Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Confab: Northern Delegates reject c’ttee recommendations DAILY TRUST Wednesday, April 27th, 2005 Confab: Delegates reject c’ttee recommendations By Habeeb I. Pindiga Delegates representing the 19 states of the North at the on going National Political Reform Conference on Monday rejec-ted the introduction of a six-year single term for the president and five-year non-renewable tenure for state governors as recommended by the conference committee on political party and the electoral process. They also rejected the adoption of the Indian model of electronic voting system in the country for the 2007 polls, which also formed part of the resolutions of the committee. Rising from a meeting at the Arewa Suites, Abuja Monday night, the delegates resolved to foster concerted opposi-tion to the twin recommen-dations when they eventually come up for debate at the plenary. They contended that the innovations were not in the interest of the North. The Joseph Wayas-led committee had already adopted the electronic voting system, following a demons-tration of electronic poll equipment by some Indian experts, who Daily Trust learnt were invited to the confab by the presidency. The committee, which has former Kano state deputy governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, as deputy chairman, had also recommended a six-year and five-year single tenure for the president and governors respectively. Daily Trust gathered that during Tuesday’s meeting, the northern delegates who met under the chairmanship of one-time Naval Chief, Rear-Admiral Murtala Nyako, were briefed on the political party committee’s resolutions by one of its members, Alhaji Iro Dan-Musa, who explained how the panel arrived at it’s recommendations. But Dan-Musa received bashings from delegates who were angry that he and other northern colleagues in the political party committee allowed such ideas to scale through in spite of their obvious disadvantage to the north. They pointed out the low literacy level in the North to reject the electronic voting system and argued that the single term idea was coming at the wrong time when power is to shift to the North. A source at the meeting told Daily Trust that part of the rage of the northern delegates was that the idea of electronic voting and the single tenure arrangement was championed at the political party committee by presidential political adviser, Professor Jerry Gana, whose hands were soiled in the controversy surrounding the federal government’s draft constitution. The delegates argued further that Nigeria was distinct from India and therefore the Indian polling model may not be the best thing for the country. A delegate from one of the North-east states was said to have contended that in India, unlike in Nigeria, there are no contentious issues like resource control, power shift and others, adding that the dominant population in the North is not enlightened enough to accept the electronic voting system. Other delegates pointed out the poor infrastructure in many parts of the north like erratic power supply and non-motorable roads that cannot sustain the sophisticated polling system. Many delegates called on the members of the political party and the electoral process committee among them to go back and reject the twin recommendations at the committee level, but it was realised that it was too late as the panel has almost finished its work. Thus, it was decided that a common front will be marshalled against the two ideas when the report comes before the plenary. Besides Ganduje and Dan-Musa (Katsina), other northerners on the political party and the electoral process committee are Gana (Niger), Malami Yandoto (Zamfara), Auwal Tukur (Adamawa), Ibrahim Abubakar (Taraba), Boss Mustapha (Adamawa), Paul Unongo (Benue), John Wash Pam (Plateau) and Humphrey Abah (Kogi). Meanwhile, the northern delegates have set up a strategy and publicity committee with Alhaji Magaji Dambatta from Kano state as chairman. Some of the committee members are retired General Ibrahim Haruna (Adamawa), retired General Alwali Kazir (Yobe), Alhaji Abubakar Mu’azu Hassan (Gombe), retired General Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman (Abuja) and Senator John Wash Pam. 10:18:17 PM    comment []

2007: Gowon Advises Ndigbo--Liar THISDAY 2007: Gowon Advises Ndigbo From Emmanuel Uguru in Enugu, 04.26.2005 As Ndigbo continues to stake their claim on the Nigeria’s presidency come 2007, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has advised them to mend their internal differences before aspiring to lead the entire nation. He said this at the weekend, while speaking with newsmen at Enugu, during a prayer conference organised by the South-east zone of Nigeria Prays, noting that no ethnic nationality in the country could succeed in such project without unity. Gowon, who was among notable leaders clamouring for the emergence of either a Middle Belt or South-south president in 2007, said though the Igbo have numerous and eminently qualified people to occupy the nationís topmost post, they still lack unity of purpose to pursue their political objective. Reflecting on the civil war,  Gowon said it was justified at the Time, because the war was fought for the unity of Nigeria. He insisted that it was not a deliberate attempt to humiliate Ndigbo, but to bring them to the Nigerian fold, hence, they deserve no apology for the war and events that led to it. Gowon said the pogrom was occasioned by serious threat by Ndigbo to secede from Nigeria, adding that the action was ‘too bad for the Nigerian republic. “It is very wrong for anybody to say that the then Federal Government  committed a lot of unforgivable atrocity against Ndigbo, he said, adding that as the then Head of State, he did not regard the Igbo as enemies of Nigeria, or exhibit hatred to the Igbo race, hence we declared ëno victor no vanquished.”  However, Gowon pleaded with Ndigbo and the entire nation to bury the hatchet, and pray for a better Nigeria. He also asked Nigerians to pray fervently for the sustenance of the nation’s democracy, adding that prayer was the master key to any situation, no matter how chronic such problems may be.  “Nothing is impossible before God.  Prayer is good for the country, and our prayers have serious effect on the country. We must continue to pray for the nation,” he advised. Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, in his remarks at the prayer rally, praised Gowon for initiating the programme, and urged him not to relent in his efforts at seeking divine solutions to Nigeria’s problems. 12:15:55 AM    comment []