The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: election

  • But Who Said Our Leaders Are Corrupt?

    But Who Said Our Leaders Are Corrupt?

    By Dr. Samson Abanni 

    “Nigerians are good people, it’s our leaders that are bad”. 

    “Nigerians are hardworking and conscientious, but our leaders are heartless”. 

    “Nigeria would not be associated with corruption if not for our leaders”.

    Statements like these give the impression that corruption is a disease that afflicts only the top even though we know many of these leaders were like ordinary Nigerians before leadership came calling. We have to wake up from this self-deception and face reality. Nigerians are corrupt, simple. Except you have not lived in Nigeria, this leadership/followership dichotomy when discussing the corrupt ruination of the country is a comfortable lie, but one may think it holds water if he hasn’t held a position of leadership. When you draw from a population many times and consistently get the same results, it simply means that the characteristics found in the sample is coming from the population.

    We can choose to believe a lie and keep running in cycles. We have to wake up to the reality that the majority who may not have stolen haven’t done so because the opportunity hasn’t come – and when they haven’t done so, they give their full backing to those who do, as long as they are from their part, at least by not being as mad at their own thieves, as they are at the thieves of others. 

    I have held a position of public trust and I know those who come to “teach” you how to steal – the same people who lose the most to the plundering of the system. I know how one is required to pay bribe just to be able to work, to do good, to carry out projects to benefit people. They will tell you “I don’t care if the hospital you are building will save a million lives, if I don’t get my cut, you are not building anything “. Nigerians have a way of thinking or acting the thought that, “Everyone can starve as long as I and mine have more than enough”. That’s the root of our woes. It is not hunger that breeds our corruption, we keep making the case to justify the evil, that they keep us poor so they can bribe us during elections.  Rubbish! It’s either we are ignorant of what actually happens or we don’t take the time to find out. Some say or believe that it is the billions of naira taken by the MDA head that ruins us and not the petty-corruption by the low level clerk. Don’t forget there are thousands of such clerks chipping at the nation’s core, daily. N50,000 taken by 50,000 people monthly is not small. 

    The poor harm themselves more by their little compromises. You can finally build your house from your cut, but you can’t buy an army or own your roads or hospital.  You will send your child to Canada and lose him there because there will be no country to return to, you sold a part of it to train your son. We may all have our reasons for bending the rules, but we cannot afterwards, retain the moral justification to pass on the blame to higher ups. The Minister who accepted a hundred million naira bribe is not guiltier than the messenger who accepted a ten thousand naira bribe to leak confidential information. Each is only stealing according to his capacity. Each was needed for the loop of corruption to be complete. It’s easy to think that your small corruption is not what is holding Nigeria back, but it’s an important part. My opinion is that it’s the smaller corruption that’s more dangerous because if a community stands against an oil company robbing them of billions, it’s the youth leader who will accept one million naira to talk his people out of a protest that is most destructive to his people.

    We cannot afford to continue this lie even if we refuse to do anything about it. Nigerians are corrupt and sometimes I even feel it comes from somewhere deep down. Maybe it’s the effect of forever living in lack but there are other poor countries lacking such wide-spread corruption.  In therapy, healing cannot begin without acceptance. People who pass blame rarely know good success.

    Abanni is a Medical Doctor and Member of the Board of Editors of Pacesetter Frontier Magazine. 

  • 2023 Presidential Election Amidst Crippling Inflation Crisis and Devaluation of the Naira

    2023 Presidential Election Amidst Crippling Inflation Crisis and Devaluation of the Naira

    By Ikenna Igwe

    For the most part in Nigerian politics, candidates have been known to play the identity politics game, where the focus is largely on ethnic affiliation, political parties and defacement of an opponent’s name and reputation. We hardly see election candidates debate on things in the line of a sustainable economic goal.

    In July 2009, Boko Haram stared its insurgency against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and since then, the major national issue has been the case of Insecurity and rightly so, but with the dollar at 450 as at 30th May 2022, inflation eating up the value of the Naira, poverty becoming the reality of many Nigerians and essential commodities becoming even harder for the average Nigerian to get, big economic questions have been asked of the government and as the general election is approaching, the majority of the populace have tossed out party affiliation and ethnic difference. Financial experts have cited the need for diversification of the economy. As things stand currently, the GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT(GDP) is too low for a country of the size and population of Nigeria. Exchange rate of the dollar and other foreign currencies have made the economy more volatile and the country almost at risk of another recession.

    And If there is anything Nigerians want to understand so badly, it is why and how exactly the same amount of money tends to be able to buy less and less than it used to be able to buy just few months ago. Prices of commodities keep rising without any corresponding rise in wages or income. The process and cause as to why a currency might lose its value and purchasing power is what majority of the populace don’t understand.

    Economists and Financial analysts always focus on inflation as the major reason why a currency over time tends to lose its value and purchasing power. In this piece, we will understand the basics as regards to inflation, the causes, the control measures and its impact on the whole economy.

    UNDERSTANDING INFLATION

    Inflation is the upward movement in the average price of general goods and commodities. A rise in inflation means an increase in the overall cost of living.

    Inflation affects your ability to purchase goods and services, making them costlier over time. For example, a crate of egg sold for 900 naira in March rose in May to 1350 naira, that is essentially a 50% increase in the cost. Similar prices rose across various other commodities such as milk, bread, oil, petrol etc .This simply means that people tend to spend more to buy for less. Inflation largely occurs when an economy grows due to increased spending without any accompanying increase in the production of goods and service.

    When this happens, prices rise and the currency within the economy loses its value and when it loses worth, its exchange rate weakens when compared to other currencies. However this depends on whether other countries are inflating less than yours; this is a key point because if they are inflating faster than your country, your currency will be strengthened against theirs.

    According to STATISTA, in 2022, Nigeria’s inflation rate reached 16.1%. As at March 2022, the inflation rate in the urban area of Nigeria grew by 16.44% compared to the prior year, while the rural inflation rate experienced an increase of 15.49%.

    Experts recorded Nigeria as one of the highest inflated economies in the world in 2020 and no wonder, for a country that relies heavily on importation, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the economy harshly because exporting countries were essentially on lockdown. As the economy was in recovery against the impact of the pandemic as at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, the prices of petroleum products such as diesel increased sharply. Putting into account the Russia-Ukraine war, the stability of oil prices is a long way and experts around the world are alerting the public to prepare for more heavy hit on oil price.

    IMPACT OF INFLATION ON THE ECONOMY

    Human beings tend to see everything around it in twos-either good or bad. In most cases, this is not actually the whole truth. Something can be good and only becomes bad when it is out of control. That is the case with inflation.

    Sometimes, inflation is good for the economy. Mild inflation has a healthy side effect. Once people start to expect inflation, they spend now rather than later because they know prices will be higher in the future and you know that consumer spending is what drives economic growth. In fact the federal reserve sets an inflation target, they expect a healthy core inflation rate of at least 2% every year. The Central Bank wants a little inflation which also leads consumers to believe prices will continue rising and this triggers spending.

    For consumers, inflation means filling up gas cylinders, stocking up food stuffs and bucking up the cupboard with essentials.

    For businesses, it means making CAPITAL INVESTMENT that under different circumstances might be put off until later. For some it means to buy Gold and other precious stones in order to hedge them from inflation.

    Unfortunately, the urge to spend and invest in the face of inflation tends to boost inflation, in turn creating a potentially catastrophic feedback loop. As people and businesses spend more quickly in an effort to reduce the time they hold their depreciating currency, the economy finds itself awash in cash no one particularly wants. In other words, the supply of money outstrips the demand and the purchasing power of the currency falls at an even faster rate.

    The frequency at which this is happening is what results in a case of HYPERINFLATION, which was seen in Zimbabwe [2000s], where consumers were known to be hauling around wheelbarrow loads of millions and billons of “ZIM DOLLAR” notes. That is the same with Venezuela [2010s], where thieves were practically refusing to even steal their local currency, the “BOLIVARES”, and this is essentially what brought about the destabilization of Germany in the 1920s where the inflation rate rose up to 29,525% in one month.

    As the case of inflation is growing around the world and in Nigeria more so, it is paramount that the government and other regulatory bodies in the country put in place control measures on how to curb this trend.

    CONTROL MEASURES TO CURBING INFLATION

    It is the major responsibility of the government and different financial agencies to control and regulate inflation. There are two major ways governments regulate and curb inflation in its economy.

    -Contractionary Monetary Policy: This has to be the most popular method used to control inflation. The goal of this policy is to reduce the MONEY SUPPLY within an economy by decreasing the price of government ‘TREASURY BONDS’ and increasing the ‘INTEREST RATES’. Decreasing the price placed on Treasury Bonds is meant to encourage citizens to buy government bonds which helps in reducing the money in circulation. Removing as much money from the public hands is the goal of this control measure. Increasing the interest gain on bonds is meant to encourage more investors to buy.

    These are all ways employed to essentially reduce the liquid cash in the economy. Calling in debts that are owed to government are all geared towards collecting money from the public and give to government who tries to regulate the cash flow.

    Policies that mandate banks and other financial agencies to increase its interest on loans are all engineered towards ensuring that people borrow less and spend less. As the news of increasing price of commodities have been all over the news, we have seen several countries hike their interest rates in order to curb inflation.

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised their interest rate to as high as 4.4% for the first time in two years. With US inflation at a 40 year high, the US Federal Reserve raised its interest rate up by 1% and with the rate of inflation still soaring high, further hikes are expected. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced on 4th May, 2022, that it had lifted its cash rate to 0.35%, a move designed to combat rising inflation, which is at a 21 year high.

    According to a report from the BBC, The Bank of England warned that inflation in the UK would be over 10% by the end of the year, something not seen since 1982.

    In Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria, on 24th May, 2022, jacked up the bench market interest rate to 13% from 11%, the first change in almost a year and the first hike in six years.

    CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, at the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) 142nd meeting said that the action of increasing interest rates was geared towards taming the rising inflation rate in the country.

    -Reserve Requirement: Another effective tool used is to increase the reserve requirement on the amount of money banks are legally required to keep on hand to cover withdrawals.

    The more money banks are required to hold back, the less they have to lend consumers, which will decrease spending and by a huge margin reduce the direct impact of inflation. The CBN by regulation mandates bank to deposit up to 30% of their total capital as CASH RESERVE REQUIREMENT(CRR). Funds deposited are not accessed by the banks for loans and advances. It is noteworthy that Nigeria has the highest reserve requirement in Sub Saharan Africa. South Africa, Kenya and Ghana all have CRRs of below 10% . The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, admitted that the high CRR was part of efforts to curb excess liquidity in the banking system and check inflationary pressure.

    CONCLUSION

    As the general election is fast approaching, the need for Nigerians to place issues regarding the sustainability of the economy at the forefront is so important, because we can’t get it wrong with another administration in power. Let’s do away with ethnic bias and party affiliation over everything else but rather look for competency and integrity.

    The importance of exporting more and having a larger stack in another country’s economy cannot be overemphasized because that is the most effective way to strengthen the Naira against inflation or devaluation. This is a call for the country’s central bank to enact a functioning monetary policy that will curb this growing rate of inflation.

  • 2023: Lack of Internal Democracy may cause PDP, APC to implode – Jega

     

    Former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has alleged that moneybags’ and godfathers have hijacked the dominant political parties in Nigeria and that the lack of internal democracy within the parties may cause them to implode. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are Nigeria’s dominant parties.

     

    Jega, who spoke on a television programme monitored in Lagos, yesterday, said it was impossible for APC and PDP to change and do the right thing as evident in the disorderly primaries they conducted recently.

     

    He lamented that after 22 years of democracy, Nigeria is yet to rid itself from the overbearing influence of people who see political parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections for their personal gains. He also said it was not yet time to require political parties to conduct direct primaries.

     

    “People have captured and controlled political parties for self-serving objectives, so no energy is devoted to organising primaries. Governors deploy state resources to control political parties in their states to decide which candidate will emerge. It is all driven by self-serving objectives and it is political rascality.

     

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    “After 22 years of democracy, we have still not freed ourselves from this overbearing control of people who just use parties as special purpose vehicles for winning elections by hook or by crook. That is why many of us are beginning to think that these so called dominant parties are really a huge disappointment, a drag to the democratisation process of our counter, and if we are hoping for change within these political parties, I regret to say it will be very long in coming. This is why many of us are pushing for a new purpose vehicle for democratic elections and to ensure that we move in the right direction.”

     

    Jega said it would be hard work for the new party they are forming to upstage APC and PDP, but that it was not impossible given the commitment of the people involved.

     

    “We have to address the problems that are crippling us. It is impossible for APC and PDP to change and say they want to do the right thing and you can see the evidence in the so called primaries they conducted recently and how disorganised it was. Many of these parties may explode or implode because of some of the crises associated with their primaries. I am sure that many patriotic Nigerians are not happy to see these kinds of perpetual political wrangling take place in political parties and the arena of governance.”

     

    Jega described the conduct of primaries as a purely party affair and noted that INEC’s responsibility was restricted to to that of a monitor. He criticised political parties for not paying attention to their primary objective of moblising citizens on the basis of a clearly defined programme or manifesto and getting people to register as members.

     

    “The parties have been dominated by so called godfathers and moneybags who are not interested in membership because they think that they can use money to field the candidates they want and to get the candidates they want elected. So the issue of having registered members is not their concern, so if they are required. My personal opinion is that it is not yet time to require political parties to conduct direct primaries,” he said.

     

    Commenting on electronic voting, he said though Nigeria was not ready for it, it was however time INEC began looking around for the electronic voting technology adaptable to the country and how to harness it.

     

    “We are not as prepared with electronic voting as we are with electronic transmission of results. For electronic voting, since the prohibition has just been lifted, it is now time for INEC to begin to look around for what electronic voting technology is adaptable to Nigeria and begin to source it and pilot it before beginning to think of how to deploy it. Once we are ready, we may start doing it in phases by starting with large urban centres with higher literacy rates. It is what INEC can begin to look into.”

     

    Commenting on the preparedness of INEC to carry out electronic transmission of results he said: “I believe that it is possible in 2023 for INEC to do what I can call an ‘A grade’ electronic transmission of results. The objective would be to do it 100 percent but if we can get 70 or 80, it is still an ‘A’ and we should be happy with it and keep improving.

     

    Our fear of failure should not prevent us from trying something new that is being done all over the world because of how important it is to the conduct of free and fair election and the elimination of fraud. I am happy with the decision of the National Assembly and the harmonisation committee.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Senate gives INEC green light to transmit election results electronically in the conduct of 2023 elections

     

    Applause and knocks have greeted the decision of the Senate to give the Independent National Electronic Commission the green light to transmit results of elections electronically in the conduct of the 2023 general elections and the adoption of direct primaries method.

     

    Those who hailed the lawmakers included the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Ebonyi Professionals Forum (EPF), Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, former Senate deputy president, Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu and The upper legislative chamber had reconsidered its earlier position and gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the nod to determine the mode to transmit election results: either electronically or manually.

    It also reversed its earlier position and approved that all political parties must use the direct primary mode in picking candidates. This, however, drew the ire of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and Governor Wike.

     

    In its earlier amendment passed in July, Senate had approved both direct and indirect methods.

     

     

    The landmark moves came barely 24 hours after Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Villa on Monday.

     

    The decision of the Senate, followed the re-committal of some clauses of the Electoral Act 2010 to the Committee of the Whole.

     

    In July, the Senate, rejected its committee’s report, which had approved electronic transmission of results by INEC. The House of Representatives, however, approved it.

     

    The Senate, said: “After critical examination of the Bill by the Senate Committee on INEC, some fundamental issues which require fresh legislative action on clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87, were observed.”

     

    “Desirous of the need to address the observations by the committee and make necessary amendments, and relying on Order 1(b) and 53(6) of the Senate Standing Order, accordingly resolves to rescind its decision on the affected clauses of the Bill as passed and re-commit same to the Committee of the Whole for consideration and passage,” Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi stated while moving the motion.

     

    The Senate, had in July, while rejecting the position of its Committee on INEC, opted for a position, which was outrightly rejected by Nigerians.

     

    The senate approved four clauses in the electoral act amendment bill. Part of the clause amended, read: “Subject to section 63 of this Bill, voting at an election and transmission of results under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission (INEC), which may include electronic voting.

     

    “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Bill shall hold direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the Commission.”

     

    Daily Sun had reported that plans were underway to force direct method of conducting primary elections on political parties.

     

    Governor Wike said the resolution of the National Assembly joint committee to allow the electoral umpire transmit election results electronically is a good development for Nigeria and democracy.

     

    “I think it is a good news to hear that the Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate agreed for INEC to transmit result electronically. That is a good news to hear. Like I have always said, what is important now is what do people want. The moment you do what the people want you’ll see happiness everywhere.”

     

    The governor, who has been a proponent of transparent electoral system, observed that many nations have moved beyond manual result declaration and Nigeria cannot afford in the 21st century to be left behind.

     

    On the amendment of the Electoral Act, Governor Wike stated that the issue of direct or indirect primaries should be the exclusive decision of the political parties in the country.

     

    Governor Wike insisted that National Assembly prescribing how political parties conduct their primaries is tantamount to interference in the internal politics of the parties.

     

    IPAC also believe that electronic transmission of results would go a long way in deepening the nation’s political process critical for inclusive, free, fair, credible, transparent and generally acceptable elections.

     

    National Publicity Secretary, IPAC, Ambassador Agbo Major, in a statement released said: “Reversing itself is a giant step forward in making Nigeria a great arsenal of democracy in Africa. Manipulation of election results, ballot box snatching, violence, vote buying and selling are the bane of the nation’s electoral process.

     

    Former VP Atiku, in a statement by his media office, yesterday, said the harmonisation of positions between the parliament and the electoral body was an indication that the country’s democracy is growing.

     

    He also commended individuals and groups, especially the various pro-democracy advocacy groups that participated in the public discourse on the controversial issue.

     

    “By this outcome, I am convinced that public institutions in Nigeria will continue to play their roles as guardians of public policy.”

     

    Spokesman of ADF, Abia Onyike and National Secretary of Ebonyi Professionals, Ugochukwu Hanks-Ezekiel, described it as a progressive move indicative that power belongs to the people. They said it would go a long way to guarantee free and fair elections in Nigeria.

     

    On the issue of direct primaries, Onyike said: “It is equally a welcome development because the members of political parties would have a say in who their candidates for elections should be. The power is being removed from few delegates who can be easily bought over by money bags.”

     

    For Hanks-Ezekiel, it is a sign of the people’s power to stand together. He also noted that direct primaries would end Godfatherism in the nation’s polity.

     

    Ekweremadu said the Senate’s action justified his assurances to Nigerians in July that all hope was not lost for electronic transmission of 2023 election results despite the initial setback.

     

    In a statement by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said: “I want to specially commend the Senate for setting aside narrow partisan interests to correct the mistake of July 15, 2021 by reversing itself on the issue of electronic transmission of election results.

     

    “This clause, though not originally part of the Bill, was introduced by the Joint National Assembly Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, which I am part of, to save the nation the troubles of ballot box snatching, electoral violence, and manipulations that happen between the polling booth and collation centres. Although I was representing Nigeria at an international parliamentary session in Montenegro and therefore unavoidably absent during the passage of the Bill in July, I had assured Nigerians that we would work with the progressives across party lines to dialogue with our colleagues and other critical stakeholders to ensure that electronic transmission of results was restored in the Bill. It is, therefore, heart-warming that my confidence in the capacity of my colleagues to dialogue  and rise above narrow partisan interest on this matter was not misplaced.”

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Registration of new voters begins on 28th June -INEC

    INEC promises to ensure a safe and stress-free experience for Nigerians.

     

    Nigeria currently has just over 84 million registered voters, but has been struggling with a voter apathy problem [Sun News]

    Nigeria currently has just over 84 million registered voters, but has been struggling with a voter apathy problem [Sun News]

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will recommence the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise on June 28, 2021.

     

    The commission’s chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced the new date at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, April 1.

     

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    The nationwide exercise will be carried out for over a year until September 2022, just months before the 2023 general elections.

     

    Yakubu encouraged Nigerians that have turned 18 years old as of June 28 to turn out for the exercise and register to vote.

     

    Other categories of Nigerians to benefit from the exercise include registered voters who wish to change their voting locations due to relocation, and those who have damaged or lost their permanent voter card (PVC).

     

    Registered voters who have experienced previous accreditation issues, or want to correct their information, such as misspellings or dates of birth, are also encouraged to take advantage of the CVR.

     

    The exercise will be temporarily paused in Anambra State in August ahead of its off-cycle November 6 governorship election.

     

    Yakubu promised that INEC will ensure a safe and stress-free experience for registrants, especially with aid from improved technology.

     

     

    He noted that the commission will migrate from the old Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM), used for the past 10 years, to the new INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), which is based on an android tablet.

     

    Nigeria currently has just over 84 million registered voters, but has been struggling with a voter apathy problem.

     

    Only 34.75% of voters participated in the 2019 presidential election, and voter turnout as low as 3% has been recorded in legislative bye-elections conducted over the past few months.

     

    Attempts to pass an Electoral Amendment Bill to improve the dire situation has made little progress under the current government.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.pulse.ng

  • INEC endorses 22 deregistered political parties to conduct primaries for the Anambra State governorship election.

     

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, tacitly endorsed 22 deregistered political parties to conduct primaries for the November 6 Anambra State governorship election.

     

    National Chairman of People for Democratic Change (PDC), Igwe Benjamin, who led the national chairmen of the 22 political parties to headquarters of the commission in Abuja, said the endorsement of their requests to conduct primaries for the governorship poll translated to automatic re-elistment of their parties deregistered by the electoral umpire.

     

    Addressing newsmen, PDC chairman in statement through his aide, Abdulrasheed Mohammed, said: “We came here to submit our notice of primary for the November 6 governorship election and, happily, INEC has accepted our letters.

     

    “The reason we came in group to submit the notice was that in the past eight months, we have been making attempts to serve INEC letter and to participate in the Ondo and Edo states’ governorship elections and other by-elections but the commission has always rebuffed us. Each time we come, they say we have been deregistered.

     

    “Meanwhile, we have an Appeal Court judgment which cannot be stayed. We are happy that today, either God has touched their hearts or that they have come to the realisation that you cannot just break the law because the consequences are there, they have accepted for us to participate in the Anambra State governorship election.”

     

    Speaking on the implications of the submission of notices of primary to INEC, Igwe said it is a sign of endorsement and an acceptance of the court pronouncement that the parties have been restored to their status as registered political parties.”

     

    Similarly, the National Chairman, Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Sam Eke, frowned at the insinuations that the parties are not serious about contesting but to endorse other bigger parties in exchange for something.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • 2023 Election: Bawa has neither met with INEC officials nor made any pronouncement remotely related to the election since he was appointed – EFCC

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has described as false a report (Not by The PUNCH) that its Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission against selling forms to persons with a file with the agency who are aspiring to contest in 2023 general elections.

     

    The EFCC said Bawa has neither met with INEC officials nor made any pronouncement remotely related to the election since he was appointed.

     

     

    The agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, and issued on March 5, 2021.

     

    The statement read, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report currently circulating in the social media, in which the Executive Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, is quoted as having advised the Independent National Electoral Commission, not to sell forms to any aspirant who has a file with the agency, pursuant to the 2023 general election.

     

    “The Commission wishes to state that the report is false as the Executive Chairman has neither met with INEC officials nor made any pronouncement remotely related to election since he was appointed.

     

    “All he has said, in his two public outings so far, pertain to issues concerning his vision for the EFCC and the outlook for the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

     

    “Qualification for elective political offices in Nigeria are clearly stated in the 1999 Constitution and relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

     

    “It is not the place of the EFCC chairman to determine who runs for an office or otherwise.

     

    “Members of the public are therefore enjoined to consider this report as another classic case of fake news and discountenance it.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • 2023 Presidency: The need for power to move down to the south in the next election

     

     

    Former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori has added his voice to the contentious issue of which zone would produce the next president after President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. He spoke on that and more in this interview.

     

    There have been calls for some time now from different quarters urging President Buhari to rejig the country’s security architecture. Last week, the president appointed a new set of Service chiefs. What are your thoughts on that?

    Normally, Nigerians are grateful because it is better late than never. Like I have said before, what we need from the new Service chiefs is deep patriotism and they should not be tempted to embezzle money meant for the welfare of soldiers because all the Service chiefs that have been involved in this Boko Haram insurgency battle became billionaires after they left office. Though you can’t stop them but they should not make that their primary objective of serving the military. There is so much money being pumped to them and that is why they don’t want the insurgency to end. Let this set be the last on this Boko Haram and other insurgency issues in the country because it is a shame that Nigerian soldiers that are respected all over the world and who have played major roles in peace-keeping cannot even protect their territory. It has been a shame but like I said, it is better late than never. I wish them well but I think the greater blame should go to the head of state because we expected a retired general to be more efficient in handling this type of war than what Buhari is doing. And to leave some people in a command for five, six years is not acceptable anywhere in the world; even in Nigeria here, it has never been acceptable. Buhari believes that he is an island unto himself; that’s the way he runs his government. But, every government should be sensitive to its people; at times, Buhari is not sensitive to anybody. He does things at his own time and leisure; that is the issue. But, as I said, I want them to be more patriotic to be able to clear this dark era of our history – banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and so on.

     

    The whole country appears to have been enveloped by insecurity. It started from the North East before moving to the North Central and North West. Today, it has gone to the South West. That informs the recent seven-day ultimatum issued by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to all unregistered herdsmen in Ondo Forest Reserve to leave or get registered. The Fulani have also threatened to eject all the Yoruba in the North if the ultimatum is carried out. What is your take in all of these?

    Normally, you could see that the thing is coming to an end; they are reconciling and doing a lot of other things. Actually, the Yoruba are the only people who can deal with the criminal Fulani elements in this country. The Igbo cannot deal with them because those people who are thugs in the North can always pounce on the Igbo and take their shops because the Igbo have investments all over the country. The Yoruba people don’t have investment outside their own territory because they occupy the most critical part of this country; so you can’t mess up with them. The people of the North respect the Yoruba more than they respect every other people in this country, so they will more likely want to reconcile with the Yoruba than if it is the South East Igbo, Middle Belt or even the South-south people. So, all what is happening in Yoruba West happens all over the whole country. There is so much banditry in the South-south. The Fulani herders destroy a lot of crops; they kidnap people, rape women and do anything they like and they are not afraid because the South-south governors are not playing their roles like their Yoruba counterparts in the South West. Edo State now is virtually taken over by the bandits and sundry criminalities. So, it is an issue that has reduced Nigeria to something close to a failed state. That the World Bank and other major international agencies have not rated Nigeria as a failed state is because of our economic resilience; that is why, if not, the insecurity in Nigeria is abnormal. We are even the third most dangerous country to live in the world. But, I can only say that Buhari should try to leave a good legacy, if not, he would be on the wrong side of history when he leaves. He was able to defeat a sitting government because we all believed that Jonathan was very weak and Buhari, as a retired general, would perform wonders. But, here is Buhari whom we thought is a firebrand, and who doesn’t take nonsense from anybody, the whole indices are now showing that corruption is on the increase. Security-wise, we are one of the worst countries and the economy is also poor. I don’t blame him much on the economy but those two areas – corruption and security, which were the flagship of his campaign mantra, he hasn’t impressed me. Nigeria expected so much from him when he came on board and within the first three months, even without saying one word, Nigerians were running away from corruption but when they saw that it was the cabals that were running the country, nobody was afraid any longer. So, normally, every governor has the right to drive out criminals in their states; even the traditional rulers have the right to drive out criminals from their communities. But, why it is now difficult for communities to maintain security is because of the type of weapons these Fulani from the Sahel have imported into the country – high caliber weapons like the AK47 and others. So, with that, ordinary village farmers cannot withstand them and they are very ruthless. So, I know the battle that is going on in the West. What is happening in Yoruba now should be replicated in all the other zones of the country by the governors. You can’t just run a country where everybody is afraid to drive on the road.

     

    Recently, the leader of Miyetti Allah, Bello Badejo, stated that all lands in Nigeria belong to the Fulani. Some people have reacted saying that such statement was capable of causing crisis in the country. Do you agree with them?

    No, all lands belong to the government; I think that is what the land use decree said. I think the Miyetti Allah leader was becoming too arrogant and that was why one Dr. Aliyu gave Bishop Matthew Kukah a notice to leave Sokoto. Normally, you don’t have a right to tell people to quit but you have a right to tell criminals to quit your territory. Any country or organisation that is in this type of situation should hold the people at the top responsible. And that is why I am holding the president, governors and the National Assembly members responsible for the evils, and the pains we are going through in this country. When you talk of restructuring in this country, if the state governors and the National Assembly members said they want restructuring, it will be done, whether Buhari likes it or not. So, when we blame Buhari, the whole governors and members of the National Assembly should equally be blamed. If the governors and the National Assembly resolve to restructure this country, Buhari will have no choice but to do that, otherwise he will be impeached.

    Last week, Nigeria got the worst global corruption ranking since 2015, even though the presidency has disagreed with the ranking, insisting that the president should be commended for diminishing corruption.

     

    However, not many Nigerians would agree with that defence; what is your take on the rating?

    Forget about the rating. Nigeria has always been corrupt. There was a time when Nigeria was ranked the second most corrupt country in the world. So, now we are almost beating 20 countries. Nigeria is only better than those countries that are ruled by warlords in corruption rating. During the military regimes, only few people stole money, but now, a lot of people are stealing money. Today, you have about five percent of Nigerians stealing money, and living big while 95 percent of the people live in squalor. Today in Nigeria, if you are not attached to any governor or presidency or any State house or National assembly, you can’t get a job. You must be attached to somebody before you get a job. It is no more a country. The country is dying little by little. I am now calling on the governors and the national assembly to step into the crisis we are facing in this country. Leave Buhari; those two agencies can act and change everything but due to corruption because they themselves have acquired so much wealth, they won’t do anything. That’s the problem we have. If you have skeleton in your cupboard, you can’t dare to challenge the president. They dare not challenge Buhari. The presidency is eating and they are also eating, while the common man suffers. And most of the pressure groups in the country are no longer the way they used to be in those days. And when I talk about pressure groups, my own labour is the first culprit; the most powerful pressure group. The fourth estates of the realm, that’s the media, which actually are the tribune of the people, have been killed by corruption. The civil society group can only bark; they can’t bite just like the media. But, the most powerful pressure group is the organised labour. I am just watching my people from the sideline and shaking my head. The labour can shake any government; any authoritarian government or any rogue government.

     

    Which geopolitical zone would produce the president in 2023 remains a very contentious issue; what are your thoughts on that?

    I am somebody who believes in meritocracy. But, because the Nigerian system allows rotation of the presidency, it should be allowed to stand. I know that Nigerians agreed to rotate the presidency; although it is not written in law, but there is a conventional agreement to rotate the presidency between the North and South. It is only fair that the next president after Buhari should come from the South because the North would have done eight years after Buhari. So, naturally, it should go to the South. Actually, I am one of those who don’t believe in that type of nonsense but the way the country is going now, it is like some people think it is their hereditary right to dominate other people. No, that is not acceptable. It should be rotated between the two sides for us to have maximum peace, equity and justice in the country.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • INEC schedules Anambra State governership election for November 6 2021

    ′THE Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the Anambra State governorship elections for November 6, 2021.

     

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee), Festus Okoye, made the announcement in a statement issued on Tuesday after its meeting in Abuja.

     

    According to him, the meeting deliberated on a wide range of issues, including the issuance of the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.

     

    He said, “By virtue of Section 178(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 25(7) and (8) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), election into the office of a state governor shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.

     

    “Constitutionally and statutorily, the tenure of the Governor of Anambra State will expire on March 17, 2021 and the earliest date for the election into the office of Governor, Anambra State, shall be October 18, 2021 and the latest date for the election shall be February 15, 2022.

     

    “In the exercise of the powers conferred on it by the constitution, the Electoral Act and all other powers enabling it in that regard, the commission has fixed November 6, 2021, as the date for the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election. Consequently, the commission hereby issues the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.

     

    “By the timetable and schedule of activities, the commission will issue the statutory notice for election June 9, 2021. The collection of Forms EC9 (formerly CF001) and EC9B (formerly CF002) for the election will take place on June 10, 2021 and the conduct of party primaries and resolution of disputes arising from the primaries will take place June 10 – July 1 2021.

     

    “The personal particulars of the candidates will be published on July 16, 2021 and the parties will commence campaigns on August 8, 2021. The final list of nominated candidates will be published on October 7, 2021.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • 2023 Elections: Nwodo emphasizes the importance of restructuring the country before the next Election

     

    The immediate past President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural group, Chief John Nwodo, has called on the Federal Government to initiate and conclude the process of restructuring the country before the 2023 elections to avoid a situation where some sections of the country may boycott the exercise.

     

    He said Nigeria used to be the envy of nations, given its pedigree in education, agriculture and well-being of its people because there was a regional system of government that allowed regions to enjoy sovereignty over their national resources until the system was thwarted. He, therefore, cautioned that to avoid the “coming catastrophe”, Nigeria must restructure.

     

     

    Nwodo, who was the ninth president-general of the apex Igbo group, spoke in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, with the theme, ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’

     

    The event, organised by the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, was also attended by the Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), legal practitioners and human rights activists, among others.

     

    There have been agitations for the restructuring of the country so that states or regions could control their resources.

     

    Several prominent individuals and sociocultural groups, especially those in the southern part of the country, have stressed the need to restructure the country, insisting that the current system was tantamount to a unitary system of government, which they said could not work for a diverse nation like Nigeria.

    Nwodo, who was a keynote speaker at the event, explained that there was a time the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy was agriculture, and that all the regions had different items they were producing and exporting, which availed them funds to develop their regions.

     

    He added, “There was only one reason why things worked so well then. We had a regional system of government that allowed regions to enjoy sovereignty over their national resources whilst paying royalties and taxes to the Federal Government. Our domestic security was independent and uncontrolled by the Federal Government.

     

    “Suddenly, the army came to power and abrogated our constitution, turned us into a unitary state and imposed a unitary constitution on us. They seized our natural resources and donated them to the Federal Government to share without adequate respect for derivation.”

     

    Speaking on what must be done to avert “the coming catastrophe”, he said, “Nigeria must restructure and give its component units sovereignty over its natural resources provided they pay royalty or some form of taxes to the Federal Government to maintain federal responsibilities like external defence, foreign missions, customs and immigration.

     

    “Emphasis must return to agriculture and education. Domestic security must remain in the hands of the federating units because living safe in Nigeria today is by luck. The secularity of the Nigerian state must be respected. These irreducible minimum conditions are not negotiable. If it does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways.

     

    “Processes to begin our restructuring as a nation must be concluded before the 2023 elections so as to avert a situation where sections of the country may boycott the elections and present the country with a constitutional force majeure.”

    Nwodo, who was a two-time minister, also decried a situation whereby the President and federal lawmakers exclusively share the appointment into the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying Nigeria could learn from South Africa and the United Kingdom.

     

    He stated, “In South Africa, the Chief Justice appoints the head of the electoral body and he does so first by advertising for those who are qualified to be in the commission to apply. After people have been nominated, he publishes the list of those nominated and those who have been objected to are delisted before the final stage.

     

    “In the UK, the electoral commission is headed by the speaker but composed of all political parties in the ballot, making rigging impossible. That is why results are announced instantaneously after the collation of results. Nigeria must restructure. So long as INEC and state electoral commission members are appointed by the President and governors respectively, there will never be a free and fair election.”

     

    He said despite the country’s abundant human and natural resources, it remained the poorest nation in the world and a major importer of things it produces.

     

    Speaking on education, Nwodo said Israel, United States and some other countries were leveraging education to come up with world-class innovations while Nigeria maintained a record of having the highest number of out-of-school children, coupled with some immoral practices, like sex-for-grade, in higher institutions.

    He added, “If the source of knowledge is contaminated, like a contaminated water reservoir, can you get clean water. Our higher institutions must be devoid of sharp practices and acts capable of compromising their integrity within and outside our borders. Education, road and agriculture are critical areas in the development of a country’s economic potential.”

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

  • 2023 Presidency: Borno State governor reveals why power should shift to the South

     

    The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, said on Friday that for the sake of fairness, power should return to the south in 2023. He faulted the suspicion that any part of the country could not be trusted with power, perhaps for the fear of secession.

     

     

    He stressed that there was a need for fairness in the country, adding that marginalisation had become the loudest concern from the citizenry.

     

    He spoke in Lagos on Friday at the 17th Chief Gani Fawehinmi annual lecture, themed ‘The constitutional history of Nigeria’s dysfunction: Any pathway to indivisibility and common progress?’ which was an event organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, to celebrate the life and times of the late Fawehinmi. The governor stated that one of the pathways to common progress was for fairness to reign in the country.

     

    Zulum, who was accompanied by some commissioners and special advisers, explained that power should shift to other sections of the country.

     

    The incumbent President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) is from the North-Western state of Katsina and is serving his second and final term in office.

     

    The governor said, “I’m persuaded that other sections of the country should be given the opportunity to lead in 2023, why not? It is constitutional.”

     

    Zulum, who reeled out the criteria set by the constitution for anyone to contest the Presidency, as contained in Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), asked all the persons from the South-East and South-South at the event to rise. He then told them that once they met the four conditions stated in the Section, they were also qualified to contest the presidency.

     

    The section reads, “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of forty years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”

     

    Speaking further on the issue of fairness as regard 2023, he stated, “Consequently, my response to the question posed by the theme of this programme is that yes, there are pathways to indivisibility and common progress; we must collectively agree that we need to do more to demonstrate fairness to every constituent part that made up this country. That is the constitution.

     

    “We need to understand that pedestrian suspicion is not an empirical or legal reason to deny any section of the country from participation in the leadership of this country. We are fast moving towards a point of inevitable tension.

     

    “One of the loudest concerns from the public is marginalisation. Therefore, we must as a matter of necessity create an environment that is conducive for everyone. People must feel the impact of the government and that government is responding.”

     

     

    The governor also said south-easterners should negotiate for power rather than expect others to leave it for them.

     

    He said, “To our friends and brothers in the South-South and South-East particularly, only God gives power but you have to negotiate for power. Negotiation becomes easier when you make friends across the divide. If we negotiate for power, we don’t always get everything we want, but we will normally mention every clause th at covers everything we need.

    “I said this because I have heard many people say ‘they don’t want to give us power’ but assumptions and projections will never actualise your aspirations. We must all remember that God gives power but human beings negotiate for it. Every interested party must be prepared to negotiate for it.”

     

    The governor also expressed reservation over the age limit of 40 as the minimum to contest the presidency, noting that in many countries around the world, people below 40 had become world leaders.

     

    He said, “Let me state here that I have a problem with the age limit set at 40, because whatever is the logic behind it, it is difficult to consider it valid in contemporary times.”

     

    He cited several examples of presidents or prime ministers who got to power under the age of 40, including President Emmanuel Macron, who became the President of France at the age of 39; Sanna Marin, who became the Prime Minister of Finland at 34; and Joseph Muscat who became the Prime Minister of Malta at the age of 39, among many others.

     

    “We must review our constitution to reflect this current reality in our country and provide greater access to the greatest number of our citizens,” he added.

     

    He admonished Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the 1999 Constitution, saying even though there are issues with the document, he believed strongly that it could still produce good results when faithfully discharged.

     

    He added, “If governance were to be a religion, the constitution would be its holy book. You know your Bible, you know your Quran, know your constitution. Gani Fawehinmi fought for a people’s constitution. We cannot let him down. Let us work to build bridges and drive a people-oriented constitution that would make Nigeria better for everyone.

    “We must make the constitution of Nigeria work for all Nigerians and not just some Nigerians. Our system of government must give people a voice while delivering services to them, including security of lives and property.”

     

    The Chairman, NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr Bartholomew Aguegbodo, said the event was to celebrate the life of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), whom he described as a great and courageous fighter who stood for what he believed to be right. He lamented that public interest litigation, which Gani did passionately, seemed to have become a thing of the past.

     

    He added, “This is a challenge to all of us in practice. Also, this occasion reminds us all that the man we honour today had an idea he lived for; that legal practice is not only for money-making but also standing for the oppressed.”

     

    Also, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, said the judiciary was always ready to associate with the good programmes of the NBA, as he commended the Ikeja branch of the association for immortalising Fawehinmi.

    Represented by Justice Lateefat Folami, the CJ said, “The Chief Judge commends the activities of the NBA for immortalising a great lawyer like Chief Gani Fawehinmi. He played a big role in developing the legal jurisprudence of this great nation, like the production of the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports, which is a very great resource and legacy Chief Fawehinmi left for us. There is no good lawyer that doesn’t have NWLR in their library.”

     

    Others at the event included the immediate past President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo; Mr Femi Falana (SAN); former NBA Vice-President, Mr Monday Ubani; spokesperson for the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin; Executive Director, Enough is Enough, Ms Yemi Adamolekun; Folarin Fal ana, aka Falz the Bahd Guy, and others.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

  • Insecurity: CONES warns Buhari that refusal to tackle insecurity will cost Apc the 2023 elections

    Conference of Nigerian Elders (CONES) has warned that the insecurity situation in the country would cost President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) the 2023 elections.

     

    The group, in a statement, yesterday, by its representatives, Tunde Banjo,  Achike Nwachukwu and four others, said security of lives and property was deteriorating daily and expressed shock over Buhari’s refusal to relieve the service chiefs of their appointments and rejig the security apparatchik.

     

    The group said the security heads were not indispensable, regretting that their inability to contain insecurity since their appointments had portrayed the Federal Government in bad light.

     

    “We wish to say it is not normal for a whole country to be speaking with one voice that the service chiefs should not only be sacked, but also that the entire security architecture be rejigged, and Mr. President would remain adamant and less concerned.

     

    “Nigerians are tired of the alarming insecurity in the country and the seeming inaction of Mr. President in addressing the situation.

     

    “Those responsible for action or inaction which has heightened the insecurity must go and new and effective hands injected into the system.

     

    “CONES wishes to appeal to President Buhari to, to as a matter of urgency, sack the current service chiefs without further delay.

     

    “Our position is because we have seen that the president may lose the support of Nigerians over the embarrassing security situation we are facing if he doesn’t act fast enough. No part of Nigeria is safe today,” he said.

     

    While acknowledging that President Buhari gets daily briefings on the security situation in the country by the security heads, the elders claimed that “most of those reports are not true reflections of the situation on ground. Already, there is low morale in the military over the continued stay of the service chiefs whose tenures in their various offices have since lapsed.

     

    “Who knows if there are invisible hands out there in the service frustrating the fight against insurgency and insecurity in the country deliberately due to the continued stay of the service chiefs?

     

    “We appeal to the president to hearken to the call by majority of Nigerians as reflected in the country’s parliament recently that it is time for him to do the needful.

     

    “We are in a democracy where any decision of government or leaders is taken from the popular view. Majority of Nigerians have since spoken in this regard and as a democrat, our president should listen,” he said.

     

    However, the Defence headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said the armed forces have checkmated Boko Haram and their operations in the North East.

     

    Despite claims that the insurgents have been decimated, some parts of the North East still come under attack.

     

    One of the most recent violent attacks by Boko Haram was at Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State where more than 40 farmers were killed.

     

    In an interview with newsmen, Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, said the Federal Government and the military since 2015 had checked the intensity of terrorist activities across the country, particularly in the North East.

     

    He said the initial delay in tackling the menace made it gain momentum — Boko Haram taking over territories and setting up administrative structures — before they were knocked off in 2016.

     

    Enenche said the open display of power and authority by Boko Haram no longer happens in the North East, and that no single district or community could be said to be under the control of the insurgents.

     

    “The issue of bombings that spread to other places like Abuja, Kano, Niger and Kogi states, including their slipper cells, no longer exist.

     

    “What about suicide bombing, which is one of the signs of terrorism? It was rife and even at our checkpoints, they come and detonate bombs as well as public gatherings; all these have been nipped properly.

     

    “If you put all these together, I can tell you terrorism has been checkmated. However, the signs are still there with isolated actions here and there; common with terrorism,” he said.

     

    Enenche said history has shown that terrorism “is a very resilient type of enemy activity,” adding that the type of terrorism in Nigeria is not “a smart one,” but rooted  in the state of mind of a group of people.

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com