APC and PDP terror and counter terrorism politics

Tochukwu
By: Casca Ohanele

As the economy continues to be in coma, with oil price going down and the dollar suffocating the naira, the political terrain which produces the caliber of leaders we have in Nigeria has not fared better. The system has become laughable and worrisome to sane minds across the world that has a focus on Nigeria and the possibility of their getting things right now or in the future. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria’s democracy has been described as nascent and politicians have been using that as an excuse for their misrule and abuse of the people’s trust. One may ask, how long will our democracy last for it to be real democracy like is practiced in some other nations of the world? A child born in 1999 cannot be said to be ignorant of his environment, such a child can reason to know what may hurt him or what harms him but in the case of Nigeria, we tend to always be in a haste to go the harms way. Our political parties and politicians are in constant struggle for who will undo the other in terms of abuse of the rule of law and violence. These attitudes of politicians have created the era of political brigandage with terrorists in the garb of politicians taking centre stage. Today, it is not difficult to see those who have been accused of having links with the dreaded terrorist group Boko Haram being in positions of authority from the presidency to the legislature and at the helm of affairs of political parties.

I must say without fear of contradiction that Nigeria political parties are not formed on the basis of ideology or any national interest but are the congregation of strange bed fellows whose only intentions are to use such platform to gain political authority for the purpose of aggrandizing the national cake to themselves and their cronies. I do not intend to go on political voyage of reminding readers of the structure of political parties since independence as today’s experience is not different from the same illogical and criminal amalgamation of the north and the south is an unholy political structure called Nigeria. Since that British intentional mistake, formation of political parties and leadership structure of same has left much to be desired. In 1999, the two major political parties the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the APP/AD awkward alliance and their choice of presidential candidates from South Western Nigeria was not to serve any national progressive intent but to romance the ego of tribal cleavage to appease the Yorubas for denying them the presidency in the most free and fair election ever conducted in Nigeria which Abiola their kinsmen won but was denied by the northern elites. At this point, it won’t be out of place to opine that the northern elites and their political tactics have at one time or the other drifted our country on the path of retrogression with their false and pompous born to rule mentality. This situation has contributed in defining the present political structure and experience in Nigeria.

Today we have the APC administration in power at the federal level. APC a marriage of disgruntled former members of the ruling party PDP and alliance of opposition parties from 1999 to 2015 before taking over power used many arm twisting tactics including threats, propaganda, intimidations and outright violence to cajole the Peoples Democratic Party who themselves were careless with power, to lose the confidence of the international communities and the citizens. With the mentality of born to rule, the northern political elites did not stop at anything in sending signal that they intend to grab power at the centre at all cost. The attacks on the office of the presidency under the command of university don from Southern part of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan by northern elements were unprecedented in Nigerian history. The clamour for change and return of power to the northern Muslim intensified which gave impetus to the dreaded terrorist organization Boko Haram. The organization rose and enjoyed the sympathy of some northern elites or somehow enjoyed the silence of majority of northern interest groups as they found a comfort zone at the Border States controlled by the opposition party then the ANPP. The Boko Haram became a security threat to the federal government and some of the opposition leaders were fingered as masterminds, financiers, supporters or members of the terror group. It was not surprise to see most of these politicians mentioned as having links with the terror group occupy very sensitive position in the formation of an alliance party which gave birth to All Progressive Congress, APC. As the new mega party gathers momentum, struggle for supremacy and positions soon set some of the leaders of APC on each other’s throat leading to some leaders and founding fathers of the APC exiting from the party and offered red carpet reception by the PDP. On the other hand, the tempting opportunity of relevance in the new evolving mega party and the carrot stick offered to some leaders of PDP who have to some extent fallen out of favour with the party structure soon drove some governors under PDP out to join forces with opposition. Note all these carpet crossing were not on ideological basis but for self recognition and financial interest.

■Today we have the APC administration in power at the federal level. APC a marriage of disgruntled former members of the ruling party PDP and alliance of opposition parties from 1999 to 2015
■Today we have the APC administration in power at the federal level. APC a marriage of disgruntled former members of the ruling party PDP and alliance of opposition parties from 1999 to 2015

What all these mean is that political struggle by politician in recent times in Nigeria has become a kind of terror and counter terror tactics. Like I noted earlier, intimidations which evokes fear on the citizens became evident ahead of the 2015 election. Gen. Buhari threatened that monkeys and baboons will soak in blood if he does not become president. One may wonder who he was referring to as baboons and monkeys if not the citizens of Nigeria. Today, Buhari is the President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria. He placed his interest above the lives of every Nigerian. Some opposition leaders in the Senate like Senator Ali Ndume one of the founding fathers of APC fingered as having strong ties with the terror group in Nigeria in whose house one of the terrorists who masterminded the 2011 Christmas bombing in Suleja Niger State was arrested in Abuja is today the Senate Leader of the 8th Senate. El Rufai who was touted as go between the Boko Haram and the federal government under President Jonathan is today the governor of Kaduna State. In the southern part of Nigeria, Rotimi Amaechi a former governor under PDP in Rivers State who was also touted to be a leading supporter and sponsor of the Niger Delta militants who also threatened that there will be no peace if APC loses the presidential election in 2015 is today a federal minister. Across the country, one will see all those individuals who in one way or the other threatened the peace of Nigeria and the citizens while in the opposition, occupying sensitive political position today at the federal level. These tend to indicate that only by being violent and instilling fears on the people can politicians and political parties make their way to the top of governance. One then asks, what is the hope for decent people those who are not violent, the loyal party members who have remained in their different parties since the end of the military regime in 1999 without cross carpeting?

In PDP, three of its national chairmen since 2009 have been decampees from the opposition, from Chief Ogbulafor who was a member of ANPP, to the present former governor of Borno State, Sen. Amodu Sherriff , a founding member of APC who is today the National Chairman of PDP. It is this recent development that triggered my thought into questioning if APC and PDP are not playing terror and counter-terror kind of politics which to mind may be counterproductive as it may not bring the expected progress in Nigeria?

Before I proceed I wish we could check what actually is terror or terrorism for us to see if the scenario depicts such experience. Terror according to the dictionary means a very strong feeling of fear, something that causes very strong feelings of fear, something that is terrifying, violence that is committed by a person, group, or government in order to frighten people and achieve a political goal. These fears are created by act of violence or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands. This strategy can be liked to what played out in Nigeria during the 2015 election which so many people believed forced President Goodluck Jonathan who vowed not to allow bloodshed for his political interest, to relinquish power which many believe was rigged in some part of the country in favor of the All Progressive Congress that intimidated the citizens of Nigeria. Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry, the sound of guns being fired in many parts of the country especially in the northern part of Nigeria by Boko Hram and so called Fulani herdsmen that filled the citizens with terror. Many civilians fled their places of residence in terror, a terror that is still fresh in peoples’ memory like the terrors of life in the jungle which intimidated INEC officials into succumbing to the antics of APC and forced the citizens into voting for the opposition or staying away from voting. That terror led to the emergence of the administration of APC, a regime that rules by terror, bombings and other acts of terror of intimidating the opposition in the name of selective war against corruption. To the ruling party, all leaders of PDP who could oppose or critic the policies of the ruling APC are guilty of corruption and must be silenced into jail. These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror of being labeled corrupt politicians who must be jailed in recent time that PDP needed someone from outside of them who could counter the campaign of terror against their members. This I believe led to the questionable elevation of Sen. Amodu Sherriff as the new National Chairman of PDP. This can be seen as counter terrorism. Fighting terror with terror is counter terrorism. Terror as description of a situation was first used in the 14th century as depicting fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, and trepidation, while terrorism as a systematic use of terror as a policy” is first recorded in English 1798.

On the other hand, counterterrorism is operations that include the offensive measures taken to prevent, deter, preempt, and respond to terrorism. Looking at the Nigeria experience, to gain recognition, it seems plausible that one must get involved in the act of terror against the state. Today, we have some notable leaders across the country whose only credentials for rising to the top are nothing but their violent roles at one time or the other or their role as 419 kingpins. Others are those who disrupted democratic process and made themselves lord over others. The names Asari Dokubo, Ateke Tom, Government Tompolo and many others of the Niger Delta Militants, Gani Adams, Fredrick Fasheun of OPC,Generals Buhari, Babangida and many northern elites coup plotters, all these give the impression that decency do not pay in Nigeria. These are the group of people who run the affairs of the country called Nigeria. No wonder therefore the PDP found it politically expedient to choose one of those who had been accused of having serious ties with terror group in Nigeria who happens to enjoy the support and backings of the present ruling party APC when the PDP led government under former president Jonathan was on the verge of arresting him on charges of corruption and terror, a their new National Chairman. This move is to foreclose the possibility of APC led government, arresting or prosecuting the chairman of the opposition because doing so will expose the hypocrisy of the APC and their change mantra. How can you accuse, arrest or charge one of your founding fathers for corruption or terror now he is in the opposition will be the question on peoples mind.

Already commentators across the divide have started discussing the issue. To PDP supporters in trying to defend the choice of Sen. Sheriff as National Chairman of PDP when confronted by APC supporters that the chairman is a suspected Boko Haram sponsor, one AIC Akwarandu a PDP blogger noted thus “What of Senator Ali Ndume, he was accused and even docked for sponsoring Boko Haram. Yet APC considered him as the majority leader and I repeat Majority Leader of the Senate. What that means is that while Saraki is the president of all the Senators, Ndume is the general leader of all the APC Senators. None of the APC activists condemned it. They won’t anyway. Bad History students! All of them are awake, advising the PDP of whom to make her National Chairman. May God save Nigeria from hypocrisy and Pretence, Amen.” He went further to promote the image of the new PDP Chairman, “He was elected Senator for 8 years. He also served as a Governor for 8 years. Ali Modu-Sherriff is loved by his people.” On the other hand, an APC supporter responded, “ so you are now supporting this Boko Haram sponsor because he was made your party leader while you were supporting President Jonathan when he was looking for him. I don’t think you will last with this your propaganda”.

The PDP man went further to showcase a photograph of Senator Ali Modu-Sherriff with APC leaders including the commander of Change President Buhari at a rally in 2015 and noted that within this period in question, they drank and ate with him without raising any issue stating that it is hypocrisy that today, the PDP has appointed him as it’s National Chairman, the APC have remembered everything bad about him. In other words, the choice of Sen Ali Modu Sherriff is a blackmail stunt gainst APC and their war against corruption and violence. This is what I term fighting terror with terror which is terrorism and counter terrorism politics of APC and PDP.

I refuse to be one of those that will cast aspersions on Ali Modu-Sherriff just because of things that hold no water because all the allegations against him have not been proven. The party has found him worthy; all loyal members should support him and see the outcome. However, I have expressed my feelings to many friends that I am not excited over the choice of Sherriff because there has not been a known record where evil was used to solve the problem of evil.

The truth remains that even if you bring God to lead the PDP, some people will still question why He allowed His only Beloved Son to die on the cross of Calvary. Let’s give him a chance. Nobody has convicted him. He is a Nigerian like all of us.

On the tactical ground, the PDP has sent shocking message to Buhari and his party. The new Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, has vowed to mobilize all the resources in his disposal to send President Muhammadu Buhari, packing out of the Presidential villa come 2019. Sherriff stated this on Wednesday, February 17, during the re-dedication of the Supreme Court Victory of Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in Umuahia, Township Stadium. Recall that the Supreme Court had affirmed the election of Ikpeazu, and other governors in South East and South South of PDP extraction in a unanimous judgment by a seven-man panel of the Supreme Court Justices.

The apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, voided the verdict of the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal which sacked Ikpeazu and others from office. The turn of event at the Supreme Court jolted the ruling APC to the extent of their questioning the integrity of the apex court. Could this be part of the gift package that Sherriff brought on PDP table?

At the thanksgiving at Aba which had all the big boys of PDP in attendance, Sherriff decked in a flowing Agbada immediately took over the podium, after arriving the venue towards the end of the thanksgiving programme and spoke for barely two minutes. “As the new chairman of the party, I have decided to mobilize the party, especially the north to take over power from Buhari come 2019.

“Like I said, we are going to send Buhari out of Aso Rock to where he comes from (Daura),” Sheriff stated. He added: “PDP is on course, and taking over power is of paramount importance.”

The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the PDP had on Tuesday rectified and approved Sheriff, the former Governor of Borno State, as its National Chairman. From the tone of the new National Chairman, one can see the signal and message which is akin to the intimidation and threat messages of the APC ahead of the 2015 presidential election. Terror is again seeing its match and the citizens at the end will be intimidated to accept the eventual outcome sooner or later.

Sheriff had in his acceptance speech announced that the PDP is sure of winning the 2019 presidential election with him as chairman. He said he would not witch-hunt any of those opposed to his emergence promising that his main task would be to restore peace and unity to the party. Some of the dignitaries present at the occasion include: Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmannuel, among others who today are the war lords of the PDP.

From APC apologists views, it’s obvious that the fear of Sen. Ali Modu Sherriff, SAS is the beginning of their wisdom. At this critical moment, it seems what PDP needs is the man to challenge Tinubu”; decode Gen. Mohammed Buhari, GMB’s antics in the North as well as hold the ace in divulging the make, brand and source of APC’s campaign funding with most of them claiming empty Bank Account. This I call operation fire for fire, terrorism and counterterrorism. But can Sherriff who is Buhari’s inlaw betray his inlaw? The question of his sponsorship of Boko Hram has more questions than answers; it is either SAS did the sponsoring with some occupants of Aso rock: does he know something that may rattle the occupants of Aso Rock or the Change Party: or is he 100% innocent of all allegations? if not why is he walking a free man while Dasuki who only spent Security vote now branded as Arms Deal is facing the music?

Let me take us on excursion : In Nigeria, politics has never been a clean game, neither do we have saints in politics as it involves a lot of maneuvering. The day you venture into politics is the day you made a choice to fight dirty if not, where are the campaign promises of APC? Where are the Chibok Girls? Is the Dollar now equal to One Naira? What about Free Food for School Children? What about the N5000 for unemployed youths? What about the madness of stabilizing the global Oil Market? I am not a conformist to such standards but a drastic situation calls for a drastic measure and since Sen Ali Sherriff has never been convicted I am not condemning him outright. But like my friend Prof Oparaoji a political activist based here in the USA would say, PDP seem to have gotten it wrong by playing the politics of terror and counterterrorism instead moving a step further to search for decency in politics. If the statement credited to GMB that “an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North” make him unelectable? Did the gruesome murder of innocent NYSC members, who were lawfully posted to the remote areas of Northern Nigeria, diminish the image or political profile of a GMB in 2011 after he threatened violence under his party then the CPC? Buhari still emerged president of Nigeria after the documentary that exposed his tyrannical proficiency, during his first missionary journey as military president with his decree 2. Despite the supposed parasitic life of Ahmed Tinubu against the people of South West, with his touted ownership of half of Lagos State; choice properties in other States in the South west, plus some choice properties all over the world, he still emerged the maximum leader of APC in the South West nay Nigeria? Tinubu single handedly nominated the Vice President of Nigeria and made his wife a Senator. All these can only happen in Nigeria and that’s why some call it monkey republic.

Buhari as the President of a ‘democratized’ Nigeria, it should be noted that as long as we keep to the rule of law, Sheriff, remains innocent of all charges of links to Boko Haram until it is proved otherwise by a Court of competent Jurisdiction. This I believe informed the decision of PDP to chose Sen. Ali Modu Sherriff, SAS as its National Chairman as a counter terrorism to the terrorism of the All Progressive Congress, APC because the Borno born politician cum businessman was the only man who was said to have challenged Ahmed Tinubu during the formation of APC and still have the capacity to do so on the battle field. My summation on this is that, it is not the solution to Nigeria lingering economic and political crisis. A referendum by all nationalities must be convened for people to determine their willingness to remain part of Nigeria or otherwise. Decent people and loyal party members must not be suffocated perpetually by violent people who play politics of do or die. Patriotism should be the criteria for reward not violence or ill gotten wealth. In the months and years ahead, Nigerians and the international community will come to see how this new political tactics of APC and PDP will affect the economic, social and political life of the country Nigeria which is already at the brim of serious economic recession.

 

Selective Justice is Injustice

By Anthony Obi Ogbo
By Anthony Obi Ogbo

Fairness is the most abused leadership concept, especially in regions where the judicial system is subjugated by totalitarian headship. Martin Luther King, Jr. was absolutely right, that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. But the current approach of President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in cleansing his country of corruption makes a mockery of his designation, and indicates a lack of knowledge in managing moral philosophy in the public sector.

For instance, both President Buhari’s Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the opposition, The People’s Democratic Party ran their respective presidential elections with public funds, improperly diverted and converted them to campaign coffers. Former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, allegedly diverted and apportioned more than 2.2 billion dollars to politicians and campaign needs. Similarly, former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who headed President Buhari’s campaign fund-drive allegedly stole more than 70 billion Naira from his state to finance his Presidential race. Mr. Dasuki is currently facing trial, whereas Mr. Amaechi is rewarded with a ministerial position.
To make it worse, President Buhari in his dictatorial fashion had defied court’s order that granted bail to Mr. Dasuki, and strong-headedly ordered his re-arrest.  In his own words, here is the reason; “If you see the atrocities these people committed against this country, we can’t allow them to jump bail.” For clarity, this is the President talking – not the prosecutor. In other words,  besides making himself the overseer of Petroleum Resources Ministry, the Buhari has also become the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
At the moment, all judges report to him, and all court rulings or judgements are screened in Aso Rock before delivery.
Yet we must not forget that failure of elected officers to abide by the rule of law is the height of indiscipline and misconduct. So, how could President Buhari fight corruption by abusing the judicial arm – violating court orders, and terrorizing judges? How does crowding  jailhouses with suspects whose rights of legal representation are suppressed create an effective ethical culture? How could an executive team consisting of the most corrupt politicians in the country  influence decency in the public service system?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with fighting corruption in a country where dishonesty in the system is devastating, but hiding behind a so called “war against indiscipline” to profile individuals in the most tyrannical style is reprehensible. Nigeria is a country where every single public officer, including the President has a looting record. Singling out individuals or parties as scapegoats may not fix the structure, but may amorally implant a retaliatory culture in the governance system.

At the moment, all judges report to him, and all court rulings or judgements are screened in Aso Rock before delivery. Yet we must not forget that failure of elected officers to abide by the rule of law is the height of indiscipline and misconduct.
At the moment, all judges report to him, and all court rulings or judgements are screened in Aso Rock before delivery. Yet we must not forget that failure of elected officers to abide by the rule of law is the height of indiscipline and misconduct.

Pragmatically, overhauling massive ethical lapses in the public sector requires relevant legislations to discourage corrupt attitudes and gradually reform the system with effective moral culture. Administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government. Unfortunately, a suppression of the judicial arm in Nigeria leaves a hopelessly corrupt leadership structure.
Take for instance, the 2010 case of a Former United States representative, William Jefferson of Louisiana.  Rep. Jefferson, infamous for having $90,000 in bribe money hidden in his freezer, is serving a 13-year prison sentence after being convicted on a slew of federal corruption charges. However, one of the most puzzling and intriguing aspect of the case is that Jefferson’s partner-in-crime, Atiku Abubakar, the vice president of Nigeria at the time was not prosecuted by his country.  Abubakar remained a hero in Nigeria, still treading on public funds and running elections to become his country’s president.
In the United States, The anti-corruption legacy is embedded in the constitution and enforced appropriately. Various provisions in the Constitution deal squarely with corruption, thereby limiting the opportunities for self-enrichment, and permitting impeachment of any officer of the United States, including the President and Vice President, for “Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and Misdemeanors.”
I would say again, that my criticisms of Buhari’s fight against corruption is not an attack on implanting moral decency in the system, but a condemnation of tyranny, discriminatory justice, and suppression of the judicial process. What we have evidenced so far is an angry leader, who in shear execution of his animosity, is clamping down on the opposition under the disguise of wiping corruption in the system. In a true democratic setting, chasing public fund lotters with horsewhips and dictating orders to throw individuals in jail, or denying them bail are definitely not the responsibility of this president. Therefore, we must condemn President Buhari’s prevalent approach to ethical management as a primeval jungle justice; a totalitarian show of senselessness and cruelty.
■  Dr. Anthony Ogbo,  is the President of American Journal of Transformational Leadership. Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

Nigeria at 55: it is all about oil and power grab

By Oshiokpekhai Utu-Orbih
By Oshiokpekhai Utu-Orbih

After the various  pre- independence constitutional conferences, the British Colonial government  granted independence to Nigeria on October 1, 1960. In 1963, Nigeria attained a Republican status and the 1963 Republican constitution came into effect. In all the conferences that led to this independence ,  the representatives from all regions agreed and opted for federalism. Under the 1960 and the 1963 Republican Constitution, each region had its Constitution in addition to the Federal Constitution. Under this constitutional setting, the Revenue Allocation System was based on 50% derivation. Section 140 of the 1963 Republican Constitution provide thus;

“There shall be paid by the Federal Government   to a region, a sum equal to fifty percent of the proceeds of any royalty received by the Federation in respect of any minerals extracted in that region and any mining rents derived by the Federal Government from within any Region”.

This was the state of the Nigerian Federation as it relates to derivation, agreed upon by then by the constituencies and handed over at independence by the British until the coup of January 1966 and the retaliatory coup of July the same year, which plunged the country into a civil war.

It must be noted however, that the original intention of the 1966 July retaliatory  coup was for the North to secede from Nigeria as revealed in the book by Ahmadu Kurfi  titled “The Nigerian General Elections 1959 and 1979”  Published in 1983 by Macmillan as follows;

“The original intention of the July 29 counter-coup leaders was to seize the reigns of government and then announce the secession of the Northern Region from the rest of the country. This was in line with the general mood of the people of the North whose clarion call during the May 29 disturbances in the North which claimed many Igbo lives, was Araba or Aware ( Hausa word for secede).As soon as the Success of the insurgency was apparent, the leaders of the coup who were based at the Ikeja Garrison informed Northern elements resident in Lagos to leave the metropolis for the North giving a deadline within which to comply. At the expiry of the deadline, the coup leaders planned to dynamite if not sink the whole of Lagos…” (pages 38-39).

The leaders of the July 1966 Coup were advised against that line of action because the North as a region cannot survive without the rich South and its seaports; hence that idea was discarded. General Yakubu Gowon was then made the head of State, above other senior military officers from other parts of the Country.

Whatever was left of the federal structure bequeathed to Nigeria by the Colonial rulers in 1960 was further weakened by General Gowon in 1969 through the promulgation of the Petroleum Decree. This decree abolished the 50% derivation contained in the 1963 constitution and appropriated all revenues derivable from oil to the  sole control of the military. General Gowon’s reason for the Petroleum Decree was that he needed monies to prosecute the war and fight Biafra. More than 40 years after the war, the Nigerian oligarchs have not returned the nation to its prewar federal structure.

Today, General TY Danjuma who was the arrowhead of the July 1966 Coup is richer than all the Northern States put together.  At some point, General Gowon was quoted as saying that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it.

Upon the return to democracy in 1979, Nigeria had an opportunity to return the country to a true federal State  but this was not to be as General Obasanjo had already perfected plans to further appropriate all the lands of indigenous people of Nigeria to the Federal government through the Land Use Decree of 1978.The Constitutional Conference Chaired by late Chief Rotimi Williams (SAN) to usher in the 1979 constitution  did not take into contemplation the derivation principle in the 1963 Constitution.

In 1998 General Sani Abacha died after 5 years of dictatorship. General Abdulsalam Abubakar while handing over power to General Obasanjo just fresh from Jail hurriedly put together Decree 24 of 1999 which is now regarded as the 1999 Constitution.  However the 1999 constitution increased derivation to 13% as against the 50 % enshrined in the 1963 Constitution. With 13% derivation coming 30 years after the criminal enactment of the Petroleum Decree, of 1969, the government and people of the  oil bearing states saw it as a welcome relief which is better than nothing as it is commonly said. But General Obasanjo was not ready to implement the 13% derivation principle until he was forced to enforce the provisions in accordance with the tenets of constitutional democracy.

83% of oil Blocks currently belong to ex-military men and business men of Northern extraction, leaving the indigenous owners of these resources to die of diseases and in penury.
83% of oil Blocks currently belong to ex-military men and business men of Northern extraction, leaving the indigenous owners of these resources to die of diseases and in penury.

The report of the Jonathan 2014 National Conferences is till crying for implementation. One of the major achievement of this conference is the restructuring of the Nigerian nation and return to true federalism.

The Afenifere, the South-East, the South-South and majority of the middle belt region stood for true federalism during the Conference and till date yearn for a return to it. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which is meant to give a great sense of belonging and a greater percentage to the oil bearing communities has not seen the light of day and possibly gathering dust in the archives of both Chambers of the National Assembly. It is most certain that the North through their majority legislators have continuously moved against its passage into law.

83% of oil Blocks currently belong to ex-military men and business men of Northern extraction, leaving the indigenous owners of these resources to die of diseases and in penury. Nigeria is the only oil producing Nation in the world where these aberrations occur. This “status quo” is what the change is all about. This is what General Buhari has come to entrench and preserve. This is why he is the new minister of Petroleum Resources. It all points to the fact that 55 years of Nigeria’s independence has been all about oil and power grab..

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Corruption wars: Obasanjo to expose Buhari

Buhari, Obasanjo....President Obasanjo was the only one to rightly expose President Buhari’s negative past records of public accountability.
Buhari, Obasanjo….President Obasanjo was the only one to rightly expose President Buhari’s negative past records of public accountability.

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari’s threats to probe governance affairs of his predecessors has tumbled into a boomeranging breadth, prompting the General to personally send a plea with apologies to the former President and one of the targets of his proposed probe, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, International Guardian reliably gathered. “I didn’t personally know what was said or written, but to my understanding, PMB was only trying to diffuse rumors in the media about Obasanjo being a target of his probe,” a source close to Buhari’s administration explained in a text message.

Chief Obasanjo was already gathering a dossier which included documents linking President Buhari and key allies and colleagues in his administration to major fraud related to various affairs of the government, when he received President Buhari’s “es·prit de corps” plea for a common understanding and restraint. To further appease the aged former leader, President Buhari quickly announced a retraction of his threats, announcing publicly that he would not extend his corruption probe beyond the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A worried President Buhari specifically indicated through his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Femi Adesina, that he would not waste time in probing the administrations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Sani Abacha, and Ibrahim Babangida. The retraction nonetheless created doubts among critics on the president’s credibility in fighting corruption as he initially swaggered.

President Buhari, it may be recalled, had consistently vowed to investigate and bring to book, all persons who looted the country’s funds. Consequently, he made a threat to arrest and prosecute past ministers and other officials who stole Nigeria’s oil and diverted government’s money to personal accounts.

The President’s request for collaboration with the United States, however, prompted an alleged reaction by President Obasanjo considered as one of Nigeria’s most corrupt past leader by most western countries. The United States has indicated it would help Nigeria’s new leader track down billions of dollars in stolen assets – a move that might expose previous fraudulent engagements in the Obasanjo’s regime.

Atiku was implicated by a US Grand Jury which report detailed his fraudulent involvement with Congressman, William Jefferson to secure a business deal in Nigeria. Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, the longest sentence ever handed down to a congressman for bribery. crumbly economy.

International Guardian gathered that President Buhari’s backtrack from his initial plans for a comprehensive probe of public-fund misappropriation may jeopardize Nigeria’s request to the United States for collaboration on tracing missing funds. The United States government it was gathered, may not oblige to selective investigation of executive fraudsters and may not spare Buhari himself. It may be recalled that as the Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was implicated by a US Grand Jury which reports detailed his fraudulent involvement with Congressman, William Jefferson to secure a business deal in Nigeria. On August 5, 2009, Jefferson was found guilty of 11 of the 16 corruption counts, and was sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, the longest sentence ever handed down to a congressman for bribery.

From fraudulent privatization of state-owned enterprises; filthy oil deals; bribery associated with Halliburton, Siemens, and Transcorp, rushed terminal contracts, to personal loans for his farm business, embezzlement of Excess Crude Account, and Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), Chief Obasanjo’s regime has been considered the most fraudulent in Nigeria’s history. “For Buhari to claim that he would not waste time digging into the far past, simply signals a red flag about his involvement in the whole thing,” confided a source close to Washington.

Last week, International Guardian reported how President Obasanjo was the only one to rightly expose President Buhari’s negative past records of public accountability, revealing his readiness to hit the blogs with documents that would shock the nation. The story also narrated how Buhari as the chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) between 1998-99, failed to account for a missing 25 billion naira, confiscating all related documents and obstructing all investigative channels. Buhari’s alleged plea to Obasanjo, therefore, was timely. “When it comes to being vindictive, you know Baba does not waste time and Buhari should have known better,” a source close to the All Progressives Congress (APC) told our newsroom.

 

 

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