Nigerian Newspapers
Yes, democracy, but what have we achieved? (1)
In this business of writing, sometimes getting a caption that would adequately convey your thinking and feelings can be a difficult exercise. I had wanted to put forward a piece titled “Distorted Democracy”, when I looked at the calendar in my office and realized that this is “democracy” month. Every May 29, at least, in recent times, we come out to celebrate democracy day during which those who rule us roll out the drums to dance over what they say is their achievements. They tell us what it is they have been doing, hit the gongs, eat additional good food and with a voice of finality, say how they have excelled. Their conclusions never have a space for our own contributions and assessments. Where they remember this angle, they get men and women who foolishly follow the process without any transformation in their lives and those of their families to give false impression of the people’s appreciation of what is going on.
The strong affirmation of excellent performance from those who rule over us many times too, is irrespective of whether the policies and programmes they executed within a time frame had direct relevance to our everyday living or not. What matters to them is that something has been done and the pauperized citizens “must” be happy for the intervention of a Daniel, who supposedly decided out of great benevolence to come to judgement. So, looking at the season, something told me this is the season of stewardship accounts and the right thing would be to fulfill a promise I made earlier by taking a look at it. It is important I restate this here. For democracy to have real meaning, three cardinal features must be seen. The first is conception stage, where if things are properly done should include meeting with the people to find out what they desire. The outcome is intelligently merged with the vision of the leader to produce a workable policy outline with some work plan. Good work plans should have specific programme outline and verifiable benchmarks. The ordinary citizen looking at it should at a glance know what to expect and when to see progress and conclusion. There is always time zone for all that is to be done.
The second is the execution stage and the last is the accountability period when leaders in well-calculated fashion, reel out what they have done on behalf of the people using their funds. It is gradually being believed that the accountability level is becoming the most important, because it forms the basis on which democracy draws real life. If the leader likes, he or she can waste all the time attending parties, summits, and fighting superficial political fights, but as soon as this stewardship account period comes, it carries with it the great verdict as to whether the leader in question has done well and is qualified for new trust, or has performed woefully and deserves a recall to go back and retrain himself or herself with whatever he or she was doing before gaining public trust.
This is what real democracy is supposed to be and that is what gives democracy its true essence, where it is practised in full. Here, do stewardship accounts matter? How many of our leaders care about feedback mechanism? In places where real democracy is in practice, we see elected officials particularly the President and governors mount the rostrum within their offices to talk to the people over important meetings, policy positions, results, fears and anticipations. How many times do we see that happen here? Even the spokespersons become tin-gods and run away from core responsibilities. Many would not answer calls directly, that is if their phones are open at all. Most times they are “busy”, so busy they never return calls. Some of them say they can’t talk to purveyors of news, creating a rule that whatever you desire, get about it by text: if you get a reply, fine.
I know this period of assessment would come, and given what I know about what we should do to promote democracy, I set about it on time. In this column, many weeks back, I requested that aides to the President, Ministers, and Governors send into my email box whatever it is their principals were doing. To the point of writing this first part, not one of them responded. That was partly why I had a little problem casting my headline. I thought about Report Card, report card from where? What about Democracy Governance and Accountability, I was almost settling for this when a group of very intelligent friends saw my dilemma and said, “You want to write about stewardship; why do you want to waste your time on that? What have they achieved?” You can now guess how I came about the title for today’s piece. The question came down like a thunderbolt and left deep impression on my subconscious.
Consequently, I began to ask myself, could it be true that our leaders are just there and don’t have any achievements? Can this be possible? I told myself it is not possible. Mere occupying the seat is an achievement, do people not undertake elaborate ceremonies for being elected or appointed into high political offices? Even no achievement is an achievement; I am sure not many of us know this. On the other hand, I tried to figure out whether such views are because our leaders work, but the people either don’t know or can’t comprehend the significance. I told myself there could be some points here. The Minister of Works, whom I can now confirm is doing very well of recent, was on Channels TV the other day, he said the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku’s team on Good Governance was on the much talked about Benin-Sagamu Expressway and they were surprised at the degree of rehabilitation work that has been done. I heard it and laughed. Not too long ago, I overheard a presidential spokesman, Bolaji, say on Radio Nigeria that “my principal is working, look at what he is doing at the Kubwa-Abuja road, and those using it still say he is doing nothing.”
When I hear such positions, I laugh. Why? Information management in a democracy is a scientific venture. You gauge the mood of the people to determine the strategy for transmitting the message. A hungry man whose major concern is food, does not care how much roads you build. So, he may walk on them or even stand on them, and still be saying you have done nothing. In this instance, it is the responsibility of governments to tell their stories and show how those programmes change the story of hunger, lack, and want. Whatever the situation, it is the big responsibility of the leadership to tell its stories and to a reasonable extent give the facts motivating the action and the accompanying interpretations. The stories told at the appropriate time receive better attention and appreciation. The absence of this accounts, perhaps, for why majority of the citizens ask questions in the negative almost always.
I must commend some leaders who have done well in this regard. Governor Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is a leader in this direction. He has used various avenues, including hosting conferences to tell his story well. Few weeks back, he celebrated his May Day using all communication means to great effect and advantage. Fashola, too, has done very well; his stewardship ventures are mature, well prepared and timely. They have substance. It has shown in his ratings. Rotimi Amaechi has shown effectiveness in this regard to some extent. From the East, Okorocha is moving strong except that he generates controversies that muddle the gains. From the North, I see only Sule Lamido, yet, he’s not giving it his all.
If our democracy would have meaning, the leaders must have a deep synergy with the led, and this bond will not come unless the people at all times know what is happening, why it is happening, the implications and the cost. History has shown that the veritable channels for realizing this, is effective and credible communication. Communication is capital intensive, even then, no amount devoted to it is a waste. After all, development is not only about constructing roads and building gigantic buildings: it is more about those things that can’t be materially quantified. Silence is not all that golden. It may make sense at the individual level sometimes, and I am certain it is not at all times, but it does not apply at the level of governance. Leaders who close their mouths end up closing their destiny. Why? It is communication that bridges that gap in distance. A man in Aba can hardly know what the developments are in Sokoto except he has the right information. This is made very real by visuals. For indeed, only fools doubt proofs. Our leaders must therefore learn to talk, especially if they have something tangible to talk about. Let me stress this point; talking is good and of great value when there are clear evidences of practical performance. No need repeating that media aides must be creative in providing ways they can talk back to the people. If we can’t create new formats, we can at least match what we see others do elsewhere. It would be great if we learn how to fill emails with activities of our leaders or even use text messages. I will count it a vast improvement the day I see media aides begin to respond to inquiries in written forms.
I have tried to dissect the challenges of proper assessment of our leaders in public offices so far; next week, I will touch a few more obstacles to effective feedback system, then Jonathan period (two years in office), what I know and what my position is. This is wishing my readers, Happy Democracy Day celebration in advance.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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