Opposition within APC: What Buhari Should Do

One of the biggest political challenges that President Muhammadu Buhari is facing is the opposition within his party- the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially at the National Assembly. How Buhari tackles the ‘rebellion’ will determine how smooth he will run his government, the fortunes of his party- the APC, especially in future elections, and how members of the APC will view the supremacy of the party.

Being the President of the nation, Buhari enjoys the support of his party leadership most importantly, that of the party leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu and other senior party stalwarts, thus Buhari has upper hands against the opposition within the APC. Having opposition within a political party is natural and healthy for a democracy, however what is happening in the APC is unique- the ‘rebels’ have their calculations linked to future elections and are in close romance with the ousted external opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Buhari has some very strong and reliable weapons to tackle this opposition within his party; first, he must make sure that procedures and laid down processes are followed to the letter in every aspect of government business including in the legislature- especially when it comes public fund expenditure. Secondly, Buhari’s posture of ‘no more business as usual’ should be unfailingly adhered to. These two are strong weapons because a lot of individuals in the National Assembly who are aligning themselves to the ‘opposition within’ are doing so hoping that when the ‘kill’ is ready, they will enjoy the ‘spoil’.

Most crises in the National Assembly have been connected to struggles by the actors to be part of those who will enjoy political spoils. The ‘rebellion’ against the APC leadership by some of its members in the National Assembly cannot also be far from that. A closer look at the APC legislators in the National Assembly whom the public see as major forces behind the rebellion reveal old termers in red and green chambers, who fully understand and have tasted the ‘honey’ that comes with being close to the leadership of the National Assembly. When things are allowed to work as they ought to and the expected ‘spoils’ no longer come, Nigerians will be relieved and most of the actors will sheath their swords.

Some people are suggesting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC should send for the ‘like mind actors’ and dig into their past. Definitely something can be found out against most of them; however there will be backlash and accusations of political witch-hunting and misuse of security agencies. In fact, using the EFCC to resolve political issues is a wrong and condemnable. Buhari should rather firmly stand on his vow to allow process and procedures to follow laid down rules. Toxic politicians in the National Assembly and even in the executive will come back to their senses when this is done. 

Fourth, Buhari should take the path of reconciliation and employ the spirit of give and take: This is would be the best for all the parties- the APC, its leadership and Buhari would be appeased, while the APC caucus of the National Assembly will be crisis free. But would the gladiators, especially in the Senate submit to party supremacy, which they preached to the masses during election? There are reports that Senate President Bukola Saraki is seeking the blessings of the Emir of Ilorin to intervene between him and Buhari. This means Saraki is now more worried, having seen the Dogora group in the House of Representatives bow to party supremacy. Having seen the writings on the walls and the growing public anger, the group acceded to the party’s decision and announced Femi Gbajabiamila as the house leader. Bukola can also thread the same path.

Some observers are saying Saraki’s strong romance with the PDP, the commitment he has to his like-minded colleagues and the politics of 2019 make this a difficult path for him. One may understand Saraki worries, he traded off the position of the deputy senate president to the minority PDP, and many see that as desperation to be senate president and also a betrayal of his party leadership- no party leadership can condole such act.

Looking at Buhari’s position on the crisis, one can say Buhari has no issues with any of the actors, the President is rather asking them to follow and accept the supremacy of the party which was sold to the masses during the 2015 elections. Anybody the All Progressive Congress (APC) presented was voted for, and most of the actors were beneficiaries of the APC sack.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. 

How to Disburse Buhari’s N5000 Social Security Money

Some Nigerians are in support of the promise by the Buhari government to pay N5,000 social security money to poor and unemployed Nigerians, while other Nigerians oppose it. The opponents of the scheme fear that it will lead to laziness and emergence of a welfare state with its attendant consequences, while the supporters of the scheme belief that it will help to lift up the poor, cushion the scourge of poverty and boost the reduction of economic risks and insecurities of life. 

Some opponents of the scheme have even suggested that the chunk of money to be used to fund the scheme should be used to set up industries and support small businesses, while the supporters of the scheme are of the view that the poverty level in the country has reached an alarming level- majority of Nigerians are very poor, thus, they desperately need such stipends. Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo was quoted to have said “we cannot talk about the economy of the future without addressing how we move people out of poverty”

Both the supporters and opponents of the N5,000 social security payment have genuine points. What is most important is the system of implementation. The government needs to design a middle-line approach to implement the scheme. The entire N5,000 social security money should not be 100% welfare scheme where individuals will be given money every month while sitting at home. If a middle-line approach is adopted, it will appease both the opponents and the supporters of the scheme. 

The middle-line approach should be designed in such a way that, the proposed N5,000 social security money will be given to individuals while they are engaged in some productive activities. However, we must admit it will be a herculean task for such scheme to be successful in a society where government patronage, rent seeking and corruption are prevalent. Nevertheless, a government with political will can achieve it, but how?

Almost all government-owned primaries school, primary healthcare centres and ministries and agencies etc do not have adequate manpower, both skilled and unskilled. So, graduates, certificate holders and unskilled individuals who are qualified for the N5,000 social security money can be posted to such places to work while earning the monthly N5000 naira. The educated ones that may someday get permanents jobs will leave and will be replaced by others.

Another way to implement the scheme is that government should continue with the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS). It is a good programme which creates opportunity for graduates to be attached to firms /organizations, where they can work for a year and enjoy a monthly stipend of N30,000. The government can remodel and expand the scheme to take more people apart from graduates.

Establishment of inventions and innovation centres is another way to implement the social security scheme. These centres can work as a ‘silicon valley’ for unemployed computer scientists, operations research, architects, engineers, lawyers etc to form hubs for startups. The centres can be run efficiently from the 5,000 naira that will be given to each participant- for example if a centre has 200 beneficiaries, each will contribute 1000 from his or her 5,000 to run the centre- i.e. a whopping 200,000 naira per month. With such arrangement, these beneficiaries will be using their brains to invent and innovate and at the same time use part of their 5,000 naira to pay salaries of other people. This kind of arrangement can be experimented in farms, small businesses to be setup by the government and run by the beneficiaries of the social security money. 

The 5,000 naira social security scheme is a good idea, but the big question is how will the Buhari government fund this most striking promise of their campaign? There are avenues to get money to fund the scheme, apart from budgetary provisions, the government should also look into bonds issuance, coupon bonds; and proceeds from investment of pension funds. Another interesting area where funds can be tapped is to make laws to allow investing monies from the huge unclaimed dividends. Private sector can also fund the welfare scheme through offering employment to some categories of unemployed persons, but remuneration should be pegged at the 5,000 naira, then the surplus from monies meant for salaries can be used to pay other beneficiaries who are working in other public sectors like schools, hospitals and public works.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. 

Atiku, Nyako, Gov Bindow and Adamawa People

Signals are beginning to emerge that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will have more influence than former Governor Murtala Nyako, in the government of Governor Muhammad Bindow Jibrilla of Adamawa state. Though, it is early to pin point who already holds the ace between Atiku and Nyako in the Jibrilla government, Atiku’s associates have so far cornered more positions in the recent appointments made by Gov Bindow- Dr Umar Bindiri, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Yohanan Mathias, Chief Press Secretary and Barrister Bala Silas, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General. Moreover, Bindow is now a son in-law to Atiku. Nyako’s associates have so far dismissed this impression, saying it is purely speculative, claiming that for example the newly appointed SSG, Dr. Bindir is no political associate of anyone. Atiku or anyone else cannot claim him. He is a technocrat who is determined to remain so.

The worries of the Adamawa people however remain whether the state is on the verge of returning to the era of a government remote-controlled by few power-hungry politicians and the self-appointed godfathers and kingmakers. The pertinent question on the minds of most people in Adamawa is whether Atiku’s influence will be reminiscent of the 8-years of Boni Haruna, which brought regrets. Equally, whether Nyako’s influence in Bindow’s government will be the return of Nyako style of governance- wide disconnect between the government and the ordinary people; governance and policy making centered around ruling family and associates; third-rate politicians and gold diggers making up a greater percentage of Nyako confidants.

There are feelings of uncertainty in the minds of many people in the state. Adamawa people are confused about whether the ‘change’ mantra that brought Bindow to power is mere mouth talk? However, quite a number of people believe that Atiku has learnt a lot of lessons from his 8 years as Vice President, the underdeveloped status of the state and the resultant bashings he received afterwards. The general belief is that Atiku will now use his influence in the Bindow government to give fatherly advice on people oriented programmes and projects. Some pundits are also of the view that Bindow needs Atiku for political protection because of Atiku’s influence in the APC, the good rapport he has with the Buhari government and his political strength in Adamawa- quite a number of Atiku’s associates won elective positions in 2015 elections.

Notwithstanding, most Adamawa people expect Governor Bindow to run a government that is free of over-bearing influence from anybody. For Bindow to balance such complex political settings, he needs to run a representative government and appoint a cabinet that is ‘bi-diverse’ i.e. policy designers/implementers and political strategists to handle the political front.

With the current political, social and economic conditions in the country, especially the dire situation in Adamawa brought about by abject poverty and Boko Haram senseless war, neither Atiku nor Nyako can survive people’s anger if it appears that either has an over-bearing influence on a government that is performing below people expectations. This writer shares the opinion that Atiku is all out to influence the scheme of things in Adamawa in order to rewrite his name in the history of the state’s development.

The only reason many people are giving Atiku this benefit of doubt is because of the unprecedented development he brought to the state after leaving power. Many Adamawa people were critical of Atiku’s 8-years as vice president because of underdevelopment the state witnessed.

On the other hand, Nyako must have learnt his lessons through a bitter way– during his impeachment crisis, the Adamawa masses could have been his saviour, because he had once enjoyed an unprecedented support from them. But he lost their sympathy because of his failure to correct his political blunders- open cronyism, non-representative government and poor resource distribution.

From the way political events are unfolding, one can deduce that the affinity between Nyako and Bindow is not as strong as people thought- for example, after Bindow’s victory at the polls; one expected Nyako to withdraw the two courts cases instituted- one challenging his impeachment and the other his tenure, because both were aimed to return Nyako to power. Secondly, when Nyako returned to Adamawa, neither Gov Bindow nor any top government official nor APC stalwarts were present to receive him. On the other hand, Bindow is showing whoever wants to know that his loyalty to Atiku is unquestionable- whenever Atiku is in the state, Bindow comes to receive him, in fact, at a function to open Madugu Hotels in Jimeta, as a sign of honour, the governor arrived the venue before Atiku. Nevertheless, Gov Bindow is a politician, so, the Adamawa people do not expect him to fight or abandon the fingers that fed him, but he must be smart enough to avoid some of the wrong paths Adamawa had been shepherd through.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. 

Atiku and Buhari Presidency

Over the years, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been the most visible politician, especially in the politics of Nigeria’s presidency. In fact, 68 years-old Atiku has so far has spent nearly half of his age doing politics.

Atiku is today one of the stakeholders in the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressive Congress (APC). The Buhari presidency is a product of change- a change that most Nigerians are keen for. Is Atiku a changed man? It seems Atiku is trying to right the wrong of the past. However, Atiku still means different things to his critics and supporters.

Atiku’s critics often argue that the core reason he ventured into politics was not different from that of a typical Nigerian politician- the quest for power and self enrichment. But his supporters say, mere politics is not what only defines Atiku, but the way he does it. Atiku is politically adventurous and his strategies in politics are always audacious- they surpass those of ordinary Nigerian politicians. 

Over the years, Atiku has been the most visible politician, especially in the politics of Nigeria’s presidency. His opponents are always quick to describe him as opportunistic and a desperate serial presidential contestant. His supporters see his unrelenting participation in party politics as a clear sign of Atiku’s passion to serve his fatherland. Atiku’s supporters always boast that Atiku is one of the few top-notch politicians in Nigeria that fought the PDP – he, engineered the biggest revolt that shock the PDP (the famous New-PDP). And, despite that Atiku lost the APC presidential primaries to Buhari and his preferred candidate also lost the Adamawa APC governorship primaries; Atiku helped the APC with his immense war chest that easily scares off opponents- vast political network and connections.

Muhammadu Buhari- the politician; appears to have realised that, Atiku is such a man that must be factored-in in the present Nigerian political equations. Because of some reasons, including that, Atiku was the most prepared candidate for the 2015 presidential election. Atiku Abubakar has a well-drafted policy document loaded with fine, programs and projects, christened ‘The Atiku Abubakar Formula’. Atiku promised, if elected, his medium-term strategy would be to ensure that recurrent expenditure is financed fully with non-oil revenues, while all oil proceeds will be invested in infrastructure, security, education and health. 

The Buhari presidency will a defining moment for Atiku to re-launch himself as a true democrat, who is already to sacrifice for the good of the nation. Though, the ultimate measure of a democrat is not how he stands at the moment of comfort and convenience, but how he stands at times of challenges and controversies. Nigerian will be closely watching Atiku in the Buhari presidency.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. 

Governor Sule Lamido as a Role-Model for New Governors

Many of the first-term governors-elect are coming on board without a well articulated programme and policy for their people. The ‘change’ phenomenon and the Buhari tsunami have brought in some unprepared governors especially in the northern part of Nigeria. The society must help these set of elected public office holders to start good and end excellent.

The Sule Lamido model of development is an excellent working document for most governors-elect to emulate and benchmark in their developmental strives. I often christen Governor Sule Lamido’s style of development in rural Jigawa as ‘Big Project from Small Money.’ Sule Lamido administration have initiated and completed many projects that are milestones as well as being in line with Jigawa’s needs.

The main reason the new governors-elect especially those in northern states with similar geographical, cultural and economical terrain with Jigawa should religiously adopt Governor Lamido’s development strategies is; the governor‘s development plans are based on new thinking and sound decision making. Governor Lamido’s careful planning and execution of people oriented projects and programmes, including the visibly enhanced economic growth and quality of governance in Jigawa State is clearly an indication that, despite the general poverty of ideas among most public office holders and the scarce resources in most northern states, there are leaders who are genuinely committed to people oriented and sustainable development. For instance, while most states were crying and pointing fingers at the Federal Government for their inability to pay workers’ salaries; Governor Lamido has not only paid salaries, but busy commissioning new projects.

Despite the meagre resources and the population of Jigawa people being mainly rural dwellers and peasant farmers, the governor was able to identify what the Jigawa people dearly want. This is how leaders ought to be- futuristic in thinking. 

Governors-elect who wholeheartedly want to bring real development to their people must adopt the Lamido concept and strategy of development in agriculture, roads, education, electricity, healthcare, water supply, transportation, youth development and other sectors. Governor Lamido was able to achieve the visible remarkable development in Jigawa through the segmentation of the various sectors into their smallest unit, then a head-on tackling of each unit. 

Lamido has become a role model for those aspiring for and holding political offices, because he has exhibited what is expected of elected leadership. For first-term governors-elect who truly want to bring development despite the current meagre resources; governor Lamido’s development strategies will be a great helping-hand. 

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980.

What the North East Dearly Needs From Buhari

Poverty, illiteracy and bad leadership are the greases that run Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast. In fact, Northeastern Nigeria has become the epicenter of Boko Haram insurgency because majority of the people in the region live in abject poverty induced by toxic leadership. Though, other national factors like, unequal distribution of resources, the sloppy handling of the conflict by the government at the centre and the absence of employment opportunities have also helped Boko Haram in its recruitments and indoctrinations. 

President-elect, Muhammad Buhari has promised to end Boko Haram. But the big question is after that, what next? Buhari must tackle the main condition that facilitated the growth of Boko Haram- abject poverty in the region. The average Nigerian in the Northeast is extremely a poor man. 

Buhari will need to create productive employment for the region’s teeming unemployed citizens and those engaged in unproductive-manual jobs. He can achieve this by taking a cue from China’s Chairman Mao’s development model of agriculturalisation, industrialization, and collectivization.

Nigeria’s development efforts over the years have laid emphasis on urban development at the expense of rural development which has led to a substantial rise in inequality between Nigerians; this is why Boko Haram recruits with ease in the northeast.

Buhari, being a former governor in the defunct Northeast, is certainly one of those who understand better, the multifaceted challenges and the need for security, rehabilitation and development in the war-torn northeast. However, Buhari’s development plans for the Northeast has to be tied to agriculture. Agriculture is the easiest way to touch and integrate the lives and livelihood of the millions of people in the Northeast and at the same time, quickly rehabilitate the land, the people and the local economy from the 'scars' of Boko Haram’s senseless war. The much-talked about and celebrated promise by Buhari to resume oil exploration in Lake Chad is a welcome development, but it cannot, within short time heal the wounds of the war in the Northeast. 

Though industrialization entails both technology and profound social development, Buhari can also develop an agro-allied small scale industrialization programme for the Northeast with systemic as well as systematic measures to steer resources into the productive process. This will help in sustaining the agricultural sector and help in human capital development, including the rehabilitation of the destruction, dislocation, disruption and the exhaustions that are so obvious in many of the war-torn communities.

Boko Haram have destroyed many schools and killed many school children in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Thus the education problem in the northeast has become different from that of the rest of the country. The Northeast is facing the problem of large number of children out of schools; many destroyed schools and fear instilled in children and parents to send their wards to schools. Collaboration between the three states of Borno, Yobe , Adamawa and Federal government is required to tackle these big problems. 

China owes her development to Chairman Mao’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ of agriculturalisation, industrialization, and collectivization. Though, we are talking about rehabilitation of war-torn communities with high rate of illiteracy and poverty, Buhari can still benchmark Chairman Mao’s idea through agriculturalisation, small scale industrialization and human capital development. However, it took China decades to start reaping the benefits of the ‘Great Leap Forward’.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980

Governor Bindawa, the Nyako man?

Adamawa state Governor-elect, Mohammed Jibrilla Bindawa, was recently reported to have declared his unalloyed loyalty to former governor Murtala Nyako. Bindawa was quoted to have said that he rode on the back of the ousted former governor, Murtala Nyako to win the April 11 governorship election. Bindawa applauded Nyako for giving him a platform to contest on.

There are also insinuations that Nyako’s son, Senator-elect Abdulazeez, who was the de facto governor of his father’s regime is working aggressively to assemble the government for Bindawa. If this is true, then the Adamawa people should be ready for Nyako’s overriding influence in Bindawa’s government. 

In fairness to Bindawa, mere saying ‘I am an Nyako man’ does not entirely mean he will subject his government to Nyako’s control. However, when Bindawa begins to assemble his cabinet, we will know the true direction of his government. Bindawa might have been advised to make that statement to reiterate his loyalty as some Nyako men have started accusing him of betrayal.

Adamawa people must make sure Bindawa’s administration which is a product of ‘change’ is free from the shackles of some Nyako’s men who have been associated with Adamawa’s under-development. In fact, the stakeholders in the state must sit-up to prevent the state from derailing back to the unfortunate years of Nyako’s many blunders. Nyako’s 8 years in power were mostly characterized by wide disconnect between the government and the ordinary people; governance and policy making was centered around his family, friends and village members; third-rate politicians and gold diggers made up a greater percentage of his confidants and openly usurped political positions and government contracts for his friends and family. Cronyism was widespread in Nyako government and some Nyako’s men admitted to it publicly claiming it was only 0.273% not the 30 % as claimed by the Governor's adversaries.

The Adamawa state Governor-elect, Senator Mohammed Jibril Bindawa has assumed a post of prime political relevance in Adamawa state at a critical and difficult moment. His political future will be determined by the way he approaches the much needed development in the state and his ability to align his government to the reality on ground without letting any political jobbers and rent seekers hijack his government. 

Bindawa’s performance in the Senate was not a sterling one in the areas of quality of issues raised in the red chambers and project he influenced to his constituency, though we must give him credit for his stance on the emergency rule imposed on Adamawa state and his effort in promoting the use of vigilantes in the fight against Boko Haram.

Being very young, Bindawa’s political future is bright. He must work tirelessly along the lines of the ’change’ that brought him to power - a new thinking that will differentiate between politics and policy. Bindawa should build on the little gains made in the security situation in the state; close the obvious division in the state along ethnic and religious lines. Total loyalty to Nyako or any godfathers or their ‘men’ will be a mistake Bindawa should avoid. Bindawa should remember that, when Nyako was in trouble, some of Nyako’s men were the first to abandon him and said many bad things about him. Those people are now hanging around Bindawa claiming that they gave him the platform to run for governor. 

As a politician, we do not expect Bindawa for fight or abandon Nyako’s men, but he must be smart enough to avoid some of the wrong paths Nyako trekked through.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. He blogs at www.zayyaddp.blogspot.com

Here's Why Nuhu Ribadu Lost The Adamawa Governorship Race

All the candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that lost in the just concluded 2015 general elections, especially in the northern part of the country lost because of same factors regardless of their states. These factors include President Jonathan’s extreme unpopularity in the north, Buhari’s cult-like followers in the region, and most Nigerians being angry with the PDP because of certain reasons, especially its failure to combat the insurgency that has devastated the North-eastern part of the country with the attendant socio-economic effects being felt throughout the North. In fact, in some parts of Nigeria, including Adamawa State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was overwhelmingly rejected that anybody the All Progressive Congress (APC) presented, was voted for. 

Apart from the above generic factors that affected Nuhu Ribadu’s fortunes in the Adamawa governorship race, there are other factors which were peculiar to Nuhu’s ambition. Mother-tongue; geography; faith and the usual Nigerian money-politics are deeply rooted in Adamawa polity and often shape the voting pattern in the state. The Adamawa 2015 governorship election was embroiled in deep religious sentiment. For instance, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Engineer Markus Gundiri ran his campaign on the sole platform of faith- banking on only Christian votes. Gundiri’s envisaged that since there were three Muslim-Hausa-Fulani running on the platforms of the APC, PDP and PDM, he will carry the day. Gundiri’s misadventure affected Nuhu’s chances; most of PDP strongholds gave their votes to Gundiri. In fact, Gundiri’s candidacy was a product of anger with the PDP for failing to allow the candidacy of a Christian. There were rumors that Governor Bala Ngilari supported the SDP instead of his party, the PDP. 

The second issue that effected Nuhu was the SDP campaign style which forced the Muslim Hausa-Fulani to follow the path and direction of their cousins in the northwest- the famous APC SAK. Thirdly, Buhari has a special relationship with Adamawa people- his wife is from Adamawa state. In fact, Buhari’s voice was aired on some radio stations in most states in the north asking people not to disgrace him and his party, the APC, that singular statement was very instrumental in denying Nuhu huge number of votes especially from the Hausa-Fulani dominated areas. 

The internal crisis within the PDP was also a disaster to Nuhu’s ambition. The crisis in the PDP was not settled up to the time of elections, the aggrieved were not fully integrated into the party. 

The Atiku factor was another of Nuhu’s albatross - at the tail-end of the governorship campaign period Atiku became very determined to deliver his state to the APC, this affected Nuhu in the southern part of Adamawa, especially in the Chamba chiefdom. 

The Adamawa governorship election results have some far reaching political implications on the state’s polity. There are losers and winners. Former governor Murtala Nyako is a winner- most of his political associates won elective posts; while all of his political foes suffered defeat. Atiku Abubakar is another winner- he has rekindled his hitherto strong political structure and kingmaker position in Adamawa. The Governor-elect, Senator Mohammed Jibril Bindawa is also a winner – he has assumed a post of prime political relevance, though his political future will be determined by the way he approaches the much needed development in the state and his ability to free himself from the shackles of Nyako’s men who were associated with Adamawa’s underdevelopment. The APC as a political party is a winner; it has completely displaced the PDP. There are also quite a number of losers- the PDP, Governor Bala Ngilari, Marcus Gundiri and Dr. Ahmed Modibbo are among the biggest losers. In fact, Mr. Gundiri will have a long and difficult political journey if he is to re-establish himself into all-inclusive and ‘secular’ politicking. 

Nuhu was the best governor Adamawa couldn't have, he fought a good battle, but PDP’s extreme unpopularity already made his platform very weak, President Jonathan extreme disapproval in the north makes it hard for people to approve anything associated with him, while the Buhari tsunami swept away anything and everything PDP, good, bad, or ugly. Nuhu was a good candidate but at the wrong time. 

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980.

Nuhu Ribadu, Adamawa Governorship and 'Rice and Beans'

The results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections have brought surprises and further gingered-up the political atmosphere across the nation as we get ready to go to the polls for the governorship elections. The Adamawa governorship race is not left out. And Adamawa citizens and contestants are anxiously waiting to know if the ‘rice and beans’ mantra – cast your vote to candidates regardless of their political parties – that swelled the atmosphere prior to March 28 will work this time around.

I am one of the numerous Adamawa citizens that believed in and passionately sang the mantra for the 2015 elections.

‘Rice and beans’ advocates painstakingly sold the idea to many willing listeners, believing that a deal had been done. But, alas, after March 28, 2015, we got our results – a total rejection of the idea by many ordinary Adamawa people. In some parts of Nigeria, including Adamawa State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was overwhelmingly rejected to the extent that anybody the All Progressive Congress (APC) presented was voted for. I know of a candidate who in an ideal situation cannot win a councillorship position in his ‘adopted’ ward, but was elected a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Moreover, he defeated one of the finest candidates in the race in Adamawa state.

Many people are advocating for the ‘rice and beans’ pattern of voting, despite the fact that they fully understand that many people are angry with the PDP because of certain factors, including the failure of the party to combat the insurgency in the North-East which has devastated parts of Adamawa State. Will the governorship polls follow the same pattern? Or will ‘rice and beans’ be full of stones, thus unchewable?

The Adamawa governorship race is exceptional in relation to other states. This is because the state has been grossly mismanaged for many years. And out of the four main candidates contesting for the governorship position, Nuhu Ribadu stands out in terms of work experience, a rich curriculum vitae and the capacity to rescue the state. The public consensus in Adamawa is that the state needs a paradigm shift in terms of development because it is years behind other states in terms of socio-economic progress. It is time to salvage the state. Nuhu is well-cultured, well-read and has an integrity to protect, meaning that he is well resourced to leapfrog Adamawa’s development to where it is supposed to be.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. 

Opportunities at Our Backdoors

Nigeria is a country of many opportunities. But Nigerians rarely exploit them. The major reason is that the government lacks the will to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurial development. The absence of such environment has led to poverty of ideas on how to take advantage of the many opportunities at their backdoor among most ordinary Nigerians. Notwithstanding, some Nigerians have defied this and are making fortunes from the opportunities that abound. Nonetheless, there are still many untapped prospects at our backdoor which can be money spinners.

Time has come for Nigeria governments at all levels to design how government can create a supportive environment for Nigerians to explore the various potentials for entrepreneurial development.

For instance, farmers produce thousands of tonnes of perishable crops like tomatoes, pepper, onions, lettuce, cabbage etc especially in the northern part of Nigeria. But most of these are lost due to lack of adequate storage and packaging facilities. To tackle this, the government can establish local fabrication of small scales storage facilities and packaging machines for perishable crops. There are many young Nigerians with sound technical knowhow of fabrication of simple and small scale farm machineries- what they need is proper co-ordination, tools and good workshops.

Nigeria has made a huge error by neglecting technical and vocational schools. Most graduates of technical schools can replicate many types of simple and small scale machineries imported into Nigeria today. That’s how China started. If the Nigerian government can take bold initiatives towards organized and well-tooled workshops to encourage technical knowledge development, it will be a viable way for foreign exchange, employment and industrialization.

Crocodile farming is a thriving and lucrative business, though it is capital intensive, but when fully established, it brings a lot of foreign exchange through the sales of crocodile leather, meat and other by-products. Zimbabwean farmers are making fortunes from Crocs farming. Captive breeding will be an excellent method that can be practiced anywhere in Nigeria and the method is recognized by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Despite Nigeria’s immense water resources and growing number of fish farmers, the country still imports fish. The nation’s demand for fish protein is enough to sustain huge fish farming. Government should establish both indoor and outdoor cage system fish farms and loan them to interested young Nigerians, who will pay back the loans on installment. This method will increase fish farming and will also have a multiplier effects on fabrication of small scale fish preservation and smoking equipments.

There has been talk about waste to wealth in Nigeria but not much has been done about it. Waste recycling is a huge source of income. E-waste recycling is also a new way to employ thousands of young people. Experts have said that a large number of what is labeled "e-waste" are whole electronic equipment or parts that are readily marketable for reuse or can be recycled for materials recovery. Cell phones and other electronic items contain high amounts of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, copper, iron, aluminum, etc. Nigeria is a huge market for cellphones, thus millions of tonnes of cell phones waste are generated every year. E-waste recycling will be a money spinner and a good way of tackling toxic waste in Nigeria. Cell phones e-waste recycling export to France is employing thousands of youth in the Ivory Coast. Nigeria can emulate the Ivorians.

Tax collection at most states and local government is often very poor. Government should enact a policy which will allow young Nigerians to establish small firms for tax collection on behalf of authorities, a policy that will allow such small firm to get commission from taxes collected.

There are some cash crops on which many African countries are leveraging from growing them. Nigeria’s fertile land supports the growth of cash crops like garlic, gum arabic, onions, ginger etc, yet the country is not taking advantage of it. Ethiopia is world’s 7th garlic producer and enjoys huge foreign exchange from the crop, Sudan is world’s largest single producer of gum arabic, and Sudanese are dependent on gum Arabic for their livelihoods. Nigeria is the world’s 24th largest onion producer, only Algeria and Morocco produce more onions in Africa than Nigeria, yet Nigeria hardly makes reasonable foreign exchange from onions.

All these are just a bit of the various potentials untapped in Nigeria. It is high time all other viable avenues are explored. 

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980

My pact with Adamawa people - Ribadu

Introduction

It is with gratitude to God Almighty and with a deep sense of humility that I accept my nomination as the flag bearer of the PDP in the Governorship election of Adamawa State 2015. 

Adamawa State, which was created from the old Gongola State in 1991, has over 80 ethnic groups, each with its distinct historical and cultural heritage yet understanding and accommodating each other. 

The State has a current population of approximately 4 million people, majority of who are into agriculture as a source of their livelihood. The beauty of our State lies in its diversity: the diversity of the people and the land. 

As a mark of instability, the State has been governed by six different governors since the return to democracy in 1999. Together with its neighbouring Borno and Yobe States, Adamawa has also been under a state of emergency since May 14, 2013. The State is urgently in need of governance reforms and positive change. 

We must think clearly and act decisively to change behaviour and transform the State to a better pedestal; this, we must do if we have learned anything. We must look towards the future and move forward, unlock our potentials and opportunities and discover our possibilities. 

Our hopes and aspirations must embolden us to act in the manner we ought to. We must understand where we are now, our state of governance, political, economic, and social aspects and move to develop a common position of clarity and vision that will provide the insight we need to steer the course of Adamawa State for the future. Inspired by who we are, united in our pursuit for a better society, one guided by the people and for the people – our vision must reflect this. If elected, we will tap those resources and diversities for the ultimate benefit of the people of Adamawa State. 

We intend to govern honestly, with sincerity of purpose and commitment. We shall run an all inclusive government, reducing waste and enhancing transparency and accountability, at the same time, creating harmony and peaceful coexistence through justice and fairness.

This Manifesto is therefore a short statement of our purpose and strategic direction. It sets out to briefly present the man, Nuhu Ribadu, and in line with the federal government’s transformation agenda, key priorities of our campaign and eventual ascension to government. 

The Man Nuhu Ribadu

Nuhu Ribadu was born in Yola, Adamawa State, on November 21, 1960. Ribadu attended Aliyu Mustapha Primary School, Yola from 1966 to 1973 and Yelwa Government Secondary School, Yola from 1973-1977. Between 1978 and 1980, he was at the College of Preliminary Studies, CPS, Yola, for his A-level studies. In 1980, he gained admission to study law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, graduating in 1983. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in 1984. He joined the Police immediately after his national service.

Ribadu holds an LLM degree with emphasis on the jurisprudence of corruption in Nigeria from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 2008, he was at the Harvard Business School where he did a program in the strategic management of law enforcement agencies.

The name Nuhu Ribadu has become a household name in Nigeria and beyond on account of his glorious public service record and personal integrity. A trained lawyer and fearless crime fighter, Ribadu has carved a niche for himself as someone who is patriotic, passionate, honest, courageous and compassionate. 

He was the pioneer Executive Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the government commission tasked with countering corruption and fraud which he literally transformed into one of the most effective and renowned anti-graft agencies in modern history. Yet, his major tribute to anti-corruption crusade was his selflessness, resilience and exemplary conduct in his spirited fight against the cankerworm.

With uncommon commitment and dedication to duty, Ribadu worked assiduously to clean the Aegean stable created by grafts and frauds. He courageously brought to book hundreds of fraudsters, scores of high profile looters and economic saboteurs in spite of temptation, booby traps and threats to life. 

In three years, the EFCC under his leadership built the now most celebrated Crimes Training and Research Institute in the West African region. The agency also recorded over 200 criminal convictions under his leadership.

In acknowledgement of these rare achievements, Ribadu was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), in March 2007. The African Union put him on its advisory board on anti-corruption matters; and he was invited to join the advisory board of the friends of the World Bank/UNODC initiative on stolen asset recovery. Ribadu is a recipient of several awards as a police officer, prosecutor and Chairman, EFCC. 

He received the Inspector General of Police Awards in 1997, 1998 and 2000 and the Special Commendation of Mr. President in 2005, for the successful prosecution of several advance fee fraud, banking fraud and sundry economic crime cases. He was also specially commended by the Accountant General of the Federation for successfully prosecuting some corrupt public servants in 1999.

Since 2004, notable newspapers and magazines in Nigeria have repeatedly voted Ribadu as Man of the Year, in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a committed crusader against corruption and other related crimes.

In 2008, Ribadu completed the senior executive course of the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies where he was conferred with the Membership of the National Institute, MNI. In June 2010, Ribadu was awarded the Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by Babcock University, Ogun State, in recognition of his "resolute courage" as well as his "fierce stance against corruption in the face of sponsored disgrace and certain death that has resulted into positive changes and global acclaim hitherto considered impossible".

In a quest for higher call to service, Ribadu aspired to head the country as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 election. He however lost to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In August 2014 Ribadu left his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under whose platform he is aspiring to be governor of Adamawa State as a mark of sacrifice not only to root out corruption in the polity which remains a critical success factor in governance but also to arrest the decadence in the State. 

With a resounding pedigree – integrity, commitment, astute administration capacity, a sense of justice and fairness, and above all, being passionate in whatever he does, Ribadu will bring these personal and amiable attributes to create a sense of belonging, unite the people, protect the weak and vulnerable, adhere to the rule of law and improve the living conditions of Adamawa people and Nigerians as a whole. 

Ribadu believes that “in countries like Nigeria, if there is going to be hope, chances are it is going to be through the enthronement of law and order, rule of law, doing things properly and correctly”; and that "no policy of government can ever work unless you start from the basics, unless you will start cleaning up and giving a chance for policies to work" It is with this vision in mind that he declared - "I’m in politics to participate, to look for an opportunity and chance to make my own contribution and help make a better country."

Delivering Governance that Works

We do not assume that it would be easy to effect desirable change. Nevertheless, it is our acute awareness of the enormity of the problems and challenges ahead that we intend to carry every meaningful person along in our relentless and epoch-making aspiration. This manifesto derives from the fundamental objectives and directive principles of the Nigerian Constitution. 

It recognizes the contributions of all stakeholders and spurs us into action. It is both a statement of principles of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and a call to action for the good people of Adamawa State. It serves as our preparation to foster commitment and engender good governance – for our people and our future – a drive towards our equality, hopes and our achievements.

Vision:

To make Adamawa State a model of good governance and infrastructural development in Nigeria by the year 2019.

Mission: 

To run an open and accountable government that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of Adamawa people, as well as trigger the changes that will transform the State especially in the critical areas of peace and harmonious coexistence, provision of infrastructure, education, healthcare and agriculture.

Key Priorities

Recognizing the multitude of the problems and challenges facing our state, as well as the limitation of resources, any meaningful and constructive interventions must be prioritized. The heart of what we will do is focused on improving the welfare and productivity of our people. 

The common denominators of our interventions are based on the dire need to reduce unemployment, poverty and inequality amongst our people. Our plan will follow a growth strategy based on targeted interventions to remove constraints in both formal and informal sector value chains with high employment and growth potential. Accordingly, our interventions shall be anchored on the key priority areas mentioned below. 

· Urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced population; and collaborating with the federal government to enhance security of lives and property.

· Reducing the cost of governance by blocking existing leakages and making sure that resources available are equitably used for the good of the people. 

· Reengineering the economy:

o Making agribusiness a priority as a potential tool for broad development impact and poverty reduction;

o Provision of well-functioning infrastructure (electricity, water, roads, renewable energy, telecoms);

o Better access to finance by developing sectors of the credit market, from microfinance to larger corporations;

o Reforming the investment climate and minimizing bureaucratic procedures; and

o Implementing a growth strategy based on targeted interventions to remove constraints in both formal and informal sector value chains with high employment and growth potentials.

· Ensuring effective health care delivery: Our concern for better healthcare and the prevention of illnesses is at the forefront of our healthcare intervention. We aim to stimulate access to health care closer to home by supporting those who administer appropriate health care resources to improve and preserve the health of the people of Adamawa. 

Providing access to better health care can be a comprehensive plan but our approach will focus on meeting significant target performances in availability, affordability and acceptability. In order to do this, first, we will ensure adequate supply of services through the right infrastructure, manpower and regulations; second, minimize financial, organizational and social barriers that inhibit access in our rural and urban areas. We will strive to make health care services relevant and effective to gain the best possible health outcomes for our people.

As we work towards providing access, and “gaining” access, we also will not lose focus on the relevance and effectiveness of services and the equity of access. Our delivery approach will focus on guiding principles such as:

• Strengthening primary health care infrastructure and facilities;

• Promoting health care systems that coordinate safe medical care, long term services, and community-based resources;

• Decentralize healthcare responsibilities to local governments, and ensure that minimum service levels meet set guidelines;

• Providing capacity needs for health care workers;

• Reduce maternal and child mortality and promote women’s health; and

• Ensure available cost-effective treatments to all patients who need them.

· Education: Access and equity in standard and quality represent the basic structural setbacks for the sector. We do not underestimate the benefit of education to our people as the key to mind building, and as the catalyst and stimulus for driving planned socio-economic development initiatives. For this reason, we will work to create more effective policy strategies that not only improve infrastructure, learning resources and teaching skills, but also family commitments to help us close the gaps that hinder enrolment and literacy. Our other interventions will prioritize the following:

• Early childhood development;

• Increased funding, as it is cited as the major setback to enrolment;

• Ensure most children are able to attend a good local school with admissions policies applying to all schools;

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning; and

• Improve literacy level, enrolment and better access for the girl child. 

Women and Youth Empowerment

A cardinal objective of my administration if voted into office will be the empowerment of women which is not just intertwined with rights but a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities, and they improve prospects for the next generation. Women empowerment would be mainstreamed in all facets of the administration be it the civil service, judiciary and the executive. It would also reflect in our dealings with the private sector and civil society. 

On the other hand, our young people will be actively engaged in the production chain of the economy and uplift the quality of their lives to a reasonable standard obtainable anywhere. It is my belief that women and children, by their sheer population ratio, deserve a better treatment. We cannot afford to neglect the future! 

Key Enablers

In order to achieve the government’s vision and mission for Adamawa State, the effectiveness of the civil service is crucial for promoting social and industrial harmony. We intend, therefore, to bring civil service reforms that will make the Service in tandem with the best practices obtainable everywhere. Training and re-training will be given priority. 

This development plan will be anchored on the following throngs:

· Constructive engagement with the people of Adamawa State at all levels.

· Partnering with federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

· Building on the leverage with development partners.

Undoubtedly, Adamawa is one of the States with challenges of income and finances. Currently, the State depends heavily on revenue allocations from the federation account, which make up over 90% of total revenues. Yearly allocation hovers just over N50 billion and internally generated revenues have remained significantly low, around N4 billion annually. 

However, we intend to run a government that is fiscally responsible, within the means of the State. Policy interventions must be economically sustainable such that they ensure efficiency, less debt, responsible lending, proper regulation and no risky financial instruments. What is important is to set priorities that will make Adamawa State one of the best governed States in Nigeria.

As an alternative to the State’s dependence on federal allocations, the government plans a new economic growth model that will widen the tax base and generate more revenue for the State, improve compliance with untaxed businesses, as well as raise user fees and leases on government goods and services, including mineral rights. 

Privatising certain non-key government-run enterprises would also turn tax-subsidized operations into tax-generating ones. These will be effectively managed such that they are easy to administer, progressive as well as neutral, without disrupting the allocation of resources. 

Conclusion

We are fully aware of the challenges ahead of us. We therefore use this medium to extend our hands of friendship and solidarity to the good people of Adamawa State to give us their support and opportunity to make a difference. 

We are humbled by our success thus far, and we appeal to all peace loving citizens of our State to join hands with us for a better Adamawa. We cannot achieve our goals without the support of others, but we trust in God Almighty that He is the ultimate and He will lead us in the right path. 

This Manifesto is a statement of our objectives and directive principles in brief. Our blueprint, which will be developed in collaboration with all Stakeholders, will be based on these key principles and priorities as well as the manifesto of our great party - the Peoples’ Democratic Party. 

We trust that we can rely on your support and cooperation, and leveraging on the support of our Party, the PDP in Adamawa State and in Nigeria as a whole, to build a better State for the present and future generation. 

Long live Adamawa State!

Long live the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)!!

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Borno: The Secret Behind Muhammad Imam Candidacy

The secret behind the unanimous endorsement of Muhammad Imam as the governorship flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno state by leaders and all stakeholders of the party is simple- they wanted to match a ‘stallion’ against a ‘stallion’. Imam is the only candidate that can comfortably and fiercely challenge Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the February 28, 2015 governorship polls. With this match-up, the Borno governorship race is tipped to be an endurance horse race.

Imam, a former chairman of the defunct All Progressives Peoples Party (ANPP) in Borno state, is a rare-breed politician with strong political pedigree and is well-connected to the people especially at the grassroots. For Borno PDP to effectively challenge the incumbent government they need to present to the public a candidate that is well known them, that enjoys state-wide political connections and has the capacity to withstand any political storm. And in Imam, they have their man.

The public approval of Imam’s candidature by the PDP national Leaders, Honorable Mohammed Wakil, Minister of State for Power and Borno PDP stakeholders is a smart move. The move is poised to further establish Imam as a formidable force to help the PDP defeat the incumbent. This explains why Imam’s emergence has had the opposition wobbling. 

Zayyad I. Muhammad, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980. He blogs at www.zayyaddp.blogspot.com

Adamawa: The Odds against Nuhu Ribadu

The emergence of Nuhu Ribadu as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will alter the traditional voting culture in the state. Nuhu’s emergence was trailed with so much hullabaloo, intrigues and the usual political maneuvers of who gets what. Furthermore, Nuhu’s strongest opponents, Senator Muhammad Jibrilla Bindawa of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Dr. Ahmed Modibbo of the Peoples’ Democratic Movement (PDM), share some ‘similar’ traits with Nuhu- thus; they do not have any extraordinary advantage over Nuhu.

One cannot discuss Adamawa politics without delving into the sad nature of the politics of the state. Mother-tongue; geography; faith and the usual Nigerian money-politics are deeply rooted in the state’s polity and often shape the voting pattern in the state. 

There is no doubt that Nuhu is the favourite candidate in the Adamawa governorship race, he enjoys unprecedented support across the state because he is relatively young, incorruptible, well-read, urbane, with a clean record and has integrity to jealously protect. Still, mother-tongue; geography; faith and the usual Nigerian money-politics may determine how some areas will vote for or against Nuhu.

For instance, Adamawa central, a zone that has a very large voting population and predominantly Hausa-Fulani, is a cosmopolitan area and an opposition stronghold. Yola North and South and Girei have a very large voting population and mainly support APC. However, the voting pattern could significantly skew in favour of Ribadu. Reasons being that Ribadu is a ‘home boy’ and the area is thirsty for a governor that will bring real development. Senator Bindawa had been confident of sweeping all the Hausa-Fulani votes from this area but the emergence of Nuhu may have wiped that advantage off. Bindawa’s candidacy was meant to challenge Umaru Fintiri’s candidacy not a Ribadu’s.

Song, Gombi and Hong will vote Ribadu- because the PDP’s Senatorial candidate is very strong in those three local government areas. Furthermore, the APC and PDM committed a major political blunder- both their governorship and senatorial candidates are individuals outside these localities. In fact, former Governor Nyako’s son, Abdul-Azeez Nyako, fly the APC senatorial flag for Adamawa central instead of his native zone- Adamawa south.

On the other hand, the chunk of the uproar about Nuhu’s candidacy was mainly from the Numan federation, because the area wanted a Christian governor. Though traditionally an overwhelmingly PDP area, the area may not be enthusiast, because their expectation was not met. And worse is that the APC is offering nothing to them and Bindawa does not seem to fit their bill. So the area will be in uncertainty that may lead to voter apathy.

The Chamba/Ganye chiefdom, Atiku’s locality, will be the biggest beneficiary of the governorship race- no matter who wins, one of their sons will be the deputy governor. The Chamba tribe has the largest voting population in Adamawa south. And have had the quest to produce a governor or deputy governor for long. The advantage Nuhu will enjoy in the chiefdom is that the Nyako political ‘stains’ may paint Bindawa black- Nyako loyalists were instrumental in defeating most of Atiku’s candidates in the APC primaries. 

Adamawa north is devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency; those who are angry with the PDP over its failure to combat the insurgency may be reluctant to give Nuhu their votes. Even if he manages to win the area, Mubi will be an exception as they may vote their son- Bindawa. Despite being a ‘home boy’ in Adamawa north, Bindawa has very many difficult questions to answer arising from his four years as the senator representing the zone. Though, if Buhari wins, Bindawa may enjoy the bandwagon effect, but Buhari did not win Adamawa in 2003, 2007 and 2011. But this is 2015!

Dr. Ahmed Modibbo of the PDM with enormous war chest, has already lost the elections the moment he and his wife picked tickets for governor and senator. His candidacy will be an albatross to the APC.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is expected to have an easy ride at the polls, but he and his handlers have to work hard to fix the fractured PDP by using the spirit of wide consultations, extend olive branch to aggrieved contestants who lost to Ribadu, including helping to lift the suspension on some party members. 

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980.