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Moment Of Reality …Buhari, APC, National Problems
Buhari and Saraki
It is amusing to hear apologists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in defence of the Federal government say there are indeed no quick fixes to addressing the gruelling national challenges, for which they got the people’s mandate in the last general elections. Even the National Leader of the party Bola Ahmed Tinubu echoed same sentiments. But that was not what they told Nigerians during the campaigns.
All through the campaigns leading to the elections, the APC presented itself as a party with answers to all national questions and challenges. They promised change in the areas of national security, near comatose economy, poor electricity power supply, unstable petroleum products distribution, lack of a welfare package for unemployed graduates, shaky infrastructural development, absence of diversification of the economy with needed preference for agriculture and industtrialisation and less than competitive value of the Naira.
The argument then was that the party’s flag-bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari being an anti-corruption apostle, a retired general, and former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was very experienced, prepared and ready to hit the ground running, once elected, as against the pedigree of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, whom they described as relatively inexperienced.
To convince Nigerians, the APC propaganda machine repeatedly said it had produced a blue-print of action, which would usher the required positive change Nigerians eagerly yearned for. They brandished a very lofty manifesto which they said would turn-around the economy, in no time, create millions of jobs, improve the power situation, ensure regular supply of Petroleum products, especially petrol and kerosene and most importantly, ensure the security of lives and property.
Nearly one year after, most of the problems have degenerated from bad to worse, with no inkling that the administration is on top of the game. The first sign that the Federal Government was not prepared for the mandate it got was during the constitution of the leadership of the National Assembly.
As it turned out, Senate President, Bukola Saraki was not the party’s preferred candidate for Chairmanship of the National Assembly, in the same vein, Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives was said to have usurped a position which the party reserved for someone else.
That created political crisis, with the party hierarchy battling from outside the Legislature to unseat the unwanted elements. Infact, Senate President Saraki’s travails before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) are believed to be remotely, or even directly tied to what party leader’s consider as punishment for his coup detat. To date, there seems to be mutual suspicion between the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council on the one hand, and the National Assembly with APC leadership on the other.
This suspicion manifested itself in the Assembly’s handling of the Budget sent to it by President Buhari, with alarms and blames of budget padding, loss of the original copy of the fiscal document and eventual tampering with provisions made therein. In fact, Buhari’s insistence on studying details of the budget first before signing it into law, after the NASS passage are all signs of the lack of trust between both arms.
With this measure of distrust, there does not seem to be the required synergy to hit the ground running. Even the mercurial Lai Mohammed, erstwhile APC propaganda machine, now Information Minister seems dried of the right words to explain the state of affairs.
Let’s not forget, it took the administration more than five months to constitute a federal cabinet of thoroughly recycled brains.
For months now, after repeated promises of change by the Petroleum Resources Ministry, which the President himself heads, fuel remains so scarce, when found, it sells for between N2,000 and N3,000 for a 10 litre jerrycan in the black market, the only alternative to the dry filling stations, instead of N870.
Nigeria which is one of the world’s top seven producers of crude still cannot provide enough petrol for local consumption, in spite of the change the APC promised before the elections.
The last deadline after several, given by the Petroleum Ministry’s Junior Minister, Dr Ibe Kachikwu was that by last weekend the product would be in abundance in Lagos and Abuja, and two days later, nationwide. But Abuja and Lagos residents said it was same old story. And Nigerian refineries still remain unuseful.
What of electricity power supply? From about 4,000MW it has dropped to below 2,500 causing bigger untold hardship on the citizenry. With scarcity of foreign currency support to buy generating sets, the people are simply in one big heat-hole, gasping for the last breath. Yet the FG has no answer to the tricks of the DISCOS.
With all these on, and the 2016 budget yet to work, speedy infrastructure development remains a mirage. Infact, the second Niger Bridge initially projected to be completed and delivered next year is now merely a pipe dream. So is the East West Road.
The economy is in a very bad shape with no positive signal that people are thinking. It’s been all complaints. Nearly a year into the tenure of an elected government, what Nigerians get daily are complaints against and blames on the past government which lapses it promised to correct, having researched and found solutions to all the problems.
So bad, some of the promises made are also being denied. A welfare package promised unemployed graduates for which the hopeful Nigerian youth lined up behind the APC in the last election has been blown-up by the wind. Infact, some even said the promise was not made to jobless graduates but to the very poor and vulnerable in the society.
Who is more vulnerable? A jobless oldman who could depend on alms from even neighbours or a jobless graduate, who so frustrated could, allow self to be conscripted into a gang of criminals or even Boko Haram? But they say jobless graduates are not the most vulnerable.
This leads us to the worrisome level of insecurity in the land.
There are likely to have been more deaths in the past two months across the country than last two years of the former administration, excepting Boko Haram related killings by soldiers. Daily, there are stories of senseless killings arising from clashes between herdsmen and defenceless farmers and communities, kidnappings and indeed cult-related violence.
The basic responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property of its citizens. If that basic responsibility also does not have a quick-fix then the people live without hope.
Yet, in its desperation to expand its political power base, the APC government has also been putting at risk, the Nigerian Army’s reputation and relation with the Nigerian people. Rather than being the friends of the citizenry some Nigerians now perceive soldiers as potential political enemies, because of their misuse in civil issues.
Only recently, an Army Colonel abducted days earlier in Kaduna was found dead. And last week, dead bodies were found in a pit at the outskirts of Rivers State, with locals not recognising any. Many suggested, they could be products of extra-judicial killing.
Also, it is safe to say that the APC-led federal government seems to lack the neutrality required to institute a dependable, free and fair national electoral body that would conduct conclusive elections. Look at experiences of Kogi, Bayelsa and Rivers states. It appears that when the outcome of an election is unfavourable to the ruling party and government of the day, it is declared inconclusive; otherwise, what is holding the collated and announced results of the Rivers rerun?
This is why many Nigerians have started expressing doubts that the favourable democratic platform which ushered in the APC may be sustained. Some say it has since been destroyed and the ruling party now hopes on ‘Federal Might’ and the same impunity it often accused the PDP of, as sure-bet to win subsequent elections.
An octogenarian, Pa Wilcox Papaye, recently lamented in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, “Is it what you call change? Is it change for better or worse? This is worso-o”. It is the same refrain running through the lips of many.
But by far the most annoying is the unfulfilled promises to rescue the Chibok girls, for which a coalition of civil society groups lined up behind the APC. Nearly two years after, the government still has no clue, although Nigerian troops have done quite well in the battle against Boko Haram, with daily capture of terror kingpins.
What is needed now is for the Buhari-led government, to identify at least one problem, solve it fully and use it as a branding effort to market other yet-to-be fulfilled promises. More importantly, they should realise that posterity will not forgive the government of the day, if out of desperation, it kills the same nascent democracy that allowed it into power.
My Agony is that many of those who should be worried are still in a fool’s paradise, illusion of grandeaur, as if all is well. But they do not hear the talk on the streets. That may be why they seem comfortable.
Nigerians NEED real change for the better not the horrors of today.
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.