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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • APC: new thinking will end insurgency not $1b loan

    APC: new thinking will end insurgency not $1b loan

    •Party seeks enquiry into defence budgets

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the application of new and imaginative thinking will enable the Federal Government to win the war against Boko Haram insurgency.

    The party noted that innovative ideas should be applied to fight Boko Haram, instead of the Federal Government “sticking to the same old way of doing things”, which its US$1 billion (about N165 billion) loan request represents.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC noted that no reasonable person would argue against buying modern weapons and other needs for the military.

    But it added that “it is important to complement the military campaign against Boko Haram with political, social and economic measures, especially because a sustained military campaign, dating back to 2009, has failed to end the crisis”.

    The statement also said: “Between 2010 and 2014, US$14 billion has been allocated for defence, security and the police. This year alone, the total is US$4 billion. Now, if US$14 billion has not clipped the wings of Boko Haram in five years, what difference can US$1 billion make, if thrown into the crisis in the same old way?

    “If the Federal Government has not accounted for how it spent US$14 billion allocated to the security, defence and police in the past five years, why should it be given the green light to borrow another US$1 billion? If the US$14 billion has not done much in upgrading military and security facilities in five years, what impact can US$1 billion suddenly make? These are some of the questions we want the National Assembly to ask before giving the Federal Government the go-ahead to plunge Nigeria into another round of external debts.

    “Talking of new and imaginative thinking, it is generally agreed that the causes of the Boko Haram crisis are deep in the years of bad governance that have created an army of unemployed youths in the Northeast, the epicentre of the crisis; the years of bad governance that have meant many that millions of youths are uneducated and unemployable; and the years of bad governance that have resulted in dilapidated infrastructure, lack of social amenities, inadequate schools and a total disconnect between the government and the governed.

    “Yet, the Federal Government, which has only allocated a paltry, insulting N2 billion (US$12.2 million) for its misguided ‘Marshall Plan’ for the Northeast, is asking for US$1 billion to buy new weapons to fight Boko Haram! Imagine what a substantial fraction of US$14 billion can do to the efforts to uplift the Northeast, put children back to school, give the youth life-enhancing training and put the army of unemployed beyond the reach of the extremists who recruit and indoctrinate them to kill, maim and destroy?

    “Imagine what even US$1 billion can do in making the ‘Marshall Plan’ for the Northeast a real Marshall Plan, rather than what it is now: a disappointing lip service to tackling the root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency. Imagine how far US$1 billion – not to talk of US$14 billion – will go in helping to win the hearts and minds of the people in the battle against Boko Haram? This is what we mean by new thinking, instead of just throwing money at an endless and increasingly ineffective military campaign.”

    APC warned that by continuing to put undue emphasis on military campaign and military campaign alone, the Federal Government is signalling a hardening of position, indicating that the crisis can only be resolved by a military campaign and foreclosing negotiation.

    The party noted that unfortunately for the Federal Government, nowhere in the world has insurgency been defeated purely by military campaign, not even by the world’s most powerful militaries.

    It said: “We challenge the PDP-led Federal Government to name places in the world where terrorism was successfully defeated by military means alone. Events in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Kenya, among others, have shown that there is always a limit to the ability of the military to crush insurgency. Even with some of the world’s best militaries (U.S.A, UK, France, among others), terrorism is never successfully defeated militarily. The way to go is effective counter-terrorism, which is about winning hearts and minds, not winning battles.

    “This is why the National Assembly must show the highest degree of patriotism and commitment to national security by demanding how the billions of dollars thrown at the Boko Haram crisis so far have been spent; what, in specific terms, the Federal Government wants to do with a new loan of US$1 billion and demanding a comprehensive counter-insurgency plan that includes measures to tackle the socio-economic undercurrents of the Boko Haram crisis in the Northeast in particular.

    “As we have warned in our earlier statement, putting more money in the hands of an incompetent and massively corrupt administration can only encourage more incompetence and corruption. Giving a blank cheque to this administration, without asking it to account for the past budgetary allocations for the security and defence, will not help the nation’s fight against terror.”

     

     

  • Boko Haram: How PDP-led Fed Govt is benefitting; by APC

    Boko Haram: How PDP-led Fed Govt is benefitting; by APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP of aiding, abetting and benefitting from the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the mismanagement of national resources, massive corruption under the PDP watch and the incompetent handling of what started as a localized insurgency have been responsible for the festering of the crisis.

    In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also accused the federal government of using the fight against the insurgency as an excuse to punish and witch-hunt the opposition, trample on civil liberties and abuse national institutions on a scale that is unprecedented in the country’s history.

    It said had the PDP-led Federal Government not misgoverned Nigeria since 1999, perhaps the country could have been spared the canker worm of terrorism, epitomized more than anything else by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    APC said the international community is not unaware that the FG has been the biggest cog in the wheel of efforts to tackle Boko Haram, apparently because the Jonathan Administration has seen the insurgency as its surest ticket to re-election and international acceptance.

    ‘’Far from the baseless and irresponsible accusations and finger-pointing by the PDP and the government it controls at the centre, it is time to tell Nigerians that the only reason the insurgency has continued unabated is because the PDP and the Jonathan Administration are benefitting massively from it.

    ‘’That explains their quick dismissal of our call for an international inquiry to unravel the sponsors and modus operandi of the terror group, while latching on to what remains a mere conjecture on the probe of Boko Haram links by the British Parliament. Pray, which is bigger and more authentic, a probe by the British Parliament or an international inquiry? If the PDP and its cohorts have nothing to hide, they would have embraced that call. We maintain that only an international inquiry can unravel those behind Boko Haram, and we thank Nigerians for their favourable response to our call,’’ APC said.

    The party called the attention of Nigerians to the testimony given by a US official, at the US House Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Africa’s hearing last Thursday in Washington, identifying the human rights abuse record and uncooperative attitude of the Nigerian government and its military authorities as factors hindering the security assistance offered to Nigeria by the US to tackle Boko Haram.

    ‘’The Congress was told, by the Specialist at African Affairs Congressional Research Service Lauren Blanchard, that the Nigerian government and its military had not been yielding to America’s suggestions; that the main impediment to America’s efforts to support Nigeria’s broader response to Boko Haram is ‘gross violations committed by the Nigerian forces, the Nigerian government’s resistance to adopting a more comprehensive approach to Boko Haram and the continued lack of political will’.

    “The Congress also heard that the he Nigerian government has appeared reticent in some cases to allow its security forces to participate in US training programmes, adding: ‘Multiple systemic factors further constrain the effectiveness of the Nigerian security force’s response to Boko Haram, notably security sector corruption and mismanagement, and some of these factors impede US support even for units that have been cleared for assistance’.

    ‘’Does anyone need any more evidence of whose cluelessness and incompetence have allowed Boko Haram to fester to such a level that it has killed over 3,000 people since the beginning of this year alone? Does anyone need further evidence of whose non-cooperative attitude with the US and other foreign friends of Nigeria has been responsible for the failed and tepid efforts to tackle Boko Haram?’’ it queried.

    APC said it is an undisputed fact that Boko Haram emerged against the backdrop of intense poverty and political misrule by the PDP since 1999.

    ‘’Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the PDP has ruled Nigeria till date, and has been responsible for mismanaging over 60 percent of national revenue. Still, very little has changed in terms of progressive improvement in the socio-economic

    conditions of most Nigerians. It is hardly a coincidence that Boko Haram emerged in the North-east region of Nigeria, given that it is the poorest region with higher than national average rates of poverty, illiteracy, mortality rates, youth unemployment and social immobility.

    ‘’Moreover, states in the North-east receive some of the least allocations from the national treasury individually and collectively. The North-east region, reflecting broader national and even African patterns, is experiencing a ‘youth bulge’ that accentuates the socio-economic deprivations across the region. Given the poor literacy rates of the region, there are millions of young people with neither formal nor Arabic education, not to talk of even vocational skills. Indeed, a majority of youth in the North-east region are unemployable, thus providing a fertile ground for the recruitment of idle youths into groups that engage in criminal acts.

    ‘’In short, the PDP’s failure to deliver credible democratic dividends, specifically socio-economic progress (employment, social infrastructure, quality of life initiatives, regular power supply etc) and its obsession with retaining political power at all cost, a la ‘do or die politics’, provide logical grounds for the horde of security challenges witnessed across Nigeria since 1999,’’ the party said.

    APC accused the PDP of profiting from the Boko Haram insurgency, hence the ruling party has always been dismissive of any genuine efforts to end the crisis, preferring to continually demonize the APC as the sponsors of Boko Haram even when there is no scintilla of evidence to back this up.

    ‘’Fortunately, US officials interviewed by the international wire service Reuters for a recent story said there is little or no evidence to back up the claims by the Nigerian government that some prominent northerners or politicians are sponsoring Boko Haram. Now, the Jonathan Administration has been hoisted by its own petard,’’ the party said.

    Backing up its claims that the Jonathan Administration is profiting from the Boko Haram insurgency, it said the PDP is using the crisis to launder the image of the Jonathan presidency by securing attendance and participation for President Jonathan at important international summits and meetings.

    ‘’Curiously, Boko Haram has become a way of getting the international community to talk and meet with President Jonathan and gain international media coverage. The PDP-federal government is also using the Boko Haram crisis, especially the #Bringbackourgirls campaign, to blackmail the main opposition party and the Civil Society, impose emergency rule in states and areas controlled by opposition political parties, harass and restrict media freedom (through military clampdowns), and to justify other illegal activities.

    ‘’The Boko Haram crisis is readily used by the PDP to rationalize the Jonathan Administration’s abdication of its constitutional responsibilities, including visits and assistance to areas affected and effective response to kidnappings and abductions (e.g. the Administration was silent over the Chibok girls kidnaps for over 15 days). Little wonder that it took the visit of the Pakistani girl education campaigner Malala to Nigeria to force President Jonathan to now promise to meet the parents of the over 200 school girls who were abducted over three months ago in Chibok.

    ‘’Under the guise of ensuring security, the Maiduguri Airport has been closed, hence the Borno Governor and the people of the state, including the pilgrims heading to less Hajj, have been forced to travel by road to Kano to board their flights. However, the reason for shutting the airport has suddenly vanished as the private plane bearing Ali Modu Sheriff was allowed to land at the airport on Monday, the same day the Governor had to travel by road to Kano to see his brother who was involved in an accident on the same road!

    ‘’It is also not a secret that billions of Naira have been allocated to security in order to tackle the Boko Haram menace, yet our troops have not been adequately equipped to confront the insurgency. One wonders what happened to the huge funds allocated to the anti-terror fight. Against the backdrop of the huge war-chest that the Jonathan Administration has amassed ahead of the 2015 elections, one can easily understand who such funds have evaporated into thin air.

    ‘’Also, the Boko Haram crisis and the Jonathan Administration’s response to it must be seen in the context of 2015 elections. The status quo favours the PDP and President Jonathan. Why? Because Boko Haram affected areas and indeed the Northern region are opposition strongholds, hence the Administration is hoping that the Boko Haram crisis, the declaration of emergency rule and general atmosphere of insecurity in the North will lead to the cancellation of voting in some areas and limit voters’ turnout in general, a development which the PDP believes will minimize its electoral losses in the North and enhance the likelihood of a PDP victory,’’ APC said.

    The party reiterated its position on the Boko Haram crisis, saying it has no links whatsoever to the terror group and challenged anyone with contrary information and proof to present such to Nigerians without delay.

    It also restated its earlier recommendations for resolving the crisis, saying any solution that will be effective must be multi-faceted, since scorched-earth military tactics alone have failed to quell the insurgency

    ‘’The Nigerian government, if indeed it is interested in ending the Boko Haram insurgency, must integrate military action with a clear political strategy as well as socio-economic initiatives.

    ‘’In the short-term, law enforcement and security action must bring violent situations under control. Then a clear political strategy must be integrated with law enforcement and security operations with an unambiguous intent of political dialogue and negotiation as the basis for sustainable peace and security. Finally, socio-economic initiatives that align with security and political components must be integrated into the efforts

    ‘’The structural conditions (undercurrents) of sub-national violence in Nigeria must be tackled holistically through credible policies, programmes and investments in youth-related services such as employment, vocational skills training, education, agriculture, electricity supply, roads and micro-credit,’’ APC said.

  • ‘Militarisation of elections must stop’

    ‘Militarisation of elections must stop’

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

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

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

    Was there military intervention in the process?

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

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

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

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

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

    Does it mean you were pushing for Sam Jaja?

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

    What was going on?

    The horse-trading that went on

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

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

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

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

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

    How can we lose Osun? Say something else.

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

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

    But, there is Boko Haram in Borno…

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

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

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

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

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

    But, there are recommendations by the NJC?

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

    What prompted you to move away from the normal route?

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

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

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

    They are in the judiciary.

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

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

    You sent three names…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Are you leaving the political scene?

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

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

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

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

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

    What if they bring in soldiers?

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

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

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

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

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

    Is it going to be by consensus?

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

    What about the Muslim tag in your party?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What about the secondary schools?

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

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

    Why?

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

    Can you compare your first and second terms?

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

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

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

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

    What if the helicopters come in now?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Do you think the NGF is still as effective?

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

     

  • APC: Fani-Kayode lied on our comments on Boko Haram

    APC: Fani-Kayode lied on our comments on Boko Haram

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked former Aviation Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, to retract his comment that the party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the Federal Government for proscribing the terror group, Boko Haram.

    The party said it would sue the former minister, if he fails to retract his comment.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by Mohammed, APC said at no time did it issue a statement condemning the proscription of Boko Haram.

    The party challenged Fani-Kayode to produce the statement he alluded to, if he was sure the APC issue it.

    Mohammed said: “I have caused my attorneys to formally write both Fani-Kayode and Channels Television, where he made his allegation, to retract the statement and apologise, failing which I will sue for defamation of character.

    “Our position on Boko Haram has been well articulated for anyone who cares to know, but at no time did we condemn the government for proscribing it. When the state of emergency was declared on three Northern states (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe), we criticised it, and we stand by that. But we did not condemn the proscription of Boko Haram. We are not Boko Haram sympathisers and we cannot be under any circumstance.”

    The party also condemned Fani-Kayode’s description of Boko Haram as the armed wing of the APC.

    It noted that the former minister’s statement was most irresponsible, uncharitable and baseless.

    APC said: “Equally irresponsible and condemnable is Mr. Fani-Kayode’s deliberate distortion of the statements made in the past by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to mean that he or his party is a sympathiser of Boko Haram.”

    APC said Fani-Kayode’s latter day castigation of opposition politicians, after he returned to his vomit and repudiated all the damaging statements he made publicly on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Goodluck Jonathan administration, was not based on any altruistic considerations.

    “It is common knowledge that Mr. Fani-Kayode has been charged by the Federal Government with money laundering. The trial is almost ending, and he knows he faces a certain jail term, if convicted.

    “It is, therefore, not impossible that Mr. Fani-Kayode may be seeking to ingratiate himself to the Federal Government by using various media platforms to destroy the APC through accusing its leaders of being Boko Haram sponsors or that the party is bent on fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket in next year’s presidential elections.

    “Unfortunately, in his eagerness to please the Federal Government and cut a deal to avoid going to jail, he has resorted to pathological lies aimed at calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it. “Whatever evidence he has to prove that our party is a sponsor of Boko Haram, he should be prepared to tender such in court,” APC added.

     

     

     

     

  • APC’s statement on Kano riot a blackmail, says PDP

    APC’s statement on Kano riot a blackmail, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, of blackmailing his PDP counterpart, Mr Olisa Metuh.

    This followed the APC statement calling for the prosecution of Metuh for causing violence in Kano, after congratulating the wrong candidate for the position of the Emir of Kano before the official announcement.

    Metuh’s statement, which was loaded with invectives – his usual style – acknowledged that he “made an innocent mistake” over the incident.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to an inciting and misleading statement by Lai Mohammed wherein he again exhibited his penchant for insane blackmail by calling for the arrest of the PDP National Publicity Secretary.

    “We are indeed shocked by this statement and wonder what sort of dirty individual that could be so unprofessional, unprincipled and unethical.

    “Indeed, it appears that lying Lai Mohammed has gone delusional and requires urgent medical attention. Has he become a low life who can go to any extent to score a cheap a political point?

    “It is public knowledge that we made an innocent mistake but immediately withdrew it and tendered an unreserved apology well before the official announcement of the new emir was made.

    “What does Lai Mohammed have to say to Mallam Lamido Sanusi Lamido himself who tweeted at about 8.59am that same Sunday that Alhaji Lamido Ado Bayero has emerged emir?” What does he have for credible electronic and print media organizations who broke the news of the emergence of Ado Bayero as emir upon which prominent Nigerians issued statements congratulating him.

    “We also wish to remind Nigerians of the endless personal attacks by Lai Mohammed on the person of the PDP National Publicity Secretary. In fact, we are aware of the well oiled machinery by the APC for continuous campaign of calumny to discredit and demonise the PDP National Publicity Secretary and other PDP leaders for no just cause.

    “Nigerians often wonder why the APC is seen as a religious, violent and ethnic party. They can now see that this also has to do with the character and content of their spokesperson.

    “Our final advice to Lai Mohammed regarding his incessant lies and insults is for him to seek professional help on his mental state before it becomes too late.”

  • APC to Fed Govt: account for huge monthly allocations

    APC to Fed Govt: account for huge monthly allocations

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged the Federal Government to account for the huge budgetary allocation it receives monthly from the Federation Account.

    The party said this became necessary because of the government’s poor record of development.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party noted that while the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was right in asking Nigerians to challenge their governors to account for their monthly allocations, “such challenge should not be limited to the state governments alone”.

    It said: “Yes, Nigerians should seek accountability from their state governments, but it is important to note that the biggest challenge should be directed at the Federal Government, because it takes the biggest chunk of the monthly budgetary allocations.

    “While all the 36 states together collect only 26.72 per cent and all the 774 local governments collect 20.6 per cent, the Federal Government alone takes 52.68 per cent, hence it bears the greatest responsibility to Nigerians in the provision of social amenities, creation of jobs and infrastructural development

    “Since Education, Agriculture and Health, for example, fall under the Concurrent List, Nigerians must – in addition to challenging their state governments – ask the Federal Government what it has done with its huge chunk of federal allocations, against the background of massive unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure and the poor health facilities that have seen public officials, including the President, scurrying to foreign hospitals for medical treatment.”

    APC said whatever achievements the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government has attributed to itself since assuming office have constituted a mere tokenism compared with the quantum of funds that have accrued to it.

    “It is, therefore, imperative that he who must come to equity must come with clean hands, and those who point a finger at others must realise that four others are pointing at them. It is not just enough to say certain states have received certain allocations, Nigerians also want to know how much the Federal Government has received in total till date and what it has done with it.

    “The Federal Government must lead the way in ensuring accountability for the funds from the Federation Account, just as local and state governments have a responsibility for accountability,” the party said.

    It warned against using such allocations as an instrument of blackmail by a non-performing Federal Government.

     

     

  • Why INEC must use e-card reader in Ekiti, Osun polls, by APC

    Why INEC must use e-card reader in Ekiti, Osun polls, by APC

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged to immediately initiate modus operandi that would lead to the use of e-card reader for the forthcoming elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), which made the call in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos yesterday, emphasised that the e-card reader would “ensure that the polls are free, fair and transparent.”

    According to the party, using the simple but fool-proof device for the Ekiti governorship polls next month and that of Osun in August would make it possible for INEC to fine-tune its deployment on a nationwide scale for the 2015 general elections.

    It said INEC must stop trying to justify why it cannot use the e-card reader to verify the permanent voter cards which the commission has spent time and money to develop and given to all registered voters, in an effort to ensure the transparency and credibility of its elections.

    “Contrary to what INEC has said, the e-card reader is very adaptable, and its application is not subject to any environmental peculiarity once the basics of operations are met. It is therefore surprising to read INEC’s claim that the sensitivity of the elections in Ekiti and Osun will not recommend the use of the card reader,” APC said.

    It indicated that “the most compelling reason for the use of e-card reader by INEC is that it will eliminate the rigging of elections through the use of stolen or purchased voter cards, and ensure that only those with authentic voter cards are allowed to cast their votes on election day.”

    “Impersonation, multiple voting and endless altercations and associated tension will be eliminated at the voting centres with the use of e-card reader and not by any other means.

    “Also, the e-card reader will ensure the automatic recording of all accredited voters with verified permanent voter’s cards in such a way that does not lend itself to manipulation, thus preventing the falsification of results at the collation centres,” it said.

    The party said since the physical examinations of the permanent voter cards alone cannot reveal or decode the content of the chips embedded in the card containing the biometric data of each potential voter, there is no other fool-proof means to authenticate the cards beyond using e-card reader.

    The party, saying e-card reader is not rocket science, argued that all the device does is to ensure that the bearer is the authentic owner of the permanent voter card with him/her by matching the bio-metric data, particularly the thumb print, with that of the bearer.

    “This is what millions of Nigerians do daily when they use ATMs nationwide. What is therefore the issue in deploying this veritable nemesis of election riggers and manipulators for the Ekiti and Osun elections, and subsequently for next year’s general elections?” it queried.

    APC said going by the total number of polling units in both states, the e-card readers required for the elections in the two states total 3,500, with sufficient provision made for redundancy to cater for malfunctioning, since Ekiti has 2,195 polling units and Osun has 3,100 polling units and the elections are billed to hold on different dates.

    “To test-run the device before the actual elections and further strengthen the credibility of the electoral process, e-card readers should be immediately deployed to the 16 Local Government offices of INEC in Ekiti and 31 local government offices of INEC in Osun (allowing for the Area office in Modakeke) for the verification of those coming to collect their permanent voter cards from those centres,” the party said.

    It said if INEC is truly committed to a transparent, credible, free, fair and efficient electoral process in the forthcoming governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states, then it must use the e-card readers in all the polling units in the two states.

    “If INEC is not paying lip-service to ensuring the integrity of its elections; if INEC does not want to become a collaborator in election manipulation, which has been the hallmark of recent elections under its watch; if INEC wants Nigeria to join the comity of nations where elections are being held without rigging or rancour, then it must pitch its tent with a technology that has been proven to be affordable, dependable and formidable in rooting out election cheats and manipulators,” APC said.

  • APC: First Lady’s intervention distracting, counter-productive

    APC: First Lady’s intervention distracting, counter-productive

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has decried the melodramatic intervention of First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan in the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State.

    The party described Mrs Jonathan’s action as distracting, counter-productive and calibrated to scapegoat others with the sole intention of exculpating her husband rather than finding the girls.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC said: “Make no mistake about it, there is nothing wrong in the First Lady, as a woman and the mother of the nation, playing a role in resolving the unfortunate abduction of the girls. But that role must be within the realms of social activism, not in policy making or conduct of state affairs.”

    The party warned that melodrama, highlighted by the shedding of made-for-television crocodile tears, cannot and would not bring the girls back safely to their parents.

    “What will bring them back is a purposeful and sustained effort by the Federal Government, which has hitherto been tentative and lethargic. Therefore, enough of the distracting, absurd and overbearing show that the First Lady has put up in the past few days,” APC said.

    The party advised the First Lady to stop grandstanding and get real by leading a protest of other first ladies from the 36 states from the Eagle Square to Aso Rock to pressure her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, on whose laps falls the responsibility of leading the nation to find the girls, to act fast.

    It also urged the First Lady to stop apportioning blames at this time so that all efforts can be geared towards finding the girls.

    “Our dear First Lady needs to be told clearly that her husband, the President, is the nation’s Chief Security Officer. Our dear First Lady needs to be informed that because Borno State, where the unfortunate abduction took place, is under a state of emergency, her husband, the President, has automatically assumed all security powers there. It is, therefore, wrong for our dear First Lady to be threatening to march on Borno to ask the governor to produce the girls. That march should be on Aso Rock instead,” APC said.

    The party wondered where the First Lady derived the powers to summon elected and appointed officials to Aso Rock to answer her queries over the missing girls.

    It noted that by doing so, “she is usurping the President’s constitutional role, making him to look weak and ineffective in conducting the affairs of state and also making Nigeria the butt of jokes in the international community”.

    APC said: “The First Lady has summoned the Borno State Police Commissioner; the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Chibok; the Borno State Commissioner for Education, the relevant local government chairman, the school principal and the school gatekeeper, among others. Where did she derive the authority or power to issue such summons? Does she know the implication of forcing security officials to divulge, on public television, sensitive information that could even hamper the search for the girls? How can a police commissioner, who is not accountable to the governor of a state, be subject to the First Lady? Where in the Constitution, or any law for that matter, is the role and powers of the First Lady delineated or articulated?”

    The party said if the First Lady would not heed the advice to stop summoning public officials to her executive chambers, then the officials should stop honouring such illegal and unconstitutional summons.

    It also took the First Lady to task over her comments that anytime she comes out, like a masquerade, something happens.

    APC wondered why she did not deem it necessary to have come out in the first few days of the girls’ abduction so that “something would have happened”.

    “Apparently, the First Lady believed, as she revealed on public television and as it has been insinuated in certain quarters, that the girls’ abduction was a ruse aimed at embarrassing her husband, hence neither she nor her husband took the whole tragedy seriously. That explained their delay in acting.

    “Now that the Boko Haram terrorists have claimed responsibility for the abduction and even threatened to sell the girls, the nation hopes that the First Lady and her husband now believe this is no ‘politics’,” it said.

    Also, the APC has condemned the clamour for the release of the names and pictures of the girls by those who are apparently doubting their abduction, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Women Leader Kema Chikwe.

    The party noted that while publishing the names and pictures of the girls would not facilitate their rescue, it would succeed in stigmatising them for life when eventually they are found and returned home safely.

    “These girls, who are mostly within the age-range of 16-18, are children, and deserve to be protected. Any attempt to publish their names and pictures, as being demanded in certain quarters, will stigmatise them for life, against the backdrop of the sex slavery conditions which many fear they may have been subjected to. Therefore, let us spare them any more trauma than they may have been subjected to already,” APC said.

  • APC calls on abductors of school girls to release them, sues for peace

    APC calls on abductors of school girls to release them, sues for peace

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the abductors of school girls in Borno State to release them immediately and without conditions, in the spirit of the season.

    In comments made by the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the dedication of the N150 million Catholic Church in his hometown of Oro in Kwara State yesterday, the party said whatever grievances the abductors may have, they have nothing to do with innocent school girls.

    It, therefore, urged the kidnappers to free the girls who remain in their custody and cease forthwith all acts of violence against innocent citizens.

    ‘’Violence has never resolved any issue. Dialogue is always the preferred and civilised way to go in resolving any conflict, no matter how difficult. We are, therefore, calling on those who have been perpetrating unbridled violence to stop their despicable acts and renounce violence,’’ APC said.

    The party congratulated the church on the successful completion of the magnificent edifice, and hailed it for forging the spirit of love, tolerance and peace within the community.

    ‘’It is noteworthy that the annual Ramadan Talk hosted by the APC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is held within the church grounds. There is no better example of religious tolerance and commitment to societal peace than this,’’ it said.

  • It’s despicable, says APC

    It’s despicable, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the atrocious bomb blast that left 71 people dead in Abuja on Monday, and urged the Federal Government to urgently convene a national stakeholders’ security summit to help find a lasting solution to the spate of mindless killings in the country. In a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed its shock and sadness at the savagery of the attack, while condoling with the families of those killed and praying for a quick recovery for the injured.

    It said it is now obvious that all efforts so far to tackle the insurgency in the country have not yielded much fruits, meaning that this PDP-led Federal Government lacks the capacity and has clearly run out of ideas on how to tackle the violence. ‘’It is time for new thinking, new ideas, to stop this insurgency before it consumes all of us. The attack, right on the outskirts of Abuja, which has been spared this kind of spectacular strike since 2011, means those behind it are getting bolder and bolder, and it’s time to stop them,’’ it said. APC said, in the national interest and in the spirit of bipartisanship, it is willing and ready to be part of any positive efforts to end the daily loss of lives and the damage to property that seem to have hit a new high since the beginning of this year.

    Meanwhile, the party has described as despicable the PDP’s attempt to trivialize a very serious issue and make the opposition the fall guy for its own egregious failure. “‘The PDP and the government it leads at the centre should realize that this issue is beyond politics and partisanship, and should reach out to other stakeholders to help find a way to end the insurgency that has now defied all measures, including a state of emergency. Trying to blame the opposition for the attack, as the PDP has irresponsibly done, even when the bodies of the victims are still lying in the morgue, cannot advance a genuine push to end the insurgency,’’ the party said. The APC wondered whether the PDP’s ignoble accusation is part of a sinister motive to call the dog a bad name just to hang it. ‘’PDP is so desperate that it will stop at nothing to plunge Nigeria into chaos just to achieve its objective of clinging to power at all costs. Its baseless and infantile accusation, at a time of great national pain, may be a ploy to instigate a clampdown against the opposition. We are therefore calling on all our members, and indeed all the good people of Nigeria, to be vigilant in the days ahead,’’ the party said.