Politics

Abuja: The Next Battle Ground

Published

5 years ago

June 7, 2019

The euphoria or jubilation at the swearing-in of the President, State Governors and elected members of the Houses of Assemblies is finally over with the President and Governors sitting down to face the stark reality of what governance is all about.
This is especially applicable to the newly elected Governors who initially might have thought that it is really easy to govern a people with the resources at their disposal.
Most of the governors will eventually meet what they would later claim as empty treasuries on their assumption of office but that, to a lot of Nigerians, is just rethorics. A mandate has been given and it behoves the elected official to think outside the box and seek for solutions to the teething problems they must face.
Already, one week has gone by, with the various governors beginning to see if the lofty speeches they made and the policy statements read on their inauguration can be implemented.
Some have kicked the ground running by making key appointments into various positions while others are still thinking on what to do.
At the federal level, it was quite disappointing that President Muhammadu Buhari had nothing new to offer Nigerians as he never uttered a word at his inauguration on the new direction his administration would take.
This, observers believe is sign posts admission of failure and lack of anything convincing on the credit side of the balance sheet of his administration.
At least what the president should have done was to come out publicly with his achievements or short comings, especially in the areas of security and infrastructural development. If his silence is seen as a mark of success to his administration, then Nigerians should be ready for a very rough four years ahead.
The main focus now is that all elected executives should take a holistic look at the problems of their various states, especially the Governors who are saddled with the complex rule of governance based on what they can generate as internal revenue.
In virtually every state, no incumbent had it easy prior to the elections which brought them to power as their major opponents gave them a good fight and it was after the final verdict by the electoral umpire that they got to know or realiz that they have won.
So the time for politicking had ended automatically with their assumption of office on the 29th of May 2019.
The reality today is that in Nigeria campaigns never seems to end as politicians are always jostling for power even when is it not yet the time for election thereby distracting most governors from really focusing on governance.
Although there is nothing wrong in keeping the governors and the president on their toes with criticisms, such objections to certain policies should not be done with malice.
It should be a constructive and one which cannot be faulted.
In some states, payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions are big problems which seem to be unending.
Sadly too, the president has not made any key appointment one week after taking his oath of office, and there is indespread hope that this will not be a replica of what happened in 2015 when it took him about six months to constitute his cabinet.
If he is really serious, by now he would have done so. By repeating the same thing he did four years ago it is an indication that he never did a good homework on positive governance.
In other climes, a president once elected and sworn-in within few hours or days makes key appointments which clearly signals his policy direction and to delay creates more anxiety in the business community.
This is 2019, let no chief executive make the old mistake of making appointments that are at variance with the principles of federal character or balance base of the geo-political nature of the state.
It is only under prescedent in the nation’s history that virtually all heads of the security, judiciary and even juicy positions in the presidency are from one geographical part of the country. Despite the hues and cries from other parts of the country he suddenly became deaf and dumb within his first term in office. He is not the only culprit as even some state governors were not left out of this same sin and if the president had been from a minority ethnic group with this catalogue of constitutional violations some ethnic jingoists would have been calling for his impeachment. Likewise, some of these state governors if they are also from the wrong side of the divide.
At the federal level the president still has more time, especially in constituting his cabinet as he is waiting for the 9th national assembly to be inaugurated, but this is not really an excuse as governance is a continous process.
Even the outgoing National Assembly especially the Senate, which has the responsibility of screening ministerial appointees, can still do the job. But if the President believes that he will wait for the 9th Assembly, which he hopes will rubber stamp any appointments or decision he makes, they may be making a wrong assumption.
In politics, anything can happen. It is only a vibrant national assembly that can cheek the excesses of the executive.
Again, this is 2019, the APC does not have absolute majority in the senate. From available records the PDP has 51 senators-elect, the APC 55, the YPP I and two to be determined by the court out of a total of 109 senate seats.
So the power game will be very interesting as to who becomes the Senate President and Vice President next week.
As usual, Abuja will be the next battle ground which will involve the presidency, state governors, party strategists, political jobbers and money bags.
The same goes for who becomes the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As all the interest groups and power brokers descent on Abuja, the future of the next four years will be determined by one vote and just six votes to determine the number three, four, five or sixth in the nation’s hierarchy of power.
Let the battle begin!!!

Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye

Politics

How We Saved N2.3bn From LG Reforms – Diri

Published

23 hours ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has revealed that the reforms initiated and implemented by his administration led to the saving of the sum of N2.3 billion for the local government councils.
The governor disclosed this recently at the opening ceremony of an orientation programme organised for newly-elected local government council chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors and principal officers at Perdis Hotel, Akenfa.
Gov Diri stated that on assumption of office in 2020, some local government councils were highly indebted and unable to pay salaries but his administration took measures that resulted in regular payment of salaries, execution of projects and saving of funds.
The Bayelsa State Chief Executive restated his call on the Federal Government to create additional local councils in the state, saying it was injustice for some states to have more than 40 councils and receiving monthly allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Commission (FAAC), while the state had only eight.
He charged the newly elected local government officials to make good use of the two-day workshop to equip themselves with the requisite knowledge to carry out their responsibilities.
The governor also called on them to work as a team to ensure that development was felt at the grassroots.
“Local governments as at 2020 were unable to pay salaries, particularly Nembe, Ogbia, Ekeremor and Sagbama. There was some form of dissatisfaction in the system.
“After I went through the recommendations of the Deputy Governor, whom I entrusted with investigating the local government, I wasted no time in approving the recommendations.
“The recommendations included the ban on loans from any source by local government chairmen without approval of the governor; compulsory savings by every council; and the division of balance after payment of salaries into 60 and 40 per cent respectively. One part was for compulsory savings and the other to project implementation and immediate commencement of computerisation of their payroll as well as compulsory quarterly award of projects by each council chairman.
“We found a lot of fraud in the local government system. But as it stands today, our councils have N2.3billion as a result of the combination of the factors of reforms and proper supervision of that tier of government.
“The breakdown is N400million compulsory savings while N1.9 billion for capital projects. This is aside from the one done by caretaker committees in terms of project execution within the short period they stayed”, the governor said.
Gov Diri assured of his administration’s commitment to support the councils to achieve their goals and expressed confidence that the new officials would meet the expectations of the people.
“We firmly believe that good governance begins at the grassroots level. That is precisely why we have gathered here to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve our local government administration and enhance service delivery.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Politics

Monarch Cautions Against Divisive Politics, Declares Support For Fubara

Published

23 hours ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

The Eze Oruamara/Regent of Okwuzi Kingdom in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the State, Eze Victor Afaka, has sued for peace among the political class in the State.
Eze Afaka made the appeal while speaking with The Tide on the sidelines of the governorship victory thanksgiving service by the Ogba Egbema /Ndoni Chapter of the Simplified Movement in Omoku.
He said Governor Fubara should be allowed to display the vision that God has given to him to govern the state.
According to him, since every administration has its term and tenure, the man presently at the helm of affairs in Rivers State must be given the opportunity to complete his own term and tenure.
“I advise politicians to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign. Politics and governance have their terms and tenure. When it is your tenure, you have your vision to display; when you conclude that vision God has given you as a leader of your community or of a state, you step aside and leave the next person to display the vision God has given to him” he said.
The traditional ruler said he and his people, including the youth, women and the Ogbakor Egbema, decided to attend the service because of the excellent vision of Governor Fubara
“We are happy, Okwuzi people are in full support of the government, the government of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara”, he added.
He said that the governor’s peaceful disposition to governance has endeared him to His Kingdom, noting that Okwuzi kingdom was already a beneficiary of the present administration’s purposeful governance as the Omoku/Okwuzi road abandoned 10 years ago, was nearing completion.
“ONELGA, Okwuzi are benefitting from his government.The road that was abandoned for ten years is being completed right now and we know that there are so many other things he will do for us”, he said.
While urging the state government to give desired attention to the Okwuzi General Hospital that is in a state of dilapidation, Eze Afaka entreated Governor Fubara not to be distracted, but to continue to promote peace and development across the State.

John Bibor

Politics

APC Stakeholders Storm Secretariat, Demand Ganduje’s Resignation

Published

23 hours ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

A group of North Central stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the protesters said their demand followed his recent suspension by a faction of his ward executives and the alleged bribery allegation levelled against him by the Kano State government.
While they chanted solidarity songs and displayed several banners some of which read, “Ganduje must resign” and “Return the APC chairmanship to North Central,” the protesters appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to consider returning the leadership of the party to the North Central.
Only on Tuesday, the Forum of APC State Chairmen had passed a vote of confidence on Ganduje, affirming their unalloyed support to him.
The protesters under the aegis of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders lamented that the continued stay of Ganduje in office was a clear violation of the zoning principle in the party.
Mohammed Saba, who led the protesters, said unlike the 37 APC state chairmen, his people in the North Central have passed a vote of no confidence on the national chairman and equally demanded his immediate resignation.
Saba reiterated that the people of North Central felt betrayed when the position of APC national chairman was hijacked from them following the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu despite giving Tinubu the third highest votes after North West and South West at the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “We, the North Central APC Concerned Stakeholders, have resolved to unanimously agitate for our right and reclaim our mandate which was handed unto us by the National Convention of our great Party in 2022.
“Various sections of our constitution have established the procedure of replacing an executive member at all levels of the party in the event of death, resignation, incapacitation or expulsion from the party by any executive member.
“It is a fact that the emergence of Dr. Umar Ganduje as national chairman was done against the spirit and soul of the APC which is the constitution of our great party. This singular act has impacted negatively on us as a people in the North Central.