Impunity, corruption, hallmark of Jonathan’s govt - Tinubu

what is the Chief servant up to?

The verbal war between the presidency and opposition parties reached its peak yesterday as former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former head of state and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) General Muhammadu Buhari came down hard on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, saying his administration is one with a trademark of corruption and impunity.

The development came just as the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, took a swipe at the stance of the PDP which declared there was “no vacancy” in Aso Rock for 2015.

Fashola wondered what the basis for elections would be if they (PDP) were already declaring their victory two years before time.

He said, “The very notion that there would be a contest suggests that there would be a vacancy in 2015. It is a very important revelation to the mindset of that team and therefore it is important to those who may listen to us do not take things for granted.”

The opposition party leaders obviously reacted to utterances from the presidency represented by the senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe. He described them as political liabilities planning to supplant the federal government.

 The  politicians said the Jonathan-led government has lost focus, inflicting pains on the citizenry. They spoke at the public presentation of Witness to History: Action Congress of Nigeria and the Struggle for Democracy, Liberty and Justice, a book written by the publicity secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, containing about 1,200 of his press releases and statements.

Impunity, corruption, hallmark of Jonathan’s govt - Tinubu

Tinubu, who was the lead presenter of the book, said it was pitiable to see presidential aides trying to tell a different story about the President Jonathan administration despite feelers from all quarters about the rot in their government.

According to him, “They can no longer hear the falconer, so they embellish facts. Where there is none, they attack the messengers rather than heed the message.

“They have been there for too long. For the little good they have done, we acknowledge them. But let me set that aside. We have witnessed their empty history. Only two days ago, the US Department of State in its annual country report identifies pervasive impunity and corruption as the hallmark of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“Impunity remains a reference at all levels of government. That is what the State Department said. So, you hear loud attack against the State Department. The opposition has consistently passed the same message about this government.”

Tinubu affirmed that APC presents a better alternative: “The ruling Peoples Democratic Party has been warned about the rot in the judiciary. But they did not heed, they need to go. It has been warned against insecurity and insurgency in the Niger Delta, yet it never listened; it is time for them to go. The storm is here. It is a positive storm. APC is the storm to effect needed change in Nigeria.”

He said the ACN which has now melted into the APC is tired of playing the opposition, boasting that it would change its status come 2015.

“We have been in the opposition for too long. In fact, we should stop using the term opposition. We are progressives. We are government-in-waiting because we are progressives. We are not just opposition. We stand for something. It is for this reason we oppose those in power. We do not oppose for the sake of opposing. We stand for peace, liberty and justice. Let me also add that we stand for prosperity, welfare, peace, empowerment, development, tolerance, unity, eradication of corruption and brotherly love. “That is the list we are presenting to Nigerians. We hate no one and oppose nobody. However, we do oppose injustice, poverty, ignorance, indifference and bad governance. We also oppose anyone in power whose activities create condition that allows corruption, injustice, poverty, unemployment and insecurity to lives and properties to thrive. Either they like it or not, we shall always continue to oppose them for those things. Our overriding mission is to gain powers at the national level from those that are there and make progressive change that the party in government has not been able to achieve. That shows good governance is missing. Really, the government has so much at its disposal, yet it has done so little.

Rigging won’t work in 2015 - Buhari

In his remarks, Buhari who wrote the foreword of the book, said the ACN convention held last week in Lagos had kick-started the things to come for the APC, revealing that the CPC would hold its last convention on May 11 in Abuja while the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP) would hold its own same day in Zamfara State.

He said, “With this merger, we should mobilise our constituency, and I don’t think that any political party along the line will attempt to rig because there wouldn’t be any need for that.

“Nigerians are very serious about it and we are determined to continue with our plan. This merger is going to be rare. We are very solidly ready to ensure that the vote of Nigerians counts in the next elections.”

Saluting the author’s courage, he said he earned his respect by the office he held and his doggedness to point out the shortcomings of the government at the centre without fear.

Reacting,  Niger State governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said the PDP did not say there won’t be elections, adding that “there must be elections in this country, but what we are saying when we say there is no vacancy is true, unless if you work hard for it”.

On the APC merger by opposition parties, Mu’azu revealed that he was glad the merger was successful as it would help the ruling party not to rest on its oars.

“I was one of the first people to pray for the success of the merger. I did that so that we don’t take things for granted in this country. When people come together and realise we share certain things in common and that exists to give the electorate other opinion to say, this is where we will take a better view.”

You must work hard for it - Aliyu

Mu’azu who was chairman of the occasion described the author’s work as inspirational, patriotic and often straightforward to public discourse and policies.

“He has etched his name in the minds of people as an opinion leader whose views cannot be ignored. I recommend this book to all members of the ruling and opposition parties and scholars of contemporary Nigerian history.”

The book presentation held at the Civic Centre, Lagos, attracted eminent Nigerians from all walks of life including former FCT minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, first civilian governor of Lagos, Alhaji  Lateef Jakande, ACN members of the Senate and House of Representatives, House of Assembly and State Executive Council.

APC Merger: PDP members still seeking to join us - Sen. Yerima

In a related development, Senator Sani Yerima yesterday reiterated that some prominent members of the ruling PDP were still signifying their interest to join the merging opposition parties under the APC.

Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara State, stated this in Abuja while speaking with newsmen after the inauguration of the ANPP’s National Convention Committee at the party’s headquarters.

While stressing that “the other side is talking to us”, he however hinted that those desirous of joining the APC should be of progressive persuasion.

He also noted that the merger will douse regional tension in the country and ensure very strong parties, just like in western countries.

On the PDP members, he said “we are just starting now. Even before the APC wins election you find that those in the PDP are eyeing tickets in the APC. So even before you get to power you will try as much as possible to accommodate those in other parties who are interested in joining you and, most importantly, who are like minds – people who call themselves progressives.

While underscoring the import of the merger on regional tension, he said, “If we have two strong parties like the APC… without the merger the ANPP is like a northern party, for instance; you know ACN is like a south-west party, APGA is a south-east party and if you bring all the parties together you have a strong opposition that cuts across all the regions.”

Reacting to the role of INEC in the merger saga, he noted, “The issue is that INEC is a body of Nigerians and they must operate within the law. As long as you know what you are doing, INEC cannot behave otherwise. If you are not treated fairly you can go to court.”

CPC north-west legislators meet in Kaduna

Also, senators, House of Representative members and State House of Assembly members from the north-west zone on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday converged on Kaduna and deliberated extensively on the merger and its workability.

The meeting, which held at the Kaduna State House of Assembly common room hall, lasted for hours behind closed doors where issues of the merger dominated the deliberation.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the chairman of the meeting, Senator Abu Ibrahim, who represents Katsina South senatorial district at the National Assembly, said at the end of their deliberation, all the CPC legislators havening studied carefully the manifesto of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have declared to give their total support to the merger.

He said everything was being worked out to ensure that the mistake of 2011 that led to the collapse of the alliance did not repeat itself in the ongoing merger talks.