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His political experience

In the 1990s, I had
a brief journey into politics where I contested for the Kabo Local
government chairmanship position under the zero party system, though I
lost that election. I believe that trial strengthened my resolve to
serve the people. In 1999, I re-contested the chairmanship of Kabo. I
failed the second time again.

The state governor,
Ibrahim Shekarau, appointed me the managing director of Muhammadu
Abubakar Rimi market in 2004, and later appointed me as the executive
secretary of Kano State Guidance and Counselling Board.

Decision not to give up after repeated failure

Going by the
training I received while growing up and during the process of building
a career, I believe that the only real failure in life is the failing
to try. So, I keep coming up stronger and I am more determined to
succeed than before. And if you look at life generally, most of the
people who feared ‘failure’ always fail to succeed in their
undertakings; be it in education, politics, or career building. It is
possible to fail in many ways, while to succeed is possible only in one
way.

His choice of ANPP

When the nation
transited to civilian administration in 1999, the then governor of
Kano, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, invited us to come and assist in moving
the state forward. I took that invitation as a call to duty, but the
reception I received from Mr. Kwankwaso was what made me to detest
joining the PDP, even though it was the ruling party then. So, when I
made up my mind to join one of the other parties, I opted for ANPP
because it is a party where party supremacy supersedes individual
interest.

His decision to join the gubernatorial contest

Actually, during
the course of my working in different positions, especially here in
Kano, I have had the opportunity of interacting with people of
different social classes. And in the process, I came to understand
leadership. When I say leadership, I mean that type of a responsible
and responsive leadership. Responsible because it is backed with
purpose; responsive because it bases its responsibility on what the
people want. To have such a government, there is the need to have those
who understand the people, who live with them, dine with them, and
listen to their problems. It is only then that effective and responsive
governance can be achieved.

However, with the
experience I have gathered through my service and a deep understanding
of the various challenges facing our dear state, I decided to offer
myself for higher responsibility by contesting for the seat of
governor. There are other sectors that need more attention, even though
the present government has tried its best to improve these sectors. I
will build on the foundation that has already been laid.

His plan for Kano State

We will establish
purposeful leadership that focuses on the wellbeing of the people. A
strong economy, qualitative education, improved healthcare delivery
system, resuscitation of ailing industries, industrialisation and
infrastructural upgrade.

Remember, Kano is a
Shari’a state; therefore, the people should expect from us good virtues
of Islamic tenets. As I have said earlier, a responsible and responsive
government that will base its activities on a systematic ordering of
affairs and prudent use of resources.

Let me explain
more. Our mode of governance should be based on people’s needs and
wants. And by calculative use of resources, I mean frugality and
prudence in the utilisation of funds. We will diversify our revenue
generation sources so as not to over depend on federal government
statutory allocations.

Also, the private
sector will be well engaged towards building a robust Public Private
Sector Partnership in execution of government programmes. There are
well researched proposals on these issues, all tailored towards
continuity and consolidation of the good works of the present ANPP
government.

I believe when
given the opportunity to implement these policies, Kano will record
significant transformation in the aforementioned sectors.

Issue of raising funds for campaign

Let me draw your
attention back to what happened in 2003 when the good people of Kano
voted for the present governor, Ibrahim Shekarau.

This is a clear
testimony that power ultimately resides with Almighty Allah (SWT) and
he gives it to whom he deems fit. Agreed, money is an important factor
in running the affairs of politics. But believe me, Kano people are
very politically enlightened. I know they will vote for whom they feel
deserves to be voted for, irrespective of whether he has the money to
spray around or not.

Reports that he is fronting for another candidate

I came out to
contest as a candidate whose conviction and resolve is clear: to serve
the good people of Kano. My vision is to see a Kano with more well
educated individuals, excellent health care delivery system, excellent
infrastructure, and a vibrant economy.

Now, tell me how a
man with such hopes for his state could be fronting for someone. These
are all plans to distract the attention and recognition I am getting
from the good people of Kano as we discuss the issues and challenges
facing our dear state.

Let me also tell
you, many more distractions will follow. This is politics. Let me also
clearly state here that I am not fronting for anybody, period.

As I told you
earlier, our party’s interest supersedes individual interest. If the
party adopt consensus, so be it. However, I am very confident that if
we have to choose a consensus candidate, I will be that consensus
candidate because I have tried to be a bridge builder in our party. I
have cordial relationship and mutual respect for all the ANPP aspirants.

I would rather we focus on issue-based politics that will place Kano
at an enviable position as the most economically buoyant state in the
country.

The Edo State
government has awarded a N30 billion contract for the construction of a
modern moat to check erosion-ravaged Siluko Road, otherwise known as
“Teachers’ House,” in Benin City, the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole,
stated in Benin City yesterday at the commissioning of the newly
reconstructed and dualised Oba Market Road.

The proposed 45
square meters, 7 meters deep moat will capture erosion water from
Adolor Road, in Ugbowor, Teachers’ House in Siluko Road and terminate
at the Ogba River.

The governor
revealed that the contract includes the construction of eight adjoining
roads around the areas captured in the project, all to be completed
with side drains, walkways and street lights.

The Teachers’ House
area of the city has suffered from erosion for many years, and has
defied all palliative measures by past administrations to check the
menace of the ravaging waters coming all the way from Ugbowo, Uwelu and
down to the Siluko area.

Several lives have
been lost and many houses totally submerged as a result of the effect
of the erosion, forcing many to abandon their houses. Those who remain
were always in fear whenever the raining season approached. Driving
vehicles to the area was always a nightmare, resulting in the high cost
of transportation, as many commercial drivers usually abandoned the
route, while those who ventured into the road increased their charges.

Mr Oshiomhole
restated his readiness to give the best to the people of Edo State at
whatever cost. “We are ready to do it, because this city deserves our
all, and we are ready to give,” he said, adding that the government
acquired the waste management equipment at high cost “to help cast away
the waste of the city as it is done in the more civilized world. The
challenge of fixing Benin City will be approached with facts and study,
and work done based on knowledge”.

The waste
management equipment launched include: two units of ELGIN Pelican
three-wheeled broom mechanical street sweepers, 3 units of
Roll-on-Roll-off trucks with hydraulic hook, 350 steel waste bins, 300
galvanized polythene bins, 500 standard wheel barrows, 10 mowing
machines and others.

Mr Oshiomhole also
used the occasion of the commissioning to lash out at his critics. He
said that the occasion was significant to him, as it marks the
fulfilment of some of his electioneering promises, and freedom for all
the people of Edo State from godfathers who hitherto used the lean
resources of the state to finance their party machinery and to further
their own selfish nets alone.

Not borrowing money

Refuting
allegations by opposition PDP that his government has continued to
borrow money to “plant flowers at the Ring Road,” thereby, increasing
the debt burden of Edo State, Mr Oshiomhole said, “We will continue to
borrow to develop Edo State if we have to do so. We will borrow for the
development of our state if necessary. But I am happy to tell you that
we have not borrowed. What we are using is the savings that used to go
to Uromi. He can no longer take our money to Abuja. He can no longer
disburse the state’s money to fund his party machinery. The state is
free for good.

“From Edo North,
Edo Central, and Edo South, godfathers have died and are buried
forever. They can go and take NPA’s money to fund their party. But we
must remind them that those who used NPA’s money in the past to help
rig elections in 2007, we know their address.” He said that the one
purpose he has is to make the wheel of progress irreversible, and that
the struggle will continue until Edo people are free and the children
inherit a clean society.

“Whatever honest mistakes we make in the process of fixing the state, they will be corrected,” Mr Oshiomhole said.

The people of the south-east have given
Goodluck Jonathan their word that they will support him during the
coming presidential elections, but he would be expected to pay a price
for it. The price, according to the governor of Imo State, Ikedi
Ohakim, is that Mr Jonathan must take a good long look at the region
and find ways of improving the lot of its people.

This assertion is coming after the
south-east governors had said they were still undecided about whom to
support for the presidential bid.

Speaking after a private visit to Mr
Jonathan in the company of the Speaker of the Imo State House of
Assembly, Mr Ohakim said the region was obviously waiting for “the big
masquerade to emerge” and since this has happened, negotiations have to
begin.

“The south-east governors had said that
they will not mention who they will support; nobody will force us to
support anybody until all the big masquerades emerge. Yesterday, the
big masquerade emerged, President Jonathan declared and told me that he
will run,” he said. “Before, it was mere speculation. It is only when
he tells me he will run that I will decide whether I will support him
or not. He told me he will run. He told all of us he will run. That’s
why I am here with my Speaker. That’s why I’m here with my leader. We
have decided that we will work with him. But we have to negotiate.
Politics is give me, I give you; you take, I take.”

Uneasy about timetable

Mr Ohakim said what he wanted from Mr
Jonathan was that he must “continue the good work he is doing” and he
“must look at the marginalization of the south-east.” “He must look at
the fact the south-east is the only zone in Nigeria that has one
transmission line of electricity and we must look at the innate ability
of the people and design Nigerian development to capture innate ability
of all the sections of the country,” he said.

Speaking on the election timetable, Mr
Ohakim said if it were possible to buy an extension, he would. He said
he has reservations about the timetable but would only speak about it
after going through it thoroughly.

“INEC has given its own timetable; the work of a politician is to
bend himself to be able to meander through the thorns of politics in
order to achieve his goals,” he said. “We are yet to digest the
timetable which was recently released. I have my own reservation about
that timetable. I am looking at the practicability and the possibility.
We must possibilize the impossibility, if we must make the country move
forward. But we will still re-examine that timetable. I will make
comments on that timetable when I look at it critically.”

The South-South People’s Assembly, at a meeting at
Abuja, suspended AIT owner, Raymond Dokpesi, for heading former
military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida’s campaign organization.

“We totally condemn and dissociate the forum from the
ignoble action of Chief Raymond Dokpesi to serve as DG of the IBB
campaign organization,” Edwin Clark, leader of the forum, told
journalists after the meeting.

Late last month, Mr Babangida announced that Mr
Dokpesi, the chairman of Daar Communications, would head his 2011
presidential campaign under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Dokpesi has, however, denied ever being a member
of the SSPA, although it formed the fulcrum of the support for the
presidential ambition of then governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili. Mr
Dokpesi was also the head of that campaign.

The SSPA has thrown its weight behind Goodluck
Jonathan, who has yet to announce his candidacy. On July 26, the forum,
along with five governors and regional leaders, rose from a summit in
Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a call on Mr Jonathan to declare for
the 2011 presidential race “without further delay.” Mr Clark said a
rally has been scheduled for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 13, to
urge Mr Jonathan to join the race.

Southern youth for Babangida

Mr Clark also urged the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that political parties adhere to
stipulated guidelines.

“We commend the president for giving INEC all they
need to ensure a successful election in 2011,” he said. “We want the
country to have a free and fair election in 2011.” Meanwhile, another
south-south group, the South-South Youth Assembly, has declared its
support for the presidential ambition of Mr Babangida. The group also
called on Mr Jonathan not to participate in next year’s presidential
election and run instead in 2015.

Its National President, Tony Anucha, says whatever
agreement was reached by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on zoning,
which produced the Yar-Adua/Jonathan ticket in 2007, must be respected
and upheld for 2011. “The position of the PDP on zoning clearly shows
that whatever gentleman’s agreement that existed, must be respected.
The south-south geopolitical zone prefers to have an eight-year go at
the presidency than a four-year go. The north should be allowed to
produce a candidate to complete the zoning understanding. This is the
truth, and we uphold same in good faith,” he said.

Mr Babangida, according to Mr Anucha, has promised to establish oil
and mineral development commissions for the benefit of communities
which produce the natural resources, which will be given through a
certain percentage of accruable revenues.

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in
Ogun State opposed to the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, has rolled out
plans to support the presidential ambition of Goodluck Jonathan.

The faction, made up of the Omo-Ilu Group headed by
Buruji Kashamu and others, has printed and commenced distribution of
membership cards and posters to all the 20 local government areas and
wards.

The project, ‘Re-Build Nigeria Initiative,’ recorded
a large number of members in attendance at the meeting held at Ijebu
Igbo. The event also gave birth to the inauguration of three committees
to reposition the group for the upcoming electioneering campaign.

Mr Kashamu presented the posters canvassing for
Jonathan’s bid, with captions such as: ‘Hello, 150 million
Nigerians…. Who Deserves Better Life Than You?,’ ‘See and be seen in
the Nigeria of your dreams’ and ‘Let your views count, you have the
power.’ The group’s Director of Organization, Tunde Oladunjoye, said
the Omo-Ilu group serves as a stabilizing force within the PDP and that
the new committees would reposition the organization towards presenting
credible candidates for the party primaries and ensuring their victory.

Repositioning to meet challenges

“I want to say with all form of modesty that a lot of
people would have left this party if not for Omo-Ilu, because they are
complaining of lack of empowerment, even dividend of democracy doesn’t
get to the grassroots,” Mr Oladunjoye said.

“We are trying to re-position the organization to
meet electioneering challenges. We need to re-energize to produce
better results, that is why we have come up with three committees.” The
groups are the screening and verification, disciplinary and
reconciliation and campaign and strategy committees.

“We want to even screen our candidates in-house
before they are offered to the party, so there will be little or no
stress. We also use it as a forum to reconcile differences in case
there is more than a candidate for a position,” he said.

“The disciplinary committee will instil discipline within the
organization, to reconcile different interests. We also need to spread
our gospel, canvass, mobilize. We are doing this because we know that
it is an organization that is daily expanding.”

The governor’s call
is contained in a special broadcast to the people of the state to
commemorate the Eid-El-Fitr, where he said politicians should shun all
utterances and acts capable of causing a breach of peace. “The youth
should remember that all the struggles of the leaders are targeted at
them as the future leaders of the country,” he said.

While calling on the people of the state to continue to be
law-abiding, Mr Wamakko solicited their support for INEC in conducting
a hitch-free voters’ registration exercise and election.

The Ondo State government yesterday said that its
decision to relocate traders from major streets of notable towns in the
state is irreversible, stating that no amount of politics played by the
opposition on the matter will make it change its decision.

The government also said no single street trader
will be relocated in any part of the state until a befitting
alternative was provided by his administration.

The state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who disclosed
this while inspecting the Isinkan Market and the Auto-Mart projects
under construction in Akure, said there was no going back on turning
Akure to a mega city.

“The Urban Renewal programme is in the best
interest of the people because at the end of it, more foreign and local
investors would be attracted to the state for massive investment,
thereby, providing job opportunities for the people,” he said.

Modern auto-mart

“We are not ready to deprive anybody of the means
of his or her livelihood by dispersing street traders without the
provision of befitting alternatives. As we are building new
ultra-modern markets with necessary facilities, we are also building a
modern auto-mart where the motor dealers on Oba Adesida-Oyemekun Road
would be relocated to pave way for our Urban Development programme in
the capital city, which is the window through which the whole world
would see Ondo State. Hence, our resolve to make the Akure a model city
that would be the cynosure of all eyes in the nation.” Mr Mimiko
commended the State Direct Labour Agency for working to ensure that the
projects are completed within the stipulated time. He said the task of
developing the state remains the responsibility of the entire citizens
and urged the people to support the developmental efforts of his
administration in order to achieve the desired results.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Kunle
Ashaolu, explained that the government embarked on the projects through
the Direct Labour System to save costs, as part of its avowed
commitment to prudent management of public fund and resources.

The Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) has described the planned general election as
“unrealistic” going by the timetable released on Tuesday by the
electoral body.

The party also
described the plan which shows that staggered elections will hold in
January as a “recipe for failure.” In a statement issued in Abuja by
its National Publicity Secretary, the ACN warned that “in order for the
country not to repeat its history of electoral woes, and to prevent the
billions of naira to be spent on the elections from going down the
drain, the National Assembly must show uncommon patriotism by
suspending the operation of the amended constitution until after the
2011 elections, so that INEC can conduct the elections in April.”

According to the
party, this problem was caused by the series of setbacks the
constitution amendment witnessed as planned by the National Assembly.
“The problem of impossible timelines which the elections face now was
not created by INEC, but by the choreographed delayed amendment of the
constitution by the National Assembly.

“By releasing the
timetable, therefore, INEC has simply demonstrated its readiness to
comply with both the provisions of the new Electoral Act and the
amended Constitution,” it said.

The ACN claims that
it’s investigation has revealed that INEC is yet to award the contract
for the procurement of the 120,000 DDC needed for the fresh voter
registration.

In a breakdown of
the available time, the party further explained that it will take a
minimum of 10 weeks from the date of award for the machines to arrive
in Nigeria, and a minimum of three weeks is required to complete
voters’ registration and the display the new register for claims and
objections. Another eight weeks or at least 45 days will be needed to
integrate the data from the over 120,000 polling units before INEC can
commence printing of new voters cards. ACN, therefore, notes that INEC
cannot have the new voters’ register ready 21 weeks from today, “even
if the contract for the procurement of the 120,000 DDC machines were to
be awarded today.” By this permutation, ACN states that INEC will not
be ready for the election until “the first or second week in February
2011.” “This is already way past the month of January for which the
elections have been scheduled,” the party said.

Don’t blame INEC

The party stated
that the blame must be “laid squarely on the doorsteps of the National
Assembly,” for wasting so much time before the new Electoral Act and
the amended constitution were enacted into law. It also raised concerns
on the possible illegality of the constitution amendment, as the
process is being challenged by the presidency at the Supreme Court.

Calling for more
time for the electoral body, ACN stated that “there is nothing
sacrosanct about elections in January 2011” as “all election petitions
can be disposed off between January and May 2011” if the polls were to
hold in January. The party, therefore, demanded “unequivocally” that
INEC be given adequate time to do a thorough job.

“The 2011 elections are critical to the survival of our democracy
and the realisation of the consistent pledge by President Goodluck
Jonathan to organise free, fair and credible polls. We cannot afford to
fail,” the party concluded.

The Airline
Operators of Nigeria (AON), an umbrella association of all domestic
carriers in Nigeria, on Wednesday, stated that it did not betray Arik
Air, neither is it divided despite the irregularities surrounding its
position on the new ‘pay as you go’ mode of payment for terminal
navigational charges recently introduced by the Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency (NAMA).

The association is
reacting to statements credited to Joseph Arumemi-Johnson, the Chairman
of Arik Air, that they airlines reneged on agreement reached between
them not to accept the new billing system. The association had, in a
meeting chaired by its General Secretary, Mohammed Joji, agreed not to
comply with the directive of the airspace agency. However, after
threats by NAMA to ground defaulting airlines, over 95 per cent of
members of the body paid the fee.

Explaining that the
meeting in which the carriers agreed not to comply with the new ‘pay as
you go’ declarative was held in his absence, Steve Mahonwu, the
President of the association, while speaking at a briefing held at
Murtala Mohammed Airport 2 (MMA2), Lagos, said that the association
will not kick against genuine government stipulated principles. “I was
in Botswana when that meeting was held; and after I came back I wasn’t
briefed by the general secretary,” he said. “And that does not mean
that AON is dead and is a betrayer; however, it should be noted that
AON cannot and will not be used against government principles.”

Operators should pay charges

Mr Mahonwu, who
argued that airlines using government facilities are expected to pay
their dues, said that lack of communication led to the breach which
resulted in the different views as regards the payment of the charges.
“We are to support our parastatals, for our own is to make the industry
move forward,” he said. “With what has happened, I have now sent
notices to my colleagues informing them not to send any information to
the press without going through the office of the chairman.”

Mohammed Tukur,
the Assistant Secretary General of the association, said that a
communication gap between leaders of the body necessitated the trouble,
and added that the issue has been resolved and that all domestic
carriers have complied by paying the charges. He also said that the
case in court will soon be addressed. “I’m not aware of when the
meeting took place and I wasn’t involved,” he said. “The chairman was
out of the country, and that was what led to this issue of pay and do
not pay being dragged about.”

Meanwhile, the association’s chairman expressed gratitude to the
management of Arik Air, for their role in enabling the country acquire
the coveted United States Category One status. “We want to appreciate
Arik, because they use their facility to enable Nigeria achieve
Category One,” he said. “For in [the] days of Nigeria Airways, we had
the certification, but after series of bottlenecks the certification
was struck out.”

The Group Managing
Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Austen
Oniwon, yesterday said that his administration leveraged on the vision
to operate at world class levels by maximizing value addition as well
as creating high value opportunities for Nigerians and the country in
general.

As a premier
integrated oil and gas company in Nigeria, Mr. Oniwon said the
corporation under his leadership would remain committed to its agenda
to guarantee unimpeded supply and distribution of petroleum products
across the country.

The commitment, he
said, is underlined by his management’s recent decision to partner with
some Chinese investors to build more refineries in the country not only
to boost the country’s local refining capacity, but to facilitate the
creation of more employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed
youths in the country.

The director was
speaking in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving the Senior Executive
Course No. 32 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Study
(NIPSS).

“More than ever
before, the NNPC is determined to build more refineries in order to
complement the existing ones currently operating at optimum capacity.
With the daily increase in the consumption of petroleum products in the
country, the corporation has gone into a strategic partnership with a
Chinese firm to build three additional Greenfield Refineries and a
Petrochemical plant in three different states of the federation,” he
explained.

Presenting a paper
titled: “Imperative of Policy Sustainability for National Security and
Democratic Stability – TheNNPC Perspective”, Mr. Oniwon said the
corporation is currently involved in the repositioning of the natural
gas sector for rapid domestic, regional and export penetration, as
contained in the National Gas Master Plan (NGMP).

Meet the country’s needs

The present drive
for the development of Greenfield Refineries as well as revamping of
the old facilities, he pointed out, was in line with the strategic
effort to revitalize the downstream capacity to support the country’s
growing domestic energy needs.

On efforts to
upgrade its operations to enable the corporation compete with other
integrated national oil companies in the world, the NNPC helmsman
observed that the corporation is currently undergoing a transformation
process, adding that if the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently
pending before the National Assembly is passed, it would facilitate the
reform of key institutions to anchor sustained growth in the country’s
oil and gas sector.

“The main engine of
transformation of the petroleum sector is the PIB. The bill seeks to
reform the petroleum sector, such that the country’s oil and gas
industry will achieve the 21st century global industry performance
record. The bill when passed into law will decentralize the industry
and make it more efficient and result-oriented,” Mr. Oniwon stated.

He called for the
regular review of policies to enhance maximum returns on oil and gas
assets, pointing out that if bureaucratic bottlenecks are eliminated
from the system, it would greatly enhance the corporation’s drive
towards value addition in all the oil and gas value chains as well as
its capacity as a player in the global arena.

The Director of
Studies NIPSS and leader of the delegation, Thomas Imobighe, stressed
the need for successive administrations to retain laudable policies
that impact positively on the economy, assuring of the Institute’s
readiness to help propagate policies that would facilitate the growth
of the Nigerian economy.