The Nation Newspaper

Tag: South West

  • Osun: ‘Losing will not stop PDP from winning South West’

    DESPITE its loss in the governorship election in Osun State, the People Democratic Party (PDP) will still win the South West in next year’s general elections.

    Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Hosea Agboola, who made this during an empowerment program he organised in his hometown, Igbaye in Oyo State, said the with the unity prevailing among party members in the zone, the PDP will emerge victorious in all elective positions in 2015.

    He said, “Only God knows why we (PDP) lost in Osun State, but that will not distract us from reclaiming the other Southwest states. PDP in Oyo State is in one accord and we will be victorious come 2015.”

    Speaking on his empowerment program, the lawmaker said poverty alleviation programs must be a constant event in the grassroots, adding that it also serves as a way of reaching out to the people who are most vulnerable to the economic challenges facing the country.

    Some of the projects commissioned by Agboola include blocks of classrooms and health centres in the 12 local governments within his senatorial district.

  • ‘No way for PDP in South West’

    The All Progressives  Congress (APC) Chairman in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Hon. Igbekele Akinrinwa, yesterday chided thePeoples’ Democratic Party [PDP] for boasting that it would defeat the APC in all its controlled South West states by 2015 general elections.

    He maintained that the APC still has its formidable structures in all the six South West states and that the party still enjoys the support of the masses.

    Akinrinwa, who stated this shortly after the swearing-in  of the APC ward executive members in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, was very optimistic that the APC would defeat the PDP in the forthcoming August 9 governorship election in Osun State.

    The APC chieftain said what was done during the last Ekiti gubernatorial election like the militarization of the state and arrest of opposition leaders before the election day would never repeat itself in Osun.

    He said the APC leaders   were determined to fulfil  all their promises  in order to sustain the support they have been enjoying from the masses.

    He advised the executive  members to work tirelessly for the success of the party.

  • ‘South-West leaders passionate about devt’

    ‘South-West leaders passionate about devt’

    Dipo Famakinwa is the Director-General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the development coordinating the regional integration agenda of the states of western Nigeria, comprising Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states. In this interview with Assistant Editor, Augustine Avwode, Famakinwa says the political leaders in the region are passionate about DAWN.

    What inspired the DAWN programme?

    The Development Agenda for Western Region (DAWN) is a programme for development. That is what matters to us. Essentially, as a people, this is what matters to us. Historically, we are consumers of innovations and development programmes; programmes which bring welfare that changes the lives of the people. Therefore, it is something that has been in the consciousness or what you can call the DNA of the people of this region.

    To us, when you talk about development, it is like preaching to the Pope. So, anything that we can do to ensure that we find the methodology to develop our space, we will gladly do. And of course, we are not saying that in isolation of the development of Nigeria. We are saying that there is so much that can be done from this region that can lead to the development of the region as a whole.

    Therefore, it is a process to ensure that development comes into this part of the country. When you talk about inspiration, it must be said that at a point, we started going in a direction that was completely at variance with what would bring development to our region. And the yearnings for development became really topmost in the minds of our people. And it just happens that at this very period in our time, we think that we have found the right environment, the right space and possibly the right set of people who can help push that programme that we need to midwife development in this region.

    When you say the right environment and space, what exactly do you mean?

    You know every development takes place in a context. The people who want to midwife development must, first of all, believe in the process they want to midwife and also be committed to that process and must also have the capacity to midwife that process. I think what we have found at this moment in the history of the people of Western Nigeria is that we have a set of people who are committed to development. People, whose trajectory, as individuals; and I am talking of people who are in position of governance today, they are people who committed their lives to fighting for the development of this space. They have committed their resources, they have committed their energy and talent to ensure that we have development in this region. And once we have such people in position of authority, we can then begin to see that the yearnings for development, even from the people’s demand for development, will become higher than what it has been. And that is what I mean by the space of development.

    Don’t forget that the people of this region have seen and tasted development and that was in the context of regionalism. That was in the days when the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues led governance in the region. We continue to refer to that era as the glorious days of the West. People have continued to look forward to the day or time when we can re-enact those days. And this looks like the most appropriate time to do so.  And I must say that when you look at the historical trajectory of the country called Nigeria, you will discover that the best days of the country was when regionalism was allowed to have a good foothold as they were all allowed to develop according to their own priorities and conviction.

    In the short run, what should the people of the region look forward to?

    It is important for us, first and foremost, to believe that it is possible for us to move from the level at which we have found ourselves right now and begin to do things or experience development better than we have had it. The first thing is that the people themselves must commit themselves to this process, believe in it, they must demand from those who are leading them that they go in the direction of development that will bring about improvement in their lives. Then they should demand accountability from them.

    The requirements of our people are not unwieldy; they are very simple. They want their children to be well educated; not education for the sake of it but that which propels development in the society, health care and infrastructure that serves the requirement of the people. They want even their social orientation to be rebuilt because it is something that needs critical attention.

    What would you say are the challenges at this time?

    Of course there would be challenges because this is a programme that is driven by all kinds of sentiments. But what is important is that we have found enough political will and compelling reasons to say this is the way we should go. And with the political will that we have found, especially among the political leaders in the region at this material time, we are sure those challenges are surmountable. Of course there will be challenges in terms of consensus building,  on agreeing on certain directions, there will be challenges in terms of stakeholders inclusion, challenges in terms of financing, and getting the process in the direction that will immediately deliver the kind of impact that we want. And I want to say that all these challenges that I mentioned are surmountable given the willingness of the people in charge and the political will of the leaders in the zone to pursue the programme to a logical end.

    Would you say the issues of ethnic and linguistic homogeneity and geographical contiguity have helped in promoting an immediate acceptance of this agenda?

    Those are things we should consider as our assets and leverage as a people. The issues of common language, heritage and geographical contiguity, common beliefs and orientation, those are critical assets that we must harness and this is why DAWN has become imperative at this point in time. Of course, taking good advantage of these things has become imperative because the sentiment of the people; their orientation as a people, at this time, tends towards how we can take our destiny in our hand as a people. And I think those assets that you mentioned must be leveraged at this point in time to get to where we want to be.

    Critics say DAWN is a creation of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which controls the region politically. How would you react to that allegation?

    No, they are not correct. It is not the creation of any political party. It just happens that at this time, we have six states and five of those states are controlled by the defunct ACN, now All Progressives Congress (APC). And they are the ones who talk about it more, therefore, it is likely for people to think that it is an agenda of the party. DAWN as an agenda transcends any political party. It transcends partisanship but it has to be done through the instrumentation of those in power. It is not an agenda that is hanging in the air. And it will not deliver by itself. Fortunately, those in power at this time believe it is an agenda that can push us forward as a people.  Therefore, they are committed to it and they have supported it, they have spent their time and energy to promote and pursue it. So, it will not be out of place, if some people say it is an agenda of the party. But we believe this is an agenda beyond partisanship.

  • What do we in the South-west want?

    We, the masses of the people of the South-west are living in poverty – in a degree of poverty that we have never known in our history. For us, independent Nigeria has meant poverty and more poverty. We are not used to living in poverty. We know confidently that we can beat this poverty – our history proves that unambiguously. We are confident that the boys we vote for to govern our states can lead us to victory in the fight. All we want is a chance to fight unhampered. We are not asking for favours.

    The agency that hampers struggle and success in all parts of Nigeria today is the Federal Government. It was not so in the 1950s. From the time when our country became a federation in 1952, and until 1962, the federating units of our federation (the then regions) had enough autonomy, and enough of control over their own life and resources, to make progress in all directions. The Federal Government was not an obstacle then, as it is today. And the Federal Government was not weak at all. There was a careful and sensible balance between the powers given to the Federal Government and the powers given to the regional governments. The regions were made the centres of detailed development, while the Federal Government was made to stand above all, protect the regions, defend our country, and speak for our country in the world. That was the kind of sane and sensible arrangement that our leaders (our Awolowo, Azikiwe, and Ahmadu Bello) agreed upon. Each region had its own Coat of Arms, its own flag, even its own representative in London to see to its affairs abroad. It was not perfect, but it was good enough – and it worked very well.

    It was under this sensible arrangement that the genius of our Awolowo could blossom in our Western Region. He was a thinker, planner and achiever above all others. Our region was free to breathe and live and thrive. Under this atmosphere of freedom, our Awolowo and his team of capable colleagues were able to make miracles happen. That is how our region became “First in Africa” in a whole lot of development achievements. But the other regions were proudly achieving too. Gradually, in the Eastern Region, a culture of small industrial businesses raised its head. The Northern Region was starting far behind the Western and Eastern Regions in education, but, under its great leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Northern Region embarked upon a very admirable development progress in many directions too. In the midst of all this excitement, we celebrated Independence in 1960. Our Nigeria was growing and prospering and heading for the highest in the world. And we young Nigerians proudly bragged to our friends in the countries where we were studying abroad that our Nigeria would soon become the Blackman’s World Power of modern times.

    Then came 1962 – yes, 1962, the year that we Nigerians must forever remember with sadness, no matter what the future may hold for our country. In that year, the people in power in the Federal Government thought to themselves that this region called the Western Region was just too successful on its own strength, too confident, too proud. Therefore, they decided that the Western Region needed to be humbled, cut down and subdued. Most of our young people of today do not know this horrible story. I was young then. I had just graduated from university. The day I finished my last BA degree examination at Ibadan, the car sent by my employers to bring me to my new job was waiting for me in front of the examination hall. By evening, I was somewhere in my new job. That was the way that we citizens of the Western Region lived in those days. After graduating, it was time for us to start supporting the parents who had supported us in the long years of higher education; and it was time to start helping our younger brothers and sisters to get higher education too. Our life was orderly and sure. We walked the earth with assurance and pride. Then suddenly, the federal plot to destabilize our region went to work. Our regional government started to crumble all around us. It was awful! It was very awful!

    Those who should have advised against the attack on our region, and who might have perhaps prevented the attack on our region, chose to support the attack. They calculated that our fall would benefit them somehow. Our pace-setter region was overrun and brutalized – until we the youths of the region rose up and struck back with a mighty revolt. Our revolt shook Nigeria to its foundations.

    And from that, there followed many disruptive developments, the central piece of which was a series of military coups and military dictatorships going on until 1999. The people holding federal power in 1962 had attacked our region because they wanted the Federal Government to become much stronger than it was – to control much more power over Nigeria. In essence, they wanted to destroy the federal arrangement. The military dictatorships that followed wanted the same. One of the major ways in which they went about achieving that unwise goal was to splinter the country into more and more states – until we finally reached 36 states. Their creating more and more states may look like a desire to give more and more local parts of Nigeria power over their own lives. But that was not their real intension. Local demands for states gave them the opportunity to splinter the country into small weak states that the Federal Government could easily dictate to. For instance, saying that the new small states were simply too small and too weak to hold the assets and development products of the former three regions, (highways, universities, control over export products, etc), they seized all for the Federal Government. To control the Local Governments in each state, they listed the Local Governments in the Nigerian Constitution and provided that they should deal directly with the Federal Government – so that the Federal Government maybe able to manipulate them against their state governments. A federal system disappeared, and Nigeria became essentially a country ruled under a unitary system of government.

    As things stand today, it is no longer clear what the state governments can freely do. There is hardly anything the Federal Government does not interfere in. We have seen the Federal Government stop states from building or improving roads, or claim to be the sole controller of all natural resources, or take over taxes paid by companies doing business in the states, or order the police into action in states or even march soldiers into states without any consultation with the state governments, or insist on determining the number of Local Governments in states, etc. The Federal Government presumes to have the right to sack the elected governors of states, and to dictate how much state and Local Governments will pay to their employees. The Federal Government is the mighty power behind the culture of corruption that has wrecked Nigeria’s name in the world. It is the enormous agency that promotes and guarantees poverty in Nigeria. The Federal Government stands in the way of state authorities ambitious and eager to fight poverty in their states. This is not a judgment on this or that president. It does not matter who the president may be. If we do not urgently curb the excessive powers and presumptions of the Federal Government of our country, and restore considerable development competence to the federating units of our federation, poverty will rise to such heights that Nigeria will not be able to contain the anger it generates.

    That is why we the citizens of the South-west, as one people, want the Nigerian federation to be restructured without delay. Together in our own region, we can beat poverty and return to a life of progress and prosperity. But this ambition is not a selfish one. All peoples of Nigeria will benefit. And Nigeria as an entity in the world will benefit.

    So, we say to all our politicians, our governors, our federal and state legislators, and members of our local governments: Pool your energies and influences in your parties, caucuses and alliances, to get the Nigerian federation restructured now. Recover the autonomy which our regions enjoyed in the Nigerian federation until 1962. All that has been concocted to replace the federation that we had at independence is an imposture which most Nigerians detest and reject. Liberate yourselves so as to be free to give us the kind of government we desire – the kind of government that can lead us quickly out of poverty. We elected you, and we will stand solidly behind you. In whatever you do in your politics, make sure that you include the restructuring and restoring of the Nigerian federation seriously on the front burner, and you can count on our unflinching support. We are watching.

  • Jonathan’s new strategies for South East, South West

    Jonathan’s new strategies for South East, South West

    The fear of facing an electoral drubbing in the North and South West in the 2015 presidential election is forcing President Goodluck Jonathan’s strategists to firm up other options. Remi Adelowo reports

     

     

     

    The expected declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for a second term may be months away, his political strategists are not taking chances to ensure that he posts a good showing at the polls.

    In the last few months, Presidency top aides have been having sleepless nights to strategise on a ‘foolproof’ formula to achieve a set of clear objectives.

    Two of these objectives include how to neutralise real and perceived opposition within and outside the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and using certain elements to make inroads into areas considered as shaky in the president’s support base.

    The Nation gathered that for each of the nation’s six geo-political zones, the president’s handlers are working on different options to ensuring that key political figures key into the 2015 re-election project.

     

    South East: Beyond a presidential visit

    A few days ago, the president visited Enugu to commission the remodelled terminal at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport. Done with this task, the president proceeded to the Presidential Lodge where he was hosted by the state government.

    Present at the occasion were prominent past and current political office holders and businessmen including the former vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, and all the South-East governors, to mention but a few.

    Expectedly, the president said all the right things. Describing the region as his ‘backbone’, Jonathan reiterated his promises to attract considerable federal presence to the area. He cited the completion of the Onitsha Sea Port early last year which had been abandoned for several years, while also assuring the audience that the plan to build the Second Niger Bridge amongst other projects were on course.

    But despite the support the president seemingly enjoys in the South East, The Nation gathered that the president and his strategists are not leaving anything to chances.

    Four political parties, according to The Nation’s findings, would be used as the platforms to guarantee that the president gets a bloc vote at the next presidential election.

    With the PDP support already taken for granted, the other parties enlisted for the project are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), its offshoot, United Progressives Party (UPP) headed by Chief Chekwas Okorie, and the Labour Party (LP), which membership is dominated by former PDP members.

    The coordination of APGA will be handled by Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, who enjoys a close-knit relationship with the President much to the discomfiture of PDP governors in the South East.

    Obi, besides being a member of the powerful Economic Management Team that advises the president on the nation’s economy, is also alleged to be the only governor that has accompanied the president more on foreign trips.

    With speculations rife that APGA may not field a presidential candidate in 2015 like it did in the 2011 elections, there are strong indications that the party may once again adopt Jonathan as its flag bearer in 2015. This same scenario, sources disclosed, may play out in UPP.

     

    The game plan for South West

    More than any other zone in the country, close aides of the president are allegedly placing priority attention to the South West. “The Presidency’s strategists believe that if Jonathan cannot repeat his excellent showing in the 2011 election in 2015, he should at least win one third of the votes in at least four states in the South West,” said a source.

    The Nation authoritatively gathered that the president having come to the conclusion that chieftains of his party, PDP, across the region may not deliver the much needed votes for him in 2015, he is alleged to have pencilled down Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, as the arrowhead of his re-election campaign.

    The medical doctor-turned-politician, it was learnt, is being positioned to serve as a counterforce to the larger-than-life influence of politicians in the dominant Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    What is also giving the president a source for concern is the crisis that has bedevilled his party in the South West, and which has remained intractable. In almost all the states in the region, PDP leaders are at daggers drawn over the control of the party, while several attempts at reconciliation are yet to achieve the desired results.

    “The president is not putting all his eggs in one basket. He is not comfortable using his party members to handle his campaign and already looking at other options,” said our source.

    Mimiko’s victory at the Ondo State governorship election in October last year during which he reportedly got the tacit endorsement of the Presidency has further given fillip to the belief in the president’s camp that he has what it takes to sell the candidacy of Jonathan to the electorate.

    “Mimiko is a politician in whom the president is well pleased. If the plan afoot remains unchanged, he would be the face of the president’s campaign in the South West in 2015,” a source declared.

    Another politician whose support is being sought is the National Leader of Accord Party (AP) and former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, whose popularity in the state, particularly in Ibadan, the largest voting bloc, will be exploited in the president’s favour.

    Our source added, “Ladoja is desperate to return to the Government House. If it gets to crunch time, he would need the support of the centre to succeed. The presidency also needs him, so it’s a case of you-rub-my-back-I-rub-yours.”

    Also contained in the ‘Operation win South West’ plan is the massive rejuvenation of Labour Party structures in all the states in the region, with the party expected to field candidates for all elective political offices.

    Part of the strategy further includes nominating disgruntled members of the ACN (All Progressives Congress) as candidates of LP, thereby dividing the bloc votes that ACN is likely to garner.

     

    Other regions not left out

    For the North East and North West zones, sources revealed that the president is not giving up that he could pull an upset at the next election.

    The Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has allegedly been handed the brief to secure the base for the president in 2015.

    Plans are also being fine tuned to allegedly arm-twist Yuguda’s counterpart in Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, whose relationship with the presidency and the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has been frosty in recent times to back the president’s re-election in 2015, findings have revealed.

    In the North West, another avowed supporter of the president, Governor Ibrahim Shema, is expected to take charge of the 2015 project, with sources alleging that he will play a more prominent role than the vice-president, Namadi Sambo, in the next 2015 presidential campaign.

    For the North Central, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State is likely to be picked as the campaign coordinator ahead of other experienced politicians like the Senate President, David Mark, who also hail from Benue.

    Suswam is one of the closest governors to the president, a reason why his choice as the anchorman for the president’s campaign in the region was an easy decision to make.

     

  • Muslim group laments ‘infiltration of Boko Haram’ to S’ West

    Muslim youths under the aegis of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation, Oyo State has lamented the infiltration of the violent Boko Haram sect into the South-Western part of the country.

    The Islamic group through its National President, Bro. Abdul Quadir Abdul Rafi said this in Ibadan at a briefing with journalist.

    The press briefing herald the commencement of activities marking the group’s 41st annual convention entitled: “The Challenge of Youth Restiveness in a Multi-Cultural and Multi-Religious Society.”

    While reacting to the discovery of the sect hideout in Lagos last week, the group said it would not support any form of violence from any part of the country against people who do not share the group’s religious belief.

    Abdul Rafi also displayed rare religious tolerance by condoling with the families of the founder of the World Soul winning Evangelical Mission, Prophet Timothy Obadare and the literary giant, Prof. Chinua Achebe.

    On the comment by the Sultan of Kano, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, asking the government to grant the sect amnesty, he said in as much as he would not want to say anything against the comments, the government should give amnesty to some members of the sect who deserve it and make others who carried out heinous crime face the course of justice.

    “We believe that the Sultan had his reason for saying so and being a father in faith. The government should find a way of looking into the suggestion. If there is a group that should be given amnesty, the government should do so and if there is anyone among them that committed heinous crime, they should be made to face the course of justice.

    “The loss of Prof. Chinua Achebe and Prophet Timothy Obadare is a loss to the generality of Nigerians as they have contributed tremendously to various facets of our national development,” he said.

     

  • ‘South West regional integration should be devoid of politics’

    ‘South West regional integration should be devoid of politics’

    LEADERS of the Southwest states on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the regional Grassroots Business and Investments Forum (EXPO 2013) called on all the governments and people to join hands in building a prosperous zone.

    Prince Bola Ajibola, a former Attorney General of the Federation who was chairman at the ceremony organized by Vintage Press Limited, Publishers of The Nation held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital said political tendencies should be deemphasized in plotting the road to the future.

    The ex-Judge at the International Court of Justice, The Hague, was supported by a former governor of Oyo State, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo who called on the governors to close ranks and return the region to the glorious days of the old Western Region.

    The two governors in attendance, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo toed the same lines in the thought-provoking speeches they delivered. Governor Aregbesola extended a hand of fellowship to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State who was elected on the platform of Labour Party at a well-fought electoral battle last October. Aregbesola said: “Elections are over now and Its time for us all to come together in the interest of our people. It is about the protection and development of our territory.”

    Ajimobi said: “This is not about party politics. It is about governance. It is about the region. Each of the states has an area of strength. What we need is develop areas of comparative advantage for the overall interest of our people.” Ajimobi  listed the benefits accruable from regional integration and appealed to his Ondo state counterpart to embrace the idea for the benefit of the people of the region .
    Some of the benefits, he said, are consensus based decision making processes, elimination of conflict and unhealthy rivalry, holistic articulation and
    effective mobilisation of varieties of resources , and utilisation of community resources  to facilitate optimal delineation of development roles among
    the integrating units amongst others.
    He said the need for the South West, which used to be a hub of the defunct Western Region and her people to be united under one economic umbrella has
    been on the front burner .
    “It is on this note I want to urge my brother governor in Ondo to join in this unique effort by participating in the regional integration for the
    economic empowerment of our people. He ( governor Mimiko) should not see it as politics because it goes beyond it”, Ajimobi stressed .

    Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State who delivered the keynote address was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ganiyu Owolabi. He also challenged all the people to brace up for a new era when the people would cooperate rather than see themselves as unhealthy competitors.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State was represented by the Special Adviser on Agriculture, Mrs. Tinu Shopeju while Babatunde Fashola of Lagos was  represented by  his Special Adviser on Integration, Rev. Tunji Adebiyi.
    Ajibola said the achievements of governors in the zone were good enough to attract investments and  gave kudos to Aregbesola for progressive steps taken since he took  the reins of government in the state, describing him as the Omoluabi of Oodualand.

    Olunloyo said regional integration would correct many things that had been done wrong in the past, advising that politics should be de-emphasised in the agenda because “politics is a waste of valuable time.”
    Aregbesola, said the theme of the programme: “Actualising Economic Development for Regional Growth” was apt, noting that regional integration was meant to harness abundant resources within the South West to promote well being of the people and for socio-economic advancement of the people under responsive and responsible governments.

    He said: “We (new set of governments in the South West) inherited very bad situation. Because many good legacies were lacking, on assumption of office, we have to begin to work round the clock to make amends where necessary. In many situations we have to evolve strategic planning with strong involvement of the private sector and social groups.”