and APC campaigned on five critical issues; security, corruption, economy, youth employment and the redemption of Nigeria’s image world-wide. Savannah Centre notes that although the President was inaugurated on 29th May, 2015, the mass of those that voted for him and his party of Change, began measuring his performance since March 28th, because whatever he uttered after being proclaimed winner of the election determined the course of events in Nigeria and indeed how the rest of the world related with Nigeria.

    “Following the huge expectations that followed the APC’s presidential victory, the slow phase of governance since President Buhari’s inauguration has been a matter of disappointment from his huge supporters who expected him to hit the ground running by positively addressing the concerns of the populace.

    “The Savannah Centre notes that while President Buhari’s performance in the areas of security has brought sanity to the fight against terror in the North-East of Nigeria and redemption of Nigeria’s image in the world, the populace remains apprehensive on the repositioning of the economy as well as the approach in fighting corruption.

    “Irrespective of the different perspectives of analysis of the challenges facing Nigeria, Savannah Centre believes that the fight against corruption should remain unrelenting until the institutions of state are repositioned to perform according to the laws establishing them.

    “The Centre’s position is hinged on the callous nature of allocating national resources for political interest at the expense of huge losses of lives and properties, especially, in the North-East, where the fight against Boko Haram continues to rage.

    The continuing revelations regarding the re-looting of Abacha’s funds in the name of arms procurement, the savagery of the NNPC, heartless desecration of the Customs, amongst others, necessitate Savannah Centre’s call for this fight to be comprehensively fought to save Nigeria and its citizens.

    Omaki said the National Assembly should take the side of the people and stressed that Obasanjo deserves the appreciation of all for his letter to the National Assembly’s leadership. He noted the tentative response by the Senate President, adding that the nation awaits Senator Saraki’s promised detailed reply.

    Omaki dismissed the other comments by Senator Dino Melaye and Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, describing them as self-serving and stressed that the issue is not who initiated corruption but how corruption has been elevated into an art deserving of state honours. He urged all to work together and salvage the country rather than passing the buck.

    “The Executive Director of Savannah Centre also advised that the fight against corruption should not be limited to the Federal Government. He stressed that apart from the Federal MDA’s, the judiciary require touch-lighting. Eventually, the state governments, state assemblies and local governments should not be immune from critical evaluation, in the interest of justice in our nation.

    “He advised that State Governments should desist from embarking on white elephant projects across the country and concentrate on those that have the capacity to bring immediate reliefs to the people to ensure the impact of dividends of democracy to spread to all. He stressed that rural electricity, provision of bore-holes for potable water, health care centres, fixing schools and feeder roads were much more impactful than the construction of airports embarked by several state governments when they cannot even pay salaries.”

  • Gambari to Buhari: fix Nigeria’s broken social contract

    Gambari to Buhari: fix Nigeria’s broken social contract

    Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Prof. Ibrahim Gambari has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to fix the broken social contract between the rulers and the ruled in the country.

    Prof. Gambari, who is the Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), spoke at the weekend in Malete, Moro Local Government area of the state at the institution’s third convocation ceremony.

    The former envoy described emergence of the new government as an opportunity to deepen the nation’s democracy.

    He said there was need for the administration to ensure that the change mantra that accompanied its election campaign does not remain a mere slogan.

    Prof. Gambari said: “Nigeria now has a new opportunity to deepen its democracy and deliver its dividends such as quality social services, including education and health, prosperity and security of life and property. Undoubtedly, the new President is faced with very high expectations, but these are accompanied by enormous goodwill within and outside Nigeria.

    “One thing is clear however. Change must not remain a slogan. The governments that have been elected on that platform must prepare themselves to deliver on campaign promises.

    “In this regard, the current socio-economic challenges such as high poverty level, huge youth unemployment, persistent power-blackout despite huge amounts of money invested, the challenge of insecurity, especially the scourge of Boko Haram, and the perennial disconnect between the citizen and the government that has inevitably led to high levels of distrust of the leaders by the rest of the citizens must be tackled headlong.

    “Indeed, the broken ‘socio-contract’ between the rulers and the ruled must be fixed.  The government should as a matter of priority open and strengthen communications between government and citizens.  Trust building between the government and the citizens would make the people feel carried along in the business of governance.”

  • Buhari must reciprocate Nigerians’ goodwill – Gambari

    Buhari must reciprocate Nigerians’ goodwill – Gambari

    President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to reciprocate the goodwill he enjoys among Nigerians by “providing effective leadership based on knowledge and experience.”

    A former Nigeria Representative to the United Nations, Prof.Ibrahim Gambari, gave the advice at the opening ceremony of the post 2015 elections conference on “Security and Governance Challenges in Africa’s Largest Democracy,” held  in Abuja, Monday.

    The conference was organized by “the Council of the Wise” Chaired by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais.

    The Council operates under the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development.

    Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Gambari said it is imperative for Buhari to hit the ground running when he takes office on May 29 “because expectations of Nigerians from the in-coming government are huge.”

    He said: “the current socio-economic challenges, such as high poverty level, huge youth unemployment, persistent power-blackout despite huge amount of money invested, and above all the perennial disconnect between the government and its citizens that has inevitably led to high levels of distrust on the leaders and the rest of the citizens, must be tackled headlong.

    “The government should as a matter of priority open and strengthen communications between the government and the citizens.

    “Trust building between the government and the citizens would make the people feel carried along in the business of governance.

    “The current wave of insurgency and insecurity in the country has introduced additional dimensions to the challenges facing the country. Meanwhile, the recent success recorded by the military in the fight against Boko Haram must be commended and built upon. The non – military threats to national security must now be given utmost priority.”

    He also said it has become imperative for the Centre to hold the post election conference in order to build on the success recorded during the election and discuss “clear and pressing security and governance issues facing the country.”

     

  • Gambari: Quintessential diplomat at 70

    It is significant that few days before Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari’s 70th birthday on November 24, he was appointed as co-chair with Mrs Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations, to lead the High-Level Commission on Global Security Justice and Governance. That appointment came on November 20.  The commission is to find better mechanisms to prevent and resolve armed conflicts, address the human security impacts of climate change, and prevent future cross-border economic shocks. The commission is expexted to release their recommendations in advance of U.N’s 70th anniversary in September 2015. With membership drawn from far and wide, the array and calibre of membership of this commission is a confirmation of Gambari’s resourcefulness and acceptance in the international community.

    Nearly a month ago, Gambari, a distinguished Nigerian and world citizen turned 70. His life in the past 31 years has been devoted to public service and indeed service to mankind. He needs no introduction, having held office as Foreign Affairs Minister after the collapse of the Second Republic. He holds the record of being the longest serving Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (January 1990 to October 1999), and altogether served under five Heads of State and President.  He was born in Ilorin, Kwara State, in 1944, and his aristocratic background must have played a role in his devotion to service. He left indelible imprints in the world politics and international system.

    I met Gambari during my undergraduate years. I was in need of a copy of his book, Theory and Reality in Foreign Policy Decision Making. Knowing that he lived outside the country, I was faced with an uphill task. With his email address, I was able to start what is now a lifelong friendship. In spite of his stature as an international civil servant, he attended to my request with dispatch and sent the book from his US base through his son (who has since then become our reliable courier). You are bound to be touched by Gambari’s humility.

    Gambari’s appointment as Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) was the beginning of his involvement in Nigeria’s foreign policy in its entirety. To assert that he was prepared for this challenge will be an understatement, for having received M.A. and Ph.D. both in Political Science/International Relations from Columbia University, he came fully prepared. He was in this position till his appointment as the Minister of External Affairs following the December 1983 change of government by the military. His tenure in office witnessed the high point of Nigeria’s engagement in international politics, and chiefly the Dikko affair (a foiled attempt to return the erstwhile Minister of Transport, the late Alhaji Umaru Dikko to the country from London in a crate), which was handled with utmost professionalism. Based on principle, he rejected the position of Minister of Education at the end of his tenure in August 1985 because his former bosses were still in detention.

    Writing extensively on Nigeria’s foreign policy, regional economic integration and International politics, he has captured his rich hands-on experience in numerous books. As an academic, and in spite of his diplomatic calling, he has published and continues to publish articles in national and international scholarly journals.

    As Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Gambari was a senior member of the Nigerian Delegation to 10 consecutive sessions of the General Assembly (44th to 54th); he also served as President of the Security Council on two occasions (May 1994 and October 1995).  He has chaired the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid, which successfully saw the fall of that long-standing social injustice and the establishment of democratic rule in South Africa.

    He led several United Nations Missions, including the Special Committee Against Apartheid to South Africa and the Security Council Missions to South Africa, Burundi, Rwanda and Mozambique. Gambari also chaired the UN Special Committee on Peace-Keeping Operations.  He served as member, Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) and also President, Executive Board of UNICEF. He later served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission to Angola (UNMA), and in that capacity helped to bring the peace process under the Lusaka Protocol to a successful conclusion.

    Upon completion of his mission assignment as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative in 1999, the UN, in recognition of his expertise offered him yet another appointment as Under-Secretary/Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on African Affairs. He later became the Under-Secretary/Head, Political Affairs Department of the UN- the most important office after that of the Secretary General. Gambari served the UN as Under-Secretary/Special envoy of the UN Secretary-General to the troubled Myanmar where his mediatory efforts yielded fruits, and led to multi-party democracy and the release of Aang Sun kyi from house arrest after close to two decades,  and her election into the parliament.

    The career of this seasoned diplomat in the UN cuts across important committees, commissions and special assignments including the chair of UN Security Council, UN committee on Apartheid, the head and special representative of UN Secretary –General to Cyprus, International compact with Iraq, UN special envoy to Myanmar (formerly Burma) and until recently joint UN-AU special representative to Darfur. Among the highpoints of his illustrious career was his role as the last chairperson of the UN Committee against Apartheid, under which aegis he presented UN’s congratulatory letter to the legendary Nelson Mandela during his inauguration as President of South Africa in 1994. In connection with this role, Gambari was in October 2012 honoured by the government and people of South-Africa with the highest decoration reserved for foreign recipients.

    He was in 2013 appointed the pioneer Chancellor of Kwara State University, (KWASU) Malete, by Governor Abdul Fatah Ahmed, and he was a member of the just concluded National Conference. He was the first African in 1985 to be conferred with the title, Honorary Professor by Chugsan University (founded by and named after Dr. Sun Yat Sen, leader of the 1911 Peasant Revolution and first President of Nationalist China); the University of Bridgeport (USA)  awarded him the Doctor of Humane Letters degree (honoris causa); the prestigious in 2002 Johns Hopkins University elected him in 2002 to membership of the University’s Society of Scholars; and the Government of Nigeria in 2003 awarded him the national honour, Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

    His commitment to peace and security of the world inspired him to establish the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a non-governmental think-tank based in Abuja, Nigeria. The centre is devoted to critical analyses of and solutions to the problems of conflict prevention, management and resolution; democratization and sustainable development in Africa.

    Gambari’s greatest attributes are listening, patience, writing, reading voraciously and power of retention, humility and promotion of friendship. He has touched the lives of so many people and has made a significant difference in many of those lives, be it through mediating in conflicts or by helping to maintain the thin social fabric that conflicts so often tear apart. Gambari’s compassion and deep respect for the human person regardless of their background is widely acclaimed. Even after my graduation from the university, I have continued to enjoy what might be considered the paternal support of this uncommon Nigerian. Ours has grown into a father and son relationship. He shared with me moments of joy and despair, especially after a recent auto accident. He not only stood by me, he rendered every support to aid my full recovery.

    I must salute the humility and kindness of this great son of Africa and a distinguished Nigerian. May Allah continue to protect him and his household.

    • Badejo writes from Surulere, Lagos State.

  • Gambari’s five percent gambit

    When some weeks ago the National Conference arrived at consensus on some thorny issues of our federal order, many had heaved a heavy sigh of relief that we are about to make real progress as a people. This optimism should not surprise any keen watcher of contemporary events in the country especially since the idea of the conference came to public focus.

    Since then, we had been fed with scepticisms and outright doomsday predictions on the eventual outcome of that gathering. So when the news filtered that the conference had taken unanimous decisions on some of these vexatious issues of our corporate existence, not a few Nigerians were pleasantly surprised.

    Against all negative predictions, the conference agreed on rotational presidency between the North and the South and between the six geo-political zones of the country. It went further to approve same for the three senatorial zones of the states with respect to the governorship post. The various blocs or clearly identifiable cleavages in a local government are also to benefit from this rotation.

    As if these were not enough to rekindle hope on the good things to come, the conference went further and in unison, approved the creation of an additional state for the south-east zone specifically to bring it at bar with others and clean off years of marginalization and inequity in state structure. It also recommended the creation of additional 17 states across the country depending on their economic viability and population.

    The approval of an additional state for the South-east was very symbolic in more ways than one. By the language of the conference, it was certain it wanted the additional state in the region to be given utmost priority even if it happens to be the only created now. This was considered very patriotic and harbinger of a new beginning.

    It is more so given that when the idea of the new state was mooted earlier, no less a group than the Arewa Consultative Forum ACF had shown vehement opposition to it. The forum had in a very widely circulated memo selectively addressed to northern delegates directed them to oppose the idea of an additional state for the zone advancing its own reasons.

    Given this attempt at goading northern delegates to oppose the idea, it was refreshing that some of those who spoke very favourably for the envisaged state were from that zone. That was something to rekindle hope that we may perhaps be parting ways with our attachment to sectional predilections that have been in constant competition with the central authority for the loyalty of the citizens.

    But this optimism was not to endure. Hardly had the conclusions of the conference become public knowledge than signs of dissent began to rear their ugly heads. Some of the northern delegates, who were part and parcel of the decisions, curiously began to sing different tunes, apparently having come under heavy reprimand from vested interests from their zones.

    They began moves to upturn the decisions of the conference hiding under the cloak of non observance of the rules for decision making. But these could not go far for very obvious reasons. Not satisfied with the fate of their protests, especially against the backdrop that the conference was only left with one more committee report out of the 20, those members then hatched another plan.

    The report of the committee on devolution of powers was to provide the fulcrum for them to vent their spleen over their dissatisfaction with some of the earlier conclusions of the conference. Incidentally, that committee’s report contained such controversial matters as fiscal federalism, derivation principle and resource control. And with the demand by the oil bearing states for an upward review of the derivation revenue, the stage appeared set for a showdown.

    Discussions on these issues were explosive. The Elders Consensus Committee had to take some time off to allow tempers cool for a compromise position. When the consensus committee finally set out to address the plenary, it was the responsibility of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari to lead the presentation.

    His presentation embodied an increase in the derivation revenue from its current 13 per cent to 18. Gambari also spoke of a five per cent revenue allocation to be called “Fund for Stabilization, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction” principally for the North-east, North-west and North-central to be shared at the ratio of three per cent and one-one per cent respectively.

    Hardly had he finished his presentation than loud protests brought him down. While some argued that he betrayed the elders committee by inserting the northern zones as the only potential beneficiaries of the fund, others found the idea not only absurd but unjustifiable. The conference which was winding down before this incident had to adjourn abruptly. And as things stand, it is not clear whether that is the end of the deliberations of the conference. If that is the end, then the status quo remains on the issue of fiscal federalism and the awesome powers at the disposal of the central government that have been largely responsible for the bitter competition for power.

    But beyond this, questions have been raised regarding the propriety of setting out five per cent of the nation’s revenue for the three northern zones. The idea the elders had was that such a fund is to be applied to any part of the country confronted by the peculiar challenges envisaged in the proposal. But this has been trivialized by the way Gambari went about it.

    Ostensibly, the only reason for Gambari’s limiting of the fund to the northern states is the current insecurity in that part of the country wrought by the Boko Haram insurgency. Given that the insecurity is more pronounced in the North-east with Borno as the epicentre, it remains a puzzle why Gambari thought other northern zones should benefit from the fund to the exclusion of the zones in the south.

    It would appear that the so-called stabilization fund was a clever way to scuttle the demand for an upward review of the derivation principle.

    Not unexpectedly, there have been protests from both the South-east and South-south against the idea as these zones have suffered worse devastation when it comes to the physical harm done to their people on account of civil war or military invasion. There was the 30-month pogrom that left the former eastern region a ghost of itself. There were also the Odi invasion in Bayelsa State and that of Zaki Biam in Benue State where entire villages were mowed down for small security infractions without any recompense. Why ignore these cases?

    Gambari’s gambit was inevitably bound to hit the rocks as it was not worth more than the piece of paper on which it was presented. It was nothing but a sectional agenda to scuttle discussions on fiscal federalism, derivation and resource control. He may have succeeded. But it is a pyrrhic victory the country will continue to pay dearly for.

  • Nigeria needs more open varsities, says Gambari

    The Joint Special Representative, African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Prof Ibrahim Gambari has said for Nigeria to witness national development and transformation, there is a need for the acceptance of open universities.

    Gambari spoke on the topic: Open and distance education for development, unity and democratic transformation of Nigeria at third convocation lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

    He said with technology, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) education can help improve Nigeria in many areas, urging NOUN to plug into the role.

    He said: “The technologies and emergent platforms, Open University concept, Open Educational Resources (OERs) hold tremendous potentials to build capacity and enhance skills, improve knowledge acquisition, management, sharing, and deployment, all of which ultimately develop deepened democracy and enthrone security and stability to the nation. In this regard, NOUN has a clear role to help steer the nation towards transformation, unity and democratic transformation.”

    Ambassador Gambari added that apart from offering degree programmes, NOUN can plug into the vocational education market and help equip unemployed youth with skills they can use to generate jobs.

    “I would like to suggest that NOUN should explore the possibility of Free Open Learning of Mathematics, Computer Studies, including coding and basic sciences. If we could partner with major ICT and mobile telephone companies and National Association of Computer Science and ICT in a public-private partnership, NOUN may help students across the country that have no trained teachers in these areas. Indeed, we could also use the same open learning approach to re-train many unemployed youths on skills directly useful in small and medium enterprises, trade, and self-employment.

    “In so doing, open learning could help reduce youth unemployment. Employing Open Learning to train our youths is a wise investment in the future of the nation,” he said.