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A bill seeking the
alteration of the 1999 Constitution to create absolute financial
autonomy for the 774 local government areas in the country scaled
through second reading yesterday in the House of Representatives.

Leading the debate
on the general principles of the bill, its sponsor, Barnabas Bala (PDP,
Kaduna) said that in spite of the 20.6 percent revenue allocation from
the federation account to the councils, not much has been achieved in
the transformation of the rural areas.

The lawmaker stated that between 1999 and 2008 alone,

about N5 trillion
was disbursed to the councils from the Federation Account, adding that
this figure does not include the internally generated revenue of the
councils.

Mr Bala, who
wondered why there have not been commensurate developments in the rural
Communities, called for the alteration of section 162 of the
constitution to substitute subsections 5 and 6 with new paragraphs.

According to him,
subsection 5 should be altered to read: “The amount standing to the
credit of local government councils in the federation account shall be
distributed among the local government councils in a manner to be
prescribed by the National Assembly,” while section 6 should read “Each
local government council shall maintain a consolidated local government
account into which shall be paid all allocations to the councils from
the federation account, state allocations and locally generated
revenue.” The lawmaker also called for the deletion of subsection 7and
8 of section 162.

He argued that the
proposed amendment when achieved, will grant the local governments
autonomy from the state governments, which he said have been running
the councils like government departments under their jurisdictions.

Slot for women

Also on Wednesday,
the House rejected another amendment to the constitution seeking to
make it mandatory for 35 percent to be reserved for women in all
federal government ministerial and other appointments.

Binta Garba (PDP,
Adamawa) who sponsored the amendment wanted the alteration of sections
14(3), 147(3) and 223(2b) by inserting relevant words to give the 35
percent reserved slot to women in government appointments.

She argued that if
the sections are amended it will be in tandem with various treaties and
conventions the country was signatory to.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa
(ACN, Lagos), Khadijat Bukar Abba-Ibraim (ANPP, Yobe) and Saudatu Sani
(PDP, Kaduna), all female, supported the bill.

Ita Enang (PDP,
Akwa Ibom), however, advised the House against passing the bill,
pointing out that it was contrary to the spirit of section 42 of the
1999 Constitution, which he said was against all forms of
discrimination.

The bill was defeated when the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole put it to vote.

Members of the
National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
yesterday met for several hours with the party caucus in the House of
Representatives.

This is coming just
after President Goodluck sought the approval of the National Assembly
for the extension of the implementation period of the 2010 Budget till
March 31, 2011.

Although the agenda
of the meeting between the lawmakers and the PDP leadership, led by its
national chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo was not made known to reporters,
it was gathered that the controversial bill seeking to include the
lawmakers as members of their national executive committees of their
parties, was discussed.

It was further
learnt that the issue raised by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor,
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi about the salaries and allowances of the
lawmakers, also came up.

Our correspondent
learnt that the leadership of the ruling PDP was desirous to be on the
same page with the parliamentarians on the issues, which it considered
could destroy the image of the party.

Before the meeting
went into closed-doors, Mr Nwodo commended the roles the PDP lawmakers
have played over the years on national issues, but observed that there
was an urgent need for them to close ranks in order with each other.

According to him,
with the impending general elections, it is imperative to keep all
party members, particularly the lawmakers informed of the challenges
facing the party.

Mr Nwodo noted that
such interactive sessions will allow members of the party to understand
the rules and guidelines which the party will adopt in the process of
conducting its primaries.

He praised the
lower legislative chamber for its intervention during the national
crisis arising from the absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua from the
country before he (Mr Yar’Adua) finally died.

According to the PDP boss, the intervention was historic because it sustained the unity of the country.

He also called for
the cooperation of the lawmakers on the issue of the national budget,
which has created rancour between the executive and the legislative
arms over the years, and urged the lawmakers to be ready to do their
best for the party and the country.

In a letter to the
National Assembly, Mr Jonathan said that the proposal to extend the
implementation of the budget was informed by the delays many of the
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have encountered in the
course of meeting the demands of the Bureau of Public Procurement
before projects are executed.

If the request is granted, the budget cycle will have been extended by an extra quarter for the second consecutive year.

The Federal
Government has concluded efforts to ensure that HIV/AIDS has its own
budget provision in all the ministries, to further enhance its position
in the fight against AIDS, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday
in Abuja, on the occasion of the 2010 World Aids Day.

He also explained
the urgent need to scale up significantly towards the goal of universal
access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care, and
support by 2015.

“The federal
government is making every effort to ensure that HIV/AIDS has its own
budget provision in all the ministries and that adequate budget
provision is made for National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) to
further enhance its position in the fight against AIDS,” he said.

President Jonathan,
who was represented by the minister of health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said
statistics have shown that only 14 percent of Nigerians have ever been
tested for HIV/AIDS, and that everybody needs to know his/her own HIV
status and take appropriate decision based on it, to cherish and guard
a negative result or to take steps to live positively with the virus.

“The sad thing,
however, are that many people still go about in ignorance, without the
benefit of knowing their status. I would like to seize this opportunity
to encourage every Nigerian, young and old, who has not yet known his
or her status, to heed the call to go for HIV counselling and testing,
to determine his or her status,” he said.

He said that in
order to stem the tendency to stigmatise and discriminate against one,
a bill on stigma and discrimination has passed through the House of
Representatives and is currently with the Senate.

Bill against discrimination

He expressed
confidence that the bill will be passed by the National Assembly, “and
l assure you l will sign it into law as soon as it reaches my office.”

The director
general of NACA, John Idoko, said there is increased funding for HIV,
with round 9 GF HIV grant recently signed worth $320 million for five
years, and an additional $3 million for quick wins PMTCT.

“World bank credit
of N225 million dollars for four years recently approved by the
government of Nigeria, and the USG and GON partnership framework for
2010-2015, also recently signed by the SGF, on behalf of the FGN,” said
Mr. Idoko.

He said that the
common goal of the agency is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV by
2015 and in so doing, also contribute to the developmental goals of the
nation, including vision 20/20/20.

Mr. Idoko said that
the HIV situation in Nigeria is already improving, as a result of the
progress already made, as recorded in the United Nations General
Assembly special session country report.

Forgive them…they
know not what they do. I was recently in the company of a group of
mortgage bankers who were discussing the state of access to sufficient
and affordable housing in Nigeria. One of the elder participants shared
how he obtained a mortgage from the government as a young professional
starting his first job; the same home he lives in till today.

A younger member
made a passionate appeal for understanding of WHY? He was asking for
the How and Why successors of those patriotic and humane civil
servants, who worked so hard to bring affordable and plentiful home
ownership to our citizens, were not able to sustain what they put in
place. In those days, all that was needful to qualify for a mortgage to
buy or build a house was a pay slip.

Of course, this
same lament, ‘WHY?’, reverberates in every part of our lives that is
reliant on a functioning government and watchful regulators. With that
passionate and pained appeal in mind, I posed the question myself. Why?

I believe that one
explanation is the mindset of the people who have been in position of
leadership and influence in the public sphere over the last 50 years,
and in the last 10 years it has spilled over into the private sphere
too.

One of the most
famous quotes from Abraham Maslow, the creator of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Human Development Needs is, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you
tend to see every problem as a nail.” I would like to believe that that
is one of the major problems with our leadership.

In the run-up to
independence from colonial rule, our politicians and community leaders
were subconsciously indoctrinated with ‘Divide and Rule’ as the
leadership tactic passed on from then governor-generals who were the
available leadership role models. Our soldiers have always been taught
‘Command and Control’ as the necessary leadership strategy for managing
troops.

Consequently, our
leaders have been using those tactics that are designed for use against
us, their people. We have been waging war against ourselves! Any other
explanation seems improbable. Are we prepared to accuse the generals
who were patriotic enough to lay down their lives for our country on
both sides of the Biafran war of not loving their nation? I have not
spoken to anyone who holds those views. They are the ultimate patriots.
So, why was it under their rule that our educational system was
decimated; that our traditional values and loyalties were warped?

Let’s look at the
politicians. The great trio who led us into independence were, in fact,
members of a pan-African movement comprising of great African men and
women, including my personal favourite, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.
Yet,after 50 years of independence, why on earth is politics still
being played along ethnic lines? If the British returned today, they
would find the country operating almost under the same regional model
they left us with.

The democratic and
military governments simply stepped into the shoes vacated by them.
They are still extracting wealth to be warehoused beyond our shores.
They are still enshrouding themselves with cloaks of privilege and the
trappings of wealth amassed on the suffering of others.

Harmful to themselves

“Forgive
them…they know not what they do,” said Jesus, (a.k.a Isa to Muslims),
while being crucified on the cross. Do we forgive our leaders for their
willful ignorance,their criminal lack of awareness and their failure to
act even in enlightened self-interest? What respect can we have for
power ministers who have to resort to generators even in their own
homes; or health ministers who shudder at the thought of submitting to
medical treatment in their own hospitals?

Let’s not talk
about petroleum or agriculture. They have not even made life better for
themselves, not to mention for the rest of us. How many of them have
true wealth by the time they are pushed out of power and in the years
after?

Democracy demands
tolerance for contrary opinion. There must be division of power,justice
for all regardless of status and hierarchy and freedom of
information.Divide and Rule, and Command and Control are not democratic
leadership styles.Yet, they seem to be the only styles our leaders
know. Just as the soldiers crushed any perceived ‘mutiny’ against their
command without considering the merit of the challenge to their
authority; just so, our legislators wish to self-perpetuate, all in our
perceived interest to command and control party politics. It is truly
ironic. Why does this scenario keep repeating itself?

“The road to hell
is paved with good intentions” As Samuel Johnson is credited to have
said, many a good wo/man has come to a bad end for employing unjust and
dishonest means to achieve a good end. So our darling leaders, take
heed. You are there to represent us, to protect our freedom even from
yourselves and to seek justice for us. Have faith that if you do your
job well, and if we elect a similarly responsible person to succeed
you, that our country will develop and our lives will improve.

Trust in the system you are part of, and allow yourself to be
limited by its structure. Avoid changing the rules of engagement
half-way through the game. You alone, no matter how hard you try,
cannot deliver what we all require. Only with three independent organs
of government, regulated by the media as the fourth estate, with an
engaged and active citizenry, and vibrant party politics can we
succeed. How do you wish to be remembered – as a burden or as a welcome
relief? The time to choose is now.

President Goodluck Jonathan last night met with senators of the People’s Democratic Party as part of his drive to recruit sympathizers to his 2011 presidential ambition.

The meeting was held behind closed doors at the Apo Mansion official residence of the Senate President, David Mark with almost all the PDP senators in attendance.

Mr Jonathan, who arrived at the Senate President’s residence at about 7.13 pm, went straight into the meeting with the senators after he was received by the Mr Mark and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. He also left briskly without a word to the press. The senators, however, stayed back a little longer.

NEXT, however, learnt the meeting largely discussed the ambition of the president ahead of the PDP’s national convention and the 2011 general election. It was gathered that the meeting took off with issues of internal democracy within the party but, shortly after, veered into campaign for the President.

Mr Jonathan was quoted by a source at the meeting as having said that it is necessary for him to meet with the Ssenators, considering their role in the party as well as the country.

NEXT also learnt that Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Director General of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organization, who was on the president’s entourage did most of the talking which centered mainly on the campaign.
The president, it was gathered, solicited for the support of the senators and assured the leadership of the senate that he would put in a word with the national leadership of the PDP over their ambitions to return to the senate.

It is however unclear if the meeting discussed the mounting opposition to the amendment of the 2010 Electoral act, which seeks to give the senators an overwhelming power in the party structure and an automatic voting delegate ticket at voting congresses of the party.

It was also gathered that the meeting could not discuss the ill-feeling of the national assembly over what they considered a deliberate attempt by some members of the Executive to demonize them. The meeting, which ended at 8.27pm, was also attended by former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Tony Anenih.