OPINION: Governor Amaechi and Politicians’ Desperation

Politicians live a life of noisy desperation. It is all about how to outsmart, outwit and oust any contrary opposition. Sometimes, what they term as opposition is not opposition in the real sense of the word. They mistake critics or divergent opinions for opposition. This is glaringly what the presidency has taken Governor Chibuiku Amaechi for, because of his unequivocal and unrelenting approach in the business of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), which he heads in the capacity of Chairman.

Down home, because President Goodluck Jonathan is Ijaw, and Amaechi is Ikwerre, many uninformed opinions and politicians from the Ijaw extraction have taken Amaechi to be in a war of slow-destruction against the Ijaws, because he addresses the views of the NGF, many times, challenging the stance of the Federal Government on any national issues.

Some have likened Amaechi as a University Union President who is always challenging the authority. And you wonder if Amaechi is challenging the NGF that made him its chairman or what. To this set of people, they have ignorantly mistaken the presidency as the authority that Amaechi has been challenging, but this is a biased viewpoint. It could have been said to be a challenge if Amaechi had challenged the NGF, which he has not done, and might not do. So, for now, it should be taken that Amaechi has not challenged and is not challenging any authority no matter the quarter that has been hatching this propaganda war against Amaechi.

It was Amaechi that made the NGF a formidable force it has become today, not to scuttle the presidency, but for the aspirations and objectives of the NGF. Happily, Amaechi and majority of the governors that consist the NGF are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). If Amaechi were in the opposition it can be brought home the speculation making the rounds that he is against Jonathan. How can he be against Jonathan when virtually 85% of the NGF's members are PDP? It will not be out of contest to say that it is not Amaechi or the NGF that is desperate in the on-going politics, but the presidency. The unfolding reports between Amaechi and the risky-in-nature plot by the presidency to oust him as the chairman of NGF are clear indications that the presidency does not want any challenge from any quarters, but loyalists. Juxtaposing to this, one may say that such calculation is despotic, which is not what democracy represents.

It cannot be said that this is democracy, if Amaechi's opinions representing that of the NGF are termed the enemy's, because of certain interest group for the 2015 elections. Does anybody think that Amaechi has anything to lose if his purported quest to be re-elected as the NGF's chair fails? No. He has nothing to lose, but the NGF that will be manipulated to have a stooge of the presidency as chairman.

Considerably, the fight against Amaechi started when the news from the rumour mills started to circulate that he was nursing the ambition for the presidency in 2015, as a possible running-mate to Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, which he has rebuffed several times. Somebody might say that before the news started circulating it had been mirrored through the presidency's intelligence mirror, but why still tag that on his neck when he has declared  publicly that there was nothing of that kind in his political career, at least, for now.

What Nigerians expect from Jonathan is to meet the yearnings of the populace, and not the meetings with the PDP on how to oust Amaechi; hence a splinter group named PDP Governors Forum emerged. Would they also throw Amaechi out of this splinter group since he is a member of the PDP? If the presidency is blunt to Amaechi, it should know that it is also blunt to the people of Rivers State that Amaechi governs; no strategy that was meant to dampen any opinion that is not tyrannical!

As far as the NGF is concerned, any of its members that is seeking loyalty to the presidency can be regarded as a traitor. The loyalty of any member of any group should be for the group and not the other. In this case, there is no gainsaying the fact that the presidency is also a strong opposition to the NGF, without the later knowing it. What was expected of the NGF's members to do was to question the right the presidency had in interfering in its matter. If Amaechi will go, it has to be done by the members of the NGF, and not by any wandering aggressors.

Anybody viewing the NGF as an arm of the ruling PDP, therefore, the presidency has the right to interfere, is not just being truthful. If this is not true, why have there been speculations that the Czar of the NGF might come from an opposition party if by tomorrow Amaechi did not emerge chairman the second time. Though, as it stands, Amaechi has proved that he also knows how to fight, and not only how to talk. Since Thursday 21 February, when the first 'political coup' was staged against Amaechi, he and his men have succeeded in fighting to retain the image of the NGF.

Written by Odimegwu Onwumere

Odimegwu Onwumere, Poet/Author, is the Coordinator, Concerned Non-Indigenes In Rivers State (CONIRIV). 
Email: apoet_25@yahoo.com, nirivpol@gmail.com

Source:

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/02/27/opinion-governor-amaechi-and-politicians-desperation/

Boko Haram: Danjuma Says North Is Facing A Civil war

A former Minister of Defence, General Theophilous Danjuma (retired), who was on Saturday conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science at a special convocation ceremony of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has warned that the activities of the Boko Haram sect, kidnappings and other social vices in the northern part of Nigeria were drifting the region into a civil war .

Source:http:

//www.channelstv.com/home/2013/03/02/boko-haram-danjuma-says-north-is-facing-a-civil-war/

The former minister advised leaders from the region to stop apportioning blame to each other but to instead come together and find solutions to some of these challenges.Speaking shortly after he was conferred with the doctorate degree, General Danjuma said the current security and developmental challenges facing the country and the north in particular have become worrisome that if not properly addressed on time could lead to anarchy and lawlessness.

He thanked the management of ABU for honouring him and commended them for sustaining the academic excellence which the institution was known for.

General Danjuma was the only awardee at the special convocation which coincided with the university's N50 billion phase two development fund raising.

The special convocation ceremony was a follow up of the university's 50th convocation held in November 2012 where the retired Army General was among those honoured. However, due to his absence at the occasion last year, Saturday's event offered him the opportunity to receive the award.

On his part, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retired) who chaired the occasion said the country cannot overcome her security challenges unless the issue of education is properly addressed, adding that educational backwardness of the north has become very worrisome and as such, must be corrected if the region must come out of its present state.

General Babangida asked Nigerians to ensure that governments at all levels take the issue of education seriously, stating that no nation can make any meaningful progress when a large number of its citizens are not educated.

Also speaking at the occasion, President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented at the occasion by Vice President Namadi Sambo, identified the problem of access to university education by the teeming youth in the country as one of the many challenges facing the education sector.

He disclosed that the present administration has commenced the process of breaching this gap by building more universities across the country.

Jonathan Can Run in 2015, Says Court

President Goodluck Jonathan

• PDP: It's yet another victory for nation's democracy               

Relief came the way of President Goodluck Friday when Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of an Abuja High Court held that he is eligible to contest the forthcoming 2015 presidential election if he so desires.

A politician, Cyriakus Njoku had approached the court seeking for an order to restrain Jonathan from running in the 2015 presidential election "because it would amount to breaching a constitutional provision which prescribed a period of not more than eight years for occupants of the office of the president."

He contended that the President first took oath of office and oath of allegiance on May 6, 2010, following the death of his predecessor with whom he was first elected in 2007 and later took another oath of office and allegiance on the May 29, 2011 as president.

But the court held that Jonathan's assumption of the office after the demise of late president, Umar Yar'Adua was in line with what the National Assembly aptly described as doctrine of necessity "and not as a result of emerging winner in any bye election conducted after the death of the late former president."

The judge held: "After the death of Umar Yar'Adua, there was no election or bye election. President Jonathan was merely asked to assume the office of the President in line with doctrine of necessity. He was not elected as the President but was made to assume office by virtue of Yar'Adua's death.

"Having exhausted the late President's tenure, he sought his party's ticket and ran for the office of the president successfully in 2011 general election. He is therefore currently serving his first tenure of office and if he so wishes, he is eligible to further seek his party's ticket through the party's primary election and to run for office in 2015."

However, Justice Oniyangi clearly stated that his judgement did not in any way make Jonathan an automatic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and warned that his decision should not be misconstrued to mean that Jonathan has become an automatic candidate of the party for the 2015 presidential election.

The court further held that the president's tenure of office began to count from May 29, 2011 when he was sworn into office as the elected President of Nigeria and not May 6, 2010 when he assumed office following Yar'Adua's death.
The court also held that the suit as presently constituted did not disclose any cause of action and that the plaintiff, Mr. Cyriacus Njoku, lacked the locus standi to institute the case.

The court upheld the arguments of Jonathan's lawyer, Ade Okeaya-Inneh that the president was currently doing his first term of four years in office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as provided by the constitution and that the same constitution made provisions for a president to contest for not more than 2 terms of four years each.

Okeaya-Inneh had also argued that Jonathan had not indicated or announced anywhere, whether in words or writing, that he would contest the presidential election to be conducted in 2015 and therefore urged the court to dismiss the suit in the interest of justice.
Justice Oniyangi also held that Njoku's suit was premature at this time since the president had not obtained any form from his party for the 2015 election neither had the PDP commenced its primary elections for the purpose of selecting its flag bearer for the 2015 presidential election.

The judge noted that Njoku ought to have waited for the PDP to commence primary election and then complain if the process was breached since nomination and sponsorship of candidates for any election was an internal affair of the party.

The court declined to restrain the PDP and the Independent National Election Commission, from submitting and accepting President Goodluck Jonathan's name as a candidate for the 2015 presidential election.

In a swift reaction, the leadership of the PDP described the ruling as yet another victory for the nation's democracy.

The party in a statement yesterday said: "The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party applauds the ruling by the FCT High Court that President Goodluck Jonathan, as a Nigerian, has the constitutionally guaranteed right to seek re-election in 2015.

"This landmark ruling is yet another victory to the nation's democracy. It has laid to rest the unnecessary debate on whether or not the President is constitutionally eligible to seek re-election in 2015.
"The import of this judgement is that it is now left for the PDP as party and Nigerians to decide, through legitimate processes, whether or not to return President Jonathan to the Presidency in 2015 if he indicates interest."

Source: www.thisdaylive.com

 http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-can-run-in-2015-says-court/140999/

Abia varsity withdraws Kalu’s certificate

Former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu
| credits: thecitizenng.com

http://www.punchng.com/news/abia-varsity-withdraws-kalus-certificate/

The Abia State University has withdrawn the degree  certificate it awarded to a former governor of the state, Uzor Orji Kalu.

An online news portal, Premium Times, reports that the university in a statement by its Registrar, O. E. Onuoha, on Saturday said the decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the university senate which considered the recommendations of a panel which investigated the allegations levelled against Kalu.

Onuoha said, "On the strength of the findings and recommendations of an investigative panel into allegations of breach of the extant academic regulations of Abia State University, in the admission process of the admission and graduation of Kalu Orji Uzor in the discipline of Government and Public Administration, of matriculation number 00/42226, the Senate of the university at its resumed 69th extra-ordinary meeting of March 1, 2013 and by a vote of 88 against three dissenting voices only, approved  the cancellation and withdrawal of the degree, result and certificate awarded to him.

"The decision of Senate was based on the following grounds among others: The violation of the academic regulations of the university on Admission-by-Transfer, which rendered the offer irregular, ab initio and the he non-completion of the mandatory six semesters (i.e. three academic years of study), before he was awarded a degree of the university. He spent only two semesters in all.

"The university Senate maintained that its action, aforesaid, derived from the exercise of its onerous statutory responsibility to guard and maintain , at all times, the academic regulations of the university, its hard-earned reputation and the credibility of the certificates it awards."

After Kalu had dropped out of the University of Maiduguri, he reenrolled at the Abia State University while he was governor of the state.

As the visitor to the university at the time and there were allegations that Kalu was an absentee student.

The admission and graduation of Kalu, the university stated, made mockery of its academic rules and regulations.

When our correspondent called Kalu for his comments, he said, "My lawyer will reply at the appropriate time.

MARCH ON ...

The Good news is that God marched ahead of MARCH.
So march on in Victory...
YOU CAN'T BE STOPPED.

Beloved The Lord  is always ahead of us... He is always mindful of us . Just hold on by faith all his promises will come to pass.

Have a blessed Month.

- Fubara Willie-Pepple.

Photo Credit: Petronatwo.wordpress.com

SUNDAY MBA is for Warri Wolves--- NPL Rules.

The Nigeria Premier League has waded into the on-going feud between Warri Wolves and Enugu Rangers over the ownership of Sunday Mba and Chigozie Agbim by ruling that the Super Eagles duo belong to Warri Wolves.

Enugu Rangers is laying claim to Mba, insisting he has always been their player and had been training with them before the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa.

However, in a letter signed by the executive secretary of the NPL, Tunji Babalola, Mba and Agbim have been declared as players of Warri wolves .

The league interim management committee has, therefore, asked any club interested in the players to contact Warri Wolves.

A tussle arose between Warri Wolves and Enugu Rangers over the ownership of the 24-year-old Eagles midfielder since foreign clubs started showing interest in the player after the Afcon 2013.

Spokesman of the Warri-based professional football club, Moses Etu, said on Sunday that the Delta State-owned team was not ready to join issues with Rangers on the player as Mba knew he had a two-year contract with Warri Wolves.

"Sunday Mba has only spent one year out of the two-year contract he signed with us. It is on the basis of this that we are giving him up till Friday, March 1 to return to our camp ahead of the new football season we are preparing for," observed.

The Warri Wolves media officer hinted that the matter has been reported to the Nigeria Football Federation.

"We have absolute confidence in NFF believing that they will follow the path of justice. We have the documents signed by Mba and requests by Rangers for us to clear the players for them which we refused to do," he said.

"We have also written the NFF to apply the relevant sanctions regarding inducement and misleading of the public by Rangers International on this matter."

Etu further warned that Warri Wolves would not hesitate to report the matter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the world football governing body, FIFA if need be.

"We have confidence in NFF but we won't hesitate to take the matter to CAF and FIFA. Rangers can be banned from further participation in the CAF Champions League while the player faces the prospect of being banned for years," stressed the club spokesman.

Although some foreign clubs are said to be making enquiries on how to sign the Super Eagles players, the current ownership struggle between the two NPL clubs may scuttle such moves. Warri Wolves last week placed a one million euro transfer tag on the player now under dispute.

The defender rose to stardom after he scored two goals for Nigeria at the Nations Cup, which put Nigeria in reckoning and ultimately claiming the 2013 Afcon trophy.

Now the hitherto unknown local player is now the talk of several transfers within European clubs.

Via: www.channrlstv.com

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/02/25/sunday-mba-npl-rules-in-favour-of-warri-wolves/

IBB backs merger of political parties

Minna – Former military  president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida has said that the  intending merger of some  political parties to serve as a strong opposition to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) is a welcome development in our political system.

Answering questions from Journalists at his hill top mansion. Minna Niger state , the former President said as a strong advocate of two political parties for the country, the emerging scenario will surely vindicate him on his stand for  two political party system which he said is the only way out for the country politically.

Gen. Ibrahim Babangida

" I have been a very good advocate of two party system for the country since I was the president. When I said we need only two parties some years back, they said I am a soldier and I should shut up but now, many are seeing relevance in my agitation," Gen. Babangida remarked.

According to him, "I am happy with the merger talk that is going on; it is a welcome political development in our political experience and if it succeeds, it will surely vindicate me and move the country on politically."

The former military president who took a swipe on our political leadership so far said most politicians in the country are much more concerned about the votes they garner from the electorates during elections but have failed to serve them more appropriately after wining the elections.

" It is unfortunate that the political elites  have failed to enlighten the ordinary man and carry them along; nobody is talking about enlightening the ordinary man because they are only interested in their votes and soon forget them after getting to power,"  he noted.

He continued, " the only thing we are busy doing is wasting our energy in fighting on who becomes the chairman of this or that and until we carry the people along and serve them diligently, we will have a long way to go in this country."

On whether he is comfortable with the comments of former American president, Bill Clinton accusing the Federal government that it has mismanaged the country's  resources, the former president said it is what the foreigners read from the home based journalist that they read,   rely and comment on.

"You don't need a foreigner to tell you this. You write it yourself and they read it and so, what is the problem with the comment. I am comfortable with the comment,"  Gen. Babangida declared.

SOURCE:    http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/ibb-backs-merger-of-political-parties/