YAR'ADUA Canada C$2.00 • Ghana ... C2,000 • Saudi Arabia ... SR10.00 • Germany .. DM3.50 • CFA Zone 1,500 • USA $3.50 • Italy ... L2,000 Sierra Leone ... Ie300 • Zimbabwe ... $130 • France ... 13F • Kenya Sh20 • UK ... £2.00 • The Gambia ... D4 • Liberia ... L$2.00 THE COOL, SMOOTH CHOICE.

I V r

THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH WARNS THAT TOBACCO SMOKING IS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH Outline

DECEMBER 22, 1997 ’S WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZINE VOL. 26 NO. 25

Business + Economy: 33 Cover: 8 Organised private sector suggests ways to stimulate Death of an Icon economic growth, elimi­ nate poverty in Nigeria. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, a Production grinds to a halt retired major-general and at Flour Mills former Number Two Limited/ citizen, dies in prison. What killed him? Sports: 36 Group D features expe­ rienced World Cup teams but Nigeria is yet to Special Report: 22 prepare for France '98.

The Landslide 4. Letters With 30 states in the kitty, UNCP becomes the dominant party but how 7. Editorial Suite did it secure its victory? 32. Global Notes Nigeria: 29 37. Momah A Recurring Decimal 38. In The News The people of Rukpokwu, an oil-bearing community in , recount their Cover Photo: economic losses caused by a serious oil spill from a Shell pipeline Matthew Faji

Newswatch (ISSN 0189-8892) is published weekly by Newswatch Communications Limited, No. 3 Billings Way (off Secretariat Road), Oregun Industrial Estate, Oregun, P.M.B. 21499, Ikeja, , Nigeria. Telephone: 4960950. Fax: 962887. Telex: 27874 NEWCOM NG. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part without permission, is forbidden. Printed in Nigeria by Academy Press Pic, Uupeju. LETTERS

■ Four Years of Same in your editorial, Fr. Kukah inexcusably something along that line). spared his own constituency. I believe Uchennaa Osigwe, My verdict of the four -year rule of the Christians in Nigeria, especially Nnewi, . Abacha so far, (Cover, November 24) is the Catholic Church, could do that there is no improvement in the something more decisive to liberate us It is our collective national calamity living conditions of poor Nigerians, from this chicanery which Fr. captures that 37 years after independence, due to the continuous decline of the so well in his essay. For four years now, leadership is still perceived as an act of purchasing power of the Naira. An Catholic bishops have composed a conquest rather than of earning the average Nigerian worker could barely "prayer for Nigeria in distress" and support of Nigerians. If Abacha will survive on his or her meagre salary ordered Catholics to be saying it reach beyond the "unflinching which is yet to be reviewed. Our faithfully. They follow it up with very support" of those whose belly is their economy is still in the woods due to the provocative communiques which, god, or the meaningless democratic non implementation of Abacha's regrettably, remain largely unknown pretentions of the so-called opposition, policies of guided deregulation that to most Catholics across the country. he will find the real Nigeria waiting could have created jobs, improved This fact leaves one in serious doubt and willing to be led. I pray that Abacha incomes and reduced poverty. His will not, like his predecessors, be head opponents have been imprisoned, of state, but never know the joy of forced into exile or detained without leading the world's greatest nation. trial, while journalists who are critical Victor Burubo, of his regime are constantly harassed Port Harcourt. and are now being kidnapped in broad daylight while driving along the road Considering that you were out to give us in their vehicles. a summary of achievements and failures Ifcka Okonkwo, scored during Abacha's 4 years as our Awka. leader, it was a major omission that you failed to feature the excesses of the rich During his first three years in office, the and the buying ability of the poor which general was very vibrant. He carried remained pitiable; or the quiet but out major reforms which culminated palpable discontent in the land arising in placing the economy on a sound particularly from these two extreme positions. I believe that the problems pedestal. But whatever modest Tear that faced us seriously during the past 4 achievement recorded during that years could, if boldly highlighted, be period was sacrificed on the altar of his Verdict as to what the real aim of the bishops is. tickled more actively by Abacha during vaulting ambition to succeed himself the last year of his rule as a soldier. as a civilian president come October Maybe it is really in prayer that the solution to our problems lies. In that Maxwell Akpan, 1998. The "Abacha-for-President" Uyo. campaign is so strident, and is vein, may I suggest that the venue for those prayers be shifted from the church increasing in tempo everyday that it ■ Grand Prayers appears to be the only obsession for the buildings to the streets. It is working in government at the moment. There is a the Philippines! Most recently, such prayers led their incumbent president The fact is that the transition programme general lull in government activities - that is always touted to be on the right the economy is: n dire straits, while the to renounce his ambition of prolonging his reign by standing for another term. course has now become the political political front is witnessing an inactivity scarecrow to potential candidates. When Ken Saro-Wiwa (our patron unprecedented during a transition Uche Sylva A. Ebere, saint, according to Fr. Kukah) and eight process in the history of this country. Ozverri. Ukonu Kalu Agbai, of his compatriots were wasted via the Aba, . hangman's noose, Archbishop Jakande should be able to accept the Desmond Tutu and his followers presidential zoning system for, while the Bravo to Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan prayed on the streets of Johannesburg system is trying to introduce regulation Kukah for his comprehensive analysis and . The Pope did same in the and fairness in the choice of our nation's of the lunacy that had gone on these Vatican. Shamefully, not much was presidents, it is (I believe) not designed to past four years in the name of seen to be done by the Nigerian clergy. kill free education, free health service, governance here. The analysis (verdict) It is such prayers that we need now. Fr. etc. is brilliant and daring. Kukah could pioneer such Maxwell Akpan, However, contrary to what you said interdenominational prayers (or Uyo.

Typed reactions to the contents of Newswatch, should be addressed to Newswatch Letters, 3 Billings Way (Off Secretariat K ad), Oregun Industrial Estate, P.M.B. 21499, Ikeja, Nigeria. All letters must bear the correct names, addresses and signatures of the writers. Newswatch reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and brevity.

4 Newswatch, December 22,1997 U

ADVERTORIAL NPA: SERVING THE NATION IN MANY WAYS

By Mande Samaila

HE DEVELOPMENT OF SEAPORTS IN NIGERIA STARTED Processing Zone (EPZ) in Calabar, in mid 19th century during the era of the European explorers NPA has almost completed the and traders. Although the activities of the explorers and dredging of the Calabar Channels traders were initially limited to the opening of ports at from the farewell Bonny to the new Apapa and Port Harcourt, this led eventually to the establishment of the Calabar Port. The dredging which is Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 1954. The company commenced being handled by the China operation on April 1, 1955. Harbours Engineering Limited at With the privatisation and commercialisation drive of the Federal the cost of 3.8 billion Naira, is meant Government in the mid 80's, NPA was fully commercialised on the to deepen the 87-kilometre long Engr. Wall Ahmed: MD, NPA recommendation of the then Technical Committee on Privatisation and Calabar Channels from its present Commercialisation (TCPC), now Bureau of Public Enterprise. The depth of 6.9 metres to 8 metres. authority was subsequently incorporated as a public limited liability The relevance of the channelisation project, therefore, cannot be company under the name - The Nigerian Ports Pic. overemphasised, in view of the government's commitment to boost However, considering that the company is still government owned, export activities. it recently reverted to its former name - The Nigerian Ports Authority Similarly, the completion of the project would enable the Calabar (NPA). This reversion, it should be noted, is in no way in conflict with Port to play its complementary role to EPZ and also enhance activities the commercialisation efforts of the organisation and the commitment in the port which are presently below par. to improve its services. For now, traffic to the Calabar Port is 'very low, due to the shallowness The statutory duties and major functions of NPA include amongst of its channels. As a result of this, most importers within its catchment others - the provision and operation of cargo handling and quays areas prefer patronising other ports, despite the presence of modern facilities, pilotage and towage, supply of water and fuel to vessels at cargo handling facilities in the port. anchorage or mooring buoys, repairs and maintenance of vessels, dredging and contract dredging of waterways, navigational lighting Diversification of the ports and other ancilliary services. In 1988, the then TCPC, following submissions by the Management, Presently, NPA is managing nine major ports located in various recommended to the Federal Government the need to establish parts of the country. These include the Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port, subsidiary companies to handle certain specialised services within the Roro Port and Container Terminal all in Lagos. Others are Port Harcourt NPA system. Port in Port Harcourt, Delta Ports in Warri, Calabar Port in Calabar, the Such specialised services include dredging, hydgrography and Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT) and the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), construction, repair, manufacturing and maintenance of vessels, estate both at Onne, as well as many jetties nationwide. development and numerous other functions being handled by some departments within the organisation. Expansion In its efforts to diversify its activities, therefore, NPA has recently The FOT in Onne is the newest of the ports under NPA. The terminal established two subsidiary companies, namely: Continental Shipyard whose work started in 1980, was designed to be the most modem port not Limited and Seaview Properties Limited, to handle certain specialised only in the sub-region but also in Africa. The project was conceived in services within the authority's system. 1974 to accommodate deep ocean-going vessels that cannot berth in other The Continental Shipyard Limited, which is a joint venture existing conventional ports in the country. partnership arrangement between NPA and the Dockyard Engineering Designed to serve as a transhipment port for the sub-regional and Services Limited - a limited liability company with headquarters in Central African countries bound vessels, FOT is occupying a virgin Switzerland, is one of the best ship-building, repairing and maintenance swampy area of 260 hectares, covering 1,590 metres quay length, with six companies in Nigeria. berths, four transit sheds, three warehouse, large stacking area for One of the facilities of the company is the ultra-modern 6,000 tons general cargo and 200,000 square metres for containers as well as bulk floating dock, measuring 122.0 metres long and 28.0 metres wide, 420 cargo. tons slipways with transfer capability for two vessels and maximum The terminal could, on full completion, accommodate vessels of length of 33.0 metres as well as various backup workshops for the 60,(XXI metric tonnes (mt) for the general cargo berth, 35,(XX) mt for the manufacture and fabrication of spare parts and repair services. Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) berth and 45,000 mt for the bulk cargo. The Seaview Properties Limited on the other hand, as a wholly Preliminary operations have since commenced at the berth one of the owned NPA company, engages in the development and re-development terminal. Already some deep ocean-going vessels have started patronising of properties, estate agency, brokage and other related services in the the port. property market. As part of plans to boost activities in the port, the Federal Government on March 8, 1997 declared the port a free port. This is Corporate Strength meant to encourage private participation, especially from the oil and With computerised facilities at our ports, modern container/bulk gas sector. The declaration of the port as an oil and gas free port stems cargo terminal, fully equipped RORO and docking facilities, modern from the realisation that the major oil and gas producing companies cargo handling plants and equipment and 35 million tonnes installed in the country have indicated their interest to use Nigeria as a regional annual capacity, NPA offers port facilities and services of international centre for their operations in the West and Central African sub-region. standard and remain the gateway to the nation's economy. No doubt, NPA since its inception, has continued to serve the Calabar Channel Project nation in many ways. The company, with every sense of modesty has also continued to show its relevance to the socio-economic development In furtherance to its support for the success of the premier Export of Nigeria and the African region.® ( Newsmtch overseas subscription^

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Nigerian Magazines Limited. P.O. Box 43, Feltham, Middlesex TW13,4 SU, UK Tel. 0181 - 867, 0799; 0956-965819 E-mail: RaydaSoyak @ aol. Com. '• : : v : ^ ; : : : : - -J PT1 UESDAY MORNING. TUNDE E the world. Was this a product of this Asaju of our bureau | | ^/|| 1 lllw productive mill? The ticking of the mind was frantic. He kept diall- clock went hope so, hope not, hope so, hope not. Jl ing my office and home [3 *^ I a | The phone intruded. Wale Aina, Abuja numbers. He had the bright luck of the mi ji 1 U 1IV bureau chief. The heart jumped into the unsuccessful. The dreadful progress we have mouth. The N-word (no) or the Y-word (yes)? Breath held in. It dropped. The Y-word. The intruding on his effort. A recorded, sweet general was dead. His body was arriving his female voice kept telling him that all national home town, Katsina, at about that time he trunks were busy. She/it advised him to try later. But he did not was talking to me -eleven in the morning. Abuja was emptying itself have later to try. It had to be now. of the important people, all heading for Katsina. The mind went What was bugging him? He stumbled on an information which numb; the flesh was decorated with goose pimples the size of frightened him Someone told him he heard that Shehu Musa peanuts; the eyes took on the colour of ripe pepper. Another day, Yar'Adua, a retired major-general and the number two man in the another grievous, needless national loss. The late morning sun, Obasanjo administration, was dead. The general was serving a bright a few seconds ago, took on the blackness of a creeping twenty-five-year jail term for his alleged part in the alleged coup darkness. Allahu Akbar. plot against the Abacha administration in early 1995. Asaju did not It was like yesterday but it was not. It was four years ago. May 18, quite know what to make of the information. He could not keep it to 1993. Yar'Adua, kingpin of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, was himself. He could not share it over the phone. Ever seen a reporter here. For five hours, Newswatch* editors grilled him on everything - tom between giving information and hoarding it? Never pray to see fromhis political ambition to hishopes for the country. Yes, hewanted one. Not a pretty sight, I tell you. to rule the country. He had given considerable thought to building Finally, Asaju got through to the office and dropped what he political bridges across the nation. He achieved it as a presidential knew would be a bombshell. He under-estimated the weight of the aspirant of the SDP. He became the first non-Yoruba to penetrate and bombshell and its devastating effect on his colleagues back in win the politically monolithic region. He was disqualified but he never headquarters. Everyone became f rein tic. Reporters live on stories lost hope in a strong, united and democratic Nigeria. His struggle for it and pride themselves on a certaindegreeof professional detachment led him into detention V . - much like doctors with cadavers. But some stories, like some dead several times and finally — bodies, e.g. Princess Diana's, are so big that they breach the ramparts into prison from which of professional detachment. This was one of them. Rumours of he emerged last week. Editor-In-Chief death of important people are familiar fares in newsrooms all over Dead. Pity. Èfemmtefa The International Award-winning Magazine Founders: DELE GIWA (1947—1986), RAY EKPU, DAN AGBESE, YAKUBU MOHAMMED

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New swatch, December 22,1997 7 cover Death of

Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a retired major-general and former number two citizen, dies in prison. What killed him?

By Anietie Usen ... Çtjpto by Conrad Akwu v _ , ------

Yar'Adua: Man of pomp, power and pageantry but died uncared for IS LAST DAYS last week, bore a cruel mark of fate. He His death quickly eclipsed the news of were sad, painful died uncared for, in a remote prison yard the house of assembly elections in the and humiliating. at the guinea-worm infested town of national media. Except on the Nigerian They contrasted ra­ Abakiliki, . Television Authority, NT A, which did ther sharply with The news of the death of Nigeria's not even mention the calamity, but his days of pomp, one rime chief of staff (vice-president), preferred to announce the death of a power and pageantry. who was serving a 25-year prison term mother-in-law of a naval officer. ^The For Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, 54, retired for alleged complicity in a coup plot sent outpouring of grief for Yar'Adua was major-generalH and icon of Nigerian shock waves, anger and uncertainty spontaneous and profuse. political class, his final journey Tuesday across the political landscape of Nigeria. "When I heard this news I did not

8 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

what human rights and opposition groups ha rped on most of last week. They felt the death of Yar'Adua had proved them right. They seized the opportunity to point accusing fingers at government. Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in a statement signed by Ayo Obe, its president said "the Nigerian military Icon dictatorship has finally achieved what it set out to do on March 1995, when it a rrested Ya r' Adua. " The CLO demanded to know how many more (Nigerians) believe it. I don't believe that we have said angrily. held in prisons for political reasons and missed that young, sound, organised, Gani Fawehinmi, a leading Nigerian trumped-up charges... must die in chains tactful and good Nigerian... He was a lawyer said:, "We want a high powered before the government do the right thing. " firm believer in democracy, an astute inquiry to be conducted by the United The National Democratic Coalition, manager of crisis, full of useful thoughts Nations into the circumstance of NADECO, the leading opposition group . and calculation and always interested in Yar’Adua’s death". said they have been loud about human uniting people", Olusola Saraki, a The first reaction from a non-Nigerian rights abuses by the government with prominent Nigerian politician and a body came from the United States little support from politicians. "Now that kingpin of the Congress for National embassy. In a two-paragraph statement, Yar'Adua is dead, they will come to their Concensus, CNC, said. Wednesday, December 10, the embassy senses because we don't know what Kwairanga* Mohammed Joda, expressed profound sadness at the government will do with other detainees, millionaire businessman and UNCP untimely passing on of Yar'Adua. many of whom we know are sick and governorship aspirant in Describing him as an "exceptional public deserve urgent medical attention", was close to tears when he spoke with figure and an outstanding son of Nigeria," , veteran lawyer and Newswatch. "It is such a difficult issue for the statement called on the Nigerian acting leader of NADECO said. me to discuss... please" he said, his voice government to release detainees and Uba Sanni, coordinator of Campaign shaking. "This is the first national leader political prisoners as promised by the for Democracy CD, in northern Nigeria to die in this circumstance... I regret this head of state General in his told Newswatch that he had recently day "Tanko Yakassai, a famous Kano November 17 anniversary speech. formed a Free Musa Yar'Adua Committee politician said. , the former Perhaps if immediate action had been and that he was horrified by the news of secretary-general of. Social Democratic taken on the promised freedom, the his death. "The people of the north can Party, SDP, described Yar'Adua's death embarrassment of Yar'Adua's death in never forgive this administration for as "a great tragedy." prison could have been averted. This is allowing Yar'Adua to die in such a The same feelings were shared in other I parts of Nigeria. Lamidi Adedibu, the co­ ordinator of the Democratic Party, of Nigeria, DPN, in South-Western Nigeria, said Yar'Adua was a formidable Nigerian politician who never allowed tribalism to influence his judgment". Lateef Adegbite, secretary-general, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, said Yar'Adua's death was a "great blow and embarrassment to Nigeria and could have been averted. Many prominent Nigerians in their reactions called for a thorough investigation into the death. "Nobody will believe that government did not have anything to do with his death. It is important government explains the circumstance of his death" Yomi Ademofun, a presidential aspirant of the National Republican Convention, NRC, ..r ; a? ? in the 1993 elections said. Onalapo Soleye, former minister of finance spoke in the same vein. "People who were holding him would have to account for his health and death. They must tell us something about him", he Adedibu, Lamido: Yar'Adua was a formidable politician, his death, a tragedy

Newswatch, December 22,1997 9 ■ COVER

degrading way/' Sanni said. Ever so often the public surprises the establishment by a greatdisplay of public grief. This was the case in Katsina, the home town of the late politician, when his body arrived for burial Tuesday morning. The tragedy had been announced since 5 o'clock in the morning during prayers in all mosques in the city. When the body touched down in an Airforce plane at 9.45 am, it was difficult to suppress tears and public outrage. Men .r f cried openly like babies and the large crowd that lined the street chanted Allah Sai Sharia, meaning God will judge. At the Katsina Stadium where more than 20,000 people came to pay their last respect to their own prince, the mood was at once that of repressed anger and || frustration. The late general's younger brother Umar, often broke down. He and Yussuf, anotherbrother, recited the Koran Abacha: Jailed Yar'Adua and cursed loudly in Hausa. "He who

PROFILE The Bridge Builder

By Wale Akin Aina

lit HEHU MUSA YAR'ADUA, A RETIRED MAJOR- Military Council in General 's regime. general and former chief of staff, supreme When Muhammed was assassinated in an abortive coup headquarters arrived Newswatch in unbelievable February 13, 1976, Yar'Adua, then a lieutenant colonel was modesty: a beige kaftan, a pair of slippers and a promoted brigadier and made Chief of Staff, Supreme cap. Nothing seemed to give away the man who Headquarters the number two man to General Olusegun was once the number two in the nation's hierarchy. NothingObasanjo who succeeded Muhammed. When the military Sappeared to show him as the one who built and steered a handed over power to the second republic civilian formidable political machine that swept through two administration of October, 1979, Yar'Adua presidential primaries last August. There were no telling •--it! retired from the army and went into business; farming, signs that the man is considered the czar of the Social shipping, banking and newspaper publishing. Democratic Party, SDP, whose quiet authority can hardly be It was in the army that he developed his ideals and his discountenanced. Slim with delicate features and a spartan politics. Having done all his schooling in the north and i.

4 outlook, he could easily be lost in a crowd. served his entire military career in the south, he said he had

>; But opinions have been formed, regarding his person and the "distinct advantage" of realising that myths and prejudices his politics: A schemer, a silent manipulator, a billionaire with between northerners and southerners were imaginary, that vaulting ambition, quiet but overbearing. Foralmost five hours, they were encouraged "over the years for political gains." Musa Yar'Adua tore down pre-conceived notions and They were "created by the elites for one reasons or the other... remoulded them, brick by brick. people were lying about each other." Bom 50 years ago in Katsina , , Yar'Adua This set him to the task of breaking down ethnic barriers was educated at the Government Secondary School, Katsina. and building bridges across two un trusting regions. He then proceeded to the Nigerian Military Training College, III Has he succeeded? Perhaps. During the August Kaduna and thence to the Royal Military Academy, presidential primaries, Yar'Adua won overwhelmingly in Sandhurst, UK. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant Oyo, Oshun, and Lagos. He beat , a former in 1964. In July 1975 when the Gowon administration was governor of on his turf. This was by no means a overthrown, Yar'Adua became a member of the Supreme

10 Newswatch, December 22,1997 COVER kills with sword will himself be killed by that we don t believe that Yar Adua impressive. It was a gathering of who s the same sword when the time comes", committed the offence for which he has who in Nigeria: Ibrahim Coomassie, Yusuf cried apparently quoting the paid for with his life" an aggrieved man police inspector general; Tukur Mani, Koran. in the crowd shouted to the hearing of permanent secretary, Federal ministry of Bin ta, the widow, was in Kaduna, 300 some key Nigerian kilometres away, when she heard the leaders who news apparently on Radio Kaduna which descended on the received a faxed release by the Katsina serene northern city Emirate Council around 7 O'clock that on hearing the sad morning. She phoned to request that the news. As tension remains should not be buried until she mounted, Suleiman arrived. The ceremony was consequently Chamah, a colonel delayed. On arrival, she looked at once and military inside the moslem traditional coffin, administrator of Makara, and began to weep Katsina State, who uncontrollably. The crowd wept with her. had rushed back from Wrapped in a white linen, Yar'Adua Abuja, appealed to the was buried at 1.30 pm at the Dalmarina people of the state to cemetery, amidst wailings of people who remain calm. insisted he was framed up with charges Given the short of coup plot which led to his death. notice of the burial, the "Let everybody know today in the calibre of dignitaries presence of Nigerians leaders here present present was miracle. He insists he won through hard work by him and his supporters who shared his ideals. "We made history/7 he told the editors. Again, history was repeated at the Jos convention of the SDP last month, where with Yar'Adua's support, emerged the party's presidential candidate. "For the first time, we were able to go to the middle of the north.. .Abiola knows that he won with the full support of the west and the next support came from the north... During my primaries a bridge was built, during the Jos convention, the bridge was cemented," he enthused. Yar'Adua is a practical man. He believes Nigerians should exercise a lot of patience and understanding for the man who becomes president in the third republic. The structures laid down by the present administration, he argued, are weak, built on the faulty premise of the military trying to teach politicians how to play politics. He foresees a lot of problems for the country in the future due to this fundamental error in judgment and believes the intervention of the Almighty was necessary to get the country going: Newswatch: Are you sceptical that we may not hold elections? Yar'Adua: Even the lights are off (power goes off) Newswatch: Are you sceptical? Yar'Adua: Let me put it this way. My view is that we do need the intervention of the Almighty. Newswatch: Why such emphasis on the Almighty? Why so much cynicism around August 27? Yar'Adua: What is cynical about asking God for help? Yar'Adua comes away as a visionary and one who is much misunderstood. He seems fired by ideals, because he believes those ideals would make a better country. For him, power should not be sought for its own sake but for the constructive purpose of nation building. Reproduced from Newswatch issue of June 7, 1993. Yar'Adua: The Number Two Citizen

Newswatch, December 22,1997 11 ■ COVER

commerce both from Katsina; Abakiliki, the dusty, ancient town where Mohammed Kabir Usman, Emir of Yar'Adua died. Prominent in this crowd Katsina; Mohammadu Bashir, Emir of were reporters who needed to piece Daura; Babagana Kingibe, former together the last days of the Katsina minister of internal affairs and running prince. To call Abakaliki a town is mateof MKOAbiola in the annulled June charitable. The main road has just been 12 elections, Kola Abiola, son of MKO graded. Almost everything including the Abiola, the detained politician; Atiku white fence of the government house is Abubakar, presidential aspirant of SDP brownish with dust. Most of the houses in the 1993 elections, as are built with mud. Named the capital of well as a host of former ministers and the newly created Ebonyi State a little governors. As at press time top political over a year ago, Abakiliki made leaders from all parts of the country, international news in 1995 when FIFA were still trooping to Yar'Adua's family cited outbreak of guinea worm and home to condole the widow, and the 76- cholera as part of the reasons it refused year old mother of the former Nigerian Nigeria permission to host the under-20 leader. World Cup competition. But there was no formal federal Last week, Abakaliki was making a government presence at the funeral. The different kind of.news. Men and women government never issued a formal and even school children clustered statement on the death either. around the street to talk in whispers about A different kind of crowd headed for Yar'Adua. The rusty prison where Man of Many Parts

Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s businesses spanned agriculture, banking, publishing, shipping and oil. Now the empire crumbles

By Joseph Ode

T THE TIME HIS TROUBLES WITH THE government began in 1994, the late Shehu Musa Yar'Adua was better known as a politician. But before he ventured into partisan politics in the third republic, business was his turf. He had multimillion naira investments in agriculture, shipping, manufacturing, oil, banking and publishing. Over time, though, many of them have gone under, for various reasons. When he retired from the military and government in 1979, he went into farming. He acquired a vast piece of land on the Funtua-Gusau road where he set up his Sambo Farms said to be worth N10 million as at 1987. He also reportedly acquired Madara Limited, a dairy firm in Vom, near Jos, for an estimated N2.2 million. It is not clear if these firms are still in active business. In the mid '80s, he teamed up with Moshood Abiola, detained politician, to form a shipping company called African Ocean Lines, AOL, whose worth as at 1987 was Yar'Adua: Built a business empire

12 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

Yar'Adua spent his last agonising days with warders and other inmates, "he often stood some 300 meters away from the expressed sadness that he was framed up Government House. It stinks. It overflows but thankful to God for sparing his life," with inmates and septic waste. It was another prison staff said. built several decades ago for 70 inmates. Bouts of depression were said to be But last week, when Yar'Adua died, there his constant partner. "Sometimes he were more than 150 prisoners, more than would just sit alone for endless hours double its colonial capacity. The toilet staring into a blank space without a and bathrooms are unsightly. Passerbys word," the prison official said. hold their noses tight when they come Newswatch learnt that his health near the prison. Waste water from the started deteriorating drastically when he prison toilets and bathrooms flows onto was transferred from Enugu prisons to the main road. Potable water is in short Abakaliki. Prison officials finally raised supply, in spite of a borehole dug recently. alarm late last month on his health. Electricity is luxury, and very often out of Investigations in Abakaliki, Enugu and the question. Here was the last abode of Abuja show that it wasn't until Monday Nigeria's former No. 2 citizen. night December 8, when Yar'Adua He had a bare corridor-size room to collapsed that serious effort was made to himself. But often the heat kept him on take him to the hospital. He arrived the the veranda, his chin cupped in his palms. University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, "He was always smoking," one prison UNTH, a dead man, according to hospital Kingibe: Was at the burial official told Newswatch. In conversation sources. "He was brought in here dead,"

estimated at N30 million. One of the two ships acquired by newsmagazine and the defunct Sentinel, another weekly AOL in 1987 for about N20 million was named Binta newsmagazine based in Kaduna. Yar'Adua, after his wife. AOL was then Nigeria's largest Another company owned by the late retired general in indigenous shipping line. Abiola once said that AOL was Kaduna was Hamada Carpets. He was its chairman. He formed by Yar'Adua and himself but attracted two others was also said to be the owner of an indigenous oil later. They were , former chief executive of prospecting company, one of the lot licenced by the Nigerian Ports Authority and minister of industries under Babangida administration to compete in the upstream Abacha, and Raymond Dokpesi, long time associate of sector of the oil industry with the multinational oil Tukur and owner of African Independent Television, AIT. corporations. The company's licence was revoked when The company went under after a well publicised dispute his trouble with the Abacha government began. Although involving Yar'Adua, Abiola and Dokpesi. Abiola explained apparently a capitalist, going by the range of his in 1988 that the disagreement was not personal to him and investment, Yar'Adua's economic philosophy is difficult Yar'Adua. "It is about business," he explained. "As far as to place on the ideological spectrum. He gave the public I am concerned, there is no love lost between us." Of the an insight into his economic thought when he was bidding misunderstanding, Yar'Adua also said in 1988: "Whatever for the presidency. He told the defunct Classique magazine it is has been resolved, we have now no personal in September 1992: "I believe that what is wrong with our differences." economy is management, pure and simple." Yar'Adua was also in Habib Bank Nigeria Limited If he became president, he promised, "we have to with Abiola. Together, the two were the largest individual introduce restraints to our pattern of expenditure. In shareholders in the bank in which Pakistanis own short, you could say we have to learn not to go for deficit substantial shares. Yar'Adua was the chairman of the budgets. We have to learn to bring discipline into the bank set up in 1983 until 1995, when he was arrested in various sectors of the economy." Sounds like the capitalist connection with the alleged coup plot. Musa Bello, the prescriptions of World Bank/EMF, doesn't it? managing director, took over the chairmanship of the But, while declaring his presidential ambition earlier board. At the 13th annual general meeting of the bank in February, he said it would be necessary "to institute held last year, the bank declared a profit-before tax of enabling economic modalities to protect our indigenous N237.57 million for 1995,130 percent higher than in the agricultural and manufacturing industries as well as previous year. The bank's assets also rose by 37 percent to guarantee that our national currency is not undervalued N5.618 billion. to the extent that undermines basic economic growth, Yar'Adua went into publishing in 1987, when he investment opportunities and rapid development." established Nation house press limited in Kaduna which Yar'Adua will no longer have the opportunity of published The Reporter, a daily newspaper, now defunct. implementing his economic programme for the country. The publishing company was said to be worth N10 million. Neither will the business world be opportuned again to He was also a major financier of ThcWeek Veekly avail itself of Yar'Adua's management skills.®

Newswatch, December 22,1997 13 ■ COVER

a doctor who said Yar'Adua had earlier among other things. nothing critical in Yar'Adua's case to in the year been treated for high blood Newswatch sources in Abuja said the warrant Kingibe's special attention. pressure told Newsioatch at UNTH. UNTH first few letters on the matter were However, the matter reached a critical is 150 kilometres from Abakaliki. received by Kingibe, who was still the point in the first week of December when For angry Nigerians who were minister of internal affairs. Kingibe took despatches from Abakaliki were said to demanding to know what killed the letters personally to the presidency. have been coming on a daily basis. That Yar'Adua, the first suspect could well be He was said to have met with cold was when approval was given for his Abakaliki. For five weeks according to shoulders every time he got there. On hospitalisation! Newswatch sources, messages consistently one occasion, he was advised to stick to The head of state was informed poured into the presidency in Abuja, other pressing matters. Kingibe was shortly before midnight Monday, asking for approval to transfer Yar'Adua obviously concerned because of his December 8 that Yar'Adua was critically to a hospital for proper diagnosis of his relationship with Yar'Adua, considered ill. A few hours later he was confirmed ailment. He was said to be complaining his political mentor. The presidency dead. Aso Rock, immediately got in touch of weakness and difficulty in breathing according to Newswatch sources, saw with the Katsina emirate council of which His Defence Of Democracy

Shehu Yar'Adua was a soldier in love with democracy. His struggle for it led to his demise

By Olu Ojewale

arely 12 years after leaving gover- nment as number two man, Yar'­ Adua, a retired major-general, had another ambition: to become an elected president of Nigeria. On January 13, 1992 he told the world about his goal. BTo achieve that goal, he needed an unalloyed support across the country. Thus, he adopted politics of building bridges across a polarized nation by shunning tribal and religious sentiments. His campaign slogan spoke eloquently about his determination on his chosen path. Said he: "I know neither North nor South, East nor West. What I know is Nigeria." Asked why he decided to come back to government as president, he argued: "I want to be president because I feel I have what it takes to provide a disciplined leadership that is efficient and accountable." In 1987, he established The Reporter newspaper, to propagate his political ideas in preparation for the third republic. By the time former President lifted the ban on party politics in 1989, Yar'Adua had assembled a formidable team to lunch his party, People's Front of Nigeria, PFN. Prominent among members of the party were Ango Abd ullahi, former vice-chancellor of University; , a former ambassador; Chuba Okadigbo, a

14 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

Yar'Adua was a member. He was Tafidan surveillance by plain-clothes In one of the meetings with Yar ' Adua Katsina. The council broke thenews to the securitymen. Some of them drove in taxis several weeks ago, government officials, late general's family. and commercial buses, monitoring the according to our sources, discussed with Government released the corpse to trend of discussion on Yar'Adua. Junior him the possibility of a conditional release. the emirate council and provided a plane and middle level workers at government But Yar'Adua, Newswatch was told, to fly it to Katsina. After that, security in offices were seen discussing in hushed argued for an unconditional freedom, Abuja and most parts of the north was tones. insisting that he was not guilty of the puton red alert to forestal any breakdown At the top, discomfort and dismay offence for which he was jailed. He was of law and order. Government ordered was palpable. This was moreso because said to be in high spirit after the meeting, the police, the state security service, SSS, government was said to have recently just before the bout of sickness that gave and the directorateof military intelligence initiated discussions with Yar'Adua and him the final knock-out. DMI, to recall all staff on leave for essential other political prisoners through the What killed him? There is no official duties until further notice. National Reconciliation Committee, confirmation but speculations are rife. In Abuja, there was an increase in NARECOM, headed by Alex Akinyele. Some reports have attributed his death

former political adviser to Shagari; , a former became a kingmaker. When the SDP convention in Jos in 1993 governor of ; Abubakar Atiku, former deputy that produced Moshood Abiola as presidential candidate was director of Customs and Excise as well as Garba Ja Abdulkadir, heading for a deadlock, Yar'Adua had to intervene. He a former secretary to North-Central state government. persuaded Atiku, his political protégé, to step down for Abiola But the PFN like other political associations which applied to to checkmate Kingibe. Atiku's prize was to be made as Abiola's the National Electoral commission, NEC, was not registered. running mate. Instead, the Babangida administration imposed two parties, But that was not to be. Instead, Abiola picked Kingibe as his National Republican Party, NRC and Social Democratic Party, running mate. Yar'Adua told Newswatch in May, 1993 that he SDP, on the nation. Though a capitalist by orientation, Yar'Adua was not annoyed by that singular action. He insisted: "Kingibe pitched his camp with the SDP, the left of the centre party. is my friend. He has been my friend ... I am not fighting him. The SDP also had in its fold the unregistered People's He is not fighting me." But his opponents alleged that he never Solidarity Party, PSP, with formidable heavyweights such as forgave Abiola because of that incident. They claimed that , , , Balarabe Musa, was why he allegedly supported the annulment of June 12, Adekunle Ajasin and Lateef Jakande, former governors of 1993 election claimed to have been won by Abiola. Kano, Imo, Plateau, Kaduna, Ondo and Lagos states respectively, Following that annulment, Babangida was said to have as well as members of the Liberation Convention. told the two political parties to either prepare for another Yar'Adua proved to be a formidable political strategist in that presidential election which was to hold between July 1 and 31, fold. Using his immense wealth and wide range network of or accept an interim national government, ING. contacts, he made friends across the country. Newswatch learnt that SDP opted for the ING in which all the political structures the simple logic he used was to identify at least three prominent already in place would remain until another election could be political figures in each state, make friend with them and give them held after about six months later. money to mobilise their people to back him. "He was not a That arrangement did not please many party leaders and grassroot man as people thought he was," an associate confided in elders who viewed the agreement as Yar'Adua's vengeance Newswatch last week. Yar'Adua was said to be a tireless traveller for Abiola's refusal to pick Atiku as his running mate. But he who could traverse the whole country in a week. "He was never disagreed. He insisted: "Now people are talking about not tired of visiting his associates and meeting people," the source liking the interim government, fine. They may not like it, but added. let them come up with a solution." That apparently paid off. In the botched presidential primaries After General Sani Abacha took over in November 1993, of 1992, he won conveniently in 21 of the existing 30 states. Yar'Adua called for speedy return to democratic rule. He wa& Surprisingly, he defeated Jakande in Lagos and Olu Falae, former detained for five days in 1994. His newspaper was proscribed secretary to the federal government, in . With the aid of for its anti-government publication. his effective political machinery he also won a number of states in Undaunted, Yar'Adua continued his political activities. He theEast. That victory wa s bi tterly con tested by other SDP Candida tes, was elected into the constitutional conference because he just as the victory of Umaru Shinkafi was queried by his opponents argued that Nigeria needed to be saved and he would give in the NRC. Thetheintra party disputes led Babangida to annul the anything to save it. In 1995, he was suspected of sponsoring primaries and ban all the 23 presidential aspirants in bçth parties. the motion asking the Abacha administration to hand over to Yar'Adua was later arrested and detained, with other 12 SDP an elected government on January 1, 1996. He was arrested presidential aspirants in December 1992, for a few days in Epe, and detained. In his absence, the conference reversed under Lagos State. pressure. On March 8,1995, he was again arrested, tried and Despite the ban, Yar'Adua remained the political godfather in convicted for his alleged involvement in an alleged coup plot. SOT. Throughout file short life span of the Third Republic/his The military tribunal headed by Patrick Aziza, then a brigadier- PFN was the most influential of the groups in the SDP. The group general sentenced him to death. , former had the largest number of elected candidates from councillors to head of state, also implicated in the coup, was given a life senators in the SDP. sentence. Both sentences were later commuted to 25 arçd 15 Having had his ambition to become king scuttled, Yar'Adua years respectively.*

Newswatch, December 22,1997 15 COVER variously to cardiac arrest, lung cancer, of the symptoms of cardiac arrest, he lecturer at LUTH told Newswatch: "It can inflamed liver as well as constant stooling said, include frequent stooling. "As be very traumatic and even fatal for a and vomiting. Offiong Bassey, chief someone becomes stressful, he has a person who had enjoyed freedom and cardiovascular technologist at the Lagos general bad feeling, notices an increase in comfort at the highest possible level to be University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, heartbeat, visits the toilet regularly and incarcerated. He could say 'no this can't tried to establish a link between the three could even be tempted to think that he be me. They will come and remove me.' ailments. He said cardiac arrest is "the has diarrhoea," Bassey said. But when that expectation is cut off, he sudden stopping of the functioning of Depression, says psychologists, can would become unnecessarily tense, go to the heart... when a person is being also spell fatality. For men who have toilet more frequently than normal, lose confronted with bad news, frightening lived the better part of their lives in his appetite, develop sleeplessness and situation or severe stress." According to comfort finding themselves alone in the other sickness you cannot really place him cardiac malfunction could arise from squalid confines of a prison could make your finger on and before you knew it his disease of the heart and it could also be a the difference between life and death. life is in danger zone." result of untreated hypertension. Some Derin Olorunshoba, psychologist and Concern'was widespread last week My Mission In Politics

On May 18, 1993, the late Shehu Yar'Adua, a kingpin of SDP, spoke to Newswatch editors for about five hours. The interview was published in our issue of June 7, 1993. Here, we reproduce excerpts that show his political foresight

Newswatch: Let's start from where you are now. Since when did you develop interest in becoming president of this country. Yar'Adua: This is really a difficult question in terms of time. I did develop interest to participate in politics because I believe I have a lot to contribute. There were things which were being done, even in the political field which I thought could be better done. In the process, my attitude to it has always been I'll try to build something; try to sell something and that if what I have to sell, ideas and so on, are viable, if you buy them, if in that process, either me or anybody who has bought those ideas happens to be lucky enough to become president I would be thankful to God that these ideas would be treated. As a matter of fact, people were getting surprised that I continued in politics even after, let me say, after we were kicked out. It was for the ideas. As long as the ideas were there it does not really

16 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

on the fate of other political prisoners Nigerians talk about Nelson Mandela's "bearing the cross of democracy in and the implication of Yar'Adua's death 27 years in prison, they don't really have Nigeria." He had emerged as a visible for the already battered image of Nigeria an idea of the prison conditions in Nigeria. and vocal critic of the Abacha abroad. "Whose turn next?" was the big "Our prisons are actually next door to administration, constantly demanding question NADECO asked last week. Said hell. It is intolerable. There is no Mandela exit date and brief tenure for the Mike Ozekhome a constitutional lawyer: that can survive in Nigerian prisons," administration. He sued government "This is an eye opener... government Ovba said. after his release. Although he later should immediately release Abiola, Whatever were his failures, Yar'Adua's withdrew the suit at the intervention of Olusegun Obasanjo, former Nigerian courageous contributions to democracy peace-makers, the battle line had been head of state, imprisoned along with in and out of uniform, put him in a class drawn. He was perceived by government Yar' Adua, and all other political prisoners of his own. In his press conference and political observers as the unseen hand before if is too late." February 17, 1995, barely 24 hours after behind the constitutional conference vote Sunday Ovba, a former SDP stalwart his release from a five-day detention, he in December 1994, which set January 1996 and associate of Yar'Adua said when equated his experience in detention to as the terminal date for Abacha. At a

matter who gets there. So I cannot really say what time I did civilian setting? develop interest to become president. Really, as a matter of fact, YariAdua: It is not just sheer articulation. You can articulate as you know, there is a group that I associate with, within the ideas by merely writing them in a book. What I'm saying is that SDP. Actually it was the leadership of this group who in fact, if you're coming to government to prove the military is a when I was unbanned, asked me to contest the presidential corrective regime; if you say that you're there for corrective primaries on behalf of the group. Even after they said so, it took purposes, I think you should try to correct and leave. The me time before I was able to reply. essence of saying that a country should be either socialist, this or so, should be left to the political class. Not to j*am it down. If Newswatch: One of the surprises people had was that you were the country accepts it, fair enough. But the military, as the in government from 1975 to 1979 and whatever ideas you had military then or now, we do not have the right to say that this is to contribute then, you had an a political ideology that this country opportunity. should follow. Whether a military officer Yar'Adua: No. Going back to our "I is in government, he should not use that government, from 1975 to 1979, when had an opportunity to ram, to build ideologies we came, we did say clearly what our opportunity to for countries. What I am saying, that even problems were, why we were in the a military officer who feels that he has an government. And as you might recall, serve in govern­ idea which he thinks is good for the the central, the cardinal programme of country, he should leave the military and that government was to work out (a ment but I had no sell that idea where it ought to be sold; transition programme) and handover to join the political class and sell it. a democratically elected government, opportunity to be which we did. I went into that Newswatch: It does not look like you are government as an army officer and if a politician" necessarily dogmatic about this view you recall, as at that point, when the because one would expect that a military constituent assembly was sitting, we that has already built the two political were being asked to work out an ideology for this country using parties would have enjoyed your support to the extent that you our position in government. As the Chief of Staff, then, I did say want to participate in the political process and even lead one of that it was not the responsibility of the military to work out a the political parties. political ideology for the country. That at that time, our Yar'Adua: No. That the military decreed two political parties, I responsibility was to take the country back to democracy and would like to submit that if you now look at the two political then allow those, the practitioners of politics, to develop an parties, if you read their constitution, they got exactly the same ideology themselves. thing. If you read their manifesto, except for a play in semantics, I do not think you can give ideology by decrees. I was always they have got really, exactly the same manifesto. They sày convinced that the military is not placed to give this country a slightly to the left or slightly to the right, of what? Now whether political ideology. It is left to the political class to do so. So I went I agree with the decreeing of these two political parties or not, into politics, because I have ideas which I know would have I feel that at such and such a time, if I have something to sell, I been wrong to have used the military to ram down the nation's have to use whatever legitimate vehicle that is there to try and throat. What is right is that if I have ideas, I should go into sell it. I joined the SDP, not because of the constitution of the politics. So the fact that I served in government earlier on, is party, or necessarily the manifesto, because I know it was not enough reason to say that if I have political ideas, I should not the members of the party that wrote the two. It was more like try to sell those ideas. And in any case, I spent four years in looking at the two parties and from the type of people who are government. It is not enough to say I had an opportunity. Yes in these parties looking at them as individuals, which ones do I had an opportunity to serve in government but I had no I feel their ideas are identical or are nearer to my own. So I said opportunity to be a politician. to myself, I will join this group of people, because our ideas are either identical or near. And at the same time, as of now, these Newswatch: You think these ideas are better articulated in a are the only two legitimate vehicles that you can use to try to sell Newswatch, December 22,1997 17 COVER press conference in Lagos, he said and Olusegun Obasanjo former head of on the elimination of poverty. Although pointedly that Nigerians had lost faith in state could wind up in a tribunal trying Walter Carrington, then the United State the military. As he put it: "It is indeed coup plotters. ambassador to Nigeria, warned him not regrettable that the military annulled the Even military authorities said that to return to the country on the strength of June 12 election. Annulled with that their arrest had nothing to do with the security information at his disposal, election is the confidence of Nigerians in coup plot, because they were arrested by Obasanjo returned, saying he had nothing the military and the military^organised the police and not the army. Fred Chijuka, to fear. form of democracy." (He was arrested brigadier general and army spokesman A day later, he was arrested. Six weeks again on March 8. Most people concluded at that time, said on several occasions later, the two men among others appeared he was picked up again, for his insistence that the army had nothing to do with the before a military tribunal trying coup that the Abacha government was an arrest of Yar'Adua. plotters. It was a drama that shocked the extension of the Babangida At the time of Yar'Adua's arrest, nation and the international community. administration, which annulled the June Obasanjo was in Copenhagen, Denmark, Many thought both men were 12 election. Nobody thought Yar'Adua attending a United Nations conference persecuted for their political beliefs. There

whatever political ideas you have. So if I were to say that fact that, say a Hausa/Fulani agrees with the ideas of a Yoruba, because I do not agree with the military creating them, therefore therefore, he should be able to associate freely without making I will not participate, I was not going to be allowed to form a the Hausa/Fulani feel that he is betraying anything or the political party and I would have had no opportunity whatsoever, Yoruba feel that he is betraying anything. And we started this so that's why I participated. in 1987 and we thought of the three basic principles that if we solved this as we go along, the circle would start getting larger Newswatch:! think we can take it that it is not too long ago that and larger. So when we talk about Lagos or Oyo for example, a you actually went into partisan politics and judging by your lot of the people there were not just supporting me as a person, performance in the presidential primaries one was surprised by they were supporting these ideas, because they now agree and how much support you were able to muster throughout the accepted that there is no reason on earth why they should not campaigns. Can we have an idea how fight to support anybody who actually you went about this? Beating people shares these ideas with them. like Jakande, is something like a And in spite of the abuses, they miracle. believed they were doing the right Yari Adua: Well, I do not know about thing and they went ahead and did it. a miracle. But I know about two And in the same way, for example, things. Ideas and hardwork. Now I when the same group of Yorubas am not going to philosophise. My presented Abiola to us, that we too ideas were simple because I used to ha vea candidate, our question to them be a simple soldier. So I know that was that have you put our ideas to whatever you want to sell, you must this candidate, and they said they reduce it to the simplest form for did. Well if you are sure that you did, people to understand and see we are then able also to get people whether they accept it or not. We from the north who said it is alright, started as group of friends. We they would support him. And I think believed in three cardinal principles that was really the secret of the success which will sell and they are not that and the amount of hardwork that complicated to start with. These are went into it, not by me alone, but by a one: we would not play tribal politics; lot of people who actually believe in not only that, we would not play it us. And I think we put in more work but we will fight it. Two: Ditto than probably anybody else. religious politics. It is not enough to say you are not going to play it. But Newswatch: The bridge you are you are going to fight it. The third talking about, breaking down might look similar but it is not. We barriers; would it be right to say that will fight geographical politics within „ ,â , that was the idea you had when you the country. From the first republic YafAdua: “I was a simple soldier” supported Awo in 1983? to the second republic, parties were regionally based. If you Yai'Adua: If you want to know, believe me, this idea of were a northerner, for example, and you were not a member of building bridges I had it even before I ever went into government the NPC, or NPN, you were seen as a betrayer of the north and in 1975. You see probably because I had a distinct advantage of so on. Ditto, if you were a Yoruba and you were not in Action having spent all my school life in the north, and having spent all group or UPN, you were also accused of the same thing. So we my military career in the south. I never served for one singleday also said we must fight this. In fact, what we said is that we just in the north throughout my military career. From the day I got free the minds of our people from this political siege mentality, commissioned, I served all my military life here in the south. so that we would be able to associate freely on the basis of the That is why, probably, I have that advantage and therefore, I

18 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

had been bad blood between Abacha and verdict with a pinch of salt, government son of the dethroned Sultan of Sokoto, the two men since November 1993, when decided to televise video clips of Ibrahim Dasuki, was prematurely retired the head of state came to power. Yar' Adua proceedings at the tribunal. Screened by from the army. Yar'Adua was said to and Obasanjo, Newswatch learnt, told NTA and watched with stone silence on have used the retirement to instigate Abacha at separate meetings that their a Sunday evening, October 1995, Dasuki to join effort to change the support for the government would Nigerians were shown frightened government. depend on his announcement of a Yar'Adua being implica ted by R. S. Bello- In his own confession Bello-Fadile transition programme, which should also Fadile, a colonel who allegedly claimed he met Yar'Adua twice and state his hand-over date. spearheaded the plot. introduced himself as coming from The charge of coup plot against them An anonymous narrator said Dasuki. He alleged that Yar'Adua became quite a curious coincidence which Yar'Adua's involvement in the coup plot promised to support the coup fully. eventually discredited the guilty verdict started, when Sambo Dasuki, a lieutenant Yar'Adua was enraged and almost on the two former Nigerian leaders. colonel, and former aide-de-camp to jumped out of his seat in reaction. But Aware that Nigerians received the guilty former President Ibrahim Babangida, and even in his angry response, what he said

knew, even before I went into government that a lot of the manipulates, of somebody who does things when it suits him or prejudices that the northerner has for the southerner do not to suit himself. That was the picture that we got. The thing is exist. They are just imaginary prejudices, built over the years for how do we reconcile the pictures? political gains. Also a lot of the prejudices southerners have for Yar'Adua: But I don't see what your problem is in reconciling northerners do not exist. I knew that those things were things because when I was Chief of staff, I worked under General people built deliberately. And I think anybody who actually Obasanjo. I was his number two man and if I'm going to have thinks about it knows that it doesn't exist. a confidential report on me, he is the only person that has the There was never any quarrel between the ordinary Nigerians. right to say that this is what he thought of me. That is one. Two, If there were, you would find out it was created by the elites for I'm sure Danjuma was not the only officer that I worked with one reason or the other. So I always believed that we have that expressed opinion on me. If you read General Oluleye's created and we would continue to create artificial barriers book, he has expressed opinion on me. Now Oluleye is somebody which ought not to be there because people were lying about I worked under. I was his brigade commander. He has expressed each other. Therefore I have always opinion on me. Joe Garba has expressed believed that these barriers can be broken opinion on me. To a certain extent, because they were artificially created for General Obasanjo expressed opinion on somebody else's purposes, not for the "I me in some of his writings. If you read good of the people who are being made some of the things George Innih has to believe in these barriers. believe that written, he has expressed opinion. There And check thiiout. During my time are a lot of officers whom I worked with in the military, when I was in some people closely who have expressed opinion on government, out of it, and I still believe me. Take all these opinions and see and I work towards it, I tried in my own have to make whether they agree with what General way to work towards it. And I know at Danjuma said. General Bali has expressed times I had to take decisions which I sacrifices" opinion on me. Look at it, does that agree personally knew would hurt me as a with what General Danjuma said. I did person. But I also believe that some not reply General Danjuma because he people have to make sacrifices. was my senior officer and I still respect him. There are ethics which I am not prepared to break. Newswatch: When you were talking about a group in SDP, whose leadership invited you to bean aspirant, you spoke of the Newswatch: Can we take you to your time and your transition group as not having politics as a career. That looks like what we programme and how it compares with this transition term Kaduna mafia to me. It looks like it has succeeded in programme? establishing that kind of thing nation-wide. What role has this Yai'Adua: One of the main reasons of our ever going into Kaduna group played in this kind of set up? government was to move this country into democracy. I'm sure Yar'Adua: I have said this before, so often, in so many interviews you might have noted that was in the first speech that the late that I do not know of any existence of any Kaduna mafia. There General Murtala made as head of state. And in the shortest again, people were saying the mafia was there to protect northern possible time, a programme of action was spelt out by him to the interests. But let me say that if any group exists in this country nation. If you look at that programme you will see that the whose main aim and objectives is to break ethnic barriers, to try cardinal issue of that programme was the movement towards to bring our people together, if that is a mafia, I think it is a good democracy. And since there was a basic issue that those of us mafia (laughter). who were principally involved in that government believed, as one group, that what took us to government was to do principally Newswatch: The picture one gets of you is the picture of^a this, bring the country to democracy, we believed that the selfless man. But then when General Danjuma came here, the military had no business running the country. We were honest picture he presented was of somebody who about it. So when we drew up our programme there were

Newswatch, December 22,1997 19 ■ COVER

either in confession or in defence was not Bello-Fadile by either Yar'Adua or guilty of coup plotting, Lateef Kareem, a audible to viewers. The only phrase that Obasanjo. Lawyers who reacted to the lawyer had said in a press release. was audible was when he spoke about confession said such cross examination Other critics of the video confession the retirement of Dasuki. Even then would have shown the date of the alleged said the suspects may have made their viewers could not hear the beginning of meeting, how the meeting was secured confessions, under duress. They cited the sentence. Nor could anyone say when and who was instrumental or the case of Akinloye Akinyemi, a former the sentence ended. participating. "We take note of the army major who said the agony he went A weaker link in the televised tribunal absurdity of Bello-Fadile'sconfession ... through before implicating M. A. Ajayi, proceedings was that there was no when by the statement of government" a retired lieutenant colonel, was evidence of any cross-examination of Colonel Bello-Fadile (had) pleaded not unbearable. Said Akinyemi, while

certain things which we were not prepared to interfere with. We structures, go and form your parties, draw up your own did not believe, like I said earlier, that it should be us telling the constitutions, your own manifestoes and things like that. country what type of parties should be formed. We believed Develop. It's the same, if the military today decides that it is that the civilian population was better qualified in that area going to teach and ensure that all magazines in Nigeria are run than we were. So what we did was to lay out the programme in accordance with the view of the military public relations and the structures that were required to ca rry out theprogra m me. officer, who is not a journalist, he probably doesn't know And we drew out laws, which we felt would enable the anything about the profession. I think shortly over a period of structures to function. We allowed the structures to function. time, you might wake up to find no magazines on the streets at For example, laws as regards the transition and so on, we made all. one on FEDECO. We never changed it. But we allowed people So, I don't know what others think, but I think this is the to challenge the law in court, if they wanted to. And they were cardinal mistake. And once you make a fundamental error in challenged and we accepted what ever decision the courts gave. trying to establish something you have to come back and admit So wehad minimal numberof laws for the transition. And when that you made that mistake. But if you insist that a mistake has I said we handed off, we hand off. And all we did as a government not been made and you continue, you're only going to continue

was, as far as the transition was --::ir...... -..i-r- | to compound the problems. I think this concerned, once we set up the is the basic mistakes and the basic machinery, and we allowed the fundamental difference between our machinery to function, we then approach and that of this government. concentrated on the business of running the country. And our only Newszuatch: But the president, General concern was if there were problems, Babangida says he has reasons for doing which any of the bodies that were set -a what he is doing because your own up to ensure this transition felt that 2. handover was rushed. As such you government had to clear, we cleared a didn't even care to whom you handed them. 2: over to. That is why the country ran I into problems. He says he now wants to Newswatch. There is no way you can « establish a new political culture as run away from comparing the motives j» distinct from what you did. As if you and the methods. Your goals were were in a hurry to leave the stage, so very clear as you stated. How do you you didn't really ensure that what you describe the current transition were trying to build would endure. programme? You participated in it And he says that is what is directly actively and you should give us your responsible for this whole transition. views. i How do you see his own assessment of Yar'Adua: I think probably the basic Yar'Adua: “Nigerian politicians are daft" your own hand over? difference, in my view is that the Yai7 Adua: As I said, the whole thing is engineers of the present programme, this time now have decided a matter of approach. As I said, we did not say we were going to take onto themselves the responsibility of teaching Nigerians to teach Nigerians how to play politics, so that is the difference. how to play politics. And I think that was the initial or the first Therefore, it didn't matter, whether we were to take two years

mistake made. And that mistake would continue to be made or4one year or whatever. We never played politics. How do you because it's like the other way round. If the civilians, for know at that point in time, the nitty-gritty of how parties were example, take over government, kicking the military out, not formed? On the other hand, if he believed that we made a through the process of a ballot box, and then sit down to say, mistake, he was a member of that government, a member of the look you soldiers, this is how to run the army. I think nobody Supreme Military Council when all those decision were taken. would be surprised, if at the end of the day, the army If he believed we made a mistake, we were not infallible. I disintegrates. I think that is the first cardinal error. It shouldn't remember that during our time, we were never scared to admit, have been the responsibility of the military. It doesn't matter, even when we were in government, that a decision we took the whether it was going to take two years or five ye»s or ten years. previous day was a mistake. This is a programme, these are the structures, these are the laws Now, I believe that it is evident that the two parties, the guiding this programme. Within these laws and the various president himself has said so, even recently, that Nigerians

20 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ COVER

apologising to Ajayi, in the video clip: did he actually participate in the coup as littledoubt that whatever were his iniquities "Sir I am sorry. I struggled but I went Bello-Fadile said, even in the face of his in the past, he would be remembered with through a lot of pain and it reached a avowed campaign for a return to sympathy, as the first Nigerian leader who point where no one could believe my story democracy? died in prison and I tell them... I am sorry I betrayed you. It is impossible to say how the Yar'Adua Reported by Wale Akin-Aina, Tobs The pain was so much." saga would have ended if he did not die in Agbaegbu, Ibrahim Modibo, Janet In the process, the televised confession prison: Whether he would have emerged a Mba-Afolabi, Obong Akpaekong, wound up with more questions than hero or a villain. But on Tuesday morning Tunde Asaju, Dotun Oladipo, answer. One of such questions followed last week when Nigerians awoke to the Emmanuel Ugzvu, StephenUbanna and the retired general even last week to eternity: devastating news of his death, there was Raphael Adeyanju..

have not learnt anything. That the politicians haven't learnt built up, not by politicians, but by the present government, are anything. Now if you decide that you are going to teach strong enough to enable us sustain democracy, I think that is somebody something and after a number of years, you yourself the sort of question over which one just has to keep his finger say that he hasn't learnt anything, I think it's only natural, one crossed and keep on praying. As I have always said, during should be man enough to find out where the fault is. Is it that the my campaign, that business of running, putting this country student is so daft that he can't learn and he will never learn. Is on sound democratic footing is really the business of the it that the teacher is not as good as he think he is. But both ways political class. The military is merely, should merely administer there is something wrong somewhere. At least, if you admit that the transition. The real transition to democracy will start when the student hasn't learnt anything, whichever way you look at we have a democratic president. it, there is a failure somewhere. If the student is daft, that is the So, I will merely end up by saying that, if by the grace of only student you have. The Nigerian politicians are so daft that God we have our elections and again by His grace, we have a they can't learn anything, but these are the only politicians that democratic president, the only plea is that Nigerians should Nigeria has. There is only one Nigeria so you are not going to please exercise a lot of patience. Because the structures as they import any new people from anywhere. So if you decide that the are today are weak, very weak. And a lot of patience would be students are daft, if you are not going to admit students from required from Nigerians, all Nigerians, irrespective of whatever anywhere, at least one would have profession, in business, in the to try another approach. I think the military, in journalism. Whoever issue of time has nothing to do with is there will require a lot of it. If it was meant as an experiment, "I believe that we need sympathy and a lot of patience I believe the experiment hasn't quite from Nigerians. Because he will succeeded. democracy to start inherit structures that are very weak. Newszvatch: If the experiment has looking at otir not succeeded, do you foresee problems without any Newswatch: This "if by grace of disaster? God" the military disengages Yar'Adua: I don't think I will put it fear and try to solve connotes a kind of scepticism. Are as strongly as that. you sceptical he (IBB) may not go? them." Yar'Adua: NO Newswatch: Then how do you see the future? Newswatch: Did the president Yar'Adua: Well, I believe we will give you money to run your continue the way we are. This country has already got enough campaign? problems. I will put it this way. I don't think we are going to Yar'Adua: (After a long pause) No see the end of these problems soon. Yes, b foresee a lot of problems. Newswatch: Why did you have to think about saying no? Yar'Adua: The reason why I had to think about it; there are Newswatch: Problems in terms of politics or economy? certain businesses I run which need permission from the Yar'Adua: Yes. In any case one affects the other. Federal Government.

Newswatch: The problems foreseen, would they be resolved Newswatch: Many people say that you had a hand in the coup by us within this transition programme or they will continue of 1983 that brought Buhari into power. to be with us? Yar'Adua: Who? Yar'Adua: That is a very difficult question. I believe that the economic problems, for example, are not basically the fault of Newswatch: Umaru Dikko the politicians, at least not the present ones. I believe that the Yar'Adua: I was not in the army, so how can I have a hand in political problems are also not their fault because the people a coup that brought somebody into power? are not being allowed to play politics in the way they should play it. Now that is one. Two: I believe that we need democracy Newswatch: You were a retired general not so far from the to start looking at our problems without any fear and try to army, what's so strange about that? solve them. Now whether the structures which have been Yar'Adua: Nothing, except that I didn't sponsor it.

Newswatch, December 22,1997 21 Photo by Conrad Akwu SPECIAL REPORT ue a omr eao, ose ta all that Martins- boasted senator, former Jubril a Kuye, elections, government By party buthowdiditsecureits victory? 22 the otherfourpolitical partieswere The W With 30Statesinitskitty Landslide Mike Akpan shortly aftertheMarch15,local United NigeriaCongressParty,UNCP, DECLARED HE HEN oenrhp race the governorship in interest his ltom f the of platform in on the on State Ogun in f 0 f h 3 sae eiltrs I its In legislatures. state 36 the of 30 conducted of election assembly of house wasting theirtimeinthestate. ba Ktia Skt, oi Kaduna, Kogi, i, Rivers, Bauch Yobe, Kebbi, Ogun, Sokoto, Ondo, Katsina, Benue, Abia, Nassarawa, Plateau, Edo, Enugu, Ibom,Imo, Akwa Lagos, Jigawa, are kitty control absolute in UNCP the saw day t tha Delta, Ebonyi,Zamfara, Bomo,Ekiti, eebr poe i. eut o the of Results it. proved 6 December , UNCP becomesthedominant nine seatsineach ofthestates.InKano 13 won DPN seats. 13 with second of came Party Democratic the State, Oyo In second. loose a placed t i outright, in w not Bayelsa and TarabaStates. Adamawa, Gombe, River, Cross h UC pae a ls scn with second close a placed but UNCP States Niger the and Osun in each seats UNCP seats. 16 with won DPN, Nigeria, vn n tts hr te NP did UNCP the where states in Even Newswatch, December 22,1997

■ SPECIAL REPORT

State, the UNCP won 11 seats to DPN's 16. In Kwara, the UNCP broke the virtual control of the state by winning nine assembly seats as against CNCs 16 seats. In Anambra State, of the seats declared so far, both the UNCP and the DPN had 13 seats leaving only one to the Grassroots Democratic Movement, GDM. Overall, UNCP has cornered 609 assembly seats, DPN, 193, CNC won 58, GDM 48 and National Central Party of Nigeria, NCPN, 19 seats. All the other four parties combined do not have up to one-third of the 989 seats available in all the 36 state houses of assembly. UNCP is now in control of the legislatures in each of the six geo-political zones. This is a feat no party in the country has recorded before or since independence in 1960. Boasted , national unprecedented feat? Mohammed said administrative secretary of the UNCP in chairman of the party: "Our march to UNCP is better organised with a large Lagos State, insisted the party victory has just begun. We shall followership all over the country. "We campaigned vigorously before the consolida teour victory in other elections." have the best programme for the election. "We are hardworking and we He said the result of the election betterment of the en tire country," he said. have human resources within our reach. confirmed that the victory of the party in But Abaraham Adesanya, acting We launched Operation Storm in each the March 15, local government elections chairman of the National Democratic local government area. There was an was not a fluke,. Coalition, NADECO, said what happened aggressive campaign in which we went What is responsible for such on December 6, was a selection, not from house-to-house campaigning. When election. He said UNCP won other parties were fighting, we were busy AH majority of the seats in the state campaigning," he claimed. legislatures because the federal The claim tha t the victory of the UNCP government had zoned areas of was a reflection of good organisation and control to it. leadership is also disputed by others. An Adesanya argued that those analyst who requested not tobe identified who voted on December 6 neither said Mohammed is not a charismatic knew the party manifesto nor the leader like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi persons they voted for and so could Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello or Aminu not have voted wisely. "Those who Kano, all now late, whose names voted did so in ignorance for the commanded large followership. He party they thought would win," he asked: "Can you identify any leader of explained adding: "Neither the the UNCP at the state or national level parties' manifestoes nor the track whose track records are known? What is records of their flagbearers were there in the organisation of the UNCP to known. It would be difficult to warrant a mass movement of the people determine which of them had the into it?" people's support." He also dismissed the claim that the He is right. None of the parties massive support for the UNCP is based or their candidates did any effective on the popularity of its programme. Again campaign before the election. he asked: "How many people even know Akpan Isemin, former governor of the party has a manifesto? There is and now a UNCP nothing radical that endears the party to governorship aspirant, agrees there the people." were no campaigns by the Adesida said the fortune of the party candidates. "Most of the contestants was brightened by the performance of lacked the necessary financial the local government chairmen on the strength that would have enabled platform of the party. But at a two-day them campaign effectively. This seminar organised by the UNCP for its would have enabled the voters to elected local government chairmen at be sufficiently informed on who Abuja last September, the council chief was contesting what on which executives said they were unable to platform," he said. implement the party's manifesto because Adesanya: It was selection, not election But Babatunde Adesida, of lack of funds.

Newswatch, December 22,1997 23 ■ SPECIAL REPORT

Newswatch investigations have four political parties. They were picked declared invalid. unearthed strategies adopted by the party up on December 5, the eve of the election GDM accused the security agents of to win the December 6/ election. One was and released on Monday, December 8, working for the UNCP. Festus Okubor, an effective use of the police and other three da y s a f ter the election. The deten tion its national publicity secretary, told security agents to rig the election. In Kogi left only the UNCP leaders on the field. journalists in Abuja that the police and state, for instance, UNCP drew up lists of Even in the wards where the other other security agents were used by UNCP people dubbed "potential trouble­ parties managed to win in spite of all against the other political parties. "The makers" which it forwarded separately odds, there were reports that UNCP police were used to thwart our efforts. to theassistant inspector general of police, stalwarts seized and tore electoral Supporters of the party who were a rrested AIG, in-charge of the zone and another to materials with the active connivance of by the police were still languishing in the commissioner of police in the state. the security agents on duty. They refused various cells in Bomo, Delta, Bayelsa, All the potential trouble makers to act when complaints were brought to Rivers, Oyo and other states," he said happened to be the leaders of the other them. Instead, the election results were adding that Abba Gana Terab, the party

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Zonal Standing of the Parties

North-East Zone: Winner UNCP Won in Yobe, Bomo, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba.

North-West Zone Winner: UNCP. Won in Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi. DPN won in Kano.

North-Central Zone Winner: UNCP Cleared Plateau, Nassarawa, Benue, Kogi and Kwara leaving DPN and CNC with Niger and Kwara, respectively.

South-West Zone Winner: UNCP Won in Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun. DPN captured Oyo and Osun.

South-East Zone Winner: UNCP The party won in all the states in the zone except Anambra where it tied with CNC.

South-South Zone Winner: UNCP Had a clean sweep in all the states in this zone.

HQW,THE,PARTIES,FINISHED AT TH£.i.QQAU,fi9Y£RNMEMT ELECTIONS MARCH 1$, 1997, SPECIAL REPORT chairman in Bomo State, was arrested senator, said at a press conference in, officials. Some UNCP candidates were and beaten to a state of coma before he Owerri December 9, that in the majority given mobile police escorts. The above was thrown into a police cell on the day of of the constituencies purported to have pattern of irregularities was found to be the election on a false allegation that he been won by the UNCP, the turn-out of uniform throughout the state leading to was roaming. registered voters was more than 100 the inevitable conclusion that it was a He said Gambo Lawan, national percent. "This is a phenomenon hardly grand design." chairman of GDM, was denied access to a ttainable in any democra tic election. The Some members of the UNCP were Terab who was subsequently arraigned turn-out of voters generally is usually said to have openly campaigned that their before a magistrate's court in Maiduguri lower than the registered voters. In this party was a preferred group and that any December 8. He was later granted bail. election, it is accepted to be low, in fact, person who voted or joined any other Okubor said the police also prevented voters' participation was around 25 party was an enemy of the federal the’leaders of other parties from going percent. In majority of the constituencies, government. In , the UNCP into collating centres in some states. He votes recorded were higher than used that strategy to break the monopoly cited Lagos State as one of.them. accredited voters present and voting." of the state by the CNC. Newswatch learnt Investigations have also confirmed that Okubor said figures announced by the UNCP members led by Abdulkareem the UNCPcolluded with NECON officials NECON did not reflect the actual figures Adisa, a major-general and former works

Lar, Mbakwe and Nzeribe: Could not deliver their constituencies to ensure that most of the electoral officials, recorded at the polling centres. He also and housing minister, mountéd a strong were its sympathisers or supporters. The said there were cases of thumb-printing campaign warning the people that any arrangement made it possible for the of ballot papers in favour of the UNCP by political party in Kwara State other than party to rig the election at the ward level. electoral officials. In addition, he said, the UNCP was in opposition to the In Rivers State, Ebenezer Isokrari, there were cases of multiple voting by government. Adisa was said to have secretary to the state government who is UNCP supporters under, cover provided repeated the warning during his tour of said to be a member of the UNCP, was by the police and other security agents. the 16 local government areas designed instrumental to the appointment of UNCP The UNCP was also accused of to urge the voters to identify with the members as electoral and returning resorting to intimidation of supporters of UNCP. "It will amount to a wafcte of time officers in all the wards and local other political parties to keep them away and energy to remain in opposition," he governments. from the polling centres. The DPN in Imo advised. Votes were also inflated. A press State said the voters in areas controlled Echeruo regretted that the federal statement issued by the DPN in by it were intimidated not to turn out by government had not done anything to to protest the rigging of the elections by "sheer naked, brute force." Said Echeruo: refute such claims. Said he: "Voters were the UNCP confirmed this strategy.Emeka "Government vehicles were used. Roads constantly bombarded with the Echeruo, a leader of the party and former were blocked and manned by uniformed propaganda that a particular party is a

Newswatch, December 22, 1997 25 government party. Certainly, in a military dispensation, this is a hard and unyielding influence on the electorate, giving rise to an unfair an unjust election." It will be an uphill task for the government to convince leaders of the other political parties that the UNCP is not a preferred group because of the involvement of serving and former ministers in the affairs of the party. Most members of the dissolved federal executive council have gone back to their states to declare for the party. It is generally felt that the dissolution of the federal cabinet was a strategy to enable them go back to work for the victory of the UNCP in their states. An unconfirmed source said the re-appointment of those who don't want to go into politics would depend on whether they were able to deliver their states to the UNCP. Newswatch learnt Adisa donated N2 million to the UNCP in Kwara to fight the election. Other former ministers are said Martins-kuye, Ikimi: Boasted that UNCP would win \i \ to have made various donations to the party. Dan Etete, former petroleum the warring leaders to close ranks and u resources minister, has disclaimed a work for the success of the party in the donation of N10 million said to have assembly election. His advice was heeded. been made by him to the UNCP through A source quoted him as saying adequate Sergeant Awuse, his close friend and a arrangement had been made to ensure a national officer of the party. Critics have resounding victory for the UNCP across refused to accept the denial. the country. UNCP has strong links with Tom Ikimi, foreign affairs minister, functionaries of government. UNCP was who was in to monitor the rated as the number one by NECON even election, was also quoted as saying that though there were more, organised the victory of the UNCP was assured. political associations like the All Nigeria The grand plan by the UNCP to rig Congress, the Social Progressive Party the elections was said to have been and the People's Progressive Party. hatched and executed at the government NECON was said to have deliberately house in the states. In Rivers State, for scored the UNCP very high in order to example, a source told Newswatch that register it. the results of NECON screening of The involvement of Jerry Useni, candidates were first sent to the lieutenant-general and minister of the government house before they were Federal Capital Territory, in the affairs of released. Usenii Worked for UNCP the party had been ______Neivswatch leamt 1 1 very visible. A few - ...... ; ------—------when results of vehicles levelled against Amaifor. He days before the candidates cleared contested the election as a' UNCP December 6 election, were initially candidate and won. he allegedly made released, one Frank In other states, the government secret visits to the "Those who Amaifor repre­ allegedly used commissioners, top civil state to ensure that senting constitùency servants and traditional rulers to work the military voted did so in II in Ogba Egbema/ for the success of the UNCP. Solomon administrators I Ndoni local Lar, former governor of worked assiduously ignorance” government area and former minister of police affairs, said to ensure victory for was not on the list. top civil servants and traditional rulers the UNCP. Useni Isokrari was said to were used as campaign managers during was said to have ■ ; have used his the election to intimidate innocent voters. settled the leadership crisis in the Rivers position to prevail on the resident Lar said the state government used State chapter of the UNCP during his last electoral commissioner to clear him the proposed creation of new chiefdoms visit to the state. despite serious allegations of and upgrading of traditional institutions A source told Newswatch that he told embezzlement and stealing of official to lure the traditional rulers to campaign

26 Newswatch, December 22,1997 platform of the CNC. Saraki was quick to refute the statement credited to him November 23. He said Salawu "was up to some mischief and wanted to cause havoc" because he did not discuss such an issue with anybody in Kwara State chapter of the party. He also said Salawu was a UNCP agent and not a CNC director of research, intelligence and information as he claimed. When that strategy failed to present Saraki as anti-Abacha, the UNCP was accused of using the Rafiu Olorisade's panel on recovery of public funds and other property to weaken the political influence of Mohammed Shaba Lafiagi, former civilian governor of the state. Lafiagi is one of the pillars of the CNC and Saraki's right hand man. On November 24, barely 12 days to the election, the panel ordered, through a radio and television announcement that Iwuanyanwu: Elections were free and fair Lawan: Had raw deal Lafiagi should refund N24.6 million meant for Ajaokuta resettlement scheme Ogun State. Wale Abeeb Ajayi, a DPN which he diverted to other use. Five days candidate, was declared winner by to the election, his personal house on NO Omolaja Soyemi, the returning officer 17, Ukpabi Asika road, florin, was put up after the counting of votes was completed. for auction. Lafiagi still managed to He scored 9,433 votes as against 5,765 deliver Edu, Pategi, Kayama and Baratin polled by Oluwole Akinsanya. local government areas to the CNC in Ajayi and his supporters went home spite of the humiliation and harassment to celebrate the victory. Unknown to him, by agents of the government. the result was cancelled. The following Dan Kadiri, former commissioner in day, he heard an announcement on the the Abubakar Audu administration in state radio and television that the election and national co-ordinator of had been invalidated citing malpractices CNC, was tricked out of his house by as the reason for the cancellation. UNCP agents on the pretext that his party Although the DPN has protested to men in Olla had squabbles which he had NECON, Ajayi, a lawyer, said only a to step in to settle. He immediately went competent election tribunal or court can there only to discover he was in a lion's invalidate the certificate already issued den. He narrowly escaped death. to him. Despite the various strategies, In Kwara State, one Suleman Salawu, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, publisher of Amana: No cause for fear who claimed to be CNC's director of Champion newspaper, and chairman of research, intelli­ contact and mobi­ for the UNCP generally referred to as the gence and infor­ lisation committeeof government party. He cited the case of mation, was used by "There is a limit the UNCP, des­ Langtang where presiding officers the UNCP chieftains cribed the election as collaborated with the UNCP to encourage to propagate to which free and fair. He multiple voting taking advantage of the Saraki's renewed dismissed allega­ low turn-out of voters. The former interest in the 1998 democracy can tions of malpractices governor said there was no election in the presidential race. insisting that the state and he would not accept the result. Salawu was quoted wear a Nigerian election was free and '"What happened on Saturday was a fraud as saying Saraki had fair. and a calculated attempt to change the made up his mind to face" But Mike Ozek- people's mandate/' he fumed. join the race even if home, a constitu­ The UNCP allegedly changed the Abacha finally tional lawyer and a people's mandate with the aid of some decides to contest tomorrow. human rights activist, sees it differently. NECON officials. A case in point was the Salawu reportedly said Saraki told "What happened at the last House of cancellation of an election result in him that Abacha would join a long list of Assembly election is a very unhealthy Abeokuta north local government area in aspirants if he decides to contest on the development and portends great danger

Newswatch, December 22,1997 27 ■ SPECIAL REPORT

to the stability and federalist concept of resort to harassment or blackmail of Nigeria. It also gives vent to the rumour identified opponents. and suspicion that the UNCP was a In the alternative, they contribute to government party on which Abacha perceived opponents' electoral defeat in intends to carry out a metamorphosis their constituencies. That, perhaps, from military to civilian president/' he explains why such people like Sam argued adding: "the moonlight effect of Mbakwe, former governor of Imo State, the victory definitely has a hand of Lar, Arthur Nzeribe, controversial government in.it." politician as well as principal officers of Ozekhome said the December 6, the other four political parties were made election was a manure or fertiliser to to lose elections in their constituencies. fortify Abacha's political landscape. He Edet Amana, a national trustee of the argued: "It must be noted that for nearly UNCP and a senatorial aspirant, said the two years, some professional allegations were fabricated to put the congratulators and perpetual "any- head of state and the party in bad light. govemment-in-power" crusaders have He said the victory of the UNCP was a been publicly campaigning for Abacha's victory of political commonsense over emergence in thepolitical scene. If Abacha political deception and a milestone in was not interested, it takes one sentence Nigeria's march towards democratic to say fellow countrymen, I am not governance. Besides, he insisted, it was a interested in running for the presidency confirmation of UNCP's grassroots under a civilian regime." support. Pro-democracy activists say the But Sule Lamido, a former national UNCP victory in the house of assembly secreta ry of the defunct Social Democra tic Mohammed: “We'll consolidate” election was a victory for Abacha and Party, said it was a constructed victory in that the election was deliberately which Abacha was the greatest would comer all the cabinet posts going staggered to create a bandwagon effect beneficiary. by its performance in the house of for the UNCP. They claim that the The general fear is that the UNCP assembly elections. Abacha-for-president campaigners'plan victory is dragging Nigeria towards a The big question now is: Can the was «to use government machinery to one-party system. Amana does not UNCP accommodate everybody with make the UNCP the dominant party in foresee a one-party scenario in the divergentpolitical philosophies? No, says the country in order to wipe away any development. "It is wrong for any analyst Onyebuchi Jonathan, a political analyst. perceived threat to their goal. In pursuing to paint a one-party picture because of He says some Nigerian politicians are so thatgoal, Newswatch learnt, the strategists the performance of the UNCP. It is too conservative in their views that they will early to reach that conclusion," heargued. not like to tolerate others with radical or But Iwuanyanwu said in Owerri that leaftist views in their fold. That, to him, from his reading of the political compass will sow the seed of political instability in of the transition programme, he foresees the country. a march towards a one-party state without Chris Njoku, a lawyer, also said UNCP any debate. He is worried that by the way cannot accommodate the ambitions of all people were moving into the UNCP after those who want to be legislators and the elections, the country was surely on governors. "The essence of a multi-party the road to a one-party system. He bla med system is to cater for all the diverse interest it on the attitude of politicians to be in the groups. But once it is only one party, the winning team. purport of this intendment of the system Analysts said the tendency to belong is defeated," he said. to the ruling party is borne out of the sad Njoku said it was a matter of regret experience which members of the tha t when dicta tor ships were making way opposition parties suffer in the hands of for a multi-party system, Nigeria was the ruling parties which deliberately ironically marching towards a one-party starve communities ' of basic system. infrastructure as a punishment for not Warned Ozekhome: "A one-party voting for them. To stop such practice, system is an enforced decision and there members of the defunct constitutional is a limit to which democracy, a conference made a provision in the draft universally accepted concept, can wear a constitution for cabinet posts to be shared Nigerian face. This face is becoming too among the parties on the basis of the ugly." percentage of seats won by each party in Reported by Anietie Usen, Tobs the legisla tures. But since the constitution Agbaegbu, Ibrahim Modibbo, Clarice hasTiot been promulgated, nobody is Azuatalam, Emmanuel Ugwu, Tupde sure whether the provision will be Asaju, Stephen Ubanna, Mudiaga Ozekhome: There's danger ahead retained. Even if it is retained, the UNCP Ofuoku and Fola Adekeye.

28 Newswatch, December 22,1997 FU NIGERIA

soon found that some of its members were striking personal deals with A Recurring some of the company’s officials. In con­ sequence, Freddy Ichegbo, chairman of the Obi Akor local government, dis­ solved the committee on October 17, and handed the matter over to the Rukpokwu Town Council. The RTC is headed by one ThankGod Amadi. “We Decimal have had at least two meetings with Shell. The company has to show kind responsibility for what it has caused for us. The people are really suffering,” The people of Rukpokwu, an oil-bearing community the chairman told Newswatch. He in Hivers State recount their economic losses caused was, however, worried that while the RTC was working hard to get Shell to by a serious oil spill fromShell pipeline respond to the farmers’ plight, some members of the community were still holding secret meetings with the com­ pany’s officials for backdoor settle­ By Mudiaga Ofuoku ment. "On October 20," said Amadi "those undesirable elements brought N IKWERE LANGUAGE, Rumuamadiojukwu family, spoke to Newswatch on the issues that really a team of Shell’s officials to the scene “Ohamini” means “covered of destruction without the RTC's bothered him. Wells in the area, he said, with water.” That is the name knowledge." had been contaminated by the spill. “It’s of several acres of a swampy Fidelis Okonkwo, a senior staff in causing a lot of sickness to our people farmland in Rukpokwu, an oil­ the public and governmental affairs and our animals. When we breathe, we bearing community in Rivers State. department of Shell, confirmed that breathe oil. Our goats die daily from se­ Ironically, the place is now covered some people from the community were withI crude oil caused by a serious oil rious bleeding in their noses. The fowls, coming daily to the company’s office too, are perishing”. He said many wild spill that took the community by sur­ in Port Harcourt to ask for compensa­ animals, including rabbits, grass cut­ prise late September, when a pipeline tions. “Many of them are not even vic­ ters, hares, antelopes and porcupines owned by the Shell Development Com­ tims of the spill. They are arguing that were picked up dead on the land. Snails, pany, SPDC, burst with the effect of as members of the community, the rare species of birds, a Newswatch in­ corrosion. compensation should go round. But vestigation revealed, were equally found The deadly black sludge from the Shell does not operate that way. We dead. broken pipes also coated adjoining have surveyed and assessed the area John Ogwu, 80, paramount ruler of ponds and several streams, choking to know the extent of damage and the Rukpokwu community, puts his jer­ aquatic life to death. By last week when know those qualified for compensa­ emiad this w*ay: “This village does not Newswatch visited the scene, Shell was tions. The papers are now being proc­ buy fish. We sell instead to outsiders still battling to clean up the mess, just essed,” Okonkwo told Newswatch, after killing them in our ponds and as owners of the land and fishermen adding that the spill originated from streams. For the first time in our his­ continued to mourn their fate. “This is an ageing pipe. There were initial sus- the only place I have been farming since tory, we will now have to buy.” Ogwu 1970. I have no other place to go to. owns a large pond See what Shell has done to me and my called Orumoboi. All family?” complained Obidaya Amadi, the fish there were a pensioner with the Nigerian Ports killed. Minin’a, Odo- Pic. nche and Okaminu, Amadi was bearing the woeful tale three streams in the of the entire Rumuamadiojukwu fam­ community, have been ily, owners of the affected land of which polluted. All the vic­ he is the landlord. He said the family tims are now asking planted yams, cassava, cocoyams and Shell to pay repara­ plantain on the productive lancf and tions. Their demands, that their planting season was usually put together, exceed December, by which iinie the wafer N20 million. would have substantially dried up. To get the company That farming plan may not be followed to listen to them effec­ for long time. tively, the affected peo­ ple formed an ad hoc Stephen Amadi, another farmer Oil spillage: A danger to lives representing an arm of the committee. But they

Newswatch, December 22,1997 29 picions that the spill was caused by sabotage, carried out by some members of the community to get money. Accord­ Newswatch ing to Okonkwo, the clean-up job was still in progress. But he didn’t say how many barrels of oil had been skimmed off the ground. Of equally great concern to the com­ munity, especially the victims, is the SAVE OVER ST700 clean-up exercise being handled for Off the cover price when you subscribe Shell by a contractor. According to some farmers, the workers hired by the contractor to do the work were merely PAY IN SIX INSTALMENTS WITHIN SIX MONTHS. soaking up splotches of oil with rags. Although a small area of the land has been cleaned up, the place still reeks !§ of noxious crude. As at last week, the ponds and streams were still smoth­ Read your favourite news magazine, ered with sheets of the black mixture, glinting like a kaleidoscope under a It saves you cost. Vendors won't take advantage of you bright sunlight. when the news is particularly hot. We deliver to your The damage truly appeared awful, and may have to be there, complete home or office even before the vendors get on the road. with its toxic hydrocarbon and acid rain, for quite some time. The victims NAME...... argued that much damage was done to their land and crops because it took ADDRESS:...... Shell more than a week before it be­ gan clamping the corroded pipes and trapping the spreading crude with con­ (Preferably Residential or Office, not R O. Boot for Lagos subscribers only) tainment booms. The victims want the clean-up contract retrieved from the Tick □ Installmental Ffcyment or CH Full Payment man handling it and re-awarded to the community. They also want Shell to Enclosed here is a bank draft for...... supply them with mechanical skim­ mers for that purpose, instead of the rags now being used by the contractor. Skimmers would effectively lift the oil from the surface of the water. Signature...... Date...... “We’re equally calling on Shell,” Ille also hove Special Bonanza for our existing subscribers. added Amadi, the RTC chairman, “to excavate the place on its own, six feet deep at least, and refill it with fresh wmm. sands to enable us continue planting next year.” Oil spills occur with monotonous Please direct all enquiries to: regularity in the oil-bearing parts of the RATE state. And they come with their eco­ logical havoc. Till today, Rumuowha- The Marketing Manager LAGOS Eneka, a village near Rukpokwu still 62 Weeks- N2JC0.00 suffers the devastating effect of a spill Newswatch Communications Ltd. 26 Weeks -N1,420.00 that occurred in August 1995. All our 3, Billingsway, farmlands," related Michael James Oregun Industrial Estate, Ikeja. OTHER TOWNS IN Wopara one of the affected people, NIGERIA "have returned to yield. Not a single Tel. 01-4528673 52 WEEKS-N3,120.00 grass has grown to this day on my farm. Scientist have said the crude oil has killed the fertility of the oil. They ad­ vised us to heap ridges and fertilisers before planting. They said the fertility will return in 10 to 15 years' time." L J

30 Newswatch, December 22, 1997 Peace Returns of college of medicine, University of Lecturers Quizzed Lagos,-is also worried by the state of equipment used in some general Relative peace returned to and hospitals and teaching hospitals to­ By Janet Mba-Afolabi Modakeke communities after nine day. According to him. most of the months of protracted crisis over lo­ equipment were purchased over 20 The crisis of confidence at the Ogun cation of local government head­ years ago and cannot be used for State University, OSU, Ago-Iwoye, quarters. Last week, leaders of the reliable research. deepened last week as police warring communities signed a Babalola, advised the state gov­ quizzed Kola Babarinde, chairman peace accord. Both parties agreed ernment, to pump a lot of money into of banned Academic Staff Union of to ceasefire while the state govern­ the project to enhance practical Universities, ASUU, over his al­ ment and council of Obas find solu­ teaching. A key problem teachers, leged involvement in cultism. He tion to the crisis. have had to contend with is having was quizzed along with Samuel Ale, , ad­ to train students with outdated also a lecturer. ministrator who witnessed the equipment . He was of the view that Both lecturers were allegedly peace accord said both sides have the state of equipment used for involved in nocturnal meetings been made to realise government s medical training affected the qual­ with some students where they car­ position on the issue and the need ity of knowledge given to the stu­ ried out blood initiations. They were to five in peace. dents. further alleged to have master­ To make the warring parties minded the recent face-off between stand by the truce Obi said, hence­ students and the school authorities. forth the leaders will be held re­ Protecting The Denying the allegations, sponsible for the breakdown of law Babarinde said “the people at the and order in the communities. He Child forefront of the call on the vice- also threatened to arrest the lead­ chancellor to run the university ac­ ers “if such ugly situation re-oc­ By Clarice Azuatalam cording to law, stop the current curs.” drift of the university into disrepute Government, organisations and well and take decisive steps against se­ meaning individuals have been urged cret cult members, are the ones be­ Medical to join the crusade to uplift the image ing falsely and maliciously accused College for LASU and protection c£ the child through sponsored petition.” Christie Omogbai, the Nigerian co­ He vowed that no amount of in­ ordinator, working group for children Lagos State government has re­ timidation would deter his insist­ of Amnesty International, made this ence on preserving the university ceived approval to establish a col­ call recently in Lagos at the anniver­ by fighting “maladministration, in­ lege of medicine at the state uni­ sary of the convention on the rights of versity. Already, arrangements are competence, academic and financial the child. She stated that article 22 on abuses.” in top gear to convert the Ikeja gen­ “Refugee Children” makes it impera­ eral hospital to a teaching hospital. tive on “the state to ensure protection Rivers State Newswatch learnt that the ap­ and assistance to children who are proval was given to enhance pri­ refugees or are seeking refugee status, Loses Five mary health care which has dete­ and to cooperate with competent or­ riorated over the years. Medical ex­ ganisations providing such protection perts welcomed the news saying About five members of the Rivers and assistance”. there is need to have a standard State contingent who were travel­ Omogbai said that reports from teaching hospital because most ling from Port Harcourt to Abuja around the world highlight children’s state hospitals have been reduced for National Festival of Arts and vulnerability to abuse. For this reason to mere consulting clinics. Tunde she said, there is need for greater pro­ culture were reported dead last Babalola, a medical doctor said the week in a road accident. Ten oth­ tection as “every child is our child”. She equipment used in these hospitals ers were placed on danger list. called on all crusaders of children’s have become obsolete and required A similar accident occurred last rights to demand for probe into re­ to be replaced urgently with mod­ ported incidents of child abuse that year when all members of the em ones to facilitate better obser­ happened in places like Democratic contingent to the Fes­ vation and laboratory analysis. tival perished while travelling back Republic of Congo, Australia, Afghani­ Olusola Sofola, former provost to the state. stan, France and Russia

Newswatch, December 22,1997 31 P million from out of the top Mogadishu, Dublin, Elton John, a floors of the popular rock mu­ building, police Somalia Ireland sician, being pro­ blocked all access ceeds from the streets and used At least 25 people, sale of "Candle in helicopter to mostly child ren have Heart transplant was the Wind," the pour water on the died of cholera in successfully carried song he sang at blazing fire. Mogadishu, the out on a five-day-old Diana's funeral. Somalian capital. baby in Dublin, last The song which Fatum a Mohammed, July. The British sur­ hit the top chart,. a doctor in South geons who per­ has sold about 33 Mogadishu's formed the operation million copies world­ if* m Compiled Medina Hospital, said last week, that wide, rhaking it the said that the situation the heart which they % Washing­ best single in history. Clarice Azuatalam was caused by lack used was taken from Sarah ton, of drugs. a twelve-year-old boy Mcorquodale, Diana's He said that the who died in an acci­ sister who is looking United country has been re­ dent. The heart was after the fund, will re­ About 20 years after lying on aid agencies reduced by two- ceive the money on be­ the death of Steve States for drugs, and that thirds. The girl was half of all the charities Biko, the anti-apart­ there was not enough maligned with a rare which Diana sup­ heid hero, the Truth Walter Carington, a oral dehydration liver disease. A simi­ ported. and Reconciliation former United States salts and other medi­ lar disease had killed Commission has been ambassador to Ni­ her two brothers caments tcf control told that he was de­ geria, is still worried within weeks of their Auckland, the disease. nied medical treat­ about the political birth. New Zea­ ment, despite signs of situation in his former serious ailment. Dan­ host country. In an Bujumbura, land iel Siebert, 51, an Kuala address delivered re­ Burundi apartheid-era police­ cently to students of man, who applied for Lumpur, Jenny Shipley 45, Howards Ralph After six months, the emerged as the New amnesty for his crimi­ Bunche International Malaysia nal act against Biko, Tutsi-dominated Zealand's first woman Affairs Centre, government of prime minister last told the commission Carrington who is Burundi has lifted the week. Michael Hardie that instead of medi­ The government of now a private citizen, ban on the Hutu eth­ Boys, the governor- cal help, he was tor­ noted that Nigeria Malaysia has an­ nic party which has a nounced pay cuts of general who signed her tured till he went ber­ has the choice to stick majority in the na­ 10 percent for cabinet warrant of office, de­ serk, sustaining head with military rule and tional assembly. ministers and eight scribed the occasion as injuries. remain one of the Pierre-Claver percent for senior "a special one." He also Siebert admitted world's poorest na­ Nday icariye, the com­ civil servants. Anwar noted that the govern­ that the facts of the tions or switch to munications minister Ibrahim, the finance ment faced "a great interrogation were democratic civilian who d isclosed this, did minister said this was deal of unfinished busi­ concealed to prevent rule and achieve eco- part of an austerity ness" in its social party. public outcry. nomic prosperity, not elaborate on the measure adopted by Jim Bolger, the and a rightful place sudden change of government to sus­ former PM who Jakarta, as a leader in African heart. President Pierre tain the economy. He Shipley deposed said affairs. Buyoya had banned said that government his family had ab­ Indonesia He also said that the Front for Democ­ would also slash sorbed his exit from the problem with US- racy in Burundi, office philosophically. FRODEBU, six spending by 18 per­ About 14 people died Nigerian relations is months earlier, accus­ cent next year. when Indonesia's that the Nigerian gov­ ing its leader, Jean Johan­ Central Bank twin ernment has driven London, towers got burnt, opposition under­ Minani of open rebel­ nesburg, prompting the evacu­ ground. He warned lion against Burundi. Britain ation of hundreds of that this could greatly He was also accused South others. destabilise the coun­ of supporting a four- As oil workers try. year armed Hutu re­ Princess Diana Charity Africa bellion against the Fund is to receive $34 watched the inferno, with smoke billowing state. % Mn ,i.„u r\------i------1 nm [BUSINESS + ECONOMY To End Poverty

Organised private sector suggests ways to stimulate economic growth, eliminate poverty in Nigeria

By Salif Atojoko

F NIGERIA IS TO BREAK RANKS that the appreciation of the naira in the with poverty and underdeve­ last two months which is believed to be lopment, budget '98 must government-induced, is to herald the stimulate growth through speci­ unification of the two exchange rates at Ogwuma: Single exchange rate fic macro-economic objectives, N60 tot $1. Government is expected to according to Organised Private Sector, adopt policies that will facilitate a rapid The projected growth rate was 5 percent. OPS, a platform for the Manufacturers appreciation of the naira next year in Nigeria must plan to grow at eight to 10 Association of Nigeria, MAN; Nigerian order to make the exchange rate stabilise percent if the scourge of poverty is to be Association of Commerce, Industry, at between N40 and N45 to $1. eliminated. Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA and Government was advised to strive to Economic experts believe that the Nigerian Employer's Consultative maintain the rate of inflation at a single privatisation and liberalisation of Association, NECA. digit level and to continue with the efforts government parastatals like NITEL, In a pre-budget memorandum to the to address the problem of distress in the NEPA and Nigeria Airways, should be Presidential Advisory Committee, PAC, banking sector. The OPS memo also dwelt the cornerstone of budget '98. The OPS said there was an urgent need to reflate on timely release of capital vote without has proposed that definite steps should the economy through non-inflationatory jeopardising the need for accountability be taken in the 1998 fiscal year to fiscal and monetary policy measures in and transparency. It said a machinery for encourage private participation in .the the next budget. It said the purchasing project performance evaluation should provision of public utilities to reduce the power of average Nigerians should be be established to obviate the withholding fiscal burdep of such enterprises on enhanced to stimulate increased demand of capital budget because of lack of government and the economy. In the 1997 for goods and services. accountability. budget, government proposed to set up a OPS said the 1998 budget must Ndubusi Nwokoma, an economist and committee to advise it on the privatisation articulate the need to harmonise the dual deputy director of ESUT Business School of its enterprises. That has not been done. exchange rate regime of the official and said the delay in releasing the capital Once the economy is open to autonomous markets and the reduction vote made the attainment of the 1997 competition through liberalisation, there of lending rates in order to stimulate projected growth rate of 5.5 percent will be increased productivity. But it savings and encourage investment. impossible. "Money should be released cannot be successfully implemented Paul Ogwuma, CBN governor has also as scheduled in the budget otherwise the without the effective participation of the ca lied on the government to adopt a single system will go astray and thereby derail private sector in close partnership with exchange rate. The clamour for a unified the entire budget plan," said Nwokoma. the government and the public sector. In exchange rate is based on the argument Even though the Nigerian economy recognition of the need for more explicit that it will remove distortions caused by attained a substantial degree of public and private sector partnership, the dual exchange rate regime. stabilisation in 1997, experts believe that various economic summits and numerous A presidency source hinted recently growth is at a modest three to four percent. fora organised yearly to provide inputs

Newswatch, December 22,1997 33 ■ BUSINESS + ECONOMY

into the annual budget and the dations of the last economic summit of export of agricultural products, easy recommendations of the Vision 2010 which made certain proposals as macro- access to credit facility and adequate committee, all canvass for increased economic growth targets for the next environmental protection for agriculture government and private sector partner­ budgetary year. The targets include non­ to regain its pre-oil boom status. ship. inflationary growth, GDP growth of five The group suggested further tax relief But Sam Aluko, chairman of the percent or more, inflation level of less to enhance the take home pay of the National Economic Intelligence Com­ than eight percent, saving ratio of 20 average Nigerian worker. It also mittee, NEIC, faults this recommen­ percent and reduction in unemployment. suggested a further review of the dation. He recently accused the Vision In the manufacturing sector, the OPS distribution of VAT proceeds in favour 2010 committee of overdramatising the proposed improvement in the quality of of the states whose sales tax revenue has role of the private sector. He said that the infrastructure, a tax regime that could been eliminated by VAT. The view is that public sector should remain dominant facilitate the replacement of old this will reduce the multiple taxes and until 2010, after which the private sector machinery by existing firms and the levies being demanded by the state and may begin to dominate. elimination of the problems associated local governments from corporate 'Tree enterprise, privatisation and with clearing imported raw materials at organisations. The group said the refund private sector dominance are conse­ the ports, to enhance sustained activity system of VAT should be reviewed to quences, not causes of economic growth and growth of the manufacturing sector. eliminate the current inherentdifficulties of a nation," said Aluko. In other words, OPS said there continued to be low and abolish outright excise duties on all the dominance of the private sector should capacity utilisation during the 1997 fiscal products. not be forced but allowed to evolve on its year with a decline from 33.9 percent in The role of education in building the own. December, 19% to 29.4 percent in June, human capital of the country, informed a In the main, the OPS proposals to PAC 1997 due to general infrastructural suggestion that government should agree with the recommendations of the weakness as represented by poor increase education funding. OPS said the Vision 2010 committee which govern­ telecommunications and transportation, private sector should be encouraged to ment has since adopted. A committee to power and water supply. expand its scope of participation in the work with , finance minister, Agriculture remains the single largest educational sector to include the tertiary to ensure the integration of aspects of the employer of labour to date. A major level. The group also canvassed a regular Vision 2010 report in next year's budget challenge of the 1998 budget, the group review of educational curriculum, was set up soon after the inauguration of stated, is to enhance the investment especially at tertiary level, to make them the National Council of the Nigerian competitiveness of the agricultural sector. more relevant to the needs of the society. Vision, NCNV. It called for the abolition of duties on all Decentralisation of wages and salaries Most of Vision 2010 inputs on the agricultural machinery and equipment in the public service is one of the economy were drawn from recommen­ as well as agro-allied inputs, liberalisation suggestions of OPS. It argued that the public service should embrace collective bargaining and negotiation on the basis of affordability by all tiers of government. It said that machinery should be in motion to negotiate with the trade unions on an ongoing basis the salaries and wages in the public service, as is done in the private sector. The suggestion here is not very clear as government has already announced such a declaration in this year's budget; although no new wages have emerged from it. Given the importance of the oil and gas sector, the OPS recommends that investment should be sufficiently protected from community disturbances, and that indigenous participants be encouraged through a regime of appropriate incentives. It further said that prompt effort should be made to attract joint venture partners for refurbishing the refineries for efficient and effective operations. In the 1997 budget, $200 million was provided for the rehabilitation of refineries. But, the refineries have not yet been repaired, causing prolonged fuel a.. 9B« -lilHH scarcity that disrupted business and social Aluko: Supports public sector dominance activities during the yearH

34 Newswatch, December 22,1997 ■ BUSINESS + ECONOMY ■■■■■■■■

government has approached some potential, investors but they reportedly turned down the offers because of the poor performance of the mill. Silent Mills International Technical and Trading Consultants, ITTCC, Limited has 25 percent shares of the company. Katsina State local government has 13 percent Production grinds to a halt at Katsina and the remaining 12 percent shares belong to private individuals. Flour Mills Limited. The company has a total paid-up capital of N30 million. Its other sources of revenue included a N15.7 million loan By Nick Odeh from Nigeria Agricultural and Co­ operative Bank, NACB, and dealers' registration fees of N5,000 per dealer. Over 425 dealers paid. Abubakar blamed the situation in the company on "the problem of the general ban on importation of wheat nation-wide and the exchange rate which made the working capital inadequate." According to Abubakar, the rate of exchange when the company started operation was N10 to $1. But suddenly, the value of the naira sharply declined to about N80 or more to $1. With this, he noted, the cost of transacting business : became prohibitive. The problems of the company go beyond these, however. According to a source, the company is not operating the Empty silos at the Katsina Flour Mills way a liability company should. The government has three directors on the HE KATSINA FLOUR MILLS its own wheat in October 1994 and was board, including the chairman and Limited, KFM, is virtually depending on proceeds from "toll managing director. dead. It's remaining 44 crashing" to meet its financial The local government has one while employees have not been paid commitments. Toll crashing, which is a the technical partners have two. The other since the beginning of the year. system whereby a customer brings his private investors, Newswatch learnt, are "We do not know our fate/' an own wheat and pays for grinding and not represented. The mill is being run as employee of the company complained to packaging, has since stopped. a bureaucracy. Newswatch recently. "We do not know Last April, the government set up a There are allegations that resources the intention of the Katsina State committee to advise it on what to do with were not being prudently managed. The government and other investors about the ailing company. The committee has absence of an internal auditor, revealed a the flour mills/' he said. since submitted its report to the source, leaves open the possibility of The company has ceased operation. government. fraudulentpracticeamong management. When Newswatch visited the factory, "The government will soon make The company's alleged indebtedness to November 5, only security men were known its decision regarding the flour Kankia Metal Works was cited as one found onfthe premises. mill," Sheik Umar Abubakar, commis­ such incidence. Bishir Gidado, the managing director, sioner for commerce, industry and The company was said to be owing is in Ibadan pursuing his post graduate tourism, told Newswatch, November 6. N3.5 million to Kankia Metal Works, studies. Hassan Sada, the company Said he: "After making such a huge without documentation. Bence Adorjan, secretary, who Newswatch learnt, is investment, government would want to a Hungarian, and then managing director, holding brief for him, comes into the see the place functioning. The state representing ITTCC, refused to honour premises once in a long while. The other administrator, Col. Bature Chamah, met it. Buthe could not withstand the pressure managers hardly show up in their offices. file company dead but he has been trying for long. The staff were paid their last salaryin to resuscitate it/' Threatened with deportation, December 1996. This was made possible Abubakar would not preempt file Adorjan paid out the N3.5 million from through a loan of N250,000by the Katsina government decision but the general idea the NACB loan. He asked for document State government. The government owns is that government would resuscitate the to back up the payment. He never got it. 50 percent of the company. company, run it for a while and sell it off When he went on leave, he was sacked. The company stopped production of to private investors. Newswatch learnt that He is now deceased.!

Newswatch, December 22,1997 35 SPORTS

■ FOOTBALL appearance in France '98 has since improved greatly. During the European zone of the World Cup preliminaries, Bulgaria topped its group to qualify for France '98. Bulgaria Death also has world class players in the likes of Hristo Stoichkov of Barcelona, in Spain and Emil Kostadinov who plays in Spain. Abdul-mum ini Aminu, chairman of Nigeria Football Association, NFA, Zone admitted that Super Eagles players are in Pele: Doubtful for a tough fight in France '98 and mightnot easily cross the preliminaries stage. "The battle for the two second round tickets in Group D features experienced group D will be tough," Aminu said. Victor Ikpeba, Super Eagles player World Cup teams but Nigeria is based in France says the grouping is a big challenge to Nigeria, but said Super Eagles yet to prepare for France ’98 can jump the hurdle and go far in file World Cup if they play with the same spirit and determination with which they played at By Yemi Adebowale Atlanta '96 Olympic. Segun Odegbami, former captain of the ZONE OF players rated among the best in the World. Super Eagles said Super Eagles should not // death." That Andoni Zubizarretta, Albert Ferrer, Raul underrate any team "as all of them have the was howRa- Gonzalez, Fernando Hierro and Louis potential to reach the next stage of the fiu Oladipo, Enrique are some of the players that can championship." He said if Nigeria desires chairman of easily wreck any opponent. The Spanish to go beyond file preliminaries "a coach Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club, national team has not lost a single match that can motivate the players should be NFSC, described Group D of the France in three years. During the European zone, signed-on before file end of the year." A 4 '98 World Cup, which will see Super of the France '98 qualifier, Spain won ten Aminu agreed that Nigeria must start Eagles playing with Spain, Bulgaria and of its twelve matches, drawing the préparation early if Nigeria wants to make Paraguay. remaining two. an impact at France '98. He promised that The group is no doubt one of the Paraguay emerged second in the tough a coach would be appointed forthenational toughest of the eight groups into which South American zone during the World team before the end of December. But the the 32 teams that qualified for France '98 Cup qualifier, to pick France '98 ticket. search for a new coach for Super Eagles has were grouped December 4 in Marseille, The team brushed-aside Uruguay, Peru continued without any positive result. France. All Super Eagles' opponents are and Bolivia. Paraguay had been to the Edson Aran tes De Nascimento of Brazil, experienced sides with intimidating World Cup four times. France '98 will be popularly known as Pele, who had tipped World Cup record. its fifth World Cup appearance. Paraguay's Nigeria to do well in France '98, has now Brazil, defending World Cup key player is Jose Chilavert who is at changed his mind. He did not even list champion, will play in group A with present rated as the most dangerous Super Eagles among the top ten teams Scotland, Morocco and Norway. goalkeeper in the world because he often rated to win the World Cup. He said Italy, Chile, Cameroon and Australia leaves his goalpost to score for his team "Nigeria is not serious if the country is still will play in group B, while France, South from free-kicks against opponents. searching for a coach six months to the Africa, Denmark and Saudi Arabia will He has scored over 30 goals in three World Cup." play in group C. years despite being a goalkeeper. He was As at last week, NFA, was yet to reach Group E has the Netherlands, voted South American best footballer last any concrete agreement with any world Belgium, South Korea and Mexico while year, Roberto Acuna and Rivarola Ayala class coach. Newswatch learnt that Nigeria Germany, USA, Yugoslavia and Iran are are some of Paraguay's other players who may eventually settle for Bonfrere, who in group F. Romania, Colombia, England can easily create problems for opponents. left Nigeria for Qatar after Atlanta '96. and Tunisia are in group G. Argentina, Paulo Carpepioni, coach of the team, Pressures from some members of NFA Japan, Jamaica and Croatia will play in admitted that group D is a zone of death board and sports ministry officials, group H. but said his team has a good chance of particularly those loyal to , Spain, Nigeria's first opponent can be moving to the second round. former sports minister, who are against described as a World Cup veteran. The Bulgaria was defeated 3-0 by Nigeria the return of Bonfrere, have so far delayed Spanish national team has been to the in USA '94 but the team went as far as the the naming of Bonfrere as national team World Cup eight times. France '98 will be semi-finals. Nigeria was defeated in the coach. Terry Venables, coach of Australia its 9th appearance. Though Spain had second round. This time around, Nigeria and Carlos Alberto Pereira of Brazil who never won the World Cup, the team got to might not find things easy with Bulgaria. had indicated jnterest in the Super Eagles the quarter finals of USA '94 World Cup. The Bulgarian national team which will job, changed their mind because NFA Spain also has a team of highly talented be making its seventh World Cup could not meet their financial demands.

36 Newswatch, December 22,1997 column Sampras the Great

eugeny kafelni- style of Sampras is a most welcorfte kov, the brilliant 23 Chuka Momah development. He has proved that year-old Russian greatness can go hand in hand with player, walked up to humanism, decency and the net at the end of the ATP World unblemished integrity. ChampionshipY match against Pete Becker has for years insisted that Sampras, shook hands with the Sampras is the greatest tennis player champ disconsolately and asked ever. He has often said that Sampras "why did you do this to me"? combines the touch, finesse and style Sampras looked at his victim of the masters of the past with the compassionately and simply said : power of the youngsters of the "I am sorry". To be No. 1 in the present era. Becker is philosophical Thatepisodejust about summed world, a player must and deep. He should know. up the situation regarding men's be very consistent and Indeed, the current talk in sports tennis today. Sampras had just is that Ronaldo and Tiger Woods shellshocked Kafelnikov 6-3,6-2,6- almost consumed with are not yet there. That Mike Tyson 2 in 88 minutes to win his fourth the game never really was there; that Carl ATP tour world title. The Russian Lewis is gone while Wayne Gretsky was later to say that he sensed his Edberg seventh, Rod Laver eight, and Micheal Jordan are over the hill. problems earlier on in the first set Mats Wilander ninth and the brilliant That leaves Sampras as the only all the way Sampras was playing and but tempestous Rumanian lie time great currently at the top of his knew deep down that his situation Nastase, tenth. game and most probably the best would only get worse. The astonishing thing about this athlete in the world today. Sampras ended the year with great yet humble master is that he is Tennis today has so much depth astonishing statistics. He equalled only 26 years old and only at the mid than in the days of Laver or Borg. Jimmy Connors' record (1974-1978) point of his career. He himself has Today a top 10 player on an off day of being ranked the year end No. 1 said with great modesty that when can easily lose to a player ranked player for the5th time, with victories he is in the "zone" and playing well, 200 in the world. That Sampras has at Wimbledon and the Australian he gets this crazy feeling that he is always found a way to stay on top open in 1997, he was crowned world unbeatable. The statistics show that says so much for his genius. After champion for the fifth consecutive Sampras has no weaknesses. His the Davis cup final against Sweden, year, winning the Fred Perry trophy serve is one of the best ever. This Sampras says he will start training for grandslam supremacy in the forehand ground stroke is one of the again by mid-December for the next process. He has now won 10 best ever, so is his overhead big event, the Australian open where grandslam titles and is only 2 short audaciously hit with the slamdunk he hopes to win his 11th grandslam of the record haul of 12 held by the mechanics of professional title. Sampras has said that to be No. Australian, Roy Emerson. basketball. This volley and backhand 1 in the world, a player must be very In a comprehensive poll of the reveal no weaknesses while his consistent and almost always past and present players as well as speed and. court coverage rank consumed with the game. He also the press, tournament directors and among the best ever. added tha t to remain on top, a player other cognoscenti of the tennis His mental conditioning is must prepare well and that over the world,. Sampras was voted the best similarly superb. In 1997 Sampras next 6 months or a year the world player of theopen era of tennis which won 13 of 14 matches against top would see which player has done was now spanned 25 years. Bjorn opponents. In a sport that has that the best. With the present Borg was second, John Mcenroe produced great and brilliant brats dedication of Sampras, your guess third, Jimmy Connors fourth, Ivan like Mcenroe and Connors, the may be as good as mine who that Lendl fifth, Boris Becker sixth, affable, modest and unassuming player will beM

Newswatch, December 22, 1997 37 IN THE NEWS

Television Authority, NT A. Jose and Warminster. He served with Birthdays is the chairman, Irede Trading the United Nations, UN, peace Company Limited. keeping force, in the Congo. By Raphael Adeyanju Eme Onuoha Awa, professor Grace Awani Alele-Williams, of political science and a professor of mathematics, 65, administrator, 76, December 15. December 16. She was bom at ahmud waziri, He was educated at Lincoln Warri, and educated businessman, University and New York at the University College politician, 61,Dece­ University both in USA. Awa is a (University of Ibadan) Ibadan, mber 13. He was educated at former dean, faculty of social University of Ver Mount and M sciences, University of Nigeria, University of Chicago, both in North Western Polytechnic, London and Waterloo University, Nsukka. He was Chairman of USA. Alele-Williams was vice- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. National Electoral Commission, chancellor, University of Benin Waziri is the managing director, NEC. Awa is the author of The from 1985 -1992. She is the author Nigerbras shipping line. He was Transformation of Rural Society and of Modern Mathematics Hand book a senator in the second republic. other books. for Teachers. She is a member Theophilus Yakubu Governing Council, UNESCO Danjuma, a retired lieutenant- Institute of Education. general and former chief of army staff, 60, December 9. He was bom at Takum, and Awarded educated at Benue Provincial Secondary School (now Salim Ahmed Salim, GovemmentCollege) Katsina-Ala secretary-general of the and Nigerian College of Arts, organisation of African Unity, Science and Technology, . OAU, and four others, 1997 Danjuma had his military training edition of Zik prize in leadership at Nigerian Military Training by the advisory board of the Public School, Kaduna; MONS officer Policy Research and Analysis cadet training school, Aldershot, Centre, PPRAC. Salim won the U K and school of Infantry, Hythe Zik's prize for political leadership. Other recipients of the prize were Anthony Ani minister of finance, who won the Zik's prize Jose for professional leadership; Sonny Odogwu, the publisher of Post Ismail Babatunde Jose, Express jand Rufus Giwa, journalist and administrator, 72, managing director of Lever December 13. He was born in Brothers are joint winners in Lagos and educated at Yaba business leadership's category. Methodist School Lagos, and The Zik prize in leadership was Saviour's High School, Lagos. Jose instituted in 1994 as part of the was a technical trainee, Daily annual activities in honour of late Times of Nigeria. He was a Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first political and trade union president of the Federal Republic correspondent of the newspaper. of Nigeria. The award is in three He later became, editor, managing categories: political leadership, director and chairman, Daily professional leadership and Times of Nigeria Limited. He also business leadership. served as chairman, Nigerian Danjuma

38 Newswatch, December 22,1997