US actor Paul Walker, who starred in the Fast & Furious series of action films, has been killed in a car crash in California.
Walker, 40, was a passenger in a Porsche sports car driven by a friend - who also died - when it crashed north of Los Angeles.
Walker was said to be attending a charity event at the time.
He starred in all but one of the films in the Fast & Furious franchise, the sixth of which opened in May.
Walker also starred in the suspense drama Hours, a movie that is set for release this month.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department said the crash happened in the community of Valencia.
It said deputies found a car engulfed in flames when they responded to a report of a collision. Two people found in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.
Images showed the burned-out wreckage of a red Porsche by the side of the road.
"It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide," the statement on the actor's Facebook page said.
"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. We... are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news.''
Universal Pictures also issued a statement, saying studio staff were "heartbroken" by Walker's death.
"Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast & Furious films, and to countless fans.
"We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul's family."
Walker played undercover agent Brian O'Conner in the Fast & Furious movies.
The first film of the franchise was released in 2001 and the seventh is in development.
Walker was one of the leading protagonists, along with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez.
Diesel said in a post on Instagram: "Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."
BBC
Saturday 30 November 2013
Price of foreign rice may crash as FG plans tariff cut
The price of foreign rice may fall ahead of this yuletide as the federal government wants to review downward the 110 percent import duty and levy it slammed on the commodity January this year to boost local production.
Currently, the market price for full bag of rice goes for N9, 500 and N4, 800 half bag depending on the brand.
Chairman, Presidential Committee on Trade Malpractices, Alhaji Dahiru Ado-Kurawa, who gave the hint while fielding questions from journalists in Lagos said the decision by government to review the tariff downward was because the policy has escalated smuggling of the commodity and loss of revenue to the government to the tune of N2 billion in the past eleven months.
“Benin Republic is one of the highest importers of parboiled rice this year. This is the country that ordinarily imports about 230,000 tons per annum. The two million tons parboiled rice imported from Benin was all smuggled to Nigeria,’’ said Ado-Kurawa.
According to him, the stakeholders met recently in Abuja and part of the resolution was to advice the federal government to review the rice policy and sift out the grey areas where improvements could be made with a view to ensuring that the government’s quest to halt rice import was achieved.
According to him, the review is not a policy somersault but an approach to create a healthy mechanism for Nigeria to be self sufficient in rice production and earn income from imported rice
The chairman disclosed that the government would also give incentive to to rice millers into backward integration
According to him, government’s policy on rice has greatly deepened local production, which was geared towards attaining self-sufficiency in the product.
He noted that local milling capacity has increased to 200 percent and there has been an increment in production of about four million tons of local rice, thereby driving the production of paddy rice to an all-time high.
President, Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, commended the federal government for looking into the challenges facing the rice sub-sector.
He listed the challenges as smuggling of foreign rice brands through the Benin Republic border as well as incentives to rice farmers and processors.
Vanguard
Currently, the market price for full bag of rice goes for N9, 500 and N4, 800 half bag depending on the brand.
Chairman, Presidential Committee on Trade Malpractices, Alhaji Dahiru Ado-Kurawa, who gave the hint while fielding questions from journalists in Lagos said the decision by government to review the tariff downward was because the policy has escalated smuggling of the commodity and loss of revenue to the government to the tune of N2 billion in the past eleven months.
“Benin Republic is one of the highest importers of parboiled rice this year. This is the country that ordinarily imports about 230,000 tons per annum. The two million tons parboiled rice imported from Benin was all smuggled to Nigeria,’’ said Ado-Kurawa.
According to him, the stakeholders met recently in Abuja and part of the resolution was to advice the federal government to review the rice policy and sift out the grey areas where improvements could be made with a view to ensuring that the government’s quest to halt rice import was achieved.
According to him, the review is not a policy somersault but an approach to create a healthy mechanism for Nigeria to be self sufficient in rice production and earn income from imported rice
The chairman disclosed that the government would also give incentive to to rice millers into backward integration
According to him, government’s policy on rice has greatly deepened local production, which was geared towards attaining self-sufficiency in the product.
He noted that local milling capacity has increased to 200 percent and there has been an increment in production of about four million tons of local rice, thereby driving the production of paddy rice to an all-time high.
President, Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, commended the federal government for looking into the challenges facing the rice sub-sector.
He listed the challenges as smuggling of foreign rice brands through the Benin Republic border as well as incentives to rice farmers and processors.
Vanguard
5 bishops ‘banned from officiating in N-Delta’
FIVE Pentecostal bishops have been banned from officiating in any bishopric gathering in the Niger Delta.
A terse statement, issued yesterday by Pentecostal Bishops in the Niger Delta and signed by the acting National Secretary of the organisation, Bishop David Benedict, said the unnamed bishops committed a sacrilegious act when, in company of seven other clerics from the region, indulged in alleged disgraceful act “without minding their highly exalted position in Christendom”.
While commending the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and the South-south Chairman, Arch-Bishop God-dowell Avwormakpa, for suspending the bishops, lauded the CAN President for his effort to religious body in the country.
The group called for peace between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan.
vanguard
A terse statement, issued yesterday by Pentecostal Bishops in the Niger Delta and signed by the acting National Secretary of the organisation, Bishop David Benedict, said the unnamed bishops committed a sacrilegious act when, in company of seven other clerics from the region, indulged in alleged disgraceful act “without minding their highly exalted position in Christendom”.
While commending the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and the South-south Chairman, Arch-Bishop God-dowell Avwormakpa, for suspending the bishops, lauded the CAN President for his effort to religious body in the country.
The group called for peace between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan.
vanguard
How Jonathan handed aggrieved govs the excuse they needed
*The President’s letter that infuriated G-7
*Defection, best decision of my life – Kwankwaso
It was an opportunity and they grabbed it with both hands.
The aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, (G-7) wanted a reason to dump their party and they were handed one by no other person than President Goodluck Jonathan himself.
And although some of the seven governors explained that they all knew that Jonathan was not prepared to meet with them and resolve the issues that gave rise to the crisis, given his body language and the sustained acts of impunity arising from the party leadership, they waited for the appropriate time.
LETTER-IN-CHIEF FROM COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
In fact, one of the governors confided in Sunday Vanguard that the impression they got from the President’s body language suggested a “great deal that we were being taken for a ride”.
The meeting that was supposed to have been held on October 7, 2013 but which was postponed because some members of the G-7 had gone for the Hajj, appeared to have been permanently kept in abeyance.
Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that whereas the Hajj had been concluded and another meeting expected to be scheduled and held, nothing of the sort was in the horizon.
“It got to a point that we all decided to write a reminder to Mr. President”, one of the governors disclosed.
The content of the letter was simply to “remind Mr. President of the importance of time and the fact that he needed to meet with us”.
Rather than a quick response to their letter, the governors did not get any from the Villa.
Corroborating this, another governor revealed to Sunday Vanguard that what they got was a belated response, the content of which was “not only uncomplimentary, it showed clearly that some people were deceiving President Jonathan about their sense of self importance”.
The response jolted the governors.
“We were surprised to see a belated letter from the Presidency which should have read something like ‘based on earlier talks’ or ‘based on earlier exploratory talks with a view to achieving peace for our great party’, what we got was a letter telling us that ‘in response to our request for a peace meeting, the President has decided to meet with us.
“The impression the tone of the letter conveyed was that we were the ones seeking to make peace with President Jonathan.
“Meanwhile, we staged an open walkout on him at Eagle Square during that sham described as a national convention; they leaders of the party called a meeting and we decided to honour our leaders and elders by attending the meeting; a committee was set up and we also accorded the committee some level of due regard and respect, only to be slapped with such a letter that can best be described as impudent.
“From the tone and contents of the letter from the Villa, it became clear to all of us that the President was not interested in resolving the contentious issues and we decided to leave the party for them and go over to the APC”.
Even the last opportunity to avert the defection was bungled last Sunday.
Although the seven governors had waited for him to meet with them in Abuja, as scheduled, the President surreptitiously called off the peace parley, claiming that he was tired after returning from the meeting of the Honorary International Investors Council, HIIC, in London. Jonathan shot himself on the foot by calling off the meeting when all the governors had already settled down in Asokoro waiting for his arrival for the final push to salvage the party from the brink.
“The President wanted to give the whole world the erroneous impression that it was the seven of us, who actually sought for peace, forgetting that he had intervened before and asked us to sheath our sword and we respected him and still waited,” the governor explained.
“As far as we are concerned, we are gone to the APC for good and there is no turning back. Any of the governors, who wants to still remain in PDP can do so; but for me, it is over and forever,” the governor said.
THE DRAMA OF DEFECTION
Meanwhile, Aminu Kano House, an imposing edifice on Jose Marty Crescent, in the high brow Asokoro District of Abuja, is not a thoroughfare. Vehicles don’t stop and pick passengers around the building, which is the official residence of the governor of Kano State. Neighbours of Aminu Kano House – including Lagos House and Ondo House – are aware of the unwritten rule prohibiting loitering around the area. But that Tuesday morning, the golden rule was consciously waved for political expediency. As early as 8am, scores of vehicles had started piling up opposite the house. As the vehicles screeched to a halt, the occupants moved towards the governor’s residence. Before long, convoys bearing political bigwigs from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressive Congress, APC, also breezed in and went straight into the waiting arms of their host, Dr. Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Kano State Governor.
Kwankwaso, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Murtala Nyako, a retired admiral and governor of Adamawa, GovernorAhmed Abdulfatah of Kwara, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and chieftains of the rampaging APC had gathered there for one main reason: to make a clear statement that they there were fed up with the political crisis in the ruling party and were ready to move over to the opposition APC.
And, already waiting eagerly to receive the decampees into their fold, were APC bigwigs, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Ogbonanya Onu and scores of other chieftains. On the side of the leadership of the faction of the PDP popularly known as nPDP, were the chairman, Alhaji Kawu Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senators Bukola Saraki, Adamu Abdullahi and former Bayelsa governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Inside the expansive building, the defecting governors met for about three hours with their new-found party and concrete decisions taken before they emerged to address anxious reporters on the lobby of Aminu Kano House.
”We are merging,” Baraje, said; and added that “all these are implications of merging! What we are telling you is that we have merged and we have agreed to merge”.
But as they sauntered out with broad smiles on their faces, it was clear also that some dramatic developments that could jostle the merger arrangement had just taken place to the discomfort of the parties. Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his Kwara counterpart, who were at the parley, had sneaked out even before the final decision to merge was taken. While Abdulfatah, a scion of Bukola Saraki, took permission from his boss to travel, Aliyu, on the other hand, stormed out of the venue when the decision to merge with APC was being taken. He, like his Jigawa counterpart, Sule Lamido, does not appear to favour a hurried defection to the opposition earlier than January next year. For that disagreement on transition timeline, Lamido did not even come to the venue of the meeting. Sokoto governor, Aliyu Wamakko, a staunch believer in the early defection to APC, was out in Senegal, attending an international development programme but had sent words to his peers to count on his support.
Not many can fault the two governors for their deft decision given the peculiar socio-political atmosphere in the two states. Both are walking on a tight rope, which requires tact and patience and political engineering to sort out. Even before now, Lamido’s traducers had used tar brush to paint him black, apparently to scuttle his alleged presidential ambition and weaken him and his supporters. The Federal Government-controlled Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been unleashing its hound dogs on the Lamido family, bringing up accusations of huge money laundering against his two sons. In fact, the children were in detention as at the time the governors were to move over to the APC. It was therefore impudent for Lamido to have closed his eyes, take a plunge into the opposition when his beloved children were languishing in the EFCC gulag. His decision actually paid off, as the children were left off the hook subsequently – at least for now.
Babangida, on the other hand, has been very discrete about his next political move because he is surrounded by political sharks, whose allegiance to the Presidency is rather very difficult to decipher. Not many can say what if former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida and his successor, Abdulsalam Abubakar, are angry or happy with President Goodluck Jonathan or if they would ever support a party with Gen. Muhammadu Buhari playing an active role.
As a man, who defers seriously to the two former heads of state, known to be actively involved in Niger state and Nigerian politics, it would be foolhardy for Aliyu to cross over blindly to the opposition without getting the clearance of the political decision-makers in his domain.
In fact, the fear is that leaving PDP at all not even now or in the future, would effectively deny him the slim political edge and structures that he enjoys as a governor and could therefore quicken his plunge into his political wilderness. Both former heads of state are said to have their preferred candidates for the governorship of the state and it is not likely that the governor can adequately and effectively confront them from the fringes of opposition in Niger State.
For sure, the difficulty in arriving at a common position on when to move to the APC, clearly demonstrates the intense war that has been raging between those wholly committed to the new marriage and those opposed to the deal.
The inability of the two men to also make up their mind at once over the matter, has now given the PDP a ray of hope that it had not lost all members of the G-7 to the opposition.
That glimpse may be responsible for the party’s somewhat initial arrogance and refusal to admit the painful loss of its stalwarts and field commanders to its main rival at a time it should be consolidating for the big showdown in 2015.
Sounding surefooted as ever, the Presidency and the PDP leadership dismissed the defection by the five governors as a non-issue that did not pose any serious challenge to its electoral fortunes.
Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, was quick to call the bluff even without weighing the full import of his boast. “The Presidency does not feel threatened. PDP is the party to beat. We have heard it before; even people who occupied higher offices left the party and still came back to its fold.
“It is good that the five governors have shown the world that they have taken a stand to leave so that PDP will not be distracted,” the adviser noted.
But just as the statement was sinking, the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, who is at the centre of the raging storm, came out openly to admit that the defection of the five governors was shocking and an anger taken too far.
He hit the nail on the head, arguing that the governors should still pursue the option of dialogue and reconciliation.
Tukur’s mild tone differs sharply with the acidic tongue of his National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, who dismissed the governors’ action as inconsequential.
Metuh said, “We wish to state categorically that the PDP remains unperturbed as we are now rid of detractors and distractions.
“We urge all our members nationwide to remain focused and close ranks, now that agents of distraction have finally left our ranks,” the PDP spokesman pleaded.
Despite its hard lined posturing, it is clear that the party has been hit below the belt and its top echelon left tongue-tied. President Goodluck Jonathan, whose hard line hawks unwittingly frustrated an early resolution of the intra-party feud that finally decimated the once cohesive party, is yet to find enough courage to openly speak on the matter.
BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE – KWANKWASO
Kano State Governor, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, told Vanguard in an interview that defecting to the APC was one of the best decisions he had ever taken and that he would stand by it.
Kwankwaso said that he came to the conclusion to move over to the opposition party after the PDP, which he co-founded in 1998, deliberately and consistently undermined him and his administration in all matters relating to him and his office.
The governor said, “Let me say this and very clearly; the decision we made to move over to the APC is one of the best ever taken by me and we have no regret whatsoever. I stand by it and I will always abide by it.”
It is to be noted that the crack in the ranks of the PDP poses a real threat to its winning streak and may as well reshape its future. As things stand, any further slide in its ranks, may effectively push it to the precipice and render it impotent in the nation’s political arena. With the latest development, PDP which initially had a sweeping majority of 27 governors and almost 90 senators is now facing serious threat from the new APC. The PDP now has 18 governors with the APC following with 16. There are reports that no fewer than five more PDP governors may be on their way to pitting tent with the APC and that would put a final nail on the PDP coffin.
All hope is not however lost if the party wakes up from its slumber and makes amend where it hurt some persons. But as it is today, the PDP appears as a man who has put his hand into a burning furnace and cannot hope to get out without some burns. How soon it withdraws from the searing heat will also determine its health now and in the months ahead. But is it ready?
vanguard
*Defection, best decision of my life – Kwankwaso
It was an opportunity and they grabbed it with both hands.
The aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, (G-7) wanted a reason to dump their party and they were handed one by no other person than President Goodluck Jonathan himself.
And although some of the seven governors explained that they all knew that Jonathan was not prepared to meet with them and resolve the issues that gave rise to the crisis, given his body language and the sustained acts of impunity arising from the party leadership, they waited for the appropriate time.
LETTER-IN-CHIEF FROM COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
In fact, one of the governors confided in Sunday Vanguard that the impression they got from the President’s body language suggested a “great deal that we were being taken for a ride”.
The meeting that was supposed to have been held on October 7, 2013 but which was postponed because some members of the G-7 had gone for the Hajj, appeared to have been permanently kept in abeyance.
Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that whereas the Hajj had been concluded and another meeting expected to be scheduled and held, nothing of the sort was in the horizon.
“It got to a point that we all decided to write a reminder to Mr. President”, one of the governors disclosed.
The content of the letter was simply to “remind Mr. President of the importance of time and the fact that he needed to meet with us”.
Rather than a quick response to their letter, the governors did not get any from the Villa.
Corroborating this, another governor revealed to Sunday Vanguard that what they got was a belated response, the content of which was “not only uncomplimentary, it showed clearly that some people were deceiving President Jonathan about their sense of self importance”.
The response jolted the governors.
“We were surprised to see a belated letter from the Presidency which should have read something like ‘based on earlier talks’ or ‘based on earlier exploratory talks with a view to achieving peace for our great party’, what we got was a letter telling us that ‘in response to our request for a peace meeting, the President has decided to meet with us.
“The impression the tone of the letter conveyed was that we were the ones seeking to make peace with President Jonathan.
“Meanwhile, we staged an open walkout on him at Eagle Square during that sham described as a national convention; they leaders of the party called a meeting and we decided to honour our leaders and elders by attending the meeting; a committee was set up and we also accorded the committee some level of due regard and respect, only to be slapped with such a letter that can best be described as impudent.
“From the tone and contents of the letter from the Villa, it became clear to all of us that the President was not interested in resolving the contentious issues and we decided to leave the party for them and go over to the APC”.
Even the last opportunity to avert the defection was bungled last Sunday.
Although the seven governors had waited for him to meet with them in Abuja, as scheduled, the President surreptitiously called off the peace parley, claiming that he was tired after returning from the meeting of the Honorary International Investors Council, HIIC, in London. Jonathan shot himself on the foot by calling off the meeting when all the governors had already settled down in Asokoro waiting for his arrival for the final push to salvage the party from the brink.
“The President wanted to give the whole world the erroneous impression that it was the seven of us, who actually sought for peace, forgetting that he had intervened before and asked us to sheath our sword and we respected him and still waited,” the governor explained.
“As far as we are concerned, we are gone to the APC for good and there is no turning back. Any of the governors, who wants to still remain in PDP can do so; but for me, it is over and forever,” the governor said.
THE DRAMA OF DEFECTION
Meanwhile, Aminu Kano House, an imposing edifice on Jose Marty Crescent, in the high brow Asokoro District of Abuja, is not a thoroughfare. Vehicles don’t stop and pick passengers around the building, which is the official residence of the governor of Kano State. Neighbours of Aminu Kano House – including Lagos House and Ondo House – are aware of the unwritten rule prohibiting loitering around the area. But that Tuesday morning, the golden rule was consciously waved for political expediency. As early as 8am, scores of vehicles had started piling up opposite the house. As the vehicles screeched to a halt, the occupants moved towards the governor’s residence. Before long, convoys bearing political bigwigs from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressive Congress, APC, also breezed in and went straight into the waiting arms of their host, Dr. Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Kano State Governor.
Kwankwaso, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Murtala Nyako, a retired admiral and governor of Adamawa, GovernorAhmed Abdulfatah of Kwara, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and chieftains of the rampaging APC had gathered there for one main reason: to make a clear statement that they there were fed up with the political crisis in the ruling party and were ready to move over to the opposition APC.
And, already waiting eagerly to receive the decampees into their fold, were APC bigwigs, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Ogbonanya Onu and scores of other chieftains. On the side of the leadership of the faction of the PDP popularly known as nPDP, were the chairman, Alhaji Kawu Abubakar Baraje, Dr. Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Senators Bukola Saraki, Adamu Abdullahi and former Bayelsa governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Inside the expansive building, the defecting governors met for about three hours with their new-found party and concrete decisions taken before they emerged to address anxious reporters on the lobby of Aminu Kano House.
”We are merging,” Baraje, said; and added that “all these are implications of merging! What we are telling you is that we have merged and we have agreed to merge”.
But as they sauntered out with broad smiles on their faces, it was clear also that some dramatic developments that could jostle the merger arrangement had just taken place to the discomfort of the parties. Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his Kwara counterpart, who were at the parley, had sneaked out even before the final decision to merge was taken. While Abdulfatah, a scion of Bukola Saraki, took permission from his boss to travel, Aliyu, on the other hand, stormed out of the venue when the decision to merge with APC was being taken. He, like his Jigawa counterpart, Sule Lamido, does not appear to favour a hurried defection to the opposition earlier than January next year. For that disagreement on transition timeline, Lamido did not even come to the venue of the meeting. Sokoto governor, Aliyu Wamakko, a staunch believer in the early defection to APC, was out in Senegal, attending an international development programme but had sent words to his peers to count on his support.
Not many can fault the two governors for their deft decision given the peculiar socio-political atmosphere in the two states. Both are walking on a tight rope, which requires tact and patience and political engineering to sort out. Even before now, Lamido’s traducers had used tar brush to paint him black, apparently to scuttle his alleged presidential ambition and weaken him and his supporters. The Federal Government-controlled Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been unleashing its hound dogs on the Lamido family, bringing up accusations of huge money laundering against his two sons. In fact, the children were in detention as at the time the governors were to move over to the APC. It was therefore impudent for Lamido to have closed his eyes, take a plunge into the opposition when his beloved children were languishing in the EFCC gulag. His decision actually paid off, as the children were left off the hook subsequently – at least for now.
Babangida, on the other hand, has been very discrete about his next political move because he is surrounded by political sharks, whose allegiance to the Presidency is rather very difficult to decipher. Not many can say what if former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida and his successor, Abdulsalam Abubakar, are angry or happy with President Goodluck Jonathan or if they would ever support a party with Gen. Muhammadu Buhari playing an active role.
As a man, who defers seriously to the two former heads of state, known to be actively involved in Niger state and Nigerian politics, it would be foolhardy for Aliyu to cross over blindly to the opposition without getting the clearance of the political decision-makers in his domain.
In fact, the fear is that leaving PDP at all not even now or in the future, would effectively deny him the slim political edge and structures that he enjoys as a governor and could therefore quicken his plunge into his political wilderness. Both former heads of state are said to have their preferred candidates for the governorship of the state and it is not likely that the governor can adequately and effectively confront them from the fringes of opposition in Niger State.
For sure, the difficulty in arriving at a common position on when to move to the APC, clearly demonstrates the intense war that has been raging between those wholly committed to the new marriage and those opposed to the deal.
The inability of the two men to also make up their mind at once over the matter, has now given the PDP a ray of hope that it had not lost all members of the G-7 to the opposition.
That glimpse may be responsible for the party’s somewhat initial arrogance and refusal to admit the painful loss of its stalwarts and field commanders to its main rival at a time it should be consolidating for the big showdown in 2015.
Sounding surefooted as ever, the Presidency and the PDP leadership dismissed the defection by the five governors as a non-issue that did not pose any serious challenge to its electoral fortunes.
Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, was quick to call the bluff even without weighing the full import of his boast. “The Presidency does not feel threatened. PDP is the party to beat. We have heard it before; even people who occupied higher offices left the party and still came back to its fold.
“It is good that the five governors have shown the world that they have taken a stand to leave so that PDP will not be distracted,” the adviser noted.
But just as the statement was sinking, the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, who is at the centre of the raging storm, came out openly to admit that the defection of the five governors was shocking and an anger taken too far.
He hit the nail on the head, arguing that the governors should still pursue the option of dialogue and reconciliation.
Tukur’s mild tone differs sharply with the acidic tongue of his National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, who dismissed the governors’ action as inconsequential.
Metuh said, “We wish to state categorically that the PDP remains unperturbed as we are now rid of detractors and distractions.
“We urge all our members nationwide to remain focused and close ranks, now that agents of distraction have finally left our ranks,” the PDP spokesman pleaded.
Despite its hard lined posturing, it is clear that the party has been hit below the belt and its top echelon left tongue-tied. President Goodluck Jonathan, whose hard line hawks unwittingly frustrated an early resolution of the intra-party feud that finally decimated the once cohesive party, is yet to find enough courage to openly speak on the matter.
BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE – KWANKWASO
Kano State Governor, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, told Vanguard in an interview that defecting to the APC was one of the best decisions he had ever taken and that he would stand by it.
Kwankwaso said that he came to the conclusion to move over to the opposition party after the PDP, which he co-founded in 1998, deliberately and consistently undermined him and his administration in all matters relating to him and his office.
The governor said, “Let me say this and very clearly; the decision we made to move over to the APC is one of the best ever taken by me and we have no regret whatsoever. I stand by it and I will always abide by it.”
It is to be noted that the crack in the ranks of the PDP poses a real threat to its winning streak and may as well reshape its future. As things stand, any further slide in its ranks, may effectively push it to the precipice and render it impotent in the nation’s political arena. With the latest development, PDP which initially had a sweeping majority of 27 governors and almost 90 senators is now facing serious threat from the new APC. The PDP now has 18 governors with the APC following with 16. There are reports that no fewer than five more PDP governors may be on their way to pitting tent with the APC and that would put a final nail on the PDP coffin.
All hope is not however lost if the party wakes up from its slumber and makes amend where it hurt some persons. But as it is today, the PDP appears as a man who has put his hand into a burning furnace and cannot hope to get out without some burns. How soon it withdraws from the searing heat will also determine its health now and in the months ahead. But is it ready?
vanguard
ASUU should make sacrifices — Unilorin VC
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU, bares his mind on the ongoing ASUU strike, saying it is time to take decisions and not to apportion blames
What is your position on the current face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities?
I think a decision has to be taken. They have dialogued for so long and people have intervened. I am sure that the current position taken by the FG was not an easy decision taken. I think probably that as the last option opened to them. I learnt that the Federal Government had instructed various councils of universities to open the campuses for students to resume their studies.
But do you think that will resolve the issues at stake?
I think if the promises made by FG to the universities in terms of the offers that have made, it will go a long way in ameliorating the challenges faced by the federal universities across the country.
But it appears that the major contention now is that ASUU is asking that the four months arrears of their salaries during the strike be paid to them and FG in reaction, FG took its current stand.
Is the demand by ASUU for salary arrears is not justifiable?
These days when you go for dialogue, there usually should be sacrifices on both sides. People have to concede one thing or the other but I think this little difference is something that could be ironed out behind closed doors.
Before the current FG stand, ASUU had insisted that government should implement the agreement it reached with them in 2009. Do you think that the content of that agreement can revamp public universities?
I have a strong feeling that it will because if you have increased funding, more autonomy, all those things will go a long way to improve the atmosphere of the universities for proper teaching and learning, as well as community services.
With the state of the nation’s universities, do you think there is the need to spend more than what FG is proposing?
No amount of money given to anybody is enough but I think that what has been offered will go a long way in solving some of the immediate problems in our universities.
Considering that nine more universities were created in 2011, ASUU thinks the N1.2trn in three years agreed in 2009 should have been reviewed upwards. What do you think?
I think that what was agreed upon in 2009 should be fully implemented first, then we can assess how far we are able to achieve, then we then can talk of the differences that need further attention.
What do you think of FG’s threat to sack lecturers now if they do not resume on Monday when all they are asking for now is their four months salaries arrears?
I feel that there should be listening ears on both sides, especially on the side of the more power one. What everybody is clamouring for is better education, more access to better education, and better quality of education in our universities. I think everybody should understand each other and know that we are all working towards improving education in this country.
ASUU has accused FG of being insensitive and attempting to rubbish their agreement of 2009. What’s do you think of it?
As I said, review, monitoring and implementation of agreement should be a continuous process. Once agreement is signed, the implementation should be monitored. It should not be left for so long without anybody raising alarm and without anybody intervening because education is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians irrespective of where we are.
We are either fathers, grand fathers or guardians, so education is important so things should be done at the appropriate time before institutions begin to deteriorate to the level we are experiencing now.
Even though UNILORIN is not affected by the strike, how do you feel about the prolonged ASUU strike?
I feel sad and I feel concerned. I hope that the matter will be amicably resolved and our campuses will be open so that people can have access to education. We are very concerned here in Ilorin because no matter how well safe you are and no matter the availability of food you have in your house, if your neighbours are hungry, as a caring and responsible human being with conscience, you will not feel happy. So UNILORIN is concerned about other universities that are on strike and we hope that they will open very soon so that campuses will come alive once again.
Is prolonged strike not inimical to educational development?
Without strike, Nigeria could enjoy better education.
Are you satisfied with the quality of infrastructure in Nigerian federal universities?
I am concerned about the constant strike and closure of universities I am also concerned about infrastructure in universities. I think we can have better quality of education if we have uninterrupted academic calender, better funding, peace on our campuses.
Are there other measures that can be adopted to advance education in Nigeria to be in tandem with global best practices?
Yes! If collectively we convince ourselves that education is a collective responsibility of all of us, we will be able to have better education in future.
When you go to other developed countries, the funding of education and the activities going on in all our education institutions are not left solely for the government.
You find other interested parties showing greater concern. For instance, the alumni of each universities do look back and inject a lot of funds into their universities. By so doing, the universities can augment whatever is given to them. If you look at this country, you will find out that a lot of parents are investing so much on the education of their children at the lower level. At the kindergarten, primary school and secondary school, a lot of people are spending quite a lot of money to fund education of their children.
They are concerned about the quality of education at that level, which means that when they come to the tertiary level, they should identify areas where they can help the university so that their wards can get better education.
Since FG and ASUU appeared to have agreed on the resolution of the crisis before the latest development, what is your advice to the two parties on how to resolve the imbroglio?
I know that both parties know what they are doing and they have come all this way since they have been dialoguing and trying to find solution. They have come a long way and this is just the last bit that will cap their efforts, I urge them to please end it amicably.
There is the clamour that Nigerian universities or tertiary institutions should tailor their researches to societal needs. What is you take?
I think they are right but the society should also be ready to implement and practicalise our research findings. People should not expect universities to go to the lab, bring out innovations and still be the ones to source for funding to go into commercial production or inventions of whatever they have come up with.
There should be division of labour. Each party should be able to shoulder its own responsibility. The researchers, our universities should use their brain to bring up innovations and better ways of achieving what is going on in the industries.
The industries should also be ready to fund such researchers, go into commercial production of their research findings where we expect researchers or scientists in the university to be the practical person to bring up the prototype and still the business man to go into commercial production, the marketing man to market the produce, we are asking for too much from the researchers.
They should be left to bring up innovations and products that they think will better the lives of the Nigerian people.
The businessmen in the country should be ready to partner with such researcher and commercialise whatever inventions the researchers are able to come up with.
Copyright PUNCH.
What is your position on the current face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities?
I think a decision has to be taken. They have dialogued for so long and people have intervened. I am sure that the current position taken by the FG was not an easy decision taken. I think probably that as the last option opened to them. I learnt that the Federal Government had instructed various councils of universities to open the campuses for students to resume their studies.
But do you think that will resolve the issues at stake?
I think if the promises made by FG to the universities in terms of the offers that have made, it will go a long way in ameliorating the challenges faced by the federal universities across the country.
But it appears that the major contention now is that ASUU is asking that the four months arrears of their salaries during the strike be paid to them and FG in reaction, FG took its current stand.
Is the demand by ASUU for salary arrears is not justifiable?
These days when you go for dialogue, there usually should be sacrifices on both sides. People have to concede one thing or the other but I think this little difference is something that could be ironed out behind closed doors.
Before the current FG stand, ASUU had insisted that government should implement the agreement it reached with them in 2009. Do you think that the content of that agreement can revamp public universities?
I have a strong feeling that it will because if you have increased funding, more autonomy, all those things will go a long way to improve the atmosphere of the universities for proper teaching and learning, as well as community services.
With the state of the nation’s universities, do you think there is the need to spend more than what FG is proposing?
No amount of money given to anybody is enough but I think that what has been offered will go a long way in solving some of the immediate problems in our universities.
Considering that nine more universities were created in 2011, ASUU thinks the N1.2trn in three years agreed in 2009 should have been reviewed upwards. What do you think?
I think that what was agreed upon in 2009 should be fully implemented first, then we can assess how far we are able to achieve, then we then can talk of the differences that need further attention.
What do you think of FG’s threat to sack lecturers now if they do not resume on Monday when all they are asking for now is their four months salaries arrears?
I feel that there should be listening ears on both sides, especially on the side of the more power one. What everybody is clamouring for is better education, more access to better education, and better quality of education in our universities. I think everybody should understand each other and know that we are all working towards improving education in this country.
ASUU has accused FG of being insensitive and attempting to rubbish their agreement of 2009. What’s do you think of it?
As I said, review, monitoring and implementation of agreement should be a continuous process. Once agreement is signed, the implementation should be monitored. It should not be left for so long without anybody raising alarm and without anybody intervening because education is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians irrespective of where we are.
We are either fathers, grand fathers or guardians, so education is important so things should be done at the appropriate time before institutions begin to deteriorate to the level we are experiencing now.
Even though UNILORIN is not affected by the strike, how do you feel about the prolonged ASUU strike?
I feel sad and I feel concerned. I hope that the matter will be amicably resolved and our campuses will be open so that people can have access to education. We are very concerned here in Ilorin because no matter how well safe you are and no matter the availability of food you have in your house, if your neighbours are hungry, as a caring and responsible human being with conscience, you will not feel happy. So UNILORIN is concerned about other universities that are on strike and we hope that they will open very soon so that campuses will come alive once again.
Is prolonged strike not inimical to educational development?
Without strike, Nigeria could enjoy better education.
Are you satisfied with the quality of infrastructure in Nigerian federal universities?
I am concerned about the constant strike and closure of universities I am also concerned about infrastructure in universities. I think we can have better quality of education if we have uninterrupted academic calender, better funding, peace on our campuses.
Are there other measures that can be adopted to advance education in Nigeria to be in tandem with global best practices?
Yes! If collectively we convince ourselves that education is a collective responsibility of all of us, we will be able to have better education in future.
When you go to other developed countries, the funding of education and the activities going on in all our education institutions are not left solely for the government.
You find other interested parties showing greater concern. For instance, the alumni of each universities do look back and inject a lot of funds into their universities. By so doing, the universities can augment whatever is given to them. If you look at this country, you will find out that a lot of parents are investing so much on the education of their children at the lower level. At the kindergarten, primary school and secondary school, a lot of people are spending quite a lot of money to fund education of their children.
They are concerned about the quality of education at that level, which means that when they come to the tertiary level, they should identify areas where they can help the university so that their wards can get better education.
Since FG and ASUU appeared to have agreed on the resolution of the crisis before the latest development, what is your advice to the two parties on how to resolve the imbroglio?
I know that both parties know what they are doing and they have come all this way since they have been dialoguing and trying to find solution. They have come a long way and this is just the last bit that will cap their efforts, I urge them to please end it amicably.
There is the clamour that Nigerian universities or tertiary institutions should tailor their researches to societal needs. What is you take?
I think they are right but the society should also be ready to implement and practicalise our research findings. People should not expect universities to go to the lab, bring out innovations and still be the ones to source for funding to go into commercial production or inventions of whatever they have come up with.
There should be division of labour. Each party should be able to shoulder its own responsibility. The researchers, our universities should use their brain to bring up innovations and better ways of achieving what is going on in the industries.
The industries should also be ready to fund such researchers, go into commercial production of their research findings where we expect researchers or scientists in the university to be the practical person to bring up the prototype and still the business man to go into commercial production, the marketing man to market the produce, we are asking for too much from the researchers.
They should be left to bring up innovations and products that they think will better the lives of the Nigerian people.
The businessmen in the country should be ready to partner with such researcher and commercialise whatever inventions the researchers are able to come up with.
Copyright PUNCH.
APC, ex-PDP govs face first hurdle
In this piece, JOHN ALECHENU explores the likely challenge of sharing party offices based on the new political understanding between aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress
Like most marriages, the union of aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress, is bound to come with its intended as well as unintended consequences.
Five out of seven aggrieved governors of the PDP, who joined the APC on Tuesday, will definitely seek to remain politically relevant whether or not they will be seeking for political office in 2015.
While the new entrants will be seeking for concessions to take care of their political interests, members of the legacy political parties namely: the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Congress, the Action Congress of Nigeria will definitely not be interested in playing second fiddle under the new arrangement.
Herein lies the challenge for leaders of the party at all levels. Signs that this challenge will be a daunting one began to unravel barely 24 hours after the historic announcement.
The Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwemeka Eze, had in an interview explained that what transpired at the Kano Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on Tuesday, was the beginning of a process, because a Memorandum of Understanding which would detail who gets what, had yet to be signed.
He said, “One thing people seem not to understand about our understanding with the APC is that we have entered into an agreement with them, but we have not signed an MOU, where we will now detail what is due to us and what is due to them.
“This understanding has not been signed and that will be done by next week. We have gone very far while we are still sorting out other details.”
Although, he later withdrew the statement citing a clarification made by the Chairman of the defecting New PDP, Kawu Baraje, the point was not lost on politicians who are conversant with the inner workings of political parties in alliance or outright merger.
The situation was also made clearer by the spokesperson of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, who denied suggestions that the issue of sharing of offices was on the table.
He said “I can categorically tell you it is not true. I have spoken to all concerned and they denied it.” Mohammed equally denounced such speculations as an attempt by some people to use the media for mischief.
Political observers are of the view that much as those involved in this political understanding may want to deny it, not everybody appears comfortable with what may likely be the easy way out of a highly combustible situation.
Some of the serving aggrieved PDP governors, namely: Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), who are poised to take over the party structures in their states, have their predecessors and arch rivals already entrenched in the APC.
The leadership of the APC in search of political mileage in all the affected states is likely more favourably disposed to handing over the party structure to sitting governors. The problem is that they are considered new entrants by their entrenched rivals.
It is also expected that these governors may have a greater say in the sharing of executive positions within the party.
The situation is even more pronounced in Kano and Sokoto states.
In Kano State, for example, the incumbent governor, Kwankwaso will have to contend with one of the founding fathers of the merger of opposition political parties in the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and his supporters who are former members of the ANPP.
Shekarau, who was the Permanent Secretary in the Kano State Civil Service, was demoted to a classroom teacher by Kwankwaso during the latter’s first term as governor; he emerged as the ANPP candidate when he resigned from service only to defeat his former boss and emerge as governor in 2003.
The same Shekarau defeated another candidate, who enjoyed Kwankwaso’s full backing in 2007, to win a historic second term.
On his return as governor in 2011, most of Kwankwaso’s policies have been criticized by Shekarau’s supporters as targeted at rubbishing whatever legacies their benefactor left behind.
Now, they are likely to be forced to work together. Director of Press and Public Relations to the Kano State governor, Baba Dantiye said, “His Excellency is ready to work with anybody.”
Spokesman for Shekarau, Malam Sule Ya’u Sule, insisted that his boss did not habour any ill-feelings towards his predecessor, who later became his successor.
Sule said, “His Excellency, the former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Sheharau welcomes everyone into the APC family, politics is about people.
“The only thing is that, no member of the party should be treated like a second class citizen. There should be justice and fairness to all.”
Unknown to many, however, long before now, Kwankwaso had made peace with a faction of the ANPP loyal to General Muhammadu Buhari as well as leading figures in the Congress for Progressive Change.
With benefit of hindsight, Kwankwaso knew that his loyalty to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo against the popular feelings among the people of Kano was partly responsible for his defeat in 2003.
Unlike in 2003 when even after his electoral defeat, he was rewarded with the plum portfolio of Minister of Defence; such prospects do not exist this time around.
It was gathered that soon after the 2011 elections; President Goodluck Jonathan distanced himself from Kwankwaso and his colleagues, especially those from the North-West.
Having gauged the mood among the voting public which is currently not favourably disposed to a Jonathan Presidency in 2015, he did his political arithmetic and came to the conclusion that it would best serve his political interest to win Kano and allow the centre sort itself out.
To do this, he needs a platform which will distance him from the President, who is poised to clinch the PDP Presidential ticket.
Some of Kwankwaso’s political appointments also speak volumes about how far he is ready to go to accommodate some of his erstwhile opponents.
In the interim, only known close associates of Buhari have been top on the shopping list. For example, Mr. Sule Hamman, a die-hard Buhari loyalist, was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the State owned North-West University.
This is a demonstration of improved relations between the governor and the retired general and three-time opposition Presidential candidate.
The same cannot be said about his relations with Shekarau and his loyalists.
A similar scenario exists in Sokoto State; where there seems to be no love lost between Aliyu Wamakko and his former boss, Mr. Attahiru Bafarawa.
Wamakko, who was served as Bafarawa’s deputy governor, has had a running battle with his former boss over the control of the structure of the now defunct ANPP.
The battle was so intense that Bafarawa was forced to leave the ANPP to join the Democratic Peoples Party, where he fielded a candidate who lost to Wammakko.
Where the national headquarters of the APC stands on the issue of who it would prefer to do business with can perhaps, be best explained by the decision of the party leadership to go wooing the sitting governors leaving out their predecessors who played key roles in the merger that led to the formation of the APC.
Although, another delegation of leaders later visited Shekarau and Bafarawa to apologise for the “oversight,” both men and their supporters got the message.
For now, the APC is preparing for its membership registration exercise and will soon be holding a national convention where it is expected to formally elect members of the executive.
The top echelon of the Interim Management Committee of the APC as is currently constituted is spread amongst members of the legacy political parties.
For instance, the Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, are members of the defunct ACN.
Other slots given to the ACN are: National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Treasurer, National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Youth Leader, two vice chairmanship seats and two ex-officio members.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, and a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, both of the Congress for Progressive Change are serving as Deputy National Chairman and Deputy National Secretary respectively.
The National Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Tijjani Tumsah, emerged as the national secretary.
Apart from producing the national secretary, ANPP also produced the National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, two vice chairmen and two ex-officio officers.
The positions of National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Chairman, South; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader; one vice chairman and one-ex-officio were given to All Progressives Grand Alliance, while the Democratic Peoples Party will produce the position of national auditor.
Altering these and other positions in order to accommodate the interests of the five new heavyweights, may prove to be the greatest challenge of this new political understanding.
Copyright PUNCH.
Like most marriages, the union of aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress, is bound to come with its intended as well as unintended consequences.
Five out of seven aggrieved governors of the PDP, who joined the APC on Tuesday, will definitely seek to remain politically relevant whether or not they will be seeking for political office in 2015.
While the new entrants will be seeking for concessions to take care of their political interests, members of the legacy political parties namely: the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Congress, the Action Congress of Nigeria will definitely not be interested in playing second fiddle under the new arrangement.
Herein lies the challenge for leaders of the party at all levels. Signs that this challenge will be a daunting one began to unravel barely 24 hours after the historic announcement.
The Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwemeka Eze, had in an interview explained that what transpired at the Kano Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on Tuesday, was the beginning of a process, because a Memorandum of Understanding which would detail who gets what, had yet to be signed.
He said, “One thing people seem not to understand about our understanding with the APC is that we have entered into an agreement with them, but we have not signed an MOU, where we will now detail what is due to us and what is due to them.
“This understanding has not been signed and that will be done by next week. We have gone very far while we are still sorting out other details.”
Although, he later withdrew the statement citing a clarification made by the Chairman of the defecting New PDP, Kawu Baraje, the point was not lost on politicians who are conversant with the inner workings of political parties in alliance or outright merger.
The situation was also made clearer by the spokesperson of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, who denied suggestions that the issue of sharing of offices was on the table.
He said “I can categorically tell you it is not true. I have spoken to all concerned and they denied it.” Mohammed equally denounced such speculations as an attempt by some people to use the media for mischief.
Political observers are of the view that much as those involved in this political understanding may want to deny it, not everybody appears comfortable with what may likely be the easy way out of a highly combustible situation.
Some of the serving aggrieved PDP governors, namely: Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), who are poised to take over the party structures in their states, have their predecessors and arch rivals already entrenched in the APC.
The leadership of the APC in search of political mileage in all the affected states is likely more favourably disposed to handing over the party structure to sitting governors. The problem is that they are considered new entrants by their entrenched rivals.
It is also expected that these governors may have a greater say in the sharing of executive positions within the party.
The situation is even more pronounced in Kano and Sokoto states.
In Kano State, for example, the incumbent governor, Kwankwaso will have to contend with one of the founding fathers of the merger of opposition political parties in the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and his supporters who are former members of the ANPP.
Shekarau, who was the Permanent Secretary in the Kano State Civil Service, was demoted to a classroom teacher by Kwankwaso during the latter’s first term as governor; he emerged as the ANPP candidate when he resigned from service only to defeat his former boss and emerge as governor in 2003.
The same Shekarau defeated another candidate, who enjoyed Kwankwaso’s full backing in 2007, to win a historic second term.
On his return as governor in 2011, most of Kwankwaso’s policies have been criticized by Shekarau’s supporters as targeted at rubbishing whatever legacies their benefactor left behind.
Now, they are likely to be forced to work together. Director of Press and Public Relations to the Kano State governor, Baba Dantiye said, “His Excellency is ready to work with anybody.”
Spokesman for Shekarau, Malam Sule Ya’u Sule, insisted that his boss did not habour any ill-feelings towards his predecessor, who later became his successor.
Sule said, “His Excellency, the former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Sheharau welcomes everyone into the APC family, politics is about people.
“The only thing is that, no member of the party should be treated like a second class citizen. There should be justice and fairness to all.”
Unknown to many, however, long before now, Kwankwaso had made peace with a faction of the ANPP loyal to General Muhammadu Buhari as well as leading figures in the Congress for Progressive Change.
With benefit of hindsight, Kwankwaso knew that his loyalty to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo against the popular feelings among the people of Kano was partly responsible for his defeat in 2003.
Unlike in 2003 when even after his electoral defeat, he was rewarded with the plum portfolio of Minister of Defence; such prospects do not exist this time around.
It was gathered that soon after the 2011 elections; President Goodluck Jonathan distanced himself from Kwankwaso and his colleagues, especially those from the North-West.
Having gauged the mood among the voting public which is currently not favourably disposed to a Jonathan Presidency in 2015, he did his political arithmetic and came to the conclusion that it would best serve his political interest to win Kano and allow the centre sort itself out.
To do this, he needs a platform which will distance him from the President, who is poised to clinch the PDP Presidential ticket.
Some of Kwankwaso’s political appointments also speak volumes about how far he is ready to go to accommodate some of his erstwhile opponents.
In the interim, only known close associates of Buhari have been top on the shopping list. For example, Mr. Sule Hamman, a die-hard Buhari loyalist, was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the State owned North-West University.
This is a demonstration of improved relations between the governor and the retired general and three-time opposition Presidential candidate.
The same cannot be said about his relations with Shekarau and his loyalists.
A similar scenario exists in Sokoto State; where there seems to be no love lost between Aliyu Wamakko and his former boss, Mr. Attahiru Bafarawa.
Wamakko, who was served as Bafarawa’s deputy governor, has had a running battle with his former boss over the control of the structure of the now defunct ANPP.
The battle was so intense that Bafarawa was forced to leave the ANPP to join the Democratic Peoples Party, where he fielded a candidate who lost to Wammakko.
Where the national headquarters of the APC stands on the issue of who it would prefer to do business with can perhaps, be best explained by the decision of the party leadership to go wooing the sitting governors leaving out their predecessors who played key roles in the merger that led to the formation of the APC.
Although, another delegation of leaders later visited Shekarau and Bafarawa to apologise for the “oversight,” both men and their supporters got the message.
For now, the APC is preparing for its membership registration exercise and will soon be holding a national convention where it is expected to formally elect members of the executive.
The top echelon of the Interim Management Committee of the APC as is currently constituted is spread amongst members of the legacy political parties.
For instance, the Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, are members of the defunct ACN.
Other slots given to the ACN are: National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Treasurer, National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Youth Leader, two vice chairmanship seats and two ex-officio members.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, and a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai, both of the Congress for Progressive Change are serving as Deputy National Chairman and Deputy National Secretary respectively.
The National Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Tijjani Tumsah, emerged as the national secretary.
Apart from producing the national secretary, ANPP also produced the National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, two vice chairmen and two ex-officio officers.
The positions of National Organising Secretary; Deputy National Chairman, South; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader; one vice chairman and one-ex-officio were given to All Progressives Grand Alliance, while the Democratic Peoples Party will produce the position of national auditor.
Altering these and other positions in order to accommodate the interests of the five new heavyweights, may prove to be the greatest challenge of this new political understanding.
Copyright PUNCH.
Uncertainty over Jonathan’s meeting with ex-PDP govs
There was uncertainty on Saturday about the meeting scheduled to hold on Sunday (today) between President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The Presidency had said during the week that Jonathan was still favourably disposed to the peace talk despite the defection of five aggrieved governors to the opposition party, All Progressives Congress.
The meeting, which was initially slated for last Sunday, was put off because of Jonathan’s ill-health and jet lag, having arrived the country from London the same day.
When contacted on the telephone on Saturday, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, denied knowledge of the meeting.
“I am not aware of such meeting,” he simply said.
When asked specifically whether the meeting will not hold since by virtue of his position, he should have a foreknowledge of such an event, Gulak was noncommittal.
Jonathan is currently in his home state, Bayelsa, where he travelled to on Friday to participate in the state PDP caucus meeting and the burial rites of his late aunt.
The burial thanksgiving holds on Sunday (today).
It was not clear at press time whether the President will return to Abuja today or on Monday.
Meanwhile, the splinter faction has said any of the aggrieved seven governors is free to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday.
It, however, said members of the group had gone far with their merger with the All Progressives Congress.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, who said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday, however, said he was not aware of the number of the governors that will be at the meeting.
But he said he was aware that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, had travelled out of the country.
Apart from Amaechi, four other governors defected to the APC in Abuja on Tuesday.
The governors are that of Sokoto(Aliyu Wamako), Kano(Aliyu Wamako) Kwara(Abdulfatah Ahmed) and Adamawa (Murtala Nyako).
The other two aggrieved governors, Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu of Jigawa and Niger states respectively, said they would remain in the PDP.
Eze said, “The governors are free to attend the meeting and listen to the President, who we still hold in high esteem.
“We won’t discourage any of them from attending, but we need to say that we have gone far with our discussion with the APC. In fact, we are now together.
“But there is nothing wrong in discussing with the President on the problems in the country and his party, the PDP, whose leaders have shown that they are not capable of running the party.”
Copyright PUNCH.
The Presidency had said during the week that Jonathan was still favourably disposed to the peace talk despite the defection of five aggrieved governors to the opposition party, All Progressives Congress.
The meeting, which was initially slated for last Sunday, was put off because of Jonathan’s ill-health and jet lag, having arrived the country from London the same day.
When contacted on the telephone on Saturday, Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, denied knowledge of the meeting.
“I am not aware of such meeting,” he simply said.
When asked specifically whether the meeting will not hold since by virtue of his position, he should have a foreknowledge of such an event, Gulak was noncommittal.
Jonathan is currently in his home state, Bayelsa, where he travelled to on Friday to participate in the state PDP caucus meeting and the burial rites of his late aunt.
The burial thanksgiving holds on Sunday (today).
It was not clear at press time whether the President will return to Abuja today or on Monday.
Meanwhile, the splinter faction has said any of the aggrieved seven governors is free to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday.
It, however, said members of the group had gone far with their merger with the All Progressives Congress.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, who said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday, however, said he was not aware of the number of the governors that will be at the meeting.
But he said he was aware that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, had travelled out of the country.
Apart from Amaechi, four other governors defected to the APC in Abuja on Tuesday.
The governors are that of Sokoto(Aliyu Wamako), Kano(Aliyu Wamako) Kwara(Abdulfatah Ahmed) and Adamawa (Murtala Nyako).
The other two aggrieved governors, Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu of Jigawa and Niger states respectively, said they would remain in the PDP.
Eze said, “The governors are free to attend the meeting and listen to the President, who we still hold in high esteem.
“We won’t discourage any of them from attending, but we need to say that we have gone far with our discussion with the APC. In fact, we are now together.
“But there is nothing wrong in discussing with the President on the problems in the country and his party, the PDP, whose leaders have shown that they are not capable of running the party.”
Copyright PUNCH.
ASUU strike: Undercover policemen on campuses
The police have commenced a discreet surveillance of universities across the country shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan gave the Academic Staff Union of Universities an ultimatum to call off their strike.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had on Thursday ordered the provision of adequate security around university campuses
Abubakar had directed all command commissioners of police to personally oversee the intensification of surveillance activities around the universities within their state commands and to take all necessary security measures needed to provide for the safety and security of staff and students as well as property within the various campuses.
Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that the police would not occupy the campuses to avoid creating tension and militarising the academic environment.
It was learnt that undercover policemen, who were deployed, will not enter campuses unless there was a compelling security reason to do so.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police did not have to wait for the government to take measures that would save lives and property, adding that deployment of security agents to tertiary institutions was purely a police decision and affair.
He said, “It is erroneous to say it was the Federal Government that directed us to deploy undercover agents in campuses; the decision was taken by the police management team based on security reports and intelligence at their disposal. Is it the government that will tell the police what they should do?”
When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba confirmed that undercover officers had been deployed in campuses, but he could not say how long the operatives would be kept there.
Copyright PUNCH.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had on Thursday ordered the provision of adequate security around university campuses
Abubakar had directed all command commissioners of police to personally oversee the intensification of surveillance activities around the universities within their state commands and to take all necessary security measures needed to provide for the safety and security of staff and students as well as property within the various campuses.
Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that the police would not occupy the campuses to avoid creating tension and militarising the academic environment.
It was learnt that undercover policemen, who were deployed, will not enter campuses unless there was a compelling security reason to do so.
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police did not have to wait for the government to take measures that would save lives and property, adding that deployment of security agents to tertiary institutions was purely a police decision and affair.
He said, “It is erroneous to say it was the Federal Government that directed us to deploy undercover agents in campuses; the decision was taken by the police management team based on security reports and intelligence at their disposal. Is it the government that will tell the police what they should do?”
When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba confirmed that undercover officers had been deployed in campuses, but he could not say how long the operatives would be kept there.
Copyright PUNCH.
NDLEA arrests businessman with 2.39kg drugs
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a Nigerian businessman for attempting to smuggle 2.390kg methamphetamine to South Africa.
The arrest was made at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during screening of Arik Air passengers to South Africa.
According to a statement sent to SUNDAY PUNCH, on Saturday, the suspect, Raphael Otti, 36, told investigators that he came to Nigeria for prayers of business breakthrough.
“I came to Nigeria for prayers of business breakthrough but was asked to bring a bag to South Africa by my sponsor. I sell phone accessories in South Africa but my business has suffered heavy setbacks.
“This was the reason I came home to seek spiritual solution. Unfortunately, I was caught with drugs on my way to South Africa” Otti said.
NDLEA Commander at the Airport, Hamza Umar, said the drug was detected at the luggage checking desk.
According to Hamza, “the drug was concealed at both sides of the bag. It was a good mode of concealment but not good enough to escape our notice. We have commenced investigation, the suspect will be charged to court for unlawful exportation.”
The suspect, holds a diploma in Business Administration from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and hails from Anambra State.
He had lived in Johannesburg for over 11 years.
Speaking of the arrest, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade, said it has become more difficult for drug traffickers to smuggle drugs out of the country due to improved security checks.
“We shall prevent drug traffickers from using the country as a transit point for drug trafficking. Efforts are ongoing towards making our exit and entry points more impregnable to drug barons” he said.
Copyright PUNCH.
The arrest was made at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during screening of Arik Air passengers to South Africa.
According to a statement sent to SUNDAY PUNCH, on Saturday, the suspect, Raphael Otti, 36, told investigators that he came to Nigeria for prayers of business breakthrough.
“I came to Nigeria for prayers of business breakthrough but was asked to bring a bag to South Africa by my sponsor. I sell phone accessories in South Africa but my business has suffered heavy setbacks.
“This was the reason I came home to seek spiritual solution. Unfortunately, I was caught with drugs on my way to South Africa” Otti said.
NDLEA Commander at the Airport, Hamza Umar, said the drug was detected at the luggage checking desk.
According to Hamza, “the drug was concealed at both sides of the bag. It was a good mode of concealment but not good enough to escape our notice. We have commenced investigation, the suspect will be charged to court for unlawful exportation.”
The suspect, holds a diploma in Business Administration from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and hails from Anambra State.
He had lived in Johannesburg for over 11 years.
Speaking of the arrest, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade, said it has become more difficult for drug traffickers to smuggle drugs out of the country due to improved security checks.
“We shall prevent drug traffickers from using the country as a transit point for drug trafficking. Efforts are ongoing towards making our exit and entry points more impregnable to drug barons” he said.
Copyright PUNCH.
Jonathan can’t buy us in 2015 – Northern elders
The Northern Elders’ Forum has said its support can’t be bought by President Goodluck Jonathan or any other politician ahead of the 2015 general election.
In reaction to speculations that President Jonathan had bribed some prominent northerners to sabotage the North’s opposition to his re-election, spokesman for the forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, said nobody had attempted to buy over the northern elders.
In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, Unongo said Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who claimed he had a list of 400 northern leaders that had been bought over by Jonathan, should expatiate on it.
When asked if Jonathan or any politician had bought the support of the forum’s members, Unongo said, “I can speak only for the elders’ forum. At the level of the elders’ forum, I don’t think anybody can buy us and I don’t think anybody tried to buy us. What we have always tried to do is to reconcile people. It is maturity for people to reconcile. We have become elders and know that there is so much bad blood and we try to reconcile people.
“I like people who make speculations to expatiate on their speculations themselves. I have a lot of respect for Governor Aliyu Babangida. If he says such, he must have very good reasons. He is in a better position to clarify that.”
He said the northerners respected the decision of the rebel Peoples Democratic Party governors to move to the All Progressives Congress, saying the move was a welcome development to the country’s democracy.
Unongo said that the rebel PDP governors had talked with some northern elders complaining of how unfairly they, their states and the North had been treated by Jonathan’s administration and the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur.
He said, “No party should field candidates, give these candidates the opportunity to be leaders in their states and then treat them as though they are not important. They have decided to fight back; to say though they won elections on the platform of the PDP, they won their elections without Jonathan and Bamanga Tukur.
“It’s a pity that a political party at this time can tell large sections of the society that they are not needed. It is a terrible development in that direction. But in terms of political growth and development, it is a tremendously good thing that has happened to Nigeria. I support them for their courage. They have done a courageous thing that Nigerians should support.”
Copyright PUNCH.
In reaction to speculations that President Jonathan had bribed some prominent northerners to sabotage the North’s opposition to his re-election, spokesman for the forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, said nobody had attempted to buy over the northern elders.
In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, Unongo said Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, who claimed he had a list of 400 northern leaders that had been bought over by Jonathan, should expatiate on it.
When asked if Jonathan or any politician had bought the support of the forum’s members, Unongo said, “I can speak only for the elders’ forum. At the level of the elders’ forum, I don’t think anybody can buy us and I don’t think anybody tried to buy us. What we have always tried to do is to reconcile people. It is maturity for people to reconcile. We have become elders and know that there is so much bad blood and we try to reconcile people.
“I like people who make speculations to expatiate on their speculations themselves. I have a lot of respect for Governor Aliyu Babangida. If he says such, he must have very good reasons. He is in a better position to clarify that.”
He said the northerners respected the decision of the rebel Peoples Democratic Party governors to move to the All Progressives Congress, saying the move was a welcome development to the country’s democracy.
Unongo said that the rebel PDP governors had talked with some northern elders complaining of how unfairly they, their states and the North had been treated by Jonathan’s administration and the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur.
He said, “No party should field candidates, give these candidates the opportunity to be leaders in their states and then treat them as though they are not important. They have decided to fight back; to say though they won elections on the platform of the PDP, they won their elections without Jonathan and Bamanga Tukur.
“It’s a pity that a political party at this time can tell large sections of the society that they are not needed. It is a terrible development in that direction. But in terms of political growth and development, it is a tremendously good thing that has happened to Nigeria. I support them for their courage. They have done a courageous thing that Nigerians should support.”
Copyright PUNCH.
Abacha betrayed our plot to topple Babangida, install Abiola — Col. Umar
former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar
In this interview, a former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, comments on burning national issues and tells the untold story of the June 12 election annulment, in this interview with GODWIN OFULUE
What do you think is the cause of the Boko Haram insurgency?
In discussing Boko Haram, I will talk of the general insecurity in the country. Everything is happening in other countries and Nigeria is facing its security challenges; Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, robbery, oil theft, Niger Delta militancy, phenomenal piracy on our seas and youth restiveness. And a new development, which we are not paying attention to is the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes that are engulfing the northern part of Nigeria. Cattle stealing has led to many deaths in that part of the country. These are the major security issues affecting the country; they are responsible for the seeming inability to deal decisively with the challenges. It is difficult to know how to solve a problem if one doesn’t know the cause.
In the case of Boko Haram, for example, it is very difficult to understand the inspiration of their dastardly acts. What could have made a person approach some people to engage in the killing of innocent school kids? Why are innocent people being slaughtered? Where is the religious justification for throwing bombs at churches and mosques; killing and maiming worshippers? Such acts are senselessness and irrational. There are some supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan who believe that the Boko Haram insurgency is the creation of some northern politicians, claiming that they threatened to make the country ungovernable for the President; that it’s the punishment for his failure to abide by the Peoples Democratic Party’s zoning agreement, which denied the North the presidency. There was war during his (Jonathan) completion of late President Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and you’ll agree that this war still persists, with the heavy impact of the insurgency of the socio-economic life, particularly in the north-eastern part of Nigeria where there has been a state of emergency in the past six months.
There are some northern politicians who benefit from the insurgency that has taken the live of a respected elder like Gen. Shuwa; almost led to the assassination of Shehu of Borno and the Emir of Kano. Also, there are some northern politicians who claim that Boko Haram is non-existent; that if anything, the Jonathan administration can be using security agents to tackle them so that he can continue to rule beyond 2015. With all these senseless killings, it is difficult to achieve a unity of purpose in the fight against the insurgency.
When you take the issue of the Niger Delta militancy, the struggle started with the agitation for clean environment and equitable distribution of petroleum resources. But it was hijacked by criminal elements, whose major motive was personal enrichment; oil bunkering, pipeline bursting, which led to further degradation of the environment. The Niger Delta youths also moved into piracy and oil theft. One can generalise by saying that our security challenges are as a result of corruption at the centre. For example, most of the Boko Haram members are youths that could have been valuable to the country; they have nothing to aspire to and nothing to lose. As James Baldwin rightly observed, the most dangerous person is he who has nothing to lose. When we say there is so much deprivation, anger, insecurity, and we find them very strange, the Boko Haram members are used to it. It is a way of life to them, which they want to fight. When we look at the Niger Delta militants, they were chaps that were unemployed and they watched helplessly how their oil resources were being cornered by irresponsible, greedy, reckless and immodest elites. When they (militants) saw the kind of structures in Abuja, they envied the elites who had such structures and resorted to self help through militancy, oil theft and so on. Of course, in our kind of democracy, about 70 per cent of our oil revenue is devoted to recurrent expenditure; it is devoted to indolent public servants, 85 per cent of which is for salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly. You remember that (the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria) Lamido Sanusi had to confront the lawmakers.
What is the solution to all these?
The solution is good governance. Our politicians should be more responsible and bring down the level of corruption. No country can survive with the prevailing rot in Nigeria. It is a major cause for concern. Unfortunately, all our efforts at confronting the security challenges are breeding more insecurity in the sense that if we deploy security forces, especially at the roadblocks, they demand and accept bribes and let you go. When you look at the number of security operatives doing this, you see that it is going to be very difficult to address the security challenges.
For the northern part of the country, some people believe that building more Almajiri schools will stamp out insurgency. Do you agree?
Of course, no. It is not just enough to go to school; when you go to school, you also need to find employment. They say idle mind is the devil’s workshop – it is good to send them to school, they will be enlightened and understand the message of government. But if they cannot be gainfully employed, then what you would have succeeded in educating them in is the tricks being deployed by public servants to enrich themselves. I don’t believe that establishing Almajiri schools is the solution to our problems per se. It is a misconception of the situation in the country. Poverty is in all sections and parts of this country. While you find the Almajiris in the North, you’ll find kidnappers in the South. There are areas where there is prevalence of prostitution and other anti-social behaviours. Let us first look at poverty holistically; it is only in the North. Northern leaders keep crying (poverty) because they want more resources to accrue to the North. When you look at the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clash, I expect the northern governors to sit and look at ways of creating game reserves for the Fulani. As long as you allow them to continue to walk about indiscriminately, there will be conflicts.
Northern states governors should do what has been done before; they should provide more graving lands for herdsmen. Also, I was listening to a commissioner in Plateau State who was expressing his helplessness in providing security for the Fulani because, according to him, it was very difficult for security forces to access the places the herdsmen were. That is a very weird thinking. Security personnel should be able to penetrate all the nooks and crannies of the country. When you look at kidnappings, robberies and oil thefts, they’re all about this culture of get-rich-quick-by-all-mean, which was created by the political leaders.
Recently, the United States of America designated Boko Haram and Ansaru as terrorist groups and Federal Government welcomed it. Would it solve the problem?
I don’t know what America planned to do with that declaration. If it means supporting the Federal Government in the fight against the insurgency, of course, I will welcome the development. I know that the US has the resources and means to engage in war against insurgency. If that is the idea, then, it is a welcome development.
Many people believe that a national conference is the solution to our problems, including insecurity. What is your take on this?
With all the noise for and against the convocation of a national conference or whatever name it is called, there is a need to hold one, to satisfy the yearning of its proponents and to disabuse the minds of those that believe that the conference would lead to disintegration. I have never been a proponent of the national conference for the fact that past conferences have done nothing to ensure good governance. I have yet to see a better mode of representation than the elected members of the National Assembly. All the federating units are represented at the Assembly. If these representatives cannot do what the conference would do – to sit and discuss pressing issues like resource control, power sharing, that will amount to a constitution amendment. The constitution has a provision for how it is to be amended. This is to be done by the National Assembly that has the representatives of all the federating units.
The problem in Nigeria is that our leaders have refused to apply the good provisions of the constitution and they will turn around to blame it all on the constitution. They want to create a new constitution but unless they have the right attitude to implement the new constitution, the constitution will still fail.
I think there is the need for the general public to ensure we elect the right leadership to ensure oversight functions. We should hold our leaders to account. People stand against white elephant projects like the international airport being constructed in Kebbi State.
What’s your attitude to the agitation for power shift to the North?
When you talk of power shift, I don’t believe in it because there has been no evidence that it benefits the people. If you take the North, for instance, there is no sign that power has ever been in the region. When people talk of poverty, the people in the North are the most wretched; when people talk of education, the North is the most disadvantaged, yet the region held power for years. So, if this power does any good to a region, the North won’t suffer any deprivation today. I think what power shift does is that it is dangerously dividing Nigeria along ethnic lines. The politicians are pursing power shift as long as it satisfies their personal interest, it has nothing to do with the well-being of the people.
What then should be the right approach?
What I think is that power should reside with good people and good people abound in all parts of this country. I want to appeal to our politicians to desist from pursuing their narrow personal interest by agitating for power shift, thereby heating up the polity. They need to remember that many lives were lost to preserve the unity of this great country.
How would you score the Federal Government in terms of tackling insecurity in the land?
President Goodluck Jonathan should be treated as a war-time President. He needs the support and cooperation of all well-meaning Nigerians. This is no time for destructive political campaigns. Stakeholders should take cognisance of the fact that conflicts have dire consequences on the country. Then the President should show maturity and magnanimity in dealing with people and issues. Whatever the situation, it will be nice to see the President, in his next trip abroad, go with governors like Rotimi Amaechi and other persons in the opposition.
Talking about scoring, I’ll score the Jonathan government high up in its effort at tackling security challenges. Tackling security challenges can drown a whole government. He has done so well. If not for the security forces, the whole of Nigeria today would have been overrun by the Boko Haram insurgency. So, it is no mean achievement that this is not happening.
And on the war against corruption…
I think the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission must act decisively. When they arrested Sule Lamido’s children on account of money laundering, this kind of thing should go round the children of other governors. The agency should not create the impression Sule Lamido is being targeted because he is a member of the opposition.
Some Nigerians see Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the messiah that will liberate Nigeria from all her woes. How do you perceive him?
No doubt, Gen. Buhari has a pedigree. There is no doubt also that he has the requisite for leadership. For example, he vigorously fought against corruption. This is one reason why he has remained a favourite to many Nigerians. But it will be unfair to a country of over 150 million people to think that only one person has a monopoly of such trait.
I will stress that being a successful president will take more than the ability to prosecute and send offenders to jail; it requires both character and intellectual capacity. What Nigeria requires is zero tolerance for corruption as well as the intellectual capacity to understand very complex issues and be able to make the right decisions and follow up with implementation. To lead a complex, heterogeneous country like Nigeria, we need a consensus builder.
Your reactions so far stand you out as a highly detribalised Nigerian. What informs your broad-mindedness?
First, I thank God for the kind of family I come from. It taught me to see humanity rather than dissect human being into tribes or religions. I was brought to see common humanity that we share. What I wish for an Hausa man I wish for a Yoruba and an Igbo man.
Of course, there is also the military training. I doubt if any military officer, a regular combatant officer, will want to discriminate on the basis of religion or tribe. A true soldier does not discriminate.
Now to military matters. Politicians easily blame Nigeria’s woes on military rules in the country.Would you agree with them?
You should ask Nigerians if they are better off under politicians or under the military in the level of corruption, insecurity and other aspects of governance. It is Nigerians that should answer that question. Nigerians should judge, not politicians.
As a former governor of Kaduna State (August 1985 – June 1988), can you boast of any legacy you left behind?
When you talk of legacy, what readily comes to mind is structures, infrastructure but enduring legacy is far more than that. What Nelson Mandela is being celebrated for today are not the roads or airports he built in South Africa, he is remembered for liberating South Africa from apartheid. During my administration, I was able to win the minds of the Southern Kaduna indigenes and I made sure we removed discrimination in whatever form. That was exactly my achievement. Peace prevailed.
You were opposed to the annulment of the June 12 election; what informed your position?
When I was appointed a military governor in 1985 by the Ibrahim Babangida administration, he told me that if I found anything wrong, I should not hesitate to let him know. So, when he announced the transition-to-civil rule programme, I counselled that he should ensure that the date he fixed was sacrosanct, the date should not be changed under any circumstance. Soon after the announcement in January 1986, things started unfolding. To cut the long story short, by 1992, the primaries were about to be annulled, I wrote a letter to IBB that the election was losing credibility, that there was the need to hurry up and handover.
By December 1992, at the Chief of Army Staff Conference, I raised the issue under other matters that since we were being embarrassed, there was the need to conclude the transition programme. Gen. Sani Abacha asked me to see him in his house. I went to Abacha’s house in company of the current National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki. What General Abacha told me then was that they were all eager to see that power was handed over to civilian administration but it looked like IBB was dilly-dallying, that he didn’t want to go. But what I discovered later was that that was not correct. Anyway, we moved to the June 12 election. When the primaries of the two parties(National Republican Convention and Social Democratic Party) that was created by IBB held, and Moshood Abiola and Bashir Tofa emerged candidates, I kept putting pressure on IBB to conclude the transition and hand over but Abacha kept telling me that IBB was not committed to the election and that we should keep putting pressure on him. I kept going to IBB and he kept assuring me he was on course.
About two weeks to the election, IBB called to say that some military boys were putting pressure on him not to hand over because the Structural Adjustment Programme had not achieved results and Nigeria was in a precarious situation.
In the meantime, Abacha was saying if IBB did not hand over after the June 12 election, we should move against him, topple him and hand over to whoever wins the election.
The election was held, we realised Abiola was going to win, I dashed to Abuja, met with the chairman of the electoral commission. He told me he had received 22 states and it looked like Abiola was coasting home to victory. I pleaded with him to ensure that he announced the results. Abacha invited me. He told me that IBB would not allow the results to be announced. He said we should go ahead, topple him and hand over to the winner. He sent me on a wild goose chase; he said I should get the army boys ready for any eventuality. Of course, I went round the country, we got our boys ready. What was agreed was that the person that would announce the overthrow of Babangida would announce the result of the elections and hand over to the winner. We got all the boys in all the regional headquarters ready. Abacha said he was going to call the GOCs to let them know that the military had decided to let the winner of the June 12 to take over.
On the eve of the coup, we went for a coordinating conference, all the boys were alerted. The conference had current NSA, Col Dasuki, Col Gwadabe among other officers to coordinate the last minute of the take-over. Gen. Abacha was to join us later but he failed to appear. An officer asked me which appointment I would like to take in the new government. I replied, ‘Which government? I was told that Abacha had decided to take over power for six months before handing over to Abiola. I told them that was a very dangerous development and that I would not partake in such a plan. We reached a deadlock and I decided to go and confront Gen. Abacha. Around nine in the night, I went to Abacha’s house and I met him alone. I asked him why he changed the plan. I told him that the only reason I joined in the plot was to hand over to Abiola immediately. I told him that I knew that any coup against Babangida was like a suicide mission but I decided to join even at the cost of my life because I wanted Nigerians to know I was not part of the annulment that would plunge the country into crisis. I told him we should continue with our earlier plan. He said the problem was that Abiola could not control the country with all the problems. I told him that whatever happened I would not partake in a coup that would bring him to power.
While I was talking with him, Gen. Ahmed Abdulahi appeared. I told him that I was out of the plan. I left and radioed all those we put on the standby and told them that the coup plan had been terminated, that we were not going to continue. I told senior officers that Abacha was only trying to hoodwink us.
When that plot failed, Abacha and some other officers convinced IBB to step aside but that he should leave some trusted officers, to work with an interim government to stabilise the polity. That way, the coast was left free for Abacha to have his way.
Copyright PUNCH.
In this interview, a former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, comments on burning national issues and tells the untold story of the June 12 election annulment, in this interview with GODWIN OFULUE
What do you think is the cause of the Boko Haram insurgency?
In discussing Boko Haram, I will talk of the general insecurity in the country. Everything is happening in other countries and Nigeria is facing its security challenges; Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, robbery, oil theft, Niger Delta militancy, phenomenal piracy on our seas and youth restiveness. And a new development, which we are not paying attention to is the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes that are engulfing the northern part of Nigeria. Cattle stealing has led to many deaths in that part of the country. These are the major security issues affecting the country; they are responsible for the seeming inability to deal decisively with the challenges. It is difficult to know how to solve a problem if one doesn’t know the cause.
In the case of Boko Haram, for example, it is very difficult to understand the inspiration of their dastardly acts. What could have made a person approach some people to engage in the killing of innocent school kids? Why are innocent people being slaughtered? Where is the religious justification for throwing bombs at churches and mosques; killing and maiming worshippers? Such acts are senselessness and irrational. There are some supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan who believe that the Boko Haram insurgency is the creation of some northern politicians, claiming that they threatened to make the country ungovernable for the President; that it’s the punishment for his failure to abide by the Peoples Democratic Party’s zoning agreement, which denied the North the presidency. There was war during his (Jonathan) completion of late President Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and you’ll agree that this war still persists, with the heavy impact of the insurgency of the socio-economic life, particularly in the north-eastern part of Nigeria where there has been a state of emergency in the past six months.
There are some northern politicians who benefit from the insurgency that has taken the live of a respected elder like Gen. Shuwa; almost led to the assassination of Shehu of Borno and the Emir of Kano. Also, there are some northern politicians who claim that Boko Haram is non-existent; that if anything, the Jonathan administration can be using security agents to tackle them so that he can continue to rule beyond 2015. With all these senseless killings, it is difficult to achieve a unity of purpose in the fight against the insurgency.
When you take the issue of the Niger Delta militancy, the struggle started with the agitation for clean environment and equitable distribution of petroleum resources. But it was hijacked by criminal elements, whose major motive was personal enrichment; oil bunkering, pipeline bursting, which led to further degradation of the environment. The Niger Delta youths also moved into piracy and oil theft. One can generalise by saying that our security challenges are as a result of corruption at the centre. For example, most of the Boko Haram members are youths that could have been valuable to the country; they have nothing to aspire to and nothing to lose. As James Baldwin rightly observed, the most dangerous person is he who has nothing to lose. When we say there is so much deprivation, anger, insecurity, and we find them very strange, the Boko Haram members are used to it. It is a way of life to them, which they want to fight. When we look at the Niger Delta militants, they were chaps that were unemployed and they watched helplessly how their oil resources were being cornered by irresponsible, greedy, reckless and immodest elites. When they (militants) saw the kind of structures in Abuja, they envied the elites who had such structures and resorted to self help through militancy, oil theft and so on. Of course, in our kind of democracy, about 70 per cent of our oil revenue is devoted to recurrent expenditure; it is devoted to indolent public servants, 85 per cent of which is for salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly. You remember that (the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria) Lamido Sanusi had to confront the lawmakers.
What is the solution to all these?
The solution is good governance. Our politicians should be more responsible and bring down the level of corruption. No country can survive with the prevailing rot in Nigeria. It is a major cause for concern. Unfortunately, all our efforts at confronting the security challenges are breeding more insecurity in the sense that if we deploy security forces, especially at the roadblocks, they demand and accept bribes and let you go. When you look at the number of security operatives doing this, you see that it is going to be very difficult to address the security challenges.
For the northern part of the country, some people believe that building more Almajiri schools will stamp out insurgency. Do you agree?
Of course, no. It is not just enough to go to school; when you go to school, you also need to find employment. They say idle mind is the devil’s workshop – it is good to send them to school, they will be enlightened and understand the message of government. But if they cannot be gainfully employed, then what you would have succeeded in educating them in is the tricks being deployed by public servants to enrich themselves. I don’t believe that establishing Almajiri schools is the solution to our problems per se. It is a misconception of the situation in the country. Poverty is in all sections and parts of this country. While you find the Almajiris in the North, you’ll find kidnappers in the South. There are areas where there is prevalence of prostitution and other anti-social behaviours. Let us first look at poverty holistically; it is only in the North. Northern leaders keep crying (poverty) because they want more resources to accrue to the North. When you look at the Fulani herdsmen/farmers clash, I expect the northern governors to sit and look at ways of creating game reserves for the Fulani. As long as you allow them to continue to walk about indiscriminately, there will be conflicts.
Northern states governors should do what has been done before; they should provide more graving lands for herdsmen. Also, I was listening to a commissioner in Plateau State who was expressing his helplessness in providing security for the Fulani because, according to him, it was very difficult for security forces to access the places the herdsmen were. That is a very weird thinking. Security personnel should be able to penetrate all the nooks and crannies of the country. When you look at kidnappings, robberies and oil thefts, they’re all about this culture of get-rich-quick-by-all-mean, which was created by the political leaders.
Recently, the United States of America designated Boko Haram and Ansaru as terrorist groups and Federal Government welcomed it. Would it solve the problem?
I don’t know what America planned to do with that declaration. If it means supporting the Federal Government in the fight against the insurgency, of course, I will welcome the development. I know that the US has the resources and means to engage in war against insurgency. If that is the idea, then, it is a welcome development.
Many people believe that a national conference is the solution to our problems, including insecurity. What is your take on this?
With all the noise for and against the convocation of a national conference or whatever name it is called, there is a need to hold one, to satisfy the yearning of its proponents and to disabuse the minds of those that believe that the conference would lead to disintegration. I have never been a proponent of the national conference for the fact that past conferences have done nothing to ensure good governance. I have yet to see a better mode of representation than the elected members of the National Assembly. All the federating units are represented at the Assembly. If these representatives cannot do what the conference would do – to sit and discuss pressing issues like resource control, power sharing, that will amount to a constitution amendment. The constitution has a provision for how it is to be amended. This is to be done by the National Assembly that has the representatives of all the federating units.
The problem in Nigeria is that our leaders have refused to apply the good provisions of the constitution and they will turn around to blame it all on the constitution. They want to create a new constitution but unless they have the right attitude to implement the new constitution, the constitution will still fail.
I think there is the need for the general public to ensure we elect the right leadership to ensure oversight functions. We should hold our leaders to account. People stand against white elephant projects like the international airport being constructed in Kebbi State.
What’s your attitude to the agitation for power shift to the North?
When you talk of power shift, I don’t believe in it because there has been no evidence that it benefits the people. If you take the North, for instance, there is no sign that power has ever been in the region. When people talk of poverty, the people in the North are the most wretched; when people talk of education, the North is the most disadvantaged, yet the region held power for years. So, if this power does any good to a region, the North won’t suffer any deprivation today. I think what power shift does is that it is dangerously dividing Nigeria along ethnic lines. The politicians are pursing power shift as long as it satisfies their personal interest, it has nothing to do with the well-being of the people.
What then should be the right approach?
What I think is that power should reside with good people and good people abound in all parts of this country. I want to appeal to our politicians to desist from pursuing their narrow personal interest by agitating for power shift, thereby heating up the polity. They need to remember that many lives were lost to preserve the unity of this great country.
How would you score the Federal Government in terms of tackling insecurity in the land?
President Goodluck Jonathan should be treated as a war-time President. He needs the support and cooperation of all well-meaning Nigerians. This is no time for destructive political campaigns. Stakeholders should take cognisance of the fact that conflicts have dire consequences on the country. Then the President should show maturity and magnanimity in dealing with people and issues. Whatever the situation, it will be nice to see the President, in his next trip abroad, go with governors like Rotimi Amaechi and other persons in the opposition.
Talking about scoring, I’ll score the Jonathan government high up in its effort at tackling security challenges. Tackling security challenges can drown a whole government. He has done so well. If not for the security forces, the whole of Nigeria today would have been overrun by the Boko Haram insurgency. So, it is no mean achievement that this is not happening.
And on the war against corruption…
I think the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission must act decisively. When they arrested Sule Lamido’s children on account of money laundering, this kind of thing should go round the children of other governors. The agency should not create the impression Sule Lamido is being targeted because he is a member of the opposition.
Some Nigerians see Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the messiah that will liberate Nigeria from all her woes. How do you perceive him?
No doubt, Gen. Buhari has a pedigree. There is no doubt also that he has the requisite for leadership. For example, he vigorously fought against corruption. This is one reason why he has remained a favourite to many Nigerians. But it will be unfair to a country of over 150 million people to think that only one person has a monopoly of such trait.
I will stress that being a successful president will take more than the ability to prosecute and send offenders to jail; it requires both character and intellectual capacity. What Nigeria requires is zero tolerance for corruption as well as the intellectual capacity to understand very complex issues and be able to make the right decisions and follow up with implementation. To lead a complex, heterogeneous country like Nigeria, we need a consensus builder.
Your reactions so far stand you out as a highly detribalised Nigerian. What informs your broad-mindedness?
First, I thank God for the kind of family I come from. It taught me to see humanity rather than dissect human being into tribes or religions. I was brought to see common humanity that we share. What I wish for an Hausa man I wish for a Yoruba and an Igbo man.
Of course, there is also the military training. I doubt if any military officer, a regular combatant officer, will want to discriminate on the basis of religion or tribe. A true soldier does not discriminate.
Now to military matters. Politicians easily blame Nigeria’s woes on military rules in the country.Would you agree with them?
You should ask Nigerians if they are better off under politicians or under the military in the level of corruption, insecurity and other aspects of governance. It is Nigerians that should answer that question. Nigerians should judge, not politicians.
As a former governor of Kaduna State (August 1985 – June 1988), can you boast of any legacy you left behind?
When you talk of legacy, what readily comes to mind is structures, infrastructure but enduring legacy is far more than that. What Nelson Mandela is being celebrated for today are not the roads or airports he built in South Africa, he is remembered for liberating South Africa from apartheid. During my administration, I was able to win the minds of the Southern Kaduna indigenes and I made sure we removed discrimination in whatever form. That was exactly my achievement. Peace prevailed.
You were opposed to the annulment of the June 12 election; what informed your position?
When I was appointed a military governor in 1985 by the Ibrahim Babangida administration, he told me that if I found anything wrong, I should not hesitate to let him know. So, when he announced the transition-to-civil rule programme, I counselled that he should ensure that the date he fixed was sacrosanct, the date should not be changed under any circumstance. Soon after the announcement in January 1986, things started unfolding. To cut the long story short, by 1992, the primaries were about to be annulled, I wrote a letter to IBB that the election was losing credibility, that there was the need to hurry up and handover.
By December 1992, at the Chief of Army Staff Conference, I raised the issue under other matters that since we were being embarrassed, there was the need to conclude the transition programme. Gen. Sani Abacha asked me to see him in his house. I went to Abacha’s house in company of the current National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki. What General Abacha told me then was that they were all eager to see that power was handed over to civilian administration but it looked like IBB was dilly-dallying, that he didn’t want to go. But what I discovered later was that that was not correct. Anyway, we moved to the June 12 election. When the primaries of the two parties(National Republican Convention and Social Democratic Party) that was created by IBB held, and Moshood Abiola and Bashir Tofa emerged candidates, I kept putting pressure on IBB to conclude the transition and hand over but Abacha kept telling me that IBB was not committed to the election and that we should keep putting pressure on him. I kept going to IBB and he kept assuring me he was on course.
About two weeks to the election, IBB called to say that some military boys were putting pressure on him not to hand over because the Structural Adjustment Programme had not achieved results and Nigeria was in a precarious situation.
In the meantime, Abacha was saying if IBB did not hand over after the June 12 election, we should move against him, topple him and hand over to whoever wins the election.
The election was held, we realised Abiola was going to win, I dashed to Abuja, met with the chairman of the electoral commission. He told me he had received 22 states and it looked like Abiola was coasting home to victory. I pleaded with him to ensure that he announced the results. Abacha invited me. He told me that IBB would not allow the results to be announced. He said we should go ahead, topple him and hand over to the winner. He sent me on a wild goose chase; he said I should get the army boys ready for any eventuality. Of course, I went round the country, we got our boys ready. What was agreed was that the person that would announce the overthrow of Babangida would announce the result of the elections and hand over to the winner. We got all the boys in all the regional headquarters ready. Abacha said he was going to call the GOCs to let them know that the military had decided to let the winner of the June 12 to take over.
On the eve of the coup, we went for a coordinating conference, all the boys were alerted. The conference had current NSA, Col Dasuki, Col Gwadabe among other officers to coordinate the last minute of the take-over. Gen. Abacha was to join us later but he failed to appear. An officer asked me which appointment I would like to take in the new government. I replied, ‘Which government? I was told that Abacha had decided to take over power for six months before handing over to Abiola. I told them that was a very dangerous development and that I would not partake in such a plan. We reached a deadlock and I decided to go and confront Gen. Abacha. Around nine in the night, I went to Abacha’s house and I met him alone. I asked him why he changed the plan. I told him that the only reason I joined in the plot was to hand over to Abiola immediately. I told him that I knew that any coup against Babangida was like a suicide mission but I decided to join even at the cost of my life because I wanted Nigerians to know I was not part of the annulment that would plunge the country into crisis. I told him we should continue with our earlier plan. He said the problem was that Abiola could not control the country with all the problems. I told him that whatever happened I would not partake in a coup that would bring him to power.
While I was talking with him, Gen. Ahmed Abdulahi appeared. I told him that I was out of the plan. I left and radioed all those we put on the standby and told them that the coup plan had been terminated, that we were not going to continue. I told senior officers that Abacha was only trying to hoodwink us.
When that plot failed, Abacha and some other officers convinced IBB to step aside but that he should leave some trusted officers, to work with an interim government to stabilise the polity. That way, the coast was left free for Abacha to have his way.
Copyright PUNCH.
Obiano wins Anambra governorship election
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr. Willie Obiano, has been declared the winner in the Anambra State governorship election.
Obiano scored 180,178 to beat the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, to the second position with 97,700 votes and Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, who came third with 95,963.
The Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, came fourth with 37,495.
The formal declaration was made by the Chief Returning Officer, Prof. James Epoke, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar around 1 am on Sunday.
The declaration of the winner brought to an end a long-running and controversial process of electing a new governor for Anambra State.
The entire process of electing the new governor was dogged by controversy as three of the major political parties that fielded candidates called for its cancellation and vowed to boycott the supplementary election.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who admitted the errors committed in the election, apologised to the nation but said the errors were not substantial enough to warrant the cancellation of the entire exercise.
The supplementary election was eventually held on Saturday but was characterised by low turnout. The Agbaja Polling Unit 22 in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area, which has a voting population of 739, for instance, had only 24 candidates accredited and 20 of them voting in the supplementary election.
The main election, which held on November 16, could not be concluded on the same day and INEC announced that election in 65 polling units in Obosi ward in Idemili North Local Government Area would be repeated.
The Chief Returning Officer said the voting population in the areas where election did not take place was large enough to make the second or third person defeat the leading candidate. He, therefore, declared the election inconclusive.
Following the development, INEC declared that supplementary election would in 210 polling units, where 113,113 voters could not vote on November 16. The areas affected cut across 15 local government areas and most of them (160)were in Idemili North.
Epoke said the Electoral Act required that for a winner to be declared in an election, the difference in the total voting population of the areas where election was cancelled should be less than the difference between the votes scored by the candidate with the highest votes and the votes of the candidate with the second highest votes.
The returning officer had reported that the total voting population in the areas where election was cancelled was 113,113, which was higher than the 79,754 difference between the leading candidate’s votes and the second highest candidate’s votes, saying the commission had no choice but to declare the election inconclusive.
“The rule guiding this election is that for a winner to emerge, he must have majority of votes cast and the required spread of 25 per cent of votes in two thirds of the local government areas.
“We observed that due to many reasons, there were a lot of cancelled votes that made it difficult for a winner to emerge,” Epoke said.
He said the winner of the election would be declared only after election has been conducted in areas where the election was cancelled.
In declaring Obiano winner, Epoke said the APGA candidate did not only win the majority of the votes cast, but also fulfilled the requirement that the winner should score 25 per cent of the total votes cast in two thirds of the local governments in the state, in Anambra’s case 14 local government areas.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Commissioner in Rivers State, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, has commended the people of Anambra for coming out to vote in Saturday’s supplementary governorship election.
The electoral commissioner, who supervised the election in Onitsha South and Onitsha North council areas, spoke at Okija hall, where voting took place in four polling units.
“The important thing here is that for so many places where I have visited, the party agents were there, especially those of the major parties.
“It is a clear indication that there had not been any boycott of the election by any of the parties.
“The people were interested in completing this exercise so that at the end of the day, their governor would be announced to them,’’ he said.
Ikoiwak said NEC directed its poll officers to display the Form 60E on the day of the exercise, which would show that the election had been completed peacefully.
“You cannot display that form if you do not have a conducive environment.
“And that form would display the result in each unit for members of the public to copy and know what happened in the unit,’’ he said.
Copyright PUNCH.
Obiano scored 180,178 to beat the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, to the second position with 97,700 votes and Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, who came third with 95,963.
The Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, came fourth with 37,495.
The formal declaration was made by the Chief Returning Officer, Prof. James Epoke, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar around 1 am on Sunday.
The declaration of the winner brought to an end a long-running and controversial process of electing a new governor for Anambra State.
The entire process of electing the new governor was dogged by controversy as three of the major political parties that fielded candidates called for its cancellation and vowed to boycott the supplementary election.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who admitted the errors committed in the election, apologised to the nation but said the errors were not substantial enough to warrant the cancellation of the entire exercise.
The supplementary election was eventually held on Saturday but was characterised by low turnout. The Agbaja Polling Unit 22 in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area, which has a voting population of 739, for instance, had only 24 candidates accredited and 20 of them voting in the supplementary election.
The main election, which held on November 16, could not be concluded on the same day and INEC announced that election in 65 polling units in Obosi ward in Idemili North Local Government Area would be repeated.
The Chief Returning Officer said the voting population in the areas where election did not take place was large enough to make the second or third person defeat the leading candidate. He, therefore, declared the election inconclusive.
Following the development, INEC declared that supplementary election would in 210 polling units, where 113,113 voters could not vote on November 16. The areas affected cut across 15 local government areas and most of them (160)were in Idemili North.
Epoke said the Electoral Act required that for a winner to be declared in an election, the difference in the total voting population of the areas where election was cancelled should be less than the difference between the votes scored by the candidate with the highest votes and the votes of the candidate with the second highest votes.
The returning officer had reported that the total voting population in the areas where election was cancelled was 113,113, which was higher than the 79,754 difference between the leading candidate’s votes and the second highest candidate’s votes, saying the commission had no choice but to declare the election inconclusive.
“The rule guiding this election is that for a winner to emerge, he must have majority of votes cast and the required spread of 25 per cent of votes in two thirds of the local government areas.
“We observed that due to many reasons, there were a lot of cancelled votes that made it difficult for a winner to emerge,” Epoke said.
He said the winner of the election would be declared only after election has been conducted in areas where the election was cancelled.
In declaring Obiano winner, Epoke said the APGA candidate did not only win the majority of the votes cast, but also fulfilled the requirement that the winner should score 25 per cent of the total votes cast in two thirds of the local governments in the state, in Anambra’s case 14 local government areas.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission Resident Commissioner in Rivers State, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, has commended the people of Anambra for coming out to vote in Saturday’s supplementary governorship election.
The electoral commissioner, who supervised the election in Onitsha South and Onitsha North council areas, spoke at Okija hall, where voting took place in four polling units.
“The important thing here is that for so many places where I have visited, the party agents were there, especially those of the major parties.
“It is a clear indication that there had not been any boycott of the election by any of the parties.
“The people were interested in completing this exercise so that at the end of the day, their governor would be announced to them,’’ he said.
Ikoiwak said NEC directed its poll officers to display the Form 60E on the day of the exercise, which would show that the election had been completed peacefully.
“You cannot display that form if you do not have a conducive environment.
“And that form would display the result in each unit for members of the public to copy and know what happened in the unit,’’ he said.
Copyright PUNCH.
Liverpool ready to splash £7m on Moses
Liverpool are keen on securing a permanent deal for Chelsea winger Victor Moses, reports The Metro.
The Reds took the 22-year-old on loan from the Blues in the past transfer window and, despite the Nigerian star in-and-out of the team at Anfield, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to keep him for the long term.
It’s thought the Merseyside outfit will have to pay their Premier League rivals £7m for his long term services.
Moses however, will be looking for more opportunities at the Anfield outfit before he decides to leave Chelsea for good.
The winger struggled for opportunities at Stamford Bridge and with Jose Mourinho in charge at Chelsea, it’s unlikely he will get many opportunities in the future.
And with Liverpool ready to keep him at the club, Moses may now see his long term future on Merseyside, if he is given more opportunities to shine.
Liverpool currently sit above Moses’ parent club in the table as both clubs go in search of glory this season.
Moses hope he can perform better if given more opportunities at Anfield, and he expresses his delight at playing under Rogers who has a great deal of his respect and admiration.
“He’s a great manager to play under,” Moses told reporters. “He’s very clear with the players. He knows what he wants us to do.
“There’s a winning mentality, but he also realises that if we are enjoying ourselves, we’re likely to do better. I’ve known him since I was 16 – when I was at Palace and he was at Chelsea.
“He really wanted me to go there. I said no a few times. I thought Palace was the best place for me at that time. But he never forgot about me.
“I was delighted when he came in for me again. There were a few clubs interesting in taking me, but when I heard about Liverpool, my decision was made straightaway.”
Copyright PUNCH.
The Reds took the 22-year-old on loan from the Blues in the past transfer window and, despite the Nigerian star in-and-out of the team at Anfield, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to keep him for the long term.
It’s thought the Merseyside outfit will have to pay their Premier League rivals £7m for his long term services.
Moses however, will be looking for more opportunities at the Anfield outfit before he decides to leave Chelsea for good.
The winger struggled for opportunities at Stamford Bridge and with Jose Mourinho in charge at Chelsea, it’s unlikely he will get many opportunities in the future.
And with Liverpool ready to keep him at the club, Moses may now see his long term future on Merseyside, if he is given more opportunities to shine.
Liverpool currently sit above Moses’ parent club in the table as both clubs go in search of glory this season.
Moses hope he can perform better if given more opportunities at Anfield, and he expresses his delight at playing under Rogers who has a great deal of his respect and admiration.
“He’s a great manager to play under,” Moses told reporters. “He’s very clear with the players. He knows what he wants us to do.
“There’s a winning mentality, but he also realises that if we are enjoying ourselves, we’re likely to do better. I’ve known him since I was 16 – when I was at Palace and he was at Chelsea.
“He really wanted me to go there. I said no a few times. I thought Palace was the best place for me at that time. But he never forgot about me.
“I was delighted when he came in for me again. There were a few clubs interesting in taking me, but when I heard about Liverpool, my decision was made straightaway.”
Copyright PUNCH.
ASUU strike, a rebellion — Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan says the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since July 1, 2013 over the non-implementation of 2009 agreement with the Federal Government is no longer a trade dispute but a subversive action.
Jonathan said this at the Peoples Democratic Party state caucus meeting at the Government House, Yenagoa. The meeting, presided over by the party chairman in the state, Col. Samuel Inokoba (retd), started late on Friday and ended on Saturday.
The President was reacting to a plea by a former governor of the state, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyesigha, on the December 4 deadline given to ASUU to call off its strike or be sacked.
Alamieyesigha noted that the same date was fixed for the burial of late Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in a road accident in Kogi State on November 12, en route Kano for the national executive council.
The NEC meeting was meant to deliberate on the latest government offer after meeting with Jonathan on November 4 to the early hours of November 5.
The former governor, who is also the Chairman Elders Advisory Forum in the state, urged the President to reconsider the date in order not to be seen as insensitive.
President Jonathan said despite holding the longest meeting in his political career with all the highest officers in his administration present including the Vice-President, Minister of Finance, Minister of Labour, Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the Government and the delegation from the Nigeria Labour Congress, ASUU did not deem it fit to reconsider its stance.
Jonathan said, “What ASUU is doing is no longer trade union. I have intervened in other labour issues before now, once I invite them, they respond and after the meeting they take decision and call off the strike.
“At times, we don’t even give them a long notice unlike in the case of ASUU that was given four days notice before the meeting. As you are meeting to resolve trade disputes, you expect the trade unions to get their officials ready. What was expected having met with the highest authorities in the land for long hours, was for ASUU to immediately issue a statement within 12 or latest 24 hours to state their position whether they were accepting government’s offer or not. And if they are not accepting, they state the reason for that.
“But despite the fact that I had the longest meeting with ASUU in my political history, we did not start that meeting until around 2 pm and the meeting ended the next day in the early hours of the morning. As far as the government of Nigeria was concerned, all the critical people that should be in a meeting were there, so what else do they want?
He added, “After that, they didn’t meet until one week, despite the fact that you met with the highest authority. It was unfortunate one of them, Prof. Iyayi died.
“The way ASUU has conducted the matter shows they are extreme and when Iyayi died, they now said the strike was now indefinite, our children have been at home for over five months.
“We didn’t give them ultimatum; it was the Committee of Vice Chancellors that took that decision. The supervising minister of education only passed on the decision. What ASUU is doing is no longer trade dispute but subversive action. But like you rightly noted so that we will not be perceived to be insensitive, we will consult on the deadline.”
The Federal Government had on Thursday given ASUU one week ultimatum to call off strike or consider themselves sacked.
Meanwhile,the Academic Staff Union of Universities has dared the Federal Government to reopen the universities.
The ASUU chairman at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.
The ASUU chairman said members of the union were unfazed by the deployment of troops to varsities.
The don said he was not sure that the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had the consent of President Goodluck Jonathan before issuing the ultimatum.
He stated that the union did not shut the universities but just withdrew services of its members to press home their demands that government should take steps to reverse the decay in the public universities.
Copyright PUNCH.
Jonathan said this at the Peoples Democratic Party state caucus meeting at the Government House, Yenagoa. The meeting, presided over by the party chairman in the state, Col. Samuel Inokoba (retd), started late on Friday and ended on Saturday.
The President was reacting to a plea by a former governor of the state, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyesigha, on the December 4 deadline given to ASUU to call off its strike or be sacked.
Alamieyesigha noted that the same date was fixed for the burial of late Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in a road accident in Kogi State on November 12, en route Kano for the national executive council.
The NEC meeting was meant to deliberate on the latest government offer after meeting with Jonathan on November 4 to the early hours of November 5.
The former governor, who is also the Chairman Elders Advisory Forum in the state, urged the President to reconsider the date in order not to be seen as insensitive.
President Jonathan said despite holding the longest meeting in his political career with all the highest officers in his administration present including the Vice-President, Minister of Finance, Minister of Labour, Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the Government and the delegation from the Nigeria Labour Congress, ASUU did not deem it fit to reconsider its stance.
Jonathan said, “What ASUU is doing is no longer trade union. I have intervened in other labour issues before now, once I invite them, they respond and after the meeting they take decision and call off the strike.
“At times, we don’t even give them a long notice unlike in the case of ASUU that was given four days notice before the meeting. As you are meeting to resolve trade disputes, you expect the trade unions to get their officials ready. What was expected having met with the highest authorities in the land for long hours, was for ASUU to immediately issue a statement within 12 or latest 24 hours to state their position whether they were accepting government’s offer or not. And if they are not accepting, they state the reason for that.
“But despite the fact that I had the longest meeting with ASUU in my political history, we did not start that meeting until around 2 pm and the meeting ended the next day in the early hours of the morning. As far as the government of Nigeria was concerned, all the critical people that should be in a meeting were there, so what else do they want?
He added, “After that, they didn’t meet until one week, despite the fact that you met with the highest authority. It was unfortunate one of them, Prof. Iyayi died.
“The way ASUU has conducted the matter shows they are extreme and when Iyayi died, they now said the strike was now indefinite, our children have been at home for over five months.
“We didn’t give them ultimatum; it was the Committee of Vice Chancellors that took that decision. The supervising minister of education only passed on the decision. What ASUU is doing is no longer trade dispute but subversive action. But like you rightly noted so that we will not be perceived to be insensitive, we will consult on the deadline.”
The Federal Government had on Thursday given ASUU one week ultimatum to call off strike or consider themselves sacked.
Meanwhile,the Academic Staff Union of Universities has dared the Federal Government to reopen the universities.
The ASUU chairman at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, said this in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.
The ASUU chairman said members of the union were unfazed by the deployment of troops to varsities.
The don said he was not sure that the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had the consent of President Goodluck Jonathan before issuing the ultimatum.
He stated that the union did not shut the universities but just withdrew services of its members to press home their demands that government should take steps to reverse the decay in the public universities.
Copyright PUNCH.
Police stall Saraki’s political gathering
Riot policemen on Saturday stalled a proposed political gathering in Ilorin where a former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was billed to address his supporters.
The policemen took over the secretariat of the erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party that was loyal to Saraki. They also blocked all roads leading to the secretariat at Nupe Road of the Government Reservation Area, Ilorin.
Some members of the Saraki faction of PDP, New PDP, had defected to the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State.
The secretariat is being claimed by members of the mainstream PDP in the state following the defection of the new PDP to APC.
Scores of mobile police vans loaded with armed mobile policemen were seen at the secretariat.
The PDP had laid claim to the ownership of the secretariat while the erstwhile Chairman of the new PDP, Mr. Ishola Fulani-Balogun, had said the rent of the secretariat was paid in his name.
The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olufemi Fabode, who was also at the secretariat told journalists that the policemen were there to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
He warned that the secretariat would be sealed off and advised the two claimants to go to court to settle the right ownership of the secretariat.
Copyright PUNCH.
PDP plots five rebel govs’ impeachment
The Peoples Democratic Party is plotting to influence state lawmakers to impeach five governors who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress last week.
SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigations in Abuja on Friday showed that the ruling party would soon set up committees to lobby members of the houses of assembly to impeach the governors.
The governors who defected are Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara; Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State.
However, Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his Jigawa State counterpart, Sule Lamido, who are also among the PDP rebel governors, said that they had not left the ruling party. Nevertheless, the two governors have remained vocal about their displeasure with the state of the PDP.
It was learnt that the committee in each of the states would work out modalities to get members of the houses of assembly loyal to the PDP to move against the five governors.
It was also gathered that the impeachment plot, which members of the National Working Committee, had been considering since the governors joined the APC on Tuesday, would be formally adopted at the committee’s emergency meeting on Monday.
In addition to lobbying for the removal of the governors, the committees are also to be tasked with the responsibilities of ensuring that the PDP members in the state houses of assembly remain in the party.
Then again, a senior party official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the party had not completely shut its door against the governors who defected. It was learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan, at today’s (Sunday) meeting with the rebel governors’, would appeal to those who had defected to the APC to change their minds. But the source added that the impeachment plan would be set in motion if the President’s appeal was not heeded.
The source said, “This plan is going to form part of the deliberations during the emergency meeting of the party’s National Working Committee on Monday.
“The plan is to set up a committee made up of trusted members of the party in the affected states to identify loyal party members in the houses of assembly to maintain the party’s hold. These governors cannot have their cake and eat it.
“If we are able to get the majority of the lawmakers in any of the states to support us, the house of assembly in such a state will commence impeachment proceedings against the state governor.”
The party confirmed to one of our reporters that it was considering how to deal with those who used its platform to get to office and later ditched it.
The National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwom, who disclosed this via the telephone, on Thursday, said the party had not foreclosed any of the options available to it.
While responding to inquiries on whether the party would seek the removal of the affected governors from office, Kwom said “We have not foreclosed any angle on this matter. We are considering all options.”
When contacted, spokesman for the Sokoto State governor, Mr. Sani Umar, said his principal was out of the country, adding that he was not in a position to respond to any inquiry on the issue.
His counterpart in Adamawa State, Ahmad Sajoh, on behalf of Governor Murtala Nyako said, “Everyone has a destiny and it walks towards you. You cannot change it. Let them do their worst and God will choose the best for the faithful.”
The spokesman for the Kano State governor, Baba Dantiye said, “Let’s wait and see what happens on Sunday.”
The Presidency however, said President Goodluck Jonathan was not interested in removing any governor. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents, on Friday.
The presidential aide said, “Mr. President is not interested in removing any governor from office. He is a democrat who believes strongly in the liberty of individuals to join any political party of their choice.
“The President has said many times that he is open to peace talks but he will not force anybody to remain in the party.
“If you no longer like the party, you can leave but what we are telling them is that there is nothing outside the party. They can ask those who left before them and had to return.
“If they leave the PDP, there are people who are willing to take over the party structures in their states and build them to formidable levels.
Reacting to the impeachment moves, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said: “Of course we are not in doubt that the PDP/Presidency will now unleash all its formidable persecuting agencies such as the police, EFCC, ICPC, FCT planning authorities etc, to destabilise these governors.
“The governors of these five states enjoy the confidences of their various legislative houses and as such there is absolutely no fear of impeachment. However, we are convinced that the PDP/Presidency will foment trouble in those states to create chaos and declare state of emergency but I can assure you they won’t succeed.
“Rest assured that any attempt by the PDP/Presidency to thwart or frustrate the fusion will be gallantly resisted by us.”
In the same vein, the spokesperson of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, said there was no way the governors could be removed.
Eze said though he heard about the moves by the Tukur-led PDP, to consider the legal option, he expressed optimism that such an attempt would fail.
Eze said, “We have heard that. It won’t work at all, and that is the truth. Don’t forget that the PDP itself had benefitted from other political parties when it threw its doors open to other governors from both the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Progressive People’s Alliance. So, it is payback time.
“The PDP is now reaping from the fruit it planted. We are now serving them from the food they cooked, and in bigger measure.”
Besides, Eze said that the Supreme Court had settled the issue in the case of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Federal Government when the former VP left the ruling party to contest the presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2007.
“So any case the PDP files against these distinguished Nigerians would end up as an academic exercise,” Eze added.
Copyright PUNCH.
Crisis Brews In OAU As Academic Staff Protest Board’s Imposition Of “HND Holder” As Acting Director
Members of the academic staff of the National Center for Technology Management (NACETEM), a research institute located on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, have decried the forceful imposition of a holder of the Higher National Diploma as the acting director general.
The staff members questioned the board’s appointment of Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad as the acting Director General/CEO after the exit of the last DG, Willie Siyanbola. The protesting staff expressed dismay over the appointment of Mr. Muhammad, whom they described as having no qualification in research or technology, adding that such qualification ought to be requisite.
In a solidarity press conference, the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) called on the Federal Government to intervene by reversing the appointment in order to save the institution from crisis. The union threatened a series protests at OAU and outside if the government failed to intervene.
“NACETEM is an agency that provides critical knowledge support in the area of science, technology and innovation (STI) management. The agency’s activities span human capacity building, policy research and consultancy services in STI management,” the union said. It criticized the imposition of a DG with no background in either technology administration or in research.
The union admitted that Mr. Muhammad is the oldest staff after the former DG, but insisted that it was wrong to use seniority as the criterion in appointing the institute’s leader.
The union’s statement added: “The Board, in its own wisdom, has nominated Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad, an administrator and a HND holder in accountancy, to superintend over a research institute that has at least 10 PhD holders and over 30 Masters Degree holders in its fold. Being the most senior in terms of rank, the officer ordinarily would have been made to act. But the peculiarity of the agency’s mandate requires a seasoned academic which the agency has in large supply.”
The union condemned the appointment of “an incompetent and unacceptable headship for NACETEM by the governing board.”
The union accused the agency’s new board of modifying its statutes in order to clear the way for the appointment of the new acting director, adding that Mr. Muhammad played a role in doctoring the statutes.
“To our surprise, an abridged version of the draft enabling law, sponsored solely by Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad, was considered by this same governing board at its special board meeting held in Abuja on 20th November, 2013. We [would] like to draw your attention to the fact that major elements of the initial draft enabling law which had been considered by various offices and the management team of NACETEM have been put aside,” the statement asserted.
ASURI alleged that Mr. Muhammad had introduced some changes into the laws to facilitate his eventual appointment as NACETEM’s substantive DG. The union stated that some of the irregularities that arose from changes made by Mr. Muhammad include composition of the governing board, the requirements for the position of the DG/CEO, the functions and mandates of the agency, and the removal of the power of the agency to award postgraduate certificates and degrees.
According to the union, the “abridged enabling law” reportedly made by Mr. Muhammad also ceded some powers and sole responsibility of the DG/CEO to the board. The ceded powers include the responsibility to set up guidelines, regulate and manage NACETEM funds, ratify appointments as well as termination and dismissal of junior staff of the agency.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source at the institution alleged that Mr. Muhammad’s appointment was part of a strategy by a former administrator to cover up some mismanagement and misdeeds at the agency.
NACETEM staff charged that the board, in a desperate move to push through Mr. Muhammad’s appointment before its ratification, his name was hurriedly used in a national daily newspaper as the acting DG.
“It was also observed with utmost surprise that a publication on page 34 of the Vanguard of Monday, 25th November, 2013 portrayed Mr. Yusuf Muhammad as the new Acting Director-General of the agency when there [was] no approval to that effect. In fact, what the paper published as an appointment was merely a proposal by the governing board, which was not acceptable to ASURI and a host of other members of staff. This is seen as a collective insult on the psyche of the agency and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of the agency which has been built up over the years,” the protesting staff stated.
In a letter to Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Ms. Omobola Johnson, who also oversees the Ministry of Science and Technology, the union demanded that a candidate with a PhD in Technology Management, Sciences, Engineering or Social Sciences be appointed as the new acting Director-General in order to avert a crisis.
The statement also called for a new board composed of technocrats and at least a south westerner. The union gave a two-day ultimatum for their demands to be met.
sahara reporters
The staff members questioned the board’s appointment of Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad as the acting Director General/CEO after the exit of the last DG, Willie Siyanbola. The protesting staff expressed dismay over the appointment of Mr. Muhammad, whom they described as having no qualification in research or technology, adding that such qualification ought to be requisite.
In a solidarity press conference, the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) called on the Federal Government to intervene by reversing the appointment in order to save the institution from crisis. The union threatened a series protests at OAU and outside if the government failed to intervene.
“NACETEM is an agency that provides critical knowledge support in the area of science, technology and innovation (STI) management. The agency’s activities span human capacity building, policy research and consultancy services in STI management,” the union said. It criticized the imposition of a DG with no background in either technology administration or in research.
The union admitted that Mr. Muhammad is the oldest staff after the former DG, but insisted that it was wrong to use seniority as the criterion in appointing the institute’s leader.
The union’s statement added: “The Board, in its own wisdom, has nominated Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad, an administrator and a HND holder in accountancy, to superintend over a research institute that has at least 10 PhD holders and over 30 Masters Degree holders in its fold. Being the most senior in terms of rank, the officer ordinarily would have been made to act. But the peculiarity of the agency’s mandate requires a seasoned academic which the agency has in large supply.”
The union condemned the appointment of “an incompetent and unacceptable headship for NACETEM by the governing board.”
The union accused the agency’s new board of modifying its statutes in order to clear the way for the appointment of the new acting director, adding that Mr. Muhammad played a role in doctoring the statutes.
“To our surprise, an abridged version of the draft enabling law, sponsored solely by Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Muhammad, was considered by this same governing board at its special board meeting held in Abuja on 20th November, 2013. We [would] like to draw your attention to the fact that major elements of the initial draft enabling law which had been considered by various offices and the management team of NACETEM have been put aside,” the statement asserted.
ASURI alleged that Mr. Muhammad had introduced some changes into the laws to facilitate his eventual appointment as NACETEM’s substantive DG. The union stated that some of the irregularities that arose from changes made by Mr. Muhammad include composition of the governing board, the requirements for the position of the DG/CEO, the functions and mandates of the agency, and the removal of the power of the agency to award postgraduate certificates and degrees.
According to the union, the “abridged enabling law” reportedly made by Mr. Muhammad also ceded some powers and sole responsibility of the DG/CEO to the board. The ceded powers include the responsibility to set up guidelines, regulate and manage NACETEM funds, ratify appointments as well as termination and dismissal of junior staff of the agency.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source at the institution alleged that Mr. Muhammad’s appointment was part of a strategy by a former administrator to cover up some mismanagement and misdeeds at the agency.
NACETEM staff charged that the board, in a desperate move to push through Mr. Muhammad’s appointment before its ratification, his name was hurriedly used in a national daily newspaper as the acting DG.
“It was also observed with utmost surprise that a publication on page 34 of the Vanguard of Monday, 25th November, 2013 portrayed Mr. Yusuf Muhammad as the new Acting Director-General of the agency when there [was] no approval to that effect. In fact, what the paper published as an appointment was merely a proposal by the governing board, which was not acceptable to ASURI and a host of other members of staff. This is seen as a collective insult on the psyche of the agency and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of the agency which has been built up over the years,” the protesting staff stated.
In a letter to Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Ms. Omobola Johnson, who also oversees the Ministry of Science and Technology, the union demanded that a candidate with a PhD in Technology Management, Sciences, Engineering or Social Sciences be appointed as the new acting Director-General in order to avert a crisis.
The statement also called for a new board composed of technocrats and at least a south westerner. The union gave a two-day ultimatum for their demands to be met.
sahara reporters
Construction Of 4th Mainland Bridge To Be Financed By Private Sector
Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Lagos State, Mr. Ben Akabueze, has said the private sector in the country is to finance the construction of the 4th mainland bridge with N220 billion.
Speaking at the 2013 Seminar/Luncheon of the Financial Services Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Akabueze stated that the federal or states government would not be financing the 4th Mainland Bridge as private sector investors have made plans to invest N220 billion in the construction of the bridge.
Akabueze also noted that the state requires a much larger budget than it currently operates, adding that inadequate revenues constitute the principal impediment to achieving a larger budget.
“Lagos State has consistently recorded good budgetary performance, more than any other state government in Nigeria. We have tried to make the people to own the budget, and make it work for them because effective budgetary systems and implementation have contributed significantly to socio-economic development in Lagos.”
According to him, investment in infrastructure simultaneously tackles a number of challenges such as job creation, poverty reduction, lower cost of operations for manufacturing and commercial enterprises.
“Empirically-proven correlation between investment in infrastructure and economic growth (a World bank study of 39 African countries covering 1990-2005 shows that if our infrastructure was developed to standard of Mauritius (best infrastructure in Africa) GDP growth would rise by about 2.5 percent per annum.
“Percentage allocated to sectors reflects government’s priorities and sustenance of past trend highest priority goes to Economic Affairs Sector. In line with the policy thrust of government, infrastructure, health and education sectors are being gradually notched up to meet global benchmarks,” he said.
Kaduna Assembly Tells 24 Commissioner Nominees To “Bow And Go”
The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Thursday approved the list of nominees forwarded to it by Governor Mukhtar Yero to serve in the State Executive Council.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that most of the 24 nominees were told to “bow and go” during the screening conducted on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Speaker, Usman Tahir, directed the Clerk of the assembly to forward the approved list to the governor immediately.
Those cleared include Bashir Zubairu, Madami Garba, Abdulrasheed Kakangi, Bashir Zangon-Aya, Ado Dogo, Hussaini Abdu, Thot Dogo, David Chatjok.
Others were Shehu Ahmed-Giant, Ibrahim Ali, Abdulrahaman Jere, Peter Everton, Isaac Bodam, Umar Sani, Nasiru Damau, Abdullahi Ahmed and Joshuwa Uchissa.
The rest were Samaila Aliyu, Kasimu Abubakar, Comfort Amwe, Garba Shehu, Grace Nyan, Ben Bako and Abdulsalam Baba-Ahmed. Mr. Yero had on September11 dissolved the previous cabinet he inherited from late Governor Patrick Yakowa, who died in a plane crash in December 2012.
(NAN)
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that most of the 24 nominees were told to “bow and go” during the screening conducted on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Speaker, Usman Tahir, directed the Clerk of the assembly to forward the approved list to the governor immediately.
Those cleared include Bashir Zubairu, Madami Garba, Abdulrasheed Kakangi, Bashir Zangon-Aya, Ado Dogo, Hussaini Abdu, Thot Dogo, David Chatjok.
Others were Shehu Ahmed-Giant, Ibrahim Ali, Abdulrahaman Jere, Peter Everton, Isaac Bodam, Umar Sani, Nasiru Damau, Abdullahi Ahmed and Joshuwa Uchissa.
The rest were Samaila Aliyu, Kasimu Abubakar, Comfort Amwe, Garba Shehu, Grace Nyan, Ben Bako and Abdulsalam Baba-Ahmed. Mr. Yero had on September11 dissolved the previous cabinet he inherited from late Governor Patrick Yakowa, who died in a plane crash in December 2012.
(NAN)
Ex-Footballer, Odartey Lamptey, Discovers 3 Kids With Wife Are Not His
Former Ghanaian international footballer Nii Odartey Lamptey has revealed that he recently found out that all three children he had with his wife of almost 20 years are not his biological children. He made the shocking revelation in a radio interviewed when asked why he was divorcing his wife.
“…I thought they were my children but upon a DNA test, I got to know that they are not my biological children. The issue is in court so I’m pleading, because it is a legal issue I don’t want to go through so many things, but I am 100% sure that the children are not mine after 20-years of marriage. We had five children but two passed away so we were left with only 3 and they are not mine” The former Aston Villa player told reporters
Meanwhile, his estranged wife Gloria Lamptey is claiming that it was Lamptey who suggested they use artificial insemination after realizing he was infertile. A claim Lamptey denies. A close friend of the former Anderlecht footballer said he’d on several occasions caught his wife cheating on him but stayed with her because of his love for her and the businesses they own together.
The estranged couple are now in court
“…I thought they were my children but upon a DNA test, I got to know that they are not my biological children. The issue is in court so I’m pleading, because it is a legal issue I don’t want to go through so many things, but I am 100% sure that the children are not mine after 20-years of marriage. We had five children but two passed away so we were left with only 3 and they are not mine” The former Aston Villa player told reporters
Meanwhile, his estranged wife Gloria Lamptey is claiming that it was Lamptey who suggested they use artificial insemination after realizing he was infertile. A claim Lamptey denies. A close friend of the former Anderlecht footballer said he’d on several occasions caught his wife cheating on him but stayed with her because of his love for her and the businesses they own together.
The estranged couple are now in court
Guy Steals iPhone Sends Owner 11-Page Handwritten List of 1,000 Contacts
You’d have to agree that when you lose a phone, replacing the device isn’t as painful as rebuilding your list of contacts. That’s why this Chinese thief is so special – he copied over 1,000 contacts on to 11 pages by hand and sent them to the owner of the phone he had stolen.
The $440 iPhone in question belonged to Zou Bin, a barman from Changsha, capital of the Hunan province. Zou told local media that he was returning home wasted from his best friend’s bachelor party earlier this month, when the theft occurred. He had passed out in the taxi taking him home along with three other strangers. Zou isn’t certain which one of them was the culprit.
When Zou discovered that his phone was missing the next morning, he naturally was furious. The device contained more than 1,000 work related contacts that he could not afford to lose. So he did the first thing that came to mind – Zou sent threatening text messages to his own number from a friend’s phone.
In what would later turn out to be a smart move, Zou texted the thief, “You can be sure that I will find you. Just have a look through my contacts and you will see who I am. If you are clever, you will send the mobile back to the following address…”
Of course, Zou wasn’t serious, which is why the pickpocket’s next move stunned him. Four days later, he received a package couriered to his front door. Unfortunately it didn’t contain the phone, but it did carry the next best thing – a handwritten list of Zou’s contacts and his SIM. “All of the numbers were handwritten,” said Zou. “It would take a long time simply to write the numbers 1 to 1,000 let alone all those names and telephone numbers. It must have given him a swollen hand.”
Zou advised that people shouldn’t just give up if they lose their phone. “Sometimes bluffing works,” he said. “But it is also best to save your contacts to your SIM card so you spare the thief some writing.” The thief, whoever he or she is, has become a hero of sorts in the Chinese media. Internet users are calling him ‘the conscience of the robbery industry’. He’s even being compared to model citizen Lei Feng, member of the People’s Liberation Army.
I’m not sure what prompted the thief to do such a thing. Was he genuinely trying to help Zou, or did he feel threatened by the text messages? Whatever the reason, it’s pretty special what he’s done. Perhaps the poor fellow never meant to steal the phone, but didn’t really have the heart to return it either.
The $440 iPhone in question belonged to Zou Bin, a barman from Changsha, capital of the Hunan province. Zou told local media that he was returning home wasted from his best friend’s bachelor party earlier this month, when the theft occurred. He had passed out in the taxi taking him home along with three other strangers. Zou isn’t certain which one of them was the culprit.
When Zou discovered that his phone was missing the next morning, he naturally was furious. The device contained more than 1,000 work related contacts that he could not afford to lose. So he did the first thing that came to mind – Zou sent threatening text messages to his own number from a friend’s phone.
In what would later turn out to be a smart move, Zou texted the thief, “You can be sure that I will find you. Just have a look through my contacts and you will see who I am. If you are clever, you will send the mobile back to the following address…”
Of course, Zou wasn’t serious, which is why the pickpocket’s next move stunned him. Four days later, he received a package couriered to his front door. Unfortunately it didn’t contain the phone, but it did carry the next best thing – a handwritten list of Zou’s contacts and his SIM. “All of the numbers were handwritten,” said Zou. “It would take a long time simply to write the numbers 1 to 1,000 let alone all those names and telephone numbers. It must have given him a swollen hand.”
Zou advised that people shouldn’t just give up if they lose their phone. “Sometimes bluffing works,” he said. “But it is also best to save your contacts to your SIM card so you spare the thief some writing.” The thief, whoever he or she is, has become a hero of sorts in the Chinese media. Internet users are calling him ‘the conscience of the robbery industry’. He’s even being compared to model citizen Lei Feng, member of the People’s Liberation Army.
I’m not sure what prompted the thief to do such a thing. Was he genuinely trying to help Zou, or did he feel threatened by the text messages? Whatever the reason, it’s pretty special what he’s done. Perhaps the poor fellow never meant to steal the phone, but didn’t really have the heart to return it either.
Presidency May Approach Supreme Court Over G-5 Governors Defection
An epic legal battle may follow the defection of five state governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the presidency and the ruling party are set to seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation of section 306 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) over the constitutionality or otherwise of the state chief executives’ action.
Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and AbdulFatah Ahmed (Kwara) on Monday after a meeting with the APC and “new PDP” leaders in Abuja announced their defection to the APC.
Already, their supporters in the National Assembly are planning to follow suit.
But a presidency source said Weekend that President Goodluck Jonathan has asked some of his egg-heads under a five-man committee headed by State House counsel Jalal Alabi to consult and brief him within a week on the next line of action over the governors’ defection.
The source hinted that the PDP might go to the apex court to seek the interpretation of the relevant sections of the constitution on the matter.
“President Jonathan was disappointed over the defection, especially while the reconciliation process is still ongoing; the presidency believes what those governors did was unlawful, citing the Rotimi Amaechi vs PDP case where the Supreme Court ruled that the mandate was given to the party and not to an individual.
“But some officials have also cited the Atiku Abubakar v Federal Government case where the apex court ruled that Atiku should remain as vice president under the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo despite his defection to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as a verdict that should be scrutinised. But some believe the two cases are not the same. So, the party may be asked to seek the intervention of the judiciary on the issue.”
On political defection, Section 68(1) (109(1)) of the 1999 Constitution states that:
“A member of the Senate or House of Representatives (House of Assembly) shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if-
“(g) Being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that house was elected:
“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
So, for the legislature the constitution is clear: in attempting to cross to another political party, he must prove that a division in his political party exists or a merger of that party with another or factions in the party. Even then, he cannot successfully cross over to another political party until the presiding officer of the House – Senate president, speaker of House of Representatives or speaker of a House of Assembly, as the case may be – endorses the decamping.
Section 68(2) (109(2)) states that: “The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, so however that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.”
Section 306 of the constitution in sub-section 1 states, “Save as otherwise provided in this section, any person who is appointed, elected or otherwise selected to any office established by this constitution may resign from that office by writing under his hand addressed to the authority or person by whom he was appointed, elected or selected.
(2) The resignation of any person from any office established by this constitution shall take effect when the writing signifying the resignation is received by the authority or person to whom it is addressed or by any person authorised by that authority or person to receive it.
(5) The notice of resignation of the governor and of the deputy governor of a state shall respectively be addressed to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Governor of the State.
(6) The notice of resignation of the President of the Senate and of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall in each case be addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the notice of resignation of the Speaker of a House of Assembly shall be addressed to the Clerk of the House of Assembly of the State.
(7) The notice of resignation of a member of a legislative house shall be addressed to the president of the Senate or, as the case may require, to the Speaker of the legislative house in question.”
The presidency source further disclosed that any member of the National Assembly who defects to the APC would have his or her seat declared vacant by the PDP. “The position of the law is clear on that and this is why some of them who have been threatening to decamp have not summoned the courage to do so.
“Also, members of the National Assembly or their counterparts in the state who dare to follow these people would have their seats declared vacant. Go and read Section 306 of the constitution, it is very clear and unambiguous. This is why those who have been telling us they are going have refused to defect. Let them go ahead and do that. Their seats would be declared vacant and, within 90 days, a fresh election would be held to replace them; it is then we would know who is on ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, a PDP BoT member has asked the leadership of APC to get ready for the worse with the entrant of the five governors to its party.
When asked to react to the defection of the aggrieved chieftains, the former national officer of the ruling party said, “It is bye-bye to bad rubbish. I congratulate the PDP and I congratulate Nigerians on having the opportunity to identify politicians who are opportunists, who are not reliable and dependable. You can only know this type of people in time of crisis. Another lesson we should all learn from this show of shame is that, in Nigerian politics, anything goes and posterity will judge those who used PDP to become what they are but turned their back at the party.”
Abusidiqu
Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and AbdulFatah Ahmed (Kwara) on Monday after a meeting with the APC and “new PDP” leaders in Abuja announced their defection to the APC.
Already, their supporters in the National Assembly are planning to follow suit.
But a presidency source said Weekend that President Goodluck Jonathan has asked some of his egg-heads under a five-man committee headed by State House counsel Jalal Alabi to consult and brief him within a week on the next line of action over the governors’ defection.
The source hinted that the PDP might go to the apex court to seek the interpretation of the relevant sections of the constitution on the matter.
“President Jonathan was disappointed over the defection, especially while the reconciliation process is still ongoing; the presidency believes what those governors did was unlawful, citing the Rotimi Amaechi vs PDP case where the Supreme Court ruled that the mandate was given to the party and not to an individual.
“But some officials have also cited the Atiku Abubakar v Federal Government case where the apex court ruled that Atiku should remain as vice president under the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo despite his defection to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as a verdict that should be scrutinised. But some believe the two cases are not the same. So, the party may be asked to seek the intervention of the judiciary on the issue.”
On political defection, Section 68(1) (109(1)) of the 1999 Constitution states that:
“A member of the Senate or House of Representatives (House of Assembly) shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if-
“(g) Being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that house was elected:
“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
So, for the legislature the constitution is clear: in attempting to cross to another political party, he must prove that a division in his political party exists or a merger of that party with another or factions in the party. Even then, he cannot successfully cross over to another political party until the presiding officer of the House – Senate president, speaker of House of Representatives or speaker of a House of Assembly, as the case may be – endorses the decamping.
Section 68(2) (109(2)) states that: “The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, so however that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.”
Section 306 of the constitution in sub-section 1 states, “Save as otherwise provided in this section, any person who is appointed, elected or otherwise selected to any office established by this constitution may resign from that office by writing under his hand addressed to the authority or person by whom he was appointed, elected or selected.
(2) The resignation of any person from any office established by this constitution shall take effect when the writing signifying the resignation is received by the authority or person to whom it is addressed or by any person authorised by that authority or person to receive it.
(5) The notice of resignation of the governor and of the deputy governor of a state shall respectively be addressed to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Governor of the State.
(6) The notice of resignation of the President of the Senate and of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall in each case be addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the notice of resignation of the Speaker of a House of Assembly shall be addressed to the Clerk of the House of Assembly of the State.
(7) The notice of resignation of a member of a legislative house shall be addressed to the president of the Senate or, as the case may require, to the Speaker of the legislative house in question.”
The presidency source further disclosed that any member of the National Assembly who defects to the APC would have his or her seat declared vacant by the PDP. “The position of the law is clear on that and this is why some of them who have been threatening to decamp have not summoned the courage to do so.
“Also, members of the National Assembly or their counterparts in the state who dare to follow these people would have their seats declared vacant. Go and read Section 306 of the constitution, it is very clear and unambiguous. This is why those who have been telling us they are going have refused to defect. Let them go ahead and do that. Their seats would be declared vacant and, within 90 days, a fresh election would be held to replace them; it is then we would know who is on ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, a PDP BoT member has asked the leadership of APC to get ready for the worse with the entrant of the five governors to its party.
When asked to react to the defection of the aggrieved chieftains, the former national officer of the ruling party said, “It is bye-bye to bad rubbish. I congratulate the PDP and I congratulate Nigerians on having the opportunity to identify politicians who are opportunists, who are not reliable and dependable. You can only know this type of people in time of crisis. Another lesson we should all learn from this show of shame is that, in Nigerian politics, anything goes and posterity will judge those who used PDP to become what they are but turned their back at the party.”
Abusidiqu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)