Politics

Still On Edo, Bauchi States Assembly Crises

Published

5 years ago

June 28, 2019

In Political lexicon, especially in the African concept, power is either won or captured whether it is a so-called democratic setting or military rule. Both under democratic and military rule, the desire to win at all costs and maintain that status quo involves not only intrigues but also some level of ruthlessness and intimidation of opponent.
Most times those who lose out in the power game do not just cry foul, but also behave as if they are saints. This behaviour cuts across party lines as there is hardly any and politician in Nigeria who does not exhibit this behaviour.
Prior to the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly, the power play that brought Dr Bukola Saraki and Yakubo Dogara zx Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives respectively is well known as the godfathers who felt that it was their sole right to appoint the senate President or Speaker of the House of Representative lost out. However, the shame they brought to the country was of no consequence as they believed it was only their will that must be done.
Today, the situation is not all that different even at the state level, where individuals still prefer the speaker or Deputy Speaker of a house of Aassembly.
Recently, states like Edo and Bauchi were in the news a lot of house trading, scheming and shouting took place in these legislatures following the emergence of some honourable members as speakers and deputy speakers.
In Edo State, there was a running battle between the governor Mr Godwin Obaseki and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on who becomes a principal officer of the Edo State House of Assembly, and at the end of the tussle, the Godwin Obaseki faction emerged victorious with his preferred candidates emerging Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Here, the Nigerian incumbency factor played a very crucial role as 8 out of the 24 members won outright, indicating that in this country anything is possible as no Governor will allow his opponents to outwit him in the game of thrones and patronage.
This same game of power was just a replica of what happened in 2014, when the house of assembly was ingulfed in crisis over who became the Speaker. over that situation was a bit different as the power equation in the assembly was evenly balanced, between the APC and the PDP. But, sadly in 2019, all the gladiators belong to the APC, yet there was still infighting.
The major question is, why is the APC, which has both the executive and legislative arms in its pocket, still behaving as if they belong to two different political parties? Reacting to the crisis, the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun, accused his successor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of trying to undermine the Obaseki’s administration.
However, the 15-member-elect, who were absent during the Monday night inauguration, are still insisting on proper inauguration, arguing that the house was not properly inaugurated and that the government has no right to foster a leadership on them.
This same scenario also played out in Bauchi State where II out of the 33 members elected a speaker and deputy speaker. But the difference here is that the APC has a majority of 22-member-elect but were clearly outwitted by their opponents.
How did we get here? Under the 1999 constitution, section 92 (1), Chapter V, states that there shall be a speaker and a Deputy Speaker of a State House of Assembly, who shall be elected by the members of the House from among themselves.
Section 98 (1 and 2) clearly stipulates that voting must be by a simple majority. The question is, were those guidelines followed? In any power tussle in Nigerian politics, it has always been to outwit the opponent remained outwit your opponents, then let them fight you from the This has always been the case at whatever level of election, as nobody likes losing out in elections.
Here, people do not ask whether there is right or wrong, but who won at the end. If the losing camp had the day, they would have attributed such success to the will of God. So, to whom will they attribute their failure, if not God?
What most people in politics don’t take into cognizance is that in every power play, it is usually ‘dribble your opponent, using every weapon at your disposal. Politics is war, don’t give excuses for your failures’.
Today, Rt Honourable Frank Okiye of Edo State and Abubakar Suleiman are Speakers but the situation can change anytime as no condition is permanent. That is why the utterances of Comrade Oshiomhole should be condemned by all lovers of democracy. Oshiomhole even had the effrontery to give directives to the Inspector-General of Police “Not to provide security to the Houses of Assembly in Bauchi and Edo State”. So it is the great Comrade that is now controlling the Nigerian Police. Tin god syndrome has no place in Nigeria democracy.
Since every State House of Assembly is independent and autonomous, let the members sort themselves out and the least interference in the system the better.
We can always disagree to agree why sometimes people begin to question the quality of representation we get at the legislature. Most executives from the Presidency down to the state level, want absolute loyalty and are afraid of the unknown. That is why they want a rubber stamp legislative arm. That is also why most houses of assembly are not robust in lawmaking.
In the Second Republic under the late President Shehu Shagari, the quality of representation was very high at both the national and state assemblies. We never heard or read in the papers about midnight or 6am inauguration of the legislative arm or even factional Speakers. Today, even within the same political party there is always fighting, violence and court injunctions.
Nigeria did not vote honourable members to fight among themselves but to render serve to the populace; all those elected as state legislators should start exhibiting some sense of maturity and stop running to Abuja to seek support when they eventually lose out in their ambition to clinch a particular position. After all, in politics in those parts of the world, is either a game of numbers or using every means to outfox your opponent.
Governors Godwin Abaseki and Bala Mohammed will be savouring their victory as Kingmakers. If they had failed in their first task as Chief Executives, their swearing-in, then it would have shown that they did not have clout and that they lack the scheming skills as politicians in Nigeria.
The losers in the this first round should also learn that there is always real power at the hand of the governors, who at all times can grant favour. You just don’t toy with the executive as a legislator and if in doubt, ask Bukola Saraki.

Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye

Politics

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

Published

3 days 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

3 days 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

3 days 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.