Politics
Musings On The Nigerian Polity
The new consciousness
the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari wants Nigerians to imbibe with the launching of the “Change Begins With Me” initiative is to reinforce the notion that the task of building the country is a collective responsibility rather than that of the leadership alone. The message is unmistakable that all and sundry in Nigeria, including corporate bodies, groups, associations and individuals have their roles to play and their contributions to make towards achieving our collective national aspirations and dreams.
These roles and contributions require everyone to be responsible citizens, not only in conduct but also in being alive to developments in the polity and expressing relevant opinions and proffering solutions on issues when necessary. This, indeed, is the hallmark of responsible and responsive citizenship.
“having observed the challenges we are going through as a nation, we are moved by conscience to address some of these issues.” These were part of the opening words of a body of Christian professionals and opinion leaders under the name Club 401 who addressed the media at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre in Port Harcourt recently.
Led by their chairman, Elder Lawrence F. Jumbo, the socio-religious group bared their mind on contemporary and burning issues in the country such as peace and security, economic wellbeing of the people, inter-governmental relations, pollution and environmental issues in the South-South, perceived inequities, the federation question and the level of involvement of the State in religious affairs.
In making their observations and expressing their convictions on these issues and others, they were mindful to underline with emphasis their belief in one united and indivisible Nigeria and the need for necessary sacrifice from everyone to sustain it.
“Welfare and security of the people is the primary purpose of government,” they noted, arguing that they expect those given the opportunity to deliver on this mandate or be humble enough to throw in the towel when they fail instead of giving the excuse of dwindling resources to deny the people their legitimate earnings while clinging on to power. They described the failure of many State and local governments in the country to be up to date in the payment of salaries to civil servants as a “manifestation of executive recklessness and insincerity” since government functionaries live insulated from the poverty and misery of the working people.
On the issue of peace within the borders of the country, the group challenged the federal government especially to enthrone justice and equity in dealing with all sections of the nation so as to forestall dissentions and violent agitations.
“Government owes all citizens equal obligation to protection,” they posited, adding that they found it inequitable for the authorities to leave farmers without protection while allowing armed herdsmen a free rein to unleash terror on helpless villages and their livelihood.
“Worse still, in a situation where about 80% of command positions are concentrated in the hands of one ethno-religious group, it becomes near impossible for persons from other groups to have a sense of fairness and security,” they said.
While expressing regret about some acts of impunity perpetrated by some law enforcement agents, the Club 401 also decried the involvement of government in some religious activities.
“Making available scarce foreign exchange in these lean times for religious pilgrimage at below the inter-bank rate while critical sectors of the economy such as power, aviation and manufacturing are being starved takes things to a new height,” they noted, adding that they see it as a misplacement of priority that seems not to be sufficiently sensitive to the economic downturn and the folding up of businesses.
As well, the group is disturbed that government had not dealt with the ugly manifestations of religious intolerance in the country in the way it should. They referred to a bill before the National Assembly that seeks to extend the jurisdiction of Sharia Courts to criminal cases and expressed the fear that contrary to a pronouncement by the Sultan of Sokoto that no one can Islamize Nigeria, the federal authorities were not doing enough to prove otherwise.
“Christians are being intimidated or killed for standing for their faith on a regular basis either by herdsmen, students or community mob,” they averred and observed that “the current psyche of some Nigerian Muslims is as if Nigeria has already been Islamized and our leaders are not discouraging same.” They called on the government to rise up to their responsibility of dispensing justice squarely and evenly for and against every Nigerian irrespective of their religious persuasion.
On the question of our federalism, the Christian professionals insisted that our present federal system as practised encourages productive laziness and will not motivate governors and their stats to be resourceful and responsible in revenue generation and management. Their verdict: “there is need for fiscal federalism: let us restructure to liberate our productive potential.”
Not least or last of all, the group also addressed the issue of equity with regard to giving back to the oil bearing communities and asked that due attention be given to the Petroleum Industry Bill (P.I.B) currently before the federal legislative house. They acknowledged the initiative to clean-up Ogoni land and asked that the same be extended to all other polluted sites in the Niger Delta region.
Exchanging views with The Tide in Port Harcourt on the state of the nation, a onetime deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Iyk Oji, identified the absence of leaders with national outlook and interest as the major problem confronting our country.
He recognised the fact that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and religious country that requires leadership to harmonize and unify it.
Regrettably, he said men and women with the requisite attitude and orientation have continued to elude the nation at the helm of its affairs for as long as it has existed.
“We have ethnic leaders,” he said, pointing out that the grumblings with regard to perceived lopsidedness in federal appointments were fueled by mutual ethnic and religious distrust.
He said that what Nigeria needs are leaders that have an overriding national identity and appealed to our leaders to be broadminded in order not only to untie the nation but to lead it to realise its full potentials.
Irrespective of our differences, Nigeria must not disintegrate, he emphasized, but quickly added that our leaders must make conscious and sincere effort to move away from ethnic, religious and sectional bigotry.
Opaka Dokubo
Chairman-elect of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Hon. Target Segibo has alleged that the prevalent security challenges in some communities of the local government area could be traceable to parental failure on one hand, and frivolous lifestyle of children and wards involved in crime and criminality in the area on the other hand.
Segibo, who was a pioneer member of the State House of Assembly between 1999-2003, stated this in Yenagoa, the state capital recently while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC).
He indicated his continued desire to work for the peace and rapid socio-economic development of the local government, noting that having been actively involved in the politics of the area for decades now, he was more grounded in working on modalities towards ensuring enduring peace and unity in troubled communities of the area.
The Chairman-elect who also lauded the state governor, Senator Douye Diri, the state’s leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the electorate for finding him worthy to be elected Chairman of the local government, called on parents/guardiance not to renege on their primary responsibilities of watching over their children and wards, arguing that as the largest local government area in the state, Southern Ijaw should also be noted for peace and development.
“For over 20 years, I’ve been living peacefully with all my neighbours, both at home in Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA and here, in Yenagoa.
“I’ve grown up children, but I don’t give them more than what they needed as students to go to school and stay okay as a father because I discovered that most of the security challenges we’re facing today in the Southern Ijaw LGA, and other parts of the state, is traceable to parental failure and children’s wanting to lead a frivolous lifestyle”, he said.
“As parents/guardians we should be able to know the kind of friends our children/wards keep. We must not pamper them. We must tell them that they have to do something legal to earn a living. We must question any source of sudden wealth and affluence on the part of our children and wards.
“But I want to assure our people of Southern Ijaw that as their incoming Chairman, when I’m sworn-in, having been actively participating in the politics and other activities of the area, collectively we’ll work to ensure enduring peace, unity and development of the LGA”, he added.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed the first batch of Commissioner-nominees for Governor Diri’s second term State Executive Council.
The Tide gathered that the State Chief Executive in a bid to form his cabinet for his second tenure had earlier submitted a list of 14 names to the state legislature for confirmation as commissioners.
However, The Tide reports that only 13 out of the 14 nominees attended the constitutional exercise of the lawmakers.
Though no official reasons have been given, the immediate past Commissioner for Sports, who is also a former member of the state Assembly, Hon. Daniel Igali, was conspicuously absent during the screening exercise.
Inline with the House’s rules and Standing Orders, two other former members of the state Assembly who were also part of the nominees, Dr Gentle Emelah, immediate past Commissioner for Education, and Mrs Ebiwou Koku-Obiyai, were simply asked to take a bow and leave.
Following the exhaustive grilling, however, the immediate past Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Biriyai Dambo, SAN, his Finance counterpart, Mr Maxwell Ebibai, were confirmed.
Also confirmed were the immediate past Works and Infrastructure Commissioner, Moses Teibowei, Mrs Koku Obiyai, Dr Gentle Emelah, Ayibakipreye Brodericks, George Ekpotuatein Flint and Komuko Akari Kharim.
Furthermore, Mr Perepuighe Biewari, Dr Jones Ebieri, Barr. Peter Afagha, Mrs Bidei Elizabeth and Michael Magbisa received the nod to be appointed commissioners by the state lawmakers.
In his advice to the nominees shortly after their screening, Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Michael Ogbere, enjoined the Commissioner hopefuls to work as a team with those they will meet on ground, admonishing that they remain loyal to the government at all times.
On his part, Leader of the House, Hon. Monday-Bubou Obolo, said the people of the state expect a lot trom them and that the House will do its best to keep them on their toes through its oversight functions while giving them the needed legislative support where necessary.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
A former lawmaker representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Farah Dagogo, has described the outcome of the 98th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as another demonstration of the resilience of the party to weather any storm that comes its way.
This is contained in a statement released bythe Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the estwhile federal legislator, Ibrahim Lawal, at the weekend.
In the build up to the NEC meeting, suggestions and permutations had been rife of the likelihood of the PDP running into another round of crises as the party tries to navigate a path for the North Central Zone to produce a substantive National Chairman to complete the truncated tenure of former Chairman, Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NEC meeting that saw Umar Damagum retain his position as the party’s Acting National Chairman until the next NEC meeting scheduled for August, Dr Dagogo said those who genuinely have the best interest of the party at heart made timely sacrifices to keep the party firm and afloat.
The former member of the National Assembly said but for the political maturity and sagacity employed by the party’s National Leader and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alongside other leaders, before and during the NEC meeting, the party would have ‘played into the hands of some individuals, who wanted the party to implode in order to improve their political fortunes’.
He expressed optimism that by the adjourned date of August, Damagum would have seen that “it is in the best interest of the party for him to vacate the position for a more purposeful and result oriented leadership’’.
“ For me, the outcome of the NEC meeting was a win-win situation. Against all odds, the party came out unscathed and will continue to wax stronger.
“Yes, the Acting Chairman retained his position, but it is obvious to him now and others that it would be in the best interest of the party for him to vacate that position for a more purposeful and result oriented leadership by August.
“The so called tension generated in the build up to the NEC Meeting was actually orchestrated by the inordinate desire of some few individuals who wanted to thwart the sterling call by party faithful for a review of its failing leadership and directionless.
“ The Party however did not play into the hands of those individuals, who wanted the party to implode in order to improve their political fortunes. Thanks in good measure to the political maturity and sagacity employed by the Party’s National Leader and Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, alongside other leaders, before and during the NEC Meeting. We are where we are now because of their sacrifices and dedication to the party, “ he added.
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