The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leadership

  • Leadership by vote of confidence

    Leadership by vote of confidence

    By a larger plurality, and for the second time in months, the Senate has passed a vote of confidence in Senate President Bukola Saraki over his apparent face-off with his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and perhaps the president himself, Muhammadu Buhari. After a six-week recess, the Senate resumed plenary last week, and immediately, some 83 senators rose in unison to endorse the leadership of Dr Saraki. The first vote of confidence by 81 senators in late July boasted two fewer senators in Dr Saraki’s wagon. Who knows, by the time a third vote of confidence is held, for it will certainly be held as long as the ruling party is in suspended animation, perhaps nearly all of the country’s 109 taunting senators would endorse their embattled leader. Last week’s larger plurality, according to reports, was predicated on the senators’ continuing dismay at what they describe as meddlesomeness of external forces in Senate affairs. The insinuation is not lost on anyone, for even Dr Saraki himself pointedly disclosed where his troubles were coming from.

    The vote of confidence was prompted by Dr Saraki’s arraignment for offences connected with false declaration of assets, which the animated prosecuting counsel said he needed just two days to establish beyond doubt. Neither the mere fact of charging Dr Saraki in court, nor the fear of proving the Senate President as untrustworthy, nor yet the possibility of presenting him with the moral conundrum of leading Nigeria’s highest lawmaking body on shaky ethical ground, was enough to temper the enthusiasm of the 83 senators from biting the bullet. For both the consenting senators and the Senate President himself, what assumed paramountcy were the motives behind arraigning Dr Saraki before Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and the independence of the legislature, not the substance and merit of the court case.

    In the view of Dr Saraki, the court case indicated nothing but persecution. He argues that by breaking ranks with his party over the zoning of legislative leadership positions, he was consequently being unfairly and needlessly harassed. But the legislature, he sermonised, must be independent of the executive arm if democracy was to flourish. It is not clear whether he believes himself. But from all indications, senators, at least the 83 who endorsed him, identify with Dr Saraki’s point of view, and regard the ethical dilemma facing the lofty and incomparable position of the Senate President as secondary to the battle for legislative independence with which they have canonised his defiance. Both in the tribunal and the resumed Senate plenary, Dr Saraki managed by sheer sophistry to frame the argument according to his liking and in his own ethically distorted worldview. Said he: “I wish to reiterate my remarks before the Tribunal, that I have no iota of doubt that I am on trial today because I am President of the Nigerian Senate, against the wishes of some powerful individuals outside this chambers. And to yield ground on this note, is to be complicit in the subversion of democracy and its core principles of separation of powers as enshrined in our constitution. This, in your wisdom, is what you have done by electing me to be the first among all of you who are my equals.”

    The monstrosity of Dr Saraki’s arguments find parallel only in the perverted logic of a man who excuses his life of crime on the grounds of parental neglect or societal and economic inequality. It is indeed possible that Dr Saraki has found himself before a tribunal today because he disagreed with his party and possibly even the president, though he has tried strenuously to dissociate the president from the court case. But for a senior lawmaker of Dr Saraki’s calibre to conflate party politics with the juridic circumstances of his alleged offence is to stretch logic and morality to their elastic limit. Unfortunately for everyone, particularly the senators, the two cases are not only distinct, the court case even takes precedence over the merit of his Senate leadership election and the so-called independence of the legislature. The court case, when it is over, will establish whether he is morally qualified to occupy the lofty position he claimed grandly and extravagantly that his colleagues bestowed upon him in June as primus inter pares.

    If senators refuse to be persuaded by the argument of those who insist on the court case proving or disproving Dr Saraki’s bona fides, it is either they lack the quality their election supposedly conferred on them, or that at bottom they are themselves facing gargantuan ethical conflicts, or even worse, that they lack the depth, strength of character and wisdom required to discriminate between complex and interwoven phenomena. Left to the chafing senators who undiscriminatingly endorsed Dr Saraki last week, had they been asked to examine the quandary former US president Richard Nixon found himself over Watergate in 1972-74, they would have blamed partisan politics for his woes rather than judge the matter on merit, and dismiss the erring president as ethically misled and unfit to hold the high office he was voted into. On Thursday, observers saw a thaw in the relationship between President Buhari and Dr Saraki during the celebration of the Independence Day anniversary at Aso Villa. Even if the smiles between the two indicated a thaw, it is unlikely to affect Dr Saraki’s court case, let alone lead the federal government to a withdrawal or amelioration of the case.

    Not only will the trial go on, irrespective of anyone’s sympathies for Dr Saraki regarding his dispute with party leaders, the case will be diligently prosecuted and justice, sans politics, served. It is incredible that Dr Saraki wishes the case against him to be settled politically, as many intermediaries suggest. Should it be settled politically, it will not only destroy the ethical foundation of President Buhari’s anti-graft war, it will pervert the cause of justice in Nigeria and establish an impregnable dichotomy between the haves and the have nots, and between the influential and the ordinary citizen. Worse, it will presuppose two forms of justice in the land. The cocooned Dr Saraki does not give the impression of a wise lawmaker or leader; this may be why he continues to conflate the issues before him. But it is even more shocking that none of the 83 senators who passed a vote of confidence in him was able to deconstruct Dr Saraki’s troubles and judge appropriately.

    Members of the House of Representatives are also reported to have unanimously mandated a willing Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker, to wade into the Dr Saraki/presidency/APC matter in order to find a political solution. They obviously see the trial as political. Perhaps too, some APC leaders believe the Saraki case should and could be settled amicably and politically. For Dr Saraki, however, the only way to settle the matter is to leave him to do what he pleases at the Senate, to enter into alliances that suit his purpose but hurt his party, and to frame the argument and its resolution along his peculiar politics and schizoid worldview.  Speaker Dogara faced a similar problem in the House of Representatives, but he managed to settle the misunderstanding with extensive concessions. However, neither the president nor APC can assume the liberty to settle the case politically before the CCT adjudicates the matter. The short-term and long-term consequences will be too grave. Indeed, irrespective of the outcome of the CCT case, and given the way Dr Saraki has framed the stalemate in the party as a dispute between him and one or two powerful APC leaders, neither the Senate for which he craves independence, nor the ruling party that sometimes seems to vacillate so mysteriously, will know peace with a political settlement.

    If the APC wishes to retain influence over its elected officials, if the values the president wishes to project are to endure and prosper, and if the legislature wishes to sustain a more realistic and lasting independence, they must not embrace the atrocious solution being foisted on them by Dr Saraki, his unreflective Senate supporters, and goody two-shoes House of Representatives sympathisers. Dr Saraki can continue to fight or arm-twist his party and party leaders, a right his position and privilege confer on him, and even plot to master the ruling party or outwit its leaders, as much as his ambition gives him wing, but the state, which transcends both him and his party, must resist being blackmailed into abandoning the CCT case. The public must also sensibly refuse to confuse the two issues. They are different, and no amount of intra-party squabble and interminable votes of confidence can expiate the infraction of the law federal prosecutors allege against the Senate President. Dr Saraki’s case is a bad one, notwithstanding the political intrigues he tries to insinuate into it, and it will in fact remain very bad irrespective of the sentimental blather lawmakers deploy to undermine public understanding of the issues. The 7th Senate was nothing to write home about in terms of the integrity, sanctity and dignity of lawmaking. The 8th Senate seems adamantly focused on going down that same or more monstrously vicious chute. The country should not indulge them even if the president were to relent.

  • Leadership devaluation in Nigeria

    The devaluation of politics and the attenuation of leadership in Nigeria have never been in sharper focus. Just compare the glorious NASS of the Second Republic with the sadly pedestrian and criminal rabble of the contemporary Nigerian senate and you must come to the gloomy conclusion that the Gaullist paradigm of exemplary leadership in moments of acute national crisis does not obtain here. It was meant for more organic nations. Otherwise, why does Nigeria always throw up its worst eleven in moments of great distress?

    Like the devaluation of a national currency, the devaluation of politics and the attenuation of leadership stem from many factors including grave external pressures, national profligacy in the management of human resources and sheer elite criminal propensity. This is usually compounded by biological coups, actual military coups, natural atrophy and the manipulations of power cabals and other organized conspiracies for capturing national privileges.

    Three significant developments in the Nigerian political firmaments in the past week are sharp pointers to the devaluation of politics and the attenuation of leadership in the country.  They are in no particular order: the arraignment of the Senate President, Olubukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on sundry charges bordering on corruption, the abduction and subsequent release of Afenifere chieftain and former presidential aspirant, Chief Oluyemisi Falae, and the departure to higher glory of the Ikenne matriarch and relic of Obafemi Awolowo, Mama HID Awolowo.

    On face value, these events may appear unrelated and unconnected, yet they are profound tropes for the endemic crisis of politics and leadership in post-colonial Nigeria. In a sense, Mama Awolowo’s passing to higher glory represents a kind of closure and the possibility of a new beginning; a sad primer for a very turbulent period in Nigeria’s history when sterling qualities and exceptional leadership qualities are nearly not enough to politically triumph in the colonial cage called Nigeria. She was the First Mother Nigeria never had.

    The death of the redoubtable matriarch is a classic instance of how the most sturdy and valiant of humanity will eventually succumb to death or biological coup. Her life is a great profile in courage and indomitable will and of unconditional fidelity and devotion to a spouse and the cause espoused.

    It will be hypocritical to say that one always agreed with positions taken in Ikenne, particularly after the departure of the great sage, but HID was a leader of great endowments in her own right and there can be no discounting the dignity, forbearance and stoicism with which she bore her domestic travails and her husband’s political ordeals.

    If her cult of heroic example greatly warms the heart, they also point the way forward for a rejuvenation and redemption of politics and leadership recruitment in Nigeria. This is why the Saraki saga is such a huge dampener.  It is a sad day for the Nigerian political elite when the president of the senate and the nation third ranking political officer is hauled before a court on charges bordering on criminal self-enrichment.

    In court, Saraki looked flustered and flummoxed with all the bluff and bluster gone. There was a hint of distress and a whiff of disorientation. The superman has finally arrived at the supermall. The hitherto indefatigable and unflappable scion of the Saraki dynasty must be wondering whether he was in another country and whether this was truly happening to him.

    This is the moment when the bones of impunity were heard cracking and crumbling to deafening echoes of approval and approbation across the land. It is redolent of historic ironies and momentous contradictions. It sets in motion a dynamic that may never be rolled back. Nigeria will never be the same again. The genie of impunity has been flung on the wheel track of a moving train.

    If this historic arraignment and the unruly rumpus at the Ilorin praying ground on Thursday are anything to go by, we can be sure that a great Shakespearean tragedy is unfolding. This time around it is not the old shabbily dispatched King Lear that has come to Agbaji but the woods of Birnam passing Dunsinane as they arrived in Oke Suna to settle account with the heir presumptive and heir too presumptuous.  The Saraki dynasty and its sense of feudal entitlements have been struck a mortal blow.

    There may yet be something to salvage from this great drama of human greed and unworthy political ambition. If Bukola Saraki and his handlers know how to properly read the rustling tea leaves, this may be the time to dismount the high horse of self-destruction and throw in the towel in a rare and unaccustomed gesture of political nobility and high-mindedness.

    But if the embattled Senate President decides to stall and stonewall thus bringing further devaluation and international odium to Nigerian politics, if he decides to opt for the Samsonine option of bringing the entire roof crashing down with himself, he may be inviting more ruinous possibilities. This is a moment Saraki needs clarity and lucidity as members of Praetorian Guard begin deserting one by one. He that is ethically felled needs not fear being crushed by the wheels of justice.

    Yet it is in the nature of historical contradictions that the Saraki saga as well as the abduction and subsequent release of Chief Olu Falae should speak to a pervading national rot and insecurity as well as the possibility of national rebirth. It is heartwarming and a departure from Jonathan’s catatonic slumber that President Buhari gave the Inspector General a prompt marching order to find Falae’s abductors. It is even more pleasing to see the Akure chief personally rescued by a team led by the nation’s top cop.

    There are many who believe that Falae, by virtue of his heroic exertion during the struggle against military tyranny, ought to have won the 1999 presidential election. But the military had other ideas, preferring to hand over to one of their own who they believe had the minatory capacity to rein all centrifugal forces threatening the nation.

    In the circumstance,  it should have been a retired President Olu Falae relaxing  and reflecting in the ambience of his presidential library rather than going to farm on the morning of his birthday however noble a pastime this has become for the retired banker and former Secretary to the Federal Government.

    The contribution of protracted military rule to the devaluation of politics and the attenuation of leadership in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized, neither can the shenanigans of an ethnically and ethically disoriented political class, its mode of leadership recruitment and its pattern of preferment. The deleterious combination of these factors has in no small measure contributed to the endemic crisis of nationhood that has hobbled a potentially great country.

    Going forward, it is obvious that Nigeria needs a new leadership ethos, a new paradigm of politics as well as a new architecture of the nation itself. Rather than wasting valuable time and scarce national resources in convoking another national jamboree in the name of a fresh national conference, the president should urgently gather a committee of eminent Nigerians who will look into the recommendations of all earlier conferences and make appropriate recommendations which can then be subjected to a national referendum.

  • Imo prepares students for leadership

    Imo prepares students for leadership

    Leadership comes with enormous challenges, so  leaders should be prepared to cope with its challenges.

    This was the thinking of the founder of the Nneoma Leadership and Citizenship Forum and wife of the Imo State Governor, Nneoma Rochas Okorocha that led to a one-day seminar for Senior Prefects in both public and private schools across the state, with the theme, “tomorrow’s leaders”.

    The event which was held at the Imo International Convention Center (IICC), was an interactive section between the young student leaders and selected resource persons, who drilled them on the essence of leadership and what it entails to be a good leader.

    To the organisers, the young students as tomorrow’s leaders need to develop the right attitude towards leadership through such training which will give them the platform to ask questions and get answers concerning the rudiments of leadership positions.

    For the brightly dressed school prefects, the impact of the seminar was spontaneous and electric. Some of them could not contain the joy and ecstasy of coming face to face with some distinguished Nigerians from both the public and private sector, including the state Governor, who accorded them great honour as leaders in the making.

    Delivering a paper titled, “building tomorrow’s leaders”, the wife of the Governor, stated that, “I believe strongly in the need to inculcate good leadership skills in our youths who of course will become leaders of tomorrow. Our future, the future of our nation is in their hands. A cursory look at our society today and you will agree with me that something needs to be done.

    “We have as a nation lost our way, the country has all the natural resources that God has endowed us with and we should be amongst, if not the greatest country on earth but we are not. The reason we are not where we are supposed to be as a nation is because of leadership failure. We need strong, competent leaders. As our generation appears to have failed in this regard, it is important that we build tomorrow’s leaders today. I believe that leaders are made and not born. To be a great leader, one has to exhibit certain qualities. These qualities can be learnt at home, in schools or in a forum like this. I believe in catching them young. You are all potential leaders.

    We want to build future leaders who have the right moral values and ethical principal. Every child has a peculiar talent imbued in him by God which could be made useful through self discovery.”

    She challenged the students to strive to be the best in their academic pursuits, stressing that as tomorrow’s leaders; the society is waiting for them.

    The facilitator also pointed out to the students that there was a reason why they had been appointed senior prefects in their various schools, urging them to imbibe the ethical principles and values that would be instilled into them during the programme.

    She maintained that the main objective of the leadership and citizenship forum was to nurture and inspire young people as future leaders and instill moral and ethical values in them.

    The resource persons drawn from both national and international organizations tutored the students on such topics as “Developing a Leadership Mindset for Excellence”, delivered by Linus Okorie, “Becoming a Model Citizen”, by Muyiwa Afolabi and “The Magnitude of Attitude: Being the Best”, by Ubong Essien.

    In his paper Okorie, a leadership analyst, noted that leadership starts from the mind through a process he called “KASH” Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habit.

    He maintained that great leaders must possess a vast repertoire of knowledge through reading, developing the right attitude, acquiring marketable skills and good habits.

    Others harped on selflessness, integrity, dedication and discipline and personal sacrifices as prerequisites for attaining great heights in life.

    The governor urged the students not to allow the obstacles of life deprive them from attaining greatness. He also urged them to avoid self-doubt and be passionate in the pursuit of their career.

    Okorocha who spoke on the topic, “Starting”, noted that Governor Okorocha the greatest challenge facing any prospective entrepreneur or leader is “starting the project which he has envisioned”.

    He stressed that as future leaders, they should avoid negative peer pressure as it impedes progress in life.

    The Imo governor further harped on the need for students to discover themselves early in life and have passionate desire to accomplish their ambition, adding that God always helps those who have determination and focus to succeed.

    Some of the students who expressed gratitude to the organisers, said that they have been prepared to take up their roles as leaders in their respective schools, while they evolve into the leaders the nation is waiting for.

  • NGO engages ladies in leadership talk

    NGO engages ladies in leadership talk

    Representatives of Akintola and Akpabio Halls of Residence at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have collaborated with Wuliareads Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on literacy development, to organise Young Women Open Forum for female undergraduates of the institution.

    Tagged: #ProjectHerLifeMatters, the forum was aimed at improving participants’ knowledge in literature, leadership, health and career. The facilitators engaged the ladies on challenges they face in the university. The forum was facilitated by a team of four young women, including the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Vice President, Chinaza Nebo, a beauty queen, Diamond Okoh-Obiahu, and a blogger, Ada Monique.

    The speakers discussed how they were being able to successfully combine their academics with their passion.

    A medical practitioner, Dr Oluchi Ayogu of Bishop Shanahan Hospital in Nsukka, engaged the ladies on personal hygiene and how they could combat infections from their environment. There was also a free counselling session, where Dr Ayogu met one-on-one with the participants.

    Chimezie
    Chimezie

    Making vote of thanks, the NGO founder, Chimezie Anajama, said many ladies faced challenges because they lacked pragmatic power to deal with problems.

    She said: “Many students end up discovering their talents while they are in university. Some, who tried to do things on their own, may even end up not knowing how to accomplish those things. This is the reason we engage ladies in peer review to show participants that some of their colleagues are already flying even as undergraduates.”

    “Women are partners in nation-building and we must build good future for ourselves. We must be literate and equipped for that future. Women must know that literacy is not just about learning to read and write, but also using our talents to build a society we want.”

    Chimezie urged the participants to read beyond their academic scopes. She added: “It is not really the books you read and your exams that define who you are, but the knowledge you have outside the classrooms play huge impact.”

  • Union pledges support for NAPS leadership

    Union pledges support for NAPS leadership

    Students of Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in Effurun, Delta State have pledged their support for the Senate President of National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Jeremiah Friday.

    Jeremiah is a Mechanical Engineering student of the school.

    After his emergence, Jeremiah visited the PTI Students’ Union Government (SUG) leaders to thank them for their support. He was received by the union president, Akamune Oke, who acknowledged his bravery. Akamune promised the union would continue support the Senate President.

    A student, Adedotun Olomolatan, praised the union for supporting Jeremiah’s aspiration, saying the feat would bring honour to the institute. The SUG General Secretary, Richard Nwanne, said he was happy a student of the school was elected during his time, wishing Jeremiah good luck in his endeavour.

    Jeremiah described his victory as God’s doing, while dedicating the feat to PTI students.

    Over 112 polytechnics and colleges of education participated in the NAPS national convention, where a new leadership was elected to pilot the affairs of the association The convention was held in August at the Kogi State Polytechnic in Lokoja, where Olugbenga Adeyeye, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida (BIDA POLY) emerged president.

    Other elected members of executive include Vice President for National Affairs, Ibraheem Seriki, Vice President for External Affairs, Olasunkanmi Ijadunoye, Vice President for Special Duties, Freedom Omoniyi, General Secretary, Mohammed Tijjani, Assistant General Secretary, Benedict Olalere

    Others are Deputy Senate President, Abdulmojeed Oyeniyi, Public Relations Officer, Hammed Olugbede, Director of Sport, Quadri Bamidele, Treasurer, Memuna Saidu, Financial Secretary, Nuhu Abubakar, National Provost, Olayiwola Abubakar, and Ex-officio, Angina Chidiebube.

     

  • Leadership crisis: Battle-weary NLC seeks out-of-court settlement

    There is a glimmer of hope that the leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will soon end. TOBA AGBOOLA writes that besides the judicial intervention being sought at the National Industrial Court (NIC), the two camps battling for the leadership have indicated interest to embrace a peaceful resolution. 

    Crisis-weary Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) factions may soon close ranks. Embroiled in what many call “an avoidable rift”, the workers’ umbrella union has, in the past four months, operated at cross-purposes under factional leaderships.

    The division in 23 of the 36 affiliated unions in the organised labour was triggered   by sundry issues, including alleged corruption and electoral malpractices.

    The botched election of March 12 that threw up Ayuba Wabba and Joe Ajaero as factional presidents left the local chapters of the NLC in many states confused as to who the authentic leader is, thereby exposing the body to manipulation by external forces.

    The state branches, which are the basic building blocks of trade unions, have been in disarray since the election.

    But, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. National Industrial Court (NIC) President Babatunde Adejumo has advised the two factions to embrace peaceful reconciliation of their dispute.

    Justice Adejumo’s counsel came on the heels of a legal suit, which came up for hearing before his court in Ikoyi, Lagos, between the two factions.

    The suit stemmed from the 11th National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja on March 12.

    Loyalists of both camps, in their hundreds, stormed the court as early as 7am, jostling for space in the court room and within the premises.

    Chief Gani Adetola Kaseem (SAN), Mrs. Aisha Aremu-Ogunlade and Ahmed Adetola  Kaseem, among other lawyers, are in the legal team  of the Wabba-led faction. Lawyers from the Enobong Etteh’s & Nnamonso Ekanem’s Chambers are holding brief for the Ajaero-led faction.

    After listening to Wabba’s counsel, Justice Adejumo, in an admonition, urged the various unions to embrace mutual reconciliation rather than traversing court rooms   for an intervention that would further widen the gulf among workers. He advocated an amicable and out-of-court settlement of the crisis.

    The NIC president noted that the ordinary union members and the nation at large hold the labour movement in high esteem, given its historic role in the nation’s history.

    He urged the lawyers representing the factions to join hands in resolving the lingering dispute, reminding them that a divided NLC would not bring anything good for its members.

    Stressing the importance of labour in the development of a nation, Justice Adejumo said workers constitute the “engine-room of the economy”, adding that a united NLC is better off than a divided one.

    Justice Adejumo described Issa Aremu, one of the 11 defendants served with originating sermons, as a tested and respected labour leader, who can use his wealth of experience to resolve the crisis.

    He said: “With the likes of Comrade Issa Aremu and others who are respected labour leaders in Nigeria, reconciliation should not be ignored.”

    The judge, however, warned that the court has the powers of conciliation in matters such as NLC’s internal dispute. These powers, he said, are contained in Section 20 of the NIC Act.

    According to him, it is an implied duty of the court, which may warrant it to appoint a Trustee for the NLC, urging the counsels to explore opportunities for reconciliation on a ‘no loser, no vanquish’ basis.

    Before adjourning the case to October 8, Justice Adejumo stated that he gave the advice without prejudice to the case before his court.

    Reacting to the development, the National President of the National Union Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Oladele Hunsu, commended the NIC President for his counsel for amicable reconciliation against litigation.

    “We also acknowledge the spirited effort by the highly-respected labour veterans to reconcile both factions following the discredited 11th Delegates’ Conference and Special Delegates’ Conference of NLC respectively”, he said.

    Noting that his union, where  Aremu serves as the general secretary, supported the reconciliation option, he called on other labour leaders to take advantage of the admonition of the NIC President to unite and resolve all outstanding issues in order to forge a common front to defend the workers in the face of the harsh economic situation.

    The Wabba led-camp had returned to the NIC, seeking among others, a declaration that the Special Delegates’ Conference of NLC, where Ajaero and others emerged officers of the Congress, was not organised by the   NLC in line with the Constitution of the Congress in 2011 and should therefore be declared illegal, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.

    But, in the spirit of the out-of-court settlement, initiated by veteran unionists, led by the founding NLC President, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, the belief of concerned members is that the period of the adjournment will be used by the factions to find an enduring and a win-win solution to the problem.

     

    Blackmailing and impersonation

    Events in the past may have further widened the gulf between the two factions. Despite the fact that the Ajaero-led group has expressed its disposition to reconciliation, the other faction under Wabba, has on several occasions accused the group of impersonation.

    Wabba, in a recent statement, said the NLC headquarters took exception to the issuance of statements  by the Ajaero faction on behalf of the Congress.

    His words: “The attention of the Congress has been drawn to the serial impersonation by Comrades Joe Ajaero and Issa Aremu since they both lost their bids to be President and Deputy President of the NLC at the rescheduled March 14, 2015 elections of Congress.”

    Wabba explained what informed his reaction, citing a statement credited to Aremu, in which he called on the National Assembly to, in line with the economic realities, further reduce its N120 billion vote.

    He stated: “While we had restrained the National Secretariat from publishing a disclaimer in the hope that common sense and sanity would eventually prevail on our comrades to stop this delusion, it has become clear to us and the entire labour movement that Comrades Ajaero and Aremu are determined to continue in their enterprise of impersonation as president and deputy president of the NLC.

    “It is for this reason that Comrade Aremu had continued to issue statements in which he continually purport himself to be the deputy president of Congress and on behalf of our revered organisation.

    “One of such statements, and which was given wide publicity in at least four national dailies, contended that the alleged decision of the National Assembly to voluntarily cut its budget from N150 billion to N120 billion was “too token and not far-reaching enough.”

    Wabba stressed that though they (Ajaero and Aremu) can issue statements or speak on behalf of their respective unions, being affiliates of the NLC, they have no right to issue statements or speak for the NLC.

    He said: “As general secretaries of their respective unions, that are affiliates of the NLC, we cannot stop Comrade Aremu of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria and Ajaero of the National Union of Electricity Employees, or any officer of an industrial union, from speaking on any national issues they feel strongly about.

    “However, no affiliate, industrial union, or their officers, enjoy the liberty to issue statements in the name of the NLC, unless such an affiliate is expressly mandated to do so.”

    He said all instances since Ajaero and Aremu lost their bids to be elected as president and deputy president are clear cases of impersonation.

    “We had course to recently alert our international allies – Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa) and International Labour Organisation (ILO), among other labour bodies – to discountenance with any correspondence from Comrades Joe Ajaero and Issa Aremu if it is purported to be on behalf of the NLC.

    “While Comrades Ajaero and Aremu pretend to be advocates of democracy, they have both become clear embarrassments, to themselves and unfortunately to the entire labour movement, since they lost the elections to become national officers of Congress.

    “They have failed to show even an iota of democratic civility by approaching law courts if not satisfied with the process that produced the new leadership of the NLC on March 14, 2015. Instead, they have since then been engaging in what are clear cases of obfuscation, blackmail and impersonation.”

    According to Wabba, the NLC will soon engage the leadership of the National Assembly on the budget.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, on the issue of the budget of the National Assembly, on which Comrade Aremu was reported to have issued a statement, we have since met with the National Assembly and we will similarly engage Mr. President on a range of national and labour-related issues, whenever we have an audience with him”, Wabba said.

    In a swift reaction, Aremu lashed out on Wabba, whom he accused of wasting workers’ funds on litigation, pointing out that he should have taken debtor-governors to court over the non-payment of salaries, if only to demonstrate his love for the  NLC.

    According to him, Wabba should dissipate his energies and resources in tackling issues on workers’ welfare welfare and national development, instead of taking the Ajaero’s faction to court.

    He said: “Governors who owe workers several months of salaries should have been taken to court of public opinion and international organisations instead of taking us to the NIC.

    “The court in its wisdom knows we are not impersonating; that we are the authentic representatives of the Congress and that we have more to talk about the ministerial appointments, the National Assembly and other issues of national importance.

    “We (labour leaders) have been together before, and by the grace of God, the issue will be settled since a reconciliation process has started.”

    He said the strength of the organised labour cannot be in fighting one another but in fighting a common enemy, adding that a united NLC will critically move the economy of the country forward.

    The NUTGTW scribe noted that labour veterans in the Sumonu-led committee have begun reconciliation moves to ensure that both parties work together as one organisation.

    He added that the man-hour lost to litigation will not add to the growth of the economy, warning that division could be counter-productive.

    Aremu, however, insisted that the on-going reconciliation must be based on the core values of the labour movement.

    “A united NLC will be better positioned to critically address the nation’s challenges. Trade union must use the power of labour to fight for Nigerians”, he stressed.

    The National President of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who doubles as the Deputy President of the Ayuba-led camp, Alhaji Najim Yasin, also confirmed the on-going reconciliatory move.

    “We believe that we should all come together and speak with one voice in the general interest of all Nigerian workers”, he said.

    He expressed the hope that the reconciliation move will go a long way in ending the crisis, which he admitted, has polarised the body.

    Yasin commended the workers and labour leaders for their understanding, assuring them that the NLC will come out of the crisis stronger.

     

    Oshiomhole, ex-NLC leaders, factions meet over crisis

    Efforts at resolving the protracted crisis in the NLC continued in Abuja as Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and other fromer labour leaders, including  Sumonu, met with factional leaders.

    The meeting, which was earlier scheduled for Benin City, the Edo State capital, was moved to the Federal Capital City (FCT).

    Expectedly, Wabba and Ajaero, led their factions to the meeting  with the committee of veterans.

  • Onukaba: Kogi suffers from bad leadership

    Onukaba: Kogi suffers from bad leadership

    Veteran journalist and one-time Senior Special Assistant to Vice President on Media Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State. He spoke with TONY AKOWE in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on the problems confronting the state and how he intends to solve them, if elected as governor. 

    Many people have argued that Kogi State is moving backward, instead of developing. What do you think is responsible for this?

    The answer is bad leadership. From Abubakar Audu through Ibrahim Idris to Idris Wada, Kogi State has had the misfortune of being led by the wrong people; people without vision, people who were clearly ill-prepared for the office, people who believe that being governor gives them an opportunity to primitively accumulate wealth and promote nepotism. This is why we have to be careful this time. We must pick a candidate with the right credentials, including integrity, vision and capacity to deliver. Kogi needs good governance. Kogi needs development. I believe that Kogi needs me to pull it out of this sorry state.

    Kogi is blessed with a lot of resources, but it still rely on handouts from Abuja. How best do you think this should be handled?

    Kogi needs to grow its internally generated revenue to a level where it can take care of all recurrent expenditure. In my policy document titled “Re-inventing Kogi State”, I have promised innovative and creative ways of raising revenue without over-burdening the people. We shall also block all loopholes and leakages in the revenue collection process. We shall invest in revenue collection through better remuneration, training and incentives. Within the first two years of my administration, we will triple the current N600 million monthly IGR.

    Kogi State is today hugely divided along ethnic line. What plans do you have in place to unite the divided state?

    I will be governor of all Kogites. The resources of the state will be used for the benefit of the entire people of Kogi State. Yes, the ethnic divide is there and that is because there has not been fairness and equity in appointments and resources allocation in the state. The architect of that lopsidedness in appointments and resources allocation is Abubakar Audu. Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada have faithfully kept the tradition of marginalization. This is not right. It has to change. The government I hope to lead will be fair and equitable to all Kogites.

    How do you intend to tackle insecurity?

    Insecurity is not peculiar to Kogi State. There is insecurity generally in the country. It is being fueled mostly by youth unemployment. My administration will work closely with the police to secure the state. We will assist the state police with patrol vehicles and communication equipment. We will ensure that security vote is used to secure the lives and property of the people of the state. We will improve on intelligence gathering and have a data of known criminals in the community so that they can be easily monitored. We will have zero tolerance for crimes and anti-social behaviour.

    In the face of dwindling revenue, how do you intend to fight the infrastructure battle?

    No better illustration of the rot in Kogi State than the state of its roads. Yet, the state government claims to have spent billions of naira on roads in the state. You are right. Kogi roads look like roads in a war-ravaged territory. We will make sure that there is value for money in our infrastructural projects. Previous governments have often used such projects as conduit pipes. For example, the so-called Greater Lokoja Water Scheme has been awarded, reviewed and reawarded several times by Ibrahim Idris and Wada administrations. Yet, Lokoja has no water for people to drink.

    How do you plan to tap the natural resources that are abundant in Kogi?

    My policy document has a list of about 25 mineral resources available in Kogi State, showing available reserve and where they can be found. We will partner with the Federal Government to ensure that these blocs are leased to those who have the financial resources and technical expertise to develop them. We will also work closely with the Federal Government to resuscitate Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Company. These two companies can create jobs and generate wealth for our people.

    Could you shed light on your blue print on agriculture?

    My administration will prioritize and reposition agriculture, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Solid Minerals to create jobs and generate wealth for our people. We will encourage young people to go into various aspects of agriculture by providing inputs, tools, incentives and loans.

    What plans do you have for the infrastructural development?

    We will carry out a thorough audit of the workers in the state to ensure that the 28,000-35,000 workforce on the state payroll are real. We cannot be squandering state resources on ghost workers. I believe that after conducting personnel audit, we may be able to save a big chunk for capital projects. No state government can develop spending 80 per cent of its revenue on recurrent expenditure. It is the era of small and efficient public service.

    With the current salary wage bill of N3billion, will you consider downsizing or retrenchment of workers, if that appears to be the only way out?

    We will right-size to put round pegs in round holes. We will rid the state of ghost workers. I suspect that the N3 billion monthly wage bill is fraudulently padded. Using modern ICT tools, such as biometrics, it won’t be difficult to know the true workers from ghosts.

    Kogi State is known to have too many redundant local government workers who all they do is collect salary at the end of the month. Over 80% of these workers stay for months without reporting at their duty stations, what plan do you have in place considering how unsustainable this trend is?

    That is very true. I believe that a well conducted personnel audit will expose the redundant workers either at the state or local government level. Kogi State under my leadership will not be paying people who are idle.

     

  • Sunmonu to resolve NLC leadership crisis

    Sunmonu to resolve NLC leadership crisis

    An end may be in sight to the leadership crisis that is rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), with the constitution of a seven-man reconciliation panel headed by a former president of the congress, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu.

    There are two factions in the union –– one is headed by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who was elected in Abuja at delegate  conferene.  Comrade Joe Ajaero heads the other. He was elected in Lagos.

    Former President of the Congress and Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole told reporters at the end of the reconciliation meeting called by veterans of the congress that a seven-man committee headed by the founding President, Comrade Hassan Sumonu has been set up to iron out all issues that were raised by both parties in the crisis.

    Oshiomhole said that each of the two factions are to be represented by three people including  Comrades Wabba and Joseph Ajaero.

    The mandate of the Committee, he said, will be to meet regularly to iron out the issues in contention until they are resolved. He said the major issues are not about positions since the two factions recognised that only one person can be President at any given time.

    He explained that the reconciliation meeting looked at the issues that arose and concluded that these are all family issues and in every family, it is not unusual to have some disagreement, adding that  “we all deeply regret all that has happened that led to the discordant voices that people were beginning to hear from among the leadership of the NLC”.

    He said that they have all resolved to work together and build peace within the labour movement as well as in the state councils, adding that those who were thinking that the NLC will break up have been disappointed by the out come of the reconciliation.

    He said: “Having listened to all the parties, we all agreed that there is only one NLC and at any given time, only one person can lead and other will follow. But leadership and followers is not a relationship between a tenant and owner. Everybody is a member of the movement.

    “Having deliberated on this, we agree that a committee of seven persons be drawn up with members of three each drawn up from each shade of opinion from the NLC family and our founding president, Comrade Sumonu will provide leadership for this committee of seven and they will meet and ensure that NLC is managed on the basis of inclusion and not exclusion.

    “They will help the leaders of the congress to operate in such a way that everybody will have a sense of belonging. We all agreed that all the issues that has been raised should be revisited. Issues of ethics, morality, customs and practice, traditions of the trade union movement and law.

    “All these issues and others will be addressed in a manner that will help NLC regain internal cohesion and have a coherent voice, not only in running its affairs, but being able to comment authoritatively on matters affecting the politics and economy of Nigeria”.

    Oshiomhole said they have also directed that the matter before the National Industrial Court should be withdrawn unconditionally because the Congress has the internal mechanism to resolve its own crisis.

  • Reps leadership: Tambuwal, Dogara and Gbajabiamila

    Reps leadership: Tambuwal, Dogara and Gbajabiamila

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State stoked controversy again when he indirectly claimed credit for the victory of Hon Yakubu Dogara in the June 9 leadership election of the House of Representatives. The governor made the claim when he received visiting Sayawa leaders from the Speaker’s constituency of Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State. His main reason for backing Hon Dogara, he disclosed, was the Speaker’s competence. There is little in his summation of the June 9 election that showed Mallam Tambuwal was  completely honest, nor that even if he could be so regarded, that he spoke wisely, minded his logic, or paid heed to the wider import of his choices. Hon Dogara’s Sayawa leaders were clear who they thought championed the cause of their son, and they travelled to Sokoto to let the world know, and to pay homage.

    Hear Mallam Tambuwal: “Eight out of ten members of the Body of Principal Officers in the 7th Assembly supported Dogara’s aspiration. Only Hon Femi (Gbajabiamila) and Hon Datti Ahmad supported Femi. I have strong affinity with Hon Femi. He was closer to me than Dogara. But when talking about leadership and collective decisions, sentiments have to be put aside. I’m not here to tell you that my support made Dogara the Speaker, no. Two things made Dogara to become the Speaker, one is God and two, Dogara’s competence. The acknowledgement of Dogara’s competence did not start with me. It started from the time of Hon Patricia Etteh and Hon Dimeji Bankole when they entrusted him with a sensitive position of the Chairman of House Services Committee.”

    The governor continues: “The committee is one of the most sensitive in the legislature. Apart from taking care of the welfare of members, the committee oversees all procurement processes. As the Speaker, I only did what my predecessors did by giving Dogara this sensitive position. No person, as far as I know, has ever served as chairman of the House Services committee in two dispensations. Dogara broke that jinx. All through my tenure, I brought Dogara close to me because I found in him a person who is competent, accommodating, and with capacity to lead. Anyone doubting Dogara’s ability to lead, should ask members of the 7th Assembly how he handled their matter. So we supported Dogara not for any reason but because he was competent to deliver on any task given to him.”

    Mallam Tambuwal spoke engagingly to the Sayawa leaders; but he spoke fulsomely like someone whose conscience was troubled, partly indicating that he seemed oblivious of the wider ramifications of his statement. He must be a politician of enormous courage and indifference to anchor his backing for Dogara purely on competence. For a man with presidential ambition, and one who admitted he was closer to Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, it is still mystifying why he discountenanced that closeness and the support the Surulere, Lagos Rep gave him during his leadership of the lower chamber to back a different horse. In his address to the Sayawa leaders, Mallam Tambuwal was in effect saying that Hon Dogara was more competent than Hon Gbajabiamila, a fact he believed was reinforced by the support given the new Speaker by eight out of 10 principal leaders of the 7th House of Representatives.

    Stung to the quick, and probably miffed by the suggestion that Hon Dogara was more competent than he, Hon Gbajabiamila retorted  that the God factor in his opponent’s victory was a more rational explanation for the outcome of the election. Just as it is not known what other motives really propelled Mallam Tambuwal to back Hon Dogara, it is also not quite certain that Hon Gbajabiamila told the whole truth on the value of Tambuwal’s influence on the election. Two facts are, however, obvious from the Dogara victory. The competence argument advanced by Mallam Tambuwal appears far-fetched. Given the margin of the Dogara victory (182 to 174) — or just eight votes — the vaunted influence of the eight out of 10 principal officers of the 7th Rep celebrated by Mallam Tambuwal may be a red herring. Second, the closeness of the Rep leadership election, though it ended in defeat for Hon Gbajabiamila, testified to his popularity and strength. Had Senator Bukola Saraki not become Senate President, thereby distorting the zoning arrangement in the National Assembly, Hon Gbajabiamila would probably have won, especially given his strong showing on June 9.

    There were insinuations that Mallam Tambuwal backed Hon Dogara probably because he was unhappy with the party’s preference for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, now president. Some staunch Southwest APC members had bought a nomination form for Mallam Tambuwal, and for a moment, it appeared the party’s leadership was poised to back him all the way. He was, however, unceremoniously dumped after a lot of political calculations and jostling. Mallam Tambuwal is thought to be still smarting from the incident. In addition, the Sokoto governor is also thought to be anxious to join others in curbing the influence of the national leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who seemed to loom rather large over the party’s structure and ambitions. Mallam Tambuwal has declined absolutely to address these suppositions. Instead, he merely focused on what he described as Hon Dogara’s competence. Few politicians believe him.

    The implications of the National Assembly leadership elections will doubtless manifest in the coming months and years. Reacting to Mallam Tambuwal’s explanation on the outcome of the Reps leadership election, Hon Gbajabiamila said he wished the Sokoto governor well in his future endeavours. Many take this as a veiled indication that  should Mallam Tambuwal need the support of Hon Gbajabiamila and possibly the Southwest sometime in the future, he would find it tough going. It is however too soon to draw such inferences and conclusions.  Instead, the question to ask is whether in the political circumstances surrounding the Reps leadership election of June 9 Mallam Tambuwal acted with enough discretion and foresight to keep his presidential ambition alive for approximately the next four years. No conclusions can be drawn with any certainty.

    What is, however, clear is that Mallam Tambuwal may not have acted with substantial wisdom in retaining his friends and courting those outside his close circle of friends. Even if he was right to conclude that Hon Dogara was more competent than Hon Gbajabiamila, as an ambitious politician, he should have asked himself whether the call he was about to make was politically expedient for both his present and future needs. Given the closeness of the June 9 vote, it does appear there is no settling the precedence between Hon Dogara and Hon Gbajabiamila in terms of competence. Worrisomely too, Mallam Tambuwal’s choices may signify a hitherto hidden part of his person and psychological make-up. Was it possible that when they backed him for the Reps leadership election in 2011, the progressives in the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) didn’t know him as much as they thought? Just as the drawn-out conflict between the pro-June 12 activists and the Gen Sani Abacha military government  in the 90s exposed the inner but appalling character of many otherwise respected Nigerian politicians, especially from the Southwest, the June 9 Reps leadership election may have exposed the true character, ideology and preferences of many supposedly principled and brilliant politicians.

    It also took the election of the Christian and South-South Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and his reelection campaign in 2015 to expose the true nature,  prejudices and poor judgement of many southern and especially Southwest politicians. After Dr Jonathan, Nigerian politics, not to say Southwest politics, is unlikely to be the same again. After the June 9 National Assembly leadership elections , especially Mallam Tambuwal’s controversial ratiocination, Nigerian politics and power relations in the legislature and elsewhere at the national level are certain to be affected or even altered in ways many politicians cannot begin to imagine.

  • What transformational leadership can do

    What transformational leadership can do

    Singapore just turned 50 and there is a good reason for citizen pride and for the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the celebration while it lasted. And the official celebration lasted only one day because the people cannot afford to stay away from work for more than 24 hours since they still have much to do for the growth and development of a nation and a people that have demonstrated to the world what feat a determined leadership and a loyal followership can perform.

    Fifty years ago, there was a great deal of uncertainty about the future of this city-state, having just been expelled by a unanimous vote of the Malaysian parliament from a federation of 14 states comprised of Malays, Tamils and Chinese. While the union lasted, there was no love lost between the leaders and the people that made up the alliance. For fear that Singapore’s majority Chinese was going to dominate the union, the United Malays National Organisation expelled Singapore on August 9, 1965.

    Singaporean leader, Lee Kuan Yew, was devastated. He believed in the merger of the two territories. On his account, he had dedicated an entire political career to making it work without much thought to the possibility of such a drastic measure by Malaysia. Although devastated, he didn’t succumb to fear of the unknown. As in the case of an individual, national survival instinct kicked in and innate and acquired leadership skills were summoned. The result is visible in all areas of Singapore’s national life.

    Five years ago, I visited Singapore for the first time. The experience was awesome. Trusting in her reputation for being the safest city in Asia, I roamed the streets without fear of kidnapping or encounter with armed robbers. Indeed, perfect strangers were just too willing and ready to help out when I lost my bearing. Singapore also has the reputation for having the cleanest streets and the most disciplined population, not just in the area, but compared with most parts of the world.

    The time I visited the country in August 2010 coincided with the celebration of national independence and the spirit of national pride couldn’t be more glaring. I watched the fireworks at night and I had no problem figuring out the perception of the people about their country. I informally interviewed scores of young college students all of whom attested to the fact that their country was in the right direction. They understood their responsibilities as citizens and were only too willing to discharge them for the good progress and development of their country.

    From the unanimity of Singaporeans about their love for and pride in their country, it is difficult to understand that the nation is not monolithic in terms of the multiracial origin of its people, who include Chinese, Malays and Tamils. The race riot that occurred in 1964 just before Singapore’s expulsion from Malaysia has given way to racial harmony, as they all see themselves as Singaporeans. This may have something to do with the evolution of the country and its economic and financial success.

    It is true, however, that the evolution and the success are the result of hard work and dedication of its leaders, especially the one whose identity became synonymous with the nation, Lee Kuan Yew, a transformational leader whose success has once again demonstrated that leadership matters. As he once declared, the success was not due to magic.

    Yew invested heavily in research and development. He prioritised education and had zero tolerance for indiscipline and corruption. He led by example, going around the street monitoring projects and inspiring the youth. My 2010 cab driver told me that there was stiff penalty for violating the laws against littering, such as spitting chewing gum on the street grounds or defacing public building with graffiti. Of course, we are aware of the penalty for drug trafficking.

    Singapore was forced to become an independent nation five years after Nigeria voluntarily asked for and received her independence from Britain. Because of the circumstance of her coming into being, Singapore did not receive any assistance from its former ally. It had to begin from ground zero. It had to survive and its leaders had the sense to invest their integrity and knowledge into the nation’s future.

    Singapore’s leadership didn’t rip off their nation to build other countries. They refused the pleasure of the moment for the long term benefits for the nation. Today, Yew did not live to witness the appreciation of a grateful people. But wherever he is, he must be beaming with smiles beaming on the nation that he built, not just economically, but also politically, physically and socially into one of the most reckoned with nations in the world, in spite of its just being a city state.

    Of course, Singapore is not all glittering! Her democratic credentials are not in the superlative grade, combining a capitalist economic model with a quasi authoritarian political rule with the same party in power since 1965. There is suppression of public opinion and critics of government have received stiff penalties.

    It’s useful then to ask what lessons, if any, can Nigeria learn from the Singaporean experience?

    First, it is not size that matters. There are big for nothing nations, just as there are big for nothing individuals. For far too long, we have focused on population as if it is the numbers that make a great nation.

    Second, unity and national pride come with tangible national success. We fought a civil war because we wanted to keep Nigeria united. Are we united now as a country? Browse the various blogs and online comment pages for an answer. A more effective road to unity is a selfless leadership with a good understanding of what it takes to achieve national greatness and can demonstrate success in national advancement.

    Third, unlike Singaporeans, we don’t even have a unity of purpose. There is too much mistrust and misconception of motives and intentions. If this is just a followership issue, we may suggest that leadership should come to the rescue. But it is mostly at the leadership level and not for the most laudable of motives.

    Those who fear the personal loss of what they consider their entitlements are often in the vanguard of ethnic jingoism. And as it is at the national level, so it is at state and local government levels.  Within the same party and the same ethnic group, there are crises of confidence. Already, the battle for 2019 has started even with a new president just starting his term! It’s egoism run amok.

    Fourth, a strong and selfless leader with a vision will see through the cracks, rise above the fray and inspire the entire nation, young and old, men and women, of all faiths and all backgrounds, with personal example of hard work, self-discipline and transparent incorruptibility. He will not be distracted by perennial nay-sayers, or partisan critics because he has his eyes set on the prize of national advancement. He will go for the necessary restructuring of the economy and the polity, and investment in human development, as the sine qua non of transformation.

    My support for President Muhammadu Buhari is based on my understanding of his vision in view of his past service and his tenacity in the past three elections. I still have that belief in his ability to transform the nation and in his determination to make a success of his efforts. The ball is in Mr. President’s court. Singapore was not a magic. Nigeria can rise above the cloud of despair that hangs over her otherwise beautiful sunny sky.