My attention has been drawn to a letter written to Premium Times in response to an essay on restructuring authored by me.
Faced with an avalanche of public condemnation for his 360-degree turn on the concept of restructuring, it is understandable that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has written to Premium Times to douse the tension his comments created. However, in doing so, the Vice President should not attempt to revise history by saying that he spoke against ‘geographic restructuring’.
I have been in the forefront of the discourse on restructuring since the 1995 Abacha Constitutional Conference and to the best of my knowledge, there has not been any term like ‘geographic restructuring’. It is a strange concept, not only because it is not what the restructuring debate is all about, but also because the words of the Vice President, which prompted my response were clear, unambiguous and unequivocal.
Mr. Osinbajo said, “the problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring”. That I disagree with and so do many other Nigerians. If the Vice President has changed his stance, I welcome it, but we should not use one finger to hide behind semantics.
For the Vice President to say “Alhaji Atiku’s concept of restructuring is understandably vague, because he seeks to cover every aspect of human existence in that definition”, is most unfortunate.
I have been very clear, detailed, and unambiguous about my ideas for restructuring. At several occasions, including, but not limited to my speeches at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (made in April this year and July 2017, respectively), I gave very clear and concise ideas about administrative, political and economic restructuring as followss:
Devolution of powers and resources to the states.
No state will receive less Federal funds than today as a result of restructuring
Matching grants from the federal government to the states to help them grow their internally generated revenue position.
The privatisation of unviable federal Government-owned assets.
A truly free market economy driven by the laws of demand and supply.
Replacing state of origin with state of residence, and
Passing the PIGD so that our oil and gas sector will run as a business with minimal governmental interference.
I am hard pressed to see how these clear and specific ideas can be described as ‘vague’. One would have thought that if anything is vague, it would be the idea of ‘geographic restructuring’ whose meaning is hanging in the air.
Be that as it may, in his letter, Vice President Osinbajo then jumps from the topic of restructuring and goes on to say:
“Good governance involves, inter alia, transparency and prudence in public finance. It involves social justice, investing in the poor, and jobs for young people; which explains our School Feeding Programme, providing a meal a day to over 9 million public school children in 25 States as of today. Our NPower is now employing 500,000 graduates; our TraderMoni that will be giving microcredit to 2 million petty traders; our Conditional Cash Transfers giving monthly grants to over 400,000 of the poorest in Nigeria. The plan is to cover a million households.”
While what Professor Osinbajo says may be true or false, I must say that his dovetailing into the area of the economy does not explain certain facts such as the fact that the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reported in December 2017 that Nigeria lost 7.9 million jobs in the 21 month period under review.
If the Vice President cannot see that losing 7.9 million jobs in 21 months while creating 500,000 jobs is a deficit, then I do not know what to say to the honourable professor.
Professor Osinbajo also harps on about “prudence in public finance”, but he fails to show the wisdom in sharing out $322 million of Abacha funds to the poor only to take a loan of $328 million from the Chinese the very next month. Many Nigerians, myself included, see this as imprudence.
Finally, while the Vice President is not exactly correct when he says “In four years from 2010 to 2014 the PDP government earned the highest oil revenues in Nigeria’s history, USD381.9billion. By contrast the Buhari Administration has earned USD121 billion from May 2015 to June 2018”, let us for the sake of argument say that he is right.
My response to Vice President Osinbajo is that while I was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2006, Nigeria’s Economic Management Team, of which I was a prominent member, paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt of $30 billion, at a time when we were earning one third of what the Buhari administration is currently earning from oil. So such arguments are puerile at best.
My advice to the Vice President is that he should choose whether he is for restructuring or whether he is against it and stick to his choice. This continuous prevarication, this approbation and reprobation, helps no one, least of all true progressives who know that Nigeria needs to be restructured and restructured soon.
Kindly permit me a response to a piece in your publication, titled “Osinbajo got it wrong on Restructuring,” written, we are told, by my illustrious predecessor in office, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
First, let me say that I really would have expected Alhaji Abubakar to at least get the full text of my comments before his public refutal of my views. But I understand; we are in that season where everything is seen as fair game! He quoted me as saying that “the problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring… and we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the argument that our problems stem from some geographic re-structuring”.
Yes, I said so.
As the quote shows, I rejected the notion that geographical restructuring was a solution to our national problems. Geographical restructuring is either taking us back to regional governments or increasing the number of States that make up the Nigerian federation.
As we all may recall, the 2014 National Conference actually recommended the creation of 18 more States. And I argued that, with several States struggling or unable to pay salaries, any further tinkering with our geographical structure would not benefit us.
We should rather ask ourselves why the States are underperforming, revenue and development wise. I gave the example of the Western Region (comprising even more than what is now known as the South West Zone), where, without oil money, and using capitation tax and revenues from agriculture and mining, the government funded free education for over 800,000 pupils in 1955, built several roads, farm settlements, industrial estates, the first TV station in Africa, and the tallest building in Nigeria, while still giving up fifty percent of its earnings from mining and minerals for allocation to the Federal Government and other regions.
I then argued that what we required now was not geographical restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal Federalism, and a clear vision for development.
On the issue of deeper fiscal Federalism or restructuring, I explained how the then Lagos State Government, led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, decided to fight for greater autonomy of States.
As Attorney-General at the time, it was my duty and privilege to lead the legal team against the then Federal government, in our arguments at the Supreme Court. I am sure that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would remember these cases on greater autonomy for States that I cite below, as he was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time.
At the Supreme Court, we won several landmark decisions on restructuring Nigeria through deeper fiscal federalism, some of which our late converts to the concept, now wish to score political points on.
It was our counter-claims alongside those of other littoral States, that first addressed so comprehensively the issue of resource control. We agreed with the oil producing States that they had a right to control their resources. We argued, though unsuccessfully, that the Ports of Lagos were also a resource, which should enable Lagos State, in the worst case, to be paid the derivation percentage for proceeds of its natural resources. Years later, we also filed an action at the Supreme Court arguing that the Value Added Tax, being a consumption tax, should exclusively belong to the States.
On the issue of who, between the Federal and State governments, should have authority to grant building permits and other development control permits, the Supreme Court, by a slim majority, ruled in our favour. It held that, even with respect to federal land, States had exclusive authority to grant building or other developments control permits.
In 2004, we created 37 new local governments in Lagos State. We believed that we had a Constitutional right to do so and that in any event, a State should have a right to create its own administrative units. Several other States joined us and created theirs.
The Federal government’s response was to seize the funds meant for our local governments, thus strangulating States like Lagos, which had created new local governments. We challenged this at the Supreme Court. The court held that the President had no right under the Constitution to withhold or seize funds meant for the States. The allocations were not a gift of the Federal Government to the States. They were the Constitutional right of the States and local governments.
The court also agreed that States had a Constitutional right to create local governments, pursuant to section 8 of the Constitution, but that the creation remained inchoate until the National Assembly, by resolution, amended the existing list of local governments to capture the newly created LGs.
In response, we created by State Law, Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), to accommodate the newly created Local Government Councils until such a time as the National Assembly would complete the process. But the Lagos State Government took up the challenge to re-engineer its revenue service, making it autonomous. With innovative management, tax collection in Lagos became more efficient, and tax revenues continued to grow geometrically. Today, the State earns more IGR than 30 States of Nigeria put together!
Further, we contested the attempts of the then Federal Government to create supervisory authority over the Finances of Local Governments by the signing into law of the Monitoring of Revenue Allocation to Local Governments Act, 2005. The Supreme Court also ruled in our favour, striking down many provisions of the law that sought to give the Federal government control over local government funding.
I have been an advocate, both in court and outside, of fiscal Federalism and stronger State Governments. I have argued in favour of State Police, for the simple reason that policing is a local function. You simply cannot effectively police Nigeria from Abuja. Only recently, in my speech at the Anniversary of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I made the point that stronger, more autonomous States would more efficiently eradicate poverty. So I do not believe that geographical restructuring is an answer to Nigeria’s socio economic circumstances. That would only result in greater administrative costs. But there can be no doubt that we need deeper fiscal Federalism and good governance.
Alhaji Atiku’s concept of restructuring is understandably vague, because he seeks to cover every aspect of human existence in that definition. He says it means a “cultural revolution”. Of course, he does not bother to unravel this concept. He says we need a structure that gives everyone an opportunity to work, a private sector driven economy. Yes, I agree. These are critical pillars of our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), including our Ease of Doing Business Programme.
If, however, this is what he describes as restructuring, then it is clear that he has mixed up all the issues of good governance and diversification of the economy with the argument on restructuring.
Good governance involves, inter alia, transparency and prudence in public finance. It involves social justice, investing in the poor, and jobs for young people; which explains our School Feeding Programme, providing a meal a day to over 9 million public school children in 25 States as of today. Our NPower is now employing 500,000 graduates; our TraderMoni that will be giving microcredit to 2 million petty traders; our Conditional Cash Transfers giving monthly grants to over 400,000 of the poorest in Nigeria. The plan is to cover a million households.
Surprisingly, Alhaji Atiku leaves out the elephant in the room – corruption. And how grand corruption, fueled by a rentier economic structure that benefits those who can use political positions or access to either loot the treasury or get favorable concessions to enrich themselves. This was a main part of my presentations the Minnesota Town Hall meeting.
In arguing for good governance, I made the point that our greatest problem was corruption. I pointed out that grand corruption, namely the unbelievable looting of the treasury by simply making huge cash withdrawals in local and foreign currency, was the first travesty that President Buhari stopped.
I showed the OPEC figures from oil revenues since 1990. In four years from 2010 to 2014 the PDP government earned the highest oil revenues in Nigeria’s history, USD381.9billion. By contrast the Buhari Administration has earned USD121 billion from May 2015 to June 2018, less than 1/3 of what Jonathan Administration earned at the same period in that administration’s life. Despite earning so much less, we are still able to invest more in infrastructure than any government in Nigeria’s history. The difference is good governance, and fiscal prudence.
In the final analysis, restructuring in whatever shape or form, will not mean much if our political leaders see public resources as an extension of their bank accounts.
Linda Ikeji, popular Nigerian blogger, has sacked Theo Ukpaa, the man who is alleged to have raped Emilia Samuel when the latter was 16 years old.
Ms Ikeji, who made the announcement on her blog on Wednesday night, said: “I personally wanted to let everyone know that Theo Ukpaa, who was Head of Programmes at Linda Ikeji TV, is no longer a staff of the company.
“His job with my company was terminated on Monday, August 27th, just a day after I read the heart-breaking story of Emilia Samuel.
“The general public is therefore advised not to transact any business with him in the name of Linda Ikeji TV, as anyone who does it, does so at his/her own risk.”
BVI Channel 1 Online can confirm that the Leaders of Alaigbo Development Foundation have met with several important people in USA to further draw their attention to the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria .ADF Team was led by Prof Uzodinma Nwala
ADF President at the African Union Forum with the Ambassador of African Union to the US,Ambassador Dr Arikana Chihombori in Nashville Tennessee,USA
ADF has continued to bring the aspirations of Ndigbo to the attention of the international community.ADF Leaders are scheduled to meet with interest groups in America and United Kingdom .
BVI Channel 1 Online will keep you updated.
Ndubuisi
This book is available.Call 08104207522 to pick it for N2,500
NationalPresident of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Mallam Yerima Usman Shettima may have concluded arrangements to contest a seat in the National Assembly on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Indication to this was reinforced by his resignation last week from the Young Democratic Party (YDP), of which he was the Deputy National Chairman.
In the resignation letter, Yerima stated that his intention to quit the YDP is “just to devote my time to deep reflection and take a very close look at my participation in politics and make some necessary adjustments.”
The Kaduna State-born activist, who has relocated back home from Lagos for the project wants to represent Kaduna North Federal Constituency.
Yerima has commenced consultations across board with a view to seeking support and advice of community leaders, party leadership, youth and professional organisations as well as from his comrades in democratic activism.
Yerima, an alumnus of the Lagos State University (LASU),in his mid-40s, is said to have confided in a close friends that he has been nursing aspiration to serve his good people at the legislative chambers in Abuja
It was also learnt that he had held series of meetings with leaders of the PDP; including the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondu, Senator Umaru Ibrahim Tsauri, National Secretary, and Abdullahi H. Mai Basira, National Financial Secretary among other party leaders and elders.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain and widow of late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, yesterday formally declared her interest to contest for the Anambra South Senatorial seat.
She made the declaration in Ekwulobia in Aguata council, during a meeting with the stakeholders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the old Aguata zone.
Addressing the people at the gathering also attended by former governor of Imo State and governorship aspirant, Chief Ikedi Ohakim and multimillionaire, Dr. Godwin Maduka, Ambassador Ojukwu said she wants to continue with her husband’s legacy, saying she wants to go to the senate to accomplish the dream of Dim Ojukwu, to liberate the Igbo from hardship and bondage.
“I’ve come here, today, to reaffirm that I wish to represent our senatorial district at the red chamber. Why is it important? It is important because our people need to be represented appropriately.
“Igbo have suffered so much in this country, and have continued to suffer. Our leader, Dim, suffered so much for our people. Evil prevails when good people sit and do nothing; to seat down and be an armchair critic means you are at home with the evil, that is why I came out to make a difference. So, if you want the evil to stop, my people, send me, and I will get our dues. We must identify with APGA, I’ve laboured tirelessly for this party and I will continue to protect the ideals of the party,” she said.
Speaking, Ohakim appealed to others interested in the seat to see the need to step down for Ambassador Ojukwu, as a mark of respect to her late husband.
“Bianca Ojukwu has what is called double legacy and double identity,” noting that her father, late C.C. Onoh, single-handedly built a house for M.I. Okpara. Bianca is not an ordinary human being; she is a spirit and the identity of the Igbo man. Bianca has suffered for us, the Igbo, by sacrificing everything to be by our leader, Ojukwu, till death.
“I beg all others who want to be senators in this zone to please respect our late leader, Ojukwu and father Onoh, by stepping down for Bianca Ojukwu.”
On his part, Maduka said: “I’m here to respect our leader, Dim Ojukwu. The new Igbo nation means that we have to allow people who can speak for us, speak for us. We have to send people who can give us adequate representation; we don’t want anyone who will go to represent us for his personal good.”
The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has extended Invitation to her 2018 Convention to the Alaigbo Development Foundation.Prof Uzodinma Nwala will lead other delegates to the annual Convention
WIC under Prof Ejiofor’s leadership has not only endorsed the ADF Green Book but has also endorsed the Enugu Declaration along with sixteen other pan-Igbo and pro-Biafra organizations and major stakeholders in Alaigbo.
The Chairman of ADF Board of Trustees, Dr Dozie Ikedife, is already in the United States and would be joining the ADF President along with other ADF stakeholders at the Convention. Thus, the trip would afford ADF the opportunity of holding serious bilateral discussions with the WIC leadership.
The trip will also afford further opportunity for ADF delegation to meet other pan-Igbo organizations as well as other interest groups in furtherance of ADF global Agenda and collaboration with our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora..
In a related note ADF President shall join the ADF Secretary and other ADF leaders in the United Kingdom for a series of activities including the Inauguration of the ADF UK Chapter. They shall be joined by several interest groups of Umuigbo from Ireland, Germany and some other European countries.
Two of the world’s frontline nations, America and the United Kingdom have raised the alarm over the economic and political situations in Nigeria.
While America is concerned about the political landscape it claimed is blighted by impunity, which it said poses a grave threat to the almost two-decade-old democracy if not urgently redressed, Britain is worried by the bludgeoning poverty in its erstwhile colony.
Ahead of her visit to Nigeria today, British Prime Minister Theresa May frowned at what she described as the rising inequality in wealth distribution. According to her, with no fewer that 87 million of its citizens living below $1.90 a day, Nigeria is home to the poorest people in the word.
The prime minister, who spoke during her visit to Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday, expressed sadness that though much of Nigeria is thriving, with many individuals enjoying the fruits of a resurgent economy, 87 million Nigerians still live on less than $1.90 a day.
“In 2018, five of the world’s fastest-growing economies are African. The continent’s total GDP could well double between 2015 and 2030. By 2050, a quarter of the world’s population and a quarter of the world’s consumers will live here. From the Western Cape to the Mediterranean come stories of increasing stability, growth, innovation and hope.
“South Africa, for so long blighted by the evils of Apartheid, is free, democratic and home to one of the continent’s largest economies. In Cote D’Ivoire, United Nations peacekeepers have gone home and GDP is growing three times faster than in Europe. And Ethiopia – for a generation of British people often associated only with famine – is fast becoming an industrialised nation, creating a huge number of jobs and establishing itself as a global destination for investment.
“Yet, in a situation familiar to nations around the world, progress has not been uniform. As well as emergent democracies and growing economies, Africa is home to the majority of the world’s fragile states and a quarter of the world’s displaced people. Extremist groups such as Boko Haram and al Shabab are killing thousands. Africa’s ocean economy – three times the size of its landmass – is under threat from plastic waste and other pollution.
“Most of the world’s poorest people are Africans. And increasing wealth has brought rising inequality, both between and within nations. For example, much of Nigeria is thriving, with many individuals enjoying the fruits of a resurgent economy. Yet 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day, making it home to more very poor people than any other nation in the world.”
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwight had announced on his Twitter handle @paulTarkwight that the Prime Minister would meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, saying both countries were expected to work in partnership on trade, security and tackling the scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking.
While the UK is troubled by the country’s parlous economic outlook, America said Nigeria being a role model to all black race in the world and other developing countries should allow democracy to flourish.
“There is impunity in Nigeria and that needs to be addressed. Impunity is a threat to democracy,” the United States of America Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs in Nigeria, Mr. Aruba S. G. Amirthanayagam warned in a chat with journalists after paying a courtesy visit on Alhaji Zubair Idris, executive director of a privately-owned radio station in Minna, Niger State, yesterday.
He said the United States expects that the 2019 general election would be free, peaceful, credible and transparent while urging all stakeholders to work towards achieving the goal.
He also charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replicate its performance in the 2015 general election generally acknowledged as free, fair and transparent in 2019.
According to him, “I think we should repeat the success we had in the last election because we have had elections in some parts of Africa that have not gone well. What we got in 2015 was great for Nigeria and for the rest of Africa and other developing countries.
“The success recorded in the 2015 general election must be sustained. United States of America will not expect anything less than that.”
He assured that America would not take side in the 2019 election in Nigeria “America will not take side, we want the winner to be elected in a free and fair contest”, he said insisting that “from the US perspective we want free peaceful credible election, we will do all we can to assist Nigeria’s government.”
When asked to comment on the statement credited to President Donald Trump that President Muhammadu Buhari was “lifeless”, the counselor said: “We have no specific comment on that, a newspaper published it, the paper should comment on it.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the British Prime Minister to take President Buhari to task on alleged human rights violations and disobedience to court orders by his administration.
The PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, also charged May to demand answers from Buhari on alleged cases of extra-judicial killings, unlawful arrests and detention and lack
of accountability by the government.
The opposition party urged the British leader to resist alleged choreographed plan by the Presidency confine her to Aso Rock stating that she must insist on visiting other parts of the country so as to appreciate the the true state of affairs. It also urged May to extract a commitment from Buhari that the 2019 general elections will be free and fair.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that simple geographical restructuring is not the problem with Nigeria.
On the contrary, prudent management of national resources and providing for the people properly were better ideas for Nigeria’s development challenges.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, communicated Osinbajo’s view in a statement, in Abuja, on Monday.
The vice president was fielding questions from a cross-section of Nigerians at a town hall meeting in Minnesota, US, on Sunday.
Osinbajo spoke on a wide range of issues covering the economy, anti-corruption, health, agriculture among others.
According to the vice-president, the problem with Nigeria is not a matter of restructuring.
He said that Nigerians must not allow themselves to be drawn into the argument that Nigeria’s problems stemmed from some geographical restructuring.
Osinbajo meets some Nigerians at the Town hall meeting, in Minnesota
Osinbajo in the midst of Nigerians in Minnesota.
“It is about managing resources properly and providing for the people properly, that is what it is all about.
“I served for eight years as Attorney General in Lagos State and one of the chief issues that we fought for in Lagos state was what you call fiscal federalism.
“We felt that there was a need for the states to be stronger, for states to more or less determine their fortunes.
“For example, we went to court to contest the idea that every state should control, to a certain extent, its own resources; we were in court at that time up to the Supreme Court and the court ruled that oil-producing states should continue to get 13 per cent derivation.
“While we were at the Supreme Court only the oil-producing states and Lagos were interested in resource control, everybody else was not interested in resource control for obvious reasons.
”Now, that is the way the argument has always gone, those who have the resources want to take all of it, while those who do not have want to share from others.”
He said that Nigeria must create the environment that allowed for people to realise themselves economically because that truly is what the challenge is with Nigeria.
Osinbajo said that unless Nigerians are able to deal with the fundamental questions around corruption, their economic circumstance would keep going one step forward, two steps backwards.
“All that we have been able to deal with is grand corruption. When we started the TSA, the whole point was to aggregate all of the funds of government that were in private banks.
“So, we put all of the money in the Central Bank so that we could at least see the movement of money and by doing so, we were able to save 50 per cent of the corruption that was going on then.”
Relying on OPEC statistics on oil revenues accruable to Nigeria under successive administrations between 1990 and 2014, the vice-president said not much was done in infrastructure development in spite of the huge oil revenues earned.
He said that under the Babangida/ Abacha administrations (1990 – 1998) Nigeria realised $199.8 billion.
Under the Obasanjo / Yar’Adua governments (1999 – 2009), the country got $401.1 billion ; and during the Jonathan administration (2010 – 2014), Nigeria got $381.9 billion dollars from oil, Osinbajo said.
“The question that we must all ask is that what exactly happened to the resources? The question that I asked is that where is the infrastructure?
“One of the critical things that we must bear in mind and see is that this government despite earning $94 billion, up until 2017, we are spending more on infrastructure and capital than any previous government. So we are spending N1.5 trillion on capital, that is the highest we have spent since 1990.”
In the area of agriculture, Osinbajo said that the target was to attain self-sufficiency in the production of rice, tomato, among others.
According to him, the government is doing a lot of work in agriculture as it has increased local production such that Nigeria is no longer spending five million dollars daily on rice import.
“Today, we are doing 11 million metric tonnes of paddy rice and are now importing only 2 per cent of what we used to import,” he said.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the US, Mr. Sylvanus Nsofor, led other Nigerians to the meeting.
1.The body of all the remnants of Biafra which was officially constituted into a non-legal entity in 2012 to sue the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation in a representative capacity by Bilie Human Rights Initiative in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/112/2012 now renumbered as Suit No FHC/OW/CS/192/2013 has established its Customary Government known as the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra headed by the Supreme Council of Elders (hereinafter called the Customary Government of Biafra).
The Customary Government of Biafra is not a sovereign entity and shall administer the affairs of all Indigenous People of Biafra by the application of customary law and private law in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the rules of international law.
The Customary Government of Biafra acknowledges that all Indigenous People of Biafra are Nigerians by citizenship while they struggle for independence from Nigeria and shall upon attainment of independence maintain diplomatic and friendly ties with the governments of all nations that love Biafra and shall allow the Biafrans to exercise their fundamental rights under the human rights law regarding the choice of nationalities and citizenships.
The Customary Government of Biafra has observed that many Biafrans have different opinions as to the best approach to the Biafran independence struggle and this has caused unnecessary disagreements and in-fighting among them. It has therefore become necessary that all Indigenous People of Biafra must be under proper supervision and guidance by the Customary Government of Biafra to avoid anarchy, lawlessness and bloodshed among the various pro-Biafra groups agitating for the independence of Biafra.
Pursuant to the foregoing, the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra has approved and created an administrative body known as the National Executive Council (NEC) comprising the representatives of all pro-Biafra groups which recognise the legitimacy and authority of the Supreme Council of Elders to run the day-to-day affairs of the Customary Government of Biafra subject to these Administrative Guidelines.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC):
By the power of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra, an administrative body known as the National Executive Council (NEC) is hereby established to oversee the day-to-day affairs of all Indigenous People of Biafra under the Supreme Council of Elders and shall take decisions for the Customary Government of Biafra subject to confirmation by the Supreme Council of Elders.
The National Executive Council shall be composed of the representatives of all the pro-Biafra groups which recognise the legitimacy and authority of the Supreme Council of Elders and shall be 24 members subject to amendment of these Administrative Guidelines.
The National Executive Council shall hold their meetings periodically or as frequently as circumstances demand. The meetings of the NEC shall be convened by the Administrator of the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra.
OFFICES AND FUNCTIONS:
Without prejudice to the offices created under Section 4.16 and Section 6 Order 5, of the Policy Statements and Orders of the Government of Indigenous People of Biafra, Vol. 1, 2014, the following heads of departments are created to perform the administrative functions of the Customary Government of Biafra until further directives are given:
Head of Policy and Strategies
Head of Administration
Head of Financial Management
Head of Security and Intelligence
Head of Media and Mass Mobilization
Functions:
(1) The Head of Policy and Strategies shall draw up the policies, guidelines, rules or regulations for the achievement of the goals of the Customary Government and present same to the NEC for consideration and critical analysis.
(2) The Head of Policy and Strategies is given the power to recruit or employ workers from all pro-Biafra groups which recognise the legitimacy and authority of the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra, whether as volunteers or employees by the Customary Government of Biafra on salaries, subject to the staff handbook made by the Head of Administration, and shall delegate duties to the workers to carry out the necessary researches as the basis for strategies and policy formulation.
(3) Upon the approval of the policies, guidelines, rules or regulations by the NEC, it shall be presented to the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra for confirmation before implementation.
(4) Where a disagreement arises in the NEC as to the approval of the policies, guidelines, rules or regulations, it shall be decided by simple majority vote among the NEC members. If the vote results in a tie, the Head of Policy and Strategies who prepared the documents shall have the overriding vote subject to confirmation by the Supreme Council of Elders.
(5) The Head of Administration shall implement the policies, guidelines, rules or regulations as approved by the NEC and confirmed by the Supreme Council of Elders.
(6) For effective implementation of the policies, guidelines, rules or regulations, the Head of Administration is given the power to employ workers for the Customary Government, whether as volunteers or paid employees, and shall oversee and control the personnel employed by the Customary Government and shall function generally as the Administrator of the Customary Government of Biafra.
(7) The Head of Administration is given the power to draw up a staff handbook for the personnel who shall work in the service of the Customary Government of Biafra, whether as volunteers or employees on salaries and wages. Where the staff handbook creates a legal obligation under contract or labour law for the workers of the Customary Government, the NEC shall deliberate on it and shall present it to the Supreme Council of Elders for confirmation before implementation.
(8) The Head of Administration shall present a monthly report to the NEC concerning the progress and challenges in running the affairs of the Customary Government. The NEC shall deliberate on the monthly reports and present a quarterly report to the Supreme Council of Elders for necessary actions.
(9) The Head of Financial Management shall use his initiatives to create the necessary systems, programmes and methods of raising finance for the Customary Government of Biafra for the fulfilment of its objectives in the struggle for the independence of Biafra.
(10) The Head of Financial Management is given the power to create the necessary accounting systems and financial management rules to ensure proper accounting records, transparency and public accountability for the Customary Government of Biafra.
(11) The Head of Financial Management is given the power to recruit or employ accounts officers, account clerks and book keepers, whether as volunteers or employees on salaries, subject to the staff handbook made by the Head of Administration, to assist in raising funds and managing the finance for the Customary Government of Biafra.
(12) The Head of Financial Management shall ensure that all money raised for the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra, whether in cash or cheque, is paid within 24 hours into the bank account designated by the Supreme Council of Elders.
(13) The Head of Financial Management shall present a monthly report to the NEC concerning the progress and challenges in his department. The NEC shall deliberate on the monthly reports and present a quarterly report to the Supreme Council of Elders for necessary actions.
(14) The Head of Security and Intelligence shall maintain peace, law and orderliness among all Indigenous People of Biafra. The powers conferred on him under Section 6 Order 8 of the Policy Statements and Orders of the Government of Indigenous People of Biafra, Vol. 1, 2014, are hereby incorporated into these Administrative Guidelines.
(15) In addition to the powers already conferred on him, the Head of Security and Intelligence shall have the power to recruit or employ workers in his department whether as volunteers or employees on salaries for the Customary Government of Biafra, subject to the staff handbook made by the Head of Administration, and shall deploy them to serve the Customary Government in various capacities.
(16) The Head of Media and Mass Mobilization shall use his skills and initiatives to set up and run the media and mobilization works for the Customary Government of Biafra.
(17) The Head of Media and Mass Mobilization is given the power to recruit or employ workers, whether as volunteers or employees on salaries, subject to the staff handbook made by the Head of Administration, to assist in the media and mobilization work for the Customary Government of Biafra.
(18) The Head of Media and Mass Mobilization shall present a monthly report to the NEC concerning the progress and challenges in his department. The NEC shall deliberate on the monthly reports and present a quarterly report to the Supreme Council of Elders for necessary actions.
(19) All the members of the Supreme Council of Elders, Heads of Departments, Workers, Staff and Officers of the Customary Government of Biafra, whether full-time or part-time, shall be remunerated by the Customary Government of Biafra just like every other government in the world pays its workers. For this reason, the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra shall make an Order for the payment of the customary taxation called “utu-isi” in Igbo language for the achievement of the goals of the Customary Government of Biafra.
Heads of Working Committees:
IPOB National Orientation Agency ………….
IPOB Social Welfare Commission ……………
IPOB Job Creation Agency ………………………
IPOB Dispute Resolution Commission …….
Members of Working Committees:
Additional 15 Members from all the eligible pro-Biafra groups to complete the 24-member NEC as approved by the Supreme Council of Elders
THE NEW BIAFRA IN VIEW(Selling the new Biafra Nation to the public)
Why should we go for GOOD when we can be BETTER, and why must we settle for BETTER when we can be the BEST? This is the question anyone reading this should be asking him/herself as long as you are called South-Eastern or South-South by Nigerian government geo-political description which was meant to divide, weaken, exploit and enslave once peaceful, powerful and united people of Biafra that has existed side by side in Biafra land with well define boundaries and identified as “Biafar” or “Biafara” thousands of years before Nigeria was created.
Biafra is a Republic with federating nations
For instance, IGBO NATION, IZON or IJAW NATION, EFFIK NATION, ANAANG NATION, etc. just like where England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland formed the United Kingdom.
It is expected that every Uniting Nations under the new Biafra adopts an autonomous Republican administrative system of government, controlling its resources and territory; they all contribute to the central government financially from their respective economic activities for the running of the central government.
The ratio at which this national tax should be paid to the central government would be decided by the uniting nations.
Each nation would have its own administrative arm of government (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary, National Flag, National Anthem, Police, laws, etc.
FOR INSTANCE
WHAT SHOULD BE THE UNITING FACTORS IN THE NEW REPUBLIC?
DEFENCE- Having a common military
2. IMMIGRATION – Having one boarder control and immigration services.
3. CURRENCY – Being regulated by one Central Financial Body (Central Bank of Biafra)
4. CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – Having one central administrative government that oversees the overall administration of Biafra (Supreme Council of Elders).
5. And any other as may deem fit by the S.C.E and Uniting Biafra Nations
Adopting this structure will promote peace among Biafra nations as the fear of domination by one ethnic Nation is eliminated. It will give each Biafra Nation a well-defined identity among the international community of nations just as it is with U.K where there are Nations like England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland having their separate identity.
This structure will enhance constructive and healthy competition among Biafra Nations as they strive to maximise their individual resources towards achieving or attaining desired economic, political, infrastructural development and improved human standard of living, ensuring a strong defence, viable economy and most the effective boarder control.
This will place Biafra at the fore front of African development and global political framework.
