The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Monarchy

  • From Imo to Zamfara: Monarchy trumps democracy

    From Imo to Zamfara: Monarchy trumps democracy

    A dialogue imaginatively ascribed to what would ordinarily pass as an innocuous photograph from a routine official event opens perhaps the best aperture on the festering culture of political degeneracy. (The author of the mischief that trended in the social media is understandably anonymous.)

    Face lit up with his trademark fawning smile, Rochas Okorocha is shown drawing close to President Buhari, whispering in Oriental pidgin English for green-light to “nack” (erect) the general’s statue “free of charge” in Owerri, obviously now the playground of the Owelle’s perverse theatrics.

    More in superstitious fear than any sense of modesty, Buhari would decline, thundering instead in Arewa-flavored cadence: “Shege (unprintable), you nack (Madam Johnson) Sirleaf (of Liberia) she waka, you nack (Alex) Ekweme him kpai (died), you nack(ing) (Jacob) Zuma (of South Africa) don pursue am, you think I want to retire to (the other room)?”

    In all of this, what confounds is not that Okorocha advertised a lack of scruple by, for instance, erecting at Imo taxpayer’s expense a monument to a man later crucified for monumental graft in his native South Africa. Rather, the great puzzle is why all the political elders in his party appear to oblige him with the conspiracy of silence as he slides from one sacrilege to another. What else, if not contempt for urban dwellers, would have made the proverbial bushman stroll into town in loincloth.

    Without shame, Okorocha had dragooned the cartel of “warrant” chiefs to crown visiting Zuma “The People’s Warrior”. When did public stealing become a communal virtue in Igboland?

    Yet, some of the finest political giants the Igbo have bred in history hail from Imo.

    Alas, the latest in Okorocha’s career of political infamy is the ongoing attempt to finally degrade the egalitarian castle they toiled hard to build to a monarchy in which the Owelle seeks to pass the gubernatorial baton to his son-in-law while he hands himself the senatorial staff of Orlu zone. It means his daughter is being positioned too to take over from her mum as the queen, the First Lady.

    A spoilt brat, the heir apparent had been a suckling in Okorocha’s diapers, shedding his milk teeth all the while – first as Lands and Housing Commissioner and later Chief of Staff to his doting father-in-law.

    As for the murmuring deputy governor Madumere coveting the high stool, the great king is magnanimous enough to offer to compensate him with the senatorial ticket of Owerri zone. To leave other pretenders in no doubt, he actually publicly decreed this with a ring of magisterial finality.

    Imo’s nominee in the Federal cabinet, Anthony Anwuka, the Minister of State for Education, is also Okorocha’s in-law, married to Okorocha’s second daughter.

    Since the kingdom must mirror the king’s shadow even if grotesque, not a few of the public buildings built by Okorocha ended being named after the Okorochas.

    Having groomed his younger sister as deputy Chief of Staff under his son-in-law, Okorocha recently decided not only to elevate her but also allocate her an entirely novel portfolio – Commissioner of Happiness. Not surprising, on assumption of office, one of her radical proposals to ending the social menace of prostitution is a challenge to Imo men to consider marrying more than one wife, promising government’s generous incentives to those converted.

    Grapevine has it that another sister of the king retains the exclusive franchise of supplying all food and drinks to the Government House from her fast food joint tucked somewhere in Owerri. Just as the head of one of the state-owned higher institutions is said to be the governor’s aunt.

    In short, democracy has been turned to family business in Imo. What perhaps remains now is to issue a certificate of incorporation in Okorocha’s name.

    Taken together, it is a sad commentary on Buhari’s political guardianship that democracy is being given a bad name in Imo. But who knows, maybe loquacious Okorocha will soon tell us he is only following PMB’s example by only appointing “trusted” people.

    In the north, Okorocha’s alter ego will be Abdulaziz Yari, the Zamfara potentate. Of course, just like the former, he is among the party zealots seeking to stampede Buhari into second term. But unlike the Owerri clown who has outlined an incestuous secession plan by sharing governorship and senatorial tickets among himself and family members obviously as his own bargain for backing Buhari, Yari’s personal agenda is yet unclear.

    What is however certain is that he, just like Okorocha, won’t mind an opportunity to coronate his clone to sustain the heritage of filth.

    Yari’s poverty of ideas has ensured that, even after almost seven years at the helm in Gusau, Zamfara today has more or less remained stunted, stuck at the bottom of all development indicators including education and access to healthcare. It is a measure of Yari’s toxic development model that a state with 3.8m population boasts of 23 doctors manning 24 public hospitals.

    In the security sector, while it is true that a number of northern states are infected by the contagion of AK-47 herders spiced with armed banditry, Zamfara’s own trauma is compounded by leadership sterility.

    The latest massacre of 50 no doubt bore the hallmark of bestiality. A wedding party was waylaid. The driver’s throat was slit and the gunmen wiped out with gunfire the passengers including bride-maids and traders. Not content with taking the lives in cold blood, the savages set fire on their bodies. Thereafter, they proceeded to the market and shot at everyone indiscriminately.

    But while the state floats in the blood of innocents slaughtered by marauding beasts, Yari only seems obsessed with gallivanting outside. Though he answers Zamfara Governor, it seems more appropriate to describe him as governor-in-self-exile, Abuja being his hideout.

    Yari’s Zamfara would only appear to be making phenomenal advance in the unlikely sector. In a BBC documentary aired recently, Iheoma Obibi, a sex doll merchant, appreciatively listed Zamfara as her next biggest market in Nigeria after Lagos and Abuja.

    So, the old Sharia enclave now seems condemned to stew in the truancy of a power eunuch. So much that when concerned outsiders arrived the state capital recently on a sympathy visit following another round of bloodletting, they met empty Governor’s office as Oga had jetted out again.

    When eventually he found time to lead a pack of visiting brother governors on a condolence visit to the monarch of grieving Zurmi council, Yari chose to enact a comedy of errors in the moment of tragedy. By disclosing that his administration had intelligence report of impending attack 24hours prior, he only exposed himself as accessory before the fact of a pogrom. The question: since he knew ahead, what practical steps did he make to avert it?

    Tellingly, on the day the gunmen struck, he was said to be ensconced in the luxurious comfort of Abuja.

    It is lame for Yari to explain his failing away by saying that he passed information to the relevant security agencies 24 hours before the attack. A wise governor would not have stopped there; he would also rally the communities to a red alert, apart from he being at his desk to monitor development.

    Later in Zurmi, apparently to ingratiate himself to the locals he had failed, he would parrot the populist line that killings by herdsmen has escalated under PMB: “I feel let down facing the people of this state whenever I remember the promise I made to them that when they elect President Muhammadu Buhari into power, these killings will end. But unfortunately, things are now getting worse.”

    While such confession must have helped disarm the mob outside the Emir’s palace that day who might have been tempted to stone the fumbling governor in annoyance and frustration, he alas only ended up projecting his party, APC, as not just a failure but also clueless on the challenge of securing people’s lives and property.

    Worse, after pontificating at the Emir’s palace obviously for the television cameras, Yari failed another leadership test by refusing to visit the community affected, if only to comfort the bereaved in Birani. (Maybe, he was scared the people might stone him for failing them as a leader.) Thereafter, he was said to have zoomed off to Katsina before flying to Abuja and, by some accounts, again jetting abroad.

    With characters like these, democracy is indeed imperiled.

     

  • Monarchy crisis tears community apart

    Awka community in Awka Local Government Area of Anambra State is divided on who should be king.

    The Chief Priest of Imo-Awka deity, Chukwurah Ikegbune, is dead. He allegedly approved the removal of the monarch, Obi Gibson Nwosu, and crowned Ozo Austin Ndigwe, a former prime minister, king.

    The youth took to the streets yesterday to protest.

    Some of them were in support of Obi Nwosu as king while others back Ndigwe.

    They carried placards, some of which read: “Awka people are tired of Austin Ndigwe”; “Austin Ndigwe will never be king”; “We stand with Chief Obiano to stop the impending danger”; “Gibson Nwosu remains the king of Awka”; “Gibson Nwosu is no longer our traditional ruler”; “Ndigwe will take us to greater heights”; “Nwosu is greedy and cunning”, among others.

    A member of the Awka ruling cabinet, Chief Benjamin Muorah, who confirmed the chief priest’s death, said his death was the spiritual consequence of illegally crowing Austin Ndigwe king.

    His words: “What happened in our town is a taboo and an abomination. You cannot crown a new king while the old one is alive, on the throne, and has done nothing wrong.

    “The consequences are grave and highly spiritual, and due to the complacency of the conspirators, our chief priest, the chief priest of Imo-Awka deity, died mysteriously.

    “This is just the beginning of what would fall out of this crisis, and we do not know what would happen next or who would die next as a result of the taboo committed by Austin Ndigwe and his cohorts.

    “You can see the crowd of protesters, and many more are on their way. This is because of the evil Ndigwe brought to Awka. The government should intervene and call Ndigwe to order.”

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Greg Obi, and the Councillor of Awka, Mr. Paulson Okeke, reiterated that there is no going back on the government’s position.

    They said: “There cannot be two kings in a town. Eze Uzu II, Obi Gibson Nwosu, is the king of Awka. He has had the staff of office and certificate of recognition in the last 21 years.

    “We do not know who Austin Ndigwe is, and the government will not take kindly to any act of illegality and impersonation by anyone.

    “The government, therefore, affirms the status of Obi Gibson Nwosu as the traditional ruler of Awka Community.

    “The government advises security agencies to be on the alert to forestall any attempt to cause a breach of public peace.”

    Some community chiefs, who spoke with The Nation yesterday, said the kingdom’s decision was final, adding that Austin Ndigwe remained the authentic king.

    It was also gathered it was the oldest man (Otochal-Awka), Ozo Obuora Eselu, who crowned Ndigwe king, and not the chief priest.

  • New face of Yoruba monarchy

    For about six years now, tradition and youthfulness have been cohabiting in some notable Yoruba kingdoms, and the result of this is visible civilisation within these environs. The practice, which commenced with the enthronement of Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kesenla III), was not without initial criticisms because no one would have thought that a youthful mind was capable of the vast intelligence and maturity that became manifest in the Elegushi’s ability to continue to keep Ikateland together, and attract development to the kingdom.

    The enormous responsibilities of kingship is enough reason to inspire doubts about the aptitudes of new generation of Yoruba Kings to act as custodians of our traditions, and perhaps consider them unworthy of ascending the thrones of their forefathers.  Now, time has come to establish as myopic, the thinking that youthfulness could rob these middle-aged kings of the capacity to provide appropriate leadership and exercise sound judgement. The blinkered minds, predicated on deep-seated attachment to culture and tradition, have changed dramatically to embrace the freshness of youthfulness.

    Like other people, I had thought that his Master’s degree in Economics and extensive public service experience could not have sufficiently prepared him for a reign over three million people – a kingdom which is almost the size of Kuwait, although not as endowed, but as demographically diverse Kuwait. It was natural to reason that the incumbent Elegushi might not fittingly glide into the expansive shoes of the former Elegushi, Oba Yekini Adeniyi Elegushi, his father whose influence cut across ethnic and religious barriers.

    Alas! Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kusenla III) has demonstrated that youthfulness midwifes innovation. His reign over Ikateland has shown that  Nigerian  youths are ready for leadership responsibilities. As the mascot of his generation of Kings, Kusenla III’s selfless and practical outlook is telling of the depth and resourcefulness of our generation of youths. In realistic terms, the perceived risk of entrusting Ikateland, a historically significant town, into the hands of a 34-year old man six years back, is now widely adjudged an advantage.

    Ikateland would have lost the benefits of Oba Ademola Elegushi’s mental agility to a cosmetic barrier mounted by age, but the progenitors of Ikateland would not renege on their covenant of development and progress. Accordingly, they made possible his ascension to their throne for activation of the age-long agreement of advancement and relevance cut with his predecessors.

    Just as Oba Ademola Elegushi, fate singled-out youthful Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi for rulership of Ile-Ife as the Ooni. The new Ooni, a self-made and hardworking youngman, is not just expected to steer the affairs of Ile-Ife as seamlessly as the enigmatic and stylish Oba Okunade Sijuade  (Olubuse II),  he also has a divine mandate to fosterthe unity of the Yoruba race.

    Oba Ogunwusi’s ascension to the supreme throne of Ooni comes with huge responsibilities. His tasks are  herculean  and compounded by some deep cultural issues  with complicated age-long rivalry amongst  Yoruba  Kings. But in his ‘youthful’ wisdom, the Ojaja II from Giesi Ruling House has signalled the birth a new Yoruba race with his unscheduled visit to the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi on his 45th coronation anniversary. As the first Ooni to visit Oyo town since 1937, it is clear that the Arole Odua is a different kind of king and a man ofgreat wisdom.  Ooni Adeyeye is a youthful royal father gifted with the wisdom of King Solomon, like his royal brother, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi (Kusenla III).

    Now, Ile-Ife will have more than heritage and Obafemi Awolowo University, my alma mater, as  attractions. With the N7.2bn estate and resort centre which will potentially employ 5,000 indigenes and empower 20, 000 widows, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is turning Ile-Ife into a major tourist attraction.  Should I ask if you perceive the socio-economic development championed by these young kings? Okay, wait till Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi unfolds his transformational plans for Ikateland in the coming months!

    Iwo town is the new centre of youth empowerment. The newly installed Oluwo of Iwo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rasheed Adewale Akanbi is another man from this generation of youths who signposts our collective vision to take Nigeria to the next level.  After his coronation, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Akanbi (Ilufemiloye Telu1), announced that his reign would take Iwo to the “Promised Land”, and his subjects understood that the ancient town of Iwo has commenced a journey to renaissance.

    This theme vibrates across the land because it is the song on the lips of every Nigerian youth. We need to involve youths more in governance and social administration for better results. Now is the time to take advantage of youthfulness for national growth, economic development and better infrastructure. The energy, resources and knowledge to take Nigeria out of doldrums abound in this generation of youths.

    The soothing wind of transformation is blowing across the land even though the esteemed throne of Olubadan might not immediately be available for manning by a middle-aged man because of the town’s unique traditional system of governance. The route to the throne is hierarchical ascension  from two lineages (Egbe Agba and Egbe Balogun), through alternating system and each lineage has 23 positions before the throne.

    From the records, it takes between 38 and 40 years, for a Mogaji (thenext-in-line to the Olubadan) to become an Olubadan, and progression to Mogaji also takes about 40 years too. Therefore, the probability of a young man being king over Ibadan is slim. However, with Chief Abiodun Kola Daisi, the Ekarun Olubadan, rumoured ceding of his position to one of his sons who is a little over 40, Ibadan might just be getting ready for an unusually young Olubadan. This indicates belief in the capacity of this generation of youths to lead transformation, and champion developmental initiatives.

    The young Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, (Kusenla III), has proven through his conducts that youthfulness is an ingredient of social development.  Arole Odua, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife showed the world that this generation is about peace, progress and unity. Just within that frame, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Adewale Akanbi amplified the aspiration of every Nigerian youth to turn Nigeria into the promised land.

    Except we want to shy away from the truth, culture is more delicate and complex than governance, and youths are acting as better custodians and harbingers of our traditions. I reckon that for Nigeria to record the long-sought transformation that will bring happiness to every citizen, youth empowerment and involvement in social administration, might just be the key.

    • Fafure writes from Lagos. 

  • Sanusi: When monarchy meets punditry

    Help, Hardball is confronted with a chicken and egg dilemma here! In the matter of his Royal Majesty, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, one is at a loss as to what gives him the most pleasure: is it the monarchy as captured by the elaborate and colourful costume or high-end political and economic punditry delivered with mercurial flourish and earth-quaking effect?

    Well to play the devil’s advocate, why can’t the feisty monarch enjoy the best of many worlds? That is, why can’t he be a grand monarch and a bombastic pundit? Especially in a country that is both a fledgling democracy and an emerging economy; that is in dire need of such dual omniscience (or omniscient duality, if you like), such multi-pronged talent is rare and in short supply.

    But Hardball must counter this advocacy quickly in the sense that our serendipitous monarch will soon notice the tackiness, not to mention the encumbrances of changing quickly from the panoply of royal regalia into the western Keynesian mode of dark suits and bow tie.

    In the meantime, Emir Sanusi did what seems like his first love penultimate Friday. At an event in Lagos, Sanusi had let it fly. Like a thoroughly agitated bottle of champagne popped with gusto, Sanusi was at his best. He had hit mercilessly at the mangers of Nigeria’s economy telling them to quit living in denial and rescue the economy from suffering the fate of humpty-dumpty. The twin government policies of protecting the naira and allowing subsidy in petroleum products must be stopped henceforth, he roared.

    Hear him: “Does it make sense at this time for the government to continue paying petroleum subsidy? It does not, and we must say it…”

    And hear him on the naira: “ Let’s stop being in denial, we cannot artificially hold up the currency,” noting that President Muhammadu Buhari who has been resisting the weakening of the naira needs help on the economy.

    Here are a few more nuggets from, shall we call him the mundit? (when monarchy meets punditry): “When you need fiscal consolidation, when you cannot borrow, when you are not earning because oil prices are down, when you have shut down, especially those expense lines that have been known to the sights of those seeking rent. This fuel subsidy has to go.”

    Here is some more: “We spent years deceiving ourselves, calling ourselves the 21st biggest economy in the world based on something called rebasing. We said our debt to GDP ratio was 11 per cent and that our ratio looked very good. Yes we have a debt to GDP ratio of 11 per cent, but we were spending 33 per cent of government revenue servicing debts.”

    We all remember Sanusi as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) who first revealed to us that the Senate (National Assembly) was guzzling 25 per cent of the federal budget.

    Can we forget his epiphanic rifling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that led to his tumultuous ouster from his high perch at the CBN? That whistle he blew continues to ring and reverberate through the polity. Those who thought either the stool or the ‘change’ would have mellowed him must have been jolted by his recent outing.

    Watch out, here comes the mundit!

  • Scotland: From Commonwealth game to independence?

    Scotland: From Commonwealth game to independence?

    Today in the United Kingdom, the domestic issue of utmost political significance is the referendum due to take place in Scotland on September 18. The issue to be determined is whether Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom or it is to become a sovereign state.

    The question may be asked, why is Scotland taking this politically crucial and irreversible step at this time?

    The answer is that Scotland has been an independent State (Monarchy) since 843AD and it was in 1603 when Scotland’s incumbent monarch, James VI, decided to merge with England in a move unprecedented in history.

    The merger of the two crowns was probably as a result of some personal friendship between the two monarchs and the first Head or king of the merger was James VI of Scotland. This means that the king of Scotland was the sovereign of the enlarged kingdom of England Wales & Scotland. The union was operated for 104 years without any legal or constitutional backing until the Act of union in 1707. Hence the Union of Scotland and England is over 400 years old though its duration is usually put at 300 years.

    The new political entity under the Act of Union (1707) was called Kingdom of Great Britain.

    In 1880, the United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the merger of the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain under the Acts of Union of that year. In 1922 however, the 21 southern counties of Ireland withdrew from the union. The name of the diminished political entity is The United Great Britain.And Northern Ireland a name that subsists till today.

    To many outside the UK, the metamorphosis from United Kingdom of Great Britain to United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and finally the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is confusing.

    Drawing inspiration and encouragement from Ireland’s withdrawal from the Union, Scotland also started to agitate for HOME RULE. They did not tag their desire to withdraw from the Union as independence in order to avoid open hostility from the majority people of England. But the movement for Irish independence had started much earlier. The bill for Irish Independence was defeated in parliament several times and this perhaps discouraged the Scots from pursuing their desire for Home Rule.

    However the first serious attempt by Scotland for Home Rule was when a bill to that effect was presented to parliament in 1913.

    The Bill failed because of the prominence Parliament accorded to the First World War (1914-1918).

    In 1978, the Crown grudgingly approved a referendum to determine whether more powers should be devolved to Scotland. The essential condition for validity of the referendum result was that 40 per cent of the entire population of Scotland must vote YES. This means that on the simple issue of devolution of more powers to Scotland only 32 per cent of the population voted YES. Hence the proposal failed.

    Eventually, there was another referendum in 1997 and this time 44.8 per cent of the population voted Yes. Parliament of the United Kingdom subsequently enacted the Scotland Act in 1998 and created an elected parliament for Scotland. A largely elected provincial government was also created by the Act.

    From the above, the reader will see that the struggle by Scotland for autonomy has been on for long. The question once again is, after over 400years of association with the UK, during which time the country became the pre-eminent maritime power in Europe as well as the most powerful imperial nation on earth, why should Scotland, with a mere eight per cent of the UK population, seek to opt out?

    From available information, Scotland’s bid for independence is politically reasonable but economically harmful to the proposed state. Some of the political arguments for an independent Scotland include:

    (a)The concept of an independent Scotland has a strong emotional appeal and easily sellable (b) Self-determination on all matters including foreign policy

    (c) Abhorrence of the monarchy in the present UK

    (d) Desire to have absolute control over the proceeds of Scotland’s North Sea Oil.

    (e) Desire to move closely to the EU, which the UK central Government is planning to quit by referendum in 2017

    (f) The Scottish people wish to adopt a political model more in line with Nordic countries (Norway & Sweden) with which it is believed they have more cultural affinity

    (g) Many laws passed in UK legislature are for the interest of England rather than the Scotts.

    The above are by no mean, exhaustive of Scotland’s arguments for independence. On the other hand, the arguments of Pro-Union (UK) protagonists under the platform “Better Together” are fundamentally economic and they seek to call attention to the opportunity cost of Scotland Independence in September.

    (a)Because of its size and diversity, the UK economy can provide stability, certainty and levels of support that a small country can only struggle to provide.

    (b)Scotland can be independent and survive but it cannot be independent without economic risks. The failure of the Pro-Independent lobbyists to specify which currently to adopt for a Sovereign Scotland is one manifestation of that risk. George Osborne, UK Treasury Secretary, (Minister of Finance) has rejected the proposal by Alex salmond Head of Scotland’s provincial government, to operate Sterling Union at Scotland’s. Independence. The argument is that Scotland cannot file for divorce with the UK while it remains wedded to UK’s national currency, the pound sterling.

    (c) At present, the Uk’s economy is one of the most efficiently managed in the world and second largest in Europe. Its domestic market of about 62million people with high disposable income suggest that an independent Scotland (with only 5million people) faced with many economic uncertainties will suffer a much lower standard of living.

    (d) Scotland’s North Sea Oil fields are nearing the limits of their economic lives and the huge cost of exploration will make receipts from oil less attractive than now appears

    (e) Certainly, taxes will be greater in an independent Scotland

    (f) The financial cost of funding Scotland’s large ageing population (45%) could be conveniently shouldered by the UK Government as presently constituted. Leaving that to a new Scottish government will lead to financial insecurity and misery among Scots generally.

    If Scotland were to vote for Independence on September 18, it will take up to one calendar year thereafter before its sovereignty takes effect. Within that period, there will be a devastating run on Scottish banks and the confusion that will happen in the interim is better imagined. Since UK’s three political parties have rejected Scotland’s offer to use the pound sterling and Scotland will be ineligible to use the Euro, the new nation may find itself isolated from the outside world. Moreover Scottish owned banks like Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland with UK-wide clientele will have to move their Headquarters to London from Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. This will mean massive job loss to the Scottish people.

    The above scenario implies that an independent Scotland may not have a functional Central Bank – a recipe for financial confusion.

    However it is fair to state that the cost of Scotland’s independence to the UK could also be very high as the international prestige of the former maritime and imperial power could be severely undermined in three critical areas.

    The European Union Big four i.e. Germany, France, Italy and UK, vote on the basis of population. Presently the UK has 29 votes on EU Council of Ministers. The loss of 5.3million Scots will mean UK will have the least population of the Big Four and will have to be relegated to second division alongside Spain & Poland with 27 votes each.

    Secondly, Britain is one of the eight permanent members of the IMF governing Board. Losing Scotland will diminish Britain’s financial muscle with the risk of calls for UK’s replacement by a country from South East Asia or South America where economies are booming.

    Lastly, and perhaps most important, Britain is one of the five permanent members of the United Nation Security Council which can approve military action.

    Losing Scotland may lead to calls UK’s replacement on the Security Council.

    Because of the aforementioned possible international humiliation the UK may suffer on Scotland’s independence, Her Majesty’s Government has been making various overtures to placate the people of Scotland in the last few months. For instance, Prime Minister David Cameron recently offered to invest huge funds into exploration in the North Sea Oil such that in the next five years, income from that source will be in excess two Hundred Billion pounds. This will be a big wind fall for Scotland. Similarly the Queen, in a smart political move consistent with Royalty, last month launched the construction of the largest warship in the history of the Royal Navy HMS Queen Elizabeth at Crosby in Scotland. The cost of the Warship is about six and a half billion pounds. The location of the ship building yard will have positive economic benefits to Scotland. In fact, a sizeable proportion of the contracts are awarded to competent Scottish firms. Britain’s adventure into space tourism has also been approved by Her Majesty’s government. Of the eight locations approved for the takeoff of the space ships, six are in Scotland and the expected revenue from space tourism is about 12 billion pounds annually. This will also generate substantial economic benefits to the various locations. To prove that space tourism is real, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galaxy has collected deposits of about 50 million pounds from prospective space tourists.

    To further pacify the people of Scotland, all the three political parties have agreed to devolve more powers to the Scottish parliament and Government especially the power to collect some categories of tax.

    From the above, it is clear that the economic implications of Scotland voting for independence on September 8, will harm the new nation as well as do serious harm to the international prestige of what remain of the UK.

    The people of Scotland must realise that what was politically and economically reasonable in 1922 when 21 counties of Southern Ireland opted out of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland may not work out well today as the economic odds against Scotland are indeed great. For this reason key Scottish personalities are in the forefront of the campaign against a break –up of the UK. Gordon Brown, former prime minister, Sir Alex Ferguson, easily the most successful football manager in Europe are against independence for Scotland. And it is my opinion that if Adam Smith, a British citizen of Scottish extraction and one of the world’s most respected economists were to be alive, he would most probably caution against independence for Scotland today.

  • Monarchy redefined in Imo

    Monarchy redefined in Imo

    Traditional rulers in Imo State are no longer restricted to their palaces from where they administer their kingdoms. Why? A new role assigned to them now allows them to also participate in the day-to-day running of the government.

    Their new role encapsulated under the newly created Traditional Parliament of Imo State has given the monarchs the opportunity to collaborate with the government and the people in the process of development and improving the lots of their subjects.

    The Parliament, otherwise known as the ‘Ogbako Ndi Eze Imo,’ is structured after the State House of Assembly and its activities and procedures equally have stunning similarities with that of any other parliament. One could mistake the sitting of the Ogbako for that of the Senate except for their traditional regalia and wooden Mace that looks like an object of traditional worship.

    The membership of the Traditional Parliament is strictly restricted to traditional rulers from government recognized who holds their sittings once in every three months in the hallow chambers, known as ‘Ime Obi’.

    The Parliamentary procedures is similar to all Legislative Houses in the country even though the ‘Ogbako’  does not embrace all the rules and behaviors of the legislative Houses as a result of traditional observances.

    Also like every other Legislative House, the Traditional Parliament has eight Principal Officers made up the Chief Presiding Officer, known as ’Eze Imo/Aka-ji-ofor, who shall be the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, three Deputy Chairmen from the three Senatorial zones of the state, the Secretary, The Public Relations Officer(Okwuru Ndi Eze), the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip.

    The procession is also very much like that of the national and state Assemblies, except that all deliberations are done in Igbo language. The mace bearer or the Sergeant at Arms who is known as ‘Aka-bu-nkpo-Ogbako’, takes the lead followed by the ‘Eze Imo’ while chanting a slogan in the local parlance Aka-Ji-Ofor Eze Imo! Ofor Ree’, just as obtained in every other Parliament”.

    The appointment of Chairman or Eze Imo and his three deputies is done by the State Governor, while the remaining principal officers are elected by the general House through a simple majority vote.

    Every session starts by 10am, except where there is need for time change and all members shall be seated in the ‘hallowed chambers’ before the entrance of the ‘Eze Imo and the closure which is usually by 2pm commences with a motion by any of the members praying that the activities of the day be adjourned to another date. This motion shall be seconded by another member and put to voice vote.

    The Mace known as the ‘Nkpo Ogbako’ like that of other Legislative Houses, bears the Nigerian Coat of Arms but made of a wooden staff issued by the government. During the sitting of the traditional rulers, the Mace embodies the various official staff of office of all the traditional rulers and no sitting is valid without the Mace.

    Also the Gavel or ‘Ofor’ during every sitting is in the possession of the ‘Eze Imo’ or any other person presiding on his behalf and once the presiding officer strikes the ‘Ofor’ it signifies the end or conclusion of any issue.

    During sittings, the ‘Eze Imo’ allocates seats to all members with the Principal Officers, Grand Patrons and Patrons sitting in front row. A member’s seat represents his autonomous community and he can only speak from his seat. No member can seat one another’s seat.

    For every valid session of the ‘Ogbako’ to commence, a one-third of the members must be in attendance to form a quorum and the passage of a resolution is by a simple majority vote by the sitting members through a voice vote moderated by the presiding officer just like in the National or State Assemblies.

    The rules and code of conduct during sittings, stipulate that no member can use profane, offensive or abusive language in the hallowed chambers, no member is allowed to take snuff or smoke during sittings, members are also nit allowed to come into the Chambers with Firearms, machetes and any other dangerous materials and there are no clapping of hands during sessions.

    A non-member can only be allowed into the Hallowed Chambers after a motion is moved and seconded and this is also applicable to the State Governor and other government functionaries as well as traditional rulers from other states.

    The Traditional Parliament has the powers to summon any government official through the office of the State Governor to provide it with clarifications on matters of state interest.

    The members enjoy certain immunity to the extent that no member can be held responsible for statements made during sittings.

    Another unique feature of the ‘ogbako’ is the existence of standing Committees like in any other Parliament, which include the Security Committee, Communities Development/Town Union Committee, Inter-Governmental Agency Committee, Igbo Language, Culture and Traditional Sports Committee.

    Others are the Education and Core Ethical Values Committee, Health Committee, Lands, Agriculture and Foods Security Committee, Information and Strategy Committee, Legal, Justice and Public Complaints Committee and the Chieftaincy Committee.

    Although the resolutions of the Traditional Parliament if not binding on the state government but the government is morally expected to accept the good resolutions of the ‘Ogbako’ in furtherance of good governance.

    The role and importance of the Traditional Parliament in the state cannot be over emphasized. Since inauguration of the ‘Ogbako’ it has remained a strong partner with the state government especially in conflict resolution and enhancement of internal security in the state. It has also helped in no small measure in reviving the Igbo language and culture.

    Recently, the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, announced that all political appointees must be screened by the Traditional Parliament before they would be cleared for appointment.

    The Governor pointed out that traditional rulers across the country have a major and important role to play in building a united  nation by offering their wealth of experience to the political class.

    According to him, they should be structured into government to give them the opportunity to contribute their quota in governance, ”our royal fathers should be given a place of honour where they can play their God given role of providing direction for those in authority.

    Although the aim of establishing the ’Ogbako’, was not  to duplicate the functions of the State Assembly, it provides the State Assemblies with in-depth knowledge of the norms and traditions of the people even though  its resolutions are subject to the ratifications of the State Assembly.