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Save Nigeria From Tinubu-Lukman Urges Former Military Rulers

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Senator Bola Ahamd Tinubu
President Bola Ahmad Tinubu

 

Former National Vice Chairman, North West of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has called on former military and civilian presidents in the country to seize the initiative and make concerted efforts to rescue Nigeria from what he called the present “government’s heartless and mindless policies.”

In a statement titled “Nigerian Democracy in ICU,” the former APC chieftain appealed to two-term civilian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; former military president and Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau, to take more than a passing interest in the battle for economic survival facing Nigerians as a result of the economic policies of the current administration.

The immediate past Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum noted that the “existential crisis has caught up with even the income-earning population, and governments at all levels are demonstrating both a lack of commitment and inability to respond to the urgency of rescuing the country.”

He said: “One of the big gaps that is there constantly staring Nigerians in the most uncomfortable way is the demobilisation and destruction of democratic structures in the country, which would have ordinarily facilitated consultations with elected leaders and influenced policy decisions of governments at all levels.

The absence of any functional party, whose structures are meeting as provided by their constitutions, is enough evidence. All the so-called big parties don’t hold meetings of their organs.

“The APC is now more of a private limited liability company owned by President Asiwaju Tinubu. PDP, LP, NNPP, and many of the registered parties are all faced with avoidable leadership crises that have strangulated them and are blocking them from holding meetings.

With all these, citizens are denied options and capacity to produce alternative choices. Even the right to register new parties is being blocked seamlessly by INEC.

“With meetings not holding and opposition political leaders manipulated into terminal crisis, Nigerian democracy is in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with no doctor to attend to. Could former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau be the ‘doctors’ needed to get Nigeria out of the ICU? If so, how can they achieve that?”

Even as he admitted that some of the eminent Nigerians he listed lack democratic credentials, Lukman insisted that their intervention has become compelling in the face of the manipulation of the leadership of the main opposition parties by the Presidency and the subordination of the national leadership of the ruling party itself to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau are certainly leaders in their own right who have paid their dues.

At different times in the political history of Nigeria, they were able to intervene. Arguably, their interventions may have in one way or another contributed to getting Nigeria to its current messy situation.

“For instance, the political practices that are responsible for the erosion of political competition in political parties in Nigeria could be traceable to the tenure of former President Obasanjo.

The policy of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) under former Military President Babangida could have been the source of inspiration for President Asiwaju Tinubu’s impulsive and unplanned policies.

“Although, to be fair to former Military President Babangida, to use Chidi Amuta’s words, he ‘balanced compassion and hard policy choices.’

To the extent of contributing to getting Nigeria to the current messy situation, these leaders owe a responsibility to the nation to take it out of the ICU.

“Getting Nigerian democracy out of the ICU is a function of the ability to revive, restore, and strengthen democratic structures in the country, which is dependent on the ability to create at least a functional political party that would allow for political competition within its structures and, by extension, in the country.

This should not just be about identifying and promoting a candidate who will emerge as a candidate in any of the registered parties.

“Once the approach is limited to producing a candidate, the potential of falling into a legal booby trap imposed by the manipulative activities of President Asiwaju Tinubu and APC is high.

“Part of the legal booby trap is that the potential candidate may be produced by a leadership faction of a political party, which will throw the party and the candidate into court cases that will undermine electoral viability.

The other challenge is that producing a candidate may not guarantee a corresponding commitment by elected leaders to honor their campaign promises and be accountable to Nigerians.

“For elected leaders to come with a corresponding commitment to honor campaign promises and be accountable to Nigerians requires the existence of a strong political party whose organs will meet as prescribed by the party’s constitution.

Above all, the profile of the leadership of the party should be at least equivalent to that of the elected leadership of the country.

“A situation whereby party leadership is below the profile of elected leaders is injurious to Nigerian democracy and will retain it in the ICU.

“Therefore, if former President Obasanjo, former Military President Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami, and retired General Gusau are truly committed to rescuing Nigerian democracy and getting it out of the ICU, they should facilitate a deeper engagement of opposition political leaders in the country.

Beyond anything, this will help reset Nigerian democracy and restore the confidence of Nigerians in surviving the current hard times imposed by the impulsive, unplanned, and undemocratic policies of President Asiwaju Tinubu.”

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Former Defence Minister General Abbe Passes On At 75

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Former Military Governor of Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, Major General Godwin Osagie Abbe, has passed away. He was 75.

Abbe served as the Military Governor of both Akwa Ibom State from 1988 to 1990, and River State from 1990 to 1992. He also held the position of Minister of Interior under President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration where he was later redeployed to the ministry of defence

He died in Abuja on Saturday after a long illness.

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His academic achievements include a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University and attendance at the United States Army Infantry School, the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

He rose through the ranks to become the General Officer Commanding of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, and commanded both the Training and Doctrine Command and the National War College.

Abbe retired in 1999 at the rank of Major General and subsequently joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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World Bank Project in Kano Trains 1,000 Healthcare Personnel to Combat Malnutrition

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Dr Umar Yahuza addressing news men

 

Dr. Umar Yahuza, the Project Coordinator for the World Bank-assisted initiative in Kano, known as Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), has announced the training of 1,000 healthcare personnel in a bid to provide preventive nutrition services to pregnant and lactating mothers.

During a workshop held for the training of healthcare workers, Dr. Yahuza addressed newsmen, highlighting the significance of the ANRiN project, which is funded by the World Bank. He explained that the project aims to change behavior from the grassroots and reverse the negative trends of malnutrition.

Kano State has made significant progress in reducing severe stunting by 9 percent, a notable achievement that underscores the need for continued improvement. Dr. Yahuza emphasized that the N774 being used to train frontline healthcare workers was initially unstructured.

The journey began with MYCN facilitators in Kano and Lagos, followed by the training of a critical mass of facilitators. Subsequently, 120 healthcare professionals from various health facilities in Kano, including medical doctors and dieticians, were trained.

Currently, training is underway for 484 apex healthcare facilities in Kano. The training is being conducted at eight different points, with 60 healthcare workers being trained at each location, totaling 1,000 trained healthcare personnel under the MYCN initiative.

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Dr. Yahuza expressed optimism about seeing an end to malnutrition in the region. He stated, “We are near to seeing an end to malnutrition. We are not late.”

One of the beneficiaries, Rahinatu Ado Ibrahim, shared her experience, saying, “We received capacity building, and there are available resources.”

The ANRiN project is designed to provide comprehensive support to healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to address malnutrition effectively. With continued efforts and collaboration, the project aims to improve the overall health and well-being of the population in Kano State.

 

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Stampede at Catholic Church in Maitama Claims Ten Lives During Food Distribution

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Ten people have been confirmed dead in a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, on Saturday, 21st December 2024, during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals.

The unfortunate incident, which occurred around 6:30 am, resulted in the loss of ten lives, including four children, and left eight others injured with varying degrees of severity. Four of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving medical attention.

The FCT Police Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the tragedy, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

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