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Jonathan 2011: The Stand for Niger-Delta People
Our reporter
As 2011 general elections has been fixed for January next year by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, Many political observers believe that zoning or rotational presidency is no longer relevant in the present political system.
This zoning system has generated a lot of expletive utterances from national and international communities. Even foreign leaders have also provided their own mechanism of advices to the political leaders of this country, yet many leaders and elders are much insisting on rotational presidency.
The south-south governors including some eminent northern elites equally endorsed president Good Luck Jonathan to contest for 2011 general elections in spite of many political challenges that beclouded his administration. In spite of the high profile agitations from some professional and productive leaders and elders that principle of divide and rule and democracy must be respected in this dispensation.
The Niger people have be marginalized, demoralized and oppressed over the years by the federal government, despite 95 percent of crude oil and gas explored from these south-south regions with no infrastructural compensation. Many Niger Delta people are living in abject poverty while Abuja takes the lead of modern developed city.
The Niger Delta militants would continue to wax stronger in agitating for their political rights in all ramifications. The so-called pro-zoning of the northern region would not prevent president Good luck not to emerge as the next president come 2011. The Nigeria economy cannot grow without the aid of Niger-Delta oil. Politics of bitterness is more pronounced in this part of the world. This is why president Good luck Jonathan could give awards to some political vampires called ''thieves'' in Nigeria. It is our own turn to produce the next democratic president come 2011. The God that anointed Mr. President into power with no contest
Source: The Nation, 15th August 2010.
President panics
•Why PDP Governors are angry
By Olusola Balogun
"It is a good thing the (PDP) BoT (Board of Trustees) and NEC (National Executive Committee) did not endorse President Goodluck Jonathan. The party is trying to please all the sides. But the truth is, if we agree that Jonathan is part of the Yar'Adua-Jonathan ticket, which no one is disputing, the question many of our people in the North will soon ask is: Is Jonathan the correct person to finish the eight years that Yar'Adua should have spent, especially when it is feared that the position will go to the South in 2015? I fear the PDP would still have to answer that question at some point."
These were the words of a northern member of the National Assembly who was uncomfortable with the position of the PDP NEC to allow Jonathan to contest the 2011 polls, despite deciding that zoning stays.
Instructively, an aide to one of the governors of a Southern state said: "Jonathan could be in trouble because he is carrying an elephant on his head and using his feet to look for ants. He should have known that reform and presidential ambition cannot mix. He should have secured the ticket first and then do what Obasanjo did after securing his second-term ticket, who started showing his hands. Now Jonathan has shown his hands and the governors are alert to what is coming."
On the ambivalence of the PDP leadership, the aide further said: "What we are offering the North is a bitter pill they would not swallow. Can the South accept what it's offering the North? If Yar'Adua had not died, would we have killed him? Well, let us wait and see." Clearly, the ambivalence of the PDP leadership over the vexed issue of zoning is generating heat inside and outside the party and is said to be making Jonathan hot behind the collars.
Another lawmaker, a Senator from the South, told Sunday Sun in confidence that the President may have written his name in the governors black books, with the way he has carried on since he came into power.
"He (Jonathan) carries on as if the governors don't matter, and we all know they do. He should not expect them to fold their arms while their second term ambition disappear into thin air. If the President is not careful, the PDP might as well get ready for a fight-to-finish. The governors are already looking beyond the party primaries and that is a bad omen for the PDP," the lawmaker said.
On another front, Jonathan is said to have cut a deal with the governors over the controversial issue of e-registration of party member. The PDP governors had complained that the move would whittle down their influence and may even deprive some of them their second term tickets. They were said to be ready for a showdown until the NEC saw the handwriting and suspended the plan.
A source however claimed it was not as smooth as it sounded before the issue of e-registration was suspended. A governor's aide spoke of a stormy meeting where some governors "expressed their mind and warned that they might be unable to assist the President unless the e-registration idea was dropped."
Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, however, sees nothing amiss with the positions of the party's BoT and its NEC. Said Nnamani: "What the two bodies - the BoT and the NEC- said are the same. They are saying that zoning remains a part of the PDP position sharing arrangement, but that the incumbent President is free to contest because of the unique circumstances through which he became President.
"If Yar'Adua were to be alive today, we would not be talking of zoning because they would have been allowed another term in office. What they are saying is zoning did not die with Yar'Adua and that is why they said that the Yar'Adua-Jonathan ticket should continue and by 2015, the position of the President would revert to the South."
According to the former Senate leader, "those canvassing against zoning are missing the point. The issue of zoning is universal; it is to ensure peace, stability and equity. If there was no zoning, the secretary general of the United Nations would not have come to Africa. Now it is in Asia and so it go would round till it comes to Africa again." A member of the BoT from North Central however saw the decision of the PDP NEC as victory for the North. He said the latest position of the leadership was better than the national chairman, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo's initial position that zoning in the party was dead.
"It is victory for some of us who want the issue of zoning retained. It is a step forward. We will tackle other issues as they arise but it is important that the party restated it that zoning stays." The member, who noted that northerners were not against the President, expressed deep concern with the manner Obasanjo was handling the matter.
"We have nothing against Jonathan as a person but his sponsors are not helping his matter at all. They have alienated everybody that would have been of help to the President. Obasanjo was the first beneficiary of zoning but he declared zoning dead and that has alerted other members of the BoT to what some people are planning. Let us wait and see how far they can go," he said.
Source: Daily Sun, 15th August 2010.
When the South-South gathered for Jonathan
Clarice Azuatalam
AT the meeting tagged "Dynamics of the 2011 Presidential Election: The South-South Perspective", it was Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Chairman of the Communiqué Drafting Committee who set the tone of the meeting rolling.
According to him, the meeting was meant to discuss issues affecting people the South South zone, pointing out that matters that would help in realisation of the vision of the people should be taken seriously. He, therefore, urged them to speak with one voice and to meaningfully discuss current trend in the polity.
But, even though he did not expressly state it, it was not lost on those present that the issue for which they had gathered was whether President Goodluck Jonathan, a son of South-South geopolitical zone, should contest next year's election. Other speakers keyed in to posit that there is no better time for one of their own to fly the Peoples Democtratic Party's (PDP) flag than now which they reckoned would go a long way in ameliorating the long years of marginalisation the people have suffered.
Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman from Delta State, described the day as "memorable" because it was an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the zone. Raising some posers which he answered Clark said, "where are we in the scheme of things in Nigeria, what are our drawbacks, where do we stand?" even as he advised that "we should always be together."
The elder statesman said that "people have always taken advantage of our silence or because we have not been coming together. Let us set aside our differences to tackle the issue of zoning."
According to him, zoning is a wrong way of taking care of injustice and marginalisation.
He also advised his people to note that "we are Nigerians and not second class citizens. If things were normal, one of our sons would have emerged as President. Nobody challenged them when their sons were campaigning.
"If there was zoning in 1999, there was no zoning in 2003. Obasanjo became president in 2003 not because of zoning. No region can rule without the other. We need the cooperation of others. If people see that we have formally come together, constitutional rumour mongering will stop. I hope we will direct our attention to what will be tomorrow. God will always be with us, ignite us with knowledge and wisdom to defend our right within the context of Nigeria."
Another elder statesman, Chief Tony Anenih, advised that "we must seize this golden opportunity. This is our time to unite, work together, plan together, struggle together and enjoy the benefits of cooperation."
In stating why Jonathan should be allowed to contest the election, Anenih described him as a man filled with "youthfulness, energy, enlightenment, vision, compassion, courage, maturity, patience, discipline, innovation and commitment to social justice and sustainable development" and therefore needs the support of all his South-South people.
He reminded the gathering that the South-South people had made sacrifices, sometimes supreme, for the progress of the country. In the political history of Nigeria, Anenih said, the South-South had also been a close ally of the North.
"We have fought political battles together, contested elections on the same political platforms and formed alliances. We have given support to the North when it mattered most. The current situation, therefore, calls for reciprocity and co-operation. Nonetheless, in appealing to the conscience of Nigerians in the prevailing uncommon circumstance, we would claim our right with dignity and determination, in the interest of our dear country", he stated.
He also advised that they should use all available democratic means to reach out to people from other zones, pointing out that Jonathan's presidency would enable the people actualize the dreams of the zone and "to give hope and a sense of mission to our people as it is a chance to address the lingering problems and challenges that have bedeviled us as a people and as a nation."
While calling for a review of the flawed voters' register used in the last election, Anenih reminded the gathering that other zones in the country had taken shots at the presidency except the South-South which deservedly should have it this time "as a matter of equity, justice and fairness."
For Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, "we are at the threshold of history as a zone. We have only one choice, no other option. We are here to reaffirm that only one choice."
He also said that by zoning arrangement, Jonathan/Yar'Adua ticket remains one ticket and now that "the co-pilot has become the pilot, that does not change the destination of the aircraft.
"The situation now is not the making of the South-South. The North should reciprocate the support of South-South –just once." He reiterated that the South-South caucus and the senate identified with the day's event.
For PDP leader, Chief Don Etiebet, "all the years the North has been ruling, they didn't know we should rotate the presidency. Our son is a Nigerian leader not a zonal leader. Jonathan is continuing with the vision of Yar'Adua. I know what happened when we formed PDP in 1998. It is our turn to execute it. We must fight for it. There is no going back."
Former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, under whom Jonathan cut his political teeth, said that zoning was suitable at a point in time. While the concept is good, he said, it should be separated.
"Yar'Adua/Jonathan ticket is a joint one. The president should remain with us. There should be a strategy of how to win for Jonathan during the election" and emphasised that "Jonathan will remain President in 2011."
He had a supporter in Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who rhetorically asked "what is the methodology to achieve Jonathan's presidency in 2011?"
Akpabio said that Akwa Ibom people had decided on Jonathan and further advised that "we must reach out to Hausa-Fulani in the North. I have spoken with some of our governors in the North and they are waiting for us to reach out to them."
He also said that "Jonathan's presidency is beyond 2011. Let's look at it as another post amnesty programme. Nigeria has been waiting for the South-South.
It is for the South-South to assert itself. Don't go there with your legs shaking, thinking that you will not succeed. Extend presidency to us and see what the South-South president can do."
Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa state said that "Jonathan has proved himself worthy and God has approved of him. The South-South contributes to the development and sustenance of Nigeria. During NPN, noting special about it except because they had Rivers and Cross River states.
"By the infinite grace of God, we will once in this position, my assumption is that after this meeting, I can go home and sleep, believing that we have unanimously agreed to support the presidency of Jonathan. I will soon go out there to canvass for support from other zones with what I have seen here."
It appeared that as far as Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State was concerned, it was a done deal, as he said "what we should be discussing is the next step. It cannot be decided here but outside this place."
Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State also supported Jonathan's presidency but used the opportunity to placate delegates from Edo State who protested that since the incumbent Governor Adams Oshimhole of the state was not there, former governor Osunbor should sign on behalf of Edo people.
Imoke explained that the communiqué of the meeting was a document of South South people and the decisions reached were a South-South affair irrespective of the party a governor belongs to. "It is the people's decision and not the governors," he stated.
Accordingly, the summit unanimously called on Jonathan "to openly declare his interest in the 2011 Presidential Election without further delay, and to run for the office of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. While assuring President Jonathan of total and undiluted support of the entire South-South, Summit calls on all other geo-political zones, organisations, communities and constituencies to support this quest to deepen, widen and consolidate democracy by supporting Goodluck Jonathan for President."
They also commended the Northern Political Summit "for their patriotism, clear vision, commitment to fair-play and justice, and undiluted appreciation of the rights and liberties of all Nigerians irrespective of primordial sentiments."
The South-South people further pledged to work with other geopolitical zones in the country to "ensure that Nigeria remains one indivisible country, despite tribal and religious differences."
While his people have openly given him the mandate to run, Jonathan is still keeping them guessing on whether he will run or not.
Source: The Nation, 5th August 2010.
Mining Expert Regrets 'Slavery To Crude Oil'
From Isa Abdulsalam, Jos
Provost, Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geo-Sciences (NIMG) Jos, Prof. Idowu Odeyemi, has
regretted that the aroma or discovery of crude oil has put Nigeria into slavery for more than 50 years, "to the extent that everything about the mining industry was abandoned."
Odeyemi noted that the country found it very convenient to abandon mining for oil exploration and urged the government to lead the process of abandoning the solid mineral sector.
According to the Provost, who briefed on the commencement of academic activities of the Institute, journalists at the weekend, the Institute will resume academic business tomorrow at the Tudun Wada Campus, Jos, which serves as its administrative and academic centre.
He observed that although adequate attention was paid to the mining industry during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, people's interest in mining had died down for the better part of four decades, adding that "it is just now that they are trying to resuscitate it."
"As a result of that abandonment, the quality of mining education also drops in Nigeria because if you don't have the requisite level of skilled manpower, you really cannot move the sector forward. The School of Mines in Jos, which is now at the West of Mines, a campus of this institution was established in 1962 in exactly the same year the School of Mines in Takwa, Ghana, was established.
"I tell you today that, while the School of Mines in Jos was first to be stagnated and subsequently died a natural death, the School of Mines in Takwa, Ghana has the same reason to become the University of Mines and Technology in Ghana.
"That tells you the degree of the level of abandonment of mining education in Nigeria. You can see that Ghana is one of the renowned mining countries in Africa. And it is not because Ghana has more minerals than Nigeria. Indeed, we have more than 35 million kinds of minerals scattered over 430 locations in this country; there is hardly any state that does not have solid minerals of one type, or the other. But we have abandoned this for more than 50 years and since this was abandoned, mining education was also abandoned", Odeyemi stated.
Source: The Guardian, 11th April 2010.
Nigeria Can Produce Cheaper Electricity from Coal – US Experts
Nigeria has the potentials to produce cheaper electricity from coal to solve its perennial power problem, a team of experts from the United States, Gardar Dahl, Jr. and Jim Dodd, from the Behre Dolbear, has said.
Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja, the Behre Dolbear experts who had a meeting with Zuma Steel West Africa Limited said apart from hydro sources, coal offered Nigeria the cheapest means of generating electricity.
Dodd said it was important for the nation to solve its power problem in order to move other sectors of the economy forward, adding that coal provides not only a cheaper means of generation, when compared to other sources, but also ensures a clean source of electricity.
He added that the abundance of coal deposits in the country makes the use of the mineral, in electricity generation very compelling. According to him, Nigeria can produce a good proportion of its electricity needs from coal which has been established to exist in large quantities in the country.
Dodd said, "Apart from hydro, coal is the cheapest means of producing electricity. The potential of producing electricity from coal in Nigeria is very high. This could help the country to solve its power crises and at the same time ensure the stability of other sectors."
Source: Punch, 19th March 2010.
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RICHARD KOMI:
Fulfilment Of The Ogoni Dream
IN the early 1980s, Ogoni people under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) began a mass campaign to appeal to the conscience of the country, to address the root causes of agitation in the Niger Delta. Issues of ethnic domination, dispossession of natural resources, despoliation of their environment by oil companies like Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), human rights violation, poverty and underdevelopment were brought to the fore.
The Ogoni people mounted intense domestic and international campaign against Shell.
The late despot, General Sani Abachi, whose government desperately needed oil revenue to sustain his grip on power, perceived the Ogoni uprising as contagious, and that if not checked, it could be replicated in the entire oil and gas rich region.
Rather than adopt a political option, the junta decided to unleash terror on the people. Several Ogoni people were killed, among them, foremost environmental activist cum writer, Kenule Saro-Wiwa.
Due to the cruelty of the military junta, lots of Ogoni people flee the country to far away Europe, Asia, Canada, United States of America as refugees.
Some of these fleeing Ogoni people have, amid all odds, proven that if availed equal opportunity anywhere in the world, they would excel. One of them happens to be Richard Komi, a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, who the President of MOSOP, Ledum Mitee, has rightly described as an Ogoni fulfilment of the American dream. In this interview with KELVIN EBIRI, Komi tells his story.
Sojourn to the United States
I immigrated to the United States in September of 1999. Before coming to the US, I was a banker in Nigeria and a law student at the University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt. As the Sani Abacha military government cracked down on members of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, I was forced out of the country to avoid being arrested and imprisoned as was the case for almost all Ogonis at that time, some of whom lost their lives in detention during the Abacha administration. I spent three years in a refugee camp in the Republic of Benin, before going to the US on a US government resettlement program in 1999. I arrived in the United States as a resettled refugee, meaning that my stay in the United States was indefinite. I was given work authorization and also the same privileges as a US citizen, which I still enjoy today.
Student days at Southern New Hampshire University
My days as a student at Southern New Hampshire University was like the days of any student that I knew at the school. It was always busy with a lot of academic work to be done and many deadlines. I also had a full time job and family. The remarkable thing is that while I did not major in political science, one of my professors told me one day to take classes in government and politics because I seemed to have the flare for politics.
Political history
My first reason for venturing into politics is to serve the people of the state and to bring change where and when necessary. The other reason is to give back to a community that has given me so much. I did not think about the white population of the state and I certainly did not think about color when I was deciding to run for office but I have to say that, the fact that I am an immigrant wanting to serve the state was one of the reasons many people voted for me; because immigrants are mostly concerned about jobs and sending money to their home countries, so it was a bit of a surprise to see me saying I wanted to serve the people when I am not in any way rich or very comfortable. The story of my political involvement dates back to my days as a student at Southern New Hampshire University. From my first year, I was already supporting the candidate for student union president. The reason for my support was because, upon gaining admission, the then student union president sent me a T-shirt from the school and welcomed me to the fold. This created a lasting impression on my mind. I also attended rallies of local politicians to listen to them speak and some times volunteered to help with signs at such rallies. That was how I started getting involved in politics until I am where I am today. The same is true of how I started volunteering for the Obama campaign from the beginning and was eventually elected as a pledged delegate to the democratic national convention for Obama. I have been living in the State of New Hampshire now for the past ten years, but that has nothing to do with my interest in politics.
Election into the New Hampshire Legislature
My election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives was a surprise to every body including me. In the process of volunteering for the Obama campaign, I made one of the wildest decisions of my life. I decided to run for the New Hampshire House of Representatives, which at the time I did not realize that everything about politics and public life is a monumental task. Once I was cleared by the New Hampshire Democratic Party to run, we had a primary, which I won easily as many people knew me through the Obama campaign and I have to say that until today many people still call me Richard Obama. After the primary election, it was time to campaign hard for the general election. I started raising money, which is one of the most difficult parts of a campaign. People gave me from $5 to $100.00 and all monies received must be reported to the State and the State will also need to know how you spent the money, on what and when and where. I walked the streets of my District knocking on every door and explaining to the people why I wanted to be their next state representative. People had questions for me; such as how long I have lived here, whether I am experienced enough to know what to do as a state legislator, what is my educational background and what is my political background. I answered so many questions that at one time, I became tired of answering questions. Some people will tell me point blank that they will not vote for me or that I should not bother them with politics. Still I pressed on with my campaign manager and staff. One week to the election day, I spent more that eight hours every day on the streets, meeting people and shaking hands and answering questions. It was a very challenging work, but I am glad I did it because on November 4, 2008, I was elected as a new state representative from District 12 in the Hillsborough County, winning more than 18 percent of the total votes.
Support and campaign for Obama
In 2007 as I was rounding off my studies at the university and I got a call from one of the campaign staff asking me to come and help them with phone banking, which is a major aspect of any campaign in this part of the world. The campaign had just opened an office close to where I live and it was easy for me to drive to the campaign office and help out. This was early in March 2007. I want you to know that I did not support Obama because he was a black man like me. My support for Obama was based on principles and facts. After listening to what his vision was for the country and what he wanted to do as president, I decided to support him. This was early in the campaign, when nobody including Obama himself knew that he was going to get a lot of support to eventually win the presidency. Since New Hampshire is one of the 'whitest' states in the US, it was difficult to get the few blacks to understand what Obama was talking about. Even after the campaign got heated, many prominent blacks still did not support Obama in New Hampshire. They all supported Mrs. Clinton; but I felt from the start that Obama will be the next president.
First encounter with Obama
My first encounter with the then Senator, now President Obama was a special event. Because I have been volunteering for the campaign faithfully, and was also graduating from the university; and as luck would have it the school had invited Obama to come and speak at the graduation ceremony. The campaign office did not know how to thank me and felt that it was best to mention my services to the Senator who upon hearing about how helpful I have been to the campaign decided to meet me. It was a special day as the campaign assigned me a special car and driver and treated me like royalty on the orders of Obama. In his remarks at the graduation, Obama extolled my achievements as an immigrant who upon arriving the United States has made the best of himself even in the face of difficulty and also found time to be a part of what was going on in the community.
Attending the Convention of a major political party in USA
It was a special experience and I was treated with a lot of respect, particularly because I was venturing into politics for the first time and making colossal strides that even many who are born in the United States cannot even think of venturing into.
Election Challenges
One of my biggest challenges during my campaign was raising money. People can come out and help you with phone calls and canvassing, but they will not give you money and any body running for office will tell you that you cannot do it with out money. I was able to achieve victory in my campaigns by walking the streets and knocking on doors and connecting with the people of my constituent. It was hard work but it was crowned with success.
Lessons for Nigeria's Democracy
Simple. Transparency and let every vote count. There should be an election and not a process, where the office goes to the person with the most money and connection with the powers that be. The American democracy is what it is today because power belongs to the people. It is the people who decide who will be the next president or governor as the case may be
How to strengthen democracy
By adhering strictly to the rule of law; by governing according to the constitution; by giving power to the people; by tolerating one another's views; by disagreeing only on principles; by playing politics with out bitterness; and above all, by seeing public office as an office of stewardship and not personal enrichment.
On Abdulmutallab
For this problem to be resolved, Nigeria will not only condemn all acts of terrorism, but will pledge to work with any government both the US and other Western countries in their fight against terrorism. Nigeria will also need to take concrete steps, not cosmetic to stamp out any suspected terrorist and make it abundantly clear that extremism will have no place in Nigeria.
Nigerians living in the US will certainly take a beating from the Abdulmutallab incident over time because if there is any mishap that a Nigerian is involved in, people will quickly rush to judgment before all the facts of such matter are known. As you may know, Nigeria does not have a good image abroad and the Adbdulmutallab case only did more damage to the image of Nigeria and Nigerians. While Nigerians are known abroad for things like swindling and fraud, terrorism was not in our character; but I want to say that for the most part in the US, people are judged more on their personal character. I think whatever role Nigerians abroad will play must be started from home, by the Nigerian government. And this will be, to work with other governments to combat terror, condemn all acts of terrorism and stamp out suspected terrorist from Nigeria. When these things are done, then Nigerians abroad will take a cue from their home government.
The first mistake made is that Nigerian officials failed to be proactive, to the report brought to security officials by Abdulmutallab senior. Upon receiving information from the boy's father, Nigerian officials should have immediately contacted the Yemeni government to say that Abdulmutallab should not be allowed to fly out of the country until the Nigerian government gives green light for him to travel. The second thing should have been to instruct the Yemeni government that Abdulmutallab could only fly to Nigeria to meet his family. As soon as there was news of the failed attempt to blow up the plane, the Nigerian government should have come out and condemned the act in the strongest terms and make it clear that Nigeria will not allow terrorists to have any place to reside in Nigeria.
Source: The Guardian, 11th April 2010.
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