01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

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34—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019 President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 took oath of office and oath of allegiance as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution, to signal the commencement of his second term in office. Buhari’s political re-embodiment no doubt has tasked and would continue to sap his sagging energetic and unflagging enthusiasm in politics and governance for the eight year period he has mandate with Nigeria, the covenantee. The authority bestowed on his government by the electoral victory, effectively authorizes it to carry out the policies for which it campaigned i.e. security, anti corruption and the economy. What is up his sleeve as he settles for his final term in office is the guess of every Nigerian that feels he should remove the Baba-go-slow toga in his leadership? As he keeps his cards close to his chest on who makes his cabinet, it ill behooves him to rev his patriotic zeal in his last lap of governance of corporate Nigeria that is in dire straits. President Buhari has one more chance to write his name in gold for posterity otherwise, throw it in the garbage can of history. President Buhari exercised a span of control as Petroleum Minister in his first term in office. He took up the substantive ministerial portfolio casted doubt whether he got someone with a zealous devotion to love Nigeria’s interests in the petroleum ministry. Buhari’s thought was probably anchored on patriotism. Is Buhari indeed, a patriot? Yes, he is! A patriot is a proud supporter or defender of his or her country, and its way of life. Was he proud about our way of life? Obviously not! His anti corruption and patriotism crusade coupled with an ailing search prompted his taking up the substantive petroleum ministerial portfolio four years ago. Don’t blame the President! ar is indeed, a series of W surprises even as yesterday marked 52 years since the declaration of Biafra which culminated in a bloody war that took the lives of three service chiefs. We should all learn from history. War is no respecter of rank or title. Nigeria lost a chief of Army staff and also lost an Air chief. Both died in a flight. The Biafran Chief of Air Staff did not die flying, he was killed while attending a briefing just as Federal troops continued to push across the Niger. Lt.Col. Joseph Ityowa Ronald Akahan was made Chief of Army Staff by Lt. Col Yakubu Gowon in November 1966. It was when the country was in crisis and soldiers from the North did not trust their Southern colleagues. At that time, there were at least four officers outside the North who identified with Gowon and were superior to Akahan. There was also a Fulani Prince ahead of the new Army Chief. Col. Akahan led the Nigeria Army to war against Biafra. On a certain day in 1967, he flew in a chopper to his hometown, Gboko, in the Tiv area of the Middle Belt. It was getting dark and some of his friends advised against flying. Akahan took off and was gone. The helicopter went down in flames killing all on board. The pilot and copilot were identified as George Ozieh with service number 232 and Olawale Lawal [233]. Both were officers of the Nigerian Air Force. Ozieh was Igbo and hailed from Ogwashi Uku in the Mid-West. His brother-in-law, Flt. Lt. Gabriel Ebube, was fighting on the Biafran side. One of his buddies, Flt. Lt. Lanky Ogbolu, had lost a brother in-law, Lt. Col. Gabriel Okonweze, in the July 1966 coup to troops under Akahan. Lt. Col. Chude Luis Sokei was at Sandhurst at the same time as two cadets who later emerged as leaders in Ghana: Okatakye Afrifa and Fred Buhari’s quest for patriotic petroleum minister His office on assumption of duty was awash with complaints that the national oil company was riddled with corruption and needed iron brooms for clean sweep of the corruption rubbish. Some hard critics also hit out at him as a potentate with a pontificate posturing that in six months he found no capable hand as Petroleum Minister. President Buhari’s quest now for a patriotic Minister should equally not be on the premise of loyalty alone. Alexander Pope on patriotism is: He serves me most who serves his country best. That should be the attitude. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26 th president of the United States:”Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.” On the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States, Tamim Ansary, an author and columnist wrote that the concept of patriotism gets tricky in a democracy, as loyalty to your country does not mean President Buhari has one more chance to write his name in gold for posterity otherwise, throw it in the garbage can of history loyalty to any particular ethnic, cultural, or political group, and it must go beyond ‘soil.’ At its core is a set of ideas. What ideas? Ideas that remind the President that petroleum is the main foreign exchange earner for the country. That it provides the working capital for corporate Biafra a consumed three service chief hiefs Akuffo. Another Course mate, Alphonsus Keshi, an Igbo from the Mid-West, felt more comfortable living in Nigeria. Sokei knew about the January 1966 coup and was to lead operations in Enugu. Unfortunately, he was sent to India on course shortly before D Day. He was moved to the Air Force just like some of his Army colleagues. Sokei became Chief of Biafran Air Force after Col. George Tamunoiyowunam Kurubo defected to Nigeria. The former’s first job was to Head the Task Force that planned the successful hijack of a Nigeria Airways flight from Benin to Enugu. On March 15, 1968, senior Biafran officers gathered under a tree at Afor Igwe market ,Ogidi. Federal soldiers were advancing in full force and something had to be done. The meeting did not end well. Shrapnel from mortar fire penetrated Sokei’s heart. He was gone. Two other senior Biafran officers were lucky. Though wounded, they lived to fight again. The Nigerian Air Chief, Col. Shittu Alao, also did not survive the war. He died in a crash. His light aircraft was flying to Enugu but ended up in Uzebba, Mid-West. That was on October, 19, 1969. Alao, a bulky Ogbomosho, Yoruba man, born to a Shendam mother, had also trained at Sandhurst as an Army Cadet. All three Service Chiefs were Sandhurst products. In a space of two years, between 1967 and 1969, they were all dead. None of them clocked 40 years and none spent up to 10 years as a commissioned officer. Akahan’s death created a vacuum which could be filled by officers who were senior but were overlooked earlier. Col. Wellington Bassey, Col Adeyinka Adebayo, Lt. Col David Ejoor, Lt.Col Eyo Ekpo and Lt. Col. Hassan Katsina were available. Ekpo was ruled out because he was Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters. Again, Gowon who had been promoted Major General, overlooked all of them and picked Col. Iliya Bisalla who no doubt, was a very bright officer. His Sandhurst course mates, Cols Murtala Mohammed and Mohammed Shuwa were out fighting as General Officers Commanding [GOC] of the first and second division respectively. Bisalla and Gowon were quite close and hailed from the Pankshin area of the Middle Belt. Much later, when the Nigerian leader got married to, Victoria Zakari, in 1969, Bisalla was the Military Coordinator. His wife, Mildred, was one of the four ladies-in-waiting. The Fulani did not welcome Bisalla’s appointment. Katsina was commissioned in 1958. Bisalla received his, in 1961. Gowon knew something had to be done. Katsina was made Army Chief while Bisalla ended the war as a GOC. Sokei’s death saw Biafra Nigeria. That the President would not gloss over the issue of our wholly owned refineries those have not been rehabilitated in a quarter of a century and should work. That cumulative effect has afflicted Nigeria with what economists call Dutch Disease. That in an afflicted economy, a resource boom attracts large inflows of foreign capital, which leads to an appreciation of the local currency and a boost for imports that are comparatively cheaper. That it sucks labour and capital away from other sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and manufacturing, which are very important for growth and competitiveness. That as these labourintensive export industries flag, unemployment rises and the economy develops an unhealthy dependence on the export of natural resources. Petroleum would continue to be an instrument of politics, tact and security globally. Our monomaniacal case has left local oil production to foreign drillers only to export crude. Our economy has become highly vulnerable to unpredictable swings in global energy prices and capital flight. Refining ordinarily adds value to petroleum which is the most important commodity nature has provided mankind with as many as 6000 byproducts and derivatives when a barrel of crude is refined. Rehabilitation now will complement the Dangote refining facility coming on stream in 2020, to guarantee products stability and availability with no import of refined products in years to come. This will indeed, remove subsidy claims. It would also mitigate the pervasive security concerns in our land. The multiplier effect of local refining and ancillary businesses thereof will employ millions of distressed Nigerians, increase the gross domestic product, GDP as well as generate revenue for government. A patriotic Petroleum Minister is needed to harness all these for Nigeria. Col. Akahan led the Nigeria Army to war against Biafra appointing Wing Commander Godwin Ezeilo as replacement. The import was that he was the only trained pilot to lead the Air Force during the war. The man who replaced Alao, Emmannuel Ebije Ikwue, was not a pilot. He was an Army officer who passed out from Sandhurst alongside his predecessor, Okpo Isong, Musa Usman and Godwin Ally. It was in the bid to become a pilot that Alao lost his life. The boss did not feel quite comfortable commanding people who could fly fighter jets and bombers. In that group were young officers like John Yisa Doko, Gbadamasi King, Abdullahi Bello, George Musa Jebak, Ibrahim Alfa, Salaudeen Latinwo, Usman Jibrin and Anthony Okpere. Col. Alao began with light aircraft. That fateful day in 1969, he flew solo, with Enugu as destination. Somewhere around the River Niger, he lost bearing and planned to return to Benin. That never happened. The plane crash landed on a football field in Uzebba. Alao’s son, Lawal, joined the Air Force as a graduate in 1984. I met him in 1989 as he was introduced as Aide de Camp to Air Chief, Ibrahim Alfa. I guess, Lawal is still serving as an Air Vice Marshal. Like the Air Force, the Nigerian Navy was not commanded by a combatant seaman. Rear Admiral Edet Wey was a Marine Engineer. The job was done by Nelson Soroh, Mike Adelanwa and Akin Aduwo. The Biafran Navy was led by a grounded seaman, Captain Wilfred Anuku, from the Mid-West. He was at Dartmouth with Adelanwa. Anuku also fought as an Army Officer.
Lamido Sanusi came to national lime light in 2009. He had been a banker. President Yaradua appointed him Central Bank Governor. He met a banking industry seized by sleaze and drowning in systemic arbitrariness. He found dubious book keeping everywhere. He took implicated bank executives by the scruff of the neck and dragged them and their filth out of their banks into the streets and into the arms of the law. Many said he saved the banking system from perdition by picking out the cankerworms and dressing the sores that could have become gangrenous. Others said he was an overzealous petty vindictive regulator who used a sledge hammer to smash when he could have used a scalpel to tease. His tenure as CBN governor is still being judged. He instituted reforms to banish arbitrariness in corporate governance. But some said he was a garrulous hypocrite. They said he went about dislodging the specks in the eyes of others while the logs in his own eyes multiplied. They said he cleaned the commercial banks with ruthlessness but littered the CBN with telling mismanagement. He was outspokenly critical of the Jonathan government and its profligacy. But towards the end of his time as CBN governor, it was the same Jonathan government, through the Financial Reporting Council, that leveled serious allegations of financial improprieties against the reformer, Lamido Sanusi. Sanusi denied the charges. And called them desperate acts of witch-hunt. When he ascended the Kano Emirate throne, many were hopeful. They said the traditional institution had looked away while the society became filled with millions of out- of-school children, poverty and disease. The North was particularly afflicted. A revolutionary king, they thought, could instigate a cultural revolution from within. But others said that a hounded Lamido Sanusi only took refuge in the palace to avoid being prosecuted. Controversies, it appears, followed him into the palace. From the throne, he spoke against retrogressive cultural practices that had blighted the North and the country. He highlighted the ill treatment of girl child in the north. He warmed against child marriages. He spoke vociferously against the reckless population explosion in the north and wanted birth rate controlled. He Lamido Sanusi : An Emir on the ropes wondered what the politicians were doing with public resources while jobless youths roamed the streets. He was bound to ruffle feathers. His opponents said he was desecrating the hallowed throne by dabbling into radical politics. But it was, again, the charges of hypocrisy that were the most pointed blows he received. Many wondered why a social crusader for the girl child would marry a 19-year old girl as a third wife. It was well within his legal, religious and cultural rights so to do, but it didn’t enhance his credibility as a revolutionary against the retrogressive institutional practices against the girl child he wanted dismantled. It is probably, this perception of lack of commitment to lead by personal examples that has left room for his opponents to take rampant shots at him. So when he is not explaining frolicking with a teenage girl, he is explaining moving around in the symbol of sybaritism—the Rolls Royce. The Emir should have known. An Emir who chooses to disrupt the system fundamentally must brace for impact. The least he could have done was to gird his loins and rid himself of all flabbiness. Because the fight he had chosen could not be won if he came to it heavy with even mere suspicions of moral or financial improprieties. The Emir had barely started when a certain Hawk, the Kano Anti Corruption Commission, came out from nowhere and started circling over the palace. The allegations then was that certain sums of money had been misappropriated or wastefully spent by the emirate. The Emir had seemed rattled. The figures peddled seemed outrageous. His opponents chuckled. A few persons ran around and pleaded for mercy. The hawk glided, retreated, flew away. The Emir denied all wrong doings in public. But his opponents pointed out that his denials were tepid, lacked the fervency of his customary righteous posturing. They said it was true the Kano Anti Corruption Commission could be acting the script of an angry governor, the way the FRC was acting the script of an angry president. But they explained that in both cases vindictiveness was only secondary, secondary to the existence of reasonable suspicions of financial malfeasance where immaculate purity should have existed. Before the 2019 elections a scandal broke in Kano. The Kano governor was seen on tape collecting bribe money and stuffing his ‘babanriga.’ The nation was stupefied. The governor denied the allegations and dismissed the video recordings as doctored. The Kano House of Assembly moved in to investigate. A court injunction emerged and stopped the legislature that had seemed bent on initiating an impeachment process. The Emir was not heard. But he must have felt thoroughly embarrassed. Some said the Emir mourned in private. The governor must have noticed. That set the stage for another round of turbulence. The 2019 elections came. Kano was hotly contested. The governor survived by a hair’s breath after a supplementary election that was widely dismissed as unfree. After the elections, rumours sprouted and spread: the governor was unhappy SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE1, 2019—35 Many wondered why a social crusader for the girl child would marry a 19-year old girl as a third wife with the Emir whom he suspected had supported his opponents, his ouster. And once the Kano governor got angry with the Kano emir we knew that hawk—the Kano Anti Corruption Commission—would return again. But the governor didn’t wait for the hawk. He took his sword and balkanized the Kano emirates. The Emir of Kano was left with 20% of his weight. Four new kings and kingdoms were created from his kingdom. Many said the governor was playing dangerous politics of bitterness. And that whatever his grouse with the emir he shouldn’t destroy an important historical institution with his tantrums. Others said that the heedless head that picked a wasp should be stung by it. They said the Emir had allowed his ego and political recklessness bring division and misfortune rather than unity to his emirate. The battle has shifted to the courts. But the hawk that appears only when the governor is angry with the Emir has started circling again. The Emir has declared his innocence like a mother hen threatened by shadows above. This time some of those who seem him as a beacon of light in a benighted society have urged him to abdicate the whittled throne and seek higher effectual political grounds. His opponents are singing: ‘we told you so.’ They say that the Emir has the right sermons. But sermons are not enough. Because as it was in the CBN with the FRC so it is now with the Kano Anti corruption Commission. They want to see the Emir live what he preaches. They want to see him submit himself to all investigations and not take refuge in court injunctions. They want to see him live, not a life of opulence but, the a life of a man stricken by the disease and poverty and illiteracy swirling around him. The Emir is on the ropes. I pray he ‘rope-adope’s his way to a higher political calling. Perhaps, then, he would circumcise his heart and help redeem the nation. Night operations now possible at Benin Airport In opening up sub-national economies for facilities at the Benin Airport. growth, there are a number of parameters Governor Obaseki said his administration to ensure that the successes are not kneejerk or short-lived. Much as states adopt different a plan that ensures the Airport space was would work with FAAN and NAMA to develop methods to suit their peculiar needs, expanded. He noted that state intends to development economists argue that among effectively utilise assets and resources within other things, growth is mostly achieved through the state for the benefit of the people, which expansion of the space for economic activities, necessitated the inspection tour of the Benin with emphasis on freeing up markets and Airport. providing the environment to attract and keep According to him, “We have approached the private investments. Federal Authority to kindly come to our aid It was in keeping faith with this reasoning regarding the airport. The plan is to first improve that the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin the facilities in this airport and ensure that we Obaseki decided that if truly his vision to have night landing facilities. This will enable industrialise the state was to materialise and the airport embark on 24 hours operation. With the successes sustained, there was need to more airplanes coming in, we will see a lot more leverage whatever arteries through which passenger traffic coming into our state.” private investors access the state, especially the The MD of FAAN, Dunoma, noted that Benin Airport, from which high net-worth though the Federal Government had the engage with their partners in the state. responsibility to improve facilities at the Benin The plan was to ensure that the Benin Airport Airport, he was excited by the commitment becomes more viable and able to handle higher coming from the Edo State government to air passenger traffic. This line of thought was upgrade the airport. anchored on the need to upgrade the He said. “I want to thank the governor for infrastructure so it could handle more activities, coming to our aid and with his assistance we especially night operations, which will create can do a lot more. We have inspected the the room for private investors to do business in facilities here and we will submit a report on the state. what we need to do to improve the safety and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (2nd right); Minister of State, Though a Federal Government facility, the facilities at this Airport.” Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika (middle); Captain HosaOkunbor (2nd left), and state government’s intention to upgrade the Capt. Akinkuotu of NAMA commended the Senator representing Edo North, Senator Francis Alimikhena (right), at the Airport caused them to take part responsibility joint effort being made both by the state and commissioning of night landing equipment at the Benin Airport. for the job, which culminated in expenses Federal Government on the upgrade, noting running into about N169 million to facilitate that the approach was the way to go to drive the revamp of the Airport while relevant Federal us that the lights will arrive before the end of meaningful development across the country. He Vice President Osinbajo jets off from Benin Government agencies provided needed this month, February. We will launch it and have said the agency would collaborate with the Edo at 7pm infrastructure, among which are high-end air our inaugural night flight to Benin City,” he State government to ensure passengers do not One year after the inspection by the big wigs navigation equipment. said. only feel safe, but have good reasons to fly to the from the Federal Government, some of the Benin Airport. equipment for night operations were installed How the Plan was hatched NIMET station, Agro-allied Cargo Terminal He added, “We can’t but thank the Governor and the Vice President, Prof. YemiOsinbajo did During a visit by top aviation actors in the to follow – Aviation Minister Obaseki for coming out to show support. The the honours of flying from the Airport at about country to the state in September 2017, Last week, the Federal and Edo State country belongs to all of us. He has 7pm, a development that was unheard of at the Governor Obaseki was quick to relay his desire Governments eventually commissioned night demonstrated great leadership, and by working airport in the last couple of years. to improve infrastructure at the Airport and said landing equipment at the Benin Airport, officially together, we can move the state forward.” Speaking after the number two citizen had as much to the delegation from the Federal reviving night operations at the 63-year old After the inspection, work commenced taken off, Governor Obaseki, assured that the Government, which had the mandate for Airport. properly and the state government constructed Benin Airport would commence full night-time aviation in the country. Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. three security watchtowers; supplied and built flight operations after the installation of The delegation included top officials of the HadiSirika, who was elated at the development, houses for 2 20KVA generators; provided 3 necessary facilities, which are being received in Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) commended the doggedness and tenacity of hiluxes to FAAN; facilitated the installation of batches. and the Nigerian Airspace Management Governor Godwin Obaseki in facilitating the CAT II Instrument Landing System/Distance According to the governor, the landing Agency (NAMA). commencement of night operations at the measuring equipment by NAMA. facilities at the Benin Airport were already The then Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Airport. The Federal Government through Nigeria functioning which enabled the Vice President SalehDunoma was with the Managing Director “The operational capacity of the Benin City Meteorological Agency (NIMET) provided to depart Benin City through the Airport few of NAMA, Capt. FolaAkinkuotu, both of whom Airport has tremendously improved as we can Thunder and Lighting System; Met Enclosure minutes to 7pm on Thursday. Governor Godwin Obaseki vehemently now guarantee safe landing in reduced visibility and Secure Aviation Date Information System ” We are expecting more night landing convinced on the need to strengthen partnership and in bad weather condition. Aircraft can now while FAAN provided Enhanced Simple equipment to be installed at the Benin Airport to refurbish the airport after the trio inspected land in Benin Airport at night. No more closure Approach Landing System. especially the lights. The contractor has assured of the Airport by 6 pm.
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01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

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