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News Commentary
Nigeria at 47---The Journey so Far
On
October 1, 1960, precisely 47 years ago, the Union Jack flag in Nigeria was
lowered while the now familiar Green-White-Green was hoisted throughout the
length and breath of the new independent country-Nigeria. This indicated
freedom from every over lordship, freedom from economic, political and
social hegemony by the imperial-cum colonial masters.
Forty
seven years in the life of any nation is definitely not an easy task as an
idiom goes that; “No crown without thorn,” Nigeria in her 47 years, has
witnessed agonizing years some of which shook her foundation of existence.
Among these was the bloody civil war of 1967 to 1970, when a fraction of
the three regions inexistence then, when the eastern region led by its
military governor, Lt. Colonel Odumegu Ojukwu, launched secession war against the federal
republic of Nigeria by proclaiming the region Independent Republic of
Biafran, in a broadcast in the early morning of May 30, 1967 from Enugu.
He
proclaimed himself the Head of State and Commander-in Chief of the Armed
Forces and Enugu was announced as the Capital City of the Biafran Republic
thus began the 3 years of bloody war in which millions of lives and
properties were lost.
A
prelude to the war was coups and counter coups which started on January 15,
1966 by the military junta, and the lives of many promising officers were
lost.
During
the 47 years, the country has witnessed four republics including the
present political dispensation journey which kick- started on May 29, 1999
and so far, so good. The first was in 1960 but the then civilian
government, headed by prime Minister, late Tafawa balewa was toppled in
January 19667 by the military, headed by LT. Colonel Nzeogu.
Within the period, Nigeria
has had 13 heads of state in which the military heads of state were 8.
The
economy of the country has suffered many hiccups because it depends on
petrol dollars, while mismanagement and corruption of the resources had
been the trade mark of the rulers and this has retarded her economic growth
and development. The giant of Africa
sloganeering has not been transformed to a giant economy. Infrastructures
like electricity, water; hospitals still remain shadows of themselves.
Poverty is still starring over 70% of the population in the face. But
despite the hiccups, keeping the country one is a great achievement.
Where the honorable
Speaker went wrong
By
the time you are reading this piece, Honorable Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, may
have become an erstwhile first female speaker of the Federal House of
Representative in the anal history of democratic development in Nigeria. In
another version, she may still be carrying on as usual to preside over the
affairs of the House, despite the proved culpability of the Madam Speaker
in the award of # 628m contract, for the renovation / refurbishment of the
speaker’s and that of her deputy’s official residences, now
being referred to as Ettegate. And if it happens so, then special thanks
must be given to Nigeria’s
version of war against corruption and embezzlement.
It
would be recalled that the Honorable Idoko – nine member panel, set
up by the House of Representatives, which was presided over then by Hon.
Patricia Olubunmi Etteh as a Speaker, when the contract scam became a public consumption, found her guilty on
all the term of references for investigation.
During
the Idoko panel investigation, it found out that, Hon. Etteh approved in
writing, the award of contract to
supply 12 units of Jeep at the cost of a#12.2m to Kountryco company on July
3 , 2007, When in a actual fact , the said company submitted quotation for
the contract on July 9 , 2007.
The
panel also discovered that about # 324m (which Madam Speaker in her
evidence-in-chief before the panel, claimed was for the renovation of the
cluster of houses within the official residence) was for only a single
house.
The
panel noted that contrary to the testimony of the speaker that since 1999
when the speaker’s
official residence was occupied and that of the deputy speaker, no
renovation whatsoever was carried out, the Federal Capital Development
Authority (FCDA) renovated the speaker’s official residence in 2003
and 2005; that the deputy speaker’s residence was only commissioned
on June 2006 and that it had never been occupied by any person.
The
panel also found out that all the companies awarded those contracts were
not known in law because none of them registered with the Corporate Affairs
Commission; that one of the companies belonged to Madam Speaker’s
special advisor on security matters. The panel noted that the award of the
contract did not follow due process among other revelations.
The
question here after the brief summary of the whole saga is, ‘Where
did the Honorable Speaker go wrong?’ Insight into the genesis of the
travail of Madam Speaker rather than saying she is a victim of her gender,
her blind loyalty to former president Olusegun
Obasanjo, kept her from seeing the banana peels ahead; hence she walked
straight into it and fell woefully.
She
carried to the extreme, her unalloyed loyalty to Obasanjo when rather than
regard herself as Speaker for all the political parties that made up the
members of the Lower House, she declared ‘War’ on the perceived
enemies of the former president in the House. She made sure that they were
pushed to oblivion, by excluding them from becoming committees’
chairmen.
In
the cause of preventing any attack from within or without by the incumbent
president’s group, which Madam Speaker has been accused openly of
deviating from Obasanjo’s harsh excluded reforms policy to a more inclusive
egalitarian economic reform policy of president Yar, Adua. She made more
enemies than friends. When President Yar’Adua
acceded to the yearnings of Nigerians to reverse the wee hour sale of the
Kaduna and Portharcourt refineries respectively,
together with the reversal of the #10 increment in fuel pomp price and #5
increment in VAT (from #5 to 10) by the outgoing President Obasanjo, which
caused industrial unrest through out the country, Madam Speaker announced
gleefully to the world that , the national Assembly would not support any
reversal of the public enterprises which had been sold out by the previous
regime “Even , if they were sold to cronies at give away
prices.”
Thus,
she flung open the doors of confrontation between the executive and the
legislature.
Patricia
Olubunmi Etteh had forgotten that Obasanjo, when he held the acerb at Aso
Villa, openly canvassed for absolute loyalty to the President and not to
the constitution of Nigeria.
Those who infringed on these (Obasanjo) ethical codes, like the late
Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Senator Adolphus Wabara had their fingers burnt.
The senators were unceremoniously removed as senate presidents respectively
without serving their terms. Their removal from the No 3 seat at various
times was engineered by Obasanjo.
The
incumbent president is a product of the former president, so what is
happening to Patricia Etteh is just a rehash of history. The moral burden
for her is to step aside. The contract (Ettegate) has exposed her of being
incompetent to hold the exalted position of Madam Speaker of the Federal
House of Representatives.
Contributed
by Mr. Kunle
Oluwasusi
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Thought for the day:
When you leave
the office today, leave stress behind
I
hope this short story makes a big change in YOU.
Professor
began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.
He
held it up for all to see and asked the students: “How much do you
think this glass weighs?”
“50gms”, “100mgs”,
“125mgs”… the students chorused.
“I
really don’t know unless I weigh it” said the professor.
“My
question is: what would happen if I held it up like this for a few
minutes?” he continued.
“Nothing”, the students said.
“Ok! What would happen if I held it
up like this for an hour?” the professor asked holding up the cup.
“Your
arm would begin to ache” said one of the students.
“You’re
right. Now what would happen if I held it for a day?”
“Your
arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and
have to go to hospital for sure!” ventured another student and
everyone laughed.
“Very
good” said the prof, “but during all this time, did the weight
of the glass change?”
“No…”
they chorused.
“Then
what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?” he asked.
The students were puzzled.
“What
should I do now to come out of this pain?” he asked again.
“You
need to put the glass down” a students answered.
“Exactly!” said the professor.
“Life’s problems are sometimes like that. Hold it for a few
minutes in your head and they seem OK. Think of them for a long time and
they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You
will not be able to do anything thereafter,” he concluded.
Its important to assess challenges or problems
in your life, but what is even more important, is to PUT THEM DOWN every
day before you go to sleep. In this way, you will not be stressed; you wake
up every day feeling refreshed and are strong enough to handle any issue or
challenge the day may bring!
As you leave the office today, remember to
PUT THE GLASS DOWN and free yourself from unavoidable stress.
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