How possible is Nigeria’s break-up?

BY AZUKA ONWUKA (AZUKA.BRAND@AUGUSTCONSULTING.BIZ)  

Azuka Onwuka
| credits: File copy

The current political, ethnic and religious tensions in the country, accentuated by the tussle for the 2015 Presidency, have begun to make many people raise the alarm that the often misquoted and misrepresented personal comments of the participants at the United States’ National Intelligence Council conference of the possibility of a break-up of Nigeria in 2015, if certain things occurred, is about to come to fruition.

Many people have often quoted the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency as the body that made that prediction so as to give that misrepresentation more authenticity. But reports show that some participants at the National Intelligence Council conference had noted that if some junior officers were to stage a coup in Nigeria, it could cause a crisis of immense proportions in Nigeria, which could destabilise the West African sub-region.

But are the fears of a possible break-up of Nigeria real or exaggerated? Another question is: Given the constant tensions in Nigeria, why has it not disintegrated?

Going down memory lane, the closest Nigeria came to disintegration was between July 1966 and January 1970. A counter-coup against Maj.-Gen. J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi had led to the massacre of Igbo civilians, especially in the North, with an estimated 50,000 of them killed. That incident led to bad blood between the Eastern Region, led by Lt. Col Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the rest of Nigeria, led by Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon. There were efforts to settle the differences, the culmination of which was the Aburi Accord in Ghana, under the chairmanship of Ghana’s military head of state, Lt.-Gen. J.A. Ankrah. But it failed to stop a war that raged from 1967 to January 1970, which claimed the lives of over one million people, most of whom were Igbo. But at the end of the war, Nigeria still remained one in spite of discontent.

The second incident closest to breaking up Nigeria was the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by Chief M.K.O Abiola, by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. This injustice was greeted by protests. While the scheduled date of Babangida’s exit of August 27, 1993 drew near, there were fears that the self-styled Evil Genius wanted to extend his stay in power, and the junta of Babangida heightened the tension in the land by the propaganda that Abiola was mustering an army to invade Nigeria. Just before August 27, there was an exodus of people from Lagos. Happily, that day came and went quietly with Babangida handing over power to an Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan.

Gen. Sani Abacha subsequently sacked the Interim National Government and unleashed a gruesome dictatorship on Nigeria from November 1993 to June 1998. There were frequent strikes and protests. The fears that Nigeria would disintegrate heightened. That fear evaporated when Abacha died in 1998 and Abiola followed suit a month after.

But before the June 12 crisis, there was another incident that had the trappings of a break-up: the 1990 military coup led by Major Gideon Orkar. The curious part of that coup was the announcement of the excision of some Northern states from Nigeria. If that coup had succeeded, the fate of those Northern states would have hung in the balance.

Then came the Niger Delta insurgency of the first decade of the 21st Century. The region had complained for a long time that despite producing the wealth of the nation, it was being treated shabbily and its land polluted. Armed groups started the bombing of oil installations as well as kidnapping of foreigners working in the petroleum industry in the region. It looked as if that would lead to a pull-out of parts of the Niger Delta from Nigeria, until in 2009 when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua initiated the amnesty programme.

That was followed by the violence of the Islamic fundamentalist group known as Boko Haram in some Northern parts of the country. The sect’s members bombed schools, markets, churches, mosques, military offices, media houses etc. Given Boko Haram’s audacity and continuous attacks, it was feared that its attacks, especially on Southerners in the North, could lead to reprisals in the South that could spark off an ethnic war. But it was managed until President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the three Northern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe this year.

Furthermore, in 2011, the plan of Jonathan to run for president also caused tension in the land, especially from the viewpoint of the North. His ambition to run was viewed as negating the gentleman’s agreement to rotate the Presidency between the South and the North. The death of Yar’Adua in office had cut short the turn of the North, it was further claimed. Nevertheless, Jonathan ran and won. There was bloodshed in parts of the North, but the nation trudged on.

Now that the 2015 presidential election is on the radar, tensions have risen again. Some tactless individuals in the North have threatened that if the North does not rule in 2015, there will be trouble. Their fellow tactless counterparts in the South-South have replied them that if Jonathan does not rule in 2015, there will be trouble. The 2015 election has therefore been given an ethnic hue again, with many fearing that there will be trouble. The current crisis in Rivers State has further worsened the situation.

However, I believe that the future of Nigeria is not threatened in the nearest future for some reasons. The first is the existence of petroleum in the South and lack of it in the North. Oil is the major national glue in Nigeria. Nigerians have become so lazy that the fear of not getting the proceeds from oil is the beginning of patriotism and oneness.

Second, even though there are armed groups in different parts of the nation, the Nigerian Army is still stronger than all of them. These armed groups do not operate under a united platform that will make them more formidable, and so they are individually of no match to the Nigerian Army.

Third, there is the often unspoken fact that deep in the hearts of Nigerians, they really want to be Nigerians. Nigerians may spew hatred about one another on Monday over underage marriage or the Presidency, but on Tuesday, if the United Kingdom or the United States threatens Nigeria over gay rights, Nigerians will suddenly come together to tell them to take a jump. If schoolchildren are killed in Borno State on Wednesday, Nigerians will exchange angry words and ask for the nation’s disintegration, only to return on Thursday to celebrate the victory of the Super Eagles at the African Cup of Nations as one nation on Sunday. It is a funny type of marriage.

However, the problem is that Nigerians are angry with the poverty in their land in spite of the immense wealth of their nation. They feel frustrated by the corruption, the frequent ethno-religious bloodshed, the marginalisation, the injustice, the unequal opportunities, the harsh environment for personal attainment, to mention but a few. When the citizens of a nation are prosperous and safe, they think less of disintegration.

Finally, from North to South and from East to West, Nigerians are diverse in their worldviews and orientations. The continued attempt to make Nigerians move together as one on all issues of life – including on religious and ethnic matters – will continue to cause problems. A true federal system of government like that practised in the US, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, etc, is meant to allow the different federating units to retain their identity and worldview while pursuing national visions with their compatriots.

What Nigeria has today is a pseudo-unitary system of government, where everything takes place in Abuja and every state has to conform to what Abuja wants. The states and zones are forced to accept lifestyles that run against their beliefs just for the sake of other states and zones. If this is not changed through constitutional means or a national conference, Nigerians will continue to feel trapped in a nation that they love but which continues to suffocate and frustrate them.

Punch

Jonathan, govs search for Tukur’s successor

 BY NIYI ODEBODE, JOHN ALECHENU AND OLUSOLA FABIYI 

National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan and governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have started searching for a new national chairman to replace Bamanga Tukur.

The PUNCH learnt that the President had acceded to the long time demand of the governors that Tukur be replaced as a panacea for the crisis rocking the party.

Our correspondents learnt in Abuja on Monday, however, that while Jonathan had agreed with the request for removing the second republic governor of the old Gongola State as chairman of the ruling party, the President had yet to be satisfied with any of the possible replacements being suggested to him

Some of the names said to have been suggested to the President include those of a former Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu; and Dr. Musa Babayo, who emerged as the PDP chairman at the North-East congress in 2012.

It was gathered that while Jonathan rejected Mua’zu because of his closeness to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the President was said to have expressed the fear that Babayo was “too close to the governors” and could hijack the party from him.

Atiku’s son, Mohammed, got married to the daughter of Mua’zu, Malama Badariya, in June.

A member of the PDP National Working Committee who spoke in confidence with one of our correspondents said, “From all indications, both the President and the governors have agreed that Tukur should go.

“Although the governors have tipped Mua’zu and Babayo, the two candidates are not acceptable to the President.

“Jonathan wants Tukur to stay until a good replacement is found for him. He does not want to lose the control of the party because of the governors’ desperate move to sack Tukur.”

As a ploy to stall the removal of Tukur, the President was said to be insisting that the governors should wait for the outcome of the party’s mini-convention before taking a final decision on Tukur.

The PUNCH  had reported on Monday that five PDP governors – Murtala Nyako, Adamawa; Rabiu Kwankanso, Kano; Babangida Aliyu, Niger; Sule Lamido, Jigawa; and Aliyu Wamakko, Sokoto – at a meeting with the President on Saturday insisted that Tukur should resign before the convention and all National Working Committee posts be declared vacant.

The party’s mini –convention, where some national officers of the party including the Deputy National Chairman are to be elected, has been fixed for August 31.

As a ‘Plan B’, The PUNCH learnt that the President was banking on the emergence of Chief Uche Secondus as deputy national chairman to check Tukur.

The second leg of the plan, it was learnt, would see the President appointing Secondus as the deputy to continue to act as national chairman in the event that Tukur is still pushed out after the convention.

Jonathan, under the plan, would refuse the possible appointment of a substantive national chairman thus allowing Secondus to conduct the party’s presidential primaries for the 2015 election.

 Secondus, a former National Organising Secretary of the PDP, hails from Rivers State and he is a close ally of Jonathan.

He aspired to be the deputy national chairman during the last national convention of the party but did not receive the backing of his state governor, RotimiAmaechi.

Tukur’s spokesman, Oliver Okpala, on Monday, refused to respond to the latest development but promised that “an official statement” from him would be issued on Tuesday (today).

He said, “Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning I am issuing an official statement on the meeting of the governors with the President.

“You will also get the reaction of the national chairman to all the issues raised, including the call for his removal.”

In a related development, the PDP has recognised Mr. Ken Emeakayi as the chairman of the party in Anambra State.

A statement by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Tony Okeke, said the decision to recognise Emeakayi was taken after consultations with major stakeholders in the state.

Okeke appealed to members of the party in the state to work with Emeakayi in order for the party to achieve a desired result in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The statement said, “Following comprehensive consultations with the major stakeholders of our great Party in Anambra State coupled with the desire to have a strong and united party to effectively reposition the fortunes of  the Party as the November 16, 2003 State Governorship Election approaches, the leadership of the Party hereby announces the decision to recognize Ken Emeakayi, as the substantive Chairman of the party in Anambra State.

“All members of our party in Anambra State are hereby directed to work with Mr. Emeakayi towards achieving victory at the forthcoming governorship election in the state.”

 Meanwhile, the security situation in the country, it was learnt, would be the subject of discussion at a proposed meeting between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP governors.

This is coming as two governors from the South-South zone met with the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on the lingering crisis between President Jonathan and most of the governors.

The meeting with Obasanjo, said to have been brokered by some of the aggrieved governors in the party, was also said to have been sanctioned by Jonathan.

One of the PDP governors, who confirmed the proposed meeting said he was however yet to receive his own invitation.

 The governor said, “Yes, the meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo would hold in August, though I have not received my own invitation.

“The meeting is going to discuss the crisis in our party and the Nigeria Governors’ ‘Forum. It will also look at the crisis in Rivers State.

“We are all scared about what is happening in the country, especially with a statement by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar,  that the nation’s democracy is at risk due to the Rivers crisis.

“That was a statement that made some of us to wake up from our slumber and start moving to address the matter. The former head of state is not a flippant person and does not talk recklessly. We have to take him seriously.”

The governor also confirmed the meeting between the President and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in Abuja on Friday night.

“Such consultations will continue and I can tell you that we are serious about saving this democracy,” he added.

Punch

Jonathan Reaches Out

President Goodluck Jonathan

• Meets Amaechi, northern govs, Saraki 
• To meet IBB, Abdulsalami, others
• To summon peace meeting of PDP stakeholders    •Obasanjo holds talks with PDP govs Aug. 1

By Olawale Olaleye

President Goodluck Jonathan engaged in a series of meetings at the weekend to douse tension in the polity, especially in Rivers State.

The president began his fence-mending talks with Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, both of whom have been locked in an acrimonious battle in recent time.

Jonathan, whose aides have repeatedly denied that he has hand in the festering political crisis in Rivers State, and Amaechi met behind closed doors for about three hours at the weekend to pave the way for the resolution of the crisis in the state, where the president’s wife, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, hails from.

The first lady has also been fingered as one of the people fanning the embers of discord in the state.

The president also met with five northern state governors - Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) — who have been shuttling around Nigeria, consulting eminent personalities on how to resolve the multi-faceted crises in the country.

THISDAY checks revealed Sunday that the president also met with former Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, now a senator.

As part of his efforts in searching for peace, the president is to meet with former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, both of whom the northern governors had consulted in a bid to reduce tension in the polity.

He is also billed to summon a peace meeting to be attended by critical stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to forge a consensus on how to resolve the crises.

In furtherance of the peace efforts, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is the immediate past chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), has also scheduled a meeting with PDP governors for August 12.

THISDAY learnt that the meeting between the president and Amaechi was brokered by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), who sat in on the discussion between the duo.

It was learnt that Dasuki initiated the process of fence mending between the duo to douse the political crisis in Rivers State that has been threatening the security and stability of the country.

Dasuki, in his capacity as the NSA, was said to have taken the initiative to invite Amaechi to a meeting with the president, certain that the Rivers State crisis amongst other security challenges, could do a lot of harm to the nation’s fragile democracy.

Presidency sources said the NSA had been toying with the idea since eight opposition governors met with Amaechi in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, about two weeks ago to plead with him to meet with Jonathan and formally brief him on the situation in his state.

The governors from the opposition parties had visited Rivers State a day after four PDP governors visited following the brawl in the state House of Assembly involving pro and anti-Amaechi lawmakers.

During their discussion, Jonathan and Amaechi, according to sources, discussed their grouses and mooted suggestions on the way forward.

Although, a follow-up meeting has been slated for a yet-to-be fixed date, sources told THISDAY that the president told Amaechi where he felt he had wronged him, adding that he was not comfortable with his anti-government stance.

He was said to have cited the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) leadership crisis and what he perceived as the regular confrontation with the governor, as some of the reasons for the frosty relationship between the duo.

On the way forward, a source quoted the president as telling the governor that the matter was beyond him now as everybody on the presidency side who have issues with Amaechi would have to be brought together so that their grievances could be finally addressed.

However, Amaechi, sources said, made it clear that the crisis was not essentially about him as his first condition was that the president should meet with his group, that is the northern governors in his camp, who at their meeting with Jonathan, listed the terms for peace.

It was learnt that the fact that Amaechi avoided listing conditions at the meeting was deliberate because he thought of the need to go along with the team that has stood by him as well as leaving the peace terms at their discretion.

This, sources said, was the reason the president met with the five northern governors who gave the terms for peace, citing the Rivers crisis as a major item on the agenda.

Amaechi, sources said, intentionally avoided discussing the NGF issue as well as the alleged partisanship of the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, with the president but the meeting with the five governors raised them.

In addition, sources explained that Amaechi did not raise the issue of the first lady’s alleged meddlesomeness in Rivers politics as well as the activities of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesome Wike, and the PDP factional chairman in Rivers State, Mr. Felix Obuah, who are edging on the anti-Amaechi opponents.

At the meeting with Kwankwaso and others, the governors were said to have told the president that the main problems in the polity were the Rivers crisis and the hijacking of the party in some states by some PDP national officers.

Another source told THISDAY Sunday that Jonathan, during his meeting with Saraki, who was Amaechi’s predecessor as NGF chairman, solicited for his cooperation in resolving the crises in the country.

On his part, Obasanjo is billed to meet PDP governors on August 12 shortly after his return from Zimbabwe where he is leading the African Union (AU) Election Observer Mission for the Zimbabwe general election, slated for this week.

The former president is one of the personages consulted by the northern governors who met with him in his Abeokuta home on July 20; the same day Jonathan also met with him.

The president was on a condolence visit to the town to commiserate with his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, who lost his mother.

ThisDay

APC Registration: ACN, ANPP Demand INEC’s Neutrality

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair and unbiased in handling the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking in the same view the National Publicity Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Emma Eneukwu, urged the commission not to succumb to pressures from agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate the registration of the new opposition coalition party.

Eneukwu, who spoke to THISDAY Sunday, said though it would be shocking to the merging parties if INEC rejects the registration application for APC, the merging parties had the capacity to forge ahead.

But ACN said since the promoters of APC has met all the requirements to consummate their merger,  INEC had no reason whatsoever not to approve the merger.

In a statement issued on by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said in spite of recent media reports concerning the antics of some negative forces within INEC over APC's registration, the emerging party's leadership had no doubt that in the end, the electoral body would do what was right in accordance with the law.

“We urge INEC not to compromise its neutrality and integrity by acting contrary to the law. We remind the commission that Nigerians are keenly watching how it will handle this merger issue, and whatever it does will determine whether or not Nigerians can count on it to organise a free, fair and credible elections in 2015,” the statement stated.

The party expressed satisfaction with the statement credited to the spokesman of the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, that there was no court injunction compelling the commission to stop the merger.

“We believe we are on the same page with INEC as far as this trail-brazing merger is concerned, and that has been confirmed by the INEC spokesman, and we therefore call on the commission to do the proper thing now, which is the registration of APC.

“There is no doubt that INEC is under tremendous pressure, from both the card-carrying PDP members of the commission and their collaborators who are mortally afraid of the merger, and who will want the electoral body to commence, right now, the process of rigging the 2015 election in their favour. Given the already over-heated polity ahead of the 2015 elections, we believe INEC will not do anything that will aggravate the situation,” it said.

The party, therefore, dismissed as a mere speculation the report that INEC was planning to write a letter to the proponents of APC to find another name because of a court case instituted by a political association over the APC acronym.

“We are convinced that INEC has no discernible reason to write such a letter to us. In the first instance, there exists no court injunction anywhere restraining the commission from registering APC. There could be many court cases, but until there is a court order, no one can pre-empt what a court will do and act on that basis.

“Again, we have met all the stipulated requirements. INEC has also inspected our proposed headquarters in Abuja and sighted all our interim officers. The merger process may be novel, but we have played according to the rules and we expect nothing less from INEC,” ACN said.

The party had appealed to all the supporters of the emerging APC across the country to remain calm over the registration issue.

“We know that many of our teeming supporters are upset by the report of the shenanigans in INEC over this issue. But it is important for them to remain law-abiding as we await the decision of INEC. We are confident, going by the words of INEC itself, that the court case instituted by those laying claim to the APC acronym has no bearing on what is going on,” the party assured.

ThisDay

2015: Northern govs meet Shagari, Ekwueme, others

…Blast Okupe

From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Kaduna

The second phase of the mission to rescue the country’s democracy, which began last Saturday, will continue next week, with five northern governors visiting former President Shehu Shagari and ex-vice president, Alex Ekwueme.

Also, the governors will meet with former Senate presidents and Speakers of the House of Representatives as well as former national chairmen of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The visit, Daily Sun learnt, is a follow up to the ones made to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, last Saturday and to two former military heads of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ibrahim Babangida during the week.

Confirming the development, Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State said that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the governors were billed to visit “former Defence Minister, General TY Danjuma, Ekwueme, all former PDP chairmen, former Senate presidents and former Speakers of House Representatives ,” adding that those insinuating that their mission was only targeted at PDP leaders were only trying to take the wind out of our sail.

He further said: “Nigeria is bigger than any individual. Our mission is to salvage the current situation and save our nascent democracy from imminent collapse. We are people with rich political history.

We know where we are coming from, as such, we will do everything to ensure that democracy survives in this country. We struggled to come about this democracy. In fact, some of us almost paid with our lives. Therefore, we must rise up to the challenge.”

On the attack on him and his colleagues, by the Presidency, through its Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, Lamido simply said: “Okupe is trying to earn a living and so he is trying to justify his pay and he is working dearly for it.

But let me say that as party men, we won’t join issues with our President on the pages of the papers. However, where was Okupe and his like when, as a party, we were struggling to make Jonathan, first as the party’s candidate and later as Nigeria’s President?

Where were they? If the PDP governors had not stood their ground, will those making noise today on behalf of our president have had anything to hold on to? “When we talk, we should do so with decorum and some sense of responsibility.

We should stop behaving as if we own today and that tomorrow will never come. We should always remember that there was yesterday. If those talking now have forgotten what happened yesterday, those listening to them today, know exactly what transpired yesterday.

“Therefore, we should stop behaving as if we own ourselves. We may have our plans, but we should always remember that God, our creator, is the best of all planners,” Lamido declared.

TheSun

2015: Tension in Akwa Ibom as missing SSG, Umana, reportedly gets 48 hours order to resign

Bassey Udo

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, reputed for being profligate, lectures about governance and corruption

The whereabouts of Umana Umana is unknown.

Barely five days after he made public his ambition to run for the office of the governor in 2015 the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Umana Umana, has been reportedly given 48 hours to resign from office or be booted out.

Mr. Umana had last Thursday declared his aspiration to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2015.

The declaration followed weeks of speculations that he was under intense pressure to vacate office and withdraw from the race, reports that his associates dismissed as blatant lies and fabricated rumour.

His spokesman, Iboro Otongaran, had said the reports were baseless and unfounded, as it followed a similar one that he was rejected and barred him from running for the office after he was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan as the state’s PDP gubernatorial candidate for 2015.

The intrigues heightened last week when reports said he was one of three nominees, whose names were submitted to the presidency for consideration and appointment as the next Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Though the latest report that he has been forced to resign is yet to be confirmed officially, PREMIUM TIMES’ visit to the Government House, Uyo, revealed there was palpable tension around the premises with an unusually high presence of armed security operatives at the main entrance to the SSG’s office.

The fierce-looking mobile policemen and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), mounting security at the gate, were busy frisking every person and vehicle going in or out of the premises.

Nobody was ready to speak on the whereabouts of the embattled SSG, whose decision to declare his interest in the governorship race has been described by Governor Akpabio’s loyalists and associates as an affront and the height of disloyalty to his boss.

When contacted, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umana, said he could not comment on the recent happenings as he was not in Akwa Ibom.

PremiumTimes

The Tragedy of Abandoned Projects By Nasir El-Rufai

Nasir El-Rufai

“The government must curb the temptations or pressures to embark on new projects when so many remain uncompleted or abandoned”

Eleven thousand, eight hundred and eighty-six (11,886) abandoned projects that will cost an estimated N7.78 trillion to complete. These alarming figures are from the report of the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) set up in March 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into cases of abandoned federal government projects. If the government does not start any new projects, it will take more than five years budgeting about N1.5 trillion annually to complete them all – and that is assuming no cost-over runs or delays.

Ordinarily, these figures should compel the government to accelerate the completion of all ongoing projects, or at least focus on high priority ones. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. The government would rather continue the weekly charade of awarding new contracts or re-awarding old ones at higher prices during its weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings.

As trillions of naira are being wasted in the name of public projects, it is important to understand issues, like how projects are initiated, bid for, negotiated and awarded and why they get abandoned. Who and what are really responsible for abandoned projects? Are poor planning, haphazard procurement, and incompetent project management the key causes or is it financial mismanagement? In spite of mobilization fees already paid, why is nobody held accountable when projects are not completed? How far can the Bureau of Public Procurement or other agencies with requisite mandate go, to address the root causes of abandoned projects?

There is a need to briefly examine how projects are initiated and contracts awarded. The first step ought to be conception of projects that fit within a scheme of national vision, strategy and development programs.

As we have stated in this column, a 27-page “transformation agenda” tucked away in the website of National Planning Commission falls short of this. This “agenda” is largely inconsistent with the Federal Ministry of Finance medium term sector strategies and budgeting priorities for 2011 and 2012. Most projects are therefore conceived out of nowhere and lacking in internal coherence and consistency with other programs.

Next is to plan and design the project in detail. Assume a road is to be constructed between two locations, the rights-of-way must be surveyed, levels taken, alignment finalized, road designed, and detailed drawings, bills of quantities and other bidding documents prepared prior to inviting pre-qualified engineering contractors to submit competitive tenders.

The design development process can take anything between some months to more than a year, while it takes a minimum of 5 months from advertising invitations for bids to presentation to the FEC or other approving authority. This suggests that design and procurement processes for any project ought to start at least a year or two before being budgeted for. This only happens in a few foresighted agencies (MDAs).

Typically, nothing happens until the budget is passed and cash-backed, then the implementing MDA begins the fire brigade work of compressing this timeline into a few weeks. Most MDAs wait until projects are included in the budget or the budget passed before they start project surveys or design or the procurement process. When an MDA spends at least 5 months on procurement, how much time does the contractor have to execute the project and draw down the funds before the financial year runs out? This becomes a big issue as MDAs are required by law to return all unspent funds to the treasury by the year end.

To understand why projects get abandoned, we must also understand the pervasive lack of continuation in policies as occupiers of political offices change. Whether it is long term development plans or contracts for critical infrastructure, the repeated practice in Nigeria is that once new people are in office, policies or programs of the previous administration are abandoned. This unwillingness to ensure policy continuity is the root cause of nepotism, corruption and impunity, as officials often re-award such contracts to cronies and generous campaign donors at inflated prices.

In this regard, the “democracies” have not fared better than the military in policy consistency. From Obasanjo’s NEEDS, to Yar’Adua’s Seven-Point agenda, and now, Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda – there has been continuity of policy inconsistency within the same ruling party – and turning projects that would have ordinarily benefited the populace into drain pipes.

Critical examples are the N52m Zobe dam in Katsina, commissioned in 1983 by the Shagari regime; not only has several times the original amount been spent on the project, it has not pumped up a single liter of water. And the Ajaokuta Steel Complex which has gulped about N675bn, but still not produced much steel.

When projects are abandoned, the usual reason given is lack of funds, though often it is the pre-contract mishaps already alluded to, and project management deficits that are the fundamental causes. How can funding constraints be blamed for project failures? Should one not wonder why a project is approved in the absence of adequate funds? In fact, section 4 (2) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, states plainly that all procurement shall be ‘based only on procurement plans supported by prior budgetary appropriations; and no procurement proceedings shall be formalized until the procuring entity has ensured that funds are available to meet the obligations and has obtained a “Certificate of ‘No Objection’ to Contract Award” from the Bureau’. Simply put, the law requires that no contract should be awarded if funds are not available for it from the onset.

It is intuitive that abandoned projects fuel corruption and reduce public confidence in governance. The excuse of inadequate or delayed funding may sometimes be contrived. Such an inference could be drawn as abandoned projects are more often than not re-awarded at unjustifiably over-bloated sums. The increased costs are subsequently justified by blaming inflation, exchange rates, labour and materials cost increases amongst others.

If we intend to check the abnormality of abandoned projects, the relevant laws have to be strictly adhered to. Section 63 (1) of the Public Procurement Act which states thus: ‘In addition to any other regulations as may be prescribed by the Bureau, a mobilization fee of no more than 15% for local suppliers and contractors and 10% for foreign suppliers and contractors may be paid to a supplier or contractor …’ must be firmly applied. According to the PPAC, it is not uncommon for contractors to be paid mobilization fees in excess of 50% of the contract sum, often in apparent violation of the law.

While the Executive arm of government is largely to be blamed for abandoned projects, it is not alone. The National Assembly (NASS) is liable as well by unlawfully and unconstitutionally inserting new, unplanned projects into Appropriation Bills expecting them to be implemented. The NASS has joined the executive branch in ignoring the funding needs of existing projects to completion and commissioning. Take the Zobe dam mentioned; does the representative of that constituency not have the responsibility to pursue and ensure the strict completion of projects in his constituency? If the focus of the government is on development and service to the people, why should officials seek approval for new projects when unfinished ones do not enjoy adequate funding and sound project management?

The Public Procurement Act 2007 established the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) with the National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP), as the regulatory authorities saddled with the oversight functions of monitoring procurement and implementation of federal projects across the country. These statutory functions have been hampered by lots of challenges, including the late passage of the annual Appropriation Acts by NASS and abandonment of the procurement processes by the relevant MDAs if favored bidders turn out to be unsuccessful.

If properly sustained, the Due Process and Certification Mechanism started by the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit under Oby Ezekwesili, would have been one of the many benefits of the legislation. This has however not been the case because of policy discontinuities and the cravings of politicians to have unfettered discretion in awarding contracts.

The federal government needs to, as a matter of urgency, comply with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act. The government must curb the temptations or pressures to embark on new projects when so many remain uncompleted or abandoned. Desirable projects must be continued irrespective of whichever administration initiated them. The NCPP, which is yet to be constituted, should be urgently inaugurated to superintend the activities of the BPP, as opposed to the current scenario where the FEC usurps the Council’s statutory functions.

As you read this, the Federal Ministry of Finance recently announced the release of N300 billion for capital projects for the third quarter of 2012, bringing the total release for capital projects so far this year to N704 billion out of nearly N1.5 trillion for the year. Most citizens will not feel the impact of this amount because the planning, procurement and project management processes are still fraught with nepotism, corruption and impunity that many projects may end up on the abandoned projects list – after billions have been paid as fungible mobilization advances. Our nation must do better. We must demand that our leaders do better.

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