Politics
Nigeria: Leadership By Example?
These days as we approach 2011, the tempo of activities both political and anti-Nigeria by our Nigerian leaders seem to be on the rise. As if that was not bad enough, our now super chickens formerly Super Eagles fumbled out of the World Cup for which Kaitas, Aiyegbenis, Kanus, NFF and Lagerback of this world can explain.
How much of Nigeria’s money went into our two weeks participation in the fiesta, no one will ever know, especially with several scores of legislators, their girlfriends and concubines all part of the party in our traditional squandermania style.
Despite a veiled denial by Steward Dora and what at best I see as an attempt at accusing a dead man, we still don’t know how much will go into a one day event in the name of marking our golden jubilee. As it stands, it is still N10billion for the ‘owambe’ party in a nation that hardship walks in the broad daylight.
Come to think of it, the lower chamber of the National Assembly was in a show of shame last week. The House of Representatives resorted to karate on the same day the super chickens in South Africa were being dealt with by the Koreans to delightful kungfu football.
While everyone has condemned their actions, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has even called them and the progressives as they called themselves suspended. The fact remains that with the millions and billions of naira at stake for doing nothing, words such as shame, embarrassment, public odium, and ridicule are strange. The nation will continue to be at war with herself.
My colleague and one-time fellow editor at Leadership Newspapers, now with Thisday Emmanuel Bello, sent this to me “Obama earns about $400,000 per annum and then Mark gets some N1.2million per annum as principal that does nothing”. Any doubts regarding why we are doomed? I don’t believe we are doomed, I only see reasons why I must serve my nation and by fire, by force.
Courtesy of my friend and brother, Baba Adam…”Current Nigerian senator’s benefits or allowances is N48 million per quarter X 4 quarters = N192 million per year (US$1.28 million per year). That is currently a Nigerian Senator earns 7.36 times their U.S. counterparts!
The Nigerian Senators want their allowances to be increased to N95 million per quarter X 4 quarters = N380 million per year [US$2.53 million per year]. That is US$10.13 million in 4 years! Hhhhmmm…for the 90% of Nigerians, no clean drinking water, stable electric power, basic education, dependable health-care, productive employment, social security for the elderly, public security, good roads, etc..
In 2008, Nigeria allocated N60 billion ($400,000,000- – four hundred million US dollars) for Senator’s and House of Representative members spend N60bn.
Below is a Nigerian Senator’s minimum wage… you can call this the high cost of bad governance
1. Basic Salary 2,484,242.50
2. Furniture Allowance @ 300% 7,452,727.50
3. Newspaper @ 50% 1,242,121.25
4. Wardrobe @ 25% 621,060.63
5. Recess @ 10% 248,424.25
6. Accommodation @ 200% 4,968,485.00
7. Utilities @ 30% 270,024.55
8. Domestic Staff @ 75% 1,863,181.88
9. Entertainment @ 30% 745,272.75
10. Hardship Allowance @ 50% 1,242,121.25
11. Consistency Allowance @ 200% 4,968,485.00
12. PA @ 25% 621,060.63
Total: 26,727,207.17
By the way, last year the Nigerian Senators’ passed ‘WHOPPING’ 13 bills.
Currently, Nigeria have messed up priorities. In 2008, the Nigerian government allocated N8.3 billion ($55,333,333 — fifty five million dollars) for research at all the tertiary institutions.
Note in 2005, USA universities spent $45.8 billion. Thus USA institutions spend 828 times on research! India and China also spend billions on research.
“The House received N11 billion for 2008 and 2009 and expended N9billion. A majority of House members have no clue on details of the expenditure purportedly made from this colossal sum. The Speaker authorised a spurious, vexatious and reckless expenditure profile at a time when there is so much economic hardship, massive unemployment and neglected infrastructure in the country.”
“On May 28, 2008, the Speaker and the Body of Principal Officers approved the purchase of four units of Range Rover (V8) Jeeps, three units of Mercedes Benz S-600 cars for the use of the Speaker and his Deputy costing N335, 500, 000.” And you say it is not sweet to serve Nigeria?
Members of the lower House bought for themselves LCD 40 Samsung LNS 341 at N525,000 per unit. Multiply that by the 360 members and you tell me that we are still not suffering ‘gowonoria’ a disease that started during the Gowon era…too much money, problem of how to spend it.
Dressed in their blue and white uniforms, some 75 students of the City Royal Secondary School (CRSS), Nyanya in Abuja watched in silence as representatives fought themselves, often rising from their seats, and at other times craning their necks to witness the rowdy session.
They were wide-eyed, stared at themselves, and dumbstruck all through. They watched as their leaders fought not because of providing good roads, not because of improving the health infrastructure, not as a result of a collapsing educational system but because the loot did not go round. One of the kids reportedly asked a Journalist “Sir, how much is 9Billion Naira”? One can only imagine what was in the child’s mind.
We live in dangerous times in Nigeria, but very few people really care, In Ogun State its 30billion, In Plateau State, some N6billion frozen by EFCC secretly, in Lagos, two years after it was built a portion of the over N5 billion LASU-Iba road built by the Lagos State Government collapsed. In Kano, the governor’s anointed was recently guest of EFCC. Everywhere you turn in the entire nation its stealing and thieving galore, you begin to ask, so what is EFCC really doing?
As an observing guest, Jonathan is in Canada with some 140 aides, even 50, is it not crazy? My answer is no, infact he should have gone with the 36 governors their deputies, all the Ministers and the entire National Assembly, after all to serve Nigeria is by FORCE!
To serve Nigeria is by force, it is lucrative, you steal without a single shot fired, and you can be rest assured after some noise everyone forgets.
Like the Sanusi Tsunami, now forgotten, all the Ibrus, Erastus of this world somewhere chopping their monies. The UK is more determined at getting Ibori than we are. IBB, making all sorts of noise, the north preaching morality, Jonathan, hiding under the garment of sensitivity of the polity, we just make noise and gradually we shut up—an easily excitable people!
With over 50 political parties, everyday, everywhere it is PDP against PDP. After 11 years of democracy, it’s been motion without movement. We have been covered by an umbrella that best depicts everything that is wrong with our society.
I have desisted a long time to speak plenty grammar when discussing the Nigerian malaise, not because I don’t know how to go isms, and zun, tun zi, but because I believe that our problems are not the worst and we can surmount it if we want to, but sadly a small minority and thieving class is bent on frustrating change. Monkey no fine but im mama like, no place like naija. We shall overcome one way or the other, Insha Allah!
Dickson is the Editor, burningpot.com
Prince Charles Dickson
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, through a second reading, a bill seeking to retain immunity for the Office of the President and remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors and the Deputy Governors.
The bill was one of the 42 considered and passed through the second reading stage during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, in Abuja.
Sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill is seeking the amendment of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to guard against abuse of office and to ensure transparency in governance.
The long title of the proposed legislation read: “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for related matters.”
Key amendments include changes to Section 308 of the Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
The proposed bill will amend subsection 3 to ensure that immunity only applies to the President and the vice president when acting as President under Section 145 of the Constitution.
Additionally, a new subsection 4 will be introduced to make the immunity clause inapplicable if the office holder is acting in an unofficial capacity, engaging in actions beyond the powers of the office, or involved in criminal conduct.
“The bill seeks to foster transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption by making public officials more accountable for their actions, both in and out of office.”
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by:(a) substituting a new subsection (3) as follows: “(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President, in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
Creating sub section (4) thereto as follows:”(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.
“This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Act 2024.
The bill is currently awaiting further debate and consideration by the National Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you”, the letter read.
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, Mr Olumekun said.
Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of seating arrangement related altercation between Senator. Akpabio and the Kogi Central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the second reading of a bill to upgrade the Lagos State 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs ).
The bill, was sponsored by James Faleke, Babajimi Benson, Enitan Badru, and 19 other lawmakers.
The bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas, Increasing the Total Number of Local Government Areas in the Federation to Eight Hundred and Eleven (811), and for Related Matters (HB. 1498),”
Once fully enacted, Nigeria’s total number of LGAs will rise from 774 to 811, with Lagos overtaking Kano and Katsina, which currently have 44 and 34 LGAs, respectively.
Proponents of the bill argue that granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people. The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos State.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly has been working on a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs with newly designated administrative areas.