The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Southeast

  • Fresh anxiety in Southeast over Python Dance 3

    •As Ohaneze advises youths against violence

    There is unease in the Southeast zone over the current plan by the Nigerian Army to launch Python Dance 3 (Egwueke 3) in the region.

    Reacting to the development, Anambra State President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene, has warned the federal government that the re-introduction of Operation Python Dance is causing grave tension in the Southeast region.

    Speaking with The Nation in Awka, Anambra State, Ogene said the proposed Python Dance 3 would yield better result if the soldiers were deployed to Sambisa forest, Benue, Taraba and other troubled parts of the country, where innocent citizens were being killed on daily basis.

    He contended that Southeast remains the most peaceful and stable region in the country and so does not need the proposed operation, adding that state governments in the region had sustained effective security network while cautioning against any act that could generate tension and apprehension in the zone, especially as general elections were just around the corner.

    However, Ogene enjoined Southeast youths to remain calm and refused to be provoked as what was needed in the Igbo struggle was not confrontation and violence, but a united front, sense of purpose and maturity.

    He alleged that the re-introduction of the Python dance in the region was another way of intimidating the people.

    In November 2016, the Nigerian Army in Awka, Anambra State, launched a military operation in the Southeast, code named “Egwueke” which it stated was to tackle violent crimes, kidnappings, armed robberies among others, especially as Yuletide season was setting in.

    The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Enugu State, Col. Musa Sagir, who represented the GOC 82 Div. Maj. Gen. Attahiru, said they hoped to end the operation by December 27, however added that they could extend the exercise till January 2017 if the need be.

    Having seen the result recorded in 2016, the army in 2017 announced the second phase of the military operation.

    The Egwueke exercise did not however generate much controversy until 2017 when the military unleashed its might against members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) whose activities in the Southeast was generating much heat as the leader of the group and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was traversing the Southeast and some Southsouth states with the message of the group’s plan to push for secession of the region from Nigeria. That didn’t go down well with the President Buhari led federal government.

    During the exercise, the military struck Kanu’s compound in Afaraukwu, Umuahia, the Abia State capital, with many IPOB members allegedly killed. Also, many innocent and armless young boys and girls in their prime allegedly died under the weapons of the military, as Aba and Onitsha, the two major commercial cities in the Southeast, including Port Harcourt, Rivers State, became fully militarised. After the operation, the leader of IPOB disappeared, leaving speculations that he may either be dead or in detention of the Nigerian military.

    Because of these, the current announcement by the military that it wants to carry out Egwueke III in the Southeast has elicited diverse reactions.

    While some are in support of the military operation, many, in an interview with our reporter in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State said there was no need for the Egwueke operation after the experience of 2017.

    Mr. Offor who said that the benefits of the Operation Python dance outweighs the issues it generated in 2017 called on army authorities in the country to apply civility in their operations

    But in a chat with The Nation, the Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation, Aba unit, Dr. Charles Chinekezi, said “Egwueke III is unnecessary, uncalled for and a ploy to come and shoot people once again like it happened the other time. There is no reason for whatever type of Egwueke because Southeast is the most peaceful area in Nigeria today. It is only the East that is relatively peaceful because the rate of violent crime is drastically reduced. There is no agitation. Kidnapping and armed robbery are very low.

    “As a matter of fact ever contemplating another type of Egwueke is mischief on the side of the army and their pay masters who detect what they do from Abuja. It is my candid opinion and Nigerians know that this is true.

    “The presence of the soldiers in the Southeast has helped to control crime in the East, especially when kidnappers and hoodlums almost sent everybody in Aba in particular away many years ago.

    “When the soldiers came, it took them two weeks to get everything and those behind it arrested. But what we are saying is that for the military to think about any type of Egwueke that will only pitch them against defenceless and armless young persons again, where they will begin to shoot and kill them, is unacceptable and uncalled for and that is why we are saying that we don’t want another type of Egwueke in the Southeast.”

    However, The Nation noted that normal life and other activities go on in Enugu State ?as most residents seem oblivious of the Python 3 Dance notice issued by the Nigerian Army.

    Some residents interviewed said they were unaware of the impending operation. But a few who admitted knowledge of the third phase of the Python 3 Dance operation were optimistic that it would not have much effect in Enugu.

    An aluminium sheets dealer, Innocent Ogbonna, said “The first two operations were not noticed in Enugu.” This, he said is because Enugu is a peaceful state. We don’t have trouble makers here.”

    He added that the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), although firmly present in the state, conduct themselves in peaceful manner.

    Except for the handful of Ben Onwuka-led Biafra Zionists Federation (BZF), which has made three attempts to seize the Enugu Government House, there had not been any serious uprising concerning Biafra in the state.

    According to Enugu State Police Command spokesman, Superintendent Ebere Amaraizu, “Enugu State is as safe as the World Bank. People should go about their normal businesses without fear of molestation by any security agency. ”

     

  • Southeast rejects proposed Python Dance 3

    Reactions are trailing the proposed launch of Operation Python Dance 3 in Southeast.

    Ex-Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Idemili, Anambra State, Ben Okoko, described the exercise as a waste of funds.

    Okoko, who addressed reporters yesterday at his law chambers in Nkpor, said the exercise showed the military’s incompetence in internal affairs.

    He noted that the military has come of age and should shift from using muscle to intelligence gathering and under-cover operations.

    Okoko said: “To announce to the world that you will be having Operation Python Dance or Snake Dance is to say the least, letting the cat out of the bag, as such activities would definitely bring the military into direct confrontation with the civilians they should protect.

    “Previous outings of these operations have resulted in huge casualties on civilians. There have been instances where military might have been required, but they failed woefully. The resources they are trying to put on ground for Operation Python Dance III, if channelled to flash points of the country, where insecurity is at its highest, would send a nunc dimitis to the sects and get them eradicated.

  • Buhari, Southeast and 2019

    EYES are on the Southeast geo-political zone as the country warms up for next year’s elections. Will the zone maintain its pattern of voting or change allegiance? Since 1999, the region has been one of the strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Will the political calculus remain the same or will it be altered in 2019?

    The position of the Southeast stakeholders may be a signal to 2019. At a meeting in Enugu, the political headquarter of the region; Southeast governors fired salvos at the Buhari administration, saying that it has neglected the five states constituting the Igbo nation. There was nothing in the tone of the leaders that suggested an intention to negotiate with the APC-led Federal Government for more dividends for democracy. They appeared focused on an apparent unanimous desire to board the PDP vehicle to power.

    The destination is not far. The puzzle is how to get there. The region has an ambition. It is eyeing the presidency. Therefore, the next presidential election may be the first critical step to its actualisation. Southeast faces two predictable hurdles. The first is that, if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wins the poll with the active support of the five Southeast states, its chance of producing President Buhari’s successor in 2023 is bright. If the PDP, which is also fielding a candidate from the North produces the president, then, the zone may have to wait till 2031 after he completes his two term tenure of eight years. To assuage its feeling, the vice presidency may be conceded to the region, but not without stiff competition by the Southwest and Southsouth.

    The agitation for power shift is very loud in the Southeast. It will be louder in post-2019, especially if President Muhammadu Buhari wins a second term. The main justification is that the zone has not produced a president since 1999. But, curiously, the region does not appear to be courting the centre. Unlike before, Igbos are now somehow aloof to mainstream politics, particularly under the Buhari administration, unlike when its sons and daughters played prominent roles in the previous administrations midwifed by the PDP.

    The region may have drawn the battle line last week. Accusing the president of marginalisation, Southeast stakeholders hinted that it would continue to look in the direction of another political party for salvation. Reminiscent of 2015 polls when the Igbos rejected Buhari and voted for former President Goodluck ‘Azikiwe Ebele’ Jonathan, the ethnic group is unwilling to allow the ruling APC to make an in-road to the zone. Thus, the leaders may have made a decision that has implications for the five states, at least, in the nearest future. It is evident that other regions, the competing political parties and candidates are carefully analysing the import of that regional position on next year’s elections.

    Southeast is glued to the drawing board. But, is the zone miscalculating or gambling again by rejecting President Buhari and the APC? Or its leaders have strategically projected into the future and come to the realisation that the PDP will bounce back and take the zone to an Eldorado? What is responsible for that audacity of hope? Or are Southeast leaders locked in unfounded permutations and fantasies by putting all their eggs in one basket? Is there a way the ‘neglected’ zone can marry expectation with reality?

    The region is politically bitter. Its leaders have maintained that the anger is not without reason. While the Northwest has seven states and Northcentral, Northeast, Southwest and Southsouth have six states, the Southeast only have five. The pains and scares of the civil war have not fizzled out completely. Obviously, there is no political compensation that can mitigate the monumental loss of human and material resources. These realities have often influenced the renewed and zealous clamour for political relevance within the defective federal structure, especially when the push for secession and disintegration has become failed weapons of negotiation and blackmail. Yet, to the Southeast, genuine reintegration is only underscored by the attainment of the presidency.

    The elusive presidency translates into an illusion of hope and loss of a sense of belonging. But, Southeast actors also claim that they are denied other entitlements under the inexplicable and unjust federal arrangement. According to them, the zone is fretting under the burden of neglect caused by the lopsided distribution of political offices and social amenities by the Federal Government. Southeast governors are complaining that the Federal Government has allegedly maintained the pattern of short-changing the region in the implementation of capital projects in the 2017 project.

    Of significance is the budget, which is linked with the 2017-2020 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Buhari administration. But, in what it described as its ‘Monitoring Report on the Performance of the Federal Capital Budget, the Southeast Governors’ Forum pointed out the implementation has failed in the region.

    The release of the report has coincided with preparations for general elections by the ruling and the main opposition parties. Apart from drawing attention to the dearth of infrastructural facilities, many observers believe that its release was meant to fuel political sentiment and create the impression that the Buhari administration cannot adequately protect the interest of the Southeast, now and in the future. Therefore, the zone, in their opinion, may not reckon with President Buhari and APC in the next presidential election. The message being passed across is that the region should sustain its voting pattern.

    Expressing disgust at the failure of the infrastructure battle in the Southeast, the forum’s Director-General, Prof. Simon Otuanya, said: “The capital project implementation in 2017 did not fare well at all in Southeast states. The roads have remained impossible and so the Federal Government should please do better in 2018 and we hope that the Federal Government will make the improvement.”

    Indisputably, Southeast leading lights, who were at the Enugu meeting, were adorned with partisan garments. Majority of them belong to the PDP. Three of the five governors from the region-Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Dave Umahi- are PDP governors. The lone APC governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who is battling with post-congress logjam and crisis of nominations in his party, was rattled by the regional verdict. The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) governor, Willy Obiano, is torn between the APC and the PDP over the prospects of electoral solidarity. Majority of state and federal legislators from Southeast belong to the PDP. At the local government level, PDP is the dominant party in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu. So far, no major actor with a huge followership has defected from the PDP to the APC in the Southeast, unlike the Southsouth where a big fish, Senator Godswill Akpabio, jumped ship.

    Unlike the Southeast, the Southsouth is gradually renewing its ties with the centre. APC is enlarging its coast in the Niger Delta. In a bid to build on its victory in Edo State, the party is targeting Akwa Ibom. The implication is that Southsouth may have a higher stake in Buhari’s government before, during and after elections more than its neighbouring zone.

    Instructively, during the 2015 presidential elections, Southeast was rooting for Dr. Jonathan. PDP defeated the APC in the zone with a wide margin. In Enugu State, PDP had 553,003 votes while APC scored 14, 157. In Ebonyi, the PDP candidate polled 232,653 votes; APC got 19,518 votes. In Anambra, PDP got 660,762 votes. APC got 17,926. In Abia, where PDP got 368,303 votes, APC had 13, 394 votes. President Buhari was able to neutralise the effects of the bloc endorsement by votes from the Northwest and five of six Southwest states-Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun and Osun.

    In the past, Buhari was inundated with complaints by Southeast stakeholders about the marginalisation of the zone in the distribution of appointments. The Igbo umbrella organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has criticised the president for indifference to the plight of the region. But, the approach of the pan-Igbo group is difference. It is not along the line of collaboration. The organisation has adopted the borrowed platform of restructuring to articulate its views on the contentious national question, urging the president to redesign or reconfigure the country. It is an option President Buhari is not eager to consider, judging by his body language.

    Also, pro-Biafra agitators, led by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, have been on the prowl in the Southeast. Many observers have described their activities as a carry-over of the region’s hostility to President Buhari’s bid for the presidency. It is ironical that while Southeast is clamouring for power shift or rotational presidency, a section of the region is agitating for secession and balkanisation of Nigeria.

    While the president’s explicit explanation that he could not reward the zone that rejected him at the poll with patronage did not go down well with the region, his subsequent explanation on the equitable distribution of ministerial slots based on quota system was convincing. The five Southeast states have representation in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    Southeast has the right to either embrace the PDP or the APC. But, according to observers, the zone should also be prepared to pay the price of choice. In 2015, since there was no senator elected on the platform of the ruling party from the zone, the position of Senate President eluded the region. In 2019, history may still repeat itself. If APC is unable to penetrate the Southeast, that position may go to the Southsouth, if the party wins majority of seats in the Senate during 2019 polls. Among the aspirants for the number three position is Akpabio, former PDP Senate Minority Leader. A source said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who has unfolded a senatorial ambition, may compete for the slot, if he is elected on the platform of the APC.

    But, is Southeast actually marginalised? According to the Federal Government, the allegation is unfounded. Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disputed the governors’ claim, saying that the president has taken pragmatic steps to provide and rehabilitate infrastructure in the Southeast. He said the president has maintained keen interest in the Southeast since 2015. “There is a verifiable record of provision of key infrastructure in the Southeast,” he added.

    Also, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), explained that many projects have been executed in the zone. “The government has executed many projects in the zone, including those abandoned by previous administrations. For instance, the Federal Government has released the proceeds of N100 billion Sukuk bond to 25 key economic road projects across the country, including those in the Southeast. These projects are located in the nation’s six geo-political zones, including the Southeast that has four major road schemes. Specifically, each of the geo-political zones of the country has received the sum of N16.67 billion for road projects,” he added.

    The on-going projects in the Southeast include: rehabilitation and construction of Enugu-Port-Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section 11: Umuahia Tower, Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge Crossing, Abia State; rehabilitation and reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section 1: Lokpanta Umuahia Tower, Abia State; rehabilitation of Outstanding Section of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway: Amansea-Enugu State Border; and rehabilitation of Enugu-Port-Harcourt Road Section 111: Enugu-Lokpanta, Enugu State. According to ministry officials, the projects are at the level of asphaltic concrete surface.

    But, will these interventions convince the zone? Will it alter the view of anti-Buhari elements? What difference can the projects make? Whether Southeast will change its position is in the realm of conjecture, although APC chieftains from the zone are working assiduously to alter the trend.  The limitation is that, despite the power of federal incumbency, Buhari’s foot soldiers in the region may not be able to match the aggression, resilience, structure, networks and popularity of PDP gladiators.

    For the PDP, the zone is a no-go area for the APC. PDP leaders in the region are always brainstorming. Their mobilisation has often dwarfed the zonal APC leadership. Although it was speculated that Enugu State Governor, Ugwuanyi and his Ebonyi counterpart, Umahi, would defect to the APC, the duo have reiterated their loyalty and commitment to the PDP. The defection of few lawmakers from the PDP to the APC in the zone has not produced any meaningful impact.

    Apart from Obiano and Okorocha, the three PDP governors have second term ambition. They are not leaving anything to chance. They have no serious rivals at the primaries. Therefore, they have less acrimony to contend with after governorship primaries. In fact, ahead of next year’s polls, they have kicked off their rallies and campaigns, thereby leaving behind the APC, which is yet to pick governorship candidates for the states.

    Those rooting for the APC in the Southeast appear to lack the power to influence or control situations in the region, despite their pedigree as men of honour and integrity. Except Ngige and the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, other ministers from the region can hardly play the role of effective party arrowheads in their respective chapters. Ethnicity is deep in Igboland and APC has never been projected to them as the party of Igboland, unlike the PDP and APGA.

    In Ebonyi, elder statesman Onu has a reputation for political consistency and principle. He is held in high esteem as one of the founding fathers of the APC. But, he has not been able to make much difference during elections. However, the old glory is intact.

    In Anambra, Ngige is perceived as a leader. But, he and other chieftains, including Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, Andy Uba and Tony Nwoye, were unable to swing the pendulum of victory to APC’s direction during the governorship and senatorial by-lections. In fact, all of them are defectors from the PDP.

    In Enugu, the PDP is not sleeping on guard. It is guarding its territory jealously. The Director-General of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Okey Okechukwu, is an active supporter of the president. But, he seems to lack the political clout required for mobilisation for power shift. Also, there is no unity in the Enugu APC chapter.

    In Imo, there is turmoil in the APC. Much energy is dissipated on the crisis arising from rancorous ward, local government and state congresses. The APC governor is not on the same page with many gladiators in the party. The bone of contention is succession. Okorocha is bowing out of office next year. He has a succession plan. But, many chieftains are against his plan to anoint his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the governorship candidate. Some of them are threatening to even leave the party in protest.

    In Abia State, APC is very weak. There is no strong leader to galvanise the chapter and make it an enviable and election-wining platform. Many of its leaders are paper-weight politicians.

    There are two questions begging for answers: what future for APC in the Southeast? What future for Southeast in a ‘united’ Nigeria?

  • 69 projects ongoing in Southeast, says Fed Govt

    The Federal Government has described the South-East Governors’ allegation of infrastructural neglect of their zone as “incorrect, unfair and flew in the face of available evidence”.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who described the allegation as unfair to the federal government, said there had been even distribution of infrastructural development of all zones.

    Mohammed spoke yesterday in Ilorin, at a public lecture and inauguration of Wards and Local Governments canvassers for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    While the minister performed the inauguration, Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo (SAN), who is the Director Media, Buhari Campaign Organisation, delivered the lecture.

    Mohammmed said: “While this claim may have made headlines, it is totally untrue; His Excellencies were either misquoted or they were quoted of context.

    “In fact, a total of 69 federal government projects are currently ongoing in the South-east.

    “We will soon publish the full list of the projects and the state-by-state breakdown.

    “Suffice it to say that the South-East, just like other geo-political zones, got N16.6 billion worth of projects from the proceeds of the N100 billion Sukuk Bond, shared equally among the six geo-political zones.

    “I have taken journalists on a tour of some of these projects in the South-East,” he said.

    The minister said the four roads being rehabilitated and reconstructed by the proceeds of the Sukuk Bond include the Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II (Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge Crossing in Abia State.

    The Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section I (Lokpanta – Umahia Tower) in Abia Stat and the outstanding section of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Amansea – Enugu

    State Border) are on the list.

    He listed the fourth as the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway Section III (Enugu-Lokpanta) in Enugu State.

    Mohammed said in addition to the roads, the federal government was also constructing the N40 billion Aba-Port Harcourt section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

    He described the project as a strategic road linking Aba and other industrial heartland of the East with Port Harcourt, the nations oil hub.

    “Let me say that these projects were awarded by the last Administration which, however, failed to provide funding.

    “As a matter of fact, a section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt road, which cuts across many states, was turned to a refuse dump before this administration came to the rescue.’’

    The minister said that the federal government was also embarking on the construction of the second Niger Bridge,.

    “The ground-breaking of the construction of the Second Niger Bridge was performed on 10th March, 2014 but could not take of until 2017.

    “The bridge, which is 1.59-kilometre in length, forms part of the 11.90-kilometre project.

    “The contractor, Julius Berger, has completed the first 3 phases of the project, which have to do with the Sub-structures.

    “They are currently on the 4th phase, which is at 70 per cent completion stage.

    “Some 310 of the 615 piles designed for the bridge have been sunk while massive sand-filling of the approach road has been carried out to the height of 5 metres. The target height is 7 metres,” he said.

    Mohammed said that the project was being solely financed by the Federal Government and noted that the South-east had never had it so good in the area of infrastructure.

    “Had the previous administrations done even half of what we are doing now in that region, no one will be complaining today.

    “It is alright to ask for more, but it is unfair to say nothing has been done,” he said.

    The governors ealier in the week, alleged infrastructure neglect in the region.

    They spoke through the Director General of South-East Governors Forum, Prof. Simon Otuanya, at the presentation of a monitoring report on performance of the 2017 federal capital budget in the South East.

  • Southeast governors’ forum raises health committee

    The Southeast Governor’s Forum in Enugu yesterday inaugurated its Consultative Committee on Health as one of the thematic areas of priority for the development of the zone.

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, while inaugurating the 12-man committee, said the body would harmonise health related issues and activities in the zone.

    Ugwuanyi, who was represented by his deputy Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, said the committee would also create a multi-sectoral platform in improving health outcomes in the zone.

    According to him, the forum would harness and mobilise private resources to complement government budgetary allocations towards public health improvement.

    He said: “This committee will serve as a medium for community level mobilisation and information dissemination on guidelines for achieving improved health outcomes and social wellbeing.”

     

  • Report: Banking access lowest in Northeast, Southeast

    •Southwest leads in financial access

    NorthEast and Southeast regions have the least access to banking, a report on financial access touch-points released yesterday has shown.

    With five per cent financial access touch-points for the Northeast and seven per cent for the Southeast, both regions remain disadvantaged in access to financial services despite efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bankers’ Committee and commercial banks to take banking to the grassroots, the Shared Agent Network Expansion Facility (SANEF) report has shown.

    The CBN has voted N20 billion for banks, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), licensed Mobile Money Operators and Shared Agents to accelerate financial inclusion and take banking to more Nigerians.

    Southwest is leading on financial access touch-points with 54 per cent; Southsouth 12 per cent; Northcentral 11 per cent and Northwest 10 per cent. It said Nigeria has 5,600 bank branches, 17,600 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs); 15,000 Point of Sale terminals and 51,754 Agents as at December last year.

    A member of Technical Committee of SANEF, Bolaji Lawal, said the SANEF initiative involves on-boarding 40 million low income and un-served Nigerians into the financial system, increasing financial access points from the current 50,000 to 500,000 by 2020 and deepening access to mobile and digital financial products and services such as savings accounts, microloans, insurance, pensions by Nigerians.

    He explained that the project seeks to deepen financial inclusion through an integrated ecosystem with strong regulatory oversight, consumer protection and interoperable payment systems with limited concentration risk. “It will create a platform for Nigerian owned financial services companies to grow, whilst empowering and creating jobs for Nigerians. So, wherever you see the SANEF sign, you can perform basic financial services such as account opening, cash deposits, cash withdrawals, funds transfers and bills payments,” he said at a media briefing in Lagos .

    He said the project is expected to reduce transaction costs, bring about convenience, create job opportunities, and increased adoption of financial services. The platform is also expected to handle government’s social disbursements initiatives. It will also lead to reduced cash dependency, better tax collections and reduction in crime rates.

    He said the SANEF will help the banks achieve 70 million Bank Verification Number (BVN) Bank Accounts by 2020 from about 34 million at present.

    He explained that Nigeria’s financial inclusion model is similar to Indian model, where over 1.2 billion people gained access to financial services.

    He said that BVN roll-out is aggressive with NIBSS already partnering with Agent Managers appointed by banks, Other Financial Institutions, Mobile Money Operators, Super Agents and other licenced Nigerian companies for remote BVN enrollments. NIBSS will ensure training of Agent/Managers to ensure proper hand-holding as may be required for the BVN enrollment process.

    “NIBSS is expected to provide the BVN enrollment devices for the agents. Remote capture devices will be made available to agents across Nigeria particularly rural areas with priority for North East, North Central and North West. NIBSS will pay N100 to agents for every unique BVN enrolled and targets 40 million unique BVN by 2020,” he said.

    He said BVN enrollment in 774 Local Government Areas across the country will commence in September and that Nigeria had adopted the Indian financial inclusion model where over 1.2 billion people are uniquely identified.

    He said the Nigeria target is to achieve 70 million BVN target by 2020 and create more access to financial system especially at the grassroots.

  • ‘Why Southeast will vote APC in 2019’

    Nze Modestus Umenzekwe is one of the top politicians many thought would contest for the last All Progressives Congress governorship ticket during the last election in Anambra State. In this interview with Nwanosike Onu, he speaks on the chances of his party in the forthcoming general elections, why Ndigbo will vote for APC, the current defections in the parties and other sundry issues. Excerpts

    YOUR party has not shown any sign of seriousness towards 2019 General Elections in the state; what is going on?

    You are getting it wrong. We are strategising. You are talking about 2019, which is February 2019. We are serious and when we come out with our masterplan, you will know that we are serious. We are working and working seriously to make sure that Southeast will belong to APC during the general elections

    In 2017, people looked up to you for the governorship ticket of your party in Anambra State; what went wrong?

    Rome was not built in a day. I consulted widely with our leaders and they said I should allow others to vie, considering that we still had a long way to go. This gave reason for all of us coming together to support Dr. Tony Nwoye. We are not in a haste; it is  bit by bit.

    It was equally alleged that majority of your party members worked against your party’s candidate, how true is this?

    To the best of my knowledge, we worked closely in making sure that it went the way of our candidate. But man proposes and God disposes. I never knew of any APC member that worked against our candidate. All our leaders were there at Ekwueme Square at the grand finale rally to give our candidate the full support including, Mr. President, Mohammed Buhari, exactly what happened at the Holy Trinity field in Onitsha when the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), came and flagged off the campaign.

    From the look of things, it will be a tough battle for your party in 2019 General Elections. With the pressure from opposition mounting, are you not afraid?

    Not at all; opposition is normal in political system, people move from one party to another because of selfish reasons and greed. But in APC, we are on ground and there is no need to be afraid of any other party.  2019 Presidential Election will happen to many people like a movie and that is why our party is not the noisy type and we believe in working underground to surprise our critics.

    Being a believer in APC, do you see the body language of the president as one who is ready to carry on with the load?

    What people do not understand is that President Muhammadu Buhari is a very calm person. He is not desperate, but he knows where he is going. He takes time to get to his destination and he will do it in a genuine and democratic manner. He is not perturbed at all despite what opposition is doing and saying. His mien has equally brought influential members of the opposition to APC. I pity some of the leaders who defected to the PDP recently, because what they seek, they may not get when the time comes. But we in APC salute the courage of some opposition members who are trooping into APC because we regard them as those who have seen tomorrow before it comes.

    But the opposition say Mr. President is too weak to rule, from what you are saying, you don’t see him from such angle?

    Who, among the opposition, is stronger than Mr. President? People go into things they cannot explain; until we examine everybody, we now know who is strong and who is weak. Anybody can become sick at any time. The problems in Nigerian politics are noise making and name calling and if Mr. President behaved like his predecessors, some of them would have kept quite before now. Most of them make such noise because President Buhari is a real democrat. The one thing most of them are holding against him is that he has not opened the vault of the country for the vultures to feast on, exactly the way it was during the PDP misrule era.

    What of his silence on the issue of herdsmen killings in the country?

    I have said it times without number that Mr. President has made statements on the wanton killings and we know his administration is working seriously to nip it in the bud. But soon, the people will know those behind such atrocities and that is the much I can say about the herdsmen killings in the country.

    People believe that what happened in Anambra during 2017 governorship election may repeat itself in Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu; how true is this?

    It is not going to be so, the indices on ground show that APC will win those states, during the election. The Anambra scenario may not play out. With all the noise in Ekiti State, APC still won and we do not believe in noise making.

    What do you make out of the silence of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

    Our National Leader is a master strategist. His political sagacity cannot be beaten by anybody. He is a goal getter.

    The people of Southeast are now hailing Buhari for the works going on at Aba-Enugu-PH express way and Enugu-Onitsha axis; do you think the situation can make the people change?

    Many years ago, Buhari made it clear that Southeast will benefit from his infrastructural development. He used his eagle eye to put a seasoned administrator, a perfect gentleman and a dedicated Nigerian, in the person of Babatunde Fashola (SAN), and he has left no stone unturned, including the 2nd Niger Bridge which the former administrations never did. I also read the other day of the approval of over 37 billion naira refund to Anambra State on federal roads done in the state of which he had been congratulated by Iyom Uche Ekwunife and more are coming the way of the Southeast before the 2019 General Elections, despite the criticisms from some uninformed opposition members in the zone. These are the reasons our people have vowed to vote for APC.

    Is it true you want to represent Anambra South at the senate?

    My people have been clamouring for that, but I don’t think it will work. For now, my interest is just to get it right with our party members in the Southeast zone for President Buhari; it will be a distraction if I venture in any other thing without helping our party to achieve total victory.

    Even before now, they believed that I was going to be appointed a Minister or Ambassador, but all those things, didn’t distract me because we know where we are going. After our victory in 2019, every other thing can fall into place.

  • 2019: Buhari assured of landslide victory in Southeast

    COORDINATOR of South East Caucus of the National Committee of Buhari Support Group Senator Hope Uzodinma yesterday said nothing will stop President Muhammadu Buhari from coasting home to a landslide victory in the 2019 elections in the Southeast.

    Uzodinma spoke at the inaugural meeting of the caucus in Abuja.

    He noted that the essence of the inauguration of the caucus was to ensure that it delivered not less than six million votes out of about eight million registered voters in the Southeast during the 2019 election.

    The senator said the caucus would not rest on its oars until it achieved its goal.

    He insisted that overwhelming vote that will return Buhari as President in 2019 will guarantee the Southeast an opportunity to produce the President in 2030.

    Uzodinma noted that it was an opportunity the region had been clamouring for.

    The opportunity, he said, should not be allowed to slip through the Southeast.

    He said: “The national leadership has approved the operation of this caucus and we are going to go for it, bearing in mind that if we succeed, we will smile very well in 2023.

    “We are going to tag our operation, ‘Operation 2023’, meaning that by the time Mr. President wins convincingly in the Southeast, the name of the business will be ‘Reciprocity’, meaning ‘I have done for you, you are now to do for me’. ”

    The Imo State born lawmaker assured that plans were already in place to map out strategies that would enable the caucus to deliver on mandate.

    The caucus, he said, would come up with a programme that would take the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the various units in 2019.

    Uzodinma said: “Every booth in Southeast belongs to some people. They have leaders and if the message is given to them in a manner that they will understand, I am sure that we will succeed.

    “There is no point claiming headship, the common denominator is what would make Buhari president again out of the eight million registered voters in the Southeast, to get a minimum of six million votes.

    “In doing that, we have to make sacrifices and call some people to order. We will do our best.

    “For me as a person, we will try to convince and those that will willingly follow will follow.”

    Uzodinma said plans were underway to organise a mega rally in the Southeast, which President Buhari had approved and promised to be present.

    He noted that management structures would be set up at the state, local government and ward levels for better delivery.

  • PDP failed Southeast, Southsouth for 16 years, says Fed Govt

    •Minister okays Enugu-Port Harcourt road projects

    THOSE castigating President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for not doing anything for the Southeast and Southsouth are fraudulent, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said.

    He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed the Southeast and Southsouth for 16 years and “yet some politicians are so fraudulent and they sit in Abuja and accused the administration of not doing anything” for the regions.

    Mohammed spoke while on a site visit to the 240-kilometre road projects, which stretched along three states – Enugu, Abia and Rivers states.

    The project was divided into four sections and is being handled by four different construction firms.

    The minister said: “The naysayers have painted the administration that it has not done anything for the Southeast zone.

    “When we were coming on this stretch of road, I was informed that until this administration came, that the entire lane was completely not motorable.

    “In 16 years, what did the PDP do on the Enugu PH road? Everything that we saw today is what this administration achieved. Yet some politicians are so fraudulent they sit in Abuja and accused the administration of not doing anything for the Southeast.

    “From what you have seen yesterday and today, you will see that this administration has done so much for this zone.

    “We can now see that some people are just misinforming the public.”

    The criticism notwithstanding, the minister said the government was happy that the people have now come to know the difference.

    “But I am glad that from the feedback we are getting that the people in the Southeast know what is going on because they know what was going on for 16 years and are also here in the last three years and they have seen the difference.

    Explaining why the government has not initiated new projects, the minister noted that it was deliberate so as to ensure completion of existing projects, irrespective of which government started it.

    Mohammed expressed satisfaction at the rate of work done on the Enugu-Port Harcourt road projects, which has not received attention from the previous administrations.

    Federal Controller of Works in charge of Enugu State Oyekanmi Olufemi, an engineer, said the main challenge facing the project is rain, as work can only go on smoothly during the dry season.

    Olufemi said despite the rain, works on covets are still ongoing and the construction firm is also stockpiling materials in readiness for work from November.

    He assured the minister that one side of the road will be ready for use next year.

     

     

  • NGO: Southeast needs more women in governance

    A non-governmental organisation for the rights of women, Alliances for Africa (AFA) had a two-day brainstorming session in Enugu pressing for more participation of women in politics in Southeast states.

    At the end of it all, participants who included female state commissioners, local council bosses and other female stakeholders, called on the Nigerian government to emulate other African countries that have successfully addressed the underrepresentation of women in political leadership.

    Among other demands of the women include promotion of gender equality in the political sphere and in decision-making processes at local and national levels in Nigeria.

    Insist on political parties to bridge gender gap by mainstreaming gender in their internal party policies.

    Taking concrete actions to demonstrate government’s commitment to actualising 35% Affirmative Action in all government institutions, structures and decision-making positions.

    Demonstration of a clear road map of implementing and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) especially goal 5 on Gender equality.

    The statement articulating their demands and signed by the Executive Director of AFA  also called  on the Senate to pass into law the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) presently before them which supports equal participation and representation of women and men in all decision making processes.

    The statement says inter alia: “ýAs Nigeria looks forward to its 2019 General Elections, Alliances for Africa (AfA) is bothered to note that the present political dispensation has the lowest representation of women in public office. In the Nigerian parliament as presently constituted, women represent a dismal 5.6% in the House of Representatives and 6.5% in the Senate. Obviously very far from the agitated 35%, Affirmative Action (AA) provided for, in the National Gender Policy (NGP) 2006.

    This trend flows from the national level, to state down to local levels where few women take the lead in local government chairman and councillors. We note that in other progressive democracies in Africa, in countries like Rwanda women make up 63.8% in the lower House of Assembly and 38.5% in the Senate. In South Africa women represent 41.9% and 35.2% respectively. In Burundi women represent 36.4% in the lower Assembly and 41.9% representation in the Senate. Even Zimbabwe has 31.5% and 37.5% respectively.

    Nigeria as a member of the United Nations signed and ratified  various relevant international instruments, treaties and conventions without reservation. These instruments have always emphasized that member nations put in place all the necessary mechanisms needed to eliminate gender discriminations, ensure equality and human dignity to all, men and women.

    In Nigeria,  no woman has ever become a president or a vice president. The only first female governor in Nigeria, Dame Virgy Etiaba, only functioned as Anambra State’s governor for six months, following the impeachment on November 2, 2006.

    Ever since then, the closest a woman has come in governance is deputy governor. This is regardless of the fact that a National Gender Policy (NGP) has been formulated since 2006 to promote a 35 percent affirmative action for women – a policy that demands 35 percent involvement of women in all governance processes. The NGP is recognised but is not practised as the structures and processes to use are not in place.

    In Rwanda 2003, the government approved a new constitution that included a quota system for women at all levels of government. The legislation mandated that 30 percent of all representatives, including those in parliament, be women. Rwanda’s quota is different than many other systems in that it’s not a quota solely on candidates, but rather reserves a minimum number of seats for women (often known as Equality of Result quotas). Only women are eligible to vote for the women-only seats. In election later that year, women increased their presence in the lower parliament from 23% to 49%. In 2013, women’s representatives rose even further to 64%. Rwanda is the first country in (Africa?) where women have moved beyond half of political leadership, as the country has prioritised women including structures and processes designed to advance them in all level of leadership. Mechanisms for reaching gender parity included a gender ministry with a substantial mandate; women’s councils elected at the grassroots and represented at the national level; a women-only ballot; a gender-progressive constitution shaped by women leaders in government and civil society; and, perhaps most importantly, a required quota of 30 percent women in all government decision-making bodies.

    In Senegal 2010, gender parity law came into force gender quota of 50/50 called the law of parity. The law obliges all political parties to nominate an equal amount of women and men on party lists and as constituency candidates. Parties are not allowed to run election if they fail to achieve gender parity on candidate lists. By 2012, it became very key and number of women increased from 22.7% to 42.7%.

    Alliances for Africa (AfA) with support from United Nations Women Funds For Gender Equality (FGE) is working on a project -”The full implementation of 35% Affirmative Action (AA) in public governance in the five (5) South-east states”, and has recorded some successes with 3 elected female politicians as local government chairmen and member, state house of assembly, 11 female politicians appointed members occupying decision making positions in their respective states.”