Oyegun, Tinubu and Their Makossa Dance

OYEGUN, TINUBU AND THEIR MAKOSSA DANCE

        The last time I checked, the pioneer cum incumbent National Chairman of the ruling Nigerian political party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a National Leader of the party, in the persons of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu respectively, were obviously enjoying a faceoff. The two respected politicians who are respectively the former governors of Edo and Lagos states have lingered the altercation that it has become a major public discourse not just in Nigeria but beyond. 

        The prolonged rift is not unconnected with the primary election of the APC for the forthcoming November 2016 Ondo gubernatorial poll that took place recently, on 3^rd September 2016 precisely, in which Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu emerged as the party’s flag bearer with 699 votes ahead of his rival, Mr. Olusegun Abraham who polled 635 votes. It was gathered that the outcome of the said poll wasn’t in favour of Sen. Tinubu who reportedly wanted the latter to emerge victorious.

        Thereafter, Sen. Tinubu accused Chief Oyegun of manipulating the election in his favour by ‘altering the delegates’ meant for it. He equally frowned over Oyegun’s refusal for a fresh primary election to be conducted as was recommended by the Appeal Committee that was set up after the election. It would be recalled that a National Working Committee (NWC) was inaugurated immediately after the primaries in order to address an impasse, but Chief Odigie-Oyegun rejected the committee’s recommendation that another primary election should be conducted, stating it was only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that had the immunity to upturn the results of the election.

       To this end, Sen. Tinubu has called for Chief Oyegun’s resignation as the National Chairman of the party; he has employed every means and method, particularly the mass media, to ensure that he actualized his aim. Chief Oyegun who has emphatically lamented over the tantrum which he described as ‘reckless and baseless’, stated that he could not be removed on the pages of newspapers, saying there were constitutional procedures that could determine such intent.

       On Tuesday 4^th October 2016, scores of Chief Oyegun’s loyalists under the aegis of APC Democratic Youth Frontiers staged a protest at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja to let out their grievances over what they called ‘domineering attribute’ of Sen. Tinubu. They asked the latter to limit his ‘political empire’ to Lagos State or South-West, stating that no state or region is greater than Nigeria; they further called on him to ‘either leave the party or curtail his greed’. Though the supposed beneficiary has dissociated himself from the protest, the aftermath of the august visit is still generating fathomless ripples within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

        It’s so surprising that within a short interval the APC took the mantle of leadership, the party has refused to convince the citizenry that it’s indeed the ruling party. Barely a year and plus the party was given the opportunity to lead the teeming Nigerians, its leaders have started dancing Makossa when they are required to dance to the tune of Hi-life. The same set of individuals who promised to safeguard national/people’s interest has chosen to protect only their personal interests. How do you reconcile this?

        If these highly revered politicians could engage in a ‘fight’, or wash their dirty lilies in the public, for the sake of a gubernatorial poll, one may wonder what their personalities would entail during a presidential poll. The yet to arrive 2019 presidential election would be the first presidential poll the APC would be witnessing while in power, and it’s pertinent to note that that would be when the party’s maturity would be duly tested by the electorate. Hence, its leaders need not be told that Nigerians cannot wait to embrace the aforesaid period.

        It’s even more appalling to realize that the scenario is occurring at a time everyone is deeply concerned about how the country would depart from the monster called recession; at a time we are discussing how to brainstorm, towards the anticipated economic diversification; at a period the country’s leaders are expected to think beyond politics; at a period the country is required to jettison any act of personal aggrandizement; and, at a moment, we strongly look up to the leaders with a view to fostering remedy to the lingering predicaments.

       The conflicting leaders ought to acknowledge that suchlike attributes bring enormous distraction to leadership. We are not unaware that people, leaders in particular, need to disagree to agree, but the way and manner in which this one is being paraded is truly baffling. Thus, they must note when and how best to think, talk, act, strike, or fight, as the case may be. They shouldn’t be doing things at the awkward time; such manner of attitude is an aberration, thus unacceptable. That’s time for everything.

        At the moment, Sen. Bola Tinubu is arguably reckoned to be the most celebrated and influential politician in Nigeria. However, the political juggernaut needs to equally note that a slight mistake from his person might reduce him to the least celebrated Nigerian politician unannounced. In view of this assertion, I would advise he continues playing the role of a grandfather rather than just a father. It’s time he understood that millions of people are really under his watch. Same is applicable to those who see themselves as his rival.

        If care isn’t taken, the next news we will hear is that someone has gone to court over the call for Chief Oyegun’s removal, as if the judiciary was established for the purpose of settling mere family disputes.  Think about it!    

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador

Time to Restructure Nigeria's LG System

TIME TO RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA’S LG SYSTEM

        Local Government (LG), otherwise known as the ‘third tier’ government, can be defined as a political structure under the state authority, established for a sole intent of decentralizing political power and delegation of authority. It is a platform under local committees toward maintaining law and order based on range of social amenities and to encourage cooperation and participation of people at the grassroots in order to improve their living conditions.

       The Nigeria’s LG system was set up by her local government reforms. Based on the 1976 Local Government Reforms, the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulated the fundamental motives for establishing its LG. they are as follows: to make appropriate services and development activities responsive to local wishes and initiatives by developing or delegating such services to local representative bodies; to facilitate and bring the exercise of democratic self-governance close to the local levels of our society, and to encourage initiative and leadership potentials among the people; as well as, to mobilize human and material resources through the involvement of member of the general public in their local government, and to provide a two-way channel of communication between local communities.

       The aforementioned background has made it clear that the LG system was established solely to take democracy to the grassroots, where there is high level of vulnerable individuals. LG has, for a very long time, been regarded as the training ground for democracy. Hence, over the years, since inception, the system has been linked with the desire to promote grassroot democracy. In other words, people have learnt to see it as the last hope of a common man when issues concerning governance are discussed.

        In Nigeria, the LG system has taken different forms from one period to the other. The country had the pre-colonial experiences culminating in several traditional political systems. During the said era, such level of government was being run via the effort of the traditional rulers or warrant chiefs, as the case might be. Thereafter, there had been series of reforms in the country’s LG system. The 1976 Reform and the 1979 Constitution provided the premise on which the current LG administration was established.

        It’s noteworthy that, the LG structure comprises the councilors and the chairman of the council. The councilors are drawn from each political ward in the given LG, and they constitute the local Legislative Council of that area. Whilst, the chairman is meant to function as the Chief Executive Officer of the council area. The legislative council is liable to make laws as well as reach resolutions toward the wellbeing of the members of the council.

        By the establishment of the LG system, the people at the various council areas are expected to have a direct access to the government through their respective councilors. The councilors are required to listen to the yearnings of their constituents, and convey such demands to the council chairman for apt action to be taken. With the aid of this platform, the people find it very easy to freely relate to the government.

        However, it’s pertinent to note that lately, owing to financial instability among other anomalies, the various LG administrations across the country had not fared well. In most cases, the governors in charge of the state administration tend to boycott or truncate the allocations meant for the day-to-day running of the LG. Since the LG structure lacks financial autonomy, the administrators are often denied of their lawful entitlements. This approach, which has succeeded in abusing the system, has over the years made the platform seem moribund.

        The most devastating aspect is a situation where the governor of a state would prefer to set up transition/caretaker committees to man the various local government councils in the state, rather than conducting an election that would produce elective officers meant to manage the LGs. This very impasse, which is taking place in most states across the federation, ends up making the appointed personnel appear like the governor’s aides when they are constitutionally expected to act as chief executive officers. This is unarguably one of the greatest abuses witnessed by the LG system of government.

        For the LG system, to be viable once again, the Nigerian 1999 Constitution needs to be amended towards addressing some lingering obvious anomalies. The elections of the prospective LG administrators should be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), contrary to the ongoing routine whereby each state is entitled to conduct the said polls via its electoral agency. This measure would enable the election to be conducted as and when due without experiencing all manners of frivolous postponements and what have you, as currently witnessed in most states across the country.

        Similarly, a financial autonomy should be granted to the various LGAs, so that, they can assess their funds directly from the Federal Government (FG) as well as enable them to operate independent accounts. Before now, I wasn’t an advocate of the quest for a financial autonomy, but since it has become understandable that the system cannot properly perform if it remains under the state government, it’s needless to continue beating about the bush. To ensure credibility and prudence over management cum utilization of the funds, the various anti-corruption agencies in the country must tactically extend their tentacles to the LG level.

       Inter alia, the LG chairmen and councilors, as to be stipulated in the proposed amendment, ought to be mandated to reside at their respective LGAs, particularly at the headquarters. They must discontinue residing outside their respective LGs. Restructuring the LG system is one of the paramount ways of quitting the ongoing recessionary era. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador

           

Judges' Arrest, DSS and My Worry

JUDGES’ ARREST, DSS AND MY WORRY

       The last time I checked, the real change has arrived. Between the night of Friday October 7 and early morning of Saturday October 8, 2016, seven Nigerian judges of different jurisdictions were arrested in their respective homes by the Department of the State Security Services (DSS) over alleged involvement in various corrupt practices. The judges arrested are Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court; Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja; Muazu Pindiga of the Gombe High Court; Kabiru Auta of the Kano High Court; Mohammed Tsamiya of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin; and the former Enugu State’s Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike.

       It would be recalled that Justices Umezulike, Auta, and Tsamiya had earlier been recommended for sack by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for alleged fraud and corruption. The seven of the arrested judges were reportedly detained in the DSS headquarters, Abuja till the following week pending when they would tender the requested statements as well as other correspondences expected of them. It’s worth noting that, aside the judges, some members of the registry staff of the relevant courts have been invited by the DSS for interrogations.

       It was gathered that the said security agency recovered several sums of huge amount of money, which were in different foreign currencies and the naira, from the various homes of the affected judges. The agency has equally disclosed that, at least, eight more senior judges, both in service and retired, are currently being investigated for corrupt acts, and may be arrested anytime from now.

       The judges’ arrest has been greeted by countless criticisms and counter reactions from various individuals and corporate bodies across the federation, particularly the Nigerian Bar association (NBA). On Saturday 8^th October, the NBA through its President, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) declared a state of emergency in the judiciary having asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate release of the affected judicial custodians or be prepared to face the severe consequences.

       The press statement, which was made in Lagos State in the company of the four past presidents of the association among other notable Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), claimed that the affected Supreme Court justices were ‘abducted’ alongside their families. The aforementioned boss, who condemned in its entirety what he termed the ‘Gestapo-style operation’ of the DSS, went further to announce the inauguration of an emergency cum crisis management team, comprising the former NBA leaders, to engage with the Federal Government (FG).

       I keep wondering what was on the mind of the leadership of the NBA and other concerned groups when they said it was unconstitutional for the DSS to arrest judges. Wasn’t the statement trying to tell us that our judges are beyond arrest, or no authority is eligible to arrest them? If the DSS lacks the power to carry out such concernment, I wonder whose power is constitutionally good enough to do so.

       I would advise our teeming lawyers to always digest the Constitution painstakingly before appearing in the public to put up a statement, especially a very sensitive one of this kind. If the people we entrusted our laws with, could proudly and publicly tender such utterance, I wonder what is expected of other stakeholders let alone the masses. We are at all times required to embrace a deep thought before we make a comment, particularly one of public interest.

       I was awaiting, and still eagerly await, the NBA to inform Nigerians the section(s) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, that stipulates that the country’s law court judges enjoy an immunity, either while in service or retired, that forbids any authority from arresting them when need be. Presently, until further amendment is made, only elected members of the executive arm – either federal or state – are entitled to the immunity clause as specified in Section 308 of the said constitution. So, when someone comes out to cite the contrary, it becomes an aberration; hence, completely unacceptable.

       Even if the judges enjoy an immunity, there’s one tangible fact we must comprehend. The DSS is a special security outfit that operates independently. It does not act within the scope of the extant laws in Nigeria, just as the FBI does in the United States of America (U.S.A). Nevertheless, the DSS acted in compliance with the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Besides, it’s noteworthy that, the much derided immunity inherent is not applicable once the persons safeguarded by the section in question cease to function in an immune capacity; in other words, the clause itself has a limit.

       I reliably learnt that the bone of contention regarding the arrest was the way and manner in which it was conducted. Yes, the judges’ homes were reportedly raided. But, it would be preposterous for the aggrieved parties not to consider the reason that informed such pattern. We have been told by the DSS that some of the judges initially resisted arrest with the help of the governors of the respective states where they are serving, Rivers State precisely. To this end, the DSS personnel were left with no option than to carry out a ‘depredation’. The point is that, the DSS can use any mode to arrest any suspected culprit provided it has a tangible purpose for doing so. So, let’s not get it twisted.

       My intense worry right now is not about the arrest, but the awaited prosecution. There are four major procedures to be taken towards serving justice, which are: investigation, arrest, arraignment, and prosecution. Now that these men have been arrested, Nigerians cannot wait to see that they have been arraigned. After the arraignment, it is still judges that would super-head their prosecutions. So, how can we be assured that the prospective prosecuting members of the bench would rule against their highly revered colleagues, if they are found guilty of the accusations?

       It’s obvious that the judiciary has been the prime setback faced by the ongoing anti-graft war boldly staged by the President Buhari-led administration. Thus, this jinx broken by the current DSS’ Director General, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura ought to be described as way forward. It’s indeed high time we got it right. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador