Shortly after his appointment as National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi, at his own request, met with me in my office in Lagos to discuss the State of the Nation. It was on the eve of the 2011 elections. I told the General that I was not worried about the conduct of the elections or about the outcome which I expected President Goodluck Jonathan to win. What really worried me, I told the General, was the management of the violence that would ensue after the elections. I was sure that there would be violence on a massive scale and I made some suggestions to him about how I thought the violence could be contained. My suggestions were not acted upon. The elections occurred, President Jonathan won and all hell broke loose. Missing were the conflict-controlled measures which I had discussed with Gen. Azazi.
Now, we are back at the same crossroads again, except this time is more precarious and dangerous than the last time. Firstly, we have this very notorious prediction from the United States of America’s semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015. Of course, most Nigerians have taken umbrage at this prediction for their country. But there are Nigerians who are indifferent to the outcome of this prediction. One of my low moments during the just concluded 2014 National Conference was when in an attempt to break an impasse, I painted a grim picture of devastation which would follow a breakdown of the Nigerian state, to which a delegate between 45 and 55 years old replied, “So what?” I thought to myself, here is a man who would probably run away to a neighbouring country at the boom of the first gun but was callously indifferent to the fate of the youth, women and children who would be caught in the middle.
Secondly, the certainty of violence after the 2015 elections is higher than it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence. I don’t believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction.
The violence of 2015 is going to be horrendous and worse than the one of 2011 for the simple reason that the illegal massive importation of weapons into the country has reached such alarming proportions that I really wonder which is better armed, the militias on the one hand or the official armed forces on the other hand. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not imputing the illegal importation of arms to any particular zone. Some years ago, some Iranians were arrested for bringing in a shipload of weapons into Lagos harbour. They were tried and jailed and then smuggled out of the country. Some months ago, sophisticated weapons were discovered buried in the basement of a Kano house. All these have now fallen below the radar. These are the ones we know about. How many do we not know about?
There are states and movements out there, African and non-African, which do not mean well for the Nigerian state, which wish Nigeria to dissolve into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability. They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies.
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD:
The first step forward is for the two presidential candidates to meet and sign a Memorandum of Undertaking that will commit both to:
A civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats. A commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters.
A commitment to control their supporters after the elections. Supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not to violent protests. I also appeal to the following:
The Sultan, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II; the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Mustapha; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; the Oba of Benin, Omo N’oba Erediauwa; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, His Excellency General Yakubu Gowon and His Excellency, Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami to facilitate the pre-election meeting between the candidates, the preparation off the Memorandum of Undertaking and as a Council of Wisemen to assist in managing the post-election conflicts.
Yours sincerely
Bolaji Akinyemi
December 22, 2014
Prof. Akinyemi is a former Minister of External (Foreigna) Affairs and Deputy Chairman at the 2014 National Conference.
APC Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd)
There are indications that the Presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), is wooing the 22 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants, who have been aggrieved over the conduct of the PDP’s governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State recently.
It was learnt that the aggrieved aspirants, otherwise known as G22, had been under intense pressure to defect to the APC.
The G22, who were said to have earlier ignored the calls to defect to the opposition party by the party’s governorship flag bearer in the state, Umana Umana, but are said to be reconsidering their position as they are reportedly not satisfied with how the national executive handled their grievances over the governorship primary, conducted on December 8.
Information reaching us indicated that the planned crossover to the APC is being facilitated by one of the APC governors in the South-South.
The APC presidential candidate has expressly requested to meet with the 22 aggrieved PDP aspirants from Akwa Ibom State. The move is being facilitated by one of the APC governors in the South-South.
The aggrieved aspirants, who are expected to dump the PDP for the APC, include former Akwa Ibom State Deputy governors, Obong Nsima Ekere and Patrick Otu; a senator representing Akwa Ibom South, Helen Esuene; former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and Belarus, Assam Assam, SAN; former Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State, Ekpenyong Ntekim; former Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftain Affairs, Effiong Abia; Asukwo Okpo, Larry Esin’ Prof. Richard King and Chris Abasi Eyo.
Others include Okpolump Ette, Aniedi Ufot, David Okpon, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, Jerome Isangedighi, Dr Peter Esu, Ita Udoh, Ime Ekanem, Micheal Etuk, Benjamin Okoko, Ime Akpanebe and Effiong Usin.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has now come out to say clearly that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is responsible for the promotion and functioning of the deadly Boko Haram and that no amount of allegations against President Goodluck Jonathan can exonerate it.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement today in Abuja, alleged that the body language and inciting utterances of APC leaders, including their Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.) had served as fuel to the raging flame of terrorism.
He said that by going to the international media recently to distance themselves from complicity and in turning round to blame the PDP, the APC is asking Nigerians to suddenly grow forgetful of the barrage of statements by their leaders that he alleged promoted insurgency.
“Nigerians have not forgotten the spontaneous violence and mayhem on innocent citizens following inciting statements by Buhari and other APC leaders then in the defunct CPC, upon losing the 2011 presidential election.
“The APC leaders have so far left no Nigerian in doubt of their party’s violent disposition as General Buhari in May 2012, remorselessly stated that ‘the monkey and baboon will be soaked in blood’ should he lose the election.
“Nigerians have also read and heard other ricocheting calls for violence and threats of parallel government from other leaders of this same party. These are not just mere slips but incontrovertible snips from the agenda of the APC to sustain insurgency and set the stage for carnage after they lose in the 2015 general elections.”
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations, has called on the organization to learn lessons from the Ebola crisis and begin preparing now for the next outbreak of deadly disease.
Ban Ki Moon, who was returning today, from a visit to Ebola-hit countries in Africa also called for recovery efforts to be stepped up in West Africa to rebuild shattered economies, get children back in school and begin caring for Ebola orphans.
“We must learn the lessons of Ebola, which go well beyond strengthening public health systems,” Ban told reporters at UN headquarters.
“The international community needs better early warning and rapid response.”
The UN chief said he will launch a serious effort to “explore what more we can do to stay ahead of the next outbreak of disease — a test that is sure to come.”
Ban Ki traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the epicenter of the year-long Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 6,900 people. He also traveled to Mali, which has had a recent outbreak and Ghana, headquarters of the UN Ebola Emergency Mission.
His call to take stock of the Ebola response followed sharp criticism from non-governmental organisations that the United Nations, in particular the World Health Organization, were too slow to swing into action.
The outbreak began in December in Guinea but it took nine months for the United Nations to decide to set up an emergency mission and to press for international mobilization to beat back the virus.
Diplomats have pointed the finger at the WHO for failing to quickly raise the alarm, but there has also been some soul-searching over funding cuts at the UN agency that have forced it to reduce its scope of action.
Ban Ki said scaling up recovery efforts in West Africa was one of four urgent steps needed to address the Ebola crisis.
He also cited the need to adapt the response by chasing the virus in remote areas of West Africa and looking at isolated chains of transmission.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kogi chapter, has warned the state government against planned retrenchment of over 6,000 workers from the state civil service.
This was contained in a communique signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, James Odaudu, and Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), J.O. Kolawole, at the end of a meeting of the organized labour in Lokoja yesterday.
The communique said that the State Executive Council (SEC) of the labour had resolved that rather than embarking on mass retrenchment, government should allow the Implementation Committee of 2014 Ogunmola Screening report to do its job.
The congress said the implementation committee’s job had been taken over by the state Ministry of Finance; Budget and Planning Ministry and the Accountant General’s Office.
The communique said that any attempt by government to retrench the over 6,000 workers and removal of their names from pay vouchers as from December would be opposed.
“SEC in session, having noticed government’s plan to send away over 6,000 workers in Kogi State, hereby resolves that all workers in the state should reject salaries for the month of December, 2014, to protect the job security of our members.”
It, therefore, called on the workers to reject the December salaries if names of their colleagues were omitted, adding that any attempt by government to carry out the exercise would not be condoned.
The union reiterated its stance that failure of the government to do the necessary would affect the peaceful industrial relations in the state.
It also condemned the installment payment of the 2013 leave bonus spread over a period of 10 months and wondered when government would commence the payment of 2014 annual leave bonus.
The congress commended the support, cooperation and loyalty of members in 2014 and called for the sustenance, saying that much more was required of them the years ahead.
Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Yemi Osinbajo
Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said that Jonathan’s administration has been unable to wipe out Boko Haram because of the corruption in the administration of defence funds which he said has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated.
Responding to questions from his supporters in the social media today, Professor Osinbajo said: “The current administration has politicised Boko Haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped/motivated. GMB wiped out Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency in his own administration by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order.”
He made it clear that the same General Buhari will similarly get rid of Boko Haram insurgents and create jobs in the country if elected in 2015.
“General Buhari’s administration took command and funded the military transparently and that’s what we need to do.”
Eighty-eight year-old Cabinet minister from previous regimes, Essebsi has won yesterday’s Presidential runoff, according to exit polls. Sigma Conseil company’s exit polls, which have consistently matched official results in Tunisia, gave Essebsi 55.5 percent of the vote and his opponent Moncef Marzouki, the outgoing interim president, 44.5 percent. Other polling companies gave similar figures. Official results are not expected for another 48 hours.
This result would cementing Essebsi’s dominance over a country where his party already controls Parliament.
At a celebration in his party headquarters, Essebsi urged Marzouki’s supporters to work with him to rebuild the country, saying: “the future begins today! What is important is what we do today and tomorrow for Tunisia and all its children. We must work hand in hand.’’
The runoff election, which saw low turnout by registered voters, marks the culmination of a four-year-long rocky transition to democracy, with parliamentary elections in October and the first round of presidential elections a month later.
While the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda dominated politics immediately after the revolution in 2011, they were unable to address the serious economic and political challenges in the country, including terrorist attacks. Essebsi created Nida Tunis, a collection of former regime officials, businessmen, and trade unionists, to oppose the Islamists and to restore the ‘‘prestige of state,’’ which he said had suffered after the revolution.
There are fears that Essebsi’s domination over the executive and legislative branches of the government could result in a return to the country’s old authoritarian ways — an argument Marzouki attempted to push in his campaign. In the end, however, Tunisians appear to have desired a return to stability and normalcy after the years of revolutionary turmoil.
‘‘Essebsi, thanks to his political experience and international ties as well as his program, can get the country out of this mess,’’ said Mehrez Rakkez, a lawyer who voted in the lower income neighborhood of Kram. He described Marzouki’s three years as interim president as a disaster and said the vote was a choice between ‘‘life and death.’’
In nearly all countries swept by pro-democracy uprisings since the Arab Spring, there has been a some backlash since the first heady days, including government crackdowns. In Tunisia, however, the backlash has remained within the legal framework of the transition.
The Nida Tunis coalition declared victory almost immediately after the polls closed Sunday and its celebrations had already begun at the party headquarters. In contrast to the almost 70 percent turnout for the first round of the presidential election and the legislative balloting, the official election authority said only 56 percent of Tunisia’s 5.3 million voters cast ballots yesterday, Sunday
The 7th General Assembly of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) opened a crucial meeting today in Abuja to take a look at the preparations for the 2015 general elections in the country. The Council is being co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III and the Oni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Today’s meeting has as its theme: Sustaining The Natural Mandate Of The Traditional Institutions In Contemporary Nigeria, Declaring the meeting open on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo appealed to them to enlighten their subjects on the need for peaceful conduct during and after the elections. Namadi Sambo acknowledged the unifying force and the tremendous contributions of the traditional institution towards maintaining peace and stability in the country. “As royal fathers and traditional rulers, a time like this calls for your wise counsel and the enlightenment of your subjects as well as prayers to ensure hitch-free and successful elections across the federation. The role of the traditional institutions as the custodians of our rich cultural heritage has contributed immensely to ensuring high moral standard amongst the citizenry and must be greatly appreciated.” The Vice President also called on the royal fathers to join hands with governments at all levels to ensure the end of the security challenges in the country even as he informed the royal fathers that government is doing everything necessary to uplift the socio-economic status of Nigerians through job and wealth creation mechanisms. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum and Governor Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu called on the traditional rulers to come up with holistic traditional mechanisms to address the security and socio-economic challenges facing the country. Earlier the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, reaffirmed the commitment of the royal fathers to the peace, unity, justice and stability of the nation. He urged government to positively look into their recommendations. He said the meeting would extensively deliberate on issues affecting the country, particularly the preparations leading to the 2015 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They would also look at the insecurity ravaging the North-Eastern part of the country, among others. In his keynote address, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega assured the traditional rulers of the Commission’s readiness to deliver a free, fair and credible election in 2015. He appealed to the traditional rulers to partner with the commission to ensure attitudinal change by the electorate and the political class to ensure success of the polls.
Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has described the 16 year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level as a colossal waste.
Tinubu who commissioned a new 60-bed Specialist Hospital, built by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole government, in Ewohinmi, Esan South East Local Government area of Edo State, “what you have in Edo State is common sense development revolution.
The hospital is complete with state-of-the-art equipment, 3-bedroom doctors’ quarters and 2-bedroom Nurses’ quarters. The hospital project which was first conceptualized but abandoned over 25 years ago,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is also a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said with the commissioning of the hospital and other projects in the state, Governor Oshiomhole has introduced infrastructural development revolution to Edo state.
“The only way you can get it at the federal level is to have the voter’s card and vote out the PDP. The sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party did not produce anything. They were here and they did not do roads to reach your communities and they could not give you boreholes.
“We have spent six years now and six years of our arrival with our broom, we have been sweeping the dirt away. We say change from deceit; change from lies; change from excuses. Today the country is in darkness because of the deception of the PDP. When you pay a policeman, pittance how do you expect him not to take bribe?
“We have built new hospitals and schools in six years. If you want continuity of this development, go and collect your voter’s card and vote for APC. You want water to flow; you want good roads; you want potable water supply, then vote for APC.
“The reward for hard work is more work. So as the APC is doing well in Edo state, you expect more work. You must vote for more work and more facilities. Democracy is not a spectator’s game. If you have no card, go and collect one and vote against the PDP. There can be no running water if you don’t vote for APC. The PDP has failed and they will continue to fail.”
Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Glory be to God we now have a government that build hospitals that would save lives; emergency sections that would ensure that accident victims are attended to; that premature babies would be taken care of . Thank you Adams, thank you for leading a government that works.”
In his remarks, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the hospital project is one of the dreams of this administration to extend development to the rural communities.
“For us in Edo State, the fact of being rural does not mean the people are inferior. Rural life is a function of location and not of quality and consistent with the commitment of our party to have an all inclusive development, the one that seeks to make people feel the impact of governance regardless of location, what you have seen is a practical statement that this is possible beyond rhetoric.
“When I visited here in 2009, the previous government had awarded it, in fact several governments after government had awarded it and they were just using it to siphon money in the name of the people of Ewohimi and the blocks they were using were so bad. We had to demolish that foundation and build a completely new hospital.
“His Royal Highness informed me that this project has been on for over twenty five years and somehow they have given up. I am happy that God has used us to translate this to reality.
“We have built road connecting Ewohimi to other major towns in Esan and shortly we shall be commissioning them.”
On the poor power supply in the community, Oshiomhole said: “it is important for the people to know that as long as the PDP is in power, the people would be out of power. So whenever you have the opportunity, let the young and old know that the problem of power supply cannot be solved unless the PDP is voted out of power.”
Asiwaju Tinubu had earlier, in Benin City, commissioned the rebuilt 6-lane New Lagos road, complete with walkways and street lights.
President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who lost at the primaries, including the former information minister, Labaran Maku to remain in the party in the interest of democracy. This is even as Maku is set to defect to Labour Party (LP) to contest Nasarawa state governorship election in 2015.
President Jonathan who made the appeal at the PDP fund raising dinner held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said that the leadership of the party is working to resolve all outstanding issues in the congresses and primaries.
“We all appreciate that throughout the congresses where primary elections were conducted there have been some outstanding issues.
“The party is working to resolve these issues; definitely, in such situation all may not be resolved to the satisfaction of everybody,” the president said.
“But my plea to party members is to remain committed to the party; stay with the party.
“I know other parties are wooing some of you to contest elections on their platforms, but if you believe in democracy then you will contribute to strengthen it.
“The only way you can strengthen democracy is for you to stay in your party.”
Some prominent leaders of the party have either left, expressed intention to leave, or expressed their dissatisfaction at the manner of conduct of primaries in their states.
In Benue, a former PDP National Chairman, Bernabas Gemade, has already joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, after expressing anger at how Governor Gabriel Suswam picked the PDP senatorial ticket of his zone to displace the former who is the incumbent. Mr. Gemade is expected to be the APC candidate in the zone.
In Oyo, former governor Alao Akala and his supporters have joined the Labour Party after expressing their dissatisfaction at the PDP governorship primaries that produced Teslim Folarin as candidate.
In Lagos, the immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has rejected the primaries that produced Jimi Agbaje as the PDP governorship candidate. A similar situation is playing out in Nasarawa where immediate past Information Minister, Labaran Maku, has rejected the PDP governorship primaries.
Jonathan, however, told the aggrieved members that if there were issues they felt were not too correct, it was better for them to stay within the party to correct them. He added that staying together to settle those issues was the only way democracy can grow.
“If out of anger or frustration, you leave the party because you didn’t get what you wanted, then you are not contributing to the growth of democracy,” he said.
Jonathan thanked members of the party, the business community and other supporters of the PDP for contributing to the growth of the party.
While recalling the “generous donation” of the business community to support victims of the 2012 flood and to the Victim Support Fund in September, he assured them that their donations would be judiciously utilised.
The president also assured the business community of more policies and programmes that would promote enterprise and industry as well as expand the economy.
Citing a beneficiary of the YouWin programme, who donated N1 million at the dinner, the president stated that the party had made some Nigerians millionaires and billionaires.
He said the PDP-led federal government was working hard to make more young millionaires through the YouWin programme and the recently launched Youth Employment through Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
He assured Nigerians that the PDP would do everything possible to keep the country united.
Maku’s bid to become Nasarawa governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was dashed when he lost the party’s primaries to Yusuf Agabi, who polled 214 votes to the ex-minister’s 160. Maku has since rejected the result of the primary alleging irregularities.
However, rather than remain within his party to either support the winner or challenge the primary in court, Maku is working with some leaders of the Labour Party to become the party’s candidate. A major hindrance to the ex-minister’s plans, however, is the firm stance of Innocent Lagi to retain his candidacy of the Labour Party
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Open Letter To Jonathan, Buhari, By Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi
Your Excellencies,
A commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters.
I also appeal to the following:
Prof. Akinyemi is a former Minister of External (Foreigna) Affairs and Deputy Chairman at the 2014 National Conference.
[myad]