Nigeria Content Online

Sometime in 2002, in the quest to
fortify its plan to wrest power from the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party during the 2003 general elections, the leadership of the then All
Peoples Party began negotiation with some prominent politicians in the
country who it believed were electoral assets. Among them were former
military vice president, Augustus Aikhomu, a former petroleum resources
minister, Don Etiebet and a former Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.

Messrs Aikhomu and Etiebet were
coming from the United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP), a party reputed to
have been floated by political associates of former military president,
Ibrahim Babangida. They had also been in the PDP.

For details pick up a copy of today’s NEXT Newspaper

Residents of Yayale
Estate in the Dutse district of Garki in Abuja are constantly
threatened by floods resulting from the Federal Capital Development
Authority’s (FCDA) inconclusive work on roads in the area.

During a typical
rainy day, poor drainage within the estate causes floodwaters from the
road to rush into residents’ compounds, destroying property and
threatening lives.

Solomon Daudu, a
resident of the estate, said his building is worst hit when it rains.
Last Wednesday, he almost lost his Toyota Camry to the flood. Mr. Daudu
said he left for work in the morning and returned around 11:00am to
pick up his children for lunch. On their way home, at around 4:00 pm,
he received a phone call that his compound was flooded.

“The flood pushed
down the fence at the back of my house and pushed my car outside to the
main road after it forced open the gates,” he said.

“Everything kept outside the building was swept away in the flood,” he said.

However, officials
of the FCDA deny that the flooding is linked to the road construction.
The FCDA’s chief resident engineer, who declined to be named, said that
there was no need for the government to build additional drainage on
the road. Instead, he blamed the problem on the inability of the
estate’s developer to utilise the survey data for the area.

“If they had the survey data, they would have known that in future, there was going to be a major road there,” he said.

“We did our best on
that project and there is nothing more to it. There is no need for
drainages on express roads, or are we expected to provide drainages in
the estate too?”

He warned that the road will be expanded into a dual carriage way in future and that the estate will definitely be affected.

Irregular construction

But the residents
disagreed with the FCDA’s assessment. They pointed out that drainage
was provided on other sections of the road. Emmanuel Okoronkwo, a civil
engineer who lives in the estate, said the road project was poorly
executed.

“It is wrong of
them to have gone ahead to do this thing without providing for a
channel for the flood. They could have put what is called a ‘cut-off
drain’ and then channel it properly,” he said.

Mr. Okoronkwo said
that the road should not have been categorised as an expressway, as it
passed through a residential area. He said the government had evaded
its responsibility to the estate.

“You cannot provide
a road and not take care of that,” he said. “That is ignorance at its
height. You must channel water somewhere, otherwise you leave it to
wreak havoc,” he said.

Ahmed Yabagi,
chairman of the Yayale Estate Residents’ Association, said the problem
was the irregular planning and construction of the road. When the road
was designed, the estate was not in place. However, by the time the
road was constructed, no one bothered to update the initial survey data
for the road, which channelled the flood into the land where the estate
now stands.

Blame the management

The issue has been
complicated by poor government management of the estate, said Mr.
Yabagi. The estate was built in 2004 to provide accommodation for civil
servants. The head of service partnered with a private developer,
Shelter Initiatives, on the project, while the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) provided the land.

Beneficiaries of
the housing scheme were to make monthly payments for their houses to
the government which would, in turn, remit a part of the money to the
private developer. However, the government has not been making adequate
remittances to the developer.

Mr. Yabagi said
that was why so many of the estate facilities, including the drainage
system, were in such a deplorable condition. The developer had even
sold some of the estate’s units in a bid to recover his money, he said.

There are over 150
residents within the estate and they have made several attempts to draw
the federal government’s attention to their plight, but to no avail.

“We demonstrated,
we blocked the road, and stopped the work on the road at a time. We had
also written to FCDA but no response yet,” said Mr. Yabagi.

“We equally held meetings with the office of the head of civil
service of the federation, but none had yielded fruits,” he said.

Last year when they
struck, members of the Boko Haram group spread their violence across
states such as Borno, Bauchi and Kano. Little wonder officials in those
states are skittish following last week’s resurgence of violence in
Bauchi by suspected members of the same group.

At the height of
the Boko Haram insurrection in 2009, the sect members ambushed
policemen at the Wudil Divisional headquarters and fought security
operatives in bloody encounters. No fewer than 25 members of the group,
whose cases are yet to be dispensed with, are still held at the Kano
Central Prison, not too far away from the city’s main praying ground,
the Kofar Mata eid praying ground.

Days before last
Friday’s Sallah celebration, there was noticeable heavy presence of
security officials, including detachment of the army, across Kano city.
On Thursday, this was reinforced, as about 15 trucks loaded with mobile
police were spotted moving around every nook and cranny of the city in
a show of force.

Heavily armed
military and mobile police took over Kano Central Mosque ahead of the
Eid el Fitr prayer session, held to mark the end of the Ramadan.
Movement of vehicles to the praying ground were restricted, just as
Muslim faithful were allowed entrance after they have been thoroughly
searched by the security men.

There was unusual
tight security around the governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, as stern looking
soldiers surrounded his official cars, with an armoured tank, during
his trip to the mosque for prayers from his Government House residence,
about three kilometres away.

At the end of the
prayers, the soldiers accompanied Mr Shekarau’s convoy to the
Government House, leaving many residents who were not used to this
bizarre style pondering what must have gone wrong on a day that should
be celebrated.

Security report

Top security
sources in the state who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the
heavy presence of the military is because of security reports on
possible attacks by the members of the Boko Haram. The source added
that the tight security is owing to fear that the members of the
dreaded sect could use the celebration day to attack the governor and
other targets.

However, the Sallah
day was celebrated peacefully, as Mr Shekarau joined thousands to offer
prayers and urged Kano residents to remain peaceful at all times. Mr
Shekarau said that this year’s Sallah festivities called for double
sober reflections and appreciation, as it coincides with the 50th
anniversary of our country’s nationhood.

He added that his
government was working to ensure that security of lives and property is
respected in the state and called on the people to go about their
duties without fear.

The emir of Kano,
Ado Bayero, expressed gratitude to Allah for bringing an end to
religious and sectional crises in the state. “We hope that the peaceful
development has come to stay,” he said, calling on all in the state to
continue to cooperate with security agents for the maintenance of peace
and stability.

He also called on
the people of the state not to take for granted the recent successes
recorded in the fight against polio, and maintain vigilance at all
times. He cautioned residents to take all preventive measures to check
the spread of cholera, which is currently ravaging neighboring states.

A senior special adviser to Mr Shakarau, Sule Yau Sule, said the heavy security in the state was proactive.

“After the security council meeting yesterday, the Bauchi State case
was reviewed and that is why there is heavy presence of security in
Kano to ward off any threat,” he said.

The National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Thursday that the rate of drug
trafficking at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA),
Lagos, has dropped.

The agency said in
a statement that the drop was noticed in August. “We arrested only
seven suspects (four men and three women) with 8.62kg of cocaine during
the month,” it said in the statement signed by Mitchell Ofoyeju, the
agency’s head of Public Affairs.

It said the number of those arrested for drug trafficking rose to 20 in July with a haul of 28.13kg of narcotics.

“The drastic reduction is suggestive of a natural response to the death of a suspect who ingested the substance.

“It is hoped that drug traffickers will consider the consequences
of their action and quit the criminal acts,’’ the statement added.

Two Russian sailors that were kidnapped about a month ago have been released by unidentified men in the Niger Delta.

The Seafarers Union of Russia confirmed
to The Associated Press agency that the kidnapped sailors, identified
as Igor Ivanov and Andrei Pukke have been released by their captors.
The union also confirmed that the two men are already back in Russia,
but declined to give any further details. However, an unconfirmed
ransom of $60,000 was allegedly paid for their release.

The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) will mobilize the masses to demand from public
office holders an account of their stewardship, the deputy chairman of
the CPC Board of Trustees, Sule Hamma, has said.

Mr. Hamma, who
spoke while receiving a delegation of Group Four, Course 32 of the
National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), said if
elected in into government in 2011, the party led by former military
leader Muhammadu Buhari, would ensure that there is sanity in
governance.

“We are going to
use the power of the masses to crush the elites and their cohorts who
have continuously connived to dupe the masses and we will provoke the
masses to look into what their representatives received without doing
anything for their constituencies. If the present situation is allowed
to continue, there would be no hope for Nigerian masses,” Mr Hamma said.

He also said the
failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
understand the dynamics of the processes of rigging of election may mar
the success of the 2011 general elections.

Unchanged PDP

Mr. Hamma accused
the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of rigging in all elections,
adding that the party has not changed going by the results of recent
local government and senatorial bye-elections across the country.

According to him, the forthcoming elections may not be free and fair after all.

“Given the short
time frame for preparation, lack of infrastructure and lack of INEC’s
understanding of the dynamics of the processes of election rigging by
desperate politicians and their cohorts among other concerns, we do not
see the possibility of free and fair elections in the country,” he said.

The BOT chairman
also alleged that Commissioners of Police, Brigade Commanders, SSS
Directors, Residents Electoral Commissioners (RECs), traditional rulers
and prominent politicians connived and compromise justice by rigging
elections after being “settled.”

Leader of the NIPSS
delegation and Director of Research at the institute, Olu Obafemi, said
the visit to the party secretariat was part of their academic programme
to find out the level of preparation of stakeholders for the 2011 polls.

July 20 2010,
Concord House, London: The inauguration of the Save Nigeria Group
(SNG), UK Chapter. In attendance was Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain
Assembly; Yinka Odumakin; Nasir El Rufai; pastors from the Gain Group
and other activists that formed the SNG, UK chapter. I was representing
the Transform Nigeria Movement. I listened carefully as these gentlemen
enunciated their vision and mission to cleanse the atmosphere of
Nigeria politics so that – quoting Mr Odumakin – “a Mr Elombah can come
back to Nigeria one day and contest for the House of Representatives
and be assured that the votes of the people in his constituency will
count.”

It was a moving
occasion, as Mr Bakare – who has this extraordinary ability to speak
with such force and emotion that turn your eyes misty – narrated how
Nigeria has been held in the jugular by thugs that have captured our
nation, allowed by a seemingly docile populace whose “social mobility”
has quenched. What I heard that day seems to hold out hope that, at
last, some people are determined to bring forth the change we all
desire. At the end of the launch, I attended another meeting with a
journalist from Nigeria, where I confirmed what Donald Duke, former
governor of Cross River State, said at another gathering of the SNG –
that Nigerian politicians look at activists as “wooly-eyed dreamers”.
This journalist (I will call him Mr J) said if we are hoping for a
Nigeria where the people will freely elect their leaders in a free and
peaceful election, we still have a very long way to go. Some of the
things Mr J narrated cannot simply be published. Suffice it to say he
pointed out that “Nigeria is not a country, but an organized criminal
outpost for crooks whose interest is personal aggrandisement and not
the business of taking care of its citizens”.

Mr J further told
me that whatever I read is merely a tip of the iceberg and that if I
get to know the actual amount of looting that goes for governance, or
the debauched life lived by some of the people I admire in government,
I won’t sleep at night.

Recently, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and governor of Ogun
State, Gbenga Daniel, publicly engaged in fisticuffs over a dispute of
who should cut the ribbon announcing the opening of a simple bridge in
Sango-Ota, in Ogun State. How did thugs get to capture governance in
Nigeria? Mr Bakare said at the inauguration that he will never
encourage any sane human to go into Nigerian politics in this polluted
environment. But he added that members of the SNG might go into
politics, “after the atmosphere has been cleansed”.

The RSVP process

I think what we are
seeing is a civilian version of the military in power. Or the
militarised version of the civilians in power. Who killed Bayo Ohu and
Godwin Agbroko? IBB felt challenged by Mamman Vatsa and charged him
with coup plotting and killed him…now tell me who felt uncomfortable
with former Attorney General, Bola Ige and had him murdered? Who killed
Harry Marshall, Dikibo, Odunayo Olagbaju? Who killed Ahmed Pategi and
his police orderly? Who killed Victor Nwankwo, the younger brother of
Arthur Nwankwo? Who killed Kudirat Abiola, John Nunu, Funsho Williams,
Chimere Ikoku, Ayodeji Daramola, Dele Arojo and Isyaku Muhammad? With
the passing of each year, the list grows longer and longer.

Mr Bakare believes no good Nigerian can succeed as a peoples’
politician and serve the people within the polluted waters of Nigerian
politics because the others will change him into one of their kind. Mr
Bakare also believes that only when the people exercise their rights
and take powers back into their hands, by selecting their candidates
and ensuring free, credible and peaceful elections, will such a
cleansing begin. He called this cleansing process RSVP: R-Register to
vote, S- Select your candidates, V-Vote, P-Protect your votes.

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.”