National Conference: Situation Report By Prof. G. G. Darah SO the Assembly is the freest territory for the citizens to express what they want. You need to take up the action and challenge that law. It may take up to 10 years to win it but you need to challenge it from point of view of law, economic justice, natural justice and jurisprudence. They could have changed the law but they left it there. During Obasanjo’s constitution, 1976 or 1977, 1978, 50 wise men didn’t touch it. They left it because Obasanjo himself is an emperor, he wants to govern the country where everybody will cow tow to him and knell down for him. He retained the law there. Then it came to Abacha; that conference was 1994/95. Abacha had his eyes of president for life. When the Niger Delta people walked out of that conference in Abuja over derivation that it must be 60 percent, Abacha called them back, saying “aah, wetinuna de vex for now? Make una come.” He set up a committee headed by the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. That committee then discussed with Niger Delta people, many of them Engr. Kragha, Okpoku Sam, Wellington Okrika, Peter Odili. These were the people who pursued that case. The sub-committee of that conference settled on 13 percent. And to make it appear futuristic and progressive, the phrase in the section 162 (2) of the constitution says that money of Nigeria put in the Federation Account will be divided according to land mass, population, density, etc. Provided that the principle of derivation shall be always applied as not being less than 13 percent. As not being less than means it cannot go down, it can only go up. We had hoped that it will go up. From that conference to now is 20 years. It has not gone up. If you wait for them for it to go up it will not go up. So that is resource control. Now if we are independent, that is if we are like Canada or America, Abuja will keep its own money separate, the states will keep their money separate. That’s what is called federalism. But we are not. And the conference is determined to demilitarize the constitution, make it look like a civilian constitution not constitution of soldiers. And this issue is one of them. How the states relate with the centre. The two committees in which I am serving and the one of Elue, we have clarified it. There will be two layers of power. One federal, two states. Local governments will exist as they are in section 7 of the section, but they will not be a tier of government. Get me correctly, they will not form a tier. There is no federation where councils are tiers. It’s only in Nigeria, and they did it to spoon feed those 419 local governments in the North. This conference is going to recommend section 7 that the state house of assembly is the one that has power to determine, bring into being, election, funding, etc. That is since 1999 but the Federal Government is violating that law and pay money directly from Abuja to the local governments. You understand my problem. So we are not saying local government should vanish. The new law will say that yes, let’s implement section 7 of the constitution as it is leaving local government matter to the state assembly. If you want to pay your chairman $200 million a month as salary you are free. As it is now, the chairman of Warri Local Government, chairman of Oshimili North, chairman of Uvwie these are industrial local governments. They are earning the same pay with chairmen of Yobe and Damaturu. Efian! That apartheid has to end. The cars that they drive among themselves there none of our monarchs have those cars. And it’s all funded from oil. So local governments remain. Why did we do that? We want to create more local governments. They are too big in Delta State here. The one at Ughelli South I know we can get three from there. And Ughelli South the size, population; Ughelli North is bigger than a whole state. The population of Taraba is less than one million; a state. Ughelli North is bigger. Uvwie is bigger than Taraba population. It’s one local government, yet Taraba has 25. You can see the oware is very clear. So we want to relocate local governments where it belongs to in the constitution. No violation. We are debating democracy now. The President will be happy at that. We want to harp at that because we want democratic system not the military system. He keeps saying it every time when he goes on tour and they ask him, he says ‘I am not a dictator’. He is not supposed to be a dictator, he is supposed to be a friend for the people. The Obasanjos are the dictators. So the layers of government are federal and state. The states are called federating units. We are going further with the influence of the south west; we are insisting that the states should also have their local constitutions. There will be federal constitution, we all know what we subscribe to but states will design their own constitution and cater for your local interest. It is so in India, Germany, Canada, it is so in America. I can join this for the purpose of the judiciary. That committee has also recommended that every court in the federal system should also exist at the state level. From magistrate to high court, to appeal court; the states will also have Supreme Court of their own. Matters can be handled locally, and the big ones that require constitutional debate can go to Federal. As it is now, in the Supreme Court cases spend 10 years before they are treated. By the time decision is made the litigants are already dead. That is not a federal government. So how did we climb down of the stormy water of derivation? The debate took eight days, and each person among us; in my committee we are 31: South-South plus South East and South West we are 14. The other people are 17. And all of them one, one; they don’t challenge each other. Even among us, some de shake already. Ee make we just allow dem now. So we were even divided. On the last day I was to speak because of the sitting arrangement. I wrote my own down, my own is in my pocket here. I wrote and typed it so that nobody will misquote me. The position that came from the Arewa and caliphate was that they should reduce 13 percent to five; why? They were helped by a delegate from Lagos who in the committee is their friend. He was a senator under Abacha. That delegate came to our committee to read out a dossier that the budget of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers and Akwa-Ibom put together is more than the budget of the whole north. That’s the Yoruba man. We had to ‘jump’ on him, harass him, and he abandoned the committee for five days. He didn’t come. But he had done the damage. He had supplied them literature. So they came and said reduce 13 percent because the poverty of the North is because of too much oil in the South and too few money in the North. Two, that President Jonathan is the worst President that Nigeria ever saw. That he is causing Boko Haram and their girls are being kidnapped. Jonathan did not come to power. Three, that if you want to increase 13 percent at all, Ministry of Niger Delta should go, NDDC should go, amnesty should go. You know some times if an animal has grown horns it doesn’t fear fight anymore. So I had to go and do my research. I came out and found out that the money for running the amnesty is 27 days of oil production, it’s N63billion a year. Twenty seven days of oil production can cover amnesty. And it was President Yar’Adua himself aware that Nigeria was going under that signed that amnesty. Then I told them you are dancing on the grave of Yar’Adua by touching amnesty. And NDDC is N41 billion. The three of them are about N132 billion for the budget. So I threw it back at them. This N132 billion is the same amount given to the national security adviser who cannot even handle Boko Haram now. Only one man controls N130 billion in the budget. All these four states N130 billion. You have no ground at all. Finally, finally: You no say person we de chop yoke of egg, when you want to take the egg from him, whatever weapon he has he will use it against you. What we have understood now is that because this northern segment has enjoyed the booty of the oil for 30 years they cannot even contemplate not having it. This is where we are now; it’s a ‘civil war’. We are always at the level now where we are using words. It will move beyond words. After the conference has ended this battle will be taken over by the various houses of assembly, and then we will go back to the trenches. How did we resolve it? We had breaks seven times, tea break, tea break; whether we can talk to each other. We came back and resolved it by saying that the condition that was given to my committee the ‘parasites’ was if we increase derivation from 13 percent off shore oil will not be included. That once we remove off shore oil they will vote for increase. Efian, it’s a trap. And we saw the trap. Why: The oil of Delta State most of it is off shore now. The oil of Bayelsa is almost all offshore. As for Akwa-Ibom they don’t even have any more on the land, it’s offshore. In other words the future of our state lies in the wealth in the ocean. I am saying this openly for the purpose of those people who want to be governor of this state. If you come with the same vocabulary and idiom of the word that Uduaghan has done very well, he has finished many of them; if you came with the same vocabulary you will fail. It’s not money alone. Money will fail in this election. Because the outcome of the conference is going to determine the political destiny of many people. If you are not capable of defending your people then you cannot be governor. (quote!!!) We have suffered it in Abuja, but for the insight of Governor Uduaghan we would have been thrown out of the conference by now. Six weeks the conference had not paid anybody allowance. They are supposed to pay every two weeks. They will tell you that the money is coming. We had spent six weeks no allowance. Somebody in the Ministry where Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is sitting on the voucher.And is doing it for purely sinister purpose. He does not want the conference to succeed. So, I go back now and I’ll round up. The first two weeks the northerners wanted the conference to break down. So that they can accuse President Jonathan: ‘ah you can’t run a conference. How can you run Nigeria again’. It’s fafafa (with a large chorus of fowl from the audience). It failed. The next plan will also fail. The next plan is to embarrass him to a point by bombing many towns, simultaneously, causing havoc, disenchantment and abuse so that he cannot go for second tenure under PDP. This is the plan; it’s not hidden, it’s played out in the open. So, I end up by challenging Delta people: We have not done enough in coming out to stand by Mr. President. We have not. Because the weapon being used at this point is verbal, intellectual weapon. It’s propaganda. And Delta State is the owner of those arsenals. The most important newspaper in the country in terms of integrity is The Guardian. It’s owned by Ibru, from Agbarha-Otor, Urhobo. The next one in terms of popularity is the Vanguard. It’s owned by Sam Amuka, Itsekiri/Urhobo. The next one is THISDAY, it’s owned by Nduka Obaugbena of Ika. He is also in the conference. Those three newspapers determine the mind of Nigerians. We need a programme that can join those forces and stand by Mr. President. (Clap of approval from the audience). Go to the electronic media, the most respected is either Channels or AIT. Channels is owned by John Momoh, from Edo State; AIT by Dr. Alogho Dokpesi from Agenebode, Edo State. Then there is ITV, owned by the Igbinedions. They are the most powerful. People don’t tune to NTA, they tune to those ones if they cannot tune to CNN. Get what I am saying now, we need a movement that coinjoin those institutions and then stand by Mr. President. I have shaken hands with him only once, I’ve never gone to that villa. I am not talking because I know him; I don’t know him. But he is holding the most strategic office on the continent of Africa. And they want to shoot him down. Not because he has not performed. If we want to accuse him of performance it is we southerners that should even accuse him. He is doing outside very well so that they can be happy and they are not happy. They are ungrateful. If you don’t travel you will not be wise. I have travelled. Presently, the widest roads in Africa, 10 to 12 lanes are in Abuja. As you enter from Gwagwalada, and you are heading to the town is 12 lanes. It was done by Jonathan. If you go to the town on the other end near Nyanya and you are heading from Jafi to Suleija, 12 lanes done by Jonathan. He has done only three years. No government in Africa – Awolowo is the saint when it comes to education. Jonathan has done something Awolowo could not do: Awolowo set up one university, called Obafemi Awolowo University now, Jonathan set up 12 universities. Ten of the 12 universities are in Northern Nigeria. Ten of them. He dashed them, they are not grateful. Jonathan funded almajeris, air-conditioned schools, with uniform and books; N5 billion spent on it. They don’t acknowledge it. Jonathan has built the new railway line between Kaduna and Abuja, these two towns are the heart of the political power of the North. They all have houses in Kaduna where they drop at night, and they have houses in the new capital. And, according to the late Gaddafi of Libya, Abuja is the capital of sharia land. He divided the country before he died. And that the rest of us will be called Lagos. As far as Gaddafi is concerned if Nigeria does not break into two then nothing can happen because the Arabs must control the country. This is the agenda that Mr. President is facing. He didn’t invent them; but they are all evil agenda; they don’t contribute to democracy, they don’t contribute to development, they don’t contribute to even the image of Nigeria outside. If you doubt me, let me illustrate. Nyako is the governor of Adamawa State. Nyako led 19 governors to visit Obama. They complained to him that Jonathan is committing genocide against their people. And Obama received them. Nineteen governors of the north two months ago. Jonathan then published the statement accusing Jonathan of genocide. If you know the meaning of genocide, I am surprised the man is still in power. That’s what E.K. Clark said some days ago that State of Emergency should be total. Remove governor, remove the House of Assembly, remove commissioners, everybody. Let them go to their villages and appoint your own sole administrator, who you can dialogue with; who signed emergency. Chibok girls are being kidnapped and there is a governor in Maiduguri. No. We are at war. And I urge that we should stand firm because if they don’t allow Jonathan to succeed let no body from this part of the world ever think he will get to that office by dint of your merit. No one, because one tragedy will become a precedent. I have argued here that without knowing him at all the things he has done in three years are more than what Tafawa Balewa plus Shagari, plus Buhari, plus IBB, plus Abacha did in 30 years. Jonathan has done more than all of them. The man is 10 years my junior so I can talk to him authoritatively. Whenever I see him, I will tell him to seize spending money on these ingrates. Let him spend the money to finish East-West road. Make East-West roads 10 lanes. From Benin to Calabar 10 lanes and put street lights on it, then we know we have entered the era of civilization. Because on the day he finishes his assignment that is the road where we are going to welcome him with dances. So let him not spend more money but as I end now, the decision made by the Northern oligarchy is that he will not come back. That the northerner must enter that post because they said he stole it from Yar’Adua. And they are very serious about it. The conference that we are attending is only one chapter of that event. Inside the conference they conspire, outside they conspire; they will send, the emir will speak tomorrow morning; they hold meetings at night and appoint those who will speak even in the committees. They brought people who are not even members of the conference and give them tags. They are desperate; let us also show that we are people of honour. And that God did not make a mistake locating this wealth and minerals in our land. And as I observed earlier,s 75 percent of the wealth of the world is in the ocean. We have not even got there yet; we are dealing with only the little one we have on the ground level. Our children are going to enter the ocean and they are going to make more money so that Nigeria can become like Las Vegas. This battle can only be won if we stand up from legislative to executive and build a bloc of support and defence for Mr. President. Then the people of the north will know that the President has onojaweta. That the man has onojeweta. It means when your child is running to the house shouting you first attack the person beating him first before you come and ask him die wororu. We need to demonstrate that now. And doing it is not a matter of press conference. It means that if the 19 governors who have no money, who depend on us could ferry themselves to America for a week to brief Obama let the Southern governors and their legislators also go to America and challenge that position there. That’s the minimum required. Because they hardly go for conference they go for seminars, in Harvard. Move and if you go to America there are three million Nigerians waiting there for you. They are all rich, they are comfortable. They will put their powers behind you and we have 32 million blacks in America; we have a hundred million in Brazil. Move, go to the venues of the matches going on now. Your son Stephen Keshi is in charge. Move and go and join him; take dances there, take Ebu wonder there. Let us move we shall overcome. Thank you.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:18:32 +0000
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