One time Senate Committee Chairman on Environment and Ecology, Senator Grace Folasade Bent has washed her hands off the ongoing probe of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke over alleged N23 billion loot.
She made it clear that at no time her name was linked to the loot by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) neither had she ever been arrested, describing those who reported that the EFCC had arrested her as mischief makers and malicious.
In a statement today, Sunday, in Abuja, Senator Bent made it clear that what was published against her was pure falsity which according to her, was baseless from all indications.
She said that she had nothing to do with any financial scam or fraud during or after her tenure in the Senate and has never been found wanting in any shady deal with anyone.
Senator Bent felt scandalized and upset by reports that were featured mostly online, alleging that she was a beneficiary of the so called Diezani largesse and that she was arrested by the EFCC in connection with missing ecological funds.
The former Senator said: “EFCC never arrested me on any allegation, since I did not commit any fraud. I wonder where such atrocious reports linking me with financial scam sprouted from.
“To set the record straight, I had to contact the EFCC for clarifications and to clear every mist of doubt created on my person by the report.
“I was not aware of the reports at first. Well wishers from far and near drew my attention to what was published against me. It was, indeed, damaging and I condemn the publications with all vehemence. I do not know what the authors had gained for attempting to damage my hard earned reputation.”
The Senator who represented Adamawa South Senatorial District between 2007-2011 said that her distraught over the media report escalated more because no one approached her for enquiries or clarifications on any issue before the publication, despite being always available to the media.
She advised media to desist from publishing reports aimed at tarnishing the reputations of innocent public servants, especially those who have served Nigeria meritoriously in different capacities.
Senator Bent said however, that she was not deterred by those trying to pull her down politically, adding that she would continue to remain focused and steadfast in her desire to do greater exploits in politics while serving the people of Adamawa and Nigeria in general. [myad]
A popular Socialite and Chairman of Aquilla Group, Chief Shina Peller, has confirmed that pressures have been mounting on him to join the politics and contest election into position but had been resisting such pressures.
He said: “for now, my business is my priority, although I have been receiving pressures from people from every corner to get involved in politics but I’m yet to make up my mind.”
Shina Peller, who was a guest at Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo state chapter, Ibadan recently, said that his people wanted him to take advantage of his popularity and influence in the state for politics.
The Iseyin-born philatropist said: “my popularity didn’t just start today. It has always been my desire to do everything I can in whatever capacity to assist people and encourage younger ones even from my days as a student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso.” [myad]
Human rights Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has expressed dissatisfaction on the way some pastors in Nigeria are enriching themselves from the sweat of the poor Christians all in the name of salvation.
Falana, who spoke at the continuous Lagos Book and Arts Festival (LABAF), emphasized that Nigerian pastors have taken pleasure in draining their attendees, deploring the opulence which they display while the vast majority of their followers wallow in abject poverty.
He openly criticized the General Administrator of Recovered Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye, for saying that RCCG will have whatever number branches as could be expected under the circumstances.
Falana would have liked to see Adeboye and different ministers concentrating on different establishments like schools and healing facilities, instead of continually increasing the church branches.
“The vast majority of the wealthiest ministers on the planet are from Nigeria, yet our kin are getting poorer.
“On the off chance that a large number of us had not gone to mission schools worked by the Catholics and the Anglicans… however what are we fabricating now? What are our houses of worship giving us?
“They are promising to manufacture houses of worship in each road. Every one of the stockrooms in Apapa worked by Awolowo have all progressed toward becoming holy places and business focuses.
“I heard that one of my associates, (Minister Enoch) Adeboye, said that he would love to build churches wherever in order to make it simple for worshipers to walk to them.”
It is on record that Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie had also condemned Adeboye’s remark, expressing that there is no purity in expanding church branches. [myad]
One of the strong contenders to the office of the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has picked quarrel with those whose names he did not mention.
He displayed his displeasure with what he called ‘various insinuations and misleading stories’ about his ambition to lead the party, describing the action of the faceless party members as character assassination which he said would collapse.
The PDP chairmanship aspirant, in a statement by his media director, Ike Abonyi, gave reasons why his detractors would fail, saying that he is in the race because he finds himself more suitable for the National Chairmanship position in the party at this time and because the position is zoned to the South.
He stressed that he knows that he has more experience for the task involved in National Chairmanship position than anybody in the race, adding that he is also without any encumbrance of corruption.
“With less than 18 months to general election, the party leadership cannot afford those who would learn on the job; the party need someone who can hit the ground running and Secondus is perfectly the man
“Majority of the PDP members across the country and in diaspora are anxious to regain power at the center and they are aware of the enormous challenges ahead hence their desire to have a National Chairman who would come and hit the ground running.
“If majority of the delegates to the party’s National Convention across the six geo-political zones are angling for Secondus, it must be seen from their genuine desires to have the party restored to its winning ways. Therefore blackmail and character assassination of Secondus would collapse because they are standing on malice and Vendetta.” [myad]
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele (left), participated at the 2017 Annual Bankers’ Dinner Night on Friday, November 10 during which time he delivered a keynote address on the challenges and achievements of the apex bank. [myad]
The General Overseer and founder of Heaven International Fire Ministry in Benin, Edo State, Pastor James Chinwuba, has sent out from his church, a man, Endurance Itsegbe, who brought another woman for marriage solemnization after he sent his first wife to Europe for prostitution.
Information reaching us indicated that the Pastor had called out the couple who had already printed their wedding cards, and embarrassed them in front of the congregation. He asked the couple to go out of his church in the presence of the congregation.
A family member of the man’s original wife told the congregation that they haven’t heard from their daughter since she went abroad and that their in-law had earlier denied plans for a new marriage when confronted.
According to Pastor James, Endurance Itsegbe got married to the woman, sent her abroad to hustle and make money for him, while he planned another wedding in Nigeria; unknown to him that the pastor has been informed of his secret dealings.
It was gathered that his bride, Joy Charles was aware that he was originally married.[myad]
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he discovered that the party had been destroyed beyond what he could be associated with at that point.
Obasanjo expressed surprise that some people who destroyed the party made it impossible for it to retain power at the centre, adding that there was no reason why the party should not have ruled Nigeria for 50 years as believed by some people, but that the party caused its own problem.
“That has happened in some other countries like Germany, where a party runs the affairs of the county for decades, but of course, that is not the history in our own case.”
Obasanjo, who spoke when one of the national chairmanship aspirants, Raymond Dokpesi visited him at his Ota farm in Abeokuta, Ogun state today, Saturday, said that those who destroyed the PDP were still in it and that they would not leave until the running of the party is taken over by determined, selfless, upright and honest people.
“If we are just saying PDP has a crisis, which is self-made and that the Supreme Court had resolved the crisis for us, we are just deceiving ourselves.
“The Supreme Court has taken a right decision as an apex court should, but as a party, only that cannot help you to do it all.”
He prayed that PDP would get its national convention right, adding that the chairmanship of the party is very important.
“I had four PDP chairmen under in eight years. So, I know what it takes to have a good or bad chairman for a party.”
The former two-term President advised Dokpesi to use his media assets well for the interest of the country to avoid and correct past mistakes.
Obasanjo, who said that he and some other Nigerians worked hard for the success of the party and the county, advised PDP to manage its success.
Earlier, Dokpesi said that he was in Abeokuta to seek the prayer and blessings of Obasanjo in his ambition to become the PDP national chairman, adding that anyone aspiring to be national chairman of a political party must consult with the former president.
“I am much aware that you are not interested in partisan politics but you are the father of the nation. You are much committed to the unity, stability and continue the existence of this country.
“You have dedicated all your life to the building of this country.
“Therefore, anything that is good for this country is a matter of interest to you,’’ Dokpesi said.
He said that PDP would continue to plead for the forgiveness of Obasanjo for its trespasses and transgressions.
Dokpesi stressed the need for both the ruling and opposition parties to be strong “even as 2019 is fast approaching.”
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has given details of how he and his team had doggedly resisted attempt in many quarters to stop the implementation of the Bank’s policy that restricts importers of certain items access to foreign exchange from the Nigerian Forex market. He added that such resistance has led to improvement in the domestic production of those items and a reduction in Nigeria’s import bill.
Emefiele emphasized in Lagos at the weekend that in spite of opposition to the introduction of the policy restricting 41 items from Nigeria’s foreign exchange market, the faithful implementation of the policy had seen to the considerable decline in Nigeria’s import bills.
From an average of about US$5.5 billion, he disclosed that the nation’s monthly import bill had fallen consistently to US$2.1 billion in 2016 and US$1.9 billion by half year 2017.
Citing the example of Psaltry International Limited (PIL), an agro-allied company based in Oyo State, he said the introduction of the policy had reversed the fortunes of the starch-producing company. He noted that prior to the policy; Psaltry had only few customers and a huge backlog of inventory. However, due to the policy, he disclosed that the company now has over 50 multinational clients including Nestle and Unilever, thereby saving the country $7 million in foreign exchange drawdown over the two years of the policy.
Emefiele said that the access restriction policy had freed Nigeria from the perennially embarrassing importation of toothpicks, adding that as part of the gains from the policy and in line with an agreement reached with Unilever, which moved its production facility to another country a few years ago, the company had agreed to commission a new Blue Band Factory in Agbara, Ogun State before the end of 2017.
He said that the implementation of the policy had had a great impact on Nigeria’s import bill and boosted local rice production in Nigeria. He recalled that Nigeria, in 2012, imported about 1.2 million metric tonnes of rice from a trading partner, noting that, in 2016, one full year of implementation of the policy, rice exports to Nigeria had fallen by 99 percent to only 784 metric tonnes.
“These are clearly verifiable successes of government’s attempts to create jobs locally, improve the wealth of our rural population, improve industrial capacities and ultimately attain economic growth in Nigeria,” he noted.
Emefiele expressed delight that the Nigerian economy had recorded positive growth after five consecutive quarters of negative growth, thereby signaling its exit from recession. He also noted the downward trend in headline inflation from 18.72 per cent in January 2017 to the September 2017 figure of 15.98.
The CBN Governor equally expressed gladness that the Naira had appreciated from over N500/US$1 to about N360/US$1. While noting that the economy had seen stability in the exchange rate of the naira for over six months, he affirmed that the exchange rate was not only stable, but was also converging across various windows and segments of the market.
He noted that since the establishment of the Import and Export Window, the CBN had recorded about US$10 billion in autonomous inflows through this window alone. According to him, this reflected the effect of the increased transparency which that window accorded the foreign exchange market and its impact of improving investor confidence and business sentiments.
Speaking on the country’s reserves, Emefiele noted that the reserves had recovered significantly from about US$23 billion in October 2016 to over US$34.3 billion as at November 3, 2017.
“The accretion in reserves does not only reflect increased inflow but also our shrewd FX demand management strategy,” he added
In assessing the country’s rating on the ease of doing business, he disclosed that the World Bank’s ease of doing business indicator for 2018 showed that Nigeria, with a score of 52.03, improved 24 places to rank 145 out of 190, standing above the regional
average score of 50.43 recorded for sub-Saharan Africa. This is even as he noted that the Bank’s effort had reinforced the Presidential initiatives to improve ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Speaking on the economic outlook for 2018, Emefiele warned fiscal and monetary authorities against complacency and over-confidence because of current positive developments in the economy. Rather, he urged all to strive to improve and sustain the pace of recovery.
Although he noted that the import bill had dropped, he stressed that Nigeria’s manufacturing and agriculture sectors still had a long way to go if the country were to attain self-sufficiency in those sectors. Nevertheless, he assured that the CBN, on its part, would continue to fine-tune its policies and strategies based on its understanding of evolving developments and supported by in-house technical analysis and simulations. He assured that the CBN would remain proactive in ensuring that the welfare of Nigerians is optimised at any point in time.
Emefiele noted that, that barring any unforeseen shocks, Inflationary pressure will continue to ease, expressing optimism that the rate may return to very low double digit or high single digit levels during the next year. He also expressed hope that the foreign exchange reserve will continue to grow; stressing that Nigeria can attain a foreign reserve position of about US$40 billion by end of 2018.
He also expressed hope that the economic recovery would consolidate and that the exchange rate stability currently being witnessed would continue. While expressing hope for even stronger policy coordination, collaboration and cooperation in 2018, he hinted that monetary policy stance could changewhen the underlying fundamentals become supportive. [myad]
The news that the governor of Ebonyi state, Engr. Dave Umahi has declared support for the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari in the next presidential polls of Nigeria come 2019 came to me as grandeur per excellence. Worthy to note is the fact that the governor was elected into office under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is currently the opposition party in the country. The President is a member of the All Progressives Party (APC) and as millions of voices of Nigerians continue to beseech him, may seek reelection under the party which I personally describe as the “demystified cosmopolitan apparatus” reinvented to change Nigeria.
Since 2015 after settling down in office, Gov. Umahi has never hidden his political susceptibility for President Buhari. He once declared that if only one vote will be cast in favour of the President in Ebonyi state in 2019, the one vote will be from him. However, the governor could not have forgotten that people like my humble self voted in the 2015 presidential polls. Verily, my vote was one of the thousands of votes from Eboyians for the President. Furthermore, notwithstanding the true understanding of events, the Igbo people largely could not have resisted to accept the leadership of Buhari except for the opposition to remain live and firm in a democracy. But on a more serious note, this declaration of solidarity shows the level of “the goodwill Umahi has for Buhari”. And if not for the power-play within and outside the state, maybe the governor would have been proudly carrying the broom around. Time will tell, though.
Umahi’s endorsement of the President for 2019 can be based on conviction of his performance, qualification, honesty and statesmanship. It cannot also be unconnected to political realignment towards the 2019 general elections which the governor shows keen interest to re-contest. The governor prides, and truly it is creditable, of a lot of projects lined up for commissioning in the state, projects that he has executed within the past two and half years. To mention few are the three twin flyovers built across the African trans-Atlantic road running from Enugu to Cameroon passing through Ebonyi state. There is also the Ebonyi Mall that is modeled after the famous Dubai Mall. Mr. President is expected to commission them.
It is in the media that the President is billed to tour the Southeast region. If that is to be carried out personally, it will give the President the opportunity to visit his new political admirer, Umahi. While in the government house, Abakaliki, the duo can talk more on the alliance. Then the President will feel the taste of the salt without which no ditch is complete. I am sure the cultural beauties of the state will be displayed with the “Umu Agbogho Dance” which captivated the great late Zik of Africa into marrying a damsel of Afikpo, Professor (Mrs.) Uche Azikiwe, now lecturing in the Nigeria University, Nsukka (UNN). “Afikpo my Afikpo”, I yearn.
This medium is apt to appeal to President Buhari to visit the home of the former governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria, Ezeogo Isiala 1 of Unwana, Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam, in Unwana of Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state. The Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, is a federal institution that requires federal government attention for enhanced schooling facilities. Besides, it is the home of the former renowned peace preacher, Sheikh Ibrahim Okpani Nwagui of Enohia-Itim in Afikpo, a man who prominently contributed in no small way to the ethno-cultural and religious beatitude and diversification of the region.
President Buhari can visit these two places and see what of federal presence in terms of roads, schools, development of beaches and human capacities can be granted the entire ancient city of Afikpo whose cultural heritage is second to none in the nation. The fantastic “Iyi Eke” fishing festival can be upgraded to a national status like the Argungu festival. Other phenomenal attractions abound in the city that blocked Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka, the killer of the former late Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed. Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo visited this great city on 24th December, 2001 or thereabout and luckily, I was at home and observed all the beautiful side attractions and hospitality accorded him.
Ebonyi state would have had Afikpo as its capital city. Carved from the Old Imo state to Abia state, then to Ebonyi state, Afikpo is a very unique city in Nigeria, thanks to its rocky-water-meadow landscape. It is also a home of unique people who understand all the Igbo dialects but whose own dialect is hardly understood by other Igbo linguistic groupings. Many of the Igbo inadvertently or otherwise regard the Afikpo dialect as Cross River’s.
Engr. Umahi is the third executive governor of the state having taken power from his boss, Chief Martin Elechi who was bent to frustrate his deputy’s – Umahi’s – political ambition to succeed him. Simply, Umahi defeated incumbency just like President Buhari did at the federal level. Between 1999 and 2007, Senator Sam Egwu governed the state. All did try their best by laying the foundation upon which Umahi is remodeling, expanding and requesting federal backings. Senator Egwu from Ebonyi North governed the state for eight years; Chief Elechi from Ebonyi Central had his eight years too. For equity and fairness, Engr. Umahi from Ebonyi South should be supported to have his eight years, though on merit, as his works are speaking for themselves.
Again, with this frank and valiant support of a governor who supports the developmental strides and democratic norms of a leadership of another party, it is clear that love of personality should overpower mere party affiliation for the nation to grow. Being only an opposition bereft of ideological propositions retards growth and engenders waste cogs in the political machinery of governance. Therefore, if it is possible to accept the governor into APC without causing disaffection in the party polity, let it be done. That will be after scrutiny of genuine interest. The governor is performing and Mr. President, though observant, is encouraged to support him to perform maximally.
It is well known that Ebonyi is the recipient of the lowest allocation from the federal government. I stand tall to value the efforts of the governor in utilizing the little monthly allocations from the federal revenue. In his empathy and zeal to put the state ahead of all its peers created on October 1 1996, the governor has taken frugal measures in expenditures and courageous steps in enhancing internally generated revenue, though not enough due to acute infrastructural viability. That is why interventions from the federal government are exigent to boost the aspirations of this most performing governor of the Southeast.
I laud this bold stand of my governor in supporting the President. Though I do not pray that Ebonyi becomes a two-party state like Anambra that was APGA in disguise but PDP in practice during the PDP leadership of the country, it is rare to find very strong politicians like Gov. Umahi who can stand for what they really believe in despite political name callings and distractions. It is the truism in politics of no perpetual enemy or friend but permanent interest.
On the other hand, I resist the belief that the political wave sweeping through the southern regions is wholly responsible for the governor’s romance. APC took over Edo state in a grand style. It grabbed Ondo state too, though with much difficulties. Ceteris paribus, it is in all probability in the process of adding Anambra state to its fold. Ekiti state may just be waiting for the broom to sweep the government house in Ado-Ekiti. And if that happens, the powers of the PDP will continue to dwindle. I wish that all the remnants of PDP governors will not, afterwards, queue to be given the broom to sweep their states because, at least, the country needs an opposition party.
Once more, I thank my governor for his liking for President Buhari. It is my heartfelt desire that this political development translates into huge benefits from the federal government for the people of my state. And welcome anytime, Mr. President, to the salt of Nigeria!
Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk
Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State, has now commenced operations, even as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a significant increase of the take-off grant from N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion.
A Statement by the minister of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani today, Saturday, said that already, vacancies have been declared for academic staff, saying that the grant for the takeoff has been included in the 2018 budget presented to the National Assembly earlier this week, under the Federal Ministry of Education allocation, superseding the previous provision of N2 billion for the university.
Pastor Usani said that the Presidential approval for the N5 billion budget allocation was based on the recommendation of a committee in the ministry of Education which was tasked with the activation of the university.
“Besides, President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved an immediate release of N1B to the university to support essential infrastructure works and staff recruitment. This release is separate from the N5B allocated in the 2018 budget submitted to the National Assembly.”
The minister recalled that recently, the Maritime University authorities commenced the process of hiring staff with advert placements published in newspapers, blogs and other online outlets.
“In the published academic staff vacancies, the Maritime University is now hiring professors, readers, senior lecturers, lecturers, assistant lecturers and graduate assistants to teach in the faculties of Science, Maritime Transportation, Maritime Engineering & Technology, Maritime Environmental Management and General Studies.
It would be recalled that under the New Vision for the Niger Delta, which followed the President’s meeting with PANDEF leaders last November, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was delegated to undertake a tour of the oil producing communities and the issue of the take-off of the Maritime University was one of the major requests tabled before the Federal Government.[myad]
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he left Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he discovered that the party had been destroyed beyond what he could be associated with at that point.
Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State, has now commenced operations, even as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a significant increase of the take-off grant from N2 billion earlier announced to N5 billion.
Gov Umahi’s Unhidden Support For Buhari, By Muhammad Ajah
Since 2015 after settling down in office, Gov. Umahi has never hidden his political susceptibility for President Buhari. He once declared that if only one vote will be cast in favour of the President in Ebonyi state in 2019, the one vote will be from him. However, the governor could not have forgotten that people like my humble self voted in the 2015 presidential polls. Verily, my vote was one of the thousands of votes from Eboyians for the President. Furthermore, notwithstanding the true understanding of events, the Igbo people largely could not have resisted to accept the leadership of Buhari except for the opposition to remain live and firm in a democracy. But on a more serious note, this declaration of solidarity shows the level of “the goodwill Umahi has for Buhari”. And if not for the power-play within and outside the state, maybe the governor would have been proudly carrying the broom around. Time will tell, though.
Umahi’s endorsement of the President for 2019 can be based on conviction of his performance, qualification, honesty and statesmanship. It cannot also be unconnected to political realignment towards the 2019 general elections which the governor shows keen interest to re-contest. The governor prides, and truly it is creditable, of a lot of projects lined up for commissioning in the state, projects that he has executed within the past two and half years. To mention few are the three twin flyovers built across the African trans-Atlantic road running from Enugu to Cameroon passing through Ebonyi state. There is also the Ebonyi Mall that is modeled after the famous Dubai Mall. Mr. President is expected to commission them.
It is in the media that the President is billed to tour the Southeast region. If that is to be carried out personally, it will give the President the opportunity to visit his new political admirer, Umahi. While in the government house, Abakaliki, the duo can talk more on the alliance. Then the President will feel the taste of the salt without which no ditch is complete. I am sure the cultural beauties of the state will be displayed with the “Umu Agbogho Dance” which captivated the great late Zik of Africa into marrying a damsel of Afikpo, Professor (Mrs.) Uche Azikiwe, now lecturing in the Nigeria University, Nsukka (UNN). “Afikpo my Afikpo”, I yearn.
This medium is apt to appeal to President Buhari to visit the home of the former governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria, Ezeogo Isiala 1 of Unwana, Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam, in Unwana of Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state. The Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, is a federal institution that requires federal government attention for enhanced schooling facilities. Besides, it is the home of the former renowned peace preacher, Sheikh Ibrahim Okpani Nwagui of Enohia-Itim in Afikpo, a man who prominently contributed in no small way to the ethno-cultural and religious beatitude and diversification of the region.
President Buhari can visit these two places and see what of federal presence in terms of roads, schools, development of beaches and human capacities can be granted the entire ancient city of Afikpo whose cultural heritage is second to none in the nation. The fantastic “Iyi Eke” fishing festival can be upgraded to a national status like the Argungu festival. Other phenomenal attractions abound in the city that blocked Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka, the killer of the former late Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed. Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo visited this great city on 24th December, 2001 or thereabout and luckily, I was at home and observed all the beautiful side attractions and hospitality accorded him.
Ebonyi state would have had Afikpo as its capital city. Carved from the Old Imo state to Abia state, then to Ebonyi state, Afikpo is a very unique city in Nigeria, thanks to its rocky-water-meadow landscape. It is also a home of unique people who understand all the Igbo dialects but whose own dialect is hardly understood by other Igbo linguistic groupings. Many of the Igbo inadvertently or otherwise regard the Afikpo dialect as Cross River’s.
Engr. Umahi is the third executive governor of the state having taken power from his boss, Chief Martin Elechi who was bent to frustrate his deputy’s – Umahi’s – political ambition to succeed him. Simply, Umahi defeated incumbency just like President Buhari did at the federal level. Between 1999 and 2007, Senator Sam Egwu governed the state. All did try their best by laying the foundation upon which Umahi is remodeling, expanding and requesting federal backings. Senator Egwu from Ebonyi North governed the state for eight years; Chief Elechi from Ebonyi Central had his eight years too. For equity and fairness, Engr. Umahi from Ebonyi South should be supported to have his eight years, though on merit, as his works are speaking for themselves.
Again, with this frank and valiant support of a governor who supports the developmental strides and democratic norms of a leadership of another party, it is clear that love of personality should overpower mere party affiliation for the nation to grow. Being only an opposition bereft of ideological propositions retards growth and engenders waste cogs in the political machinery of governance. Therefore, if it is possible to accept the governor into APC without causing disaffection in the party polity, let it be done. That will be after scrutiny of genuine interest. The governor is performing and Mr. President, though observant, is encouraged to support him to perform maximally.
It is well known that Ebonyi is the recipient of the lowest allocation from the federal government. I stand tall to value the efforts of the governor in utilizing the little monthly allocations from the federal revenue. In his empathy and zeal to put the state ahead of all its peers created on October 1 1996, the governor has taken frugal measures in expenditures and courageous steps in enhancing internally generated revenue, though not enough due to acute infrastructural viability. That is why interventions from the federal government are exigent to boost the aspirations of this most performing governor of the Southeast.
I laud this bold stand of my governor in supporting the President. Though I do not pray that Ebonyi becomes a two-party state like Anambra that was APGA in disguise but PDP in practice during the PDP leadership of the country, it is rare to find very strong politicians like Gov. Umahi who can stand for what they really believe in despite political name callings and distractions. It is the truism in politics of no perpetual enemy or friend but permanent interest.
On the other hand, I resist the belief that the political wave sweeping through the southern regions is wholly responsible for the governor’s romance. APC took over Edo state in a grand style. It grabbed Ondo state too, though with much difficulties. Ceteris paribus, it is in all probability in the process of adding Anambra state to its fold. Ekiti state may just be waiting for the broom to sweep the government house in Ado-Ekiti. And if that happens, the powers of the PDP will continue to dwindle. I wish that all the remnants of PDP governors will not, afterwards, queue to be given the broom to sweep their states because, at least, the country needs an opposition party.
Once more, I thank my governor for his liking for President Buhari. It is my heartfelt desire that this political development translates into huge benefits from the federal government for the people of my state. And welcome anytime, Mr. President, to the salt of Nigeria!
Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk
[myad]