The perils of rogue westernization

 By: Tatalo Alamuon: 

•President Muhammadu Buhari

Great events often steal upon a people virtually unnoticed.It is when they gather speed and momentum that we begin to wonder what has hit us. This past fortnight has been quite dramatic in its possibilities for the nation. Once againwe are on the cusp of unusual developments.
Last week began innocuously enough. But by midweek, all illusions of peace and calm have been shattered. Upon all the crippling economic burdens the average Nigerian is forced to bear, a totally unforeseen and unprecedented hike in petroleum pricing was slammed on the nation with the deadly ferocity of a military ambush.
It all seems so unreal and bizarre in the extreme. All of a sudden, a governmentwhich has bonded so intimately with the poor and injured of the land, a government which has advertised its compassion for the injury inflicted on Nigerians by their ruling class, bared its knuckles in a manner reminiscent of harsh, authoritarian military rule.
Yet in a strange reversal of role, it was the government that began playing the injured, pretending to be hurt that explanations not offered have not been heard. Glum and uncommunicative at best, jumping from one absurdexcuse to the other, with IbeKachikwu levitating on highfalutin techno-speak and the latest petrolese, this is not the finest hour of the administration.
Is it any wonder, then, that up till this moment and in the face of looming mass alienation, the president has not found the courage to address the nation? At least, the retired general from Daura cannot be accused of great immoral courage. Like all formidable military commanders, the president has retreated behind a wall of silence, secrecy and stealth. But one suspects that the general is personally hurting from this breach of trust and his inability to guarantee the integrity of his own earlier promise.

But General Buhari needs not obsess about this failure of policy or be fixated on the dent on his honour as an officer and gentleman. There is plenty of opportunity to make up. Government is not about a single capitulation. There is still much hope invested in the Buhari administration as the very last opportunity for this country to get it right after forty years in the wilderness of aborted promise.
Yet amidst of all this, the divided and polarized Labour Union has ordered a national strike which has turned out a damp squib, shunned and ignored by majority of the workers on whose behalf they claim to be stirring. This is the first time in the history of the country that Labour has been so comprehensively cuckolded by labourers. In effect, the Nigerian Labour Union stands disgraced and demystified.
It is a disgrace and demystification that has been long in coming. For over thirty years, many of us have been warning our labour aristocrats that the day is coming when the falcon will no longer hearken to the falconer. That day, it seems, is now upon us. For the post-colonial society battered by the rampaging forces of global capitalism, old labour, with its rustic and rusticated conceptual armature, no longer works.
When labour is not in collusion and conspiracy with the state to break the back of rampart civil society as it was evident in the watershed January 2012 protests, it has turned itself into an enemy of the very workers whose interests it is supposed to protect. For a long time, some of us have argued that what labour needs is not retroactive and reactive protests whose outcome do not make a dent on the plight of workers but an alternative political platform and ideological paradigm which will challenge the ravages of global capitalism in its current stage and particularly in Nigeria.
But this has fallen on deaf ear. You cannot give what you don’t have. Rotten mango cannot fall very far from the parent tree. The conceptual and intellectual rigour demanded is beyond the ken of the dinosaurs of “up and at ém” struggle.
The irony t is that with its reformist consciousness and salary increment per protest mind-set, labour exists in a state of antagonistic but paradoxical collusion and complicity with global capitalism and its transnational oligarchs. The masters of the forces of production are even toying with dispensing with human labour altogether.
With labour added to the casualty list, Nigeria is a post-colonial morgue of dead and dying institutions. All the vital institutions of the state and civil society are either dead or on life-support machine. This is why there is this eerie disorientation in the nation, as if one is walking in a land of living ghosts.
Unless Nigeria is remade and rebuilt from scratch, we can forget it. The greatest affliction which can befall a people is not the affliction itself but the inability to correctly identify the affliction.  The current crisis about petroleum pricing is not caused by the precipitate removal of the so called subsidy but something more fundamental. It is a classic case of confusing the symptom with the disease.
In the hallucinatory haze of the terminally diseased, we often reach for whatever we confuse with the nearest pain killer. When Nigeria was fairly well-governed, particularly before the advent of military despotism, we did not hear of subsidy. When there was no run on the naira by a kleptomaniac ruling class and massive corruption compounded by impunity, we did not hear of subsidy.
Simply put, what is erroneously referred to as subsidy is State levy or government tax on rogue westernization. It is a case of double jeopardy and a lose-lose situation for the teeming Nigerian underclass. But pray what is rogue westernization?
Nigeria was never conceived as an organic country but as a trading and retailing outlet of the western imperium. Till date, the nation has retained a proud fidelity to the founding charter. Deliberately peopled by a political elite organically divorced from the aspirations and yearnings of a true nation, a political elite unable to come together to found a new authentic nation, aping the worst aspects of western capitalism without being able to draw on the inner strengths and resources of the new nation, Nigeria is a disaster always waiting to happen.
In the event, Nigeria has come up with national institutions which are genetic hybrids combining the worst aspects of western societies with the most pernicious carry-over from traditional institutions. They can hardly pass muster.
Worse, and a result of the programmed inferiority complex of our elite, we hanker after western goods that we do not produce: from the latest cars, household gadgets and even petroleum products that we ought to be able to produce were this not to be a truly dysfunctional society.
Yet apart from crude oil, we can hardly sell anything to the west. How can we preserve our foreign reserve and strengthen the value of the naira when we are wedded to frivolities and meretricious fripperies from the west?
On any typical journey by train from London on a weekend, you are likely to run into one of Her Majesty’s ministers on his way to his constituency clutching his red briefcase and his sandwich. Nigeria does not have a viable rail system or even decent road transportation.
Meanwhile, our own national and state assemblies as well as other functionaries of the state award themselves humongous salaries and emoluments which have no bearing with the dismal economic realities of the nation. All the mass transportation schemes which they claim to be derivative ameliorations from subsidy removals of the past have ended up as gigantic frauds fuelling inflation and the run on the naira. When will Nigeria produce Nigerians?
To survive, the government must tax this rogue westernization and petroleum products are the softest targets because of the sheer volume of the racket. Everybody, particularly the poor, must bear the brunt of elite malfeasance.We have now been told with commendable if brutal candour that petroleum prices went up simply because the nation was flat broke.
At a similar point in his nation’s history, Pandit Nehru decreed that if India cannot produce its own fabric or develop its own indigenous car, then the people can trek and walk naked. After mongering platitudes about self-reliance and the need to stimulate indigenous production, Nigerian leaders usually relapse into the despotic opulence of village tyrants. The people take their cue from the rulers.
The argument for the removal of petroleum subsidy is solely conducted at the level of synchronic manifestation of reality without any conceptual linkage to its diachronic and futuristic dimensions. It is all about where we are at the moment rather than where we are coming from and where we are headed. The faulty answer is embedded in the faulty question.
This inability to totalize facts is a conceptual subterfuge which allows the mind to avoid uncomfortable political truths and it is the bane of western empiricist epistemology and all the disciplines derived from it, particularly modern Economics which often accounts for their lack of dialectical rigour and delinquent simplification of complex reality. This is perhaps the worst intellectual legacy our colonial masters bequeathed to us.
It is this endemic crisis of nationhood and rogue westernization which often manifest in the periodic removal of so called subsidy to much national anguish. As long as there is unregulated consumption of western goods and as long as corruption is backed by impunity, there will always be a run on the naira and the subsidy trap will open once again. Once the naira hits 500 to one single dollar, the subsidy experts will be back again to collect their scalp until we reach Weimar Republic and its worthless currency.
This crisis which has been long in coming has now developed its local pathologies and may no longer be amenable to a national cure-all prescription but a creative and visionary restructuring of the entire political architecture of the nation. We have now reached a point where what is tonic for a particular nationality and its local economy may be toxic to another.
In retrospect, it is doubtful whetherPandit Nehru, with all his heroism and considerable political clout, could have achieved the grand Hindu consensus about the destiny of the new nation if Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Pakistani militants were still to be part of an amorphous India nation. Colonial India had to be created anew, but in a situation of regrettable mayhem and bloodshed.
National consensus and cohesion will always elude colonial creations where constituting nationalities retain strong individual identities and a vibrant sense of private destiny within or outside of the superimposed behemoth. Nigeria remains a classic example of this explosive colonial cocktail.
But it can be made to work, particularly if Nigerian nationalities are willing to surrender this unstated but turbulent sovereignty in exchange for a more creative and cooperative union of fiercely independent nationalities. At no other point in its history has Nigerian been in a greater need of a visionary political genius. The next twelve months will show whether General Buhari is truly the man we have been waiting for, or whether we have to tarry awhile

HOW JONATHAN REGIME DESTROYED NIGERIANS TO FUND ITS ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

Jibril Ibrahim wrote; Jonathan was the 'Stupid Mistake' of our time !

Let us examine the corruption-driven subsidy payment facts:
*N151.9 billion in 2006
*N188 billion in 2007
*N256.3 billion from January to July 2008
*N421.5 billion in 2009
*N673 billion in 2010 Now in 2011, N1.3 trillion!

This amount was later revised upward by the Ministry of Finance to N2.19 trillion!
The pertinent question here is: How come subsidy payment jumped from N673 billion in 2010 to N2.19 trillion in 2011? amounting to a 225.4% increase in one year!?
The answer is simple:2011 was an election year and the Jonathan government needed huge sum of money to fund its election campaigns. So the Jonathan regime, through the Ministry of Finance, jerked up subsidy payments in 2011 in order to be able to run its campaign, bribe INEC officials to change election results, appease the elites, Obas, Emirs, Obis and other traditional rulers,bribe the media, hire thugs to kill, snatch ballot boxes, cause havoc on election days and other criminal electoral activities.
Through the partial removal of subsidy, the Jonathan regime made us pay for what the PDP government and corrupt politicians used to campaign its successful 2011 general elections!Few years after the 2011 general elections, the Jonathan government started planning towards the 2015 general elections. Upon realizing that there was no way it could remove subsidy on Petroleum again to fund elections having partially done so in 2012and was vehemently opposed by Nigerians, it retorted to other means: INSECURITY in the North East fueled by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents!Remember that in 2012,Patrick Aziza, the former National Security Adviser (NSA), blamed the PDP leaders for the escalation of Boko Haram insurgency and he was thereafter silenced.
In order to ensure that the PDP had enough money to fund its 2015general elections campaign, the Jonathan regime had to deliberately prolong the war against Boko Haram and ask for security funds every year on pretense that such funds were being used to buy arms, military hardwares and fight Boko Haram insurgency. Whereas, some of the monies are being kept for the2015 elections campaign, bribe INEC officials, settle corrupt PDP leaders and elite Nigerians, bribe the media, and other private collaborators, hire thugs to kill, snatch ballot boxes, disrupt elections, cause havoc on election days and other criminal electoral activities.
Did you now know why there was so much corruption in the military: Oritshejafor-gate,Dasuki-gate, Badeh-gate, Diezani-gate?
Did you now see where the monies that were shared among PDP leaders and their collaborators came from?Did you now know why the war against Boko Haram was not won under Goodluck Jonathan?Did you now know why the US government said that under Goodluck Jonathan there was no political will to save the Chibok girls and win the war against insurgency?Did you now know why the American government refused to sell to us, its war planes?This was how callous and inhuman Jonathan regime was: it funded its successful 2011 elections by hurting you and I, and funded its failed 2015 elections at the expense of the lives of the North East people and the Chibok girls!I tell you some people when they die, they will be rejected on earth, in heaven and in hell.

There will be no resting place for you GEJ!
Call me anything you like, i dont care but continue to preach the truth.

Senate Asks FG to Recover N42bn Waivers Granted Dangote, Bua, Others

Omololu Ogunmade and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The Senate on Tuesday asked the federal government to recover N42 billion grants as import duty waivers to six companies including Dangote Limited and BUA Sugar Refinery between 2013 and 2015.

The upper chamber also asked the federal government to compel Olam International Limited, Popular Foods, a subsidiary of Stallion Group, and Milan Group to pay the import duty demand notice of N24 billion served on them by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for exceeding the quota granted to them on rice importation during the period.

The Senate resolution was the fallout of the adoption of the report of its ad hoc Committee on Import Duty Waivers, Concessions and Grants which investigated the indiscriminate use and abuse of waivers granted by the federal government to some organisations.

Presenting the report, the committee’s chairman, Senator Adamu Aliero, put the total amount to be recovered as grants for rice importation at N10 billion.
He listed the organisations meant to repay the N10 billion rice waivers and the respective amounts they should refund to include: Dangote Limited (N1,031,038,848); Kersuk Farms (N1,927,800,000); BUA Group (N3,704,126,328); Elephant Group (N1,501,627,680); Golden Penny (N284,602,399.20); and Milan Group (N1,855,263,312).

He added that the sum of N31.7 billion, representing 5 per cent import duty and another 45 per cent levy for 2013, as well as 5 per cent import duty and 65 per cent levy for 2014-2015 grants for the importation of raw sugar, should be recovered from BUA Group for obtaining a waiver for the importation of raw sugar without what he described as the backward integration policy for local sugar production.

He also said Mediterranean Nigeria Limited should be made to pay N82,101,866.10 as import duty for excess and under-invoicing 2,161,440 kilogramme of St. Louis cube sugar in June 2014.

In the same vein, the Senate resolved that the sum of N687,496,320, which the committee described as an illegal amount for the transfer of 100,000 metric tonnes of rice by JNI to Elephant Group, should be recovered.

It also said Elephant Group and officials, who were involved in the transaction, should be sanctioned for alleged economic sabotage, noting that the waiver was offered as charity grants and not for commercial purpose, because the company only donated foodstuffs to secure the offer.

The Senate also resolved that firms, which were illegally granted customs duty waivers and concessions through flagrant abuse of executive powers, must be made to refund such losses, as it described the amount as a huge loss of revenue to the federation account. It also said the companies should be sanctioned for economic sabotage.
According to the committee, organisations such as Mc Sally Investment Limited, which it said was not a player in the sector, got a waiver and imported 250,000 metric tonnes of vegetable oil, adding that it was detrimental to the economy.

In the same vein, the Senate said Elephant Group should be sanctioned for securing a waiver and importing 100,000 metric tonnes of parboiled rice without being a rice farmer or miller as provided for in the National Rice Policy.

The Senate called on the federal government to ensure that the grant of multiple incentives in the form of multiple duty waivers, concessions, pioneer incentives and grants at the same time to the same beneficiaries should be stopped henceforth.
It also asked the NCS to accept only bank indemnities and not corporate indemnities to avoid future loss of revenue to the government.

It advised the federal government to as a matter of urgency restructure and streamline the functions and responsibilities of the Budget Office of the Federation with a view to preventing abuses and excesses in support of duty waivers, concessions and grants.

It also said in line with international best practices, the federal government should take appropriate steps to evolve a clear-cut policy on import duty waivers, concessions and transparent grants.

The Senate further held that federal and state governments’ contractors should no longer enjoy import duty waivers, just as it said institutional weakness in the system should be addressed through the review of all relevant laws such as Customs and Excise Management Act and Nigeria Export Promotion Council Act, among others.

$2.9bn Lost Annually to Tax Waivers

Just as the Senate ad hoc committee presented its report, the House of Representatives yesterday also disclosed that Nigeria currently loses about $2.9 billion annually to indiscriminate tax waivers, with little evidence that the tax incentives have increased investments in the country.

The policy of tax incentives and waivers, the House recalled, was originally designed to attract genuine investments, particularly foreign investors who were expected to bring in capital to support economic development and create employment. The policy has however been abused, the House said.
The House therefore directed its Committees on Finance and Public Accounts to review the policy, which is implemented by the Ministry of Finance, with a view to abolishing unproductive incentives.

The resolution of the House followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Kehinde Odeneye (Ogun APC), who emphasised that conditions for tax incentives should be clearly spelt out and directed at achieving specific social and economic objectives.
Nigeria receives an average of $6 billion annually, Odeneye said, citing figures from the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).

Hon. Herman Hembe (Benue APC) also lamented that the policy was abused to the extent that waivers were granted to oil exploration companies.
He accused the Ministry of Finance of disregarding the recommendations on eligibility and duration of tax waivers.

Hon. Nnenna Ukeje (Abia PDP) however noted that the issue of tax waivers could not be handled by a motion but by a bill, which has the potential of becoming a law.
The majority leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, advocated that the investigation should include waivers granted to manufacturers and importers, not just foreign investors.
“In Nigeria, tax waivers are the rule rather than the exception,” Gbajabiamila said.
The joint committee is expected to submit its report in four weeks.

Diezani N700m: EFCC detains Edo PDP chair

 By: Osagie Otabor, Benin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has continued its search for N700m given to Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party  out of the Diezani $115m bribe money.
It has detained State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, and extended invitation to 18 local government officials of the party.
Other persons earlier invited in connection to the N700m bribe money were a former Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasuen, Tony Aziegbemin and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Imasuen had told newsmen that the he was only invited to a branch of Fidelity Bank to witness collection of the money and that the money was taken to the House of a PDP leader where the money was shared.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu also explained that he did not touch a kobo out of the money and that he gave the EFCC list of those that signed as the money was being shared.

Sources said Pastor Ize-Iyamu has been invited again but close aides to Pastor Ize-Iyamu said he traveled to Lagos.
It was gathered that the EFCC has asked those indicted to refund the money.

Real reason Governor Oshiomhole sacked Abdul Oroh

Sani Tukur

Photo: thisdaylive.com

The Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday relieved Abdul Oroh of his appointment as Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in the State with immediate effect.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, said Mr. Oroh was removed in the public interest.
The governor then approved approved the appointment of Kerry Emokpare as Commissioner-designate in the State.
PREMIUM TIMES has however learnt that Mr. Oroh’s sack is one of the fallouts of the deep political disagreement between Mr. Oshiomhole and his deputy, Pius Odubu.
The two officials fell out recently after Mr. Odubu indicated his interest in succeeding his boss after the expiration of the governor’s tenure later this year.
Mr. Oshiomhole is openly opposed to his deputy’s aspiration, and is believed to be backing another candidate, Godwin Obaseki, the chairman of the state’s Economic Team.
But while the governor and is deputy remained at loggerheads, Mr. Oroh is believed to have openly taken sides with Mr. Odubu, to the surprise and irritation of his boss, the governor, those familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES.
“The truth is the political calculation in the state does not favour his remaining in power anymore,” an official well briefed on the matter told this newspaper. “He is openly on the side of the deputy governor, against his own boss, a man who appointed him to office.

“I think he just has to go so he can concentrate fully in his new preoccupation of backing Odubu. The governor has wished him well.”
Two close aides of the governor confirmed that narration.
But when contacted on Tuesday morning, Mr. Okhiria insisted Mr. Oroh was “removed in the public interest as contained in the statement I issued yesterday.”
He said he had no other information on the matter.
Mr. Oroh could not be reached to comment for this story. He did not answer or return multiple calls made to his telephone.
Mr. Oroh, lawyer, journalist and civil rights activist, was a former member of the House of Representatives.
He was also a for Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the state.

We Know Those Who Shot at Edo Deputy Governor in Auchi – Aide

On Saturday, April 30, 2016, Edo Deputy Governor Dr. Pius Odubu, on campaign tour, was attacked in Auchi while meeting delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area. Imoudu Afe, a member of the campaign organisation, who witnessed the horrible scenario, gives an account.

Looks like violence has become the norm in this early stage of the contest. Not long ago your campaign team alleged that it was shot at, also a few days thereafter, Godwin Obaseki’s team alleged that a gunman attacked them. What do you think that this portends?

A friend of mine, a lawyer, who is also a member of the civil society, told me that he has read section 308 and he is aware that the Deputy Governor enjoys immunity under the constitution. He also affirmed that much attention is being paid to his protection and that is why he is protected using tax payers money. That he would have given orders to his security details to shoot at the people that attacked his team during that scenario in Auchi because we knew them. The people did not come from outer space we saw them and were even discussing with them. We know them. They are our friends.We are members of the same political party. We were telling them that what they were doing is wrong. We thought it had ended. We were at the entrance of the two doors leading into hall when we started hearing gun shots. It was when one of the bullets hit somebody close to me that I knew they were direct shots. Before you know it the escort commander that was trying to tell his men to take position and defend his principal was shot in the eye. The DSS (Department of State Security) operative was shot on the shoulder. Why we said it was an assassination attempt is that you know that in security issues the DSS is the last body of security before the principal. For the DSS man to be shot on the shoulder that means if the bullet had missed him God forbid what would have happened. It is wrong to say that the Odubu campaign team was shooting themselves. My brother, we are one; we are not violent people. But let me warn that nobody has monopoly of violence. You can push somebody to the wall and he would react. What has happened after (the second shooting incident)  is not APC matter. It’s a local political contest between two opposing political divides who are supporting a particular candidate that want to show relevance. That was what happened. Somebody was coordinating and another person wanted to take over from him. Politicians believe that it’s what you put in now that will determine what you will benefit after the election. So everybody wants to be serious. On our own part, we’ve visited other local government areas after that and we were well received even in some local government areas where they were given instructions by some persons that we should not be received.  They disregarded those instructions.


Your principal, Pius Odubu, is now planning what seems to be a herculean task, to succeed his boss in September. Do you think that this is possible?
It has happened in Kano State. It’s a clear example. The Governor of Kano State was the former Deputy Governor of the state. It has also happened in Enugu and so many other states. Some even moved up to be governors from their former position as Secretary to State Government (SSG), Chief of Staff to the Governor, commissioner etc. History is made by people who are bold and strong. People who are determined and driven by their passion for the people. People who know their constitutional rights and want to enforce it. History is not made by those who are lily-livered or sit on the fence. We pray that our Comrade Governor who started well ends well and history will be kind to him.
Your principal and his boss have been serving the state on their joint ticket for almost eight years running and the belief is that they have a cordial relationship. But accusations, counter accusations and denials between them recently has shocked Nigerians. What is your take on this?
Let me tell you, even as we speak the duo still enjoy a cordial relationship. They’re still best of friends. The nature of the Deputy Governor is a result of his exposure. He didn’t do all his schooling here (in Nigeria). At the age of 18 years he went abroad on scholarship. While abroad he attended three Ivy league universities in America. He came back to Nigeria with a doctorate in law. He realised early that there can never be two captains in a ship. He realised early that he has a boss, who is the Governor, and he is the Deputy. He realised early that he must be loyal and be able to work with his boss so that there will be an environment for them to entrench development. And that is what you have seen in the last seven and half years. It’s what the Deputy Governor has learnt in the Oshiomhole’s school of developmental society that inspired him to seek to succeed his boss. He is the only person who’ll hit the ground running as soon as he is elected. The man is intelligent and he knows his onions. On the issue of the attack (of his campaign team in Auchi) he has not taken it serious because he has faith in the security agencies that they’re going to do their investigations. I think that names have been mentioned and I also think that very soon we’ll get to the end of it all. Coming to the issue of use of juju(diabolic), it was very appalling to have read it in the papers. We also knew all these issues before now. We heard it on the corridors of power that these were the things that were happening, that the governor and his deputy held a reconciliatory meeting. But the press was wrong. There was never a reconciliatory meeting between the governor and the deputy governor. They have never been involved in any quarrel or altercation. It’s only mischief makers and some politicians I call hustlers that want to be in the centre of attraction at all times that were putting together these meetings. Before now,  you will remember the issue of Gentleman Ameghor. That he is very close to the Deputy Governor and has said that he (Deputy Governor) can win election without the Governor. It became an issue. You also recall the issue of the Vice Chairman of the party,  Alhaji Magaji. That too became an issue but later died down. Then after that you heard the issue of security. They all resolved that it was a non-issue. The informant they agreed was not somebody that has a good character or is reliable. A source at the meeting (not Deputy Governor) quoted the Governor as saying: “I am the Governor today. I didn’t know that I will be governor many years ago. It’s God that gives power. I cannot stop my Deputy from exercising his rights.” The governor went further to say: “if you hear that I say anything about you tell me.  If it’s true I will tell you why I said so. But let us be on the same page.” If anything goes wrong with this administration the Deputy Governor knows that he would share from it too that is why he is determined to ensure that the current administration under the leadership of Comrade Aliu Oshiomhole ends well.
Many people fear that this argument and counter argument may not augur well for the APC at the polls. What are you doing to reconcile with the opposing camps?
There is no rancour at all. We are all members of the same political party. The philosophy of the deputy governor is that we’re all members of the same political family. That after the primaries everybody will come together and work together because we must keep Edo State in safe hands. He had earlier said he has no enemies what he has are opponents. In a contest you must have opponents. He is pursuing his own political aspiration by the rules. That is why he has control over his social media team and other organs of his campaign organisation. I know that most of the time he doesn’t sleep early because he wants to ensure that no member of his team is saying anything that is wrong against the other aspirants. He wants to ensure that everyone is cautious and we use good language when we are expressing ourselves. This is about canvassing votes from the delegates. It’s only twelve persons per ward, the local government area executives and members of the party’s state executives that are going to participate in the primaries. You cannot rule out the fact that this is the only state under the control of the APC in the south south geopolitical region so, the party is also very careful. The National Chairman of the party (Chief John Odigie-Oyegun) is from the state and he has assured that there is going to be a level playing field during the primaries. The only way you can be angry is when aspirants feel cheated; feel that there is no level playing field; there is no sincerity. That’s why you feel that you cannot manage the system. But if they go through the rigours of the primaries and the system is transparent everybody will congratulate the winner and they all work together during the election. The deputy governor has always said that whoever gets the ticket in a sincere and credible primaries would have his backing in the election proper. He also said he will need the support of all Edolites if he gets the ticket in a transparent way. We know that we have bigger enemies to confront after the primaries. We are talking of the other political parties.

If at the end of the day your principal does not get the party ticket would you volunteer to work with the elected candidate?

I have told you earlier that some of us are very experienced. Some of us have a history and a culture and we have conquered fear many years ago. I am an activist and I operate at my own risk to the extent of been imprisoned so that Nigeria can return to democratic governance. People will attest to that. So, we’re not just local names, we are people known internationally because of our courage to fight for what we believe in. When the aspirants began to reach out to me about their aspirations I sat back and assessed them. I did a SWOT analysis on all the aspirants – their Strength, their Weaknesses, their Opportunities and their Threats (SWOT). On that scale, I chose to work with the Deputy Governor. He didn’t approach me. He has been a father to me. He is somebody that I relate with as he has known me over the years. So, I approached him and told him he is the best person to be the governor of the state after Comrade Oshiomhole. I have made allusions to three very important factors in a contest, namely transparency, credibility and ability to authenticate what is right. If the primaries meet these three factors, I am telling you we’re going to support whoever wins. But I know that the contest is between the deputy governor on one side and the others on the opposite side. What we are saying is that the process should be plain so that at the end of the day during the election everybody will back the aspirant that emerges as the party’s flagbearer.

COURTESY GG PLATFORM @ TMZ: On Fayose and his madness

I hear our prof and rationalization of the call to violence . think a lot of us are  just too young to remember how the civil war started. Violence yields nothing, and when violence is mixed with ethnic and political undertones it has to be a smoldering powder that every educated person must condemn unequivocally. Fayose made statements like "his state", well he is just a governor (an usurper some of us think) and it is not his state. He has no right to stop economic activities by fiat and even his law if passed will be tested in the courts against the constitution and I can already tell you it will be struck down. If ranching is a solution, then the duty of the governor is to support that industry to inflame passion and call for inter ethnic strife and killing. That is just plain irresponsible . Ranching is not a bad idea but won't happen overnight, even as we work to harmonize cattle rearer and farmer positions across Nigeria. The only thing that will come out of Fayose's madness is death, hunger due to unemployment and high cost of beef in OUR state.

As an Ekiti man, and specifically an Ikole man (so this gets home and no need to cry more than the mourner)..this is not protection, this is lunacy. Omo ale Ni Fayose, ridiculing Ekiti people and our hard won brand for intellectualism and common sense. No one plays to the gallery with security. The reality on ground is that this issue will only lead to more progrom and death, as Ikole borders huge husbandry states of Kwara and Kogi, and have benefitted economically from being a center of trade and commerce in cattle and yams. What is oncoming is clash and massive unemployment & economic depression for the already "left behind" who barely survive already. The consequences of his misadventure will soon be obvious


PS: People talking about death toll of recent clash between criminal herdsmen and farmers are just plain gullible. We have higher death toll from maternal deaths in our hospital and bad roads cause by corruption and even armed robbery than cattle rustling. The issue is just the right one for ethnic jingoist seeking to undermine Nigeria for their own narrow interest and distract the current government from its war against their looting- Fayose inclusive.