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Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua present President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander of the
Armed Forces of Nigeria served as Governor of
Katsina State for 8years. It is a known fact that
out of all the Governors in the 36 States you only
where picked out to run for presidency because of
your diligence, honesty tenacity and commitment to
corporate leadership in your state then, since you
became president. We still look at you as a
consistent symbol of truth, a dependable pillar of
integrity, a courageous fighter for justice, a
fervent believer in democracy, an untiring advocate
of true federalism, a symbol of fairness and
objectivity a model of unassuming humility and an
example of inspirational leadership.
What words can adequately convey your
unquantifiable qualities as a distinguished leader
of Men. Your administration has always prided itself
as a respecter of rule of law unlike your
predecessor. We dont want your good name to be
dented or brought down to mud for example while we
commiserate with the people of Nigeria over the
unfortunate Jos Crisis in 2008 which claimed lives
and destruction of properties. We wish to draw to
your attention to the provocative and irresponsible
statements coming from the presidency with the
intention of causing another round of crisis. We all
know it’s respect for rule of law is more in words
than in action from the way things are going now and
we can point to a lot of number of incidents to
buttress our position e.g the crude oil and the
Barbaric closure of channel T.V and assault on Nuhu
Ribadu at his graduation form NIPPS etc and even
since the government of Jonah Jang took federal
Govt. to court over the propriety of setting up a
probe panel into the Jos crisis, the federal Govt.
has become jittery and it climaxed with the
irresponsible statement from the presidency last
week of igniting crisis the federal Govt should be
sincere and should not have a hidden agenda as
regards the Jos crisis. It should square up with
Plateau State Govt. in court rather than trying to
arm twist Jang by whipping up public sentiments
several weeks after the plateau state Governor Jonah
Jang locked horns with the federal Govt. by
challenging the constitutionality and jurisdiction
of its action of setting up an administrative panel
of inquiry into the Jos Crisis.
President Umaru Musa yar’ Adua has finally taken
up the gauntlet against the Governor speaking
through his special adviser on communications Mr.
Olusegun Adeniyi where he expressed disappointment
over Jang’s conduct in the wake of the crisis.
President yar’ Adua also upbraided Jang for the
divisive comments that greet the crisis and
condemnation of the presidency by agents of the
Plateau State Govt. In his words only a panel with
the federal might and not the type instituted by
Jang could get to the roots of the crisis. We wish
to note that the president for the better path of
his regionder had tackled emotions, leaving salient
issues thrown up by Jang’s action and the crisis as
a whole from the trend of altercations on the Jos
crisis, what we see thrown up is a drama of
personalities, muscle flexing and self assertions,
while the cause of the crisis and interest of the
people are left to suffer. The president has allowed
himself to be drawn into a politics of
personalities. We state without equivocation that
the quibbling over the crisis is not the hallmark of
a good leadership which will condemn in strongest
terms and after the exchanges between the two
personalities status-quo remains a perplexed nation
just recovering from the shock of the dastardly
killings in Jos is further be fuddled as to the fate
of the two panels. The one by the federal Govt.
headed by Major General Emmanuel Abisoye and the one
instituted by Jang and headed by prince Bola Ajibola.
We are constrained to state that the issue that beg
for attention which the exchanges between Jang and
the presidency have failed woefully to address is
the practice of federalism in Nigeria today and
should be eradicated. Does the federal Govt. have
the constitutional right to institute a panel to
investigate actions or inactions in any of the
coordinate units that makes up a federation? Again
as itemized by the Govt. spokes man, when issues
disintegrate as to affect the national security of a
nation as the Jos crisis did, isn’t the federal
Govt. empowered to seek a resolution of such?
These in our views, are very strong contending
issues which Governor Jang’s pursuit of the supreme
court. would hopefully unravel, the exchange between
two tiers of Govt. also underscores the uncertainty
of the fate of the two panels instituted. Are they
going to be collapsed into one for a concerted and
smooth operation so that the nation can get to the
roots of the crisis as soon as possible or would one
yield to the other? These are some of the questions
Nigerians are now asking which both Govts. Will do
well to find answer to rather than trying to stare
each other down. Seeing each other as partners in
progress rather than enemies and their roles
complementary in the conflict resolution effort, is
a very crucial step in ensuring that the Jos carnage
does not mutate, then the president in consonance
with his formidable credentials as a man of peace
should take the initiative of inviting Jang to talk
things over in national interest. The fact that Jang
had earlier made a visit to the villa almost
immediately after the carnage with reports to the
effect that he was shunned by the president
indicated that the Governor had made overtures for
peace to reign and the president should follow suit
rather than engaging the Governor in media war of
recriminations.
YAR’ ADUA’S APPROACH IN SOLVING NIGER DELTA’S
ISSUE
President Yar’ Adua has just started his approach
is like every other approach he is going at a snails
pace, his approach is to create the Niger Delta
Ministry and yet fails to fund it, no attempts had
been made to pay up the contractors working on the
East-West Road, what is happening in the Western end
where SETRACO is still working is by the grace of
Governor Uduaghan. Julius Berger pulled out of River
State because of the militants yet they would have
also pulled out because they were not paid. Imagine
East-West Road that is the economic live wire of
this country, No funding for it. The East-West case
is absolutely a statement of fact when the ethnic
nationalities of the Niger Delta met in WARRI
Uduaghan told us that the contractors had not been
paid because there was no budgetary provisions made.
He said SETRACO were still hanging around because of
the good will of the Delta State Govt. for Julius
Berger, they have two dimensions the militants and
Non payments. We know that if you award a contract
to Julius Berger and you don’t pay, somewhere along
the line the guys will just pack up and leave the
site that is their trade mark because they believe
that the people of the Niger Delta deserves to be
neglected and when that becomes your historical
position then of course you should expect a counter
reaction and that is what is happening in the Niger
Delta. Yar’ Adua has not offered the Niger Delta
anything apart from listing it on the 7 point agenda
we happen to be one of the points on the agenda. If
a small child goes to school and he is learning from
1-10 and does not know the difference between 8 & 9
how helpful will that be to the child? Yar’ Adua
looks sincere and honest, and so he should expedite
action now in this country, I do not see the will on
the part of the ruling class, he ruling oligarchy to
want to restructure the Nigeria Federation. The
western region, the south east, the south – south
are all for restructuring we have been talking about
it but has not gotten to anywhere it is amazing. The
Govt. of the federation in controlled by a clique of
oligarchies who have been trained in the art of
repression and have blocked their ears with cotton
wool from listening to any talk about restructuring.
The tragedy of that position on the part of
oligarchy is that the more we continue on this line,
the more Nigeria will be drawn backwards we cannot
move forward because if we continue to refuse to see
reasons because you have the powers to oppress then,
those that you are oppressing will resist at some
points they will not continue to fold their hands
rather they rise up against you or they will be in
constant opposition with you and you have the two
elements in Nigeria.
SOME POINTS OUT OF YAR’ ADUA’S AGENDA 1)
Out of the Seven point agenda he has been
able to bring sanity into our judicial system. He
has brought in stabilization of justice and equity
in our political crisis in Nigeria. He has been able
to effect 25% of our law and order by sanitizing our
political system and electoral disputes. 2) He also
promised us of steady economic growth and
development. Frankling speaking he has not be able
to do anything in that aspect. Today in Nigeria
import is still far more than export and a
continuous imbalance of payment. 3) In the area of
economic power development, take or example NEPA and
the steel industry there have been no improvement at
all. 4) Security the area still lack good
development and follow up in both personnel’s and
administration which he promised. 5) In
International relations he is given 15% because of
his support on West Africa and Africa sub regions in
peace keeping leadership. How can the Federal
Government spend N2 billion for the purchase of
generators and gas? And what are you telling
Nigerian? Are you saying that NEPA should not exist
and should not be constant again?
Prince Udo Shaka Momodu(Political Activist)
PRESIDENT
LOOKWELL TRUTH ORGANIZATION
75, Momodu Road,Irrua, Esan Central LGA,Edo
State, Nigeria.
Phone: 08033021173 07092300042Email: shakadezulu@yahoo.com
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