PDP to Fayose:You can never be our presidential candidate, you are wasting your time
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has told one of its governors to forget his presidential ambition.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, said Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti was wasting his time with his plan to seek the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election.
Mr. Adeyeye told Punch Newspapers on Wednesday that the party has already zoned the presidential ticket to the northern part of the country.
Mr. Fayose is expected to formally announce his intention for the ticket on Thursday according to a statement by his spokesperson.
Although the Ekiti governor is not eligible to be the presidential candidate, the PDP said, he is eligible to contest for the office of the national chairman of the party which has been zoned to the south.
Others Southern politicians believed to be seeking to be the national chairman of the largest opposition party are a former Ondo governor, Olabode George, and a former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel. Both men, like Mr. Fayose are from the South-west of Nigeria.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel
“The highest organ of the party, which is the national convention, zoned the presidential ticket of the PDP to the North. That has not changed. The same national convention zoned the position of the national chairman to the South. The convention has yet to change any of these two.
“That (national convention) is the supreme organ of the party. Those decisions are binding on all members of the party. Nobody can alter these decisions,” Mr. Adeyeye told Punch Newspapers.
Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader impeached in Adamawa
The Adamawa House of Assembly on Monday impeached four of the principal officers, including the Deputy Speaker, Mr Sunday Peter, and the Majority Leader, Alhaji Musa Mahmud.
Others removed were the Deputy Majority Leader, Mutawali Mohammed and the Minority Leader, Mrs Justina Nkom (SDP-Lamurde) State Constituency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru Mijinyawa, presided over the first plenary after the house resumed from a six-week recess.
According to news Agency pf Nigeria, the deputy speaker was immediately replaced by Mr Emmanuel Tsamdu (APC-Madagali) while Mr Hassan Burguma (APC-Hong) was also elected new majority leader.
Mr Abubakar Hayatu (APC-Uba/Gaya) moved the motion for the impeachment of the deputy speaker and was seconded by Abubakar Abdurrahman (APC-Mubi South).
The house elected Abubakar Isa (APC-Shelleng) new deputy majority leader while Mr Lamsumbani Dili (PDP-Demsa) took over as the minority leader. NAN
• Declares raid on south-east as gradual military takeover • Seeks return to 1963 Constitution • Decries misinformation about restructuring • Atiku insists only lazy states are afraid of restructuring • Wants regions to control own resources • Presidency warns against toying with nation’s unity
Members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the group of pro-democracy activists who fought the bitter war for the entrenchment of democracy during the dark days of military dictatorship, are once again back in the trenches.
The group, which took the campaign for the sanctity of the ballot paper to the global arena in the wake of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by billionaire politician, Chief M.K.O Abiola, reconvened at the weekend to fight another war to protect Nigeria’s democracy.
The regrouping of NADECO, which comprises remnants of the old activists that fought the military to a standstill, came on the heels of calls by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for the devolution of power to the country’s federating units for Nigeria to develop.
Atiku, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) declared that only lazy states in the country are afraid of restructuring saying, “I don’t know what fear those who are afraid of restructuring are having; those who are afraid of restructuring of Nigeria must be lazy.”
At a meeting attended by prominent NADECO chieftains like Dr. Amos Akingba, Chiefs Ayo Opadokun and Ayo Adebanjo, in Lagos, the group made a damning verdict on the country; “Nigeria is back to dictatorship.”
In a statement released after the meeting, the group said, “it is time once again to rise and defend democracy in our dear country. We are very troubled by recent national developments and are forced to issue this warning to all our compatriots that democracy is once again under threat in our nation!”
While condemning military operations against the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in the south-east and the planned attempt to repeat it in the other two zones in Southern Nigeria, the group called for the entrenchment of true federalism in the country.
According to NADECO, “In Abia State, the soldiers invaded communities, tortured civilian population, over-awed the constitutionally elected governor and civil institutions of the state, and declared the IPOB a terrorist organisation, in defiance of the judgment of the Federal High Court.
“All of these actions are unconstitutional and represent an illegal takeover of the functions of the National Assembly, the Abia State House of Assembly and the legal authorities.
“The Army High Command has announced further that the ‘Operation Python Dance’ will be a regular event and that another similar activity named ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ will be carried out in the south-south and south-west.
“The actions of the military, we restate, are inconsistent with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may be the beginning, if not checked, of the unwitting or witting subversion of democracy in Nigeria.”
The group also seeks a return to the 1963 Constitution, which it said described essentially what true federalism is with emphasis on the coming together of independent federating units to form a federation which central government they cede some of their powers and responsibilities to.
NADECO also decried misinformation on the definition of restructuring particularly by partisan political operators who want “to confuse the Nigerian public and particularly our young people about the clear and unambiguous meaning of Federalism which universally represents a system of government whereby there is a distribution of power particularly between a central government and the constituent units wherever it is practised as opposed to centrist/unitary government.”
While lamenting the slow progress in the northern part of the country, Atiku who spoke at a forum on political leadership among youths in Abuja said, “We fought the Civil War with the Igbo, but today if I drive from the north to the east, the east has been completely developed, but you will still find thatched roofs and mud houses in the north. Is it the fault of the easterners that the north is like that?”
According to Atiku, restructuring will enable the 36 states to acquire more powers, which will enable them to generate more resources for regional development.
“The arrangement of the country in the last 50 years has not served us very well. I am not a product of the current structure of Nigeria; I am a product of the First Republic. I saw the regional government at work and I have also seen this arrangement at work, and that was why I came out to the detriment of my career to advocate restructuring of Nigeria and I still stand by what I said.
“I believe what is more important is the devolution of powers and resources to the various components, whether you want to call them states or regions. There are other issues that must be tackled along with the political restructuring of Nigeria; the economy is also a very important issue.
“Left to me, I would ask every part of this country to be in charge if its resources. The Federal Government should be in charge of defence, foreign affairs and immigration, among others. The Federal Government should also have the powers to tax, after all, that was the system that brought me up and it was so efficient, fair and equitable.”
The former vice president stressed the need for all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to dialogue in order to proffer solutions to the lingering challenges facing the country.
Atiku, who hinted that he would quit active politics in 10 years, called for the removal of state of origin from the constitution to be replaced with state of residency, saying it would put an end to cases of quit notices in different parts of the country.
The former vice president said the product of the 1995/96 constitution drafting committee was not what was eventually released and foisted on the people of the country in 1999.
“I was a member of the constitutional conference of 1994-1995, but what we actually drafted was not what eventually came out.”
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Political Leaders Amongst Youth (PLAY), Mr. Charles Okpalaeke, urged Nigerian youths to be tolerant of opposing views.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has warned those it described as troublemakers in the country, irrespective of the geo-political zone, against using their complaints as an excuse to subvert the social order in the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo gave the warning during a grand reception in his honour at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at the weekend as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the state’s creation.
He stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari at all times is prepared to engage and listen to every group in the country, thereby acting for the best interest of all.
Osinbajo urged Nigerians to resist attempts by disgruntled elements whose stock in trade is destroying the bonds of brotherhood that have been built through tribe and tongue for years past.
“We must not take for granted the steady progress of our economic growth and stability not just as a state but as a nation; peace is the foundation of enduring prosperity, and for peace to reign everywhere in Nigeria, all of us as Nigerians must make necessary sacrifices.
“We are in a situation where we must take seriously the admonition to love one another, whatever complaints we may have must not be an excuse to subvert the social order.
“You and I as individuals have a major role to play, citizens everywhere should never sit idle when misguided elements in our midst recklessly destroy the common bonds of friendship and brotherhood that have been built through tribe and tongue for decades. It is our duty to speak up and convey the message of peace and reconciliation, a message which is common to cultures and religion in
Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier, Emmanuel acknowledged that the state came to be as a result of persistent demand by the people, thanking former military president Ibrahim Babangida for creating the state on September 23, 1987. The Guardian NG
Hon Ned Munir Nwoko – The Lawmaker with Foresight!
Nearly all the laudable policies of the Federal Government since 1999 to present day, emanated either from the bills sponsored by the extra-ordinary lawmaker (Hon. Ned Nwoko) or are motions moved by the Prince of Idumuje-Ugboko, Aniocha North LGA of Delta State during his tenure in the National Assembly.
It is on record that Hon. Ned Munir Nwoko who represented Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency between 1999-2003 sponsored twenty-two (22) bills that have direct bearing on the people and equally moved the all-important motion for the National Conference.
The bills sponsored by this erudite UK trained lawyer include the following:
Bill for the establishment of National Information Network Centre
A bill for an act establishing a National Disability allowance
A bill for an act for prohibition of corporal punishment in schools
A bill for an act for compulsory vehicle road worthiness test
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) reform bill (2000)
A bill for an Act to establish Public Funds recovery and reward commission (Whistle blowing)
A bill for the establishment of a National minimum wage council
National minimum wage bill (1999)
A bill for an Act to standardize allowances and fringe benefits payable to public government officials- Monetization Bill
Bill for an Act for continuity of evidence in court proceedings
A bill for an Act for compulsory professional indemnity in Nigeria
A bill for an Act for the protection of Nigerians abroad
A bill for the amendment of fire arms Act
A bill for an Act for the consolidation of all Decrees
A bill for the prohibition of expensive burial rites in Nigeria
A bill for an Act for community legal service
A bill for an Act for the convening of a National Conference
Bill for an Act for establishing a National Sports University
A bill for an Act for compulsory Fire & Insurance Regulations at Homes and Offices
A bill for an Act to Regulate the Activities of Okada Riders in Nigeria
A bill for Federal Government Contract Awards performance Act.
It is significant that a brief background of this lawmaker per excellence is given to enable readers appreciate where he is coming from. Hon. Ned Nwoko is a blue blood from the revered stool of Idumuje Ugboko in Aniocha North LGA of Delta State.
Before coming to serve his people at the National Assembly, he had already set up and maintained one of the leading black law firms in the UK, where he practices as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. He is a Senior Consultant with Ned Nwoko Solicitors, a city of London firm of lawyers engaged in management and verification of foreign debts of third World countries, including their component States. Perhaps, no wonder he performed exceptionally well. He also served in Vision 2010- Committee set up by General Abacha which was then christened as the Assembly of some of the best minds within and outside the Country. Hon. Ned Nwoko was appointed Chairman of the External Committee of Vision 2010.
The well-known monetization policy of the Federal Government should be credited to Hon. Ned Nwoko, who sponsored the bill and followed it up with a detailed explanation for the implementation of the government under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It is also instructive to note the bill he sponsored on Public Funds Recovery and Reward Commission which today is known as the whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government being coordinated by the EFCC. It is a known fact that it has become an effective tool in tackling corruption.
Hon. Ned Munir Nwoko
He initiated the exit from London and Paris Club loans and is the author of all the reports that led to first, the Federal government stopping monthly deductions from states’ allocations and then the commencement of refunds to the states.
He took Federal government to court on behalf of the 774 Local governments for the refund of illegal deductions and obtained a judgment of $3.2billion for the local governments. The Federal government of Nigeria has just started refunding these monies in line with the judgment of 2013.
I also recall the motion he moved on the National question which later translated to the Constitution of the National Conference Committee that was set up under President Goodluck Jonathan. For a lawmaker with such a foresight over the years, it is only imperative that his works are clearly documented for history. Today as we reflect, we see many of his positions on National issues during his sojourn at the National Assembly gradually coming out to play in the present dispensation.
Hon. Ned Nwoko epitomizes diligence, assiduity, honor, integrity, compassion, benevolence and indeed finesses. He has a stubborn proclivity for distinction and he is a voracious reader that goes through any literature that comes his way. He is always of the view that a lawyer must know what is happening around him, hence he reads all major newspapers published in Nigeria on daily basis. Even his arch-rivals and adversaries always agree on one point that he pays attention to the minutest of details. His capacity for giving is unassailable, his penchant for philanthropic activities is awe- inspiring and his proclivity for humanitarianism is unmistakable. He is an exceptionally good man with an outstanding pedigree.
He is a recipient of several awards in recognition of his sterling qualities, exemplary character and contribution to human endeavors. He was a very serious minded legislator, interested in the creation of law to grow the economy, and alleviate grinding poverty across generations.
Despite his tight schedules as an international lawyer, he has never lost contact with the people at the grassroots.
I am very proud of him, and I have really learned so much under his mentorship.
Author, Mohammmed Yaba Bologi is Personal Assistant to Hon. Ned Nwoko
GuardianNG The immediate motivation for writing this essay is an old video which I re-watched recently from ‘A Night of a thousand Laughs’ in which Comedian Basket Mouth referred to Edo girls as being interested only in the ‘International League’ with their corporate headquarters in Italy. He had lampooned Calabar and Yoruba ladies drawing from popular, street mythologies and ended with Benin girls’ penchant for prostitution in foreign lands. Of course the alliterative ‘doh sir doh ma doh papa doh uncle’ was amusing and the audience did not fail the performer. They broke into wild laughter – you see ashawo no be work!
It was a serious joke about an entire ethnic group, an ethnic group which has one of the oldest and strongest, respectable and very traditional monarchies in Nigeria, an ethnic group that confronted the imperial Britain in the twilight of its reign over the entire world. Often when a joke is at one’s expense it is not considered funny by the target. One of the attractions of comedy is that it pokes fun at serious issues in a lighthearted manner. Beneath the joke, the fun and the laughter a message is passed on. One of the reactions is to change the existing conditions which stirred the barbs in the first place. On the positive side I do remember that the First Lady during Governor Lucky Igbinedion years in Government House Benin initiated a project to repatriate girls from Italy. I don’t have any record that the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole administration continued with the project. So what went wrong? What has gone wrong?
What went wrong between 1897 when Oba Ovonranwen Nogbaisi boldly confronted European exploitation and 2017 that his future subjects have volunteered themselves as tools of pleasure in the hands of European sexual predators? What has compelled mothers and daughters to connive in the debauchery that is prostitution in faraway Italy and other European capitals? What has, what can the Edo State government do to clear this stigma from the once proud Edo people? What role has the Nigerian government in restoration? Why is Italy a preferred destination? These may be academic questions because as we ‘speak’ the dubiously profitable trade is going on between Benin and Italy!
In some major Italian cities and across Europe there are hundreds if not thousands of ladies of African ancestry who practise the night trade, subtly referred to as ‘commercial sex workers’. I am reliably informed that they are all over South Africa these days, working hard with their sexual organs in order to repatriate funds back home. It is a nice way of saying that they are doing ‘ashawo’ work! As an aside I remember Osita Osadebe’s 1970s hit song ‘Ashawo no be work’, a song which it made it clear that ‘ashawo na management! But our current ladies see it as ‘work’. A variant of it are euphemisms such as ‘runs girls’ or ‘call girls’, ‘pleasure ladies’, ‘pay as you go ladies.’
Sadly, a high percentage of them are from Nigeria, with the highest concentration coming from Edo State. All kinds of reasons have been adduced for the upsurge in the number of ladies who have ventured into this dubious trade. The major reason so far advanced is economic hardship, or lack of access to economic advancement opportunities. To be sure the prostitution network is a vicious and powerful one, with connections from major cities in Europe, Asia and America. It involves trickery and deception, inducement, fetish objects, intimidation, manipulation, abduction, exploitation, and sexploitation. It is a million dollar enterprise that makes the string pullers rich. But it is often done in the dark, just as the patrons and traffickers remain in the dark. The only people who never really get rich are the victims of sex trafficking, though some manage to break free and remit monies home to buy property or sell cars.
The madams who come soliciting for girls to work in Europe or wherever are not women of virtue. They are essentially business women. The new dimension which the Edo experience has shown is that some mothers are in the know. They are privy to sending their daughters to make money and send back home in order to lift the family out of poverty. It is true that some gullible ones leave Nigeria without the correct knowledge about life in Europe. But judging by the level of information in the public space, the percentage of those who believe that decent jobs await them in Italy must be negligible.
The route to Europe is not a pleasant one. From when they take off from Nigerian borders by road through the desert till they get to North Africa and cross over to Italy there are different hazards. Some get killed by robbers. Some are stranded in North African cities, used as slaves. I got communication from a friend who lives in Mauritania that some Nigerian girls are a source of constant embarrassment to everyone. They are kept in chains by masters of the game.
In the prostitution chain human life means nothing, that is, it is easily expendable. The objective is profit. The cigar-smoking baron or the voluptuous Madame in a mansion in say Paris, London, Lagos, Benin, Brussels or Milan, does not do the dirty work. The foot soldiers who do not know the big bosses directly do the dirty job. The security men who give protection are also part of the chain. Invariably there is money for everyone. Everyone is happy but humanity is further debased and values destroyed.
In interrogating this subject of what Edo girls are doing in Italy I would like to reference Bernard Shaw’s play Mrs. Warren’s Profession in which the playwright argues that it is difficult to preach morality to persons who are disenfranchised institutionally. Certainly the Bini ladies (along with their compatriots from other ethnic groups), must enjoy high patronage in Italy. Benin City in the 70s was a place to be in. Sporting activities, entertainment and career jobs were available. It was the same in Nigeria generally. The term or the practice of ‘ashawo’ was taboo. But suddenly values were upturned.
Added to this, was the declining economic fortunes of Edo State and the rest of the country. Some powerful Madame emerged in Edo State and promoted the narrative of ‘making it abroad’. As they repatriated funds and opened car shops and hotels, it became fashionable to send girls abroad to learn the trade and get into the big league.
The Edo State government working with NANTIP should enter into a restoration projection. Some of the ladies are trapped in Italy and some other countries and cannot return. Special centres should be created for the returnees and the Edo State government should specially respond by creating jobs for the youth.
Most of the ladies are indebted to the Madame who trafficked them. Repayment is a forever thing. It is the second stage of enslavement. It is a continuation of the exploitation which Europe perfected to build their cities and infrastructure. This time however our girls appear to benefit from the trade at the risk of losing their health and lives. Our governments at different levels should embark on a programme that would prick the dead conscience of our people. The message should be ‘Ashawo no be work! Culled from The Guardian
“Being more pragmatic, separating the nation into small pieces resolves nothing and creates additional problems”. With these words, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Saturday, warned against any attempt to spilt Nigeria.
Tinubu noted that gargantuan challenges were facing the country but explained that they were not enough to call for the dismantling of the federation at a time some parts of the world were taking advantage of integration.
Whereas he did not make direct reference to the secessionist agitation by the now proscribed Igbo group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), he said many of those who cry separation do so because their personal ambitions will be better served as they believe they will have greater chance at political power under a different arrangement.
The APC leader, however, said the cry for separation had gained traction among average people due to the chronic failure of government to meet basic aspirations.
Tinubu spoke as Principal Guest of Honour/Keynote Speaker at the 2017 Annual Dinner of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) at King’s College, Lagos.
His speech entitled, A NEW NIGERIA OR A BETTER ONE:THE FITTING TOOLS OF A GREAT REPAIR
“In one way or another, we all have felt the sting of man’s capacity to wrong his fellow man. But we are also endowed with the God-given spirit to overcome adversity and to make of old enemies, new allies and even brothers. I stand before you as a faithful believer in sentiments such as these”, the former governor of Lagos started his address to the King’s College Old Boys.
He continued: “Collectively and individually you have contributed mightily to this nation. If there were more people imbued with the values of King’s College, Nigeria would be a better place.
We must clearly articulate our objectives. That which we cannot think clearly, will not be attained despite the magnitude of our exertions and expenditure to achieve it. One cannot be assured that an architect’s fine design will result in a fine building. Much can go awry during the process of transforming idea into brick and mortar.
“However, we can be certain that a masterful building is never the result of flawed design. In this vein, I dabble not so much in the search for a new Nigeria. I am equally not enthused about the flaws of old Nigeria. What I seek is a better Nigeria.
“I care not whether something is old or new but whether it shall make us better. Not all change is good. Not every new thing shall be kind to us”.
Saying Nigeria must change but some of the changes we need cannot be bought at the store of the new, Tinubu said, “Many things we need are shelved in the warehouse of the old. Just as we must learn new things on one hand, we must remember vital old wisdom on the other.
This is where associations such as this are so valuable. You represent an inventory of vast knowledge. “This should be used not to stifle change but to guide it toward its best purpose”.
The APC leader went on: “The trend today is to believe progress and improvement are basically functions of technology and science. That politics and governance matter little and change almost nothing. That talk of political reform spills out of the leaking chalice of dreamers. Or is but an intoxicant used by cynical political operators to delude the public.
“Skepticism abounds. The only strong belief is to disbelief. Not enough people seek to improve society. They are told that only the foolish looks out for his neighbor and respects his adversary.
They are taught the only thing to do is to look out for one’s self. If thy neighbor stumbles, reach down not to pick him up but to take those things he dropped while falling. Self-profit is the only commandment. All else is make-believe, things heard in the church and mosque but to be left there and not pursued in the course of everyday life.
Change is possible
“The very dynamics of the current political economy is to separate people from each other. Such mean isolation was never part of us but it has crept into our culture. Of this brand of newness, I want no part.
The world has entered a period where progressive, humane reform are not fashionable. We are told to be practical, to accept the way things are. There is no struggle over competing ideals; we are told the current political economy is immutable. The only thing that matters is whether you master its dynamics to succeed or you sink and fail. To attempt to change things is as futile as trying to change the sky and clouds themselves.
“This is a blatant lie. Change is possible and change we must. There is no such thing as having no ideology. Every political and economic institutions are founded on one thought system or another. To accept the false premise that there is no alternative to how things are is to acquiesce in the unfair ideology that has brought us to our current predicament.
“In the hard sciences such as physics, chemistry or mathematics, one can speak of immutable principles and objective formula. In the affairs of men, most things are subjective. Virtue and vice, good and bad, what is optimal and what is not have no fixed meaning. Definitions change with the ideological and moral perspective of each person.
“In the face of recession, one man fires most of his employees in order to maintain his own income level. Another man accepts to receive less income so that he may retain his workers. Two men faced with the same circumstance. Each made a decision of equal soundness with regard to the rational or intellectual quality of the thinking processes that led to the decisions.
However, the decisions call forth two divergent value systems that suggest two vastly different visions of how the political economy should function whether in or out of crisis.
“As in almost all social interactions, there are few acts devoid of subjective ideological coloration. The decisions we make are determined by how we would like the world to be – our very actions are determined by what we value so as to keep and what we are willing to discard when the ship of state is tossed either by storm or errant navigation.
“Since there is no one objective optimal standard by which to construct a political economy, it would seem prudent for a nation to dedicate a healthy amount of time discussing this fundamental matter. For such is the surest path to reaching consensus on what economic development and good governance mean in our particular context. “Sadly, the obverse is true. We talk little about this core issue. Instead, we spend inordinate time bickering over the symptoms of our failure to discuss the core issue.
We are like the bewildered couple who has gotten their marriage license after a lavish wedding; yet neither of them really understands the meaning of marriage or their roles as husband and wife in it. “Legally, they are married but functionally, their union is a crippled one. This couple will be at loggerheads until somehow, some way they forge an agreement on what type of home they want and what are their respective duties in making that home come into existence.
Legal marriage
“It is a rather curious lapse that a nation with such diversity as ours has not taken the time to give our legal marriage its proper functional underpinning. In other words, we all lined up to call ourselves Nigerian without gathering to discuss what it meant. Thus, we inhabit a nation that has not sufficiently defined its governance. We may be defined by political borders and boundaries but we have not glued ourselves to collective purpose and vision. Too many of us are born in Nigeria but not of it.
We must guard against separating Nigeria into small pieces, Tinubu warns
Thus, our society is not a collective enterprise as important to each of us as our own personal endeavor. It is but a platform, an arena, to claim whatever one can by whatever means available. In too many ways we resemble a wrestling match instead of the nation we were meant to become.
“Thus, we argue over matters that long ago should have been settled. The longer such fundamental questions fester, the more extreme become the proposed answers.
“Thus, we have people clamoring for secession in one part of the country and the murmur of such a course grows stronger in other sections.
“These other areas resent that some have advocated secession. Blame and recrimination become the political currency. Statesmanship falls in short supply. The dominant urge is to confront instead of reconcile.
“It would be wrong to mistake this for a tempest in a teapot. If not careful, we may be tossed about like a teapot in a tempest.
“We must listen to what is being said so that we can determine what is really meant.
Political power
“Let us be frank. Many who cry separation do so because their personal ambitions will be better served by such a thing. They believe they will have greater chance at political power under a different arrangement. Yet the cry for separation has gained traction among average people; this is due to the chronic failure of government to meet basic aspirations.
“If over the years, government had delivered on the promise of growth, prosperity, and justice, those calling for such extreme remedies would be but a small fringe of little consequence.
“Our task is not to condemn but to listen and understand. I care not at all for this proposed solution. But I dare not discount the concerns and problems that have led many people into advocating such a thing.
Firm believer in Nigeria
“Here, I want to plainly state my position. I am a firm believer in Nigeria. I believe this land will become a great nation and a leader among other African nations. We can resolve our dysfunctions in a manner that will make this nation rise as a standard of decency, justice and prosperity for all Nigerians.
“So many excellent people have devoted themselves, even given their very lives, to give life to this nation. I dare not cast aside their hardy and brave work as if it were nothing. Many things we now enjoy and see as good are due to these people. We have benefited from their labor and sacrifice. Many of you have likewise sacrificed because selfless values and working for something noble and larger than your own advancement are the precious lessons King’s College taught you. Morality and my understanding of our history will not allow me to discard such contributions to our humanity and common welfare.
“Being more pragmatic, separating the nation into small pieces resolves nothing and creates additional problems. The world marches toward integration. Europe, America, Asia seek trade and commercial pacts that will make them more integrated markets. Notwithstanding Brexit, the EU grows more integrated in the functions of governance by the day. Thus, while nations more powerful and developed than us seek to pool their wealth and might, some of us seek to whittle this nation into smaller pieces.
“Such a thing would make us more vulnerable to outside influences. We would forfeit our rightful place on the world stage and as a leader of this continent.
“Moreover, not every split solves a problem. The political mentality, either good or bad, that defined a group before the split will remain after the divide. If one is imbued with factionalism, that perspective will remain even when the immediate problem is surmounted. Division will manifest differently, but manifest it will.
“A new factional bigotry will arise to replace the old. The cycle of tension and unrest will take its inexorable toll. Just ask the people of South Sudan if their woes ended when they left Sudan.
“When your heart is geared toward division, you will seek it within a single tribe, even a single family. The gossamer of ethnic unity will be ripped apart by sub-ethnic squabble. An angry man outside his home remains angry inside it as well and a thief steals from both stranger and friend.
“Driven by such a mentality, even someone you once called your brother becomes a nuisance, then a burden, and ultimately your enemy in short order.
“Thus, I oppose talk of break-up and all other exotic political arrangements tantamount to it. That I am a foe of disunity does not mean I have blinded myself to the truth that our nation is in need of great repair.
“We all see the nation for what it is. Some look further to see the nation for what it is not and they rush to condemn it.
I” choose to see the nation for what it can be and thus seek to nurture and cultivate it so that this Nigeria may bring forth the fullest blossoming of its riches, resources and ingenuity of its diverse people.
Better Nigeria
“We need a better Nigeria and we must move toward it with speed. Once an ally, time no longer is on our side.
“To achieve this better place means some old things must change. But it also means that we must revive some practices we have tried to forget.
“I will offer you a thematic overview for laying the foundation of a better nation. I pretend not to give all the answers. What I give is my humble initial contribution to the overdue discourse on how to mould and shape our political economy.
“Our current national economic model is but an old, crumbling house. Repairing this edifice is the greatest challenge confronting us. “We allowed a once vibrant, diverse economy to atrophy into something overly dependent on oil revenue and on the rent-seeking behavior such revenues encourage. Even at the best of times and with the highest of oil prices, the economy was characterized by imbalance and inefficiency. Widespread poverty, gross inequality and massive unemployment described our condition.
“We survived but did not flourish. But bothered not to change because we thought oil would always be able to pay for everything. “Because of this, we left millions upon millions of our people in the clutch of destitution. Poverty became their abundance and joblessness their vocation, despair their faith.
“The secular decline in oil prices revealed our extant economic model for the travesty it is. Should we continue along its sad path, history will write of us that we chose self-destruction over progress for no reasons other than inertia and arrogance. Future generations will utter “there went the best chance of Nigeria.” This is not a verdict I want attached to my name and our generation.
“We must refuse to be bondsmen to failure.
“Here are some ideas that may aid this vital economic repair.
“We are among the world’s most populous nations. We must realize that no populous nation has ever attained broadly- shared prosperity without first creating an industrial capacity that employs large numbers of people and manufactures a significant quantity of goods for domestic consumption or export.
“In one form or another, England, America and China implemented policies to protect key industries, promote employment and encourage exports.
“These three nations represent the past, present and immediate future of national economic achievement. A strong common thread is their policies of buffering strategic industries in ways that allows for the expansion and growth of the overall economy.
National industrial policy
“We must press forward with a national industrial policy fostering development of strategic industries that create jobs as well as spur further economic growth. Whether we decide to focus attention on steel, textiles, cars, machinery components, or other items, we must focus on manufacturing things that Nigerians and the rest of the world value and want to buy.
“We must partially reshape the market place to accomplish this. The federal government should institute a policy of tax credits, subsidies and insulate critical sectors from the negative impact of imports.
“We need a national infrastructure plan. Roads, ports, bridges and railways need enhancing and new ones need to be built, the goal must be a coherently-planned and integrated infrastructural grid. A national economy cannot grow beyond the capacity of the infrastructure that serves it. Good infrastructure yields a prospering economy. Weak infrastructure relegates the economy to the poorhouse. Government must take the lead.
“The focus on infrastructure has important corollary benefit. Federal expenditure for needed infrastructural spending has empirically proven in every place and in every era to boost recessionary economies and provide employment when sorely needed. Deficit spending in our own currency to advance this mission is neither a luxury nor a mistake. It is a fulcrum of and balanced and shared prosperity.
“We must overcome the economic, political and bureaucratic bottlenecks preventing us from achieving reliable electrical power.
“This is perhaps the single greatest impediment to economic advancement. The lack of power inflates costs, undercuts productivity, causing havoc to overall economic activity and job creation. Our economic situation is literally and figuratively in the dark. The hurdles we face are not technical in nature.
“We must convince those political and economic factors currently impeding our quest for reliable power to step aside that we may obtain this critical ingredient to economic vitality.
“Modern economies are based on credit. However, credit for business investment is too costly in Nigeria.
“The long-term economic strength of the nation is dependent on how we deploy now idle men, material and machines into productive endeavor. And this is highly dependent on the interest rate.
“The CBN must cure its affection for high interest rates. Lower rates are required so our industrialists may borrow without fear that excessive costs of borrowing will consign them to irredeemable debt. The normal profit rates in most business sectors cannot support the burden imposed by current interest rates.
“If our industrialists do not invest in more plant, equipment and jobs, the economy will stagnate. The banking system would have achieved its goal of low interest rates at the greater costs of economic growth. This is as misguided as trying to save a branch by chopping down the tree.
“Consumer credit must be more accessible to the average person. The prevailing norm is for a person to purchase high -priced items such as a car in one lump sum. This is oppressive. It defeats the average person and constrains transactions in real estate, vehicles and appliances that could vitalize the economy.
“The government-backed home mortgage system must be re-engineered. Mortgage loan agencies must be better funded, and liberalize their eligibility requirements so that more people qualify. They need to provide longer-term mortgages with manageable interest rates. Government should provide the supporting guarantees to make such financing a reality.
“By sparking the effective demand for housing, the overall economy is enhanced. The construction sector and the industries allied to it will surge.
“Moreover, to the extent that a man has a house he calls his own, that man is content; his contentment and innate common sense will act as brakes against instability and reckless political conduct.
“Also, a workable credit system lessens corruption. The current lump-sum payment requirement tempts people toward misconduct. They see no other way to secure such large sums. Their wages will not suffice. Thus, they either must steal the money, beg for it or forego the purchase. Having an accessible credit system that provides for periodic installment payments places a purchase within the reach of a person’s wages. They no longer have to equate being honest with doing without.
Backbone
“Agriculture remains the backbone of the nation. We must help the common farmer by improving rural output and incomes. This is best done via ensuring minimum prices for crops strategic to food security. Here, we must revive an old practice and policy that served us well. Though effective, this policy was shunned because it conflicted with the free market totems that we were asked to erect against our own interests.
“We must return to commodity exchange boards which will allow farmers to secure good prices and hedge against loss. An agricultural mortgage loan corporation should be inaugurated to further promote these goals.
Balancing
“The proposals stated above are largely within the province of the federal government. Focusing on these and other such things will keep the federal government sufficiently busy. Sadly, the federal government is now doing things the states can perform with equal dexterity and which detract the federal government from the key missions only it can perform.
“This imbalance between the roles of the federal and state governments lies at the root of our difficulties.
“To achieve better levels of overall governance, we need to re-balance the duties of the federal and state governments. The legacy of undemocratic rule has arrogated too much power and resources to the federal at the expense of state governments. The quest to correct the imbalance is the essence of federalism I have advocated for so many years.
“Due to our particular political history and its military legacy, the quality of our federalism and the quality of our democracy are intertwined. The more we repair federalism, is the more we improve democracy.
“In my mind, federalism denotes a division of labor between the federal and state governments that functions to maximize the benefits of governance to the people. True federalism is that brand which provides that the federal government should focus on those few but essential things only it can provide such as foreign policy, defense, and national economic policy. Additionally, in those matters where uniform standards and requirements are appropriate, the federal government must take the lead.
“All other matters should be left to the states. If there is doubt over a particular issue, the presumption should be that the states, not the federal government, should take the lead.
“Here, I say to those so eager to dispense with federalism in favor of more rash and impractical remedies, let us first truly practice federalism before we deem it a failure. If given but a fair chance, we just might perfect federalism by making it work for the benefit of all of us.
“Constitutionally, we are a federation of 36 states. However, the vestiges of past military rule continue to haunt the democratic road we hew. We function like a unitary state in many ways.
We cannot become a better Nigeria with an undue concentration of power at the federal level. “Competition for federal office will be too intense, akin to a winner-take-all duel. Those who lose, will bristle at the lack of power in the periphery they occupy.
They will scheme to pester and undermine the strong executive because that is where they want to be. The executive will become so engaged in deflecting their antics, that it will not devote its great powers to the issues of progressive governance for which such powers were bestowed. Things will be in a constant state of disequilibrium and irritation. Such a situation augurs toward the maintenance of an unsatisfactory status quo in the political economy. It augurs against reform.
“It would be better to restructure things to attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on one hand and our separate grassroots realities on the other.
“Many of the 68 items on the Exclusive Federal List should be transferred to the Residual List. This would be in harmony with the 1963 Constitution, again an instance of reaching back to revive something old yet more likely to give us a better Nigeria.
“That prior constitution granted vast powers to the regions enabling them to carry out their immense responsibilities as they saw fit.
“By virtue of the clear fact that regional governments were closer to the people, they had a better feel for the material and intangible priorities of their populations. We must return to this ideal.
“Some items which should left for the states to handle such as police, prisons, stamp duties, regulation of tourist traffic, registration of business names, incorporation of companies, traffic on federal truck roads passing through states, trade, commerce and census are now on the Exclusive List for the federal government.
Electrical power
“Regarding the all important electrical power, while the federal government takes the lead, there is no logical reason to limit states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity only to areas not covered by the national grid.
“The states should be allowed to augment power generation so long as they do not undermine federal operations. For instance, a state may wish to develop an industrial park or housing estate either of which will require a boost in power generation. However, if the national government does not agree, the state will be foreclosed from projects that provide jobs and better living conditions to its people.
“This is not in keeping with the spirit of federalism. It is consonant with an undemocratic tradition that keeps us from approaching a better Nigeria.
Revenue formula
“As an adjunct, we should also seek to re-calibrate the revenue sharing formula in order to bring more funds to the state and local levels so they can answer their enlarged responsibilities.
“In this regard, the residual effect of the old unitary system has made harsh of the Paris Club refunds owed the various state governments. Money that is owed the states, belongs to the states. We all support propriety of expenditure. The sentiment behind the withholding is understandable if not laudable. But the federal government has no right to withhold funds that constitutionally belong to the states. The fear of possible misuse of funds is no reason to violate the constitution.
Provide the funds to the states as legally required. Committed and fine governors will use the funds wisely. And the people will be better off. As to those who squander the money, there are appropriate ways to expose and sanction them. This is where the federal government can appropriately step in. However, to withhold the funds, no matter how well intended, is to undermine federalism and the rule of law. It will have adverse long-time consequences; as such, it is too high a price to pay.
One Nigeria
“When we unite and not untie, we build on an existing maxim of ONE NIGERIA by describing that ONENESS as the fabric of a larger society S.E.W.N. (South East West North) together.
“We exist in an era where progressive reform and compassion in governance are not oft spoken. It is a dark period the world has entered, where the lesson is the powerful do as they will and the weak suffer as they must.
“Yes, we resist this trend; it holds nothing good for Nigeria. We must adhere to the values and policies that suggest tomorrow can be made a better place than today.
“I refuse to believe we have become such an untoward lot that the longer we live together, the more estranged we become. “Just as we have gathered here today, we must gather about the national table to repair our political discourse. In this way, we begin the process leading to policies that bring – civic kindness, generosity of spirit, sustainable growth, equality and peace to every Nigerian who seeks these good things.
These are the pillars of a better Nigeria. By the grace and mercy of our common Creator, we shall build such pillars so that we and succeeding generations may come to build even greater things upon them.” Culled from Vanguard NG
The Lagos state government has directed owners and operators of articulated vehicles/trailers and petroleum tankers to stay away from the state “for now”.
Olanrewaju Elegushi, acting commissioner for transportation, said the move is to curtail the gridlock that has taken over Apapa and its environs.
Elegushi said the incessant traffic bottleneck in the area has impacted negatively on the commercial activities of the citizens.
He said investigations revealed the traffic lockdown was a direct result of the challenges being faced by operators of the ports in loading the trucks that have come from the hinterland to evacuate imported items.
He also said the gridlock was worsened by the current rehabilitation of some major and minor roads necessitating the closure of some routes in Apapa.
According to The Cable,Steve Ayorinde, commissioner for information and strategy, who was also at the briefing said: “We keep having this issue of gridlock in Apapa because issues that the ports authorities and the concessionaires are dealing with are recurrent and the spillover effect of those issues are causing all these.
“If the ports can’t determine how many trucks they are able to deal with on a daily basis; how they are informed about coming in and going out, then it will be a problem to deal with.
“What we need to do is to keep on engaging with them, we keep on engaging with other states and so on. I mean, people who have trucks in other states and already know that there is a logjam in Lagos, why send other trucks to Lagos?
“The idea is not to say don’t come into Lagos. It is part of what makes the economy of Lagos what it is but we are saying let us deal with the logjam that we have presently and there is no way we can deal with it, we can only deal with the effect because the causes essentially have to do with the operations at the Ports and that is why we are appealing to them.”
The government, however, urged the operators to utilise the Ogere trailer park and other parks outside the state in the interim to avoid further hardship for motorists on the road. The Cable
US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has announced his opposition to the latest plan to repeal Barack Obama’s healthcare legacy law, commonly called Obamacare.
According to various reports, the Senator’s declared opposition to the bill effectively made it a still-born, as it appears it has no chance of passing in the Senate.
Already, Senator Susan Collins has indicated that she is “leaning against the bill” and Senator Rand Paul has said that he will oppose the measure.
With McCain saying he will too, that leaves just 49 Republican Senators in support, short of the simple majority needed.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” McCain said in a statement.
“I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it. Without a full CBO score, which won’t be available by the end of the month, we won’t have reliable answers to any of those questions.”
McCain acknowledged that it was a tough decision for him given his personal relationship with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the bill’s co-authors.
“I take no pleasure in announcing my opposition,” McCain wrote. “Far from it. The bill’s authors are my dear friends, and I think the world of them. I know they are acting consistently with their beliefs and sense of what is best for the country. So am I.”
Graham, for his part, responded in a tweet saying that the difference in opinion would not damage the personal relationship.
“My friendship with @SenJohnMcCain is not based on how he votes but respect for how he’s lived his life and the person he is,” he wrote.
The Arizona Senator had dramatically killed the Republican Party’s last attempt to pass an Obamacare repeal and replace bill, when he walked into the chamber and gave a thumbs-down signal to oppose the so-called “skinny repeal” proposal.
Since then he has been targeted repeatedly by President Donald Trump for being the one vote in the way of the party achieving a seven-year long promise to upend the Affordable Care Act.
But McCain, who is currently fighting brain cancer, has insisted that he wants any health care bill to be considered through regular order—which involves committee hearings and the opportunity to propose and consider amendments. Graham-Cassidy was rushed to consideration during the past week because the Republican Party has a September 30th deadline by which they can pass health care legislation by a simple majority vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) praised McCain’s decision in a statement. “John McCain shows the same courage in Congress that he showed when he was a naval aviator,” Schumer wrote. “I have assured Senator McCain that as soon as repeal is off the table, we Democrats are intent on resuming the bipartisan process.”
FIFA shortlists Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar for 2016/17 award
Reuters Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar have been nominated as finalists for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, the football sport’s world governing body said on Friday.
Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to a second consecutive UEFA Champions League title and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals earlier this year.
Messi and Neymar claimed the Spanish King’s Cup with FC Barcelona with the former finishing as La Liga’s top scorer with 37 goals last season.
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon was shortlisted for the Best FIFA Goalkeeper award.
He led the Italian club to a sixth successive Serie A title, a third-straight Italian Cup success and a runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League.
He was joined by Real Madrid’s Keylor Navas and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, Chelsea’s Antonio Conte and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri were on the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.
The women’s player of the year award will be contested between Venezuelan striker Deyna Castellanos, American midfielder Carli Lloyd, and Leike Martens, who helped Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title.
The awards ceremony will take place in London on Oct. 23.
A penthouse valued at $51.9 million, belonging to Kolawole Aluko, Nigerian oil mogul based in the United States, is currently up for sale for a “motivated” price of $39 million.
The property, according to The Cable, is believed to be part of the proceeds of “shady” oil contracts also involving a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and another businessman, Jide Omokore.
The trio, who are on the radar of the US department of justice for alleged money laundering, risk the forfeiture of at least $144million worth of assets regarded as proceeds of crime.
The Nigerian authorities, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have seized some of their assets.
Aluko was said to have bought the luxurious apartment — seen as the most expensive foreclosure in New York City — for $51.9million in 2014.
He was, however, forced to obtain a $35.5million mortgage facility from Luxembourg bank to pay for the apartment.
Court documents showed his failure to pay back the loan a year later led to the bank taking possession of the 6,420-square-foot apartment.
“The home was in foreclosure, but it is now being sold by a third party as an alternative to foreclosure,” a source close to the property told New York Post, adding that Aluko “has nothing to do” with the sale.
He is yet to officially react to the fraud allegations as he is said to be evading arrest since the US Department of Justice initiated proceedings on the alleged crimes.
Court documents had detailed how Aluko and Omokore gave out huge amounts of money, mostly in foreign currencies, to their cronies.
While some of the numerous property they bought with dividends from the “shady” contracts are located in Nigeria, most of them are in various countries abroad, especially in the US and London.
