Icheoku calls on President Umaru Yar'Adua, to please resign his office immediately and set Nigeria free!Nigeria was snubbed by the G20 because of your ineptitude and lack of leadership; which has forced Nigeria once again into the doldrums in the international arena? Even the ignoble Obasanjo did well to project Nigeria through his assertive years in power. But you are such a weakling, that even your demands are always ignored by such little tiny countries, like Guinea Bissau and Madagascar? You did not win the presidency in the first place, so we understood your tepidity that far; but since becoming legitimized by the Supreme court, no other excuse suffices for your continuing aloofness in actual governance of Nigeria. Also it has now been demonstrated several times over, that you are clueless on how to move the country forward; and nobody knows if this your inability to govern is by reason of your indisposition, caused by your yet to be disclosed debilitating illness? Now, you have in addition, lost the world's confidence as Nigeria's president! So the question is, what use is your remaining in Aso Rock to Nigeria? Our verdict, NONE! So take a bow and make your exit!
Icheoku learnt that you were wondering why the exclusion of Nigeria from the G20 and ask you, to wonder no more; as you are the sole reason why Nigeria was so humiliated, excluded from the world's best twenty's gathering in London. Action has consequences and so it is that, nobody wants any further continuing relationship with a corrupt, thieving, 419, election rigging and imposed leadership country? Nigeria has no clout or credibility left in the international community to warrant her associationship with their best? When Icheoku warned of the Ostrich that buries its head in the sand-syndrome of many a Nigerian leadership, it was our candid apposite assessment of the situation in Nigeria. Today, it is official as Nigeria has, by necessary implication, been declared a pariah-state by those countries that matter in world? Even Turkey, India, Brazil and South Africa made it to the G20 to the utter chagrin of Nigeria? Now, tell Icheoku who is that proud Nigerian left, in view of the lowest rock-bottom ranking Nigeria now occupies in the international arena; necessitating its exclusion from the G20? President Umaru Yar'Adua's leadership is not leading at all and should step aside, and make way for a better patriot to mount the saddle in Nigeria! Enough of this crawling go-slow of a government led by President Umaru Yar'Adua! Nigeria's absence at the just ended 2009 world economic summit in London says a lot, the real world has passed their verdict on Nigeria:- they cannot continue to deal with a corruption-shielding and incubating, incompetent, election-cheating, leadership in Nigeria? Based on above premises, Icheoku says it is about time you left the presidency? Your resignation is therefore the proper thing to do and also our collective wish, no, demand! President Umaru Yar'Adua, please throw in the towel; remove yourself from clogging up the wheel of progress of Nigeria so that things may move forward once again! President Umaru Yar'Adua, please read the hand-writing on the wall, QUIT NOW!
We Won't Join G20 In 50 Years -Nnamani
ReplyDelete*Exclusion From Session Humiliating, Says Ezeife
By Sunny Igboanugo, Group Politics Editor
Except there is a radical change in the quality of leadership in Nigeria, the country's desire to be part of the leading 20 most influential nations in the world would be a mere dream, even in the next 50 years.
Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani said on Friday that what is on the ground currently does not suggest Nigeria wants to belong to the prestigious group of powerful nations in good enough time.
Nnamani's views are in tandem with those of his compatriot, former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who said that the clear message from Nigeria's exclusion from the on-going meeting of the group of 20 most influential countries (G20) signaled a huge humiliation and frustration.
Both spoke against the backdrop of lamentations on Thursday, by President Umaru Yar'Adua at the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that Nigeria was not invited at the prestigious meeting in London, where three other African countries are in attendance.
"Today is a sad day for me and for every Nigerian. Leaders of the world are meeting over the world economy and we are not there," Yar'Adua lamented, regretting that the ease with which the entire world ignored Nigeria was a challenge the country must rise up to.
Nnamani and Ezeife, however put the ball back to the President, saying he must produce the type of leadership to steer the country from such a damning treatment.
They spoke in separate telephone interviews with Sunday Independent.
Said Nnamani: "I hope you watched everything. You saw the flag of each of the participating countries. Which of them do you think in all honesty you can displace? Which of them are we going to overtake? Is it South Korea? South Korea has five multinational companies that are competing on the international market.
"You talk of KIA, Samsung, LG, Daewoo, are all from South Korea. And this is a country that was far below Nigeria in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 1960s. Korea does not produce a pint of diesel or petrol.
"Is it India, which is clearly the first in Information Communication Technology (ICT), in the whole world? Which of them really, if we are sincere to overtake, that will make us to be lamenting. It is not impossible that they sent us an invitation by e-mail and we did not have light to put our computers on and therefore did not see the invitation and after waiting for our reply, they sent it to another country."
The ex-chairman of the National Assembly, under whose leadership the attempt to hoist then President Olusegun Obasanjo was thwarted, told Sunday Independent that until the country addressed the issue of poor leadership, which had manifested in malfeasances like corruption, electoral fraud, lack of good infrastructure and general poor governance, its rating in the world instead of improving, would even worsen.
"Everything boils down to bad leadership. For instance we are fighting a war on corruption without casualties. All the people that are supposed to be behind bars today, are they not junketing to all parts of the world? So, it is not about being sad. We have to take the route countries like South Korea took. We must have focused leadership. Even with our oil, our economy is still not up to five per cent of that of Korea. So, it is not sadness that will solve the problem. The way things are now, we will not join that club in the next 50 years.
"What are we doing to join them? Is it by emphasising trivial things like re-branding? Which factory in the world runs without constant power and water? Productivity is a product of values. What are our values? What are we doing to get there than mere wishes? Wishes cannot take us there, neither would mere slogans" he added.
Ezeife thinks so too, saying the country must take steps to make it impossible for the world to ignore it in the future, adding that there were indices that determine such an enviable world status, which regrettably, were absent in Nigeria at the moment.
The former Anambra State Governor, disagreed with the suggestion that the damning treatment giving to the country, was a signal to the recent Federal Government's handling of the Electoral Reform white paper, saying it was more than that.
His words: "There are a number of reasons why we were not invited. May be our economy has not been doing well. They must have the scale by which they measure those who should attend and we did not measure up. I think in the future, we must do everything to increase our weight in that scale. And this we can always do by providing credible leadership. With good leadership I think we will get there, because we have enormous resources, half of these, most of these countries do not have."
The former governor, who said he was shocked with the white paper on the Uwais Panel report, said the country would be doomed if it failed to seize the leadership question that would make it able to compete on the global space.
He said it was now the duty of the National Assembly to help get the country out of the woods, adding that every patriotic Nigerian must equally be disturbed about what is happening within the polity now.
Yar’adua’s administration has failed –Bugaje
ReplyDeleteWritten by Ibraheem Musa, who was in Zaria
Sunday, 05 April 2009
Nigeria is currently bedevilled with the absence of government in all spheres of its national life and state institutions are too weak to deliver good governance in this country, Dr Usman Bugaje, the national secretary of Action Congress (AC) has lamented yesterday.
Dr Bugaje who made this known at a public lecture that was organised by the Movement for a Better Future in Zaria, also noted that the present government is characterised by policy flip-flops. “Government will announce one policy today, a few days or weeks down the line, they will announce an opposite policy, and the next time it will be another story,” he said.
The AC national secretary also said that the present administration lacks direction, describing the re-branding Nigerian project as a waste of time and resources. He took a swipe at the National Assembly, the judiciary and the executive arms of government, adding that “citizens’ awareness is also very low.``
He reminded the audience that the huge resources that the country got from oil in the last eight years “was unprecedented and beyond the imaginations of anyone of us.” But in spite of this revenue, the country has witnessed an unprecedented misery, he further lamented.
Nigerians, according to him, had high hopes with the advent of democracy in 1999, thinking that “we will solve all our infrastructural problems and address all our social problems and we will take our position as the leader of the African continent.” This optimism, he pointed out, was demonstrated in the voters turn out in 1999 which was about 75%.
However, the people’s hopes were dashed and with this disappointment came diminishing voters turn out, he added. According to the AC chieftain, the turnout of registered voters came down to 35% in 2003. “Just a year after, in 2004 during the local government election, that figure went down to 10%”, he further said.
Dr Bugaje who was one of the speakers on the occasion, decried that the inability of the House of Representatives to even adopt the report of the power sector probe, where $16 billion was allegedly frittered away without commensurate results. He painted a graphic picture of how just $1 billion would have changed the fortunes of the 774 local governments in the country.
According to him, $1 billion will translate into N150 billion even at Central Bank rate. “And if you take N150 billion and divide it by the 774 local governments that we have, you will have an average of N200 million for every local government”, the guest speaker pointed out. This amount, he further said, is enough to solve a council’s water problems because it will provide 100 boreholes, provide schools and clincs.
In spite of this colossal loss, Dr Bugaje said, no one has been prosecuted and power probe report cannot even be presented to the House of Representatives. “That tells you the kind of National Assembly that we have, that tells you the kind of citizens that we have because we have all kept quiet, and that tells you the kind of leaders that we have”, he also said.
G–20 Summit: Nigeria’s non- invitation, failure of Yar’adua –CNPP
ReplyDeleteWritten by Aliyu Machika
Sunday, 05 April 2009
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) yesterday said President Umaru Yar’Adua’s admittance of regret over non-invitation of Nigeria to observe the G-20 summit in London, is an indication that his policies, political party and government have failed.
Secretary of the CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu who was reacting to Yar’adua’s admittance over the issue of G-20, said that, President Yar’Adua’s should also regret the fact that Nigeria had further lost, even the limited image it had in the two years since he assumed office.
“Two years of seven point agenda and Vision 2020-20 and the economic situation of Nigeria did not improve for the G-20 to even, invite the country as an observer, talk less of as a member,” Ezugwu said.
He said the President’s handling of various probes and electoral reform reports must have contributed to the way the group of industrialised countries treated Nigeria because of the resulting loss of credibility, adding that, the entire world would have been treating Nigeria differently if they had seen genuine commitment on the part of government to fight corruption and entrench genuine electoral reforms.
“Look at the Electoral Reform Report from the Uwais committee, the President watered it down by setting up his own committees to systematically kill it. So how does he expect the democracies of the world to take Nigeria seriously?” he questioned.
“Also look at the Power Probe Report, everyone was expecting that it was an opportunity for Nigeria to redeem its image that has been battered so badly by corruption, but instead, the executive teamed up with the House of Representatives to make rubbish out of it. With this, did the President really expect that countries that are promoting transparency will invite a country that is shielding corruption to come and sit with them?” He asked.
He said the President should also immediately heed the calls and advice from Nigerians to sack INEC Chairman, Maurice Iwu who is being emboldened.
Lamentations Of President Yar'Adua
ReplyDeleteBy Isioma Madike, Head, Covers & Investigation
The enthronement of President Umaru Yar'Adua on May 29, 2007 signalled the beginning of a different kind of leadership in the nation's State House. He got thrust into the nation's administrative zenith when he was sworn in as President in what was considered by many as the most highly flawed and discredited election in Nigeria's history. Since then, Yar'Adua had on occasions been suspected to be battling with his health and had traveled to Germany on several instances to give an attention to it. He was also said to be in a similar state few weeks to his election while his party campaigned in his absence.
However, the President is currently troubled with a different kind of concern. It is about the country and its future. He was reported last week to have lost sleep over non-invitation of Nigeria by conveners of the just concluded Group of 20 countries (G-20) summit held in London, capital of the United Kingdom (UK).
Yar'Adua, who also lamented his inability to fix the Niger Delta problem told his party chieftains during the 47th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting recently that he was prepared to forgive the militants of the Niger Delta provided they agreed to surrender their arms.
The President said: "I must say that today is a sad day for me. And I think it should be for all Nigerians, when 20 leaders of the leading countries in the world are meeting and Nigeria is not there. This is something we need to reflect upon.
He added, "We are working on terms for the granting of amnesty for all those who are prepared to lay down their arms in the Niger Delta and this amnesty will include not only laying down arms, but re-integrating and rehabilitating them into the Nigerian society."
Yar'Adua also said that his government is working on the holistic development and implementation of the Niger Delta master plan to champion the overall improvement of the region.
As expected, Nigerians are reacting to these developments, which many consider a shame for the government as well as the people of Nigeria.
The spokesperson for the Action Congress (AC) in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe says, "I think Yar'Adua is serious in his assessments even though he can be faulted on being too slow in handling the affairs of the nation. He is doing some fundamental things that one cannot ignore.
"For the non-invitation by the G-20 nations, we need a more sincere re-assessment of our country. What the G-20 did was an indictment of some sort. It means that Nigeria is not taken seriously despite her numerous resources. We demand to know the reason we were treated that way. Maybe they are telling us that something is wrong with our system and the need to put our house in order. It's a shame for the country and people of Nigeria," Igbokwe further said.
Born 58 years ago in Katsina, Katsina State, Yar'Adua is the first civilian leader in Nigeria to have taken over from another civilian after winning what many considered controversial polls. He boasts of a political pedigree that dates back to the first republic when his father was appointed minister in the post-independence era.
The former chemistry teacher maintained a low profile with much not known about him until he took over the mantle of his home state as governor for eight years.
AC to Yar’Adua: Nigeria needs leadership, not lamentations
ReplyDeleteBy Olayinka Oyebode
Published: Wednesday, 8 Apr 2009
The Action Congress on Tuesday said that President Umaru Yar’Adua’s complaints over Nigeria’s non-invitation to the recent G-20 summit was akin to shedding crocodile tears.
The party said what the country lacked and needed urgently was leadership and not lamentations.
The AC said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in almost two years in the saddle, Yar’Adua had done little or nothing to lift Nigeria and enhance its visibility in the comity of nations.
The party said all the citizens had been treated to during the period were stories of “decaying infrastructure, insecurity of lives and property, corruption, unemployment, rigged elections and power for the sake of power, not for the benefits it can bring to the people.”
The party said, “We are therefore at a loss as to why the President has chosen to expend his energy on lamenting the country’s non- invitation to the G-20 summit, instead of using it to help turn around the fortunes of the country.
“When Nigeria is blessed with a good government, the world will take note and definitely cannot afford to ignore the country. Until that time, we should not expect any preferential treatment from the global community, which is probably getting weary of hearing that Nigeria has potentials - the same thing that was said at the country’s independence in 1960.’’
The AC also called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported attack on the Speaker of the Kogi House of Assembly, Mr. Clarence Olafemi, by soldiers in the state.
The party said the investigation should identify the retired Army General who presumably ordered the attack and his role in the disgraceful spectacle, and recommend appropriate sanctions against him, if found culpable.
The party said, however, that such investigation should not prevent the Speaker from seeking redress in court.
The AC said, “If a House Speaker, riding in a convoy complete with armed security, could be so blatantly battered by soldiers for whatever reason, then what will happen to ordinary Nigerians caught in similar circumstances?”
Resign now
ReplyDeleteBy DURO ADESEKO
Saturday, April 18, 2009
•Enahoro
•Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
Chief Anthony Enahoro, one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, has expressed disappointment over the performance of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He would, therefore, want the president to resign forthwith.
Enahoro, who is 86 years of age, gave two reasons for wanting Yar’Adua to resign. The first reason is that the YarAdua administration is not performing. Secondly, he said that Yar’Adua is not healthy.
The politician, who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1957, argued that the Yar’Adua administration is too slow for a young country, as Nigeria.
He said that a time has come to rescue the country from inept leaders as well as visionless political party.
This explains why he is leading a movement for the formation of a political party that would challenge the domineering influence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the country’s politics.
Enahoro said that although people are calling the movement a mega party, the idea behind it is to form a fresh political party that would be populated by people with fresh ideas.
He also spoke on these and other fundamental national issues.
What informed the idea of forming a mega party?
I don’t know whether there is a plan to form a mega party. But there are many of us who feel that the situation as it is, requires a fresh party with fresh point of view. That is the way to look at it. There is need for a new party with people, who want to sell their ideas to the country and hoping that some day we have the opportunity of coming up as a party, with a view to rescuing the country.
The impression created is that all the major political parties, except the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are coming together to form a party.
Well, as many people as can come together would be welcome. The parties we have were imposed on us. Nobody was asked, as far as I can remember and I don’t really think I was one of those to be ignored when the issue of constitution making in Nigeria is concerned. Nobody was asked, people were not asked. They just imposed on us the parties and that is not right.
Sir, but people applied to INEC and INEC registered the party
Oh yes, that is the duty of INEC. I am talking of the system and not membership of a party. The system did not give opportunity to the people to really state their views. May be the public would have accepted, I don’t know. But the fact is that I am one of those who never agreed with the system, as it is now.
There are many ambitious people linked to your move to form a party. Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari could not agree to step down for each other two years ago.
We don’t know yet whether they will agree. It is a view being put to many people and whether they will accept it or not is anybody’s guess. They may agree and they may not.
What is the recipe for a virile nation?
That is a wide area. But politically, I prefer the British system to the American system. That is the best for the country. I don’t know if you’ve been to England and study the system. It is the people’s government. American system is not the people’s government. Though they now have a black person as president, which has never happened before, but the system is not right.
Sir, as the man who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1957, would you say Nigeria of today is the dream of the founding fathers of the nation?
No. It is not. As far as I am concerned, it is not what some of us dreamt of. Everybody knows that. The people were never asked what they think, as to the system of government they want.
You used to call for true federalism for the country. Do you still think true federalism or confederation is the best for Nigeria?
It is the people’s right. It is not what we need or what we don’t need. The fact that some people are in control of the military makes them to say take it or leave it. It is right. It is wrong.
Do you still want the restructuring of the country?
Very much. Let us correct the system, to begin with. Secondly, the British created Nigeria. Do the units in Nigeria want to be in Nigeria? They were never asked. Take the Yoruba, for example. As far as I am concerned, it is the biggest group in the country. Where they ever asked whether they want to be an independent country or they want to be part of the Nigerian nation? I think it is democratic to ask people what they expect and what they want. It is still an imposition, as far as I am concerned. It was forced on the people.
Sir, we had Sani Abacha who many described as dictator and we had Olusegun Obasanjo who many regarded as a civilian dictator. How would you rate them?
Well, I don’t think that there is a rating system. They just imposed themselves and put themselves there. They could do that because of the system. The system is wrong as far as I am concerned.
What do you think is the solution to the Niger Delta problem?
It depends on what they want. Do they want to leave Nigeria? You cannot keep them forcibly. A day will come when you can no longer force them. You’ve got to give them the system of government that suit them. They must have their freedom and their liberation. The fact that as of today they can be defeated doesn’t mean that forever, that will always be the position. A day will come when you can no longer conquer them. You’ve got to persuade them. Giving that the whole system we are operating was forced on us, I still think the day will come when we will have to appeal to the people and offer them what they would prefer to accept and not what we can impose on them.
You think a sovereign national conference can be the solution?
The sovereignty of a sovereign national conference lies in the people’s right to express themselves. What right does anybody has to dictate to, let us say, the Yoruba, who will represent them? Nobody has that right. So, it is a kind of system that decides who to represent the entire populace. It is wrong.
You belong to the first generation of Nigerian politicians. Can you compare your generation with the present generation?
Well, the present generation is tolerating so many things, which probably when we were youths we would not accept. The worse they could do was to send you to prison. I faced it under British rule. We challenged their own government and the powers that they had. All sorts of things are going on all over the country. We haven’t got it right. Things were emerging that I couldn’t agree with. We have seen it now. It is part of what is here. Who knows how bad it is going to be. The elders, not just Chief Awolowo said take a step and he was followed. Well, we were the youths of the day and we didn’t have that patience. What is happening in the country now is not the thing we dreamt of.
Did you have disagreement with Chief Awolowo politically?
Not in the normal way. Quite truly, quite a number of us felt that what they called their own system in those days was really not good. The elders at the time felt they could guess quite rightly what was coming on and take it, hoping that may be things will improve. As far as I am concerned, it only got worse.
What would you expect President Yar’Adua to do right now?
I will advise him to resign.
Why?
Because things are not improving. What we have does not prove that the system is right. Secondly, he is not in the best of health that a young country requires. I would ask him to retire or resign. His seven-point agenda has not taken off. Why should it just be taking off now? Why should that be the case? Is it not a fact that he is slow for a young country like ours. He is far too slow.
What do you say to the position of Yar’Adua’s government that the president must appoint the chairman of INEC?
They should allow people to have their own representatives. The various people should have their own representatives. It is not something that should be done by somebody else on their behalf. Take the Yoruba, for example. If the Yoruba are to be represented, then you have to find a system in which the Yoruba will decide who will represent them. But if you choose on their behalf, without any consultation, it is dictatorship.
Do you have time for your family?
Well, not through the years. There are times you have time and there are other times you are far more worried about the general interest of the people. You have to live along with it.
Do your wife and children complain?
Of course, they would like to see more of you. It is one of those things.
Sir, at your age, how is your health?
My health is alright. I get by. Thank you.
As editor of a national daily in the 1960s, how would you compare the journalism of your time with today’s journalism?
The situation is different. You can’t compare the two.