INEC and Jega’s Declining Performance

Professor Attahiru Jega

The INEC chairman’s admission of electoral gain reversal following the Anambra State governorship election is a confession that he may have lost steam ahead of the critical 2015 general election, writes Vincent Obia

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, has been on the spot since the generally condemned Anambra State governorship election. He has been hard-pressed to explain INEC’s failure to deliver a credible election in the South-east state on November 16, despite all the time, money, and personnel that went into the conduct of the poll.
On Wednesday in Abuja, Jega admitted during a dialogue with a civil society group, the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room, that the Anambra election was flawed.

“Anambra is an election we fully prepared for. We worked more than we had ever done in any state. Regrettably however, what we saw was evidence of reversal in Delta and Anambra. We are disappointed with the reversals,” the INEC chairman said. “But we are not leaving any stone unturned at unraveling what actually transpired. We will investigate Anambra thoroughly and meticulously. We will do a thorough enquiry in Anambra. We cannot afford to lose hope. We will do better in the future.”

Virtually every person or group that monitored the Anambra State governorship poll had concluded that the exercise was flawed. Jega merely echoed the verdict on many lips.
Yet Jega’s remarks have sparked debate, as it is pored over for deeper meaning. With the admission of gain reversal after the controversial Anambra State election, many think that he has either lost control over the all-important electoral body as an umpire or is now incapable of warding off a systematic plot to defraud the Nigerian electorate.
The question many asked after Jega’s admission of the flawed elections was, “Is he just learning about the monumental flaws?”

The INEC chairman had apologised to Nigerians regarding the Anambra election before now. But he had also, prior to that apology, complained on television on the election day about some worrying logistic lapses that he had noticed.

Some Nigerians had expected Jega to cancel the Anambra election after observing the curious logistic hitches that had tended to be concentrated in the opposition strongholds, many of which were less than 30 minutes’ drive from the state capital. Interestingly, in areas controlled by the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance in the state, materials and personnel were available in good time, even though many of the areas were about three hours’ drive from Awka.

Rather than discontinue the election, as he had done in April 2011 during the National Assembly elections, Jega chose to carry on with the flaws. A decision to take the same recourse as he did at the National Assembly poll would have saved the country the ignominy that is now threatening to erase whatever gains that have been made in the past in efforts to resolve the crisis of election.
The popular feeling is that Jega might have been minded to call off the Anambra election, but there were voices at his elbow that warned him not to let the thought cross his mind. The INEC chairman certainly failed the popular expectation.

Jega knew that whatever the outcome of yesterday’s supplementary election will not change the result of the governorship election or heal its defects. He has tended to stylishly push the responsibility for any decisive action on the poll to the judiciary and play safe.
The public admissions of flaws regarding the Anambra election and the apologies by Jega are okay. But the seemingly serial nature of the flaws and apologies are indications that the INEC chairman may be overwhelmed by pressure to do the wrong thing.  It is a sign of declining performance.  Jega should be wary of acts that can sully his hard-won integrity.  

ThisDay

FG Wades into Problems of New Power Investors

 Afam Power Plant

Text Box:   Says teething issues unavoidable

Major Complaints

•Load allocation below assumptions in MYTO model

•Confusion over when electricity consumers will start to pay bill

•Lack of Gas and the attendant poor power delivery

•Erosion of public confidence on the capacity of new investors in power firms.

Festus Akanbi

The Federal Government at the weekend responded to the tale of woes by new investors in the power sector, saying it was not under any illusion that the new dispensation in the sector won’t face some challenges before the return of stability in the operation of the new owners of power firms.

The clarification came on the heels of a harvest of complaints by new investors in the sector barely 27 days after taking over the operations of successor generation and distribution companies of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

The investors, who spoke at a meeting in Abuja, last week, disclosed that their reality checks on the power systems they took over indicated that the system seemed to be “upside down.”

But responding to the complaints of the new investors, Chairman Presidential Taskforce on Power Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack explained that every major sector reform exercise was bound to face teething problems.

“No one in government gave an impression that the minute we handed over, all our electricity problems would vanish,” he said, adding that a reform program was akin to a pregnancy.

“For nine months, you focused on the mother and after the baby is born, you shift more attention to the nurturing of the baby who is more vulnerable than the mother.”

Dagogo-Jack said “the business of nurturing the reform to maturity is not a casual responsibility and rests squarely on the Ministry of Power, with the invaluable support of the regulator and the Bureau of Public Enterprises.”

And according to him, the Presidential Task Force remains on hand to provide the much-needed technical support for risk anticipation dimensioning as well as solution generation.”

Asked about the way forward, he said: “A well-integrated proactive progress management team structure under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Power, which meets for two hours daily, at least to resolve critical issues and sustain market confidence, is a sine qua non for ensuring steady progress during this teething period.”

The aggrieved power sector investors made their complaints known to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) at the meeting, which was the first, since they physically took over their electricity assets by the federal government on November 1.

One of such investors who expressed his discovery is the Managing Director of Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Dr. Jamil Gwamna.

He said the market rules, especially with regards to the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO-2), had been turned upside down.

Gwamna had said: “In terms of complying with rules especially those in MYTO, the reality on the ground in Kano Disco is that all the assumptions in the MYTO model have been turned upside down. Load allocation to Kano is so bad that for the last three days we are getting as low as 40 megawatts (MW) to cover Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states. Not only is that so, about 20MW gone to Niger Republic.

“How on earth will I make money? We are not even near the assumption of MYTO because MYTO says I should be allocated eight per cent of the total generation capacity, which means if the generation is 2,000MW, Kano should be allocated at least 160MW. Yesterday, our allocation was 80MW and out of that 25MW is going to Niger Republic. So, I think these are serious issues, which we have found on the ground and they should be addressed urgently.”

Also, the Managing Director of Benin Distribution Company, Funke Osibodu, said: “There is confusion in the public and we have to as a group address the confusion in the public.

For instance, the public believe that they are not supposed to pay their bills until January, they believe that the debt they owed before should be written off and that they should stand in front of you and collect free meters.

“In the past couple of weeks, there have been problems nationwide. The public now believe that when they don’t have power, the new owners do not know what they are doing when in reality it is because of lack of gas.”

Other officials who spoke on behalf of Egbin and Geregu power plants accused the Market Operator (MO) and System Operator of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) of not adhering to the MYTO-2 agreements and provisions in the interim rules, stating that the MO does not use the official rate stipulated in the interim rules.

However, the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, in his response, assured them that the regulator would address all the issues raised, adding that the essence of calling the meeting was to bring the operators together to craft out interventions that will address the problems.

He said Yola and Kano distribution companies had perennially low power allocation problem, stating that although the MYTO-2 provides for a particular allocation to all distribution companies, they were not getting enough power to supply.

Part of the reasons, he said, was based on transmission while some were based on capacity of the distribution companies to receive.

He said the regulator would look at the commercial framework and find ways of ensuring that the concerned distribution company that is receiving less power is also to have their revenue to service their operation.

ThisDay

Understanding Pimples

Pimples in face
My usual approach to a discussion on Pimples (medically termed Acne vulgaris) is that having pimples is an universal experience, most people had it at one time in life. As a matter of fact, it is one of the commonest signs of ‘growing up’.
In the the same vein, some women, having pimples is a monthly event; “crops” of pimples is a sign that the menses is fast approaching or that she is “on” her menses.
Pimples occur when the oil-secreting glands in the skin are clogged and become inflamed or infected. Ninety percent of teenagers get acne, although this can still persist into the middle age, particularly in women during their reproductive years.
Causes
Pimples are caused by inflammation or infection of the oil glands in the skin and at the base of hairs called the sebaceous glands. In the teenage years, hormones stimulate the growth of body hair, and the oil glands secrete more oil. The skin pores, through which nourishing oil passes to the body hairs, become clogged and bacteria grow in the clogged pores.
Such that as the body defense mechanism works to kill the bacteria, whiteheads, blackheads, and pustules form in these areas.
Symptoms
Whiteheads: these are closed plugged  oil glands in the skin at the root of the body hairs.
Blackheads: these are open plugged oil glands (the oil turns black when it’s exposed to the air).
Pustules: these are red, inflamed, infected plugged oil glands, sometimes filled with pus. Pustules could turn out to be complications of futile effort at pressing out the content of a pimple.
• Some pimples may be painful. In severe cases, cysts (large fluid-filled bumps) may develop under the skin.
Signs
Usually, this is often self-evidenced in that a skin elevation can be seen or felt, which could come in the various forms outlined above. However, a professional guide by a doctor or better still a specialist dermatologist is better encouraged.
The health care provider will check the skin to assess the existing problem (such as whiteheads, blackheads. pustules or cysts). The provider will look to see where the problems are located, for example, the face or back.
It is also important for the provider to want to know how long the problem has been on, or if there is a cyclical nature to it occurrence as it might be the case in menstruating ladies.
In the same vein, the doctor will also certainly be interested in what treatment methods have been previously applied.
Treatment options
Treatment is aimed at keeping oil and dirt out of the pores and reducing inflammation. The knowledge of how one has been taking care of the pimples is important here, in order to know how to advance the treatment.
On a conservative approach, what is required is a simple soft toilet soap that will keep the body less oily and hence, discourage the plugging of the skin pore by excess oil.
The best approach is, when having ones bath, to allow the lather of the soap to remain on the skin for some time, say for five to ten minutes, before rinsing off with water. This is to allow sufficient time for the soap to penetrate the skin pores and to dissolve out the potential plugging oil substance in the pores.
Meanwhile, several products are available to help prevent pimples or blackheads.
Treatment usually begins with putting products containing “benzoyl peroxide” on the areas of skin with acne.
If benzoyl peroxide alone is not effective, then one may also need to put antibiotic medications on the skin, as contained in some medicated soap. In some situation of stubborn pimples, the health care provider may prescribe antibiotics to be taken by mouth. Usually, for good result this medication may have to be taken for several weeks.
Similarly, an affected individual may also need to use a special skin cream or gel containing tretinoin (Retin-A).
In some instance, the health care provider may have to inject large cysts with special medication so that there will be better resolution and less scarring.
Expectations
As mentioned above, new whiteheads usually stop appearing after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment, but one may probably need to continue the treatment for several months.
If an affected person is taking antibiotics, at some point the doctor will ask the person to stop taking them to see if they are still needed. Sometimes acne treatment must be continued for several years.
Factors that Worsens Acne
Many factors may worsen acne temporarily. For example, women may notice that their acne gets worse before each menstrual period. So even with proper treatment, results may vary over time. It is, however, important to try to discover and change, when possible, the factors in ones environment or lifestyle that make the pimples worse.
Tips for Helping out the Pimples
In addition to following the full treatment prescribed by the health care provider, the tips below might also assist with helping out the pimples:

   Wash the face 2 times a day with a gentle soap.
    Change your washcloth every day (bacteria can grow on damp cloth).

    Have your bath as soon as possible after exercise or a sweaty physical activity.
Wash the hands more frequently and avoid touching your face unnecessarily.
Don’t squeeze, pick, scratch, or rub your skin. Scars may form if you   squeeze pimples.
Don’t rest your face on your hands while you read, study, or watch TV.
Any Food to Avoid?
Although researchers have not been able to show that any foods cause acne, some people have found that certain foods seem to worsen their acne.
The idea here is to keep a record of the foods an affected person eats and see if the food appears to make the pimples worse. And subsequently avoid these foods.
Other Measures
For those with fragile skin to sun as in whites and albinos, they should try not to get sunburned.
Avoid extreme stress if possible. Practice stress reduction strategies such as exercise, meditation and counseling if stress is extreme.
Exercise Regularly
It is important to keep follow-up appointments with the health care provider. Keep a record of the treatments received and tried and also how they have worked or otherwise.
Even if the ongoing treatment protocol fails, don’t get depressed or give up easily, knowing that there are many other treatment options.

ThisDay

The G’5 Governors APC merger: Matters Arising

Diaspora, By Ekerete Udoh

Tuesday, November 26, the worst kept secret in Nigerian politics was finally revealed: the long expected defection of the group of dissatisfied governors originally elected on the platform of PDP, to the opposition party-the All Nigerian People’s Congress (APC.)

For months, their issues and concerns with the ruling party, PDP- their erstwhile party had dominated the media and the political space- from their staged walk-out at the August 2013 PDP Convention at the Eagle’s Square  , to the formation of the now defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, to several rapprochement meetings with the president and other stakeholders  aimed at finding  some resolution to what it was that ailed and choked them- all such efforts ended in stalemate culminating in their defection November, 26 to the APC.

Several analysts and pundits have come out with their prognostications since the defection was made public. Some have called it ‘political earthquake’ while others have likened it to a ‘new realignment’ that is bound to significantly alter the political dynamics in the country. Their conclusions have all pointed to what they believe will be a difficult road to travel by the ruling party and  President Jonathan were he to offer himself again for reelection in 2015.

But the questions I wish to ask and throw open for further inquiries are: will the defection of the aggrieved governors to the opposition capable of altering the political dynamics in the country? Is the ruling party PDP truly in electoral trouble or are we making too much out of the merger? What electoral value do the aggrieved governors bring to their new party? What happens to those who had toiled in the vineyard of the opposition party all these years, and had positioned themselves to reap whatever electoral fortunes that may come their way, now that the aggrieved governors have joined their ranks, and as state executives, may not be willing to play second fiddle to these stakeholders?  Will they hand over the structure they have long nurtured, watered and made ferment for electoral success to individuals who until this week were their mortal political enemies? Who would the APC present as its presidential and vice presidential candidates? If the rumor of the likely candidacy of Kano state Governor-Rabiu Kwankwaso and his Lagos state counterpart-Babatunde Fashola becomes manifest, will Nigerians in 2013, given the heightened sense of ethnic and religious passions in the country be willing to vote for an all Muslim ticket, even though we did such in less heightened times in 1993, with the late abiola and Kingibe? Can President Jonathan given the seeming hurdles thrown his path with the new realities, win in 2015 were he to put himself forward? These are some of the issues that will engage the punditry class as the 2015 presidential election game plan begins to take shape.

There is no doubt that the defection of the five governors from PDP to APC may on paper, appear to have altered the political dynamics in the country. Any time a group of elected leaders cross-carpet, there is always a seismic shift however tenuous such may be.  The optics the photo ops generates and the public relations mileage the news cycle on the story engenders may create such a buzz as to make things appear as if there is a real change, but the hard question remains: do the governors truly bring electoral value to their new party, such that PDP will be totally obliterated in those states? Will the PDP still manage in spite of the defection to score at least 25 percent of the votes in the affected states? Will the APC presidential ticket win in a state like Rivers?  Taken together, does the number add up to negatively affect the electoral fortunes of the PDP? Now let’s look at some of these angles: The states where the majority of the five governors that defected to APC in 2011, hold sway did not vote for Jonathan even though PDP managed to score the mandatory 25 percent of the votes in those areas. So the electoral fortunes of APC in those states, Niger, Sokoto, and Kano in my opinion may not be enhanced. It’s like a Republican governor in a red state like Kansas or Oklahoma defecting to the Democratic Party. Such defection will ring hollow politically because even if the Republican Party were to dress up a goat and present such as a candidate for election, the people of Kansas will rather vote for that goat, rather than gamble with an Ivy League educated Democrat, because the Democrat will not be seen to share the values of the Kansas people. So, with or without the defected governors, the APC is expected to win those states regardless, because President Jonathan is seen as a polarizing figure in those states.

Let’s look at Rivers state- will the people of Rivers, jettison their next door son, and embrace a northern candidate simply because their Governor-Amaechi defected to the opposition party? Even though one is not cheer-leading for identity politics, I declare here that the people of Rivers will not abandon Jonathan in 2015, if he chose to run, so what electoral value will Amaechi add to the APC? Kwara state may be a little dicey given the near stranglehold hold of the Saraki political dynasty in the state, but even at that, the PDP may still garner the required 25 percent of the popular votes.

Now let’s look at the South West, as I said on this page two weeks ago, the 2011 presidential elections revealed a new strain in our political culture: the capacity of the geopolitical zones to vote local issues at local elections and to vote their conscience at the national level. I make bold to predict that though APC will do very well in the zone, given the stranglehold that ex-Governor Bolas Tinubu wields, PDP will give the APC a run for its money. The rumored ticket of the beloved Logos state governor Babatunde Fashola and its Kano Counterparty Rabiu Kwankwaso may come across as an intriguing proposition, but the people of Lagos state will vote an APC candidate for governor, but will sneer at a Muslim- Muslim ticket and vote to disappoint their beloved Governor Fashola at the presidential level. APC will lose in Ondo, and will have an uphill task wining in Oyo. APC may win in Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, but will have a huge challenge in Lagos and Oyo. The South East is certain to vote en-mass for Jonathan as with the South-South. The Middle Belt and the northern states of Kaduna, Katsina, Taraba, Bauchi, Nassarawa, will vote for Jonathan thus leaving the APC to fight for the rest of the northern states.

Another problem the newly merged governors will face in their respective states will be a political turf war. The APC stakeholders who had worked hard all along to create political structures upon which they had hope to utilize to advance their political fortunes will now have to hand over such to the newly arrived members who may not be willing to cede their preeminent position to those who had nurtured the party. The resultant rancor may lead to open fights, blackmail, and subterfuge and thus have a house that is divided against itself, which the PDP may exploit to weaken the APC.

But if PDP thinks it will coast to victory easily without coming out with a convincing blue print of development and concrete platform that they hope to utilize to address the numerous challenges that this country is facing, then they may be in for a rude awakening. It is true that millions of Nigerians are beginning to be tired of the dreams they have been sold over the years, and would like to see changes in their circumstance. Nigerians are groaning under darkness, of unemployment, of inadequate health care delivery system, of crony capitalism and unbridled corruption, of a leadership that has lost the abiding sense of the social contract, they desire a government that will galvanize the nation and move it along sustained path of development. Even though there are bright stars within the ruling party, the general verdict has not been too encouraging, so if President Jonathan were to run, he would be faced with a reinvigorated opposition that is determined to dislodge him from Aso Rock with every tool at its disposal. The president would have to convince Nigerians why they should continue with him and not with APC, even though the odds of the APC candidate winning the 2015 presidential elections appear long shot, given the analysis I have provided above.

President Goodluck Jonathan and Bola Tinubu

Congratulations, Honourable Bassey Dan Abia

Early this week, President Jonathan forwarded some names of candidates to fill some important federal government agencies to the Senate for confirmation. One of such was the Honourable Bassey Dan Abia, the immediate past Commissioner for Transport in Akwa Ibom State, who was named the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Corporation.

Mr. Dan Abia, an erudite attorney brings a unique sense of understating of the corporation’s terrain, having been the agency’s acting chairman some years back. He will bring his managerial acumen and deep people’s skills to pilot the affairs of the corporation that has played a key role over the years in bringing development to the people of Niger Delta after decades of environmental degradation and systemic neglect. Here’s wishing the honourable, who also happens to be an ex-student of the beloved secondary school that helped nurture our intellectual curiosity-Salvation Army Secondary School,  Akai-Ubium, -Akwa Ibom State, mighty congratulations!

ThisDay

Gov. Lamido likens Pres. Jonathan to a “mad man in a fuel station with a lighter in his hand”

• inShare

By Segun Odeleye

The interview took place before last night’s meeting with Pres. Jonathan, but in a chat with Muh’d Zangina Kura of Leadership newspaper, the Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido, was critical and undiplomatic in his appraisal of the president.

At a point during the interview, the governor who recently described PDP chairman Bamanga Tukur as a virus, had this to say about the president’s leadership.

READ: Fashola Likens Jonathan To An Unskilled Mechanic

READ: “Your Action Amounted To Political Coup And Secession Against The President”: Tukur Responds To Lamido

READ: Aso Rock: Sambo Meets 13 PDP Governors, As Jonathan Meets Aliyu And Lamido

“To us we are on a rescue mission, because what we are seeing today is a mad man inside petrol filling station with lighter in his hand, the threat he poses is very lethal and would not spare anyone,” he said.

He alleged during the interview that the arrest of his two sons was politically motivated.

“This arrest of my children on alleged corruption or stealing or whatever they call it, is nothing short of political miscalculation and an attempt to jolt me to change my political philosophy and succumb to the selfish interest of an ordinary human being as against the wish of my God and betterment of Nigeria.

“Let me inform my detractors, in the last 30 years of my political struggle, I was harassed, arrested persecuted by those who saw my struggle as a threat to their interest, but I endured and refused to cow down. So at my age now with all my past experience it is a big mistake for anybody to think of using any form of threat against my family, or my life or anything else to taunt me.

“I am not proud or conceited, but I can unequivocally say, in terms of good governance, justice, fairness, and judicious use of public funds; what we are doing in Jigawa state is exceptional in contemporary Nigeria. Many people including President Jonathan, past and present political and traditional leaders had testified to that.

“But today in what appeared to be a political knife, some body called Jonathan from Bayelsa state with another person called Lamorde and some police officers tried to tell the world that they love Jigawa people and also they are concerned and keen in protecting state treasury better than me. This is very ridiculous.”

The governor took it a step further by taking a swipe at Bayelsans, insinuating that the culture in the Niger Delta state permits stealing and corruption.

According to him, “It is true every people have their own culture and traditions and wherever they found themselves, they must exhibit it. It is known to the whole world how a United Kingdom court arrested and tried former Bayelsa Governor Mr Diepreye Alamiesiegha on stealing of his state money. After the court found him guilty, the people of the state came out in defence of their child by protesting against the court action, they said the money he stole was Bayelsa state money, therefore they have forgiven him, and also warned against any attempt to arrest him by any national or international institution, this accentuated how some people behave.

“So imagine somebody with this background, now has guts to come down to Jigawa state where we have the belie and culture in which every form of stealing is absolutely repugnant and punishable, claiming he came to help us in protecting and securing our money from thieves, you know from onset the man lacks moral value for such job.

“Besides, of all the 36 state governors in the country and the federal government, it is only Sule Lamido that EFCC found corrupt, who connived with his children and looted his state money,” he said.

In a further attempt to exonerate himself and his sons from wrongdoing, the governor said that even President Jonathan had testified in the past that there is judicious use of public funds in Jigawa state.

“During Jonathan’s visit to my state in which he commissioned various projects in the state, he said the Birnin Kudu local government secretariat which we built at the cost of N400million, if it were in his state such project would not cost less than N2 billion, also the new Dutse NYSC permanent orientation camp built at the cost of N800million would cost over N2billion. However when he commissioned the new state secretariat he called all Nigerians to come to Jigawa and learn the judicious use of peoples’ money;” he said.

It should also be pointed out that the governor himself paid similar glowing tributes to the president at those times as well, but now criticises him, a testament to how transient political relationships can be.

Gov. Lamido also talked about the politics of 2015.

He said: “On the issue of contesting for any seat I never ever said somebody should not contest, what I insisted is that, there is legal and moral way to get any seat, and anybody who wants to contest election must follow due process, must be transparent way with full obedience to party and Nigeria constitution.

“It is totally wrong and reprehensible for anybody to think of using police, judiciary or other illegal way to get power, we fought against such idea in the past and we would vehemently continue to oppose it.

“So, if fighting against injustice, breach of trust and flagrant abuse to the party and Nigerian constitution, and also preaching to adhere to the rule of law is corruption, I would continue to live on this.”

He claimed that he had been expecting this kind of reaction from Aso Rock ever since they “started this struggle against President Jonathan’s move to perpetuate himself in power through illegal ways.”

According to the governor, he told his fellow governors in the movement that, “this man at the corridor of power who is so blind on his selfish interest would use any avenue to fight back, including threat to our lives, power, political interest, wealth and even our family would not be spared in his move to crush us.

“But to us the struggle is not about party or personality, it is a struggle to save the peace and unity of Nigeria, by preaching and insisting to entrench justice, fairness, fair -play and rule of law in our democracy and leadership system. This is essential for the survival of this country as a single entity.”

TheScoop

Threats Won’t End ASUU Strike – IBB offers Jonathan an elderly advice

The Federal Government’s threat to sack striking university lecturers unless they resume work by Wednesday will not solve the crisis, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida told Daily Trust yesterday.
Education Minister Nyesom Wike last week issued a seven-day ultimatum to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end their four-month strike or lose their jobs.
ASUU leaders angrily responded, saying they would not be intimated into resuming work.
Babangida, who spoke exclusively to Daily Trust in Minna, said issuing threats was not an effective way of solving issues.
“Basically, I’ll say both Federal Government and ASUU should apply knowledge and tactfulness in resolving this issue. Issues are never settled by threat and you need to settle quarrel in a tactful way,” he said.
“For those of us who believing Islam, Allah (SWA) instructed his Prophet (PBUH) that if he wants to bring people into his religion, he should use his knowledge and tactics in talking to people.
“And I think this is what is supposed to happen between the Federal Government and ASUU. I am sure the members of ASUU are patriots; they have the interest of the students at heart because they too are parents.
“I am sure both of them can sit down together, talk as Nigerians, talk as patriots and as people who are concerned. Because at the end of the day, if that is not done, quarrelling and threat will not solve this problem. Apply knowledge and tactics in handling this problem.”
The Federal Government’s ultimatum came in the wake of a marathon meeting President Goodluck Jonathan held with ASUU leader early last month.
Following this, local ASUU chapters voted to end the strike, but the national executive of the union wrote a letter to the president setting out certain conditions for resuming work.
Those conditions include immediate provision of N200 billion grant for federal universities, payment of four-month salary arrears to lecturers, and review of the 2009 agreement in 2014.
Government said these demands were outrageous, and therefore issued the ultimatum for lectures to resume or lose their jobs.
‘PDP defections normal’
Babangida also spoke on the crisis in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which led to the defection of five of its governors, saying this was normal in a democracy.
“What is happening is not the first time such a thing is happening to this country,” he said.
“If we go back to 1959 to 60s political parties were in turmoil, some were breaking away and others were forming another political parties. And as recent as during the second republic, political parties have broken.
“I think this is one of the good things about democracy. The constitution allows us to form our opinion, to have an opinion and to spread such opinion. I think to me these things are normal.”
He added: “We should learn to accept that this is the basic guaranteed right to accept the status quo or to decide. Once you accept that, it reduces the area of tension. It is my right to say no I don’t like this; it is also your right to say OK. You are entitled to your own opinion; I am entitled to my own opinion. He’s entitled to his own belief; I am entitled to my own belief. Once this common understanding is brought to the bear, then you have no problem.”
Reminded that the PDP crisis led to the defection of five of its governors, Babangida insisted that this was still normal in a democracy.
“I told you this is not new. Awolowo, Azikiwe, Waziri Ibrahim, it all happened to them and for that it is good for democracy. In our part we are building a democracy in which at the end of the day, sanity and common sense will prevail and Nigeria becomes the beneficiary.”

OsunDefender

2015 Presidency: Tambuwal To Run Under APC, Sets Up TPP

Baring any last minutes change of plans, the Speaker, House of
Representatives Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal will contest the 2015
Presidential elections under the banner of the All Progressive Congress,
APC, an informed source told Pointblanknews.com.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Tambuwal has been secretly meeting
with top Politicians from the North and has set up the Tambuwal
Presidential Project, TPP.
TPP’s membership is drawn from top Politicians in the North, members of
the National Assembly as well as APC chieftains who are not disposed to
General Mohammadu Buhari’s presidential ambition.
Tambuwal, regarded as the “new face of Northern politics” is seen as the
most acceptable among Northern politicians who desperately yearn for power
to return to the North in 2015.
The Speaker’s Governor, Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto State recently decamped to
the APC. But the Speaker cannot leave the PDP now, as he would forfeit his
seat in the National Assembly under the new electoral law.
Tambuwal’s choice as a presidential material according to inside sources
is to represent the much call for the return of Power to the North in
2015.
Sources in the North who are following the emerging politics are of the
opinion that Hon. Tambuwal, coming from Sokoto State; a key north western
state of the country would be in better position to slug it out with
President Goodluck Jonathan in the event that the President emerged the
PDP presidential candidate.
Already top echelons of the APC who are not particularly comfortable with
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari running for the Presidency on the party’s platform
are currently said to be holding clandestine meetings to convince the
Speaker to join the Party and contest the Presidential ticket of the
party.
The Speaker, although has not acceded to the overtures but his close
associates said his body language is encouraging.
“The Speaker is a politician and so he has to calculate well before
deciding. He has not said yes to the request but from his body language,
we know he is not opposed to it,” a source who has been part of the
political calculation told Pointbalnknews.com.
Some APC chieftains are also said to have commence mounting pressure on
Gen. Buhari, urging him to drop any idea of contesting the 2015
Presidential
An APC member of the House of Representatives who pleaded anonymity said
majority of the members of the House are in support of Tambuwal’s
presidential ambition and are already working round the clock to sell the
idea to other Nigerians
“We have gone far with the Tambuwal Presidential Project (TPP) we have
reached virtually all nooks and cranny of this country to seek support of
major stake holders within and outside the APC, we are very comfortable
with the response we have received so far. Nigeria and Nigerians would get
a better deal if and when we translate the TPP into reality In-Sha-Allah
“Nigerians must also recall that that the emergence of Tambuwal as Speaker
of the House of Representatives was not the making of the PDP, rather, we
the now APC made it happen and ever since, the Speaker is  carrying
everybody along irrespective of ethnicity, tribe or religion some rare
quality a good leader must possess, the Federal Lawmaker who hails from
the north revealed.

PointblankNews