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Tag: Masari

  • Alleged debts: Ex-Governor Shema accuses Masari of falsehood, character assassination

    Alleged debts: Ex-Governor Shema accuses Masari of falsehood, character assassination

    • Writes Buhari to caution Katsina Governor

    Immediate past Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema has described as deliberate falsehood, allegations of misappropriation of funds and huge debt profile levelled against his administration by Governor Aminu Masari.

    Shema, in a 13-page petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari written on his behalf by the law firm of Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), decried what it called the unexpected campaign of calumny waged against him by Masari.

    Titled: “Deliberate blackmail, denigration, vilification and persecution of Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, the immediate past Governor of Katsina State by the Governor Aminu Bello Masari-led administration – appeal for caution,” the petition described the allegations as untrue and unconscionable attempt to sully the locally and globally applauded developmental strides of Shema’s tenure as well as dent his image.

    The letter, according to the law firm has become necessary, giving that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have started hounding the former governor’s appointees, without any charge or accusation, and without information on who their accusers were.

    Urging Buhari to call the Masari-led administration to order, it said that heavy propaganda was being mounted against Shema by the present administration through the state owned media, portraying him and his government as treacherous.

    On the alleged N42 billion debt incurred by his administration, Shema said no loan, whether internal or external, private or public, local or foreign, was applied for, collected, received or in any way obtained for Katsina state.

    He denied owing local government workers N6.2billion gratuity, adding that the local governments were incharge of payment of salaries and gratuities of their workers.

    The petition reads: “In appreciation of and respect for the constitutionally created tiers of government, local governments were in charge of payment of salaries and gratuities to their workers. Hence, the alleged N6.2billion gratuity, which is obviously fabricated, cannot in any way or under any guise be tagged or branded ‘a state debt’. It is also untrue that a sum of N3.1billion or any other sum was owed in gratuities to retired civil servants/workers as at the end of the tenure of our client.

    “Particularly, in response to the contrived allegation on the foreign debt portfolio of $78million USD, our client categorically posits that this figure represents an accumulation of facilities taken and facilitated by previous administrations in the state, starting from the military era; and not a single dollar of it was incurred, borrowed or obtained by the administration led by our client…some predate the inception of Katsina State in 1985, and others dating as far back to 1965-about two decades before the creation of Katsina State.

    “It is therefore, mind-boggling and preposterous that the Masari administration would make such unfounded allegations, despite the well documented report and details furnished it upon inauguration.

    “For the avoidance of doubt and at the risk of repetition, be it noted that not one cent of the said loan was incurred during our client’s tenure as Governor.

    “What is more? The Federal Government, right from time, makes the necessary deductions from the monthly statutory allocations due to Katsina State, in order to settle this foreign debt portfolio.

    “These monthly deductions, at some point, were as much as N72 million every month. As a result, the Ibrahim Shema led-administration appointed an external auditor to audit all the payments made and the actual state of the alleged debt.

    “The external consultant, in its preliminary report, stated that not only had the debt been completely defrayed, the state had probably overpaid and was entitled to some refund.

    “In his handover note, our client further advised the present administration to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation into the repayment of the loan and pursue a refund of the probable excess payment.

    “All the above were intentionally left out of the report of the transition committee. Our client challenges the Masari administr?ation to make public, any foreign loan taken by his administration, as well as the date, the creditor (foreign bank), amount, and the purpose for which the purported loan was obtained.

    “Our moneys disbursed by or through the Ministry of Finance throughout our client’s administration were carefully documented and the said documents were supplied to the present administration.

    “It is therefore, strange and mischievous to say the least, that the transition committee alleged that a sum of N13billion is unaccounted for by/at the Ministry of Finance, without supporting the said accusation documentarily, factually and without founding same on any logical or analytical ground.

    “This mischievous allegation totters the imagination and begs the following questions, to wit, how would the sum of N13 billion ‘disappear’ from a ministry in Katsina State when the same government admits that the amount left in the coffers of the state by the Ibrahim Shema led administration is in excess of N4 billion as at May?

    “How would anyone allege that such an amount is unaccounted for when it is on record that Katsina State was|is the only state in Nigeria that fully paid the salaries of civil servants and did not owe any arrears in salaries as at May 29?

    “We invite Mr. President to note that this outstanding performer and very prudent administrator (our client), settled May, 2015 salaries before leaving office. How could such an amount of money be said to be ‘misappropriated’, when the Ibrahim Shema-led administration constructed a 35 thousand capacity stadium?

    “Barring any ominous underpinning, a cursory look at the books of the Ministry and all rhe documents revealed that there were no misappropriated funds and all funds were disbursed by the Ministry of Finance, and more, were used for the enviable projects executed by the state during our client’s tenure,” the letter stated.

    It confirmed the transfer of N7 billion to ALGON account, noting that it was done in compliance with the allocation procedures of the state.

    “The said sum is designated for the payment of salaries of members of the staff of 34 Local Government Areas of Katsina State, and applied in respect of the joint projects by the local government areas (LGAs).

    “While the LGAs exercised immense autonomy in the use of this fund, our client ensured that same was dispensed and/or used and applied shrewdly and prudently.

    “Again, it is untrue that the SUBEB fund was misappropriated. Using the mildest of terms, this allegation is nauseating. All funds which have been allocated to Katsina State SUBEB have been appropriately and judiciously appropriated.

    “At this point, it is important to mention that throughout our client’s eight-year tenure, he set up a free education programme for the entire Katsina State.

    “Little wonder, the state was annually adjudged as the best performer by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB)…

    ‘As regards the heinous allegations of N7,100,000,000 SURE-P fund, our client states that this is totally false and baseless. The disbursement of the SURE-P fund in Katsina is budgetarily provided for, and duly expended in strict compliance with the provisions of the state’s Appropriation Law.

    “All expenditures were duly tabled at the floor of the State House of Assembly and duly approved. The import of this is that the disbursements, allocations, and/or usage of the said funds are well documented.

  • Environment: What Masari must do

    The need for proactive measure to control the myriads of environmental challenges bedeviling Katsina state and the political will to confront it has for long been the yearnings of the stakeholders in the state. Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari assumes the office of governor at a critical time when the state needed everything to be done from patriotic point because much is expected from his administration.

    Environment is our only heritage, protecting it is a very serious business which must be given priority in governance. As a Federal Environmental Enforcement Officer working in the state, I had the privilege of observing, participating and executing Environmental Management and Protection Activities organized by the state Environmental Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs) such as KTSEPA, Department of Forestry etc  either as a representative of my agency or as a keen stakeholder. I will in the preceding paragraphs present the blunt matter-of-the-fact assessment of the success recorded in the state and what is still needed to be done to get the state to the Promised Land.

    Governor Masari must first of all give all necessary support to the Ministry of Environment to enable the ministry deliver its mandate. The yearly raising of assorted seedlings by Katsina State Afforestation Project Unit (KTAPU) must be sustained. The governor must go beyond raising seedlings to massive planting of trees to arrest the desert encroachment threatening the state. Since the beginning, trees have furnished us with two of life’s essentials: food and oxygen. As we evolved, they provided additional necessities such as shelter, medicine, gum, raw materials and tools.

    The Department of Forestry which is currently under the office of the Deputy Governor must be empowered as an agency of the Ministry of Environment to undertake the following activities: Conservation and improvement of genetic resources of forest trees and eco-system for the state’s economic development; Improvement of silvicultural practices relating to forest trees of economic importance; Forestry education and training; Forestry extension and dissemination; and any other problem relating to forestry flora and fauna.

    All these parastatals must be placed under the Ministry of Environment for effective coordination. Katsina State being one of the 11 frontline states greatly swallowed by desertification (according to Federal Ministry of Environment, 43% of the landmass and population of these states is already affected), her vulnerability has exposed the urgent need to consolidate the ministry in order to have a common front to fight this monster of desertification gradually taking control of the state on a daily basis.

    The State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has over the years sustained the end of the month environmental sanitation exercise in order to improve the environment, keep the state clean and enhance the health status of the people. The agency encouraged families and people in the state to clean their homes and the environment at the village, community and state level. Non-Governmental Organisations, Community Based Organisations, Tipper Drivers Associations etc were supported with working implements, tools and logistics to participate in the exercise.  I have as a member of the State Monitoring Team, gone round during the exercise to see how these organization/associations puts into good use these working implements given to them.

    SEPA adopted a new concept of waste recycling as a means of utilizing the generated waste for other socio-economic activities such as farming, tree planting, source of raw materials to local industries etc. In the year 2013, an estimated 498 tons of sorted organic manure was sold to farmers and over one million naira was generated as revenue by the agency. This is in line with environmental management of Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle.

    Two mechanized street sweepers vans were deployed by SEPA to complement the existing effort of manual street sweeping exercise being carried out. This helped in keeping Katsina metropolis and other major towns clean and tidy. The agency engaged the services of labourers, both males and females in street daily sweeping exercise in the 34 LGAs of the state. This serves the dual purpose of keeping the state clean and reducing the unemployment in the state. This particular exercise has been commended by virtually every environmentalist in the state.

    Governor Masari must consider the need to maintain the current tempo of keeping the capital city and major towns clean and beautiful. Considering the fact that Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, the inflow of visitors to the state will double if not triple. This will be further compounded by the fact the present governor was Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. We cannot afford to disappoint the citizen visitors; the state must be kept safe, healthier, clean and beautiful. The state must keep its name for heritage and hospitality.

    I have in the past three years taken time to observe and assess the comment and responses of most officials on working visit to Katsina State. Their rating of Katsina being one of the cleanest states in the country is a thing of pride and a pass mark to the state and must be maintained. The common sight of huge heaps of garbage in open spaces found along major cities in the country has long been forgotten in Katsina State. This well organized, prompt and constant sweeping and clearing of weeds from major roadsides and other public places has helped to keep the street clean, tidy and free from sand, polythene and debris is marvelous and needs to be maintained.

    Another milestone attained by relevant state agencies is in achieving a three-year flood-free record in the state. Of course, this is as a result of prompt and timely silt removal, evacuation of drainages, clearing of gutters, drains and water ways that has helped in free flow of water especially during rainy season, This particular exercise and the periodic fumigation exercise of the state capital, villages and towns have greatly assisted in the roll back malaria programme.

    The governor must consider the urgent need to review all obsolete environmental laws to effectively suit the realities of the day. For instance, the efficacy of a fine charged in the 70s and 80s cannot be effectively applied on an offence committed in the current reality of our time today. This clearly calls for the need to review such laws. The governor must encourage the speedy review and passage of such laws by the House of Assembly within the shortest possible time.

    SEPA should be empowered to carry out efficient and effective inspection and enforcement of environmental standards, monitor pollution in the environment, conduct research and demonstrations and assist local governments in their pollution control efforts. The agency must carry out premises inspection, house to house inspection, market inspection, hospital/clinic inspection, food and food premises inspection, industries inspection etc. The manpower and other resources constraints impeding the conduct of these inspections must be addressed.

    SEPA must sustain, re-jig and retool its environmental awareness creation activities. Sensitization which plays a very important role in environmental protection should be taken to educational institutions, markets, associations, households and facilities. The agency must take this exercise to a higher level through radio, television and other electronic media. The public should be informed on why it is important to redeem the environment by keeping our surroundings clean, not dumping refuse in drainages and water ways, using waste bins, disposing waste properly and replacing a felled tree with at least three other stakes of tree. Religious leaders and heads of institution in our mosques, churches and institution of learning should admonish their faithful and the students on the need to redeem the environment.

    The 20 lock up shops constructed by SEPA opposite Katsina state Hajj Camp to check indiscriminate hawking should be constructed in other strategic points all over the state. This is certainly a good innovation aimed at controlling street hawking.

    The 5 Roll On – Roll Off trucks and over 100 pieces of containers recently acquired by SEPA must be well utilized.  These trucks should be used for moving the containers to major dump sites in the major cities of the state, namely Katsina, Daura and Funtua. The 100 containers should be placed in identified indiscriminate dumpsites all over the state. This is a good innovation, considering the large number of waste generated caused by an increase in economic activities in the State.

    Environmental protection is a responsibility of all because a cleaner and healthier society is a wealthy society! The governor must sustain and maintain the current tempo already attained in the state, at the end day, posterity will hold only him accountable for all the achievements recorded during his reign.

     

    • Ahmed, an Environmental Enforcement Officer, writes from Katsina.

     

     

  • Masari: I‘ll restore Katsina’s glory

    Masari: I‘ll restore Katsina’s glory

    Former House of the Representatives Speaker Hon. Aminu Bello Masari is the Katsina State governor-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with reporters in Katsina, the state capital, he unfolds his plans for the state. TONY AKOWE was there.

    This is your second attempt at becoming governor of Katsina State and by the grace of God, you became the winner. We want you to share your experience with us.

    It is really an experience for somebody to contest election in a party that is in the opposition, especially because of the way we see opposition in this country. I believe that opposition is also a partner in development in the democratic process of a country. Unfortunately, in some quarters, people in opposition party are seen as enemies and not as partners. So, my experience since I joined the opposition in 2009 is that for you to be in the opposition, you have to be very patient, persevere and also to be steadfast. Once you have an idea which you believe in, you should remain constant and consistent and, at the end, God will definitely be with you in terms of succeeding. So, my experience has really been mixed in the sense that the ordinary person want change all the time, but the powers that be always want to maintain the status quo. The worst situation is the lack of level-playing ground which has been lacking. Now, with the introduction of the card reader, it is almost impossible to inflate votes and this has made a little difference. Really, with the right leadership in right place at the right time, Nigeria will get it right.

    What should the people expect from you when you are sworin in?

    If you passed through our campaign office, we said our project is Restoration 2015 for Katsina. What are we restoring? Traditionally,  Katsina is known for investment and producing highly educated and technically sound people. So, our main area, our first target, second target and third target is education, because the standard of education is poor in Katsina today. Public schools in the state  could not even achieve three per cent success in last year’s WAEC. If you take the entire Katsina indigenes, whether they live in Lagos, Abuja or elsewhere in the country, 45,800 of them sat for WAEC and only 4,500 got five credits and above. This is a shame for a state where the first middle school in northern Nigeria was established. First generation, second generation and third generation of students from that institution, including the President-elect, have made their mark in different fields of human endeavour. We were the first to open an education account in the United Kingdom for the training of our people. But, today, from 1999 to 2014, we have presented over 255,000 students for WAEC. What did we get out of that? Only 32,000 of them secured five credits and above. During my campaign, I was able to travel to all the 34 local government areas. I slept in 27 and in each local government I made sure that I did not follow the tarred road. This was to assess the state of infrastructure in the state. What did we see? The roofs of about 60 per cent of our primary schools have their roofs blown off, windows and doors destroyed and no concrete flooring. On the average, one classroom houses about 97 children. What are we talking about? There is a particular district only one child successfully completed senior secondary school. The rest dropped out because there were no teachers and no classrooms. It is a terrible situation. There was a time we presented over 17,000 students for WAEC and only 370 passed. We cannot continue like this. So, what we are bringing on the table is the issue of education. Secondly, Katsina is an agrarian state. Our economy was until the discovery of oil dependent on agriculture and livestock. Where are we today? We can’t feed ourselves. Forget about imported rice, imported macaroni, imported spaghetti, imported everything. If, for whatever reason, the import stopped, how do we feed ourselves? People said they are surprise that could not feed themselves at a time, when they ran short of food. That exposed the weakness in the system they were operating. We cannot sit down here and depend on rice from China, rice from India, rice from Thailand when we have water and the land. Before Katsina was created as a state, it was a province. This province was constructing roads, schools, hospitals, court, it had the police, prison services, the judiciary; they were paying salaries and carrying out development projects. Why can’t we replicate that today? The province was also making its contribution to the running of the Northern Regional government. Where are we today? If this money coming from Abuja stops, the state cannot survive for one month.

    How do you intend to attract funds to run the state?

    The problem is that we have not always been open and honest with our people. It is not about resources alone. You think that development depends on money alone, but it is not so. Even the military were building roads, hospitals  and others. Under the colonial administration, the emirate system was building everything. Democracy is about being open with the people. If you have money, let the people know that you have money and let them have a say on how this money is spent. Each time, we talk about lean resources. No, it is not about lean resources, but about good management of resources. If you allow the local councils to operate, if you allow a ward to produce a Councilor that represents the people and not himself, things will work out well. We don’t have councils now. The key word is not lack of resources, but involving people in decision making. That is the essence of democracy. This state under the Native Authority as a Province was doing well looking after itself. But, today, this is not so. We want to look at Katsina in the next 20 or 30 years. There was a time when crude oil was less than 10 dollars and it can happen again tomorrow. We’re not in a position to determine the price. The world powers decide how much they will buy your oil, what quantity they need. So, we have no control over pricing, we have any control over the market. We have no control over even the imported products. How can we depend on something that has a life span? Let us depend on the land to give us food. No country is great when it cannot feed itself.

    What is your plan for those you defeated at the APC primary?

    We have already passed that stage. Nine of us contested the primary and all of us worked for the success of the APC in Katsina State. Everybody was also involved in the preparation for the presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the governorship election. They all brought in materials and their physical presence into the project. So, we don’t have problems in that regard; that’s why we say that we are going to do things differently. Even though the APC emerged as the winner of the election, the other parties are from Katsina and we will offer them a hand of fellowship too. We are going to be magnanimous; we are going to be leaders. We are going to provide leadership and not rulership. We have no problem in carrying along anybody who has the interest of the people of Katsina at heart. Our key word here is the people. It is not about skyscrapers. It is not about roads that will not go anywhere, but to develop the people and the people will develop the land.

    In what ways would the emergence of Buhari at the centre help your administration?

    We are not meeting with Buhari on the platform of political party alone. We have a long standing relationship and now, we have a political relationship. That Buhari is from Katsina State is a plus for us. But, it depends on how we manage it. We want Buhari to be a Nigerian leader. We don’t want Buhari to be a regional, zonal or provincial leader. We want him to be a Nigerian leader that will leave a legacy of positive contribution to this country and that is the basis on which people elected him. So, we will help him to maintain and improve on those qualities which the people of Nigeria see in him. We will never do anything that will tarnish his image, his reputation or his standing internationally and nationally. So, for us, the emergence of Buhari is a plus. When we go somewhere and say I am from Katsina, we want the doors to be open. So, for us, it is a plus.

    Taking you back to the issue of education, are you going to follow your party’s policy on education or do you intend to initiate your own home-grown policy?

    The first item on the agenda of the APC manifesto is human resource development. How can you develop human resources without education. Fundamentally, the position of APC in education is known. In Katsina, the figures not produced by me, but in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education gives Katsina about 20 per cent enrollment rate and some states have achieved 80 per cent enrollment rate. So, their approach and mine will be different, but the goal remains the same. Here in Katsina, we will design a road that will lead us to success on the basis of the basket provided by our political party in the area of education. We will take roads that will lead us, that will lead Katsina to salvage itself, restore the honour, dignity and integrity of the people of Katsina state. We cannot do that outside education. The road that other states will take to arrive at their destination may be different from ours, but the objective would remain the same.

    You were Speaker of the House of Representatives for four years. What kind if leadership will you suggest for the 8th Assembly to assist Gen. Buhari in piloting the affairs of this nation?

    Luckily, we are going to have a comfortable majority in the National Assembly. What I have seen as a former member of the House of Representative is that because of patronage system by the governors, they have destroyed the institution. Patronage system in the sense that for you to become a senator, you must be in the right books of the governor. For you to be a member, you start lobbying the governor to make you a candidate for you to be a member of the National Assembly. Not because the governor believes that you have something to offer other than being attracted by the package and the limelight. Definitely, at the National Assembly, if you play your cards well, it is an opportunity to come into limelight. Really, most people derail when they get to the National Assembly. If we go there, what interest do we represent? How do we subsume our local interest into national interest? If you are making an act, it is for the entire country. If you are participating in the budget, you have to find a way of subsuming your interest into national interest. As long as the interest you represent cannot be subsumed into the national development agenda, which is the budget, you are no longer providing representation. The reality of the situation is, let us allow the system to work. In determining the leadership, the leadership has to be focused on why we need the change. So, we must get leaders that understand why we need the change in Nigeria. It is not about changing faces or names. It is about changing how we conduct businesses of government at any level, how do we as Nigerians do things. After all, South Africa said it is returning our money after Buhari is sworn in. Why? The international community is comfortable that somebody who will manage the resources well is coming. These are the kind people we need and it should be the vision of those coming to the National Assembly. I hope they are not attracted by the package, but also by the work.

    Finally, how would you describe your emergence as the governor-elect?

    If you know me well, I am a normal person. I don’t look at things in such a way that it will carry my mind off the direction. We have promised, we have pledged and we have prayed that God will give us the opportunity to restore the honour, dignity, prestige and integrity of the people of Katsina State and this is what we are going to work for. We see it as a challenge. I am not here not make a new name. As Speaker, I was the only person in the country and was given a presidential treatment anywhere I go in the country. I am here because we believe that without executive power, you cannot make any meaningful contribution to development in this country at this point in time. That is why I have decided to come back home and see how I can repay what the society has invested in me. I am a product of public institution. So, I cannot be there and watch public institutions, where 99 per cent of our people started from, crumble. If you are having 20 per cent pass from Katsina State, where will Katsina be in 20 years time? It means we will be nowhere in the scheme of things in Nigeria. There are some states in Nigeria that if they stop going to school, it will take us 30 years in Katsina to catch up with them.

  • APC ready for PDP, other defectors, says Akande

    APC ready for PDP, other defectors, says Akande

    Buhari: I’ll run if APC approves

    Masari heads committee

    Progressives took a major step yesterday in strengthening their new baby.

    They set up a committee, headed by former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, to build a structure for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The National Chairman of the party’s Interim National Executive Committee, Chief Bisi Akande, broke the news.

    But he disappointed those eager to know the party’s presidential and governorship candidates for the 2015 polls.

    He said the party was ready to draw members from all groups, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said if President Goodluck Jonathan was fed up with the crisis in PDP, he is free to join the APC.

    Akande, who spoke at a briefing after the maiden meeting of the APC Interim NEC in Abuja, admitted that Nigeria was politically drifting towards a two-party system.

    He said: “We listened to some people talking about presidency, talking about governors; we have not reached that stage at all. Our major preoccupation is to set up the structure of our party – the All Progressives Congress.

    “It is after that, maybe in November or December when we hold our national convention where our national executives will be elected; there is no idea about who becomes president or who becomes a governor.

    “But the only exemption is Anambra State where the committee is already working on that.

    “We are going to register our members in Anambra State, we are going to conduct congresses and we are going to elect a candidate that will contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. I think these are the very few things I have to tell you that we did at today’s meeting.”

    Akande said several committees were set up to advise the party on how to go about the elections in some states, such as Anambra and Delta as well as some local government elections in Kwara, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu and other places.

    He did not state the timeline for the committees, but said they would soon report back.

    “If you know the INEC timetable you will appreciate that we are going to work within that frame work and we are going to be ready. Before INEC closes their door to nomination in Anambra State, we would almost have finished,” Akande said.

    He said the party has banned those arrogating to themselves some political offices or positions when the APC structure is yet to be erected.

    He added: “You know, political parties are in contest to win elections and the APC has come to demonstrate that to the good people of Nigeria.

    “And in doing so the only thing that we think is creating some misunderstanding is that people are anxious to be part of APC.

    “But because the party has not been given the directive, some people are just talking on behalf of the party. We are putting a stop to that. Any statement about the party should emanate from the Publicity Secretary of APC and that is Alhaji Lai Mohammed. And whatever he tells you, you should know it is the mind and decision of the All Progressives Congress.

    “We are warning people that are arrogating to themselves chairmanship of APC in the state or in the local government, they are all unauthorised. All those who are printing papers, printing forms, calling rallies in the states in the name of APC; they are not yet authorised.

    “The authority will soon begin to flow down from the national level to the state level, and to local government. And when it is going to be done, the National Publicity Secretary will keep you informed.”

    Masari is heading the committee to advise the party on its structure.

    He said the mobilisation of members into the new party will begin from the bottom to the top and the membership would be thrown open to all Nigerians, including President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He said: “We have just finished the first meeting after the INEC registration of the merger of the five committees that came together. And we know our duty as the Interim Leadership of the APC is to mobilise people into APC. Our duty is to register members into the party.

    “Our duty is to stage congresses, from ward level to local government level, at state level and at the national level. It is to hold a convention to establish a proper structure for the All Progressives Congress. And until that is done, we are having the party in the interim. I hope you will understand that.”

    He said: “As for the second question, the ideological position. We have what you call a manifesto, which we have just written. But that manifesto needs a lot of fine-tuning. Not only that, it needs a lot of reduction into bullet points.

    “By the time we reduce our manifesto into bullet points, it won’t be difficult for Nigerians to appreciate the ideology the APC represents. And that is the ideology of existing for the sake of the people and not for selfish aggrandisement of the resources of the nation to a few leadership. We are going to make that clear shortly. By the attitude of our 11 governors in their various states by what they are doing, you would have seen that there is a difference between the APC and the PDP.”

    Asked to be specific on the number of parties that merged to become APC, Akande added: “The parties that held conventions to merge are the Action Congress of Nigeria, the CPC and the ANPP. Those three parties went to a convention to specify that they want to merge into APC. But a chunk of APGA has indicated their membership, that they are going to join APC. And almost the entire DPP have indicated that they are coming to join the APC.

    “And we are not closing our doors to PDP. If Jonathan is tired of the crisis in the PDP, he is welcome in the APC.”

    Responding to a question, Akande admitted that the nation is politically drifting towards a two-party system.

    He said: “This is the first-ever merger in the history of Nigeria’s democracy. There should be a two-party system so that the country will have a choice between a bad government and a good one. It is going to deepen the democracy best.

    “There are more than 40 parties in the register of parties in England but you have only two or three operating now. Ditto in America; you have only two (the Democratic Party and The Republican).

    “It doesn’t mean that there are no other parties that are not showing their heads. But their democracy is very respectable because they have created a choice between two alternatives.

    “In our own, we didn’t even know which one was a better party before but from now on it is not difficult for Nigerians to know which party has been inflicting pains on them in the last 14 years and which party is poised to relieve them of these pains.”

    On what APC would do if the court reverses the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to register it and favour a rival African Peoples Congress, Akande said there is no cause for alarm.

    He added: “The first question is hypothetical and I will not answer it. In Nigeria today, I don’t know any other APC besides this All Progressives Congress. And we don’t contemplate anything and nothing will happen to move this APC out of place. We remain a party and we shall remain a party forever to rule this country, Nigeria.

    Regarding threats by APGA to sue APC, he said: “APGA never said it was going to sue my party for any amount. APGA said it was going to sue Governor Fashola of Lagos State, so I can’t answer for him.”

  • Masari blasts INEC, PDP over APC

    Ex-speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari, at the weekend said the furore over the All Progressives Congress (APC) registration was a symptomatic of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The former speaker told reporters in Ilorin that the proponents of the merger are not in crisis.

    Said he: “APC is not in a crisis. INEC and PDP are in a crisis and those who don’t want the merger are in a crisis. We, who are proponents of the merger are not in a crisis.

    “As far as we are concerned, we have legitimate right over the name. We have submitted our papers to INEC. You know, if you look at the Electoral Act, it says you can send your proposal with three protem officers, which we did.

    “In fact, when you come out and make a public statement that ‘I am going to send item A, I have produced it, it is going to be named KYK’, nobody can lay claim to it.

    “Since we made the first announcement, a public announcement, we addressed the nation through the media, we have the domain right of the name of APC. If INEC, PDP agents and others are trying to manipulate the whole thing, APC must be registered, there is no option B, APC must be registered.”

    Masari cited illiteracy, poverty and hunger as some of the factors aiding insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.

    He said “If you are looking for peace without justice, you will never get peace. There should be justice. For us, the foundation is to make sure that there is a credible election. People should be vigilant on who to vote for. It is important because leaders should be more accountable if they know at the end of their tenure they would be voted out. I think there is a basket of issues in addressing this problem of insecurity.”

  • Security lapses caused by leadership failure – Masari

    Security lapses caused by leadership failure – Masari

    Ex- Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari, has blamed leadership failure for security lapses in parts of the country.

    Masari spoke to reporters on Friday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    He said, “It is very sad that people are losing lives and properties which should not be the case. Failure of security is a failure of leadership because it is part of the responsibilities of leaders to provide security for lives and properties. If you fail to do that, you have failed.

    “There is no excuse for failure because the government has all the resources both human and material to tackle this problem. So it is up to the government to say that our strategy A is not working so let us use strategy B. Even though those in authorities have direct responsibility, but looking at the problem, we all have responsibilities or role to play to make sure that there is peace and security.

    “The government is liable if there is failure of security and we are also responsible if there is failure of security. What is going on is what can really be tackled if there is a will on the part those who are in authority.”

    The former speaker, who was in Ilorin for a three day legislative workshop, added that “and those of us who are not in authority should help by providing information and stop those things that help those who are perpetrators of insecurity to succeed. We should make sure that they do not succeed because allowing them to succeed is a defeatist approach and certainly the problem is doable.”

    Also, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salam, canvassed complete autonomy for the legislature.

    His words: “The strong back bone of democracy is the legislature. The legislature must be given a complete autonomy so that they will be able to checkmate the recklessness of the executives and other arms.

    “And through the oversight functions, they will be able to control the activities and spending of the executives. I think financial autonomy must be guaranteed and safeguarded.”