How PDP can reinvent itself – Bamanga Tukur

Sani Tukur

President Jonathan and Mr. Tukur also spoke about how to re-invent PDP
The outgone National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, has advised members of his party to imbibe the mission and vision of the founding fathers of the party. He said this is necessary to regain the party’s fading glory.
Mr. Tukur, who spoke when he chaired the 63^rd National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party which was also his last official engagement as National Chairman, said the public faces of the PDP comprising its elected party and government officials must be people of integrity and character, with proven track record and capability.
He said they should also be people who are committed and focused at all times to improving the livelihood of Nigerians.
“Only by so doing can the people of Nigeria continue to invest in us or any other political platform with the confidence, trust and mandate to administer and manage their public affairs,” he said.
Mr. Tukur said the PDP as a ruling party must take its leading position seriously, and should consistently pursue good governance.
The outgone chairman said the decline in nationwide support of the PDP is to be expected. He advised members of the party to prepare to and make the necessary sacrifice required to grow the party. He said the performance of PDP elected officials should be used as a basis for retaining the peoples trust and confidence.
“PDP has performed and the prospect for the party remains good, while current challenges are surmountable. We must constantly strive to fulfill our manifesto on the basis to which our mandate to govern derives, and on that we shall be judged,” he said.
Mr. Tukur said it is only by upholding internal democracy, transparency , fairness, and probity in all its dealings; as well as delivering good governance and service that impacts positively on the life of the people that the ruling party can reinvent itself.
He advised members of the party to avoid unnecessary disagreements and conflicts which will eventually affect the party.
“ Gloating over being in power, and remaining in power no matter what is, dangerous, destructive and anti-democratic,” he said. He added that pre-occupation with power tussles and undue confrontation has strangulating effect on any political party, and PDP cannot be different.
“Our excessive pre-occupation with the pursuit of power, self-aggrandizement and materialism has been destructive and hurting. It slows down our match towards achieving our national goals, of development,” Mr. Tukur said.
The former chairman also took a parting shot at the legislature warning that the seats being occupied by lawmakers” belong to political parties, not the individuals occupying them”.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was selected by his colleagues against the wishes of the party, and recently about 37 members of the House of Reps elected under the platform of the PDP, defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.
The defection of the lawmakers transformed the status of the PDP from majority to minority in the House.
“The party must take discipline seriously. Discipline in the party is a necessary ingredient for success,” Mr. Tukur said.
Mr. Tukur informed the members of NEC that he was privileged to have served as the chairman of the party.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to deliver an idea, which is the need for a party with discipline and internal democratic practices. I charge you to install new national values that are driven less by personal greed, and more by national interest in order to serve and face the challenges facing our country,” he said.
 We have delivered
Also speaking, President Goodluck Jonathan said the PDP has delivered on its mandate and challenged Nigerians to take a critical look at what has been achieved and the number of days he had been in power.
The president cited the example of the GSM service which he said was brought by a PDP government and has made it possible for the ordinary person to have a telephone which used to be a privilege for a few rich and influential Nigerians.
The president also said the recent decision to privatise the power generation and distribution sector is a revolution whose impact Nigerians would begin to feel in six months’ time.
Season of meetings
Mr. Jonathan also informed the NEC that activities to return the party to its pre-eminent position is in full gear.
He urged party members to be steadfast and committed to its activities.
He said despite the defections it has suffered, the PDP would continue to be the number one party in Nigeria, adding that based on discussions held recently, “some of the members who left would come back to the party.”
“What needs to be done is to ensure that the party remains more united. And from this January, frequent meetings will take place,” he said.
According to Mr. Jonathan, the meeting of the party’s Caucus and its Board of Trustees, BoT would be held every quarter. He also said he would liaise with the NWC to make sure that NEC meetings are held every other month.
“That would give those at the centre the opportunity to interact more with state party chairmen and governors,” he said.
Mr. Jonathan also announced that he held a meeting with PDP governors Wednesday night and they agreed to be meeting monthly to strategise on how to improve the fortunes of the party, and how to also assist party faithful in states not governed by the PDP.
Resignation of Tukur
Mr. Jonathan said he knew “a lot of issues have been agitating the mind of our party faithful and we need to address them.” He said this while referring to the confusion over the resignation or otherwise of Mr. Tukur as the national chairman of the party.
The president said “the NWC under Bamanga Tukur has done very well. The Chairman of our party did not just wake up to be the chairman, he has paid his dues, and he has held several offices and has worked for this country. For us to make sure that we rest these issues, the party chairman agreed to step aside
“He is not guilty in any way; in fact, I have to give him an assignment that is tougher than handling PDP, because we need people like Bamanga Tukur to market this country, and to market the PDP. He has been doing that under the platform of the African Business Roundtable, but we need a tougher job than the African Business roundtable,” the president said.
Mr. Jonathan, thereafter, handed over the resignation letter of Mr. Tukur to the National Secretary of the party, Adewale Oladipo.  He also announced that another NEC meeting would be held on Monday next week to select a new Interim Chairman for the party.
The Governor of Cross Rivers State, Liyel Imoke, moved the motion for the NEC to approve the resignation of Mr. Tukur. The deputy Senate leader, Abdul Ningi, seconded the motion; passed by the NEC.
PremiunTimes

Breaking News: Supreme Court Orders Abacha Son’s Trial for Theft

The Supreme Court has unanimously decided in the morning of January 17, 2014, Friday that Mohammed Abacha, son of the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, must be returned to an Abuja High Court and face his trial.

A 123 count criminal charges have been brought against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria, wherein he was alleged to be in possession of stolen properties belonging to the Federal Government.
The theft was allegedly committed by the late former dictator stole, when he ruled Nigeria.
Mohammed Abacha had previously unsuccessfully attempted to foil his trial. Then he proceeded to the Court of Appeal, where he lost. Finally, he approached the Supreme Court.
The son of the late ruler declared that the immunity enjoyed by his father, while in office, extended to him and that having forfeited some of the family’s properties confiscated by the government, he should be exempted from prosecution in line with the he provisions of Decree number 53 of 1999.
The Court, however, stated that immunity does not extend beyond the tenure of office and that even if the late head of state were alive, he could have been prosecuted for a criminal offence, not to talk of his son, who has never been a State Leader.
Therefore, Mohammed Abacha  has to go and face his trial at the Abuja court.
Source: PM News

Borno APC Crisis: Youth stone Governor Shettima’s convoy during ex-governor Sheriff’s visit

Ola' Audu

Governor and his predecessor engaged in cold war

The rising tension in Borno State polity was brought to fore on Saturday when the state governor, Kashim Shettima, was pelted with stones during a visit by Ali Sheriff, his predecessor.

Mr. Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, is a leader of the All Progressives Congress in the North East part of Nigeria.

The stoning incident which happened when Mr. Shettima was on his way to the airport, according to the governor’s spokesperson, Isa Gusau, was orchestrated by politicians who used hired thugs brought in from outside the state to embarrass his boss.

“Some thugs believed to have been hired outside Borno State, were smuggled into Maiduguri for the sole purpose of breaching the emerging peace in the city”, Mr. Gusau said in an email on Sunday to journalists. “Governor Kashim Shettima was on his way to the Maiduguri International airport on Saturday, for the purpose of inspecting facilities brought in from Lagos by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to speed up the opening of Maiduguri’s airspace for use by air travellers. The visit was meant to be a follow up to the Governor’s meeting with the M.D of NAMA as well as Chairman, CEO of Arik airline in Lagos, two weeks ago, towards the reopening of the airport which had been closed down.”

The attack on Mr. Shettima happened at a time thousands of supporters of Mr. Sheriff were preparing to welcome him to the state after a long time.

Regarded as a foremost politician in the state, the former governor’s visit attracted the presence of many top Borno politicians, including National Assembly members, state assembly members, serving commissioners, and advisers of Governor Shettima’s cabinet, amongst others.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Sheriff, being the god-father to many politicians in the APC-dominated state, and a known benefactor of the incumbent governor, is engaged in a cold war with the latter. It is also rumoured that the APC leader has already started shopping for Mr. Shettima’s replacement from amongst his loyalists in the ruling party.

It was also learnt that Mr. Shettima in the past used his office as governor to frustrate such visit by Mr. Sheriff.

“Betrayer, betrayer”

According to testimonies from various witnesses who saw the governor being attacked, Mr. Shettima’s convoy was heading towards the Maiduguri International Airport at the time some youth were on their way to welcome one Muhammed Imam, who is touted as a possible challenger of Mr. Shettima for the APC governorship ticket in 2015.

Mr. Shettima’s convoy drove into the crowd of young people who angrily started pelting him with stones and sachet water, while calling him names.

Yahaya Wakili, an automobile mechanic who lives near the airport junction, told journalists that it took the intervention of policemen of the nearby Police Crack Squad to disperse the angry youth by releasing canisters of tear gas at the mob.

“We really don’t know what was happening on Saturday morning but we saw youth, who were obviously political thugs, gathering on the way to the airport. Some said they were expecting the arrival of former Commissioner called Alhaji Muhammed Imam. The youth, who wore various T-Shirts and caps with APC and Imam’s logo printed on them, were at a point chased away from the road leading to the airport by the police of Special Squad Division whose office was located along the airport road. Some of the youth thought it was Governor Shettima that ordered them to be chased. Suddenly at about 10am or so, we heard the siren of the governor blaring past towards the airport and we also heard shouts ‘mai chin amana, mai chin amana’ (betrayer, betrayer) as they continued to haul stones at the governor’s convoy”, Mr. Wakili, whose workshop is along the airport road, said.

Governor unperturbed

Mr. Gusau said the incident did not perturb his boss who urged his security details to be calm and insisted they moved on to carry out their assignment at the airport.

“While the Governor was heading towards the airport, the hired thugs attempted to breach his convoy by exhibiting all manner of behaviour true to the job they were hired to do. If Governor Kashim Shettima were to be violent, he could have directed his security detail to descend on the thugs but instead, he calmed nerves and ensured that there was no breach of peace with no injury. He calmed members of his entourage and security details,” Mr. Gusau said.

He said the police dispersed the youth and the governor went on to complete his inspection at the airport.

“He spoke with NAMA officials and to his credit, Maiduguri’s airspace is now open to all flight operations. After the inspection, Governor Shettima trekked for 2 kilometres from the airport acknowledging cheers from residents who obviously appreciated his effort in gaining peace and progress in Borno State,” Mr. Gusau said.

When asked whether he subscribed to the rumour that the attackers were hired by Mr. Sheriff’s loyalists to ridicule Mr. Shettima, the spokesperson said, “We do not know those behind that attempt. It is the responsibility of security agencies and journalists to identify them. But (what) we do know is that Governor Shettima’s focus is entirely on delivering projects and programmes to better the lives.”

Triumphant entry

Meanwhile, the ex-governor, Mr. Sheriff, made a triumphant entry into the city amidst a choking convoy that halted the city’s traffic for about two hours.

Interestingly, Mr. Shettima was not around to welcome his fellow APC member and predecessor.

The deputy governor, Zannah Mustapha, and five members of the Federal House of Representative accompanied Mr. Sheriff from Gombe State airport to condole the Emir of Shani’s family in Shani Town before they made the 250km trip to Maiduguri on Sunday. At the entry to the city, all members of the state assembly, led by their speaker, Abdulkareem Lawan, turned out to welcome Mr. Sheriff along with hundreds of party loyalists including some serving members of the state executive council.

Mr. Sheriff, who was visibly elated by the tumultuous welcome and reception, said his visit to Maiduguri was unplanned. He said he decided to come to Maiduguri after his visit to Shani to condole the family of the late emir, Muhamnadu Mailafiya, who died recently.

“I have not visited Maiduguri for the past 11 months now, but the demise of our Royal father, the Emir of Shani, actually created an opportunity for me to visit and see my people. I am deeply happy and humbled by this huge welcome you gave me from Damboa up to Maiduguri. I also thank the people of Bayo, Kwayakusar, Biu, and Hawul whose huge turn out to accompany me to Shani and back to Biu yesterday was unprecedented,” he said.

He declined further comments on whether he was planning any major political move ahead of 2015.

Shettima carves new niche for himself

Mr. Sheriff led Borno State as governor between 2003 and 2011, making him the only person to have governed the state for two-terms. After his tenure, he virtually installed Mr. Shettima, a banker with little political pedigree, as his successor. Mr. Shettima became the flagbearer of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Mr. Sheriff’s party, and eventually won the governorship election. The choice of Mr. Shettima as the ANPP flagbearer was opposed by many members of the party. Both men became members of the APC when the ANPP merged with other parties to form the former.

Mr. Sheriff, who was a senator before winning the 2003 governorship election, lost a 2011 senatorial seat to his Peoples Democratic Party challenger.

The current governor has used every opportunity to distance himself from Mr. Sheriff’s government; perhaps to appease many residents who blame Mr. Sheriff for the insecurity in the state.

And at every political forum available, Mr. Sheriff’s years of stint is being used as a metaphor for bad governance, in spite of the fact that both Mr. Shettima and his political benefactor are of the same political party.

Befriending the enemy

The fight for supremacy between the two politicians has split the Borno APC into two factions.

Mr. Shettima’s loyalists want him to form his own political structure, different from the already existing and rooted structure of his boss ahead of 2015; a move the governor appears to be towing.

The governor is becoming increasingly popular among Borno residents for what some describe as his simplicity, humble disposition, and style of development. Also, in the past three months, Mr. Shettima has been receiving defectors from the opposition PDP into the APC. Most of the new entrants were once political rivals of Mr. Sheriff, who challenged him in his two-terms as governor.

“Courting friendship with the enemies of your benefactor could be the worst treachery committed by Governor Shettima”, said a serving adviser in Mr. Shettima’s cabinet, who asked not to be named so as not to be victimized by the governor.

“We all know why Senator Sheriff had to deal with some politicians politically; and we all know how it assisted us to remain in power since 1999. If you now come and try to befriend these people who claim they love you because you are different from Sheriff, then be sure of a venomous bite, because you invited vipers into your home”, said the politician.

During Mr. Sheriff’s grand entry and rally in Maiduguri on Sunday, the posters of Mr. Imam, a former ANPP state chairman, who also served as Commissioner for Water Resources and Education during the eight years tenure of Mr. Sheriff, was seen pasted all over the town, touting him as a possible replacement for Mr. Shettima. Some of the inscription on the posters and billboards read, Muhammed Imam for 2015.

A serving member of the House of Reps for the Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza Federal constituency, Peter Guptha, described the sour relationship between Messrs Shettima and Sheriff as unfortunate.

“The best thing I expect from Governor Shettima is to avoid people who would incite him against his god-father”, he said. “I believe Sheriff meant well when he brought him in and made him a governor. Building one’s political structure is a very difficult task; it takes more than two years or the days of a four years tenure to achieve. That is why we have to rely on existing structure. Shettima is a nice gentleman, but those advising him towards the path of war are the evil ones”.

PremiumTimes

Obasanjo’s Letter: PDP bows, begs OBJ

…says party needs him now, more than ever . Urges him to ignore Buruji

The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has indicated to former President Olusegun Obasanjo that his fatherly aura and experiences in politics were still required by the party in its drive to get stronger and more formidable.

Tukur made this known in his reply to a letter earlier sent by Obasanjo dated January 7, 2014 to the party and President Jonathan.

He said the PDP has more pressing challenges bothering most importantly on the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun state as well as the overall general election scheduled for 2015, all which require strong inputs from the former President.

The PDP Chairman, while preaching continuous dialogue and need for stronger partnership among stakeholders of the party, told Obasanjo pointedly that the need for the ruling party to reclaim the lost grounds in the south-west required the full support of party leaders like him.

Sounding conciliatory in his response to Obasanjo’s letter, Tukur expressed gratitude to the manner of approach by the president in presenting his grievances on issues in the PDP southwest, stressing, “I thank you for your gesture and I pray that we shall all continue to dialogue and partner to move our party forward.

Tukur said there is the need for PDP to attain success in the “Governorship elections coming up this year in Ekiti and Osun states and the subsequent elections in 2015 to reclaim lost grounds in the South-West.

The PDP Chairman took time to address the complaint by the former President on the state of PDP in the south-west. He said the crises within the PDP in the zone had been there before he took over the mantle of leadership of the party.

He noted also that the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee of PDP were never party of the problems in the south-west PDP, adding, “We came in when we were threatened with contempt of Court Charges for not obeying the court’s order to dissolve the southwest zonal Executive and remove some officers of the party.

“We complied with the Court’s orders because of our belief in the rule of law and to avoid consequences of disobeying such orders. Tukur’s reply to Obasanjo read in part, “It is an honour that you deemed it fit and proper to intimate me with an issue important to your mind and our party in the south-west zone.

It is my wish and prayer that such cordial and positive relationship will continue between your good self; former President and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great party on one hand, and my humble self, the National Chairman of our party on the other hand” “Buruji Kasamu came to limelight in politics as a result of the role he played in the politics of Ogun State where both of you come from.

He later became a rallying point in the south-west following the Courts’ Orders in the series of cases brought about as a result of disagreements among leaders of the party in the south-west, and Ogun state in particular.

“In my opinion, Buruji became a rallying point because of the absence of a zonal executive in the south-west. This vacuum in the south-west has made him the person to whom many members in all the chapters of the party in the zone approach for one form of assistance or the other”

The Chairman disclosed to Obasanjo plans by the PDP to conduct a zonal congress in the south-west zone to elect new zonal executive to be in authority in the zone, in compliance with the orders of the courts.

He said for such zonal congress to hold successfully Obasanjo and other leaders from the southwest should build a strong consensus for that purpose.

OsunDefender

Nigerians need self-examination, not national dialogue

Professor Chioma Kanu Agomo,  Former Dean of Faculty of Law, UNILAG

By Olakunle Olafioye

Of late many have expressed the view that women in Nigeria have benefitted more in the area of leadership in the current dispensation. But this is an opinion that has failed to excite Professor Chioma Agomo, a professor of Law and first elected female Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. To her, it is not enough to appoint more women into leadership positions. Such appointments, according to her, must be done on merit. And one way this could be achieved, in her opinion, is to create a level playground for everybody and allow the best candidate to emerge. Agomo, who describes what currently plays out as tokenism, speaks more on problems confronting the Nigerian woman and a host of other issues.

Going through your profile you describe yourself as someone who hates injustice and hypocrisy with passion. Unfortunately, these are two of the vices Nigerians have come to live with. How did we come about this twin-evil?
It is unfortunate that we are grappling with them. We can say it is part of the evolving society. I always say and I still maintain it that I was brought up in the village; I was born and brought up in the village. When I was growing up, injustice and hypocrisy were the exception rather than the norm but now they are the norms rather than the exception.  And why was it like that? It’s because of values, values of honesty, integrity, hard work, being your neighbours’ keeper and people were conscious of whom they were, the name they carried, the family they came from and the impact of their conducts on not just  on themselves, but also on their families. But nowadays all those things have been eroded. It is a question of money; it doesn’t matter how it is come about. People have always blamed the military for breaking down the wall and making people lose sight of what is important. The effect of that is that people’s rights are trampled upon. Honest people are now called fools. It is no longer a question of the end justifying the means but it is a question of the means justifying the end. What is important is that you’ve made it. It’s because, the society now gives you all the accolades, chieftaincy, you name it. So wherever I find it yes I hate it with passion and I consider it my duty to speak out wherever and whenever I’m opportune to do so. I hate hypocrisy; people pretending, you mean one thing you say another thing. I always tell people that when somebody is talking, look at the person’s eyes, mouth, face. This will tell you much more than what the person is saying because often people tell you what you want to hear. And of course unfortunately that is the bane of governance this day. People are sycophants; they are praise singers, they tell you what you want to hear.  Friends tell each other what they should hear, it may not necessarily be palatable but they know that, that is the right thing and if you heed it, it will make you better. That is why I also pray to God to surround me with people who can look at me in the face and tell me the truth. People will see what is bad and they will say it is good, then they will go behind behave like pig but before you they are a different person. So I hate it with passion because it tends to send wrong signals, especially when it is coming from those who are supposed to lead by example. What do you want to happen to those who are coming behind you?
We continue to blame the military for Nigeria’s woes even though the military left the scene almost 15 years ago. Does it mean these ills cannot be corrected?
Part of the problem of our society, the way I see it, is that people will always blame somebody. Do you know why? It’s because we don’t want to take responsibility for actions. People don’t want to change, people are too lazy. I read a book by Richard Wurmbrand. He’s a pastor who was imprisoned in Communist Russia and he talked of him being alone in solitary confinement below the ground.  So since he had no pulpit; no church to preach to, he started preaching to himself, talking as if he was giving sermon. He made a point that struck me. He said as a pastor, for example, he was used to visiting members of his congregation. He just realised that one person he never visited was himself and that struck a chord with me. It is easy for us to always visit other people; it is the fault of the military; our fathers have failed us, our mothers have failed us, this generation has failed us and we point at everybody but you. Have you taken time to visit yourself? Have I taken time to visit myself? It is not palatable. But if we are honest then ask yourself, “am I better than the military?”  When the chips are down what do I stand for?  I tell people that that is what you need to ask yourself.  They believe every Nigerian has a price. What do you really stand for? Is there a place that you reach that you say you can’t go any further? If you don’t ask yourself and you continue to blame somebody else, the society will get worse because we refuse to remove the log from our eyes but we are looking at the speck in other people’s eyes. I keep telling people that you and I are government; you don’t need a crowd to make a change. You as an individual where you are, I where I am should decide to be different. Decide to do the right thing; decide to play by the rule. My policy is, others may, I cannot. Another way I put it is, dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand out; dare to stand alone and stand for what is right. You may be pilloried, you may be maligned, you may be lied against; people will turn the truth on its head but stand on the truth.  I tell people “you will not be there when people will be telling your story”. When you are there they will tell you what you want to hear but as soon as you are out of that place of influence it’s a different story. So we are all writing our stories. The answer is that because we always blame somebody and we continue to say it’s the military. Let’s even go back to 1999, somebody commented recently that the government we have now is even worse than the military.  Well I won’t trade issues or whatever, all I keep saying is that we are the same human beings, whether you are in khaki or  you are in agbada.  And I will say it wasn’t every military man that was corrupt; I wouldn’t like to believe that. Just like it is not everybody in the government now that is corrupt, just like the Bible talks of the days of Ahab, a very wicked king, there was an Obadiah who was able to ask Elijah, “Did they not tell you, my Lord how I hid 100 prophets and I give them bread and water when  Jezebel was after them too”. I believe we still have them in government; we may not hear about them. Wherever they are, they should ride on.  I love my country with a passion. I think Nigeria is a great country and I think Nigeria is the most endowed nation on earth, material resources, human resources, mineral resources, in any way you can think about, Nigeria is endowed. But we squander it and we will continue to squander it and God will be looking at us, shaking His head. But I don’t think all hope is lost.
What would you say is the way out?
It is not all about the military; it’s our refusal to sit down. You don’t need to sit down having a national dialogue. No! It’s you having a dialogue, self-examination; ask yourself, “What do I stand for?  Where do I stand?  People like to sit on the fence. Personal dialogue first and foremost, then look around you, your immediate environment, your family; charity begins from home. Start with yourself, myself, that is what is important.”
Still talking about injustice, it is always said that women are the major victims of injustice. And I still remember vividly that you were one of the leading voices in the case of one Aminat Lawal and Safiat in 2003 or 2004. Between that period and now, has there been improvement?
My honest opinion is that there is no improvement. Some years ago, I gave a lecture to medical students and they asked me to talk on sexual harassment, for example.  During question time people couldn’t come out to ask questions; they wrote it down for anonymity and the fact is that, those taboos you read in the newspapers are still happening to women, they are happening to girls. Sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence are all over the place. You will be amazed but because of the culture of silence, people don’t speak out. What you hear is just fractions of what happened. You know this issue of you can’t come and be washing your dirty linen in public and again hypocrisy; people will know the truth but they won’t speak the truth. This is what I call poverty mentality. I won’t say that there is much difference, it’s is still there because the society we are talking about has still not changed. We use culture to condone what should not be condoned we use culture to support injustice, we use culture to support maltreatment and subjugation of women. It is abnormal to treat a woman as less than human.  You are better off when you see her as your partner. You see your daughter as an asset, not an asset in terms of what fetches money in Igbo land. See her as somebody who can add value to your family. See her as somebody who has potential and should be given equal opportunities.
What is your take on the view that there are more women in government than we used to have in the past?
Is it still not tokenism? Is it on merit? When you give a woman an appointment, you go out to shout that you have appointed more women. What is the big deal? Have you given them equal opportunity to compete? Did you judge them objectively to ensure that the best person wins? My personal opinion, others may differ, is that not much has changed. It is just that sometimes people get tired of talking.
Nigeria remains a male-dominated society despite the impressive performances by women in leadership positions.  What would you identify as factors militating against women’s quest for leadership positions in this country?
That is a million dollar question. And that comes from the issue of culture. The man has always been the super-ordinate and then the woman, subordinate. Culturally, the man has always been in front. Initially women were not educated, not many. When you are in control of something, it will take God’s grace for you to let it go. That is why I said if competition is on equal terms, if they provide a level playground and the best person wins, things will begin to change. But there is no level playground. If you take politics for example, what we have seen here is politics of money, politics of influence; not many women can play that kind of game. Even in corporate governance, it is still the same networking type of thing. They can do millions of naira worth of business playing golf in a club where a woman won’t be.
The issue of child bearing also weighs against the woman. The woman is the one God has given the privilege to bear children and this weighs against her when it comes to taking her rightful position in the market place, in the boardroom, in politics etc. In work-place, for example, it will be used against her. People are reluctant to employ a young woman who is not married because when she gets married she will start having children and that will disrupt her work in the office. So, there are a lot of things that weigh against women. Women themselves are sometimes their own worst enemies.  “What does she have that I don’t have?” So you can say that the woman still has a lot of things stacked against her.
The judiciary, in recent times, has been accused of corruption. As a stakeholder in the academic sector, don’t you think there is a need to re-orientate our up-and-coming lawyers right from school?
The amazing thing is that, for example, as a law student, if you involve yourself in exam misconduct and you are caught, you will be barred for life from going to Law School. The legal profession is a profession that is built on integrity. It still goes back to what I said earlier about the individual. The judiciary is not worse than any other arm of the government. And I think the opinion is that it is changing. And now that the judiciary can speak out themselves; it is one thing denying what is obvious to everybody and then the people at the apex speaking out that shows that there is a change. If the person at the top say, “I recognise this as a problem and if you are caught you will face the music…” That is recognition and it is part of what I call re-orientation. Corruption is a hydra-headed monster. But remember, it takes a giver to have a taker. It is a two-way process. Whether it is in the judiciary or in the other arms of government, there are different forms of corruption, but it takes two to tango. Nobody can be corrupt if you don’t see somebody playing the other half. It is a question of wherever you are, recognise that there is a problem and be ready to find a solution.
You studied abroad and as a member of NUC accreditation panel, what is you assessment of the standard of education in Nigeria?
I was part of the team that accredited law programme in Ghana. My experience during the period showed that the standard in Nigeria is not as bad as we make it appear. It can be a lot better. There are a lot of things that are wrong with the system. But it is not the worst system. And, of course, you can’t compare it with the system in more developed countries like University of London, where I studied.

TheSun

The Rise of Pastors’ Wives

Pastors’ Wives

One of the great trends of the current century is undoubtedly the rise of the alpha female - that highly educated and motivated new breed of women. As wives to prominent pastors, no more are they rarely seen and never heard. Today, they have become more visible, more assertive and fashionable too. The dawn of the 90s, no doubt, triggered a new awakening for these women in the Lord’s vineyard. Some of the ‘mummies on the pulpit’ are young and fashionable. They also adorn beautiful jewelleries and top designers’ wears, and have evolved into role models to young worshippers who also want to attain similar heights on the ladder of high street fashion, writes LANRE ALFRED

Their fashion culture changed, so did their attitude to various other issues. Not that they have grown less subservient but they have become self aware of their status and in love with doing things their own way. And today, these pastors’ wives have become as prominent and conspicuous as their husbands, even elegant dressed than their spouses to the delight and amazement of their teeming congregation. Such pastors’ wives include Ifeanyi Adefarasin, Ibidun Ighodalo, Nike Adeyemi, Faith Amaga, and Tope Adeboye to mention a few. Time was, when every meeting of preachers brought words of another minister’s wife who was on the brink of mental and emotional collapse. The stress and strains of being a preacher’s wife, it was believed, were enough to stagger an Amazon.

Being a woman in the church, whether you are partnering with your husband in his calling or serving in your own leadership role, was and is still very challenging. While serving as mentors, counselors, advisors, and even cheerleaders, the preacher’s wife bears numerous responsibilities.

Everyone has an image in their mind of what they think a pastor’s wife should be. The trouble with this picture is that it has never been and never will it be accurate

Ministers wives and female ministry leaders face the same real-life struggles as their church members, but have the added stress of sharing in everyone’s burdens as well. They are held to impossible standards by those they serve.

However, through 2,000 years of Christian history, the role of the minister’s mate has changed, particularly in Nigeria where it continues to change rapidly. Variations of the preacher’s wife-role have often moved from caring companion to hearth keeper, to resident sacrificer, to spiritual sustainer, to ministry partner, to energetic helpmate, to institutional church leader and more recently, to deputy pastor. But whatever direction the minister’s wife’s role tilts at any moment of human history, it always involves a position of trusted support for the work of the ministry. And it is always an invaluable asset in the service of the kingdom.

One of the first places to begin the discussion on what the role of the pastor’s wife should be would be to look at her role from a scriptural standpoint. The New Testament does not describe a specific role for the pastor’s wife. Paul lists the qualifications for those desiring to be elders or deacons in I Timothy 3: 2-10.

The contemporary preacher’s wife in Nigeria, no doubt, epitomizes the best of the attributes listed by Saint Paul. Besides offering dependable support systems to their preacher-husbands, pastors’ wives in Nigeria are equally doing wonderfully well in the Lords vineyard. While some of them share the responsibility of evangelism and preach publicly with their men, others prefer to silently steer and co-ordinate affairs from the background, even though most of them are equally practicing pastors.

However, a common indicator binds these beautiful women in a wonderful sisterhood and admirable womanhood: They are pretty modish and attractive. Some of them are as hardworking as and even more popular than their husbands. They are very educated and are professionals in their own right. They spare no expense to look their best and when they step out, they are like models on the runway strutting the best and the most expensive from the world’s best designers, from shoes, jewelries, perfumes to exotic cars. They are very humble and lovable too. Most notable among these women include…

FAITH OYEDEPO
Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Rev. David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church worldwide AKA, Winners Chapel. Faith Oyedopo has a unique style that has not changed for many years. She juggles between skirt suit and traditional wears. Though, she is a bit conservative in dressing, she spares no expense on her love for jewelries. She drives all the flamboyant cars her husband drives and she has no apology for living a good life. She and her husband are blessed with four children-David Jr. Isaac, Love and Joy.

ESTHER FOLASHADE KUMUYI
She is the wife of the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi. She was the administrator of the church in London before she became the first lady of the church. She is known to be a conservative to the core in fashion and general disposition. Her trademark however is her expensive hats. She is not a jewelry freak and she has been known to be a strong pillar, a visionary and a wonderful planner who complements the efforts of her husband.

MARGARET IDAHOSA
She is the widow of the popular late man of God, Most Rev. Benson Idahosa of the Church of God Mission. She is the presiding bishop of the church. She is one of the very few powerful and stylish female pastors Nigeria has produced.

BUKOLA OLADIYUN
She is the beautiful wife of the senior pastor/founder of fast growing, Christ Living Spring Apostolic Church (CLAM), Pastor Wole Oladiyun. Unknown to many, Bukola is the proprietress of J-Nissi Children School, Ogba and also the Director of Family Life and pastorates in the church. Bukola prefers cool colours for her apparels. Her eye pair of glasses is her trade mark. She is blessed with four children, Ayomide, Oluwadamipe, Imisioluwa and Inioluwa.

ROSELYN GABRIEL ODUYEMI
She is the widow of the late Rev. Oduyemi, the founder of Bethel Worship Centre for All Nations, a.k.a Wonder City. Since the death of her husband years back, the Cameroonian widow has been able to stand firmly and project the church. She is known to be a vast, articulate and an excellent preacher. She inherited her late husband’s estate and never shies away from enjoying the goodies he left behind. She has a fantastic dress sense from her clothes to her accessories.

ANITA OYAKHILOME
Anita Oyakhilome is the wife of Christ Embassy’s Chris Oyakhilome who is popularly known as Pastor Chris. Anita is the Director of the Christ Embassy’s International Office; she also heads the branch in the United Kingdom. Her husband is a popular televangelist who is known for his “Atmosphere for miracle” TV broadcast aired nationwide. Light skinned and very pretty, she has a fondness for luxury suits and matching accessories. Just like the husband, Anita is flashy. A mother of two, Anita spends more time in the United Kingdom where she is the Director of the Christ Embassy’s International Office than she does in Nigeria.

HELEN ORITSEJAFOR
Helen Oritsejafor is the affable wife of the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Light skinned and pretty, her love for wide brimmed hats is unparalleled and she has them in numerous eye-catching colours to match her outfits. Mama Helen, as she is fondly called, oversees the Eagle Heights Group of Schools, Eagle Heights Clinic, and an orphanage owned by the Word of the Bible Church, founded by her husband, Pastor Ayo.

IBIDUN IGHODALO
Ibidun is the beautiful and gorgeous wife of Pastor Ituah Ighodalo - a chartered accountant and former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Christ’s Church Parish, Gbagada. She runs an event planning outfit, Elizabeth R. Her company plans the events of Nigeria’s high society. She is an elegant woman whose beauty is adored by many. The stunning beauty won the first maiden edition of the then Miss Lux contest.

NIKE ADEYEMI
Nike Adeyemi is the first lady of Day Star Christian Centre, Oregun, Lagos. The church that is headed by the couple has drawn thousands of Nigerian youths. The mother of three graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where she studied Architecture. Pastor Nike, as she is fondly called by people, is a woman who is very visible in the ministry which is co-headed by her and the husband, Sam Adeyemi.

JUMOKE ADEYEMI
Pastor Jumoke Adeyemi is the first lady of Global Harvest Churches International and wife of popular Ibadan based Pastor Victor Adeyemi, who is also a brother to popular Sam Adeyemi, pastor of Day Star Christian Centre. Mama, as she is fondly called, is noted for her unique style of delivery on the pulpit. She preaches with great passion and illustration in an exclusive way. Pastor Jumoke holds a masters degree in Personnel Psychology from University of Ibadan. She is a mother of four kids, Charlotte, Jemimah, Sharon and Arnold.

SADE OLUKOYA
Sade Olukoya is the beautiful wife of Pastor Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries. She is blessed with a beautiful and unique voice that thrills the church audience and she also authors so many books. She is blessed with a son. Like Pastor Kumuyi’s wife, she is also conservative when it comes to her dress sense. She does not wear earrings neither does she wear any form of jewelries. What she cannot do without is her hat. Most times, she can’t complete her attire without a matching hat.

EVELYN JOSHUA
Evelyn is the adorable wife of the General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of all Nations, the popular pastor, T.B Joshua. She is beautiful no doubt but her modest nature enables her to shun the frill and thrill of luxury and affluence. There is no gain saying that the husband is one of the richest in the evangelism world but that does not translate her into being ostentatious.

IFEYINWA ADEFARASIN
Ifeyinwa is the pretty wife of Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the General Overseer of the House on the Rock. A former beauty queen during her undergraduate years at the University of Lagos, motherhood has not taken the shine off her.

NKECHI ANAYO-ILOPUTAIFE
Victory Christian Church’s Nkechi Anayo-Iloputaife was thrust into the limelight after the gruesome murder of her husband, Bishop Hayford Anayo Iloputaife in 1995. Apart from mesmerizing her congregation with her biblical teachings, she also makes an impression on them via her assorted collection of high-end designer suits.

NKOYO RAPU
Nkoyo Rapu displays an enviable stature and style akin to that of her husband, Pastor Tony Rapu. Her style regimen earns her a place on the list of best dressed public figures.

ROSEMARY ODUKOYA
Former Miss Rosemary Simangele, a South African was thrust into the limelight a few years ago when she wedded Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of Fountain of Life Ministries and husband of the late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya. Previously based in the United Kingdom, the South African is well versed in the knowledge of fashion.

BLESSING AGBOLI
She is a co-pastor and wife of the founder of the Victorious Army Ministry as well as a lover of all things bright and beautiful. Expensively dressed at all times, top on her list of fashion accessories should be her jewellery which she has in abundance.

YEMISI ASHIMOLOWO
Yemisi Ashimolowo is the First Lady of KICC, acclaimed to be the largest and fastest growing church in Western Europe. Through regular meetings and special events, Pastor Yemisi actively reaches out to the individual woman of God through the following ministries: the ‘Successful Wives’ (married women), the ‘Ladies-in-Waiting’ (single women), the ‘Mothers-in-Waiting’ (wives believing God for the fruit of the womb), the ‘Positive Parents’ (single mothers) and the ‘Senior Sisters’ (mature women of God – aged 50 and above). Pastor Yemisi is married to KICC Senior Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and she is the proud mother of two sons Tobi and Tomi.

BISHOP PEACE OKONKWO
Bishop Peace Okonkwo is the Resident Pastor of the Headquarters Church of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), and Proprietress of the Word of Power Group of Schools. She is married to Dr. Mike Okonkwo MFR, the Presiding Bishop of TREM and they are blessed with a daughter, Uche.

ThisDay

Sokoto APC crisis: Two sets of executives emerge

All Progressives Congress

A governor and his predecessor lead separate factions of the party

by Abdoulaye Kay

Barely 24 hours after the Governor Aliyu Wamakko-led All Progressives Congress, APC, issued a statement naming members of the party’s Sokoto State Interim Executive Committee, another set of interim executives has been named by a rival faction in the state.

A second APC faction led by ex-Governor Attahiru Bafarawa met and presented, Monday, its own interim executive committee.

A statement signed by the Secretary of the Bafarawa-led Committee, Lawal Faru, said members of the committee were drawn from the political parties that merged to form the APC, including the ANPP, CPC and the ACN.

“After due consultations with stakeholders of all our merging parties that include All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Sokoto state, His Excellency, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, APC leader has approved the constitution of the Sokoto state Interim Executive Committee of our great party as per the harmonization of our legacy parties are concern,” the statement read.

The Interim Executive Committee members approved by the Bafarawa faction include Abubakar Sanyinna (ANPP) as chairman; Lawal Faru, Secretary (CPC); Nasiru Kalanbaina (ACN), Treasurer; Yusuf Dingyadi (ANPP), Publicity Secretary; and Nasiru Asara (CPC), Organizing Secretary.

However, the National Interim Executive Committee, in a letter No. APC/NHDQ/GEN/24/013/82 dated January 7, 2014 and signed by Tijjani Tumsah, its Interim National Secretary, had approved Governor Aliyu Wamakko’s request to nominate members of the State Interim Committee to be headed by former Minister of Youth, Inuwa Abdulkadir.

“I write to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency’s nominees for Sokoto State Interim Executive Committee (IEC) with Barr. Inuwa Abdulkadir Esq as Chairman.

“I encourage your Excellency to consult and also select members to fill in the remaining Offices of Secretary, Treasurer, Organising Secretary, Publicity Secretary; taking into consideration the other merging parties,” the APC National Secretary said in the letter.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that based on the approval letter from the national secretariat of the APC, Mr. Wamakko named Musa Maitafsir (PDP), Tukur Alkali (PDP), Bello Goronyo (PDP), Ahmed Aliyu (PDP), Usman Danmadami (ANPP), Abbas Gandi (CPC), Sidi Aliyu (ACN) and Harande Mahe (DPP) as other executive members.

The APC factionalisation in Sokoto is reminiscent of what is happening in other states, particularly states where former governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, decamped to the APC.

Mr. Wamakko, as well as governors of Kano, Rivers, Kwara, and Adamawa joined the APC due to crisis in the Nigerian ruling party.

PremiumTimes