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Obasanjo, Lagos LGC Funds and Contempt For The Laws Of The Land By Muhammad Ali Dundayes
I have always admired some of the write-ups in the Nigerian media for their incisive, educative, and sometimes, entertaining values. However I can not restrain myself from expressing utter disappointment at the increasing dearth of investigative journalism among most of the Nigerian media practitioners. There is preponderant tendency to accept assertions for ‘authorities’ without question or any attempt at investigation. Which is very lazy and unhelpful to the the profession of journalism and our nascent democracy and progress.
I'm particularly riled and incensed at the tendency of all the media to regurgitate President Obasanjo (OBJ)'s claim that other states that created new Local Government Councils (LGCs) had reverted, except Lagos State, and that was why he is holding unto Lagos funds; since it's the only one that refused! Even the Raypower anchorman of the station’s talk show-‘People’s Parliament’ vehemently dismissed a contributor’s attempt to educate him on the matter during its Monday (6th June, 2005) edition. I tried to add my voice but could not reach them.
I just wonder from where the media got this unquestioning confidence in our leadership, who wear the ignoble badge of dishonesty as their second skin. Recall the aborted Electoral Act fiasco, championed by OBJ himself and repeated efforts to undermine the legislative and judiciary arms of the tripod. His disdain for the fine points of the rule of law and other etiquettes that are the hallmark of this democratic form of government is now legendary.
With due respect, I think the President has either been mislead or is truly taking the issue personal and playing politics with it. At the risk of sounding 'unpatriotic’, I hereby affirm that Niger state, in particular, has not abrogated its new LGCs! They are still operating as such and there are no plans in the pipe line to abrogate them. No such law has been passed nor is it in the in works at the state legislature (one of the worst caricatures of the revered institution. A mere rubber-stamp!). While I’m aware that states like Kaduna have converted theirs to ‘Development Areas’, that word is strange to the political lexicon of Nigerlites. Rumours have circulated and expired, on the purported moves to abolish the new LGCs, but that’s just what they have remained; rumours!
As late as last week, I spoke with a Niger State legislator and a LGC Chairman to confirm the information and he wasn't aware of any such move, despite rumours to the contrary. For further evidence, I suggest that interested party or the serious media organs should direct their Minna correspondents to get them a copy of any such legislation, if it exists. I repeat that there is none, whatsoever! We had 25 LGCs in Niger State and, with the creation of 17 additional Councils during the now controversial exercise (Niger State was one of the very first states to embark on the excercise, the referendum for which was widely televised), we now have 42 LGCs and that’s the number sharing the federal allocation, despite OBJ's grandstanding.
And in the Daily Trust of 6th June or so, it was reported that the Yobe State Legislature was at logger heads with the Governor over the same issue. Theirs had to do with the sharing of Federal allocations to the ‘new’ LGCs, which they had, hitherto, endorsed but have now done an about turn. The Governor refused to assent to the law, and they threatened to override the veto. Any interested person should find time to read it up.
In fact, a follow up report in the Friday, 17th June edition of the Dialy trust reported the recapitulation of the Governor on the issue. He assented to the law, thereby abrogating the ‘current’ 43 LGCs in the state. By this action, the state has dissolve the 23 new LGCs and thus reverted to the old 17 local governments structure. Note that the signing actually happened only last week, yet the President has been singing the same old song, that ‘other states reverted to the status qou ante’, since last year when he withheld their allocations in the first instance.
Yet, as if to add to the absurdity of the anti-people inclination of the PDP in Lagos State, as elsewhere (what with the continued destruction of properties and mass sacking of civil servants in the FCT), the State Chairman of the (SPN) Party (Chief Razak) was still repeating the irritating mantra in an NTA programme as late as Sunday, 19th June (12.00pm news broadcast). He even went further to assert that other states not only abrogated their new LGCs, in obedience to the dictates of his ‘imperial President, OBJ, but had conducted fresh elections into the old LGCs! This was either pure mischief, deliberate distortion of facts or downright display of ignorance on the part of the top echelon of the party.
From the fore goings, conscientious Nigerians are left to decide if, indeed, our self appointed ‘guardian angel’ of the Nigerian Constitution has any locus to flagrantly disobey the Supreme Court of the land. The ruling was simple and clear: the FGN has no right to withhold allocations to of LGc funds! Worse still, the funds were withheld in such a blatantly discriminatory manner! And yet, OBJ had the audacity to publicly slam the Swiss authorities for giving him a ‘dose’ of his own medicine. Couldn’t he read the poetic justice in that happenstance?
It is now apparent that Nigeria is in the vice like grip of a 'civilianized' dictator, who has nothing but contempt for all the fine ideals that propel democracy as the best form of government in contemporary times. What with final emasculation of the PDP during its last NEC meeting.
I therefore call on all patriotic Nigerians to join hands to call OBJ to order. Before he derails the system, irretrievably.
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