TheNewsGuru

Tag: Leadership

  • The fruitlessness of an Okonjo-Iweala leadership of WTO, By Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa

    I first met Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during the Obasanjo administration at a conference organised by the newly emergent Due Process Office headed by Mrs. Obiageli (Oby) Katryn Ezekwesili.

    Okonjo-Iweala was Minister of Finance, so I asked her how much oil Nigeria was producing daily. Conference Chairman, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (Now Governor of Kaduna State) fumed: “Mr. Lakemfa, let me tell you, there are three persons I can die for in this government; Oby, Ribadu (Nuhu, then Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and Ngozi.” He did not allow her to answer the question. I doubt if until today, it is a question she can answer.

    Okonjo-Iweala was an instrument for the perpetuation of the enslaving policies of the IMF and World Bank. In her 2018 book “Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines” she admitted being a stooge of those organisations. In it, she wrote of her reaction to the January 1, 2012 fuel price increase: “I told my husband that I was sure that I would be blamed if things did not go right because everyone would feel that in my rush to implement so-called neoliberal policies informed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, I had rushed the President into this decision”

    Okonjo-Iweala as Finance Minister from 2003-2006 was one of the main forces that drove the Obasanjo administration’s privatization process in which choice public property like the profit-making 670-room luxuriously furnished Nicon-Noga Hotel(Renamed Transcorp) were sold. My primary point on this issue is that the funds realised from these prodigal sales were not accounted for by the Iweala-controlled Finance Ministry or any other government arm, nor were Nigerians told the public projects on which these funds were expended.

    Okonjo-Iweala was the pivot of the controversial 2005 debt repayment project to the Paris Club. The debts were said to be $30 Billion under which $18 billion was written off as aid while the country made an outright payment of $12 billion. First, there was the controversy whether these debts were verifiable. Secondly, whether it made sense for an underdeveloped country to make a bulk payment of $12 billion. But the main controversy was whether in paying the Paris Club, Nigeria needed “Consultants” or “Advisors” who were paid huge commissions. Nigerians asked Okonjo-Iweala to name these middlemen and exactly how much they were paid. This, to the best of my knowledge has not been done fifteen years later.

    In 2010, the labour unions had differences with government over the new National Minimum Wage of N18,000. We thought the then Secretary to the Government, Senator Pius Ayim was not forthcoming so elected to meet President Jonathan. After he sorted out the issue, we told him there were rumours Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was to be brought back as Finance Minister, and stated reasons for our objection. President Jonathan noted Labour’s objection, but went ahead not only to bring her back as Finance Minister, but also as the ‘Coordinating Minister for the Economy’ A sort of Prime Minister.

    When in 2011, the administration flew the kite of an astronomical increase in fuel price, she went into over drive with her propaganda machinery. As this heated up the polity, President Jonathan invited the Labour unions to a meeting on December 19, 2011 in the Presidential Villa. I was then the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Okonjo-Iweala with slides, briefed us on government’s position. She made the usual windy arguments about the increase being based on transparency, oil subsidy mainly benefiting the rich, need to attract private investors, curb fuel smuggling and that PMS prices should be subjected to so-called market forces as had happened to the telecommunication and aviation sectors.

    She claimed that the landing cost of a litre of PMS was N139. First we showed that her statistics were faulty and asked her how much a litre would cost were the country to do local refining. She had no answer, so with statistics, we provided the answer; N40!

    Then she claimed that the country consumed “35 to 40million” litres of PMS daily. We argued that since almost all the PMS is dispensed from petrol stations, she should tell us the number of such stations and their holding capacity. She could not, and we provided the information that the entire capacity of the fuel stations was between 20-25 million litres. In other words that her claimed 35-40 million-litre consumption, was false. She began to shout: “ I don’t lie o! Nobody should call me a liar!!” An apparently embarrassed President Jonathan calmed her down and requested we adjourned the meeting to the New year, 2012 during which Labour would present its counter statistics to those of the Minister. That meeting never held as the Government on January 1, 2012, announced the fuel price increase. The reactions were massive protests that heralded the end of that administration.

    Later, revelations showed that while the Executive with Okonjo-Iweala as Co-ordinating Minister claimed the country was paying daily subsidy for 35-40 million litres, the truth from the record of payments through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was that the country was paying subsidy for 59 million litres per day! This daily 19-24 million litre subsidy difference, is called fraud.

    Also under her watch, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) rather than pay all monies accruing to the country into the Federation Account as constitutionally provided, first paid itself whatever amount it wanted before paying the balance into the account. Also, the PPPRA which was not importing fuel was being paid an average ‘fuel subsidy’ of N150 Billion annually. While the subsidy provision for 2011 was N245.96 Billion, the Finance Ministry under Okonjo Iweala paid N2,587.087 Trillion.

    Another revelation was that she hired two audit firms; Akintola William Deloitte and Olusola Adekanla and Co to verify subsidy claims before payments were made. But the House of Representatives found that the firms had no adequate knowledge of measuring products in a vessel before and after discharge. So the firms were simply: “participating in a bazaar and collecting N275,000.00 per vessel”

    It was indeed, a bazaar; while Okonjo-Iweala paid oil subsidy to five companies in 2006, in 2011, for generally the same level of consumption, she paid 140 companies! Anybody interested in these details can pick up a copy of my 2015 book “Parliament of the Streets: Mass Strikes and Street Protests that Shook Nigeria in 2012” I cannot in clean conscience, recommend Okonjo-Iweala for any job.

    On the shark WTO, while it is true Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian and an African, but of what comfort is it to the forest that the handle of the sharp axe cutting down its trees is made of wood from the forest?

     

  • The Nigerian sky is obviously becoming darker – Godwin Etakibuebu

    The Nigerian sky is obviously becoming darker – Godwin Etakibuebu

    By Godwin Etakibuebu

    When the day is giving way for night to take over, it is noted by gradual darkening of the sky. Ditto when a heavy storm is approaching, darkening of the sky signifies it faster.

    In both instances, darkness remains a limiting factor on visibility. And lack of visibility is a larger limiting factor for progress. Hence, darkness, either as enforced by nature; and of course, both instances given above are nature-induced, or any other factor, signifies “temporary suspension of speed, progress, movement and activities”.

    The good news-nature of darkness is very limited, maybe only to the sleeping advantage as nature bestowed on creatures. With that even, dark or darkness is synonymous with things that are not palatable or things that are not pleasant. The “dark age” historical perspective, would always remind us of a time that things were done as they should not have done.

    “Dark spot” in community policing refers to those areas of such community that needs concentration of law enforcement agents, in order to curb ascendancy of criminality.

    Whichever way, darkness remains what it is – limitation of visibility and halt of progress. Though there may be many other interpretations of darkness; which may include bad news, retrogression, stagnation, evil approaches to things, wicked underlying, frustrations, melancholy, sabotaging, disrespect to constituted authorities, dehumanising environment, disobedience to legality, overthrow of rule of law, introduction of rascality, lack of respect for human rights and many more, a country’s political darkness is more of colossal disaster “to all”.

    How can one go about analyzing the Nigerian State’s dark sky without offending the so-called “Socrates” of the Nigerian Federation? Or let us put it this way. We are in a country where some people, albeit a very few minority of less than 2% of the total population of about 200 millions, tells you that it has more stake in Nigeria than all the remaining ones.

    This minority, because of factor of accident of geographical place of birth, more than any other qualification, and having assumed powers of State crudely, created the rules of engagement for administration of the country and demarcated the boundary lines the majority must not cross.

    Yes, that is the challenge in critically and positively advising the government of the day. Those who genuinely advised, as long as they don’t belong to the ruling Political Party, are labelled as enemies of the Nigerian State. Once one is labelled like that, it is expected that such person should be having date in the court to face charges bordering on “incitement, treason and terrorism”.
    Oh, if you are in doubt, please check out about Agba Jalingo, Joseph Odok [both in Cross River State] and Abubakar Katcha [in Niger State].

    These were genuine Nigerians, with their patriotic zeal to improve democratic dividends for the citizenry; demanded accountability from their governors by saying the governors should be more transparent. Instead of being applauded, these gentlemen are in court under charges of “incitement, treason and terrorist” – one of the charges could give them death penalty if pronounced guilty by the court.

    The “real interesting” thing here is that these patriotic “Nigerians being led to the gallows” are being prosecuted by the Federal Government on behalf of the “untouchable” State Governors of both Cross River and Niger.
    The Predators are ruling Supreme in Nigeria and the Oppressed have no Comforter. That is Nigeria’s sad state as of now. It is obviously the sky becoming darker.

    Yet, we cannot just keep silent all because “we are being led to Golgotha for slaughtering.” Our own literary Icon, Wole Soyinka, in his book -The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka – said that “The man dies in all those that keep silent in the face of tyranny”. It is for this reason and more of the debt we owe the unborn generations of Nigerians that we must speak out – yet more.

    The Nigerian Sky went dark on that fateful day when the Nigerian Security Agents from that branch of the Directorate of State Services [DSS] carried out a midnight raid into the homes of some selected Judges across the country. We; as a people operating constitutional democracy, under the rule of law, did not fight that invasion back. Instead, we returned back to our beds to continue our sleep of “total submission”, while the sky got darker.

    The Sky went dark again the very day the Executive branch of government took a more frontal attack into the zone of the constitutionally recognised 3rd arm of government – the Judiciary, by removing the Chief Justice of Nigeria – Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen. The issue being canvassed here is not about what the CJN did right or did not do right, but the torpedo of Due Process’ place under the Rule of Law

    When we saw bullet and blood taking over the places of ballot and box in elections, wich started from the General Election of February and March this year until the most recent brazen one in Kogi State; where blood actually flown like rain waters, we ought to have known that the Sky above us is darkening the more.
    When a National Assembly, with leadership that has announced publicly its position of slavery to the Executive, comes dancing nakedly in the market square of shame, we should know that our Sky is totally darkened.

    Corruption is not abating in spite of the presence of the anti-corruption Czar in town. Nepotism, which is the highest form of corruption, has gone to the top of the Nigerian mountain to pronounce its arrival. Debts, both internal and external are increasing in geometric proportion without any visible concrete achievement on ground. Respect for Rule of Law has been sacrificed on the altar of national interest.

    Banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and all other vices now seem to be out-gunning State’s apparatus of security. Winning elections is now becoming issue of life and death. Respect for lives is gradually becoming a yester-years language. Boko Haram remains with us in spite of the huge amount of financial resources committed to the hands of those prosecuting the war on daily basis.
    All these are signs of a darkened Sky.
    Who will deliver us from this calamity in Nigeria?
    Yea! The oppressed people of Nigeria have no Comforter.
    Lo! They have no Deliverer.
    God, please come down and help us because our visibility is taken away as our Sky is darkened.

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.

    Contact:
    Twitter: @godwin_buebu
    Facebook: Godwin Etakibuebu
    Facebook Page: Veteran Column
    Phone: +234-906-887-0014 – short messages only.
    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

    N:B
    There is one man that remains standing in the Africa maritime community and he is a Nigerian. He is a shipper per excellence and a one-man encyclopedia of shipping matters all over the globe. I have known this man since 1979, when l was the Assistant Representative of Polish Vessels in Nigeria and the Cameroon, as one of the most efficient Shipping Managers. He remains still in the industry, waxing stronger, lecturing Maritime Management & Operation in more than 10 countries around the world.
    I was delighted when l sat with him recently and had one-on-one interview with him on the Nigerian Maritime Industry – an interview that ran into 3 hours. Starting from this week, I shall be bringing his thought about the Nigerian Maritime Industry to the reading public on this page.
    You shall then meet the unlimited Otumba Kunle Folarin.

  • Dearth and death of character – Hope O’Rukevbe Eghagha

    Dearth and death of character – Hope O’Rukevbe Eghagha

    By Hope O’Rukevbe Eghagha

    Character or the primacy of character, as we knew and know it, is dead. And it is on the way to the cemetery for a final burial. Instructively, this fatal fate of character traverses geographical, religious and cultural boundaries.

    The high ideals which people of the generation before mine and which we grew up to embrace and celebrate have now become anachronisms in the so-called brave new world.

    How else do we account for the rise of the Donald Trumps and Boris Johnsons and their likes as icons of popular democracy in the western world?

    How do we account for the high number of judicial officers soiling their hands on the temple of justice? How do we account for a Chief Justice standing aside while his predecessor is hounded out of office and he is appointed to head the judiciary? Where is self-respect when a Chief Judge cannot tell the King that he is wrong?

    Where is character when a VC cannot stand up to power as Professor Ade Ajayi did to the military in 1978? Some four hundred years later, the declaration of Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ has come to dominate the world.

    Character refers to the ‘mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual’. There are strong characters just as there are weak characters. Also, there are persons who can be said to be unstable in character. When we talk about good character, we refer to persons who have one or several of such virtues as integrity, honesty, loyalty, fortitude, courage, and other important virtues that promote good behaviour. It is true that in all societies there had always been persons who tried to subvert the law, who tried to create their own world by operating outside the accepted norms. But Chinua Achebe’s proverb ‘the man had taken enough for the owner to notice’, always caught up with people in the form of nemesis.

    Good character is predicated on one factor: that we know what is right and what is wrong. Swami Sivananda says that “If you do not know the laws of right conduct, you cannot form your character”. We are not dealing here with the pristine or the natural instincts which are inherent in man. At the first level, we speak of values and thoughts and ideas which have been imparted to us from when we became conscious of our environment. Parental, societal, religious and educational settings help to inscribe these in our hearts.

    Also, there are certain forms of right and wrong that are instinctual. The Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans two verse fourteen that actions of people not exposed to the rudiments of Christianity ‘show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another’.

    It would seem that the death of character has no mourners. There are no regrets, that is. Those who understood/understand character are no more, at least not in the public space. The rules of social engagement have been and are continually being rewritten. Let me assert that in our private lives, we still meet people of character, both men and women. Somehow, these do not get into the public sphere to exercise their virtues in support for and in defence of the common good. John Locke says that ‘the discipline of desire is the background of character’. In this quotation, Locke elevates character to the highest requirement for character development- self-discipline. The capacity to say yes or no based, on sound ethical principles is part of character.

    We grew up respecting certain persons on account of what they stood for through their actions and words. Some were local persons while others thrived on the national stage. So, I’m going to mention some local and national characters I can remember. Some may not ring a bell; yet in their areas of influence we could see principles. Tai Solarin. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Obafemi Awolowo. Justice J.I.C Conrad-Taylor. Gani Fawehinmi. Ebenezer Otomewo, one-time GKS President.

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Pa Imoudu. Justice Kayode Eso. Justice Yahaya Jinadu. Justice Emmanuel Araka. Murtala Mohammed. JP. Clark. Wole Soyinka. Chinua Achebe. J.F. Ade-Ajayi. I.O. Izeogu, my secondary school principal. These and many more were men and women who stood for something and were ready to defy all the odds. “Character” writes J.C. Watts “is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.” To get by! People just get by. The cost of standing on principles is very high these days.

    But the real question is whether people of character can thrive in a society that does not encourage good character. It is true that good character is a constant because according to Heraclitus, ‘good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character’. What this means is that in spite of the environment and all other factors, good character must remain constant like ‘Lot in the city of Sodom’. The dominant narrative across the world now is that it is okay to be ‘characterless’ as long as one is not found out. This then is the real dilemma. There are too many people in the public arena who display the power of being unprincipled. And they seem to thrive. It is a sad situation.

    What is the way out? I am afraid that there is no way in the near future. Short of an ethical revolution, I do not see any glimmer in the horizon. We are in a freefall that could only end when we hit the bottom. An implosion that splits the world into bits may be the answer. Not very comforting. Time will tell!

    Eghagha can be reached on 08023220393 and heghagha@yahoo.com

  • Leadership of ninth N/Assembly must be guided by relevant rules – Ex-Director PLAC

    Executive Director Policy and Legal Advocacy Center PLAC Dr. Clement Nwankwo has said that the choice of who becomes the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives and other principal officers of the 9th National Assembly is solely the prerogatives of the members of the apex legislature.

    He made the remarks at the opening of a one- day workshop for National Assembly journalists aimed at assessing the role of the media in reporting the 8th session of the National Assembly.

    The media he said has a contiitutional role to report activities of the political office holders, public servants and other grouos in the society and also to hold leaders accountable to the citizenry in their day to day reportage of political developments.

    At the event, the PLAC helsman said that the choice of who becomes what at the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly in early June 2019 is solely dependent on the relevant rules of any of the two chamber of the apex legislature in Nigeria.

    He noted that in all climes, the legislative arm of government sets the agenda and that agenda solely rests with the executive. He added that this particular role which rests squarely on the shoulder of the Attorney-General of the state could easily make or mar the workings of legislature.

    The civil society organization helsman added that the National Assembly has a critical role to play in our journey towards democratization of the political process.

    He added that when the National Assembly fails in this regards, the different arms of government suffers for it tremendously.

  • Nigerians now enjoying improved governance under Buhari’s leadership – Aisha

    Nigerians now enjoying improved governance under Buhari’s leadership – Aisha

    Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, says Nigeria is now enjoying improved governance under President Muhammadu Buhari.

    She, however, said artistes should partly take credit for the feat because of their support for the President and his administration.

    According to a statement by her spokesman, Suleiman Haruna, the President’s wife spoke during the presentation of “Sakamakon Chanji”, a song in support of Buhari by Northern Nigeria Music Artistes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday evening.

    “I can safely say that you all have done the needful and therefore you are partly to take credit for the improved governance that Nigeria is enjoying today,” Mrs. Aisha Buhari was quoted as saying.

    She noted that it is important to honour the artistes because their contributions to the success of the government cannot be quantified.

    She urged the artistes to continue to use their talent and popularity to mobilise Nigerians towards unity, peace, tolerance, and productivity.

    Mrs. Buhari also urged them to always speak against vices that destroy societies like drug abuse, human trafficking and child abuse.

    Mrs. Buhari expressed the conviction that the song, “Sakamakon Chanji”, is a true compliment to the present administration, as it highlights various visionary projects being undertaken and the impact that the projects are making.

    She said it was important that citizens know what their elected government is doing to improve their lives.

    Mrs. Buhari also seized the opportunity of the event to honour some of the artistes for using their various talents and contributions in propagating the success of government.

    “We are celebrating artistes because they celebrated our President at various points in his political career; and to a large extent, they represent the resilient Nigerian masses that protected the President and his votes until he achieved success,” she said.

    The event was honoured with a brief appearance by President Muhammadu Buhari.

     

  • The leadership Nigeria desperately need – Femi Aribisala

    By Femi Aribisala

    In the last election cycle, I was a strident supporter of President Jonathan. I wrote extensively in support of his re-election. Elections are never about choosing the best people for positions of authority. They are about choosing the best of the available candidates. This means we are often required to choose the best out of a bad lot.

    Toxic environment

    Because the Nigerian political environment is toxic, some insist my support for Jonathan could not have been driven by principle. They are convinced he must have paid me handsomely for the job. Because some minds are corrupt, they find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand that not everyone’s mind is corrupt like theirs. So, as far as they are concerned, it is impossible to support a sitting president as stridently as I did unless for financial gain.

    My support for President Jonathan was all the more puzzling to these cynics because I am Yoruba and not from Jonathan’s Niger Delta. Why then would a Yoruba man be a strident supporter of an Ijaw president unless for pecuniary gain? That is how these small minds think.

    One of these people, who goes by the name Tunde Mash, invaded the blog of my article of faith last week to accuse me of writing “dollarized articles during Dumbo Jo years.” He then claimed my “unborn children” will curse my odious memory for trading their future for a few dollars.

    However, by the grace of God, I am a man of means. I received no dollars for the articles I wrote during the Jonathan years. You can be sure if I did, EFCC would have sniffed it out of my bank records and come knocking on my door long before now. In this vindictive political environment where every excuse is used to harass, intimidate and threaten the opposition., I would certainly not have been spared.

    Jonathan vindicated

    I was not a member of the PDP. Neither was I a supporter of the PDP. I did not even vote in the last election. But I was a supporter of President Jonathan and against the APC. I owe no one an apology because Jonathan “lost” the election. However, those who bought the lies and promises of the APC owe Nigerians a big apology, given what we have experienced since Jonathan left.

    I don’t know President Jonathan personally. I have never met him. Neither have I ever spoken to, or communicated with, him. I never worked for him directly or indirectly. He never paid me one kobo. I would never agree to work for any government. But I am a town-crier by calling and, for this reason, it pleased God to give me a voice in Nigeria.

    My faith teaches me to support the Jonathans of this world. Jesus asks that I support the weak. As president, Jonathan was not a weak man, but he was from and represents a weak (minority) part of the country: the Niger Delta. Against the political onslaught of the mighty Northern establishment, Jonathan deserved and earned my support.

    Moreover, Jonathan competed against a known opposition, with a political track-record spanning over 30 years. I remain convinced that he was by far the better choice for Nigeria. We needed him to unite the nation and to convince the people of the Niger Delta that we are not only interested in their oil, but also regard them as the esteemed and valuable members of the Nigeria project that they are.

    With Jonathan, we would have avoided the restiveness of Niger Delta militants, such as we had after his demise. With Jonathan, there would have been no agitation for a return to Biafra, which is prevalent today. With Jonathan, there would have been no toleration of murderous and genocidal Fulani herdsmen, such as we have today. With Jonathan’s ministers, the Nigerian economy would not have gone to seed, such as we have witnessed in the last three years.

    Jonathan’s rejection by Nigerians in a flawed and blatantly rigged election has had most of the abject complications I anticipated and feared. It is pathetic to find some of those who rejected him arguing against the truth of what we have experienced since he left. We are all living in Nigeria, so it is a waste of time to continue to argue against the truth. There is precious little to commend what we have had in the last three years of APC government.

    From bad to worse

    Anyone who is satisfied with where we are today in Nigeria does not have the interests of the country at heart. How can we be satisfied that, even though we are a blessed nation, we now have the largest concentration of the hungry-poor in the world. This disgrace did not happen in the Jonathan years. It is a development that has only taken place since Jonathan left, in spite of all the highfalutin promises made in order to replace him.

    A report published by the prestigious Brookings Institute in the United States entitled: “The Start of a New Poverty Narrative,” says Nigeria has now taken over from India as the country with the highest number of extremely poor people in the world. According to Brookings, there are now no less than 87 million Nigerian living in extreme poverty. This figure is not declining but growing. It is said to be growing by six people every minute today.

    The APC government cannot deny ownership of this catastrophe. It happened under their watch. It happened in the years where they budgeted far more money annually than Jonathan ever did, as a result of their heavy borrowing from abroad. This government has returned Nigeria into the status of a debtor nation, with little or nothing to show for it.

    How can we be satisfied with where we are as a nation today when, since the last election in 2015, millions more people have been added to the unemployed in Nigeria? According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s unemployment rate was at 6.4% in January 2015. It is now 18.8%. The government promised jobs, jobs, jobs during the election. But once it came into office All Promises were Cancelled.

    How can we be satisfied when, in spite of all the noise that has been made about fighting corruption, Nigeria remains congenitally corrupt. According to the latest international corruption index of Transparency International, Nigeria has become more corrupt under the APC than it was under the PDP. In 2014, Nigeria was ranked 136th most corrupt country out of 178 ranked countries. But today, it is ranked 148th out of 180 countries surveyed. So much for the government’s vaunted anti-corruption policy.

    How can we be satisfied with where we are as a nation today when we are not only still fighting the scourge of the Boko Haram, but we now have the additional ordeal of the Fulani herdsmen who kill with reckless abandon without government recourse or protection? In their latest onslaught, some 200 innocent people were massacred in Plateau State, with the government and our security agencies acting merely as onlookers.

    I could go on and on. From the value of the naira, to the cost of petroleum products, to the consumer price index, to the level of public discourse, to the question of national integration, to our civil liberties as Nigerians, everything has gone from bad to far worse under the current government.

    In with the new

    Let us get away from all the propaganda and tell ourselves some home-truths: our leadership has failed us. This is now not about making another choice between the APC and PDP in 2019. It is about rejecting both of them. They have become a plague on Nigeria. It is time for something different; something fresh; something new. Nigeria is desperately in need of new leadership.

    What we need, to start with, is not even elaborate. We need a leadership that can provide the basic requirements of a responsible government. We need a leadership that will not pass the buck. When you go to a restaurant, you go there to eat food and not excuses. We need a leadership that creates jobs, not one that loses jobs through ineptitude. We need a leadership that unites us, not one that divides us by a blatant commitment to sectional or regional interests.

    We need a leadership that provides security for Nigerians, not one that presides over the daily massacre of our people. We need a leadership that believes in the rule of law, not one that feels entitled to violate it with impunity. We need a leadership that respects the Constitution, not one that regards it with contempt. We need a leadership that is answerable to Nigerians, not one determined to silence us.

    We need a leadership that will not imprison Nigerians for years without trial. We need a leadership that will use the guns of the military to protect us from external aggression, and not to maim and kill us. We need a leadership that will be transparent and will tell us the truth, not one congenitally devoted to telling us lies. We need a leadership that will get us out of debt, not one that will mortgage our future to debt.

    Out with the old

    We need a leadership that understands propaganda does not put food on our table or provide gainful employment for our teeming population. We need a leadership that will not fight corruption with corruption. We need a leadership that acknowledges corruption is not the exclusive preserve of its political opponents. We need a leadership we can criticize without fear of harassment or imprisonment. We need a leadership that will not intimidate those who choose to challenge it at the polls.

    We need a leadership that leads by giant strides and not by “go-slow.” We need a leadership that is young, dynamic and forward-looking, not one comprising geriatric yesterday’s men. We need a leadership that can fire up and inspire Nigerians, not one that makes us lethargic and despondent. We need a leadership that will protect our right to freedom of worship, not one that looks on as we are murdered in our churches and mosques.

    We need a leadership that keeps its promises and practices what it preaches. We need a leadership that understands economics and will not preside over the collapse of the naira. We need a leadership that understands body language is no substitute to cogent public policy. We need a leadership that will make Nigeria attractive to foreign investors. We need a leadership that will extol our virtues to the world, not one that denigrates us abroad at every opportunity.

    We need new leadership in Nigeria, we no longer need either the APC and the PDP.

  • Leadership Tussle: Court dismisses case against Assemblies of God Church

    A Jos High Court on Wednesday dismissed a case against Assemblies of God Nigeria and six other clergies for lack of merit.

    Justice Christine Dabup of State High Court IV declared that the Church was not a juristic person or individual to be sued as contained in section 5 (91)(96) of the Allied Matters Act.

    Reverends Yohanna Bot-Dalyop, Luka Daniel, Daniel Billy, John Vwashi, Samuel Panchi and Samuel Chung-Pam of the Assembly of God Nigeria had on May 22, 2017, sued seven other fellow clergies and the Commissioner of Police in Plateau.

    The plaintiffs accused the defendants of not allowing them access to the Church in Jos.

    The clergies sued include Jacob Langs, Daniel Saje, Bulus Sambo, James Gyang, Luka Dung, Dachung Delson and Dusu Alison as well as the police commissioner as 1st to 8th defendants.

    The Plaintiffs through their Counsel Mr I.O. Onah, prayed the court to interpret a Supreme court Judgement of Feb. 24, 2017, which they (plaintiffs) claimed did not prevent them from being members of the church, nor from holding any leadership position.

    They equally asked the court to issue an order to the defendants to allow them unhindered access to the Jos District branches of the church as agreed between the plaintiffs to the defendants including the security agents.

    The plaintiffs also demanded for N5million as damages from the defendants as well as an apology for their arrest, harassment, invitations, prosecution and detention.

    But the defendants through their counsels, Messers Lawrence Erewele and Obi Ehiabhi, objected to the plaintiff claims and declared that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter already decided upon by the Supreme Court.

    “For the plaintiffs, who have been ex-communicated and expelled from the church to come back through the back door seeking the interpretation of a judgement of a Supreme Court is but an exercise in futility.

    “My Lord, this court, as a lower court, lacks the jurisdiction to entertain this matter and so should be dismissed for lack of merit, ’’ Erewele argued.

    Ehiabhi, in his own preliminary objection, described the action of suing the leadership of the Assemblies of God Nigeria and the church as an entity as incompetent.

    “Looking at section 5 (91)(96) of the Allied Matters Act, Assembly of God Nigeria as a Church cannot be sued because it is not a juristic person or individual; only the Board of Trustees can be sued.’’

    “I, therefore, pray this honourable court to strike out this case for lack of merit and competence, ’’ Ehiabhi said.

    The Judge, in her ruling upheld all the prayers in the preliminary objections raised by counsels to the defendants and struck out the case for lack of merit.

    “Having looked at the preliminary objections of the two counsels to the defendants, I hereby uphold all the reliefs sought for considering section 5 (91) (96) of the Allied Matters Act.

    “I, therefore, hold that the suit filed by the plaintiffs failed, and is hereby dismissed and struck out for lack of merit, ’’ Dabup declared.

    In addition, the judge awarded a cost of N30, 000 in favour of the two sets of preliminary objections raised by the two defence counsels.

    Speaking to newsmen shortly after the ruling, Ehiabhi, described it as `brilliant and very sound’.

    “By this ruling, the sponsors of the crisis in the Assembly of God Nigeria (North) in particular have been exposed and failed in their quest to create a separate Northern Church of the Assemblies of the God Nigeria,’’ he said.

  • Leadership Newspaper publisher condemns detention of Daily Times publisher‎

    The Publisher of Leadership Newspapers Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah on Thursday paid a solidarity visit to the top management of Daily Times of Nigeria at their Maitama Abuja office over recent arrest and detention of some staff of the organisation.

    While speaking to newsmen after the visit, Nda Isaiah said there was something sinister in the way and manner the Police and a Magistrate Court in Mpape colluded to victimise the Publisher of Daily Times Mr. Fidelis Anosike, the Group Managing Director Barr Noel Anosike and some other staff of the Company.

    According to him, the Police High Command may have been misinformed over the dispute on ownership of Daily Times and urged the Inspector General of Police to listen to stakeholders from both sides of the conflict to avoid further embarrassment or escalation of the matter.

    “I know all the story of how this Daily Times matter started. The story is also straight forward. You therefore need to take time to listen to everyone involved in the matter in order to take well informed decision. Apart from Police, security agencies should sit down and address it properly. They should look at all the court documents, all agreements and court settlements because what the Police have done so far are in error.”

    The Leadership Newspaper boss praised the current Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris whom he said has a lot of security challenges in his hands and has been up and doing, adding however that Police need to take time to study the matter as well as halt the assault on Daily Times and its management.

    “The person who ran to Magistrate Court for criminal prosecution over a civil case that is pending in courts of superior jurisdiction knows why he went there in the first place and what he wanted to achieve. That is why I said there is something sinister going on and that the security agencies should wade in to find that sinister substance so that it can be halted before going out of control,” he said.

    On the relationship between security agencies and the media in Nigeria, Nda- Isaiah said security agencies still have respect for media practitioners in the country and urged the media not to rely on the error committed over the Daily Times matter to judge the Police, insisting that someone is feeding the Police with misinformation on which they have acted arbitrarily.

    Earlier while welcoming Mr. Nda- Isaiah to his office, Fidelis Anosike thanked him for the visit and expressed joy and appreciation to the thousands of Nigerians who have been trooping to his office as well as others who have called on phone or sent messages through the social media over the matter.
    Anosike also assured the Leadership Newspaper Publisher that nothing can stop the publication of Daily Times which he described as his passion.

    “Nobody can take anything belonging to Daily Times, not even one pin. We are not into property business, we are into publishing. We will continue to publish Daily Times and nobody cannot stop it. Ikechukwu Obiora is only making a mockery of the Judiciary while at the same time influencing the Police to commit impunity. But he cannot take Daily Times. It is not and will never be his property.

    “When we bought Daily Times through our company Folio Communications Limited, there was nobody called Sen. Ikechukwu Obiora anywhere in the picture. He was neither a director nor a staff of the company that bought minority shares in Daily Times. That you are claiming ownership of Daily Times because the minority share was divested in your favour is laughable. I cannot remember selling Daily Times to anyone called Ikechukwu Obiora, Anosike concluded.

  • Dokpesi condemns PDP leadership over ‘Unity List’

    A national chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Raymond Dokpesi, has berated the national leadership of the party over the distribution of ‘Unity List’ among the delegates at the convention venue.

    Dokpesi told journalists at the convention ground in Abuja on Saturday that the process of voting had been compromised following the distribution of the list.

    He alleged that the delegates were expected to use the list to determine who they would vote at the national convention of the party.

    The aspirant described the process as a charade which he said might destroy the party.

    He explained that the 21 names of candidates contained in the list appeared on the ballot papers as number one and in the voting boots as number one.

    Dokpesi said complaints were lodged to the Chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee, Dr. Gabriel Susuan, who he said confirmed that he had seen the list with some delegates.

    He, however, called on the party leadership to urgently rectify what he called an anomaly and a charade before it becomes another major challenge in the party, ahead 2019 general elections.

  • Jonathan advocates for effective leadership, reform, democratisation of United Nations

    Jonathan advocates for effective leadership, reform, democratisation of United Nations

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for the reform and democratisation of the United Nations in order to make it more representative and responsive to the security challenges that is now becoming a recurring issue globally.

    Jonathan made the call on Friday while presenting his remarks at the opening panel of the Dialogue of Civilisations Rhodes Forum’s 15th Anniversary Summit in Greece.

    The former president, who was the lead discussants stressed that the UN Security Council should be expanded to ensure representations from all regions and power centres in the world, adding that the UN dialogue method must also change to guarantee a more peaceful world.

    Other members of the panel were former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, former President of Mali Dioncounda Traore, professor of globalisation Ian Goldin and President of Infowatch Group, Natalya Kaspersky.

    A statement issued by Jonathan’s media adviser, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze quoted the ex-President as saying: “For the world to experience sustainable peace, effective leadership must come from the UN, the flagship of global organisations.

    “The UN that would inspire this kind of leadership should ensure equity, with leading nations and power centres representing different regions of the world, sitting at the Security Council as permanent members.

    “The UN dialogue method must, therefore, change. The Security Council of the United Nations must be democratised, in view of new global realities, in the interest of peace.”

    He further noted that as presently constituted, “the UN is portrayed as a platform where nations come to quarrel and display their might, instead of its statutory role, as a forum for unity and world peace.

    “In terms of carrying out the mandate of preventing a Third World War, we could say the UN has done exceptionally well up to this moment. However, we cannot say the same thing over its mandate of ensuring world Peace as it is obvious that the UN has not achieved much in this regard. From 1945, when 51 nations came together and now that the UN has 193 member states, the world has not known real peace.

    “The truth is that despite decades of efforts at the multinational level towards ensuring peace, the world has remained mired in developmental challenges that question man’s ability to govern, collaborate, unite and make this world better.

    “Those are challenges of poverty, healthcare, inequality and conflicts. This is because the world has not matched this zeal for organisation with a corresponding gusto for trust, good faith and the conscience for productive engagements, negotiations and dialogue.

    “So when I am asked to proffer solutions for achieving global peace and sustainable development, I will say that the answer lies in genuine dialogue. This entails negotiations, hard bargaining, inclusivity, persuasion and confidence building.”