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Tag: Ken Nnamani

  • Ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani dumps PDP

    Ex-Senate President Ken Nnamani dumps PDP

    •Says it’s a party of mercenaries
    •Steps aside from partisan politics

    The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday lost another star in former Senate President Ken Nnamani.

    He ditched the party, saying he was no longer interested in keeping the company of those he labelled as mercenaries and rent seekers.

    Nnamani accused the party of ignoring his appeal to rebuild following its loss of power in last year’s elections.

    In a letter he personally signed, copies of which were made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Nnamani regretted that his advice to steer the party from becoming a league of political dinosaurs was ignored.

    “We need to become a party of technocrats and professionals and not a party of mercenaries and rent seekers.

    “We need to become the party of young men and women with new ideas and not a party of political dinosaurs. It is clear now that these pleas have fallen on deaf ears”, he said.

    He claimed to have admonished the leadership of the party on the need to rebuild its structures after the loss of power in the 2015 general elections but was rudely ignored.

    He said he had no option now than quitting the party.

    His words:”Without any iota of bitterness in my heart, I have decided to disengage from the PDP and consequently step aside from partisan politics in the interim.

    “I wish to express my profound gratitude to the party that gave me the platform with which I attained the height I did in the politics of our country”

    “How I wish the efforts I mounted with some of my colleagues (many of whom have left the party) to keep the PDP on the path of its noble vision and values had been supported by those who were privileged to be at the helm of affairs of the party.

    “It would have been a different day for the PDP. It would have been a day of victory and pride not of defeat and shame.

     

    “I recall that the virus of corruption of values and mission was what my colleagues and I set out to cure through the formation of the PDP Reform Forum in 2010/11.

    “We worked hard to draw up a new direction for the party. This was to help steer the party away from illegality and impropriety so that PDP could fulfill its promise of being a vanguard of Nigeria’s political and economic development.

    “A direction defined by strict adherence to basic rules and morality in the management of party affairs. Chief of these values is respect for choice of party members in electing party candidates for elections.

    “With more than half a decade of championing such a fundamental but simple idea, I regret that the PDP leadership continues to rebuff internal democracy.

    “The party allowed itself to be blinded by hubris to believe that it will remain in power and influence for 60 years in spite of several gross missteps and grievous misnomer.

    “We foresaw this ditch and prescribed how to avert falling into it. But we were dismissed as idealistic. Today the idealists have become realists.”

    Nnamani added:  “Recently, even after our avoidable abysmal electoral defeat, I continued to believe that we can still chart a new course and retrieve victory from the jaw of defeat.

    “I continued to urge the leadership of the party to believe that the time of defeat could be the time of renewal, and that renewal requires strategic thinking and bold actions.

    “I urged that this is a time to re-embrace internal democracy and principled leadership to reposition the party for new politics.

    “We are living in different times and we need new tools, ethos and codes of conduct.

    “Every day the crisis of confidence and the contradictions in our party deepen. We continue to lose members and morale.

    “The rebuilding some of us had urged on the leadership is not happening. Those who led us to defeat are determined to continue to lead the party as undertakers.

    “I do not believe I should continue to be a member of the PDP as it is defined today. This is certainly not the party I joined years ago to help change my country.

    “I do not also believe that the PDP as it is managed today will provide an opportunity for me to continue to play the politics of principles and values which I set for myself as a young man on leaving graduate school and working for a large multinational in the United States in the 70s and 80s.

    “Therefore, today I resign my membership of the PDP. In stepping out of partisan politics for the meantime, I will continue to be politically engaged. I will also continue to support the government and all the elected officers in Nigeria to reposition the nation.

    “I will also constructively criticise them when by commission or omission they take actions that could damage the prospects of transforming Nigeria into a productive, merit-based and honestly governed country.

    “As I leave PDP, I wish the leaders a new awakening and ethical revival. I cherish all the friends I made while in PDP and hope the friendship will continue to flourish”.

     

  • 2015 election: Nigeria has proved critics wrong, says Ken Nnamani

    2015 election: Nigeria has proved critics wrong, says Ken Nnamani

    Former Senate President Ken Nnamani has said the country has recorded progress in the past few years notwithstanding the impact of Boko Haram on socio-economic and political development.

    Nnamani, who spoke as chairman of the National Steering Committee of Nigeria’s Second Peer Review at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, added that going by the success of the 2015 elections, Nigeria has achieved success and proved critics wrong.

    He said the three tiers of government have added value to the well-being of the citizenry through the development of infrastructure in the areas of health, education, transportation and provision of other social amenities.

    He listed the successful conduct of the general elections as part of the success of democratic governance, describing the election as free, fair and credible.

    In a communique at the end of the validation meeting of members of the Peer Review Committee, participants acknowledged that the flaws that were noticed in the electoral systems in 2008 by the Justice Muhammed Uwais Electoral Reforms Panel had been addressed between 2010 and 2015.

    The Communique by Nnamani anchored the success of the elections on the commitment of all stakeholders, particularly the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to democratic growth and development.

    “It was in this context that the successful general elections were able to produce the first alternation of power in Nigerian history. Following the elections, President Goodluck Jonathan called and congratulated his opponent for winning in a free and fair election and graciously wished him the best of luck.

    “These elections have entered the annals of African history as an indication of the maturity and consolidation of Nigerian democracy,” the communiqué stated.”

  • Forum defends Nnamani over comment on Onyebuchi

    Forum defends Nnamani over comment on Onyebuchi

    A group, The Enugu Professionals’ Forum (EPF), has condemned attacks on former Senate President Ken Nnamani over his comment on the impeachment of former Enugu State Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi.

    In a statement by its Publicity Secretary Tony Agu, the group said the attacks were the handiwork of “disgruntled and self-serving politicians” who were creating tension in the state.

    It said Nnamani should not be maligned for advising the former deputy governor to resign honourably when it was clear that his relationship with the governor had broken down irretrievably.

    EPF said it was meaningless for the embattled deputy governor then to make a move that would not change the repercussion of his action.

    The group said while other politicians in the state were pursuing selfish goals, Nnamani spoke his mind on the matter.

    The statement said: “The EPF finds it surprising that some people would engage hack writers to attack a revered personage like Chief Nnamani simply because he played the part of a sincere elder and statesman in an issue affecting his state. It is only a person with sinister and self-serving motives that would have advised a deputy governor to take up arms against his boss in the circumstances that we found in Enugu.

    “It is our view that Senator Nnamani deserves his praise and respect for telling the truth as he saw it.”

    EPF noted that the former Senate President had been vindicated by the impeachment of the erstwhile deputy governor.

    The group stressed that “no amount of diatribe or outpouring of prejudice can change what has happened”.

    It added: “Our position is that the state does not need these distractions. Enugu has been enjoying the best of good governance under Governor Sullivan Chime but some people have sworn to truncate this success story. Whoever speaks the truth is quickly targeted. But thankfully, we know who these people are.”

     

     

     

    The EPF was satisfied that the people could not be deceived “by the falsehood and calumny that had been directed at Governor Chime and his principal officers”.

    The group said those criticising Nnamani were those who wanted to use the impeachment saga to show their prejudices against the governor”.

     

  • Conference releases list of committees

    Conference releases list of committees

    •Delegate slumps

    The list of Committees for the National conference was released yesterday with no youth delegate represented in the Committee for devolution of power.

    However, delegates could not comment on the list as a result of debate on the abdication of over a hundred female students in Borno State on Monday night.

    The Committee is made up of elder statesmen like Malam Tanko Yakasai, former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, activist Annkio Briggs, former governor, Victor Attah and Prof. Jubrin Aminu.

    Others in the 28-member committee include Chief Ayo Banjo, former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Muhammad Junaid, Prof. Rose Onah and Sen. Jack Tilley-Gyado, among others.

    Pastor Tunde Bakare and former Governor Peter Odili were drawn in the Commitree on Political restructuring and forms of government.

    Others in the Committee are Chief Olu Falae, Sen. Mohammed Dansadau, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), publisher Nduka Obaigbena and Amb. Philips Tapgun.

    In the 24-member Security Committee are Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) leader, Gani Adams, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gambo Jimeta, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni and Gen Zamani Lekwot.

    Other committees include Environment, politics and governance; Law; judiciary, human rights and legal reform; Social sector; Transportation: Science, Technology and Development; Agriculture; Covil society, Labour and Sports; Public service; Energy; and Religion.

    Others are Public Finance and Revenue; Immigration and related matters; Economy. Trade and Investment; Land Tenure and National boundaries; Foreign policy diaspora matters; and Political Parties and Electoral matters.

    Disaster was averted yesterday evening as a delegate Amb. Abudlmumin Abubakar slumped shortly after plenary was adjourned.

    The former Assistant Inspector General of Pilice (AIG) and Commissioner of Police in  Borno State was grating interview to reporters when he suddenly collapsed.

    He was immediately attended to by medical personnel who tried to revive him.

    When it was discovered that his health was deteriorating, with the revival therapy seemingly unsuccessful, the retired AIG was taken away in a police ambulance for proper medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

    A medical expert said the cause of the collapse might be as a result of exhaustion, “I don’t think it’s serious because, as you can see, he was just coming from the secretariat after the plenary.

    “He is an elderly man, its nothing serious,” he said.

    It will be recalled that a  delegate on the platform of Retired Police Officers, former  AIG Mamman Misau died a few weeks ago.

     

  • Jonathan’s doleful re-echo of 2007 elections

    Jonathan’s doleful re-echo of 2007 elections

    EARLY last week, former Senate President Ken Nnamani presented the report of the National Stakeholders Forum on Electoral Reform to President Goodluck Jonathan. While receiving the Nnamani delegation, President Jonathan spoke of how the 2007 polls caused him great embarrassment. But he pulled his punches, and refused to accept blame or moralise. Though he did not clearly condemn a perverse election in which he was a major beneficiary, the import of what he had to say, however, doubtless showed his true opinion on the discredited poll.

    Said the president: “I was embarrassed when the international observers complained that there were certain breaches in the 2007 polls. Even though after taking oath of office and the Supreme Court declared us winners, but each time one travelled abroad, people asked all kinds of questions that even got one angry. That was when I promised myself that if I had an opportunity to oversee elections in Nigeria, no other President or Vice President should suffer that can kind of harassment by the international community. That is why the 2011 elections, even though I was candidate, I said nobody should manipulate elections for me. My ambition and the fate of the country are two different things; the interest of the nation is much more superior to any other ambition and I kept faith with that. At least at the end of that election, it was accepted by observers locally and internationally. I promise that 2015 elections will be better.”

    President Jonathan’s resolve to ensure a better 2011 elections no doubt presupposes his low opinion of the 2007 polls. And by promising that the 2015 polls would even be much better, he logically indicated that of the three polls, he was determined to have that of 2007 considered the worst. While 2011 polls were in some respects better than those of 2007, there is nothing to indicate that next year’s polls will be better than any of the two preceding polls, not with his undisguised lethargy towards democratic precepts, his increasing desperation to secure an undeserved second term, and his sinister and constant desire, together with the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, to safely keep all that they indirectly stole through the collusion of the Obasanjo presidency and the electoral commission.

    More crucially, however, President Jonathan’s embarrassment is an indictment of the amoral politics former President Olusegun Obasanjo subordinated his entire life, theology and politics to. But Chief Obasanjo, who presided over the horrendous 2007 elections, will simply snort at this effusive and familiar display of hypocrisy by the Jonathan presidency. After all, judging from Dr Jonathan’s reprehensible attitude towards the judiciary, he has appeared to regret the penance that saw him surrender Edo, Ekiti and Osun States to the opposition.

  • Thrills, frills at yesterday’s sitting

    Thrills, frills at yesterday’s sitting

    THE sitting arrangement almost caused misgivings yesterday between former Senate President Ken Nnamani and Prof. Jibril Aminu.

    Aminu was sitting on the front row reserved for elder statesmen and women just beside former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women leader, Josephine Anenih. Aminu got up to attend to something a distance away. Before he returned, the former Senate President occupied the seat.

    Aminu returned to find Nnamani on his seat, since he was there first and has always occupied that particular seat. Nnamani , who has always shared back seats with another former Senate President, Ralph Wabara, declined, saying he was an elder statesman too.

    However, after a little explanations between the two, Aminu stepped up to the back of the auditorium to take up an unmarked seat to prevent any altercation between the two. Not happy with the situation, Anenih, muttering “no, no, that can not happen,” went up to Aminu and invited him to take up her seat. The elder statesman obliged.

    Delegates were full of praise for the Chairman, Justice Kutigi, and his team for the manner the debate on the contentious two third, three quarter voting method was handled.

    Members were also seen in expansive mood, sharing jokes, exchanging pleasantries and acknowledging greeting from one another.

    Chairman’s patience was however tested during the adoption of minutes of proceedings when delegate after delegate took it upon themselves to correct grammatical errors identified in the minutes.

    “Please address the substance of the minutes and not grammatical errors. Nigerians are watching us; we have spent two weeks now and some people are saying we have not done anything. Please let us address the subsrance,” he said.

    At another moment, the Chairman was forced to warn that he could wield the big stick when it became apparent that some delegates were becoming unpleasant. He said he was empowered to walk out any delegate from the hall if he or she is found to have continually abused privileges of the proceedings.

    Asking for more cash from the presidency cropped up when it was discovered that lack of money to rent more committee room’s was responsible for the limited number of standing committees. Deputy Chairman Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi told the delegates that the leadership might approach the Presidency for more money so that more rooms would be rented to accommodate more committees. But another delegate objected to the idea of asking for more money, saying the 20 committees should be rearranged to accommodate all issues.

    Justice Kutigi later said the conference would have to go with the 29 committees for now, without referring to whether or not the conference would approach the Presidency for more money.

    Unlike previous sittings, the handling of proceeding yesterday was roundly praised by the delegates, especially the resolution of the voting method whereby 70 per cent was adopted for resolution of issues where consensus can not be reached.

    The Chairman was also tested when the issue of reverting the decision of the delegates on the selection of Committee leadership. The matter was brought up by Akinyemi, who said that the 49 elders and the leadership resolved to rescind the earlier decision in favour of a selection committee headed by the chairman.

    A member objected that the issue was not part of the mandate of the elders and that the act amounted to subversion of the interest of the majority. Quickly, Akinyemi objected to the statement on subversion and at the end, a compromise was reached and the elders’ recommendation was adopted.

    It was however surprising, according to some watchers of the proceeding at the conference, that former Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has not contributed to discussions on any issues. Though she is not the only public figure who has not spoken , watchers of the conference are of the opinuon that the outspoken former boss of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) may be having some health challenges.

    The secretariat also seemed to have resolved the food problem that has made many delegates to shun the banquet hall where the delegates were expected to have their lunch. Some delegates that missed their share complained to the chairman but the Confab Secretary Valerie Azinge assured them that the situation would be rectified. At previous sittings, it was worse for some delegates who were seen driving to town to have their lunch. Others were seen buying their own food at the canteen.

    It was gathered that the secretariat had provision for 500 delegates, but that aides of some delegates found it convenient to go to the banquet hall before the delegates adjourn for break. The implication is that almost half of the food would have been consumed by the aides before the arrival of their principals. However, the situation was different yesterday as delegates were seen strolling in and out of the banquet hall without complaints.

  • Confab: Do traditional rulers deserve constitutional roles?

    Confab: Do traditional rulers deserve constitutional roles?

    In this piece, Okey Nnamani examines the limited role of trational rulers and how the institution can be strengthened to play complimentary roles governance.

    Many Nigerians have been agitating for constitutional roles for traditional rulers. They point out that the monarchs are critical to the progress of their states. They make reference to Imo State, where the institution is perceived as a semblance of the fourth tier of government. though with flaws.

    If democracy had grown in Nigeria, there would have been a grassroots government headed by the royal fathers. Conversely, some have also argued that, given the enormity of respect and peculiar responsibilities performed by the traditional institution, they deserve definite constitutional roles in the polity.

    However, others have argued that the royal fathers should be shielded from trivial matters, especially  those that tend to be divisive or sectional, and that royal stools should be kept sacrosanct while the occupants should strive at all times to live above board. Every act capable of lowering their esteem should be avoided.

    In the olden days, the only people that were known not to be blemish in any aspect were the traditional rulers. Their wisdom and technocracy in conflict resolution and enforcement of laws that promoted peace and good neighborliness were admired and celebrated. They were aptly described as reservoirs of wisdom. They offered good advice and moulded character. Considering their grassroots orientation, they represented the true reflections of the people. Both civilian and military administrations appreciated their strategic roles in nation building. Heads of Governments and visiting Heads of States paid them homage, apparently because they were completely detached from partisanship and sectionalism.

    During the phantom coup trial in the days of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, traditional rulers were transported to the seat of power to take a look at the purported video tape of the incident. The aim was to convince them that, indeed, there was a plot and an attempt to forcefully topple the government. The monarchs were viewed as the custodians of truth. Over time, it has become a practice for their opinions to be sought before any crucial decision is taken.

    Borrowing a leaf from the Unites States of America, former Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani introduced the ‘Community County Council’, which was established in all the autonomous communities in the state. Frank Nweke (Jnr) was the Coordinator and it was visibly impactful as it fast-tracked developments in the rural areas. For either lack of political will or otherwise, the initiative could not be sustained beyond Nnamani’s tenure. But, it was laudable.

    His successor, Governor Sullivan Chime, has also ensured every community has a traditional ruler. He went further to make them relatively comfortable. Also, he kept harping on their impartiality and non-partisanship. They are to con

    tribute to governance by giving advice and maintaining peace in their domains. The governor has increased the welfare package for traditional rulers. But, the ovation was short lived.

    The events that followed showed that those largesse were merely Greek gifts. Heavy strings were attached. Among others, they must become very partisan at the appropriate time. They must be used as vehicles to drive the petty and informal interests of their benefactor and his favoured team. Failure to do so would cost them their staffs of office and the government vehicles they have in their possessions. Those whose children, spouses and relatives are in government or enjoying government patronage would be victimised. The riot acts were read gradually and their emotions were systematically manipulated. For instance, nobody can contemplate the grim prospects of deposed royal fathers and sudden loss of pre-eminence.

    When the governor unfolded his plan to retire many elders and contemporaries in Enugu State politics, he rhetorically informed the traditional rulers that the pay-back-time had finally come.Any suspected or confirmed dissenting voice must be ruthlessly dealt with.

    Four traditional rulers are today having their powers and authorities being questioned by the government. Their offence: they openly associated with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, visited his house and acknowledged the developmental projects he attracted to their domains.

    For fear of being visited with similar treatment, royal fathers in Enugu State are determined to play active politics. Majority are now state government contractors. This ignoble trend is more pronounced in Nkanu part of the state, which constitutes the Enugu-East Senatorial Zone where Ifeoma Nwobodo is scheming to replace Senator Gilbert Nnaji. On her entourage are council chairmen, monarchs and other party officials. Since the inauguration of the local council administration, no chairman has actually spent one full day in office. They always accompany Mrs. Nwobodo, who is on the political tour of the district, although she has not got the ticket.

    Traditional rulers in Enugu State today, apart from attending party rallies, also accompany aspirants to political campaigns under duress. To underscore the extent of misplacement of priorities, these royal fathers have now joined the campaign that, whether he performs or not, any senator in that zone must do only one term. The implication therefore, is that, once it is your turn to become a senator, you do not need to offer anything, except seeking to settle yourself, knowing that whichever way, you will not return to the Senate. What a backward and counter-productive political ideology being championed only in Enugu State and in a zone that has produced the likes of Ken Nnamani, Jim NWobodo, Chimaroke Nnamani, Frank Nweke, Bart Nnaji, Ogbonnaya Onovo and a host of retired military officers. It is more disturbing that those that should speak the truth dispassionately are being used to rubber stamp this wicked falsehood aimed at destroying some people.

    However, it is not in doubt that both Jim Nwobodo and Ken Nnamani had wonderful outings at the Senate, but Chimaroke Nnamani as the governor would not allow them to continue in office, due to the political maneuverings of the moment. He deployed state apparatus to frustrate them one after another for personal gain. His successor, Chime, used the same weapon on him. And now, Ifeoma Nwobodo, the de facto governor, is unleashing her arsenal to frustrate Senator Gilbert Nnaji. The traditional rulers who today are the praise-singers of Ifeoma Nwobodo were recently disgraced at a forum in the zone. Also, they did not see anything wrong in the way their son, Sunday Onyebuchi, the deputy governor, has been humiliated in the battle for the leadership of Nkanu Zone.

    The freedom of the traditional rulers has been mortgaged. In all ramifications, their senses of morality and dignity are now being ridiculed, owing to their involvement in partisan politics. Are they not being conscious of the legacies they should leave for their children and loved ones? Is it merely for material gains that they brazenly desecrate the highly revered institution? Their self respects are now being sacrificed. In the nearest future, they shall be discredited. But then, for how long do they still need to walk this destructive road to realise that their birthrights have since been up for grabs? They should be reminded of the sanctity of the royal palaces of the old, except one is being made to believe that it is only in Enugu State that such absurdity obtains.

    In conclusion, the Enugu State experience has greatly undermined the agitation for constitutional roles for the royal fathers, especially in the on-going national conference.

     

  • Utuama extols UNILAG ex-VC’s contributions to Land Law

    Delta State Deputy Governor Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN) has extolled the contributions of the late Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Jelili Adebisi Omotola.

    He described the late Omotola’s commitment and interest in the research and teaching of Property Law as exceptional as “unparalleled.”

    Utuama spoke at the presentation of a book, ABC of Contemporary Land Law in Nigeria, by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, at the Justice Umezulike Auditorium, Enugu.

    Utuama, who chaired the occasion, noted that Justice Umezulike and himself benefited from Prof. Omotola’s knowledge in the subject during his days at the University of Lagos.

    The deputy governor noted that the late Prof. Omotola was unequalled as a doctrinal researcher and teacher.

    “Prof. Omotola’s seminal writing on the Land Use Act remain of great assistance to the legal profession. His works remain most authoritative, cited and relied upon by the best in the profession.”

    He praised Justice Umezulike for dedicating his work to Prof. Omotola and for finding time to write, considering his judicial and administrative duties.

    Among dignitaries at the event were Governor Sullivan Chime, represented by Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General Anthony Ani; chief judge of Benue, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi states; Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu; former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani and President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Chief Okey Wali.

     

  • Be active in nation-building, Nnamani urges Nigerians

    Be active in nation-building, Nnamani urges Nigerians

    A former Senate President and Chairman of the National Steering Committee on Nigeria’s Second Peer Review, Ken Nnamani, has called for proactive efforts in the development of the country.

    Nnamani, who spoke yesterday in Lagos during the committee’s visit to The Nation, urged Nigerians to assist with the information that would help the government fast-track plans to make the country better.

    He said: “After the 2008 review, the government may not have identified everything. But I will be surprised if any person says Nigeria has not experienced some development in the areas of electoral process.

    “The 2011 elections could not have been as bad or worse than those of 2007. I think there has been an improvement in the electoral process. It may not have improved to the extent that people would say, ‘I have cast my vote; so, let me go home.’ But with the social media, there has been a lot of improvement. So, it becomes a matter of your ability to communicate fast.”

    The politician said though much had not been achieved in the eradication of corruption, he added that it was not correct to say the country had not made any progress.

    Nnamani said the 2008 review highlighted some of the best practices of some African governments.

    He said: “In fact, the Justice Muhammadu Uwais Electoral Reform Committee was a direct outcome of the recommendations the government tried to implement. Social infrastructure has to be improved upon. But beyond that, Nigerians should keep asking questions because they have a responsibility to task the government. If you don’t task the government, you will not get anything done.”

  • Senators and their unusual passion

    Senators and their unusual passion

    Of the two houses of the National Assembly, the Senate is the place where you are less likely to find unbridled passion. You can count the number of times when things threatened to spin out of control. One occasion was the ‘burial ceremony’ for former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Third Term Agenda.

    The ‘officiating minister’ was then Senate President Ken Nnamani. Even in such heady circumstances, the best senators could come up with were comedy skits – like Adolphus Wabara’s speech mocking the then president before voting ‘no’. When the gavel finally came down it was to off-key chants of something akin to a football match victory song.

    But for pure, undiluted passion you have to go to the ‘Green Chamber’ where the House of Representatives sits. Over time, in their bid to resolve thorny issues, punches have been thrown and furniture hurled in all directions.

    Sometimes the passion in the House gets deadly. When the so-called Integrity Group decided in 2007 to overthrow then Speaker Patricia Etteh, the chamber was split down the middle. One legislator who opposed the insurrection was dragged on the floor and dumped outside the chamber. Dino Melaye, the Speaker’s most vocal advocate, had his expensive shirt shredded. For the late Aminu Safana, another loyalist of the embattled regime, it was all too much: he slumped and gave up the ghost.

    Many have sought to make sense of the difference in character of the two chambers and have come to a few plausible conclusions. Senators are fewer in number and tend to be older. The House, on the other hand, accommodates over 400, much younger individuals. The youth factor means there will be hundreds with very low boiling points – making for a very combustible chamber.

    Against this backdrop, you can imagine my surprise watching on television as two senators tugged at each other’s voluminous babanrigas – waiting to let fly with jabs and uppercuts. We were denied what was turning out to be quite superb entertainment by the spoilsport intervention of a couple of peacemaking senators.

    The day after the aborted senatorial boxing match I read accounts of what provoked the altercation, but came away even more confused. Some said the fight was triggered by the debate over President Goodluck Jonathan’s failure to sign a bill requiring him to deliver a state of the nation address yearly at the National Assembly.

    Another version blamed it on the charged discussion over plans by Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, to arm a local militia as part of his administration’s efforts to curb spiraling crime.

    For me, what was important was not legislators getting excited once in a while: we’ve seen them do similar things in places as far afield as Turkey and South Korea. What was great was that debate was shifting – even if for a day – from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) agonies.

    It was great to see our lawmakers at work. But what work?

    Before the shoving incident, the legislative business on everyone’s lips was the amendment of the 1999 constitution. But of all Nigeria’s most pressing problems the highlight of that exercise from the Senate end was a proposal limiting executive tenure to a single six-year term. Now, we can add another priority item to the lawmakers’ list of achievements – a bill requiring the president to deliver one more boring speech.

    Not to be outdone, the House committee saddled with the same constitution-tweaking assignment has rolled out its own recommendations. One move guaranteed to generate much discussion is the proposal to strip executive office holders of immunity.

    The question I ask myself is: who cares about immunity? In a country of 160 million people those likely to be directly affected by this provision are less than 100. Even if you impeach and jail all of Nigeria’s governors it will not resolve our electricity crisis.

    How many government officials who don’t presently enjoy this constitutional protection from prosecution – be they in legislative houses or some parastatal – have been brought to book? Removing the immunity clause is no guarantee that there will be diligent prosecution, or that men would swear off crime, or corruption will suddenly plummet.

    I would feel much better if it is established that dueling senators nearly came to blows over the Zamfara security question. Insecurity is an issue for which the political establishment has not come up with anything that approximates an answer. Yari’s proposal may be unorthodox and even dangerous, but at least he’s come up with an idea.

    Boko Haram is the screaming advertisement of Nigeria’s crisis of insecurity. But far from the frontlines of terror in the North-East, the country lies prostrate before an army of armed robbers, kidnappers, pirates, illegal bunkerers, ethnic militias and sundry malcontents.

    National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), speaking at the National Civil-Military Dialogue in Abuja a few days ago painted a picture of the gravity of the situation. He said terrorism and other security challenges had thrust the armed forces into joint operations with the police and other para-military outfits in 28 states. That is all of Nigeria bar eight states!

    It is an unusual situation when soldiers get involved with internal policing; it is an emergency when an ad-hoc measure becomes the norm. Our embrace of the unusual is admission that the Nigeria Police as presently constituted cannot deliver on internal security.

    We should be asking why our police are so overwhelmed. At over 400,000 men ours must be one of the largest national police forces in the world. Yet the force is hobbled by its structure, underfunding as well as manipulation by political office holders.

    Those who are unnerved by Yari’s armed militia have not come up with a more creative alternative. Their solution is as lame as they come: post most policemen to Zamfara. The question is what difference have they made in the states where they are supposedly found in numbers.

    Nigeria is too complex to continue to operate one national force. Even the British who once ran the police here don’t have one national organisation, but city and community outfits like the London Metropolitan Police and others.

    The exchanges involving Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, are further evidence that the present structure has long overshot its sell-by date.

    A situation where a supposed chief security officer of state cannot give instructions to the resident police boss is impractical. You can extrapolate and envision a scenario in which the Inspector-General of Police doesn’t take instructions from the president – but from some higher powers elsewhere.

    It all brings the state police solution front and center of the discussion. The Federal Government cannot fund the police adequately. The force is running in most states because of the benevolent intervention of governors.

    People say states are not sensible enough to manage their own police, yet they are mature enough to fund the force. Managing the police is no different from running any other human organisation. The fact that they bear arms is irrelevant. What is needed is definition of the parameters under which state police will operate.

    Yari’s proposal in Zamfara is a crude form of local policing. But rather than burying our heads in the sand and hoping that the Nigeria Police will suddenly become effective, let’s admit that times like these call for more radical solutions.

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba who understands what we’re saying nailed it in the senate last week when he said it was time to look again at the state police idea. Here’s hoping his colleagues can overcome their fears and embrace the future.