Lokoja floods: Thousands of motorists stranded on Abuja-Lokoja road

Some of the travelers have been stranded in Lokoja for two days.
Thousands of motorists plying the Abuja-Lokoja road were struck on Saturday as a major section of the road was flooded.
Eye witness reports say hundreds of cars, commercial buses, and articulated trucks, travelling along the road stood still causing traffic congestion. The floods are reported to have started since Thursday but got worse by Saturday.
The worst hit part of the Lokoja-Abuja road, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, is the Adankolo, ganaja, and jameta bridge axis.
The flooding of the bridge has already caused some residents to go into canoe business, using canoes to ferry locals across the water.
Some motorists travelling along the road, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, towards Northern Nigeria said they would have to divert their vehicles to the dreaded alternative routes of Oturpo-Markudi or Ilorin-Morkwa.
However, the rush for the diversion has caused the link road to those alternative routes to be blocked.

Checks at hotels in Lokoja show that many of the rooms were booked, with hotel owners benefitting from the flooded road as several stranded travelers opted to spend the night in Lokoja, while the traffic jam continued. Some of the travelers lodged in Lokoja hotels since Friday evening when the heavy traffic commenced.
Hotels such as Nostalgia Hotels and Diato Hotels within Lokoja metropolis were fully booked.
The flood also displaced hundreds of residents in the city. Residents of Kabawa old market quarters in Lokoja were seen fleeing with property that could be salvaged from the flood, which has submerged several houses and left many people homeless.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, were seen at flood scenes trying to assist victims.
A NEMA official, who identified himself as Mallam Isa said efforts were being to see made to ensure that those displaced were taken care of.
“We were in Government house till midnight (early Saturday morning) trying to sort things out,” Mr. Isa said.
Mr. Isa said Kogi State authorities seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude and effects of the flood and have “issued a red alert statement to motorists and commuters to stay off the affected areas; and asked motorists to look for alternative routes.”
Premium Times

What Nigerians don’t know about IBB, Buhari’s oil industry management – David-West

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By AKEEB ALARAPE
The nation’s oil sector has got more than enough scandals in the last two years, with stunning revelations on how the resources of the country ended up in private pockets. Two-time former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof Tam David-West, took a retrospective look at how the rot started, in this no-holds-barred exclusive interview.
It’s nine months after subsidy removal. How would you assess this?
The country is worse for it because it is all fraud. If we are looking at the subsidy alone, President Goodluck Jonathan will know that he has performed very badly. I have documents to show that Jonathan was initially opposed to the figure Okonjo-Iweala gave him. I have the document. But it was slammed down his throat. I am opposed to subsidy and I have been vindicated. There is no subsidy. The government has even confirmed my position and that of Muhammadu Buhari. Before that time, the late Gani Fawehinmi had written a booklet on subsidy. The government has changed the figure of the amount they get from subsidy 10 times. I said this at the Gani Fawehinmi lecture. The figure has changed 10 times in quantum and like amoeba, changing its shape.
All the money Okonjo-Iweala claimed to have been recovered, were they lost in the first place? Okonjo-Iweala has only recovered the fraud. Later, she will say they are paying oil marketers over N500 million of subsidy. Let her organise a national debate that there is a subsidy and not a charade. If you forget about Tam David-West, can she also ignore an expert in oil and gas, Dr. Ngene Agbo, who was head of Petroleum Department at the University of Ibadan (UI) before? He is now in Dallas Texas.
He wrote, and it was published in the newspapers, that fuel must not cost more than N36 per litre. In fact, when they were to remove the subsidy on January 1, he wrote again that IMF asked them to do so. I have the document. So, there is no subsidy and the action of the government has shown that.
The bottom line is for government to build refineries. Nigeria could, at best, build 20 refineries in two years. The money is there. If we build at least five more refineries before Jonathan lives, petrol prices will come down because we are not going to import fuel anymore. That is the type of legacy he should leave behind.

Could you tell us about your relationship with Buhari and Babangida?
I worked with Buhari, but when Buhari was overthrown, Babangida brought me back. I was to come back to Ibadan, but Sani Abacha pleaded with me to stay. It was Abacha who made me change my mind. Abacha was my friend for over 30 years. We all served at Rivers State when I was commissioner for education under Zamani Lekwot.
He (Abacha) was the Brigade Commander and we were good friends till he died. Therefore, when Buhari was overthrown, I was brought back.  So, I know Babangida, I know Buhari. Any time I meet any new person in my life, as a friend, I do what I call personality profile. I will try to know the person’s strength and weakness. That profile guides me.
People will not know that I was closer to Babangida than Buhari. While Babangida called me a pet name ‘TD,’ Buhari called me Professor. My relationship with Buhari was very official; my relationship with Babangida was both official and personal. So, I was closer to Babangida than Buhari when I was in government. I never visited Buhari at Dodan Barracks, except for official purposes. I visited Dodan Barracks many times on unofficial purposes to see Babangida. His great wife, Maryam, in her grave, can confirm this.

How would you assess Babangida’s performance in the oil industry?
What I am going to say about both of them  is not because Buhari wants to become president or I am known to be an unapologetic Buhari supporter. I am not supporting Buhari out of sentiment but out of fact and figures. I had been talking about the mess in the oil industry in several newspapers interviews since 1994. I have been consistent about it. So, whatever I am saying about these two Nigerians I am saying it very objectively and without any regret and I challenge anybody to contradict what I am going to say.
Yes, the Babangida government ruined the oil industry. How did he do it? How many people in Nigeria know these dirty millionaires? Dirty millionaires because the money they are getting is dirty money. How many people know the conditions to lift the Nigerian oil? I mean strict conditions, which were there before Buhari. He was oil minister before and I also inherited the conditions. Nigerians will be shocked that one can lift Nigerian oil now as if one goes to market to buy palm oil or groundnut oil.
Babangida broke all the rules. Buhari operated them and I operated them during our time. Oil makes up over 90 per cent of all the money Nigeria has outside, that is foreign receipts. Also, oil makes up about 80 per cent of our annual budget. So, why must we be careless about it?
To lift Nigerian oil, these are the conditions set down, which Babangida broke. One, you must be an end user. By end user, it means we don’t give oil to people who will resell at Rotterdam. You must get a refinery. If you don’t have refinery, which you must or should, you should show a contract that you have a long time contract with a refinery at least 10 years. Then, you must deposit with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) three consecutive annual audit report of your company before you could be allowed to sign the contract to lift oil. This is to show that such company is healthy. Then, you must be prepared to pay a non-refundable $1million to NNPC as proof of good faith. All these rules were broken. No one in Nigeria even heard about them again.
Also, you must not sell to South Africa because of apartheid. Your company must show a staff strength of at least 20 people. These are the conditions you must fulfill before you can lift Nigerian oil. Babangida broke all of them under the funny name of liberaliaation. When he broke the rules, he made it easy for a lot of people to jump into lifting of Nigerian oil, to the detriment of the country. That was the beginning of the disaster. Why did he break the rules? Did he break them in the interest of the nation or in the interest of some people? I cannot prejudge. I leave him (Babangida) to his conscience and God. Secondly, all oil revenues must be paid into the Federation Account. Babangida broke that too. Why is that so? Every month, the Commissioners for Finance from all the states came to Lagos in those days; we always sat and shared the money we were paid.
Within the Gulf War too, while we had $1.2billion, Babangida established a parallel account that was called ‘Dedicated Account.’ The Dedicated Account was run by only himself and the then Governor of Central Bank, the late Alhaji Uba Ahmed. Ahmed was a very good man. I still honour him. But it was an executive decision. Nobody had a say on how the account was used. So, in addition to the Federation Account, that by law, all proceeds of oil must go into, Babangida set up a parallel account he called Dedicated Account, which he lodged extra $1.2 billion Gulf War windfall.
When the Gulf War started, I wrote an article that oil price would go up because it was all common sense. The oil market is very volatile. If there is problem in Iraq or Iran, the market fixtures say that oil that will come from those countries cannot come to the market.
So, there is artificial scarcity and oil prices go up. I wrote it then that we should invest the money to offset our foreign debts, as Kuwaiti did. Kuwaiti has one of the best oil management in the whole world. Another issue in the oil industry then was the increase in the price of fuel. Then, we started talking about subsidy. In Buhari’s time, we were exporting fuel in thousands of litres.
What would you say about rot in the oil industry, as regards operations of businessmen?
The Babangida government made it easier for them to have their ways in the camouflage of allowing indigenous participation. Indigenous participation is good but in what form? Oil industry is a very expensive business. I once told the late business mogul, M.K.O. Abiola, in those days that with all the money he had he could not build a refinery on his own. I told him he has to get foreign partners with him for support.
No Nigerian millionaire could build a refinery, as at that time. I don’t know what is operating now. So, the result of what Babangida did is that corruption became rampant. I have no evidence to say Babangida himself is corrupt, but his government’s activities suggested that a lot of things done then increased corruption.
Another thing he did was that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) used to meet every Wednesday. It was sacrosanct. In Buhari’s time, the federal executive met regularly every week. Babangida stopped it. What I am saying can be supported with facts and figures. I can face the world with them. Babangida cancelled weekly meeting of the federal executive council, where decisions were taken for the country. It was like saying the parliament may not meet but the president can issue laws. That was what it means.
The federal executive only met when he (Babangida) wanted it to meet. I have evidence to show that. There are also great men and women that served with me and can confirm whether what I am saying is true or not. Ministers were asked to come down to seek approval for contracts. Any contract up to N10 million could be discussed with Babangida personally. They didn’t need to discuss it at the weekly federal executive council. Just come down to him and discuss.
All I am saying are true and I stake my honour on them. Anybody can check this fact with ministers that served at the time I am talking about.  For us then N10 million was a lot of money. So, if a minister had three contracts to discuss, that would be N30 million. Just a discussion between a minister and the Head of State; both agreed and just go.
What attempt did successive governments made to address this?
You see successive government also saw the bad sides of the disruptions but they could not stop it because they benefited from it. The solution is for Nigerians not only to talk but to act. They should stop voting against their conscience. They should look at the candidates and reject any candidate that has a history of corruption. If a corrupt candidate gets to power, he will form a confraternity of corrupt people and they steal more and more of Nigerian money.
Are we not ashamed that Nigeria cannot pay N18, 000 minimum wage, yet the same country is paying N1 billion for food allowance of the President and Vice-President from the oil money? To me, with good leadership, all these would stop. What is good leadership? A leadership that harnesses the blessings that God has showered on Nigeria, for the benefit of Nigerians, is a discipline leadership. A good leader is the one that cares for the ordinary man and not the big man.
Why is this so? It is the nature in every society, whether America or Africa, anywhere, the poor people are more in numbers than the rich people. That is what I would call the social pyramid. Every community is structured like a pyramid. Only a few people are on top. As one is coming down the pyramid, one is confronted with army of the people.
So, the poor people in every community are the numerous and at the bottom of the pyramid. Therefore, if you do something that helps the poor, you are doing the work of God. If a leader makes policies that make the people happy, such leader is doing the work of God because God loves poor people so much that he creates so many of them everywhere.
Why are you an ardent Buhari supporter?
Buhari is one of the cleanest men I have ever met in my life. If anybody wants me to dislike Buhari, such person should give me an example of his corruption. I will run away from him totally. But right now, there is no evidence. On the contrary, the more they attack him on this issue of corruption, the more they are making him Gold bier. I will give two examples.
One, Babangida thought Buhari was making a lot of money on counter trading, so he set up two independent bodies to investigate counter trading. One of the bodies was headed by J.K. Randle, while the second was headed by Prof. Aboyade of blessed memory. None of them found anything against Buhari. None. I attested before the two bodies.
Great Aboyade commission was digging into Buhari’s counter trading, J.K. Randle, who’s still alive, did the same thing. But both of them produced reports that showed that counter trading was so clean and was making so much money for Nigeria. Then two, soon after Obasanjo was sworn in, there was a social function for him in Lagos or so, then surprisingly, some people tried to praise Buhari, Obasanjo said: ‘don’t praise him, I have not probed him.’ It was after that incident that Obasanjo set up Dr. Haroun’s probe panel of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). Haroun probed PTF inside out.
Buhari was discovered to be as clean as snow. You know, why he agreed to be the head of PTF was not to condone what Abacha was doing then, but he saw it as a way of serving the country and he did well. I have the record. Haroun came out and said PTF account was audited every year while Federal Government account was not audited in 36 years.
You know Babangida detained Buhari for 40 months after he overthrew him. Buhari’s mother died while he was in detention and as a Muslim, I expected Babangida to rise above politics and allow Buhari to go bury his mother. If he was released, I am sure he wouldn’t have run away. Buhari was not allowed to go  bury his mother. But in the night after the woman was buried, Babangida released Buhari. His son died, the same thing happened.
Anyway, after Buhari came out of detention, he told Babangida to tell the world about his corruption. The records are there. The same thing happened with the PTF. He told Obasanjo to publish the report of the panel, but Obasanjo could not publish it because it was a certificate of honour for Buhari. If that Haroun’s report had any page in it that indicted Buhari, Obasanjo would have used that to disqualify Buhari from contesting against him.
Buhari is clean. He is not corrupt. To show how Buhari loves Nigeria, he doesn’t like spending Nigerian money frivolously. When he overthrew Shehu Shagari, Buhari never changed any chair or curtain in Dodan Barracks. Buhari used what Shagari was using until he left.
As minister, our total pocket money under Buhari was N200 per month. You could spend less than N200 without accounting for it, but anything above N200, you must account for it. When he increased the money to N250, we clapped for him at the executive council.
Now, as a former governor of the defunct north-eastern state, former minister of petroleum, former head of state, former executive chairman of PTF, Buhari has no house in Abuja. If he goes to Abuja, he stays in a private hotel. He has no house either uphill or downhill, apart from his house in Kaduna.
What’s your view about money paid to ex-militant leaders to secure oil pipeline?
I read the story and the justification of Asari Dokubo on the money. I read all the rubbishes on it. You see, Jonathan cannot be a better Niger Deltan than me. In the case of Niger Delta militants, I have a curious position. Asari Dokubo used to be with me here in Ibadan. I have a book coming out on him. He changed from Christianity to Islam to qualify him for training in Libya. I have the document. Soboma, who died, was also my cousin.
So, I was surrounded by ex-militants. I cannot do anything against them, which is not proper. But is it right for Jonathan to have paid that money to Dokubo, Tompolo and Ateke Tom? If Jonathan has done some research he would know that Asari Dokubo has no followers anymore. He claimed he has 4, 000 people. Did Jonathan tell him to bring out that 4, 000 people? I know that the other time Asari Dokubo went to Port-Harcourt, he hired people to follow him. My book is coming with more details on this.
On the surface, what Jonathan has done looks as the right thing but if one digs down into it, it is very questionable. It is a good idea to get local militants to secure oil pipelines, but there is this other question. First, they are paying them millions. Asari Dokubo is collecting N9 million for 4, 000 followers. But did Jonathan see this 4, 000 personnel or their list? I am saying as of now, Asari Dokubo has no followers. His people fought against him and they had left him. So, to me, all the principles on the surface are attractive but when one looks at the nitty-gritty, it is questionable.
Asari Dokubo has never got a paid job in his life. He dropped out of the university twice, first at the University of Calabar. So, what message are we sending to the younger generation? That if they take arms against their country and fellow countrymen, they will be compensated? A vice-chancellor salary is about N1 million now and a dropout is being paid N9 million.
Ateke Tom is now permanently in Abuja. Has Jonathan confirmed how much control he has in the Niger Delta area? The only person that I can say has presence in the area is Tompolo. So, the government should come out with facts and figures on this action. Secondly, the President is indicting himself. He is the Commander-in-Chief, as the Chief Security Officer of Nigeria. The constitution says the security of individuals in the state is strictly the responsibility of the state. Is the President saying that the SSS, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and all other security bodies in the country cannot do what Asari Dokubo and the rest are doing? Why can’t they complement one another?
What do you think of Jonathan?
Let me say what I have said repeatedly. I have nothing personal against President Goodluck Jonathan. I have never met him before and I don’t know whether I want to meet him. But the problem with him is that he believes so much on praises of sycophants. According to Senator Fulbright, an American statesman, in his book, ‘The Arrogance of Power,’ he said to criticise one’s country (leader) is to do it a favour or also pay it a compliment.
It is a favour because it will make the leader to do better than he is doing. It is a compliment because it expresses a belief that he can do better. So, if I say he is not doing well, I expect him to do better. I have already complimented it, that he has the potentials to do better but he is not doing well. So, criticism is more act of patriotism than mere adulation.
Whatever areas I take to score Jonathan, I will not give him a pass mark. Security is worst in our history. Corruption is the worst. In fact, corruption is worst now.  I don’t need anything from Jonathan as a person. All I need from him is to do well, so that the Ijaw will be proud. Another thing is that after Jonathan, an Ijaw man will not smell Aso Rock in our lifetime.
Why would they allow an Ijaw man there when the first one they gave to us, messed it up? Long and short, Jonathan has not done well. If Jonathan is an examination paper for me to mark, in A grade, he is out. I will not give him B; I will not give him C. I will give him D. The totality is that he has not done well and the earlier he realises this the better.
What would you say about South-South forum?
The south-South forum or Southern Peoples Assembly is nonsense. As far as I am concerned, the people there are knowledgeable people, but I can’t help feeling that the groups were formed to collect money from Jonathan. When Odili was South-South president, the same Edwin Clark and the late MT Mbu were at loggerhead, leading two groups of South-South assembly.
Now, the South-South said it has endorsed Jonathan for 2015 and he is clapping? They don’t like him. Anybody that can say that to him is an enemy based on these reasons. One, he has spent only the second year of the first term. Any Ijaw man that wants to help you should make you to perform very well now.
Are you saying you don’t support President Jonathan’s plan for 2015?
He is going to fail. I can swear before Almighty God and all the things that Ijaw people believe, I have heard knowledgeable Ijaw people say he should not try it; it’s not good for us. Already, the country is more split now than ever in our history. The dichotomies are showing more and more now. If a minority man has come, he has a sacred duty to put it together.
One of the greatest speeches in our history is Tafawa Balewa’s speech in the Parliament entitled ‘Unity in Diversity.’ It was a fantastic speech. That is what the President is supposed to do, so that when he leaves another minority man would have a chance. Right now, if Jonathan leaves another minority man, especially an Ijaw, would not have a chance, because he has messed it up. If he is doing well, does he need the South-South Forum to tell him that he is doing well? If he is doing well, the whole country will tell him that he is doing well. He doesn’t need a South-South Forum.
The South-South Forum is a disadvantage for him. Why is it that the South-South Forum is endorsing him for 2015? He should sit down and think. If he is doing well, I will be the first to write an article to praise him. I can even go to Abuja to congratulate him.
The Sun

Northern Reps plan to throw out PIB

by John Ameh

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

Efforts to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill into law may be scuttled at the National Assembly as findings indicated on Sunday that members of the House of Representatives from the North had resolved to “kill” it.

The PUNCH gathered that the lawmakers had reportedly taken a position to use the “majority block vote” of the region, cutting across political party lines, to defeat their colleagues from the South.

Southern lawmakers are the most vocal supporters of the bill, a signal to how they will vote when the contentious bill is debated on the floor of the House.

The North has a superior numerical strength over other parts of the country in the House.

The North-West, North-East and North-Central have a combined membership of around 191 out of the 360 legislators.

Members are already studying the bill ahead of an expected “stormy debate.”

However, The PUNCH learnt that the northerners would approach the debate with a “ready position” to oppose the PIB.

Investigations indicated that at least 51 lawmakers from the North travelled to Accra, Ghana, during the just-concluded annual recess of the House to hold a conference on the PIB.

“There were 51 members on the team that went to Ghana; one of them is a principal officer of the House.

“Their mission was to dissect the bill and take a position on it. Their position is simple, to throw out the bill”, a senior legislator, who knew about the conference, disclosed to The PUNCH in Abuja on Sunday.

It was gathered that the 51 lawmakers, said to be “outspoken”, were allegedly carefully selected to argue the position of the North during the debate.

Investigations showed that the northerners feared that the PIB was a ploy to deny them the benefits accruing from the oil and gas industry by “concentrating the sector in the hands of programmed private interest groups.”

He said, “They are also not comfortable with the messenger of the bill (Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke), who has vested awesome powers in her office, using this bill.

“The PIB has given the minister so much power to decide everything that will happen in the proposed unbundling of the sector.

“Looking at the bill, the minister has more powers than Mr. President. In any case, they have never liked this minister.

This is coming on the heels of promises by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, that the passage of the PIB would be one of the major engagements of the House this legislative year.

“Consistent with the Legislative Agenda of the House, there are bills that the House should attend to expeditiously.

“Such bills include constitutional amendment bills on the budget; the Petroleum Industry Bill, review of the Police and Security Agencies Acts, Bills to deal with unacceptably high unemployment situation in Nigeria,” the speaker had stated in a speech to welcome lawmakers from the recess on September 18.

When the views of the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, were sought, he said it was “not true” that northern legislators had resolved to kill the bill.

Mohammed told our correspondent that he expected that all members would comply with the speaker’s call to consider the PIB as a “very important bill to our economy.”

He added, “It is not true that any group has resolved to kill this bill; we have all agreed that this is an important bill that has to be passed.

“However, we won’t pass it the way it came.

“We will discuss it dispassionately and pass it, bearing in mind the fact that this bill is very important to Nigerians.”

It will be recalled that after facing several hiccups at the sixth Assembly, the PIB passed first and second readings at the House but was thrown out at the Committee of the Whole.

The highlights of the bill include the power vested in the Minister of Petrolum Resources.

For example Section 5 of the bill states, “The Minister of Petroleum Resources shall be responsible for the co-ordination of the activities of the petroleum industry and shall exercise general supervision over all operations and all institutions in the industry.”

Section 116 of the bill, which makes provision for the establishment of the Petroleum Host Communities Fund. The fund, according to the bill, will be used for “the development of the economic and social infrastructure of the communities within the petroleum producing area.”

The Punch

2015, GOVERNANCE AND POLITICS

NOT less than 20 of the 40 ministers in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan are reported to be oiling their political machinery in readiness for the 2015 elections. They are believed to have their eyes on the governorship of their respective states. It cannot be a moot point that the pursuit of the governorship aspirations of those cabinet members will, in their scale of priorities, take precedence over their ministerial duties. The direct corollary of this is that they have not been giving their best in their different portfolios. The decision of the President to ask each of the ministers to sign a performance contract cannot be unconnected with their level of performance which he must have found less than satisfactory.
ALSO recently, a former Nigerian ambassador to Switzerland, Mr Yahaya Kwande, who is a prominent member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was reported as saying that a political pressure group, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), was being revived to checkmate the alleged plan of Jonathan to contest for the Presidency in 2015. Kwande was quoted as saying that Jonathan had to find another political platform other than the PDP if he wanted to vie for the Presidency when his current term expires. And on their own part, Jonathan’s supporters have at different times , harped on his constitutional right to seek a second term in office. There have been similar reports of comments, arguments and political activities which convey the impression that the primary focus of the political class is power and not service.
POLITICS in Nigeria of today appears to be assuming a totally different dimension from what it should be. It is no longer being seen as a periodic activity for the purpose of taking control of political power so as to render service to the people. The utterances and conduct of so many politicians in present-day Nigeria strongly suggests that their mission in partisan politics is not power for the purpose of governance but for personal aggrandisement. There is a glaring indication that Nigerian politicians are becoming unabashedly preoccupied with selfish rather than people’s interests. Politics is being played as if it is an end in itself and not a means to an end.
IT is worrying that Nigerian politicians are yet to put the 2011 elections behind them. While those who lost out at the different levels of the electoral process are still bellyaching, those who emerged victorious are gloating over the sweetness of their electoral success. The direct consequence of this is that less than necessary attention is being given to the primary business of governance. At the different levels, the approach to governance has been largely lackadaisical as the sharing of the spoils of office appears to be on the front burner. The opposition, on their part, have not been coming up with constructive ideas that can present them as viable alternatives. Political affiliation is not based on the programmes and policies of political parties but on whatever platform can offer the brightest chance of electoral success.
SINCE return to civilian administration in 1999, the delivery of the dividends of democracy has been one cliché that is being constantly mouthed by politicians in the course of their stump speeches. The prevailing state of affairs has shown a near-total failure to deliver on the promises made. The expected improvements in the various facets of national life have not materialised. The bulk of available resources has been ending up in the pockets of a handful of people. In the midst of excruciating poverty, a tiny minority lives in obscene opulence. The unrestricted access to the treasury remains the major attraction to political power and this is why the struggle for political offices has become desperate and ruthless. In spite of the resources at the county’s disposal, the vast majority of the population lives in squalor.
IT should be a matter for serious concern to the current political class that the first and second republics, which were roundly condemned after their overthrow by the military, have now become reference points in political organisation and good governance. The politicians of those days played politics during election periods and devoted their time to governance thereafter. Nothing was hidden from the public about what they earned as salaries and allowances. The situation today is a complete contrast. Governance has been relegated to the background because political office holders have chosen to commit the greater part of their time to political calculations and intrigues. Preparations for the next election now take the pride of place to the detriment of the primary purpose of politics which is service to the people. The resources that should be committed to the welfare of the people are being used to secure and sustain political support.
WE fervently hope that the political class will accord governance the deserved priority and elevate service above self. 2015 is three long years away. The political intrigues that emanate from nocturnal meetings will not serve the people’s interests. Only efficient management and dedicated service can bring about the desired development.
Tribune Editorial

‘For Stability, Jonathan Should Forego 2015’

RUTH CHOJI

Honourable Mathew Omegara represents Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo Federal Constituency, Imo State on the platform of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In this interview with selected journalists, including LEADERSHIP SUNDAY’s RUTH CHOJI, the chairman, House Committee on Reform of Government Institutions speaks on the FOI Act, N5000 note, 2015 and more.
What is the function of your committee?
The House Committee on Reform s of Government Institutions is principally set up to implement the FOI Act (Freedom of Information Act) which is about letting Nigerians know that, they have the right to know certain things about their government.
When our attention is brought to moribund institutions we take it up with the assembly and whoever is supervising it and then we advise the executive. Ours is to make the laws and then the executive would merge them where they have become irrelevant and continue to be a drain pipe to the Nigeria economy.
Nigerians will like to know the challenges your committee have faced and how effective it has been since inception?
Prior to the coming of FOI Act, we had a law called Official Secret Act. It was the monster left for us by the colonial master in 1911 and the coming in force of Freedom of Information Act when Mr. President signed it into law in 2011 is to upturn the Official Secret Act. It is a big challenge to ask people to forget about the whole way they do things and start in a new way.
The officials of government prefer to act in secrecy. They do things that they don’t want the public to know. They do it as if it is their personal act. For instance, a policeman will arrest somebody that is quarreling with his girlfriend and he will lock him up for seven days; he will not want to give you reasons why the man is arrested. We now try to let them know that, you cannot do that anymore.
The FOI Act throws the activities of government and their officials open; that whatever you do must be according to the law. For now my committee has embarked on enlightenment. I personally do not believe in law by ambush. We need to let Nigerians know that things have changed and then know those who want to resist the law and prescribe sanctions for them. There is also law to punish those who want to punish their subordinate for disclosing information.
But Nigerians are still complaining of not having access to information from government even with the law in place; how do we make top government officials obey this law?
The law has made it easier for those who want to get information. If you write and seek for information and that information is not given to you within the specified seven days as expressed in the law, you have the right to go to court. The judge does not necessarily need to see the person you are suing; the law permits the judge to give you a summary decision compelling the person holding that information, in as much as that information falls within the context of the law should release it to you without delay.
The information that you cannot access is clearly shown in the law, that information is something you will appreciate; it has to do with security. It is not everything; the way Mr. President runs the government day to day is not everything that will be given to you.
If Mr. President makes a budget to buy furniture, it is not part of the information that can be revealed. If it information about somebody trying to overthrow government in connivance with other people at large, the law says that information cannot be released until investigations is completed.
So that you do not jeopardize the investigations. I see the press as the enemies of the information act because they have refused to join in the enlightenment forum. Most times when we hold seminars and try to tell people their right, I still see people come to tell me that, they are gentlemen of the press, anything for the press? They want to me pay them for the work I am doing for them.
I have consistently accused the press of subverting the FoI Act. The press is the enemy of itself, and they only come out and name the FoI Act when they are arrested or molested. As soon as that goes down, they forget about it.
How successful has the law been since it was passed?
For those who know it, I can tell you that it has been a success. I recently receive a letter from somebody who wrote the PPRA on the subsidy record, the PPRA knowing the law quickly replied him with the information and then copied me as the chairman of the committee. Though the reply is not detailed, but there was an effort. The problem is that, Nigerians are not willing to sacrifice a moment to follow the due process and get the information they want.
Are there some categories of people that are exempted in the application of this law?
Nobody is exempted from this law; in fact we are preparing a memo for the Clerk to disclose certain formation to me. I have already written the accountant general of the federation to disclose what are the releases they have done to the national assembly and then I am asking the National Assembly Clerk how they have disbursed the money. I want the press to join us in this task by asking the ministries what they have done with the budget.
I saw some funny things in the budget over-head, four billion naira (#4b) capital projects, twp billion naira (#2b) how do you use four billion naira to supervise a project of two billion naira? How can this be justified? Give us details to show Nigerians. I am not to quarry them, Nigerians will quarry them. That is the benefit of the FoI Act.
As a member of the Aviation Committee, Nigerians have criticized the lifting of the suspension on the DANA airline. What is your take on this?
Our committee does not see to the day-to day running of the executive affairs; they have the right to conduct their own preliminary investigation and if from what they have, it is proved that the airline is not technically deficient, there is no reason why they cannot lift the ban for them to fly…
But what was the outcome of your investigation?
Our investigation is not yet concluded; we are still looking at the evidences. Whatever they have done will not have any effect on our recommendations. But we don’t have the technical knowhow to investigate the technical aspect of aircraft in the committees.
But personally, what do you think is the problem with our aviation sector?
I will not want to comment prematurely as a member of the committee that is investigating these matters.
What is your take on the proposed introduction of the #5,000 note.
I vehemently object to it. It does not make sense. The CBN governor as professional as he may claim to be as an economist is yet to convince me as a layman that after he has told us that we are moving into a cashless society, that he will now come and tell us that he is introducing five thousand naira note so that people can carry more money. It amaze me when I watch them on television saying ,the #5, 000 note will make it easy for transportation and carrying more
Are you saying that it is Sanusi that is a bad economist or the people that are against him?
I don’t have a degree in economics, but I have my head together. By the time we print N5,000 note, we will soon print N10,000, N20, 000 and on and on. Before we know it, we will become another Zimbabwe. I have three trillion Zimbabwe money in my house, when I made enquiries; it was not up to one naira.
There was lot of speculations that a lot of people smuggle millions of naira outside. So if you now reduce it, they will have no choice than to bring back all they took.
I don’t know which one to believe, but I know that it is senseless to continue to print #5,000 notes.
There were reports that some prominent Igbo leaders have endorsed President Jonathan for 2015, are you in support of this move
I have not heard that, but individuals have their right to do their thing. I have not attended any meeting where they discussed it. And whenever it is discussed, I will be able to say my mind. But I think when a man says something; he should keep to his words.
To save this country from anarchy and chaos, there is every need for Mr. President to withdraw and hold credible elections.
If a sitting president is not running for elections, the tendency that we will have credible elections for once will happen; a poll where we will have bio-data. When you put your National Identity card, you information will appear and when you put your thumb print, nobody can use It again. You lose an election; you will have no need to go to court. That is the kind of society I want to leave for my kids.
Leadership

Flooding: Food scarcity looms, expert warns

Jide Orintunsin

THE unprecedented flooding sweeping across many states of the federation is a threat to food security in the country and a sign of possible food scarcity next year, the Managing Director, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority (UNRBDA), Professor Paul Shaba Marley warned yesterday.
Marley, a professor of crop production, told reporters in Minna, Niger State, that the floods have washed away many farmlands, especially in the North.
He said the country should therefore brace up for possible food scarcity on account of the devastating effect of the flooding.
The river basin authority boss pointed out that the volume of water associated with flood is inimical to crop production adding that except the water in the submerged farmlands recedes quickly, especially in places where cereals are grown in the North, next year may be unpleasant for the country.
He said: ‘’Except for rice that is highly tolerant of water, other cereals are not. Horticulture corps and other food corps in flood affected areas are being lost and these will cause the country big problem in food production next year because it may take long for the water to recede.”
He observed that, “most town planning regulations are being flouted in the name of development. People build houses, shops and parks on water ways and whatever happens, water must find its way out and find its level and whatever is on its way becomes a victim as such obstacles are washed away by the flood.
“Flash flood is very dangerous; it washes anything that is on its path. We recorded the highest devastation from flash flooding this year. It washed away thousands of houses and farmlands.”
The Nation

Why Tukur, PDP governors are at war

by: Augustine Avwode.

THE 2015 elections and alleged unconventional leadership style of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bamanga Tukur, are responsible for the frosty relationship between him and the party’s governors, it was learnt, at the weekend.
The cold war hit the roof last weekend when majority of the governors snubbed a book presentation to mark Tukur’s 77th birthday in Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan was at the event.
Only three PDP governors were in attendance. Those who attended were Alhaji Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Chief Theodore Orji (Abia), and Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna). Governor Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Jonah Jang (Plateau) sent their deputies.
Party sources told The Nation yesterday that the issue of who flies the party’s flag in 2015 is at the heart of the cold war.
A party chieftain from one of the South-South states, who craved anonymity, said from day one, many of the governors, especially those from the North have interpreted Jonathan’s insistence on making Tukur national chairman to be for no other reason than 2015.
He said once they were unable to stop Tukur’s emergence they are not ready to allow that sole objective for his emergence to materialise.
“It is all about 2015. The governors want one of their own, which is a tradition they want to establish in this country. Already, there are two or three governors from the region who are known to harbour presidential ambition and they have succeeded in reaching out to some of their colleagues in the South-South region to run as vice president. But in all, the issue is that the North wants to produce the president in 2015 but from all indications, the chairman is not favourably disposed toward the idea and that is the crux of the matter”.
The source also revealed that the style of the national chairman has tended to “erect a wall that the governors find uncomfortable. They think that it was never like this, there is a visible sign of alienation or keeping one’s distance, if you know what I mean”, the source stated.
But media aide to Tukur, Alhaji Ujudud Sheriff debunked the insinuation as untrue. In a telephone interview with The Nation yesterday afternoon, Sheriff said: “To the best of my knowledge, that is not true because, coincidentally, this morning, I don’t know whether you listened to the Voice of Nigeria (VON) or not, he was asked to comment on a similar question. So it is not true. As far as we are concerned the governors were all present because they sent representatives of theirs. Let’s face it, there is no way all the governors of the party would be there at the book presentation. They also have very pressing programmes, don’t forget.
“Those who were available came. So it has nothing to do with 2015. But this is democracy; you must allow people to express their minds.”
He said the chairman has always maintained that it is not time to talk 2015 and that it is time to sit down and work to satisfy the aspirations of Nigerians who voted for the governors and the president.
Sheriff also said the issue of the manner of running the party being a source of friction is totally false as he has never heard anything like that before.
At the presentation of the book, ‘The Global Villager,’ a biography on Tukur, written by Eddie Aderinokun, Orji apologised on behalf of his colleagues and claimed that he had their mandate to pick few copies for each of them.
The Nation