By Mohammad Audu

I was astonished if not dumfounded when I read in the national dailies recently that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State visited the Central Mosque on Owerri Road, Enugu, to felicitate with Muslims during their Eid-el-Fitr celebration. I appreciated the visit more when I saw in the social media the images of the governor with the enthusiastic Muslims and the friendship between both parties.   

Gov. Ugwuanyi’s surprise visit has left me in a state of sober reflection, considering the avoidable wind of controversy rearing its ugly head to the detriment of our national unity. The governor’s visit has enriched my impression of him as a humble, peace loving and detribalized Nigerian.  It has equally stood him out as a true democrat, nationalist and an agent of socialization, who strongly believes in the unity of Nigeria as an indivisible entity and the peaceful co-existence of Nigerians, irrespective of our socio-political differences.

The visit painted a vivid picture of the dreams and aspirations of the nation’s founding fathers to live in peace with one another, make progress and defend the unity of the country. The exemplary action was also in keeping with the tenets of our National anthem – “To serve our Fatherland with love and strength and faith” so that “the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain”.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, by the visit, exhibited maturity and firm commitment to the spirit of our nationhood notwithstanding the challenges confronting us as a nation. So, I was impressed with the governor’s bold initiative which is strange in our contemporary society, especially at this period the nation is experiencing some challenges capable of undermining her unity. I am also pleased to note that the governor prior to the surprise visit had earlier in the day sent Sallah gift items to the Muslims through his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Gen. Fred Eze (retd).  

The message the governor sent out to Nigerians through the recent fraternization with the Muslims is  instructive. It needs to be emphasized for the promotion of peace, love and national unity.

First, Governor Ugwuanyi’s action has reminded Nigerians that irrespective of our religion, ethnic and socio-political differences, we are one and should show love to one another in times of joy or sorrow. It has reaffirmed his commitment to the diligent responsibility of showing love to every resident of the state irrespective of religion or tribe. It has also shown that we can resolve our differences amicably, without any form of violence or bickering.

These are lessons to be drawn from Gov. Ugwuanyi’s recent disposition to the Muslims. He has taken the dance steps of peace and national unity to the market for us to emulate, purchase and practise in the overall interest of our nation. I sincerely salute him for this brave step geared towards the reinvigoration and sustainability of our founding fathers’ dreams.  I also learnt that his arrival to the mosque caused a flurry of excitement which informed the rousing ovation he received from the Muslims. I recall that the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, had during his official visit to Enugu State, last year, expressed delight at the level of popularity Gov. Ugwuanyi enjoys from the people of the state including non-indigenes, disclosing that 95 percent of Muslims in the state are in support of the governor and what he is doing to promote peace, security, national unity and good governance.

I also recall that the former Senate President and Chairman of the Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee, Senator Ken Nnamani, had applauded the governor for his respect for everybody irrespective of socio-political differences, saying “that Enugu State is lucky to now have a governor who has “a listening ear and respect for everybody, old and young in spite of the political divide”.

In his Sallah message, Gov. Ugwuanyi “called on the Muslim faithful to use the period to offer special prayers for peaceful co-existence and national unity for the continued progress and sustainability of the dreams of the country’s founding fathers”.

He noted that “Eid-el-Fitr offers an opportunity for both Muslim and Christian faithful to continue to live in harmony for the progress of the country”, adding that the country’s strength lies in its diversity and ability to overcome challenges despite socio-political differences.

The governor’s message is that Nigerians should at all times demonstrate true love for one another as well as reaffirm their faith in God for peace, progress and unity to reign supreme towards the realization of the country’s full potentials. It is also instructive to note that on the side of the Muslims in the state, their Leader, HRH Alhaji Yusuf Sambo, (the Sarkin Hausawa) while welcoming Governor Ugwuanyi praised him for the surprise visit after he had earlier sent gift items to them through a representative.

Alhaji Sambo, according to the report, said that the gesture was “a demonstration of his love for every resident of the state irrespective of religion or tribe”. He added that the governor had paid a similar visit to them last year and has continued to ensure that the harmonious relationship that has been existing between Muslims and Christians in the state is sustained.

The Muslims equally extended their gratitude to the people of the state for the existing harmonious relationship and promised to ensure that it is sustained for the benefit of the state and the country at large.

From the above narrative, Gov. Ugwuanyi’s name has been written in gold in the book of history as one of those who have shown tremendous commitment to the unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians. I hope that more leaders would emulate his deep sense of patriotism to forge a common force that will continue to promote peace, love, progress and unity in the country.

Audu writes from Lokoja, Kogi State

By Ikeogu Oke

This is one of my several interventions in the public space urging the National Assembly to recognise the need to put national interest first in its actions. One of the previous interventions was entitled “Of Power Probes and National Interest” and published in most of our dailies. It was inspired by the National Assembly trivialising power probes in my opinion and making what I considered to be unfounded allegations about the country’s power sector reform. Also, the allegations could have portrayed our country in  bad light and discouraged investors, and so amounted to involuntary economic sabotage.

The probe was flagged in a story published on page 8 of Vanguard of October 15, 2015. Had it taken place, it would have followed another power probe in two weeks whose result was still unknown. And I thought the House needed to do more than give Nigerians the impression that its mandate was to engage in such incessant probes that seemed fruitless and driven by self-interest.  

More interestingly, the story stated that, “the House, in a resolution on the motion entitled Alleged Non-transparent and Fraudulent Sale of Power Assets…, bemoaned what it called lack of openness in the processes leading to the sale of power infrastructure to private investors.” Also, that the House “resolved to … investigate the processes and sale of all aspects of power assets … to determine if there were malpractices and misconduct in the exercise.”

The story gave the impression that the House blurred the gap between suspicion and proof of misconduct in the sales. I also came under the impression that the choice of words could have been more prudent, as it exposed the power sector to the risk of disinvestment by people, especially foreigners, who might interpret it as indicative of the sector’s unreliability for investment.   

Another intervention was entitled “Lessons from Senate Probe of the Power Sector” (The Guardian, October 26, 2015, p. 20). Before I attended the Senate probe to which it was a response, I had noted a report on page 25 of This Day of September 22, 2015.

The report was entitled “Power Probe: Another Legislative Sham”. It made a critical observation about a previous power probe by the Senate, namely, that the presiding committee showed “its lack of up-to-date knowledge of the sector it is probing”, with obvious implications for the credibility of the probe.

Both interventions came to mind as I read some publications resulting from the objection by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to the National Assembly’s alleged alteration of the 2017 budget after its defence. This is reminiscent of the widely condemned “padding” of the 2016 budget by the National Assembly. Major in the alleged behind-the-scenes alterations is the reduction of the budgetary allocations for such projects of national significance like the 3,050-megawatt Mambilla hydroelectric dam and the Second Niger Bridge to create a budget for the National Assembly members’ “constituency projects” such as boreholes, primary health care centres and street lighting.  

And so, in a country that has long bemoaned its underdevelopment due to chronic power scarcity, we could have an absurd situation where the constituencies of its federal legislators would be littered with such new facilities with no electricity to run them because their having undercut the Mambilla budget could prevent the timely completion of the dam.          

Need I ask who will manage the budget for those “constituency projects” or if this does not reflect a conflict between personal and national interest among the legislators in which they put their personal interest first in a manner that suggests abuse of privilege?

Fashola’s objection is not only that the alter nations were made after the budget defence but also that they were not brought to the notice of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies that had made the defence before the National Assembly passed the budget. Shouldn’t this have been the case for a legislature one of whose cardinal responsibilities is “oversight”, with its implication of championing transparency, if it wishes to lead by example?

Or could it be that the National Assembly is resisting change in that, being used to “padding” the budget or altering it arbitrarily to serve the interest of its members, and having drawn public outcry over the 2016 episode, it would rather continue the practice by stealth than end it?

In the continuation of a front page story entitled “Senate Attacks Fashola” on page 4 of Daily Trust of June 25, 2017, the Minister points out that there is nothing in the Constitution like “constituency projects”. This suggests that the country may be funding illegal projects at the expense of major developmental projects like the Mambilla dam and the other projects affected by the budget alteration.

In the publication, the Senate, surprisingly, does not counter the Minister’s allegation despite its hint at serious moral and procedural infractions. Rather, it speaks through its mouthpiece, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, to accuse the Minister of “spreading wrong information and half-truth about the 2017 budget”.

Senator Abdullahi also insinuates that the Minister’s objection was inspired by self-interest. For instance, for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway whose budget the Minister also alleged its alteration by the National Assembly, he said the Minister “would prefer an arrangement that allows the Ministry to continue to award contracts and fund the project through government budgetary allocation at a time when the nation’s revenue is dwindling and at an all time low”, and despite the existence of an agreement to fund the project by “Public Private Partnership… using … Private Finance Initiative”.

Perhaps the dwindling of the nation’s revenue which Senator Abdullahi so patriotically pointed out does not apply when he and his colleagues spend part of the same revenue on their “constituency projects”.   

On his part, Fashola has denied the allegation of his “spreading wrong information and half-truth” in a front page story in The Punch of June 27, 2017, entitled “Fashola Attacks N’ Assembly”.  He also attributed the National Assembly’s attack on him and its claim of the existence of an agreement to finance the Lagos-Ibadan expressway project with private funds to a knowledge gap “about the facts of what they were getting into”. This harks back to the observation made by the writer of the This Day article I had referred to about a Senate presiding committee showing “its lack of up-to-date knowledge of the sector it is probing”. It also shows, with this new budget controversy, how things may have remained the same with the National Assembly in terms of tinkering with the budget and acting contrary to facts.

We learn from all this how those willing to exercise the political will to bring about lasting change in our country like Fashola may be antagonised by vested interests within the system. Yet, we wonder why our country hardly makes progress despite much exertion. The gears of national progress often turn to cancel the efforts of one another, yielding futility.  

Oke writes from  Abuja.

By  Fred Nwaozor

The Ahiara Roman Catholic Diocese situated in Mbaise in the Ecclesiastical province of Owerri, Imo State is yet to boast of a substantive Bishop who is meant to serve as the boss of the said territory as the Catholic doctrine demands. It’s not anymore news that the quagmire has lingered for over six years now.

The Papacy had upon the demise of Bishop Victor Chikwe – the immediate past and pioneer bishop of the Ahiara Diocese – appointed a Catholic priest, Rev. Peter Okpalaeke who hails from Awka in Anambra State to serve as the bishop of the diocese.

Amazingly, the named clergy was outrightly rejected by virtually all the Catholic faithful in the diocese, stating that the favoured priest did not possess the required qualities to superintend the communion.

One of their reasons was that Rev. Okpalaeke does not hail from Mbaise. According to them, it was a grievous blunder for the Pope not to find anyone among over seven hundred Catholic priests of Mbaise origin worthy to serve as the bishop of the Ahiara Diocese. They equally lamented that Rev. Okpalaeke does not speak a dialect that could be comprehended by the members of the diocese, thus could not be ordained to lead them.

Notwithstanding, the appointed clergy was eventually ordained amidst the protest. Owing to the unwelcoming attitude of the aggrieved worshippers, the ordination took place outside the Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral of the Ahiara Diocese – Agbala in Owerri North LGA precisely – amid tight security. It was the first time in the history of the Catholic communion a prospective bishop would be ordained at a venue situated outside the diocese he was supposed to oversee.

  It’s worth noting that after the ordination, the rebellion became more intense. Since then, the seat has been apparently hot for the innocent Bishop Peter Okpaleke who has mostly been operating from the Diaspora. In spite of the recent order from Pope Francis instructing the Catholic faithful in the diocese to unanimously sheathe their swords, the people remain head- strong towards ensuring that their own becomes the bishop of the diocese.

In a recent communiqué from the Papacy, precisely on June 8 2017, having received a delegation from the Ahiara Diocese, all members of the diocesan clergy – including the priests and deacons – were given 30 days to personally write the Vatican pledging their unflinching obedience to the Pope and accepting Bishop Peter Okpalaeke.

Based on the directive, those who failed to write would be suspended a ‘divinis’, which would prohibit such priest or deacon from administering any of the sacraments save for a clergy hearing the confession of a person in danger of death, and would equally be removed from their posts.

It’s mind-boggling and indeed ridiculous to realize that the ongoing scenario, which could best be described as dramatic and amusing, isn’t only ignited and fueled by the laity council in the diocese but rather has the full support of most of the Catholic priests from the area who are expected to be more informed regarding the Catholic custom.

It’s noteworthy that I’m not here to apportion blames; rather, to cushion the excruciating effects of the uncalled religious extremism. Ever since the melodrama began, I have chosen to be mindful of my utterances in the public domain thereby making my person seem not unlike a mere onlooker, knowing fully well that issues pertaining to religion are highly sensitive and delicate, hence they ought to be handled as such.

My muteness continued not until lately when I thought it wise to wake from slumber having keenly observed that the incident is likely to degenerate into an untold crisis if it failed to receive apt attention.

Lest I forget, two factors have ab initio made me not to be too surprised or shocked about the lingering altercation in Ahiara Diocese. One of the factors remains that I grew up to understand that religion harbours politics. Yes, read my lips. Since the world came into existence, the former has ceased to be dissociated from the latter. Prior to the emergence of Pope Benedict XI (rtd.), what transpired therein made me draw a holistic conclusion that politics is arguably ubiquitous.  If you are still in doubt, please feel free to consult your history books for further details. If the above hypothesis as regards politics and religion holds water, then the Ahiara Diocese ought not to be an exception.

Another pertinent factor is the fact that the people of Mbaise have been known for their unison. Mbaise, as a people, are so united that they invariably, or do not hesitate to, act as a body whenever it calls for action. This remains a core feature outsiders envy about them. Needless to assert that what is currently trending in Ahiara Diocese is an epitome of what Mbaise represents.

However, it’s worthy of note that sometimes a cause pursued vigorously in unison could be misleading. In other words, we are required to tread with caution while treating matters that relate to our faith. The Mbaise may have thus far fought a good fight, but they must acknowledge in haste that their collective faith is ironically at stake.

There’s a compelling need for them to comprehend that the ongoing battle has unequivocally made millions of individuals to become sceptical of the genuineness of the Catholic Church as a whole, thereby making those who intend being part of the membership of the Catholic community lose interest.

The bitter truth surrounding the agitation is that several pagans who wished to become Christians, perhaps Catholics, are now fearful of the said communion; it suffices to say that the era of seeing this set of persons jettison their respective shrines for Christendom’s sake could be far-fetched.

I immensely appreciate the Imo State governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, for wading into the crisis when his attention was needed most. Against this backdrop, I enjoin other well-spirited individuals cum entities to follow suit in ensuring that peace is thoroughly embraced by the warring factions. We are not unaware that some persons from Mbaise have remained neutral in this case, thus we urge such set of people to serve as mediators since silence is no longer the needed recipe.

        No one is expected to sit on the fence in the effort to resolve this imbroglio, because we are all, one way or the other, affected by it. It is better late than never.

Nwaozor writes from Owerri

By  Nkiru Asika  

Over the past few weeks, a reading and video of a poem I AM A NIGERIAN has been circulating on social media without attribution. It has been sent to me several times, both in video and in text form as Author Unknown. I think it is important first to identify myself publicly as the author of the said poem and to talk about why I believe this poem resonates now more than ever.

I wrote the poem I AM A NIGERIAN back in 2006 spurred by three key influences – first, the then Federal Government’s Heart of Africa rebranding campaign; second, the video of Thabo Mbeki ‘s 1996 speech I am an African; third and above all, my late father Ukpabi Asika, an unflinching nationalist, whose decision to accept the seemingly suicidal role of Administrator of East Central State at the height of the Civil War in 1967, was summed up in his words: “I am a Nigerian. I was born a Nigerian…and I hope to die a Nigerian.”

Despite the current cacophony of ethnic jingoism and secessionism, I believe that the vast majority of people in this country consider themselves to be first and foremost Nigerians. The tired refrain that Nigeria is an artificial construct foisted on us by the British is clichéd and frankly, not helpful. We cannot wind back the hands of time and simply realign along tribal lines. Nor can we undo the commingling that has gone on for generations and that has enriched us socially, economically, culturally and politically. I take my own family as an example.

My father was an Onitsha indigene, who was born and spent his formative years in Barkin Ladi, Jos, attended secondary school in Benin and university in Ibadan. His mother Rebecca, also from Onitsha, grew up largely in Fulani-land and spoke fluent Fufulde. His “second mother” was his step-grandmother Aishetu from Yola who his grandfather met and married in Kano and brought to Onitsha.

When my father went to pursue a Master’s Degree in the US, he met and married my mother, a fellow post-graduate student who hailed from Owerri but had spent her teenage years in Uyo and Lagos. In their marital home, their close friends came from all across Igboland as well as from Yola, Taraba, Jos, Ijebu, Warri, Abeokuta, Benin and beyond. Today, my children are Yoruba, my sister’s children are Kalabari and my brother’s wife claims roots in both Lagos and Katsina. I do not believe this diversity in our family is so unique.

The historical performance record of our political leaders has been stunningly sub-par, but we the people should not now abdicate our own duty of responsible citizenship. We must not allow rogue politicians and power-hungry demagogues to appeal to our basest emotions or to convince us that people of another tribe or another religion are the source of all our problems. This is lowest common denominator programming at its worst. If we choose to buy into such messages, we do so at our peril.

Nevertheless, our Government must also have the courage and sensitivity to recognize that the Nigerian polity has not been as inclusive to some ethnic groups as to others, and that there are real political grievances and socio-economic discrepancies. I believe wholeheartedly in Nigeria. But I believe that Nigeria will be better served with a structure based on true federalism, devolution of power, resource control and responsible and compassionate leadership.

I wrote the poem I AM A NIGERIAN to celebrate what is unique about us – our diversity, our culture, our national identity.

We are known the world over – not as Igbos or Hausas, Yorubas or Fulanis – but as Nigerians. Internationally, we are simultaneously respected and vilified, envied and criticized. We are not some no-name people from some no-name nation.

For better and for worse, we have made our presence felt. And in an age where every country struggles to become more globally competitive, we cannot afford to embark on a trajectory of reductionism.

I AM A NIGERIAN is a call for us not only to love Nigeria but to cherish her. I hope that this poem inspires pride in our country and reminds us of the brotherhood and community we share with the other 180 million individuals born under the Nigerian flag. Above all, I hope that this poem helps to counter the hateful rhetoric of those who seek to divide us. We cannot let them change the narrative of who we have been, who we are and who we hope to be. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Asika, the Founder & CEO of Enterprise Creative, writes from Lagos

By Emmnauel Onwubiko & Queen Onwughalu

As we struggle to untie the knots of discord and disunity in Nigeria, one group of Nigerians that we ought to look upon as models are the footballers from Nigeria plying their trade in different European leagues. Nigeria, being one of the best rated soccer playing nations in the estimation of the global football governing body (FIFA), has successfully produced some of the finest players who have made their names in the English, Spanish, Italian and German leagues respectively, over the past three decades.

Some of these footballing legends include the late Coach Stephen Keshi, Daniel Omokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, Austine Okocha and Emmanuel Amuneke amongst a plethora of other glittering stars. Those great players, who still make impacts, till date, are Mikel John Obi, Ahmed Musa, Ogenyi Onazi, Victor Moses and Victor Chinedu Anachebe, who recently moved over to the lucrative Chinese league.  Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City football club is also another upwardly mobile football star with a heart of gold but who truly needs encouragement from within Nigeria to be able to invest some of his God-given wealth in his immediate environment in Owerri, Imo State, from whence he grew up into the big league. 

Some of those great soccer talents who gave their very best to the service of fatherland such as Kanu Nwankwo, Austine Okocha, and Sampson Siasia amongst a few others have in one way or the other established charitable institutions that specifically target the advancement of human enterprise and protection of human rights in Nigeria. Most of them have substantial financial investments in the setting up and running of successful football academies.   Nigerian footballers are doing as much as other African players such as Didier Drogba, a legend of Chelsea FC of England who reportedly built and donated over N2 billion worth of health facilities in his homeland of Cote de voire for the services of indigent patients. 

Take for instance the case of Nwankwo Kanu who in his playing days was diagnosed and treated for a hole in his heart. 

This man made his mark in major European leagues with a triumphant exit from the topmost teams in England and has since showed the ever-flowing milk of human kindness in him by his establishment of the Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation, which successfully assisted hundreds of children of indigent families with holes in their hearts. The Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation for nearly two decades took care of the health condition of hundreds of thousands of children most of whom underwent surgical procedures in India.

On his own, Nigeria’s best known midfield Maestro, Mr. Austine Okocha, known with his popular sobriquet as Jay Jay Okocha has since retiring from active football dedicated, and devoted his time and resources towards the mentorship of Nigerian African Youth. In his voluntary capacity as FIFA goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Jay Jay Okocha has provided inspiration to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians/African Youths, who have eventually discovered their innate talents in the game of football.  Some of these youngsters have gone ahead to make their individual impact in their own right. Sampson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, and Daniel Omokachi have all provided one national sacrifice or the other towards the advancement of soccer. 

John Obi Mikel single-handedly funded the accommodation of his team mates when they represented Nigeria at the last Olympics in Brazil when the sports officials brought global opprobrium to Nigeria through sheer incompetence.  In the most recent history, contemporary footballers in the mould of Ahmed Musa, John Obi Mikel, Victor Anachebe have individually invested substantially in the discovery of young Nigerian talents irrespective of their ethno-religious affiliations.

The news broke last week that Leicester City and Super Eagles star, Ahmed Musa, has opened his multi-million Naira sports and fitness centre in Kano and was also bestowed with a special title at the occasion. The centre is conservatively valued at several millions of Naira. The Sports centre has been commissioned with pomp and pageantry.  The list of who-is-who in football administration graced the glamourous event.  Super Eagles Chief Coach, Salisu Yusuf, Eagles defender, Shehu Abdullahi, representative of the Emir of Kano as well as several Kano Pillars stars, past and present, were at the colorful event.

The former Eagles captain was later conferred with the title of Jagaban Matasan Arewa (which in Hausa means leader of the northern youths) by the Association of Northern Nigerian Students. The centre, which is at Hotoro GRA Kwanar Sabo by CBN Quarters, is said to provide jobs for as many as 50 people. On the individual level, footballers see themselves as members of one family and hardly attach any importance to differences in the religious or ethnic affiliations of each other. 

A footballer from Kano like Ahmed Musa is so urbane to an extent that he recently married his ‘love bird’ from Calabar in Cross River State. Players also help each other in times of transition from being local players to  international stardom. The story of John Ogu and Ogenyi Onazi is particularly worth emulating. 

Super Eagles forward, John Ogu, has revealed how stand-in-captain of the senior national team Ogenyi Onazi was instrumental to his fledgling career. And on 31 May 2013, he scored his first international goal against Mexico in a friendly game which took place at the Reliant Stadium in Houston. From all these good examples, it then shocks every discerning observer that the Nigerian government has so far failed to galvanize the abundance of harmony that exists amongst footballers to  motivate the restive youths of Nigeria on the need for national unity. The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports must be recognised and a patriotic Nigerian appointed to run this strategic sector so the person can work out strategies for utilizing these beautiful attributes of footballers and sportsmen and women to promote national unity.

Let the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, task the National Orientation Agency to partner actively with the Nigerian Football Federation and a database of our active and retired players built so they can be relied upon to embark on media sensitization of Nigerians on the essence of national harmony and peace.

Onwubiko & Onwughalu write from HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA)

Is the National Assembly actually on the same page with long-suffering Nigerians? This question has become germane because certain steps of the legislators, indeed, suggest that their thoughts and intents are diametrically opposed to those of many ordinary Nigerians. These elected representatives of the Nigerian people unceremoniously slashed the budget provisions for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge and the Mambilla Power Plant, at a time that many Nigerians are expecting a quick execution of the projects to relieve their   trauma in line with the campaign promises of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, drew the attention of the nation to this unfortunate development shortly after the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law. He took umbrage at the decision of the federal legislature to slash the budgets for these critical projects and add N10bn to the vote for the National Assembly. He argued that the National Assembly had no power to introduce new projects after the ministry had defended the budgets before the House.

The budget for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has perennially been under repairs for six years under a failed Public/Private Partnership arrangement, was slashed from N31bn to N10bn, under the guise that it can be repaired under a PPP arrangement. The vote for the Second Niger Bridge was slashed from N12bn to N7bn. The votes for the Mambilla Power Plant and the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Road were also cut. The cuts, the federal legislators have since explained, were made because they felt that the Minister unduly favoured the South-West in the appropriations.

There are so many issues involved in this matter. First, is the power or otherwise, of the National Assembly to introduce new projects into the budget. The National Assembly has said that it is not a rubber stamp of the Executive arm of government to just okay whatever is laid before it without making its own input. In this regard, NASS brandishes a ruling of a High Court to the effect that it “was not created by the drafters of the constitution and imbued with powers to receive budget estimates from the Executive as a rubber stamp parliament.”

However, since there are still so many arguments and disagreements on this particular aspect of this altercation, it is a matter that is better left to the Supreme Court to make a definitive pronouncement. But then, any arrangement that empowers legislators to make their input into the budget after it has been submitted would appear untidy. If they must introduce new projects at all, it would be better for an arrangement to be made for their projects to be submitted to the ministry and incorporated into the appropriations before the defence. Any contrary arrangement could make nonsense of the entire budget, as there would be no limit to the number of projects and extra appropriations that the National Assembly would add to the budget without any information at all to the ministry.

But then, the most critical aspect of this face-off is that relating to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge and the Mambilla Power Plant. These are projects that are so important to millions of Nigerians. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, for instance, is a critical arterial road. Whether you are Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani, Ijaw, Igbo, Urhobo or Ibibio, if you must visit Lagos by road, you must pass that road because it is the most sensible route into and out of the city. This is a road through which the trailers bringing cows and other produce from the Northern parts of the country pass every day.

It is the road through which goods that are imported into the country through the ports in Lagos are moved to all other parts of the country. It is also the road through which petroleum products that are loaded at the Lagos fuel depots are taken to other parts of the country. How then can anyone call it a mere “South-West” project? Every year, at Christmas, there is an exodus through that road of Lagos dwellers returning to their different hometowns and the serious traffic there is better imagined than experienced.

What of the Second Niger Bridge? This is a project that has been a subject of contention over the years. Virtually all presidents in the country in the last fifteen years have made a ritual of promising to construct that bridge, but their promises ended up yielding nothing. In spite of all these promises, the Igbo, every year at Christmas, go through harrowing experiences trying to cross into their homelands on the aged Niger Bridge. There have cases of commuters spending almost a whole day in traffic on that bridge, and there is the ever present danger that it would collapse one day. The failure to deliver on this popular campaign promise is one of the reasons for the incessant cries of marginalization of the South-east in the country.

One, ordinarily, would have thought that the construction of this bridge would be a priority of any well meaning government and federal legislature. If, as the National Assembly has explained, Fashola was lax in executing the project, one would have expected that the best thing was for NASS to call him to order, not cut the vote for the project by N21billion when contractors were already being owed N15 billion. By cutting the vote, the NASS only effectively stopped work on the project, which creates the impression that it is trying to undercut the executive and set it up for failure. The Mambilla Power Plant is also important because the importance of electricity in the country cannot be over-emphasised.

Under the present circumstance, let NASS and the executive work on a supplementary bill to appropriate funds for these important projects. Their successful completion is one of the yardsticks by which the extant government will be adjudged by the people.

By UCHEM OBI

On Friday, 30th June, 2017, an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi, yet again dismissed a suit brought against the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Dr. Andy Uba, over allegations of certificate forgery. For the umpteenth time, justice has been delivered in favour of the Senator in the hackneyed accusation of forgery, and it is not un-wise for the protagonists of this repeated falsehood to be advised to sheath their swords and devise better and decent strategies to counter the Senator’s soaring popularity.
It is difficult to understand why some politicians especially from Anambra State seem to catch cold when the Senator sneezes. It is even more difficult to understand why some of his opponents believe that mere conspiracy and wild accusations can torpedo his political ascent. This is a wrong strategy and it has not worked, rather, it is making the Senator more popular, as each victory elicits heroic applause from the voters, who incidentally would decide his fate and that of his traducers at the poll.
The inspirational speaker, Christopher Reeve correctly said; “I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure inspite of overwhelming obstacles”. Since 2007, when he first appeared in Anambra’s political arena, Sen. Andy Uba had been the target of broad fabrications, wild allegations and worrisome falsehood. He had indeed persevered and endured all these, and though an ordinary individual he has become a hero for silently marching from victory to victory inspite of all the overwhelming obstacles.
Time has proved that the Senator is undaunted by these antics and time has also come for these unnecessary  accusations to cease because the Senator’s general acceptance is on an unprecedented rise. It is time for his opponents to enter the political turf with better ideas and disposition and put an end to childish concoctions of infamy.
They don’t seem to be discouraging the Senator and in the build up to the November 18 governorship election, they may not deter him. These elementary approaches have become almost conventional in every election season and have also become mere amusements for the Senator and his supporters. The accusations are too pedestrian to stop the Senator from running for elections, which is what his accusers seek to achieve.
According to Vincent Van Gogh, ”the fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore”. The Senator is aware of the evil propensity of the fabricators of these allegations, but the truth is that the allegations have not and may not constitute formidable obstacles against his ambition.
Rather than continue to waste time and scarce resources shopping for accusations that end up making the Senator more popular  and also the recipient of overwhelming public sympathy, his accusers should endeavour to deny his résumé of  community service. If they cannot, they can at least attempt to debunk some of the records, because they are the major reasons why the Senator has become more of a cult figure and they are also reasons that will constitute major factors in the forth coming governorship election.
For instance, Ndi Anambra are not unaware of the major role he played, as a very close aide to former President Obasanjo, in the appointment of an Anambra man, as the Governor of the Central Bank at a time only few people from Anambra held such sensitive federal appointments. There are others like Dora Akunyili and Oby Ezekwesili who really made Ndi Anambra proud.
Back home, management, staff and students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, especially the Department of Mass Communication can never forget the imposing administrative building and the Frequency Modulated (FM) Radio Station he built and donated to the school, to enhance its academic enterprise.
One fact Ndi Anambra has about the Senator and for which reason they always deliver him in every election is that he does not seek power to enrich himself. They believe that he is in the governorship race only to serve and not to buy houses in London, Dubai or the US.
Even the opposition does not dispute his socio-political clout and his extensive connections across the political divide and ethnic and regional boundaries. No time as now has it become auspicious for Anambra State to have a governor whose views and political weight are appreciated and respected by major power blocs in the federation.
Sen. Uba has told Ndi Anambra and they seem to believe him with a lot of relief, that if he is elected governor, it will no longer be acceptable to think that the only way to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is to over-tax the people and employ touts to intimidate and harass the people with un-ending revenue drive. The voters are listening and marking the difference.
The opposition should try and controvert the reasons which account for the Senator’s phenomenal popularity and acceptance in the state. They should debunk the fact, that there are children, Anambra children, from primary schools to universities, who would have been denied education opportunities if not for the scholarship interventions of the Senator.
There are orphanages, homes and rehabilitation centres in the state that are able to continue to care for the less privileged and unfortunate members of our society because they receive annually dedicated sums of money from the Senator. Many of the proprietors and inmates of these institutions have relations and friends, who are aware of the Senator’s philanthropy, and many of them vote during elections and will also vote in the forth coming election.
In Anambra State, there are men and women from different communities who received and are still receiving start-off grants for businesses from the Senator. There are many young people who have been taken off the streets and away from social vices and given vocational trainings and financial assistance by the Senator. Many of these people are voters, who have been returning the Senator in every election and on November 18, they will vote again.
The real voters in Anambra State never lost sleep because of the allegations of certificate forgery against the Senator. To them it sounds like a broken record because since ten years, they hear it in each election. Like the great TV personality, Oprah Winfrey, they know that “lots of people want to ride with you in the Limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the Limo breaks down”.
Ndi Anambra have grown tired of politicians who come around during elections with bags full of promises, only to scurry off after each election, abandoning them to their sorrows. They will continue to prefer people like Senator Andy Uba who comes to them during elections and remains with them after elections and this is the reason why the opposition’s politics of forgery has become a doomed project.

Obi writes from Abuja

•

By OLUMIDE LAWAL

THAT late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke lived a beautiful life, full of robust achievements is not contestable. His life was a testimony of goodness and patriotic service to humanity. He left nobody in doubt, that he was one of the finest politicians ever produced from this part of the world. He came angelically and transited gracefully and gloriously, resting peacefully in the bosom of Almighty Allah.
Therefore, politics in Adeleke family is synonymous with selfless service to the people – particularly the down-trodden masses. It is, therefore, not applicable to the Adeleke family, as being erroneously canvassed in some quarters, that they are in politics to make wealth. This is blackmail that holds no water. The Adeleke family built its financial empire through the grace of God, spartan discipline, hard work and prudent management of resources. So many people have benefitted from the family large-heartedness, without any string attached to such favours.
The esteemed Adeleke dynasty, has been championing the tenet of politics without bitterness and violence, since the hero of the family – Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke became the governor of Osun State in 1992 and laid a solid foundation for the state. What point, therefore, are detractors of the family trying to establish, by making wild comments and unjust accusation, concerning the painful and sudden death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke on April 23, 2017. It is sad that they are turning facts on its head as far as reference to the family’s stand on the same issue is concerned.
The family came up with a press conference addressed by Dr. Deji Adeleke where he called for absolute observance of peace and maintenance of law and order on the parts of the sympathizers. That went a long way to bring calmness on all sympathizers who were genuinely “crushed” by the sudden death of our beloved Senator Isiaka Adeleke. What else was expected of the family, who are still in deep grief to convince political traducers, that the family is a promoter of peace and concord.
Otunba Ademola Adeleke’s efforts at contesting the vacant seat of Osun West Senatorial District, is every inch justifiable, as a law-abiding and eminently qualified citizen of Nigeria. It is more of a right for him, to signify interest, coming as it were from the esteemed Adeleke family, where the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke hailed from. In other climes, it is a matter for the political party, which late Senator Isiaka Adeleke represented at the senate, to call on his family to nominate somebody to complete his remaining two years. All the same, the Adeleke political eminence in Osun State nay Nigeria, necessitates putting one of their own forward. Where is the fault of the Adeleke family in enjoying and exercising this priviledge, in a situation not badly tainted by politics of vendetta and acrimony, as witnessed in APC.
In the United States of America, the Bush family produced father and son as presidents of the country. Chuba Okadigbo died as a Senator and his wife succeeded him. The Adeleke family, ordinarily should have been offered the opportunity to bring one of their own on board by APC, the party Isiaka Adeleke represented before his death.
It is a matter of conjecture for whomever to think that Otunba Ademola Adeleke was not a member of APC before he left it. Otunba Ademola Adeleke registered at Sagba/Abogunde Ward in 2014 for APC alongside his late political mentor – Senator Isiaka Adeleke. He presented his membership card at the screening exercise and was cleared by the Committee. It could not have been possible for him to scale that hurdle, if he has no APC membership card. He duly paid for all relevant forms to qualify for screening. Why will some mischievous people stop at nothing to drag the good name of the Adeleke family in the mud, for cheap political gains and belly-aching? They have failed woefully in their nefarious activities.
Otunba Ademola Adeleke was not a political coward as some people would want the public to see him, all by pitching his tent with PDP. It is an unassailable fact that he enjoys every right to identify with any political party, where he thinks his ambition could best be realized without partisanship or constraints in whatever form. That is the beauty of democracy. It is practised all over. And so far, his wide acceptance in the course of his campaign to different local government areas has shown that he is the candidate to beat. The peasants have spoken. They have given their fullest support to Ademola Adeleke for the July 8, election. God works in a miraculous way, His wonders to perform. Ademola Adeleke’s candidature under PDP is a manifestation of God’s support for Isiaka Adeleke and continuity of his laudable legacies .
Let me state that Senator Mudasir Hussein did not in 2015 concede ticket to Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, as being falsely canvassed in some quarters. This is far from the truth. Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, through his well-grounded political structures, which he brought from PDP, in addition to other contributions of the Adeleke family, went a long way to ensure the victory of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s re-election in 2014. Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, together with Otunba Ademola Adeleke were involved in rigorous campaign outings throughout the length and breadth of Osun State with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in his second-term bid.
But now to mischievous people, Otunba Ademola Adeleke was never an APC member. Glory be to God for paving the way for him to leave the party. Late Senator Isiaka Adeleke was eminently given the ticket based on his towering political image and invaluable contributions to the success of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the 2014 poll, in addition to the massive followership he brought from PDP on decampment.
Ademola Adeleke’s opponents should wait till July 8, 2017, when the voting public in Osun West Senatorial District,will unanimously cast their votes for him. There is no gain-saying the fact that voters in Osun West District are ready to continue to give their unalloyed support to their beloved Senator Isiaka Adeleke, whose death they are yet to come to terms with.

Lawal writes from Ede, Osun State

By Chris Akiri

Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, was sworn in on  May 29, 2015. Between then and now, ill health has scarcely allowed him to discharge the onerous functions of his office nor given him a breathing space to fulfil his pledges in the Oaths of Allegiance and of Office which he solemnly swore to pay attention to. On Thursday, January 19, 2017, President Buhari was flown to London on medical vacation. He was away for fifty days, resuming skeletal duty in Aso Rock even in his undisclosed chronic medical condition.

When he came back to the office on March 10, 2017, his advisers quickly let it be known that he would go back to London for further medical check-up. He went back to London on May 7, 2017, and has not returned. To give the lie to the wicked rumour peddled in the social media, in particular, that he had crossed the Styx, he had to seize the opportunity of the Eid-el-Fitr festival to address northern Moslems in Hausa, the language of the Muslim north. Meanwhile, section 55 of the 1999 Constitution provides that the lingua franca for the Nigerian nation-space is English, not Hausa! This is because the draftsmen of the Constitution reasoned that Nigeria comprises a disparate congeries of ethnic nationalities. But Buhari never believes that sacred fact.

As the cabal in Aso Rock are obviously on oath not to disclose the nature of the President’s ailment, many a Nigerian shrewdly conjecture, from his ectomorphic appearance, that the President could be suffering from a consumptive disease, anorexia nervosa, prostate cancer, at its advanced stage, or a morbid lump in his aural cavity, a condition which many Nigerian experts in otorhinolaryngology would have handled with absolute facility. Such vague suspicions are the product of a deliberate non-disclosure of the President’s true medical problem out of political calculation.

Many Nigerians of goodwill continually pray for the speedy recovery of their President, but not a few of them ask to know from the President’s handlers the true nature of his ill-health, the President being a public figure, voted into office by the Nigerian electorate and whose flight tickets to and from London as well as his hospital bills, food and accommodation expenses are defrayed by tax-payers’ money.

The situation in the country today, with regard to President Buhari’s chronic ill-health, avails Nigerians a strong sense of déjà vu: in 2009, when the late President Umar Musa Ya’Adua was similarly circumstanced, hordes of Nigerians in the Action Congress (AD) whose master’s voice was Alhaji Lai Mohammed, brazenly shouted their voices hoarse on Yar’Adua’s handlers, particularly on the then Minister of Information and Communication, to make a clean breast of whatever was wrong with the President, citing good, credible reasons for their agitation which, we now know, was only politically motivated. According to Lai Mohammed then, “It is clear to discerning Nigerians that those pretending to speak authoritatively on the President’s health are deceiving the public, since they are neither well informed on the issue nor competent to speak on it.” Continuing, he said “Therefore, a daily briefing by the Minister of Information, (which he now is) based on authentic details provided by the President’s doctors, should start forthwith. As we have said many times, the health of the President, as a public figure, can no longer be of interest only to his family and friends.” The AC then called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in which is vested the constitutional power to determine whether the President or Vice-President is afflicted “with such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office” (section 144 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended) “to rise above mundane considerations and put the nation’s interest first.”

The scale of this correct legal and moral statement was to be unscrupulously turned by the same man, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, now Minister of Information and Culture in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. According to him now (2017), the ailment afflicting the President is personal to him and nobody has the right to enquire into it!

A cursory look at American history and politics will show that when the aides of some former US Presidents like William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower (all of whom died in office) tried to hide their health conditions from the public, they did not get praised for doing so. Americans now require their presidential candidates to release their medical reports as a condition precedent to their eligibility to contest presidential elections.

It is unfortunate that the 1999 Constitution, even as amended, is silent on the number of days for which a President or Vice-President may go on medical vacation (sick leave). However, if the President or Vice-President is a public officer (which he is), he is, ipso facto, bound by the Public Service Rules No. 070316, which provides that the aggregate sick leave a public officer is entitled to (if not hospitalized) per annum is 42 days. We are told that the President is recuperating in Abuja House, located in the posh Campden Hill area of the Borough of Kessington and Chelsea, in West London, not in a hospital.

The President or Vice-President should also be bound by the Civil Service Rules which delineate the type of diseases for which the Service is ready to accept bills from any hospital for settlement. Medical conditions such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), gonococcal urethritis, tuberculous, leprosy, etc. are excluded from the official list of diseases the treatment of which the government is ready to pay for.

It is perhaps pertinent at this juncture to put an accent on the need for all Nigerians to eschew parochialism, tribal or clannish sentiments, religious bigotry or sectarianism, political exclusivity or thuggery and all forms of schismatic or fissiparous tendencies that may lead this nation-space to the Golgotha of dismemberment. Nigerians should, on the other hand, embrace mutual tolerance, avoid the practice whereby the tribesmen of any past or present public officer– President or Vice-President, Governor or Deputy Governor, legislator or civil servant–wage mini-wars by taking full pages of newspapers to defend one of their own with a screaming headline,  “Who is afford of….”, even if such a one is a roaring kleptomaniac!   

Barrister Akiri writes from Lagos 

By Abia Onyike 

There is a new awakening in Igboland today aimed at changing the predominant pattern of migration  which had increasingly resulted in brain drain, lost opportunities and a false sense of history. Some people believe that it is natural for Ndigbo to migrate to other cities outside their region, namely Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan etc. to make a living. because the Igbo cities could not provide the  opportunities required by Igbo youths to build what they regard as “a bright future”.  It is often argued that Igbo cities such as Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, Umuahia, Owerri or Abakaliki have no requisite industries to provide employment for the youths.

     However, times are changing. Igbo leaders and business men are beginning to rethink the sad situation. Aware that the present scenario was a product of Nigeria’s colonial history and post-civil war policies by those who ruled Nigeria and ensured that the Igbo territories remained land-locked and prostrate, those who should know better are thinking differently. In the midst of the crisis of the national question and the attendant politics of quit notices, some experts believe that Igboland and the territories around it can be transformed to become the industrial hub of the West Afican sub-region. Nigeria’s first Minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi recently stated that “the only reasonable thing to do is for the Igbo to use what God has given them, the gift of hardwork, the gift of entrepreneurship, trading expertise and the gift of their technological superiority to exploit and look inwards and develop Igboland industrially  and technologically to such an extent that Nigerians will be forced to depend on Igbo technology, expertise and industry”.

Chief Amaechi was right. The colonial policy of concentrating economic and industrial investments outside the Eastern region of Nigeria was articulated by the British who believed that the people were too  creative to be allowed to be conscious of their natural and human potentials. They wanted the land, rich with mineral resources but wished that the people never existed on planet earth. This richest part of Africa, namely Igboland and the Niger Delta territories, were subjected to deprivation, impoverishment and a special type of colonization which ensured that their enormous natural resources would never lead to the industrialization of their region. The Eastern region was closed to the import-export trade. Instead of industrializing the region in tandem with their gargantuan mineral resources, such as oil and gas (which the colonialists started drilling and selling secretly in 1906), they laid the foundation for poverty, divisiveness, bitterness and internal rivalries. The local indigenous ruling class which took power from the British colonialists continued with the foundation laid. The favoured Northern rulers were referred to as the “well-conducted youth”, on account of their ‘peaceful disposition’ which made indirect rule possible. The so-called “Nigerian interest” ensured that the resources from Africa’s richest territory were siphoned to other regions of Nigeria to enrich others who were not party to the sources of the wealth in question. No matter how diplomatic some analysts may want to be, the point is that the struggle to return the nation to genuine federalism or fiscal federalism will ultimately lead to the peaceful resolution of the contradictions of Nigeria’s political economy.

   However, for anything positive to happen, the Igbo elite must change their uncritical attitude of external investments by hearkening to the quality advice articulated by Chief Amaechi. The principle of fiscal federalism would require that federating units fend for themselves economically. Such a practice would compel the regions to exploit their own resources. The Lugardian philosophy of using resources from the Eastern region to administer the other parts must be jettisoned. It is in the light of the afore-mentioned realities that Igbo businessmen, political actors and youths are realizing the need to think home and invest home (aku ruo ulo).

   For the past two years, a Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) has been involved in the “Invest At Home” Campaign. The ADF has held a number of consultative meetings with captains of industry, investors and entrepreneurs of Igbo extraction where strategies for home investments were discussed. On the 21st of June 2017, ADF visited some industries located in the Nnewi-Onitsha axis for first-hand assessment of efforts being made by indigenous Igbo investors to invest at home. Some of the companies visited include Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited at Umudim Nnewi. The Company Managing Director, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, who conducted the Igbo leaders round the facilities said the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing plant was commissioned on 15th October 2010 by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, during the tenure of Mr. Peter Obi as Governor of Anambra State. It is the foremost vehicle manufacturing plant in Africa, specializing in the manufacturing (not just assemblage) of big and medium buses (luxurious buses inclusive), hilux vans, pick-ups, motorcycles and tricycles, ambulances etc. The company has a subsidiary – Innoson Technical Company located in Enugu where some accessories are manufactured. The batteries are sourced from the Ibeto group while glasses are procured from local plants. There is also the Innoson Kiara Academy for the training of vehicle manufacturing and automobile engineers, panel beaters, designers and technicians.

Onyike writes via abiaonyike2000@gmail.com

The company has staff strength of 7,200 workers. But Chief Chukwuma promised to employ additional 2,000 workers if he opens a new factory currently under construction.

        Speaking on his motivation for venturing into the vehicle manufacturing enterprise, Chief Chukwuma explained that vehicles were expensive in Nigeria because of the reliance on importation. He blamed the high price on importation processes and stated that the prices of his vehicles were cheaper than those of imported ones. Secondly, he said that the vehicles produced by Innoson have durable shock absorbers because they are built for Nigerian roads.

        Chief Chukwuma was full of praises for the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi who did a lot to provide his company with incentives required for breaking even. “Former Governor Obi supported us ceaselessly. He gave us order to supply vehicles to the State Government. We supplied buses to all the secondary schools in the State. He bought more for all security points in Anambra State. He equally bought jeeps for all Traditional Rulers and some Town Union Presidents in addition to ordering refuse disposal vehicles. He paid for everything in full, most times up front. That was how our company broke even”

        Chief Chukwuma equally commended the Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, whom he said was patronizing the company. He disclosed that his organization had commenced the building of a bigger vehicle manufacturing plant in Owerri, the Imo State capital. He equally promised to venture into the manufacturing of vehicle engines if the business climate keeps improving and regretted that engine manufacturing in Nigeria was an expensive venture because of the absence of steel rolling mills.

        Other enterprises visited by the ADF delegation included the Interfact Beverages Company, Golden Oil Company, Grand Cereal Company Ltd and the Modern Living Products Limited – all in Onitsha, Anambra State.

        One important observation of the tour of business enterprises in the Onitsha-Nnewi axis was the relative improved quality of access roads in the area. Peter Obi’s administration undoubtedly did a marvelous job in cleaning up Onitsha town and the industrial zone of the city. Obi’s exemplary leadership acumen in this regard should act as a model to other South-East Governors. The urge to return home for investments by some up-coming Igbo entrepreneurs should be stimulated by the conscious commitment of the State and Local Governments in the South-East geo-political zone through the provision of access roads, electricity and other social amenities.

        The National President of ADF, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, saluted the courage of Chief Innocent Chukwuma and the owners of other companies visited and noted that they came on the inspection to get first-hand information on the brains behind the “Invest At Home” drive in Igboland.

        He called on the Federal Government to include the South-East in the reactivation of the Railway Project articulated in the 2017 budget and reminded the Federal Ministry of Aviation to fine-tune the International status granted the Akanu Ibiam Airport Enugu, to facilitate international flights to all parts of the World. Prof Nwala identified the problems of doing business in Igboland to include: the closure/abandonment of the Eastern sea ports by the Federal Government leading to high cost of importation to Eastern territories, Destruction of basic economic infrastructure in Alaigbo such as power, gas and coal; absence of a functional international airport; war of attrition against Igbo businessmen and the subversive activities of anti-Igbo elements who are committed to having Igboland remain economically land-locked and postrate.

        The ADF delegation was made up of Prof. Nwala, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Mr. Peter Obi, Mr. Abia Onyike, Col. Justino Ezeoke (rtd), P.C. Chukwu, Dr. Jerry Chukwu-Okolo, Chidi Ugwu, Barr. Max Ozoka, Okechukwu Chukwuemeka, Barr. Maxwell Onyeukwu and Prof. O.M. Iheduru.

Onyike writes via abiaonyike2000@gmail.com

NIGERIA is faced with serious political tension arising from Biafra agitation and demands by other self-determination or separatist groups and those that are championing for a restructured Nigeria. Under the scenario, Nigeria is polarized into two main groups. One group is made up of those that want separate existence out of Nigeria. The second group is made up of those that want the country to be restructured.

However, there is another tiny group that consists of those who want Nigeria to remain the way it is. This minority group insists that what Nigeria needs now is good government and not necessarily restructuring. Some members of this group are even questioning the notion of restructuring. To them, the term restructuring has not been well defined and articulated. Perhaps, this group wants the attitudinal restructuring of Nigerian politicians.

While self-determination agitation cuts across the entire regions of Nigeria, it is more pronounced in the South-East region where Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have raised the consciousness to a higher level. In fact, it is akin to religion, the Karl Marxian opium of the masses.

The incarceration of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has given new impetus to the Biafra agitation that his members take his words as law. It has given Kanu a larger-than-life image, and seen as a messiah. Members of his group worship him and see him as the black Moses. Kanu has been transformed to a folk hero and even deified that his members almost pray in his name. The success of IPOB sit-at-home order has emboldened the IPOB leader and his group to the extent that they ordered a boycott of the November 18 Anambra gubernatorial poll and the 2019 poll in the South-East.

But the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo would not take such reckless ultimatum from the young IPOB leader. Nwodo had issued a disclaimer to IPOB’s ultimatum on Anambra poll and stressed that the group has no right to stop the Anambra governorship election. Nwodo argued that “whereas Ohanaeze understands the marginalization and unfair treatment of Igbo which have given rise to self-determination movements in Igboland, leaders of these movements must not arrogate to themselves the supreme leadership of Igboland.”

The Igbo leader surmised that “statements of the kind credited to Kanu are provocative, misleading and unproductive. Why should Anambra people be denied the opportunity to choose their own leader? Why should any of us who are not from Anambra, no matter how highly placed, descend to the arena and dictate for Anambra people when to vote, whether to vote or who to vote for?”

Nwodo reaffirmed that “Anambra, nay Igbo, are still part and parcel of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Yes, we are not happy with our treatment in Nigeria. Yes, some of us want Biafra. Yes, some of us prefer a restructuring, but the fact remains that we are still part and parcel of the present Federal Republic of Nigeria, bound by its laws, no matter how repressive or unjust.”

The Ohanaeze chieftain maintained that “our approach to reforms of our laws, even if it leads to self-determination or restructuring must be lawful. We must convince other Nigerians of our point of view, we must strive to make others share our convictions.” He advised that “our language must be civil, respectful and lead to consensus building. We must resist any attempt to turn division amongst us.”

Without doubt, Nwodo spoke the minds of majority of Ndi Igbo on this matter. The Biafra agitators have attracted more enemies to the cause than friends with their hate rhetoric and bogus territorial claims over some parts of Nigeria that were not part of the 1967-1970 Ojukwu’s Biafra. By their utterances, they have even alienated former Biafrans that they now want their own separate existence outside the new configured Biafra. The way they talk down on some notable Nigerian leaders from other regions make more enemies for the Igbo. That posturing is not good for Ndi Igbo who reside in other parts of the country. It is a threat to Igbo lives and investments outside Igboland. Such investments are huge in the North and the South-West. We should not toy with Igbo future, their lives and investments.

Nwodo spoke so well on poll boycott that there is nothing left to be said on it expect to enjoin Anambra people to prepare to choose their leader come November 18, 2017. That date is sacrosanct. However, it is worth reminding the agitators that their order for the South-East to boycott the 2006 census has left the zone politically inferior population-wise to other regions. The zone is yet to recover from the ugly effects of such ill-thought-out order. We have had enough from this group. They don’t own Igboland or Biafra franchise to dictate to the Igbo what they want.

They can air their views within the limitations of the extant rights and laws of the land. They should allow others that don’t subscribe to their territorial Biafra have their own views on the future of the Igbo, too. They should not force their will on others who are opposed to it. They should remember that Igbo are democratic and republican. They abhor dictatorship. They believe in consensus. They should be reminded that the situation in 1966 Nigeria is quite different from the situation in 2017.

Even the referendum that they are rooting for can go either in their favour or against. They should learn some useful lessons from the Scotland referendum and others that did not favour the protagonists. Referendum is a political exercise. Igbo politicians must be carried along and not castigated for it to work. The agitators need friends and alliances to make it pull through. No amount of ultimatum or sit-at-home or civil disobedience can achieve it.

As it is now, the Igbo have no unified position on what they want from Nigeria. While the elite are for restructuring, the youths that make up the bulk of Biafra agitators are for independent Biafra. While these groups have the right to make their demands, it should be in Igbo interest to have a consensus on what they actually want. The Igbo should not meet other Nigerians as a disorganized group. They must come together and review their separate goals and come up with one demand that will make sense. It is either the Igbo go for restructuring or for separate existence. It cannot be both. But they must think deeply before they make their choice. While not preempting the outcome of such exercise, majority of Igbo strongly believe that restructuring will best address the Igbo question. Igbo will be better in a restructured Nigeria. 

But it is worth stating that those who stand against restructuring are adding fuel to separatist agitations. They are the ones to blame if Nigeria disintegrates.

   In fact, restructuring is the minimum Nigerians expect from this APC government. The party should stop dancing over what it expressly promised Nigerians during the 2015 election campaign. Since restructuring is what majority of Nigerians want now, the party in power should just do that. No more, no less. Not doing so is akin to setting Nigeria on fire.

Since the past two years, budget preparation, submission and approval have been trailed by one controversy or the other. If the budget was not late or delayed, what we  hear is that it was missing. At times, one wonders whether the budget is prepared by aliens, using extra-terrestrial tools. One would think that the document was never typed nor prepared from a PC from where additional copies could be made.

More recently is the spat on the 2017 budget between the powerful, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola who had accused the lawmakers of inserting extraneous items while reducing money that had been allocated to certain projects. Specifically, the minister accused the lawmakers of reducing the allocations to projects like the Lagos-Ibadan expressway from N31bn to N10bn. If one wants to infer from the minister’s statement, N15bn is to pay the outstanding of the contractors who had already written that they would shut down work on the project if they were not paid. The same is applicable to the second Niger bridge which was reduced from N15bn to N10bn, while about N3bn was also removed from the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road budget. In areas of power, the minister further accused the lawmakers of slashing the budget in the power sector, “Everybody is complaining about power supply but they also cut the budget for Mambila power project and the Bodo Bridge that connects the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Station”.

Most alarming is the revelation that the National Assembly’s budget was increased to N125bn from N115bn. The minister said those items that he never knew about were inserted in the budget such as boreholes, Primary health centers and about 100 state roads which should only be the responsibility of the state.

If the lawmakers actually did what the minister had accused them of doing, then they stand condemned. The budget had been defended, and no eyebrow was raised by the lawmakers during the budget’s defence. They also did not state they were going to add new projects to the ones already listed in the budget. Even if they felt the need to add certain projects, should they not have lobbied or even consulted the ministry? I have no illusion that these projects inserted by the lawmakers are means of passing some of these projects off as constituency projects. The minister is courageous by revealing what has happened. What about the other ministries? Are the ministers in charge keeping quiet and crying in silence, knowing fully well that what the lawmakers did has always been part of the game, with every one taking his or her cut from budgetary allocations.

One tends to think that the lawmakers are asserting their independence in a negative and condemnable manner. Because they hold the power of approval, they now do what would benefit them rather than the masses by increasing their own budget, haba!

Are they aware of the economic importance of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway? The effect of the delay of the second Niger bridge which previous administrations had only paid lip service to or the death trap that the the Okene-Abuja road had become? Do they know the numbers of vehicles that ply these roads, daily. Have they considered the toll of the carnage that occurs on the roads  due to its terrible state, on the nation? If they had, they would have considered the roads as priorities instead of focusing on state roads which should be the responsibility of states.

The House of Representatives has summoned the minister to the chambers to explain what led him to reveal such a closely held secret to members of the public. They should not get away with that, they should not get away with the way they carry on as if they were in a constant state of battle with the executives. The expectations of Nigerians  is for the lawmakers to look out for them, for their welfare to be a priority. That  does not seem to be the case. The National Assembly carry on as if they are in battle with the executives, with tantrums thrown into the equation. They are always at logger heads with members of the executives, browbeating and intimidating some, forgetting they are expected to work together to make the country a better place for all.

The lawmakers should realize that they are the representatives of the people, who should understand where the shoe is pinching the masses and be willing to offer balms to soothe the pains. But they seem to have forgotten that and this probably informed their anti-people action on the budget.

Nigerians should equally be alive to the power they wield. They should know they have the power of recall over members of the legislative arm of government. They could occupy the National Assembly, they could take over the constituency offices of the legislators and insist that they do the right thing. Indeed, one tends to ask why there had not been such mass actions against these lawmakers, to take them on, on why they felt they had to cut down on projects that would benefit the greater number of people. The day we start to do this, would be the day the lawmakers would be alive to the fact that they are representatives of the people and the people’s will is supreme.

By Sunday Saanu

Within the campus of University of Ibadan (UI), he is as popular as the institution itself. And, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, he is as famous as moon. Perhaps, his popularity, based on his natural inclination for justice, fairness, integrity and accountability can better be understood within the context of an argot among his admirers who summarise his relevance thus: Gani kan, UI kan, Gani kan, Ibadan kan meaning there is only one Gani in both UI and Ibadan.

        However, beyond his popularity, any time the name, Dr. Gàníyù Adetunji Adeniran is mentioned, the refrain has always been, “but Gani is good “. To all intent and purposes, this goodness that is associated with Dr. Gani largely has to do with his positive character, integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity and moral courage. Born on 2 July, 1957 at Adeoyo Hospital in Ibadan, Dr. Gani who turns 60 today is a senior lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Pathology, UI where he graduated in 1986. He had earlier attended Ilesha Grammar School and School of Animal Health, Moore Plantation, Ibadan from 1977 to 1979. He has served UI in various capacities, including Council Committee Chairman on Security from 2007 to 2015. Outside the campus, Dr. Gani was Chairman, Presidential Visitation Panel to Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi (1999), Member, Governing Council, Federal College of Education, Kontangora (2000-2003) and Commissioner, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSEIC) between 2004 and 2007.

Interestingly , Dr. Gani’s  life eloquently demonstrates the Turkish proverb which says  “good people are like candles, they burn themselves up to give others light”. Certainly, those who know him will agree that he is an “Afenifere” (the one who wishes others well) to the core. He is naturally given to the pursuit of well being of everyone. Little wonder he is so popular and loved by many. The fragrance of flowers may spread in the direction of the wind, but as far as Gani is concerned, his own goodness spreads in all directions without considering your tribe, religion or social class.

For many years to come, security men and women in the UI will forever be grateful to Dr. Gani for all he did to improve their welfare when he was the Council Committee Chairman on Security. Before the coming of Gani, no security officer had ever attained  Principal  Security Officer (PSO) cadre on CONTISS 11. But when the “warrior” came, he practically took on the battle and fought gallantly until the siege was over. He dismantled all administrative bottlenecks constituting promotion stagnation for the security men and women on campus.

Also, during his tenure as Chairman, Dr. Adeniran created  four security zonal offices including Masaba, Botanical garden, Intelligence Unit, and Awolowo hall. He also employed the highest number of security personnel in a very transparent manner. To be specific, 90 patrolmen and women were recruited: the largest single recruitment exercise in the history of campus security service. He rebranded their operational vehicles, just as he raised money among his friends to ensure that all was well with the unit and its personnel.

In the last 25 years, Dr. Gani has participated actively in the appointment of six Vice Chancellors, thus earning the appellation of a kingmaker. “Once Gani supports your ambition for the position of VC,  rest assured that you are the VC”, a dependable source volunteered. From Profs Omoniyi Adewoye, to Ayodele Falase, Olufemi Bamiro, Isaac Adewole and the incumbent, Abel Idowu Olayinka, it is probably difficult to dismiss the political sagacity of Dr. Gani. He has the followership. He understands the terrain and  has mastered the game . He is indeed a major factor in both campus politics and Ibadan political culture .

Amazingly, he does not carry religion on his head. He is a devout Muslim, yet Dr. Gani will attend your church ceremony if invited. He will sing and dance with you in church. He simply loves people and their progress. He hates injustice . For instance, when some powers and principalities rose against my appointment in UI, Dr. Gani stood for me. He insisted that the appointment must sail through. According to him, “Saanu is not a Muslim as I am. He is not from Ibadan where I come from neither is he a woman that I want to go out with. But I simply like this man because of the quality of his work. If the university must move forward, we must not hesitate to recruit the like of Saanu “. In conjunction with the immediate past VC, Prof. Adewole who equally deployed his powers and political wizardry , Dr. Adeniran fought and fought until the opposition voices were subdued. Yet, he knew me not from Adam!

   Apart from my case, he has fought similar battles on behalf of many helpless and hapless individuals who would have otherwise  been edged out of the system unjustly. Indeed, Dr. Gani is a divine handkerchief in the hands of those that are weeping. He is a helper of the helpless and a defense for the defenseless. In abundance, he naturally possesses  incomparable passion for the wellbeing of the less privileged .

Dr. Gani has the three universally recognized moral qualities of real men : wisdom, compassion  and courage. From caring for others, his courage probably blossoms. He maintains a bit of mystique as his style of life is unique, simple, truthful, fearless and above all consistent. He is unrepentant when it comes to fighting for a just cause. It does not matter who is involved, Gani will garnish you with the bitter truth that will lay you to rest! However, he does not joke with his integrity, he hates corruption with passion. In demonstration of his love for accountability , Dr.Gani attended a conference in India on the bill of the University in 2011. Immediately he returned from the “Fire India 2011 Exhibition  conference. He refunded a day estacode of $425 (about #75,000). Excited by his transparent lifestyle, the then VC, Prof. Adewole commended him in a letter dated 10 October, 2011, saying “ your timely clearance of the cash/ touring advancement given to you for the journey is highly commendable”. A dubious person would have manipulated the situation to keep the money for himself. Not in Gani’s character. In the same vein, when he was the Hall Warden of Sultan Bello Hall, he gave a transparent account of his stewardship, just as he raised money for the Hall without taking commission . Without doubt, in moral probity and accountability, he stands out.

  To Dr. Gani, honesty is more than not lying. Honesty is truth-telling, truth-speaking, truth-living and truth-loving. His philosophy  is found in the words of an Australian television personality, Tabatha Coffey who says “ we have to stand up for what we believe in , even when we might not be popular for it. Honesty starts with being ourselves, authentic and true to who we are,  and what we believe in, and that may not always be popular, but it will always let you follow your dreams and your heart”.

  However, this tribute does not in anyway suggest  that Dr. Gani is an angel. No. He is human. And there is no error-proof man in life. He has his own shortcomings. Perhaps, part of his imperfectness could be found in his mercurial twists of temperament. He could be accused of volatile unpredictability of mood. Dr. Gani is largely feared for his tempestuous temper . But then, as he advances in age, more so now that he has joined the club of sexagenarians, it is hoped that he will be taming his temper. Good enough, age, or better still, old age, has a way of making a warrior less adventurous. But beyond this perceived weakness, Dr. Gani is a man with a loving heart. A man whose unwavering commitment to any worthy cause is unparalleled.

He has established a “prayer-by- phone ministry through which he daily sends a dose of prayer and inspirational messages to his loved ones. But if you failed to acknowledge the prayer on three consecutive times, Dr. Gani may feel miffed, thereby remove your name from the list of the beneficiaries. But that doesn’t mean he hates you! To him , you probably don’t need prayer. In recognition of his immense contributions to the development of Ibadan land, Dr. Gani was recently honoured by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) during the Ibadan Cultural Festival 2017 where his virtues were loudly proclaimed . He does not have plenty money in his pocket, yet, he is qualified to be named among the contemporary philanthropists as he regularly assists the needy with his meagre resources. Apart from giving you money, he will attend your ceremony irrespective of the distance. 

As this enigma marks 60 years in the land of the living today, one can only pray that he lives much longer before he becomes an ancestor. Happy birthday Dr. Gani, may your days be long for the benefit of humanity.

Saanu is Media Assistant in the Vice Chancellor’s office, University of Ibadan

By Musibau Tunde Akanni

“TO be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus”- William Shakespeare (Macbeth)

Governor Aregbesola’s administration in the State of Osun is perhaps best described as one that has derived its strength from crises. Religious crisis over hijab between  muslims and christians almost became an endless one bourgeoning when it seemed to be terminating. It finally subsided with the peoples’ resolve and the intervention of well meaning supporters.  No less unnerving was the government’s altercation with the labour.  What is clear in this regard for now at least is that there is no formally declared dispute. But the currently raging conflict triggered by the forthcoming senatorial election is one that may leave such a destabilizing effect in the state that may even affect the next governorship election. 

This politics with bitterness in Osun State involving Ede community against mainstream politicians including the sitting governor has never been as bad as it currently is. Governor Aregbesola, reportedly dismissed Dr. Deji Adeleke, brother of late Senator Adeleke, as indulging in unfounded claims against his government.  Otunba Ademola Adeleke, of course has not spared much breath unleashing hurtful pronouncements against his erstwhile colleagues in APC.  Otunba Adeleke’s opponent, Mudashiru Hussein and his team have not relented either.

For decidedly neutral, yet activist stakeholders like this writer, this episode has been unimaginably messy and should fade away as fast as possible.  The mess being impacted on individuals and families is best exemplified in what manifests in the family of the Ejigbo born, Honeywell Flour Mills engineer, Fatai Sina Oyeyemi, President of the Old Students’ Association of Muslim Grammar School Ede. Both Mudashiru Hussain and Otunba Ademola Adeleke are members the Oyeyemi-led association. Although  both Oyeyemi and Hussain are from Ejigbo, Oyeyemi’s wife of more than twenty years, Fatimo, is from Ede. Besides, Oyeyemi and Otunba Adeleke had been intensely fond of each other even before it became public knowledge that Oyeyemi was going to be Adeleke’s in-law. So, where should Citizen Oyeyemi and several others including this writer with connections to the parties involved in this election and as legitimate  stakeholders appropriate their loyalty in the midst of flying anger?   

For those who may not know, the tragic outburst of Ede people in reaction to Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke’s death is best captured by Ola Rotimi’s assertion that “joy has a slender body that breaks too soon”. Until Adeleke became the first executive governor of Osun State in 1991, endowed as Ede was with world class professionals, political appointments had always eluded the community.  For that community, commissionership and board membership of parastatals were some kind of impossible attainments; some mirage. 

Some analysts had argued that it was because Ede was largely a muslim community while the ruling elite in the entire western region of Nigeria comprised Christians in the main.  Sample: When Bola Ige became the Executive Governor of  Oyo State in 1979, of course with the support of  Ede community in ensuring his success at the polls, the community had looked forward to proper reckoning.  The cabinet composition was eventually announced and   the community sought to know who her representative was.  Lere Adetoye was the eye of the community in Bola Ige’s team. Adetoye was then a teacher at The Polytechnic Ibadan. Not a few people believed Adetoye could withstand political turbulence when and if any happened. And that government recorded ample share. Till date, there has probably been any  civilian state government in Nigeria in which a replay of the tumultous Bola Ige -Busari Adelakun had featured.

In Ede, queries therefore began to issue forth on who else would be appointed.  What happened to Bunmi Ayoade? What’s the matter with Olaide Abbas?  Ayoade, retired, world class professor of political science now based at the UPenn in the US was the awe-inspiring, community’s ambassador at the University of Ibadan for several years. Lately, he coordinated Aregbesola’s campaign for re-election. On the other hand was Abbas who today, is Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at the University of Lagos. Abbass has been so much of the grassroots that he remains till date a major benefactor of  Muslim Grammar School Ede. He had served on the board and expended material, moral and intellectual resources for the only school that the community saw as its sole baby after some nomenclatural distortion had been inflicted on some earlier efforts.  Prof. Abbass was particularly expected to be appointed into government at the cabinet level on account of his political activism which derived from that of his late father who was a close acquaintance of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.  The intellectual accomplishment of the duo of Ayoade and Abbass held no attraction for Ige.  Ede therefore had to endure Ige’s administration.  But the emergence of the community’s messiah  was not going to take eternity.  Babangida created Osun State and the community produced its first civilian governor.

Quite remarkably, Adeleke ensured that he constituted a most commendable team of erudite professionals and administrators.  His Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Gani’ Adegbite, now late, was a fine economist and veteran grassroots politician who used that position to substantially decongest the labour market state wide.  Yours sincerely also knew so well that the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board led by veteran journalist and former General Manager at Concord Press, Alhaji Liad Tella,  was probably the best in the country then. Tella was later head hunted for appointment as a pioneer commissioner for the National Hajj Commission.

Clearly, Osun State has been substantially cultivated for governance with structures relatively better than what most of its contemporaries could boast of.  It would have been a shame anyway if a contrary situation obtains in a region noted for minimum tolerance for non performance as well political deception far deeply entrenched in other parts of the country.  But this hasn’t happened without efforts.  Perhaps most important were the foundational effort of the pioneer civilian government upon which subsequent ones later built. Unfortunately, a consolidation of Adeleke’s first term as planned was not to be, leading to the ongoing battle between two accidental bidders.

As accidental bidders, they refuse to address governance issues.  They deliberately ignore issues of fairness and justice as well as even development conspicuously needed in their domain. Rather, they indulged more in attacking one another escalating the aspersions ventilated by their supporters.  Hussain’s cronies had eulogized him to high heavens echoing his humility and all. To them Demola is not even a member of the party or may be not old enough in the party to deserve what he is aspiring to be. This is worrisome and compellingly so. It is glaring that the two leading parties fielding Muda and Demola hardly did any homework on their candidates

Both Hussain and Ademola, unknown to their lackeys, are like brothers that must reconcile as soon as this election is over.  The two candidates should know that providence has been maximally kind to them, hence whatever comes their way ultimately should not lead to any rancor.  It is hoped that the duo will seek a common ground probably beginning with the common umbrella of the Old Students Association of Muslim Grammar School Ede.

Dr. Akanni is a journalist and peace and conflict resolution scholar based at the School of Communication of the Lagos State University.

By Chiedu Uche Okoye

MY spry octogenarian mother is my closest chum. And I do spend quality time with her. My interaction and conversation with her on the state of the nation and the Nigeria-Biafra war inspired me to write this piece.

Being the effervescent and brilliant last born of my parents, they’re greatly enamored with me. And while growing up, they gave me pet names, such as “Chubby Checker” and “Jesse Jackson”, and under the moonlight, they would regale me with tales about the Nigeria-Biafra war. My father’s war tales (may God rest his soul) were a rehash of fantasies and reality while my mother would narrate her ordeal during the war to me. Till now, she hasn’t ceased to tell me how the war nearly cost the life of her eldest daughter (now deceased), the one fondly called “Miss Nigeria”.

Having escaped death by the whiskers during the war, my Mother has a great dislike and phobia for war. She would rather we dialogued than go to war. Now, many Nigerians from diverse ethnic groups are stoking the embers of disunity and war in Nigeria with their inflammatory utterances and divisive actions. These people, who harbour deep hatred for people who belong to religious and ethnic groups other than theirs, are taking Nigeria to the precipice.

Can Nigeria come out of another civil war not dismembered? Have we forgotten that the civil war stalled our national development? And it took us long time to re-build our country. The physical and emotional scars from the war are still deeply etched on the bodies and hearts of millions of Nigerians. Although the mishandling of political crisis in the Western Region in the 1960s partly caused the war, the remote cause of the war was ethnic hatred as well as suspicion.

Since the end of the civil war in 1970, our successive leaders, both political and military, had made concerted efforts to entrench unity in Nigeria. Sadly, the NYSC programme, which is a tool for achieving national cohesion and unity, is being abused. Today, corps members’ mandatory one year stay in places other than their native home states has failed to disabuse their minds of ethnic prejudices, sentiments, and stereotypes.

The fact is that Nigerians are fiercely conscious of their ethnic origins and backgrounds and religions. That’s why we place our ethnic nation’s interests above the national interests and good. Consequently, the centrifugal forces of ethnicity and religion have caused deep fissures in our polity. Since the inception of Nigeria, the major ethnic groups in Nigeria had attempted to secede from Nigeria at different times. In the 1950s, the Hausa-Fulani threatened to pull out of Nigeria in their nine point programme. In 1963, Isaac Adaka Boro declared the Niger-Delta Republic, which was short-lived. The Igbo people of the South-East of Nigeria fought a secessionist war between 1967 and 1970.

In addition to these, there are other political and religious uprisings that threatened the continued existence of Nigeria as one country. We had the Maitatsine religious crises in the 1980s. And the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election nearly caused Nigeria to bowl over. More so, the vacuum created by the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s debilitating illness caused a rift in our polity, and pitched the Yoruba against the Hausa-Fulani, then.

Even till now, there is rumbling in our country; and it is feverishly convulsing with agitations for the dismemberment of the country by some ethnic groups. The Niger-Delta people and the Igbo people feel short- changed in the national scheme of things. While the Niger-Delta militants blow up oil-pipelines, occasionally, to call attention to their plight, there is a renewed and sustained clamour for the creation of the state of Biafra by IPOB, whose leader is Nnamdi Kanu.

The mercurial Nnamdi Kanu, who has become popular with the Igbo masses on account of his speeches on Radio Biafra, has become a cult figure.  Today, millions of Igbo youths have acquiesced in the IPOB’s notion that giving the Igbo people a geographical space called Biafra will lead to the rapid development of the area.

Their hope as well as belief is not misplaced given that Igbo people are known for their inventiveness, entrepreneurial spirit, and sedulousness.  But good political leadership is the prerequisite or condition that can give fillip to national growth. And there is no guarantee that the proposed state of Biafra will enjoy political stability and good political leadership if it becomes a politically independent nation.

But at this juncture in our country’s democratic evolution and odyssey, the call for the creation of the state of Biafra is both misconceived and misplaced. The circumstances in the 1960s which led to the declaration of the state of Biafra by the late Col. Emeka Ojukwu are different from what obtains in today’s Nigeria.

Nobody can gainsay the fact that the Igbo are being marginalized in today’s Nigeria. And other Nigerians view them with deep mistrust and hatred. In order to allay the fears which other people(s) have and feel towards them, politicians of Igbo extraction should enter the mainstream Nigeria politics, and form political alliances across the ethnic divides. By so doing, they’ll stand a chance of producing a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.

An enterprising and adventurous people with expansionist proclivities, who are dispersed all over the world should not tend towards insularity. So, it is utterly bunkum and inane for the Biafra agitators to assert that one of their reasons for opting out of Nigeria is that they do not have the same culture and religion as the northern people. But is there any country in today’s world that is ethnically homogenous?

Even South Sudan, the newest country in the world has many tribal groups. Ghana, which is far smaller than Nigeria, is not ethnically and religiously homogenous.

Okoye writes from Uruowulu- Obosi, Anambra State.

By Odurombi Onabanjo

I was at the newspaper stand opposite the University of Ibadan school gate, some days ago to read the day’s news reports. Though I get to read many newspapers online, I always find the arguments and heated debates at the newspaper stand both intellectually stimulating and mentally enriching. So, as a ritual, I stop there every day to read newspapers and learn from the ‘analysts’.

On the front page of all the dailies that day was the call for the restructuring of Nigeria made by former self-styled military president, Ibrahim Babaginda, in his Ramadan message to Nigerians. After reading through the reports and listening to the ‘analysts’, I could not help but wonder why hitherto silent persons on the restructuring of Nigeria have suddenly found their voices, while well-known advocates for a restructured Nigeria have gone painfully silent.

During my ill-fated time in a tertiary institution in Osun State, I attended two lectures in which Dr Kayode Fayemi, then Ekiti State governor, was the guest speaker. On both occasions, he spoke with so much persuasion on the urgent need to restructure Nigeria. He spoke of how his state, Ekiti State, would have been a viable state if Nigeria was practising true federalism—a thing many believe can only be achieved through restructuring the country. But today, Dr Fayemi is a minister in the ruling government and has kept sealed lips on the issue of restructuring Nigeria.

Also, many of Fayemi’s political friends, including his political benefactor, Bola Tinubu, once made spirited calls for a restructured Nigeria. But all have become silent since their party, the All Progressives Congress, came into office. This goes to show that people like Fayemi only had an axe to grind in their call for a restructured Nigeria—they were never altruistic about it.

Therefore, among the cacophony of voices calling for a restructured Nigeria, one must pick out the voices of those making the call in good faith, and be wary of some latter day restructuring converts. This is not implying that Babaginda has an ulterior motive for lending his voice to the growing call for a restructured Nigeria; I am only surprised that he could jump on the bandwagon despite his infamous role in the nation’s woes.

If one can take an indulgent view of Babaginda’s call as an act of self-contrition, the same cannot be said of some siren voices calling for a restructured Nigeria, who are only doing so as an act of political correctness.

A former vice-president in this country and ceaseless aspirant for the highest office in the land leads this pack. He has begun to sing the restructuring song to any listening ear but acute political observers know his true intentions—he has his eyes firmly fixed on the presidential seat and has latched on to this latest fad to warm his way into the hearts of the electorate.

Aside the sly politicians hoping to harvest some political gains by supporting the call for the restructuring of Nigeria, some ethnic bodies have also become overnight restructuring crusaders, asking that the recommendations of the 2014 National Confab be implemented.

   The curious question that comes to an objective mind is why such call was not made when former President Goodluck Jonathan was in power. True, governance is a continuum, but if Jonathan had convoked the National Conference in his first or second year in office, he would have had enough time to implement its recommendations. But he waited till the 2015 presidential elections drew close, as he needed the Confab recommendations as a campaign tool, before he convened the conference. Yet some people want the Buhari government to implement the recommendations of a conference that was convoked in bad faith.

I am sure if the Buhari government, which has turned a deaf ear to the calls for the restructuring of Nigeria, suddenly decides to convene a National Conference at the tail end of its time in office; the government that will succeed it will simply put such conference recommendations in the archive. The reason is simple: four years is enough to convene and implement the recommendations of a National Conference. So, those calling for the implementations of the 2014 National Confab are simply mischievous.

Many may be tempted to label me anti-restructuring, but I am not. I have nothing against the calls for the restructuring of the country. I am only skeptical about the intentions of some of the callers bearing in mind that the 2019 presidential race, though two years away, has begun. Also, I have seen Nigerian politicians make shocking volte face on issues one thought they could give their life for. So, for me, caution is the watchword.

Onbabanjo writes from Lagos

By Desmond Orjiakor

ONCE again, it is the season of campaign in Anambra State (Home For All). With the expiration of the tenure of its ebullient governor, Willie Obiano, aspirants are springing up for various elective positions. But the major question is: Who calls the shots at Government House, Awka? The issue of who occupies the driver’s seat in this gateway state in the Southeast and home to Nigeria’s erstwhile Governor-General, Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha, is in contention.

In fact, there are more than 25 politicians (some contenders and others pretenders) angling for the slot of the state’s chief executive. Some of the names being dropped include Chief Godwin Ezeemo, Hon. Stella Oduah, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu, Dr. Obinna Uzor, Senator Andy Ubah, Senator Chris Ngige, currently Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, Nze Akachukwu Nwakpo, Barrister Chinedu Idigo, Mr. John Emeka, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, and many others.

Splendid is the current! Yet, only a few seem to be talking about issues; about what they would do that would add to what Willie Obiano has done. Much as Nigerians would appreciate a situation whereby people of varied opinions and backgrounds are allowed to join the fray, what is really surprising is that most of our politicians are bereft of ideas. A critical study of the interviews granted and comments made by these Anambra gladiators shows that some of them are either bending on their self-aggrandizement or are simply galvanizing avenues for cheap appointments or “settlements”. However, a few of this battalion of contenders are dead serious in their bid to lead Anambra State to a greater height. 

In their deft political calculations and brilliant articulation of issues, it is glaring that they are not just out to pander to undue affectation to humour the public or create an unusual mileage on the hustings. One of such personages who appears to be the darling of Anambra youth and the teeming masses especially traders, is Senator  Andy Uba, a serving senator of the Federal Republic who wants to serve his people with zeal. Given his background as one who had been governor and now a serving senator, Dr. Andy Uba has full grasp of the intricacies of power and statecraft. Alas, this cool, unassuming politician possesses the uncanny gift of understanding even the dark and the labyrinthine. He also comes across as not only possessing a profound appreciation of power but having its most penetrating insights as well.

What gladdens the heart about this warm and enterprising personality is that he knows what he intends to achieve for the people of his state. For instance, commenting on what better changes he would bring about in the burgeoning economy of the state, he started by reasoning that his intention is to correct the imbalance and  improve on what is on the ground. He has posited that first and foremost the state could only move forward in an atmosphere of peace and mutual trust. He has said that Anambra people deserve quality democracy dividends to justify their mandate to a governor. The APC governorship aspirant has promised to concentrate on infrastructure and empowerment of the people. 

Andy Uba has also thought of encouraging people to go into manufacturing to open up the economy of the state; establishment of an airport to make for easy movement of goods for businesses to thrive. Promising that he would also take security matters to a higher dimension, Senator Uba said that his good antecedents would guarantee him the APC ticket.

One of the things that make the people to insist on this young man coming on board is his plan to tackle the ecological crisis enveloping the state head-long. In the state, several communities have been washed away by gully erosion of a devastating variety. Very recently, it was reported that the Federal Polytechnic, Oko and the entire community where Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Nigeria’s former Vice President comes from, are under serious threat of being washed away by erosion. It is, therefore, heartwarming that Dr. Andy Uba has a holistic transformational agenda for the state if given the opportunity to serve. Others might share similar vision with him. But what gives him an edge over and above his fellow contenders is his enormous reservoir of love for his people. The man has a zeal which is tempered by disarming humility and generosity.

Above all, Andy Uba has age on his side. All over the world, opportunities are given to the youth to serve because they have the energy and drive to work for the people. He is set to run a bold government driven by a bold vision for the future of Anambra State. His plan to attack youth unemployment, combat the menace of crime and address the environmental degradation threatening the state, the housing issue and distribute infrastructural development across the state is commendable. The people of Anambra State should be encouraged to make wise and intelligent choices. For effective governance of the gateway state to the South Eastern part of the country, Andy Uba is the ultimate bride.

Orjiakor writes from Abuja.

By Tajudeen Kareem

The resilience of the Nigerian Military has come to play despite being engaged at several battle fronts across the country. While many Nigerians are appreciative of this feat, a few myopic people have taken democratic freedom to a ridiculous level by traducing men at the ‘war front’.

Even as the bombs boom, kidnappers keep rampaging, cultists are unrelenting; the country stands askance. Yet campaigners are shouting human rights. What then is human right when bombs kill innocent women and children at random in markets and motor parks?

Like many have suspected, human rights campaigners hiding under civil society umbrellas have teamed up with foreign agencies, specifically, Transparency International and Amnesty International (AD), to produce jaundiced verdicts on peace keeping and peace enforcement operations of the Nigerian military. But the war against Boko Haram has been on for close to a decade, so why the sudden crusade?

As the questions keep coming, the Nigerian Army has proactively embarked on some introspection. A few months ago, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai constituted a special board of inquiry to investigate allegations of human rights violations against military officers in various theatres where the armed forces are engaged in ensuring security and maintenance of law and order. Top on the card is the charge by AI bordering on “excessive use of force and extra-judicial killings of members of Indigenous People of Biafra”.  It also alleged “cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, forced disappearance and extrajudicial executions” against some senior officers involved in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in the North East.

But the Army top echelon has responded to the allegations with candour. A verification team of serving and retired soldiers, plus two private lawyers, were saddled with the task of probing the claims of individual misdemeanor. After a two-month pain-staking verification exercise generally seen as open and transparent, the SBI has produced a report devoid of any form of cover-up or window dressing. 

Indeed, paragraphs 50 to 52 of the report are very instructive, as they contained the summary of the findings of the SBI, to wit: “The Board finds that the current delay in the trials of Boko Haram detainees, resulting in some cases in deaths in custody, is unacceptable and a denial of the rights of fair trial of the detainees. 

“The Board finds the denial of access of legal representation or at least visitation from legal practitioners, including lawyers from the Legal Aid Council, is a violation of human rights. Any attempt to justify this state of affairs will trivialize the commitment of the Nigerian Army to respect of fundamental human rights.

“The Board finds several overcrowded cells and insanitary conditions of some of the detention facilities visited.”

The SBI is even more gracious in its recommendations.  While supporting AI in the coverage of operational activities of the military, it urged the watchdog to “take appropriate steps to verify its reports before publication.”

To emphasize the commitment of all to openness, the board suggested raising a presidential panel of inquiry to investigate all cases of human rights violations against the military.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Buratai, is also quite forthright in appraising the conduct of men and officers in ‘battle’ across the country. “We are 100 per cent objective in our action and transparent in our operations”, he said at a recent interview. The conduct of the Nigerian Army, he emphasized, is a reflection of the Open Governance doctrine under President Muhammadu Buhari. While not directly criticizing AI, the Army Chief thinks that some individuals are conspiring to paint Nigeria in  bad light. But he said in a firm voice: “We will not agree that  Nigeria toes the path of Somalia and Sudan.”

Perhaps, toeing official government position, he observed that: “Some organizations and individuals are taking mischievous paths in reporting the facts on ground. I suspect they are getting information from terrorists and their sympathizers. Previous but similar indictments have been debunked especially those from NGOs.”

Gen. Buratai said the Nigerian military is human rights’ compliant, and approaches every task mindful of the provisions of the Constitution in defending the territorial integrity of the country and warding off external aggression. “We don’t use force arbitrarily. We have rules of engagement and code of conduct. Troops know that you don’t open fire unless in self defence. We are human rights’ compliant. We have a clear policy direction on conduct at the battle front and in engaging the civil population. 

“The military has human rights code. AI should be mindful of our own policy. They seem to rely too much on isolated cases. They conclude, rather in a haste, their investigation before they come to hear our own side of the story. They seem to have an unstated motive,” he charged.

While conceding that some bad behaviours are likely among the rank and file, Gen. Buratai said soldiers who breach the code of practice are promptly sent to face the court martial. “The rules guiding our profession are clear and unambiguous. Breaches are promptly dealt with. Our internal checks and control measures are perfect. We have a near perfect mechanism for checking excesses in peace and war times,” he affirmed.

Reviewing the capacity of the military to operate on many theatres, Gen. Buratai described the task as critical. But he quickly asserted that despite some inadequacies in equipments and logistics, the morale of officers and men are very high. “A soldier is trained to fight, ready to die for his country. We prepare our troops before we launch them in battle. We don’t have 100 per cent of the materials we require. We strive to provide the requisite atmosphere to make them perform,” he elaborated.

Going specific, Gen. Buratai said attention is given to medical support and rations to enable soldiers on the field keep fit at all times. Also taken seriously is the adequacy and efficiency of equipments.

Kareem writes from  Abuja.

“Initially we had challenges with transportation and mobility of troops. Providing ambulance services and anti-mine equipments was also critical. We faced frequent breakdowns in difficult and vast terrains especially where Improvised Explosive Devices were planted. We also experienced high level casualty. But all that have been put behind us”, said the Army Chief.

Despite the seeming difficulties in stopping Boko Haram insurgents, Gen. Buratai said his men are fired by the spirit of national service. “The spirit of patriotism keeps pushing them. We address the challenges quickly as they occur. We keep instilling confidence in the soldiers. We also keep improving on medical facility and requirement. We pay attention to kitting and protective gears. We never overlook the intangible things to keep morale high at all times,” he explained.

He does not agree with suggestions that some countries are conspiring to frustrate the war on terror. Rather, he wants the super powers to do much more to ensure quick eradication of terror in Africa. Nigeria’s neighbours are also supportive under the multi-national joint task force while the United States, Britain, Germany and China have shown keen interest of recent. “They all have a duty to support the fight against insurgency worldwide. Much more is required to enable us cope with the menace. They support us with intelligence but they can do more to consolidate the successes we have recorded,” said Gen. Buratai.

Despite all the odds, how prepared is the Nigerian Army in discharging its responsibility? “We are fully prepared to defend the fatherland. Preparedness is relative. We are ready to confront all occasions,” said the Army Chief, even as he emphasized the need for total support by citizens.

“Generally, Nigerians are appreciative of the commitment of this government and the zeal of the armed forces to eradicate insurgency and make the country secure, but social media campaigners are not relenting in peddling unfounded allegations. Today many appreciate our transparency and commitment. We need more support of all segments of Nigerians. We appreciate their support and goodwill at all times,” the Army Chief emphasized.

Ending on an optimistic note, Gen. Buratai urged Nigerians to be patient, promising that the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents will be eliminated soon.

By Chiedu Uche Okoye

Nigeria, a multi-ethnic country, is a nation of nations. More than two hundred and fifty ethnic groups make up Nigeria. The country, however, sits on a tripod, namely Igbo, Yoruba, and the Hausa-Fulani. Since the inception of Nigeria many years ago, there has been no love lost among the different tribal groups in the country. Little wonder, ethnic animosity as well as hatred characterise the country. People of an ethnic group view   people from other ethnic groups with suspicion and hatred. This has bred and engendered disunity and fissures in the country.

Consequently, the political parties which were formed in the country in the First Republic were not truly nationalistic in composition and outlook. What NPC was to the North was what AG was to the Western region. Here, we place our ethnic nation’s interests above national interests and other considerations. Not surprisingly, we witnessed and experienced the January 1966 coup, and the July 1966 counter-coup, which precipitated the bloody Nigeria-Biafra civil war.

In the war that raged between 1967 and 1970, the Igbo and other Easterners were pitted against the rest of Nigeria. Millions of human lives were wasted in the gratuitous war. The war was fought to keep Nigeria one. And now, we’re being told that the unity and continued existence of Nigeria as one indivisible and indissoluble country is non-negotiable and sacrosanct.

 But, that postulation is fallacious, presumptuous, arrogant, and self-serving. People with that mindset are the corrupt political bigwigs in Nigeria, who live off our collective wealth. Have some federal states in today’s world not disintegrated? And Nigeria is a federal state. The former Soviet Union, which was composed of fifteen nations, split into smaller countries. Then, USSR seemed impregnable. USSR was a federal state. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia have dismembered, too.

In Africa, Eritrea had pulled out of Ethiopia; and South-Sudan emerged from Sudan after they had fought an internecine civil war for many years.

 Right now, the wave of clamour for the achievement of statehood for homogenous groups is sweeping ferociously across the world. The Scottish people conducted a referendum to determine their continued stay in Great Britain some years ago. In Spain, the Basque people want to optout of Spain. And, across the world, some countries are being ravaged by ethnic rivalries, which always ignite the clamour for the creation of sovereign states for homogenous people(s).

 In Nigeria, which is the potential giant of Africa, there is a resurgence and resuscitation of the agitation for the creation of the state of Biafra. In the recent past, Ralph Uwazuruike led the charge for the carving out of a geographical space called Biafra for the Igbo-speaking people of the South-east of Nigeria. The lawyer-turned freedom fighter, however, was accused of being a self-out and political turn-coat. His steep downfall coincided with the rise of Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra and the IPOB leader. Nnamdi Kanu has become popular with the teeming Igbo masses owing to his hate speeches on Radio Biafra.

 His platitudinous speeches resonate with his followers, who are largely unlettered and impressionable youths. They have acquiesced in his notion that the Igbo people’s opting out of Nigeria will be an open sesame to the rapid development of the proposed state of Biafra. The plank of his argument for wanting the creation of the state of Biafra is that the Igbo are being   marginalized in Nigeria’s scheme of things. It is a platitudinous mantra that’s mouthed by some foxy selfish politicians, who are struggling to better their lot in life.

 But the fact is, the Igbo people and some other groups in Nigeria are being marginalised in Nigeria’s scheme of things. In this country, most times, they’re given a raw deal. This is clearly exemplified in the skewed appointments into federal establishments, which do not favour the Igbo people. But, the antidote to the problem is not opting out of Nigeria. Aren’t we better off as one country considering that Nigeria is blessed with immense human and material resources that are distributed across the country? And, we can harness our diversities in many areas to achieve true national growth. It is an incontrovertible fact that the greatness of Nigeria lies in its diversity in many areas.

 So, instead of stoking and fanning the embers of disunity, beating the drums of war, and agitating for a separate country, the Igbo should enter the mainstream Nigerian politics, and form and forge political alliances with other ethnic blocs and groups in order to produce a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction. Doing this will disabuse the minds of people from other ethnic groups of prejudices and sentiments about the Igbo ethnic group.

 Again, instead of clamouring for the disintegration Nigeria, we should push for the restructuring of Nigeria, practice of true fiscal federalism, and the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 national confab. The South-East can become an economically prosperous and technologically advanced area given its potentialities if Nigeria is to become a truly federal state. USA is a federal state, and the states there are not as impoverished as the ones in Nigeria because they practise true federalism. They don’t go cap in hand begging for money from the centre oftentimes.

 A united Nigeria with workable federal structures is preferable to a fragmented and dismembered Nigeria with many nations coming out of it. And, there is no guarantee that the proposed state of Biafra will enjoy unity and political stability, which is the foundation of national development, if it becomes a nation-state. South-Sudan, which is a break-away country from Sudan, is embroiled in another civil war. Is Eritrea, which used to be in Ethiopia, a model of a developed, peaceful, and united nation-state? Some countries that broke away from other countries are still engaged in needless wars today.

 So, is Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader, a student of world history? Is he aware that the circumstantial events that led Col. Emeka Ojukwu, who was the governor of Eastern Region then, to declare the state of Biafra are different from what obtains in today’s Nigeria? Has he delineated the areas that Biafra will encompass if it becomes a sovereign state? Has he enlisted and got the support of the Igbo-speaking people in the Niger-Delta area? Apart from executing periodic stay-at-home order, which paralyses economic activities in the South-east, what is his policy of action for actualising his dream, which is the creation of the state of Biafra?

This is why I find his call for the abolition of the forthcoming Anambra governorship election as presumptuous, rash, and ill-conceived. If he tries to organise a mass action to prevent the conduct of the election, it’ll put him on a collision course with the federal government, which will be a repudiation and disavowal of his non-violent approach to achieving his political ends.

 A united Nigeria is better than a fragmented and dismembered one with many nation-states coming out of it.

Okoye, a publisher and a poet, writes from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State

•

•

By Dan Amor

Senator Liyel Imoke, the immediate past Governor of Cross River State is quiet, self – effacing, media-shy but dynamic. He is so gentle and unassuming that he could easily be classified as a man who cannot hurt a fly. This quiet and simple disposition as a man not given to the loudness and pomposity of the average Nigerian politician has become a defining factor in his political career. For those very close to him, Imoke believes that it is not important for one to advertise oneself. This belief, perhaps, may have been responsible for the lack of publicity of his towering achievements as governor of Cross River State in the popular Press. ​

Imoke’s humanism favoured an assertion of the dignity of man against the asceticism of medieval misanthropy as he took governance to the rural dwellers, who needed it most while still developing the urban centres. Given Imoke’s legendary love for his people  and his capacity to hold even his political adversaries in thrall, few can behold even this quiet ex-governor and not feel a sense of shame or inadequacy. His basket–baller frame aside, Imoke exudes a sure–footedness or confidence that wows. But it is his brilliance that endears many to him.

But, again, it is his vision and determination to provide comfort for his people, especially those who had never felt government presence before that is the thrust of his political philosophy. It takes an astute politician with a consuming love for his people to see the faceless antagonism of fifth columnists as a challenge and thus employ his manifest gusto to canalize all dangerous proclivities into harmless channels. The sense of energy and optimism generated by Imoke’s bold attempt to create a brave new model state could have easily given way to disillusionment if his government did not turn visionary rhetoric into something rather more substantial.

Of course, Imoke’s mastery of political mood-music is not to be sniffed at. But he does not blow his trumpet and would not want anyone to blow it for him. That, probably, accounts for why his state appeared grossly under-reported during his tenure. To be candid, Senator Imoke did not have a bad press; yet it was only those who visited Cross River State when he was in the saddle that can testify to how he was silently transforming that agrarian state to one of the first eleven among Nigeria’s 36 states. After the sense of drift that was the lot of the people in the past, it was now a refreshing change under Imoke.

The administration of Senator Imoke inspired widespread confidence. Like Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State or Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, to mention just a few, Imoke had managed simultaneously to accept much of the legacy of his predecessor while creating public excitement about the idea of real change. He was attacking excruciating poverty and underdevelopment head on.

While it is impossible to articulate the cumulative magnitude of Imoke’s developmental strides in one piece, this one may actually be a convenient factual aid to the bare construing of Imoke’s staggering achievements in Cross River State between 2007 and 2015 when he occupied the hot seat as executive governor. 

Besides asphalting a network of more than 1000 kilometre well developed closely knit roads across the state, his government indeed gave a face-lift to education. To accentuate his priority on education, not only did he build and renovate several schools across the state, he re-introduced scholarship awards for indigenes to study at home and abroad. An attempt to encode some of these projects would definitely not leave the inimitable ones among the lot. Urban and Rural Roads, Goodluck Jonathan Bye-pass, Urban and Rural Water Scheme, first flyover in Calabar, the Mono-Rail Project, Tinapa Knowledge City, Smartgov and Electronic Citizen Identification Scheme easily come to mind. His government constructed the first ever underground drainage in Calabar thus making the city free from the menace of incessant flooding.

In terms of security, the state had zero-tolerance for cultism and with the establishment of the Emergency Response Centre, the state was the most peaceful in the country. This made it to be the first choice when it comes to hosting important national events like Presidential Retreat, Bankers Committee meetings, etc, which were annual routines. Whereas Imoke attracted some big multinational companies like General Electric of the United States and Weilmer, arguably the biggest oil palm producing company in the world, local ones like Flour Mills, Unicem, etcetera, were expanded. His government set up the Elders Committee made up of traditional rulers, community leaders and leaders of thought which managed communal clashes to forestall violence.​

Other projects include: International Convention Centre which was cited by CNN as one of the three monumental architectural designs in Africa, International Golf Course, Model Schools, Port-side Industrial Park, the first civil servants housing estate, Mother & Child Free Healthcare Programme (including health centres covering all the wards in the state), GIS and land Registration Reform, etcetera. Aside from the admirable cordiality between government and organized Labour in the state despite meager financial inflow having ceded its 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Imoke’s capacity for prudent husbandry of resources remains a mystery. No wonder, the National Budget Transparency Monitoring Group recently declared Cross River State under Imoke as the best State in Nigeria in terms of budget transparency.

Yet, this miracle cannot be divorced from the ex-Governor’s strategic templates which included a creative facilitation of the flow of private investor money into the State’s unproductive assets to make them operational thereby lifting the state’s tourism economy. Aside from winning the best ICT compliant state, Calabar remains till date the only city in Nigeria with digital underground complete with fibrotic network.

Not only was the state the number one tourism destination in the country, it blended it with sport. The state won the national secondary schools championship. Imoke built the Ikom Township Stadium as part of his drive to promote sporting activities as a means of curbing youth restiveness.

Amor writes from Abuja.