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Ghana Lawmaker Eulogises Ex-President JJ Rawlings on 74th Posthumous Birthday
STATEMENT ON THE 74TH BIRTHDAY OF LATE FORMER PRESIDENT JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS BY KOFI ADAMS, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BUEM ON TUESDAY 22ND JUNE,2021.
Mr. Speaker,
Thanks for the opportunity given me to make a statement on the birthday of former President JJ Rawlings.
On November 12, 2020, Ghana was struck by a massive earthquake that shook its very foundations and uprooted a giant oak tree. Former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, bade farewell to his beloved country, sending shock waves across the length and breadth of the globe.
It is less than one year of his passing to eternity. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured that as a former special aide of this great statesman, you have offered me the opportunity to eulogise him on the occasion of what would have been his 74th birthday.
Former President Rawlings was admired locally and globally for his charisma, sincerity, passion, drive, patriotism and commitment to the pursuit of the anti-corruption agenda.
Since he led an uprising against the political and economic decay confronting the country 42 years ago, Chairman Rawlings, as he was then known, never wavered in his pursuit of the ideals of freedom, justice, probity and accountability.
His avowed pursuit of these ideals brought him into conflict with some, but also won him mass acclaim not only in Ghana but globally. In our own region, Nigerians are never tired of expressing their regret that Ghana had such a personality leading her instead of their country. Indeed after his sudden demise, Nigerians wept as hard as Ghanaians. They were equally bereaved.
Chairman Rawlings founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which remains a huge force to reckon with in Ghanaian politics. Mr. Speaker, you and 137 members of Parliament are direct descendants of this political force whose birth changed the political dynamics of Ghana and has contributed to the most stable political period in our country’s history.
President Rawlings is seen as the father of the Fourth Republic and has been celebrated for his willingness to hand over power when his tenure of office ended. With that singular act, he created the precedent that has blessed this country with three more seamless leadership transitions. The peace and tranquility we enjoy today is a legacy of this hero who, as a young man, won the coveted Speed Bird trophy during training to become one of Ghana’s most celebrated Air Force pilot.
Post-Presidency, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings continued to pursue his ideals with the firm belief that if we all put our hands on deck and pursued our agenda with sincerity and integrity, we will develop our country in the right direction and ensure that we are all beneficiaries of social justice.
Ghana’s road to economic and political recovery after the retrogression of the 1970s was initiated by His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, when he launched the pragmatic Economic Recovery Programme to revive the financial health of Ghana and engender economic growth and sustenance.
As a leader, his objective was to institutionalise participatory governance that allowed people at the local level to determine their own developmental priorities. To quote him, “Our objective is to end, once and for all, the parasitic relationship that enables the urban elite not only to live off the sweat of the rural dweller, but to dictate to him the conditions of his existence.” Today, the District Assembly concept is a reality, and that was engineered during the tenure of this illustrious son of Ghana.
J. J. Rawlings focused on human-centred policies in order to improve the all-round status of Ghanaians and Ghana. The list of projects during his tenure as Chairman of the PNDC and President of Ghana under NDC are endless. With food security as his priority, Ghana recorded a food production growth of 148 per cent for the period 1995-1997, ranking third after Jordan and China.
Under his leadership, the Ghana Export Promotion Council was created in 1994 to help diversify exports in Ghana and promote incentives.
President Rawlings is recognized for literally bridging the divide between northern and southern Ghana with the construction of major roads that have today ensured that traveling to or from those parts of the country is not a multiple-day journey. Electricity distribution was expanded across Ghana, bringing in its wake a whole new dimension to the cause of rural and national development.
His Excellency Rawlings was not only Ghana-oriented. He remained committed to peace and stability on the African continent and pursued a policy of nurturing neighbourly relations. He contributed to conflict resolution in countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1994, he became the ECOWAS Chairman during the first Liberian war. Under his chairmanship, the Akosombo Accord and Accra Peace Agreement were signed. Liberians are forever grateful for the effort Ghana made to help end the civil war in that country.
In the area of tourism and Panafricanism, former President Rawlings ensured that under his tenure the concept of the Panafrican Historical Theatre Project (PANAFEST) was given life when in 1992 the first PANAFEST event was held. The event which together with the Emancipation Day have become regular commemorative days in this country, have also helped to boost tourism tremendously. Prominent African-Americans such as Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Isaac Hayes and Jermaine Jackson have all taken advantage of the celebrations to visit Ghana. What is now rechristened as the Year of Return took place long before today.
In 1993, he received the Prestigious Hunger Award and donated the $50,000 cash prize as seed money for the establishment of the University of Development Studies. Today the University is one of Ghana’s major Universities, with campuses in Tamale, Wa, Nyankpala and Navrongo.
President Rawlings was never inactive. He commented on social and political issues without fear or favour.
The list of awards, honorary doctorates and citations is endless and will take a whole day to list here. But we cannot forget his contribution to the easing of the conflict in Somalia as the African Union’s High Representative for Somalia. We cannot also forget his role as United Nations Eminent Person on International Volunteerism.
As part of his 70th birthday in 2017, a symposium was held under the theme “Protecting and Safeguarding National Environment for Future Generations”. Experts from academia; individuals and other state actors spoke extensively on Climate Change in Ghana; Small Scale mining; Sustainable use of our Coastal and Marine environment drawing particular attention to vulnerable communities.
This brave, affable, passionate and proud advocate would have been 74 today.
I am proud to inform the House that the Rawlings Foundation, established to build on the legacy of this great son of Ghana and Africa, will this coming weekend organise a tree-planting project at the Achimota School, his alma mater, to mark his birthday and to immortalise the environmental credentials of the greenest of Ghanaian leaders.
Mr. Speaker, Jerry John Rawlings, came, saw and conquered and his legacy should be one that this house should encourage the youth to emulate.
In the end, despite his political ideologies and leanings, our brothers on the other side did not hesitate to court his counsel and friendship. His talismanic political prowess was admired by all.
The legend lives on! Rest in Peace, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker for this honour.
Farotimi, on July 2, 2024, released a 116-page book titled Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, setting the stage for a clash of interest resulting in petitions, persecutions, prosecutions and gagging of privileges and rights.
Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party at the 2023 ele tions, and a political ally of Farotimi, had volunteered to assist in helping embattled lawyer meet his bail conditions.
“He was only arrested after all attempts to make him come and explain himself proved abortive. He has been investigated and the case is already in court,” the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, explained.
But Farotimi’s lawyer, Temitope Temokun, countered the Police statement, saying his client was never invited by the Command
“He was invited by Zone 2 on two occasions, and he went there.
“But why would you be inviting somebody to Ekiti from Lagos on something that happened in Lagos? However, he was never invited, and if he had been invited, as a lawyer, I would advise him not to go.”
The situation erupted a discourse on various fora, further questioning the the credibility of the already discredited judiciary before some Nigerians, and further popularizing the said contentious book written by Farotimi.
The lawyer reasoned that, “The book was published in Lagos. The defendant has an office in Lagos. And under the Nigerian Criminal Justice System, the law is not that you have to go to where the defendant is, to go and try the accused. You have to try the accused where the act was committed, except he had escaped justice in another state.
“So if he didn’t do that, you cannot abduct him to that state that he didn’t escape to.”
However, on appearance at The Chief Magistrates Court in the Ado Ekiti Division, days later, he was ordered to be remanded in the state’s correctional centre pending consideration of his bail application.
In the fresh charge dated and filed December 6, Farotimi was alleged to have violated the Cybercrimes laws, when he on August 28, 2024 knowingly and intentionally transmitted a false communication in an online interview on Mic On Podcast by Seun Okinbaloye on his YouTube Channel in respect of a book he authored and published with the titled: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
According to the charge, Farotimi was alleged to have in the said broadcast interview claimed that, “Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary”, a claim which he knew to be false information and made for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.
In count two, the defendant was said to have made the allegation “with the intention of bullying and harassing the named persons thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24 (a) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.”
In another charge, Farotimi was alleged to have on December 2, 2024, acknowledged that there was a charge preferred before a court in Ekiti State against him at the instance of Chief Afe Babalola.
“This preferred, hidden from view and the court had purportedly demanded my presence multiple times and failed to appear before the court and this Court had then proceeded to issue bench warrant for my arrest. This is classic Afe Babalola, I detailed his corruptive influence in my book titled: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’ which you know to contain false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended,” the charge read in part.
In count four, Farotimi was said to have described the charge in his online broadcast as “fraudulently preferred, hidden from view and the court had purportedly demanded my presence multiple times and I failed to appear before the court and this court had then proceeded to issue bench warrant for my arrest.”
The police further accused the defendant of bullying and harassing Babalola and other named persons when through his online broadcast alleged that after he sued Babalola for libel, “the machines of corruption went into overdrive and a case that should never have been killed at the preliminary stage was killed”.
Count 10 reads: That you Dele Farotimi on December 2, 2024 intentionally sent a message in the course of a press conference held on Online on your YouTube Channel, where you stated that: “I told the truth of his corruption of the society” which you know to contain false information for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order thereby committed an offence Contrary to and punishable under Section 24(1) (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended.
On December 10, his case was further moved to December 20 when he was granted N30 million bail. The bail conditions were completed on December 24 when he was released.
Though Farotimi is released, his freedom, which came at a cost, is not completely guaranteed as he will remain a regular visitor to courts until the final determination, which is likely to drag to the Supreme Court.
(4.00 out of 5) from the site which was based on five critic reviews.
The release of the book was accompanied by a public dispute between Dele Farotimi and Afe Babalola, In a controversial development a court in Nigeria issued an injunction halting the further production, distribution, and sale of Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System. The decision came following a lawsuit filed by Babalola, who alleged that certain portions of the book contained defamatory statements and misrepresentations about individuals and institutions within the Nigerian criminal justice system.
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Maiden Media Chat: I’m Not Ready to Shrink My Cabinet, Tinubu Declares, Defends Subsidy Removal, Insists on Tax Reforms
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, on Monday firmly defended his administration’s decision to retain his cabinet members, dismissing criticisms that it is “bloated.”
“I am not ready to shrink the size of my cabinet,” Tinubu stated during his first Presidential Media Chat in Lagos.
“I am not prepared to bring down the size of my cabinet,” he reiterated, emphasising that “efficiency” has guided his ministerial appointments.
The president also addressed concerns about the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, reaffirming his stance that the decision was unavoidable.
“I don’t have any regrets whatsoever in removing petrol subsidy. We are spending our future; we were just deceiving ourselves. That reform was necessary,” he said.
According to Tinubu, the removal of the subsidy has fostered competition in the sector, leading to a gradual reduction in petrol prices.
“The market is being saturated. No monopoly, no oligopoly, a free market economy flowing,” he explained.
Tinubu rejected the idea of price control, asserting his belief in the principles of a free market.
“I don’t believe in price control. We will work hard to supply the market,” he said.
On managing electricity bills, which has tripled since the tariff hike for Band A customers, the president advised Nigerians to adopt better energy management practices.
“It’s not negative to learn to manage. You learn to control your electricity bill, switch off the light. Let’s learn to manage,” Tinubu urged.
On controversial tax reform bills, which have divided the northern and southern parts of the country, the president said “no going back”.
“Tax reform is here to stay; we cannot just continue to do what we were doing years to years in today’s economy. We cannot retool this economy with the old broken books, and I believe I have that capacity that is why I went into the race,” Tinubu said.
“I am focused on what Nigeria needs and what I must do for Nigeria, it is not just going to be eldorado for everybody, but the new dawn is here, I am convinced, and you should be convinced.”
The former governor of Lagos State expressed confidence in his security chiefs, arguing the country is more secure than he met it.
He said, “Today, I have confidence in my security architecture. It is very, very unfortunate that, you know, two decades of wanton killing. I remember when I jumped into the campaign, I had to stop the campaign to pay condolence visits to Madiburi, Katsina, Kajuna, Kola. Today, you can still travel the roads. Before now, it was impossible. It took one incident to mess up an organized environment.”
”I am not probing anybody or service chiefs, you cannot disrespect the institution because of the threat of probe. Give them credit for what they are doing, I am proud of what they are doing today.’’
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, presented the proposed 2025 federal budget to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The N47.9 trillion budget saw a whopping N3.5 trillion allocated to the education sector.
Other sectors that got higher allocations include defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn and health – N2.4tn.
“It is with great pleasure that I lay before this distinguished joint session of the National Assembly, the 2025 Budget of the National Assembly of Nigeria titled, ‘The Restoration Budget’ security peace, building prosperity,” Tinubu said as he concluded his 30-minute presentation at 1:10pm.
This budget highlights the government’s focus on improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure, in line with its ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ aimed at boosting the economy and addressing key national priorities.
The live broadcast of the budget presentation today revealed the government’s plans for the next fiscal year. With a strong emphasis on human capital development, the president highlighted the budget’s commitment to improving the nation’s economic foundation.
Education sector receives major funding
A significant portion of the 2025 budget is dedicated to education, with N3.5 trillion allocated to the sector. President Tinubu stated that part of this funding would be directed toward infrastructure development, including support for Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the establishment of nine new higher educational institutions.
“We have made provision for N826.90 billion for infrastructural development in the education sector,” Tinubu said.
This allocation aims to improve educational facilities and support ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s educational system.
Focus on human capital development
During the presentation, the president emphasized the importance of investing in Nigeria’s human capital. “Human capital development, our people are our greatest resource. That is why we are breaking record investment in education, healthcare, our social services,” he remarked.
Tinubu also pointed to the N34 billion already disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to assist over 300,000 students.
The budget includes continued investments in healthcare and social services as part of the broader goal of enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians.
Strengthening the economy and national security
Tinubu highlighted that the 2025 budget is designed to build a robust economy while addressing critical sectors necessary for growth and security.
“This budget reflects the huge commitment to strengthening the foundation of a robust economy, while addressing the critical sectors essential for the growth and development we envision; and secure our nation,” he said.
The budget aims to tackle key challenges and foster long-term economic stability by prioritizing infrastructure and development in key sectors.
Healthcare and social services allocations
In addition to education, Tinubu focused on the allocation for healthcare and social services. The government plans to increase investments in healthcare infrastructure and services to ensure broader access to essential healthcare for Nigerians.
These investments are part of the administration’s strategy to improve overall living conditions and enhance public health across the country.
President Tinubu’s proposed 2025 budget is said to reflect the administration’s commitment to achieving its development objectives, with a focus on economic growth, human capital development, and infrastructure improvement.
As the National Assembly reviews the budget, the president reiterated his administration’s resolve to address the nation’s most pressing needs.
Source: Nairametrics
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