News

Understanding Benjamin Kalu and the new burden on his shoulder

Published

3 months ago

February 15, 2024

By Ben Benson-Okoli

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1786-1821, was a French Emperor and General whose brilliant victories over Australians and Russians singled him out and made him practically the master of Europe. Addressing his soldiers in 1796 while entering Italy, he said: “It is my design to lead you into the most fertile plains of the world………you will find honor, glory and wealth.”

This sounds familiar today. In his new approach, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the deputy Speaker and the highest ranking Igboman in Nigeria currently, seems to be telling his tribesmen the same thing.

Also, in his “Maxims of War”, which he published in 1838, Napoleon Bonaparte sees a true leader, as one that “always keeps the element of surprise up his sleeves, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless.” This too, seems familiar with the style the young Igbo political leader seems to have adopted. Focused, engaging and unpredictable, yet sustaining the interest of those the lot fell on him to lead, he has ostensibly found a sort of connect through his new styles tactics and strategies.

Back home, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ezeigbo Gburugburu was the indisputable leader of Ndigbo, a position many have continued to lay claims to today, even without anything significant on ground to back it up.

The truth is that if Ikemba of Nnewi were to be alive today and had an opportunity to anoint his successor, it is undoubtful, whom he would have passed the baton to. It would have been a man, whose methods, means and mode fits perfectly into foresight and tremendous acumen. No doubt, he would have gladly raised the hand of BOK.

In my piece last year on the same issue, entitled: Enter Benjamin Kalu, the new eye of Ndigbo in Nigeria’s national politics, published in June 11, 2023, two days before he emerged as the number six man in Nigeria, I had x-rayed the man Benjamin Kalu, and his trajectory, showcasing how every inch seemed to prepare him for the current task thrusted on his shoulders,

May be a little recap: “Nobody knows what influenced his parents to name him Benjamin. But going by the narrative about the original bearer of that name in the scriptures, it seems to be turning prophetic in the place of Benjamin Kalu, the new kid on the block in the trajectory of Ndigbo in the Nigeria political firmament.

“Recall the biblical, Jacob, the father of Benjamin loved Rachael, so much that he had to work for the father for years to marry her. But tragedy came when she died while at child birth, not before she named her son Benoni-child of sorrow. But instead of retaining what would have reminded him permanently of the trauma of losing the loved wife, Jacob had to change the name to Benjamin- child of my right hand, child of consolation rather than pain.”

The journey to remove his people from the anguish of the sorrow of the ravages of the civil war started since June 13, when the lot fell on this deep thinker and purveyor of fresh ideas, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to lead his people; a people badly bruised, wounded and broken by deliberate pummeling. He may have taken the road less traveled but he exudes the audacity of the Johnny Walker, the lanky fine gentlemen on the label of fine whisky, the man who knows where he is going.

Like a good choreographer, well tutored in Napoleon school, BOK has been hitting the right notes, building the right bridges and forging the right partnerships. He admits that his tribesmen are holding the short end of the stick but thinks that what is critical is providing the enabling environment that will re-birth the new Nigeria we all yearn.

His two pet projects, the PISE-P and SEDC are huge. They have the capacity to calm frayed nerves and engender massive economic growth yet to be seen. Peace in South East-Project (PISE-P), is a five-year initiative of the office of the Deputy Speaker, hinged on a non-kinetic method of solving the insecurity challenges in the SE and further reconciliation among the communities and individuals affected by past conflicts. It was unveiled late last year in the ancient city of Bende, in Abia.

BOK had this to say on its launch: “The journey towards peace is not a destination, it is an ongoing process, one that requires commitment and dedication.” Since then, the Bende Declaration, as it now called, has since taken off and on a sound note and the result is gradually showing with the South East becoming quieter unlike before it was a major theatre of war.

SEDC, the South East Development Commission, is another game changer. The speed at which it got the blessings of the House of Representatives, 54years after similar effort had failed, is descriptive of the enormous hardwork of the man who presented the bill. When established, it will not only become the first genuine effort to give Gowon’s triple Rs a meaning but will turn the South East into a massive construction site and a huge rehabilitation center with funds allocated to it from the federation account to address the consequences of the civil war, that is yet to be recovered from.

Given that there are still some naysayers – elements who seek to benefit from the hitherto restiveness in the land, like the avaricious and dignity-stripped onye Nze, and therefore do not want things to change.

They are the ones selling some of the illogical negative arguments all tailored to keep the zone boiling. They are the ones stoking the embers of the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as the condition precedent for peace, without presenting a pragmatic and workable approach to achieve that end.

Yet, the release of MNK is one of the projects closest to the heart of BOK, as those close to him would readily confirm – a project he is consistently, but quietly undertaking without the threats and noise that had over the years made it impossible for the goal to be achieved. Just like Napoleon, the strategy remains embedded inside his chest.

If anyone had been in doubt about his leadership qualities, the setting up of the PISE-P, remains a demonstrable example. The foresight and precision as reflected in the selection of the personnel for the project, showcases not only his vision but the ability at head-hunting to achieve the goal.

No doubt this quality would come handy eventually in creating the political leadership that has eluded the South East in recent past, which is basically the ability to forging the right partnerships and winning the right friendships needed to take the people to the next level.

Even the naysayers and perennial critics, must now be convinced as to the reason BOK has never lost a battle. His uncanny ability to override all forms of distractions, no matter how strong and audacious remains the fundamental reason for trusting him to deliver at this critical time in the life of his people and in Nigeria as a major political force.

Those who know, have identified him as an eloquent speaker, an astute negotiator, a conscientious agitator, awakened mind and transformational leader, who carries with him the message of peace and understanding of the direction he wants to go and where to take his people. Definitely, just like, “the son of our right hand,” BOK will turn out well. That you can take to the bank!

Ben Benson-Okoli Esq., a journalist and lawyer, writes from Abuja

News

Otti, squeezing Abia pensioners – PDP *Tricked retirees to forfeit arrears

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Whirlwindnews

For the umpteenth time, Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, has come under immense attacks from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, this time over his alleged underhand dealings with retirees over their arrears of pensions.

Apart from pointedly lying over the issue, the main opposition party in the state, which lost power last year after 24 years, also accused the governor of squeezing the airpipes of the retirees to submit to an unholy deal in which they would forfeit part of their arrears as a condition for getting part of their pensions.

The party, in calling out the governor, dared him to come out clean on the issue, in a statement on Sunday, by Abraham Amah, PDP Vice Chairman and Acting State Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, who stressed that the claim by Otti to have cleared all the arrears due the retired workers, was false.

Against the back and forth claims in which the governor’s revelation that he had cleared 10 years arrears of pension in the state, is being disputed by the leadership of the pensioners, the PDP accused Otti of making unproductive efforts, seeking cheap popularity by peddling lies to confuse and deceive “the good but unsuspecting people of Abia State about the pension situation in the state.”

Regretting that the issue of the said pensioners had been trending for the wrong reasons, given the governor’s claim that he had cleared their outstanding nine years or ten years pension arrears, the party, pointed out manifest discrepancies the narrative from the government house.

“To show further proof that the claim is false and embellished with visible lies, there are discrepancies in the claim because, Alex Otti, his operatives and the pensioners do not agree on the accurate number of months cleared. While his Commissioner for Finance said nine years, Alex Otti in the United States, said ten years and pensioners insist that only a certain percentage of the nine months arrears owed them since the inception of the Otti administration were cleared. At this point, we will leave the judgment to discerning Abians,” the statement, said.

It cited a recent statement by the enlarged Executive Council-in-session of the Abia chapter of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), dissociating itself from any agreement entered between the government and pensioners which purportedly stipulating that retirees would forgo all outstanding arrears as a condition for the regular payment of their monthly pension, the PDP decried Otti’s description of the NUP’s position that the said section of the agreement was a mistake and should be expunged as a huge joke.

Accusing the governor of taking advantage of the desperation of the pensioners to insert that obnoxious clause in that agreement, adding that such an action is the height of infidelity, especially as he had promised several times, during the campaigns and after the elections that he would clear any pension arrears he met in office, the party, insisted such ill-treatment must not be allowed.

The statement added: “While Abians are distraught and in shock that Governor Alex Otti could arm-twist and deceive desperate pensioners and trick them into signing an agreement that makes them forfeit their outstanding pensions, the Abia PDP is not, because it is typical of Alex Otti but we don’t want to get used to it as many Abians have already.

“And that is why we have a sacred duty to hold him to account for his deeds in office. Everything Alex Otti has touched since he became Abia governor has ended in unnecessary controversy and always proven him as one who is always economical with the truth.

“Otti ab initio was never ready to pay pension, otherwise he would not have pressured and tricked the leadership of NUP into signing an agreement to forgo its outstanding arrears. Did the agreement entered into with the leadership of the NUP expressly say that the government would claim to have paid in full pension arrears that were forfeited because Alex Otti at every given opportunity claimed that he has cleared all outstanding pension arrears in Abia?

“The records are clear that in the eight years of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, which amounts to 96 months, he paid 51 months pension and had an outstanding of 45 months which the NUP has acknowledged several times.

“Abia PDP wonders how 45 months suddenly turned to 9 or 10 years which Alex Otti consistently referenced during his toxic campaigns as an opposition figure. Unfortunately, he has carried on with his lies to the government and does not understand the boundaries between being in opposition and the government.

“Arising from the above, Abia PDP demands an explanation and wants to know where the balance 111 or 99 months are, as Alex Ott claims to have cleared 9 or 10 years arrears and will soon be reflected in Abia State quarterly expenditure records and used to fleece Abians.”

The party, while praising what it termed the courage and maturity of the NUP in handling the matter and encouraged it to take the dispute to arbitration for a quick resolution, stressed that it was inappropriate to ask one to forgo one’s arrears as a basis for receiving future entitlements.

“Governor Alex Otti should henceforth desist from saying that he has cleared all outstanding pension arrears because such a claim is not the true position. We urge him to stop using pensioners to promote his self-serving,” the party, added.

News

Reps flag down Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project *Project didn’t pass integrity test

Published

4 days ago

May 9, 2024

Whirlwindnews

Members of the House of Representatives are going through the award of the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway contract, on the suspicion that it did not pass the integrity test in terms of the process, one of the grounds on which the main opposition figures in the country, including Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi, his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, have attacked it.

The members of the lower legislative chambe during plenary on Thursday, adopted the motion sponsored by Austin Achado, a lawmaker representing Gwer east/Gwer west federal constituency of Benue, which also included the summoning of David Umahi, Minister of Works, Wale Edun, his Finance counterpart and Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), to furnish them with “all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments,” for the project.

The federal government recently commenced the construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar coastal road — which is expected to run through the shoreline of beach resorts in Lagos, while traversing eight other states, a project which has run into murky waters of criticisms from many quarters.

The naysayers had questioned not only the transparency of the contract award process, but the viability, as well as the priority of the project at a time major highways in Nigeria are not only in states of eyesore, but have become death-traps, while providing leeway for criminals to operate.

Achado, who said the “award strategy” of the road contract violated the Public Procurement Act 2007, told his colleagues: “This laudable project with the prospect of providing easy access for movement of goods and services across the nation, has a financing structure, as announced by the honourable minister of works, which requires the federal government to provide 15 percent to 30 percent co-financing, while the private sector counterpart will provide the balance.

“And to toll the road when completed for a minimum period of 15 years to ensure full recovery of all debts and equity applied for the delivery of the project. There are concerns that the Procurement Strategy may have violated the Public Procurement Act 2007, section 40(2) which requires that where a procuring authority adopts to use restrictive tendering approach, it should be on the basis that the said goods and services are available only from a limited number of suppliers and contractors and as such, tenders shall be invited from all such contractors who can provide such goods and services.

“The procurement strategy adopted by the federal ministry of works for the award of the contract violates the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act 2005. Section 4 of the Act outlines that all approved infrastructure projects and contracts for financing, construction and maintenance must be advertised for open competitive public bid, in at least three national dailies, and section 5 of the Act further clarifies that any direct negotiations with only one contractor could be allowed, only after exhausting the provisions of section 4.”

Unyime Idem, Chairman, Committee on Public Procurement, said parliament who said that the members had received several petitions demanding the investigation of the procurement process of the project, hence the need to heed to the cries of Nigerians to scrutinise the process.

After the motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, the lawmakers mandated the committees on public procurement and works to investigate the matter, and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

News

CJN to earn N5million, S’Court judges, N4million monthly in new pay package

Published

4 days ago

May 9, 2024

Whirlwindnews

The Chief Justice of Nigeria will earn a total wage of N64.68million every year, broken into N5.3million monthly if the proposal currently at the final stage of passage at the Senate eventually sails through, is eventually signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, since the House of Representatives has already passed it.

It is contained in the bill seeking to increase the salaries of judicial officers in Nigeria, which will also see Supreme Court judges earning N50.52million yearly or N4.21million every month, President of the Court of Appeal earning N4.8million monthly or N57.60million yearly, while justices of the second tier court would go home with N44.76million yearly or N3.73million monthly.

Entitled: “A bill for an act to prescribe the salaries, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in Nigeria and for related matters (2024),” the proposal is sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Ashiru Yisa (APC-Kwara South).

The House of Representatives had on March 20 passed the bill originating as an executive bill from Tinubu, who had pledged to up the pay package of judicial officers across the country, under which arrangement the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Grand Khadi, FCT Sharia Court of Appeal, President of Customary Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of State High Court and Grand Khadi of State Sharia Court of Appeal and President of State Customary Court of Appeal are to earn a monthly package of N3.53 million.

Other allowances not embedded in the total monthly package include leave allowances, estacode per night of $2000 when applicable, duty tour allowances when applicable, severance gratuity of N80.78 million after successful completion of tenure as well as an option of motor vehicle loan to be repaid before the expiration of tenure.

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had in a letter read by Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on March 20 proposed a salary increase for judicial officers in the country.

The President in the letter argued that the bill would promote the independence and capacity of the Nigerian judiciary system.

Senator Yisa in his lead debate said remuneration was needed to reflect the contemporary socio-economic realities of the times.

He argued that the proposed legal framework would bring about significant improvement in the welfare, capacity, and independence of the judiciary, which have remained contentious issues of public discourse over the years.

In his contribution, the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, thanked President Tinubu for proposing a Bill to increase the salaries and allowance for Judicial Officers in the country.

Barau said: “I joined the President of the Senate to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for bringing forward this Bill. This is very important and he has done well, not only for the judiciary but for the entire nation.

“Mr. President, by the nature of the judicial officers, they don’t agitate. They cry in silence, and they don’t speak out. Other workers agitate, and they stage protests. But the judiciary doesn’t talk; they cry in silence.

“Now, the president of the country has spoken for them. What he did is something laudable and we are applauding him here. Because a country that didn’t take its judiciary in a very important passion is doomed.

“And when you want to take the judiciary seriously, you have to take the remuneration of the judiciary staff seriously. That is very important, and that is what he has done. They have stagnated for several years.

“What the president has done should be supported and we will give him more support to continue to work on this kind of trajectory for the development of the nation. So, Mr. President, I joined you and other colleagues to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC – Borno North) Monguno, said improving the welfare of judges will insulate them from corruption and ensure they deliver just and fair judgments.

On his part, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia North), said: “No right-thinking Nigerian will not think that it is right to keep the judiciary comfortable. I want to thank the executive for deeming it fit to increase the salaries of judges at all levels.”

Senators later approved that the bill be read for a second time when it was put to voice vote by Akpabio.

Akpabio thereafter referred the Bill to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for further legislative input and to report back in four weeks.