THE COMMENDABLE ACT OF AN OUTRIGHT REJECTION BY THE SENATE OF ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL SUBMITTED BY THE PRESIDENCY, SOUNDS THE DEATH KNELL FOR ANY HOPES OF A GEJ PRESIDENCY COME 2011 – TURAKI VANGUARD
We received with utmost joy and gratitude to the Almighty God the news
report of the outright rejection of the Electoral amendment Bill submitted
by President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate. The Bill proposing that
political appointees serve as delegates at the impending party primaries
was very undemocratic in its entirety and had it been passed, would have
brought the fledgling Democracy of this Nation to its knees. The fact
remains that President Jonathan's Executive bill contains some toxic
elements that would have being contagious to the enthronement of internal
democracy in the political parties. The decision by the National Assembly
is such a welcome development and serves to restore our confidence in the
possibility of credible elections come 2011. Like many other concerned
Nigerians we had in an earlier press statement outlined the danger posed
by such a poorly thought out proposal by the Presidency.
It was believed in many quarters, that the Bill would have ultimately
resulted in an abuse of Executive powers, because a party caucus primaries
option would mean that the National Executive Committee would have the
final say in confirming the presidential candidate of the political
parties. This unprincipled and undemocratic move by the Presidency if
passed would have denied the people of their right to elect their
representatives and preclude parties from choosing their candidates
through State Congress or National Convention.
We sincerely commend the Senate for resisting all pressure to do the
bidding of the Presidency in this regard and for choosing instead the path
of honour by defending the democratic tenets it exists to protect. With
the failure of this plot to make political appointees delegates and the
attendant benefits that would have accrued for their Principal in the
Presidential primaries, we can't help but wonder what other undemocratic
plans that are about to be set in motion by the Jonathan Campaign team to
ensure that he remains President come 2011 by any means necessary. At this
point it would not be out of turn to state that the Jonathan camp dreads a
face off at the National Convention of the PDP and fear for his chances in
a fair and square outing, thus their decision to resort to underhand means
to win him the ticket at all cost. This poor move aptly portrays President
Jonathan as a neophyte in the arts of statecraft-ship or ability to
preside over a multinational polity like Nigeria but we just pray that he
is learning on the job but trusting such a fellow with our destiny has its
own pitfalls in view of more experienced hands that are prepared to take
this nation to the next level.
In the same vein we commend yet again the National Assembly for rejecting
the $4.43 billion foreign loan by President Jonathan that would have
further increased our debt portfolio. We do not hesitate to add that we
wonder why he would choose to take such an ill advised move even with the
positive antecedents laid by the Obasanjo regime in this regard in the
success recorded in reducing substantively the Nations foreign debt.
In the short time President Jonathan has been at the helms of affairs, it
is sad to note that the Nation's local debt profile is in the region of
$26 billion while the foreign component is about $4 billion. If the
figures available are anything to go by the nation's foreign reserves has
witnessed an estimated 50% drop in the last two years. So far, this
administration has not been prudent in the management of the Nation's
resources.
In other news, Chief Hon. Olademiji Fabiyi, the National Coordinator of
the Turaki Vanguard, has rounded up his five day tour of the South with a
call on the region to support the candidature of Atiku Abubakar come 2011
presidential election. According to him, “My experience during these short
stay has renewed my conviction and strength of my belief on the need for
all to support and encourage an Atiku Abubakar candidacy if the challenges
in the Niger Delta and the entire country is to be arrested. This region
is so dear to our Principal that he has made the issue of the region part
of his five point-agenda to salvage our nation from its present state..”
speaking further about the plans of an Atiku administration for the
region, Oladimeji assured the gathering of Atiku Abubakar pledge to issue
a white paper by June, 2011 on the Ledium Mittee led Committee on Niger
Delta if elected President. He assured the people of the region that Atiku
if elected would use the report as a road map to actualizing the dream for
the region. Apart from this, he said the Atiku Administration will ensure
proper funding of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and proper
terms of operations for the Ministry of Niger Delta would be articulated.
He said an Atiku presidency would set-up Ombudsman that will ensure the
proper development of Oil producing areas.
He called on all people of the region to join hands to ensure that Atiku
be the candidate of choice come 2011.
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze
National Director,
Directorate of Media & Public Affairs of Turaki Vanguard
21-10-10