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Averting National Security Crisis …Of Kogi, Bayelsa, Rivers Polls
Malami and Yakubu
There is growing discontent and frustration in the land over the conduct of elections in the country and conflicting court rulings arising from complaints from the last general elections. And unless the needful is done to address the brewing unrest, it will be very calamitous for a nation battling challenging economic concerns.
When last month, the Kogi State governorship elections were declared conclusive and thereafter one of the candidates in that election, Prince Abubakar Audu died, many Nigerians expected the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to seek proper legal and constitutional guidance across a broad spectrum of the judicial community. But INEC preferred to accept hook-line-and-sinker the singular view of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
INEC without delay authorised the All Progressives Congress (APC) to replace its dead candidate as advised by the AGF, amidst legal disputations by various interest groups including the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which insisted that by the death of one of the leading candidates, its candidate, incumbent governor Idris Wada, with the highest number of votes of candidates alive be declared winner.
Another was the argument by late Audu’s running mate, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke that as heir to the joint Audu/Faleke ticket, he was most qualified to inherit the votes earlier secured before the elections were declared inconclusive. He indeed made good his threat to seek legal redress although the court denied jurisdiction.
In the end, APC substituted the former candidate with Yahaya Bello, the first runner-up in the party’s primaries, with Faleke as running mate, an arrangement the latter jettisoned. Yet without a valid running-mate, as demanded by law, INEC went ahead to conduct supplementary polls and declared the elections in favour of Yahaya Bello, who with less than 7,000 votes he secured, also inherited the votes of late Audu and Faleke.
What Kogi experiences today is the peace of the grave-yard. Already, members of the State House of Assembly have started tossing their leadership and that may result to even more profound confusion and crisis. Although most of them still set their sights on the election tribunal as ordered by the courts, they do so with very shaky faith of a fair outcome.
Kogi is a PDP state. It is at the risk of falling to the APC, just as several other states risk doing same. Akwa Ibom and Rivers States were also on the line with uncertainty beclouding the eventual outcome of the litigations until last week when the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the tribunal, annulling virtually all elections in Rivers State. It did so to Akwa Ibom.
Like Akwa Ibom and Rivers, Bayelsa is another PDP state which governorship election was also declared inconclusive, on account of massive rigging and security breaches. Amidst the inter-party name- calling, the Federal Government ought to take the blame for not merely over-militarising the electoral process, but also being unable to ensure the required security.
Amidst massive security presence, including virtually all arms of the armed forces, lives were lost, persons were maimed and ballot boxes snatched. It has also confirmed that ex-agitators were used to snatch sensitive materials, fake results written at night and some even attempted to submit same as valid will of the people.
The voiding of the Southern Ijaw polls and plans for supplementary election on January 9, is merely postponing the doomsday. This is because a lot of desperation has set in with stakeholders ready and willing to do everything to defend their interest, whether constitutionally or not.
This kind of insecurity is brewed when, among other things, the will of the majority is at the risk of being subverted by a powerful minority with state’s support. An attempt of that kind on a state like Bayelsa will be most disastrous and should have been prevented.
Bayelsa, like Rivers State, is home to an army of ex-agitators who would naturally not sit by and watch the will of the majority being subverted. They naturally would resist it and that would amount to confrontation with the conventional security, which were accused by some of demonstrating open partisanship.
Although the Police and military sources denied culpability of their ranks, the fact that their presence did not abate the level of insecurity reported, before, during and immediately after their elections is an indictment that should worry our forces.
While fears still trail likely happenings in a rescheduled election in Bayelsa, Rivers State has gradually joined the stream of flash-points. The Appeal Court last week, voided the elections of all three senators elected on the platform of the PDP in the state along with the governor, and ordered fresh polls within between 60 and 90 days.
This means another round of unrest. Another bout of violent exchanges. Yet another round of hate-filled campaigns and above all, a likelihood of fresh insecurity in the land.
Nigeria is today fighting a war on terror principally ravaging the North-East of the country. It is a war that has been most costly in terms of casualties and destruction of property. There are thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) still hoping to get their lives back. The Nigerian State and other international donors are still battling with the challenges posed by the refugee situation.
In the midst of this, there have been violent public protests in parts of the South-East and the South-South over the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra. In course of such protests, some lives have been lost and property destroyed.
So worrisome, the military establishment has repeatedly warned the protesters against breach of the peace or have them to contend with. If the protesters fail to heed, as they have vowed they won’t, it would amount to the armed forces fighting two battles, one in the North East and another in the South-East.
With the gloomy picture now surrounding the Bayelsa polls, the threats and counter threats by desperate stakeholders and indeed the desperation of the various political parties, there is no telling if there would not be a rehash of the insecurity experienced in the last run. It would be worse if the people have a feeling that maximum force is being employed by the state to subvert the will of the majority, as was suggested in the last attempt.
Already, ex-agitators, troubled by the goings-on have threatened to return to the creeks, their ‘home’ for the insurgency before the Yar’Adua government granted them amnesty. Such return would not be in the interest of the people and the state.
This is because, it would mean that our armed forces would be fighting insurrection on three fronts, the North-East, the South-East and the South –South. How ready are our troops for this?
Former President Goodluck Jonathan made the right point when he said, no body’s ambition is worth anyone’s blood. He also affirmed it by accepting the outcome of the Presidential elections and congratulated his successor, even as an incumbent President, a gesture strange to the African continent. A gesture never ever contemplated in this part of the globe.
But from goings-on, it appears that Jonathan’s statesmanly sacrifice was indeed in vain. The ruling APC seems to be doing little to ensure political neutrality necessary to deepen the democracy that brought it to power.
For instance, when Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole led a team of election conductors to Bayelsa, to superintendent the APC Governorship Primaries, he was alarmed at the level of thuggery displayed by one of the candidates. Oshiomhole after fleeing from the crisis zone, told journalists how one of the aspirants, Chief Timipre Sylva had used thugs to terrorise the process.
On his part, Sylvia called the Edo State governor a liar.
What did the supposedly reformist APC do? Change the electoral panel and still produce Sylva as its candidate, one publicly vilified, indicted and declared uncivil by an electoral panel set up to conduct the party’s primaries.
That did not speak well of the change Nigerians look forward to. And because it was not nipped in the bud, “it was no surprise that Bayelsa boiled over as it did during the party’s primaries. Do we need to look very far for answers? Is the Buhari government satisfied with the turn of events in Bayelsa and elsewhere?
With fresh elections ordered in Rivers, is there any guarantee that the Bayelsa example would not be duplicated? How ready are the security forces? How impartial will they be? How apolitical will INEC be? How peaceful will the process be?
My Agony is that court rulings being churned out these days appear to be robbing Peter to pay Paul and would on the long run, leave Peter too impoverished even to talk. I only wish, am wrong.
Soye Wilson Jamabo
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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.
