The Nation Newspaper

Tag: vote

  •  A vote for part-time legislature

    SIR: The moment there is part-time legislature, we will separate the monkey from the donkey. Part-time legislature would ensure that only those who have the capacity, capability, zeal and tenacity of purpose would go to the legislative houses. We don’t need those who are bench-warmers or absentee/truant legislators. We don’t need those who have nothing to contribute on the floor of the parliament to continue to be our lawmakers. During the 1999 -2003 legislative period, the young man that represented my constituency – Mbaise Federal – Tony Anyanwu, set a record by initiating and sponsoring over 90 private member Bills. How many of the federal lawmakers who have recycled themselves since 1999 can boast of that?

    Cardinal to the vote in favour of part-time legislature is the high cost of governance in Nigeria. The jumbo salaries and outlandish allowances which our lawmakers cart away have continued to retard the progress and development of the country. Big size of governments has been our bane. We need to reduce cost of governance, avoid leakages and waste, in order to create jobs for angry and restive youths, who see affluence –  ”water, water everywhere but not a drop for them to drink.” We need to discard the present crop of lawmakers who manipulate constituency projects. We don’t need lawmakers who go to their constituencies only at election time, give the people handouts – rice, clothes and other items, get their votes, disappear, only to resurface and start building one or two facilities, give scholarships and so on, in order to continue to buy the people’s conscience.

    Let us try part-time legislature. Rome, they say, was not built in a day. We need professionals and men and women of intellect as lawmakers, not those who see legislative seats as returns on investment.

     

    • Ifeanyi Alia,

    Lagos, Nigeria.

  • NLC to lawmakers: slash N120b vote or face revolt

    Workers condemn jumbo pay for legislators

    Rep: budget not for us alone

    Labour insisted yesterday that federal lawmakers must further cut their N120 billion budget —in line with economic realities.

    The Joe Ajaero-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) faction said the reduction of the National Assembly’s budget from N150 billion to N120 billion “is too token and not far reaching enough”.

    It threatened a mass revolt should the lawmakers and the executive fail to bring down their recurrent expenses.

    The faction’s Deputy President, Comrade Issa Aremu, who is also the General Secretary of the Textile Workers Union, advised  National Assembly members to appreciate the mood of the nation for leadership sacrifices, resource allocation for national development and common good as opposed to self-help.

    He spoke to reporters in Kaduna.

    But a House of Representatives member, Mohammed Abdulkadir, said the N120billion is not all for salaries.

    Labour said “nations prosper when their leaders are willing to sacrifice; while nations fail when leaders engage in selfish self-help agenda.”

    The factional NLC group asked: “Should 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives gulp as much as N120 billion in a year, which is twice the 2015 budget of Ekiti State (N80.774 billion), a state with the population of 2,384,212 people?

    “How equitable is it for less than 500 national legislators to gulp N120 billion annually when Osun State with a population of 3,423,535 people and unfunded 2015 Appropriation Bill of N201 billion is yet to pay salaries for seven months?

    “Benue State has as many as 4,219,244 people; it budgeted N98.54 billion; Zamfara has 3,259,846 citizens and budgeted N92.80 billion; and Ebonyi, budgeted N80.02 billion for 2,173,501 people.

    “The respective budgets of these three states is half of the budget of the National Assembly. How equitable is that?

    “There has been illegal and unconstitutional concentration of scarce national resources in the hands of our legislators and Executive office holders alike that must be reversed now.

    “For instance, Kano State budgeted N210 billion in 2015. Kano State has 9,383,682 people. The budget per capital of Kano, estimated at N22,379, is miserable, compared to budget per capital of the National Assembly at N293,398,533!

    “No country can prosper with this wide and widening gap in resource allocation between the governed and some elected government officials.

    “The National Assembly members should take the advantage of the current goodwill of Nigerians in making anamend failing which they provoke mass revolt of the people.

    “NLC, therefore, is advocating that the first step is that the National Assembly budget should be reversed to 2003 budget of N50 billion, which will certainly cut the existing budget of the assembly by more than 50 per cent.

    It stressed that since 2003, “the number of members remains the same while most of their infrastructural needs have been met. Secondly, the national economy can hardly afford this legislative pay.

    “The eighth National Assembly must make a difference. It should be accountable to Nigerian people, just as many Executives have done.

    “The eighth Assembly must complement President Muhammadu Buhari in his resolve to cut cost of governance fuelled by corruption, the worse form of which is outrageous pay for public office holders.

    “They must emulate governors like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai  of Kaduna State and his deputy who have cut their pay by 50 per cent and urged the Members of the House of Assembly to follow suit.

    “Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje also reduced the salaries and allowances of public office holders in the state by 50 per cent.

    “Significantly the legislators must reject the Greek allowances Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) generously accorded them. These allowances are unsustainable. They are not based on needs in a depressed economy.

    “For instance, why pay legislators who already collected over a million naira wardrobe allowance?

    “It will take a minimum wage earner about two years and five months to earn what legislators earn as wardrobe allowance of N506,600.

    ”The eighth National Assembly should rightly redirect national resources to priority sectors, such as education, health and road construction.

    “The assembly must also urgently review the minimum Wage Act of 2010 which, according to the Act, expires next month.

    “The Assembly should constitute the Tripartite Statutory Committee based on equal basis between government, organized labour and organized private sector,” it said.

  • Why Lagos, Ogun, Oyo should vote APC

    Why Lagos, Ogun, Oyo should vote APC

    Governorship elections will hold tomorrow in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. The three Southwest states are strongholds of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which swept the poll at the presidential election two weeks ago. The Southwest is regarded as the traditional home of the progressives. The performance of the APC governors in the zone has endeared the party to the people. The election will be fought on the basis of party programmes, the candidates’ pedigrees and their antecedents. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN writes

    The rapid development witnessed in Lagos State in the past 16 years is unprecedented. The foundation was laid by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. His successor, Governor Babatunde Fashola, has built on it. Fashola and his predecessor have been working towards changing the face of Lagos State. The two administrations have been applauded for the infrastructural renewal across the three senatorial districts.

     

    Lagos as pacesetter

    Legal luminary Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) said Fashola has established a modern, enlightened democratic and civilised state, while building on the legacy of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. According to Sagay, considerable attention have been devoted to the infrastructural and physical development, and transformation.

    He added: “The people of Lagos are beneficiaries of this physical transformation, which has introduced ‘another life’ in Lagos. Among these projects are the construction of the 10-lane Okokomaiko-Marina Expressway, with its light rail component; the Ikoyi-Lekki Cable Bridge; the beautification of Lagos, with the establishments of parks and gardens in locations that were hitherto the domain of ‘area boys’; the reconstruction of public utilities including the City Hall and the Freedom Park, have all contributed to restore Lagos to its glory.”

    The  Fashola Administration has invested heavily in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of new blocks of classrooms in public schools; the distribution of free text books; the provision of well-equipped laboratories and libraries; provision of buses for teachers to ease transportation problems; re-launch of uniformed voluntary organisations in public schools; and the implementation of Teachers’ Salary Scale (TSS).

    The same feat was recorded at the tertiary level, with the revamping of technical colleges and massive development of infrastructure at Lagos State University (LASU). The government has reverted LASU fee to N25,000 per annum as demanded by the students.

    The first major reform carried out by the government in 2007 was in the area of security. Criminal activities were so rampant in the state. More worrisome was the persistent cases of bank robberies. Thus, Fashola initiated the Safe City Project, which later metamorphosed into the establishment of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). This platform, driven by public -private partnership (PPP), became a mobilising force for corporate organisation and individual to provide equipment and resources for security agencies. This approach was a pragmatic response to the operational deficiency of the police and other security agencies.

    The collective investment in crime prevention has led to a lower crime rate in the state. The government has made judicious use of the fund. It has constantly provided patrol vehicles, motorbikes bullet-proof vests and other equipment to the police to combat crime.

    The APC administration has also scored a pass mark in the beautification of the environment, agriculture and transportation. For a state with a population of 20 million, effective public transportation is very imperative. Thus, the government implemented the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) to effectively address the transportation challenges. The success of this scheme has attracted the attention of other states. Even, the Ghanaian Government sent a delegation to understudy the scheme, with a view to replicating it over there. The water transportation also received a boost in the rural and riverine areas. Ferry terminals and support services to ease transportation along that corridor were provided by the state government.

    The administration also introduced the issuance of the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy and launched the Lagos Home Ownership Scheme (HOMS), a strategic intervention to deliver housing to citizens on a minimum of 10-year mortgage and a maximum interest of 9.5 per cent.

    Lagos State cannot afford to be in opposition now that the APC will take over the Federal Government on May 29. Since independence Lagos has been in the vanguard of the struggle to install a progressive Federal Government. Lagos State should reap the fruits of its labour by voting APC in the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday.

    The APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode had been part of Lagos success story in the last 15 years. But being a civil servant, he was neither seen nor heard. He was in the background along several others, designing and implementing many of the policies that stood out Lagos out from the rest of the country. Ambode as Auditor General of Lagos State designed the template that revolutionised revenue generation from N600 million to over N6 billion every month.

    The advantages of Lagos being in tune with the APC controlled Federal Government are many. The abandoned federal projects in Lagos State will be completed; the abandoned federal roads and properties on which Lagos State government used to spend billions of naira to maintain without being reimbursed will cease; the construction of the fourth mainland bridge will come to fruition; and the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) may likely become full Local Government given the numerical strength of the APC in the next Assembly.

     

    Ogun

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun has turned around the face of Ogun through his five cardinal programmes that bordered on massive construction of standard roads, building of model schools, restoration of peace and orderliness, provision of health care delivery and clean and safe environment.

    Analysts ascribed the feats to purposeful planning, focus and commitment to development by the governor and his team and the support of the good people.

    On assumption of office on May 29,2011, Amosun hit the ground running because he was aware of the huge infrastructural deficit on ground and so, his government is committed to further developing people and he has been able to bring credibility to governance. That explains why the people are in support of his administration as evidenced in the developmental projects carried out across the country.

    Many have commended him for his exemplary achievements in four years. President Goodluck Jonathan once remarked that Governor Amosun “is a hardworking governor and has done wonderfully well in his two years in office”.

    The opposition parties and critics are not only having sleepless time regarding the pace of transformation in the state by Amosun but are also confused because of the precarious financial position inherited from the Gbenga Daniel administration.

    Everywhere he goes, brooms fill the air in acknowledgement of his good performance. Egba monarchs led by Alake, Oba Aremu Gbadebo paid tribute to the son of the soil, saying he has lived up to expectation. In particular, the royal father was impressed by the transformation of his domain. “We are here to testify that the past that the past three and half years of Amosun’s government have been like 20 years of development in our state. We have come to appreciate the politics of good roads, the politics of good schools and health facilities. We believe that the person who did all this within this short time will do more if given another opportunity because the best is yet to come”, he said.

    In Ogun West Senatorial District, leaders of thought and traditional rulers, including the renowned historian Professor Anthony Asiwaju, and the Olola of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Samuel Alade Adeluyi have endorsed Amosun’s  re-election bid despite the PDP candidate comes from the zone. They lauded the governor for opening the area with 110 kilo metre road.

    The opinion leaders noted that their communities, which were almost marooned from each other and from the rest of the state, have been connected with one another effectively through Ilara-Ijoun-Egua-Oja Odan-Ilase road that stretchs over four local government areas in the zone.

    The youths in Ogun West also endorsed Amosun for second term. They said they wanted him to continue because he has performed.

     

    Oyo

    Stakeholders in Oyo State politics believe Governor Abiola Ajimobi stands a better position to win a second term. They based their judgment on the performance of the governor in the last four years.

    Civil Rights activist Moshood Erubami said there is no doubt that the governor would be returned by the electorate. He said the governor has demonstrated enough courage to assist the people and ensure that governance meets their genuine desires.

    Erubami: “This is a governor that is daily adding value reconstructing the state, re-orienting the indigenes, restoring hope and transforming governance with demonstrated character of integrity. His style of governance has been posing questions to his predecessors about where the monies being committed to development during their administration were being put during their own tenure that nothing concrete was visible beyond fuji and juju fanfare on daily basis.

    “The face of Ibadan had remained, dirty and structurally defective in the last 40 years, with nothing to show for the years of government and governance in the state. This made it difficult to attract investors to site industry in the state, thereby reducing it to a teacher’s state without major platform for sustainable human development.

    “The environmental beautification effort of government is quite discernible to all as everyone can note the order being brought to motor garages, the changing face of our roads and reduction in traffic hold –ups. Past governments had created different security outfits to address insecurity and other societal decay, but none was as effective and mobile as Operation Burst, which is ever mobile and steadfast in curbing brigandage in the society. Never before has any administration introduced a security outfit that is as mobile and effective as Operation Burst.”

    Public affairs analyst Dr Goke Ajetunmobi said the governor’s activities have impacted positively on the lives of the people. “He has shown greater commitment to service through his Urban Renewal Programme, which had placed the major cities in the state on a new pedestal”, he noted.

    Ajetunmobi made reference to Ibadan, which hitherto was classified as the dirtiest city in West Africa, pointing out that Ajimobi has successfully changed the face of the metropolis. He said the governor has restored peace and security in Ibadan, which used to be a theatre of war between the warring factions of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). Other achievements, according to him, are the dualisation of roads leading to all major cities and towns around the capital; youth empowerment scheme for unemployed graduates and free medical services for the people including surgical operations.

    The analyst argued that the ideal thing in a society where the performance is the criteria for re-election is to allow Ajimobi to have a second term.

    Ajimobi’s re-election bid has received the royal blessing of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Odulana Odugade, and Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi Ajagungbade. The royal fathers based their endorsement on what they described as unprecedented development that Oyo State has witnessed under the Ajimobi Administration.

  • ‘Hausa, Igbo will vote for Ajimobi’

    ‘Hausa, Igbo will vote for Ajimobi’

    The leaders of the Hausa and Igbo communities in Oyo State have pledged their support to ensure that their kinsmen vote for Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the April 11 elections.

    The Ezendigbo of Ibadanland, Eze Alex Anozie, and a leader of Hausa community in Sabo, Alh Yahaya Baba-Ahmed, spoke in separate interviews in Ibadan yesterday.

    Anozie said he was one of the advocates of “Ajimobi must continue”, adding that the governor has achieved unprecedented records in the state and needs to be supported to complete his projects.

    “The April 11 elections will be free, fair and credible and I am mobilising my people to vote for Ajimobi and APC candidates because I believe four years is not enough for any government to achieve reasonable growth.

    “I am not partial, all other governorship candidates are good but Ajimobi has surpassed them and needs to be voted in again for continuity and development,” he said.

    Anozie added that voters should not be deceived by the campaign of calumny against Ajimobi that he has demolished shops.

    “Demolition was not done in Oyo State alone, it was done in most states and it was even worse in some states.”

    Baba-Ahmed, who is also a leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), said apart from what the Ajimobi administration has done for his community, residents are eager to vote for him because of Muhammadu Buhari’s victory.

    He said in the state’s history no government has included his kinsmen in his cabinet, but the governor appointed a Hausa man as a Special Adviser on Arewa community.

    His words: “Governor Ajimobi has a listening ear and he is a people friendly governor who has a passion for the needs of the people at the grassroots.

    “A vote for Ajimobi is a vote for development of my people also. He donated a transformer to us when we were in darkness, empowered our people with free motorcycles and he is renovating our central mosque.”

    He warned former Governor Adebayo Alao- Akala to desist from deceiving the masses with his posters that Buhari supports his ambition.

  • ‘Vote Ambode for continuity’

    ‘Vote Ambode for continuity’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Alhaji Taofeek Ajadi Lawa, has urged Lagosians to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, on Saturday.

    Lawa, who spoke in Surulere, Lagos, at the weekend, said a vote for Ambode is a vote for the continuity of good governance.

    He said: “I implore indigenes and non-indigenes to vote for Ambode and other APC candidates on Saturday.

    “A vote for them will ensure the continuity of good governance started by the party’s National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sustained by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

    “On no account should Lagosians allow the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) take over Lagos State, as this will be disastrous. The party will derail the good governance put in place by the APC. For instance, the Tinubu and Fashola administrations have provided good roads, health care services, decent accommodation, effective transportation system and others.”

    Answering a question, Alhaji Lawa said Governor Fashola meant well for Lagosians by banning commercial motorcyclists from the highway.

    He also explained that the Fashola administration did not discriminate against the Igbo and other non-indigenes “because an Igbo, Mr. Ben Akabueze, is the commissioner for Economic Planning & Budget.”

    Lawa added: “Another Igbo, Joe Igbokwe heads the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance & Regulatory Authority (LASIMRA).

    ‘’He is also the APC publicity secretary in Lagos State. Governor Fashola is a detribalised Nigerian. APC is a national party.

    ‘’I assure Lagosians that irrespective of their ethnic group or religious belief, Ambode and other APC candidates will cater for their needs and protect their interests, if voted into office.”

  • ‘They want to suppress Lagos vote’

    ‘They want to suppress Lagos vote’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu spoke with reporters in Lagos, shortly after casting his vote at Ikeja, the state capital. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    What is your assessment of the exercise so far?

    The process has started. The new system of accreditation is being tested; it is being tried. It is like a forensic exercise. I was accredited through the process by the machine. It is a new threshold and it requires a level of tolerance. People may have to endure more. But, as we go ahead, and we move forward into the future, it is the only way to go.

    Can you say the exercise is credible?

    How can I say that from one booth? How can I? Until we get the facility checks and reports from  various points, we can’t say. But, if the card readers work well, it will result in credible elections.

    There is an allegation that you have been telling people to vote for a particular PDP candidate in this election. What is your reaction?

    This is my phone number. I can still make it public; 08062240104. I didn’t send any text message. That is part of the gimmick and the desperation of the ruling party; when they pack some fraudulent people in office, trying to subvert the right of the people to freely exercise their civic duty. Again, that is fraudulent. I didn’t authorise any network to do anything. That one we will discuss when we go to court. I cannot campaign today. But, I know what I have told my supporters and the supporters of our party. You all know the party I belong to and you know the candidate of that party. The only text message I can send is that people should believe in me, our party and the presidential candidate, senatorial candidate, House of Representatives candidates. You know the party I am. Don’t believe in any text message coming from me to do otherwise. I stay firm, I stay credible, I stay resolved. I am determined and committed. I am a leader of the party. If anybody sends you a fraudulent message, you should know they are cowards. They know they are going to be defeated. That is why they are resorting to fraud. That is why they should not even be in government. That is the more reason they should be out. That is the truth. I have received text messages and several calls from people to verify the so-called text messages. But, I have consistently denied that. It is disturbing. It is annoying. It is terrible that people will resort to fraud. What kind of leadership, what kind of legacy, what kind of ethics are we teaching our people. How can I compromise the platform that I  lead; helped to build and, by the grace of God, the best platform that is available? So, it is a lie. I will go to any extent to investigate this, to know whether my phone is cloned or how they sent fraudulent messages on my behalf. The investigation has started. It is a fact. I work tirelessly for our platform. No change. Why should I change yesterday (last Friday). If you were in my house yesterday, who would have seen the crowd in their thousands. We instructed them to wash their hands; comply with INEC regulations, keep peace and not to be violent. They were the ones shooting all night to scare voters from coming out to vote. It is democracy, not war. Their leader said he won’t step on anybody’s blood. But, if agents are killing and scaring people on your behalf, you must be held responsible. That is the truth. I have made so much sacrifice for this platform.

    In some units, the card readers are not working…

    You keep on trying. I am not a technician. The process of validity, integrity of the system is through the card reader. It has been used successfully in other countries. I observed it in Kenya. I observed it in Ghana. No technical item developed by human beings will not have its hitches. We have to endure it. I hope it is not a deliberate attempt to frustrate and depopulate the public to choose. I hope not. I hope INEC will work hard to protect its reputation and save Nigeria. If Gen. Obasanjo and others are saying there must be peace, there must be honesty; if Abubakar Abdulsalami is saying the same thing; if it takes President Obama of United States to appeal to our sense of value to our commitment to our nation, then, we should not preach violence. We should not react violently. We should tell our people to vote. When you are confident of winning, you don’t have to do fraud, dabaru and provoke violence. If you are confident, you don’t want to disrupt the votes.

    What is your advice to voters now?

    Nigerians should just endure. You are blessed. You should persevere. Exercise your right. This is the only time you can apply commonsense revolution; to begin to hold leaders accountable. If leaders are not performing and they know you can vote them out every four years, they will sit up. If leaders are dishonest, they can only fool you for four years. After four years, you change them. This is your turn to choose who you want to rule you in this circumstance. I believe that, looking at your faces, many of you have families who are suffering. The economy is down. The newsprint you use is imported. The exchange rate is high. Industrialisation of the country is a must. That is why we must behave true to our education. It is disgraceful that we are not living up to it; despite the fact that we are educated and sophisticated and we have the capacity to compete. Knowledge is money; commitment is virtue. Ethnic difference is not what will put bread on the table of the people. Poverty has no trade mark. Let’s work our way out. Hard work will take us out of this mess.

    What is your reaction to the complain that many Lagosians have not voted, hours after the commencement of the exercise?

    There are many areas that are affected. There are various problems. We should be patient. What I will call for is that INEC should take a decision to extend. Equally, they should take responsibility for issuing agents cards after the submission of their names. Not all agents were given these cards. We have cause to suspect what is going on. But, we  will be patient. They have various delay problems in Alimoso, Ikeja, Mile 12, Magodo, Ogba, Maryland, Omole Phase II. We should believe in the institution that was set up with public fund to serve the public. INEC’s integrity depends on all of these. They can no longer give excuses. It is better for them to extend the voting time here in Lagos and ensure that they send various supervisors to the affected local governments. Rapid response is what is required. You don’t say a work in progress will be perfect in a day. But, majority of the people in the affected areas may be disenfranchised. That is my worry. If they are ready to vote and you call them to come and vote, you should not frustrate them. You call them out. They should exercise their civic rights. It will be a shame, if quick and remedial action is not taken to ameliorate the suffering of the people.

    People are calling me from all areas. They started with the fraud that I sent text messages that people should vote for Jonathan. I didn’t. I have a record on my phone. I did not send any text message. I have made my number public so that people can even call and verify. They are doing this to convert or confuse people. What kind of leadership is this? What kind of character. A nation must be ruled by the people of great character, vision and responsibility.

    We heard that INEC’s website is not functioning…

    Americans, Germans, Europeans are the experts. They protect their websites effectively. Why all these dubious things in Nigeria? Are you proud? Why dubious information? Why fake text messages? They are trying to discredit the process and suppress the votes of Lagos State. It is not going to work.

  • CODER to electorate: vote and defend your votes

    CODER to electorate: vote and defend your votes

    THE Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) yesterday urged voters to exercise their civic rights on election days and defend their votes.

    The group called for vigilance among Nigerians, stressing that enemies of democracy may want to subvert the electoral process.

    Its convener, Mr. Ayo Oladokun, said in a statement that there can only be victory for Nigerians when losers concede victory to winners in a free and fair exercise.

    Hailing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for insisting on the use of the Card Reader to authenticate the genuineness or otherwise of the prospective voter, he described it as a legacy worthy of commendation.

    Opadokun flayed unpatriotic elements for attempting to exploit judicial authority to undermine the process.

    He, however, praised the judiciary for living up to expectation by reprimanding the political party that has twisted its judgment on the electoral process.

    Opadokun said the world attention is focused on Nigeria, urging the people to prevent any move by unscrupulous INEC officials and desperate politicians to swap the digitalised voter’s register.

    The pro-democracy activist frowned at the use of ethnic militias, including the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of  Biafra (MASSOB), to organise violent activities and steer up unrest.

    Opadokun added: “No one has monopoly of the use of violence.  They should be put on notice that  whenever opposing groups decide to meet force with force, it is a recipe for Mutual Self Destruction (MSD).

    “All Nigerians should ignore every repeated effort to scare them away from exercising their civic rights by the drafts of the military during elections. They should be determined to vote and remain resolutely in their polling units, until the votes are counted and announced at the polling unit as sanctioned by Section 64 (4) of the 2010 Electoral Act.

    “No state official, including the Inspector General of Police, should arrogate to himself power not allocated to him by the constitution.  Only the Presiding Officer has the final say on all the processes to be followed until the result is declared and announced.”

    Opadokun urged domestic and foreign observers to monitor the processes up to the collation centres, adding that results are usually hijacked and manipulated at the centres.

    He advised party agents and voters to insist on the collation and announcement of results without break or adjournment.

    Opadokun praised the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his commitment to free and fair elections, despite the pressures on him to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

    He said: It’s a major agony of unquantifiable proportion that Nigeria, which had been assigned a divine destiny to provide leadership to the black race, has become a giant with a feat of clay and a huge disappointment.

    “Let all patriots resist further temptation to make us continue on the current unprofitable socio-economic and political trademarks that have held us down as the 146th out of 173rd nations surveyed for corruption in 2014; being a shameful member of the war-ravaged nations like Afghanistan, Somali and south east Asian Countries in the Statistics of Human Development Index.”

  • As we vote tommorrow

    The Niger Delta is the home of President Goodluck Jonathan. He hails from Otuoke in Bayelsa State, one of the six states in the Southsouth geopolitical zone. As you read this, Mr President should be in his Otuoke mansion or getting set to leave for his hometown.

    For the president, tomorrow’s election is different from any he has had to face in his life. His main challenger, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is no stranger to him. Jonathan defeated Buhari in 2011. But what everybody, including Jonathan will not dispute is the fact that this is not 2011. The forces backing Buhari now are more powerful than the ones with him in 2011. It is with this fact at the back of his mind that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu said the era of landslide victory was over.

    The strength of Jonathan’s challenger has generated a lot of interest in the Southsouth, especially Rivers State, which some consider Jonathan’s second home. His wife hails from Okrika, a key town in Rivers. The president worked and earned degrees in Port Harcourt.

    Ordinarilly, Rivers should be easy for him to take. In the last election, he had almost all the votes there. The dynamics have since changed. Governor Rotimi Amaechi, one of his allies then, is now Buhari’s chief campaigner.

    My plea to the people of the Southsouth is that in whatever they do during and after the elections, they should bear in mind Jonathan’s famous claim that his ambition is not worth the life of anybody.

  • Issues we must address as we vote

    Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, Nigeria has witnessed series of conflicts stimulated by politics and ethno-religious factors. Each time the nation goes to the poll; there is always instability on the political front.

    In fact, politics has never been as tough as it is in the present dispensation. Political activities, as well as electioneering for the 2015 general elections have taken different pattern from previous ones. Two major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), are the most vibrant of all parties.

    As we approach the election day, the most debated issue is insecurity, which was heightened by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents. Boko Haram attacks have led to the death of thousands, with many people displaced and means of livelihood destroyed in the Northeast. The terror group’s activities got to world radar with the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in April last year from Chibok in Borno State.

    The southwestern and southeastern parts of the country also have their own fair share of violence, with outlawed groups, such as Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) causing mayhem. For these reprehensible activities of these lawless groups to thrive in a democratic nation, it shows the leadership has failed in its responsibility.

    Nigeria is seen as a “weak state,” edging towards failure. At the moment, it is a crippled giant whose resources have become its greatest undoing. The nation has failed to meet the basic human needs of its citizens. There is lack of transparent and accountability in our public institutions. What is being experienced today is what most scholars call leadership deficiency.

    In his book titled, The Trouble With Nigeria, the late Prof Chinua Achebe noted: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which is the hallmarks of true leadership.”

    The survival of a nation depends on the good leadership and the respect it has for democracy. If the ideals of democracy are to be used to determine what we practise at the moment, it would be justifiable to say that Nigeria has introduced to the world a derisive brand of democracy.

    Today, the two major political parties are seen as groups representing the two dominant religions in the country. Some people conceive of the PDP as a party representing the interests of Christians and the southerners, while the APC is seen as representing the Muslims and northerners. Regional and faith-based politics have been the factors posing serious threat to the political stability of Nigeria.

    This was witnessed in the 2007 and 2011 elections. Politicians divide the electorate along ethnic and religious lines. All these are facts that gave some economists and political scientists reasons to state that Nigeria is dancing on the brinks of disintegration.

    The campaigns of major political parties in Nigeria have been characterised by verbal attacks, since the beginning of electioneering. A lot is needed to be done to control the situation because inciting statements made by politician and hate campaigns disseminated through the channels of communication are capable of endangering the relative peace and security we enjoy presently.

    There is a popular believe among some foreigners that politics in Africa, particularly in Nigeria is a dirty game. Politicians and their supporters need to know that they must engage in responsible politics, because Nigerians share common history.

    For the future of Nigeria to be guaranteed, government at all levels must imbibe a good political culture, which promotes age-long values, fundamental human rights, freedom and ideals of democracy.

     

    Media regulatory agencies and professional organisations must rise against the use of media for promoting hate speech and intolerance, especially during election periods. The Nigerian Press Council (NPC), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) need to adequate measure to ensure that the mass media (print and electronic) do not broadcast or publish inciting comments or statements made by politicians to save the nation from disintegration as predicted by some observers.

    Prof Wole Soyinka said: “Let’s say there are prospects for a new Nigeria, but I don’t think we have a new Nigeria yet.” To have a new nation, we must learn to live peaceful with one another. God who created us has reasons for bringing us together in one country. Preaching hatred and intolerance will not help us in any way. As Abraham Lincoln stated: “Our nation will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

     

    Ahmad, 400-Level Mass Comm., NSUK

  • Vote out bad govt, Fashola tells Lagosians

    Vote out bad govt, Fashola tells Lagosians

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday urged residents to make history and vote out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday.

    Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Somolu, Lagos, the governor said Nigerians have another opportunity to turn around the nation’s fortunes on Saturday.

    Fashola said: “If you do not like the way your country is governed today, then you will be the first generation that will change a bad government through the ballot.

    “That will be historic. President Goodluck Jonathan said he has failed and if you don’t need a failure, vote him out. Every time we’ve had a bad government, it is the military that changed it.

    “The military has now said no to coups, you go and do it yourself. Are you ready to be the generation that will make the history, a generation that will vote for change by using the ballot to end bad leadership? If yes, may God bless you as you do so.”

    The governor added that there was no law that prevented the electorate from not knowing how their ballots would be handled after voting.

    He said Nigerians have the constitutional rights to know the outcome of the elections.

    “Some people have said don’t go near the polling booths, keep a distance of 200 meters. Let me tell you something, election is governed by laws. I am a lawyer by profession.

    “Those people who say don’t go near the polling booths are reading the electoral law upside down.

    “I will turn it up for you. There is nowhere in the law that prohibits you from staying at the polling stations after you have voted. Go and tell them that I said so.”

    He urged the electorate to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner, while they wait patiently to witness the counting of the ballot papers.

    “When you are going to vote, take water and snacks along for yourself and your friends.

    “When you are going to cast your votes, call your neighbours and tell them to go and do the same thing.

    “It is our civic rights to vote those who should govern us and vote out those we don’t like.”

    An APC chieftain, Senator Anthony Adefuye, said Nigeria should vote for  the APC’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, because of his rare qualities.

    He said Buhari is the only leader who has held key positions without owning an oil block.

    Lagos APC Chairman Dele Ajomale urged the people to continue to be patient.

    He said PDP followers have tried so hard to provoke APC members, but the party has remained steadfast to the peace accord signed by its leaders.

    He said: “They are doing everything to ensure that the elections do not hold. They have been shooting, maiming and challenging us, but we are democrats who believe in the power of the ballots.

    “They have even been giving money to everybody they come across.

    “I must say, collect their money because it is our money and do the needful. They cannot buy the conscience of Lagosians because our people know what they want.”

    Senator Gbenga Ashafa called on the people to remain steadfast.

    He said Saturday’s election would be given as a birthday gift to APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who turns 63 on Sunday.