Imperial Governors On The Rampage — The PUNCH Editorial – Lifestyle Nigeria
From Benin to Akure, and Abeokuta, state governors are exhibiting their accustomed high-handedness. Phillip Shaibu, Deputy Governor of Edo State, was locked out of his office on Monday as Governor Godwin Obaseki revved up his war against him; the Ondo State House of Assembly on Wednesday commenced impeachment processes against the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following distrust between him and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. Ijebu North-East Local Government legislators impeached its Chairman, Wale Adedayo, who had accused Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, of denying LGs their statutory funds.
This is a disturbingly repetitive pattern in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. State governors are notoriously intolerant of opposing views and demand military-style unquestioning obedience.
From their deputies, derisively called “spare tires” in reference to their powerlessness under the 1999 Constitution, state governors demand obsequious submissiveness. Ambition is viewed as rebellion to be crushed with all the instruments of state power wielded within and outside the law.
This obey-me-or-else culture applies to the state legislatures and the LGs. For most governors, they hold office solely at the pleasure of their imperial gubernatorial personage. They are not permitted to hold different views or challenge them.
Their victims are often no saints either, being products of the besmirched system, but decorum should rule in the public space even when disagreements arise.
Everywhere else, democracy thrives on debates, free interplay of divergent views and competition for elective offices. Furthermore, the principle of the separation and independence of powers – executive, legislative, and judicial – is an inconvenience for Nigeria’s governors. Control of the state legislatures and LGs is for them, a matter of survival.
Aiyedatiwa’s predicament is put down to ambition. Though accused by state legislators of “gross misconduct,” his real offence, allege supporters, is his suspected desire to succeed Akeredolu who went on a medical leave between June 13 and September 9, this year.
Shaibu’s travails are similarly rooted, as publicly confirmed by Obaseki, in his alleged “desperation to succeed me.” He has been serially subjected to humiliations and indignities.
For daring to file a petition alleging Abiodun’s withholding of funds accruing to the state’s 20 LGs, Adedayo has been detained by the secret police, and disowned by other state LG bosses and his own councillors.
While he was governor of Lagos 1997-2007, Bola Tinubu, now president, two deputy governors in succession were forced out. When the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, held sway as Katsina State governor 1999-2007, two successive deputies under him also were evicted. In February 2020, a court quashed the October 2019 impeachment of Simon Achuba as the Deputy Governor of Kogi by state legislators acting in support of Governor Yahaya Bello.
In Zamfara, Mahdi Gusau was removed as deputy governor after refusing to follow then Governor Bello Matawalle to defect from their party to another party.
In 2018, the Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, was impeached by the Imo State House of Assembly following a clash with then Governor Rochas Okorocha over his ambition to succeed him, when the governor was rooting for his son-in-law. Like in Ondo State, where Akeredolu’s first deputy, Agboola Ajayi, was forced out, Okorocha’s first deputy, Jude Agbaso, had suffered a similar fate.
Democracy is farcical in Nigeria. Instead of vibrant lawmaking and oversight, the state legislatures are ‘rubber stamps.’ The few who exhibit some ‘spunk’ are dutifully removed by their colleagues to please the governors. State governors dissolve elected LGs in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling and the constitution. They insist on handpicking their successors thereby provoking tension and bitter divisions.
Nigeria desperately needs legislators and politicians that understand the critical role of diverse views and independent parliaments in building a truly functional democracy.
Elections need to be cleaned up to facilitate the emergence of the people’s choice as opposed to the handpicked choices of governors and ‘godfathers.’ Internal democracy, currently largely absent, should be entrenched in the political parties.
Lovers of liberal democracy should work towards creating a policy that permits both opposing views and the free exercise of legitimate ambition.
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Why Nigeria Needs State Police — Senate President, Akpabio
Lifestyle Nigeria Gathered that President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has made a passionate appeal for the establishment of state police.
Speaking at a national dialogue on Security and State Police, held in Abuja, Senator Akpabio declared that the mounting security challenges across the country have made the creation of State Police to complement Federal Police compelling.
The President of the Senate appealed to the gathering to ensure that the State Police departments are insulated from politics, religion, and ethnic extremism.
He said: “In working out modalities for the state police and the security of our nation, we must not forget that security is not a privilege, but a fundamental right of every Nigerian. It is our duty to ensure that this right is upheld, that justice is served, and that the rule of law prevails.
We must build a security architecture that is robust, transparent, and accountable. If we are to set up state police departments, we must ensure that they are free from the shackles of politics, religious extremism, tribalism, and ethnicism. We must empower them to serve and protect, without fear or favour.
“As we consider this proposition, let us draw inspiration from the United States of America, a nation that has successfully implemented a system of state and federal policing. Let us learn from their experiences and adapt their models to suit our unique socio-political context.
Let us ensure that our state police forces work in harmony with their federal counterparts, collaborating to fight crime, preserve peace, and safeguard our democracy. In the USA, the FBI, the federal police body enforces federal laws and the state police departments enforce state laws. The FBI also investigates inter-state crimes. We must draw the lines because to have functional state police we must have a strong federal police.”
Akpabio who shared strong reservations about abuse of State Police as instrument of witch-hunt asked his colleagues to cooperate in building a system that is fair, just, and equitable for all.
“But let us never forget that the power of the state police should never be used as a tool of oppression or witch-hunting. Let us ensure that political powers do not manipulate the state police to silence dissent or target their enemies. Let us ensure that the influential do not exert undue influence over the state police, and that justice is blind to wealth, power, politics, or status. Let us build a system that is fair, just, and equitable for all.
“Therefore, in this hallowed hall, let us embrace this dialogue as an opportunity for unity, understanding, and collaboration. Let us rise above our differences and work towards a common goal – a safer and more secure Nigeria.
Let us use our collective efforts to build a nation that can withstand the challenges that lie ahead, a nation that can combat the monster of insecurity that currently threatens our collective well-being.“
JUST IN: Tinubu opens African Counter-Terrorism summit in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has kicked off the African Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja’s Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said in a statement on Sunday that a high-level conference organized by Nigeria in partnership with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) will take place from April 22 to 23.
Platinumpost reported that the objective of the summit is to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa, emphasizing African-led and African-owned solutions.
Special guests present at the security summit include: Mr Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary General, United Nations office of Counter-Terrorism; Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General United Nations and Patrice Talon , President of the Republic of Benin, among others.
More details to follow…
(Nation)
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“God Is Nothing Without Me”: Viral Graduate Tenders Apology For His Bad Grammar
Lifestyle Nigeria gathered that a recent Benue State University (BSU) graduate, Msuega Terna Jnr, has apologized for his contentious graduation celebration post, which went viral on Facebook.
Msuega, who was celebrating the completion of his university career, posted photographs of his signing out on the Facebook page “TIV SINGLES” with a comment littered with poor language.
His now-deleted message said, “Hello Tiv shingles, celebration with me. I am a graduation from BSU.
“God is nothing without me.”
In a follow-up Facebook post on Sunday, Msuega clarified that his viral graduation post was not intended to disparage or drag his alma mater through the mud, but rather to raise publicity for himself. He said that it was intentional.
“In the said publication, I deliberately used wrong sentence to create awareness of my signing out from the university, though it was deliberate, but with no intentions of hurting anyone, a group, community or Institution.
“The publication has generated mixed reactions from users of social media, the academics, religious believers and different groups of people. “It was not intended to drag the reputation of any individual, group, community or Institution to the mud, neither was the publication to discredit God.”
He also stated that he believes in the existence of God. “I want to tender my unreserved apology for making people believe a graduate can’t express himself, doubting the reputation of my school, feeling I’m using God’s name for joke.
He also stated that he believes in the existence of God. “I want to tender my unreserved apology for making people believe a graduate can’t express himself, doubting the reputation of my school, feeling I’m using God’s name for joke
“To the best of my knowledge, I have acquired education from one of the best universities in Nigeria and I can express myself very fluently, equivocally without commiting blunders of such gravity and I’m also a religious believer that believes in the existence of God.”
Check out some of the reactions that trailed his apology below:
Ordue Edward Shagba said: “Polished English it’s. I hope this Apologies goes viral too. Congratulations.”
Aondowase Akpenwe said: “U lack the expected university trained characters assumed to be acquired by you. That’s all.”
Iorfa Madaky said: “You brought everything upon yourself, I pray your school don’t find a reason to use you as an example to put a stop to this cruise of a thing.”
L.B. Ume-Lai said: “Tswara ambi. “Shey u wan trend? “E go soon com out for newspapers. “U go explain explain tire.”
