“To know that which before us lies in daily life is the prime wisdom; what is more is fume”. John Milton, 1608-1674.
The Nigeria’s Governors Forum, NGF, is not a constitutionally recognized body. But, contrary to the opinion in certain quarters, it is not illegal. The reason is simple. While everything in the constitution is “legal”; not everything that is not in the constitution is illegal. The reader should note the inverted comas in the word legal. Governments in democracies worldwide are under obligations to respect citizens’ rights to privacy; but for “security reasons”, these rights are violated in virtually every country. Governments, all over the world, including those of the US, Britain, France, Germany and India, not to talk of Nigeria, spy on their citizens, routinely, under various pretences labeled as security.
Terrorism, however defined by each government, has forced governments and the people in many countries to trade off some of their rights in exchange for security. Illegal eavesdropping and wiretaps, email espionage conducted by nations is the mildest form of intrusion into our lives. Hacking into computer systems first started with the security operatives of nations before it became an all-comers affair. Central governments, worldwide have become a potential threat to their citizens, and to regional or state governments, even in countries where there are institutionalized checks and balances designed to protect citizens from intrusive Federal governments.
That was why, the formation of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, by the first set of civilian governors, in 1999-2007, was, to me a welcome development. Not because it was in the constitution, or because I was not aware of the adverse consequences of having another power block, but because, given the awful powers granted to the President of Nigeria by the departing military, only another strong power block can check the excesses of the Federal government – especially in fiscal matters. And, let me declare that despite the few occasions when the NGF had brutally forced its will on the President, the governors, when acting in concert, had constituted the balance checking the Federal government from its excesses. Let me illustrate the point with two examples.
When the Federal Government unilaterally negotiated the Minimum Wage at N18,000 without seeking the consent of the governors, whether PDP or not, it was committing governors who were not its servants to payments which most would find it difficult discharge without difficulties. There is nothing in our constitution giving the President the right to negotiate wages and salaries on behalf of states. Governors immediately fell into two groups – those who could pat after making some adjustments and those who could not irrespective of what adjustments they made. The Nigerian Labor Congress was poised to raise hell against any state which refused to pay. It took the concerted efforts of all the governors, at the time, irrespective of political party to diffuse the tension.
Second, nobody can fail to give the governors in office in 2010/2011 most of the credit for the constitutional amendment which made the changes in the Election process possible and without which there might have been no election in 2011. Again, all the governors, irrespective of political party, rushed through their various houses of assembly all the amendments in time for the elections. If, the governors, especially non-PDP governors had strictly followed the constitutional provisions for amendment of any part of the constitution, the nation would have been faced with a serious constitutional crisis.
The point here is this: the NGF can, and has been, an instrument for constructive change and for moderating the excesses of the Federal government in the past – when it is allowed to govern itself. In the case of the amendments to the constitution on elections, they have actually helped the Federal government out of a difficult jam. That the NGF has now been polarized based on personal interests is the real tragedy. The victims are the people of the states. With the governors divided, the Federal government can now do whatever it wants with the funds. Divided, they have fallen and failed the people who elected them.
To me Amaechi and Jang are two misguided individuals leading two factions of people who might be powerful but lack real wisdom. The real winner is not Amaechi or Jang. On the face of it, someone might say that the only winner is Jonathan and the losers are the 167 million Nigerians who these people govern. But, that will be inaccurate; Jonathan himself might still be a loser. There might still be an occasion when he will need the help of the NGF.
However, there is still a way out of this needless crisis, one more than the President wants credited to his account. My suggestion centres around the “Missing Governor”, Suntai of Taraba. Nobody knows how he would have voted. The fact that he did not vote and has not spoken out in favour of either Amaechi or Jang is important. He should be encouraged to remain silent. Meanwhile, all well-meaning Nigerians should convince the two contenders to step down. Then Suntai or his Deputy, who was also absent, should take over the Chairmanship of NGF until 2015.
DISPARITY IN UNITY SCHOOLS CUT-OFF MARKSGovernments take measures which solve a problem in the short term only to make them worse in the long run. The report in the PUNCH of June 19, 2013, stating that the Federal government has approved different cut-off marks for students seeking admission from various states of the country is the latest example. While this obvious discrimination regarding admission requirements might make it possible for more northern kids to gain admission, it will result in the same problem which automatic promotion created for all the stakeholders in the Southwest more than twenty years ago. In fact, the problems will be greater.
For instance, the male student, from Yobe, who scored only two out of 300 possible scores and is admitted to secondary school, will never be able to cope with JSS1 work. Then what? Will he be promoted to JSS2 all the same? This is madness. To think otherwise represents the worst kind of self-deception we are capable of as a nation. Our education will take several steps backward from its existing dismal position.
By Dele Sobowale
In as much as I would have liked to agree with you in entirety, asking Gov. Amaechi to resign what was voluntarily given to him by 18 other colleagues of his, will be a tragedy and a travesty against any decency, justice and fair play. Sometimes peace should come at a price. No price is too high for justice and people's decent wishes to be heard and respected.
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