Yar’Adua brought in unconscious

THE United States’ Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of  African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, has said he hopes that the return of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua is not an effort by his senior advisers to upset Nigeria’s stability and create renewed uncertainty in the country’s nascent democracy. Carson, who made the submission in  a release signed by him and made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, said that Nigeria needed a strong, healthy and effective leader to ensure the stability of  its socio-political, economic and security challenges, adding that he hoped the health condition of  the president was good enough to enable him to perform his official duties. He expressed fears about President Yar’Adua’s health condition, noting that his condition still remained fragile while he might not be able to cope with the rigours of his office.  The U.S official stated that Nigeria remained an important partner to U.S, saying the interest of  the nation should supersede any primordial interest, and that the country’s leadership should ensure strict adherence to the constitution in order to salvage it from its  problems.

Meanwhile, the Save Nigeria  Group (SNG) has deplored  the way President Yar’Adua was brought  into the country. The SNG condemned the secrecy that surrounded the president’s arrival and the alleged hounding of airport workers by armed soldiers. “It is more curious that soldiers were deployed in the airport without the knowledge of the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who was also not on hand to receive him.”The group said when all was added up, it was clear that there was a sinister plot behind bringing a man, who should be having his health attended to, into the country, and that was   evident in the fact that the Executive Council of the Federation was yet to commence its weekly meeting at the time this statement was issued. “It has also been brought to our attention that a statement has been issued by Yar’Adua’s spokesperson, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, to the effect that he has been discharged by his doctors and that the Acting President, Dr. Jonathan, should act for him while he recuperates. Was it a slip that Adeniyi referred to Dr. Jonathan as “Vice-President” and not Acting President?” SNG queried.

It noted that it was clear and unacceptable and a further confirmation that Yar’Adua and his handlers saw Nigeria as their supermarket, which explained why he did not hand over in the first place while travelling out on medical trip, and the constitution did not confirm on him the right to verbally decide how Nigeria should be run. According to it, “Nigerians need to see the man who is making this statement. He must address the joint sitting of the National Assembly, even if it’s only for five minutes, which shall transmit power back to him before he can begin to function as president again. In the alternative, he should address the nation on NTA and AIT to explain to the nation why he failed to respect the constitution in the last 93 days.” SNG noted that if  President Yar’Adua did not do any of the above,  it would mean that he was totally incapacitated and his coming home would not have changed anything.

“Our quarrel with him was not the location where he was but the fact that we are not sure that his body and mind can support the functions of his office. This has been confirmed by the fact that it took one hour twenty five minutes to dislodge him from the air ambulance into the Ford Intensive Care Unit ambulance and another one hour ten minutes to take him from the airport to the secretariat junction in Abuja where he proceeded to the Villa. All these point to permanent incapacitation,” SNG stated.

The group insisted that the process of empanelling a medical board as stipulated in Section 144 must proceed forthwith. “And the Executive Council of the Federation has its job cut out for it, as they now have no excuse to fall on anymore. There is no need for any jamboree as Yar’Adua is now within the shores of Nigeria,” SNG said. It called for a conclusive resolution of the crisis so that Nigeria could avoid a political disaster. “We remain resolutely committed to the logical closure of this matter and we stick to our March 3, deadline,” the group said.

The Spare Takes The Wheel. Feb 9th 2010

On the Feb 9^th the Nigerian government gave the Vice President the mandate to rule in the absence of the President Umar Yar’Adua.

In his acceptance speech to the Nation he said

“ In these extraordinary times, the fact that we have resolved the log jam democratically is a measure of the depth that democracy has sustained in our polity”

Nigeria: Jonathan – The Burden of a Deputy

Source: This Day Newspaper. Written by: Ademola Adeyemo

17 January 2010

Lagos — Although, being a number two man in a power hierarchy in the country, with all the perquisites of office and protocols, is a prestigious position, however, in reality, the office is empty and without power. It can as well be described as office of an assistant to the president or governor.

To be a loyal deputy in Nigeria, a vice president must be able to play second fiddle and be a good sycophant Although, the office of a Vice president is a creation of the constitution as section 141 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states that, There shall be for the Federation, a Vice-President and section 145 states, whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.

Also section 148. (1) Says that the President may, in his discretion, assign to the Vice-President or any Minister of the Government of the Federation responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.

However, despite the fact that these sections confer some responsibilities, power and relevance on the office of the Vice President, the office in the Nigerian democracy has been rendered useless by the executive president and governors, who cannot trust their deputies for fear of being upstaged from office in a power game.

The office of the Vice president has been rendered powerless in the political hierarchy that American entertainer, Will Rogers had to describe a Vice president as: “The man with the best job in the country is the Vice President. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, ‘How is the President?’”

Also Hubert H. Humphrey, the 38th US Vice President under President Lyndon B Johnson (1965-1969): summed up the dilemma of a deputy president thus “Anyone who thinks that the Vice President can take a position, independent of the President of his administration simply has no knowledge of politics or government. You are his choice in a political marriage, and he expects your absolute loyalty”.

Just as it is for the Vice President, deputy governors are also in the same predicament. It was Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Anambra State and former Political Adviser in the presidency that first captured the dilemma of being a deputy governor or second in command to a chief executive.

According to Ezeife, being a deputy governor is like a spare tyre. He said “The function of the deputy governor is like that of a spare tyre which is to allow the journey to continue when the tyre bursts.

Only a full appreciation of the position will make for enduring harmony”. The implication of Ezeife’s statement is that, deputy governors were rather idle, functioning only as executive assistants. And, the way Nigeria is practicing her own democracy, deputy governors are actually never more than a spare tyre; becoming only relevant when the tyre “bursts”. And a good tyre rarely bursts.

Although, Section 186 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states that, There shall be for each State of the Federation a Deputy Governor.

Also section 191. (1) States that the Deputy Governor of a State shall hold the office of Governor of the State if the office of Governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal of the governor from office for any other reason in accordance with section 188 or 189 of this constitution.

From these sections, it is clear that the post of the deputy governor is a creation of the constitution, afterall, a governor’s nomination is not valid without a valid running mate.

But in reality, a deputy governor is always at the mercy of his or her governor. Hiding under the weakness of the constitutional provision, he governors who are the chief executive of the states have reduced their deputies to mere gap fillers.

Matter-of-factly, a lot of deputy governors were hardly known, they are neither heard nor seen. In truth, the deputy governor’s office is the biggest afterthought of the presidential system of government. What deputies enjoy in office are the high salary and emoluments protocol and other paraphlenia of office, but they have neither power nor specific duties

Some governors would not allow their deputies to act for them when they are away as stated by the law, instead some of them prefer to hand over to one of their close aides.

Many deputy governors have fallen by the way side after crossing the path of their governors.

Few examples are Abdullahi Argungu in Kebbi, Kofo Akerele-Bucknor in Lagos, John Oyom Okpa in Cross River, Shehu Kwatalo in Jigawa, Tukur Jikamshi in Katsina, Iyiola Omisore in Osun and Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko in Sokoto, who quit just before he was impeached in 2006 and recently, G arba Gadi’ in Bauchi who was impeached for his refusal to follow his boss, Governor Isa Yuguda when he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

During the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, the then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar was a powerful deputy because, Obasanjo trusted him and gave him free hands to operate, Abubakar was as powerful as the president, because he understood power and also know how to use it.

During Obasanjo’s numerous trips abroad, he never transmitted any letter to the senate to enable Abubakar act as president, as stipulated by the constitution, but anytime that Obasanjo traveled, no matter, how short, Abubakar will assume full power of the president without any controversy.

But, the privilege was withdrawn by Obasanjo during the regime’s second term. There was a big feud between the president and his vice as a result of Obasanjo’s attempt to manipulate the constitution to enable him stay in power for 12 years.

But Abubakar vehemently disagreed with his boss over the plan and worked seriously to thwart Obasanjo’s ambition. But, Obasanjo paid back Abubakar in his own coins as he prevented the former vice president from succeeding him in office as president. In 2007, Obasanjo picked the incumbent president, Umaru Yar’Adua, a former governor of Katsina State to succeed him; he also favoured Goodluck Jonathan, also a former governor of Bayelsa State as Yar’Adua’s deputy.

However, since they assumed power in 2007, Yar’Adua and Jonathan have been enjoying a cordial relationship, as the latter continues to give absolute loyalty to his boss.

And Yar’Adua also reciprocates this by giving due respect to his deputy. However, their relationship took another turn when Yar’Adua began to make frequent medical trips abroad, allowing his deputy to act for him in important state matters as stated by the constitution.

Although, as a loyal deputy, Jonathan never complained, but matters got to a head, last year November, when the president fell ill again and was diagnosed of acute pericaditis, a disease of the heart. He was rushed to a Saudi Hospital for treatment.

For over fifty days now, the president has remained incommunicado on his hospital bed in Saudi Arabia.

During his absence, many urgent state matters suffered, because of the absence of the president. Whether as a matter of deliberate policy or otherwise, even giving his critical health condition, Yar’Adua refused to hand over power to Jonathan as stated by the constitution to enable him act on his behalf in all matters of state duties, pending his arrival.

Thus the vice president was denied the performance of his constitutional responsibilities. According to section 145 of the constitution, “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President”. .

http://allafrica.com/stories/201001180266.html

Photo Credit: Two tyres are used as a marker on a feeder road besides the Nairobi-Nakuru highway on the outskirts of Nakuru town.