Monday, 4 November 2013

EXPLOSIVE: What Obasanjo Told Me About Third Term — Atiku

Atiku Abubakar can conveniently be regarded as the proverbial cat with nine lives because the story of his life offers a lot of lessons; starting from a humble background to becoming the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Atiku was the only child of his parents; he neither had a brother nor sister. His father died when he was still in primary school, after he was imprisoned for not allowing his son to go back to school after he visited them. Atiku began feeding his mother since he was a primary school pupil out of his proceeds from cattle rearing. That was how he started his life. He joined the Customs service, was made the Turaki of Adamawa, and was also elected the Governor of Adamawa state.
He could not however assume the mantle of leadership as governor because he was eventually chosen to be the running mate to Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1999 election. He later had a serious political fight with Obasanjo, ran for the office of the president twice and is also a prolific businessman.
In this interview held in his Abuja home with a team of journalists from RARIYA, a Hausa newspaper based in Abuja, Turaki, as he is fondly called, revealed a lot about himself, including his widely publicised ‘feud’ with Obasanjo and the situation of things in the ‘new PDP’. 
Excerpts of the interview was translated by PREMIUM TIMESSani Tukur, with permission from RARIYA.
Q. Can you give us a brief history of your life?
 A. Let me first begin by welcoming you all. And secondly, since this is the first time we are sitting together, let me use this opportunity to commend you for setting up RARIYA Hausa newspaper which will enable a lot of our people especially in the north to know what is going on in the land and our relationships with the outside world. We commend you very well, and pray that God grant you success. I know about media business very well, it is not a business in which you even make even, not to talk of making profits. So, only God can reward those of you that have decided to put in your time and resources in this venture. May God reward you abundantly.
My history is well known by most people, but briefly speaking; I am from Adamawa state. I was born in Jada about sixty-six years ago. I started my primary education in Jada before I proceeded to Yola Province College. From there, I went to the School for Hygiene Kano and then finally to the Ahmadu Bello university Zaria, where I studied law. I then joined the Customs in 1969.
I held several positions in the Customs. In fact, at a point I was the youngest Customs Comptroller for the Southwest including Ibadan and Kwara. I gained lot of promotions within a short space of time until I attained the highest rank. I left the customs service on 20th April, 1989. From there I ventured into business where I later on met with General Shehu Musa Yar’adua, and we went into politics and set up a political organisation known as the PFM with a view to getting registration as a political party.
But as you all know, no political party or organisation was registered at the time. Instead, two parties; namely; SDP and NRC were registered. Those of us with General Yar’Adua joined the SDP. We struggled very well in the party where I had wanted to become the governor of Gongola state then. I won the election, but the government of Babangida cancelled the elections. Nine of us were eventually banned from participating in the subsequent election.
We did not stop politicking up till the time Babangida left power. Our first major political battle with the late Gen. Yar’adua was fighting the military to leave power and restore democracy to Nigeria. That was the reason we were in politics. We did not get into politics to get into positions of power.
Honestly, we really suffered in the course of the struggles. Late Yar’Adua once called us together and informed us that ‘what you people are doing is not a minor thing; it may take us up to ten, thirty or forty years without success. So any of us that was in hurry was advised to stay aside. Incidentally, we succeeded in sending the military away, but God did not allow him to see democracy take root in the land.
After that came the government of General Abacha. He invited our organisation to join his government, I remember we met with them at Ikoyi in Lagos at the time; we told them we would only join the government if they showed us the plans put in place to return the country to democratic rule. They did not like it.
Q. Was General Shehu Yar’Adua alive then?
A. Yes, he was alive. That was why no one from our organisation joined the government. He subsequently said there would be a constitutional conference for Nigeria. We also met over that and debated whether to join or stay away. We eventually resolved to participate, because we can use that to force him out of power. About 70% of members of the conference which held here in Abuja, were our people.
The conference thereafter gave Abacha up to January 1st 1996, to leave office. He was so angry with that decision and that was the reason why Yar’adua was arrested and jailed. As for me, they followed me to my house in Kaduna and tried to kill me, but they were unsuccessful. They however killed eight people, six of them policemen, while the other two were security guards. I eventually escaped to the USA.
I don’t know what happened afterwards, and Abacha suddenly asked me to come back to Nigeria. He was planning to run for election at the time. But I asked him to give me the guarantee that I would not be killed or arrested. When I returned, I went to see him and he asked me to work for him because he said he understood I had acceptance in both the North and Southern part of the country. He therefore wanted me to help him campaign to win election.
I told him that I needed to go back to my state and consult with my people. He then asked me what I wanted; minister or governor; but I insisted that I needed to go and consult with my supporters. He told me that he had already discussed with my father-in-law, the Lamido Adamawa, and the Lamido really wanted me to go back and be the governor.  But, I told him that there was no way for me to go and become the governor because primaries had already been held and they have even started campaigning.
They told me not to worry about that; all they needed was for me to go back to my state. Upon my return, I saw that all the party’s executive were sacked, that’s for UNCP, the governorship candidate was also sacked, and an interim chairman of the party was already appointed. I met him at the airport waiting for me, and I told him ‘Yes I am the candidate’. I then immediately went into consultations; my supporters said ‘this government attempted to kill you in the past, and it is the same government that is now inviting you to run for office, we your supporters have agreed’. As God would have it, Abacha died the very day we started our campaigns. Abdulsalami became the head of state and when he announced the time table for return to democratic rule; we set up the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. I was one of the few people from my state who set up the party.
I again ran for governor and won the primaries, and then the general election followed. Later on, General Obasanjo asked me to come and run with his as his running mate. That was how I became the Vice president and worked with Obasanjo up to the time God said we should go our separate ways.
After that, sometime in the past, I was forcefully kicked out of the PDP, and we went to set up the AC. After that, I went back to the PDP, before we are now engaged in fresh controversy of the new and old PDP
Q. What is going on now?Atiku Abubakar
A. You know the PDP is not being run on its initial philosophy. There is no internal democracy in the party at the moment. Secondly, since the time of Obasanjo, the party has been used dictatorially; no rules, no truth, no righteousness. What we have now is just selfishness. That is the situation we are in now.
Q. Many people view you as someone born with a silver spoon, or did you also face challenges growing up in the village?
A. The truth is, I was an only child. I had no sibling. My father died even before I completed primary school, and I was raised by my mother; and you know women were not engaged in any serious commercial venture at the time. I was therefore responsible for fending for her, at a very young age..
Q. How old were you?
A. I was around 9 or 10 years then. We had a very wealthy neighbour. At times, I take his cattle for grazing when I return from school. He then used to pay me with either wheat or something and that was what I would take to my mother and grand mother for them to cook for us. We sometimes eat twice or once a day. This started even before I enrolled into school. At the time, they used to go round and pick children and enroll them by force. When they came for me, my father took me and ran away with me up to Cameroun republic. They hid me in a particular village, but we also met the same situation there; children were being forced to school by the government.
So he took me back to my grandmother. I was concealed behind a door the day the people came back for me, but my mother’s younger brother brought me out, and took me to the residence of the village head where I was registered. That was how I got enrolled into formal education. After I started schooling and I was even in class three, I decided to visit my father and see how he was doing. However, immediately I arrived, he told me that I was not going back because he never wanted me to enroll. He said he preferred that I commence Quoranic school and there was cattle rearing and farming to do.
Our headmaster in Jada then reported my father to the Judge. A police guard was then given a summons for my father. They used to come along with a particular stick, which was serving as the writ of summons at the time. He took it to the ward head that also promptly summoned my father. My father was informed that we were being arrested. The guard took us to Jada; we were taken to the court, and the judge told my father you have broken the law by refusing to allow your son go back to school. He therefore sentenced him to either go to prison or pay a fine of ten shillings. My father said he had no ten shillings, and he was taken to prison. My grandmother eventually hustled and got the ten shillings and paid the fine. My father was eventually released and he went back to the village. Unfortunately, I did not get to see him again until I received the sad news of his death.
That was how I continued with my studies and completed primary school. At the time, there was only one examination, that’s common entrance exams that was written; those who came first, second or third are taken to either Zaria or Keffi colleges. The rest up to 10th position went to Provincial College. The others are then taken to various vocational schools. After graduating, they were then given a start up capital. Honestly, I prefer this method of education, not what we have now.
Q. You have set up a form of reunion with your children, why did you adopt this measure?
A. Honestly, there were many reasons why I started the reunion. It is not popular in this part of the world. God has blessed me with wealth and many children; more than twenty, including those I adopted. And as you know, as Islam permits, I have more than one wife, so my children have different mothers. So the essence of the reunion is to entrench unity in the family. Secondly, it affords them to know and understand each other, and thirdly to pity each other. Fourthly not to tarnish the image of the descendants of the family, and fifthly, I am engaged in a lot of commercial activities. So I take the time to explain the details of my business engagements to them.
And I always advised them not to look at what I have, but each of them should go and fend for himself. I also advise them to pay attention to their studies.
I have companies in countries such as Turkey and many others, so I don’t want these companies to fold up after I am dead. I wanted these companies to continue to exist, until their children also take over from them. I also tell them to know that most global companies were started by one person, but those who came after them such as their wives and children did not allow them to die. That is why things are still developing.
In fact, I even brought in a professor from Europe who specialised in family matters to come in and deliver lecture for us.
I also let them know that I am a Muslim, so after my death, they will have to share inheritance based on Islamic injunction. However, I advised them that everyone must allow whatever they are given in a company to continue to exist. They should just get whatever is due to them at the end of each year. I don’t want what I build to be destroyed. That is the reason for our meeting, and it is very important. Now we have a family assembly and rules and regulations for my whole family. We set up the Assembly by picking one male and one female from each ‘room’.
Q. In spite of the fact that the Lamido Adamawa was just your father-in-law; you appeared to be much closer. Since when did he start treating you like his own son?
A. Our relationship started a long time ago, I think around 1980. But you know I was made Turaki of Adamawa in 1982, and my marriage to his daughter also took place on the same day.
Q. Adamawa state has a lot of educated people; but God has elevated you from that state, how did you survive the struggles in the state?
A. Honestly, these struggles are not good; because many felt why should it be me, who is far younger than them that will overtake them and be elevated. You know relationships among the Fulani is difficult. Honestly, they struggle against almost every prominent person in the state. As for me I never harbour any ill feeling towards anyone; I believe that is why God protected me and gave me victory; that is why up to now, no one has succeeded against me.
Q. You are indeed successful in politics and commerce; how did you venture into business?
A. When I joined the Customs Service, I spent most of my time in the South, and if you look critically, you will realise that Customs work is just like business. The European that thought us the job did not teach us how to arrest people; they told us that the duty of the Customs is promote economic development of the country. So if one is found to illegally import materials into the country; you are to be fined either once or twice or even three times, but not to confiscate the goods.
That was why I was getting a lot of revenue for the government wherever I worked. I never regard Customs work as that of confiscating people’s goods or mistreating them. You know whoever pays a heavy fine would not want to import goods illegally again. That was actually how I cut my teeth in business.
Q. you have set up many companies. Which of them do you like the most and is also benefitting you most?
A There is a company called Intels; which we set up with a European partner of mine when we realised that oil and gas business is the main economic activity in Nigeria for a long time. We actually started the company from a container, but it is over 25 years old now. We just celebrated our Silver jubilee anniversary. It has expanded very well. We now have branches in Angola and Mozambique, and we will soon get into South Africa. We are also going to build the biggest port in Nigeria, Badagry, Lagos state, very soon.
Q. You are the first northerner to set up a university, can you briefly tell us some of the challenges you are facing?
A. Well as you know, education is the most important thing in the life of any individual. I attended the meeting of former students of Unity Colleges two days ago, and I told them education is the most important sector in our life today. Whoever thinks that he has arrived simply because he has oil or gold and other mineral resources, should realize those resources will finish one day. In fact, even farming, if we are not careful, in twenty or thirty years, one can look for a land to farm and would not get. Nothing will get us out of poverty and the rest other than education.
I even gave example of many countries that have no farmlands, no oil, and no any form of natural resources, yet they are ahead in terms of development. Look at Japan, look at Singapore; they just concentrated on education. Imagine if my father had succeeded in stopping me from going to school, I would still have been engaged in cattle rearing or still at the village; but look at what education has done for me.
Q. Like how many people are working in your companies?
A. Actually they are many, because even between Port Harcourt, Warri and Lagos, we have over fifty thousand employees. Not to talk of those in Faro, University and Gotel Communications. In fact we are the only producers of recharge cards in the north. Very soon, we are going to commission a company that will produce animal feeds, the first in the north. We will build three in different parts of the north.
Q. Considering the number of companies you own, how comes your name was never mention in the list of richest Africans?
A. It is because I am not among the richest people in Africa and my companies are not quoted on the stock exchange, like the way Aliko did. That is why not many people know what I have.
Q. Can you tell us the estimate of how much you spend to run the University each month?
A. I have already mentioned it; I said around four hundred million each month
Q. Is it profitable?
A. It is not, may be after until after ten or fifteen years, then one can sit down and cross check. Yet, people are still criticizing us saying the tuition fee is high. But if you look at the students there and the vehicles their parents bought for them; you realise that it is ten times higher than the tuition fee.
Q. Why do you allow them to buy the cars for them?
A. What can we do to them? It’s a university, most of them are grown ups; between 18 to 20 years. His father bought a car for him and we say he cannot drive? You know it is an American School, and they have their own ways of doing things.
Q. You have earlier explained that you got into politics not necessarily to get into positions of authority, and you said late Shehu Yar’adua drafted you into politics, or did you already have plans to be a politician?
A. I think both because, when I was at ABU, I was into student politics. I stood for election and even won. I started work and he saw how I was relating with the people and the rest; that was why he called me one day and said ‘I see that you relate well with people, can we do politics together’?
Q. What did you run for at ABU?
A. Deputy Secretary General. Late Dahiru Mohammed Deba, the former governor of Bauchi state was the secretary general, and I was his vice.
Q. We would like to know how former President Obasanjo asked you to be his running mate, seeing that there were many prominent persons angling for the slot.
A. After the primary in Jos, and I was preparing to go back to Adamawa and run for governor, I was told that he wanted to see me in Abuja. So instead of going back to Yola, I went back to Abuja, and on reaching Abuja, he told me he wanted me to be his running mate, and asked if I was willing to? I thought over it and said ‘I am willing’. He then said we should go back to Jos, and inform Solomon Lar. But I said we should go with some other persons, otherwise Solomon Lar would think that I asked to be nominated. At the time, he wanted late Abubakar Rimi to be the running mate. At the same time, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Ango Abdullahi and Bamanga Tukur and Professor Jibril Aminu, all wanted to be the running mate. Obasanjo then asked some people to follow me to Jos to inform Solomon Lar, and that was what we did.
Q. You said, you thought a little over it, why did you chose to be VP instead of governor?
A. I was convinced because he showed me that he was not a politician and I was a politician and he needed my help. That was what convinced me. Even now people keep telling me you have done this and that, what did you regret being unable to do, and my response is always that I regret not being the governor of Adamawa state.
Q. Have you ever regretted being Vice President?Atiku Abubakar
A. No. I never regretted being vice president
Q. In other climes, one can become a Vice president and still go back and be a governor. What were those things you had wanted to achieve in Adamawa that has not been achieved up to now?
A. Honestly, if I had served as a governor in Adamawa, I would have used it as a model for development. Many states would have come to us and learn how to achieve what we have done. Even as a private citizen my investments in the state is drawing people from South Africa, Cameroun and Rwanda, their students are in Adamawa.
Q. But it can be argued that you were like a governor since Boni was the governor?
A. You know the Fulani tradition when it comes to governance is such that when you get your son into position of authority, you are not expected to interfere in his affairs. If he looked for you, you can come, but if he doesn’t; you just have to keep your distance. Boni has never aksed me to nominate even a Commissioner; He is alive; and I have never opened my mouth to ask him to give me a commissioner slot.  In fact there was a time my party wrote a letter to him and copied me, in which they were requesting for a slot for a sole administrator for my local government.  I called him and told him that my party had written to him and copied me requesting for a nomination for my local government; and he reacted angrily asking what my business was with local government that I would even talk to him. I begged for his forgiveness. So in terms of governance, one cannot be confident of getting his way simply because he had helped a person to office.
Q. And your younger brother became the President, that’s Umaru Yar’adua, was it also like that with him?
A. It was like that. After he was confirmed as the presidential candidate, he came to my house and saw me. I was the vice president, and he told me that now that I have been nominated, I need your help sir. I told him that we came from the same house, but in terms of running for office of the president, we can all run, whoever is successful among us, glory be to Allah. But I told him to know that if not because I fought Obasanjo’s third term ambition, he (Umaru) would not have been a presidential candidate. He acknowledged that, and I said best of luck to us all.
Q. But did he seek for your advice when he became the president?
A. God bless his soul, but when he became the president, I even tried to rejoin the PDP, but I was denied on the assumption that I would clash with him. He was advised to only allow me return if he wins reelection.
Q. You spoke about your disagreement with former President Obasanjo, but at the end of the day, you agreed to support his second term bid, and there were reports he knelt down and begged you. Did he really bend down to beg you or just spoke the words?
A, Honestly, he did not kneel down for me. But he did come to my house and I refused to see him. And he knocked my door continuously and asked me in the name of God to come out, so I came out, and we went downstairs, and he asked me to join him in his car and I said, no, because of security reasons, but he insisted. So when we entered his car, I never knew that he had gone round states pavilions and asking for the support of governors and delegates and they refused to listen to him because they have not seen us together. So that was why he came and picked me up so that we would go round together. There is something that many people did not know before, which I will tell you now.
We sat with party elders and discussed the issue of Presidency and there was debate as to whether the South will have 8 or 4 years? If the South had 8 years, so the north too should have 8 years subsequently. After lots of debates, it was finally agreed that the South should have 8 years. And when power returns to the north, they should also have it for 8 years. However, governors objected to this arrangement. I was then in a dilemma; is the governors’ objection genuine or just a political gimmick. What if I followed them to run against the president and they later on turn their back on me and align with the president? At the end of the day, one would neither be a vice president or a president because politics is a slippery game.
Q. During your second term in office, a top government official at the presidency reportedly ‘lock you and president Obasanjo’ in a room and asked you to settle your differences before you come out? Is it true? What did you discuss in the room?
A. At first we started arguing, and then he opened his drawer and brought out a copy of the Quran and asked me to swear that I will not be disloyal to him. There was nothing I did not tell him in that room. The first thing I told him was that I swore with the Quran to defend the Constitution of Nigeria. Why are you now giving me the Quran to swear for you again?  What if I swear for you and you went against the constitution?
Secondly, I looked at him and told him that if I don’t like you or don’t support you, would I have called 19 northern governors to meet for three days in my House in Kaduna only for us to turn our back on you?
Thirdly, I asked him, what are you even doing with the Quran? Are you a Muslim that you would even administer an oath on me with the Quran? I was angry, and I really blasted him. He asked me to forgive him and he returned the Quran back to the drawer, and we came out.  In fact we had the same kind of altercation when he was gunning for third term, he informed me that “ I left power twenty years ago, I left Mubarak in office, I left Mugabe in office, I left Eyadema in office, I left Umar Bongo, and even Paul Biya and I came back and they are still in power; and I just did 8 years and you are asking me to go; why?” And I responded to him by telling him that Nigeria is not Libya, not Egypt, not Cameroun, and not Togo; I said you must leave; even if it means both of us lose out, but you cannot stay.
Q. You were the most powerful Vice president compared to others who held the office in the past, what was responsible for that?
A. He allowed me, and he understood some things because he was not a politician, and he needed the support of politicians.
Q. Are you relating seriously with General Buhari, do you call him on phone?
A. We speak a lot, and whenever the need arises for me to go and see him, I do go and see him. I do go to pay condolences and the like.
Q. And politically?
A. If you have not forgotten, during the 2011 election, after they said me and General Babangida have lost out, myself, Mallam Adamu Ciroma and General Aliyu Gusau, under the leadership of General Babangida, held a special meeting in which we invited General Buhari, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and Nuhu Ribadu and advised them to form an alliance so that we would help them win election, but they failed to form the alliance, and after they failed, I sent my contribution to General Buhari. So I don’t have any problem with General Buhari at all.
Q. Something happened recently, which confused a lot of people, in which you led a withdrawal of a number of governors from the venue of the PDP convention, which was live on TV. Was it pre planned? Or it was just arranged at the convention venue?
A. We have been planning for some time because we have spent almost four months planning how to split the PDP.
Q. Who is the arrowhead?
A. At first I don’t know the arrowhead, but they eventually came and met me and I joined them because their reasons are the same with the ones I have been fighting against within the party; lack of fairness, honesty and tyranny. If I can fight the military to restore democracy, why can’t I fight fellow politicians?
Q. But the president did not come out to say he will run.
A. He did since he said he has the right to run. What else is remaining?
Q. On the other hand, Buhari also has supporters just like you do; and he has not come out to say whether he is running or not. Are you planning to run in 2015?
A. Why are you in hurry, don’t worry, now is not yet the time for you to know.
Q. What measures are you planning next, since the courts have declared your faction illegal?
A. We have appealed; and we are planning seriously, you will see what will happen
Q. Is the PDM part of your plans or not
A. I don’t know what the plans of the PDM are because I am not a member.
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Al-Makura Impeachment Plot: Police storm Nasarawa Assembly

Tanko Al-Makura, governor of nasarawa state
Some lawmakers are allegedly plotting to impeach the state governor.
Over 50 mobile police officers were on Monday morning stationed at the premises of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.
Among the police officers are anti- bomb experts who were seen moving around the premises while over 12 police officers were seen in the Assembly chambers.
The Nasarawa State Police Commissioner, Umar Shehu, who visited the Assembly Complex at about 8.45 a.m., directed his officers to screen all those going into the premises.
The commissioner also asked the Clerk of Assembly, Maikeffi Ego, to station an official to identify staff of the assembly to the security operatives at the gate.
When PREMIUM TIMES asked for details of the conversation between both men, the clerk said, “I only met the commissioner of police here as you can see; but there is no problem.”
Although the lawmakers have not made any official statement on the deployment of the troops, the Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Information, Baba Ibaku, had told journalists last week, after a 5-hour lawmakers’ meeting, to come on Monday to find out the outcome of the meeting.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that 21 of the 24 members of the state assembly have signed an impeachment notice on Governor Umar Al-Makura that could be served on him today (Monday).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 19 members in the Assembly while the All progressive Congress (APC) has 5 members.
Sources in the Assembly told PREMIUM TIMES that the police officers were drafted to avoid past experience where armed youth invaded the assembly when the house attempted to scrutinize the executive.
Though the executive arm has not made any statement on the rumoured impeachment notice, the Secretary to the State Government, Zainab Abdulmumini, on Sunday night emailed a statement to journalists accepting the resignation of the Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs to the governor, Hajara Danyaro, and the Managing Director of the state transport fleet, Philip Iyakwari.
The Assembly, which has been having a turbulent time with the executive, had few months ago directed Mr. Al-Makura, to sack the two political appointees for misconduct.

Mike Okhai Akhigbe (1946-2013)


Mike Okhai Akhigbe (1946-2013)
The recent death of former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe (rtd), in the United States of America (USA), is a great loss to Nigeria. The former Chief of Naval Staff died at a time when his contributions to nation building were most needed. Since his demise, prominent Nigerians have paid glowing tributes to the late officer and administrator. President Goodluck Jonathan described the departed as “a very courageous officer who patriotically served his nation to the best of his God-given abilities throughout a most distinguished career in the Nigerian Armed Forces.” The Senate President, David Mark, said   Akhigbe’s death was “a huge personal loss” to him, members of Course 3, the Armed Forces, his home state, Edo, and the entire nation.” Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, described Akhigbe as a gentleman whose contributions towards the restoration of democracy in 1999 would remain indelible in the annals of Nigerian history. In the same vein, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, said the late Akhigbe was part of the team that contributed to the successful transfer of power to civilians on May 29, 1999.
Born on September 29, 1946, in Fugar, Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, Akhigbe was educated at Afenmai Anglican Grammar School, Igarra from 1961-65. He joined the Nigerian Navy in 1967 and was at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) from 1967-69. In 1974, Akhigbe was at the Royal Naval School of Maritime Operations, Dryad, Southwick, United Kingdom. The deceased had a Diploma in French Studies, 1979, and Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy, 1980. He was the Principal Welfare Officer, NNS Aradu, 1980-82; Staff and Command College, Jaji, 1982-83; Director of Personnel, Naval Headquarters, 1983-85; Commanding Officer, NNS Obuma, February-August 1985; Military Governor, Ondo State, 1985-86; Lagos State, 1986-88 and Commander of Naval College, 1988-89. He was at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, 1989 and University of Poitiers, Rouan, France.
The late Akhigbe became Director, Naval Plans, Naval Headquarters, Lagos, 1988-89; Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, 1993-94; Chief of Naval Staff, 1994-98; and Chief of General Staff, 1998-99.
He retired from the Nigerian Navy in 1999 after several years of meritorious service to his fatherland. Later, he read law and was called to the Nigerian Bar. As a lawyer, Akhigbe practised property and maritime law. In recognition of his numerous services to the nation, the deceased was bestowed with the honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), in 1998 and awarded honorary doctorate degree by the University of Benin in 2003. His military decorations include Force Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, and Defence Service Star.
Akhigbe will be remembered for his numerous services to the nation, especially his role during the transition from military to civilian rule in 1999 when he was the Chief of General Staff to Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd).
It is regrettable, also, that the nation has continued to lose some of its prominent citizens in foreign hospitals due to the parlous state of our health care delivery system. Government should do something urgently to stem the tide. It is time the nation’s health sector is improved. Some of the ailments that Nigerians travel to treat abroad can be promptly diagnosed and properly managed at home if the health sector is in order. 
Akhigbe’s life of service to the nation is truly exemplary. He maintained the honour and integrity of every public office he was privileged to hold. His outstanding and unblemished public life is worthy of emulation by the present crop of Nigerian leaders. The trajectory of his life should also be a beacon to the present generation of military officers. He deserves every honour and recognition that the nation can give him at this time.
We mourn with the Nigerian Armed Forces, especially the Nigerian Navy to which the deceased officer rendered many decades of dedicated service. We commiserate with the Akhigbe family, the people of Edo State, his military associates and friends, and the entire nation on this great loss. May God grant his soul sweet repose.

TheSun

National Dialogue: Why Nigerians don’t trust Jonathan


National Dialogue: Why Nigerians don’t trust Jonathan

Ex-Kwara Gov Latinwo opens up
Says Boko Haram a product of power struggle

Group Captain Salaudeen Adebola Latinwo is not only a retired military officer but a key player during Buhari /Idiagbon military administration as the Military Governor of Kwara State. A disciplined officer and now an elderstatesman, Latinwo in this interview with GILBERT EKEZIE, bares his mind on the proposed National Conference, and explains why Nigerians are skeptical about the motive of President Goodluck Jonathan. He pleaded that the dialogue should be embraced for all it is worth. He said he has refused to make comments on national issues since his retirement but the idea of the proposed conference has forced him to come out of his shell and open up. “Important as the exercise is, it is heavily loaded with suspicion, fear and mistrust brought about by a government that has lost credibility and trust worthiness in the face of its people. In Nigeria today, many overwhelmingly believe that the government is run for few and their special interests, not for the large majority of the people”, he declared. He explains this and say much more. Excerpts:

How has life been since you retired as a military officer?
It has been a sweet and bitter experience. When you leave service, it becomes a different game and it becomes difficult to blend. But I retired to take care of my home and family, in fact, it is like starting life all over again. I tried to narrow my purpose to the ones I can accommodate. Besides, I have farm in my home town where I plant cassava, yam, maize and poultry.

How was your tenure as a military governor?
We were told to go for a special assignment and to look after the state and manage its resources. It was a regime of war against indiscipline because there was no way we could achieve development without discipline. The environmental sanitation that is still in place today in so many parts of the country is the handiwork of our administration. We tried to mobilize the people for good governance.  They were encouraged to be disciplined, maintain a cleaner environment, hoists national flag, wear badges, reciting national anthem and pledge. We led the people to understand that the government can do something. We were given some money and we used the little money we generated to fix roads, schools, hospitals, assisting the old and the young. We laid the foundation for good governance and effective management. We used the money government gave us and the little revenue we generated to serve the people.

Why have you been silent since you left office as Military Governor of Kwara State?
I am silent because I want to talk when I am supposed to talk. The issue of National Conference is what Nigerians have been agitating for and I think it is necessary to talk about it and people like me are needed to make our little contributions on the way forward for Nigeria because the time is now.

Could you compare the military administration to the present day democratic government?
We were able to get result. It was easy to mobilize the people and we led through decrees. It was easy to mobolize the people, there was discipline and it was result-oriented. The target was easy to come by without any disagreement. States were not allowed to borrow money and anytime there was need for that, the Federal Government had to approve that and anyone found to have been corrupt will be punished. Now, it is all about using money to mobilize the people. In fact, things were well monitored and fashioned.

What is your assessment of the present administration in Nigeria?
It is better to leave a place better than you met it. No one is expected to perform magic. It is not about depending on what the white people left for us so many years ago, but we need to do our own project. There is need for a rail across the country to ease the transportation problem of Nigerians. The roads are also there. We do not need to advertise what we are doing, but should tackle the underdevelopment. It does not need to be elaborated. Once people see that you are doing things in a better way, you will get their cooperation. Every leader needs to show things that they have done even when they leave office.

Could you comment on Boko Haram and insecurity in Nigeria? 
The major insecurity problem we have in Nigeria today is the Boko Haram insurgence in the North which has taken the lives and property of many innocent citizens. I think, it persists because when it first started, the government was not serious about it. They were handled with levity, so they grew to become what they are today.  At a stage when they began to see money and suport, their power increased and they became so difficult to handle. Incidentaly, the miliatry never had the programme to tackle suicide bombers and that is why they seem to be difficult to deal with. They go to the drinking joints, markets, churches, mosques, schools and other public places, shoot and throw bombs.

What do you think is the solution to insecurity  in the country?
The people need to work with military and other security operatives by reporting the activities of the perpetrators. If someone is buying items for the production of bomb, such people can be reported. The idea of not accepting amnesty or peace move will not help the matter. We need peace because when the problem comes, we are too large that no country will be able to accommodate us. So, any one that is destroying your country is an enemy and should be seen as such and dealt with without mercy. You cannot rationalize their ideology. They are claiming that they do not want western education but they speak the best English. So, it is all about power and recognition.

What is your view on the proposed National Conference?
The clamour for National Conference, indeed Sovereign National Conference, started as far back as 1993, two decades back when there were glaring signs and symbols of marginalization, injustice and inequality in the body politic of the entire country. A multi-ethnic country with entire different orientation and value system, Nigeria’s problems till this day revolve round its inability to forge a true federation. Importantly, there was in 1994/95 constitutional conference organised by the military regime of the late General Sanni Abacha. We had also the National Political Reform Conference initiated by Chief Obasanjo regime, the first of its kind since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. The 2005 Political Reform Conference provided the basis for Nigeria to evolve the much canvassed true federation, it was headed by Justice Niki Tobi. Beyond these formal arrangements for the National Conference, there were contributions and submissions by various organisations and key individuals. The late Chief Anthony Enahoro fought for the convocation of the conference until he died. Similarly, we had others such as the late Ransome Kuti and the late Bola Ige. They worked relentlessly for the exercise. The records of their contribution, positions and submissions are available for the present committee to review.

Why do you think Nigerians must come together to talk?
Obviously, we need to dismantle the present obnoxious system and accord everyone equal rights, priviledges and opportunities. With the worsening insecurity, endemic corruption, mutual suspicion among ethnic groups, deep seated crisis within political parties, there is no doubt that the conference  will provide a forum for all to table our differences for common adjudication.

Do you think it could lead to disintegration of the country as many think?
I do not think it will lead to disintegration, rather it will give us the opportunity to talk, understand our problems more and find possible solutions. A lot of people have not gone to the North to know how they live. The only thing we need now is for people to reason together. We should say our minds, so that we can understand ourselves. Otherwise, we will not make a headway in this country.

People are afraid that the present conference may end up like those held in the past. Do you believe so?
I do not think so. It is true that the past conferences had not yielded the expected results. Still, they were not out of place. At least, they have made the government know the major demands of the geo-political zones in Nigeria. So, that will now help the government on the present one. What will happen now is for them to update their demands so that the committee could look into them and make recommendations.

Do you concur on sending the report of the conference to the National Assembly for assent?
I think what the National Assembly will do is to intepret the conference report into law because it must have a legal interpretation. They are not expected to doctor it. So, we should not be afraid of the National Assembly, after all, we sent those at the National Assembly to respresent us and I think they should have our interest at heart. However, the report will end up at referendum.

What were the issues in contention at the last conference?
In general terms, the issues in contention laid emphasis on the nature of Nigerian federation, resource control, funding of local governments, type of democracy appropriate for the nation, whether presidential or parliamentry, tenure of key government officials, including Mr President, electronic voting, state creation, immunity for the President and other key people in government.

Among the geo-political zones, who agitated for what in the last conference held?
There were various submissions from all the geo-political zones.  The North canvassed for rotational presidency between the North and the South, but stood against power devolution and regional autonomy. The west laid emphasis on regional autonomy that would enable each state to operate its own police etc, the East requested for rotation of office of the president and creation of more states and the South-south agitated for resource control. None of these was actualized since the findings of the various conferences deliberated upon were kept on hold by the governments in power at various periods.

What are the expectations  of the proposed conference?
Interestingly, Nigerians are raising their voices to demand that the coming National Conference should be all-embracing, a conference of the nationalities that make up Nigeria.  Of importance to note is that each of the nationalities lived as a united state of its own. Of note is also the fact that each nationality lived in many separate states or kingdoms, but possessed a strong primodial consciousness of themselves as one people. A consciousness underpinned by common language and culture and made dynamic, through various traditional collective practices, various interconnected institutions, folklores, rituals, etc. All these nationalities must, therefore, be represented in the intending conference, if the exercise is to be meaningful and rewarding.

Why do you think some people are against the conference?
Important as the exercise is, it is heavily loaded with suspicion, fear and mistrust brought about by a government that has lost credibility and trust worthiness in the face of its people. In Nigeria today, many overwhelmingly believe that the government is run for few and their special interests, not for the large majority of the people. The economic system is inherently unfair. The Federal Government is not protecting the most vulnerable in the society, especially the poor, elderly and the underprivileged. There is massive unemployment and endemic corruption in the system. No one appears to be doing anything substantial to reduce the anomalies. Therefore, for a government that has been known to have been doing nothing to reduce the suffering of its citizens to suddenly wake up from slumber and direct on the convocation of a complex subject such as National Conference, it will undoubtedly raise suspicion. It is difficult in the present circumstance to rule out a hidden or personal agenda. It is also not possible to dismiss the position strongly held by the opponents of the convocation of the conference, especially the political class, stating that the timing is wrong, diversionary and of personal interest.

Are you also suggesting that the conference should not hold?
No, be that as it may, we must think far beyond today and try as much as possible to prepare and make substantial contributions. We must not boycott the National Conference.  Though the position of the opponents is clear, the language understod and the implication noted, boycott is not the answer. We need not to wait until tragedy  and disaster compel us to convoke a Sovereign National Conference before we embrace an opportunity to hold conversation, not withstanding how little we believe the exercise will provide benefits. It is another opportunity to talk and we must take full advantage of it. History reveals that a country makes significant progress by talking and less progress by not talking at all. In fact, the people need to take advantage of the moment. We need to understand the mood of the time, the time change and the urgency of the moment. It is another opportunity coming at this time and it must not be allowed to slip off. We need to focus on the gains of the exercise, which shall be part of the build-up of a united Nigeria where no one will be oppressed. What we need is basically a change from ethos of political consumerism to citizenship. We must be held together by the recognition of mutual responsibility and obligation. The conference will provide this opportunity and we need to take advantage of it.

What should the government do to succeed on the proposed conference?
Regrettably, what the people have with the government of the day is what can be described as low trust relationship. What we need is high trust relationship which will spring up smile, confidence, acceptability and gear -up people to become animated and help the conversation to focus on positive outcomes. The government should take the initiative now, and, of course, it has all the instruments to achieve such goals. So, they must be put into actions immediately. This is the only way the people and the government can work together with less suspicion and mistrust. For the government to be taken seriously, it needs to go beyond mere statement of intent to exercises that will enable it to restore its trustworthiness. It must also demonstrate in clear terms, all the attributes of trustworthiness.

What system of government do you prefer for Nigeria?
The present presidential system of government is a replica of the American system with executive, judiciary and legislatives arms. They have different functions and are meant to complement one another with adequate checks and balances. However, the system is very expensive to run, especially for a developing country, which lacks basic essential amenities. A strong suggestion is in favour of the parliamentry system which we had and practised effectively shortly after independence. An acceptable way to reduce corruption and wastage is for the committee charged with the function of coordinating the relevant opinions on the National conference to accept the proposal to return to the parliamentry system of democracy.

Can you advise the National Conference committee members?
Obviously, members of the different ethnic nationalities who made up the country should have their representation at the conference. The conference must be tolerant of all various levels of discussion. We need to accommodate one another in the exercise. Recognised organisations, establishments, labour unions, the media, student bodies and other pressure groups should be allowed to have their say.

What is your advice for the federal government on the proposed National Conference?
We need a better, safe, more just and equitable nation for all Nigerians and I believe that it is possible if we find time to sit together and address the injustices of the past. Confronting the realities of the present and indeed charting the right course for the future. We can get there. It will not come for free but we can apply the principles of justice, equity and fairplay to determine an acceptable future and indeed, a real nation where there will be respect for the dignity of man and worth of his personality. A nation is only strong if its nationals are strong and have equal access to opportunities of social upward mobility. Agreeably, there are some elite who will wish that the status quo be retained. This interest must collectively be overriden.

Can you advise politicians on the conference?
The political leaders will use the conference resolutions to convince the citizens that it is the document of nationalities. So, they should massively mobilize opinions and make it clear to every one that indifference and apathy to the development, unity and peace of the country are no longer viable options. We need all to join hands to achieve this position and the place to start is the active participation of all in he National conference.

Why do you think corruption persists in Nigeria?
I think the situation in Nigerian is out of control. It is like the money the government is supposed to use to develop the roads, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure is  going into private hands and there is no plan for tomorrow. So, people are busy stealing and when they are caught, no much punishment is given them.
TheSun

Stella Oduah-gate: Why Ethics is Prior To Jonathan’s Political Dialogue, By Adeolu Ademoyo


Adeolu Ademoyo
The ethics of motive is an aspect of ethics that allows us inspect and assess the moral worth of an act.  In ethics, we say in popular folk terms that a good act may be done for the wrong motive and bad act may be done for the right motive.  At the end of the day, a potentially good act is often undermined by the weight of poor motive in ethics. So it is with the call for dialogue by President Jonathan’s regime whose lack of public ethics in governance is incurable and for this reason will tar and soil any potentially good act.
Thus, given the ethics of motive my proposition is that an instinctively corrupt regime, such as President Jonathan’s regime lacks the moral credential to midwife a genuine Sovereign National Conference or create an enabling environment for one. So for anyone to rush into a so-called dialogue is to fail to ask a morally sinking and a morally and politically challenged regime to answer for its serial moral failures in governance.
On why ethics is prior to this national dialogue, please let us note that this is pre-election period in Nigeria. And Nigeria runs cash and carry elections. Nigerian elections are about money.
The last time we had issue based political campaigns with clearly enunciated moral and ideological divide was in the first and second Republics. Those were through Obafemi Awolowo’s parties Action Group and the Unity Party of Nigeria and Aminu Kano’s Peoples Redemption Party, Joseph Tarka United Middle Belt Party, Ahmadu Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress, and Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC, and Ibrahim Waziri’s GNPP’s “politics without bitterness”.
Even in the latter days of the second republic between 1975-1980, the NPP and NPN were indistinguishable in their lack of clear-cut commitment to any character or programmatic covenant with Nigerian peoples. However, Waziri Ibrahim’s GNPP struggled to articulate a moral character through its slogan of “Politics Without Bitterness” which represented an ethical model of campaign.  The only parties then (1975-1980) that had a clear ideological, political and moral vision which was welfarist to the left of the ideological spectrum and social democratic in its vision and which one can disagree and agree (i.e. argue with intelligibly) with substantively were the Unity Party of Nigeria and Peoples Redemption Party.
In the third Republic, MKO Abiola’s “Farewell To Poverty” of the SDP was a social democratic program which   tried hard to make itself politically distinguishable from Bashir Tofa’s NRC
But things have gone worse such that today in Nigeria, elections are without ideologies, political, ideological and moral manifestoes, which are covenants with voting public. Elections are about money.  The party with the largest election war chest “wins”. So politicians who masquerade as political “leaders” desperately look for raw cash in violation of the ethical in our lives.  They rest their campaigns on money rather than clearly spelt out ideological, moral and programmatic vision for the country from which we can all choose. In Nigerian elections, money talks, money “wins”, not votes, not manifestoes.
So in this context dubious contracts such as, Malabu Oil contract, Stella Oduah armored car contracts, President Jonathan’s Internet Monitoring Elbit Security contract and other dubious contracts which Nigerian politicians struggle to screen and keep away from   the scrutinizing view of the ever watchful Nigerian media are sources through which the PDP-the ruling party and President Jonathan use to gather money for re-election. This is why the Stella Oduah-gate and other corrupt gates and the so-called national dialogue –a diversionary ploy -have occupied the center stage.
Thus, exactly two weeks ago, in response to the call for a national dialogue, I set forth the ethical question. I argued on this platform that in the specific and present situation we are in, even when the political is significant and may sometimes take a life of its own, however in our concrete situation under Jonathan’s presidency the ethical is prior to the political where the political is conceived as how to solve what everyone calls the national question. I rest my position on the view that the violation of the ethical in our life as the present government under President Jonathan has consistently done is what produces the political problems.
In my argument I observed that corruption is at the core of that ethical violation. I observed that   some ministers are fronts for President Jonathan’s incurable disposition to corruption and that the president himself is deeply invested in Nigeria’s corruption (Premiumtimes October 13 2013).  I cited the most (at the time) recent corrupt act –the Internet monitoring contract awarded to the Israeli company-Elbit Security without bidding. The Elbit Security contract has assumed a hushed tone in the presidency. It is one issue the presidency would wish we just “forgot”. But we will not until the Presidency publicly comes out clean on it by telling Nigerians its present status.
Hence, on the linkage of the ethical to the so-called national dialogue, I concluded as follows: “…President Jonathan’s moral deficits have diminished and reduced the country so badly such that a honest national dialogue is impossible if his presidency does not come clean morally on these issues that have generated serious political crisis.”
“To fail to see this and move on with a conference which is flawed from the beginning is to again putting the political cart before the moral horse which ought to drive and pull the political cart…”
About ten days after we made the preceding claim, the Stella Oduah-gate became public thus confirming our moral explanation of President Jonathan’s diversion.
These are the highlights of this chronic moral sickness in President Jonathan’s government. When the Stella Oduah-gate broke, the Aviation ministry denied it only to agree that it is true. Also, the reason for the purchase of armored cars changed at least once.  It is a contradiction to deny that X exists and to later affirm that X exists as the government has done through its aviation authorities on the Stella Oduah-gate.
Also, it is strange to give two different unrelated reasons on different occasions for an act (the purchase of armored cars) as it has been done in this case. So two unrelated reasons cannot be one, and be both right at the same time as the aviation authorities have claimed shamelessly on the Stella Oduah-gate.
On the basis of these contradictions the culpability of Minister Stella Oduah is obvious. Thus the president does not need any committee to “look” into the case as it is doing to again muddle the issue and buy time. An ethically inclined government will take its decision with precision. But not President Jonathan.
The poor ethics in Stella Oduah –gate manifested at various point.  When it   would not go away, despite all spinning, ethnicity was read into it in order to muddle the issue. It is strange that a government, which is calling for a “national” dialogue, would allow this deliberate ethnic muddling of bare facts about corruption to flourish.  With a poisoned well by the same government and its handlers that called for a dialogue- the question is: how do you get Nigerians to sit down honestly and talk?
Also, when Stella Oduah-gate would not go away, it was suggested that Stella Oduah should sit tight because according to Mrs. Oduah’s handlers this was how Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was “hounded” but she “stood her ground” and she is still there as minister. In other words, when you are corrupt under President Jonathan’s government and you are caught the solution is that the corrupt minister should just “stand his/her ground” and the President will take care of the rest on your behalf.
The error Nigerians can make on this is to take an atomistic or isolated view of the Stella Oduah-gate. Such simplistic view would wrongly isolate the Stella Oduah-gate from the systemic corruption, nepotism, impunity and politically motivated graft headed by President Jonathan. Whatever is the outcome of the Stella Oduah –gate I challenge Nigerians and the Presidency to tell us the difference(s) if any among (i) the corruption Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke sits on in the Nigerian oil industry and (ii) the covert award by the Presidency of the contract for internet monitoring to Elbit Security without bidding and the fact that we have two figures in the public domain on the Elbit Security contract (iii) Stella Oduah-gate.

The facts show that there are no differences. While President Jonathan awarded Elbit Security-gate without bidding, Stella Oduah-gate was awarded without bidding. While Elbit-gate has two costs in the public domain, Stella Oduah-gate has inflated prices. Same thing, no difference. Perhaps the difference is that Stella Oduah-gate came from a ministry while Elbit Security-gate came from the Presidency that supervises the ministry Stella Oduah-gate came from.
Second, it will be simplistic to isolate the Stella Oduah-gate as a signifier of the endemic corruption in President Jonathan’s presidency from his hurried call for a national dialogue.  But they (the corrupt acts) are inseparably linked. The point of President Jonathan’s “national Dialogue” is to sell a dummy of a talk such that while Nigerians “sweat” it out at a so-called dialogue, the presidency solidifies for the next election while the treasury is cleaned up. The point is how can a government that is completely lacking in any moral-as we have shown- be trusted with a dialogue?
For a national dialogue to have any meaning, there must be a strong moral environment for it, that is it must not be a ploy to buy time for the President’s re-election bid as it obviously is at present.  The dialogue must be sovereign because its moral worth lies in its sovereignty. But both President Jonathan and the National Assembly stand in opposition to these two conditions. Therefore there are sufficient grounds to conclude that the dialogue is President Jonathan’s ploy for re-election. It is a waste of productive time of Nigerian people.
PremiumTimes

I’ll Soon Lead The Mass Exodus Of Like Minds From PDP To APC – Nyako Tells Buhari, Tinubu


FROM LEFT: ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU; ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNOR, VICE ADMIRAL MURTALA NYAKO; GEN. MUHAMMADU BUHARI; CHIEF BISI AKANDE; GEN. BUBA MARWA AND HON. AMINU MAISARI AT THE ADAMAWA GOVERNMENT HOUSE, YOLA ... YESTERDAY
FROM LEFT: ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU; ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNOR, VICE ADMIRAL MURTALA NYAKO; GEN. MUHAMMADU BUHARI; CHIEF BISI AKANDE; GEN. BUBA MARWA AND HON. AMINU MAISARI AT THE ADAMAWA GOVERNMENT HOUSE, YOLA … YESTERDAY
A high powered delegation of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), who have been meeting with the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) with the aim of luring them into their fold, yesterday recorded a major breakthrough as Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State assured them that he had started inviting like-minds in the PDP to dump the ruling party for the APC.
Nyako made this disclosure at Government House, Yola, Adamawa State on Friday during a meeting with national leaders of the APC.
Nyako is one of the seven PDP governors, who recently pledged their allegiance to the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led New PDP.
Reacting to an address by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who spoke on behalf of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Interim National chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and other APC leaders in the delegation, Nyako said a situation where the culture of impunity had gained ground in the PDP would make it easy for most members of the party to join forces with the opposition as a better alternative to save Nigeria from the abyss.
“As far as I am concerned, I have already distributed kola nuts to the entire Fulani nation and like-minds in PDP to leave enmass to the APC,” he said.
Nyako, who has not hidden his desire to leave the PDP for APC, stated that at the right time, he would personally lead the mass exodus to the APC.
Earlier, there had been wild jubilation in Yola, the state capital, as the visiting APC leaders reconciled Governor Nyako, Gen. Buba Marwa and the ACN governorship candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Engr Marcus Gundiri.
The three notable politicians, who had slugged it out for the governorship seat of Adamawa State, which was won by Nyako in the 2011 elections, were all smiles as they were brought together by the APC delegation.
Tinubu, who spoke for the other APC leaders, described the party as a family that is determined to make Nigerians happy.
He urged Gov. Nyako to join the APC and remain the true father of all in the state, adding that the APC was determined to place Nigerians in better conditions from 2015 as against the prevailing lacklustre leadership at the centre by the PDP-led federal government.
“I’m hopeful that Admiral Nyako and his G7 will join the party and help clean up the mess caused by corruption and bad governance in Nigeria for so long, for our children and grandchildren,’’ Tinubu said.
The former Lagos State governor expressed appreciation to people of Adamawa State for turning out in large numbers to welcome him, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and other APC leaders to the state.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Akande also thanked the governor for showing interest in the APC and making it possible for the party to continue to grow since the crisis in the PDP ballooned out of control.
Buhari, in his own remarks noted that the APC was earnestly selling its values to Nigerians, adding that “the struggle is not for us but for our generations yet unborn. We cannot afford to leave the country but stay to salvage it together”.
InformationNigeria

We Must End PDP’s Injustice – Buhari, Tinubu




By: Mohammed Ismail, Abu Nmodu
TINUBU AND BUHARI
Key leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met in Yola, Adamawa State, to fine-tune strategies to wrest power from the mainstream PDP in the 2015 general elections.
At the meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Yola, the APC and “new PDP” leaders led by former head of state Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and APC national chairman Chief Bisi Akande declared that the time had come for Nigerians to end the injustice and misrule of the PDP.
The trio said that they were in the state to encourage Governor Murtala Nyako to defect to the APC to salvage the country from the “rudderless leadership of the PDP”.
“Nigerians are tired of the injustice and impunity being perpetrated by the PDP which informed our visit to invite you into our fold,” they said.
Akande told Nyako that APC is founded on rule of law where the rights of all Nigerians will be safeguarded to the letter.
‘’I can assure you that, in APC, internal democracy will be enshrined. Please let’s not make a mistake. The time for a viable change is now. Our discussion with other governors is very fruitful ahead of the proposed merger,’’ Akande said.
Buhari re-echoed Akande’s position, saying that their mission to Yola was to persuade Nyako to join the APC for the betterment of the country.
“All what we are trying to do is to get this country out of the current mess. In our bid to do that, Adamawa State must join us to deliver this country; that is why we are here. We need peace and prosperity in this country,” he said.
In his response, Nyako said that he is still a PDP member but would always identify with like minds for the progress of Nigeria. “What we are doing today is not politics but showing concern for our future,” he said. “The fact that Buhari is here physically with other stalwarts of the party is a sign of hope; that leaders from various divides are meeting here gives Nigerians the hope that we are uniting for the good of the country.”
Nyako, who declared that the PDP is very sick, added: “If APC means making Nigeria a key player in Africa, or saving or securing it, I don’t mind being in any political party.”
Nyako, also an aggrieved member of the G-7 governors opposing the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC), said the PDP is on the verge of death because the leaders in Abuja had given it a terrifying under-cut. “No one should expect me to follow a dead party into the grave,” he said.
The APC national vice-chairman in the north-east, Alhaji Umar Duhu, said that the talk was at the instance of the party.
“We are not expecting only seven but 11 governors and, with this development, the opposition will now have 22 governors and probably take over the leadership of the National Assembly even before the 2015 election.’’

Stay in ruling party, Obasanjo begs G-7 govs
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has however cautioned the aggrieved G-7 governors against leaving the PDP for the APC.
The leadership of APC is wooing governors Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Amaechi, Nyako and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State to join the opposition party.
Some chieftains of the party that are with them include former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former Osun State governor and national secretary of the new PDP Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Kebbi State governor Adamu Aliero, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, deputy chairman of new PDP Jaja Wawa, and its chairman, Kawu Baraje.
Obasanjo asked the aggrieved governors not to remain in the PDP and fight from within because the party had given them the privilege to become whatever they are in politics.
According to a political ally of Obasanjo, the former president is not happy with the development in the PDP and wants the feud to be resolved amicably as soon as practicable.
“Baba Obasanjo has been talking to some of these governors who are very close to him against leaving the PDP for either the APC or the PDM. He has been cautioning them against teaming up with APC in fighting PDP. According to him, their plan to decamp would show them as ingrate to the party that has made them what they are and defecting to opposition amounts to killing the party that has been so good to them,” Obasanjo’s associate said.
The source stated that Obasanjo is also encouraging President Jonathan against daring the aggrieved PDP chieftains “because in politics, everyone matters”.
Corroborating this, Obasanjo’s top aide disclosed that his principal would rather prefer the feud resolved amicably with no victor, no loser approach because going to the opposition would not help them to correct what they are fighting but weaken it.

We believe in reconciliation - Oyedokun
Meanwhile, a member of the PDP Disciplinary Committee, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, has reiterated the position of his party to reconcile and not deepen the crisis. He said the committee was not briefed on the on-going internal squabbles because the party strongly believes in the on-going reconciliation process.
He told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the committee is also interested in healing the wounds with a view to bringing in those who are on their way out of the party by rebuilding it.
“We want to bring in sanity into the party and we want all party members to come together to rebuild it by inculcating discipline. We are not interested in imposing stiff sanction on anyone unless there is a need to do that. Where punishment or sanction is needed, we don’t want it to be punitive but corrective;we want to recommend to the party the need to address the crisis within the party from the root, which is indiscipline,” Oyedokun said.
 According to him, once all and sundry embrace discipline, then there would be sanity and this is preventive rather than curative. He said there is a need for political education and enlightenment of members on how to follow procedure to resolve grievances instead of going to court.
He said the committee wants every member to be committed to the rule and order. Oyedokun explained that members should be made to behave according to the dictate of the party’s constitution.

No party should expect harvest from PDP crisis – Aliyu
Also yesterday, Governor Aliyu warned that no political party should expect to harvest from the crisis in PDP. He urged politicians to learn how to honour agreements and promises.
 Aliyu spoke at the commissioning of the PDP local government secretariat in Bida. The governor said that leaders of other political parties should make their parties better rather than cashing on the crisis in the PDP to harvest members.
 “Those who are hoping to harvest should wait. They should go and make sure that they make their party a better one and allow us to make our party strong. Those who for any reason feel dissatisfied are free to move to anywhere they want,” Aliyu said, apparently referring to the reported wooing of the G-7 governors to APC.
 He said:  “I’ve learnt to keep a promise and keep to an agreement. In our last meeting, both the G-7 governors and the president agreed to a ceasefire. We are negotiating and the whole purpose at the end of the day is to make PDP a better party, make it a winning party to ensure that our success does not become our failure.”
 Aliyu also said that some members of the PDP in the state who are not following his course were romancing with the opposition because the party leaders have refused to go the way they wanted them to go.
He said: “I have been told that some PDP members in Niger State are beginning to romance with APGA. They say that if the state PDP does not do what they say or want, then they will go to APGA because APGA is friendlier to some people in Abuja.
”You want to go to APGA, go. Go to any party you want. God is still with us and will continue to favour us. We do not fear anything. Anyone that wants to hold a pact or meeting, let him hold, we will not be afraid. What will be will be, so remain committed to the terms of agreement and promises in order to deserve respect from the people you govern.”

 Leadership