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Pendulum: Bola Tinubu and His Date with Destiny in 2023
Published
4 years agoon
By
EricBy Dele Momodu
Fellow Nigerians permit me to say, it is no longer a secret that the former Governor of Lagos State and easily one of the most influential politicians in Africa, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has his gaze firmly fixed on the Nigerian Presidential seat in Abuja. Let me put it more frontally, Tinubu will love to drop the Chieftaincy title, Asiwaju, for that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Who wouldn’t, anyway? I once tried my luck despite not having ten percent of Tinubu’s stupendous resources, extensive networks, public service experience and achievements and so on. I know that some will think it is too early to be talking about a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari given that his second term is barely six months old. Nevertheless, the political gladiators are already baring their fangs and showing their hands and flapping their wings. It would be silly of anyone to shut their eyes to such developments.
The debate is already raging, as always. We love to talk. Don’t we? That’s our pastime, sadly or joyously. The naysayers are having a field day with a plethora of reasons and questions on why he cannot succeed. What does Tinubu want again? He can’t win! He is not fit enough! He is too tainted and tarnished! The Hausa-Fulani will never give him power. How can he think he can attain what Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Moshood Abiola failed to get? Why can’t he field one of the people he empowered in the past? Too many questions begging for answers.
I often wonder what exactly the matter is with us we practically groan and grumble over anything and everything. Someone once wrote that we all have the Abacha traits in us. We are all autocratic and oppressive in nature, the reason Democracy is not working here and may never work in most parts of Africa. We are just too intolerant and too dismissive. But for me and my house, I’m a consummate Democrat. I believe everyone has the right to aspire to any height in life, especially in politics. Political leadership is not the personal property of any person, dynasty or group!
If you ask me, I will tell you, unequivocally, and repeatedly, that Tinubu is eminently qualified to contest. If you ask me if he is a saint, I will say no. None of us is. Not even Buhari. Not you, not me. Nations are not governed by saints but by performers. That is one of the recurring theses that I regularly propagate in my musings and reflections. I have no illusions that Tinubu will definitely perform as President of Nigeria, if he ever contests and wins. He has a knack for identifying brilliant minds and fertile brains, and the ability to nurture them to greatness. He has demonstrated this repeatedly and almost endlessly. Examples abound without doubt.
Does Tinubu suffer from excesses and shortcomings? Perhaps, again like all mortals, he does. This does not diminish his greatness. His excesses are mitigated by several strong and positive qualities. He is generous to a fault. He has lifted many souls, old and young, from penury and perdition. He is a classic example of the Good Samaritan. We all have our shortcomings and why should Tinubu be an exception. Too many unprintable rumours, myths and comments have been circulated in writing and also spoken about him, some bordering on character assassination and unverifiable vilification, but God chooses and anoints those he wants. And no one can challenge God. It is obvious that Tinubu has been richly blessed, despite his apparent foibles. Such is life.
I have followed his trajectory for close to three decades. His story is a stuff of fairy tales. All those who have disparaged, derided, denigrated and despised him have not been able to bring him down, despite their monumental efforts to achieve this. When you think he is supine, broken and out, he rises, like the Black onyx and soars again. I witnessed this, live and direct, during our exile days. Many times, we all felt down and out but Tinubu’s passion and influence re-engineered things and made us redouble our efforts. The reason is simple. Tinubu has an uncommon audacity. I believe his bravery has taken him beyond his own imagination. A man who has survived too many tribulations like him cannot be an ordinary soul. God must love him dearly and extraordinarily. He has fought many battles that he won, spectacularly. He is naturally smart and adequately fearless. A mutual friend once told a few of us that he is very sure Tinubu would still take the risk even if you say a particular venture will kill him. He has such kamikaze instincts. You can’t go far in life, if you’re too squeamish and Tinubu is a living proof that courage conquers all.
It is wrong to say Tinubu has no right to run for the Presidency in 2023. Who are those who will run if he does not? How are they better? What qualifies them to run that disqualifies him from running? Yes, I may prefer younger people to take over but many of them we have seen have not justified the noise about “not too young to rule,” by ruling senselessly and recklessly. I’m now convinced that age should not be a deliberate barrier; track record of achievements should be the priority. I welcome all those who want to run and believe that they should be allowed to run without hindrance. It is wrong to muzzle the opposition, or even an opponent, because any nationalist and patriot will want the best for Nigeria and so long as the people express their preference for that person, he should be given the opportunity. Nigeria has suffered and continues to suffer because Murtala Mohammed, Chief M. K. O. Abiola and, to a lesser extent, Chief Obafemi Awolowo were not allowed to rule Nigeria by the selfish manipulations and evil machinations of incurably selfish and obviously misguided elements.
Let’s now take on the issues I earlier mentioned, one by one. Those who are petrified, or just being cheeky, that the Hausa/Fulani will never hand over power to the South and, by extension, to Tinubu, and others, really baffle me. Self-doubt is one of the biggest afflictions of the Southerners. Too many people suffer from inferiority complex. They have resigned themselves to slavery and servitude, voluntarily, in their own country. This is one of the reasons the Tinubu experiment and controversy is ‘sweeting’ me. If Tinubu cannot be supported by the North, despite all he did for Muhammadu Buhari to become President, after chasing the shadows for three record times, then there is no hope for Nigeria. In any event, I must stress that it is an insult to other parts of Northern Nigeria to suggest that there is a monolithic and homogenous North. We all know that is far from the truth. There are diverse and disparate tribes in the Middle belt. Even within the core north there are several minority tribes who do not share the same aspirations as their more visible and vociferous neighbours. We must discourage the notion of master-servant relationship in this country. We must promote unity and uphold the rights of every Nigerian citizen. Personally, I don’t care where the next President comes from, North, East, South or West. All aspirants are welcome. The more, the merrier.
That is why I’m not for zoning, in any form. I want aspirants to contest on their disastrous or meritorious records. Let the electorates be the judges. But to say someone is automatically disqualified on account of ethnicity, or even religion, is so unfortunate and so not right and definitely unacceptable, at this time and age. It is one of the reasons that we have been robbed of stellar leaders in the past and the present. Are we not tired of this intractable backwardness?
On Awolowo and Abiola, it was the same myopia that made some powerful forces to gang up against them. What did the enemies of progress then gain after all? Let’s concede that Awolowo did not win, what of Abiola who was robbed in broad daylight and even paid the supreme price! Who knows if Tinubu will finally cross the bridge and finish the final lap of this marathon? No one knows God’s plans. Goodluck Jonathan never dreamt of being Deputy Governor, talk less of becoming President of Africa’s most populous country. Yemi Osinbajo had resigned himself to Law and Pastoral work but suddenly and unexpectedly became Vice President, almost effortlessly. He was probably home, arms akimbo, when he was called and annointed from the blues. Also, his helicopter crashed one terrible afternoon on his way to some political rallies in Kogi State, yet none of the passengers died. Many have died in less chaotically dangerous circumstances, and not a scratch on these children of God. Was that not a powerful sign and testimony that these are not mere mortals to be rubbished or traduced.
Some contend that Tinubu should not contest but instead allow one of his proteges to run instead. However, it is my belief that such a decision is solely his. It must always be remembered that he had the chance to be Vice-President and could have put his foot down to make the coalition work. On that occasion, for the good of his Party and the Nation, he gave up his dream and ambition and put forward another spectacular candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who has not let his mentor down and has shown admirable comportment and grace. I believe there must therefore be some cogent reasons why he feels the time has come to be the king rather than a Kingmaker in perpetuity. There is nothing wrong in him making such an informed decision. He should be allowed to exercise his franchise and bet on himself again. Tinubu is an enigmatic calculator who knows how to permutate the game and stun his opponents. Like Buhari, I want to assume that Tinubu had planned this journey for a very long time. All the steps he has taken since 1999 obviously point to this fact. The kind of political and social machinery that he has built is probably only matched and surpassed by those of great leaders that nurtured and forged our Independence, like the Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Odole of Ife, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Moshood Abiola. The rest is in the hands of God.
For me, Tinubu’s ambition is not an impossible mission. He is a master strategist who has acquired the templates of others like Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Chief Moshood Abiola, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, plus being one of those who ran Buhari’s campaigns, substantially. He knows the Nigerian terrain very well and even his enemies respect him tremendously.
For me, what gives Tinubu pre-eminence over most of the others who are contending for the crown but presently hiding behind one finger is his glittering records and achievements in both the private and public sectors. I really do not care about his past because as a Christian, none of us can judge anyone, and I have ample examples of the possible transformation and transfiguration of human beings, as the Lord pleases. That is a long time ago and gone with the winds. He has done more than enough to remove that from his narrative. Whatever his background was, he cannot be robbed of his victory and glory perpetually. Yes, it is clear that he came from very humble beginnings of deprivation and chronic need but he sought to improve himself by seeking the golden fleece. He succeeded in his quest attaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. His success in this regard can be measured by the fact that he was head hunted by top accounting firms like Arthur Andersen and Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. He eventually joined Mobil in Nigeria where he excelled spectacullarly and rose to become a top executive in the company. His should thus be a veritable inspiration to majority of those in similar circumstances today, that anyone can rise up from the pit of hell to any heights, by dint of hard work and uncommon sagacity and determination.
His political career started in 1992. He was elected to the highest legislative house in the Nigerian Senate. When that ill-fated experiment by General Ibrahim Babangida went the way, it was programmed to go, Tinubu fled Nigeria and regrouped with like minded patriotic Nigerians to form the external wing of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). After the death of General Sani Abacha, Tinubu returned home to contest as Governor of Lagos State and won a convincing victory.
It is Tinubu’s achievements as a two-term Governor of Lagos State that has projected him to the prominent and exalted position that he now occupies in the Nigerian political sphere. He began the systematic and robust increase of the internally generated revenue of Lagos State which his successors have had no choice but to emulate, and sustain incrementally thus making Lagos State one of the richest self-sustaining ‘governments’ in Africa. His indomitable and indefatigable spirit led him to challenge the Federal Government headlong and succeeded in standing tall as he fought President Olusegun Obasanjo to a standstill. Despite not having access to funding for his local governments, Tinubu single-handedly revived and revamped Local Governments in Lagos State and brought tremendous developments to practically every part of Lagos State. His other great political prowess is in identifying quality and talented leaders from hitherto political obscurity and foisting them on the people to great effect.
I strongly believe that Tinubu should be given a chance on the merit when, and if, he eventually proclaims his candidacy. Others will eventually come forth and should also be considered on their merits. As they do, we will have cause to revisit their suitability. Our country can only gain from such robustly healthy competition. We have a preponderance of brilliant men and women who can take Nigeria to the zenith of greatness but they are usually wasted on the altar of greed and selfishness.
What is clear to me is that it is only a matter of time before events begin to unfold.
In the meantime, I can only wish Tinubu all the best in his appointment with destiny.
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By Eric Elezuo
When the story of former governor of Rivers State, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is told in the future, one of the many catchphrases that may accompany the narrative may read, here was a man, who lost everything while attempting to grab everything.
Prior to, during and after the 2023 general elections, Wike became a bride of no particular groom, when he chose to hobnob between two political parties, betraying his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and working for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in an alliance that compensated him with the FCT job in the bargain. Technically, Wike remains the only politician who is not identified with any political party as at the moment, a source has told The Boss.
The Boss has also realised, in addition to a recent interview granted by Wike, that the former governor’s inability to declare for one party is rooted in his ambition to make a dash for the Presidency in 2027, banking on the possibility that President Bola Tinubu will not contest in the next election.
But the APC apparatchiks, who would not tolerate the Wike inroads into a political alliance that would not favour them, has constantly put the FCT minister on leash, caging every of his moves, especially with the crises in his home State against his anointed governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who suddenly sought his independence from Wike’s choking hold.
“Wike’s ambition has driven him into claiming the FCT job, and desiring to remain the defacto governor of Rivers State, a move some of the Rivers people have rejected, leading to a political quagmire in the oil rich state. Wike is just using the APC for his future. His target is 2027. But unfortunately for him, a lot of APC bigwigs are wary of his antics, and have created artificial hurdles for him, including the crises in his state. He has been caged,” the source said.
That has primarily explain his continuous face off with Fubara, whom he referred to as the ‘other person’ in a recent interview.
“When some peeople come to talk to me that beg your lawmakers now to do this. I said do you want them to obey me? They say yes. I said fine but what of the other person? He is not obeying me? He should assert his own? He should assert Independence,” he was quoted as saying in the interview that featured selected media houses.
Below are some of the excerpts from the close to two hours interview:
I thought Mr President has sorted it out?
The lawmakers cannot assert independence. You know, we we blow hot and cold. And that’s why I say anybody who supports an ingrate is a natural and ungrateful person.
People feel that agreement is loopsided. That you are not telling the lawmakers to return back to the PDP because every other thing was upturned?
How can the president tell me that I should go back to a party? How can you!
People that resigned were brought back?
For whose interest? Do you know what they said will draw impeachment? Do you know what that is, who benefited from it all? Tell me the truth. Whose office was under threat? When you say these people have gone to a party, it’s a matter of court interpretation. If you say I’ve left the party, it does not rely on you to say I’ve left the party. You need to challenge it in court. The speaker had to hit gavel. It’s not when you have interest, and you don’t want to look at the whole thing. As far as I’m concerned, the lawmakers have respected Mr President when the that agreement was reached. It didn’t take them 24 hours, they would do impeachment notice. What is the point that you brought Commissioners? Are they working? I didn’t know you will go into this kind of discussion, I’m busy! I’m busy with the metro line, how to achieve metro line…I’m busy with other projects, very busy. I don’t even have time to talk about politics. I have time for governance.
Which party do you belong to?
I’m a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Have you ever seen me change any day?
And you are not interested in the elections in Edo, whether your party wins or not?
The Wike that Nigerians know will always throw his heart behind his party. The one I supported before, what happened? The one I supported before now, what happened? So I have decided take a break now.
From politics?
No! As you see me here, I have decided to carry my cross. You see, at a point I was in PDP, I didnt hide it. When I said I was not going to support their Presidential candidate, is it that I spoke in a way people did not understand? Is it that I acted in a way people did not understand? Even the deaf can hear. What I said, the deaf can hear. But if this is not done, I wont do this.
But the party is to discipline you for that?
Discipline me for who? Who violated the party’s constitution? Who should be dissciplined? I am an advocate for the implementation of the constitution. It was you who breached it, and it still you that want to discipline me? In the first place, you shold have thank Rivers. Assuming we lost the governorship, would they have being talking about Rivers State being a PDP state?
Forget about this peoople who are galivating today who say they cannot serve master and serve boy. Now, they are serving boy on the road now. Like I told you, now is time for governance. Now, it is time to do your own assignment. The President has given me an assignment, and Im busy carrying it out. When the time for politics comes, then we would know who is where and who is not where? Running is not everything. I was a minister of state when I went to run for governorship? Did we not win?
You were the governor for eight years, and now the minister of FCT, which one has been more daunting for you?
Here is Nigeria, I dont have the kind of executive power I have when I was the governor. Most of the things I do here, I must seek the approval of Mr President. And anytime I seek his approval, he has always given me. Which has made my work easier, but I can tell you that it’s not easy. All kinds of people are here, the past presidents are here, former army generals are here, field marshals are here, everybody is here. Senate president is here, speaker is here, chief justice is here…so, it is not like in the state. But for whatever it is, if you have capacity, have capacity. It doesnt really matter where you find yourself.
When I was minister of state education, everybody thought that office is a hard office. When I left somebody was there, and someone said was it not where Wike was? It’s not the office, it is you that will tell us how the office will be.
Thank you honourable minister for this time…
Analysts and stakeholders have said that Wike’s responses betrayed his longing for the presidential ticket, which he lost in May 2022 PDP presidential primary in Abuja, and which he is coming to the realization that the APC will not oblige him come 2026 when the primary election tons are held. Consequently, he is maintaining his cronies in the PDP while frolicking with a very unsupported APC machinery.
As a result, he is making frantic efforts to realign with his colleagues, especially members of the G-5, who lost out in the last election including Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu and Samuel Ortom, and reaching out to some other governors like Adamawa and Bauchi for additional financial muscle.
“The deal is simple. He is banking on Tinubu not contesting in 2027 so he can unleash his full force on the PDP for the ticket, knowing it will be next to impossible to get the APC ticket. That explains his tenacious and opportunistic hold on two fronts, neither a confirmed member of the APC nor has he officially left the PDP,” The Boss source further alleged.
It is believed that except for Tinubu, no one will match him in resources and Finance, and so explained why APC caged him with the topsy-turvy situation in Rivers.
“So with his being busy in Rivers, which is his golden goose, and managing a complex centre like Abuja, where all eyes including Tinubu’s are on him, it is most unlikely that he can take a queenly step in the chess game playing out. They have reduced him to more of a pun, a disposal knight, especially with Fubara’s perceived independence from him, which is causing rancour. It is even interesting to note that the Tinubu/APC camp is supporting Fubara. They know that a weak Wike will not give them hassles on the national political level,” an analyst posited.
Another source has also claimed that the reason behind the PDP’s inability to call a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is all boiled down to checkmating Wike’s perceived excesses. The party rather chose to keep the National Working Committee (NWC) intact.
While both stakeholders and analysts believe that 2027 is still far ahead, politicians in the likes of APC apparatchiks and the FCT minister are already locked in a battle of wits to see who holds the upper hand when the time comes. Wike has already said that ‘when 2027 comes, we would know who is who’. Though it was a veiled allusion to the Rivers governor, it still posits a general connotation to the war of relevance that has continually played out since the end of the 2023 political season.
minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the 2027 election will be a walk in the park for his political camp.
At a thanksgiving service by Barinada Mpigi, a federal lawmaker, in Koroma, Tai LGA, where he made the remarks, Wike said the election will be easy for his camp because of the alliance it has forged with other parties as well as controlling the structures of both APC and PDP in Rivers State.
He said the alliance between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state cannot be challenged.
“With the forces we have, I don’t know of anybody who can challenge us,” Wike boasted.
But time will tell how the whole scenario plays out in this political game of chess involving Wike and the APC, and PDP.
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Enhancing Food Security: Governor Umo Eno’s Worthy Interventions
Published
4 days agoon
March 14, 2024By
Editor
By Michael Effiong
Today, the biggest threat to the survival of mankind is food security. Indeed, the phenomenon has taken a global dimension and is not confined to the borders of any nation.
Growing hunger has been fueled by a toxic mix of climate change, insecurity and a global economic crisis that has exacerbated poverty and inequality, affecting the ability of many families and communities to cope.
In Nigeria, at least in the last few months, there is no topic that has been more discussed than that of the rising cost of food stuff and the hunger in the land.
As US President John F. Kennedy once said, “The war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.” This is a war that must be fought with vigor and won.
On his visit to Niger State on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called on states to support the federal government’s effort in the area of agriculture and food security.
Interestingly, long before this call by Mr. President, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has already taken action.
How? Well, you can call him the modern day Nostradamus and will not be wrong. It was not that he was clairvoyant but we can adduce it to his power of vision because agriculture was one of his focus areas even before his overwhelming victory at the polls on March 18, 2023.
The then candidate Umo Eno had developed an economic blueprint for his campaign dubbed the ARISE Agenda. A of the A-R-I-S-E stands for Agricultural Revolution.
Having had this as part of his economic blueprint, it is no wonder that the Umo Eno administration had already hit the ground running and has been laying out plans, programmes and projects that are worthy of emulation in a bid to stem the tide of the current national crisis.
Perhaps what can be described as the most impactful and innovative intervention in the area of food sufficiency and sustainability in the country at the moment was signed into law on Thursday, March 14, 2023 as the Akwa Ibom State Bulk Purchase Agency which aims at ensuring that staple foods are available, accessible and affordable to the most vulnerable in the state.
Everyone knows that implementing this kind of programme can be herculean, but the government set up a committee with a well-laid out plan to ensure this works efficiently.
This programme, like others the Governor has initiated, would be devoid of any political coloration. Already, government has met with traders and market associations. Foodstuff agents will be selected and trained. They would all sign an agreement with government and would be the ones to operate branded shops and redemption centres that will be located in selected markets and points across the 31 LGAs.
The Agency would use a voucher system akin to the Food Stamps now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the United States.
The Akwa Ibom equivalent when deployed, will operate in a similar fashion because it would be strictly for vulnerable indigenes who will exchange the monthly vouchers for staple food items.
The beneficiaries would get direct subsidies as they would pay well-discounted prices to the agents for the value of the food item on each voucher. The accredited agents would later present these vouchers to government for reconciliation and reimbursement.
Furthermore, the Governor’s 368 Personal Assistants in the wards are to help implement the programme at the grassroots while names of all agents and beneficiaries ( drawn from the state social register which had recently been updated) would be published.
It is expected that from this arrangement and involvement of many stakeholders, the Agency’s mandate would be delivered within a short period of time.
Knowing full well that the Agency’s work is a short term measure, Governor Eno is also thinking long term and has started preaching the “Back-To-Farm” message. His goal is to inspire Akwa Ibomites from all walks of life to see the benefits of farming.
In his words: “Please everybody, no matter how small your land is even if it is just behind or beside your house, sow something. We must return to the farm”
Let us cast our minds back to what used to be the norm back in the day. Our parents and grandparents used to have little farms around the house where green vegetables, tomatoes, pepper, okra, maize, yams, cassava e.t.c. were grown. Some even reared chickens and goats too.
Many may see this as a call to subsistence farming in today’s technologically-advanced world, but in truth, if we are able to grow a few of what we eat, it will not only reduce the hunger in the land in a matter of months, but it will free up funds for people to use for other things.
This initiative by the Governor for rural and urban dwellers to go back to the farm is already being practiced by other countries to boost their food supply. It is called urban farming.
Countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada and China are way ahead and have incorporated this into their urban planning and city regeneration projects.
A good example of the success of this initiative is the city of Rosario in Argentina. Rosario’s Urban Agriculture Programme (Programa de Agricultura Urbana, or PAU) started small, but now grows nearly 2,500 tons of food each year. What started as a means of feeding the population in the wake of an economy in tatters is now a cornerstone of the city’s food sustainability initiative. This shows that the Governor’s call is a much needed step in the right direction.
Also, the government has commenced Phase II of the AK Cares Programme. Beneficiaries across the 31 LGAs would get farm implements, seedlings, poultry birds or fish juveniles and adequate training.
The Ministry of Agriculture is also being galvanized to distribute improved seedlings and support agriculture cooperatives to help increase their productivity. And the Ibom FADAMA Microfinance Bank has been restructured in line with the present realities.
That is not all, the Governor who takes the welfare of the citizens seriously also signed the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Loans Law (Amendment) Bill, a private member bill sponsored by Hon. Mfon Idung. The law has increased the amount to be granted as loans to individual farmers, corporate entities and cooperative societies and would enable them expand their operations, embrace modern farming techniques, boost productivity and ultimately, drive economic transformation.
It is worth mentioning also that Governor Eno’s people-centred intervention strategy also includes a rejuvenation of the rural communities through construction of rural roads and provision of key amenities. This idea is well captured in R (Rural Development) of the ARISE Agenda. The nexus between rural development and agriculture are as inseparable as a set of conjoined twins!
This school of thought concerning the importance of rural development as a way of boosting agriculture is also held by former Agriculture & Rural Development Minister and current President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina.
He expressed these sentiments most succinctly while delivering his acceptance speech on his conferment with the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos recently.
According to him “Nigeria must completely transform its rural economies to ensure food security for all. A better Africa must start with the transformation of rural economies. That is because some 70% of the population live there. Rural poverty is extremely high. At the heart of transforming rural economies is agriculture, the main source of livelihoods.
“As a young student who attended high school in the village, I witnessed the high correlation of agricultural performance with education. “It was common then to hear the phrase “Agbe lo ba” . (farmers are kings), uttered with great pride
“The transformation of rural economies must therefore be structural, systemic, strategic and comprehensive. Doing so, means agriculture must be turned into a wealth creating sector. Sound public policies transform the lives of people”.
No one can dispute the need for sound policies as enunciated by Dr. Adeshina and this is reason as an ardent advocate of agribusiness and with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 in mind, the Governor’s earliest move in the agricultural sector on assumption of office was to sign an MOU with Songhai Farms for the development of Ibom Model Farms.
This long-term partnership is aimed at driving a technologically-driven agricultural revolution that will boost food production, tourism, youth development, knowledge transfer and job creation.
While construction has already begun at the first farm located in Nsit Ubium LGA (others will spring up when LGAs make land available), the Governor has shown his seriousness for this project by sponsoring some youths on training programmes in preparation for the Farm’s take off.
With all hands already on deck and machinery put in motion to operationalize the multi-layered approach initiated by the Gov. Umo Eno-led administration, the indigenes of Akwa Ibom State are soon going to heave a sigh of relief. Not only would the issue of high cost of foodstuff be history but food sufficiency would become the new normal in the state.
.Effiong, a journalist, is Senior Special Assistant (Lagos Liaison) to Governor Umo Eno
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Headline
Budget Padding Allegation: PDP Condemns Ningi’s Suspension, Calls for Akpabio’s Resignation
Published
5 days agoon
March 13, 2024By
EricBy Eric Elezuo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi in the National Assembly, over his allegation that the Senate padded the 2024 Budget with a whopping N3.7trn for non-existent projects, and called for the immediate resignation of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The Party made its position known via a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, calling for an independent investigation into the alleged budget padding as well as other of Akpabio’s alleged misdemeanor including looting of N108 billion Akwa Ibom fund during his tenure as governor.
In addition, the party insists that the senate president should as a matter of urgency report himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The PDP viewed the suspension of Senator Ningi as a ‘desperate move to suppress investigation, conceal and sweep the facts under the carpet,’ and questioned the rationale behind the All Progressives Congress (APC)-Senate leadership refusing to refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate, adding that it was obvious the leadership of the senate is hiding something.
The statement in details:
Step Aside, PDP Tells Akpabio Over N3.7t Budget Allegation, N108b A/Ibom State Fund
…Says It Stands With Senator Ningi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.
The Party also demands that Senator Akpabio immediately reports at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the pending case of alleged looting of N108 billion belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State under his watch as Governor of the State.
Furthermore, the Senate President should speak out on the reported N86 billion contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during his tenure as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The PDP firmly condemns the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate without a detailed inquest into the issue of budget padding which he raised.
The suspension of Senator Ningi is apparently a desperate move to suppress investigation, conceal and sweep the facts under the carpet.
Moreover, the frustration of investigation by the APC Senate leadership further confirms PDP’s repeated alert that prominent APC officials in the National Assembly and a top official in the Presidency have been using ministers and other government functionaries to siphon budgeted funds from the national coffers.
We ask, why did the APC leadership in the Senate not refer the matter to the appropriate Senate Standing Committee for an open investigation in line with the extant Rules of the Senate? What is the APC Senate leadership afraid of and what is it hiding from Nigerians?
It is even more absurd that instead of recusing himself, the Senate President sat as a judge in the matter; a situation that has the capacity to bring the institution of the Senate to further public disrepute.
This is especially as the issues at hand heavily border on alleged gross misconduct and criminal betrayal of public trust which are serious offenses under our laws.
Nigerians can now see why the APC leadership in the National Assembly, especially in the Senate continues to condone the unbridled looting of public resources including funds meant for palliatives for poor and vulnerable citizens.
This apparent inclination towards covering up sleaze in the polity is already pitching the institution of the Senate against Nigerians who are demanding for answers on the matter. Of course, the widely condemned suspension of Senator Ningi does not provide answers to the budget padding allegation.
It is indeed unfortunate and a huge smear on the image of the Senate, as the highest lawmaking and probity Institution in the country, that its Presiding Officer has found himself in a quagmire of alleged sleaze and betrayal of public trust.
Our Party therefore stands with Senator Ningi for his courage in seeking probity and accountability in the polity.
What Nigerians expect at this moment is for the Senate President to come clean by stepping aside, allowing for an independent investigation into the budget padding allegation as well as clearing his name at the EFCC over alleged looting of N108 billion and N86 billion under his watch as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs respectively.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary
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