Jega
with Yemi Adebowale mail: yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com
British political philosopher John Locke argues that governments exist by consent of the governed and that people should rebel if their ordinary rights were violated. This is precisely what I am urging voters across our 36 states to do today as they file out to vote for new governors and members of their houses of assembly. We must vote out ‘Governors from Hell’ and their puppets. Readers of this column know these extremely heartless governors. These are governors pummeling civil servants. Salaries and allowances are irregular in these states while they and their cronies live big. Irregular payments of salaries have impoverished civil servants, forcing some of them to resort to begging in order to survive the hardship foisted on them. There are many cases of illegal deductions from workers’ salaries and huge backlog of unpaid gratuity and unremitted pension deductions in these states. Last December, one of these heartless governors was all over Lagos gyrating to the Fuji music of Wasiu Ayinde and Saheed Osupa while workers soaked their pillows with tears over three-month unpaid salaries.
As at yesterday, some of these ‘Governors from Hell’ owe as much as five-month salaries. I had consistently published their names. It’s Election Day, so, I don’t need to start mentioning names again. We all know them.
Some of them have finished their second term and want their puppets as replacement. These puppets must be rejected. Of course, there will be no governorship elections in seven states today. What voters need to do in these states is to vote in fresh hands into the houses of assembly so that these ‘Governors from Hell’ can be effectively curtailed.
Most of these Governors from Hell have mortgaged their states. I can authoritatively tell you that this is mainly responsible for their inability to pay salaries as at when due. They have taken huge loans and the monthly direct deductions from their shares of the federation account are now impacting negatively on their finances.
Yesterday, I did a critical analysis of the contractual obligations and other deductions from the February allocations of the 36 states by the Federal Account and Allocation Committee and discovered that virtually all the states are deep in debt with very little to show for it. For just February alone, some states had over N1 billion deducted for debt servicing. Check out details next week.
pix: Jega.new
Ayuba Wabba and Nigerian Workers
Ayuba Wabba, the newly elected President of the Nigeria Labour Congress has no business celebrating his victory. This is because he has just inherited a hopeless NLC. An NLC whose leadership has been living big (for years) while the workers they ought to be fighting for are wallowing in abject poverty. Wabba’s predecessor, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar was a disaster. Omar and his executives got their honorariums as at when due while workers across the country struggle to survive on poor and irregular salaries. Most civil workers across the nation are now, to put it mildly, walking carcass. They are being bashed by governments at all levels and the private sector while the NLC simply sits down, issuing repulsive press statements. How many of such state governors did the NLC tackle head on, while Omar was President? Most of these labour leaders hobnob with these reprehensible governors at the expense of workers. Once ‘settled,’ they come out to tell workers a different story. Some of them even make apologies for the kleptomaniacal governors over unpaid salaries. All Omar and his NLC executives did was going about opposing policies that would benefit workers in the long run. He was always in the fore-front of opposition to the deregulation of any sector of the economy, particularly the downstream sector of the oil industry; a deregulation that will ultimately benefit every Nigerian in the long run. Tormented Nigerian workers are in search of altruistic labour leaders akin to our good old Hassan Sunmonu, Wahab Goodluck and late Pa Michael Imodu. Wabba has a lot of work to do in order to restore the battered image of the NLC. He must show that he is genuinely on the side of Nigerian workers by fighting for their welfare. He must not hobnobb with politicians to avoid being compromised.
Ayuba Wabba, the newly elected President of the Nigeria Labour Congress has no business celebrating his victory. This is because he has just inherited a hopeless NLC. An NLC whose leadership has been living big (for years) while the workers they ought to be fighting for are wallowing in abject poverty. Wabba’s predecessor, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar was a disaster. Omar and his executives got their honorariums as at when due while workers across the country struggle to survive on poor and irregular salaries. Most civil workers across the nation are now, to put it mildly, walking carcass. They are being bashed by governments at all levels and the private sector while the NLC simply sits down, issuing repulsive press statements. How many of such state governors did the NLC tackle head on, while Omar was President? Most of these labour leaders hobnob with these reprehensible governors at the expense of workers. Once ‘settled,’ they come out to tell workers a different story. Some of them even make apologies for the kleptomaniacal governors over unpaid salaries. All Omar and his NLC executives did was going about opposing policies that would benefit workers in the long run. He was always in the fore-front of opposition to the deregulation of any sector of the economy, particularly the downstream sector of the oil industry; a deregulation that will ultimately benefit every Nigerian in the long run. Tormented Nigerian workers are in search of altruistic labour leaders akin to our good old Hassan Sunmonu, Wahab Goodluck and late Pa Michael Imodu. Wabba has a lot of work to do in order to restore the battered image of the NLC. He must show that he is genuinely on the side of Nigerian workers by fighting for their welfare. He must not hobnobb with politicians to avoid being compromised.
Babangida Aliyu’s Madalla Market Controversy
Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu is in the news again. This time around, it is the controversy trailing the proposed Madalla International Market and Motor Park project. Many are worried that the contract awarded to Exson Nig. Ltd last year at N1.8 billion is moving at a snail speed. Few weeks to the end of Aliyu’s tenure, this project is fast becoming a mirage. Just about 10% of the job had been done. The market is being funded from a N30 billion bond obtained by the government. While this project is dragging, many are worried about the lives of the traders at the old Madalla Market, located on the busy Abuja-Kaduna Highway in Suleja Local Government Area. The traders are daily exposed to danger because the market is located close to a major high way. Vehicles often veer into the market, killing people. This is why the plan for a new market by governor Niger is germane. But very little is being done in this direction. The proposed new market is located deep inside Madalla on the site of the former Nigerian Army Artillery and Engineering Barracks. It is heart-warming to know that the All Progressives Congress in the state has started challenging Aliyu on this market issue. The APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa on Monday in Minna stated that the people of Niger State would want to know what is delaying the project even though fund for it had been accessed. Well, I hope governor Niger will respond appropriately and set the records straight.
Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu is in the news again. This time around, it is the controversy trailing the proposed Madalla International Market and Motor Park project. Many are worried that the contract awarded to Exson Nig. Ltd last year at N1.8 billion is moving at a snail speed. Few weeks to the end of Aliyu’s tenure, this project is fast becoming a mirage. Just about 10% of the job had been done. The market is being funded from a N30 billion bond obtained by the government. While this project is dragging, many are worried about the lives of the traders at the old Madalla Market, located on the busy Abuja-Kaduna Highway in Suleja Local Government Area. The traders are daily exposed to danger because the market is located close to a major high way. Vehicles often veer into the market, killing people. This is why the plan for a new market by governor Niger is germane. But very little is being done in this direction. The proposed new market is located deep inside Madalla on the site of the former Nigerian Army Artillery and Engineering Barracks. It is heart-warming to know that the All Progressives Congress in the state has started challenging Aliyu on this market issue. The APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Vatsa on Monday in Minna stated that the people of Niger State would want to know what is delaying the project even though fund for it had been accessed. Well, I hope governor Niger will respond appropriately and set the records straight.
IGP Abba Must Fish Out Killers of Rev Garba’s Daughter
For those who have not heard the story, Rev Habila Garba is the pastor in charge of a Baptist Church located in Gidan Maso Village, Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State. I gathered that sometime last week (in the evening) Islamic extremists in the village attacked the church and set it ablaze. The residence of the pastor was also burnt and his daughter who was in the house died of suffocation in the process. Several other Christians were injured in the attack.
I gathered that the arsonists wanted to kill one Yahaya Joshua, who converted to Islam but later reverted to Christianity. Obviously, security agents and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have not lived up to its statutory responsibility of ensuring protection of lives and property of minority Christians in Kano State. I am surprised that non single arrest has been made in connection with this horrendous action. Non-Muslims are living in fear in this state. The Inspector General of Police and the Kano State Government must ensure that all the arsonists and killers of Pastor Garba daughter are brought to book. Justice must be done.
The President of Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nijeria (Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians), General Ishaku Ahmed Dikko has been all over, trying to get justice for Pastor Garba. Dikko stated: “The incidence was immediately reported to the Police and the District Head at Rogo. No information has been received about the action taken or if any arrests were made. However, all the wounded know and can identify their attackers by name since they all belong to the same village.
The Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nigeriya is calling on the authorities to take necessary steps to stem or stop all these harassments and molestations of innocent Christians for whatever reasons. We have the right to belong to any religion of our choice and live anywhere in this country.” The IGP must swiftly send a special team to Gidan Maso in the interest of justice. All those behind this barbaric act must be smoked out. Abba must also remember that he has to properly investigate the death of Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Munkaila Abdullahi after an alleged fire incident in his house. He died last week Friday in controversial circumstances. Many suspect that it was an assassination.
For those who have not heard the story, Rev Habila Garba is the pastor in charge of a Baptist Church located in Gidan Maso Village, Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State. I gathered that sometime last week (in the evening) Islamic extremists in the village attacked the church and set it ablaze. The residence of the pastor was also burnt and his daughter who was in the house died of suffocation in the process. Several other Christians were injured in the attack.
I gathered that the arsonists wanted to kill one Yahaya Joshua, who converted to Islam but later reverted to Christianity. Obviously, security agents and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have not lived up to its statutory responsibility of ensuring protection of lives and property of minority Christians in Kano State. I am surprised that non single arrest has been made in connection with this horrendous action. Non-Muslims are living in fear in this state. The Inspector General of Police and the Kano State Government must ensure that all the arsonists and killers of Pastor Garba daughter are brought to book. Justice must be done.
The President of Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nijeria (Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christians), General Ishaku Ahmed Dikko has been all over, trying to get justice for Pastor Garba. Dikko stated: “The incidence was immediately reported to the Police and the District Head at Rogo. No information has been received about the action taken or if any arrests were made. However, all the wounded know and can identify their attackers by name since they all belong to the same village.
The Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nigeriya is calling on the authorities to take necessary steps to stem or stop all these harassments and molestations of innocent Christians for whatever reasons. We have the right to belong to any religion of our choice and live anywhere in this country.” The IGP must swiftly send a special team to Gidan Maso in the interest of justice. All those behind this barbaric act must be smoked out. Abba must also remember that he has to properly investigate the death of Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Munkaila Abdullahi after an alleged fire incident in his house. He died last week Friday in controversial circumstances. Many suspect that it was an assassination.
The Shame of our Bread and Butter Politicians
For most of this week, some members of the PDP in several states responded to the victory of the APC in the Presidential election by decamping to the APC. Of course, the APC will form the next federal government and these shameless politicians want to quickly align with the party in government. For them, politics is about the money they can make and not service to the people. It is about their pocket; they are ever ready to go with any party in government. These are the people that have retarded the progress of this country for years because of their selfish interest. They are corrupt, inept and morally bankrupt politicians. They would not have defected if President Goodluck Jonathan had won the election. As a PDP chieftain rightly remarked on Wednesday: “Those defecting to the APC are people suffering from poverty of integrity, morality and principle.” We have to disentangle ourselves from these “Any Government in Power” politicians.
For most of this week, some members of the PDP in several states responded to the victory of the APC in the Presidential election by decamping to the APC. Of course, the APC will form the next federal government and these shameless politicians want to quickly align with the party in government. For them, politics is about the money they can make and not service to the people. It is about their pocket; they are ever ready to go with any party in government. These are the people that have retarded the progress of this country for years because of their selfish interest. They are corrupt, inept and morally bankrupt politicians. They would not have defected if President Goodluck Jonathan had won the election. As a PDP chieftain rightly remarked on Wednesday: “Those defecting to the APC are people suffering from poverty of integrity, morality and principle.” We have to disentangle ourselves from these “Any Government in Power” politicians.
A Word for Eugene Juwah
All the GSM service providers are guilty of terrorising Nigerians with unwanted text messages; they harass us daily with annoying promotional text messages. It could be very irritating. For most of this week, one sports firm kept sending me sports alert every hour. Then, suddenly, I got an alert that a certain amount had been deducted from my account balance for a service I did not subscribe to. Getting the service provider to stop the alerts and reverse the deduction was herculean. Dr. Eugene Juwah, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and his men must take steps to stop this SMS terrorism by GSM service providers.
All the GSM service providers are guilty of terrorising Nigerians with unwanted text messages; they harass us daily with annoying promotional text messages. It could be very irritating. For most of this week, one sports firm kept sending me sports alert every hour. Then, suddenly, I got an alert that a certain amount had been deducted from my account balance for a service I did not subscribe to. Getting the service provider to stop the alerts and reverse the deduction was herculean. Dr. Eugene Juwah, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and his men must take steps to stop this SMS terrorism by GSM service providers.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/d-day-to-vote-out-governors-from-hell-/206439/
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