THE NATION ON SUNDAY JUNE 17, 2012
Politics
Political
ripples Whither Farouk Lawan’s governorship ambition?
C
LOSE associates and sup porters of Honourable Farouk Lawan are presently worried that the $3million bribery scandal currently dangling on his •Lawan neck may have nailed his well nurtured ambition to govern Kano State in 2015. Some of his henchmen and admirers, who spoke with Ripples during the week, said operators of his political machinery are still pondering how their man would extricate himself from what may turn out as the curtain on his promising political career. Currently serving his 4th term in the House of Representatives, Lawan was said to be gearing up to join the governorship race with the incumbent governor, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, who served as governor between 1999 and 2003. Kwakwanso, according to some analysts, is still eligible to contest in 2015 since he did not serve for two consecutive terms. Aside Kwakwanso and Lawan, who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), speculations are rife that Senator Kabiru Gaya of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), who was governor between 1991 and 1993, and General Jafaru Isa are also interested in the highly coveted seat. The big question today is if the fuel subsidy probe scandal has succeeded in eliminating Lawan from the list?
turf
M
•Alao-Akala
Edo 2012: Beyond empty promises T HE much anticipated gubernatorial election for Edo State, scheduled for July 14th, is less than 30 days, and so some candidates have been making unrealistic and empty promises dressed in fine sophistries. We have no business listening to them again as we suffered for ten years before Adams Oshiomhole. As is their usual style, they are here with us today. We see them at campaign rallies and television programmes. They hire trailers, buses and bike riders. They pay willing youths peanuts to do the dirty parts of the job and you may never have the slightest opportunity to meet their children during the campaigns. For a political party depending on Abuja to announce the result of the yet to be conducted elections, they hire youths to campaign, risk their lives day and night in exchange for N500 per day or whenever they put up a showing. And whenever the candidate returns from campaigns, he locks himself with the leaders inside their air-conditioned apartments to eat good foods with a doctor on hand to attend to their health concerns while the hired crowd waits in the dark to be insulted with peanuts. They sure employ body guards. Today, we see them appealling to our sentiments and speaking in flowery tunes, asking for votes from one village to the other hamlet. Sometimes, across the rivers but thereafter, they become our tormentors. Now they are with us but shortly after the votes, we shall see them no more. Presently, they are making empty promises. Yes, you see bike riders driving menacingly on high ways and bus drivers with overloaded suffering electorates dancing to drum beats and armed with placards. Some of these women are most often than not, divorcees. The
Political Politics
Alao-Akala gunning for Senate in 2015 ONTHS after he exited the Agodi Govern ment House following his trouncing at the polls by Senator Abiola Ajimobi, ex-governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, who thought he would retain the position until 2015, has finally resolved to change plans over his political ambition. Ripples learnt it took him a long time to overcome the shock of that defeat. And guess what; it is being alleged that the politician may not have forgiven Aare Arisekola Alao and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who, he and his associates still blame for allegedly playing major roles in his defeat at the polls. But typical of Nigerian politicians who will never give up on remaining in the corridors of power, Akala, currently facing trial over allegations of misappropriating over N5billion during his tenure, is already planning for his political future. Ripples can authoritatively reveal that the Ogbomoso-born ex-policeman is now busy oiling his political machinery preparatory to launching his campaign for a senate seat come 2015. Though based in Ibadan where he owns a palatial mansion, Akala has been travelling regularly to his home base to keep touch with his supporters as part of the preparation for the senatorial contest. Undaunted by the popularity of the incumbent senator representing his zone, Ayo Adeseun, who is likely to contest for a second term, and the influence of Oba Adeyemi, the former governor has been telling his supporters that politics is a game he understands.
By Dada Akpeji
PERSPECTIVE
•Oshiomhole
youths are school drop outs and undergraduates who have no means of livelihood. Others are unemployed but employable graduates who have become hangers-on to do the biddings of these politicians. Often, they employ the services of cult groups and equip them. It is a shame what such politicians and socalled leaders are turning this country, this state into. Why do we desire or want to stick out our necks for them when we have an Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole providing our needs? A cursory look at other candidates’ antecedents: He is a despot now in civilian garb. Visit him after the election; that is if you ever set your eyes on him. Naturally, you are confronted with a dark shaded giant at the entrance of his door, if you survive the hordes of policemen at the gate to tell you ‘Oga is sleeping.’ Generally, there is one thing that is constant about such politicians, their phones are never reachable. It is either on voice mail or diverted or al-
ways busy. It is so programmed that we will see them no more. But the Oshiomhole we see today on the streets, even as a governor; is better for us. Oshiomhole’s natural bonding with the people he governs is far from make-belief. It is real. Whenever you see him on the streets, schools suddenly close abruptly, markets are abandoned and there is shout of joy in the air as the people; old and young, genuinely appreciate the performance of their governor. They flock around him with ecstatic shouts of ‘Oshio Baba’ renting the air. Oshiomhole cuddles the aged, pampers children and babies feel securely ensconced in his fatherly arms. He has no inhibitions to mixing freely with the people in spite of the genuine concern and sometimes, overzealousness of his security details for his safety. He has no problem mixing with ordinary rural women, dancing with them and yet, he is the governor of the state. But Oshiomhole’s opponents: You will see them in convoys of cars- hefty, exotic ones, not without splendour or opulence. They would tint their glasses and disobey the police and traffic light. They would block Sapele Road near Adesuwa to commuters and threaten us. They tell us they are in-charge of the country and that they would win without campaigning. This is a proof that they would shield themselves from the people after an open roof campaign on their SUVs. But, who do you blame for the terminal damages such people inflict on us? Their undeserved victories must simply be blamed on us all; the masses. So, we must resist them again and support Oshiomhole to take us to the next level. •Akpeji, a public commentator and political analyst, wrote in from Benin City, Edo State.
21
with Bolade Omonijo boladeomonijo@yahoo.com
Lawangate: The voice of Jacob
T
HE heart of the scandal involving the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Lawan and the ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Management is the unseen hand behind the incident. The hands may be invisible, but like the hands of Esau, they could be felt. The heavy involvement of the Department of State Security belies the claim that the executive arm of government is a mere bystander. It is all falling in place now. The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Adoke Bello, gave the first hint that the presidency and the entire executive branch would not take the inquest by the National Assembly lying low. He told a bewildered nation that the report would be properly scrutinized before further action could be taken. On the surface, he was right. But, anyone who understands the way the state in an underdeveloped society works, would read between the lines. It was, and is, obvious that the government was in no mood to sacrifice close allies of the President serving in government and friends and partners who financed his expensive and grandiose campaign. The targets are very obvious. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal is the only one in this dispensation to have successfully defied the President. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is said to take exception to the Speaker’s neutrality in the performance of his duties. He has been accused many times of hobnobbing with the opposition, and the hawks in the ruling party appear to believe that enough is enough. Now, if Lawan, a principal supporter of the Speaker, is dumped, it would be easy to close in on Tambuwal. Second, the committee report is too revealing to be allowed to see the light of the day. Presidential strategists are said to be aghast that the report is already unorthodoxly in the public domain. This is a masterstroke by proponents of probity and transparency. The Nuhu Ribadu Committee is also at work, just as the Kalu Idika Kalu Panel. The presidency had nudged the Petroleum Minister, a soul mate of the President, to throw those baits at the critics and general public as a way of buying time, while working out other ways of diverting attention from the main issues. Now, they are succeeding. The Lawan committee report is destined for the same destination as the Elumelu Power Probe and Herman Hembe investigation, if the people look away. In each of the cases, the hunter turned to be the hunted. It is a sad commentary on the state of our country. It shows that our dealers in high places, in the executive, legislative or judicial branches of government, are too blinded by greed to smell danger however obvious or close. They launch at inducement as Pavlov’s starved dog. At the end, they fall cheap to blackmail and rubbish the institution into which they had forced themselves and set back the society. It is good that, despite Lawan’s standing in the House as one of the longest serving and his contribution to the election of the Speaker, he has been told to step aside. He is no longer driving the process of subsidy management probe and, in addition, in recognition of public anger, Lawan has also been stripped of his leadership of the Education Committee. It could be easily recalled that the honourable member from Kano State was at the head of the Integrity Group that spearheaded the removal of Madam Patricia Etteh as Speaker in 2008. Apparently, it was merely a consequence of disagreement by two contending groups. Lawan who had served as head of the Appropriation Committee in the previous session of the House was moved to the less fancied Education Committee. He struck to exact his pound of flesh. Etteh must be rejoicing now. By the development, whither Nigeria? The presidency is at its game, sparing no thought or feeling for the people. There are so many wheelers and dealers in the legislature. They are predators, ever willing to prey on public funds. Can we rely on the judiciary to defend the people? There is little to cheer here. The record of the third branch of government, what with the contradictory judgments, show that the motivation factors are at variance with the demand of justice for all. Whoever came up with the image of the blindfolded chap as symbol of the judiciary had no intention how things work in Nigeria. The height of it was the Katsina-Alu versus Salami case that has refused to go away. The Appeal Court, Supreme Court, Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Office of the President Court of Appeal were exposed to ridicule in the process. The details are too messy to be recounted here. So, who can rise to the support of common Nigerians? Unfortunately, no one or institution. Our collective destiny is in our hands. We have to defend our rights. We have to insist on justice. We must prevail on the powers that be that the due process must be followed in all things and at all times. Nothing must be swept under the carpet and culprits should be brought to book. It is only in such ways that we can sanitise the system and set the country on the path of development. In ages past, it was said that the tree of liberty is watered by the blood of patriots. In this age, it must take the heads of tyrants. It took the Cromwelian revolt to enthrone the people in the Britain; Louis the XIV learnt the hard way in France. Those who take the public for granted and feast on the commonwealth must be taught that never again would the people allow themselves to be trampled upon by predators.