News
Fight Corruption, Labour Urges FG
As Nigeria celebrates its 15 years of democratic rule, labour movements have called on the Federal Government to fight corruption to a standstill.
A cross section of the labour leaders who spoke to the newsmen said that for democracy to strive in the country, corruption must be reduced to the barest minimum.
The President General, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Malam Bobboi Kaigama, said that for democracy to have meaning, governments must weed out corrupt officials.
He said that the activities of the corrupt officials did not allow the campaign to “hold water”.
“ As we mark another democracy, it is our desire and advice as a congress to government that the fight against corruption must be total.
“The belief out there is that democracy in this country gives opportunity for people to steal, particularly politicians.
“Everyone just does what he wants without blinking of an eye, even as government officials loot the treasury without thinking of the consequences.’’
Similarly, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Malam Ibrahim Khaleel said that corruption was the most critical factor stalling economic and political development of Nigeria.
He said that the government must use the period of the celebration to put everything in place in order to clean Nigeria’s image from being among the world’s most corrupt nations.
He said that government must ensure that the nation’s resources that usually ended up in the hands of few were recovered and put back into the national treasury.
“Stealing from the people is the same as corruption.
“However, we want our government to educate government officials and the people in authority that when they steal from us, they steal from the generation unborn too.
“We plead with government to take a stand on this through this celebration to show the world that we have a government who is ready to fight corruption.’’
National President, Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees (NUPTE), Mr. Sunday Alhassan said that Nigerian leaders in the last 20 to 30 years had said a lot about fighting corruption without results.
He said that serious efforts must be put in place to address the real causes of corruption.
He added that without proper diagnosis of the causes of corruption, trying to fight it was akin to treating symptoms instead of treating the disease itself.
“ Until we address the causes of corruption in this country, we may not be able to tackle it,’’ Alhassan said.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers in the National Assembly, have described Nigeria’s 15 years of uninterrupted democracy as a ‘significant milestone’ in the life of the nation.
They also re-affirmed their determination to pursue ‘aggressive’ legislative agenda to reposition the legislature as a key branch of government.
The lawmakers said this yesterday in Abuja in separate interviews with newsmento mark the 2014 Democracy Day.
Senate Minority Whip, Sen. Ganiyu Solomon (APC- Lagos), said that although Nigeria had achieved tremendous growth in the last 15 years of democracy, a lot more could still be achieved.
“We have witnessed some political development and political growth.
“If you are talking of democracy as participatory governance as against other forms of government, I think we have achieved some development.
“We have had four elections even at a time when we thought it was going to tear the country apart, we still held ourselves.
“By and large, we have achieved quite a number of successes as far as democracy is concerned.
“But relating that to economic development and the living standard of the populace, we still have a very long way to go and they must go hand in hand,” Solomon said.
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP Bayelsa) asserted that the country was better off under democracy, adding that the worst democracy was better than the best dictatorship.
Lokpobiri, who described democracy as ‘a very slow journey,’ however expressed confidence that the country was making progress under democratic governance.
“We are making progress, for instance in the issue of human rights. A lot of Nigerians enjoy their fundamental human right particularly under president Jonathan.
“It is also only in a democracy that you can constuctively or destructively criticise any government or anybody.
“It is only in a democracy that you can hold your leaders accountable.
“I believe that Nigeria’s parliament is the most active in the world given our age; you don’t expect us to attain the same level of perfection as the older democracies like America which is over 200 years, ours is just 15,’’ he said.
Sen. Robert Boroffice (APC-Ondo) said that though the Nigerians were not enjoying democractic dividends as expected, it was better to practice democracy than military dictatorship.
He said: “It depends on the way you see it, but as it is said, the worse democracy is better than the best dictatorship.
“I think so far so good, we are enjoying our freedom. The dividends of democracy may not be coming as we expect and we know why it is so.
“This largely is because of the problem of corruption in the society, impunity on the part of government in some decisions taken which contradict the principles of democracy because there is no accountability.”
Rep. Farouk Lawan (PDP-Kano) said that Nigeria had recorded ‘noticeable and laudable’ achievements since the return of democracy to the country 15 years ago.
He said that Nigerians were now free to exercise their fundamental human right which was not the case under military government.
He said that the country also made ‘remarkable’ achievements in the last 15 years of democracy.
“In election matters, there has been noticeable improvement. We made improvements in 2007, there were improvements in 2011 and I expect that by 2015 they would be improvements,’’ he said.
Rep Innocent Tirsel (PDP-Plateau) said the country had benefitted from the dividends under civilian rule.
He cited rehabilitation of roads, the on-going resuscitation of railways and improvement in the power sector as some of the gains of democracy.
Rep. Ossai Ossai (PDP-Delta) said that developments recorded under the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration were some of the dividends of democracy.
However, the Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC Lagos) did not share these sentiments saying “there is nothing to celebrate in 15 years of democratic rule.
“I don’t think that we have anything to celebrate.
“I said this in 2013, I said it even the year before. God has given us so much and we acting like toddlers; so why would you celebrate stunted growth when you have all the potentials.
“We can mark our democracy day but we shouldn’t be elebrating; there is a difference between marking and celebrating.
“You celebrate something when you are happy; when you are grateful, you mark something on the calendar, so that is what we should be doing.
“We should be marking our democracy day not celebrating it,” Gbajabiamila said.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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