OF ZONING, HYPOCRISY AND NIGERIA'S FUTURE

The 2011 general election in Africa’s most populous country and second largest economy,

Nigeria, is surely going to be decisive for the continued existence of the country as a united

entity. This is because discordant tunes now rent the air over the criteria to be used in choosing who rules the country come 2011. The zoning arrangement, which has been adopted by the ruling PDP, and indirectly by opposition parties, from all indication, will no longer be considered in the choice of who flags the party’s ticket, courtesy of vehement opposition mounted against it by people of the south-south region where President Goodluck Jonathan came from.

On the surface, the argument put forward that all Nigerians irrespective of the regions they come from should be free to contest the presidential election as stipulated in the country’s constitution seems tenable and in fact incontrovertible. However, the reality on ground is that the relative political stability Nigeria has been enjoying since 1999 when the military handed over power to civilians might not have come without the zoning arrangement, though an internal affair of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. It was said to be a gentleman agreement among the powers brokers from both the North and South to have rotational presidency in order to lay to rest the constant power struggle between the two regions. It was allegedly agreed that the south have its turn from 1999 to 2007 for the north to take over till 2015.

To many observers, such an unwritten agreement, which was faithfully adhered to during the eight years of the southern rule, should also be followed even after the death of the northern President Umar Musa Yar’Adua last June. President Jonathan is not expected to run for the presidency based on the existing zoning agreement. But, the President, though yet to declare his intension, is leaving no one in doubt as to where his mind is. His moves recently suggest he is nursing the idea to take a shot at the topmost position in the country. His kinsmen have endorsed him already.

Those who say the zoning agreement had since been dumped long ago are being hypocritical. Even the main opposition parties, the ANPP and the AC embraced it in their selection of presidential candidates in the 2007 elections. They both fielded northern candidates!

The North has insisted on sticking to the zoning mechanism. While PDP governors from the south-south region are urging President Jonathan to declare for the presidency, their northern counterparts only said he had the right to contest as a Nigerian but that the zoning arrangement in the party in still in place.

What does this whole tussle amount to? In all honesty, hypocrisy is the best word to describe the unfolding scenario. The question to be asked is should somebody from the south-west come out today to contest the presidency; will the south-south sing the same song of freedom of every citizen to vie for election in the country? Of course, the answer is obvious.

President Jonathan need not say anything about his ambition to rule beyond 2011 for discerning Nigerians to expect a different pronouncement from him. While many people praised him for appointing the respect professor Attahiru Jega as the Chairman of the Independent National electoral Commission, INEC, the truth of the matter is that the move is a perfect stopper to any northerner’s ambition to contest in 2011. A northerner cannot be the electoral umpire in an election where his fellow northerners are participating!

In addition, the president’s recent tour of the country under the guise of official visits to commission projects may only be described as a popularity-testing exercise.

One is not advocating that the zoning arrangement be retained or done away with. Many democracies across the globe have evolveddifferenways of aligning the tenets and demands of democracy with their peculiar socio-political conditions. If zoning was what gave Nigeria thedemocracy and peace that it is experiencing today, why would the power brokers have to sacrifice it now, on the altar of ethnicity? Thesouth could wait till 2015 to have their turn. That is the ideal and most honourable thing to do.

If the boat is rocked now, one is afraid, once power shifts to the North in future, the south may as well bid farewell to it then. And the consequence may be dangerous for the unity of the entity called Nigeria.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should not rock the boat even though he is having endorsement here and there. 2015 is near!

KIDNAPPERS ARE NOT GHOSTS, IGP ONOVO WAKE UP!!!

Since the news of the kidnap of four journalists in Abia state broke last Sunday, i have not stopped wondering why this criminal act is yet to be addressed by the authorities. But I am sure that when the son or daughter of Mr. President, Mr. Senate President, the IGP or that of the Abia state governor is kidnapped, the criminals will be fished out with immediate effect! Sad!

It appears kidnapping is gradually becoming one of the 'normal' abnormalities that we have accepted as part of our daily existence in Nigeria

. Soon, 'am afraid, this criminal act will no longer be viewed as criminal just like corruption is not seen as such anymore. Government officials, politicians and corporate organization CEOs dip their hands into the commonwealth of the people with brazen impunity and often times get away with it, kidnapping may also, as it is going now, reach a level where kidnappers will have their companies registered!

What I am still unable to understand is the fact that the Nigeria Police have not deem it fit to collaborate with the telecom companies, especially GSM, to trace the location of the kidnappers of these journalists. I do understand that these companies can track whatever calls made on their networks. For Instance, some Phones display the locations of subscribers as they move around, as long as the phones are on! In fact, somebody made me understand that even if the phone is switched off, they can still track it so long the SIM card is inserted. So, if this is possible, then why wasting time and making fruitless searches. We do watch hollywood films and see how criminals are apprehended through the use of phone calls!

I believe these people are not ghosts. They are humans like us.

If one may ask, how are the negotiations with the kidnappers done? Who drops the ransom money for them to pick? And again, do banks report money transfer in excess of one million naira for individuals or five million for companies, to the Central Bank, as provided by the Money Laundering Act? These guys cannot carry raw cash on the streets, they will deposit it in the banks!

If the banks do this, then suspicious transfers can be traced and those involved questioned.

The government should get serious about fighting this monster of a crime and stop sermonizing on the pages of newspapers and on the airwaves for kidnappers to desist from their criminal activities.

Journalists in Nigeria cannot be classified as belonging to the rich class. They are just doing their jobs in the best way they can despite the harsh condition that prevails everywhere. They are the most poorly paid people in the country. Expecting anything financial from them is like squeezing water from the rock!

Alhaji Wahab, Adolphus Okonkwo, Silva Okereke and Sola Oyeyipo, our hearts are with you!!!

MY TAKE!: IBB'S GAMBLE

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IBB'S GAMBLE

Nigerian former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida’s ambition to return to the Aso Rock Villa 17 years after ‘stepping aside’ generates strong opposition across the country. But, with the alleged backing of the US and other western powers, the gap-toothed general seems confident of achieving his tall ambition. Writes Sulaimon Alamutu

When General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida announced, in 1993 after much pressure from the Nigerian masses that he would be stepping aside from power, many had observed that the general was not done, yet, with the country. He was characteristically mercurial in the choice of words used in the speech he delivered before a special joint session the National Assembly in August 1993.
“Following a lengthy deliberations with my service chiefs, I offered as my own personal sacrifice to voluntarily step aside as the president and commander in chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria.” He said
Truly, Babangida, as many had rightly noted, is proving that his stepping aside almost 17 years ago actually meant he would return one day to rule Nigeria. And that exactly is what preoccupies his mind at the moment. Early last month he declared his intension and resolve to context the 2011 presidential election in the country. Recently on BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, the former military dictator flaunted what he calls his democratic credentials to include conducting the freest and fairest election ever in the history of Nigeria. He also boasted that he could pitch his tent on any of Nigeria’s 51 political parties to realize his ambition if the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, does not give him the presidential ticket.
But Nigerians were quick to rise against what they described as another tragedy. Tragedy in the sense that it was the same IBB that rocked the boat of the country’s match to democratic independence in 1993 when he annulled the June 12 election conducted by his administration and adjudged the most freest and fairest in the history of the country by both local and international observers. This is just one out of many sins of general Babangida, which many Nigerians considered unforgiveable. He is reputed to have institutionalized corruption and the culture of looting in the country’s political system. He participated in no less than three coups before installing himself in 1985 after ousting General Muhammadu Buhari from power (He participated in the coup that brought in Buhari).
While in power, some of the policies implemented by his administration practically left the country belly-flat with the nation’s currency, the Naira, depreciating against major currencies across the world. His Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), believed to have been implemented on the advice of the IMF/World Bank, wreaked monumental havoc on the country’s economy and by extension made living conditions of Nigerians more deplorable. Inflation assumed a doomsday scenario during this period, rising from 5,4% in 1986 to 40,9% in 1989, and practically destroyed the very fabric of Nigerian society. This inflation was the principle price of Babangida's SAP measures, which include external debt management strategies, removal of subsidies on petroleum products and fertilizer, privatization and commercialization, trade liberalization, and interest rate deregulation.
The SAP-induced inflation resulted in adverse income redistribution, leading to increased personal insecurity and lessened personal satisfaction, while heightening interpersonal and institutional tensions and deterring investment and inhibited consumer spending.
Other adverse effects of Babangida’s SAP, according to John C Anyanwu in a paper titled: “President Babangida's Structural Adjustment Programme and Inflation in Nigeria,” include the depletion of external reserves; a worsening balance of payments position; the diversion of managerial talent from managing production, maintaining efficiency and innovating, in favour of manoenvring and speculation for protection against (or benefit from) inflation.
Babangida’s eight years at the helm of affairs in Africa’s most populous nation saw him become richer than many African countries with personal wealth running into billion of US dollars. Quoting from Jeffery Robinson’s book, The Sink, a renowned author and leader of World Pan-African Movement, Naiwu Osahon said, “Of the $120 billion siphoned out of the Nigerian treasury into offshore accounts by dishonest politicians, $20 billion is allegedly traceable to IBB directly as president from 1985 to 1993.” He stated further that “the World Bank and other international sources of information put his total loot from the Nigerian treasury at over $35 billion.”
According to Osahon, who wrote a piece on IBB on Saharareporters, an online investigative news media, the Gulf war oil windfall is Babangida’s often-referenced loot. He gave an insight: “Abacha set up a panel headed by the highly respected economist, Pius Okigbo, in October, 1994, to reorganize the CBN. Okigbo’s panel discovered that $12.2 billion of the $12.4 billion accruable from the Gulf War excess crude oil sales was frittered away or unaccounted for, through nebulous or phantom projects that could not be traced. Only $206 million was left in the account. According to Okigbo, “disbursements were clandestinely undertaken while the country was openly reeling with crushing external debt overhead. These represent, no matter the initial justification for creating the account, a gross abuse of public trust.”
Perhaps, what may stand as a major albatross to the self-styled evil genius’s ambition is the mystery surrounding the death of a foremost Nigerian editor, Dele Giwa, during his regime. There had been speculations that Babangida’s government had a hand in the death of Giwa, who was blasted by a parcel bomb suspected to have been delivered by agents of the administration. Late human rights lawyer and activists, Gani Fawehinmi spent many years trying to get IBB charged for the murder to no avail.
Babangida institutionalized the office of the First Lady, which was hitherto alien to the Nigerian system. Throughout the eight years his wife Maryam Babangida, now late, bestrode the country like a colossus.
With all these ‘heinous crimes’ committed against the Nigerian people by Babangida, will his ambition to rule the country again be welcome? Even with the alleged backing of his candidature by the west, this appears impossible going by the growing opposition both within and outside the country. A group called RALLY AGAINST IBB GROUP, which was formed in Italy and garnering support from Nigerians in Europe, has called for a mass rally against the move by the International Community to impose the candidature of the former military dictator on Nigeria ahead of 2011 presidential election. The group has slated 29th May 2010, as the day to rally against Babangida in Europe. The social network site, Facebook, has been awash with anti-IBB postings and many websites and blogs are springing up to campaign against him.
Professor Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos law department describes IBB’s attempt to return to power “as a colossal assault on the national psyche.”
Another group, the National Democratic Forum, has already commenced a campaign to stop IBB from running for president in 2011.
The campaign tagged ‘Say No To IBB’, according to the National Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, would use all legitimate means to stop Babangida from becoming the president of Nigeria.
Explaining why Nigerians should frustrate the return of Babangida, Vatsa said the eight years of military rule under the former leader was the most unfortunate moment in the nation’s history.
According to him, “It was eight years of misrule and one wonders what unfinished projects he left behind that he is seeking the means to come back and accomplish. If he was a president, as he claimed and he ruled for eight years, he has served both first and second term and has no business being there again.”
“IBB’s return to Aso Rock will be a disaster for Nigeria.” He said.
The forum held meetings with the families of some departed Nigerians such as the leader of the botched April 22, 1990 coup, Gideon Orka; Mr. Ben Ekele; late legal luminary Gani Fawehinmi; and Dele Giwa, among others, during the campaign. Orka led the coup that tried to sack Babangida’s military government.
The entry of Babangida into the presidential race this time around did not come as a surprise to many as the former military ruler had on two occasions, 2003 and 2007 eyed the topmost position only to step down in the last minutes. But now, opinions across the country suggest that Babangida got the final impetus from the support of the United States government which had allegedly sent a delegation to him on the presidential project.
Local media had reported that the recent visit of a strong US delegation to Nigeria, comprising Jonnie Carson, the country’s assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and Robin Sanders, its ambassador to Nigeria is part of the plan to draft Babangida to the 2011 race.
Quoting an unnamed source, Nigeria’s Daily Sun newspaper reported that the US has followed the political situation in the country and has come to the conclusion that Nigeria needs a president who would restore confidence and leadership. It said that many people have been considered.
According to the Sun report, Babangida eventually got endorsement after people like Mr. George Bush Snr, who was president in US when Babangida was military president in Nigeria put in words. “The Bush Snr. support, it was gathered, informed why immediate past US president, George W. Bush, wanted to meet with Babangida when he visited Nigeria for the ThisDay awards,” the Sun stated.
This surely is a big gamble given the fact that the candidature of Babangida, allegedly being backed by the United States, is not jelling well with the Nigerian populace. Observers have also opined that probably Babandgida is only using a trial balloon to test his acceptability. With an ailing president Yar’Adua that has not been seen for months and the acting president Goodluck Jonathan surreptitiously mulling a shot at the presidency, the ruling PDP foreclosing fielding any candidate from the south, the next few months will determine how realizable IBB’s ambition in the face of growing opposition against him.

CHECKING IBB THROUGH JEGA'S APPOINTMENT

one of the problems Nigeria has been having over the years is its inability to conduct credible elections. The only one acclaimed to have the highest degree of credibilty by all was held on June 12, 1993 which unfortunalety was annulled by the same military regime that conducted it. Ever since, the country has not come near such a feat owing partly to the philosophy of do-or-die politics introduced by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the desperation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to remain in power for as long as the world exists and the growing aparthy of the Nigeria voters towards anything election.

To many Nigeria Nigerians it is worthless anf time-wasting going out to vote when the vote will not count at the end of the day. This is because in most cases the electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, rather than remain independent and unbiase serves as willing tool to desperate politicians hell-bent on winning elections by all means. Little wonder that most electoral victories were upturned by the Judiciary.

Therefore when late President Yar'Adua came to power through what was generally agreed to be flawed election, which he himself admitted, he promised to undertake electoral reforms to right the wrongs of the past and make elections in the country credible and acceptable to all. His successor and former Vice, Goodluck Jonathan has keft no one in doubt as to his commitment to pursing the reforms to a logical conclusion. That is why his nomination and subsequent confirmation by the Senate of Professor attahiru Jega, former Vice Chancellor of Ado Bayero University, Kano and former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU as the new INEC chairman has recieved accolades even from the opposition.

The appointment of Jega is no doubt a morale booster for many who want to contest in the coming election as the man is seen as an upright, fortright and incorruptible individual. But on another front, it may be a smart move by President Jonathan to curtail the raging storm of General Ibrahim Babangida who is daring to return to the ASO Rock in 2011.

Jega was the leader of the leader of the ASUU in the early 90s at the peak of Babangida's dictatorship. That was the period of struggle for the emancipation of the University lecturers across the country. The condition and atmosphere of the university communities in Nigeria were terribly bad and awful. The dictatorial military regime of Babangida failed woefully to do anything about the decay in the University system in the country. Attahiru Jega gave radical leadership that fought Babangida tool and nail for the interest of the University system that was crumbling.

Even though the regime tried through many means such as proscription of ASUU, stoppage of salaries and other forms of harrassment, Attahiru Jega-led ASUU never gave up the struggle.

Going by the professor's radical background and his seeming moral credit worthiness many are of the opinion that his appointment by the president may be the right step in the direction towards ensuring a free and fair election come 2011.

But, being the first northerner to be given such sensitive appointment at this crucial time, some say, may be subtle way to curb the North from winning back power after the South had ruled for eight years. The move may be contrued to be an impetus to the much speculated agenda of President Jonathan to run as well.

Either Jonathan runs or not, the fact remains that the appointment of Attahiru Jega is a smart move to check people like IBB from coming back to power.

"I would like to be remembered as the person who led the INEC that conducted the freest, fairest and most credible election in the history of Nigeria." Attahiru Jega.

CHECKING IBB THROUGH JEGA’S APPOINTMENT