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Goofs Of Amnesia …Those Northern Calls For Jonathan’s Job
Last week, a little known newspaper columnist coughed very malodorous and damaging invectives at President Goodluck Jonathan, in an article titled, A Dangerous President’ which not merely imputed executive complicity in the ill-fated Independence Day Abuja blast, but also made suggestions that fell less than an inch short of ordering out of office, the serving commander –in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
So unsavoury was the choice of words, shamefully defective, the argumentation, and brazenly schizophrenic the eventual conclusion such that to attempt even a schizoid reply will amount to a willing conscription into same hollow ritual where, patients of manic depression blab cacophonous goofs in the name of voicing an opinion.
The only half- point that the faceless author thought he made , making albeit labouriously the insinuation that a president under whose watch such a twin bomb explosion took place has no reason to remain in power and that the matter has been made even worse by the mere fact that such a president received in audience a gang of former Niger Delta militants, to condole with Nigerians and their president, for the nearly one dozen souls that perished in the blasts.
Reading in between the lines, I discerned a dizzying helplessness, on the part of the author to voice what he truly intended, his primary but concealed mandate in my view, being, to amplify the obviously unpopular calls by the self seeking collection of desperate politicians under the aegis of Northern Leaders Forum (NLF) for President Jonathan to resign, methinks not purely for the blasts. It was instead, a reharsh of pent-up frustration arising from Jonathan’s last comments on the zoning module of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). To the confused writer’s apparent confusion shall I inject some clarity.
A fortnight ago, upon return of his presidential nomination form to the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja, President Jonathan had, for the first time contributed to the long dragging debate on zoning and averred that the party had not and could not have zoned the presidency but if it ever did then, it had been in breach since 1999, when, President Olusegun Obasanjo became president, defeating all other aspirants, some of them from the northern parts of Nigeria. The same was repeated in 2003 when, Obasanjo sought and got re-election.
The argument was that if the party had zoned the presidency to the south alone, and a southerner was the incumbent, why were other northern aspirants not denied nomination forms to challenge Obasanjo? For that contribution to the debate on zoning, some self-styled northern leaders characterized him in so many demeaning moulds; ingrate, thorn-coat, greedy politician and even betrayer were just a few. Infact, former Military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) even said, if not for zoning, Jonathan would not have smelt the vice presidency slot behind late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Viewed closely, Babangida should have said the exact opposite, for, if the Vice Presidency had been zoned to the entire southern part of Nigeria in 2007, Jonathan’s Bayelsa State, with its low population numbers would not have had the shot, which means, either that the party decided from which geopolitical zone the party’s running mate must emerge, after first deciding that it must be Yar’Adua for president or that prior to the general party primaries, the choice of Yar’Adua and Jonathan, was decided upon by the leader of the party, in that case, the serving President Obasanjo and a hand-full of others.
If therefore, the serving president who, by PDP culture, is automatically the leader of the party, nor tenure-bound, and like Jonathan is neither restricted by constitutional impediments and seek to lead, it thus follows that all other zoning requirements would, at once be tailored in tandem with the known. Am I sounding like a dubious northern leader? For once let me.
Seriously scared of the incumbency factor and unhappy to be out-done by Jonathan in a game they cherish the most, soon after he voiced his readiness to contest the presidency in 2011, same self-serving northern politicians, and apostles of zoning, have continued to gang-up against the president, whose geo-political zone, the Niger Delta region, otherwise called the South-South has never produced a president while ,many of those scheming to take –over Aso Rock had been there either as Military President or Heads of State not to mention that their own Zones’ hold on power has defied all conscious tenure counts.
It is with that same penchant for greed that they recently called on President Jonathan to resign because of the crime of allowing criminals to plant bombs near the Eagles Square, Abuja in which some twelve Nigerians died. For that, rather than condole with the president, the symbol of our statehood, unite and fight the nation’s common enemy- the terrorists and most importantly, articulate ways of preventing re-occurrence, the supposed Northern leaders decided to play the usual divisive politics with such national calamity.
Cowardly acts of that kind had taken place in our history as a people. For example, it was in 1986, under Babangida’s watch as military president that the novelty of a parcel bomb killed the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine, Late Dele Giwa.
To date that terror attack remains unresolved, yet none urged Babangida to resign. That is why it is laughable that the same military president under whose watch near similar and even more heinous crimes, ranging from drug trafficking, questionable air-crash in which some of the finest of the Nigerian Army perished and countless extra judicial killings took place in Nigeria, would also join forces with others like Mallam Adamu Ciroma to attempt to blackmail Jonathan into forced resignation. But when his campaign manager, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi was fingered, IBB quickly fired, ‘it is idiotic for any one to attempt to link me with the Abuja bomb blast”. He even went further to justify the sentiment of the northern leaders, when, he said it was shameful that the Nigerian Security was pre-warned but failed to prevent such terror attack, a point which he thought still makes him the most qualified to fix things, but not a word in condolence with the Nigerian presidency.
If Babangida is as patriotic as he wants Nigerians to believe, why did he not share of the jubilee celebrations? Was the ceremony, President Jonathan’s personal Birthday or Nigeria’s?. If he could shun his own nation’s 50th independence anniversary, which country’s president does he wish to become? Or did he , like the ‘inept’ Nigerian security, have pre-knowledge of the planned bombing and so chose to stay behind in his palatial Minna ‘Aso Rock’, for President Jonathan, visiting national leaders and other Nigerians to perish alone in the blast? If not so, why did he not raise an alarm to persuade all others not to make it to the celebrations? Or at least attempt to prevent them? Try as I have to agree with IBB that it is very idiotic to link him with the bombings, a rehash of these and many more questions make me feel like an idiot being the devil’s advocate.
Even so, the same good old Adamu Ciroma, the failed agent of the zoning policy, a bad loser who would not accept clear defeat, which his reaction to the final PDP position on the zoning subject translates into, but would step forward to call for the resignation of a serving president, because of a terror attack which still wears the cloak of a political misadventure.
Where I come from, age comes with wisdom, constant readiness to build not to break, anxiety to preach love not hate and above all a resolve to stand on the part of equity not greed.
But judging by Ciroma’s recent goofs, I see one suffering from manic depression, temporary amnesia or outright greed on wheels not consistent with old age and thus depicts the very opposite of the value that ought to be attached to the grey hair.
That is why that misguided writer who, in following elder Ciroma’s jaundiced thought process, charactised President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan ‘A Dangerous President’ deserves our sympathy and forgiveness, for, he was giving honour to Ciroma’s old age, which he thought epitomized the same qualities young men usually cherish and which he should have known by now, Ciroma lacks.
My Agony is that up till this day, Mallam Ciroma, IBB and the so- called Northern Elders Forum have found nothing wrong in their folly of not sharing the national grief which Nigerians feel, over the unnecessary deaths on independence day, what they find wrong instead is that Nigerians have refused to see the ‘wisdom’ in elders’ call for president Jonathan’s ouster; the unresolved Giwa’s death notwithstanding.
Methinks, its for their ilk that John Webster, wrote in The White Devil, “ A politician imitates the devil, as the devil imitates a cannon, wheresoever he comes to do mischief, he comes with the backside towards you, just like that columnist did, using Ciroma’s back.
Front Pix
DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.