WHEN Akwa Ibom State Governor Godwill Akpabio was supporting the senatorial ambition of Senator Aloysious Etok in 2007, in the spirit of equity, hardly did he know that he was embarking on a mission that would later degenerate into a messy affair.

BY DAPO AKINREFON

CHIEF Andrew Uchendu is the member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency, Rivers State in the House of Representatives. Uchendu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in this interview, faults the court ruling that produced  Chief Felix Obuah  as the chairman of the PDP in Rivers State saying that ambitious persons are [...]

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

In this interview,  the Leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Chidi Lloyd, speaks  on the political crisis that is playing out in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. He describes the recent suspension of  27  members of the House  by the leadership of the party as mere [...]

Elections into the 17 local government councils of the 18 in Edo State were conducted by the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), but Abuja based observers who were not accredited to monitor the April 20, 2013 polls are engaged in a war of words with the EDSIEC over the transparency of the elections.

Questions are trailing the killing of about 60 policemen in Nasarawa State, last week. What led to the deployment of over a hundred mobile policemen in the operation? Was there any fighting going on there? Was that the last option left to arrest anybody or group suspected to be carrying any act of criminality by the police? Where was the intelligence aspect of the police? How many people were they going to arrest before deploying such a large number of armed mobile police with eleven operational vehicles? What is Ombatse group all about? Is it a cult group? Was that the first attempt to arrest such group in Nasarawa?

ERstwhile senator and minister, Abdulrasheed Akinlabi Olasunkanmi is one of a handful of aspirants for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket in the 2014 gubernatorial election. In a session with newsmen, Olasunkanmi gives reasons why Osun State should get a change in leadership and why he is the best person to lead that change. Excerpts:

A recent two day conference on strengthening relations between the legislative and executive arms of the Federal Government was an insightful and useful voyage for players in both arms.

CHIEF Great Ovedje Ogboru has resonated as a political factor as a result of his bid to govern his home state of Delta since 2003. In this interview, Chief Ogboru who was emphatic that he had not lost any election speaks of the status of the legal battles for the governorship of Delta, attempts to ruin his businesses, amnesty a la militancy and Boko Haram, and President Goodluck Jonathan. Excerpts:

It would have been shocking if political opportunists had totally overlooked the schism that recently developed between Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his one time political ally, Senator Alloysius Etok.

With only one local government election conducted in about ten years, the governors of Kano and their people have adjusted, and even accepted, the absurdity of appointed bureaucrats as local government administrators.

Both sides in the face off between opposing factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State have drawn the battle line. Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara and incumbent member of the House, Dakuku Peterside, both from Rivers State in two different interviews present the case of the two factions with both men agreeing on one thing, that rascality on the part of each other is at the root of the crisis. Excerpts:

Both sides in the face off between opposing factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State have drawn the battle line. Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara and incumbent member of the House, Dakuku Peterside, both from Rivers State in two different interviews present the case of the two factions with both men agreeing on one thing, that rascality on the part of each other is at the root of the crisis. Excerpts:

THE battle between Governor Chibuike Amaechi and his erstwhile Chief of Staff, who is now the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, over who controls Rivers State politics, has continued to assume different dimensions. The two main actors in the battle were principal actors during the time of former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili.

FOR a process that generated little or no enthusiasm from inception across the county, the current public interest in the amendment of the 1999 Constitution appears to be defeating the initial doubts that trailed the exercise.

This development is not unconnected with the display of uncommon determination by the National Assembly Assembly to give the nation a Peoples’ Constitution.

The House of Representatives is not leaving anything to chance in its efforts towards providing a more acceptable Constitution.

In this regard, the House embarked on activities like working retreat and presentation of the collated results of the people’s public sessions among others.

The Constitution review process in the House is under the guidance of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who is the adhoc committee chairman.

The committee held a retreat last year in Port Harcourt to lay a foundation for its work. The retreat attracted presentations and submissions by intellectuals, civil society groups, political interest groups, professional associations and labour just to mention a few.

The event produced a communique which outlined key areas of focus and framework of action for the Constitution review process. And the committee subsequently called for and received over 200 memoranda from diverse interest groups and members of the general public.

Investigations revealed that from the memos received, the committee formulated a 43-item template of issues/questions which covered the crux of the amendments Nigerians yearn for in the Constitution.

On the strength of this, the grassroots were involved in Peoples Public Sessions held across the 360 federal constituencies in the country on Nov. 10, 2012.

The sessions, which have been hailed as the most inclusive approach to Constitution making in the history of Nigeria, attracted stakeholders like the Nigeria Labour Congress ,NLC , Trade Union Congress,TUC, Nigerian Bar Association,NBA, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, among others.

The critical stage of collation of the results involved representatives of all stakeholders at the secretariat of the committee, just as the process was monitored by the media.

The issues
The results showed the voting pattern on all the issues itemized in the template for voting by Nigerians during the sessions in their constituencies.

Nevertheless, the questions that were voted on at the session were: Should Section 8 of the Constitution be amended to remove the ambiguities in the process for creation of more states?Should the 6 geo-political zones be recognised in the Constitution for administrative purposes only? Should the 6 geo-political zones be included in the Constitution as another tier of government?

Others included: Should indigeneship of an area be defined to include persons who have resided in an area for a continuous long period, and therefore entitled to accruing rights, duties and privileges? Should the aspects of the Constitution related to the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in Chapter II which deal with political, economic, social, educational and cultural objectives be made justifiable or enforceable like the Fundamental Human Rights in Chapter IV.

‘We have reflected the views of Nigerians’
Checks revealed that the initiative and the progress recorded on the Constitution review in the House was not unconnected with the leadership qualities of the Deputy Speaker, whose working relationship with Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal appears to be the type of tonic the house needs.

Confirming this at the forum, Ihedioha said the views on various issues outlined in the review of the Constitution had been fully reflected in the report of the Peoples’ Public Sessions.

The Deputy Speaker said the results presented represented “the voice of the Nigerian people who have expressed their views on what changes they would like to see in any amendment being made to the national legal grundnorm– the Constitution of Nigeria.”

Accordingly, he said that deliberations at the nationwide sessions were free, robust, and participatory, adding that Nigerians spoke their minds without hindrance.

“This process may not be perfect, but I dare say that it is the first time in the history of this country that Nigerians at the grassroots have been made part of the Constitution review process in a practical and transparent manner,” he added.

In addition, he said, ‘’we promised Nigerians that we shall be transparent and accountable. Indeed we made a commitment to do things differently in our Legislative Agenda, unveiled at the beginning of the 7th House of Representatives. This public presentation is a fulfillment of this commitment and promise.

‘We have responded as best as we can within the limits of the constitutional and legal framework to the demands of Nigerians for greater voice and involvement in the Constitution amendment process.”

Ihedioha called on all Nigerians to be vigilant and follow through the rest of the exercise to ensure that their views and positions remain respected.

The Deputy Speaker stated that the process will involve presentation and consideration of bills, harmonization with the Senate Committee on the Constitution Review and interface with the state legislatures for concurrence on the issues.

Further checks showed that the public presentation was in keeping with the promise made by Ihedioha that the House will make the process of the Public Sessions, and the entire exercise transparent, inclusive and accountable to the people.

Commending the House, Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Joy Emordi, said the entire process and the outcome was historic and unique, adding that the results duly addressed calls for a sovereign national conference.

Similarly, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, Head of the West African Office of the Ford Foundation, commended the House , saying the collation of the peoples’ views on the Constitution is a step in the right direction.

The Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ben Uwajumogu in this special interview responds to issues concerning the impeachment of the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Sir Jude Agbaso and allegations that the House did the bidding of the governor. Excerpt:

Local governments were at one time autonomous in Ogun State, but not so anymore as they have become platforms for political domination by successive governors

The local governments in Kebbi State are virtually run as appendages of the state government with the party in control at the state government dictating the pace and policy at the grassroots.

Chief Dan Orbih is the Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, he spoke on the recently conducted local government election in the state and why the party will not accept its outcome.

HON. Peter Akpatason, representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives is a former trustee of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and as well as former President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Workers, NUPENG. In this interview he responds to emerging issues on the just concluded local government elections in Edo State. Excerpts:

A proposal to extend the tenure of elected local government chairmen in Lagos State from three years to four years opens the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN to allegations of tenure gerrymandering.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole conducted his first local government council elections in Edo State penultimate Saturday. Elections into the 18 local government councils of the state had not held since he was sworn-in in 2008, due to legal issues the state government had with former members of the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (EDSIEC).