Ehirim Files News Desk

In less than 24 hours after he checked back in to Government House, Plateau State Governor, Mr Joshua dariye was served with an impeachment notice by the State House of Assembly.

The immediate release of Abia State governor-elect, Theodore Orji, have been demanded by Igbo indigenes in Lagos. Orji has been in EFCC net for the past three months on corruption and fradulent charges. According to the coordinator of Concerned Igbo Leaders Forum (CILF) addressing the media in Lagos, Ogbonna Onyenweaku, "accused the EFCC of working for the political interest of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Also in Abia State, one person was killed and 26 people arrested during the April 14 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Nigeria's image is going down the drain especially with the last election which was marred by irregularities and supposedly the first time a smooth transition takes place between two civilians. Columnist Stan Simpson of the Hartford Courant notes that Nigeria's enormous potential was enough "intellectual capital" to make her "Africas Great Black Hope."

In Senate President Ken Nnamani's interview with The News due on the newstands May 07, 2007, he spoke with Oluokun Ayorinde, Tony Orilade, Desmond Utomwen and Femi Ipaye, in a discourse regarding the constitutional guidelines, due process and the confusion between him and the presidency. Nnamani speaks;

They seem to have forgotten that they sent us a letter proclaiming a State of Emergency in Ekiti, and with such a letter, what do they expect me to do? There is a standing rule of the Senate and there is a Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution. Both documents clearly define what should be done when there is a situation such as proclamation of state emergency. The constitution defines it very clearly under Section 305(6B). So do our standing rules section 134 and 135. Section 134 is just a general provision, but if you look at Section 135 very well, it says when we are on recess and such a letter comes from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Senate President will cause the Clerk of the Senate to issue a notice to Senators for immediate reconvening, and that has to be done within three working days of the receipt of the proclamation document. The proclamation document includes the gazette and the details from Mr. President, stating the circumstances surrounding the state of emergency. I received such a letter on the 18th of April and I quickly summoned the Clerk of the Senate and I told them we must follow the rules: issue a notice recalling the Senators.

I thought I was trying to do the Executive a favour; well, maybe not a favour, but I thought I was supporting their programme because they declared a state of emergency in Ekiti. Because if I had to leave the document sent to me until 2nd May, our resumption date, it would be 14 days from the date of proclamation and that would be outside what the constitution says. We had convene to either ratify or reject the request. Rather than commend my effort, I started hearing on television that I was reconvening the Senate to induce my colleagues to bring about what they call Interim National Government. ING, to the best of my knowledge, was a creation of the military. It has no place in our constitution at all. I keep saying that Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy, not presidential democracy in the sense that people derive what they say and do based on the constitution. I am not saying here that the constitution is perfect, but until it is amended that is the guiding principle; that is the roadmap whether you are the presidency, the legislature, the judiciary, or you are a trader. The law of the land is defined by the constitution. So I was trying to obey it and that was the reason for reconvening, there was nothing else on the agenda. The Senators came up with several strong motions on the election, their views about it and they strongly felt we should debate it, but I stood all those motions down, insisting that we were there to consider a request by Mr. President.

Meanwhile, as Nnamani's comments sends mixed reactions to a troubled nation, Chief Paul Olusegun dakosta, the Bobajaiye of Lagos spoke with Stan Okeke ofr the Daily Sun, and the following are his views on the elections:

We are planting a time bomb. The democratic exercise we just had is nothing short of injustice. This is cancerous and sooner or later, that cancer will kill us. The Americans had predicted that in about 15 years, we would have a big problem in Nigeria. I think this is the beginning.

What we had was not an election. We have just planted some bitter seeds. There has to be a certain level of integrity in our democratic environment. Once people believe they have been cheated, that is the beginning of the end of that society. What we called elections in more than half of the 36 states of this country, were just outright theft, and rape of our democracy.

Nothing makes a human being more bitter than injustice. We can take everything else but we cannot take injustice. Injustice, like what we have in the Niger Delta, can destroy a country. That’s my honest opinion.

And his views for averting the catastrophy:

The difference between a human being and an animal is conscience. The solution to Nigeria’s problem is a quick development of good conscience. What stops me from killing my fellow man is conscience. I could kill if I have a gun. I’m licensed to have a gun and I could go out and kill. I may not be not afraid of the police or the justice system. What I’m afraid of is God Almighty.

It’s that conscience that will make me not kill. How much money does a human being need? And how much do we take with us? How much did Abiola take with him, and how much did Abacha take with him? Nobody will go with one naira. Why the mad rush to steal billions?

Some of our governors are worth billions. It’s all madness, and you know, I have friends that graduated from universities over 20 years ago, and are still living in one bedroom. Something is wrong. We have a sort of mental problem in Nigeria and it’s material. Our hunger for money in Nigeria is unquenchable and we flaunt it.

And you know what? More than 25 per cent of our stolen funds are lost because the people who stole them never reveal their account numbers to their wives or any relation. So, when they die, the money just dies in foreign account. I’m aware of some myself and that’s a blessing to that country. Even some army colonels have died with foreign accounts in Riggs Bank, in Washington.

The wife doesn’t know the account, the friends that know about it can’t touch the money. So, the money just dies there. Three million, four million dollars, dead in their account.

The money you steal that will not benefit your wife and children or any of your relatives, of what use is it? It can’t even benefit your country. How can people be suffering in the land of plenty? We are spiritually cursed. Every country has dishonesty, even America and Britain. Our problem is that our level of dishonest people is too high. America has more criminals than we have, but nobody is above the law.

What our president has done in eight years, an American president will not survive six months. He will be in jail. In a state in America, the governor accepted a mere gift, and had to resign. He was found guilty and may be he is in jail now. The gift was less than one thousand dollars, not even cash. What happens here in terms of corruption can never happen in a civilized country, not even in Ghana that was some years back, ravaged by poverty...

And finally, President-elect, Alhaji Musa Yar'Adua has pledged to transform the economy.

We'll see!