Thursday, 31 May 2012

Leaders ask Nigerians to stop talks of 2015 polls



PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth,Chief Emeka Anyaoku ,yesterday again asked Nigerians especially the political class and the media to stop the undue focus on the 2015 elections.

 Their views echo that of many other eminent leaders who view the 2015 debate as pre-mature and a distraction.

 Jonathan said the focus should be “governance first”, stressing: “We are just talking about one year of a government of four years. Why should we begin to talk about 2015. Let us keep away from whether someone is going to contest or not. Let us focus on governance, it is not yet time for anybody to declare or not to declare interest.”

 Anyaoku said that the “main focus of our public debates at this time should be how to tackle the massively destructive challenges facing the nation.” Both spoke at a symposium marking this year’s Democracy Day held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja with the theme Our Democracy:

Progress and Challenges. On his part, Senate President David Mark enjoined Nigerians to participate actively in the democratic process and collaborate with government to strengthen the institutions in order to achieve progress and prosperity. Senator Mark in a statement to mark this year’s Democracy Day, said it was by deliberate decision and design that Nigeria chose democracy as the best form of government suited for our pluralistic society.

 Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed D. Abubakar congratulated “all Nigerians for their unwavering faith in the unity of the nation and urges all citizens to continue to work harder towards the realisation of our collective national goals and ideals.”

 In a statement, he reminded “politicians and other political stakeholders of the need to play politics by the rules” and urged them to “eschew all acts capable of impacting negatively on our fledgling democracy.” And to ensure a hitch-free Democracy Day celebration, the IGP has “directed all Zonal AIGs and Command Commissioners of Police to ensure that adequate security is provided at all venues of celebrations including venues of workshops and symposia.

He also directs that adequate security should be provided at all key government installations and vulnerable points across the country.” Jonathan, who said that Nigerians ought to celebrate this year’s Democracy Day, stated that “the worst democratic government is better than a dictatorial government.

In a democracy, we have a tenure and democratic government gives a little more elasticity for people to criticize government.” The President stated that his government has been successful in laying the foundation for a greater Nigeria.

 He went on: “Nigerians should encourage us to follow the rule of law to get to where you want to go. We will follow the rule of law in our transformation programme and as we progress. We have tried as a government.

The first year is more of a planning year. For you to succeed, you must plan. We have planned out a number of programmes. I believe Nigerians will agree with us that we have tried.” He dwelt extensively on separation of powers following the submission of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, that the concept should be religiously adhered to. According to Jonathan, “you can separate the judiciary to some reasonable level. But can you really separate the parliament from the Executive and have a stable government.

 That is one of the greatest challenges we have and especially in Nigeria.

 If the parliamentarians and those in the Executive maintain that theoretical separation of powers as if there is a wall separating the Executive from the Legislature, then this country would continue to have problems. We all belong to political parties but the Judiciary does not belong to parties. “I believe both Parliament and Executive must work together for us to succeed; for Nigerians to get the dividends of democracy and for us to even have good governance. I plead with our legislators now and the next set of people that would come.



Today, Mr. Jonathan is the President but we are talking about what should be the ideal is for us to continue to work together and work together as a team. If we begin to see this clear division, we are exposing the National Assembly to people who are anti-government to use.

It is not good to always celebrate the separation. When we begin to celebrate the separation, those outside government would use National Assembly against the Executive.” Jonathan expressed misgivings on alleged interference in the federal budgeting process. He noted: “For democracy to be meaningful and for us not to have conflict and for us to render good service, we must have a budget. Budget is a law.

 The constitution said the Executive must have a budget for you to be able to plan and manage the economy of the country. If you send your budget to National Assembly and they tear it to pieces and package what they like to you. We have challenges every year. “Our budget in 2008, we even want to go to court so that the Supreme Court tell us if it is the duty of the National Assembly to plan the economy. If it is, let them do the budget, hand over to us, we will implement. But if it is our duty, then they should listen to us because the Executive arm of government has a ministry for planning and finance and work with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

What you see sometimes could be disturbing. This has been a major conflict between National Assembly and the Executive. The Speaker mentioned it. That is why I am raising it. My plea is, the Legislative and the Executive arms of government of the same political party must work together for democracy to be meaningful to Nigerians.”

He enjoined Nigerians to abide by the rule of law and also encourage the government to do same, pointing out that the Federal Government has a judgment debt of N185 billion “because of decisions taken by government that were not properly thought through.” Anyaoku, who was Chairman of the event, urged Nigerian politicians and the media to “spare the nation the distraction of engaging now in public debate on the 2015 elections.”

 He spoke further: “This is only the first of a four-year political dispensation. We must not allow preoccupation with the 2015 elections to confirm the view that our politicians are only interested in self-aggrandizement, with the result that our national politics is bereft of active ideas on how to uplift the country and improve the quality of life of our citizens.

The main focus of our public debates at this time should be how to tackle the massively destructive challenges facing the nation.

 “We have a country with undoubted potential for greatness, a country whose size and diversity offer immeasurable benefits to all its people’s no matter their religion, ethnicity or place of birth. Our democracy, like democracy in many other countries, has over the last year faced a number of serious challenges.”

Anyaoku stated that Jonathan has set Nigeria’s compass “in the right and inspiring direction in their plans now being pursued by his government for improvement in the power supply, in agricultural development.” But Anyaoku stated that for the country to achieve peace, stability and national development, all activities by Nigerians must be driven by the commitment and desire to work for the good of the majority of the citizens. The occasion involved presentations by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Frank Adefaye, the Organised Private Sector, Women, Electoral Reforms, Security and Governance, the Judiciary and the Legislature.

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