Politics
NGF Crisis: President Jonathan’s Costly Mistake.
The Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) has grown over the years to become a most potent pressure group comprising democratically elected governors in Nigeria.
Decisions from the forum had always been respected and celebrated across the broad spectrum of political leanings in the country and even outside Nigeria’s shores especially with some dynamic leaderships the forum had witnessed in times past.
Then things fell apart. Some aides and confidants of President Goodluck Jonathan impressed it upon him that Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was not loyal to the President. That Rotimi was interested in becoming the Vice President on a joint ticket with Suleman Lamido of Jigawa State. That Amaechi has been disrespectful to the First Lady and so on……That the President must do something about Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the NGF that he was leading before both turned out to be the President’s albatross in the year 2015.
Many things were done and attempted to be done against Oluwarotimi. His Rivers State aircraft was grounded, attempted (real or imagined) were made to get him impeached. Governor Akpabio was brought in to head a newly created PDP Governor’s Forum and eventually Governor Rotimi Amaechi was suspended from the political party PDP where he was also a member of the National Working Committee.
Nevertheless, the NGF election was held; then Oluwarotimi scored 19 votes to beat sleeping Jonah Jacobite’s group who had 16 votes. Next was the unfortunate declaration by Jonah Jang that he won the election, his faction opened a new NGF office and visited Jonathan who received Jang and other Governors who had failed to impose Jang, the generally unacceptable leader of the NGF.
The NGF election was instructive in some many respects. It was conducted under a President who covertly was interested in the outcome. It was done by governors in Nigeria who have the electoral mandates and to a very large extent, the electoral minds of their people. The process, though democratic, the result was annulled, 20 years after M.K.O Abiola suffered the same fate.
Many Nigerian leaders are bad students of Nigeria’s Political History. President Jonathan shot himself in the leg and wounded the North more. Before the election, the leader of the Northern Governor’s Forum, Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu said emphatically that, Amaechi was their choice and that Jonathan agreed to a single term tenure with the North.
Predictably, what was the result of the 2015 Presidential Election, when Jonathan in PDP forced himself to contest? Obviously, it was 19 States against Jonathan’s 16 States, even if the APC, has not succeeded to gain more States and sitting Governors then. The question then was who are the people fooling the President? What and who will he use for re-election as President? Is it performance on power, security, the country’s corruption index, level of unemployment, Asari Dokunbo or Anenih who cannot win elections in their own States.
Moreover, the man who foisted him on Nigeria has said he had found a replacement after his (Jonathan’s mentor) heart in Lamido. Majority of Tambuwwal’s progressive members in the House of Representatives worked against Jonathan in 2015. While Ibrahim Babangida, Buhari, Tinubu, Okorocha, Kwankwaso and Wamakko openly opposed his ambition.
Whoever advised Jonathan to be interested in the NGF elections or to welcome Jang Caucus in Aso Rock did great damage to the goodluck of Mr. President. Like his predecessor Musa Yaradua was doing, he could have recognized the result of that election, congratulated Amaechi and let the sleeping dog lie.
The former President of Africa’s most populous country could state manly demystify the NGF, later, effectively, if he so wishes.
If the President observed, many of his aides did not defend the visit of Jang’s caucus to the President as they did not when he welcomed Nigerians into a new year with removal of fuel subsidy few years back.
Those Nigerians who Jonathan saw during those protests against the removal of oil subsidy in 2012 waited for the elections in 2015.
Jonathan could ask Babangida that if he had opportunity again, would he annul a validly conducted election in Nigeria or Obasanjo whether he would ever toy with the idea of third term agenda with Nigerians when they say no.
Jonathan finally got his rest after 2015 and Nigeria a change from Ebeleism. With patience, he had goodluck. If I were him then, I will start planning for rest before he was compulsorily rested. The massively angered Nigerians did not buy into the story that he “once had no shoes”.
And the resilience of Nigeria made it survive as a nation after the elections in 2015. Elections was held, it was successful in many parts of Nigeria. However, the sayings of the wise is relevant here “those who make peaceful change impossible, can make violent change inevitable”.
By Idowu Ayodele.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state was in Ido town, headquarters of the Ido Local Government to campaign for himself on Monday.
Local Government Election have been slated for April 27 of this year and the Governor is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that he is declared winner by OYSIEC.
Do I sound confusing? Definitely not.
Governor Makinde is the contestant for the position of Local Government Chairman in the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state.
Reason? The Governor doubles as the State’s Chief Executive as well as the de facto Chairman of the 33 Local Governments while the 33 clowns parading themselves as the Councils’helmsmen are just Chairmen de jure.
What the Yorubas call “Esin inu iwe”.
I will use two incidents that happened simultaneously today to prove what is already known and accepted by the general public, albeit, arguably.
While Governor Makinde was dancing to some Fuji music in Ido town during the campaign rally, the chairman of Ibadan South West Local Government, one Hon. Kehinde Akande was in a live debate at Fresh FM with the APC candidate, Dr. Abogun and his statements were quite revealing.
A direct question regarding his view about autonomy and independence of Local Governments was put to him by the moderator, Isaac Brown and his response leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
The fellow, sadly and slavishly said that he has no problems with the decision of the Governor (Seyi Makinde) to directly monitor the expenditures of the Local Governments, since, according to him, it was for the purpose of probity and accountability!
This was coming from the Chairman of one of the most populous if not the most populous in Oyo state.
Like his peers who have one time or the other appeared on Radio, he could not point to any tangible project done by him and why would he?
The Governor calls the shots.
This is just on a lighter note, Hon. Kehinde Akande can not correctly identify the collation centre for ward 12 in a Local Government where he had been chairman for almost four years.
That underline the level of redundancy of this fellows parading themselves as Council Chairmen and on whose sake Governor Makinde incurred billions of Naira as judgment debts.
Now, to Governor Makinde’s campaign in Ido.
Is it not interesting that the Governor was in Ido and he didn’t Commission any project done by the Local Government?
In the times of his predecessors, such occasions were used to Commission projects done by the Local Government Chairmen but what will Governor Makinde Commission?
Nothing.
Nothing, because all the projects he mentioned during the campaign rally like the Omi Adio – Ido Road and others were attached to the state Government, even though, the funds were that of the Local Government.
Similarly, all the projects he promised to embark upon in the coming months within the Local Government like the modernisation of the Omi Adio market are projects he will usurp as usual, using the Councils’funds.
If not for the fact that Governor Makinde requires some pliant individuals who will sign out the Councils’funds for him to expend, I bet, there won’t be Local Government Chairmen during his tenure.
A lot of examples abound to confirm Governor Makinde’s illegal usurpation of the functions of the Local Government Chairmen.
Akesan Market is another typical example.
The April 27 Local Government Election is between Governor Makinde as grand Chairman of the 33 Local Governments and the opposition political parties.
The 33 gentlemen flying the tickets for the PDP are just necessary proxies.
I will not dissipate energy on the Governor’s uncharitable boasts that the opposition should wait for another three years, when he would still be the Governor to conduct another election.
I will rather call on the people of the state to be united in removing the “Ajeles” he has foisted on the Local Governments.
Oyo state can not afford another three years of Governor Makinde’s mismanagement of the Local Government resources.
He has bled the state enough through over bloated contracts and debts.
All residents of the state should consider the April 27 Local Government Election as an opportunity to at least salvage the 33 Local Governments from the suffocating hold of the Governor.
Like I said earlier, Oyo state can not afford another three years of continual looting of the Local Governments through the proxies of the Governor.
One would wonder what business the Governor has in the ” modernisation” of Omi Adio market.
Maintenance of the market is purely the responsibility of the Local Government Chairman but under Governor Makinde, even the Parks and abattoirs are directly run by the Governor.
That is the reason why the Local Governments have become comatose.
They have no means of generating IGR as all avenues have been taken away from them by the Governor.
Now, you tell me, Isn’t Governor Makinde not the one contesting on April 27?
Sola Abegunde writes from Oyo State
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, faces a tumultuous time as members of his ward, the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, have suspended him.
It was announced by the Executive Council of Ganduje Ward, led by Haruna Gwanjo, during a press briefing in Kano on Monday.
The suspension comes amidst lingering corruption allegations, notably surrounding a viral video from 2017 depicting Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollar notes as a bribe and stuffing them into his garments.
Despite Ganduje’s initial denial and maintenance of innocence, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) administration, under Governor Abba Yusuf, has reopened the case.
The Kano High Court is set to arraign Ganduje on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, on charges including bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds.
Mega Icon Magazine gathered that the allegations involve the purported acceptance of $413,000 and N1.38 billion in bribes. The State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Haruna Dederi, confirmed that Ganduje, along with his wife and six others, will face trial.
The Yusuf administration has vowed to present 15 witnesses to testify before Justice Usman Na’aba of the State High Court, indicating the seriousness with which the case is being pursued.
Hon. Francis Kehinde Omotoso, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, has pledged to provide responsible and purposeful leadership if elected into office.
In a statement released by his media office on Monday and made available to journalists, Omotoso assured the electorate of his commitment to ensuring accountability in the management of the council’s affairs.
Emphasising his dedication to inclusivity, he promised to involve all stakeholders in his administration, adhering to the principle of openness in governance.
The two-term former councilor in the council further noted the importance of grassroots development in driving national progress, asserting that focusing on local government-level development would contribute significantly to poverty eradication.
Speaking on the potential impact of his leadership, the APC nominee stressed that promoting peace and facilitating rapid development within the council and the state at large were among his primary objectives.
“I want to assure the good people of Ido Local Government Area of purposeful leadership in the interest of peace and for the speedy development of our council area and, by extension, Oyo state,” he stated.
In his appeal for support, Omotoso urged the electorate to turn out in large numbers and cast their votes without hesitation for him, and all the APC councillorship candidates representing the ten wards in the council area in the forthcoming local government election billed for April 27, 2024.
-
Metro1 week agoPhotos: Four Injured in Collision on Ibadan-Abeokuta -Omi-Adio Expressway
-
News1 week ago
FERMA House C’ttee Chair, Oseni Consoles Sen. Buhari over mum’s death
-
Politics6 days ago
APC Urges Fairness in Oyo LG Election
-
Politics2 days ago
Why Oyo State cannot afford another 3 years of Makinde’s mismanagement of council funds
