KANO—Northern leaders including Vice President, Namadi Sambo and three former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar were conspicuously absent at the peace summit organised by Northern Development Focus Initiative, NDFI, in Kano.

Also absent were the Senate President, Senator David Mark, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who were special guests of honour during the two-day peace summit.

No official reasons were given by the organisers of the event over the absence of the political bigwigs but General Muhammadu Buhari was drafted to be the chairman of the summit in the absence of General Gowon who was originally selected for the role.

The appointment of Gen. Buhari as impromptu chairman was not without some hiccups as the national leader of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, initially declined and later grudgingly accepted the offer.

The summit with theme: “Development, peace and unity as tool for enhancing socio economic and political reform in Northern Nigeria,” was aimed at discussing the multi-faceted security challenges confronting the region.

Insecurity reared its ugly head in the Northern region in 2009 following the death of an Islamist leader, Sheik Muhammad Yusuf in an uprising by his group culminating in the crippling of the socio-economic life of the region that was already bugged down by poverty and under-development.

Defending the absence of northern leaders, Senator John Kennedy Waku said, “it is too early to make a case over their absence. It is just day one of the two-day event and I want to believe they will make it”.

However, the event originally scheduled to hold at one of the popular hotels in the ancient city was held at a more secure Government House where invitees were frisked thoroughly by stern looking securitymen before being allowed inside.

The summit was largely attended by retired military officers of northern extraction, retired technocrats, some politicians and artisans.

Speakers at the summit concurred that the security challenges confronting the country has been localized as problem of people of the North East geo-political zone with little or no commitment by the government to resolve the crisis in the interest of peace and development.

Via Vanguard

Achebe in the book containing his civil war memoir, accused the Federal
Government under Gowon and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, then Minister of
Finance, of using hunger as a weapon of war against the Igbo.

However, speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Gowon wondered if the renowned
novelist would make money from his intellectual property, saying it had been
pirated.

The former Chief of Army Staff spoke in Abuja at the presentation of the
Reform of the Copyright System in Nigeria organised by the Nigerian Copyright
Commission.

the 78-year-old said he saw hawkers selling copies of the book in Abuja
recently.

Gowon said, “When I was coming to the hotel yesterday (Wednesday) I saw
people selling copies of Achebe’s book, you know the one I am talking about.

“I don’t know if the chap knew I was the one inside the car – he wanted to
get my attention.

“I said to myself, ‘so this book has already been pirated and is being sold
in the streets?’

“I don’t know if Achebe will be getting any penny from that book.”

The remark drew laughter from the gathering.

He had earlier described Achebe’s civil war memoir as the most controversial
publication on the war.

Gowon, who was the chairman of the event, stressed that no one should be
allowed to steal another person’s work, or unduly exploit another person’s
sweat.

He said, “The underlying philosophy of copyright protection, as I have come
to understand, is the need to adhere to the fundamental rule of natural justice
that every person be guaranteed the fruit of his or her labours. The corollary
to this axiom is that no one should be allowed to steal another’s work or unduly
exploit the sweat of another’s hard labour.”

The former Head of State recounted how his administration masterminded a
review of the old copyright law the country inherited from the British colonial
masters after independence.

Director General of the NCC, Mr. Afam Ezekude, in said the commission decided
to reform Nigeria’s copyright system in order to address identified flaws which
have inhibited the contribution of the creative industry to national economic
growth.

-Punch

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has said dialogue and force are the only available options to tackle the Boko Haram menace in the land.

After declaring open the Education Summit organised by the Oyo State Government in Ibadan on Wednesday, Gowon, who is the National Coordinator of Nigeria Prays, also called for prayer as a veritable tool for peace.

He said, “The option for the Islamic sect is to either embrace dialogue or make it fire for fire. But I urge Nigerians to engage in prayers in order to solve the problem because there is no problem that cannot be solved by prayers.”

Gowon dismissed the suggestion that both the Federal Government and the security agencies were not effective in tackling the menace posed by the fundamentalist group.

He said, “Government needs more time and patience on the part of the citizens for it to remain focused in ending the problem. When you look at act of terrorism across the world, it is never an ad hoc issue. We should not assume that the government is not doing enough; the government is really working.”

He urged the security agencies to be more proactive in handling the issue, noting that “this is the time to put into practice our intelligence; the security has a lot to do in that regard.”

He called on policy makers to project into the future in policy formulation.

Gowon  said, “It is generally said that the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, but the truth of the matter is that not all can be leaders. However, we owe humanity a duty as leaders to create a level-playing ground for every child so that those who will become leaders will be grounded for the responsibilities of leadership.

Former Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, said, “Clearly, leadership is the bane of education in Nigeria. Rather than face the problem, we face irrelevances. You can solve the problem by staying focused and be ready to face reality. Part of the problem is that we are preparing students for jobs that don’t exist.”

Afolabi, while raising question on Nigeria’s level of preparedness for the demands of information age, said, “I want education policy that works, that will return Oyo State into leadership position. Oyo is grappling with religious problem to solve education problems but we must leave schools alone in order to build the future.

-Guardian

While he canvassed dialogue to check the activities of the Boko Haram Islamist sect, he called on government to reduce the cost of governance. Excerpts:
Insecurity

Most people are talking about insecurity, but insecurity did not just jump down from Heaven. What were the factors that led to insecurity? Insecurity has been with us for a long time but it came to a head in the last five or six years. The chief cause of insecurity in Nigeria is mass unemployment. The level of insecurity in any society is directly proportional to the level unemployment and unemployment in Nigeria is over 50 per cent. There are so many Nigerians, who are not doing anything. If you have so many unemployed graduates, who know how to make bombs, then the country is in trouble.

Boko Haram

What is Boko Haram? Boko Haram says if the education we acquire from the West, means stealing, mismanaging, embezzling, not doing what you should do as a chairman of local government, as a governor or as a president, then they (Boko Haram) don’t want that kind of education.

They are not saying they don’t want education because some of them are graduates but they are saying that western education has ruined Nigeria. And any right thinking person would agree that if all that we have to show for the education that we acquired from the West is what we are seeing in governance, then that type of education is wrong.

Yakubu Gowon and Late Odumegwu-Ojukwu

And that is what Boko Haram is all about. It is not a religious thing at all, Boko Haram is making war against society that has failed them. They are waging war against government and that is why they are attacking instruments and institutions of government like military barracks, police barracks among other institutions. When they attack churches or mosques, what they are doing is to attract attention to the situation they are in.

Cost of governance 

The cost of governance in Nigeria is the worst and highest in the world where a country spends 80 per cent of all its income servicing less than one per cent of the total population. The entire people we have in government are not up to one million. Each state governor spends N1milion a day for feeding while at the level of the president, he spends N900 million annually for feeding. This is happening in a country where some people do not eat more than twice a day.

So, the cost of governance is another thing that is driving the polity into this craziness. And because we are in this kind of situation, we are going to have total collapse of law and order. When you have a collapse of law and order, it will be such that the 330,000 policemen we have in Nigeria will not be able to cope with the looming crisis. If we drive the situation far, we are going to have complete breakdown and it will be everyone unto himself.

Fuel subsidy

What has compounded it is the ill-advised, insensitive and cruel petroleum tax, which government introduced on thge first day of January. There is nothing like subsidy. Government, having spent about a trillion on the elections of President Goodluck Jonathan,  realised that the only option left for them is to tax Nigerians to the bones and called it petroleum tax because they know everybody uses petroleum. There is no government in the world that would impose 100 per cent tax on its people. The budget has opened the eyes of Nigerians and this has united Nigerians. The greatest unifier of people is not religion, it is not ethnicity, it is poverty. Nigerians are all united with poverty.

What government has done that is going to worsen the situation in Nigeria is trying to divide labour and civil societies.

When you divide labour and civil societies, if there is an uprising or demonstrations, they will no longer be guided by anybody and that is why I said we are going the way of Somalia. When you allow people to go loose, then, there is serious trouble and that is what happened in Somalia.

In Poland, they broke the ranks of labour and civil societies in 1981 and the people attacked the president, which led to a complete breakdown of law and order. So, it is not right for any government to go through that route of trying to divide labour and civil society organisations by making them to run against each other. The end result is that you will have a serious crisis that will not be managed by anybody and that is very dangerous.

Security agencies

Another aspect to this insecurity is that Boko Haram and other dangerous elements have infiltrated security apparatus in the country. You have Boko Haram in the Army, you have them in the Air Force. You have it in the Navy and in the Police. So, the security agencies have been infiltrated. Whether you like it or not, 90 per cent of Nigeria Police is not loyal to anybody because they are also suffering. It is just that because of the nature of their job, they cannot publicly go on strike. Majority of them are striking psychologically ditto the military.

One other affliction affecting the military and intelligence agencies is that it has put people, who are less learned, intelligent and qualified as heads of these organisations.

There so many qualified men and women in the Police Force, who should occupy the position of the Inspector-General of Police, but they are not been promoted because they want to create jobs for the boys. What you have in our security agencies is that people, who head them do not command the respect and loyalty of their followers. That is also dangerous for any society.

Government has shot itself in the foot by bringing people, who are not qualified to head all out intelligent and security apparatus and that poses its own problems and dangers.

Way out of nation’s woes

We don’t feel happy that Jonathan has allowed his government to be hijacked by those they did not vote for. That is why Nigerians are saying this country has no government because government has been hijacked by those, who have no business being in government.

What government must do in the interim as a palliative is for them to revert the pump price of fuel back to N45 per litre or grudgingly return to N65 per litre.

The money government is generating from oil alone is enough to do anything. They need not to have imposed petroleum tax on Nigerians.

But more than that, certainly, they have not passed the budget for 2012. The National Assembly should reduce the recurrent expenditure by 80 per cent. If the National Assembly wants to save the jugular of this country, they should immediately cut that budget and the 80 per cent they will take away from recurrent expenditure, should go into capital expenditure. It is only the National Assembly that can save this country at this point in time.

Another way out is a reduction in the size of government. All the state governors are equally guilty of the petroleum tax imposed on Nigeria because they were there when the decision was taken by the president.

The governors agreed because they knew they were going to make money. So, the size of governance, which is ridiculous should be reduced. That is in the interim and that should be immediate.

The second interim measure is for government to reduce mass unemployment. Construction is the largest employer of labour and if government decides to embark on mass construction of houses, that alone would provide jobs for about three quarter of those who are unemployed.

Confederation

To prevent us from becoming another Somalia, the president must send a bill to the National Assembly to start a process of confederation. Let every region be semi-autonomous and develop at its own level. That was the Aburi agreement.

What was agreed on then was that there should be confederation. I am proposing that Nigeria should immediately go to six regions which Abacha created in 1995 and these regions should be semi autonomous. What will only bind us together will be defence, foreign policy and currency.

What I am saying is that there is need for restructuring of the polity. We were forced into a marriage, the terms of which were never made known. They never consulted anybody and because we don’t have a nation, it also contributed a deal to the problems of Nigeria.

We must have a confederation, we must have a nation and that is why we need to talk. We must have a national conference, people must come together to talk. We cannot run away from it. We must sit down and decide how to live togther as a nation.

 -Vanguard

Gowon who was cornered by State House correspondents after his visit to President Goodluck Jonathan alongside former President Sheu Shagari yesterday said, the issue of security was not one that anybody could predict its ending, adding that with determination from all to give the necessary support, the result would be positive.
The former head of state who said they were in the Presidential Villa to pay their respects since the Council of State meeting had been called off, expressed optimism that Nigeria would be able to resolve it’s numerous issues just like it did the civil war without external help.

“We are here to greet the President. We were to have attended the Council of State meeting that was cancelled because of the situation in the country. The former heads of state were to have met before now and advise on the most current issues: the subsidy as well as the security problem.

“The President has resolved the subsidy issue in a correct way for things to return to normal and we are grateful and we endorse what he has done and also talk generally on things for example you saw how happy the youth corps members were yesterday (Monday) when the President announced all the good things he had for them”.

Asked his advise on how Nigeria could get out of the present logjam of crisis and insecurity he said, “I assure you that Mr. President and his team are very much on top of it. Any security issue is not something you can virtually dictate on and say this is the way it is going to finish. But with the determination to ensure security for all and for the good of the country, all that we need to do is to give the President the support for all the actions he is taking to put the situation under control. There is need for cooperation from all the people themselves. I am sure no stone would be left unturned in getting to the bottom of the problem and resolving it.”

Asked if there was hope, Gowon replied, “My trust and belief in this country and the goodness of all Nigerians to be able to resolve their problems themselves the way we did after fighting each other for so many years. How did we do it? Was there an equivalent of the reconciliation that we were able to achieve in Nigeria anywhere in the world in the history of the world? It is only in Nigeria that impossible in fact becomes possible.”

-Sun

According to a source close to Shagari, the two national leaders in separate telephone calls advised President Jonathan that his direct involvement in the crisis engulfing the party in the state could affect his stature as the leader of the nation.
They were said to be particularly miffed by the deployment of security agencies in the state at a time the Jonathan government appears lost about how to handle pressing security challenges in parts of the country.
Sunday Sun learnt that the idea to speak to Jonathan was mooted by Shagari, who initially reached out to Gowon and asked him to call the President to advise him to steer clear of the murky politics in his home state.

Gowon, it was learnt, however reminded Shagari that he was a military Head of State and that the message will carry more weight if it came from a democratically elected President.
The two leaders were said to have agreed to call Jonathan separately, believing that the strategy will exert more pressure on the President and they both called him on Thursday night, it was authoritatively learnt.

The president was said to have assured them that he had no role in the crisis, that it was purely a party affair.
The pressure by the elder statesmen followed similar appeals by national leaders like Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Abdulkareem Daiyabu and civil rights activist, Mallam Sheu Sani following the controversy surrounding the disqualification of Governor Timipre Sylva from the PDP gubernatorial primary held yesterday in Yenagoa.

-Sun

Other prominent Nigerians involved in this fresh attempt to stamp out religious related violence in the country include the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan and the Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola. The movement, which is operating under the aegis of United Nigerian Chaplaincy (UNC), has put together a national workshop in Awka, the Anambra State capital, for its members across the 36 states to sensitise and instill in them the required discipline to go about their duties in their respective states.

Speaking in Enugu during the inauguration of the Enugu Command at the weekend, the Chaplain General, Dr. Josiah Ejie said, “we have not asked our men to start work now because we are still going to instill discipline in them; that’s why we are organising a workshop from July 7 – 8 in Awka, Anambra State, after which they will be commissioned to start operating in their various states.”

He described a chaplain as a trained minister of God in uniform to serve the government, the church and the masses. “UNC, like you have seen today, is a body registered to unite all chaplainry body in the nation both Muslims and Christians. “We have the imams, we have emirs, we have the chaplain bishops as you can see here; we have Generals like Yakubu Gowon, the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan, Governor Fashola of Lagos State, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and many more; they are involved in this movement.

“And all we are fighting is to make sure there is order in this nation; make sure that Muslims and Christians live together as one. We are one Nigeria and we should remain one Nigeria. If there are disputes/religious crisis, our chaplains go in; our Muslim chaplain moves to talk to his people, Christian chaplain also moves to talk to his people, and both will live as one. In his speech, the Enugu State Coordinator, Chaplain Joseph Okeke described the UNC as a body charged with the responsibility of bringing together all registered chaplains in Nigeria with a view to fostering unity and coordinate the effective functioning of chaplain activities in Nigeria.

He recalled that since the introduction of chaplaincy in Nigeria in 1984, the functions of chaplains had not only been undervalued but also defocused for lack unity by the various operators, hence, the impact of chaplaincy had not been felt.

He expressed gratitude for the inauguration of the Enugu Command, pledging that, “as trained teachers of God, warfront intercessors, corruption fighters, peace engineers and spiritual advisers to government, we are committed to work with other security agents to ensure that the state is safe for all to reside.”

Okeke further appealed to Governor Sullivan Chime to assist the young command by providing office accommodation as well as operational vehicles.

-Sun

Not a strong fighter for One Nigeria like Jack Gowon would leave fire on the roof-top and then go to bed. He believes that, as a father-figure of Nigeria, it would be too irresponsible to do so. The main reason, at 76, he never leaves any stone unturned in trying to help engender peace situation in the country. The mantle fell on what a commentator described as “his slim shoulders” at the age of 32 (in 1966) to lead Nigeria after the second coup and during his regime,  the monumental structures on which successive governments have struggled to build upon were laid.

Born October19, 1934 in Lur, Plateau State, General Gowon had his first education at St. Bartholomew’s School, Wasasa, Zaria between 1939 and 1949. He moved from there to the Government College, Zaria where he obtained his school certificate in 1953. As Head of State he had to grapple with Civil War considered by the Supreme Military Authority under him as capable of threatening the continuous togetherness of the entity called Nigeria.

-Vanguard

Chairman of the CPC in Niger State, Alhaji Shuaibu Umar told Daily Sun in Minna that the police mounted a roadblock between Madalla and Diko junction where Buhari was turned back.

Police Public Relations Officer in Niger State, ASP Richard Adamu Oguche, said the security situation in Niger State did not permit allowing Buhari entry into any part of the state. He described the CPC candidate as a free citizen of the country but said the security situation would not allow such a visit to Niger State at the very moment.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has imposed a ban on all political rallies and political gatherings in the state until after the conduct of the gubernatorial elections, saying any political party that goes against the ban will be prosecuted according to the law. The state police commissioner, Mr. Dan’azumi Doma, made this disclosure at a press briefing in Kano yesterday, adding that they were determined to implement the directive to the letter.

The position of the police may not be unconnected with the rumour that the CPC presidential candidate, General Buhari (retd) may be visiting the state to raise the hand of General Jafaru Isa, the recently court-declared gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state. Doma disclosed that over 100 suspects had been arrested and interrogated in connection with the poll violence in the state, adding that the suspects had been charged to court, which had remanded some of them in prison custody.

He said the police and the rest of the security agencies were determined to probe deep to identify and apprehend the sponsors of the dastardly act, noting that no matter how highly placed, anybody found wanting would be prosecuted along with their agents and conspirators. He warned that the act of brigandage and hooliganism must not be allowed to continue as security agencies were ready to deal with hooligans and mischief makers in the state.

He equally warned rumour-mongers and alarmists to desist from spreading rumour capable of escalating tension in the state. Besides, he cautioned parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards did not allow themselves to be used to foment trouble by mischief-makers.

 -Sun