Over the years, the Police in Nigeria have earned themselves a very negative perception from the citizens. The institution has earned itself negative perception basically, through what people saw as its biased and partisan approach to issues of politics and its blind support to any government in power regardless of whether this government is right or wrong. This singular act made the force to be seen as an enemy by many a citizen in Nigeria instead of a friend, as the force preaches everyday.
A careful study of the Nigeria Police Force, apart from the general negative perception most people have about the institution, the institution itself has contributed a lot in building a negative attitude it earned from Nigerians. First, there is widespread ignorance and misperception about the role and powers of the police, even within the ranks and file of the Nigeria Police Force on one hand and the general public on the other. This derives generally from the historical legacy of using police to suppress the citizens by colonial and post-colonial governments. Thus, citizens resent police, even when they are exercising their legitimate powers in the course of legally permissible law enforcement activities.
That aside, the personality of the force itself does not speak well of an institution, instituted to safeguard and protect the lives and property of citizens. The hostile police-public relations contributed a lot to the present state of the police force. In many cases the police allowed themselves to be used by politicians, which in most cases put their top officers on their pay-roll, so as to look the other way, when they are doing their dirty job. In their bid to satisfy their pay masters, these corrupt officers sometimes forget their primary duty of protection of the rights of the citizens, sometimes even used obnoxious laws, to violate fundamental rights of citizens provided for in the constitution, on a simple pretext of maintaining peace and order.
One is forced to make above assertion based on the event of July 11, 2009, in Kafanchan town in Kaduna state. On Saturday, July 11, 2009, the Movement for a Better Future, a civil society organisation with the objective of intervening in the social, economic and political life of the Nigerian society, organised a Public Lecture Kafanchan, Kaduna state. The Movement invited prominent Nigerians, politicians, scholars, professionals, civil society groups, religious and community leaders for a seminar to discuss on a burning issue ‘Corruption and the Crisis of Development’. Those billed to present papers include Vicar General of the Kaduna Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. Mathew Hassan Kukah, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Professor Sam Egwu. Unknown to the organisers, there are people, top officials of government, who don’t like issues of corruption to be discussed.
The organisers started receiving calls on their mobile phones and invitation from the SSS, and strong warnings on the pages of newspapers, particularly the New Nigerian, Friday, 10th July 2009, page 1-2, and New Nigerian on Sunday, July 12, 2009, page 36, where the Kaduna state police commissioner, Mallam Tambari Yabo Muhammad, issued a warning that they have reliably gathered that there are groups that hold, according to him, ‘clandestine meetings’. This, he said, violated the provisions of the Public Order Act Cap 382 and the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria.
The Saturday event left no one in doubt about the outcome of 2011 elections. It is also a pointer to the fact that still the Police have failed to learn from our ten years democratic experience. It is surprising that the institution regarde as one of the pillars of democracy could allow itself to be used by desperate politicians, who want to perpetuate themselves on power even if their people think otherwise. It is wrong and indeed very wrong for the police to allow themselves to be used in subverting people’s will to organise themselves to chart a new course for the society which majority of Nigerians feel ia suffering from moral bankruptcy.
No doubt there is popular frustration in Nigeria, emanating from what Nigerians are experiencing under the present dispensation for the past ten years, of misrule, total disregard for their basic rights as human beings, corruption, open stealing of public funds, election rigging, manipulation and abuse of democratic principles. Our politicians, it seems, are ready to go to any length, including ordering the police to shoot at sight, anybody who they feel can stand in their way to perpetuate themselves on power. If not, how can one answer the question of what the Area Commandant of Kafanchan Command alleged to have told the organisers when served with the notification of the Public Lecture that his men are going to shoot anyone who dare go to the Public Lecture. Is that what the law says? That law abiding citizens who organise themselves within the ambit of the constitution to discuss about how they want to be governed, to be threatened with shoot at sight order?
The Movement for a Better Future is not a secret society. It is an interest group registered under the Ministry of Youth and Social Development with registration number KDS/YC/06/4773. It conducts its activities openly and does not hold ‘clandestine meetings’ as stated by the police authorities as the basis for stopping the public lecture. The constitutional provisions quoted by the police authorities to stop the public lecture have already been nullified by the Court of Appeal since December 2007 in the case of IGP vs ANPP (2007) 18 NWLR (PT. 1066). The provisions of the Public Order Act and the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria are also inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 constitution, especially section 40. So it is clear Nigerians have constitutional rights to organize without any unlawful permit from anybody. Article 2 of the code of conduct for law enforcement officials adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, resolution34/169 of 17, December 1979, which is binding on Nigeria, stated that ‘in the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials shall respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons’.
Today, forty years after the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force, we can rightly say, nothing much has change in the way the police work, from the way they were during the colonial period. Allegation and counter allegation in the way they perform their duty, especially during elections, their relationship with government in power has been a disappointment. As one of the pillars of democracy, the police in the last ten years have displayed highest sense of partiality, when what is needed from them was neutrality. The police in several occasions were accused of looking the other way when politicians rig election or clamp on opposition. In fact, there are instances where the police are accused of fully participating in the subjugation, suppression of the opposition or participating in rigging and manipulation of election results.
For our democracy to survive, there is need for total re-orientation of the force to understand the role which the police are expected to play in a democracy. There is also a need for structural and institutional reforms, legislative initiatives as well as monitoring, research, and training and advocacy and mobilisation activities by civil society, in order to introduce and implement necessary changes within the police institution and in the relationship and partnership between the citizens and the police. These are necessary for the sustenance and survival of our democracy.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Religious leaders and leadership failure in Nigeria
I want to discuss a rare and delicate subject, which most shy from discussing.This has to do with an experience I had last week with somebody, who I respect so much as a scholar. The attitude of this man and other so-called scholars has contributed a lot in the leadership crisis we are witnessing today.
Leadership, according to scholars, is seen as involvement of a wide range of institutions and actors in production of policy outcomes, including non- governmental organisations, private companies, pressure groups and social movements apart from the traditional and formal state institutions. However, one institution that receives little or no attention in Nigeria, when it comes to failure of leadership is the religious institution. Religion provides the ultimate source of a group's identity and reason for being. To be religious is to effect in some way and in some measure a vital adjustment (however tentative and incomplete) to whatever is reacted implicitly or explicitly as worthy of serious and ulterior concern. All our life – our aspect of behaviour, interaction etc. can be given religious significance. That is why religious leaders play a vital role in the moral and spiritual aspect of our lives. They are respected everywhere. Their contributions towards ensuring peace and social harmony cannot be overemphasized. However, since the inception of democracy in Nigeria 10 years ago, the attitudes and behaviour of some religious leaders is becoming pathetic and to some extent shameful. It is a common knowledge to all, how some clergy men in this country degrade themselves to sycophancy level, boot leaking and twisting the teachings of their religion just to gain favour from politicians.
When we list how indices of failure stare us in the face – a weak political foundation, an irresponsible, unaccountable political elite, passive citizens, the crippling effects of corruption, lack of social order, spiritual and moral bankruptcy, a rise in the spiral of violence, poverty, hunger and misery, lack of social services, collapse of infrastructure, we tend to forget one important factor – the role which religious leaders play or failed to play, which led to where we found ourselves today. Although it is absolutely difficult to believe that the supernatural sanctions of religion can be bought off by proper observance of purely religious rules, it is not surprising that they carry little weight as motive. Nor is it easy, in a period in which all moral authority is dominated by secular ideology, to determine precisely that extent of the influence of religion or religious leaders on the contents of our moral beliefs. However, we cannot dispute the fact that religious leaders still play a very prominent role in the way and manner we go about interacting with our fellow human beings.
Nigeria is a religious country, even though we pretend to be running a secular constitution. The number of churches and mosques scattered in every corner in our major cities, towns and villages is an indication of the role religion play in our personal life. However, to be sincere our Ulemas and Pastors contributed a lot to the present state of the country. They have failed, as guides, to provide, either in their preaching or in a forum, the needed leadership or call the attention of our leaders on their excesses. Never in the mosques or churches do they come clear to tell their followers the repercussion of public stealing, for instance, or tell them that God is never happy with any leader that is unjust to his people. They have failed to imbibe the attitude of honesty and God fearing and have contributed sometimes in the stealing and looting of public treasury, by encouraging corrupt leaders.
Religion provides a meaning for life which reinforces the morals and social norms held collectively by all within a society. Religion provides social control, cohesion, and purpose for people, as well as another means of communication and gathering for individuals to interact and reaffirm social norms. But for us, reverse is the case, religious and political forces join hands in the exploitation and oppression of their followers.
Think of it, how much is spent every year by politicians, top government officials on Ulemas to go and perform the lesser hajj? The money runs into billions. Then the same amount is also expended on Hajj using tax payers’ money. Or imagine billions spent on Christians visitors to the Holy Land every year with tax payer’s money. Where as millions of Nigerians are living in abject poverty and lack of basic amenities. To these Ulemas and Pastors, a politician that sponsors them to these trips is a good politician, even if their neighbours are walloping in poverty. The most pathetic aspect of it is that the followers failed to understand these people and their treachery against them and the religion.
The same Ulemas and Pastors are ready to preach enmity and division and instigate their followers to start killing each other because a Christian has parked his car in a Mosque premises or a Muslim has done so in a Church premises. What a country? As Nigerians we need to realise that our major problem is not our Muslim neighbour or a Christian neighbour, who daily struggle to make ends meet, but that politician you ‘voted’ for and failed to keep his campaign promises. The sooner we realise this better.
Leadership, according to scholars, is seen as involvement of a wide range of institutions and actors in production of policy outcomes, including non- governmental organisations, private companies, pressure groups and social movements apart from the traditional and formal state institutions. However, one institution that receives little or no attention in Nigeria, when it comes to failure of leadership is the religious institution. Religion provides the ultimate source of a group's identity and reason for being. To be religious is to effect in some way and in some measure a vital adjustment (however tentative and incomplete) to whatever is reacted implicitly or explicitly as worthy of serious and ulterior concern. All our life – our aspect of behaviour, interaction etc. can be given religious significance. That is why religious leaders play a vital role in the moral and spiritual aspect of our lives. They are respected everywhere. Their contributions towards ensuring peace and social harmony cannot be overemphasized. However, since the inception of democracy in Nigeria 10 years ago, the attitudes and behaviour of some religious leaders is becoming pathetic and to some extent shameful. It is a common knowledge to all, how some clergy men in this country degrade themselves to sycophancy level, boot leaking and twisting the teachings of their religion just to gain favour from politicians.
When we list how indices of failure stare us in the face – a weak political foundation, an irresponsible, unaccountable political elite, passive citizens, the crippling effects of corruption, lack of social order, spiritual and moral bankruptcy, a rise in the spiral of violence, poverty, hunger and misery, lack of social services, collapse of infrastructure, we tend to forget one important factor – the role which religious leaders play or failed to play, which led to where we found ourselves today. Although it is absolutely difficult to believe that the supernatural sanctions of religion can be bought off by proper observance of purely religious rules, it is not surprising that they carry little weight as motive. Nor is it easy, in a period in which all moral authority is dominated by secular ideology, to determine precisely that extent of the influence of religion or religious leaders on the contents of our moral beliefs. However, we cannot dispute the fact that religious leaders still play a very prominent role in the way and manner we go about interacting with our fellow human beings.
Nigeria is a religious country, even though we pretend to be running a secular constitution. The number of churches and mosques scattered in every corner in our major cities, towns and villages is an indication of the role religion play in our personal life. However, to be sincere our Ulemas and Pastors contributed a lot to the present state of the country. They have failed, as guides, to provide, either in their preaching or in a forum, the needed leadership or call the attention of our leaders on their excesses. Never in the mosques or churches do they come clear to tell their followers the repercussion of public stealing, for instance, or tell them that God is never happy with any leader that is unjust to his people. They have failed to imbibe the attitude of honesty and God fearing and have contributed sometimes in the stealing and looting of public treasury, by encouraging corrupt leaders.
Religion provides a meaning for life which reinforces the morals and social norms held collectively by all within a society. Religion provides social control, cohesion, and purpose for people, as well as another means of communication and gathering for individuals to interact and reaffirm social norms. But for us, reverse is the case, religious and political forces join hands in the exploitation and oppression of their followers.
Think of it, how much is spent every year by politicians, top government officials on Ulemas to go and perform the lesser hajj? The money runs into billions. Then the same amount is also expended on Hajj using tax payers’ money. Or imagine billions spent on Christians visitors to the Holy Land every year with tax payer’s money. Where as millions of Nigerians are living in abject poverty and lack of basic amenities. To these Ulemas and Pastors, a politician that sponsors them to these trips is a good politician, even if their neighbours are walloping in poverty. The most pathetic aspect of it is that the followers failed to understand these people and their treachery against them and the religion.
The same Ulemas and Pastors are ready to preach enmity and division and instigate their followers to start killing each other because a Christian has parked his car in a Mosque premises or a Muslim has done so in a Church premises. What a country? As Nigerians we need to realise that our major problem is not our Muslim neighbour or a Christian neighbour, who daily struggle to make ends meet, but that politician you ‘voted’ for and failed to keep his campaign promises. The sooner we realise this better.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Still on the Assassination of Sheikh Ja'afar
I read the stories linking Governor Shekarau and other top officials of Kano state government with the assasination of Sheikh Ja'afar and comments made by people in different foras. I don't know, but as a journalist, I feel the death of Sheikh Ja'afar is much more than what people are speculating. Ja'afar was killed by powerful and mighty in the land and with active collaboration of some people, that know the scholar personnally.
Ja'afar, unlike other Islamic preachers, was different, because he was more than a preacher,he was a guide, who made his disciples see reasons behind everything he preached. He made people scholars by bringing out different opinions of Ulemas on an issue and allow you to take decision.
He was somebody, that tried to make Muslims realised that their problems lie in them. They should solve their political and social problems with the application of the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and those that came after him. He was a threat not only to his contemporaries, but also to the powers that be. They were afraid, if allowed, Jaafar would have mobilised people to challenge the authorities, whom we know for the past thirty years or so hold the country to ransom.
Jafar was a member of Mumtada Al- Islami, a group branded by US intelligence as terrorist. It will be difficult to rule that out. He posed a threat to Shekarau and Obasanjo at that time, they can also not be ruled out. There are also religious groups within the Islamic circle that are not comfortable with his style of teaching. Then come the other likely suspect, his students. Those students who felt Jaafar was soft in the way he tackled the issue of Jihad and obedience to dagut or the government that is driven by man-made constitution.
Let us not allow politicians to just use us in order to score a point. They are good at that. They are in one way or the other responsible for his death. If they are not directly involved, they are indirectly, due to their actions or inactions. Nobody is safe in this country. It is either the assassin's bullet, armed robbers or the police. Which ever way is death.
Ja'afar has gone and one indisputable fact about his life is that, even his enemies come to accept that Mallam was an honest, dedicated, intelligent and God fearing individual who devoted all his life to serve his creator.
I think that is the most important issue. He is dead and nothing can change that. Although he was the first Islamic preacher to be assassinated, he was not the only one brutally killed in the most gruesome manner. The only difference I think was the fact that, the others were politicians. Harry Marshal, Bola Ige, Rimis wife and a host of others, that up to this date, no trace of the culprits.
I think what Ja'afar need from us is not speculation about his killers, but prayers. May Allah forgive his excesses and make Janna firdaus his abode. Ameen.
Ja'afar, unlike other Islamic preachers, was different, because he was more than a preacher,he was a guide, who made his disciples see reasons behind everything he preached. He made people scholars by bringing out different opinions of Ulemas on an issue and allow you to take decision.
He was somebody, that tried to make Muslims realised that their problems lie in them. They should solve their political and social problems with the application of the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and those that came after him. He was a threat not only to his contemporaries, but also to the powers that be. They were afraid, if allowed, Jaafar would have mobilised people to challenge the authorities, whom we know for the past thirty years or so hold the country to ransom.
Jafar was a member of Mumtada Al- Islami, a group branded by US intelligence as terrorist. It will be difficult to rule that out. He posed a threat to Shekarau and Obasanjo at that time, they can also not be ruled out. There are also religious groups within the Islamic circle that are not comfortable with his style of teaching. Then come the other likely suspect, his students. Those students who felt Jaafar was soft in the way he tackled the issue of Jihad and obedience to dagut or the government that is driven by man-made constitution.
Let us not allow politicians to just use us in order to score a point. They are good at that. They are in one way or the other responsible for his death. If they are not directly involved, they are indirectly, due to their actions or inactions. Nobody is safe in this country. It is either the assassin's bullet, armed robbers or the police. Which ever way is death.
Ja'afar has gone and one indisputable fact about his life is that, even his enemies come to accept that Mallam was an honest, dedicated, intelligent and God fearing individual who devoted all his life to serve his creator.
I think that is the most important issue. He is dead and nothing can change that. Although he was the first Islamic preacher to be assassinated, he was not the only one brutally killed in the most gruesome manner. The only difference I think was the fact that, the others were politicians. Harry Marshal, Bola Ige, Rimis wife and a host of others, that up to this date, no trace of the culprits.
I think what Ja'afar need from us is not speculation about his killers, but prayers. May Allah forgive his excesses and make Janna firdaus his abode. Ameen.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Education as catalyst for electoral reforms
It can rightly be said that in the last 51 years, when in 1958, the British created the first electoral commission – the Elections Commission of Nigeria, nothing has improved in the administration and management of elections in Nigeria. The only change or improvement in our elections may be is the sophistication with which election rigging has reached. The quality of elections in Nigeria, as other parts of our lives, has always been affected by the character of politics in the country. What became clear is the fact that we have a very long way to go, before we can have a free and fair election.
This is why majority of Nigerians are sceptical about President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s promise to reform our electoral process. Himself, a beneficiary of fraudulent election, many including this writer doubt if Mallam Musa Yar’adua will ever accept the reformation of the nation’s electoral process. According to political commentators and analysts, the Justice Uwais committee report on electoral reform has provided all control measures to stop electoral rigging and manipulation; however, these were removed by the government. And the way it is now, there are many indications that the 2011 elections will be worst than that of 2007.
In a democracy - the power to choose, change and remove political leaders rest with the electorates. Elections serve as an opportunity for citizens, who are the determinants of their own destiny, to exercise the power of choosing leaders, who they believe, can affect their lives positively through the provision of basic infrastructure. Failure to do this will result in the emergence of bad leadership and poor representation. The most basic and important principle of good governance is that a nation’s political institutions – elections, political parties and the police to have a semblance of democracy.
That is why many, argued that unless we have political parties with a clear ideology, an independent (a truly independent) electoral commission and a neutral police force, Nigeria will never taste a free and fair election. We are all living witnesses to what happened in recent years, in the 2003 and 2007 elections. Our politicians in these two elections displayed arrogantly their lack of faith in democratic process. From the primary elections within political parties, to the general elections, it was a do-or-die affair.
But the question is can Uwais report help in reforming our electoral process? I doubt much, because the issue rest with the citizens to say no to all forms of elections manipulations and rigging. Nigerians are not ready to do that because there is no trust between the citizens and political leaders. Why should Nigerians sacrifice their time, resources and to some extent their lives to defend their votes when they know fully well that the person they are voting for might dump them after winning the election? This might sound pedestrian but is the reality. The Bauchi case is a clear example.
Secondly, as a nation we lacked national culture. As everyone knows, Nigeria has a vast and varied cultural heritage considering the fact that it has more than 250 ethnic nationalities. Culture is an ever-evolving subject, however, little effort has been made by governments at various levels to ensure that all different kinds of cultures get support. This is where a good policy has a role to play. It was Frank Fannon who said ‘if the building of a bridge does not enrich the awareness of those who work on it, then that bridge ought not to be built and the citizens can go on swimming across the river or going by boat’. Do we as Nigerians have a national culture? The answer is NO! This is basically because our school system or curriculum does not have anything like that. Was it not because of that that nationalism, as a course was introduced in the first year of our university education.
National culture is what gives citizens a sense of direction and hope. The development of good citizens and the establishment of a nation’s identity, its outlook, its values and goals can be attained through the family, school and religious leaders. Indeed the task of instilling national culture was a sacred one, because of its far reaching consequences for the security and survival of the soul of a nation. However, the government, which has the sole responsibility of ensuring that, has through deliberate policies allowed our school system to crumble. Any society whose school system is non functional can have no solid identity, no impressive institutions and no core values, this is a hard truth that any educationist or sociologist will tell you. It is time we recognised at all levels the importance of revamping our educational institutions to allow the society to regain its traditional status and its power to effect positive change.
No change or reform can succeed when majority of the beneficiaries of the reforms are ignorant of it. Nigeria as a nation has suffered a lot that we can’t afford to continue like this. We cannot continue to ignore the current deterioration of our school system which is glaringly evident in the quality of graduates the nation’s universities produced and in our leadership at all levels of the Nigerian society. We need to inculcate clear programmes of civic education into the school curriculum, citizenship and leadership development, youth empowerment based on regenerative work ethics and motivational reward system.
Electoral reform as important as it is can not succeed when we ignore these basic realities staring at us. Change in our attitudes and value system is very important and can only be achieved through an educated an enlightened citizens. I am not in support of handling our education to private enterprise; it is very, very dangerous for an underdeveloped nation like ours to do so. Governments at all levels should take education serious.
Democracy as a system evolves when we demonstrate our capacity to enthrone good governance; this can easily be achieved through the school system. It is what other countries of the world did, like China, India and other countries to succeed. And even USA that we claimed to be copying attained its democratisation through deliberate policies of providing opportunities for the less privileged. As Dele Olojede put it the greatest danger we face as a nation today is not the noisy politician trying to buy his way into the presidency or governorship or the Senate with stolen money but the Nigerian citizen, who needs reminding what it means to be a citizen all over again.
This is what our policy makers need to look into. Virtually all institutions driving the nation are either dead or do not function properly. The civil service, the police, school system, the economy, democratic institutions, and the family and so on and so forth – the list is endless.
This is why majority of Nigerians are sceptical about President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s promise to reform our electoral process. Himself, a beneficiary of fraudulent election, many including this writer doubt if Mallam Musa Yar’adua will ever accept the reformation of the nation’s electoral process. According to political commentators and analysts, the Justice Uwais committee report on electoral reform has provided all control measures to stop electoral rigging and manipulation; however, these were removed by the government. And the way it is now, there are many indications that the 2011 elections will be worst than that of 2007.
In a democracy - the power to choose, change and remove political leaders rest with the electorates. Elections serve as an opportunity for citizens, who are the determinants of their own destiny, to exercise the power of choosing leaders, who they believe, can affect their lives positively through the provision of basic infrastructure. Failure to do this will result in the emergence of bad leadership and poor representation. The most basic and important principle of good governance is that a nation’s political institutions – elections, political parties and the police to have a semblance of democracy.
That is why many, argued that unless we have political parties with a clear ideology, an independent (a truly independent) electoral commission and a neutral police force, Nigeria will never taste a free and fair election. We are all living witnesses to what happened in recent years, in the 2003 and 2007 elections. Our politicians in these two elections displayed arrogantly their lack of faith in democratic process. From the primary elections within political parties, to the general elections, it was a do-or-die affair.
But the question is can Uwais report help in reforming our electoral process? I doubt much, because the issue rest with the citizens to say no to all forms of elections manipulations and rigging. Nigerians are not ready to do that because there is no trust between the citizens and political leaders. Why should Nigerians sacrifice their time, resources and to some extent their lives to defend their votes when they know fully well that the person they are voting for might dump them after winning the election? This might sound pedestrian but is the reality. The Bauchi case is a clear example.
Secondly, as a nation we lacked national culture. As everyone knows, Nigeria has a vast and varied cultural heritage considering the fact that it has more than 250 ethnic nationalities. Culture is an ever-evolving subject, however, little effort has been made by governments at various levels to ensure that all different kinds of cultures get support. This is where a good policy has a role to play. It was Frank Fannon who said ‘if the building of a bridge does not enrich the awareness of those who work on it, then that bridge ought not to be built and the citizens can go on swimming across the river or going by boat’. Do we as Nigerians have a national culture? The answer is NO! This is basically because our school system or curriculum does not have anything like that. Was it not because of that that nationalism, as a course was introduced in the first year of our university education.
National culture is what gives citizens a sense of direction and hope. The development of good citizens and the establishment of a nation’s identity, its outlook, its values and goals can be attained through the family, school and religious leaders. Indeed the task of instilling national culture was a sacred one, because of its far reaching consequences for the security and survival of the soul of a nation. However, the government, which has the sole responsibility of ensuring that, has through deliberate policies allowed our school system to crumble. Any society whose school system is non functional can have no solid identity, no impressive institutions and no core values, this is a hard truth that any educationist or sociologist will tell you. It is time we recognised at all levels the importance of revamping our educational institutions to allow the society to regain its traditional status and its power to effect positive change.
No change or reform can succeed when majority of the beneficiaries of the reforms are ignorant of it. Nigeria as a nation has suffered a lot that we can’t afford to continue like this. We cannot continue to ignore the current deterioration of our school system which is glaringly evident in the quality of graduates the nation’s universities produced and in our leadership at all levels of the Nigerian society. We need to inculcate clear programmes of civic education into the school curriculum, citizenship and leadership development, youth empowerment based on regenerative work ethics and motivational reward system.
Electoral reform as important as it is can not succeed when we ignore these basic realities staring at us. Change in our attitudes and value system is very important and can only be achieved through an educated an enlightened citizens. I am not in support of handling our education to private enterprise; it is very, very dangerous for an underdeveloped nation like ours to do so. Governments at all levels should take education serious.
Democracy as a system evolves when we demonstrate our capacity to enthrone good governance; this can easily be achieved through the school system. It is what other countries of the world did, like China, India and other countries to succeed. And even USA that we claimed to be copying attained its democratisation through deliberate policies of providing opportunities for the less privileged. As Dele Olojede put it the greatest danger we face as a nation today is not the noisy politician trying to buy his way into the presidency or governorship or the Senate with stolen money but the Nigerian citizen, who needs reminding what it means to be a citizen all over again.
This is what our policy makers need to look into. Virtually all institutions driving the nation are either dead or do not function properly. The civil service, the police, school system, the economy, democratic institutions, and the family and so on and so forth – the list is endless.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Nigeria: our children, our future
Nigeria: our children, our future
A popular adage, the statement above is the subject of our discussion. Our children are our future if we give them a solid foundation from which to build a better society. We owe our future to our children and as long as we want our society to be better, then, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to make sure that they are given good care. All over the world and in every society in history, education is regarded as the basis upon which future generation is built. And for any society to develop there has to be a connection between its present and its future; children serve as a bridge or a transition through which this is accomplished.
However, in our country this fundamental issue is neglected and relegated to the background. Sometimes we are made to wonder as to what direction we are really heading to. Nigeria has a population of over 140million and 60% of this population are youth or children, however, there is no concrete policy or programme to my knowledge geared towards helping this set of people attain a quality of childhood today so as to prepare them for leadership responsibility in the future. It is pathetic and pitiable when one visits any of our primary schools in any of the local councils in Nigeria and sees how rotten these schools are and the state of their facilities. You will find children sitting on the floor or under a shade the teachers sitting under a tree chatting.
The situation is worst in the North, because of our attitudes towards western education generally and the lack of vision of our leaders in local governments. One of the greatest injustice one can do to his fellow being is to deny him access to quality education and today as we enter the 21st century majority of our children in Nigeria are either out of school or in this type of schools mentioned, which at the end may come out with no basic qualification to go further. Even in states where one would think the situation is better, since the states are considered to be educationally advantaged states, the situation is not different. Take for instance Kaduna state, which has the highest number of higher institutions of learning in the North, official statistics indicate that the situation is no better than other educationally disadvantaged states.
The state has over 1.6 million primary school going children with an enrolment of 900,000 children. Therefore over 700,000 children (43%) of these children that are supposed to be in schools are roaming the streets. What do you think will happen to these children in the next ten years? The situation of the schools is no different from any in other parts of the North. Teacher/pupil ratio in terms of qualified teachers in some local government is 1:231. The state has a total of 31,400 teachers in which 65% of them are under qualified. The state has 21,000 classrooms out of these 50% are unhabitable, which means there is a deficit of about 8,000 classrooms considering the school enrolment figure. Currently the number of qualified Physics teachers in the state is 37. With ABU at its door steps, Kaduna state does not have ten people reading Physics in the Faculty of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The College of Education in Gidan Waya, which is the state’s owned institution, for the past ten years, the College has not been able to produce more than 700 graduates in Physics. This is Kaduna state, which is considered one of the educationally advantaged states in the North. You wonder how the situation is in Yobe, Zamfara or Gombe states.
Our future as a nation can only be secured if we ensure the wellbeing of children and youth in this country. We can do this not by organising jamborees or appearing in network news everyday at 9 telling people how good you are to continue to be their leader for the next six years, but by provision of standard educational facilities in schools, social amenities, conducive learning environment with well equipped school libraries, health and recreational facilities and qualified and well motivated teachers.
We have, for a long time neglected sectors that are the backbone for our development in this country, education inclusive. If government cannot provide quality education to its citizens what else can a citizen expect from it? Education is essential for the healthy intellectual and physical development of young people. It is through education that national culture is instilled and the commitment shown by our leaders to our children and the youth is what will infuse patriotism in them. The older generation should encourage the younger generation to take more active part in rebuilding this country into a virile nation that can take its pride of place in an emerging globalised world.
We cannot as nation develop or attain any vision until we change our attitudes, we have, either as individual or collectively contributed in destroying what was handed to us by our founding fathers. Today as a nation we have lost direction, purpose and are wandering in wilderness. Our leaders continue to show non-challant attitude to our wellbeing. Our leaders create the impression that education was no longer an important strategic tool in directing the country’s growth and development. The most dangerous aspect of all this all is that, our leaders, either in the national, state assembly, federal, state executives and local government officials, appear unperturbed with what is happening. They continue their open stealing of public funds; they continue the neglect of the very foundation of our national development. They insulate themselves from the rest of us. Instead they choose to take their children to Ghana, South Africa, Malaysia and UK for primary, secondary and university education.
Can the nation survive this madness? Can we pride ourselves as Nigerians, when what Nigeria offers is hopelessness and despair? Somebody has to listen; no nation on earth can survive what Nigeria is going through today. We have to change our attitudes, we have to do away with our greed, and we have to work towards these fundamental issues to our national survival, if really we love this country.
A popular adage, the statement above is the subject of our discussion. Our children are our future if we give them a solid foundation from which to build a better society. We owe our future to our children and as long as we want our society to be better, then, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to make sure that they are given good care. All over the world and in every society in history, education is regarded as the basis upon which future generation is built. And for any society to develop there has to be a connection between its present and its future; children serve as a bridge or a transition through which this is accomplished.
However, in our country this fundamental issue is neglected and relegated to the background. Sometimes we are made to wonder as to what direction we are really heading to. Nigeria has a population of over 140million and 60% of this population are youth or children, however, there is no concrete policy or programme to my knowledge geared towards helping this set of people attain a quality of childhood today so as to prepare them for leadership responsibility in the future. It is pathetic and pitiable when one visits any of our primary schools in any of the local councils in Nigeria and sees how rotten these schools are and the state of their facilities. You will find children sitting on the floor or under a shade the teachers sitting under a tree chatting.
The situation is worst in the North, because of our attitudes towards western education generally and the lack of vision of our leaders in local governments. One of the greatest injustice one can do to his fellow being is to deny him access to quality education and today as we enter the 21st century majority of our children in Nigeria are either out of school or in this type of schools mentioned, which at the end may come out with no basic qualification to go further. Even in states where one would think the situation is better, since the states are considered to be educationally advantaged states, the situation is not different. Take for instance Kaduna state, which has the highest number of higher institutions of learning in the North, official statistics indicate that the situation is no better than other educationally disadvantaged states.
The state has over 1.6 million primary school going children with an enrolment of 900,000 children. Therefore over 700,000 children (43%) of these children that are supposed to be in schools are roaming the streets. What do you think will happen to these children in the next ten years? The situation of the schools is no different from any in other parts of the North. Teacher/pupil ratio in terms of qualified teachers in some local government is 1:231. The state has a total of 31,400 teachers in which 65% of them are under qualified. The state has 21,000 classrooms out of these 50% are unhabitable, which means there is a deficit of about 8,000 classrooms considering the school enrolment figure. Currently the number of qualified Physics teachers in the state is 37. With ABU at its door steps, Kaduna state does not have ten people reading Physics in the Faculty of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The College of Education in Gidan Waya, which is the state’s owned institution, for the past ten years, the College has not been able to produce more than 700 graduates in Physics. This is Kaduna state, which is considered one of the educationally advantaged states in the North. You wonder how the situation is in Yobe, Zamfara or Gombe states.
Our future as a nation can only be secured if we ensure the wellbeing of children and youth in this country. We can do this not by organising jamborees or appearing in network news everyday at 9 telling people how good you are to continue to be their leader for the next six years, but by provision of standard educational facilities in schools, social amenities, conducive learning environment with well equipped school libraries, health and recreational facilities and qualified and well motivated teachers.
We have, for a long time neglected sectors that are the backbone for our development in this country, education inclusive. If government cannot provide quality education to its citizens what else can a citizen expect from it? Education is essential for the healthy intellectual and physical development of young people. It is through education that national culture is instilled and the commitment shown by our leaders to our children and the youth is what will infuse patriotism in them. The older generation should encourage the younger generation to take more active part in rebuilding this country into a virile nation that can take its pride of place in an emerging globalised world.
We cannot as nation develop or attain any vision until we change our attitudes, we have, either as individual or collectively contributed in destroying what was handed to us by our founding fathers. Today as a nation we have lost direction, purpose and are wandering in wilderness. Our leaders continue to show non-challant attitude to our wellbeing. Our leaders create the impression that education was no longer an important strategic tool in directing the country’s growth and development. The most dangerous aspect of all this all is that, our leaders, either in the national, state assembly, federal, state executives and local government officials, appear unperturbed with what is happening. They continue their open stealing of public funds; they continue the neglect of the very foundation of our national development. They insulate themselves from the rest of us. Instead they choose to take their children to Ghana, South Africa, Malaysia and UK for primary, secondary and university education.
Can the nation survive this madness? Can we pride ourselves as Nigerians, when what Nigeria offers is hopelessness and despair? Somebody has to listen; no nation on earth can survive what Nigeria is going through today. We have to change our attitudes, we have to do away with our greed, and we have to work towards these fundamental issues to our national survival, if really we love this country.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Media and the challenges national integration
Media and the challenges national integration
The media in Nigeria, even prior to the nation’s independence, constituted themselves into a potent opposition to bad governance, injustices and were very critical of the colonial administration. So it is very right if one describes the Nigerian press as an institution born out of struggle and the fight against colonial injustices. The press championed whatever is Nigerian from the pre-independence up to the independence years, though rivalries between politicians, who mostly founded these newspapers, has led to the use of newspaper pages to advance their political interests, especially after independence, which in most cases inflicted injuries to political opponents. The press found themselves used by these opposing groups to create enmity between various political groups, however that notwithstanding the press contributed a lot, one in fighting the colonial administration and second they helped in advancing democracy during the dark days of military era.
It is equally right to point out also that most of the political, ethnic, religious conflicts in the country and to a large extent the suspicion and resentment between the South and North was caused by the press. As Hydele observed, after Nigeria’s independence, the media, having chased their common enemy turned their weapons against each other. He said at times, harsh and biased press reporting led to increased partisan tension to the point where many leaders found it impossible to cooperate with each other after having accumulated scars from highly personal press attacks. While on one hand the press contributed in chasing colonialists and military dictators, they have, on the other hand, contributed a lot in causing divisions we are witnessing in various places in this country even today. Although we should not generalised and attribute this to the mainstream media, but in actual sense, especially the Lagos/Ibadan axis press contributed a lot in drawing a line and causing divisions among different ethnic groups in the country, due to actions of some armchair journalists from that axis.
Writing in his paper, ‘1914 and Nigeria’s existential crisis: A historical perspective’ a Nigerian born US academic Moses Ochonu said ‘At this time the Lagos press had acquired an unprecedented vibrancy through the addition of more publications and this new potency was deployed to prosecute the Southern campaign against political fusion with the North’. He went further to say that ‘the Chronicle in its editorial stated that the south was not Muslim and that the principle of Northern administration was anathema to Southerners’. On a similar note he also quoted the Times of Nigeria which in its editorial shortly after the amalgamation of South and North stated that the “unification was synonymous with a sell-out of the South. The subjugation of Southern Nigeria by Northern Nigerian laws, northern Nigerian land laws, Northern Nigerian Administration must be made to supersede every system in Southern Nigeria’. These and other statements coming from the Southern press even before the independence contributed a lot in creating a permanent division and resentment we are seeing today between the South and North.
Although the press in Nigeria are regarded as vanguards of democracy and good governance and they were at the fore front in exposing official corruption, however, as it is with any institution, the bad eggs among us continued to spread disharmony and became obstacle to national integration. These people were in the profession in the first place not to promote understanding among our hundreds ethnic nationalities and integrate them but, were out to promote ethnic and regional divisions. They are very dangerous and influential because they are seeing by their people as freedom fighters that are out to protect their people from the domination of an enemy. This led to general misrepresentation of history, distrust and social disharmony between the North and South on one hand and the various religious and ethnic groups in the other. Media analysts and commentators have in several occasions attributed our political, ethnic and religious crises to the reckless, sensational and sometimes irresponsibility of the media in the way they address issues of national importance. According to Sobowale, having gain political independence the press, went into petty jealousies, occasioned by political and ethnic differences. This beclouded the vision of media proprietors and media practitioners. He went further to say that ‘rather than promoting national integration and national consciousness, the media became sectional and a potent agent of disunity. They promoted inter-ethnic hatred as well as inter-ethnic distrust and acrimony that eventually led to the collapse of the first republic’.
And we can see even now the press or some individuals within the media circle find it very difficult to chart a new course for the profession so as to conform to democratic principles and address national integration rather they prefer to adopt distortions and attitudes repugnant to the unity of the country. No doubt democracy will and cannot function without education and enlightenment, and the media is a potent weapon to serve this purpose, however, if the media appear to be irresponsible and try instead to promote ethnicism, tribalism and championed sectional interest it can be a double edged sword, which can be use to destroy democracy, unity and national integration. Therefore, while we in the media try to ensure that the nation has good leaders and enlightened citizenry we have to also bear in mind that, any reckless or irresponsible act from our part may spell doom for the country. We have seen in the recent past how the media’s handling of crises in Kaduna, Jos, Aba, Kano and Lagos led to the destruction of lives and property in these places.
In a society like ours, with ten of hundreds of ethnic groups and where the institutions of societal control are weak, we need an objective, fair and fearless media so as to check the excesses of government on one hand and inform the citizens what is their rights and how to fight for it. Nigerians need to understand the governance process, role of security agents in a democracy, rule of law and the role of the legislative arm and the judiciary. They need to understand why their economy is not functioning, or why the government adopt certain policies and whether these policies are good for the country or are just out to serve the personal interest of the policy makers.
Journalists need to understand that looking at issues, policies of government rather than personalities is what will ensure our transition from a backward nation characterised by tribal and religious sentiments to a country where merit, qualification become the determinants of who is saddled with position of responsibility. Let us stop promoting sectionalism, tribalism and nepotism, let us try to address issues rather than personalities, let us stop looking at the governor of Central Bank as Igbo or Hausa or Yoruba but how far has he delivered. Let us try to increase understanding between Southerners and Northerners. I think changing the kind of mindset we have will go a long way in changing the course with which the country is placed on. It is very difficult, but we can start now. Can we take the challenge?
The media in Nigeria, even prior to the nation’s independence, constituted themselves into a potent opposition to bad governance, injustices and were very critical of the colonial administration. So it is very right if one describes the Nigerian press as an institution born out of struggle and the fight against colonial injustices. The press championed whatever is Nigerian from the pre-independence up to the independence years, though rivalries between politicians, who mostly founded these newspapers, has led to the use of newspaper pages to advance their political interests, especially after independence, which in most cases inflicted injuries to political opponents. The press found themselves used by these opposing groups to create enmity between various political groups, however that notwithstanding the press contributed a lot, one in fighting the colonial administration and second they helped in advancing democracy during the dark days of military era.
It is equally right to point out also that most of the political, ethnic, religious conflicts in the country and to a large extent the suspicion and resentment between the South and North was caused by the press. As Hydele observed, after Nigeria’s independence, the media, having chased their common enemy turned their weapons against each other. He said at times, harsh and biased press reporting led to increased partisan tension to the point where many leaders found it impossible to cooperate with each other after having accumulated scars from highly personal press attacks. While on one hand the press contributed in chasing colonialists and military dictators, they have, on the other hand, contributed a lot in causing divisions we are witnessing in various places in this country even today. Although we should not generalised and attribute this to the mainstream media, but in actual sense, especially the Lagos/Ibadan axis press contributed a lot in drawing a line and causing divisions among different ethnic groups in the country, due to actions of some armchair journalists from that axis.
Writing in his paper, ‘1914 and Nigeria’s existential crisis: A historical perspective’ a Nigerian born US academic Moses Ochonu said ‘At this time the Lagos press had acquired an unprecedented vibrancy through the addition of more publications and this new potency was deployed to prosecute the Southern campaign against political fusion with the North’. He went further to say that ‘the Chronicle in its editorial stated that the south was not Muslim and that the principle of Northern administration was anathema to Southerners’. On a similar note he also quoted the Times of Nigeria which in its editorial shortly after the amalgamation of South and North stated that the “unification was synonymous with a sell-out of the South. The subjugation of Southern Nigeria by Northern Nigerian laws, northern Nigerian land laws, Northern Nigerian Administration must be made to supersede every system in Southern Nigeria’. These and other statements coming from the Southern press even before the independence contributed a lot in creating a permanent division and resentment we are seeing today between the South and North.
Although the press in Nigeria are regarded as vanguards of democracy and good governance and they were at the fore front in exposing official corruption, however, as it is with any institution, the bad eggs among us continued to spread disharmony and became obstacle to national integration. These people were in the profession in the first place not to promote understanding among our hundreds ethnic nationalities and integrate them but, were out to promote ethnic and regional divisions. They are very dangerous and influential because they are seeing by their people as freedom fighters that are out to protect their people from the domination of an enemy. This led to general misrepresentation of history, distrust and social disharmony between the North and South on one hand and the various religious and ethnic groups in the other. Media analysts and commentators have in several occasions attributed our political, ethnic and religious crises to the reckless, sensational and sometimes irresponsibility of the media in the way they address issues of national importance. According to Sobowale, having gain political independence the press, went into petty jealousies, occasioned by political and ethnic differences. This beclouded the vision of media proprietors and media practitioners. He went further to say that ‘rather than promoting national integration and national consciousness, the media became sectional and a potent agent of disunity. They promoted inter-ethnic hatred as well as inter-ethnic distrust and acrimony that eventually led to the collapse of the first republic’.
And we can see even now the press or some individuals within the media circle find it very difficult to chart a new course for the profession so as to conform to democratic principles and address national integration rather they prefer to adopt distortions and attitudes repugnant to the unity of the country. No doubt democracy will and cannot function without education and enlightenment, and the media is a potent weapon to serve this purpose, however, if the media appear to be irresponsible and try instead to promote ethnicism, tribalism and championed sectional interest it can be a double edged sword, which can be use to destroy democracy, unity and national integration. Therefore, while we in the media try to ensure that the nation has good leaders and enlightened citizenry we have to also bear in mind that, any reckless or irresponsible act from our part may spell doom for the country. We have seen in the recent past how the media’s handling of crises in Kaduna, Jos, Aba, Kano and Lagos led to the destruction of lives and property in these places.
In a society like ours, with ten of hundreds of ethnic groups and where the institutions of societal control are weak, we need an objective, fair and fearless media so as to check the excesses of government on one hand and inform the citizens what is their rights and how to fight for it. Nigerians need to understand the governance process, role of security agents in a democracy, rule of law and the role of the legislative arm and the judiciary. They need to understand why their economy is not functioning, or why the government adopt certain policies and whether these policies are good for the country or are just out to serve the personal interest of the policy makers.
Journalists need to understand that looking at issues, policies of government rather than personalities is what will ensure our transition from a backward nation characterised by tribal and religious sentiments to a country where merit, qualification become the determinants of who is saddled with position of responsibility. Let us stop promoting sectionalism, tribalism and nepotism, let us try to address issues rather than personalities, let us stop looking at the governor of Central Bank as Igbo or Hausa or Yoruba but how far has he delivered. Let us try to increase understanding between Southerners and Northerners. I think changing the kind of mindset we have will go a long way in changing the course with which the country is placed on. It is very difficult, but we can start now. Can we take the challenge?
Friday, May 15, 2009
On Adamu Adamu and democratisation of corruption
On Adamu Adamu and democratisation of corruption
Today I am shocked, confused, demoralised and short of words to describe how devastated I was reading Adamu Adamu’s inside out, upside down (Daily Trust, May 19, 2009). Adamu is one of the ‘few good men’ (to use Rob Reiner’s 1992 movie title) today in Nigeria that can earn the title of tested and trusted Nigerians that one can confidently stand for no matter what. But his column today was rather a shocker. Let me ask Mallam Adamu; what will happen to army to army officers in battle field when their Commander surrender even before firing a bullet? You cannot just start sending a signal to us that we should, instead of hating corruption, start agitating for its democratisation. This is unacceptable and we that grow to love you because of your uprightness, honesty and trustworthineness will never forgive you, if at the end of your life you start advocating for democratisation of corruption.
The voice of our Commander today sounded defeatist and hopeless. We know the present political set-up is irredeemable, but we are still hopeful that something positive might come out of it. We are indeed bad, hardly can you trust a Nigerian even if he is your imam in your local mosque or a pastor in your neighbourhood church, and in fact some people are saying they are the worst but can we rule out any positive change? No! I know what we read today is not, and can never be your mind but you are forced to write them because, may be you think that is the only way we can address the issue.
The thieves calling themselves public servants are just unrepentant criminals. Do you see the faces of some of them in today’s dailies arriving courts? They were happy and smiling telling Nigerians that this is another stage drama orchestrated by people who were left out during the sharing.
Today I am shocked, confused, demoralised and short of words to describe how devastated I was reading Adamu Adamu’s inside out, upside down (Daily Trust, May 19, 2009). Adamu is one of the ‘few good men’ (to use Rob Reiner’s 1992 movie title) today in Nigeria that can earn the title of tested and trusted Nigerians that one can confidently stand for no matter what. But his column today was rather a shocker. Let me ask Mallam Adamu; what will happen to army to army officers in battle field when their Commander surrender even before firing a bullet? You cannot just start sending a signal to us that we should, instead of hating corruption, start agitating for its democratisation. This is unacceptable and we that grow to love you because of your uprightness, honesty and trustworthineness will never forgive you, if at the end of your life you start advocating for democratisation of corruption.
The voice of our Commander today sounded defeatist and hopeless. We know the present political set-up is irredeemable, but we are still hopeful that something positive might come out of it. We are indeed bad, hardly can you trust a Nigerian even if he is your imam in your local mosque or a pastor in your neighbourhood church, and in fact some people are saying they are the worst but can we rule out any positive change? No! I know what we read today is not, and can never be your mind but you are forced to write them because, may be you think that is the only way we can address the issue.
The thieves calling themselves public servants are just unrepentant criminals. Do you see the faces of some of them in today’s dailies arriving courts? They were happy and smiling telling Nigerians that this is another stage drama orchestrated by people who were left out during the sharing.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Celebrating ten years of civilian administration
Celebrating ten years of civilian administration
One of the main thrust of our democratic experience is living with the fact that we have never experience what is called good governance. In the period 1985-1999 which the military ruled, Nigeria lived under intense pressure from the international community to return to civilian rule. General Ibrahim Babangida as a military Head of state supervised a never ending transition programme from military to civilian rule until the events of June 12. The pressure mounted on him by Civil Society Groups and democrats on the way he handled the June 12 elections made him to resign unwillingly on August 26, 1993 handing over the affairs of government to an Interim National Government. The Transition Government under Chief Earnest Shonekan lasted for only three months, when in November 1993, he was forced out of office by the then Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha, who according to analysts was left purposely by Babangida to take over.
General Abacha ruled for five years and tried to succeed himself in what is popularly known as ‘Tazarce’ after he was endorsed by all the five existing parties then, as their Presidential candidate. However, on June 8, 1998, General Abacha died from what doctors described as heart attack. That plunged the country into yet another political turmoil. General Abdussalam Alhaji Abubakar who came after him hurriedly started a transition to civilian rule, promising to handover power to a democratically elected government on October 1, 1998 as promised by his predecessor. However, that was to happen in May, 1999.
The transition to civilian rule saw the emergence of nine political parties, prominent among them were the People’s Democratic Party, which is the largest party, the All People’s Party, and the Alliance for Democracy. The parties came with no clear manifestos or ideological position, their only promise was to make life easy for Nigerians. In fact, none of the parties up to this day can be said to have a published manifesto, or showed any strong ideological position, except what majority of them have pledged - in mostly vague terms - to improve Nigerian living standards. Ten years after, it is very difficult to say whether our transition to democracy made any impact on our general well-being as citizens. It is very easy for us to throw an accusing finger at the PDP being the ruling party in the centre, but the fact remains that the political class that were entrusted with leadership at levels of governments from 1999-2009 whether in the PDP or the opposition have failed Nigerians.
What characterised our democratic governance for the last ten years was a total collapse of physical infrastructure, corruption in high places, bastardisation of the electoral process - Ekiti state as a case study, outright stealing of public funds, and violation of rule of law. Rule of law which is the foundation upon which democracy is laid has been seriously violated and the country now is witnessing a near collapse of the economy or what Professor Kwanashi described as ‘massive structural disarticulation of the economy.’
The way I see things, we are still nowhere near addressing the numerous problems listed above due to lack of political will and the attitude of our political class. They are consumed in self-deception, lies and highest sense of irresponsibility and are not ready to listen to any criticisms. The ruling party which is the major culprit here became what Reuben Abati described in his popular column as a party characterised by insincerity, inequities and injustice, a party remembered best for the injuries it inflicted on virtually all sectors of our lives. However, it is celebration time and they have to cook up a list of achievements recorded in the last ten years and deliver them as Democracy Day Speech on May 29, not minding how many people will believe them or believe what they are saying. To them democracy is rigging election after every four years to ensure that they perpetually remain in power for the next sixty years. That is why they were very proud telling Nigerians during the ten-year celebration of the PDP last year in Akwa Ibom that they ‘won’ the elections in 1999, 2003 and 2007, which was itself, according to them, an achievement.
It is very hard for anyone to understand the kind of system we are running in this country, as we are left with no alternative, coming out from a long military rule that did practically nothing to change our lives and entering a system which is supposedly considered an answer to bad governance, corruption, nepotism and injustices of the military era. But as soon as the politicians got into power, they continued from where the military stopped or even worst. The politicians that came have little or no concern for common good, they are not development oriented and are people characterised by excessive personal greed. They showed high level of irresponsibility, they lack commitment transparency and accountability, they engage in corruption and serious abuse of office.
The PDP, especially, and its new leaders gave democracy a different meaning altogether. It became a system where party internal democracy is not allowed, rigging and voter intimidation become a norm, elections a do-or-die affair, blackmail and assassinations become an order of the day, poverty, unemployment and general insecurity increased in the country. No doubt we have a reason to celebrate democracy at ten, since for the first time in the nation’s history we are able to break the jinx of having a peaceful transition from one civilian administration to another, but what we should bear in mind is that the government came through a fraudulent election universally discredited, so it is not a true reflection of people’s will.
Therefore, for all intent and purpose, unless if we are to use the practical definition of democracy given to us by PDP in the last ten years, what we are celebrating on May 29 is anything but democracy. As Rev. Father Matthew Kukah noted in a lecture he delivered at the 1st Abraham Adesanya Memorial Lecture, at the National Institute for International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, that democracy should incorporate ‘adequate provision of social services, adequate access to health, education, some measure of social welfare and security, guarantee rights to private property etc.’ to the citizenry. Which of these benefits are we benefitting from as Nigerians?
I keep on saying and I think I spoke to so many people on that, the future of our country and the future of generation yet to come depends on the decision we take now, either as individuals or collectively to say enough of this madness. We have to ensure, as Nigerians, that the true voice of people determines leadership at all levels of governance. Nigerians need to take a decision that they will make the PDP and the political elites to behave responsibly. We are the ones to change our country not an angel or angels coming down from heaven.
Anyway congratulations Nigeria for witnessing, for the first time, ten years of civilian rule but not democracy.
One of the main thrust of our democratic experience is living with the fact that we have never experience what is called good governance. In the period 1985-1999 which the military ruled, Nigeria lived under intense pressure from the international community to return to civilian rule. General Ibrahim Babangida as a military Head of state supervised a never ending transition programme from military to civilian rule until the events of June 12. The pressure mounted on him by Civil Society Groups and democrats on the way he handled the June 12 elections made him to resign unwillingly on August 26, 1993 handing over the affairs of government to an Interim National Government. The Transition Government under Chief Earnest Shonekan lasted for only three months, when in November 1993, he was forced out of office by the then Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha, who according to analysts was left purposely by Babangida to take over.
General Abacha ruled for five years and tried to succeed himself in what is popularly known as ‘Tazarce’ after he was endorsed by all the five existing parties then, as their Presidential candidate. However, on June 8, 1998, General Abacha died from what doctors described as heart attack. That plunged the country into yet another political turmoil. General Abdussalam Alhaji Abubakar who came after him hurriedly started a transition to civilian rule, promising to handover power to a democratically elected government on October 1, 1998 as promised by his predecessor. However, that was to happen in May, 1999.
The transition to civilian rule saw the emergence of nine political parties, prominent among them were the People’s Democratic Party, which is the largest party, the All People’s Party, and the Alliance for Democracy. The parties came with no clear manifestos or ideological position, their only promise was to make life easy for Nigerians. In fact, none of the parties up to this day can be said to have a published manifesto, or showed any strong ideological position, except what majority of them have pledged - in mostly vague terms - to improve Nigerian living standards. Ten years after, it is very difficult to say whether our transition to democracy made any impact on our general well-being as citizens. It is very easy for us to throw an accusing finger at the PDP being the ruling party in the centre, but the fact remains that the political class that were entrusted with leadership at levels of governments from 1999-2009 whether in the PDP or the opposition have failed Nigerians.
What characterised our democratic governance for the last ten years was a total collapse of physical infrastructure, corruption in high places, bastardisation of the electoral process - Ekiti state as a case study, outright stealing of public funds, and violation of rule of law. Rule of law which is the foundation upon which democracy is laid has been seriously violated and the country now is witnessing a near collapse of the economy or what Professor Kwanashi described as ‘massive structural disarticulation of the economy.’
The way I see things, we are still nowhere near addressing the numerous problems listed above due to lack of political will and the attitude of our political class. They are consumed in self-deception, lies and highest sense of irresponsibility and are not ready to listen to any criticisms. The ruling party which is the major culprit here became what Reuben Abati described in his popular column as a party characterised by insincerity, inequities and injustice, a party remembered best for the injuries it inflicted on virtually all sectors of our lives. However, it is celebration time and they have to cook up a list of achievements recorded in the last ten years and deliver them as Democracy Day Speech on May 29, not minding how many people will believe them or believe what they are saying. To them democracy is rigging election after every four years to ensure that they perpetually remain in power for the next sixty years. That is why they were very proud telling Nigerians during the ten-year celebration of the PDP last year in Akwa Ibom that they ‘won’ the elections in 1999, 2003 and 2007, which was itself, according to them, an achievement.
It is very hard for anyone to understand the kind of system we are running in this country, as we are left with no alternative, coming out from a long military rule that did practically nothing to change our lives and entering a system which is supposedly considered an answer to bad governance, corruption, nepotism and injustices of the military era. But as soon as the politicians got into power, they continued from where the military stopped or even worst. The politicians that came have little or no concern for common good, they are not development oriented and are people characterised by excessive personal greed. They showed high level of irresponsibility, they lack commitment transparency and accountability, they engage in corruption and serious abuse of office.
The PDP, especially, and its new leaders gave democracy a different meaning altogether. It became a system where party internal democracy is not allowed, rigging and voter intimidation become a norm, elections a do-or-die affair, blackmail and assassinations become an order of the day, poverty, unemployment and general insecurity increased in the country. No doubt we have a reason to celebrate democracy at ten, since for the first time in the nation’s history we are able to break the jinx of having a peaceful transition from one civilian administration to another, but what we should bear in mind is that the government came through a fraudulent election universally discredited, so it is not a true reflection of people’s will.
Therefore, for all intent and purpose, unless if we are to use the practical definition of democracy given to us by PDP in the last ten years, what we are celebrating on May 29 is anything but democracy. As Rev. Father Matthew Kukah noted in a lecture he delivered at the 1st Abraham Adesanya Memorial Lecture, at the National Institute for International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, that democracy should incorporate ‘adequate provision of social services, adequate access to health, education, some measure of social welfare and security, guarantee rights to private property etc.’ to the citizenry. Which of these benefits are we benefitting from as Nigerians?
I keep on saying and I think I spoke to so many people on that, the future of our country and the future of generation yet to come depends on the decision we take now, either as individuals or collectively to say enough of this madness. We have to ensure, as Nigerians, that the true voice of people determines leadership at all levels of governance. Nigerians need to take a decision that they will make the PDP and the political elites to behave responsibly. We are the ones to change our country not an angel or angels coming down from heaven.
Anyway congratulations Nigeria for witnessing, for the first time, ten years of civilian rule but not democracy.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Adamawa state: still fighting to achieve good governance?
Adamawa state: still fighting to achieve good governance?
The media has been awash lately with news and analyses of Admiral Murtala Nyako’s style of stewardship of Adamawa State. The first salvo was fired by a group of ‘concerned Adamawa citizens’ who in a paid advertorial accused Nyako of appointing a large number of members of his immediate family in different government positions – this was later confirmed through a rejoinder by the government with the excuse that the Nyako family is found all over Africa. Last year, being my role model, I was forced to write in the New Nigerian, (October 1, 2008, page 11), to advise him on his decision to actively involve his family members in governance.
Similarly in an interview with a weekly newspaper, Newspage, (April 13 – 19, 2009 P.33), Alhaji Adamu Modibbo, a one-time governorship candidate in Adamawa State and now Chief Executive Officer, Sigma Pension seems to share the same views. He said in part “He (Nyako) is never in the State. He left the running of the state to his senior son, Abdulaziz who is a serving military officer. Nothing moves without the boy’s knowledge. Abdulaziz is the biggest contractor and commission collector in Adamawa State today.” He went on to add “At the party level, Nyako who is the leader of the party has also failed; the structure in the state is amusing why? Because the party chairman and the governor are from the same ward. In fact they are related which is wrong. In a State where you have intellectuals this is unacceptable.” These are damning testimonies of how Nyako has disappointed many an Adamawa state citizen within and in the Diaspora.
Adamawa State has been blessed with past and latter day political leaders and technocrats. In fact, Adamawa state can be described as the political driving force of the North East. The tradition has been that the former group benefitted the state and its people far more than the latter group.
The former group brought development and empowerment to the people and the State as a whole at the slightest opportunity. The federal University, the airport, the NNPC depot etc were brought by these group, while technocrats within this group brought about empowerment for their people as exemplified by the late Salihijo Ahmad of blessed memory.
The latter day political class failed to emulate and build on the modest achievements of the former political class despite the fact that one of them occupied the number two citizen status in Nigeria. For the eight years of part one of this republic, Adamawa state, despite achieving this feat, was left to fallow.
Coming from the above scenario, the people of Adamawa could be forgiven for rallying behind the mango farmer to usher them in the second part of the political journey in this republic. Having been amongst the first set of political leaders and technocrats, it was unanimously concurred that Admiral Murtala Nyako will certainly behave in the same manner and ways as his co-travelers. The expectation was therefore for him to provide quality leadership in the provision of the much needed infrastructural development, people empowerment through selfless service.
But unfortunately, these expectations as hoped and prayed by the people of Adamawa could not be met by Nyako. He chooses instead to empower members of his family and in an effort to take greed to its highest level, brought his own son to partake in the governance of the state.
What could have pushed Nyako to, at his age and accomplishment, dwell on the path of nepotism rather than dwelling on the path of self righteousness, love of the people and selfless service? Does Nyako not know that this rare opportunity given to him by God Almighty is like bringing back a man from the dead for him to right all the wrongs he did before death after realizing same at death?
Adamawa state is one of the few states in Nigeria today that are yet to experience what good governance is all about, especially in this democratic dispensation, despite the fact that it habours brilliant people of high intellect, top class business men and women and also top level technocrats who labour day and night in building a greater Nigeria.
It is therefore pertinent for the good people of Adamawa state, especially the political elites, to come together and put their house in order by in the first instance calling Nyako to order and then if he fails to heed to the calls plan for an alternative that will meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people. Adamawa state cannot continue like this.
You cannot run a government as a business enterprise or family. Governance is trust, confidence which the electorates have for you. Was it not Admiral who declared after he was re-elected as governor that he won the re-run election basically because of the trust, which the people of Adamawa have on him? He told group of journalist in Yola immediately after the announcement of the election results that the previous administration that ruled the state for eight years did practically nothing. And it was true, the previous administration was a complete mess, but the question is; can Baba Mai Mangoro be different from his predecessor if his government is run as a family affair? Why all the political elites are silent about this?
As I said in my advice to him, nobody, even his critics can doubt his integrity, but he has to be very careful. He should run his family separate from governance, especially his children. On their part, the political elites in Adamawa have to speak out and tell Admiral the truth, if not, Adamawa people will be forced to take a decision come 2011.
The media has been awash lately with news and analyses of Admiral Murtala Nyako’s style of stewardship of Adamawa State. The first salvo was fired by a group of ‘concerned Adamawa citizens’ who in a paid advertorial accused Nyako of appointing a large number of members of his immediate family in different government positions – this was later confirmed through a rejoinder by the government with the excuse that the Nyako family is found all over Africa. Last year, being my role model, I was forced to write in the New Nigerian, (October 1, 2008, page 11), to advise him on his decision to actively involve his family members in governance.
Similarly in an interview with a weekly newspaper, Newspage, (April 13 – 19, 2009 P.33), Alhaji Adamu Modibbo, a one-time governorship candidate in Adamawa State and now Chief Executive Officer, Sigma Pension seems to share the same views. He said in part “He (Nyako) is never in the State. He left the running of the state to his senior son, Abdulaziz who is a serving military officer. Nothing moves without the boy’s knowledge. Abdulaziz is the biggest contractor and commission collector in Adamawa State today.” He went on to add “At the party level, Nyako who is the leader of the party has also failed; the structure in the state is amusing why? Because the party chairman and the governor are from the same ward. In fact they are related which is wrong. In a State where you have intellectuals this is unacceptable.” These are damning testimonies of how Nyako has disappointed many an Adamawa state citizen within and in the Diaspora.
Adamawa State has been blessed with past and latter day political leaders and technocrats. In fact, Adamawa state can be described as the political driving force of the North East. The tradition has been that the former group benefitted the state and its people far more than the latter group.
The former group brought development and empowerment to the people and the State as a whole at the slightest opportunity. The federal University, the airport, the NNPC depot etc were brought by these group, while technocrats within this group brought about empowerment for their people as exemplified by the late Salihijo Ahmad of blessed memory.
The latter day political class failed to emulate and build on the modest achievements of the former political class despite the fact that one of them occupied the number two citizen status in Nigeria. For the eight years of part one of this republic, Adamawa state, despite achieving this feat, was left to fallow.
Coming from the above scenario, the people of Adamawa could be forgiven for rallying behind the mango farmer to usher them in the second part of the political journey in this republic. Having been amongst the first set of political leaders and technocrats, it was unanimously concurred that Admiral Murtala Nyako will certainly behave in the same manner and ways as his co-travelers. The expectation was therefore for him to provide quality leadership in the provision of the much needed infrastructural development, people empowerment through selfless service.
But unfortunately, these expectations as hoped and prayed by the people of Adamawa could not be met by Nyako. He chooses instead to empower members of his family and in an effort to take greed to its highest level, brought his own son to partake in the governance of the state.
What could have pushed Nyako to, at his age and accomplishment, dwell on the path of nepotism rather than dwelling on the path of self righteousness, love of the people and selfless service? Does Nyako not know that this rare opportunity given to him by God Almighty is like bringing back a man from the dead for him to right all the wrongs he did before death after realizing same at death?
Adamawa state is one of the few states in Nigeria today that are yet to experience what good governance is all about, especially in this democratic dispensation, despite the fact that it habours brilliant people of high intellect, top class business men and women and also top level technocrats who labour day and night in building a greater Nigeria.
It is therefore pertinent for the good people of Adamawa state, especially the political elites, to come together and put their house in order by in the first instance calling Nyako to order and then if he fails to heed to the calls plan for an alternative that will meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people. Adamawa state cannot continue like this.
You cannot run a government as a business enterprise or family. Governance is trust, confidence which the electorates have for you. Was it not Admiral who declared after he was re-elected as governor that he won the re-run election basically because of the trust, which the people of Adamawa have on him? He told group of journalist in Yola immediately after the announcement of the election results that the previous administration that ruled the state for eight years did practically nothing. And it was true, the previous administration was a complete mess, but the question is; can Baba Mai Mangoro be different from his predecessor if his government is run as a family affair? Why all the political elites are silent about this?
As I said in my advice to him, nobody, even his critics can doubt his integrity, but he has to be very careful. He should run his family separate from governance, especially his children. On their part, the political elites in Adamawa have to speak out and tell Admiral the truth, if not, Adamawa people will be forced to take a decision come 2011.
GOMBE 2011: As the clock ticks down
GOMBE 2011: As the clock ticks down
As the 2011 general election approaches, so many people at various levels have started jostling for various political offices from the minute to the exalted. Although in some parties, like the PDP – the so-called biggest in Africa, this is a closed matter, however, in actual sense it is not, considering the fact that even within the PDP there are people who opposed the decision of the party leaders to give all their political office holders an automatic tickets.
Last year I did what I regarded as an honest and down to earth speculatory analysis of the likely contenders for the gubernatorial seat in Gombe state, (Sunday Trust, November 9, 2008. Pg 28). The responses I received through text messages, phone calls and email messages showed the fears of people of Gombe on who to succeed the present governor. This is obvious considering the fact that in its ten years of existence, the state was able to witness tremendous achievements under the leadership of the present Governor, Danjuma Goje, especially in his first four years. I also received bashing from people that felt I have unnecessarily tried to discredit their candidates. In fact, there were people who threatened to send Kalare boys to deal with me.
My intention in the said article was not to discredit, tarnish or undermine anyone who wants to be governor of Gombe state in 2011, but was to draw the attention of all those who have interest and show it and those who for fear are still hiding behind the shadows that, it is time politics take a new direction in the state, from non-ideological, loyalist and focus less politics to a more people and development oriented in which the to be candidates present their programmes to the people and on the basis of those well articulated programmes seek people’s mandate.
Gombe state is one of the few states where money and violence politics became the determinants of how powerful a candidate is. This is evident in the way and manner political campaigns were conducted prior to the elections in 2003 and 2007. All indications are pointing to the fact that the 2011 elections will not be different either. Last wek the media reported how a group of thugs alleged to be Kalare boys storm the shop of a cassette dealer in the state capital and tried to cut him into pieces. When they failed, they set the shop ablaze and took to their heels.
The most frightening aspect of the whole kalare saga in Gombe is that the police in the state appear to be impotent as these boys hold the state and its people to ransom. The police are the greatest culprit here despite the fact that we are aware of the fact that there are strong allegations that these kalare boys are supported by the Governor. Governor Goje himself is not helping the matter; in fact some people accused him of fully supporting these boys.
One other issue that will play a bigger role in the 2011 election is money. Prior to 1999 a first perquisite of determining a governorship candidate was to be a former minister of the federal republic. The first few gubernatorial candidates in Gombe state before 1999 with the exception of late Alhaji Dahiru Mohammed and Barrister Achana Gius Yaro were former ministers.
The likes of Alhaji Yerima Abdullahi, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan, and Alhaji Abubakar Hashidu were all former ministers. It followed that pattern with the entry of Alhaji Danjuma Goje, and Alhaji Murtala Aliyu to the race in 2003. This continued up to 2007, where the likes of Alhaji Musa Mohammed and Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo, all former ministers joined the gubernatorial candidates list. So no wonder then, anyone appointed a minister is seeing as a likely gubernatorial candidate in Gombe state. That is why people alleged that the removal of Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo and selecting Hajiya Aisha Dukku as a Minister from the state was to pave way for somebody who the Governor is preparing him to succeed him.
However, people of Gombe have to be very careful this time around, because for now, all those who showed interest, and even those who are still operating behind the shadows, we have not seen any candidate that can be said, has programme that will be regarded as an agenda for the development of the young state. I am not sure but as I am talking to you now, there is no any candidate among those who want to lead the state that can give exact figure of primary school going children in the state and the number classroom blocks in the state, or number of malaria cases in the state for 2008. They cannot give you the exact number of unemployed in the state or how many bags of fertilizer the state needs in a farming year.
Furthermore, our desire to see the continuation of the good works we have seen in the first four years of Governor Goje is becoming bleak daily. It is only when we see well articulated programmes and development driven agenda from a person that we believe mean well for the state that we will regard a candidate as serious. It is not enough for any candidate to start going to the press, granting visionless interviews, to think that people will take him serious.
Therefore, the people of Gombe will be left at the mercy of opportunistic politicians whose idea of governance, is to be in power to steal public money. We have seen what they have done in the past and what they are doing now. In fact, we might say these people are not qualified in anyway to be our leaders. I may have love to call them by their names and expose them for what they are and what they stand for, but I feel is better to give them a chance to see before 2010 if they can come out with programmes on how they can continue or build on the foundation laid by the present Governor.
Governor Goje on his part should do the people of Gombe state good if he maintains the absolute neutrality he is known for and allow the people to choose their leaders. Gombe state is bigger than each and every one of us. We are not saying Goje is perfect, he has his own problems, but at least he has recorded tremendous achievements incomparable to any of his predecessors. But he has to be very careful, and he knows that, because all those shouting to succeed him today are people whose sole interest is to be in power in order to revert the state to pre-Goje era of money sharing government.
Anyone interested in contesting the governor’s seat should first of all do away with the idea of kalare politics, which in recent years turned the state into a lawless society of sort. He should present programmes on how to tackle the issue of unemployment, which as suggested by many analysts is the genesis of the upsurge of kalare activities in the state. He has to also present his policies on agriculture, education and health care. He should also try to ensure that apart from the existing projects, he should come with more. How is he going to address the issue of environmental degradation and energy etc?
These are some of the key issues any political candidate ought to have presented to the electorate, not the number of kalare groups he has on his pay roll or the support he gets from above or from the Governor. It is then that we can be able to address the core issues that become bane of development of our young state.
As the 2011 general election approaches, so many people at various levels have started jostling for various political offices from the minute to the exalted. Although in some parties, like the PDP – the so-called biggest in Africa, this is a closed matter, however, in actual sense it is not, considering the fact that even within the PDP there are people who opposed the decision of the party leaders to give all their political office holders an automatic tickets.
Last year I did what I regarded as an honest and down to earth speculatory analysis of the likely contenders for the gubernatorial seat in Gombe state, (Sunday Trust, November 9, 2008. Pg 28). The responses I received through text messages, phone calls and email messages showed the fears of people of Gombe on who to succeed the present governor. This is obvious considering the fact that in its ten years of existence, the state was able to witness tremendous achievements under the leadership of the present Governor, Danjuma Goje, especially in his first four years. I also received bashing from people that felt I have unnecessarily tried to discredit their candidates. In fact, there were people who threatened to send Kalare boys to deal with me.
My intention in the said article was not to discredit, tarnish or undermine anyone who wants to be governor of Gombe state in 2011, but was to draw the attention of all those who have interest and show it and those who for fear are still hiding behind the shadows that, it is time politics take a new direction in the state, from non-ideological, loyalist and focus less politics to a more people and development oriented in which the to be candidates present their programmes to the people and on the basis of those well articulated programmes seek people’s mandate.
Gombe state is one of the few states where money and violence politics became the determinants of how powerful a candidate is. This is evident in the way and manner political campaigns were conducted prior to the elections in 2003 and 2007. All indications are pointing to the fact that the 2011 elections will not be different either. Last wek the media reported how a group of thugs alleged to be Kalare boys storm the shop of a cassette dealer in the state capital and tried to cut him into pieces. When they failed, they set the shop ablaze and took to their heels.
The most frightening aspect of the whole kalare saga in Gombe is that the police in the state appear to be impotent as these boys hold the state and its people to ransom. The police are the greatest culprit here despite the fact that we are aware of the fact that there are strong allegations that these kalare boys are supported by the Governor. Governor Goje himself is not helping the matter; in fact some people accused him of fully supporting these boys.
One other issue that will play a bigger role in the 2011 election is money. Prior to 1999 a first perquisite of determining a governorship candidate was to be a former minister of the federal republic. The first few gubernatorial candidates in Gombe state before 1999 with the exception of late Alhaji Dahiru Mohammed and Barrister Achana Gius Yaro were former ministers.
The likes of Alhaji Yerima Abdullahi, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan, and Alhaji Abubakar Hashidu were all former ministers. It followed that pattern with the entry of Alhaji Danjuma Goje, and Alhaji Murtala Aliyu to the race in 2003. This continued up to 2007, where the likes of Alhaji Musa Mohammed and Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo, all former ministers joined the gubernatorial candidates list. So no wonder then, anyone appointed a minister is seeing as a likely gubernatorial candidate in Gombe state. That is why people alleged that the removal of Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo and selecting Hajiya Aisha Dukku as a Minister from the state was to pave way for somebody who the Governor is preparing him to succeed him.
However, people of Gombe have to be very careful this time around, because for now, all those who showed interest, and even those who are still operating behind the shadows, we have not seen any candidate that can be said, has programme that will be regarded as an agenda for the development of the young state. I am not sure but as I am talking to you now, there is no any candidate among those who want to lead the state that can give exact figure of primary school going children in the state and the number classroom blocks in the state, or number of malaria cases in the state for 2008. They cannot give you the exact number of unemployed in the state or how many bags of fertilizer the state needs in a farming year.
Furthermore, our desire to see the continuation of the good works we have seen in the first four years of Governor Goje is becoming bleak daily. It is only when we see well articulated programmes and development driven agenda from a person that we believe mean well for the state that we will regard a candidate as serious. It is not enough for any candidate to start going to the press, granting visionless interviews, to think that people will take him serious.
Therefore, the people of Gombe will be left at the mercy of opportunistic politicians whose idea of governance, is to be in power to steal public money. We have seen what they have done in the past and what they are doing now. In fact, we might say these people are not qualified in anyway to be our leaders. I may have love to call them by their names and expose them for what they are and what they stand for, but I feel is better to give them a chance to see before 2010 if they can come out with programmes on how they can continue or build on the foundation laid by the present Governor.
Governor Goje on his part should do the people of Gombe state good if he maintains the absolute neutrality he is known for and allow the people to choose their leaders. Gombe state is bigger than each and every one of us. We are not saying Goje is perfect, he has his own problems, but at least he has recorded tremendous achievements incomparable to any of his predecessors. But he has to be very careful, and he knows that, because all those shouting to succeed him today are people whose sole interest is to be in power in order to revert the state to pre-Goje era of money sharing government.
Anyone interested in contesting the governor’s seat should first of all do away with the idea of kalare politics, which in recent years turned the state into a lawless society of sort. He should present programmes on how to tackle the issue of unemployment, which as suggested by many analysts is the genesis of the upsurge of kalare activities in the state. He has to also present his policies on agriculture, education and health care. He should also try to ensure that apart from the existing projects, he should come with more. How is he going to address the issue of environmental degradation and energy etc?
These are some of the key issues any political candidate ought to have presented to the electorate, not the number of kalare groups he has on his pay roll or the support he gets from above or from the Governor. It is then that we can be able to address the core issues that become bane of development of our young state.
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