The Nation Newspaper

Tag: STATE

  • El-Rufai urges Fed, state agencies to leave school land

    El-Rufai urges Fed, state agencies to leave school land

    The Kaduna State government has revisited its  land recovery policy, saying federal and state institutions on Kaduna State school lands should relocate.

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai spoke on the government’s policy at the weekend in Kaduna when he appeared on a radio town hall meeting organised by BBC Media Action.

    The governor said he had directed that private property on school lands be valued and compensation paid to those with valid titles and planning approval so they could get replacement plots.

    He said the state government had concluded arrangement to restore the Government College and Rimi College, in Kaduna, as boarding schools.

    The governor, who toured the Government College and its environs on Friday, said the boarding facilities for pupils and the staff quarters could not co-exist with private accommodation.

    El-Rufai also visited the government agencies that were sited on the school land, including those occupying former hostels.

    The governor said government agencies would be relocated from the schools.

    He noted that similar instructions had been passed to Rimi College, which used to be an iconic boarding school but whose facilities had been encroached upon by private interests and public institutions.

    El-Rufai said: “Formal notices to relocate, with deadlines, will be issued to all government agencies, some of them federal, which are accommodated on school premises. Government agencies in Rimi College have received their relocation notices. Their departure will enable the government to prepare the school facilities to receive boarders.”

  • State finances after federal bailout

    We must give thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari’s rescue package for all the states of the federation that could no longer discharge their financial obligation to their employees following the drastic reduction in federal allocations consequent upon the drop in earnings from crude oil sales. With the exception of a few states, most of the states of the federation were under stress and acute distress. I visited the secretariats of Oyo and Osun in Ibadan and Osogbo respectively when both states were on strike I was struck and saddened by what I saw.  The two places were virtually lifeless and deserted presenting a scene that I had never experienced in Ibadan where I had practically lived all my life. The situation reminded me of glory departing from Israel as a result of sin and conquest by its enemies. Ibadan which has withstood enemy conquest since its foundation circa 1830 presented a sorry situation. Osogbo was also a sad reflection of what I saw in Ibadan. Yet these two state capitals had never witnessed the kind of stupendous development that governors Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola had accomplished since their creation. The road networks in Ibadan put to shame all previous governments in the state since independence. Aregbesola has definitely transformed Osogbo not only in terms of roads but by building modern and  up-to-date mega-schools in the state as well as feeding school children once a day a phenomenon that states collecting jumbo federal allocations have not been able to replicate or match. You can blame this young man for too much optimism but certainly not for corruption or squander-mania

    My prayer particularly for Aregbesola is that through internally generated revenue he will  be able to finish all the projects he has embarked on especially the dualisation of Akoda to Gbongan which will lead to the emergence of a conurbation stretching from Osogbo through Ede, Ode-omu to Gbongan  with common services for all the towns brought together and increase in the tax base and springing up of  industries enjoying economy of scale  because of the size of the new market. While still on Osun, I wonder why there has been so much negative focus on the state as if it were the only state lagging in payment of salaries. Perhaps this has something to do with the over-exposure of the governor or perhaps people have come to expect too much from him. Whatever the case may be, there has been all kinds of do-gooders demonstrating more enthusiasm than wisdom offering help and even food to the so-called starving population of Osun State!

    It is of course true that the APC states in the South-West borrowed money for infrastructural development following hostile treatment by the PDP-controlled federal government. With the decline in the value of the naira, these states may in future be the better for the loans they took. If they had waited longer, the kind of work done with minimal allocations one sees in Ekiti under Fayemi,  Osun under Aregbesola , Ogun under Amosun, Oyo under Ajimobi and the giant strides in Lagos under Fashola may never have been accomplished. It is only when one visits neighbouring states of Kogi and Kwara in the same cultural environment that one can appreciate what has been accomplished in these states.

    All I have said is  of course no excuse for poor planning and not saving money against  lean times. But when faced with absolute and abject underdevelopment, does it really make sense to postpone responding to the development yearnings of our people? This is the question we should ask ourselves.

    The answer lies in each state becoming self-sufficient and not depending on revenues accruing to the federal government that itself, unhealthily in economic sense, depends on hydrocarbon sale and taxes levied on multinationals involved in their production. We must as a people and a country move away from dependency on oil and gas. Our country is blessed by God. We are in the tropics where we can grow crops all the year round unlike in the temperate regions of the world where for half of the year, the land is too cold to support agriculture. With a population one ninth of that of India and vast arable land lying fallow, we should not be importing rice from India Thailand, the USA and Bangladesh of all places! We should not be importing vegetable oils from Malaysia and Indonesia or textile from anywhere when all our textile mills are mothed up and moribund due to lack of use. We should not be importing any kind of wines including champagne of which we are the largest consumer outside France. We should refrain from eating or using whatever our ingenuity cannot produce. The only concession I would make is industrial machineries, industrial inputs, transportation and electrical grid and maybe, chemicals and drugs. We should do away with our indulgent lifestyles of conspicuous consumption .This was the strategy the Chinese adopted that leapfrogged their economy from the laughable level it was a few years ago to the fastest growing economy in the world. This prescription is at the macro level of the nation.

    But at state level, we must allow the people to own the government. The situation at present where only salary earners pay taxes is one of the reasons why the people do not care if state officials are corrupt or clean. The unearned income from oil and gas is a curse and this is why we suffer when their prices like a yoyo go up and down

    We must bring back the regime of flat or poll tax on all adults. Jangali or cattle tax should be levied road tax should also be paid. The federal government should allow states to collect VAT and VAT which is actually luxury tax which need not fall on the poor should be increased to 20 percent . We should not wait until our economy goes the way of the Greek economy and international caretakers are called to impose unbearable conditionalities on us before we can access development assistance. States must also levy commodities tax on cash crops and recreate commodities boards that used to exist before the craze of market forces determining price of commodities. This will help stabilise prices paid to producers who will be protected from the vagaries of rise and fall in the world market. All the states of the federation should be asked to explore charging annual land use and development tax on home owners in such a way that the least able to pay are excluded. Transparency will be the watch word. If the people see what is being done with their taxes, they will respond positively to these changes. All this will be unpopular to begin with but it is the duty of government to explain to the people their responsibility. This is the meaning of representation based on taxation which is at the core of democratic governance. Dependence on oil and gas revenue will not last and the earlier we get used to paying for the services we need the better and the less painful it will be in the long run.

    Finally, the federal and state governments should stop meddling in the financial affairs of their universities. There is no where in the world not even in the richest countries in the world where university education is free. Councils of universities should be allowed to draw up their budgets and spread the cost to users of their services so that they can operate maximally and efficiently. The present situation where salaries are not paid particularly in the state universities leads to poor graduates and inability of these tertiary institutions to contribute to the pool of knowledge and consequently to industrialization and wealth creation. A situation where school fees in universities are pegged at N25,000 or N50,000 a year is not just laughable but very sad and shows us as an unserious country. States that cannot fund one university as in the case of Ondo goes ahead for purpose of vainglory to establish three! And before you know it all other states will join in a race to establish funny institutions and call them universities.

    If only we will be honest with ourselves and be less selfish and ego driven, I doubt if there is anybody in government in this benighted country who does not know that we are punching bellow our weight both nationally any internationally.

  • State workers criticised for shunning NHIS

    State workers criticised for shunning NHIS

    National Health Insurance Scheme’s (NHIS) Acting Executive Secretary Mr. Olufemi Akinbade has decried non-participation of state civil servants in the scheme since its inception 15 years ago.

    Akinbade, who spoke yesterday in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, when he visited Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar in Government House, said in an effort to encourage state civil servants to join the programme, the NHIS opened its offices in all states.

    He said the scheme’s management made it mandatory that officials must visit governors, adding that Jigawa State was the first to be visited because of its commitment to healthcare delivery.

    The NHIS acting executive secretary noted that his delegation was in the state to discuss how to improve the scheme’s coverage to complement government’s efforts toward provision of basic healthcare service.

    Akinbade said the NHIS had already covered five of the seven higher institutions, adding that they want to expand the coverage to include the less-privileged and other vulnerable groups.

    The governor promised to partner the scheme to achieve the provision of accessible basic healthcare service to his people.

    The state government hoped the partnership would enhance its policy on addressing the high rate of child and maternal mortality in rural areas.

    Badaru said his government accorded the health sector a top priority, which, according to him, was the bedrock of production and economic development of any society.

    “People can only work and produce more when they are healthy. If people are sick, certainly the production would be low. So, in view of this, we are ever ready to partner with any collaborator, who indicates interest in assisting us to improve our healthcare service delivery.

    “We have provision for NHIS fund in our 2015 budget. The state team and NHIS team will sit down and study the agreement. But we would tell you what we want from you, as we know the peculiarities of our state better,” Badaru said.

  • State legislators’ sudden independence

    Suddenly in a number of states, the hitherto docile and dodgy legislators are acting independent. From Enugu to Niger, Bauchi to Ebonyi, the state houses of Assembly with few weeks to the end of their tenure, and that of the governors, have developed gusto and guts, and are calling for wrestling bouts with the state chief executives, who until the recent shows, were objects of trepidation. Interestingly, the legislatures are swinging from a state of subjugation to the whims and caprices of the  governors, to attempts at complete emasculation of the state executives.

    What could be the reason for this end-time excitements? Many have put their bet on money. Take the case of Enugu State, where the hitherto invincible governor, Sullivan Chime,‘aa lawyer, has condescended’ to call a press conference, to defend himself, from the impeachment treat by a faction of the state assembly, led by Speaker Eugene Odoh. Before now, I bet that Odoh could not go to bed, without seeking ways to beg and make-up, if he suspected that the governor showed a grudge against him, however minuscule.

    Indeed, for all the years Mr Odoh presided as the Speaker, the house he led, was literary, a mere rubber-stamp,to the wishes of the state governor, however fanciful.Such was the subjugation of the state legislature to the governor, until now.So, what could have caused the split in the house, between Odoh led 15 members, and the deputy speaker, Mr Oji led, nine members? According to the speaker, (well, I mean Mr Odoh, for I do not recognise the other fanciful prop-up, Mr Nwamba, who now lays claim, to be the new speaker) Governor Chime is after him and his faction, for refusing to give him, the approval to take a further N11 billion loan.

    One glaring confirmation that the members were previously in comatose, is the other reason proffered by Odoh and his group,forseeking toimpeach the governor. According to them, the governor allegedly forged 12 billion naira supplementary budget in 2012; but he did not bother to explain to the people,why he and his group did not raise such a grievous allegation against the governor, until the year.The Odoh faction, gaming as patriots,questioned why the governor would want to take a loan, when he has few weeks to the end of his tenure.

    Governor Sullivan, who after fighting-off his benefactor and predecessor,Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, in his first term, had enjoyed untrammelled power and influence, must be wandering how come,the Lion of the Lion House, Enugu, has become an object of pun and ridicule for his subjects; for the legislators were all these years,acting likeone. Until Mr Odoh and his group, recently, but strangely,found courage, Governor Sullivan brooked no form of opposition, as he reigned. His Excellency must also be wandering, whether it is the same house that he not long ago ordered toimpeach his erstwhile deputy, Sunday Ugwu,to show the latter who was in charge, that has suddenly turned against their master.

    As the Igbo would say: okuko chubagi na’ututu, gbawa, maka imaghi ma opuru eze na abani. Literary, if a chick starts chasing you in the morning, you had better take to your heels, for you do not know whether it grew teeth, the previous night. Indeed, speaking metaphorically, these legislators were until now, mere chickens, before the governor. In his defence, the governor denied forging the 2012 supplementary budget. He also claimed that the legislators had earlier passed a resolution authorising the controversial 11 billion naira loan, and that all he requested was for further confirmationfor the facility already in use, to re-assure the bankers, who asked for that.

    The governor who before now would have ignored both the legislators and the people of state, even as nobody would have dared such a sacrilegious impunity against him, in his hey days, went ahead to deliver what he considered a clincher. He alleged: “they (the legislators) felt the administration was coming to an end and it is time to make money. They came shamelessly and said I should give them money. They thought I was asking for the loan as a parting gift. This nonsense started when they could not get me to give them money outside their allowances”.The governor wants the rest of us to believe that they are no booties to share, as their tenures come to an end. Abeg,he can tell that to the marines. Now, the governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,according to reports,has weighed in to settle the combatants.

    As the grandstanding ricochets, the unspoken reality is that power has changed hands, from Sullivan to Ifeanyi; and the Ebeano political family in their tradition, choose to ignominiously dethrone the reigning godfather, and enthrone a new one. Sullivan’s faith is not new. Perhaps the newest introduction to the family tree, is that unlike in the past, the official assassins sought to hew the godfather, while he was still sitting on the throne of state governor. Previously, the decapitation of a godfather starts, after he seizes to be governor, but still lays claim to be the godfather.

    One intriguing practice in our current democracy, is the use of mere legislative resolutions to approve loans.Without much ado, legislative resolutions do not have the force of law. For state governments, a combined reading of sections 120 to 123 of the 1999 constitution, shows without equivocation that all state expenditures, must be by an appropriation bill. Mutatis mutandis, sections 80 to 83 deal with the expenditure by federal government. Finally, what is happeningin Niger, Enugu, Ebonyi, Bauchi and the other states, are efforts by the legislators, emasculated over the years, to get back at the lame-duck governors.

  • The poisoned carrot of an Ibadan State

    SIR: Nigeria Election 2015! There have always been some asinine, farcical and insincere features to the politicking and electioneering in Nigeria, even long before the real election times. Nothing has ever been normal or straightforward with politicians; if they are not involved in one corruption scandal or the other; they are involved in bloodletting, mudslinging and what not. It is entirely typical and with my universal experience, has come to realise that this particular trait of “insincere, do-or-die politics” is unique to Nigeria. Please I stand corrected and educated.

    Anyway, before I continue, and in order not to be seen to be hypocritical, let me say my sympathy lies with the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, so most of what I will be saying, will of course be biased against the ruling People’s Democratic party, PDP. But what I say should be weighed and balance with truth.

    In my state of Oyo and in my city of Ibadan in particular, the PDP and its gubernatorial candidate and other aspirants are on a downward trend, and one of the causes of their demise is due to their outright lies, deceit and sincerity in their promises to the people. I listen to their campaign jingles and other electioneering gimmicks, and I could not but help marvel at their inanities, and how their mediocrity shows through every time. I am not even worried by their reputation for insincerity anymore; it is the quality of their deceitful claims.

    The PDP jingle on radio stations (I never watch the TV stations), sponsored by an Ibadan daughter who happens to be a junior minister in President Jonathan’s mediocre cabinet, make claims of improved agriculture, an effective, efficient and easily accessible healthcare system, building and reconstruction of roads, empowering of women, improved electricity supply, enhanced, youth employment, refurbished and standard airports and improved rail transportation, etc.

    My problem with this jingle is the dangling of the carrot of the creation of an Ibadan State, if Mr Jonathan is re-elected. This outright deceit and wrong promise is too much for me to take. With others asking for Oduduwa State in Osun State, and Ijebu State in Ogun State, and who knows how many others such small states to be carved out of the 26 existing states, it becomes pertinent to ask the disseminators of these lies how and why President Jonathan intends to prioritise the creation of an Ibadan State, assuming he can single-handedly do this or push a bill through in the National Assembly, over the others.

    We should also ask the Oyo State Coordinator of President Jonathan’s Campaign, what mileage or advantage this will be to the whole people of Oyo State, if, as a campaign slogan, she is asking for the Oyo State people to vote for Jonathan, and at the same time telling them that their state will be split up and Ibadan exorcised from the rest of them, giving the Ibadans an advantage, which they already enjoy anyway, as the most populous and most metropolitan and most developed of the people of Oyo State?

    I therefore find it very deceitful and condescending to the people of both Ibadan and the encompassing Oyo State to be assailed with such obviously fraudulent political promises and guarantees to get their votes.

    But then I figured it out as soon as I know who the Coordinator is. Treachery and trickery, artificiality and grandstanding are not strange to them. Her father, a prominent, yet self-centred son of Ibadan, is likely to be one of the brains behind this creation of Ibadan State.

    So, this poisoned carrot of an Ibadan State is bound to backfire. It will not work. Yes, I don’t mind an Ibadan State, but what’s the use of having it now; a state that will keep on going to Abuja to beg for a meagre monthly allocation; and because it will not be an oil-producing state, it will be getting pittance; a state that will not be able to stand on its own industrially because of short-sighted and clueless elites; a state whose existing industries are moribund and a lack of political will is not them resuscitate them. I don’t know.

    Anyway, since it is a poisoned carrot at the end of the stick, the donkey will never catch up to eat the carrot, so we can conclude that, in the meantime, we are safe from the warped, insidious, invidious plans and chicanery of those who want to create private empires and states for themselves, where their fellow people will be their serfs and servants perpetually or allow them to perpetuate them and theirs in power continually.

    Forget it for now.  Let the Truth be said always.

     

    • Akintokunbo A Adejumo

    Lagos

     

  • ‘Ibadan State not feasible now’

    ‘Ibadan State not feasible now’

    Dr. Gbade Ojo, a political scientist, the Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Political Matters. In this interview with JEREMIAH OKE, he says the people of the Southwest will not vote for the PDP at the general elections on the feasibility of promises by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to create Ibadan State, Governor Ayodele Fayose’s incessant attacks on the personality of General Muhammudu Buhari and the present administration in the state.

    PDP has promised to agitate for the creation of Ibadan State. Don’t you think this campaign may make the people vote against the APC?

    Our people know it is an attempt to deceive them. As a political scientist, I have done many researches on state creation in Nigeria. There are two angles to Ibadan State creation; I am an indigene of Ibadan. I was born and bred here in Ibadan. I have all my degrees at the University of Ibadan. But, I tell you that the creation of Ibadan State is not feasible. Many readers will be shocked that Ibadan man is not supporting the creation of Ibadan State. But, the truth must be told. If you are talking about Ibadan State, in terms of mere nomenclature, like Kaduna State, Enugu State and we are saying Ibadan being a state, I will tell you it is not feasible. There are some criteria for state creation, which we need to put into consideration. Based on scientific finding, the first principle is that the new state must be economically viable. If in Nigeria today, out of the 36 states, you cannot pinpoint six states that can pay wages and salaries without the federal allocation, then, why talking about state creation?  Does it make any sense that you want to create an additional liability? To those who are not sufficiently exposed intellectually, it could be a political gimmick to deceive the electorate and they should not forget that our people are not dumb as they are.  Talking of the geographic and demographic size of the state, if the new state is not economically strong to tell the Federal Government that ‘go away with your allocation’ and we are now agitating for a new state, our people need to check the level of exposure of the people deceiving them. Secondly, as we want Ibadan State, other parts of the country are also agitating for the creation of more states. The fragmentation of the federal structure will make the Federal Government to be stronger in political theory and the component part of the federation becomes weaker because they depend on the federal allocation. Federal government can use that as a weapon to fight states that if they refuse to give them allocation, they won’t be able to pay their salaries and their respective contractors.  Most of the states of federation could not pay January salary because they are yet to get their allocations. What does that connote? Simply lack of economic viability. If the new states are not economically viable, it is a fundamental problem.  That will make the Federal Government to become stronger than as it is today.

    Why do you think that state creation is not feasible?

    Jonathan, Akinjide and Folarin campaigning with state creation are not politically exposed because they are not political scientists. They are just trying to mislead our people with wrong information.  They refused to find out information from those who know better than them.  You don’t make issues out of no issue if you have not consulted properly from those who specialises in that area. Politicians being what they are, they can go out to hoodwink the electorate just to get what they want.  To cajole the electorate that if the aspiration of an average of Ibadan man is Ibadan State, let us promise them Ibadan State so as to have our way. But, we can now ask ourselves: Since the beginning of this democratic dispensation in 1999, between 1999 and 2015, why is it that they have not been able to create Ibadan State? Why is it now that they are desperate to return to Aso Rock they are now promising Ibadan State? It is a poser for the ruling party at the federal level. It is a mere gimmick and not a campaign promise. The process of creating an additional state is rigorous and that is why since 1960, no democratically elected government has created a single state and all the existing states were created by the military. For Jonathan who has been there for the last six years to now begin to promise us Ibadan State, an Ibadan man like me need to sit down and think twice.

    PDP alleged that the APC administration has not lived up to expectation. What is your reaction?

    We have said much about it. Agreed that the Hon. Minister of State said there was a huge amount of money from the PET fund but, it is a ridiculous thing that a minister for that matter will intend to mislead the great people of Oyo State who are politically sophisticated. What is PETFUND? It is Tertiary Education Trust Fund, there is existing law which says certain amount of money must go to the purse of PETFUND for all the tertiary institutions in all the states of federation. The fundamental question is that; was it only Oyo State out of 36 States that collected the money? It was the constitutional right of the state and if you go to our schools in the state, you will see development in those schools.  The money was deducted from money meant for all of us and it belongs to all of us. It is the right of every state to get their own money because it is being deducted to care for tertiary institutions across the country. Now, she mentioned the University of Ibadan. Is it a property of Oyo State? Can you now see the discrepancies in what the woman is spreading around? The money belongs to all the states of federation and I don’t know why that of Oyo State is now different from others. One other funny thing about her explanation to hoodwink the electorate is that Jonathan did more than Governor Ajimobi in Oyo State, in terms of education. Is Jonathan or the Federal Government paying the salary of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomosho and others state institutions? Is Jonathan, who has not been paying opposition parties regularly, interested in supporting Oyo State? Does it make sense to argue that Jonathan has done anything reasonable for us in the southwest? That woman should look for something else to say rather than deceiving the intelligent people of the state. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose insisted that General Buhari is not fit to rule Nigeria because of his military background, as a political scientist, do you subscribe to this argument?

  • ‘Ibadan State not feasible for now’

    ‘Ibadan State not feasible for now’

    Dr. Gbade Ojo, a political scientist, the Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Political Matters. In this interview with JEREMIAH OKE, he says the people of the Southwest will not vote for the PDP at the general election on the feasibility of promises by the People Democratic Party (PDP) to create Ibadan State, Governor Ayodele Fayose’s incessant attack on the personality of General Muhammudu Buhari and the present administration in the state.

    PDP has promised to agitate for the creation of Ibadan State. Don’t you think this campaign may make the people vote against the APC?

    Our people know it is an attempt to deceive them. As a political scientist, I have done many researches on state creation in Nigeria. There are two angles to Ibadan State creation; I am an indigene of Ibadan. I was born and bred here in Ibadan. I have all my degrees at the University of Ibadan. But, I tell you that the creation of Ibadan State is not feasible. Many readers will be shocked that Ibadan man is not supporting the creation of Ibadan State. But, the truth must be told. If you are talking about Ibadan State, in terms of mere nomenclature, like Kaduna State, Enugu State and we are saying Ibadan being a state, I will tell you it is not feasible. There are some criteria for state creation, which we need to put into consideration. Based on scientific finding, the first principle is that the new state must be economically viable. If in Nigeria today, out of the 36 states, you cannot pinpoint six states that can pay wages and salaries without the federal allocation, then, why talking about state creation?  Does it make any sense that you want to create an additional liability? To those who are not sufficiently exposed intellectually, it could be a political gimmick to deceive the electorate and they should not forget that our people are not dumb as they are.  Talking of the geographic and demographic size of the state, if the new state is not economically strong to tell the Federal Government that ‘go away with your allocation’ and we are now agitating for a new state, our people need to check the level of exposure of the people deceiving them. Secondly, as we want Ibadan State, other parts of the country are also agitating for the creation of more states. The fragmentation of the federal structure will make the Federal Government to be stronger in political theory and the component part of the federation becomes weaker because they depend on the federal allocation. Federal government can use that as a weapon to fight states that if they refuse to give them allocation, they won’t be able to pay their salaries and their respective contractors.  Most of the states of federation could not pay January salary because they are yet to get their allocations. What does that connote? Simply lack of economic viability. If the new states are not economically viable, it is a fundamental problem.  That will make the Federal Government to become stronger than as it is today.

    Why do you think that state creation is not feasible?

    Jonathan, Akinjide and Folarin campaigning with state creation are not politically exposed because they are not political scientists. They are just trying to mislead our people with wrong information.  They refused to find out information from those who know better than them.  You don’t make issues out of no issue if you have not consulted properly from those who specialises in that area. Politicians being what they are, they can go out to hoodwink the electorate just to get what they want.  To cajole the electorate that if the aspiration of an average of Ibadan man is Ibadan State, let us promise them Ibadan State so as to have our way. But, we can now ask ourselves: Since the beginning of this democratic dispensation in 1999, between 1999 and 2015, why is it that they have not been able to create Ibadan State? Why is it now that they are desperate to return to Aso Rock they are now promising Ibadan State? It is a poser for the ruling party at the federal level. It is a mere gimmick and not a campaign promise. The process of creating an additional state is rigorous and that is why since 1960, no democratically elected government has created a single state and all the existing states were created by the military. For Jonathan who has been there for the last six years to now begin to promise us Ibadan State, an Ibadan man like me need to sit down and think twice.

    PDP alleged that the APC administration has not lived up to expectation. What is your reaction?

    We have said much about it. Agreed that the Hon. Minister of State said there was a huge amount of money from the PET fund but, it is a ridiculous thing that a minister for that matter will intend to mislead the great people of Oyo State who are politically sophisticated. What is PETFUND? It is Tertiary Education Trust Fund, there is existing law which says certain amount of money must go to the purse of PETFUND for all the tertiary institutions in all the states of federation. The fundamental question is that; was it only Oyo State out of 36 States that collected the money? It was the constitutional right of the state and if you go to our schools in the state, you will see development in those schools.  The money was deducted from money meant for all of us and it belongs to all of us. It is the right of every state to get their own money because it is being deducted to care for tertiary institutions across the country. Now, she mentioned the University of Ibadan. Is it a property of Oyo State? Can you now see the discrepancies in what the woman is spreading around? The money belongs to all the states of federation and I don’t know why that of Oyo State is now different from others. One other funny thing about her explanation to hoodwink the electorate is that Jonathan did more than Governor Ajimobi in Oyo State, in terms of education. Is Jonathan or the Federal Government paying the salary of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomosho and others state institutions? Is Jonathan, who has not been paying opposition parties regularly, interested in supporting Oyo State? Does it make sense to argue that Jonathan has done anything reasonable for us in the southwest? That woman should look for something else to say rather than deceiving the intelligent people of the state. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose insisted that General Buhari is not fit to rule Nigeria because of his military background, as a political scientist, do you subscribe to this argument?

  • Ebonyi accuses EFCC of plot to cripple state

    Ebonyi accuses EFCC of plot to cripple state

    •Fidelity, UBA, Zenith, ICPC joined as defendants

    Ebonyi State government has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the management of Fidelity Bank Plc of working with the enemies of the government to cripple its activities.

    The government’s allegation is contained in a suit it filed against the EFCC and Fidelity Bank, before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging, among others, the decision by the bank to freeze its Joint Local Government account No: 5030027464 (held in the bank) allegedly on the directive of the EFCC.

    The bank had, via a letter dated January 21, stated that the EFCC had directed it (the bank) to place a “no debit order” on the account on the grounds that EFCC was investigating the account for fraud allegedly perpetrated by some state officials.

    Governor Martins Elechi is facing impeachment, as 15 members of the House of Assembly are moving against him.

    The suit was filed by the Attorney-General, Ben Igwenyi and the 13 local governments. It has as defendants, the EFCC and Fidelity Bank.

    Last Monday, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, upon hearing an application by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), joined the United Bank for Africa (UBA Plc), Zenith Bank Plc and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as defendants.

    The plaintiffs are seeking an order of injunction directing the second defendant (Fidelity) to lift the ‘no debit order’ placed on the account or any accounts with other banks, and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further placing a ‘no debit order’ on their joint account with Fidelity Bank and tampering with any of their assets under any guise.

    They are also seeking an order that the plaintiffs are entitled to fair and adequate compensation as general damages of N500 million for the disruption of the state’s activities and the embarrassment caused it.

    The plaintiffs want the court to declare that the powers of the EFCC (exercised through Fidelity Bank) pursuant to sections 21, 24, 28, 29 of the EFCC Act on the plaintiffs’ account with Fidelity, is unlawful.

    They want the court to declare that the EFCC, in exercising its powers by directing Fidelity Bank to place a ‘no debit order’ on the plaintiffs’ joint account, without judicial intervention and recourse to the plaintiffs’ rights under Section 36(2) and (5) of the constitution is unconstitutional.

    The plaintiffs, in a supporting affidavit, said the basis of the attachment/freeze of the account is that an investigation is ongoing on the account, and that “the action of the defendants is politically-motivated by political differences.”

    They argued that EFCC’s power to attach assets or property could only be exercised against persons or body of persons corporate or incorporate, who are under investigation and that the government is neither body incorporate or unincorporated. They added that Ebonyi State government is an entity that cannot be arrested.

    “The act of the defendants in freezing the afore-described account has gravely and adversely paralysed the administrative activities of the state and its local government councils.

    “The administrative paralyses engendered by the defendants is dire, especially because civil servants can no longer be paid their salaries and therefore, there are not funds to run the day-to-day affairs of the 13 local governments in the state.”

  • State electoral commissions must be properly constituted

    State electoral commissions must be properly constituted

    There is no doubt that as at  May 4, 2013, the 4th defendant, was the chairman, Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission while the 5th defendant was a member. The uncontradicted evidence before me has established that both the 4th and 5th defendants are members of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). The evidence shows that the 4th defendant even contested the primaries for the Kabba/Bunu constituency under the platform of the 3rd defendant on 4th January 2011. The INEC report of the said primary (exhibit 8) reads:

    “The PDP primary into Kogi State House of Assembly Kabba/Bunu Local Government  Area chapter was held on  January 4, 2011 the primary was observed by the following the INEC, the SSS, the police and other Security agencies and the State representatives of the party. There were 344 delegates that attended the primarily election from all the 15 wards on the Local Government. There are also 7(seven aspirants into the State House of Assembly. They are as follows:

    1. Barr. Olowomoran D. Kayode.

    2. Taiwo Ojo Nathaniel

    3. Barr. Abraham A. Olaniran

    4. Barr. Michael James

    5. Aribido Funsho

    6. Femi Obalemo

    7. Buramoh Folorunsho.

    The primary was conducted in a peaceful manner and condusive atmosphere. Throughout the duration of the primary, the activities (sic) was like a marriage ceremony with pomp and pageantry.

    Below is the result.

    Names of Aspirant        No of votes Cast

    1. Barr. Olowomoran D. Kayode               13 votes

    2. TaiwoOjo Nathaniel              203 votes

    3. Barr. Abraham A. Olaniran     10 votes

    4. Barr. Michael James                  15 votes

    5. Aribido Funsho                           1 vote

    6. Femi Obalemo                            80 votes

    7. Buramoh Folorunsho.              14 votes

    Total                                    336 votes

    The total votes cost 336 while 8 votes         counted void.

    Above is hereby submitted.

    Ayilara Olarewaju      Uhuami O. Usman

    Monitor                                             Monitor

    71. It is significant to note here that as at 4/1/2011 when the primaries held, Section 200(1) of the Constitution had been amended to bar members of political parties from becoming members of State Independent Electoral Commission. Mr.Akubo, SAN, has argued that the amendment to section 200(1) of the constitution does not have a retrospective effect. He is very correct and I agree with him. What this means is that from July 10 2010, when the amendment took effect, no member of any political party can be a member of any State Independent Electoral Commission let alone its chairman. It also implies that by the application of section 200(1) of the Constitution (as amended) the 4th defendant already stood disqualified as chairman of KOGSIEC as far back as 2011.

    72. In respect of the 5thdefendant, his membership of KOGISEC, which was still in force as at the time of 4th May 2013 election, as the evidence before me reveals, is a reward for his patronage and membership of the 3rd defendant. This is in addition to his earlier membership of Federal Hospital Management Board, a position he was said to have held for four years. Upon the amendment of Section 200(1) of the Constitution, the 5th defendant also stood disqualified from being or remaining a member of the 3rd defendant.

    73. It has to be appreciated here that a body like KOGSIEC has a very special role to play in our constitutional democracy. It is the organ that is constitutionally empowered “to organise, undertake and supervise all elections to local government councils within the state” (item 4 Third schedule to the Constitution (as amended).

    74. The amendment of section 200(1) of the Constitution, in my humble view,is designed by the law makers to promote the principles of fairness, independence and transparency. It also expresses the notion of neutrality. These are not abstract notions. For instance the notion of independence reflects in the name of the 3rd defendant (Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission). As an umpire, Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission must not only be neutral but manifestly be seen to be so neutral. Given the centrality of these notions of neutrality and transparency, embedded in the work and functions of a State Independent Electoral Commission, it will be inappropriate to interpret section 200(1) of the Constitution (as amended) in a way to suggest that  the chairman of  such a commission can go completely out of his way, not only to join a political party but proceed to contest the primaries of an election under the umbrella of a political party and come back to organise an election involving his party and other political parties, as it shockingly happened in this case. And this is after the Constitution had been amended in terms of section 200 (1) of the Constitution (as amended). Any claim to neutrality, integrity, transparency and fairness in favour of such body headed by such a person goes to no issue. The truth is that, the Constitution has, by that singular act, been violated with a tincture of impunity.I, therefore, hold that the membership of the 4th and 5thdefendants of the 3rd defendant, including the contest of primaries by the 4thdefendant under the platform of the 9th defendant (PDP) compromised, irredeemably, the integrity and neutrality of the 3rd defendant to hold the May 4, 2013 local government election in Kogi State.The claim of the retirement of the 4th to 8thdefendants in February 2014 only begs the issue. It also shows that they were being clever by half, having waited to conduct the election before their retirement. By the time of the amendment of the Constitution in 2010, they already had their hands soiled with partisanship, as the evidence before me demonstrates, by which they stood disqualified from membership of the 3rd defendant. From the foregoing, I, therefore, hold that as at 4th May 2013, the 3rd defendant was not properly constituted in accordance with section 200(1) of the1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

    75. The direct consequence of this is that all the acts and actions of the defendants in relation to the local government election conducted by the 3rd defendant on May 4, 2013 become a nullity. When a constitutional body like the 3rd defendant is not properly constituted as required by the relevant provisions of the Constitution, it is like a court or tribunal that is not properly constituted. Any process issued or trial conducted is a complete nullity ab initio. (See Madukolu v. Nkemdili (1962) 2SCNLR 341). Accordingly, I pronounce the election of 4th May 2013, conducted by improperly constituted commission, Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), the 3rd defendant a nullity. That is to say, the election is hereby treated as void as having never been conducted.

    76. As regards the effect of this conclusion on the elected chairmen and councillors, there is no way those elected under the void election can be allowed to benefit from such flagrant breach of the Constitution. It is settled beyond any conjecture that one cannot put something on nothing and expect it to remain there. It will collapse (Macfoy v. UAC (1961) 3 NWR 145). So it is in this case.

    77. In order to fill the vacuum that may be created by this conclusion, I hereby  make an order directing that the most senior director of the local governments assume responsibility for each local government pending when another local government election is conducted.

     

    Conclusion

     

    78. Under our constitutional democracy, the Constitution is the supreme law, the grundnorm.  (Section 1 (3) of the Constitution as amended). It is binding on all authorities and persons. This court has been given the responsibility of being the ultimate guardian of the Constitution and its values. Section 1 (3) of the Constitution (as amended) stipulates that if any action is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, the court will be obliged to declare such an unconstitutional and invalid as I have done in this case. The primary duty of the court is to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution and the law which must be applied impartially and without fear, favour and prejudice.

     

    Hon. Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye Judge

    08/12/2014.

    Counsel Representation

    Ocholi James, SAN for the claimants(Isaac Ekpa Esq, and S.J. Akos (Miss) with him).

    P.A. AkuboSAN for the 1st – 8th Defendants (J.A. Akubo Esq; D.I. Ugbe, Esq; L.C. Ani (Mrs) Alaji Jacob Esq and U.S. Ovaasa) with him).

    EmejeAruwa Esq for the 9th Defendant (Alex Audu Esq with him).

  • Folarin: ‘I ‘ll fight for Ibadan State creation’

    Folarin: ‘I ‘ll fight for Ibadan State creation’

    Former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin is the Oyo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next month’s general elections. He spoke with reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, about his programmes and chances at the poll. Jeremiah Oke was there. 

    Why do you want to become the next governor of Oyo State?

    Like I always say, there are lots to be achieved in government, especially in a state where we have teeming youths and limited industries. Many of our youths are so smart, intelligent and industrious, but there is nobody out there to assist them to achieve their goals.  I believe when I become governor, it will be a gateway for the people of the state to improve their standard of living, especially the youths.

    While in the Senate, the people of Ibadan expected you to facilitate the creation of Ibadan State as one of the ranking members of the House. Did you make any effort at all?

    Yes, I did. You will agree with me that there are procedures and stages of facilitating and executing of projects in democracy, unlike military regimes. Having said this, during my tenure in the Senate, we were going round the 36 states of the federation to meet with the traditional rulers and opinion leaders to know their plight. Topmost on our findings was the quest for the creation of more states; it was the only thing from Maiduguri to Calabar, from Lagos to Sokoto, it kept reverberating. The report was submitted to the President and he was bold enough to set up a National Conference to discuss how Nigeria will move forward, unlike his predecessors. Meanwhile, topmost on the agenda of the National Conference was the creation of more states, of which Ibadan State was among. The document has been submitted to the President and he is working on it. The President just mentioned in Lagos recently that he deliberately did not hand over the document to the present  Senate because they might not be able to conclude working on it. He said he will submit it to the incoming Senate. So, we can see that to create states in a democratic government is not a child’s play. We kick-started the process of creating Ibadan State and we are happy the process is still progressing and I’m sure that the next four years, starting from May 29, Ibadan State is going to be created.

    Many people believe you did not execute any project in Oyo State while in the Senate. How will you react to this?

    As a senator, you are just a glorified councillor. It is not as if you are given an allocation to run the affairs of your state or you are getting funds somewhere to run the affairs of your state. A lot of people are looking at it as if, as a senator, I should have been be able to affect the whole of the state, forgetting that my constituency is limited to Oyo Central, which comprises of five local governments in Ibadan, four in Oyo and two in Ogbomosho land, which makes it 11 local governments. So, if you are in Oyo South and you are expecting my project in such areas, it is not possible because I cannot bring money from the Central to spend in the South. I cannot influence the siting of projects in the Central and push it to the South. Having said that, I did a lot of projects while in the Senate; the kind of hospitals that were influenced here, the state government does not have such standard of hospitals. Olode used to be a remote area without health centre before we facilitated a comprehensive one there. Pade village used to be a village of one of the former governors of this state, another hospital was also sited there with full facility. Read my lips, go there and confirm these. All were well equipped, but the inability of the state government to staff the hospital is shameful and disgraceful. Apart from the hospital in Oyo, we also facilitated the Araromi market in Oyo and 7.5 kilometre of road was tarred in Sanusi Ishola to link Oyo-Ogbomosho Road. We also facilitated the construction of many roads in that community, which also include Awe-Ilora Road. Olubadan-Gbagi-Monatan express roads, which links Iwo roads and Olode area with drainages were facilitated by me too. Our intention was to bring Egbeda Local Government, which is far from people, closer to them and to reduce the traffic pressure on Iwo Road, by bringing people off from Gbagi. It will make it easier for those who are coming from any part of that axis to use that road as alternative and it really worked. In terms of education, we constructed many classrooms across our constituency. In terms of water, over 100 communities benefited from enjoyed borehole projects from me. Ordinarily, I don’t believe in celebrating such things. Over 52 communities also benefited from our electrification projects. We gave 500kva transformers to nothing less than 15 communities or more. We have roads that were tarred and fitted with streetlights in Egbeda Local Government. I did all these things, but I don’t believe in celebrating them. Now, gentle men of the press, let me ask you this question: how many times did you see Obama commissioning a project like that? These are the things that should ordinarily come to the people because it is their money.

    Few weeks ago, the governor advised you to wait till Ibadan State is created before you can run for governorship…

    By God’s grace, we shall all live to celebrate Ibadan State. Meanwhile, he was not advised to wait till we create Ibadan State in 2011 when he contested for the same office.

    Are you not afraid of the election, considering that you are a first timer, while other candidates are former governors?

    I am not afraid of any of them because I have experience, exposure and commitment to take the state to the next level.

    What gives you the confidence that you will win?

    When you talk too much, you will talk nonsense. If you talk too much, you tell lies.  I am confident of victory and we are going to win with a large margin. I draw my strength from the fact that the people of Oyo State see that there is need for change.  The youth have not really benefited from this democratic government since 1999 because the setting has not been favourable to us. Thank God for somebody like late Chief Adedibu who propped me up in the year 2003 and helped me to clinch the Senate seat. I was in my 30s then. Tell me, which of the political parties have you ever seen sending somebody between the age of 30 and 40 to Senate? For me now to come out and contest for governorship seat, it is commendable. Check all the other contestants, they are all above 60 years old. I have been telling people that it is not possible to solve the problems of ipad with typewriter. I am like an ipad, while other contestants are like typewriters and if you go to some offices today, you will see the typewriters are packed under their tables. So, I believe the Oyo State youths, men and women who believe in us will park all these old cargo under the table and elect me, because my age makes me a link between the old and young.

    What will you do differently, if you win?

    Well, they may have good intentions, but their policies are not impacting positively in the lives of the people. Like I used to say, my government will involve the people of the state and we are going to embark on projects with human face. We are going to consider the interest of our people first before we take any policy.

    If you read through our manifesto, all we have for the four years is people-centred and youths are taking the front seat. A lot of things are going to be done differently. When you talk about youth empowerment, we are not going to do the kind of scheme they called ‘yes oo’ which the present administration is using to enslave our youth. This is wickedness because their children cannot do such job they are giving out to the masses.  We have a better scheme which will help the youth to be  independent on their own and make huge money on their own.  We will not be giving them fish. Rather, we will teach them how to fish. The present administration cannot understand this because his cabinet is full of old cargoes that we need to offload.

    How can you assess the performance of the present administration?

    It is total failure. Now, let’s take it one after the other. In Ibadan, for instance, projects are executed based on sentiments; people should beware. He was saying all the time that major cities have been dualised and so on and so forth. In Ibadan, the major entrance to Ibadan from Lagos, ask them how many killometres of road have they been able to dualise and at what cost? That is the question we should ask them.  From toll gate to challenge is not up to two kilomitres; they should be bold enough to tell us the cost. They have also dualised Iyaganku-Aleshinloye-Jerikho-Eleyele, the whole of that dualization is not up to 10 kilometres. All these areas we mentioned, including Challenge, are not up to 15 kilometres. So, Ibadan does not deserve 20 kilometres of road from the Ajimobi administration in four years?