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  • More governors, lawmakers to join Baraje PDP

    More governors, lawmakers to join Baraje PDP

    More Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and lawmakers will join the Kawu Baraje faction of the party, Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako said yesterday.

    “I know that many governors will soon be joining us while the entire caucus of the PDP at the National Assembly is with us in principle, but others will soon make it public,” the governor said in an interview in Yola.

    Apart from Nyako, six other governors – Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Sule Lamido (Kano), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Abdul Fatah Ahmed (Kwara) – broke off along with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form the Baraje faction last month.

    Nyako urged elders to openly identify “with the cause of progressive democrats” in the PDP under Baraje’s leadership so that together we shall fight for the enthronement of lasting democracy in the PDP.

    He said: “I want all Nigerians especially our elders to come out openly and identify with people of like minds who believe in true democracy and people-centred political party under Baraje.

    Nyako praised the governors who formed the new PDP, for their courage and statesmanship.

    He also hailed Atiku for his courage.

    But the factional Chairman of Adamawa PDP Chief Joel Madaki, who is loyal to PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur, said Nyako and Atiku could not deliver quality programmes to Adamawa State.

    Madaki told reporters that there are no injustice and tyranny in the PDP as claimed by the duo.

    The PDP factional chair claimed that Nyako directed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Kobis Ari-Thimnu and two commissioners to represent him at the launch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    He said: “Governor Nyako and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar are pretending to fight injustice within the PDP by leaving to form a new PDP. Has he forgotten so soon that he became a governor in 2007 without due process, with no primaries? What about the misused flood victims fund and the salaries/allowances of the civil servants in the state? Are these acts not portraying the government of the PDP in bad light in the eyes of the masses? That is why we are saying that the pronouncement by Nyako to fighting injustice is a complete fallacy.”

     

  • PDP crisis: Governors keep President in suspense

    PDP crisis: Governors keep President in suspense

    Attempts by the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resume peace talks yesterday suffered a major setback as the aggrieved governors sought for more time to consult.

    The talks will now hold on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, and one of the aggrieved governors confirmed the postponement last night.

    There were fears that the governors might not return to the negotiation table with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The National Chairman of the New PDP faction, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, inspected yesterday the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

    But there were signs yesterday that Jonathan may have bowed to pressure from party chiefs to ease out a factional National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

    Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is to meet with some governors and party leaders on Friday on the way forward.

    According to one of the aggrieved governors, who spoke in confidence, there was need for “more consultations on issues raised on Sunday night at the Presidential Villa”.

    The governor said: “We succeeded in laying down all the grievances and issues behind the crisis in PDP on Sunday, but there was no commitment from either of the two factions.

    “We sought for more time to consult because we cannot trust Jonathan that he would honour our demands. We have to watch before we leap.

    “Our fears were informed by the fact that on the eve of the Special National Convention of the party, PDP governors had a meeting with the leadership of the party and the Presidency that party structures should be restored to governors in Adamawa and Rivers states.

    “In fact, at the meeting, we agreed that only delegates loyal to the Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako, should be accredited and allowed to vote. But, at the convention, Tukur reneged on the agreement and barred even statutory delegates from attending the convention.

    “If we give in to the President, how are we sure that he will not renege on the agreement? This is why we are consulting widely.”

    Anenih told reporters yesterday that the peace talks had been shifted at the prompting of the aggrieved governors.

    Anenih said the talks would resume on Tuesday.

    He said the resumption would be preceded by a meeting between Obasanjo and some governors on Friday as part of wider consultations being sought by parties to the crisis.

    He said the aggrieved governors told the Presidency and the PDP leadership that they needed to make wider consultations, which he said the Presidency and the PDP leadership were not averse to.

    The Presidency and the PDP leadership are taking advantage of the postponement to also consult widely on how to amicably resolve the crisis, Anenih said.

    He said: “The governors said they needed more time for wider consultations; the Presidency and party leadership were not opposed to it.

    “Part of the wider consultations is the meeting of selected party leaders with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday morning and thereafter. We will meet with the governors on Tuesday, next week.

    “I believe some of them have genuine grievances; but I have hope that, once the grievances are addressed, they will come back. I am happy that the PDP has an internal mechanism for effective conflict resolution, and at the end of the day, the problems will be addressed and the PDP will come out of the crisis stronger.”

    Despite the assurance of a likely resolution of the crisis by Anenih, the New PDP is forging ahead, putting finishing touches to its National Secretariat.

    Jonathan has met with some elders and leaders of the party on the way out of the crisis.

    It was gathered that the leaders advised the President to ask Tukur to step aside – in line with one of the recommendations of a committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim.

    A source said “when the leaders raised Tukur’s issue, the President said he was being “systematic about his exit”.

    Jonathan reportedly said, he actually wanted Tukur to preside over the Special National Convention before asking the next National Executive Committee(after the convention) to look into the issues raised by some PDP members against the National Chairman.

    The President, it was said, observed that those aggrieved were just “impatient” as he could not just remove Tukur without consultations and due process in a democratic setting.

    “The President said since the aggrieved governors have taken upissues with Tukur, he would look into it with other leaders. So, this is a bargaining point the President will take to the negotiation table on Tuesday,” the source said.

  • Jonathan’s loyal PDP governors meet

    Jonathan’s loyal PDP governors meet

    President Goodluck Jonathan last night met with some governors loyal to the Bamanga Tukur-led exco.

    The meeting which started around 9.10 pm was held at the First Lady’s Conference room.

    Those who attended the meeting included Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Theodore Orji (Abia), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

    Also at the meeting were Vice President, Namadi Sambo, PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

    As soon as the meeting started, reporters were asked to leave the venue based on the claim that the meeting was private.

     

  • Angry PDP governors to Jonathan: forget 2015

    Angry PDP governors to Jonathan: forget 2015

    Peace talks resume today

    Atiku/Governors faction urges court to stop Tukur

    The civil war in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is likely to escalate, with aggrieved governors giving four conditions for peace.

    They tabled the conditions at a meeting on Sunday night with President Goodluck Jonathan, 16 governors, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of a faction of the party, Chief Tony Anenih.

    The conditions are that:

    •factional National Chairman Bamanga Tukur should be sacked;

    •President Jonathan should do one term only and forget re-election in 2015;

    •the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Rivers State crises should be resolved; and

    •”harassment” of governors by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be stopped.

    Attempts were made to narrow the conditions to two but no progress was made, The Nation learnt.

    The two factions only succeeded in setting agenda for resumption of talks today.

    But the National Secretary of the Atiku-Governors faction of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said yesterday that despite the intervention by Jonathan, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and other party leaders, members of the New PDP would not abandon their struggle.

    Oyinlola, who issued a statement in Abuja, said the faction would not disappoint members in the mission to make the PDP work again in the interest of Nigeria and its people.

    Sources said that Sunday’s meeting was a no-holds-barred type, with Jonathan feeling overwhelmed.

    It was gathered that the seven governors, who were represented by four of their colleagues, complained lack of internal democracy in the party and “repression” by the Presidency.

    “The governors demanded the removal of the factional National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur to have genuine reconciliation in the party, a source said, adding: “They also asked the President to stick to the agreement he purportedly had with party leaders to spend one term in office. They urged Jonathan to come out openly on his rumoured re-election bid in 2015.

    They listed the crises in the NGF and Rivers State and promotion of parallel party structure in some PDP states as their grouses.

    Another source at the session said Kwankwaso spoke first, complaining against the use of EFCC by the Presidency to witch-hunt governors who have mere political disagreements with the President.

    Said the source: “Kwankwaso cited the arrest and prosecution of a son of the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, by the EFCC. He insisted that the prosecution of Lamido’s son was triggered by the Presidency when it was obvious that the victim was on a medical trip to Egypt.

    “Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, whose brother was recently grilled by one of the anti-graft agencies over alleged N60million contract, was quoted as saying ‘I have been facing EFCC probe because I served in the executive of Senator Bukola Saraki. There is an atmosphere of fear in Kwara over activities of the EFCC’.

    Governors Jonah Jang, Godswill Akpabio, and Gabriel Suswam reportedly pleaded for understanding.

    Jang was said to have attributed the challenges being faced by the party to what he called “deception”.

    The source quoted Jang as saying: “People should not be using deception in politics. The same people who said I should go and contest for the NGF chairmanship as a consensus candidate later moved against me. As adults, we should not engage in politics of deception.

    “On EFCC investigation, this should not be an issue because it applies to everyone. For three years, I was placed under investigation by the commission.”

    Suswam spoke in a similar manner, saying EFCC was not the problem because “I am also being investigated”.

    Akpabio was quoted as saying: “I do not see anything bad in EFCC investigation. My sister, who was on a medical trip, was sent back from Germany because she is a relation of a political office holder.

    “I think we should all give peace a chance because nobody will be in office for life.”

    A worried factional Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, pleaded with the aggrieved governors to give peace a chance, it was learnt.

    Jonathan, according to the sources, described the party’s challenges as “resolvable”.

    Another source quoted Jonathan as follows: “All the problems analysed are within human capacity, we will address them.

    “Those within my powers, I will address them personally and those for the party, I will get the party to address them

    “But we should all remember that PDP is a party in all localities in Nigeria and because of that we will not allow anything that will undermine the PDP.”

    There were attempts to build a consensus on some of the problems, but two were “nasty” – in the view of a source. These are removal of Tukur and dumping of second term ambition by Jonathan.

    Oyinlola said despite intervention, the struggle would go on.

    Oyinlola’s statement reads in part: “Alhaji Baraje and other leaders of the party appreciate the overwhelming outpouring of support and encouragement from genuine members and leaders of the party across the country.

    “We assure them that we will not disappoint them in the mission to make the PDP work again in the interest of Nigeria and its people.

    “We also appreciate the efforts of leaders of the party, particularly President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo who, we note, have scheduled a meeting of the party elders for this week.

    “We respect the elders and will be guided by them even as we stress that we will not abandon the ideals of justice and fairness that gave birth to the new party leadership under Alhaji Baraje.

    “We equally call on all party members across the country to remain peaceful and law abiding as the PDP rescue process is being pursued with vigour.

    “We owe the coming generation of Nigerians a duty of ensuring that impunity and dictatorship do not take any root in our democracy and, indeed, in our nation.”

    The new party commiserated with families, associates and friends of the Adamawa State delegates who died in Saturday’s road crash.

  • PDP’s split: PDM lauds dissenting governors

    PDP’s split: PDM lauds dissenting governors

    THE newly registered Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) yesterday lauded the ‘bravery and statesmanship’ of the dissenting delegates of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) for ‘staying calm in the face of utmost provocation and outright oppression’ during the PDP National Convention in Abuja.

    Those who walked out of the PDP mini convention and announced the setting up of a rival national executive committee were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Rotimi Amaechi, Babangida Aliyu, Sule Lamido and Aliyu Wamakko, Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), among others.

    The group also announced a former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, as its national chairman.

    The PDM, founded by the late Shehu Yar’Adua, was until recently a pressure group in the PDP.

    However, its registration was protested by some members who said they were kept in the dark about it and that it was never the intention of its founders to transform it into a party.

    National Chairman of PDM, Mallam Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, in a statement yesterday by his Media Advisor, Alaba Yusuf, said: ‘“We appreciate the bold, brave and patriotic stand of these delegates for refusing to participate in an election which they knew gave no even playing ground to all stakeholders.’’

    He said PDM as “ a party of true democracy, equity, fairness stands shoulder to shoulder with all true democrats who wish to make Nigeria great again through positive political change,” and “ shall soon throw open its online and manual registration of prospective members within and outside the country.”

     

  • Governors for Senate, Senators for governor

    Politics is in the air. Ahead of the 2015 general elections, politicians have returned to the drawing board. Many governors want to go to the Senate. Many Senators and House of Representatives members want to become governors. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN write on the ambitions of the governors and legislators and their implications for governance.

     

    It is the season of endorsement of aspirants for the governorship and Senate. Party supporters, cronies, and loyalists are part of the game being hatched to intimidate political opponents and convey real or imagined impression of political superiority. In some cases, crowds are rented to sing praises of the contenders. Traditional rulers, community leaders, women and youth groups, and clerics are also motivated to lend support. Across the six geo-political zones, the story is almost the same.

    Periodic elections are the primary gains of democratic political stability in this dispensation. The exercise creates opportunities for choice and change of leadership at the federal and state levels. Usually, the electoral process is a nightmare because of the struggle for few elective positions by many aspirants. The number of aspirants is inversely proportional to the number of the vacant slots. For governorship and federal parliamentary elections, the battle is fierce. Following the completion of a round of elections, the preparation for another round begins.

    In the United States of America (USA), which has set the pace for the practice of the presidential system, the practice is that governors and senators would want to become the President. In terms of hierarchy, the senator is senior to the governor. The reverse is the case in Nigeria. Many factors are responsible. The political culture of zoning, which is not backed by the 1999 Constitution, often excludes many governors from the presidential race, if it is not the turn of their geo-political zones. Yet, as party leaders in their respective states, the governors control the party structures. They personalise power and use their enormous financial muscles to a maximum advantage by dictating who gets what, where and how during elections. Since 2003, except in few instances, no governor, federal and state parliamentarian, minister and council chairman has emerged without the input and endorsement of the governor.

    Governors from the ruling parties are reluctant to serve under their colleague, the former governor-turned President, as ministers because a minister does not enjoy a permanent tenure. Since 2007, no former governor, who was appointed as a minister, stayed in the office for four years. The trend is that they ‘retire’ into the Senate as backbenchers. In 2007, the population of former governors in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly was four. They are Senator Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara State), Senator Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Senator Ken Nnamani (Enugu), and Senator Ahmed Adamu (Sasarawa) In 2011, it rose to 11 when former Governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Ali Modu Sherif (Bornu), George Akume (Benue), Bukar Abba Ibrahim 1(Yobe) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau) were elected senators. However, in 2015, it may rise to 25.

    In the Second Republic, two senators, Cornelius Adebayo (Kwara) and Don. Etiebet (Cross River), blazed the trail, when they became governors in 1983. In 1999, Senator Bola Tinubu became Lagos State governor. In 2003, Senator Rashidi Ladoja became the governor of Oyo State. Now, Senators Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) are governors.

    Many senators acknowledged that some former governors-turned senators have endowed their senatorial seats with honour and visibility. They have spoken without fear and exhibited maturity. For example, Senator Saraki blew the whistle on the oil subsidy saga. The activities of some of them have also ensure stability in the Senate and contributed to the effective management of crisis between the Presidency and National Assembly.

     

    Recycling leaders

    Political scientists have explained why politics, which is a vocation, has become a career for the ‘professional’ politicians. While some aspirants perceive their next political office as a call to service to the state, others perceive the corridor of power as an avenue for private accumulation. The former works hard to erect lasting legacies. The latter merely strives for relevance and pecks of office.

    A political scientist, Boniface Ayodele, reflected on the desire for upward political mobility by the senators and governors, stressing that the polity tended to permit a situation whereby leaders are recycled. He explained that African leaders are usually reluctant to leave power, pointing out that the 1999 Constitution, which specifies a definite tenure, is the saving grace for democracy. Ayodele alluded to a “cult of leadership,” which has made the polity to become a fiefdom dominated by certain powerful figures, who are entrenched in the system. “What is happening is elite circulation”, he said, adding that the entrenched powers have become the “gate keepers and gate closers” in the polity. “The governors are evolving political families created in their own image and it may be extremely difficult for anybody outside the circle to get into political office. As gate keepers, they prevent a lot from entering political offices; as gate closers, they shut the gate after admitting their men. The polity is dominated by power barons,” Ayodele stressed.

    The University of Ado-Ekiti teacher said the governors in the Senate may enjoy the tenure for a long time, since the Senate has no terminal tenure, until the time they may not be in the good book of their successors or when they are toppled as the leader of the political establishment in their respective states. “It has advantages and disadvantages. The governors in the senate may act as agents of political stability and compendium of knowledge of administration and governance. If the craving for wealth is not their goal, they can make impact as statesmen and fathers of the nation in the National Assembly. But some of them may also be firing salvos from the Senate to their governors and other competitors for power in their states, thereby creating tension”, Ayodele added.

    He lamented that the governors are now pre-occupied with their future ambitions than governance. He said: “When politicians win elections in Nigeria, they start to prepare for another election. Performance in office should be the creteria for upward political mobility. But it is no so in Nigeria.”

     

    Governors eyeing the Senate

    Akpabio

    The two-term governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, declared his senatorial ambition last year. He was the first Chief Executive to have unfolded his plan for the Senate. It sparked off a controversy. The incumbent Senator, Alloy Etuk, was said to have been enraged. But party sources said that Etuk was not on the dark from the beginning. He knew that the governor would definitely edge him out in 2015. Today, Akpabio is the political leader of Akwa Ibom State. He is loved by many people because of his developmental programmes. He is hated by the opposition and rivals in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Since the beginning of this year, various groups have been holding endorsement rallies to support his aspiration. Traditional rulers are not left out. His political profile is soaring because he has continued to advertise the “uncommon transformation”, which has endeared him to the people. Recently, Senator Etuk alleged that Akpabio unleashed his “hit squad” on him. He also alleged that he had been receiving threat text messages advising him to renounce his ambition for another term. But the governor dismissed the allegation as “paranoid, deceitful, baseless and mere hallucinations that serve no purpose”.

    Many also criticise Akpabio for opposing the decision of the former Secretary to Government, Okon Umana, to run for governor. They said that it is unfair, unjust and unkind for Akpabio to object to the ambition of Umana when he is working assiduosuly to realise his own ambition.

     

    Nyako

    Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State will complete his second term in two year’s time. Party chieftains confided that pressures may be put on him by his camp to contest for the Senate, so that he can remain relevant in the state. In 2007 when he became the governor, he did not nurse the ambition. But former President Olusegun Obasanjo advised him to declare his interest. The former President was looking for a strong man, who could assist in checkmating his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the state. Nyako, who was leading a PDP reconciliation team in the Southwest, accepted the challenge. The former military governor and Chief of Naval Staff was assisted by gthe Presidency to win the election. In 2011, he was re-elected. The combined forces of Atiku, Prof. Jubril Aminu and Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), have failed to checkmate the governor.

    What is not certain is whether he will remain in the PDP to realise his senatorial ambition or contest on the platform of another political party. Nyako and other four PDP governors are alalegedly floating a new party, the Voice of the People (VOP). But, if he chooses to stay in the ruling party, it may be difficult for him to win the party’s ticket because of the war of attrition between him and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who is also from Adamawa State.

     

    Shema

    Governor Ibrahim Shema is a pro-Jonathan governor. But sources said that eyes are on him as the North intensifies its agitation for power shift. He is loved by the Northern elders. But he is also President Jonathan’s ally. If the North fails in its push for power shift, the only option for political career advancement for the Katsina governor is the Senate. The governor of Katsina State is eyeing a senatorial seat in 2015.

    Shema was initially endorsed by the Presidency for the chairmanship of the troubled Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). He is one of the few governors who have the ears of the President. Picking the PDP ticket for the senatorial election may not be a problem for him. The Katsina PDP is in his pocket. His greatest challenge is the growing popularity of the newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC). One of its leaders, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), is an indigene of Katsina State.

     

    Wamakko

     

    Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko is among the five PDP governors pushing for reforms in the party. Fate had catapulted him to the number one seat from the position of the deputy governor in 2007. The PDP governorship candidate and former Water Resources Minister, Alhaji Mukthar Shagari, was persuaded by Obasanjo to step down for the ANPP defector. Wamakko is a man of few words. People who are close to him said that when he is annoyed, his anger is like that of the thunder. The governor is popular in the Northwest zone. When the PDP suspended him for ant-party activities few months ago, the entire zone rejected the punitive measure. It was a sort of popularity test for the governor. Party chieftains, including the Northwest zonal leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Kazaure, and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, attended the solidarity rally held for him on his return from abroad. Tukur and President Jonathan saw the handwriting on the wall and retraced their steps. The suspension was lifted without delay. Wamakko and Senator Maccido will slug it out at the primaries, if the senator does not step down for the governor.

     

    Aliyu

    Ebullient and folk-tongued Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu is a controversial figure. The retired federal permanent secretary from Niger East is the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum. He had earlier declared his presidential ambition in a radio programme. He disclosed that President Jonathan signed an agreement with the PDP governors from the North that he would serve one term as a condition for endorsing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election. The governor has not released the agreement to the press. He has also failed to clarify whether it is a written or oral agreement. But the Presidency has denied the existence of any agreement. Since Aliyu let the cat out of the bag, peace has continued to elude the biggest party in Africa. Yet, the experienced technocrat-turned politician cannot underrate the power of the Presidency. Sources said that the unfolding events within the PDP may have influenced Aliyu to change his mind on his presidential ambition. He is now said to be eyeing the Senate.

     

    Lamido

    Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State is an experienced politician from the Jigawa Central. In the Third Republic, he was the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 1999, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. His second term as the governor will elapse on 2015. Lamido is not a politician that will quit the stage soon. He has presidential ambition. Obasanjo has tactically threw his weight behind him. The former President was in Dutse, the capital, to commission the projects completed by the governor at a time he was expected in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on ‘Democracy Day’ as the guest of President.

    Lamido is among the five PDP governors fighting the party. But there is no evidence that he will defect from the party. He is perceived as a performing governor because of his people-oriented projects. Party sources said that Jigawa Central will not object to his senatorial ambition in 2015.

     

    Suswam

    Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State is eyeing the Benue Northeast Senatorial District. His senatorial ambition has pitched him against Senator Barnabas Gemade, who is interested in a second term. Suswam was in the House of Representatives when Gemade was the PDP national chairman. Now, the Benue Northeast PDP is polarised by the two gladiators. The last local government primaries was bloody. The supporters of the governor and senator clashed.

    Gemade’s supporters have accused the governor of mischief and conspiracy against his constituents. They said that he has disrespected Gemade, a party elder. But Suswam’s supporters have objected to the claim, saying that the men of the old order should vacate the stage for the younger ones.

    Suswam is one of the Jonathan “boys” in the Nigerian Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and PDP Governors’ Forum. Definitely, he has the backing of the President for his senatorial ambition. Analysts predict a tough senatorial shadow poll in the Benue Northeast District.

     

    Jang

    The latest information from Plateau State is that Governor Jonah is interested in representing the Plateau North Senatorial District at the National Assembly in 2015. This cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand, judging by the fact that the governor agreed to become the factional NGF chairman, in a bid to become more relevant. Party insiders confide that Jang had perfected a smooth entry into the Senate when he sponsored his former Chief of Staff, Mr Gyang Pwajok, for the position last year, following the death of Senator Gyang Dantong. Observers say Pwajok is holding the position in trust for Jang. Jang’s tenure in the last six years has witnessed several ethno-religious crises, which led to the loss of many lives and property.

    Jang is at the centre of the NGF crisis. He lost the chairmanship election with 16 votes to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled19. Yet, Jank, who has the backing of the Presidency, claimed that he won.

     

    Chime

    Governor Sullivan Chime is likely to take over the Enugu senatorial seat occupied by the Senate Deputy President, Ike Ekweremadu. The incumbent senator is eyeing the Enugu Government House. It is a dicey situation. Both Chime and Ekweremadu are from the same district. The governor has maintained that the governorship should shift to Enugu North. If Chime and Ekweremadu decide to lock horns, it will be a messy race.

     

    Imoke

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke had served as a senator and minister before he was elected as the governor in 2007. As he bows out in 2015, age will still be on his side. Party sources said that he is eyeing the Central District seat, which the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, had occupied since 2003. Many believe that Ndoma-Egba may not vie again, after spending 12 years in the Senate.

    Imoke, who represented the district between 1992 and 1993, may return to the Senate without a serious opposition from his party.

     

    Kwakwanso

    In the Third Republic, Musa Kwakwanso was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2003, he was the governor of Kano State. He lost to Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of the ANPP in 2003. But former President Obasanjo made him the Minister of Defence. He regained the lost seat in 2011. He has not given hints about his next move, but sources close to him said that he is nursing senatorial ambition.

     

    Amaechi

    Contrary to speculations that Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is nursing a vice presidential ambition, sources close to him said that the governor actually wants to go to the senate in 2015. That was before the PDP crisis engulfed his state.

     

    Alao-Akala

    Former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is scheming to get the PDP senatorial ticket in the Oyo North District.. He will struggle for the ticket with his political associate, Senator Hosea Agboola, who is currently occupying the seat. Agboola was Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the Alao-Akala Administration. Agboola, who hails from Okeogun area, is relying on the goodwill of his people and his philanthropy activities to retain the seat. But Alao-Akala believes his popularity as a former governor transcends Ogbomosho, his country home. The former governor is very active and he is the arrowhead of the polarised PDP chapter. President Jonathan has confidence in him. In fact, when it was impossible for former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State to properly coordinate the President’s campaign in the Southwest in 2011, he asked Alao-Akala to take over the role.

     

    Daniel

    Otunba Gbenga Daniel left power as the governor of Ogun State in 2011. When it was obvious that he would lose out in the power game with Obasanjo, President Jonathan advised him to conceed the governorship to Obasanjo camp, so that he could negotiate for the Ogun East senatorial ticket. The governor agreed.But when he tabled the matter before his associates, they kicked against it, saying that he had the power of incumbency to defeat Obasanjo and the ACN. It was a miscalculation. He lost out in the PDP. His PPN also failed at the polls. Today, Daniel is seeking refuge in the Labour Party (LP). He is said to be taking the previous advise given to him by the President seriously, but in a wrong manner. Will he achieve in the LP what he failed to achieve in the PDP? Time will tell.

     

    Federal legislators eyeinggovernorship

     

    The senators and House of Representatives members eyeing the governorship are not expected to resign from the National Assembly, when they become governorship candidates.

     

    Solomon

     

    Senator Ganiyu Solomon represents Lagos West District in the Senate. He declared his ambition to vie for the 2015 governorship election on the television, almost a year ago. He is the former Chairman of Mushin Council and member of House of Representatives. In 2007, former Lagos State Governor Tinubu opted out of the senatorial race and the ticket landed on Solomon’s palm. His ambition has caused a stir. Other aspirants who have not come out openly may have been relating to him as the number one rival. Solomon is not a baby politician in Lagos State. He has the network. He is also rooted in the grassroots. Many perceive him as a political mobiliser and a close associate of Asiwaju Tinubu. It is not the first time Solomon will be eyeing the governorship. In 2007, he was among the 14 Alliance for Democracy (AD) aspirants itching to succeed Tinubu. His supporters have started canvassing for open primaries for the aspirants. In 2015, Solomon will slug it out with the House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Mr Abiru, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, if they join the race.

     

    Bamidele

     

    House of Representatives member from Ekiti Central Constituency and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has declared his intention to rule Ekiti State. Observers attribute the development in the Ekiti progressive camp to the personality clash between him and his compatriot, Governor Kayode Fayemi. Party sources said that the APC may prevail on the federal legislator to jettison the ambition to erace the impression that there is a crack on the wall, ahead of the poll.

     

    Akinlade

     

    Abiodun Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives from Yewa (Ogun West), has declared his ambition for the governorship. The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain became a legislator in 2011 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He is now a chieftain of the APC. Akinlade unfolded his plan to rule the Gateway State at a time Governor Amosun is seeking re-election. A chieftain of the APC in Ogun State, Otunba Deinde Banjo, said that Akinlade is joining the race without sparing a thought for the political developments in the state. He said that it will be difficult for him to defeat Amosun at the primaries because the governor has lived to expectation. The legislator has objected to this. He said he will perform better than the governor, if elected. Akinlade maintained that power should shift to Yewaland, claiming that no indigene of the old Egbado Division has occupied the State House. Sources said that he may defect to the LP to realise his ambition. However, analysts are of the opinion that, if he waits till 2019, he can succeed Amosun.

     

    Ekwunife

     

    Another House of Representatives member, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife of APGA, indicated her interest in the Anambra governorship early this year. She is a veteran governorship aspirant. Although the politician is popular in her constituency, some forces in the party have aborted her dream as they did in 2009. She lost her deposit at the recent APGA primaries.

     

    Lanlehin

     

    The senator representing Oyo South, Olufemi Lanlehin, is a lawyer and seasoned politician. He inherited political skills from his illustrious father, the late Pa. S.O. Lanlehin, one of the pioneer members of the Western Regional House of Assembly from Ibadan and treasurer of the defunct Action Group (AG) led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In the Third Republic, he was a member of the House of Representatives. Between 1999 and 2002, he was Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters in Lagos State. Until last week, when the party leaders brokered peace between him and Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the senator was a serious contender for the governorship in the Oyo APC. In 2011, he was an aspirant. But he was prevailed upon by party leaders to step down for Ajimobi, who has been endorsed as the consensus candidate by the party. However, Lanlehin has not renounced his governorship ambition.

     

    Okowa

     

    Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is from Delta North, a district that is mainly populated by Anioma people. The Aniomas have been agitating for power shift because they have not filled the slot before. Therefore, they are insisting that it is the turn of the district to produce the next governor. Power shift, Okowa explained, will give the people of Anioma a sense of pride and belonging. Besides, he said that power shift will foster equity and justice in the state. If this sentiment gains the sympathy of the other ethnic groups , then, Okowa has prospects as an aspirant. The senator is a former Secretary to the State Government. His constituents are impressed by his performance in the Upper Chamber, where he chairs the Senate Committee on Health.

    No fewer than 15 aspirants are in the race for the Delta State Government House. Five of them are in public office. Leading the pack is the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who hails from Delta South like Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. It has been speculated that Orubebe was anointed by the Presidency to succeed the governor in 2015. But the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has kicked against the choice of Orubebe by President Jonathan. The rejection of Orubebe by Clark, who is perceived by many as the political godfather of the President, may make it difficult for Orubebe to achieve his governorship ambition.

    The recent entry of the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, may have also affected Okonwa’s calculations. He is also from the Delta North. Sources said that prominent indigenes of Delta North are backing him. Among them are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former Managing Director of United Bank of Africa, Mr Tony Elumelu. Others in the race are a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Okunbor, also from Delta North, Victor Ochei, and former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, a former Minister and the Speaker Delta House of Assembly.

     

    Gaya

     

    In Kano State Senator Kabiru Gaya, who was the governor of the state in the Third Republic, is staging a come back. He is a serving senator and a chieftain of the APC.

     

    Kawu

     

    A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulrahaman Kawu Sumaila, has been nursing governorship ambition since 2011. He is also in the APC. He was endorsed by some groups in the defunct ANPP last year.

     

    Okonkwo

     

    Senator Annie Okonkwo is one of the chieftains of the APC. He is interested in contesting for the Anambra governorship. But the endorsement of his rival, Dr. Chris Ngige, by the Southeast APC may be a setback to his aspiration.

     

    Arise

     

    Senator Ayo Arise was in the Senate between 2007 and 2011. The politician from Oye-Ekiti is struggling for the Ekiti governorship ticket on the platform of the PDP.

     

    Aluko

     

    Also, in Ekiti, Senator Gbenga Aluko, a PDP chieftain from Ode-Ekiti, who was in the lone PDP senator in the Southwest in 1999, is struggling for the governorship tickect in the state. He is also agitating for power shift to Ekiti South, based on the controversial zoning principle.

     

    Ningi

     

    Senator Abdul Ningi represents Bauchi Central in the Senate. Before his elevation into the Senate, he was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years. His brilliant contributions to House debate won him the respect of his fellow legislators. He was the Majority Leader of the House during his tenure. As the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Ningi is very close to the Presidency and maintains a good working relationship with the seat of power. The senator is also in the good book of Governor Isa Yuguda. However, zoning may affect his chance of becoming the governor. The people of Bauchi North Senatorial District claim that it is their turn to produce the governor. They argued that, since 1999, the zone has produced the governor. The last time that Bauchi North produced the governor was in 1979 when the late Alhaji Tatari Ali was elected on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

     

    Ngige

     

    Senator Chris Ngige is itching to return to Government House , Awka to continue his transformation agenda in Anambra State. He has been endorsed by the Southeast APC for the position. Ngige was elected as the governor in 2003, but his election was nullified by the tribunal. While in power, he embarked on massive road construction, thereby opening up the rural areas. These projects endeared him to the common people. Ngige’s name is synonymous with road construction. He contested for the Senate on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defeating Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), despite the fact that APGA is the ruling party. Ngige is the deputy chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

    A grassroots politician, Ngige is from Anambra Central. He enjoys the goodwill of the people. He will rely on the same goodwill to prosecute his governorship project. He has touched many lives through his economic empowerment programme. His party, the APC, has not zoned the governorship ticket to any zone.

     

    Uba

     

    Senator Andy Uba from Anambra South has failed to emerge as the PDP governorship candidate for Anambra State. He had a brief stint as governor in 2007 for 14 days before he was deposed by the court. The role played by the Ubah ‘s family in the political drama that eased out former Governor Ngige is still fresh in the memory. Andy and his brother, Chris, deployed their huge financial resources to make a point. When he was elected as the senator, reality dawned on his detractors that he was still popular. Uba enjoys the sympathy of the top party chieftains who denied him the ticket in 2011 in favour of former Central Bank Governor Charles Soludo. However, he has missed the chance again.

     

    Abe

     

    Before the crisis in the Rivers State PDP escalated, many members were rooting for Senator Magnus Abe as the likely successor to Amaechi. The senator is from Ogoniland, a zone that has not produced any governor. In fact, Amaechi is supporting power shift to this zone to correct the imbalance in the power sharing. However, it has been alleged that Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the wife of the President, preferred her fellow Okrika man, Nyesom Wike, Minster of State for Education, for the job.

    Abe’s choice was premised on his loyalty to the governor. He remains an ally of the governor during this turbulent period. But his ambition may hit the rock because the governor does not have control over the state PDP executive committee that will conduct the primaries.

    Prior to his election into the Senate, Abe was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Information and Secretary to the Government. He is perceived as a man of integrity in public life. In the Senate, he is the Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream). He was the chairman of the Senate Joint Committees that probed the fuel subsidy scam

    .

    Ekweremadu

     

    Senator Ike Ekweremadu is the Senate Deputy President. He is a governorship aspirant in Enugu State. He was tipped for the job in 2007, following the expiration of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani’s second term. But the political family, Ebano Group. opposed his candidature. What makes observers to believe that Ekweremadu still nurses the ambition is the array of projects he has commissioned in his constituency. Many people have benefitted from his Ikeoha Foundation. he has the financial muscle required for the contest. He is also close to Aso Rock.

    But the zoning arrangement has knocked him out of the race. Ekweremadu is from Enugu West like Governor Chime. But the governor is has said that the slot would be zoned to the North. This has not deterred the senator, whose campaign posters have continued to adorn Enugu and Nsukka. The posters is a pointer to brewing feud between him and the governor.

     

    Eze

     

    Senator Ayogu Eze represents Enugu North in the Senate. Many believe he stands a better chance in the Enugu governorship race because he hails from Nsukka, which is favoured by the zoning. The last governor from the zone was Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, who ruled between 1992 and 1993. The zone accounts for 40 per cent of the voting population, according to the last national census.

    Ayogu has never hidden his ambition to become the governor of Enugu State, especially among his fellow senators. Senate President, David Mark refers to him as the “Enugu Government House” whenever he wants to gain his attention. He is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Works. However, the elite in the Nsukka axis perceive him as too ambitious. he has also not mended fences with the Nwodo brothers, who are his benefactors and mentors.

     

    Uzodinma

     

    Senator Hope Uzodinma is from Imo West Senatorial district. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was the head of the special panel set up to investigate the leadership crisis in the Taraba PDP. He’s also a member of the National Reconciliation Committee of the PDP mandated to unite warring factions in the states. The law maker is also very close to the chairman of the PDP BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

     

    Anyanwu

     

    Senator Chris Anyanwu may not find it easy this time around in her bid to maintain her seat in 2015. This is because a different setting from the 2007 that worked in her favour is likely to emerge. She had wanted to contest the Imo East Senatorial seat on the platform of PDP, she was opposed by Mrs Kema Chikwe. she defected from the PDP to APGA, where she contested and won.

    She owed victory at the poll largely to the support given her by the former Interior Minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho. Even though Iheanacho belongs to the PDP, he was said to have supported Anyanwu greatly in actualising her ambition of returning to the Senate, despite the serious opposition from Chikwe and the former governor, Ikedi Ohakim. But she cannot be intimidated by any politician.

     

    Ihedioha

     

    House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha is warming up for the governorship race in Imo State. Ihedioha and Anyanwu are from the same zone and the implication is that they will share the votes from their senatorial district at the primaries.

     

    Nwogu

     

    Senator Nkechi Nwogu is a woman with a heart of steel and stone. She wants to make history as the first woman to be elected governor. Nwogu represents Abia Central in the Senate. She was a member of the House of Representatives. She was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking in the Sixth Senate. Now, she chairs the Senate Committee on Gas.

     

    Abaribe

     

    Senator Anyinnaya abaribe represents Abia South in the Upper Chamber. He came into limelight in 1999, when he was elected deputy governor. During his trying period as the deputy governor, he enjoyed tremendous support and sympathy from the political elite. Abaribe is a grassroots politician, which makes him popular among the youths and women, who constitute the bulk of voters in the state. He is the Senate’s spokesman.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Okupe’s attack on G5 governors

    SIR: Where does one begin, is it his incessant reactions to every bit of constructive criticism of the present administration or his clear lack of understanding of the political platform that gave him one small opportunity to have been unfortunately appointed as Senior Special Assistant to the President?

    Let me quickly consider very recent developments credited to Doyin Okupe, the presidential assistant. His rage on whoever supported Governor Amaechi’s re-election as chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum is very fresh in our memories. He is in the class of the uneducated who believe that the number 16 is greater and larger than the number 19. He is an assistant in the presidency that needs the like of late Chike Obi, the mathematician to teach him the rudiments of arithmetic.

    Does one need to be told that the flurry of his responses to every spate of condemnation of the presidency’s wilful acceptance and its latent provision of funds to open a new Governors Forum Secretariat in Abuja with taxpayers’ money for an organization that is not backed by law or supported by the principles of appropriation by the National Assembly?

    Even if Dr. Okupe does not believe in democracy which pitifully places a cup of garri on his table today, he should be conversant with simple Mathematics at least enough for him to know that David Jang’s 16 votes cannot make him superintend over 19 votes cast by honest, intelligent and great men even with his presidential handshake.

    Medically, when a man suffers from the disease known as tantrum, it means the man has reached the unfortunate stage of “uncontrollable rage or temper” over anything less than his expectations.

    In this direction, any matter that is not perceived to be favourable to Okupe is deemed to be very offensive and must be angrily reacted to without fear or favour. After all, he is the most senior of assistants in the line of duty to his paymaster.

    Is it wrong in democracy for four governors to visit their chairman? Can they not travel to Port Harcourt at will to see how their leader is faring? Are they indigenes of Rivers State for Okupe to suspect they went to campaign for Amaechi? Did they reveal to him that their mission was to forcefully make Amaechi take over the president’s seat?

    Then why was he calling them names?

    A man who has never proffered any solution to any Nigerian problem but enjoys criticizing those who have enough experience going by history to affect situations as they occur gives him sleepless nights. If a man has nothing to say at a particular moment in the history of his time, he should learn to keep his mouth shut.

    Again, these governors visited President Obasanjo; Okupe saw nothing wrong with the visit to Ogun State, but when they visited Generals’ Babangida and Abdulsalami in Niger State, it became an offence. Patriots who left their busy schedules in search of solutions to new and emerging threats to our democracy caused by undue silence of the presidency over a state’s sensitive matter that could lead to a national challenge have now become his latest target. He said there was no cause for alarm is River State in spite of all the breaches of the constitution by a few constitutionally illiterate legislators.

    This TANTRUM must be urgently cured.

    • Emmanuel Musa

    Minna, Niger State

     

  • Niger Delta governors accused of wasting N8trn

    Leaders of oil producing communities in the nine Niger Delta states have accused their governors of wasting over N8 trillion since the 13 per cent derivation payment in 2000.

    The allegation was contained in a petition by indigenes of Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Abia and Imo states to the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

    The petition, which called for a probe of past and present governors of the states, said over N8.1 trillion has been either looted or wasted by the governors.

    It urged the NEITI to visit the oil producing communities for a firsthand information on the level of poverty and underdevelopment in the oil bearing communities.

  • Demolition, governors and compensation

    Demolition, governors and compensation

    Our indulgence in illegality, lawlessness and complete disregard for town planning, has made demolition a necessary pre-condition for urban renewal and regeneration. Though this environmental abuse still persists, the degree of violation during military rule was of an unprecedented dimension. Possibly because of their I-can-do-whatever-I-like mentality, the khaki guys tore law into shreds, imposing whim as the rule and caprice as the order. Being strangers to urbanity, these gun-boys virtually turned everywhere to “mammy markets” by allowing their wives, girlfriends, relations and cronies to construct shanties and other nihilistic dens of lubricious retreat on highways and in urban centres. The remnants of civility in them were inadequate to avail them any conjectured refinement.

    Exploiting this cronyism caused by the activities of the military rulers and their accomplices, other people of insignificant identity joined in the shanty fiasco. Officials of ministries of Lands and Environment saw this as an avenue for fraudulent operations. They gave official approval for illegal constructions in decent places after some monetary inducements. People now went gaga and littered the whole town with all sorts of shanties and frightful structures. They built on highways. They built on waterways. They built on setbacks. They built on drains. They built on footpaths. They built on walkways. Our cities were turned into jungles as if we were human beasts. Open spaces for recreation were converted into domiciles by children of vanity. Open spaces in various Government Residential Areas (GRAs) were given to “Ogas at the top” to build mansions. It was a carnival of weird humanity. They choked the environment with eyesores. They allowed no space for oxygen by felling all the trees of life that can prolong human life. Breathing became a stressful activity for both man and mammal. Everywhere was hot. Our response to climate change was awful. We had no creative program to manage global warming or “greenhouse effect” – an obvious threat to human existence. Nobody planted trees. But everybody was uprooting trees to create space for buildings forgetting that trees breathe life into us while buildings only return our heat back to us. People no longer complied with rules and regulations. Highways had their rules but people flouted them. Waterways had their regulations but people violated them. The rules on road setbacks were also discountenanced. There were regulations on drains but these were also despised. The footpaths and walkways were equally violated and abused beyond comprehension. There was no policy or program on beautification because the military boys understood little or nothing about greening and the philosophy behind it.

    The whole scandal became messier with approvals being given to all and sundry for the building of petrol stations here and there without sparing some thought for the safety of the people. Every street, every road, every crescent, every estate, every highway, every avenue became licensed with a petrol station without taking into cognizance the distance between those petrol stations and fire station. It was a horrible stampede of the moguls of oil and gas in the midst of society’s dregs.

    The new crop of educated and enlightened leaders that succeeded the military rulers, and later the PDP usurpers, especially in the South West, took umbrage at this kind of negative attitude towards the environment. They saw that urban renewal, urban development and urban regeneration were more environmental friendly than the nuisance of the past. They came up with the idea of first reducing the heat in the air by embarking on extensive beautification program involving tree planting and some greening project that will clean up our atmosphere. This project entailed the demolition of some of the illegal structures that were products of historic blunders. These new leaders also thought of constructing new roads where illegal structures had been erected as well as creating space for the expansion of existing ones. This also would compel demolition. Besides, as a result of heavy flooding and the havoc it had wreaked, these leaders felt they needed to open up the canals and the waterways to reduce the tragedies of tsunamis in our society. Consequently, some, if not all, these illegal structures on the waterways had to go. For the purpose of adding value to properties and human life, urban development and renewal had become imperative. Therefore, all the shanties that seemed to have devalued properties in the urban centers had to go.

    These are some of the reasons that had compelled demolition in some of the States. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State wanted to regenerate Okirika by buying the houses, shanties and illegal structures in that locality in order to end the environmental assault on the pupils of a primary school in the vicinity, nevertheless, Patience Jonathan was impatient to understand the motive for the demolition. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State was visibly angry with the people of Olorunda who had built houses on waterways thus causing the flood at Dalemore that swept a little boy into eternity; he ordered the immediate demolition of all those illegal structures. Some people thought it was a political suicide knowing that the next election was fast approaching, the governor would however, not play politics with the lives of his people and stuck to his decision. If flood swept away all his people, who was he going to govern? Babatunde Fashola was interested in tackling the crimes of Lagos State from the source and this was why he and his troops invaded Badia, a notorious showroom for sodomy. Abiola Ajimobi of Ibadan felt that the good people of Ibadan needed some breathing space, so, he decided to demolish illegal structures at Onireke, Dugbe, Golf Club, Eleyele, Jericho and Aleshinloye.

    The latest of all these demolitions is the one going on in Osun State where Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is contending with ‘certain political forces’ that are determined to frustrate his urban renewal/development program. The specific areas affected by this demolition exercise for now include Olaiya, Okefia, Road Safety Road, Ogo-Oluwa, Fakunle and Government House Annex. What makes the Osun episode look complicated is the caliber and status of those affected by the exercise. One of the major victims is the Governor of the State himself whose campaign office lost its fence to the demolition. The police had also lost a number of structures in the exercise. And of note is the PDP secretariat. But its members had vowed to resist the demolition with the last drop of their blood. I think the PDP was only being mischievous because the demolition is not about the party secretariat but just the extension of their frontage which contravenes the setback rule. If the police and the governor had allowed the demolition of their own structures, why should the PDP create a scene about the demolition of its own fence? Why do we like heating up the polity in this part of the clime?

    I admire the courage of the governor for doing this just few months to another election. It shows how confident he was of his re-election and also the massive support he enjoys from the people of the state for his urban renewal program. The demolition, aside from the theatrics of the PDP, has not generated much furore as one would have anticipated. This cooperative attitude of the people may have encouraged the governor’s decision to set aside ?600 million as compensation for the victims of the demolition on “compassionate grounds.”

    My quarrel is not with the payment of compensation but the fact that not all the victims deserved to be paid. Those who should be compensated are those who were granted approval by the state either by default or administrative lapses. The government should be held responsible for its officers’ dereliction of duty. Is the state also contemplating the payment of compensation to those who extended their frontage beyond what is prescribed by the law? I am sure the government will not do this for the obvious reason that the governor’s campaign office falls into this category. And it is politically inexpedient for the governor and his team to play into the hands of their political opponents. Besides, the governor and his campaign team do not need the compensation since their office was never affected beyond its frontage fence. But others who, of their own volition, decided to build structures on government land deserved no compensation.

    But is it not strange that instead of prosecuting people who had committed illegalities, we are appeasing them with compensation? First, they had used state facility (land) to generate personal income for some years without the consent of the state. Second, they had caused the state to spend huge resources that should have been expended on some other social services, on the demolition exercise. Three, they had, through their activities, encouraged others to engage in such illegalities hence the proliferation of the shanties. Four, compensation will not allow them to feel the guilt of their action. Five, compensating them will create the impression that government had acted wrongly.

    Government should at all times let its citizens know that if they operate outside the confines of the law, they would be penalized and not compensated. Indiscriminate construction of buildings and structures outside government regulations will drastically deface the landscape architecture of the state. Citizens who act lawfully have nothing to fear but those whose actions are inimical to the system will always run into trouble. For instance, the Western Avenue/Barracks road was four lanes until recently. The road had houses on both sides. And this had been like that since 1957 or thereabout. When the Tinubu and Fashola administrations decided to expand the road to its present ten lanes (including the two BRT corridors),they did not have to demolish any structures nor pay any compensation because nobody had trespassed on the setback.

    The issue of compensation is also very complex. Experience had shown that some victims of demolition usually collected compensation more than once. Having collected compensation from a previous administration that intended to use the land for a project that was put in abeyance, the compensated family never returned the money to the government. When a new government comes to demolish their structures, they make fresh demand for compensation keeping silent on the one they had collected in the past. Though government has a way of finding this out, some smart ones had beaten the government to this by not being detected.

    The beautiful landscape architecture of a state, its urban renewal and regeneration, its road infrastructure, the dynamic elements of its atmosphere and the serenity of its environment remain the fundamentals of every government’s philosophy. But the attainment and the capacity for their sustainability require the cooperation and understanding of every citizen that desires progress for his state. It is not compensation nor compassion that stimulates compliance but government’s political will to inspire obedience in all its citizens.

  • Obasanjo, governors meet over PDP crisis

    Obasanjo, governors meet over PDP crisis

    FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has joined in the search for peace in the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Last night, he met with the party’s governors in Abuja.

    His intervention may have been prompted by a recent visit to him in his Abeokuta, Ogun State country home by five of the governors.

    It could not be ascertained if President Goodluck Jonathan attended the meeting.

    Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) visited Obasanjo last month to seek his intervention in the PDP and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) crises..

    It was gathered that top on the agenda at the session was how to resolve the feud between the president and some of the governors, especially over the Rivers State crisis.

    It was also learnt that Obasanjo would use the session to reconcile the governors, some of who had indicated that they would not leave the party.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The meeting was at the instance of Obasanjo following issues raised by the five governors and the apparent spill over of the division among the governors on cohesion within PDP.

    “But this might just be the first step in the series of interventions being championed by Obasanjo.

    “The former president is expected to meet with other stakeholders in the PDP as a way of restoring true democracy in the party.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The crisis in Rivers State is a major issue to be addressed and the ex-President secured the assurance of Governor Rotimi Amaechi that he would attend the session.

    “We are only hopeful that all the key actors will accept to work for peace not only in Rivers but in PDP.”

    A governor, who spoke in confidence before the meeting, which had not started at press time last night, said: “We are eager to put all these challenges behind us because 2015 is fast approaching.”