More light has been shed on President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘clandestine visit’ to some top monarch last week.
The surprise courtesy visit as the president camp put it, saw President visiting Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi; and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu also set tongues wagging that the President was trying to mend fences in preparation for the 2015 general election.
Read the rest of the story as reported by Sunday Newswatch
Contrary to general impressions, that last week’s visit by President Goodluck Jonathan to some traditional rulers in the country was in preparation of his declaration for the 2015 presidential election, Sunday Newswatch can reveal that the President actually went round to get the consent of the monarchs in nominating them as participants in the national conference, which is scheduled to take off next month.
Competent sources within the presidency told Sunday Newswatch that Jonathan’s tour to the royal fathers was not only to canvass support for the national discourse, but also to convince the monarchs on the need to have the parley, and also seek their opinion to nominating them as confab delegates.
Some of the sources were also of the view that the visited traditional rulers may be able to douse the opposition in their domain, from where it is expected that some problematic issues may be sponsored for debate at the conference.
One of the sources, who was part of in the presidential entourage, disclosed that the President is not only interested in having a successful conference, but also leaving a good legacy, by ensuring that the conference makes fundamental changes in the polity.
“The President needs the royal fathers in those states to checkmate some politicians, because some of their leaders are in the opposition, and they want to scuttle the confab. Already, they are planning to inject some violent issues, especially the no-go-area, into their own agenda,” he said.
The President had last week visited the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi; and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu. No official reason was given for the visits that lasted two days, as the presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, refused to speak on the issue.
When Sunday Newswatch approached Abati during the visit in Badagry, he declined comments, saying that it was merely a private visit. Pressed further that the President’s visit, however private, should be reported, Abati simply said, “Okay, write what you heard and saw.”
Earlier, Oba Adeyemi had denied that the President’s visit was to soften the ground for his plan to declare his intention to seek his party’s ticket for the 2015 presidential election. Oba Adeyemi had said the President did not discuss politics with him.
But Jonathan himself fuelled the speculation when in Osun State, he said: “I thank not only the people of the state, but the entire South West for the support we received in 2011. I have come to reciprocate the gesture with the hope that things will continue well. We are one. I remain your own.”
However, some of the problematic issues, which the President had sought to keep away from the conference, and part of the reasons he sought the support of the royal fathers, may have started rearing their ugly heads.
Some ethnic nationalities met over weekend and insisted on revisiting the secession agenda. Some groups in the northern part of the country, and a faction of the Afenifere last week, insisted that they would go to the conference to discuss the no-go-areas, which border on the unity of the country.
Only yesterday, in Yenagoa, the Balyesa State capital, some ethnic nationalities met to brainstorm on how to build consensus on fiscal federation and formulate agenda for the national conference. The organisations involved in the brainstorming session included the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Itsekiri National Congress, Middle Belt Congress and the Urhobo Progressives Union. The mini confab was hosted by the Ijaw National Congress and was tagged, the Ijaw International Congress Day.
Sunday Newswatch also gathered that some of these groups were bent on revisiting the issue of fiscal federation, which has always been contentious. Most zones are against the present arrangement in which the Federal Government takes over 52 per cent of the nation’s revenue and the 36 States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the local government areas in Nigeria share less than 48 per cent of the nation’s revenue.
But at the confab expected to start in March, there are indications that there will be serious arguments on the need for the country to revert to the 1960 constitution that will require the states to remit only 50 per cent of revenue generated to the Federal Government. Others argue that it would ensure rapid development as was witnessed in the First Republic when the regions were competing among themselves to develop their areas. Some argued that the centre does not need more than 20 per cent of the nation’s revenue to perform its functions. However, those opposed to this argument said a Federal Government without the required resources is like a hollow shell because the centre would still have to be responsible for foreign Affairs, the nation’s currency and security.
Another contentious issue was the argument on the need to either revert to parliamentary system or retain the presidential system currently in practise. Those opposed to the presidential system insisted that it is too expensive and that a sizeable percentage of the nation’s budget is spent on running the system. On the other hand, it is believed that parliamentary system is cheaper and easier to run because both the executive and the legislature are usually members of parliament and the executive would be headed by a Prime Minister who, would in turn pick his ministers from the parliament.