The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peace

  • The battle to restore peace on the Plateau

    Ethnic groups of Plateau South Senatorial Zone – Tarok, Jukun, Fulani, Bogom, Goemai, etc- are at daggers drawn as the love that binds the people together has gone with the wind. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU examines efforts to restore the lost love and peace in the zone.

     

    The Plateau State government under the leadership of Governor Jonah David Jang, the Special Task Force (STF) code named ‘Operation safe haven’ led by its Commander Major General Henry Ayiola and the state Police Command led by its Commissioner, Chris Olakpe, are currently facing a battle of their lives at the Plateau South Senatorial Zone where ethnic violence is raging.

    After they had succeeded in the long battle to restore peace in the volatile Northern Senatorial Zone, similar crisis broke out in the Southern Senatorial district at a time these custodians of peace and security in the state were thinking of celebrating their victory in the battle at Plateau North.

    This time around, the government and security agencies seemed to be acting with experience and as well as learning from past mistakes in the handling of the past crisis in the Northern Senatorial Zone. Their response to the prevailing crisis in Plateau South has been prompt and effective from all indications.

    There have been lingering ethnic conflicts within the Southern Senatorial Zone of the state since January this year. But what appeared like a mere misunderstanding among the various ethnic groups in the zone began to degenerate into violent confrontations. Early in the month of July, hired mercenaries were allegedly used by one of the ethnic groups to attack perceived enemies. The attack by suspected Fulani militia in one night led to the death of over 30 residents of three communities of Langtang South Local Government.

    Following the violent attack, the STF responded effectively by relocating their armoury to Plateau South to restore confidence in the people of the zone. The troops of the task force moved into the zone in their thousands to reclaim the areas from armed insurgents found to be lurking around the borders.

    Healing the wounds

    When the task force was convinced it had secured the areas, the commander organised a peace parley in the zone to dialogue with various stakeholders in the localities. The peace parley which was held at the Shendam Township Stadium attracted youths from seven local governments that made up the zone including, Wase, Mikang, Quan Pan, Kanam, Langtang North, Shendam and Langtang South.

    While addressing participants at the peace parley, commander of the STF, Major General Henry Ayiola, said, “This peace parley was meant to address the major source of conflicts in the zone with the aim of restoring total peace.

    “As a task force, we have all the weapon to enforce peace wherever there is trouble, but going by the civil-military relations the Chief of Army Staff has been preaching about, we have to drop our weapons and dialogue with the people. It is our hope that providing opportunity for people to air their grievances and forgiveness will go a long way in healing injuries sustained from the crisis.”

    Gen Ayiola told the youths of the zone to resolve to end the bloodshed and work to promote peace. In his words: “It is sacrilegious to our culture and religion to take someone’s life. Human being is God’s creature; you will be offending God by killing His creature when you know you cannot replace it. God did not create anyone by mistake, he has a purpose for creating somebody, and nobody came to this world by accident.”

    He added, “God is too busy and purposeful to create somebody for nothing. Besides, the holy books made us to understand that you will reap whatever you sow. So if we shed blood, we will continue to shed more blood, so I plead with you to shelve your swords today and begin to sow lobe so that we can reap peace”

     

    After hours of sermon by the STF commander, the participants in the peace parley expressed their resolve to stop the violence and become peace ambassadors of the zone. They also agreed to forgive themselves and co-exist peacefully hence forth.

    Gen Ayiola, who also addressed various Fulani community leaders in the zone, warned them not to allow enemies of peace to use ethnic and religious barriers to separate them from other ethnic groups in the zone. He assured them that the task force will do more to protect their cattle from rustlers. He further intimated the Fulani that the genesis of the violence is cow rustling being carried out by criminals with the connivance of some other Fulani.

    While the special task force was preaching tolerance and peace in the zone, the governor, Jonah David Jang, set up a peace and reconciliation committee comprising mainly of political leaders from the zone to ensure peace is restored within the shortest time possible. The government peace committee which is chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, John Bull Shekarau, has since sprung into action.

    Reconciliatory efforts

    Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Ignatius Longjan, who also hails from the zone, led a meeting of political stakeholders to develop the best strategies with which to end the bloodshed in the area. The outcome of that meeting was the constitution of the peace and reconciliation committee chaired by the state deputy speaker. The committee is currently on tour of the seven local governments involved in the conflict where they preach peace and established dialogue among the ethnic groups.

    Members of the government peace and reconciliation committee set by Gov Jang includes the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yiljab Abraham, House of Assembly member, Joy Ramnam, Special Adviser on Labour, Samuel Kwamkur, Special Adviser on Conflict Resolution, Timothy Parlong, Commissioner for Water Resources, Idih Waziri, member of the state House of Assembly, Zainab Dogo, Joe Lamu and head of special task force in the zone, Col Harry Daniel, including all council chairmen from the zone.

    While inaugurating the committee, Gov Jang mandated them to move into the zone as fast as possible to ensure that peace is restored. Jang said, “Go and stop the bloodshed; the state cannot afford to lose its human resources as a result of violence. The state human resources is dwindling with all these crises, enough is enough, you have a task to go right and sit down with the people and find out what went wrong and what is to be done to return to status quo where we used to enjoy mutual co-existence irrespective of ethnic, political and religious affiliation.”

    The paramount ruler of the zone and chairman, Langtang North and South Traditional Council, Gen. Domkat Balli (rtd), has also set in motion a committee comprising Tarok elders to brainstorm on possible solution to the lingering conflict in the zone. The Tarok committee comprising 18 Tarok elders is chaired by Dr. Nandul Durfa.

    A Tarok youth leader, Istifanus Ayuba from Langtang North, remarked that the approach of government, traditional rulers and the task force towards solving the security problems in the zone is highly commendable. He said youths of the local government are confident that the crises will not last considering the combined efforts of the stakeholders.

    Alhaji Mumini Shuaibu, a Fulani from Wase, said the concern of government and all stakeholders on the crisis is exemplary and has given them confidence that government cares for them. He said, “If only government and security agencies can protect our cattle from being rustled, there would be no conflict in the zone.”

    Gen Ayiola confirmed that all the ethnic groups in the zone rear cattle and own herds of cow. He also said, “All the tribes in the zone are also guilty of cow rustling, it is not a crime of one tribe, all of them are involved. All we are saying now is that there will be a strategy to be adopted by STF to stop cow rustling and that will go a long way in reducing the source of conflict.”

    The people are waiting.

  • Plateau sets up peace, reconciliation committee

    Plateau sets up peace, reconciliation committee

    The Plateau Government on Friday set up a committee to work for the restoration of peace and reconcile warring parties in the southern senatorial zone of the State.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Ignatius Longjan in Jos on Friday

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the zone had been experiencing attacks and counter attacks between the Fulani and Tarrok natives.

    “Following series of meetings held by political office holders and stakeholders in the zone, it became imperative to set up this committee to work towards restoration of peace in the area,’’ the statement said.

    The committee was mandated to resolve disputes among warring parties, inculcate the need for peaceful co-existence on residents and make recommendations that would engender sustainable peace.

    Members of the committee include Mr. Johnbull Shekarau, Chairman and Mr. Samuel Kwamkur, Secretary.

    Others are Mr. Abraham Yiljap, Rev. Fr. Joseph Daffa, Mr. Timothy Parlong, and representatives of Police, Special Taskforce and NSCDC, among others.

     

  • First Lady sues for peace in Rivers State

    First Lady sues for peace in Rivers State

    Worried by the crisis in Rivers State, First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan yesterday called on all actors in the crisis to sheath their swords in the interest of the innocent citizens in the state.

    In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Ayo Osinlu, the First Lady noted that the poor including women and children always bear the consequences of such impasse.

    She also warned the political heavyweights in the state not to allow the crisis to be hijacked by miscreants and hoodlums.

    The statement reads: “This office wishes to call on all feuding parties in Rivers State to spare a thought for the social, political and economic costs of the crisis, and consider an urgent way to resolve all political differences.”

    “It is our position that the greater consequences of the impasse is, as usual, reserved for the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, especially women and children, who are usually innocent bystanders in all these.”

    “This derives naturally from the saying that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”

    She went on: “On a larger scale, we subscribe to the fact that conflicts and violence are the most lethal threats to peace, which itself is the irreducible minimum condition for development.”

    “The situation must therefore not be allowed to degenerate to a level that can be hijacked by miscreants and hoodlums, thus exposing everyone to insecurity from which there may be no easy escape.”

    “We therefore call on elders of the state to position themselves appropriately in the circumstances, and continue to seek the highest good of Rivers state and its people, by stone-walling the activities of the few who would rather fan little embers into a consuming inferno.”

    “Recent experience whereby certain otherwise respected elders of the country, both from within and outside Rivers State, were canvassing views that seemed to intensify the heat in Rivers State, is certainly unfortunate.”

    “We also recall recent pictures of some youths on the streets of Port Harcourt, obviously in an angry mood, a worrisome suggestion that the crisis is already threatening to spill to the streets, a dimension we cannot afford to allow to escalate for obvious reasons.”

    “We must stress that the people of the state desire and look forward to an end to the hostilities, to pave way for higher economic activities and nobler political engagements that will guarantee an enhancement of their welfare.”

    “It is therefore incumbent on all people of goodwill to seek to restore peace, brotherliness and love in Rivers State, for the state to press forward in the direction of growth and progress.” She stated

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • AUN peaceful

    The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, began its Summer II session on Tuesday.

    Dr. Fidelis Ndeh-Che, Chief of Staff to AUN President, Margee Ensign, who announced this, said the Summer II would b end on August 6, paving the way for the fall semester.

    Despite the state of emergency in Adamawa State, Ndeh-Che said the Summer I session, which ended on June 25, was peaceful.

    “The AUN campus is a calm oasis that proved conducive to learning and teaching. In addition to classroom attendance, a number of students committed themselves to independent study,” he said.

    The Registrar, Monique Davis, added that the curfew has been well-managed by the institution.

    “Every person has been focused on their tasks. The emergency rule with the ensuing curfew has been handled well by the AUN community and our supportive parents across the country.”

    Paul Onwura, a software engineering major, said his parents believe it is “beautiful and safe” within the AUN environment. Another student, Murna Mamman, is joining the Summer II programme as a new AUN student. She said she would like to explore the American system of education.

    All students are required to participate in AUN’s development projects that range from literacy training using ICT to the Adamawa Peacemakers Initiative.

     

  • Muslim leaders push for peace

    Muslim leaders in Sepeteri, a town in Saki East Local Government Area of Oyo State have called on security agencies to unmask those behind the incessant clash between them and the Christian community in the area.

    Baba Adinni of Sepeteri, Chief Muda Ogunsola made the request during a press briefing held in Ibadan to shed more light on why tension has  persisted  in the area.

    The Muslim and Christian communities in the ancient town of Sepeteri have been fighting each other over a parcel of land, located directly in front of an Islamic college, which a Baptist Church was laying claim to.

    Chief Ogunsola further said that recent investigations by the state police command have absolved the Muslim community of any culpability in the crisis.

    He alleged that a petition by some Christian leaders in the community compounded the problem on ground.

    Ogunsola, who was a former chairman of Saki East Local Government Area said the security agencies in the state should look beyond the land matter and unmask the sponsors of the crisis.

    “The community is already divided and there is tension in the town but we are asking the people to keep calm and maintain peace.

    “We are not and  had never said we are the owners of the land.  The land belongs to the community and the community will decide what to do with it,” Ogunsola stated.

    According to him, the late Obalufon of Sepeteri, Oba Karimu Oyesiji, the regent of the town and some notable high chiefs and community leaders of the town  had been interrogated by the police and had cleared the air on the ownership crisis over the land.

    “The land belongs to the community and the community, through the late Oba and the Agoro said they have not given the land to the Baptist Church.

    “The Agoro was invited by the police at state Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Iyaganku. He told the police that the land has not been given to anybody and he said the community was ready to give land to the church at any place but not that particular spot,” he added.

    Ogunsola alleged that the receipt being flaunted by the church leaders for the acquisition of the disputed land was a forged document.

    According to him, the receipt was issued on the letter head paper of the late Obalufon, who was installed in 1986 for a land the church claimed to have acquired in 1973.

     

    The former council boss said the recent petition to Abuja by the Christian leaders would not solve the problem as Abuja was not the owner of Sepeteri land.

    He traced the persistent crisis on the land to the planned Pacesetter Farm, which was to be sited at the community but which some of the Muslim leaders kicked  against due to alleged insincerity of those behind the project.

    As a way out of the crisis, Ogunsola said the Christian leaders must accept the police report on the matter and leave the land to the community for another location.

     

  • Taraba community relishes peace

    One clear sign that peace has returned to the community is the resumption of its market. Traders at Ibi, one of the crises-torn local government councils in southern Taraba State, were happy to display their fish and other articles once again, their clients equally delighted to patronise them.

    Such activity was seriously hampered when residents often engaged one another in conflicts which claimed several of them as well as their homes and businesses.

    Things have changed. Old griefs have been brushed aside, the people happy to live together again.

    They have the new administrator, Alhaji Bello Yero to thank for that. In him the people of Ibi have built an absolute trust and have shown that they are really tired of war.

    Before Yero’s coming, there were constant conflicts which claimed lives and property valued at millions of naira. The latest crisis was in November last year, reportedly between Christians and Muslims. Ten people were reported killed, and worship centres, commercial and residential buildings were torched in the conflict.

    Yero came on board on December 3 to replace Ibi Local Government chairman Alhaji Isiaku Adamu.

    The State House of Assembly, after an investigation of the crisis, found the former chairman culpable. He was removed with all the councilors.

    Acting Governor Alhaji Garba Umar had only a few words for the new council chief: “Go and stabilise Ibi,” he told Yero at his inauguration. Since then, Yero has been very committed to the assignment.

    When Newsextra visited Ibi, Yero was holding a security meeting which lasted almost a whole day. In the meeting were government functionaries, youth leaders and traditional rulers, including the Sarki Ibi, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Abubakar Salihu.

    Ibi used to be a popular market hub, where fish dealers and connoiseurs were sure of the best supplies. But when war erupted, there was no fish, and no sellers or buyers in sight. The Ibi market, located strategically on the bank of River Benue, separating the area from Nasarawa and Plateau states, was deserted. As peace eluded the area, businessmen and women left the town.

    But normalcy has returned. The traders are also back, and there is much fish to buy even though, Newsextra’s survey of the market showed a low turnout.

    After roving the town and ascertaining the level of security, the reporter sought to meet with Yero. He spoke frankly.

    “I have been up and doing,” he said. “I have been very proactive in my approach to the assignment given to me. I came down from Jalingo [the state capital] and met with all the stakeholders, the chiefs, various communities, the leaderships of Christians and Muslims and several other groups and associations. I told them my mission; that I am a career civil servant and a neutral party. That is why the state government decided to pick me to come and restore peace in Ibi.”

    He continued: “I don’t belong to any of the factions in Ibi. For the records, I don’t have any faction here; I don’t care about your religion, I don’t care about your political divide, I don’t belong to any of the socio-political spectrums.

    “I don’t belong to any of the ethnic groupings here. I am in Ibi for a special assignment. As a career officer, I have to protect my job as well. So, I am very seriously committed to this assignment, and more so, internal security management is not a strange task for me. It has been a familiar job.

    “All I did, after taking the oath of office was firstly to pray to God to guide and lead me to be fair and just. So, as far as this assignment and law and order are concerned, I don’t tolerate any nonsense from anybody. Though I listen to wise counsel, I do the job according to what I consider as appropriate. I made a lot of consultations including the leadership of the state House of Assembly and that is why peace has returned to Ibi”.

    Yet, Yero is not carried away. He extols God for giving him the wisdom.

    “I must say I am very grateful to God for making [my assignment] a solid success so far. I feel humbled and I am grateful to the entire populace of Ibi local government area for all the appreciation and good remarks they are according me. At the same time I am being strengthened by their commendations and I have promised I will not let anybody down. But to be honest, the people of Ibi are tired of fighting. I have been in their midst for about six months, and I know their psyche and how they feel; they are tired of fighting. I meet with them regularly and I know their pulse. They are tired of violence, just that some few people who are not God-fearing like fomenting trouble, and when there is a problem in the land they run away. The insecurity here was so worrisome that the Acting Governor Garba Umar and the state legislature had to step in to do what they did.”

    Yero’s success, however, did not come all that easy, even as the council chief knows how to speed off and when to apply the brakes.

    He said: “When I assumed duty initially, we were having local government security meetings daily. It is one of the directives given to me by the state government. The state executive and the legislative arms said I should hold security meetings and be in constant touch with them. And I have been doing it since assumption of office.

    “We started with daily meetings, then thrice and later twice in a week. Now, we hold security meetings weekly–every Wednesday, because the security situation has remarkably improved. So, I thank God”.

    With this unprecedented feat, Yero has attracted the accolades from a visionary leader and achiever, who sees the council chief as a man of the masses.

    After stabilising Ibi, he has gone a step further to improve the infrastructure to transform the face of the area. Acting Governor Garba Umar now sees him as a dependable force in good governance.

     

  • NCP decries NGF crisis, sues for peace

    THE National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr YinusaTanko, yesterday castigated governors for the crisis in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

    He said it was regrettable they allowed the election of the Forum’s chairmanship on May 24 to create bad blood and heat up the polity.

    Speaking yesterday at the NCP’s congress in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, Tanko opined that the governors should have held the integrity of democracy firmly during the exercise.

    According to him: “They should go back and work together and desist from washing their dirty linen publicly.

    “If 36 governors cannot amicably vote within themselves, what then should we expect from the general election in 2015?

    “I believe the crisis is borne of out their greed for power and most of them are power mongers.”

    Tanko argued that the NGF should not be controlled by an individual but serve as a pressure group to ensure the executive arm do the right thing.

     

  • Face of Peace pageant 2013 begins

    AFTER the huge success that heralded the maiden edition of the beauty pageant, Face of Peace (FOPA), the organisers, Blumoon Imaginationz has announced the commencement of the 2013 edition of the event.

    The grand finale of the maiden edition of the pageant took place at Oriental Hotel, Lagos last year with Uti Uwachukwu and Matse of Nigerian Info as hosts.

    Zimuzo Benson, a Pschycology graduate from University of Nigeria, Nsukka emerged the winner; pocketing $10,000 and a car.

    Chioma Precious, an undergraduate from Nnamidi Azikwe University emerged the first runner-up. She got $5,000, a trip to Ghana, and 42 inches plasma TV while Amuche Arjuh from Nnamdi Azikwe University emerged the second runner up.

    Prizes have also been varied. The winner will now win $15,000 as against $10,000. She will also get a movie contract, trip abroad and wardrobe overhaul. First runner up will walk away with $5,000, 42 inches Plasma TV, A movie contract, a year beauty routine and trip to Ghana. The second runner up will get 27 inches Plasma TV, movie contract, a year beauty routine, and trip to Obudu cattle.

  • Miss Face of Peace pays Inspector General courtesy visit

    MISS Face of Peace may have come and gone but Zimuzo Benson, winner of the maiden edition, is not resting on her oars to achieve the vision and mission of the beauty pageant.

    Only recently, Zimuzo paid a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police at the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja. The queen paid the visit to advance the cause of peace as the police force is integral to maintaining and advancing peace in the society. The queen told the inspector General to help her achieve her dream of maintaining and advancing peace as that is her life calling for the next 12 months. The Inspector General promised to support her cause and assured her of police commitment to the cause of peace.

    She also paid visits to the Heritage Orphanage in Ikeja, Lagos and Covenant Academy, Ado Ekiti, a home for displaced girls, to encourage young girls on how to develop their capacities and build their dreams for greater achievements in life. Recently, she donated clothing items to the women and children of Sisqo village in Tarkwa Bay.

    The Face of Peace Africa Beauty Pageant was conceived by the 2010 Miss Peace Nigeria, Ify Concepta. The pageantry seeks to promote peace in a continent torn apart by war, strife and famine. It also works towards the empowerment of the girl child and encourages gender equality. The pageant annually produces an ambassador that promotes peace in Africa.

    Miss Benson who represented Egypt at the 2012 edition of the Face of Peace won a cash prize of $10,000, a brand new car, a trip to Gambia and one-year movie contract with Blu- Moon imagination. To prove their credibility, the organisers of the pageant presented Miss Benson with a brand new 2012 Kia Rio at the Face of Peace office early this year and a chaperon in a dedicated apartment to attend to her needs.

  • Presidency, National Assembly’s quest for peace

    Presidency, National Assembly’s quest for peace

     In the last five years, there has been a relative improvement in the executive-legislature relationship. Assistant Editor Onyedi Ojiabor writes on the factors that account for the situation.

     

    There is the popular belief that the business of government usually sufffers whenever the relationship between the executive and the legislature is strained.

    To observers, the constant feud between the two critical organs of government usually affects the effectiveness of the government in its bid to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorate. Besides, the constant conflict between the executive and legislature could put the nation’s democracy in danger, if not properly tackled.

    During the days of former Prsident Olusegun Obasanjo, there were several attempts to muzzle the legislature. But the attempt to assert the independence of the legislature, considering its constitutional role in the political arrangement, invariably brought it on collision with the executive. This led to frequent frictions between the two arms of government.

    The protracted face-off took a life of notoriety under the past adminisration, with the removal of three Senate Presidents in three years.

    In the circumstances that led to the removal of Senators Evan(s) Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo or Adolphus Wabara, as senate presidents, the connivance, collusion or involvement of the executive arm of government was always alleged.

    Most National Assembly watchers at the time saw the Presidency as the unseen hand behind the crisis of confidence that almost wrecked the Senate.

    But President Olusegun Obasanjo was resisted by the House of Representatives where attempts to unseat former Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba was aborted.

    The executive arm, with its awesome powers, was more inclined to overturning the leadership of any Senate President or House Speaker that refused to bend to its dictates.

    Such was the situation that pervaded the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly in the eight years when Obasanjo held sway.

    However, the situation has since improved substantially, with the departure of Obasanjo from the seat of power and the inauguration of President Umaru Yar’Adua and the Goodluck Jonathan presidency.

    The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, apparently, had this in mind when it decided to host a two-day conference in Abuja on the executive-legislature relations.

    However, the conference started on a controversial note. It was reported that the House of Representatives adopted a motion to stay away from the talk-shop. It turned out that there was no such motion.

    Instead, the House, in what was described as an unprecedented show of solidarity to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, adjourned plenary and literally shifted base to the international conference centre, Abuja, to attend the conference.

    House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal later explained that the House took the unanimous decision to adjourn plenary for one day to attend the conference to demonstrate that the report of boycott by the House was not only unfounded, but absolutely hollow.

    Tambuwal also said the huge attendance of members was an indication that the House could go for anything that would guarantee political stability.

    To underscore his interest in the talk-shop, Tambuwal lauded the conference, describing it as a forum for the executive and the legislature to learn new ways of relating with each other to stimulate harmony in governance.

    The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, who set the tone for the conference, said the interaction became necessary, given the complementary role the two arms of government were expected to play in governance.

    The conference, with the theme: ‘Strengthening Executive-Legislature collaboration in governance,’ Mrs Emodi said, was part of the efforts of her office to consolidate the gains of the past and to explore new and more meaningful ways of strengthening executive-legislature relations in the country.

    Participants believed that building a better understanding between the executive and the legislature is a dynamic process, and underscoreds the essence of the conference.

    Many internationally-acclaimed resource persons, drawn from experienced democracies, including United States, South Africa, Jamaica and from within the country, did justice to the conference.

    Former Senate President Joseph Wayas declared that a legislature that exists to rubber-stamp all the pronouncements of the executive cannot be said to be democratic.

    He said that absolute separation of powers does not exist any where.

    “If there was absolute separation of powers, there will not be govern-ment”, Wayas added.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, who inaugurated the talk shop, declared that the executive and legislature were neither competing nor in battle for supremacy.

    Represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Jonathan said the members of the two arms of government were only messengers elected to bring democratic goods.

    “Our roles, duties and responsibilities are well defined and there is no reason, whatsoever, for us not to work together for the greatness of our country” he added.

    For Jonathan, there was no need for any rivalry between the two arms as both arms were not competitors but part of the same government elected by the people to deliver the dividends of democracy.

    He added that, while the presidential system of government had separation of powers as one of its cardinal principles, it did not mean that the arms of government should work at cross purposes.

    “The executive and legislature are not in competition; we are not in a battle for supremacy. We are all messengers sent on an errand to bring democratic goods to the people.

    “I have maintained a policy of non-interference in the activities of the National Assembly.

    “But let me correct the impression that any disagreement between the executive and legislature amounts to a fight.

    “Parties may differ on issues but national interest must be collective and overriding,” Jonathan submitted.

    The President did not end his address without adding that “today, we have a stable National Assembly and a cordial atmosphere suitable for the conduct of parliamentary business.

    “What Nigerians want and deserve is good governance to the highest standards. The relationship between the executive and the legislature is not about the two arms but it is about the governed.

    “It is about harnessing our constitutional powers and God-given talents, and deploying our positions as public servants to drive our progress as a nation,” the President said.

    Senate President David Mark said the executive and legislature operates on the same wave-length except that sometimes each arm sees things from different perspectives.

    Mark was however, quick to add that the occasional friction between both arms was necessary to put each other in check and prevent tyranny in the system. He underscored the fact that what the system needed was not competition but the collaboration of the two arms of government.

    The Chairman of the African National Congress (ANC), Ms Baleka Mbete, agreed that a collaborative executive-legislature relations could be achieved in a country like Nigeria. Mbete spoke on the topic: “Parliamentary majority, the party and the executive: A tripartite for mandate delivery.”

    The ANC chair harped on the principle of social contract as fundamental, irrespective of the electoral system applicable (Presidential or Parliamentary). as the mandate vested on the basis of proposals tabled before the electorate.

    Rigorous interaction between members of the executive and the parliament, he said, must occur in the parliamentary caucus in order to ensure that there is consensus while members of the majority party define strategies of how to tackle policy issues.

    She did not forget to add that it is important that the engagement takes place in an environment based on the notion of collective responsibility by members of the majority party from both sides of the spectrum.

    She said if conducted in an open manner between the members of the executive and the Legislature, it could result in approaches that would be beneficial to the State, the party and the country.

    She noted that the nexus was to ensure the achievement of the desired societal outcome based on a common policy platform.

    Mbete said the interaction by members of the majority party in the executive and legislature, respecting their respective state responsibilities, is embedded in the deep notion of democracy, promoting the separation of powers, the rule of law and the achievement of the growth and development objectives.

    “It is inherent in the design of the modern democratic state that there are sufficient checks and balances that will moderate any excesses, thereby completing the cycle of having a balanced, well oiled and well functioning democratic state.”

    Also, she said that parliament must ensure that it provides an enabling environment for all parliamentarians to do their work and for the executive to implement parliament policy decisions.

    A parliamentarian from Jamaica,Mr. Derrick Smith, spoke on “The opposition in parliament: Reconciling party and national interest for democratic consolidation, good governance and national development.”

    Others who presented papers were Ruth Wedgwood, a Professor of Law from the Johns Hopkins University; Professor Okechukwu Oko, who spoke on “Building cordial legislature-executive relations in Nigeria” and Senator Jonathan Silas Zwingina, a former Deputy Senate Leader.