Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, in a handshake with Pakistani Human Rights Activist, Malala Yousafzai, when Malala Fund Team paid courtesy visit at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Monday, Photo by Sunday Aghaeze. [myad]
Sambo DasukiThe Presidency has vowed to pursue to the end the current probe of arm procurement scandal running into $2.1 billion against the former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki in spite of the lies the former NSA has been spinning all over the place.
The presidency, in reaction to claims by Dasuki that the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan cleared the Northeast of Boko Haram terrorists to make elections possible in 2015, said that such claim is another “unfortunate attempt by inglorious Nigerians to rewrite the history of our country in such a way as to cover the sins of the past.”
In a statement today, Monday, President Buhari’s spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu said that Jonathan only increased the monster of terrorism, saying: “the truth, as a matter of fact, is that the monster of terrorism got bigger and more daring due to the incompetence and misgovernance of the last administration and no amount lies and fiction can change that.
“As a public relations goon for the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the author did not surprise anyone by dismissing the acclaimed successes of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in the fight against Boko Haram, claiming that this government simply took the glory for the achievements of the previous government in the war against terrorism.”
Garba Shehu said that as of the time elections held in March 2015, a number of local government areas in the Northeast were completely under the control of Boko Haram “to the extent that elections in those areas had to be moved to safe areas.
“The residents of areas such as Gwoza, Banki, Kukawa, Monguno, Bulumba, Baga, Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa, Mafa, etc., were able to vote, not in their hometowns but in refugee camps in other parts of Borno State, under special arrangements made by INEC.”
He said that since Buhari came into power, many of those residents had returned to their homes “and Boko Haram eradicated from their areas. In many of these areas, institutions such as schools, police stations, markets and courts have been reestablished or in the process of being re-established.
“Despite Mr. Dasuki’s attempt to rewrite history, Nigerians could not have forgotten the embarrassing stories of failed weapons that plagued our country’s military during the previous administration, when unserviceable weapons, expired ammunition and fake armored vehicles caused untold grief to our valiant armed forces on the battlefield, with arms exploding willy nilly and guns failing to fire.
“It is for trespasses like these that the Buhari administration is determined to get to the bottom of the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal and ensure that no single one of the culprits go scot free.” [myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has once more pumped$195 million into Foreign Exchange Market in continuation of its FOREX supply drive in the inter-bank transaction.
Figures released by the Bank show that it offered a total sum of $100 million to the wholesale segment, while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment received the sum of $50 million.
The invisibles segment, comprising tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others got $45 million.
According to the Acting Director of the apex Bank, Isaac Okorafor, the CBN is happy with the state of the Forex market.
He stressed that CBN would continue to intervene in order to sustain the liquidity in the market and guarantee the international value of the naira.
He said that the apex Bank is determined to achieve its objective of rates convergence, hence the unrelenting injection of intervention funds into the foreign exchange market.
Okorafor expressed optimism that the Naira will sustain its run against the dollar and other major currencies around the world, considering the level of transparency in the market.
He advised stakeholders to abide by the guidelines to ensure transparency in the market.
It will be recalled that the CBN, last week, intervened in the various segments of the Forex market with the sum of $396.8 million.
Meanwhile, the naira continued to maintain its stability in the FOREX market, exchanging at an average of N364/$1 in the BDC segment of the market today, Monday, July 17. [myad]
The 1992 set of the Association of Mass Communication Students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, has concluded arrangements to hold a mentoring programme for the students of the department on Tuesday.
A statement today, Sunday, by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Ademola Oni, said that the mentoring session, with the theme ‘Classroom Experience and Post Classroom Reality,’ is meant to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the set’s graduation from the school.
The statement said that the programme, tagged AMACOS Class of ’92 Silver Jubilee Homecoming, would hold at the Mass Communication Department New Auditorium by 10am.
The statement quoted the Chairman of AMACOS ’92, Adekunle Adams, as saying: “the programme is meant for interaction between the old and current students of the department and equip them with necessary tips that will help them in their studies, give them an insight into their present and future roles in the society and prepare them for the task ahead in the industry and the nation at large.”
The statement stated that the Rector of MAPOLY, Prof. Oludele Itiola, would be the chief host of the day; the Head of Department, Mass Communication Department, Mr. Kola Amos, the host, while the President, MAPOLY Alumni Association, Mr. Hakeem Ayoade, would be the distinguished guest of honour at the event.
It added that the one-day mentoring programme, where scores of the set members would be in attendance, would consist of talks on Print, Broadcast and Digital journalism as well as Advertising and Public Relations, which would be handled by members of AMACOS ’92 set.
The statement listed the resource persons to include the Editor, Nigerian Tribune, Debo Abdulai; Publisher, The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo; Proprietor/Chairman, Rave 91.7 FM, Femi Adefila; Publisher, Newmail Online, Semiu Salami; and Publisher, Glitters Online, Kazeem Akintunde.
Also, among the mentors of the day are the President, Association of Voice-Over Artistes of Nigeria, Babajide Moronfolu; and the Chief Public Affairs, Head of Service Office, Lagos State Government, Jide Lawal.
Others are the Managing Director, Peak Point Media, Sola Ibirinde, and a Public Relations Practitioner, Segun Adebowale.[myad]
The beating of the drum of restructuring Nigeria is becoming so deafening that the need to return to the topic is inevitable.
As a matter of fact, it is the former two-term President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his usual wise counsel, who advised that what Nigeria really needs now is not the physical or regional restructuring but the restructuring of mind-set of Nigerians.
He had said last week in Warri, Delta State: “the answer to most of our problems is mindset change and change of mentality. If we need any restructuring, it is the restructuring of our mindset and mentality. How will anybody in his right senses believe separation is the way out? We have passed that stage. We have problems, there are many ways we can solve them. It is our diversity that makes us a great country. I won’t want a Nigeria where we dance same juju, or wear same attire. Our strength is in our diversity.”
But many supposedly respected and not-so-respected Nigerians are still on their feet, clamouring for restructuring.
An Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark did not only support the restructuring but insulted Obasanjo for dare to speak the truth as it should be.
Clark barked at Obasanjo: “let him keep quiet. Is it because we have a country where people do not know their right from left and everybody is being praised as a worthy leader?”
Clark insisted that regions should be structured in a way that each region is independent in whatever it does.
“If he (Obasanjo) does not believe in restructuring, what were the national conference or political conference and national reform conference, which we all attended for? I was the leader of the Southern delegation even though we walked out, what was if for, was it only for his third term or concern for restructuring of Nigeria? That is a question Obasanjo should be asked to answer.
“There is need for restructuring, there is need to go back to the kind of government we had before and after independence until the soldiers struck.
“What we are saying is that we want the former one where there was devolution of power, where every region had its own constitution even the Midwest region was created based on the demand for restructuring.
“Then, every region was independent in whatever they did. No one held the other down, which was why western Nigeria government did things that other government did not do and others were not envious of it because everybody had his own government.
“At present, Nigeria is running a unitary government, a situation where every state first goes to the Federal Government for money. That is not federalism. “So Obasanjo is not saying the truth, he knows what to say, but he is not saying it. He is saying there is nothing wrong with the structure of the country, which is not true.
“We want restructuring to correct the defects in the current structure of the country. For instance, Kano has 47 local governments but contributes nothing to the revenue of the country, while Bayelsa, which contributes a lot has only eight local governments. I think these are anomalies that should be corrected.
“There should be devolution of powers to the states if the states are going to be the federating units. Obasanjo is wrong to say that there is nothing wrong with the structure of the country, everything is wrong with the structure of the country.
“We believe that the minorities in Nigeria, especially in the north, should have a sense of belonging by creating states for them. Like the Southern Kaduna, the people need a state with headquarters in Kafanchan, which is why we need restructuring.
“We also believe that in every state, governorship should rotate from one senatorial zone to the other to give every section of the state a sense of oneness and participation so that in a state like Kogi, where only the Igalas until recently or Benue, where only Tivs have been producing governors can be checked.”
The agitators for restructuring are becoming so desperate to the point of making it look as if, like I said before, it is the panacea to the development challenges which this country has been contending with.
They are so attached to the idea and spirit of restructuring to the point of making it look as if it is what this country needs to wriggle out of decades of socio-economic mess into which its past leaders had plunged it, no thank to uncontrolled corruption and arrant arrogance in the way the leaders and their cronies sapped the country dry of needed resources to develop.
As a matter of fact, looking at those who cry most about restructuring, one would not be far from the truth to say that the restructuring they are talking about is one and the same with corruption in another name. That is, in effect saying that every segment of the country should control its resources so as to conveniently domesticate corruption unchallenged by the federal might.
Indeed, if the restructuring is that sweet and convenient, why would the current agitators not float and promote it during the regimes before the present one? Why do they think it is only in the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari that restructuring is needed or appropriate? What made them to think that Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would abandon or undermine the content of their original manifesto for the purpose of going into restructuring to satisfy the later day agitators; who seem to have woken up from political slumber with bad dream they want to see actualised? The restructuring that is likely to take the remaining part of the tenure of President Buhari? [myad]
Pastor Okechukwu JosephGeneral Overseer of Sufficient Grace Church, Pastor Okechukwu Joseph, has lamented that he has not been able to make enough income to settle the money he borrowed to build his church.
Pastor Okechukwu, who has been arrested by men of the State Intelligent Bureau in Lagos, admitted that he collected N308,000 from his female church member, Miss Bridget Nwankwo to do some reconstruction work in his church where he was before he relocated.
“What really happened is that I collected N308,000 from her to do some reconstruction work in my church where we were before I relocated, due to circumstances beyond my control.
“I paid her N100,000. I was not able to pay the remaining N208,000, because money was not coming to me as before. She later reported me to SIB. The church I am pastoring is a growing church.
“If you look at my body physique you will think that I have money. I had problems and that was why I had no money to pay her. I had a very serious financial problem.”
“I am married with two children. I am from Okwe Oboro, Umuahia, Abia State. I know the complainant Miss Bridget Nwankwo as a member of my church. I had no misunderstanding with her.”[myad]
Lance Corporal Zuberu RafiuNigerian Army has refused to comply with the judgment of the Industrial Court, sitting in Makurdi, Benue State capital which asked it to pay the sum of nine million naira to a junior officer, Lance Corporal Zuberu Rafiu, who was wrongly dismissed from the Army after being tortured.
The junior officer had gone to court, complaining that he was wrongly accused of being an informant to Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he was assigned to fight the same insurgents, whereupon he was tortured by his superior officers and dismissed from the Army.
The court, ruling in the case which had dragged on since August 2014, directed the Nigerian Army, which is the first defendant, to pay the plaintiff the money to the plaintiff for “acts incidental, arising from and connected with employment of the claimant by the Nigerian Army.” The Judge directed that the amount should be paid to Lance Corporal Zuberu within 30 days, beginning from May 24, 2017, ending on June 24.
Despite the judgment, the Nigerian Army had neither settled the judgment debt, including the N100,000 against it, nor appealed against the ruling.
The judge also asked the Nigerian Army to reinstate Lance Corporal Zuberu having described his dismissal from the Nigerian Army as unlawful, null and void.
The Judge, justice P. O. Lifu, in his 20-page judgment, said that the arrest and detention of Lance Corporal Zuberu for nine months without trial and torture for alleged offences of threat to lives of senior military officers and “being informant to Boko Haram insurgents being baseless, unconstitutional and constitutes acts of arbitrariness.”
The judge granted Lance Corporal Zuberu, access to tertiary health care facility in Nigerian, where he would be treated and the military authority pay for his medical bills.
The court further directed the Nigerian Army to defreeze forthwith, the account of the officer which he kept with bank as salary account.
“This judgment in this case shall be satisfied by the defendant (Nigerian Army) within 30 days from today (May 24, 2017) or else it shall attract 10 percent interest per annum,” the judge pronounced.
Lance Corporal Zuberu, who was a personnel of 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army had, in November, 2013, narrated to Greenbarge Reporters, how he survived nine month detention and torture in Maiduguri in the hands of his superior officers who insisted that he must confess to be an informant or a member of Boko Haram.
Zuberu had said that the more he denied that he never knew anything about Boko Haram the more he was tortured, and that he sustained permanent injury and developed liver disease from the over battering.
He was forced to put up a three-page document which he titled: “application for redress over inhuman treatment, torture and defamation of character meted on me by Colonel V. Ebhaleme and my Commanding Officer (CO), Colonel N.J Edet, brought pursuant to section 179 of AFA Cap A20 LFN 2004.” It was addressed to the Chief of Army Staff with copies to Chief of Defence Staff and relevant other army leadership. His lawyer, Cletus Aloke Esq. from C.N Aloke and Co. Chamber also sent similar petition to the Chief of Defence Staff, with copies to Senate President, House of Reps Speaker and other army leadership.
In his application for redress, Zubairu had said that sometime in July 2012, while he was on duty at the main gate in Ada Barracks, Takum, in Maiduguri, he received a call through his phone and that the caller identified himself as Col. V. Ebhaleme.
“I quickly recognized him as our Operational Commander when I was at JTF Maiduguri. I paid him compliment. He then asked me if my name is Zubairu, I answered in affirmative. He then cut off the call.”
Zuberu said that soon after, he received another call from his CO, Lt Col N.J Edet asking him where he was at that particular time, to which he replied that he was on duty at the main gate.
He said that within 20 minutes, Lt Col Edet came to his duty post, accompanied by some armed soldiers and chained his legs and handcuffed him before locking him up in unit guardroom without informing him of the nature of his offence.
Parts of the content of the document continue thus:
“It was after I have spent five days in detention that the Commanding Officer called LCpl Obaje Mayowa and asked him of his relationship with me. The soldier informed him that I am his friend and I used to render him assistance whenever the need arises. He warned the soldier that I am Boko Haram informant and that he should desist from associating with me.
“On hearing this, the soldier ran down to the guardroom and informed me that the reason of my detention is terrorism. On his way out, he was sighted and detained on allegation that I sent him to inform Boko Haram where I was detained so that they will come and rescue me. When I got this information, like the saying ‘clear conscience fears no accusation’ I became composed and prepared to watch the drama as it was unfolding.
“On the 6 days in detention, I was moved from Takum under heavy military escort and on the order of Col V Ebhaleme, detained at 21 Provost Guardroom, Mallari Barracks, Maiduguri on 14 July 2012. I was kept in both legs chained and handcuffed for more than 9 months…I was constantly beaten and tortured to the point that I was given permanent injury by Major Ama Ndubisi Mack, Legal Officer of JTF who hit me with heavy stick during one of the interrogation sessions.
“When all efforts to taint me as Boko Haram member or informant failed, I was accused of sending a threat text message to Col V Ebhaleme. Neither the number alleged to be mine was shown to me nor the content of the text message to the senior officer. I was informed in confidence by Lt Nnamdi OC MP after one of the interrogation bouts (on 23 October 2012) that the number was investigated at MTN and it was found that I was not the sender of that text, that the Colonel was just using his rank on me and him; him, being a junior officer, cannot do anything to help me. That he was directed to charge me for insubordination.
“When I heard this, I said to myself, God is great; a terrorism suspect now ending up with charge of insubordination after undergoing more than nine months torture and inhuman treatment. It is pertinent to add sir, that even when Col. V Ebhaleme discovered my innocence concerning aiding Boko Haram and was proceeding on a foreign course, he instructed Lt Col MD Sulaiman (intelligence officer) and Major Ama Ndubisi Mack to continue detaining me until he came back. It was my wife who kept seeking for intervention from authority that led to my release from guardroom on 05 May 2013.
“I returned to my unit with the intention of forging ahead and continuing with my work, but to my astonishment, my CO Lt Col NJ Edet begins to refer to me as Boko Haram terrorist. There was a day he ordered that I should be marched to his office with all the unit officers in the unit and told them that he was informed that I am a Boko Haram terrorist. My life and my family are in danger now because wherever I go, people look at me as Boko Haram informant.
“I appeal to you sir, to direct Col Ebhaleme to give the Army authority all evidences involving me in Boko Haram activities with a view of giving me a trial as envisage by section 36(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to afford me an opportunity of restoring the trust and dignity I have among my superior, mates and subordinates for the past 18 years of my service in the Army.
“I also appeal to you to restrain my CO Lt Col NJ Edet from calling me Boko Haram informant since the name or words are capable of disparaging me and bringing my name into disrepute, causing me psychological trauma.
“I appeal to you too to cause me to be posted out of 93 Battalion to any other unit you deem appropriate in this case and to award any other remedy you deem appropriate in the circumstance of my case.
“I look forward to your fatherly and magnanimous response to my application, sir.”
Barrister Aloke argued in his letter to the Chief of Defence Staff that: “the fact that one is an officer does not mean that he can take laws into his own hands.
“There are procedures for punishing erring soldiers and we do not think that our client did anything wrong in the first place.” [myad]
Ebira Peoples Association (EPA), a socio-cultural organization that bind all Ebira speaking people in and outside Kogi State, has advised Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State not to allow attacks coming from opposition inside and out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to distract him from the onerous task of developing the state.
Speaking in Lokoja, the State capital, today, Saturday, the President of the association, Dr. Abdulrahman Adeiza wanted the governor to re-direct his media team towards presenting the positive achievements which his government has so far made rather than dissipating energy in responding to every insult and attack launch either on his person or his administration.
The association, which organized a stakeholders’ meeting with the governor for what was described “frank talk,” advised governor Yahaya Bello to regard every citizen of the state as his son and daughter, saying that time is not on his side to be wasted in fighting every other person that attacks his government.
“There are certain people that do not even deserve your attention no matter how much they attack or insult you. These people are knowingly provoking you so that you would use the precious time you need to develop the state to be fighting back. They are the same people that would turn back to say that you did not achieve anything.”
Dr. Adeiza called on the governor to find ways to settle the salary arrears of the civil servants in the state as well as pensioners, even as he advised him to reorganize the machinery of his government for maximum performance.
He reminded the governor of the need to make his kit and kin proud and put shame on the faces at the end of his tenure, realizing that this was the first time since the state was created that Ebira man had attained the position.
Other associations, which attended the stakeholders’ meeting from other states of Nigeria, including the ones from Kogi Central Senatorial District, also offered advice and suggestions on how best he can work to achieve maximum results for the benefit of the people of the State.
Among those who were in attendance too were the paramount chief, the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, Alhaji Dr. Ado Ibrahim; an elder Statesman from Kogi Central Senatorial zone, Dr. Umar Farouk; former Nigeria Ambassador to Sudan, Ambassador Usman Bello; a director in Daar Communications, owner of AIT and Ray Power Radio, Dr. Tom Adaba, Professor Angela Okatahi of the University of Abuja, Hajiya Ladi Ibrahim and a host of others. [myad]
The recent happening in my home State, Kogi, has made me a sad man indeed and, to me, we need the wisdom of God to handle this explosive misunderstanding, of utter distrust and mutual disrespect between two brothers.
It is a fight that is already in the public domain and it is so bad indeed. The good and industrious people of Kogi State will be worst off, if this “roforofo flight” continues for too long. And this is my fear for which I have spoken with a number of Kogites living outside the State.
These brothers are Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello (the current Executive Governor of Kogi State), who God has brought to this Olympian height is from the same Okene Local Government with me and Senator Dino Melaye who represents Kogi West (my own place of birth – Lokoja).
I respectfully call on the two gladiators to kindly bury their grievances against each other. This is not a fight for personal aggrandizement, or for self-centred superiority contest. It is a misunderstanding between two brothers (an egbon andan aburo).
In all of these, I implore these brothers to, indeed, consider, subordinate their personal interests for the larger and superior interest of the State, which is a commendable instinct from both directions.
I am particularly pained about this unnecessary dissipation of energy and resources which ought to have been converted into productive use for the benefit of the State.
I can recall that just a few months ago, before the election that brought Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello to power, he was a good friend of Dino. They struggled together for the actualization of Bello’s march to Lugard House on the platform of the APC.
This narrative is not about the role played by one person, or the other in achieving their respective dreams but a narrative to bring to the fore that these gentlemen have been together as brothers, collaborated with each other, and supported each other, ever before each of them occupied their present positions.
Around mid-November 2015, at the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Headquarters, on Blantyre Street, Abuja, Dino and one Senator visited the National Chairman of the APC to pledge his (or their) support for Alhaji Yahaya Bello ticket. It was on a day that some elders from Ebiraland met with Chief John Odigie Oyegun to commiserate with him and the party on the sudden demise of Prince Abubakar Audu and to pledge their support and further encourage the National Chairman to give Yahaya Bello the Party’s ticket as Governorship candidate in the inconclusive election that was scheduled to hold in the first week of December.
It was indeed later that same day, after due diligence and wider consultation that the APC National Headquarters sent Governor Yahaya Bello’s name to INEC office in Abuja and Channels TV aired it, as its major news bulletin at 10 pm. In fact, I recall, just as everyone else, that Dino was the MC during the Governor’s inauguration in January 27,2016 and one wonders when and how did the misunderstanding begin?
Governor Yahaya Bello and Senator Dino Melaye are leaders in their own rights and they certainly have followers/sympathizers across the State. The two of them have demonstrated examples of good brothers.
It is our hope that the two would not only go back to the good old day relationship and promote such robust relationship for Kogi to gain from it.
In politics, as late Chief Obafemi Awolowo said many years ago: “there are no permanent enemies but permanent interest in politics.”
Bernard Balogun (BenPino) writes from Wuse District of Abuja
0803.787.9275 and can be reached via bernardbalogun1@yahoo.com[myad]
How To Stem Government Of Mediocre, Ineptitude In Kogi State – By Hussain Obaro
Although there is nothing fundamentally wrong for an elected leader like your Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello, to have a few friends or family members around as political appointees, so far as such an action do not relegate competence and the need to put the right pegs in their corresponding holes. But when the desire to appoint friends and allies into appointive positions overrides the imperative to have in place technocrats needed to aide governance and enhance a smooth delivery of dividends of democracy to the masses, then anarchy is sure and failure is certain.
If things continue the way they currently are in kogi state, posterity will remember you and your administration as one during which mediocrity, gross ineptitude and crass incompetence was the order of the day. One of your greatest undoing as the present occupant of Lugard House was appointing political and administrative novices into top government positions. This has so far manifested negatively and affected the quality of service delivery and general performance of your government.
If half of the time and energy and financial resources being spent on attacking, insulting, abusing, intimidating, threatening and harassing members of the public who opposes your approach to governance were used in contributing positively and meaningfully by appointees of the state government who’s major achievements since the inception of this administration has been unnecessarily making more enemies for you on a daily basis, then kogi state would have surpassed Lagos state in terms of human and infrastructural development.
Going on the social network to banter words, throw jabs, calling people to threaten the life out of them and using the security agencies to assault, arrest and unlawfully detain members of the public who merely differ in the line of thought with your government has been the modus operandi and negative approach of your retinue of political appointees which is unfortunately denting the image, reputation and public perception of this administration.
Your Excellency, the recent needless outburst and reaction of the state attorney general to a comment made by some members of the national assembly on the recall process of senator Dino Melaye was unnecessary, reckless and unfortunate. Wasting a huge sum of over twelve million naira of the lean financial resources of the state in sponsoring newspaper advertorials merely to react to a senator’s comment, when such could either be made through a press briefing or simply ignored, was the height of financial indiscipline and immaturity on the part of your government.
Sadly, apart from creating unnecessary political enemies and fights for on your behalf and portraying the state government as one devoid of common sense and ample competence to deliver the much expected and craved dividends of democracy to kogites, your media team haven’t been able to bridge the wide communication gap that exists between your government and the people of the state.
The strength of any a politician lies in his capacity to select his battles wisely, this is because there is no permanent friend or enemy in politics. The hallmark of great leaders and successful politicians is that they are careful not to fight every political fight they are challenged into; their greatness lies in their bravery to ignore the small fights so as to remain focus and more prepared for the big ones. Even in real warfare, a great warrior isn’t the man who fights every war, but the one who fights and wins the big wars.
Your administration scored a political own-goal and made a major mistake by engaging senator Dino Melaye in a fight. No matter what, you should have resisted the temptation to pick a quarrel with a man who against all odds and pressure from his constituent, turned his back on his brother and kinsman, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke to fully support and worked towards the actualization and the successful inauguration of your government. It is said that “when the chips are down, you will know who your true friends are” senator Dino proved to be one of such friends, even at a time when some of your own kinsmen turned their back.
The circumstances that brought you in as the executive governor of the state had already created more enemies for you than friends, the clever thing for you to have done was strive to keep the very few friends of yours while putting measures in place to win more. Your feud with the state chapter of APC was ill advised, unnecessary and a deep self inflicted injury which has created a bad blood and an avoidable enmity within the APC family in the state.
Even though you are yet to declare whether you will seek another term of office at the 2019 gubernatorial election, the body language of your lieutenants is already pointing to that direction. The truth is that there’s no way you can win a reelection with your current approach to governance and by engaging everybody in a fight and political war. The need for you to rejig your cabinet and lay off unproductive appointees who have had nothing positive to add to your government aside fighting and duplicating enemies for your government is inevitable at this point in time to pave the way for the inclusion of technocrats and progressive minded personalities that can contribute meaningfully.
Your Excellency, if you are really interested in securing a reelection, then it’s high time you should swallow your pride and reach out to all aggrieved within the APC in a genuine reconciliatory move. Regardless of what some of your aides wants you to believe, by the virtue of the position he currently occupies and his exploit in the APC in the state and beyond, senator Dino Melaye remains a factor to reckon with, so is the Audu/Faleke group and indeed all the members of the state chapter of the party. At this juncture, employing the services of royal fathers and notable elders across the state to help initiate and facilitate a reconciliatory process wouldn’t be a bad idea and is the right thing to do. Failure to do these means you should kiss Lugard House goodbye in 2020. Long live Your Excellency, long live Kogi State, and Long live the federal republic of Nigeria.
Hussain Obaro wrote in from Lokoja, Kogi State and can be reached on oseniobaro@yahoo.com [myad]