Visionless leaders bane of Nigeria –Tinubu

by: Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has again decried the ill-luck that has befallen the country.
According to him, Nigeria has had the misfortune of being governed by leaders with no vision and who regard the country as a personal farm to plunder.
He spoke yesterday at launch of the book Neither North nor South, East nor West: One Nigeria at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The former governor said, “The present government and the direction it is leading the country is a repudiation of all that these great patriots lived and died for. Because they are reaping where they never sowed, they do not value the power they hold. Rather, they hold Nigerians hostage by their actions and inactions in full glare demonstration of their cluelessness and anti-people orientation.”
He assured that Nigerians would “Soon enough take their country back. We must reflect on this because the times are challenging. Suddenly, Nigerians see each other as enemies because of the kind of policies and actions the current government has embarked upon. The tide rises high and beats roughly against us. But we must remember that we are not enemies. As a nation, we are each other’s extended family.”
The former governor reiterated his call for unity, saying, “Families talk, resolve issues, and move on to better things. That is why Nigerians must unite to demand to be governed properly and responsibly by those they have elected. It is impossible that we agree on all things.”
On the purpose of gathering, he said, “We can vow that the spirit of closeness and cordiality that permeates this hall shall not be left here when we go. That spirit serves no purpose in an empty venue. We must carry this with us.
“In doing so, we best honour the life and legacy of Shehu Musa Yar ‘Adua. In doing so, turn the name of this book Neither North, Nor South, Nor East nor West from being just a clever title to becoming our national reality. With that thought in mind, I do hereby launch this excellent book and contribution to the civic education of our children.
“We all know General Yar ‘Adua died for Nigeria. More importantly, he lived for Nigeria when most of us did not. Yet, he never became dispirited.
“This man lived for Nigeria and he did so heroically, even to his last day. Here was a man born into the status and privilege of a noble family. If he simply focused on his own interests, democracy would not have any appeal to him. He did not need democracy.
“Yet, he never looked at himself first. He looked at others and realised that they needed democracy. He looked at his people, the poor, the weak, the ones who searched for a champion yet seemed unable to find one. In him, they found what they were searching for. His moral conscience would not allow him to sit in comfort while the rest of his countrymen wandered the alleys of poverty and backwardness. Thus, he deposited all the private advantages and privileges he could have enjoyed into the public undertaking of cementing this nation into a unified, democratic whole.
“It speaks to the measure of Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s extraordinary greatness that a military general born of high social station would become one of our nation’s most revered democratic figures. In many ways, he is Nigeria’s parallel to America’s George Washington. He broke new grounds, engendered new political re-alignments between the North and the West and demonstrated to all that strategic thinking is the name of the game.
“ Shehu Yar‘Adua was a brilliant political strategist and visionary. Founding the People’s Democratic Movement, he brought together like-minded democrats from all corners of Nigeria to fight for justice, for good governance, for the people’s right to determine who shall lead them.
“The bonds that he built then, still live on today among so many key Nigerians. The spirit with which he carried himself enriched all who came near him. He mentored so many people, including me. What struck me most was that when he looked at a person, he did not place that person’s ethnicity, religion or region in the balance to weigh the person. He merely looked at the person’s character, abilities and commitment to the democratic cause.”
 TheNation

ONDO GUBER FALLOUT: My ordeal in ACN – Olu Agunloye

By Ola Ajayi `Governor Mimiko understands human feelings’…. Says 67% of people of  state rejected ACN
Dr. Olu Agunloye, one-time Minister of Power and Steel, Minister of State for Defence (Navy), Special Assistant to the late Chief Bola Ige, member of Constitution Review Committee, and former chief executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. In this interview, he talks about his painful exit from the ACN and the verbal attacks on him by the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Excerpts:
Implications of ACN defeat in Ondo election
The Ondo election brings a signal in two ways. We saw it as a struggle for survival, liberation from neo-colonisation and any form of remote control, liberation from any forcefully or deceitfully, cajoling to take the resources of the state to anywhere outside Ondo or into one person’s pocket. And it was clear that Ondo people saw that very clearly. I was part of the campaign which was very strenuous and comprehensive. The second signal of the election is that Ondo people stayed along the line of progressive development. Ondo State people elected Mimiko because of his programmes, his ideas.
 After the election, a newspaper quoted the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, as saying the election was fraught with massive irregularities. What is your comment on this?
It was his duty to make sure that there were no irregularities. So, if he said that, he must know what he was saying. But, then, I don’t think anybody said the election had a hundred percent mark. Most people had admitted that it was far above average and I was part of that election and I also know it was far above average.   There was a signal that the election was more or less one man one vote.
In areas where people used to have a margin of 12,000 votes, the margin became smaller than two thousand and a total number of votes cast under 5,000. In Ilaje, where people used to have a margin of 80,000 or 50,000, the total number of votes cast there was much less than that which means that, to a great extent, the principle of one man one vote was used.
The possibility of people stuffing ballot boxes with votes was reduced and violence was also reduced because security men were on ground. But, to say the election was hundred percent okay may not be correct. However, it was very clear that it was perhaps the best election we have had in Nigeria.
 Is your governorship ambition for the future still intact?
I don’t know what you mean. But, let me answer it the way people would like. I am leaving everything politically to God because I have done everything any human being can possibly do and things have gone the way they’ve gone. I worked for sixteen months relentlessly to build up the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and, at the end of the day, all I got for my efforts was,’ if you are not satisfied, you can leave’ – while the ticket was handed over to Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who, to my knowledge, did not do any work. And, eventually, I found myself in the same camp with Gov. Mimiko.  This only tells me that if God wants something done, he would do it.  For me, and, at my age, I would leave everything to God.
 Did your influence make any impact on that election?
The issue of followers, I would just try to quantify it. When we started the Omoluwabi project, there were a lot of people who indicated interest. I owed all that I have achieved over the years to the Omoluwabi platform and I feel very passionate about that because none of the followers made any demand on me nor got any promise from me. People followed me with passion because they believed in me. They knew if I got there, I would be useful to the state and to them.  We sent forms out to them to fill. We could not get all the forms back.
But, we were able to get about 157,000 forms. These people registered on the Omoluwabi platform.   When I shifted to Labour Party on July 26, 2012, not all people on the Omoluwabi platform followed me. Some of them mounted rostrum or used the radio to abuse the hell out of me for leaving the ACN; some of them had already left the ACN six weeks before, when I was waiting for what ACN would do for us. Some of them had shifted to the PDP but a couple of them came along with me. In the process between July and October 20, I went round to all the local governments to talk to people waiting for me to persuade them to leave and join.
As for what the impact was in the time of the election, here, we need to be modest and moderate. All I can say is that we had, as part of the deal with Mimiko, insisted that Omoluwabi across the 203 wards and the 18 local governments must be integrated into all the committees. So, what we found was that a typical Omoluwabi in a local government would either be a member of a committee or a member of the ward or unit committee.

Olu Agunloye

And in a local government where Omoluwabi people were being sidelined, they made a call to me and I called the officer in charge and they were brought in. At the time of the election, the Omoluwabi had integrated and dissolved into Labour Party and worked for the party. I could say very clearly that there are some local governments where we had very significant impact.
The local governments are Oke-Igbo, Ilaje, Ile-Oluji, four Akokos, Ire Ikari, Owo and Oso Local Governments minus the works that our people did in Emure. We had seen ourselves as part and parcel of the Labour Party and I’m happy today. So, we played a significant role just like the old members of the Labour Party did before we got in.
 Okay, let me play the devil’s advocate here: If you had not defected to the Labour Party, do you think Mimiko would have won that election?
As a born-again member of the Labour Party, I won’t respond to that……laughter!
 If you could part ways with Tinubu, what assurances are there that you and Mimiko would not also part again?
I think you still have to clear some air on that. First, if there is any opportunity for us to fight again, we will fight. So, that is clear.  If I fight with my wife here, I won’t spare a fight with Mimiko or any other person because, as Yoruba people say, only a bastard would have the opportunity to be angry and would not and it is also a bastard that refuses entreaties to stop fighting.  So, the cultural thing is that if there is room to fight, we will fight.
But, the second clarification I need to make is that I’m happy because Mimiko himself is a great achiever and so many things trail him.  Some people said,’ now that you have gone to Labour Party, do you think he would not do to you what he did before?’ I said,’ so what?’  They knew there was a misunderstanding between Mimiko and I. Now, I thank God that I took that path. If I didn’t take that path, I would not have set up the Omoluwabi platform.
For purposes of clarification, what happened between you and Mimiko before?
Mimiko said, ‘You would not take this Senate slot, let us give you this House of Representatives slot’. He went on to explain why and the difference between the two and I also made my own point clear. He believed I was convinced. I told him midnight that if they had told me that outside, I would have refused flatly and that I would have gone to the Supreme Court and say ‘see what they did to me’. Mimiko and seven top people in the party, excluding Olaiya Oni, were trying to convince me. They put pressure on me.
So, I was prevailed upon to step down from Senate and take the House of Representatives, but, the following day, things looked alright. We chatted in the Government House and, here, made the public announcement of it and, the third day, they expected me to pick the form for House of Representatives, but I didn’t show up. They called me asking why I was not picking the form and they were panicky.
From that Saturday, January 8 or 9, Mimiko had practically made all possible efforts to beg me, to cajole me, to apologise and  did all sorts of things including coming down to my house on Sunday, 9 January, while I was away.He regretted, saying, ‘look, come and let us do it again’. But I had my mind on running for the Senate. On Monday morning, I had already made up my mind to join the ACN. At that point, he knew I had made up my mind.
 You lost a ticket in Labour Party, you went to ACN; in ACN, too, you lost a ticket and you ran back to Labour Party. What’s the difference?
Do you now want to compare that to what happened to me in the ACN?
My question is what’s the difference?
That of ACN is directly opposite. I worked for 15 months. In normal mathematical way, that was 30 months. I worked, building the party and, at the end of the day, I was told in a meeting where other people were present that,’ look, we have given the ticket to somebody because we have decided not to give it to the most popular aspirant. We have decided not to give it to an aspirant who has a structure that is stronger than the party so that he doesn’t hold the party to ransom’.
Those were nearly the words of Chief Adebisi Akande, the National Chairman of ACN. I was shocked because one of the two criteria that people use for campaign is popularity, acceptability and structure and I had demonstrated in the last fifteen months.
 But that ….? (Cuts in)
Let me tell you why I left the ACN. We had been told if we did not spend up to a certain amount, we would not be considered. But, I had gone beyond that benchmark and I did not need an accountant to tell me how much I had spent. I told them all along that my accounts were run through the banks. Ninety per cent of the money I spent was through transfer and the cheques are there. Even people who gave me cash of N2m, I went to the nearest bank and paid it into my account.
After doing all that, I had a meeting with Mr. Tinubu and all I heard was that,’ we have done that severally to people. If you are not satisfied, you can leave.’ It was like, ‘did I hear him right’. I had four different meetings with Tinubu, three with Aregbesola and one with Fayemi and about five trips to Ila Orangun to locate the chairman. It then occurred to me to ask myself: ‘why are you doing this for a jewel that is in Ondo State’.  I was not running to be governor of Lagos or Osun State. I then asked myself, ‘why are you running about’?
I just concluded that this is a situation where the proprietors and dynasty of ACN are hell bent on the political business model which we believe is not traceable to Ondo State. In Labour Party, I had misunderstanding with some people and they begged me not to go until I returned to the party and the other one, ACN, I did all that could be done single-handedly for that party, yet they said I could go if I wanted to. The records are there. All I heard was, ‘get lost’.
After I left, it was surprising that all I got from the National Chairman of the party was insult; he opened his mouth and said Agunloye was a mole, he was sent by Mimiko. We took him like a father. And then suddenly the father said, ‘ I think this my son was an armed robber.  ‘He paid my house rent two years ago, I was surprised, he bought me a new car, I was wondering, he paid the school fees of his younger brother, I was wondering, he repainted the house.
Now, I know he is an armed robber’. They now brought guard dogs from Lagos who now called me a political prostitute. Why this language? Who has not done it? Akande himself has done it. He was in Alliance for Democracy, AD.  When they called me a political prostitute, I said ‘ these guys don’t know what they are talking about’.
If the ACN makes overture to you again, say, in two or three years, to come, would you go back to the party?
It is not an issue of overture. Overture can be made today or tomorrow.  In the party, I understand that people are reckless and they say it is allowed. People deliberately say what they want. If not, I don’t imagine any human being on earth to say I betrayed the late Bola Ige not to talk about Bisi Akande saying that kind of rubbish. So, people can say what they like.  But, the truth is that there was a critical thing that happened to me in Labour Party before I left and the party itself realized it was wrong. That was why they did all they could to get me back.
In ACN, something more brutal, more irritating, more reckless happened. But, that is part of the recklessness of the party and that is why we believe that God has started taking power off them. That was the reason they lost woefully in Ondo State, coming third. The point is that I was not the only one who left the party and those who did not leave were complaining bitterly. The political terrain in Nigeria is in a state of flux and it would take sometime for things to gel.
With your efforts in Ondo election, what do you think that Governor Mimiko can give you to appreciate your support during the election?
He has given me that already. He has integrated all my people into the party. Three of my top supporters have been given appointments. The remainder really is in God’s hands. We know they,the opposition, have gone to the tribunal and if the judiciary says come and hold a fresh election, we are ready for that and we will beat them more and more. Leaders of the ACN have been going about saying Mimiko got 41 per cent, it means 59 percent of people did not want him. What they refused to say is that 67 per cent of Ondo people didn’t want the ACN and 63 per cent of the people did not want the PDP.
Tributes to the late Lamidi Adesina
Exactly, my close interaction with him started when Chief Moshood Abiola died. I remember that day when the body was brought to Lagos for burial, there was a lot of pandemonium in MKO’s residence in Ikeja. A lot of people were barred from entering because people who were there were mostly activists and people who were aggrieved were mad against the people who they believed were not part of their programme and I remember that it was Great Lam Adesina and I who stood at the gate for over one hour trying to identify people and piloting them in to spare them from the agony of being barred from entering.
And my second close encounter with him was when Bola Ige died and I tried to set up Bola Ige Movement and he gave a lot of support to allow the Movement to take-off from his office. I had two rooms in his office that I was using. Each time we held a bi-monthly meeting, he may not attend. Usually, he may come up and greet us and leave. But, he added a lot of boost to it. Eventually, he got his SSG, Babalaje, to be the chairman of Bola Ige Movement while I remained the convener of the movement. As an administrator and a politician, Great Lam was respected.
The old ones must go before the younger ones. These people lived a very good life. Dr. Olusola Saraki was very strong and had a very good grip on Kwara State. To me, it was that grip that people wanted and when they protested, he found a means to soften that grip. So, at that level, we can say Saraki was a very good leader.
Vanguard

PDP BoT Chairmanship: A Race for 2015

Anenih, Goodluck and Obasanjo

In this report, Chuks Okocha reviews the issues that would shape the emergence of the next chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees The Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees chairmanship election scheduled for January 8 next year is significant for many reasons. The election of a new chairman to steer the affairs of the board will to a great extent determine how the presidential candidate of the party will emerge ahead of the 2015 general elections. Secondly, the emergence of a new chairman of the BoT will be a huge statement on PDP’s readiness to rebuild the negative image and perception of the party among Nigerians. The BoT is the custodian of the party and works to ensure the highest standard of morality and discipline among members.

It was due to the significance of the BoT leadership that the PDP stakeholders agreed to adopt a standard of election that would ensure that whoever emerges the chairman of the board would command the respect of members. The strategy is to do adequate consultation so as to arrive at a consensus before the election.

Presidency Factor
Many factors, including the image of the aspiring candidates, will shape the election and outcome of the election. President Goodluck Jonathan had appeared to be neutral on the question of who emerges the next BoT chairman. But events have seemed to prove that he may be rooting for one of the candidates for reasons of political expediency. How the new chairman of the board emerges will greatly shape the 2015 PDP presidential primary election. Analysts say Jonathan’s views on where the chairman should come from will count on the level of support for his second term bid from the zones.

South-east Demand for Equity
PDP members from the South-east believe the zone is not well represented in the party hierarchy. Under the current geopolitical arrangement, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is from the North-east; and the national secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is from the South-west, the same zone that had the office of the chairman of BoT, before the holder, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, threw in the towel in April.

Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal are from the North-west, just as the national treasurer of PDP, Bala Kaoje. The Senate President, David Mark, is from North-central; Jonathan and the national deputy chairman of the party, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, are from the South-south zone.

South-east politicians insist that they have been consciously left out, despite the fact that persons from the zone occupy the offices of Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. To try to iron out the issues, South-east leaders in PDP had in their meeting of November 16 mandated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to arrange a meeting between them and the president. They want the BoT chairmanship to be zoned to the South-east. They want the president to support their bid.

Contrary to reports, the South-east leaders did not support any of the aspirants to the chairmanship of the BoT. According to the minutes of the South-east leaders on November 16, “No decision or resolution was taken as to who the zone should support for the position.”
PDP insiders from the South-east believe the president’s views on who becomes the next BoT chairman would be a test of his sense of balancing and equity.  One of the members of the board said, “It is not enough for the president to ask that the South-east throw their support for him to contest the 2015 presidential primary election. This is the time for him to ensure that there is equity and balancing within the various organs of the party. The South-east should not be left out of the leadership of the organs of the party.”
The member expressed delight at Obasanjo’s resignation, saying, “This is the time to right the wrongs done to the South-east in the sharing of offices within the party.”

The Candidates and the Odds
So far, over five aspirants have emerged for the post of chairman of PDP BoT. They are the former national chairman of the party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali from Kogi State in the North-central; former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawnu, and Senator Onyeabo Obi, three of them from the South-east; former Minister of Works, Chief Anthony Anenih, who was chairman of the BoT, from Edo State in the South-south; and the former All Nigeria Peoples Party Board of Trustees chairman, Chief Harry Akande from Oyo State in the South-west.

Anenih: Known in political circles as “Mr. Fix it” for his extraordinary ability to influence electoral outcomes, Anenih was national chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party. He rose to become the chairman of the BoT during the presidency of Obasanjo, who also empowered the former police officer and made his tenure tumultuous. It was during Anenih’s time as BoT chairman and Ali’s tenure as national chairman that the infamous “garrison politics” was popularised in PDP. It was a style of politics that greatly undermined internal democracy in the party.

The odds against Anenih are many. Many believe it is not by sheer coincidence that he was summoned by the House of Representatives almost 48 hours to the earlier scheduled date for the BoT election to explain his role in a suspected road contract fraud. Apparently, it was aimed at reducing his acceptability before the BoT members and the party generally. That was before the BoT election was shifted to January 8 next year.

To many political observers, PDP lost the Edo Sstate governorship election largely due to the power play in the state. That Action Congress of Nigeria won the governorship election meant a minus to Anenih’s influence in the state. He had wanted to use the election to improve on his political influence after some devastating outings in recent times. To many, the victory of Adams oshiomhole was a direct minus to Anenih.

It is believed that Anenih aims to use the chairmanship of the BoT to shore up his sagging political influence, but coming from the same zone as the president may be a minus for the Edo-born politician.
Besides the factor of his zone, there is also the internal wrangling in Anenih’s home state. The Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Oghiadomhe, is from Anenih’s state and in the political supremacy battle between the two men, the election of Anenih as BoT chairman will certainly give him an edge over the Chief of Staff. It is doubtful if Oghiadomhe would fold his arms and allow Anenih to have the added advantage of BoT chairmanship.

According to inside sources within the BoT, “The first tenure of Anenih as the BoT chairman was tumultuous and full of controversial decisions which did not go down well with members of the then board.”
But Anenih is widely believed to possess the kind of strong character needed to hold the party together.

Nnamani : He was Senate President between 2005 and 2007 and was instrumental to the death of the alleged third term ambition of Obasanjo. This role in the third debate greatly enhanced his image as a principle legislator that helped to improve internal democracy. His candidature could help to boost the cold relationship between the National Assembly and the Presidency.

As a former senate president, Nnamani has unrestricted access to the leadership of the National Assembly, and he could use his influence to improve the relationship between the president and the National Assembly.
Nnamani, who runs Ken Nnamani Leadership Centre, has a flourishing relationship with civil society that can be of great advantage to the party.

The former senate president is close to both the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. Both agencies are known for their support for democracy in Nigeria. He led the NDI in 2007 to observe the presidential election in Sierra Leone, and he was a member of the Carter Foundation observer group to the election of late Professor Atta Mills of Ghana in 2008. Nnamani has also monitored elections in Tanzania and Botswana. His political and activist pedigree gives him some advantage over the other aspirants.
Besides, Nnamani commands respect among the members of the board.

Ali: A Second Republic senator, Ali is a medical doctor from Kogi State. He is the architect of notorious “garrison politics” of the Obasanjo era under which internal party democracy was seriously undermined. His headship of the BoT may hurt PDP’s image before the public.
But Ali has another challenge in the secretary to the BoT, Senator Walid Jubril. Both of them are from the same zone. Jubril is from Nasarawa State. The party may not likely allow both the secretary and chairman of its BoT to come from the same zone.

Akande: From Oyo State, South-west, Akande was the ANPP BoT chairman. He is yet to clock two years in PDP, having joined the party only last year after losing the battle to become the ANPP presidential candidate. At the moment, the major odd against him is that PDP is yet to give him a waiver to contest for any office in the party. Many feel it is nearly impossible for him to secure the waiver at this time.

Iwuanyanwu: Contrary to reports, Iwuanyanwu is not the adopted candidate of the South-east. But he is a candidate of note. The publisher of Champion Newspapers is a well-known politician in the South-east. He had contested the PDP national chairman position in 2008, but failed. If the BoT chairmanship is zoned to the South-east, Iwuanyanwu will have Nnamani to contend with.

Intrigues
Information available to THISDAY reveals that while Jonathan may not show open interest in who becomes the BoT chairman, he is not unmindful of the significance of the South-east’s support. Pundits believe that it would be difficult to secure the support of the South-east for the president’s future political ambition without zoning the BoT chairmanship to the area. Many in the zone feel that is the only way to ensure equity and balancing in the PDP at the moment.

Among Jonathan’s associates, Oghiadomhe may not support an Anenih chairmanship of BoT because that would be giving “Mr. Fix It”more powers and influence over him in Edo politics.

On his part, Chief Bode George is seriously rallying support for Anenih, who was ousted from office by Obasanjo in 2007. But George’s action is mainly to undermine Obasanjo’s attempt to have an upper hand in determining his successor.

But going by what happened penultimate Friday at the Banquet Hall of the State House, in Abuja, it is evident that the north would not be favourably disposed to Anenih’s chairmanship of the BoT. Some of them made it clear that they will not support him. In fact, with the mood in the hall that day, it seems election is what would settle the matter.

Though, it was agreed that any person interested in becoming the chairman of the board, should send his letter of intention, sources said that was aimed at reducing the names of those jostling for the post. In actual fact, the members of BoT would not like an election, because that may divide the board. Traditionally, they prefer the emergence of a chairman through consensus. So the period between now and January, observers say, would be used to try to persuade some members to step down their interests in the BoT chairmanship.

Odds Favour South-east
Some senior members of the BoT from the north are said to be more disposed to the South-east producing the next chairman of the board. A source lamented, “The president is from the South-south, the vice president is from the North-west, the national chairman of the PDP is from the North-east, the national secretary of PDP is from the South-west.
“Where is the South-east in all these? It is the belief of some of BoT members that the South-east should be given the chance to produce the next chairman of the BoT.”
On the position of  Obasanjo, who resigned as the chairman of BoT, the source said, “He will prefer anybody as a BoT chairman, but certainly not Anenih.” He said it was in connection with the BoT chairmanship that the former president was in the South-east recently.

BoT Membership
The BoT has influential members from the north, like Mallam Adamu Ciroma, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Ghali Na’Abba, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and by the composition of the board, the north has more members.
The board is made up of 102 members, comprising serving and past presidents and vice presidents who are still members of the party. Also in the board are all serving and past national chairmen of PDP, national secretaries, all past and serving senate presidents and speakers of the House of Representatives who are still members of the party, all founding fathers and mothers of the party, two women selected from each of the six geo-political zones, three members, at least one of who shall be a woman from each of the six geo-political zones, and members of the party not exceeding six who have contributed immensely to the growth of the party
The PDP constitution also says that the membership of the BoT shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the quorum shall be two-thirds of the membership.

As PDP moves towards the election of a new chairman for its BoT on January 8, there is no doubt that issues around the 2015 presidential election are what would dominate discussions.
ThisDay

House probes N2.1bn mint scam, to invite Sanusi

 by JOHN AMEH, IFEANYI ONUBA and ALLWELL OKPI 

Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi

The House of Representatives on Saturday said it was shocked to hear that N2.1bn of newly printed N1,000 notes was missing at the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company.

Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Lamido Sanusi, launched an investigation to ascertain the quantity of money missing at the NSPMC and reportedly asked the Managing Director of the agency, Ehi Okomoyon, and its Head of Security, Emmanuel Bala, to go on compulsory leave.

The Chairman, House Committee on Banking and Currency, Mr. Chukwudi Onyereri, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the committee had already waded into the matter and was in search of the truth.

He said due to “conflicting information” before the committee on the theft, it had opted to invite Sanusi and the management of  the NSPMC.

He said, “The MD, before his suspension, said the missing amount was about N1.5m. But, the governor of the CBN said it was about N2bn. As a House, we have a responsibility to find out what exactly happened. That is the right step to take now. We shall invite all the parties.”

When contacted on Saturday, the Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Ugochukwu Okoroafor, in a telephone interview with our correspondent said he could not comment on the issue.

He said, “I don’t speak for the Mint. I speak for the CBN and I think it would be appropriate to direct your enquiries to them.”

The Media Adviser to the NSPMC, Mr. Obi Adiele, however said it was N900, 000 and not N2.5bn that was stolen at the company.

He said, “The amount reported is false. It was not N2.1bn that was stolen. What happened was that there was a security breach and one of the security operatives was arrested with about N900,000 in Lagos two weeks ago.

“An investigative audit panel has been set up to find out what really happened and they are still carrying out investigations. Their report will be ready by January.”

Meanwhile, opposition political parties have attributed the cash theft to the Federal Government’s laxity in fighting corruption.

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Emma Uneukwu, said, “One basic fact is that corruption has become endemic in this country and the present leadership is paying lip service to it. Since people have discovered that the present government is not serious with fighting corruption, they have resorted to all forms of criminality and brazen acts of corruption. It’s happening everywhere, the pension board, the NNPC, name it. So, the NSPMC is not an exception.

“Until Nigeria gets a leader, who is serious with fighting corruption, embarrassing things like this will keep happening and the country will not move forward.”

Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin, said the incident had shown that corruption had reached new heights in the country.

He said, “If confirmed, this is unprecedented in Nigeria’s history. It seems, under this regime, all forms of bizarre acts of brigandage and banditry are possible. Do not be surprised that like all other cases of corruption, no conviction shall be established. Under this Jonathan-led regime, Nigeria’s bleeding and pillaging has continued unabated.”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, said the party was investigating the incident.

“This might be just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

ThePunch

VP Leaves Daughters’ Wedding Abruptly

| ISAIAH BENJAMIN and AHMED USMAN

The wedding fatiha of the two daughters of Vice President Namadi Sambo started on a colourful note yesterday in Kaduna and would have gone down in history as memorial for the couples, their parents and well-wishers but for one sad incident: A row between two Islamic leaders over a particular prayer.
In the rowdiness that took the shine off the event as the followers of the Islamic clerics engaged in a shouting match, security details hurriedly took Sambo out of the venue of the ceremony.
Trouble started at the famous Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna venue of the event when after conducting all the formalities for a wedding fatiha, two respected Islamic clerics, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi and Dr. Ahmed Gumi were asked to offer a special prayer for the couples.
Sheik Dahiru Bauchi started by reciting ‘Salatil Fati’ and ends it with the same ‘Salatil Fati’ according to his belief.
When Dr. Gumi took the microphone, he said “Malam Dahiru Bauchi ought not to recite Salatil Fati in this Sultan Bello Mosque, since we have different views and understanding on the suplication.”
His statement stirred a row between their followers, a development that made the guests including the vice president to immediately rush out to their vehicles and left the venue.
In a reaction, Sheik Umaru Sanda, one of the lieutenants of the Sheik Bauchi said they were not happy with the conduct of Dr. Gumi and advised him to guard against such utterances, especially in the public.
Similarly, Sheik Yusuf Sambo Rigachikum, said the open confrontation was unnecessary, especially when the two Islamic sects headed by Gumi and Bauchi should have used the wedding of the VP’s daughters to end the age-long rivalry.
The wedding fatiha was contracted amidst tight security in and around the mosque.
One of the vice president’s daughters, Huwaila Sambo was married to Muktar Gambo Ruma, who paid N50, 000 as bride price, while Auwal Abdurrahman, who wedded Aisha Sambo paid N250,000 and five cows, which was received by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who stood as the father of the brides
The Chief Imam of the mosque, who presided over the event, Shiekh Balele Wali, congratulated the couples and prayed Allah to bless them with children and enduring wealth.
Dignitaries at the event included former head of state and Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate in the 2011 elections, Gen. Muhammad Buhari, governors, ministers, senators, members of the House of Representatives and traditional rulers.
The marriage, which was scheduled to commence at 11am kicked off at 11:15am.
Babangida gave their (brides) hands in marriage on behalf of Sambo to their husbands.
Meanwhile, entrance to the wedding venue was initially strictly on invitation as 100 metres to the venue was cordoned off by armed security operatives, as vehicular and human movements were diverted to other routes.
The wedding reception later took place at the Hassan Usman Katsina House, which was also under tight security check.
The governors of Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Imo, Nassarawa, Taraba, Cross River, Gombe, Katsina, Abia, Anambra, Kogi, Kwara, Bauchi, Oyo and Kaduna states attended the event.
Leadership

Delta youths sack workers in Chevron facility

 by Joe Ogbodu, Warri

ANGRY Ijaw youths, on Friday took over Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) Gas Pipelines Project after chasing away workers of the international oil firm from their site in Abeteye, Escravos, near Warri, Delta State.

This came as the Nigerian Naval denied giving approval to any firm to commence the evacuation of petroleum products from wrecked vessels that were confiscated for illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.

Youths who attacked the Abeteye site said they were protesting the recently renewed Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Egbema/Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation and the Delta State Government in which their community was allegedly, misrepresented.

They also claimed a lack of basic amenities in their community, which they said Chevron had failed to provide as agreed.

According to witnesses, angry youths, numbering over 500, stormed the site in which 16-inch Gas Pipelines were being constructed for Chevron from the Abiteye Flowstation to Escravos, seized it and chased out the workers.

The fierce-looking youths said they are not comfortable with the GMoU and their alleged foot-dragging of CNL in sand-filling of Benikrukru community, as well as such other concers as the pilling of the community, sweeping of the canals and their stake in the Regional Development Council.

According to them, the GMoU was signed without their approval.

It would be recalled that at the wake of the signing of the GMoU, members of the Benikrukru Community after an emergency meeting held November 13, sanctioned those who signed the GMoU and threatened to mobilise women and children in the days ahead to cripple the Abiteye Flowstation and other facilities of Chevron in their area.

The Friday event in which the multi-billion naira Gas Pipelines Project of CNL being handled by an indigenous firm seems the making good of the threat.

It was learnt that the protesting youths arrived the site with several boats and ordered all workers out from site but no one was hurt.

When contacted for his reaction, Chairman of Benikrukru Community union, Chief Jeffrey Ojogun claimed that act could have been as a result of a feeling that CNL was trying to cause disaffection and disunity in Benikrukru. He therefore implored the oil company to stop meddling in the affairs of the community in the interest of peace.

According to  him, “Apart from the issue of the vexed GMoU.” the people “are demanding from Chevron the sand-filling of our community, pilling of the community, sweeping of the canals and our stake in the Regional Council.”

Efforts to get reactions from Chevron officials proved abortive as at press time.

Meanwhile, the Naval Headquarters, Abuja has denied giving approval to any firm to commence the evacuation of petroleum products from wrecked vessels that were arrested by the military for illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.

Making this clarification in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOPs), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogboi, noted that there was no truth in the claim by a firm, Fenix Impex Nig. Ltd., that an approval has been given to it for evacuation operation along the Delta Coastal area.

According to Ogboi, “we have not issued approval to Fenix Impex or any other firm to commence the evacuation of product from and seized vessel in Niger Delta waterways and we do not intend to, until the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) provided answers to very many questions we have asked them concerning this exercise.”

The naval chief further stated: “We have been asking DPR to furnish us with detail information as to the nature of the product in these vessels, estimated quantities, the destination of the evacuated products and hazards posed in the course of the exercise but up till now, we are yet to receive such information.

 “We cannot therefore issue any approval to any company when we are yet to get these details, so it will amount to fraudulent act and mischief for any firm to come up to say the Navy has given it approval to commence evacuation.”

He described such claim as false, baseless and unfounded and advised security agents to be on their guard to ensure the arrest of any vessel seen on the waterways claiming to be on evacuation operation based on the approval from the Naval Command.

 It would be recalled that in 2009, two vessels, MT Concept and Ezomo came up with similar claim of evacuating a seized vessel at the Warri Jetty but such approval was later discovered to be fake.

Investigation revealed that claims of evacuation can be used by illegal oil bunkerers to carry out their operations, as unauthorised firms can present such approval documents as a way of beating the watchful eyes security agents while embarking on oil bunkering.

TheCompass

Fresh Pressure On Obama, Clinton Over Boko Haram

From Laolu Akande, New York 

FRESH pressure is mounting on the US President Barack Obama and the outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to designate Nigeria’s Islamist group, Boko Haram, a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) before the end of Obama’s first term next month.
At the White House, an ambitious effort has been launched by a team of several US groups led by Jubilee Campaign and supported by the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans (CANAN) to mobilise thousands of Americans to sign a petition addressed to President Obama, demanding the designation.
According to the petition, already posted on the White House website, the organisations and the petitioners observed that despite all the uncontested evidence on the activities of Boko Haram, “the US has refused to designate Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.”
The petition, which has to get 25,000 signatures by December 29, to have the US President respond to it, stated that in the last three years, Boko Haram has killed an estimated 3,000 Nigerians, adding, “they have directly targeted helpless Christians, and any Muslims who dare to disagree with their genocidal ambitions.”
CANAN in a statement said it was mobilising the over 1,000 US-based Nigerian churches to get their members to endorse the petition within the time limit, so as to get a response from the White House.
Opening up the White House website to Americans to petition the US government is one of the initiatives of President Obama to bring the US government closer to the American people. But his administration has been reluctant to go after Boko Haram as a group.
Rather in June, the US government designated three leaders of the group as terrorists, but fell short of declaring the entire group an FTO, a situation the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor described in July at the US Congress as “hypocrisy.”
Similarly, at the US Senate late last week, an amendment to a bill sponsored by Senator Scott Brown, a Republican from Massachusetts State, was passed demanding that the US State Department should “report on the designation of Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation, and for other purposes.”
The US House of Representatives version of the same bill, sponsored by Congressman Pat Meehan, is being revived, according to the Congressman’s office, which is working with CANAN, to shore up national support for the bill .
However, the Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Ade Adebowale, is known to be working closely with members of the US Congress to avoid the designation of Boko Haram.
He is arguing to US Senators and Representatives that while Boko Haram must be stopped, a designation may not be the right approach.
It will require both US houses of Senate and Representatives before the bill can be forwarded to White House for signing into law.
But one of the US groups working with Senator Brown’s office and in Congress generally to push the bill, Frontline Missions International, is expressing optimism that with the passage of the bill in the Senate, a new onslaught has been launched against the indecision of the US State Department on the issue of designating Boko Haram.
According to John Hutcheson of Frontline Mission International, “we have been lobbying the US Congress on this matter since the State Department has been unwilling to designate Boko Haram, and this is great news,” (passing of the bill in the Senate recently).
Legislative Aide, Michael Spierto, said Congressman Meehan is seeking co-sponsors to reintroduce his concurrent legislation in the US House, demanding designation of Boko Haram by the State Department as an FTO.
Spierto added that Meehan and CANAN would soon do a joint press statement “in order to call attention to Boko Haram and why the Congress bill on the matter is necessary.”
The US groups pressing the issue of Boko Haram are, however, not focusing only on the petition drive and lobbying the US Congress to legislate; a number of them have also submitted a legal brief to US Secretary of State Clinton, showing how legally Boko Haram has met the US legal requirement for designation as an FTO.
The group includes Advocates International, Alliance Defending Freedom, CANAN, Jubilee Campaign, American Centre for Law and Justice, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institution, Igbo League, Family Research Council, Institute on Religion and Democracy, Justice for Jos Plus and the Westminster Institute.
The legal brief running into 66 pages says, “Boko Haram has threatened US interests and attacked US citizens,” already.
The brief noted that one American, who is a UN official, survived the attack on the UN Building in Nigeria in August 2011, while another US official escaped.
Guardian