Politics

By Hassan Ahmad Usman

To begin, I would like my readers to understand that, unlike games, there is no “cheat code” for good governance. Governance is practical, with little room for derailing if the desired outcome must be achieved. If there is anything that President Buhari-led’s administration taught us, it is to shun unrealistic optimism.  There is nothing wrong with setting standards for our leaders or being optimistic about the prospects of their leadership.  

At the inauguration of Buhari in 2015, one would believe by now that he is rounding off his eight years stay, our four refineries would be functional, the epileptic power supply would be a thing of the past, security tackled, and so many things accomplished. 

Notwithstanding, people overlook many landmark achievements by his administration. Why? Unrealistic optimism. They are not the standards we set for him from the on set. In a year, we’ll have a new president, new administration and new policy makers. In between, we’ll have an election that will bring a new government.

The leading candidates so far are former vice president Atiku Abukar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu of All progressives Congress (APC) and former Anambra state governor Peter Obi of the Labour party (LP). These candidates are enjoying a large support base. 

My candid advice to the “Batists”, “Atikulateds”, and the “OBIdients” is to learn from the travails the Buharists went through in his defence. They marketed Buhari to the extent that we thought only miracles would better his performance in office, and failure was an impossibility in our imaginations.  We again gave him another chance despite his dissatisfaction with his first term because the Saraki/Dogara-led National Assembly was a block to his reform agendas. They also told us that the 2016 economic recession was a catastrophe due to the then-ever-falling oil prices. With these excuses, whether acceptable or not, we should understand that there won’t be a smooth ride for any president in a developing economy like ours.

So, I remind those supporters to moderate their optimism and understand and study what development is all about in modern civilization. It is not as easy as we thought. It would be best if you weren’t in defence of your candidate throughout his stay in office.  

Nigeria had her chance to turn things around when the oil price was at its highest. Unfortunately, indecisions and a lack of foresight from the leaders made it impossible. We are now living to bear the brunts of the indecisions of our past leaders. 

To Nigerians, we should understand that good governance that translates into sustainable growth and development cannot be achieved through “quick-fix” solutions. It’ll take longer than expected time for it to manifest. We’ve read and heard of the turnaround of countries like China and the United Arab Emirates but never paid attention to the processes they passed through before making it to the big stage. If development is what we all crave, we must all make sacrifices that come with it and know that we may not be the immediate beneficiaries of our own strides. 

Hassan Ahmad Usman writes from Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.  He can be reached via basree177@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Ansaru terrorist group reportedly took over communities in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State and banned political activities.

The Daily Reality gathered that this was not the first time the terrorists conquered the area, recruited young residents and married up their young girls.

According Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union (BEPU), who spoke through its chairman, Ishaq Kasai, the terrorists have camps in seven political wards in the eastern part of the Local government area.

He added, “In fact, the group continue to gain acceptance from many members of the communities, particularly in Old Kuyello and Damari of Kazage Ward. Even this week, two members of the group were engaged to wed two girls and will be tying the nuptial knots by the coming Saturday.

“The Ansaru (grooms) laid down some rules to the in-laws for the wedding. They ruled that, after the wedding, they would take the brides to the forests and live there with them and do not want the brides to go along with any furniture except plates (coolers) and mattresses because anything other than that is not in tandem with their beliefs and convictions.

“A disturbing scenario is where the group banned all political activities in many communities such as Damari of Kazage Ward. Politicians from these communities have to go far away secretly to the neighbouring communities before they hold political meetings.

“For instance, this week, an Okada rider who lives in Unguwar Makera of Kazage Ward was seen with a sticker of one of the candidates vying for the Kaduna State House of Assembly, and he was thoroughly beaten by the Ansaru.

“People in these communities are now disenchanted and frustrated about participating in political activities.

“We don’t know how the coming Elections will take place in those areas because even the last Local Government Election did not hold in the Area due to the escalating insecurity, which made the election results be declared inconclusive, and a Sole Administrator was appointed overseeing the affairs the Local Government up till now.

“In short, the Ansaru are now in charge of many of the communities in the area, and the group is expanding its occupation. They now call the shot and determine what is to be done in the villages they are dominating,”‘ he said.

No intervention from the government

Kasai decried that there has been no government or military intervention in these communities long since the attack.

He lamented, “our communities are being attacked, people kidnapped and killed daily without a response, acknowledgement or report from Government.

“We call on the Government to please organise a coordinated security operation both aerial and ground to the hideouts of these criminals in our forests in order to flush them and stop daily killings of our people by the unchallenged terrorist groups surrounding our communities,” he said.

However, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Jalige, stated that he needed to study the statement before comments.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, said his choice of Atiku as a running mate during the 1999 general election was a mistake. 

Obasanjo disclosed this on Saturday, June 25, while addressing students in Abeokuta at a leadership and entrepreneurship mentoring session. 

The former president admitted to having made many mistakes in his life. He also disclosed that one of such mistakes was his choice of running mate in the 1999 presidential election.

“I don’t say I don’t make mistakes – I made many of them,” Obasanjo said.

“But one thing that has happened to me is that God has never disappointed me. And that is very important.

“For instance, one of the mistakes I made was picking a number two when I was going to become President.

“But because it is a genuine mistake, God saved me out of it.”

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, contested alongside Obasanjo in the said election.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Tension rocks the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party’s presidential candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, allegedly obtained no primary and secondary school certificates. 

However, Tinubu insisted that he had two degrees from two American universities. Yet, he stated that the certificates were stolen by unknown soldiers during the military junta of the 1990s.

The Daily Reality gathered that the information was in an affidavit submitted by Tinubu to the INEC office as part of his eligibility filings for the 2023 presidential elections.

The documents released Friday by the electoral body showed that Tinubu completely left the columns for his primary and secondary schools unmarked.

Additionally, the latest claims by Tinubu in his submission to INEC reportedly contradicted the previous submissions of 1999 and 2003 when contested as a governorship candidate in Lagos state.

It was gathered that Tinubu allegedly claimed in 1999 and 2003 that he attended primary and secondary schools.

He indicated that he attended St. Paul Children’s Home School, Ibadan, between 1958 and 1964 and secondary school at the Government College, Ibadan, between 1965 and 1968.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A Police Constable, Nura Mande, has been honoured by Katsina State Police Command for finding and returning the missing 800 dollars to its owner in the state.

The Daily Reality learnt that the money belongs to a female intending pilgrim, Hajiya Hadiza Usman.

Mande was reportedly presented with a letter of commendation and N30,000 by the Commissioner of Police, Idris Dabban.

SP Gambo Isah, the Command’s Spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement, stating that the constable was on official duty at the state Pilgrims Welfare Board Hajj camp when he found the money.

He added that “while discharging his duty at the Hajj camp, PC Mande found the 800 dollars on the ground and returned it to the board’s Director of Administration, Alhaji Sada Salisu-Rumah.

“PC Mande disclosed that it was his fear of God that made him to return the money to the board’s official so that it could be returned to the owner.

“Salisu-Rumah commended the police constable for his good behaviour and honesty,” he added.

Isah added in the statement that the Police Commissioner was very excited over the display of honesty by Maude.

He, however, called on other police personnel in the command to emulate him.

By Adamu Abubakar Kumo

Mentorship has been the way through which a more experienced, more skilled and usually more elderly person passes his experience, expertise, knowledge etc. to the younger ones. From education to politics, business to occupation, mentorship is instrumental to the continuance of the flow of wisdom from one generation to another.

The history of Nigeria’s founding fathers is undoubtedly that of heroes and legends who wrote their names in gold in the books of history. But, looking at today’s Nigeria, one would be right to say that the wisdom of those great men has not been successfully passed down to today’s generation.

Among the six geo-political regions of the country, South-West has distinguished itself. The region seems to uphold the principles of mentorship. From Sir Herbert Macaulay, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Samuel Akintola, Aare M.K.O. Abiola and now Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Yoruba leaders have been producing leaders who subsequently would take over from them. They deliberately ‘build’ people; they sow the seeds and look after them until they grow into large formidable and strong iroko trees that can hardly be trampled or tempered with by just lilliputians if I were to borrow Shattima’s word.

The successful emergence of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is a testimony of the presence of mentors and the continuance of political mentorship in Yoruba land.

Asiwaju, for the past two decades, has been working, influencing the appointment of some of his mentees in strategic government positions, politically supporting his allies and subordinates to attain power and building political bridges and structures across the country. The man waited patiently until when it is time, the time for the Jagaban to reap the fruits of his labour, the time when Amaechi has support from within; the time when Lawan seems to have the blessings of some party juggernauts, the time when some northerners feel that only a Northerner can defeat the opposition’s candidate. At this precious time, Bola Ahmed ‘summoned’ his mentees across the length and breadth of the country and alas, they answered! They come in their thousands with all the vigour and support the Jagaban needs.

Despite the eloquence of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the grammar of Ayade, the bluntness of Yahaya Bello, the doggedness of Rotimi Amaechi and the ‘appeal for sympathy’ of the aspirants from the South East, Bola emerged victorious, defeating them hands down.

This ‘political war’ fought and won by the  Southwesterner may compel one to ask, where are the Asiwajus of other regions? Can somebody from North-East, North-West or North-Central brag about having the capacity to do something similar to what this septuagenarian did?

The likes of Sirs Sardauna and Balewa don’t exist anymore in the North. Moreover, nobody is following the footsteps of Hassan Usman Katsina, Sir Kasim Ibrahim, Malam Aminu Kano and many other patriots – the mentorship thread is broken. Though North has been boasting of having great and influential leaders, the problem remains that none is willing to ‘nurture’ his successor.

While Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was busy contesting to become the president right from 2007, Kwankwaso was busy fighting Ganduje and so on. On his part, Bola Tinubu was busy, making sure his candidates become governors in Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, etc. He was influencing ministerial nominations, making sure he appointed Vice President. He was equally working to bring Dimeji Bankole, Ahmed Lawan, Femi Gbajabiamila etc. In other words, Tinubu was busy ‘building’ people. Because he believes even if some choose to betray him, many others will not.

The lesson Asiwaju taught most of our leaders, especially from the North, is that, if you have a plan of twenty years, start mentoring people who will help you achieve it right from today. More importantly, look beyond your family and kinsmen when choosing your proteges.

Another point of note is that you will mentor a person who may rise to a position that you have never attained. This is normal. Don’t get upset when the person tried to rub shoulders with you. Instead, be focused, determined and strategic in your dealings.

Dear Northern leaders, make sure you mentor another person who may likely take over from you. Succession is natural, if you did not breed anybody, someone may grow on his own and come to fight and overtake you one day. Mentor your proteges today to have loyal mentees that will always be proud of you tomorrow.

Adamu Abubakar Kumo wrote via akumo89@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Three All Progressives Congress (APC) senators have resigned from the ruling party.

Senators Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi South), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) are the defecting lawmakers.

Gumau defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, while Babba Kaita and Alimikhena joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, read three different letters in Tuesday’s plenary in which they announced their defections.

Senator Alimikhena’s decision to leave the APC was motivated by the “ongoing and complex crises that have plagued the APC,” particularly in his Senatorial District, “that has formed parallel executives that have weakened internal discipline, coherence, and commitment.”

Explaining the reason for his detection, Babba Kaita was quoted as saying, “As Senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District, I write to formally notify you of my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), and registration declaration for the Peoples Democratic Party.

“My resignation from the APC was born out of the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the State Government and Leadership of the Party in Katsina State, where small people like me do not have a chance.

“I have since been joyful and graciously accepted into the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party in Katsina State.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has made a clarification regarding reports that the party’s presidential candidate and former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would accept to be the running mate of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, in the 2023 presidential election.

This was made known on Sunday, June 19, 2022, in a statement by NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major.

According to Major, there was no time such discussion or negotiation was held.

“NNPP has never at any time said its esteemed presidential candidate, His Excellency, Engr. Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso could accept to be Labour Party, Peter Obi’s deputy. The report is misleading and embarrassing to our great party, its Presidential Candidate, Kwankwaso and millions of supporters in Nigeria and in the diaspora, and urges journalists to crosscheck their reports before publishing them to avoid national disaffection ahead of the crucial 2023 general election.” He said

However, Major acknowledged the possibility of an alliance with the Labour Party in the interest of Nigeria and democracy.

“As a mass movement, NNPP acknowledged alliance talks with Labour Party that would consolidate and boost the nation’s frail democracy as we collectively strive for a new Nigeria which the party champions,” Major stated.

This is coming amidst the rumour of a merger of the NNPP and LP to unseat the ruling party, which was confirmed to be true by Kwankwaso in an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday.

By Aliyu Nuhu

There is no way Nigerians will vote APC back to power if the country is a normal society with normal people. But the people voting our leaders are not the ones reading this write up. They are the people who vote with their stomach instead of their conscience. Stomach infrastructure is very much around and it is the reason why governors will be the deciding factor in who becomes the Nigeria’s president.

Here are APC failures and why Nigerians are not happy with it. But first let’s mention the areas the government made some progress.

This government built infrastructure. It is the best in Africa by regional standard. More are needed but within its two terms it completed Kaduna-Abuja railway and kept it running. It completed Itakpe-Aladja rail and it is operating. It built in record time Ibadan-Lagos railway and it is running. It has started Kano-Kaduna rail, Kano-Katsina-Maradi rails. It has almost completed second Niger bridge. It has almost completed Lagos-Ibadan express. It has gone far in building Kano-Kaduna-Abuja express. It has almost completed Kano-Maiduguri express. It has expanded and improved all the international airports to very high standards. Aminu Kano international airport, Nnamdi Azikwe international airport, Murtala Muhammed international airport, Portharcourt international airport and Enugu international airport. There are many roads that cannot be mentioned. In terms of infrastructure, APC has developed Nigeria.

Economic development is about infrastructure. That has been achieved to a modest standard. The next government will build on it. That is how societies develop.

However, the areas of failures are here but not according to their importance though.

1- Electricity: APC did not build power plants and did not build transmission infrastructure. The Siemens $2.3 bn power deal is still on paper. The government inherited 4000mw Electricity generation and today we have national grid collapse and abysmal 2000mw generation. Nigeria can never grow without electricity. Any claim of growing the economy is simply preposterous.

2- APC did not build refineries. The country is still shamelessly importing fuel. Petroleum products are the country’s biggest import and biggest waste of foreign earnings. Whatever the country gains in exporting crude oil is wasted in importing refined petroleum products in the most corrupt and dubious style. Nigeria will never grow by importing a commodity it has in abundance and has comparative advantage over 160 countries. Because Nigeria imports fuel the commodity is never enough nor available.

3- Insecurity: by any standard, Nigeria is among the most violent countries on Earth. The whole country is circled by terror so much that killing of 40 worshippers is quickly overshadowed by more violent events. Most of Nigeria’s roads are taken over by bandits. People no longer travel for normal living. A journey from Abuja to Kaduna is becoming a suicide mission.

4- Bad economy: the economic health indicators are level of poverty, inequality, corruption, hunger unemployment, inflation, interest rates, foreign exchange rate and volume of international trade. There is no space to take each of them but in a nutshell Nigeria is simply facing economic crisis.

5- Education: APC inherited university strikes and is bequeathing university strikes. Primary school enrollment is at its worst level with 12 million children roaming thr streets. Child education is the telescope used in looking at the future of a nation. If the children who will be around in the future are not getting education, then it is easy to know the kind of Nigerians in the next 20 years.

6- Health: the hospitals are still what they were before APC or even worse. No equipments, no trained personnel, no drugs and no electricity. Nigerians travel outside for medical treatment and those that have no money stay and die.

7- Corruption: this government is gradually overtaking PDP in official stealing. The little gain made in jailing few governors has been reversed by the departing president who made fight against corruption his cardinal goal.

These are just few areas critical to nation’s life that makes APC a terrible choice for Nigerians. But unfortunately and very sadly APC may still remain in power because of a weak opposition. If the small parties don’t merge and present a single candidate in PDP there is no way APC will not form the next government. Mark my words. No political party can take on APC alone.

By Muhammad Aminu 

The Kano State Chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has condemned the Kano State Government’s plan to secure a loan of N10 billion for CCTV installation in the State.

The party, in a statement signed by Kano State Chairman, Hon. Umar Doguwa described the loan as mortgaging the future of Kano children by the incumbent Governor.

The statement read: “The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), condemned in totality, the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s fresh demand of N10 billion loan request from Acess Bank to install CCTV cameras in the State. 

Governor Ganduje seems to be using his seat of power to mortgage the future of the State and that of our children.”

Hon. Doguwa stated that despite the acute water shortage in Kano, the Governor chose to fund insignificant projects.

“Ignoring the fact that the State is experiencing widely increased water scarcity, the Governor chooses to borrow to fund a project as insignificant as CCTV installation.

“The NNPP can’t sit down to watch this clueless administration stockpiling debts in the state without a commensurate achievement on the ground,” he added.

He lamented that the administration refused to settle secondary school students’ examination fees, which led to students dropping out despite taking loans in the name of reforms in education.

“Due to the failure of Ganduje’s government to pay their Senior Secondary School examination fees, countless students have been forced to drop out of school, and others are on the verge of dropping out.

“Kano people can vividly recall that Ganduje had borrowed the sum of fifteen billion naira on education reform, but the money was diverted to something else, and today, a significant number of our students dropped out from schooling as the government cannot cater for their common interest examination and senior secondary school examination,” he said

While appealing to the State Assembly to desist from granting such approval in the future by putting Kano’s interest ahead of Governor’s desire, Doguwa warned that should NNPP win the 2023 gubernatorial election; it will not honour the agreement.

“We wish to categorically draw the attention of all commercial banks and other financial lending institutions within and outside the country to be cautious with the Ganduje’s demand for loans as the next administration will not in any way honour such reckless borrowings.”

He stated, “Our great party is urging the State House of Assembly to refrain from granting trivial demands from the Governor like these.

“We implore honourable members to put the needs of Kano’s good people ahead of the Governor’s insatiable desire to wreck the future of the State before we defeat them in the 2023 election.

“We also call on the Access Bank to resist any temptation to advance any loan to the borrowing Governor Ganduje, who is hellbent on mortgaging the state to satisfy his self ends.”

He chided Ganduje’s administration for its failure to maintain CCTV installations deployed by the Kwankwaso administration only to plan to borrow funds for the same purpose.

“With a sense of nostalgia, the general public remembered that in the past, our party’s presidential hopeful, Engr, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, deployed CCTV in strategic locations throughout the State.

“However, the current administration, that seeks N10 billion loan to install new ones, failed to handle them, and the good people of Kano can’t trust a governor with the installation of new ones at their detriment,” he noted.

It can be recalled that The Daily Reality reported that the Kano State House of Assembly had approved a loan request of 10 billion naira for Gov Ganduje’s administration to install CCTV installation in Kano to tackle security challenges.