By Lateef Adegbite
The war of words between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, described as a serial loser by Nyensome Wike, a former governor of Rivers state and now minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, under President Bola Ahmed President Tinubu’s Administration may be reenacted between two other political gladiators.
This time around, war of words may be between Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his arch political enemy, Tinubu, who incidentally was an ex- governor of Lagos state when he was the President and Commander –In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Ogun state born politician and elder statesman was said to used his political powers to stop the release of Funds belonging to Local government Areas, in the south west state forcing the political tactician and his team to do a rethink on how to increase the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the state through taxes to run the affairs government without going cap in hand o then President Obasanjo to beg begging. That much was even confirmed by the former Lagos sate governor. My government had received zero allocation from the Federal Government under Obasanjo’s Administration.
This may have informed why the former Nigerian President may not have seen anything good on Tinubu, as the President of Nigeria, as he was said to have expressed his disappointment at the evident ‘’lack of advancement’’ of the most populous West African country. He was said to have cited ‘’the deficiency in quality and forward –thinking Leadership of the country, noting that the Leadership of the country is hindering the nation’s growth and development drive.
Describing ‘’ Nigeria as being a cycle of moving one step forward and two steps backward’’, with progress continually out of reach over the last couple of years, Obasanjo, who is now a Commercial Farmer had said that despite the economic policies that had been initiated by the Tinubu’s Led All Progressive Congress, APC, Government, ostensibly aimed at driving the country towards greatness ‘’nothing appears to be working’’.
He had attributed the lack of progress in the country to the failure of the ruling APC, to effectively implement its policy initiatives, particular, the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular,petrol and the unification of the both the official and parallel, popular, Black mark foreign exchange rates.
The Octogenarian may have lambasted President Tinubu and his Economic Management Team, and immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, when he stated that ‘’it is not enough for Leaders to make policy statements, insisting that implementation had been the major problem of the Leaders. He was said to have sounded it loud and clear to the present Tinubu that ‘’Nigeria has become a burial ground for policies not implemented or unexecuted’’.
Even Bello Turji, a notorious Bandits’ Group Leader, who has been terrorizing the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna , Katsina and Niger, home state of Ibrahim Babangida, an Army General rtd, and former Nigerian military President, may have known that all is not well with Nigeria that he has lent his voice to urge the Nigerian President ‘’to cut down the prices of petrol, and food items in the Nigerian markets.
The notorious bandit who has been declared anted by the Defense Headquarters DHQ, under the Leadership of Gen. Christopher Musa, had said in a viral video making the rounds that he has received several complaints from the masses in the flashpoint states on the prevailing economic hardship in the country due to high cost of living. He was said to have further said that the situation in the north has become more challenging, because of the costs implications.
Given the tension in the country over the prevailing economic situation may have informed why DHQ, has rubbished ‘’ calls for military coup to take power from President Tinubu’’. Tukur Gusau, an Army Major General and Director of Defense Information , who had said that Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff is on Leave and would resume immediately after his annual Leave had said that those advocating for a military takeover, should be aware that such actions are unreasonable under the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The Army Major General had said that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN, comprising of the Army, Navy and Nigerian Air Force, NAF, is steadfastly committed to the preservation and advancement of the country’s nascent democracy and loyal to President Tinubu’s Administration.
He was emphatic that the military remains focused on achieving its statutory responsibilities of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity. The DHQ, Director of Information, who may have spoken the mind of Gen. Musa, Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, when he stated that the relative peace currently being enjoyed in the country at present is a direct result of the Nigerian President’s support for the military and dedication of the AFN, Leadership.
Already, the military Authorities had mandated other security agencies operatives to take necessary action against any individual or group advocating for unconstitutional change of government in Nigeria.
Contrary to reports making the rounds that Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, was critically sick, he was said to have spoken to President Tinubu on his heath status, showing that that he is alive, which was said to be a source of joy to the Nigerian Leader.
Onyema Nachukwu, an Army Major General and Director of Army Public Relations was said to have told those that cares to listen that the Army Chief is recuperating and in high spirits. Giving an insider information, the Army spokesperson had said that the Army Chief had travelled abroad for medical checkups.There are indications that Major Gen. Kevin Aligbe, Commander Training and Doctrine Command, has been authorized by the DHQ, to take up the Army Leadership in the interim until he returns to the country.
Meanwhile, the new acting Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, was said to have ordered the immediate arrest of one Jackson Ude, a former Director of Communications under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration and master –mind of the negative news that Lt. Gen. Lagbaa, had passed away to throw the country into confusion.
While the DHQ and the Army are working round to douse the tension that was said to have been created by Ude, in the Nigerian military, the Federal government has moved swiftly to appease the Organised Labour over the hardship in the country.
The Nigerian President may have read the handwriting on the wall of the restiveness of workers over the growing public unease over inflation and the escalating high costs of living that he had mandated George Akume, a former governor of Benue state and Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, to lead a government team to hold meeting with the Organised Labour in his office to address the problem of the soaring prices of food items and increase in transport fares across the country.
The Leadership of the House of Representatives was said to have taken advantage of the meeting with Organised Labour in the office of the SGF, to call on the Nigerian President ‘’to reverse the recent increase in the pump price of petrol across the country.
As a prelude to reducing transport fares and soaring prices of essential goods across the country, the parties were said to have agreed on the methods that was said to have been put in place by the Federal government to do so with the release of 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas , CNG, Conversion kits and 45 CNG buses to Labour .
Coming on the heels of the meeting the FG and Organised Labour at the Federal level is another top level meeting between the state governors and the Labour Leaders to ensure that the new National minimum Wage of N70, 000.00 is fully implemented across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.
Perhaps to win the heart of the Organised Leaders and the workers the FG, was said to have agreed to pay all the outstanding wage awards and arrears to the aggrieved Nigerian workers and to inaugurate boards with Labour Representatives.
The government was said to have also pledged to hasten the completion of the country’s existing refineries in PortHarcourt, Kaduna and Warri, Delta state, operated and maintained by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation now baptized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, by the National Assembly and signed into Law by the Katsina state born former Nigerian President in August, 2021.
Apologizing to the NLC , and TUC, Negotiating team at the meeting, Akume , who was said to have chaired the meeting with Organised Labour in his office had admitted ”to the government shortcomings in ignoring past agreements and promised to improve by moving forward’’. Vintage NLC and TUC Leadership.
