transprency, good governance key to nigeria’s growth - zcctransparency, good governance key to...

For Nigeria to win the war againstcorruption in the revenue sectorof the country there must be a

collective effort towards harnessing thenation's resources through the culture oftransparency and good governance, thiswas contained in a communiqué fromthe one day advocacy meeting whichwas organized by Zero CorruptionCoalition {ZCC} with Oil, Gas andGovernment Agencies on NEITI AuditReport, in Abuja recently and jointlysigned by Auwal Musa Rafsanjani,Chairman of the Steering Committee ofZero Corruption Coalition and Mr.Newton Otsemaye, Program Officer,Publish What You Pay, said in order tore-establish the culture of transparency,accountability, integrity and goodgovernance in Nigeria there must bestrong coordination among governmentagencies.

“There is no doubt, the corruptionwith impunity that has screened theprocesses, payments, receipts andexpenditure of revenues from extractiveindustries in Nigeria cannot beoveremphasised,” the Communiqué

observed but stressed that harmonisedcritical steps of Civil SocietyOrganisations {CSOs}, agencies andIOCs may be effective in fighting themenace of corruption with a view to

to the CBN Governor's remark that thelawmakers receive more than what ismeant for them. The Senate President,made the remark as PresidentGoodluck Jonathan set to present the2011 budget bill to a joint session of theparliament. Governor of the CentralBank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi LamidoSanusi told the world that thelawmakers would lead the battle toen throne f i sca l d i sc ip l ine in

Th e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y{NASS} members haveresolved to lead a campaign to

enthrone fiscal discipl ine ingovernance in the country. The SenatePresident David Mark told Nigeriansthat the National Assembly would cutits recurrent expenditure and wouldwant other arms of government tomake similar sacrifice.

This position was a direct response

governance, by the way of first cuttingtheir recurrent expenditure and theninvoke their oversight functions asenshrined in the constitution to forceother arms of government to makesimilar sacrifice.

“Based on realities of oureconomic situation and the need tochannel our scarce resources towardsnation building, we must drastically

VOL. 5 No. 7, NOVEMBER./DECEMBER, 2010A PUBLICATION OF CISLAC

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

e n s h r i n e t r a n s p a r e n c y a n daccountability in the extractive sector.

It demanded for transparent culturein governance and said the prospect of

Transprency, Good GovernanceKey to Nigeria’s Growth - ZCC

Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Executive Secretary, NEITI Secretariat

NASS Pledges to Enthrone Fiscal Discipline

Legislative Digest Vol. 5 No. 7 November/December 20102

About usORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW:

VISION

MISSION/PURPOSE

KEY INTERNATIONAL DONORS/PARTNERS

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CISLAC is a non-governmental, non-profit

legislative advocacy, lobbying, information sharing

and research organization. (CISLAC) works

towards bridging the gap between the legislature

and the electorate; by enhancing lobbying

strategies; engagement of bills before their passage

into law; manpower development for lawmakers,

legislative aides, politicians and the civil society, as

well as civic education on the tenets of democracy

and human rights. It was integrated as a corporate

body (CAC/IT/NO22738) with Nigeria's Corporate

Affairs Commission (CAC) on 28th December 2006.

CISLAC's organizational purpose is twofold. It

works to train and enlighten civil society on its role in

policymaking, the responsibilities of the legislature,

and on existing decrees and issues affecting

Nigerians. Alternatively, CISLAC aims to ensure

that the legislature at local, state, and federal levels

is aware of its relationship within the legislature and

with other government bodies, its role in

policymaking and oversight, and its responsibility in

acting as a voice for the people.

CISLAC's issues of focus include; budget

monitoring, transparency, accountability, anti-

corruption, human rights (gender equality,

educational equity and improvement, sexuality and

reproductive health, children and other vulnerable

groups including beggars, pensioners, refugees,

and internally displaced persons), trade policy and

intervention, security/conflict management, and

environment and l ivel ihood. CISLAC's

engagement with Federal Ministries, National and

S t a t e A s s e m b l i e s , L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t

Administrations, private sector interests, the media,

non-government and civil society organisations,

and communities across Nigeria has opened a

window through which public and policy officials can

interact and corroborate.

To make legislature accessible and responsive to

all.

“To strengthen CSOs' impact in the legislative

processes towards promoting legislative

accessibility and responsiveness to all.”

ACTIONAID InternationalAfricare NigeriaAmnesty InternationalArticle 19British CouncilCanadian High CommissionCanadian International Development Agency

(CIDA)Coalition for Accountability and Transparency in

Extractive Industries, Forestry and Fisheries in

Nigeria (CATEIFFN)Centre for Democracy and Development(CDD)Centre for Information Technology and

Development (CITAD)Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES)FRIDEHeinrich Boll Foundation (HBF)Human Rights WatchInternational Republican Institute (IRI)National Democratic Institute (NDI)Nigerian Economic Summit GroupOXFAMAmericaOXFAM GBOXFAM Novib

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GOVERNMENT PARTNERS/AGENCIES

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MEMBERSHIP OF NETWORKSAND COALITIONS

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STRUCTURE

OXFAM SpainPACT NigeriaREFORMS USAIDRevenue Watch Institute (RWI)State Accountability and voice Initiative in Nigeria

(SAVI)Support to Reforming Institutions Programme(EU-SRIP)Transparency International (Nigeria)TY Danjuma FoundationUnited Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC)

Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP)EFCC, Strategy and Re-Orientation Unit (SARU),

formerly Fix Nigeria InitiativeIndependent Corrupt Practices and other Related

Offences Commission (ICPC)Independent National Electoral CommissionNational Commission for RefugeesNational Planning CommissionNigerian Debt Management OfficeNigerian Extractive Industries Transparency

Initiative (NEITI) SecretariatNigerian PoliceOffice of the Special Advisor to the President on

Civil SocietyOffice of the Special Advisor to the President on

Millennium Development GoalsPolicy Analysis and Research Project (PARP),

NationalAssemblyTechnical Unit on governance & Anti-corruption

Reforms (TUGAR)

Africa Public Health Rights Alliance 15 Percent

CampaignBudget Transparency Network (BTN)Coalition for Accountability and Transparency in

Extractive Industries, Forestry and Fisheries in

Nigeria (CATEIFFN)Citizens' Forum for Constitutional Reform (CFCR)Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All

(CSACEFA)Electoral Reform Network (ERN)Freedom of Information Coalition (FOI)National Coalition onAffirmativeAction (NCAA)National Procurement Watch Platform (NPWP)NigeriaAction Network on SmallArms (NANSA)Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG)Nigeria Gender Budget Network (NGBN)Publish What You Pay (PWYP)Trade Network Initiative (TNI)Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)WestAfrican Civil Society Forum (WACSOF)WestAfrican Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)Women In Nigeria (WIN)Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)

CISLAC in its efforts to deepen its engagement on

issues and impact positively by ensuring that civil

society views are adequately inputted in public

policies, has defined governance structure. At

foundation, some key allies who are well grounded in

development issues and are currently at the decision

making level in their organisations were consulted and

accepted to serve on both the Board and Advisory

Council of the organisation.

This is the policy-making organ of the organization. Its

approves the budget of the organization, provides

contacts for operational funds and support the

operation of the secretariat1. Mr.Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)2. Mr.Adesina Oke3. Mr.Adagbo Onoja4. Mr. Y. Z Y'au

i. Board of Trustees:

5. Ms. Nkoyo Toyo6. Mr. Emma Ezeazu7. Ms. Hadiza Kangiwa

This provides advisory functions to the organization.

It consists of people of vast and extensive legislative

and political experience.Hon. Uche OnyeaguochaHon. Usman BugajeHon. Haruna YerimaHon. Binta Garba (Ms.)Prof. Okey IbeanuDr. Kole ShetimmaProf. Sam EgwuDr.Abubakar MomohChom BaguGen. Ishola Williams (rtd)Bilikisu Yusuf (Ms.)Dr.Afia Zakiya (Ms)Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq LadanHalima Ben Umar (Ms.)Dr. ChichiAniagolu-Okoye (Ms.)

The Secretariat is vested with the day-to-day running

of the organization. It implements the decisions of

the Board of Trustees. It is headed by an Executive

Director who oversees the day-to-day running of the

organisation while a Senior Program Officer

oversees programmes implementation along with

other programme staff.

Auwal Ibrahim Musa(Rafsanjani) - Executive DirectorKolawole Banwo - Policy and Legislative

Advocacy Officer

Mrs. Uche Hillary Ogbonna - Program OfficerMrs. Hauwa'u IbnAbdullah - Admin OfficerMs.Abimbola S. Okoilu - Assistant Program

Officer/SecretaryMs. EzehiAnnabel - Asst Program OfficerMs. Fatima Yusuf - Asst Program OfficerMs. Jamila Yakubu - OfficeAssistantMrs. Tosin Mayowa-David - Account OfficerMs. Ogezi Cecile Ofu - InternMs. Richie-Adewusi Bidemi - InternShaibuAchar Momodu - InternMiró Baz Luis-Carlos - InternMs Ibiam Oluchi - CorperMs. JosephineAlabi - Resident VolunteerEzenwa Nwagwu - Resident VolunteerOdoh Diego Okenyodo - Editorial Consultant

MujtabaAli Mohammed - Programme Officer

Olly Owen (UK)Morten Hagen (UK)Tobias Eigen (USA)

NO. 5 Mahatma Gandhi Street,Plot 208, Shehu Shagari Way,By Bulet Garden,Asokoro,Abuja-NigeriaGSM: 234-08033844646, 07034118266Email: [email protected]@yahoo.comWebsite: www.cislacnigeria.org

No. 110,ALYUMAHouse,Maiduguri Road,Kano, Kano State.GSM: 234-07064016626

Ii. Advisory Council:

iii. Secretariat:

Regional office: Kano

International Liaison

HEAD OFFICE:

REGIONAL OFFICE:

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HEAD OFFICE:ABUJA

CONTACTADDRESS:

Ms. Chioma Blessing Kanu - Program Officer

EDITORIAL

2011 Elections: Our Stand

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

Mallam Salisu Ibrahim Fagge

Cyril Mbah

John Alechenu

Odoh Diego Okenyodo

Ms. Ogonnaya Dibiah

Editor-in-Chief

As the country gets set for the next

g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n i n 2 0 11 ,

Preparations for the conduct of free

and fair election must be given the necessary

attention it deserve in order to enthrone a

stable and people oriented government in

the country.

It is our hope that every aspect of the election

process would be done in transparent

manner devoid of extreme secrecy, which

will make the entire process suspicious and

places it under grave threat.

The Federal Government owes it a duty to

the nation and the Nigerian public to ensure

that they get nothing short of free, fair and

credible election.

After an exhaustive examination of the

situation confronting the nation, it is

imperative to know that Nigerians want to

identify with the cause of democracy and

therefore would want an election that would

reflect their wishes and aspiration.

There should be a meeting of all the stake

holders to fashion out how best the nation's

election would be conducted with utmost

sense of responsibility and the various

groups should be convened as expeditiously

as possible so that all matters relating to the

conduct of the general election are thrashed

out and agreed upon as a binding

arrangement between all the parties

concerned.

No doubt a meeting like this is a necessary

condition towards the conduct of a free, fair,

credible, transparent and acceptable general

election and at the end of it all; stake holders

would have a widespread acceptability both

at home and internationally.

This is a crucial moment for the country as

Nigerians will decide on whom to vote as

their leaders in the forthcoming election. The

successful conduct of the general election

would undoubtedly give hope to the citizenry,

particularly when the election ground rules

are followed to the latter.

It is our hope that the Independent National

Electoral Commission {INEC} would remain

an umpire arbiter and lead the light of

Nigerian democracy to brightness and also

ensure that the exercise itself is free, fair and

credible, and devoid of manipulation and the

granting of undue advantage to any political

party.

Regional Office: Kano

International Liaison

No. 110 Alyuma House

Maiduguri Road, Kano

Kano State, Nigeria

Tel: 234-07064016626

Tobias Eigen - USA

Olly Owen - UK

Morten Hagen - UK

A Publication of Civil SocietyLegislative Advocacy Centre

(CISLAC)

No. 5 Mahatma Ghandi Street,Off Shehu Shagari Way

By Bullet Garden, Area 11Garki, Abuja - NigeriaTel: 234-08033844646

Website: www.cislacnigeria.orgEmail: [email protected]

[email protected]

CONTACT ADDRESS:

Legislative Digest Vol. 5 No. 7 November/December 2010 3

development albatross, over which weall have poured songs of lamentations.

“We, in the Legislature therefore,are determined to raise the standard ofour budgetary process to a level farabove the formalities of annual rituals.We must give meaning and soul to ourbudgets to truly be the succour to the

people ' s economic s t ress anddepression, to give hope and to be asoothing source of their faith ingovernment. We owe this to the peoplewe all represent. With a newconscientious conviction, commitmentand vision, we must, and canaccomplish this.

“Related to this, is the unacceptabledisproportionate ratio of recurrent andoverhead expenditure to capitalexpenditure. No nation desirous ofmeaningful development can affordsuch a disproportionate allocation of itsf i n a n c i a l r e s o u r c e s b e t w e e nconsumption and investment towardsits own future development. This meansthat the cost of running government hasbeen increasing at an unsustainable rate.We must all rise together and address it.

“The National Assembly in thedischarge of its responsibilities, will,from the 2011 Appropriation Bill, re-evaluate these budget aggregates andother major macroeconomic variablesacross the board for all governmentMDAs and other arms of government tolower the personnel and overheadexpenditures, and improve the level ofa p p r o p r i a t i o n s f o r c a p i t a lexpenditures”.

NASS Pledges to Enthrone Fiscal Discipline

Transparency, Good Governance Key to Nigeria’s Growth - ZCC


cut down the cost of runninggovernment vertically and horizontallyin the three arms of government, as wellas the three tiers of our federating unit.In this regard, the National Assemblywill lead the crusade. We will make therequired sacrif ice and reviewdownwards our recurrent expenditure.We expect others to make similarsacrifice”, he said.

The Senate president, also chargedPresident Goodluck Jonathan whopresented N4.2trillion 2011 budget toensure full implementation of thebudget, adding that the heart of goodbudget is an effective and efficientimplementation, because poor budgetimplementation remains the bane of thenat ion ' s economic and socia ldevelopment.

He said, the National Assembly isdetermined to raise the standard ofbudgetary process to a level far abovethe formalities of annual rituals, ascaptured below:

“Mr. President, as you know, theheart of a good budget is an effectiveand efficient implementation. Yet, poorbudget implementation remains ourna t ion ' s economic and socia l

NEWS

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wealth and opportunity in the sub-SaharanAfrica as a result of rich naturalresources endowment, should havecharacterized the resultant economicdevelopment of the continent butexpressed concern that, “the revenuefrom such endowment has notcontributed to overcoming thecontinent's economic poverty whichspreads to other sectors of nationaleconomy.”

It was reported in the meeting thatseveral attempts to uncover the rootcause of the problem and necessarilyp r o v i d e a p a n a c e a h a s l e a ddevelopment expert to trace the cause ofthis phenomenon to bad governanceand bad management of nationalresources revenue, a development itsaid could be tackled through propercoordination.

The communiqué also said thequality of governance as it were, is a keyto transforming resource curse into ablessing, stressing that a vital approacht o g o o d g o v e r n a n c e l i e s i nstrengthening transparency andaccountability of the decision-makersthat manage the extractive resourcesand revenue.

Since the launch of the ExtractiveIndustries Transparency Initiative(EITI) in 2002, some countries in thecontinent of Africa have embraced theprinciples and criteria of this laudableinitiative leading to the same countriesdomesticating the EITI in their countrywith the aim of improving transparencyand accountability in resource richcountries through the full publicationand verification of companies paymentsand government revenues from oil andgas, and mining. Laudable as thisinitiative may sound, there have been

evidences in some countries likeNigeria to judge that government isrelatively committed to the initiative.

However, it said there is unclear,dwindling political will to support EITIin Nigeria, in addition to lack of propercoordination among governmentagencies which is crucial for Nigeria toattain compliant status; while gaps ininformation sharing among agenciesand the NEITI secretariat have resultedin the disconnect between NEITI andother agencies in data computation.

Head of organizations do not reportoutcomes of meetings to workers whomay represent such organizations insubsequent meetings.

Similarly, it is observed thati m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a u d i trecommendations is slow, while there ispoor oversight of EITI internationalsecretariat.

David Mark, Senate President

The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)which aims at reforming the Oiland Gas industry for the

improvement and general efficiency ofthe oil industry is yet to get legal teeth asthe two chambers of the NationalAssembly are yet to pass the bill into law.

Draft of the PIB bill was introducedby the administration of Late PresidentUmaru Musa Yar'Adua with the goal toholistically reform the Oil and GasIndustry with a view to improving thesector.

When passed into law the act willestablish the legal and regulatoryframework, institutions and regulatoryauthorities for the Nigerian PetroleumIndustry to establish guidelines for theoperation of the upstream anddownstream sectors.

It also seeks to create a much moretransparent administrative system whereall interested parties could assessinformation and indicate interest on agiven venture or projects in the Oil andGas industry.

Although the Petroleum IndustryBill (PIB) has been in the news for solong, Stakeholders, experts, civil societyorganisations, and various communitieshave expressed worries about the nonpassage of bill which is still at theNational Assembly. Some of thesegroups point fingers at the inability ofthe National Assembly particularly theHouse of Representatives for failing toensure speedy passage of the bill, whilesome of the groups said the Bill was notgiven the necessary attention it deserves.

At a workshop in Abuja, ExecutiveDirector of Civil Society LegislativeCentre (CISLAC) Mr Auwal MusaRafsanjani and other leaders of variousCivil Society Organisations (CSOs)came together to suggest ways on how tofast track the quick passage of the bill asthey expressed concern on the continuesdelay at the NationalAssembly.

The civil rights activist observed thatwhile they were happy that both theSenate and the House of Representativescommittees have assured Nigerians ofpassing the bill, the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives, Hon.Oladimeji Bankole, informed agathering in Lagos recently that theH o u s e h a s p a s s e d t h e b i l l ,“investigations had revealed that the billwas still at the committee level incontrast to what the speaker said”,Rafsanjani observed “We are worried

because of this development but we wantthe National Assembly to quickly act andensure the passage of the bill in goodtime.”

According to him, an interactionCISLAC had with some members of theJoint House Committee overseeing thebill indicated that, the bill may take sometime before it would be finally passed intolaw. However he challenged theNational Assembly to rise up to itsresponsibilities and inform Nigeriansabout the bill’s status and assure them onits prompt passage.

Rafsanjani also observed that becauseof interest of reforming the oil sector allstakeholders in the Oil and Gas sectorswere involved in the draft process. Onecan say a near perfect document wasproduced. So, for the highest law makingbody of the land to drag its feet on animportant bill like the PIB is indeedworrisome, he lamented.”

He attributed this to the seemingexploitation and monumental corruptionin the sec tor and the a l legedm i s m a n a g e m e n t a n d c r i m i n a lcollaboration by government officials inpartnership with foreign agents to rob theNigerian people of benefits from theirGod-given resources.

CISLAC’s Boss opined that “Despitepublic statements to the contrary, itappears no provision for the 10 percentequity has been inserted into any version

of the PIB on the House or Senate.Senior House members working on thePIB have claimed not to have hadknowledge of the 10percent equity norhave they seen any plan or proposal forit”, he said.

The 10 percent equity he furtherexplained would enhance local content,improve the economy of oil bearingcommunities and solve the problems ofrestiveness and provide palliative to theenvironmental degradation arising fromgas flaring, spillage and other relatedissues associated with oil and gasexploitation which the host communitieshave suffered for many years.

Government he said should notrepeat mistakes of the past, but insteadwould make consideration of the 10percent equity open and transparent sothat stakeholders in the Niger Deltashould have opportunity to comment oreven see the plans for the 10 percentbecause secrecy around oil money has along history of causing conflict in theNiger Delta.

He called on the National Assemblyto ensure the inclusion of 10percentequity participation by oil and gasbearing communities for the obviousbenefits of the Nigerian State and simplyensure accountability.

Nigeria he noted is in dire need ofreforms in the petroleum sector. “It is onrecord that the government of PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000commenced a process of reform and hadset up oil and gas sector reform Imple-mentation Committee. The committeehas come up with the Nigerian Oil andGas policy, which began the process ofdrafting the PIB, initially chaired by DrRilwan Lukman and later by Dr EdmundDaukoru and the process went on till2007 when the final draft was tabled”.

He therefore called on the nationalassembly to expedite action on thepassage of the PIB when they reconvenefrom their two-month recess before theywind up for the legislative year saying“We are aware of the entrenchedinterests within the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation (NNPC). Thosewithin the sector that have fed fat fromthe bad system to the detriment of theNigerian people will definitely resist allattempts at restructuring the sector, butwe can't fold our hands and allow a fewindividuals with foreign collaborators totake the Nigerian economy down thedrain”.

Controversy Trails Passage of Petroleum Industry Bill

Auwal Ibrahim Musa RafsanjaniExecutive Director, CISLAC


NEWS

Aworkshop organised by the

Civil Society AdvocacyC e n t r e [ C I S L A C ] h a s

observed that the legislature in KanoState has been conducting most of itssubstantial functions in secrecy.

The workshop revealed that mostof the public hearings which shouldnormally be open to the public wereheld in secrecy in the State andtherefore charged legis la t ivecorrespondents to rise up to thechallenge and expose the situation.

A statement signed by CISLAC'sDirector, Auwal Rafsanjani and thestate editor of the VanguardNewspaper, Muhammad Abdulsalamurges Nigerian journalists to alwaysset agenda for National developmentfor the Lawmakers and advocate forthe abolition of secrecy oath by publicofficials.

The workshop which highlightedthe role of journalists in nationbuilding showcases democracy asthriving only when it guarantees therights and aspirations of people,t he r e fo re the med ia have aresponsibility to educate the people ondemanding, claiming and upholdingtheir rights through the legislature”.

There was therefore a called for thequick passage of the Freedom OfInformation Bill in order to facilitateaccess to information.

“Journalists should push for theopening up of parliament by utilizingtheir media to advocate for increasedaccess to the Kano State House ofAssembly and the conduct of thosehouse matters that require publicparticipation in the proper manner”, the

Kano Legislative House Conducts

Proceedings in Secrecy


statement added.The workshop organizers stressed

the need for similar trainings to bringreporters, media practitioners and thelegislature together to enrich thedebate and discourse on the challengesconfronting the practice of journalismin the society.

It was observed that the media hasthe responsibility to educate thelegislature on the role of the media inenhancing legislative practice andfunctions in the state for goodgovernance and that Journalist shouldseek existing and alternate mediums tovoice their issues as well as bringingissues to the front burner of publicdiscourse.

It therefore charged Journalists toalways organize themselves in amanner that will provide both aformidable platform for incisivecoverage of parliament and offerprotection for courageous groups andindividual journalists who fearlesslytransmit true, objective and factualinformation into the public domain in aprofessional manner to serve thecourse of justice and promotetransparency and accountability.

NEWS

The Nigeria Association of WomenJournalists (NAWOJ), FederalCapital Territory [FCT] Chapter hasorganised a weeklong event to honourvarious distinguished personalitieswho have excelled in their variousfields of human endeavour.

The recipients are Mr AuwalIbrahim Musa Rafsanjani, theExecutive Director, Civil SocietyLegislative Centre (CISLAC) whoreceived his award for outstandingcontribution to legislative advocacyand government civil societyrelationships since the entrenchmentof democracy in the country, theNational President NAWOJ, MrsFatima Abdulkareem, Director-General National Action Committee

on HIV/AIDS (NACA) Mr JohnIdoko, Prince Salisu AbubakarMaikasuwa, Clerk of the National

Assembly, Gloria Okolugbo,AspirantHouse of Representative, Chief IniAkpabio, and Chief Executive ofNANET Suites,

Other recipients are HonourableI ta Enang, Chai rman HouseCommittee on Business and Rules ofthe House of Representatives, Mr.Ishaya Isah Chonoko, Zonal co-ordination FCT NEMA, Mr. U.KBello, and the Controller of CustomsServices in the Federal CapitalTerritory {FCT}.

The event which attracted variouspersonalities from different sectors ofthe country was organised to givehonour to the recipients for theiroutstanding contributions in theirvarious areas and charged them togive more to the society.

By Ogonnaya Dibia

NAWOJ Honours Maikasuwa, DG NACA, Ekaette, Rafsanjani, others

John Idoko, DG, NACA

Rt. Hon. Abdulazeez Garba GafasaSpeaker, Kano State House of Assembly

By Staff Reporter

As part of effort to alleviate thesufferings of Senior Citizensand physically challenged in

the country a group known as womenIn New Nigeria(WINN) has promisedto provide free medical care, drugs inhospitals and have special homes.

To achieve this feat they would berequired to show identity Card thatwould be issued by the organisationanywhere they go, the group said.

Apostle Eunice Gordon who ledthe group on this mission said, “thewhole idea of taking care of thesecategory of citizens came aftertravelling abroad and seeing the waythey were being catered for”.

“On the show of Identity Card theyare allowed on flights for free, givenfood at restaurants for free, given freemedical care and drugs at hospitalsand have special homes''.

She condemned the deplorableconditions of some of these seniorcitizens who suffer terribly wheneverthey come to Abuja for their wages(pensions) after serving their nationadding that if not for the corrupt mindof the officials involved, thesecitizens would not pass through hellbefore getting their benefits.

Apart from helping the lessprivileged in the society, otherobjectives of the organisation include:to fight corruption; re-orient womenon the need for change; Enlighten theNigerian women about governance;empower widows and all women inthe society; foster unity andunderstanding among women of allfaith, assist in curbing vices such ashuman trafficking and prostitution;address issues concerning girl childeducation and marriage.

In order to achieve this she saidWINN have adopted a strategy thatwould help make it a realistic ventureand this include; organising rallies,seminars, workshops, conferences,

c o m p a r i n g t h e m w i t h t h e i rneighbours whom they never knewtheir source of livelihood.

The family she noted has playedcrucial role in the failure of the societybecause parents no longer query theirchildren or wards why they keep badcompany or steal things that do notbelong to them or question on whythey engage in vices such asexamination malpractice, prostitutionand drug abuse.

WINN she noted would create a

the participants that women are their

own enemies and that for any success

to be achieved'' we must all come

together and seek ways of changing

the society to achieve a new Nigeria.

At the end of the meeting, Apostle

Gordon Dr. Mangzha was named the

National co-ordinator of WINN and

Mrs Yasmine Abeh as Deputy

National Co-ordinator.

WINN Sets to SupportNigeria’s Senior Citizens


NEWS

public talk, micro-financing, mediacampaign, and advocacy visits.

The new WINN she explainedfurther would have zero tolerance forcorruption, adding that the root causeof corruption would be tackled fromthe family unit where it begins. Somewomen she noted have pushed theirhusbands into corrupt practices by

new Nigeria where corruption is seenby all as a vice and not a norm. “It is allabout creating enough awareness forwomen so that they can affect theirsociety positively.”

Corruption she pointed out haseaten deep into the fabrics of theNigerian society and has beeninstitutionalised and accepted as a

way of life in the countryadding that though menfight corruption butwomen are better tool totackle this menace fromthe family circle.

She also argued thatt h e r o o t c a u s e o fcorruption is in thefamily unit and womenas mothers can onlybecome the tool forchange. “If you train awoman you train then a t i o n b e c a u s e a nempowered woman is anequipped woman.''

A h e a d o f 2 0 1 1elections WINN she alsosaid would register tomonitor the elections andexpose any ills'.

E a r l i e r i n h e r

goodwill message the

wife of the Ona of Abaji,

Queen Hauwa Kulu

Ibrahim, commended the

facilitator and reminded

Apostle Eunice Gordon

Sanusi Emerges World Bank’sBest Central Bank Governor

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) governor, MallamSanusi Lamido Sanusi has

been named the world central bankgovernor of the year by The Banker,a publication of the Financial Timesof London.

Sanusi was given another awardof the Central Bank Governor of theYear for the entire world, and that oftheAfrican continent.

The two awards were given toSanusi because in the last 18 months,he has salvaged a crumblingNigerian financial sector andimplemented reforms that have putthe Nation's promising market backon the map for investors globally.

A statement signed by theCountry Representative, Nigeria ofThe Banker Magazine, FinancialTimes , London, Mr. KunleOgedengbe, confirmed the awards,as the Editor of the magazine, Mr.Brian Caplen said that fewcandidate's names can generate anoverall consensus on judging panelsand yet, when it came to finding thebest global central bank governor ofthe year, Mr Sanusi was chosenunanimously.

“Despite the big challenge of

facing up to powerful people whoheld considerable sway in the country,Sanusi never looked back and got thesupport of the public as they weremade aware of the scale of corruption,which made the public to support thechange he promoted,” he said.

Caplen also stressed that Sanusiembarked on a radical anti-corruptioncampaign aimed at saving 24 bankson the brink of collapse and pressedfor the managers involved in the mostblatant cases of corruption to becharged and, in the case of two seniorbankers, convicted.

The magazine noted that thereforms of Mallam Sanusi are toenhance the quality of the Nigerianbanks, establish financial stability inthe system, provide enabling andhealthy financial-sector evolution aswell as ensuring that the financialsector contributes to the real sectorrather than just serving the bankingsector alone.

Two months into his governorship,Mallam Sanusi embarked on thebailout of Afribank, IntercontinentalBank, Union Bank, Oceanic Bank andFinbank and dismissed their chiefexecutive officers in a move designedto show that banking is no longer

business as usual but institutions thatmust serve the economy as a whole.

Another key reform of the bankingsector introduced by Mr Sanusi hasbeen to limit the tenure of bank CEOsto a maximum of 10 years. They willhave to leave office at the end of theirterm regardless of their record.

This policy has already led tochange of leadership at UBA, Zenithand Skye banks.


Civil Society Groups , DFID,and the World Bank cametogether in a meeting with the

aim of updating past activities of theforum towards monitoring andevaluating the implementation statusreport on activities of projects in theAfrican Region.

The Coordinator of CCG groupwho gave a brief report on the Annualmeeting said the issues discussed hadenvironmental implication on palmoil investment.

The coordinator mentioned thatcapacity building training for theCCG members was imperative as tobe able to monitor and evaluate the

implementation status report onactivities of projects in the AfricanRegion.

In an Open Discussion, DFIDrepresentative in his remark said theDFID is a government departmentl i k e t h e N a t i o n a l P l a n n i n gCommission. DFID gives technicalassistance, attack systemic issues toensure effective service delivery.

He also mentioned that SAVI is aproject of DFID, truly independentand is going to run for 5years addingthat it is currently running at the statelevel. Coalition for Change (C4C) isalso funded by DFID. “SAVI is toempower CSO on how to engage thegovernment”, he said. However, hementioned that one of the challenges

DFID is having is ensuring that theCSOs to be engaged are notmisconstrued by the government.

NEWS

WORLD BANK, CSOs HELD CONSULTATIVE FORUM MEETINGBy Abimbola Okoilu

Sanusi Lamido, CBN Governor

Robert Zoelick, World Bank President


Bema Home Orphans Seek for Assitance from FG

Executive Director of the BemaHome, Mrs Benedicta Jerekehas appealed to the Federal

Government and philanthropists toextend their support to the home inorder to make it better.

She said that Orphanages andother Child Care Institutions inNigeria and the world globally havebeen playing crucial role in theupbringing of children especially themotherless and the under-privilegedchild in the society.

According to her, the OrphanagesHome take care of orphans and otherchildren who are abandoned butwhose parents may be alive andorphanages whose parents are bothalive but who could not give sufficientcare because of poverty.

She said the Federal Government,Non-Governmental Organisation(NGOS), International Organisations,D e v e l o p m e n t P a r t n e r s ,Philanthropists, Social Workers, andthe Civil Society that are into thebusiness of child upbringing anddevelopment could help greatly inmitigating the hardship of thesevulnerable groups.

However she said, managing someof these homes professionally is avery difficult task for those who are inthe business, but observed that somehomes are poorly managed becausethere is no support from thegovernment or spirit-filled individualin the society.

Not less than 350 Orphans, the lessprivileged and physically challengedpeople have benefited from BemaHome but the orphans who spokethrough the Executive Director, MrsB e n e d i c t a s a i d t h e f e d e r a lgovernment and philanthropistsshould come to their aid in the future.

In an interview with ourCorrespondent, Mrs Jereke said BemaHome “is not only a home for the lessprivileged, but a home where the un-loved experiences love while theeducationally disadvantaged receiveseducation on a platter of gold. It is ahaven for the hungry, the abandoned,

the handicapped and the rejected inthe society”, she added.

She commended the efforts of thegovernment through the FederalMinistry of WomenAffairs and SocialDevelopment for their support inchild development.

“We also take care of women whoare disadvantaged and could notsustain themselves rather they loiterin the streets begging causing publicnuisance in the society. Apart fromthis, we also educate, and give healthcare to the women and engage them ina meaningful trade so that they canfend for themselves' 'she said.

She also pleaded with thegovernment to assist orphans in Bemahome to provide basic educationalm a t e r i a l s a n d c a l l e d o nphilanthropists to come to the aid ofthe children.

“We believe in “help for self help”we do not want to be supportedindefinitely by benefactors. We wantto be a self sustaining and self reliantorganisation. To achieve this we needthe support of the government and

philanthropists so that we can developthe necessary infrastructure that willhelp us achieve success.

The children she explained are indire need of school fees, text books,uniforms, and good medical help.Some of the children she noted arebetween the ages of 1month and oneyear, while some are above that age.The adults among them she pointedout are into skills acquisitionprogrammes.

“They are taught how to designand make beads, hats, knitting,tailoring, and computer training.Children have enormous wealth oftalents, skills, intelligence andhumour. Many have been denied theopportunity to develop themselvesdue to circumstances which are nottheir making,'' she observed.

According to her, the aim of herorganisation, is to produce men andwomen who exhibit the quality ofintegrity uprightness, honesty selfdiscipline and ability to survive inhighly competitive world which ischanging faster.

NEWS

By Ogonnaya Dibia

Josephine Anenih, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Welfare


PRESS BRIEFING

(3) Regulating/setting standards and developinglegal framework in the state.

Mallam Mujtaba further explained that the billwould reduce if not eradicate corruption in publicprocurement that is why it attracts support andpopularity from all quarters in the country.

He therefore called on the state House ofAssembly toinitiate and pass the bill to promote transparency andaccountability in the public procurement processes.

The zonal coordinator then reviewed the ongoingstrike by the academic unions of state owned tertiaryinstitutions as worrisome and unnecessary. Herecalled that students have been home for the past111days and both federal and state legislators havemet with the striking lecturers in order to resolve theimpasse, yet Kano state government did not show anyserious commitment to resolve the problem. Heopined that the demands of these workers whichinclude, adequate funding for institutions, staffdevelopment, infrastructure development, issue ofover taxation and rent allowances, implementation oftertiary institutions salary structure (CONTISS 15)and full implementation of consolidated Polytechnicsand Colleges of Education Academic Staff SalaryStructure(COMPASS) are just, legitimate, modest,and in the interest of the state. He therefore called onthe Governor of Kano State Mallam IbrahimShakarau, who was a one-time member of suchAcademic Staff Union to as a matter of urgency meetand negotiate with the lecturers and resolve theproblems once and for all. He stressed that therecannot be a sound education while our highereducation is being crippled by the strike.

We would once again call the education committee ofthe state house of Assembly to initiate a publicHearing on the education sector in the state with theview to examining the problems of the sector and findlasting solutions to them. He thanked the press andwelcomed their questions and comments.

About 30 media attended the briefing, they includeBBC world, Raypower, AIT, AR TV, NTA Kano,Radio Kano AM/FM, FRCN, Vanguard, NigerianTribune, Triumph Newspaper, Leadership, This day,Daily Trust etc. All the electronic media broadcastedthe press briefing.

The press briefing started with a briefintroduction of CISLAC by the zonalcoord ina to r, Mal lam Muj taba Al i

Muhammad welcoming participants. He explainedthat the briefing was part of activities of the Kanooffice, to raise awareness on legislative issues as wellas to serve for legislative advocacy. He furtherexplained that, Civil Society Legislative AdvocacyCentre CISLAC is a non governmental non profitlegislative advocacy, lobbying, information sharingand research organization. CISLAC be elaborated,works towards bridging the gap between thelegislature and the electorates by enhancing lobbyingstrategies, engagement of bills before their passageinto law; man power development for lawmakers,legislative aides, politicians and Civil Society as wellas civic educations on the tennets of democracy andhuman Rights.

He also explained that CISLAC has actively engagedin legislative advocacy work since 2005 and openedits Kano office in 2009. Since the formalinauguration of the zonal office in Kano, the officehas been actively engaged in series of activitiesincluding legislative advocacy visits, monitoring thestate assembly; activating capacity building for civilsociety, the media, CBO'S and press briefing ontopical issue in the state.

He focussed his address on some importantlegislative issues in Kano State like the call todomesticate the Public Procurement Bill in the state.

He started with the call to domesticate the PublicProcurement Bill in the state. He said we feel obligedto call for the domestication of the publicprocurement bill 2007 in Kano state, CISLACbelieves that national as well as state developmentwould came only if corruption which mainly takesplace through shoddy procurement practices iseliminated.

Objectives of the Bill are:

(1) Establishing the state council on publicprocurement and Bureau of publicprocurements as the regulating authoritiesresponsible for the monitoring and oversight ofpublic procurement.

(2) Harmonizing the existing government policiesand practices.

PRESS BRIEFING BY CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE(CISLAC), KANO OFFICE, HELD ON 3RD NOVEMBER 2010 AT TAHIR GUESTPALACE HOTELKANO. SUPPORTED BYFREIDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG (FES)


COMMUNIQUE

Preamble

Observations

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre(CISLAC) with support from the Friedrich EbertStiftung organized One-day training for parliamentaryreporters in Kano State. The training was held at theTahir Guest Palace, Kano State on 21st October 2010.The meeting had 33 participants comprising membersof the media from various media outfits as well asCSOs in the state.

Two key papers were delivered on the 'The Media as aTool for Interfacing Between Constituencies and thelegislature' and 'Setting an Agenda for Parliamentthrough the Media by Issues-Based Reporting. Themeeting is situated within the context of the need tostrengthen the role of the media in the consolidationand growth of democracy and its institutions withparticular focus on legislature in a representativedemocracy. Key observations and recommendationsfrom the training are as follow:

1. Participation is the key block upon whichdemocracy is founded and the legislature providesthe bases for peoples participation in democracy

2. The legislature exists to aggregate the demands,needs and aspiration of the people and is thereforeaccountable to the people and information is key tothis accountability process

3. The media plays a key and central role as aninterface between the arms of government as wellas with the people facilitating the flow ofinformation, setting the agenda and participation ofthe people in the governance process

4. Reporters face enormous challenges in playingtheir role as watchdogs of society as the media hasto balance its constitutional role as a voice of thepeople, a commercial enterprise, a representationof interest and the nature of politics existent insociety today

5. The practice of journalism and setting the agendais greatly constrained by the resources available tosupport journalist in their functions as well as themedia based logistics in the legislature.

6. The efficiency of the Reporter as a source of true,balanced and objective information is greatlyaffected by the interests of the owners andoperators of media organizations who may haveother interests beyond the traditional roles of themedia

7. The legislature in Kano State still conductssubstantial parts of its function in secrecy. This ismore true of public hearings which should normallybe open to the public

1. Democracy can be said to be thriving only when itguarantees the rights and meets the needs andaspirations of the people, therefore the media havea responsibility to educate the people ondemanding, claiming and upholding their rightsthrough the legislature

2. The media should advocate for the abolishing ofthe secrecy oath as well as the passage of the FOIact to facilitate access to information

3. Organizers should in subsequent trainings attemptto bring reporters, media practitioners and thelegislature to enrich the debate and discourse onthe challenges confronting the practice ofjournalism in the society

4. The media has a responsibility to educate thelegislature on the role of the media in enhancinglegislative practice and functions in the state forgood governance

5. Journalist should seek existing and alternatemediums to voice their issues as well as bringingissues to the front burner of public discourse

6. Journalists should organize themselves in amanner that will provide both a formidable platformfor incisive coverage of parliament, as well as, offerprotection for courageous groups and individualjournalists who fearlessly transmit true, objectiveand factual information into the public domain in aprofessional manner to serve the course of justiceand promote transparency and accountability.

7. Journalists should push for the opening up ofparliament by utilizing their media to advocate forincreased access to the Kano State House ofAssembly and the conduct of those house mattersthat require public participation in the propermanner.

Participants thanked CISLAC and Friedrich EbertStiftung for providing the platform for the training as itwould serve to further strengthen the work of themedia in the state towards consolidating thedemocratic process.

Executive Director, CISLAC

Vanguard Newspaper

Recommendations

Conclusion

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

MuhammadAbdulsalam

Signed:

Communiqué Issued at the End of Training for Parliamentary Reporters in Kano StateHeld at the Tahir Guest Palace on Thursday 21st October 2010 in Kano State Nigeria.

Group photograph at the CSO-Legislature Review Session ofBenue State 2010 Budget held in Makurdi on 17th December,2010

(L- R) Ekanem Bassey (PACT Nigeria), Barr. Adesina Oke(CISLAC) and Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani (ED CISLAC)at the press briefing on Petroleum Industry Bill on 20thDecember 2010 inAbuja.

Group photograph at the CSO-Legislature Review Session ofJigawa State 2010 Budget held in Three Star Hotel, Dutse,Jigawa State.

Group photograph at the Revenue

Management Workshop held on

20th December, 2010 at Excel

Resort and Hotel,Abuja

(R-L) Kolawole Banwo (CISLAC), Gertjan Van Bruchem(Oxfam Novib), Dr. Ikelegbe (UNIBEN) and Abimbola Okiolu(CISLAC) at the Oxfam Novib Strategic Planning meeting withpartners on 4th December 2010 in Benin City, Edo State

From left: Olubunmi Solomon (Resource person), JohnsonOdei (Kogi State House of Assembly and one-time Chairpersonof FIDA, Kogi State.


PHOTO SPEAK

Group photograph at the Oxfam Novib Niger Delta andStrategic Planning meeting held with partners in Benin, EdoState on 4th December, 2010.


PARTNERSHIP

As part of the ongoing working relationship betweenCISLAC and the UNHCR CISLAC was invited toparticipate at the concluded seminar on the

Outcomes of the AU Special Summit / African UnionConvention for Internally Displaced Persons in Africa(Kampala Convention) held inAddisAbaba, Ethiopia.

The seminar was chaired by Chief Mohammed DhaffeBenya, Member of Parliament and Chief of Small BOChiefdom, from Sierra Leone, the Key Note Address wasdelivered by H.E. Prof. Tarsis Bazana Kabwegyere, Ministerof Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Republic ofUganda. Welcoming remarks were made by Mr. ChrysantusAche, UNHCR Representative to the AU and ECA and Dr.Pascal Mihyo, Director, Organisation for Social ScienceResearch in Eastern and SouthernAfrica, and opening remarksby a representative of the Commissioner for PoliticalAffairs ofthe African Union Commissioner, Mr. Olabisi Dare, Head ofHumanitarian Affairs and Refugees Department. Fourbackground papers were presented by experts in the field ofInternational Relations, International Law, ForcedDisplacement and Public Policy matters. The Discussantswere also experts in forced displacement and post conflictreconstruction and development matters: Mr. OluseyiBajulaiye, UNHCR Representative to the Republic ofTanzania, Counselor Wheatonia Dixon Barnes, ExecutiveDirector, Liberian Refugee Repatriation and ResettlementCommission and Prof. Bonaventure Rutinwa, Professor ofLaw, University of Dar-es-Salaam / UNHCR Consultant in theRepublic of Tanzania.

Members of the High Panel consisting of the Chair, ChiefMohammed Dhaffe Benya, H.E Prof. Tarsis BazanaKabwegyere, Mr. Chrysantus Ache, Dr. Pascal Mihyo and Mr.Olabisi Dare in their welcoming, opening and Key noteaddresses, recalled the specific objectives of the seminarwhich included awareness raising among the variousstakeholders on the status of IDPs in the continent, to derivecommon understanding on the importance of ratification andimplementation of the outcomes of the Kampala SpecialSummit (Kampala Convention, the Kampala declaration andthe recommendations), experience sharing on lessons learnt onthe challenges and opportunities for ratification and to provideproposals for concrete next steps for ratification andimplementation of the outcomes of the Kampala SpecialSummit. They congratulated the three states, the republic ofUganda, Chad and Sierra Leone on the ratification of theKampala Convention and emphasized on the need for the 26other signatory states to immediately ratify the Convention.Members of the high panel also stressed on the imperative needto end the suffering of displaced populations by intensive andmulti-faceted approaches such as identifying comprehensivedurable solutions and creating conducive conditions for returnand reintegration through the implementation of the PostConflict Reconstruction and Development Policy (PCRD).They also urged member states to find solutions to the rootcauses of displacement in the continent, which will in turncontribute to peace and stability and augment the attainment of

SUMMARYOFPROCEEDINGS:

sustainable development adding that tackling IDP issuesrationally and head-on also makes good policy sense. Inaddition to protecting lives, the outcomes of the KampalaSpecial Summit was also referred to as a tool to assistgovernments in managing urbanization challenges andallocating national budgets, rather than having their citiesoverwhelmed by IDPs looking for stability and livelihoods.The high panel stressed that in order for African countries toreap the full benefits of the Convention, the Convention mustbe integrated into every African state's domestic law and fullyimplemented and monitored. The high panel also recalled thespecific protection expertise of UNHCR and requested theorganization to continue and reinforce its role in the protectionof and assistance to IDPs when called upon by Member States.

The break out groups considered the following themes aspresented by the Presenters:

The changing nature of intra and inter state conflict inAfrica and its implication on forced displacementPresentation by Professor Bonaventure Rutinwa. Issues thatemerged from discussions include; the evolution of conflictfrom pre- colonial times to the new world order and thesubsequent changes in the nature of displacement and on themodest decline of the numbers of refugees and the increase inthe numbers of internal displacement. Participants alsodiscussed how the quest for development in the 21st centuryand Interventionist attitudes by States in economic and socio-political matters, especially tampering with national resourceallocations, have led to imbalances in the normal flow ofmacroeconomic growth, in turn fuelling unemployment anddeprivation of human rights, subsequently leading to conflicts.The relevance of the outcomes of the Kampala Special Summiton early warning, prevention, management and resolution ofconflict was also deliberated upon at this session. Consensuswas clear on the fact that the outcomes of the Kampala SpecialSummit, specifically the Kampala Convention, provides thenecessary clarification of existing international legal standardsfor the protection and assistance of IDPs and provides the basisfor enhanced protection and sustainable resolution ofsituations of internal displacement. Participants were alsounambiguous on the fact that the birth of the Convention sendsan important signal to the rest of the world about theseriousness with which Africa considers the issue of internaldisplacement.

The Need for Comprehensive Peace Building andPost Conflict Reconstruction and its Impact on FindingDurable Solutions for Displaced Populations Presentation byProf. Doctor Tim Murithi. Participants deliberated on theimportance of including IDPs in peace building and peacenegotiations efforts and on the need to empower and capacitatewomen to deal with peace issues, with enhanced education andtechnical training made available to them, especially for thoseliving in forced displacement situations. The central role ofcivil societies in post conflict reconstruction and rehabilitationwas recognized, ranging from multilateral financialinstitutions involved in aid assistance, to work by internationaland local NGOs in providing development and inculcatingdemocratic behavior among citizens. International

(i)

(ii)

CISLAC Partners With The UNHCR To Implement The AUConvention For Internally Displaced Persons In Africa


PARTNERSHIP

interventions of civil societies in countries like Rwanda, SierraLeone and Liberia during the transition and reconstructionphases could serve as good practices and replicated in States intransition. Reference was also made to existing UN processesto embrace the transition from emergency relief to earlyrecovery and development through the UNDAF (UnitedNations Development Assistance Framework) process.Reference was made to the 52 Recommendations made byMinisters in charge of Forced Displacement matters, which isone of the three outcomes of the Kampala Special Summit. Therecommendations contain provisions on post conflictreconstruction and on working with partners to enhance peaceand stability and development agendas for the continent, andparticipants were unanimous in their commitment tocommence implementation of the recommendations,including in popularizing the outcomes of the Kampala SpecialSummit and on the AU PCRD Policy. Specificrecommendation was made to have the AU PCRD Policytranslated into every local language in each African country soas to enhance knowledge and awareness on the existence of thepolicy, to guarantee state obligations and encourage citizenparticipation in the rebuilding of their nation.

Comparative analysis on the challenges facing IDPsin the five African regions Presentation by Mr. JosephChilengi. Discussions centered on the differences andsimilarities in the causes of displacement in the five regions;mainly religious, ethnic, political and resource related, and thevaried state and international practices in the protection andassistance of IDPs. Participants also discussed the conflictmaintenance capacities (which includes conflict prevention,resolution and management) of African regional actors toprovide physical and legal protection to IDPs. Related to this,was the challenges and weaknesses of existing legislative andpolicy frameworks in the continent to offer adequateprotection and assistance. International practices in the fiveAfrican regions in the prevention, protective and assistancecomponents also differed, consequently affecting standards ofprotection and assistance in the rights and well being of IDPs.Recommendations were made to learn from conflict resolutionsystems applied in post-conflict regions with the need tostrengthen the role of the AU and Regional Economiccommunities (RECs) in conflict maintenance efforts. The roleof RECs was recognized as important as it can influenceregional interest and create national and regional synergies.The role of the Kampala Convention in outlining the rights ofIDPs and the obligations of States, and in harmonizing and“bringing as one” the various practices and policies in thecontinent on the protection and assistance of IDPs, wascommended. The presentation challenged governmentofficials (technocrats) to play their part in the ratificationprocess arguing that it was not political will that was lacking toensure ratification as the political will had already beendemonstrated by Heads of State through the signature of theConvention. Recommendations emphasized the need fortechnocrats to take the process of ratification forward bypushing cabinet memos and bill drafting for tabling inParliament.

The Impetus, Content and status of the IDPConvention and the Kampala Declaration and the Challengesand Strategies on Ratifying and Implementing the IDPConvention and the Kampala Declaration Presentation by Mr.Tom Nyanduga. This session was complemented by brief

(iii)

(iv)

presentations from the AU Legal Office, the ICRC, and theIDMC on draft model laws and the role of civil society insupporting the ratification process. Deliberations centered onthe differences in ratification processes of African countriesand the difficulties in harmonizing ratification procedures dueto varied legal systems for ratification (constitutional andlegislative). Challenges identified in ratification of theConvention were not merely limited to political will but alsolack of awareness of the importance of the Convention, lack oftechnical capacity of government staff and lack of financialresources in government offices to facilitate the bureaucraticprocesses. Lessons learnt and best practices from theratification process of the Great Lakes Pact could furtherinform initiatives to push for speedy ratification of theKampala Convention. Discussions also centered around theimportance of theAU, RECs and the International Communityto work with States to identify challenges in theimplementation of the Outcomes of the Special Summitespecially in resource allocation and mobilization. In thisregard, proposals were made for the creation of a high leveltask force, coordinated by the AU, to undertake missions totargeted member states to encourage ratification andimplementation of the other outcomes. Involving the PanAfrican Parliament, including parliaments of RECs, devisingmodel laws and the development of ratification kit werepriority recommendations. The creation of nationalinstitutions dealing with IDP issues and the idea for an AUSpecial Envoy was discussed. Participants urged InternationalOrganizations such as the ICRC, NRC (IDMC) and DRCincluding UN agencies to support AU member states in thepopularization, ratification and domestication processes,including in working with civil societies to strengthen theirroles in advocating with governments for the ratification andimplementation of the Convention.

§ Burundi: Signatory to the IDP Convention, she wasconfronted with challenges of internal armed conflicts,followed by the organization of general elections.Government's priorities were therefore in conductingpeaceful elections, which took place in June 2010. The nextpriority is the return and reintegration of Burundianrefugees and IDPs to their areas of origin. The ratificationof the IDPConvention is therefore part of this new priority.

§ Central African Republic: Following the signature of theIDP Convention, the CAR set up a National Committee tolook into the drafting of a Law on the Protection andAssistance of IDPs. The draft law has just been submittedto the Assembly for voting and authorization of ratificationby the President.

§ Congo: Signatory to the IDP Convention, the SupremeCourt of the Republic of Congo had ruled its favorabledecision for the ratification of the Convention on 12 May2010. The Government also issued its favorable opinion inOctober 2010. The next step would be the Assembly voteauthorizing the ratification by the President. This isexpected to occur upon the resumption of the Assemblyfrom its annual recess.

§ Gabon: Signatory to the IDP Convention but no further

STATUS OF RATIFICATION PROCESSES IN THEFOLLOWING COUNTRIES (AS EXPRESSED BYPARTICIPANTS DURING GROUPDISCUSSIONS):


PARTNERSHIP

action has been taken. However the governmentrepresentative who participated in the Seminar isdetermined to take the process forward upon return.

§ The Gambia: Signatory to the IDP Convention. The cabinetpaper has been prepared and is ready for submission to theNationalAssembly.

§ Namibia: Signatory to the IDP Convention. The ratificationprocess is ongoing and the Government of Namibia is verykeen on displacement issues, for having been a “Product offorced displacement” and having benefited frominternational support.

§ Rwanda: Signatory to the Convention. The ratificationinstruments have already been prepared and submitted tothe Cabinet. The electoral process which delayed thisprocess is now over and more focus will be given to theratification process.

§ Zimbabwe: Signatory to the convention, the approval ofcabinet was provided in 21 May 2010. The ratificationprocess is ongoing at the assembly level.

§ Prioritize the inclusion of displaced populations in all futurepeace agreements.

§ Hold annual programmatic meeting between AU, UN andmember states on resource mobilization, programmeprioritization and technical capacity building.

§ Develop institutional frameworks to interface with CivilSociety Organizations on displaced population issues.

§ Include women and youth in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts, including in durable solutions planning.

§ Provide displaced populations with the right to reparation,justice and closure for past injustices.

§ Develop an AU Transitional Justice Policy Frameworkrelating to displaced populations.

§ Include educational and awareness raising programmes onconflict prevention, prevention of displacement and onpeace building at all levels - from primary schoolcurriculum to government offices.

§ Speed-up the Ratification by States of the KampalaConvention and immediate implementation of the otheroutcomes of the Kampala Special Summit

§ Technocrats to take the lead, without any further delay, intheir bureaucratic processes to ensure that documents insupport of signature, ratification and domestication are welldocumented and presented through bureaucratic channelsfor consideration.

§ Strengthen the need for treaty bodies at regional andnational levels to monitor and coordinate regional/ nationalefforts towards IDPs.

Facilitate research on forced displacement andhumanitarian situations to facilitate the development ofsuitable policies.

Strengthen early warning and conflict maintenance(conflict prevention, management and resolution)capacities of theAU and the RECs.

RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSIONS:

§ Support the RECs by way of capacity building to facilitatebetter coordination at the regional level for protection andassistance of IDPs.

§ Support research on the possibilities of harmonizing theratification processes in the continent, and develop aRatification Kit.

§ Develop model legislation on Protection andAssistance ofIDPs taking into consideration both civil law and commonlaw systems.

§ Involve the AU Commission on International Law and thePan African Parliament (PAP) in pushing forward theratification processes.

§ Involve Civil Society Organizations and NGOs, NationalHuman Rights Institutions and the media in popularizationof the Outcomes of the Kampala Special Summit and inadvocating with States to ratify the convention.

§ Support research and legal review on best practices andlessons learnt from the ratification of Great Lakes Pact.

§ Establish an AU Task Force to follow up on ratificationand domestication and theAU is to take the lead on this.

§ Appoint an AU Special Envoy with the same TOR as theAU Task Force.

§ Organize an annual follow up seminar with participants,whether at continental or national level, to take stock ofdevelopments post the Seminar. Recommendations weremade to maintain the same list of participants, and toinclude UN/International Agencies Representatives andLegal/Protection Officers who have the leverage tocapacity built technocrats and other influentialgovernment officers in pushing for implementation of theOutcomes of the Kampala Special Summit.

The Chair, in his closing remarks, thanked all participants fortheir active deliberations during the two-day interactiveseminar and recalled the recommendations as above, stressingon the need to ensure its immediate follow up andimplementation. He stressed on the need to stand united to endforced displacement in the continent and to find suitabledurable solutions for the displaced, especially to supportexisting national, sub-regional and continental return andreintegration programmes to augment development efforts inthe continent. Other members of the high panel, in theirclosing statements, echoed the need for immediateimplementation of the outcomes of the Kampala SpecialSummit, especially to secure the 15 ratifications required toensure the entry into force of the Convention. States that haveratified the Convention were encouraged to beingimplementation with immediate effect, includingimplementation of the PCRD policy as well. The support andcommitment of international organizations, the civil societyand UN agencies to work with States in the ratification,domestication and implementation processes to ensureimplementation of the outcomes of the Kampala Specialsummit was highlighted and States were encouraged tocapitalize on such support, whether at the continental, regionalor national levels.

Closing remarks


OPINION

Revenue Watch Institute (RWI), in collaboration with its

Nigerian partner organizations Niger Delta Citizens and

Budget Platform (NDCBP), Bayelsa Non-government

Ogransations Forum (BANGOF) and Bayelsa

Expenditure and Income Transparency Initiative (BEITI)

convened a forum of Niger Delta Development to discuss

their works in the Niger Delta region. The forum which

held on Wednesday, 27 October, was aimed at exploring

opportunities for support and synergy building with other

development partners to the donor and diplomatic

community in Abuja. The event was widely attended by

representatives from the donor and diplomatic

communities, such as: Embassies of Canada and France,

USAID, National Democratic Institute (NDI),

International Republican Institute (IRI), international

Foundations for Electoral Systems (IFES), United

National Democratic Programme (UNDP), United

Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Open

Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Pact-Nigeria,

Pro-Natural International (PNI), Partnership Initiative for

Niger Delta (PIND), Centre for the Study of Economies of

Africa (CSEA) and the World Bank.Afew other local civil

society organizations like Coalition for Change (C4C),

Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC),

Royal Integrity andAccountability (RIAO) and Our Niger

Delta, were also represented. The forum which was

declared opened by RWI Deputy Director, Antoine Heuty,

featured two panel discussions covering:

· Opportunities and Challenges for improving the

Governance of oil and gas revenues in the Niger Delta

and;

· Resolving Development Question in the Niger Delta:

Experience Sharing on Emerging Practices.

The first panel featured the Director General of Due

Process and E-Governance in Bayalsa State, Dimieari Von

Kemedi, Dr. Ukoha Ukiwo of the University of Port

Harcourt and RWI's Nigeria Programme Coordinator,

Dauda Garuba, who spoke on RWI work in Nigeria as one

directed at supporting the promotion of efficient and

transparent management of oil and gas revenues in Niger

Delta states through a two-pronged approach:

1. Technical Assistance to Bayelsa State Government to

develop a more transparent mechanism for revenue

management through the Bayelsa Expenditure and

Income Transparency Initiative (BEITI), which aims

at monitoring public expenditure (State, NDDC,

LGAs, private sector voluntary contributions) and

audit government receipts from the Federal

Government Nigeria, Internally Generated Revenues

(IGR) and actual transfers to Local Government

Authorities.

2. Provision of direct support to coalitions of civil

society organizations (Niger Delta Citizens and

Budget Platform and Bayelsa Non-governmental

Organisations Forum) by way of capacity building and

grant-making to enhance budget tracking and

monitoring in Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom,

Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers; and citizens' engagement

with the BEITI process in Bayelsa State.

The second session which represented the centre piece of

the meeting saw RWI partners' presentations on their work

in the Niger Delta. This featured:

· Ms. Preye Joseph who spoke on The Bayelsa

Expenditure and Income Transparency Initiative as a

state-led initiative created by Governor Timipre Sylva

administration on 5 November, 2008 with the

technical assistance of RWI strengthen transparency

and accountability in through public expenditure

monitoring and audit of government receipts from the

federation account, Internally Generated Revenue

(IGR) and actual transfers to local government

authorities. This is intended to improve democratic

debates on revenue use, reduce conflict and poverty,

improve public service delivery and access to basic

social services, and increase private investment and

access to development finance, all of which are

required to fast-tracking economic growth and

advance key components of the Bayelsa State

Sustainable Development Strategy (BSSDG).

· Philip Slaboh whose presentation focused BANGOF's

engagement with the BEITI Process and Budget

Analysis in Bayelsa State with a view to strengthening

the demand side of governance; and

· Ken Henshaw who presented NDCBP's Budget

Analysis and advocacy work in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa,

Delta and Rivers States in the last three years with a

view to strengthening citizens participation in

governance, especially the budget process.

All presentations were very strongly and well received.

The event also generated good media publicity and, more

importantly, enabled the RWI partner organizations to

showcase their work and appeal for donor support beyond

RWI.

Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) is an independent, not-for-

profit international non-governmental organization, with

headquarters in New York, USA, working to promote

effective management of oil, gas and mining revenues for

public good. The Institute provides expertise, technical

assistance to governments and training/grants to civil

society organizations to help them realize the benefits of

Continued on page 18

SYNOPSIS OF REVENUE WATCH ON NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENTBy Dauda Garuba (RWI-Nigeria Programme Coordinator)


OPINION

BY BAMIDELE ATURU

he trouble with Nigerian politics, contrary to the

dominant view in the media, is not the absence of

issues-based politics or lack of ideological

commitment by the existing political parties but rather that

the dominant political parties are committed to the same

ideology or world-view and are therefore really or

essentially not different one from another and have to do

everything possible to show that they are different. In an

attempt to prove the impossible, namely to demonstrate that

they are different from one another to 'win' or steal votes

from the electorate, the parties necessarily resort to

desperate tactics which

negate the basic elements of

liberal democracy and

which indeed demonstrate

the limitations of liberal

democracy generally and

its specific difficulties or

incongruity in disoriented

polities such as Nigeria's.

All the dominant parties in

N i g e r i a , w i t h o u t a n

exception, are committed to

privatisation of public

utilities and assert that the state's only role in the economy is

as regulator of the competing interests of the various factions

of the ruling class. From Lagos to Kano and from Cross

River to Sokoto we see in display various forms of what is

now fashionably referred to as Public Private Sector

Participation (PPP) through which everything owned by the

people (including roads!) are mindlessly and rapaciously

parcelled among cronies of leading members of the various

governments. The class in power in Nigeria lacks the

discipline or rather more appropriately, the decency, to

amend its existing laws to legalise the privatisation of public

wealth and institutions. Thus, privatisation is not just an

immoral act of dispossessing the people of their collective

wealth it is patently and brazenly illegal as the laws of

Nigeria stand today. Section 16 of the Constitution, the

imposed ground norm, emphasises the dominance of the

state in the economy. In its exact language, the state has a

duty to 'manage and operate the major sectors of the

economy' and 'to control the national economy in such

manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and

happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and

equality of status and opportunity'. The constitution is not

done: it provides further that 'the economic system is not

T

PAPER PRESENTATION AT THE 3RD ANNUAL LAW & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTLECTURE ON “DEMOCRACY& ELECTIONS: MYTHS, ILLUSIONS & REALITIES”

operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of

wealth or the means of production and exchange in the

hands of few individuals or of a group'. No labour is

required to demonstrate therefore that the cannibalisation

and privatisation of the Power Holding Corporation of

Nigeria (PHCN), although being done under an

unconstitutional law, is illegal. We will cooperate with all

groups and individuals committed to aborting the illegal

sale of PHCN to individuals by any means necessary.

We need to restate that we are not opposed to competition

in the economy. Let all those who are interested in

generating, transmitting, distributing and selling

electricity invest their

own resources as was

the case with the

telecommunications

industry. Many of the

companies that were

licensed to either

build refineries or

generate electricity

over 5 years ago have

not been able to either

lay one metre long

pipe or erect a pole

respectively. This gives the lie to the existence of any

serious private sector in this country. What we have are

middlemen and women, speculators and commission

agents of capitalists in the advanced countries who produce

nothing but infamy. This comprador class is a vermin and

we must do everything necessary to shake it off our people.

Our people must see through the joke in the media where

some parties are labelled (that is the appropriate word) as

'progressives' and others as 'reactionaries'. The truth of the

matter is that none of the dominant political parties in the

country today can be truly described as progressive parties.

They are all reactionary parties. To those who may want to

accuse me of unsound or improper generalisation, I would

refer them again to the Constitution. The same section 16

states in black and white that it is the obligation of the state

to ensure that 'suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and

adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage,

old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick

benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all

citizens'. Parties and governments that are not providing

shelter at all, that are not providing food at all, that pay

extremely unreasonable wages, that neglect the old, the

“Our people must see through the joke in the

media where some parties are labelled (that is

the appropriate word) as 'progressives' and

others as 'reactionaries'. The truth of the matter

is that none of the dominant political parties in

the country today can be truly described as

progressive parties. They are all reactionary

parties.”

NIGERIA IN THE THROES OF FALSE PLURALISM


sick and create unemployment are not only reactionary but

are irresponsible no matter what their friends in the media

may think or say. The latest fraud going on now is that

section 224 of the Constitution that makes it obligatory for

the parties to implement section 16 of the Constitution has

been removed from the Constitution. The obvious

implication of this is that Chapter II of the Constitution on

Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State

Policy are rendered completely meaningless, although

section 13 of the Constitution enjoins all persons and

authorities to enforce them. What a shameless set of

reactionary politicians!

Does it then follow that all the politicians in the dominant

political parties are reactionary politicians? It would be

reductive, simplistic and fallacious to dismiss all the

politicians in the reactionary parties as reactionary. There

are some politicians who conclude, albeit erroneously, that

the reactionary parties are a necessary stepping stone to

political power which is crucial to their agenda of making a

difference in the lives of our people. These people mean

well and want to serve the people. But as history teaches us

inexorably the power structure in the reactionary parties

make true change impossible. The end result is that some

of these progressive politicians might leave offices

unstained, but if they would be honest they could never

realise their aim of changing our country in the retrograde

parties. 'Entreism', as the strategy of progressives joining

reactionary parties is known in our literature, is doomed

precisely because those parties are structured to preserve

the status quo. There is also a sense in which the joining of

the mainstream political parties on the ground that they are

the only ones that can 'win' elections become a self-

fulfilling prophecy and shows a certain organisational

laziness in some cases and opportunism in yet other cases.

There is no alternative to true progressive politicians, that

is, those who believe that the working people and its state

must dominate life, working to build their own party.

Our media must therefore be discerning. A word or two to

our media practitioners: Simply because you have

sympathy for a politician or that you are on his or her

payroll or because some politicians use ill gotten wealth to

set up media houses does not make them progressive. They

may be properly referred to as opposition politicians, but

again we must ask ourselves the question as to the quality of

their opposition. Is it opposition to capture or counter

capture state or political power for self aggrandisement?

Our people must not just stop at being angry at the robbery

going on in the country. The time has come to reclaim our

sovereignty and our country. We must get organised to do

battle against those who make it difficult for our children to

be properly educated in public schools even though they

were trained at public expense; who sell our collective

institutions to their cronies; who make our people to live in

shacks although they build mansions abroad from the

money they steal from public treasury. We must build a

truly grand alliance to defeat the forces that are pauperising

our people and feeding fat on our collective wealth. Let the

truly progressive parties emerge and unite. There is no time

for sectarianism and petty fights. Victory is around the

corner, only if we dare organise and fight.

OPINION

their natural resources.

The RWI's engagement with its Nigeria partners above

has produced concrete and tangible results in terms of:

Improved democratic debates about the management

of oil and gas revenues at the state level;

Increased civil society capacity to track, monitor and

analyse budgets in four Niger Delta states and report

on their performances;

Increased citizens' awareness and capacity to demand

participation in budget, fiscal responsibility and

public procurement processes;

Enhanced civil society support for the BEITI process

in Bayelsa State and the demand for devolution of

NEITI to sub-national level and;

Built capacity of grassroots people on transparency

and accountability in governance as an antidote to

poverty, underdevelopment and conflict escalation in

the Niger Delta

·

·

·

·

·

Notwithstanding the above achievements the RWI local

partners' collaboration in the Niger Delta has also had

challenges such as limited public engagement on

budgetary matters, bureaucratic delays and a general

culture of secrecy and information hoarding in public

service. But rather than succumb to the threats they pose,

the challenges have rekindled collaborating parties'

resolve to rededicate their commitment to work for the

realization of a Niger Delta that thrives on good

governance and freedom from conflicts, poverty and

underdevelopment. Perhaps the greatest milestones

ahead of RWI engagement in the Niger Delta are rooted in

the BEITI Bill currently under consideration by the

Bayelsa State House of Assembly (BYSHA) and the

maiden BEITI audit that is currently on the way. These

two milestones will serve as the true test of the political

willingness of the Bayelsa State Government to foster a

culture of transparency and accountability in the state and

an opportunity to leave a founding legacy that future

government officials and citizens can rely on to ensure oil

and gas resources are used for the public good.

SYNOPSIS OF REVENUE WATCH ON NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENTContinued from page 16

Niall Ferguson, the Harvard University historian,identified three thresholds that countries seeking toestablish consolidated democracies must cross: the non-

violent resolution of political competition, the acceptance ofalternation in power, and the supremacy of the rule of law. Inassessing Nigeria's performance during its half-century ofindependent government, it is evident that progress has beenmade in establishing the supremacy of the rule of law. Despiteshortcomings, Nigeria has one of the better judicial systems andlegal professions in Africa. While the protection of rights andliberties is never certain, their abuse can be vigorously contestedand redressed often achieved.

It remains, however, for Nigeria to cross the other two thresholds:the non-violent resolution of political competition and theacceptance of the alternation in power. Alternation in power isunderstood here to mean thetransfer of authority from agoverning party to theopposition. On September 9,2010, the American Councilon Foreign Relations (CFR)posted an online article byformer U.S. Ambassador toNigeria, John Campbell,entitled “Nigeria on the Brink:What Happens if the 2011Elections Fail?” AmbassadorCampbell warned of thepossibility of “postelectionsectarian violence” and usedwords of alarm such as “bloody crisis” and “cataclysm”.Nigeria's Foreign Minister, the Honourable Odein Ajumogobia,issued a rebuke of what he called a “doomsday analysis ofNigeria's 2011 elections and their aftermath.” AmbassadorCampbell's article was followed on September 21 by the postingof a longer report authored by him entitled “Electoral Violence inNigeria”. It presented ideas and arguments from a meetingorganized by the CFR's Center for PreventiveAction.

I have no wish to exacerbate this controversy. My aim on thisoccasion, associated with Nigeria's golden jubilee, is to reflect onone of the major challenges this nation has confrontedthroughout its independent history, namely, organizing electionsthat are free, fair and credible. Conducting elections in acompetitive party system is a difficult undertaking in a country ofthe size and complexity of Nigeria. Other large nations havesuccessfully crossed these thresholds and enjoy political stabilityand sustained economic growth. They include Brazil, India andIndonesia. It is to this group of nations that Nigeria belongs asreflected in the repeated participation of its people in theformation of political parties and through voting in elections atall levels of the federation. Moreover, Nigerians have stoutlyresisted attempts to shift the nation, overtly or covertly, awayfrom an open, pluralist and federal political system.

During the first Chinua Achebe Colloquium on Africa convenedat Brown University in October 2009, Ambassador Campbellcalled attention to the decline in the quality of Nigerian electionssince the prolonged period of military rule ended in 1999. He

suggested that if this downward trend was halted in the electionsof 2011, Nigeria could begin the process of steadily improvingthe quality and credibility of its elections with each subsequentelectoral cycle. I share this vision and aspiration. I am sure thatmost of you do as well. Professor Attahiru Jega, the newChairman of Nigeria's Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC), is a longtime friend and colleague. Heobtained his doctorate in political science from my university,Northwestern, in Illinois, USA. Professor Jega and I haveparticipated with many of our colleagues, here and abroad, inconsultations and collaborative research on the construction of astable democratic political system in Nigeria. I applauded hisappointment to this critical post by President Goodluck Jonathan.Once again, the challenge is squarely brought before the Nigeriannation to find ways of crossing the frontier to nonviolent politicalcompetition and the alternation of power in accordance with thefederal constitution.

I will take a moment tosay why Nigeria's 50thann iversa ry has aspecial significance forme. I have been closelyinvolved with Nigerianaffairs since arriving totake up a lectureship inpolitical science at theUniversity of Ibadan inFebruary 1976. Justw e e k s b e f o r e m yar r iva l , a hopefu lmoment for Nigeria

seemed to have been halted by the assassination of the Head ofState, General Murtala Muhammed. However, under theleadership of his deputy, General Olusegun Obasanjo, theSupreme Military Council and the Federal Executive Council,Nigeria regained its composure and a remarkable period ofpolitical and civic reform ensued. The connection for me goesfurther back. I was born in Trinidad and Tobago and my firstpolitical experience in the mid-1950s was the campaign forindependence of the People's National Movement (PNM) led bythe brilliant historian, Dr. Eric Williams. My first active politicalengagement began in the1960s during the Civil RightsMovement in the United States. At its core was the struggle forthe rights of African-Americans to full citizenship and especiallythe right to vote. My doctoral dissertation a decade later at OxfordUniversity was on the struggle for independence in Nigeria'seastern neighbour, Cameroon, led by the Union des Populationsdu Cameroun (UPC) and its intrepid leader, Ruben Um Nyobé. Itherefore bring to the subject of elections and democracy, and therestoration of Nigerian leadership, a long and often passionateengagement in defending the rights, liberties and aspirations ofAfrican peoples.

I will now review the core agenda for achieving electoralprogress in Nigeria. Despite the many challenges to be overcome,a consensus can emerge around key goals. The first of these is theconduct of elections in 2011 that are substantially free, fair andcredible. They will not be perfect elections. Such a goal is notattainable in view of Nigeria's great size, the shortness of time

FEATURE


ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA:RESTORING NIGERIAN LEADERSHIP

By Richard Joseph (Northwestern University)

Once again, the challenge is squarely brought

before the Nigerian nation to find ways of

crossing the frontier to nonviolent political

competition and the alternation of power in

accordance with the federal constitution

before the elections, and the hurdles to be overcome inregistering voters, installing the new data machines, trainingelectoral officials, administering the vote, and tabulating theresults. The drive to win political office is very intense inNigeria, and the aim of many contestants is, unfortunately,victory at any cost. This time around, however, “victory at anycost” will incur too high a price for Nigeria and Nigerians.As weknow from the attempted terrorist act in an airplane on ChristmasDay as it approached the Detroit airport, and the bombingincidents that killed and maimed many on the streets ofAbuja onOctober 1st, political and economic progress in Nigeria hasimplications for the security of us all.

There are critical moments when Nigerian leaders recognizedthat the country was at a critical juncture and a concern for itssurvival transcended all divisions. When I say leaders I amthinking of not just politicians but also the heads of religiousbodies, civic, professional institutions and business enterprises,and the top officers of the military and other security forces. Iwas able to witness one of these moments during the Shariadispute that led to a walk-out and temporary halt in theproceedings of the Constituent Assembly in 1978. The second Iobserved from a distance,namely, the prolonged illnessof former President UmaruYar'Adua and the delayedtransfer of authority to hisvice president, GoodluckJonathan. In both instances,the country's national leadershewed a path through thepolitical thicket and made itpossible for the nation'sinstitutions to resume normaloperations and avoid a majorconflagration.

Many of you are familiar with my book, Democracy andPrebendal Politics in Nigeria: The Rise and Fall of the SecondRepublic. The Nigerian edition, published by Spectrum Books in1991, has a picture on the front cover that shows the Head ofState, General Olusegun Obasanjo, standing with the five majorpresidential candidates - Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim, andMallamAminu Kano - following a meeting in Dodan Barracks in1979. That picture conveyed a powerful message that thepresidential aspirants were entrusted with ensuring thecontinuation of Nigeria as one political entity and the building ofa democratic polity, despite their valiant efforts to prevail in theforthcoming elections.

As Professor Jega and his team of INEC officials endeavor toconduct substantially free, fair and credible elections six monthsor so from today, and as the parties and contestants conductvigorous campaigns for government office, there must arise inNigeria a broad movement committed to building a bridge thatwill get Nigeria safely across the turbulent river of politicalcontestation. A pan-Nigerian Movement for Fair and CredibleElections must emerge that transcends all political persuasionsand sectional divisions. Such a movement would carry to ahigher level the vital work done by the Transition MonitoringGroup, the Alliance for Credible Elections, and other civilsociety organizations. And the electoral contestants themselvesmust have a dual commitment: to try and win as fairly as possibleand also to help the Electoral Commission and all ancillary

organizations succeed in their historic task. For Nigeria, this ideamight seem visionary and even utopian. All great nations,however, are ultimately inspired by such visions and especiallywhen confronted with moments of great challenge, such asNigeria and the United States in the civil wars that rend theirnations apart and ended the lives of millions of their citizens.

I have just read an op ed article in the Financial Times about Indiain which the author, Kevan Watts, has written: “You cannot denyIndia its successful development of a political process that givesordinary Indians a real voice in so many ways. India's democracyis an extraordinary achievement for a vast populous country withconsiderable ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity.” The firstgeneration of Nigerian political leaders and activists would haveimagined that, by now, similar comments would be made of theircountry. Nigeria was once viewed as a leader in the constructionof democracies in Africa. Can it become such a leader again?Ghana, Botswana and South Africa are usually cited as modelsof democracy in contemporary Africa. Ghana is not onlygeographically closest to Nigeria but it has also followed acourse most relevant to Nigeria. Can Nigeria repeat Ghana'sachievement over the past two decades in improving the quality

of its elections ands t r e n g t h e n i n g i t sdemocracy?

Let us briefly review thepolitical and electoralexperiences of these twoc o u n t r i e s . A f t e rassuming power in June1979, Flt. LieutenantJerry Rawlings and theA r m e d F o r c e sRevolutionary Counciloversaw elections andthe transfer of power on

September 24, 1979 to an elected civilian government led byHilla Limann. Just a week later in Nigeria, General Obasanjo'sSupreme Military Council transferred power to an electedgovernment led by Alhaji Shagari. Rawlings and his fellowofficers overthrew the Limann government exactly two yearsbefore the Shagari government fell to military putschists inDecember 1983. But Ghana broke decisively with thesetendencies that political scientists call praetorianism, that is, ofthe military moving in and out of power. This decisive break inGhana has now been consummated over the course of fiveelectoral cycles beginning in December 1992.

Ghana's1992 presidential elections were not perfect. Indeed,they had many irregularities. I speak reliably on this subjectbecause I directed the Carter Center's electoral mission for thoseelections. The main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party,hotly disputed the results of the presidential election, andboycotted the subsequent parliamentary vote. However, thanksto the formidable work of the Electoral Commission of Ghana,under the leadership of Professor Kwadwo Afari Gyan, and thedetermined efforts of pro-democracy organizations with theassistance of all the political parties, Ghana has experienced thesteadily increasing quality and credibility of its elections. Ghanahas also undergone alternations in power on two occasions fromthe governing party to the opposition, in 2000 and 2008, whichpolitical scientists consider the benchmark of a consolidatedelectoral democracy. Few African countries have crossed thisthreshold once, not even Botswana, a country often cited as one

FEATURE


“The first generation of Nigerian political

leaders and activists would have imagined that,

by now, similar comments would be made of

their country. Nigeria was once viewed as a

leader in the construction of democracies in

Africa. Can it become such a leader again?”

ofAfrica's foremost democracies.

Although they were matched as praetorian states three decadesago, Ghana has now gained a two-decade head-start on Nigeria.And it has reaped the benefits including a visit by PresidentBarack Obama in July 2009, his first return to the continent of hisfather's birth since his election in November 2008. We canexpect to read daily reports of problems and disputes connectedto the forthcoming elections in Nigeria. What must be calledforth is a broad and earnest commitment to the conduct ofsubstantially free, fair and credible elections. And then for thisprocess to continue to bring about significantly improvedelections in each subsequent cycle: 2015, 2019, and 2023. Theriver of political contestation in Nigeria will grow ever moreturbulent in the months leading to the inauguration of federal andstate governments in May 2011. A bridge must be built to getNigerians safely across. Nigerian citizens should not be at themercy of the unrestrained political jostling, and sometimesmudslinging, of the various parties and their spokespersons.What I say here apply also to my own country, the United States,which is currently in the midst of electoral combat not always ofan edifying or dignified nature.

The 240 days between October1st and May 29, 2011is like abank account that Nigerianpolitical gladiators can bedrawn down to zero. Or theNigerian citizenry at large caninvest in it more than is takenout so that a large balance oflegitimate political authority isconferred on the President andHead of State during theinauguration ceremonies onMay 29, 2011. I came to Nigeriato witness the 1999 inauguralevents that were so full of hope after 16 long years that includedfour military regimes and one short-lived military-civilianinterim government. After a period of profound politicaluncertainty, which was captured in my co-edited article withAlexandra Gillies, “Nigeria's Season of Uncertainty” a title forwhich we borrowed Guardian Editor, ReubenAbati's, wonderfulphrase - the doors are again open to a future that no one canconfidently predict in Nigeria.

All Nigerians in government, business, the media, universities,religious organizations, civic groups, NGOs, trade unions,women's and youth's organisations should commit themselves tothis deeper transition process as took place in other neighbouringcountries, such as the Benin Republic during its sovereignnational conference in February 1990. That historic event laidthe basis for a constitutional democracy that has persistedthrough all subsequent electoral cycles. It is not likely thatNigeria will conduct such a conference despite the repeateddemands of some of its citizens. However, like Benin and othercountries such as Mali and Ghana that succeeded in transiting toa genuine constitutional democracy, Nigerians can use the 240days from its 50th jubilee on October 1, 2010 and theinauguration of its president on May 29, 2011, to seek to entrustauthority to a government brought to power, as has not occurredin the living memory of most of us, on the basis of a substantiallyfree, fair and credible election. I call this proposed broad-basedeffort, comparable to the struggle to achieve independence in the1950s, and to overcome dictatorial rule in the 1990s, Nigeria

Project 240. Just as there are 24 hours in each day, so alsoNigerians have 240 days to build an electoral bridge thatincludes two spans: an official one represented by INEC andancillary state operations, and a civic one represented by a pan-Nigerian Movement for free, fair and credible elections in 2011.

Enormous sums have been expended to try and create a viableelectoral system in Nigeria. Much energy has been invested bydevoted citizens in various electoral commissions only to see theresults of their labours crumble. Democratic ideals in Nigeriabelong to no particular subgroup of the population. As the onlytrue federation in Africa, Nigeria has a major role to play amongdemocratic nation-states in Africa but also in the global arena.Nigeria is the only major nation in the world in which Islam andChristianity have a roughly equal number of adherents. Ittherefore has much to contribute to bridging this growing dividein international affairs. Nigerian Muslim leaders are as stronglycommitted to constitutional democracy as their non-Muslimcompatriots, and the same could be said of prominent membersof the country's ethnic and sub-regional groups. So there is nofundamental dispute in Nigeria over the desirability of a stableand consolidated electoral democracy. But something has to be

given up to acquire it, andthat something is thepursui t of electoralvictory at any cost. “Do orDie” are words thatshould never be utteredregarding the conduct ofelections in any nationseeking to strengthen itsdemocracy.

I will conclude by brieflydiscussing four majorc o n s i d e r a t i o n s t h a tpertain to the journey to a

fully consolidated electoral democracy.

As Nigeria, Brazil experienced many years of military rule,some of it very authoritarian and repressive. That tradition wasdecisively broken in Brazil in the late 1980s and the country hassince enjoyed successive peaceful elections and power transfers.The most recent of its presidential election took place two daysago. Although I am writing this lecture before that event, there isno need to speculate about the observance of Niall Ferguson'scriteria the rule of law, non-violence, and the alternation ofpower. The governing party is expected to win the presidentialelection. No one expects that the election will not be peacefullyconducted, that the rule of law will be observed before, duringand following the vote. In the event that the opposition had won,power and authority would have been smoothly transferred tothe victors as occurred when Lula da Silva and his party firstcame to power in 2002.

A recent article in the Financial Times on September 27compared the achievements of Brazil's outgoing president, Lulada Silva, with SouthAfrica's Nelson Mandela. Gideon Rachmanwrites that, in both leaders, “a moving personal story has mergedwith a compelling national story, turning a single man into apotent symbol of a whole country's transformation.” Although“Brazil grew richer and more powerful during his presidency”,Rachman continues, “like Mr. Mandela, Lula resisted thetemptation to cling to power. He has not tried to rewrite the rules

I. The Imperative of Enlightened Leadership

FEATURE


“So there is no fundamental dispute in Nigeriaover the desirability of a stable and consolidatedelectoral democracy. But something has to begiven up to acquire it, and that something is thepursuit of electoral victory at any cost. “Do orDie” are words that should never be utteredregarding the conduct of elections in any nationseeking to strengthen its democracy.”

to get a third term in office.”

These comments resonated powerfully with me and I am surethey will with you as well. Across Africa, we have seen theopposite phenomenon of leaders of new electoral democraciesrewriting constitutional provisions that limit the number ofconsecutive terms of office. In this very auditorium in 2005, Iheard former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Princeton Lyman,plead with then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who presidedover the occasion, to emulate Nelson Mandela and endowNigeria with an efficient electoral system. According toAmbassador Lyman, such an action would rank as one of hisgreatest achievements. Well, you know what subsequentlytranspired with the failed attempt to amend Nigeria'sconstitution to make possible a third presidential (andgubernatorial) term, and the awful elections that ensued in 2007.Each of these episodes has set Nigeria further back on itspolitical calendar.

The mantle of foundational leadership, which South Africa willforever celebrate in Nelson Mandela and the United States inGeorge Washington, awaits to be assumed in Nigeria. Allexecutive office holders inNigeria take a pledge that theywill faithfully uphold theconstitution and the office ofp r e s i d e n t o r g o v e r n o r.Nigerians need to find a way toextract more binding pledgesto uphold the key institutionsof their democracy includingthe conduct of free and faire lec t ions . How such ac o m m i t m e n t c a n b eaccomplished could be takenup in public meetings acrossthe breadth of this land. Suchconsultations can involve political aspirants, electoral officials,and a wide range of pro-democracy forces. In a poignant momentduring the Achebe Colloquium last year, after his organizationhad been pummeled by the audience for its allegedmisadministration, an INEC official bluntly stated: “Theproblem, as you all know, is not just with INEC but the corruptbehavior of Nigerian politicians.” No one in the audiencedemurred.

The transformation that has taken place in Brazil and SouthAfrica from authoritarian systems to electoral democraciesrequired leadership of a high order. I know that such leadersexist among the political class in Nigeria. They must beencouraged to be resolute in seeking to win office fairly andcredibly and then to devote substantial attention to entrenchingthe democratic system itself. President Goodluck Jonathan hasmade such a pledge. Others should follow and also articulatethe specific actions that would follow their noble words.

My colleagues, Michael Bratton and Carolyn Logan, in theirchapter in my 2009 book co-edited with Alexandra Gillies,Smart Aid for African Development, introduced an aptexpression, “claiming democracy”. The Afrobarometerprogram, in which they are involved, have demonstrated how thedemand for democracy in Africa exceeds the supply. In otherwords, the aspirations of the African people, as shown in survey

II. Claiming Democracy:Rights and Responsibilities of all Nigerians

after survey including in Nigeria, have not been matched bywhat politicians actually do once they are elected. Democracy istherefore compressed into a voting act performed every four orfive years. In view of the declining quality of elections, eventhese acts can be drained of meaning. The outcomes are oftensham or pseudo-democracies. At best, they are what politicalscientists call “delegative democracies” in which, once electionsare over, office-holders do pretty much as they choose with littleinput or influence from the electorate.

Nigerians can embrace the notion of “claiming democracy” inall its dimensions. Claiming democracy would involve theinsistence on honest and efficient elections. It would includewhat in Nigeria is called “mandate protection”, namely, insistingthat the official voting results actually reflect the preferencesexpressed by voters at the polls. Several organizations haveemerged to make use of modern cell-phone and othertechnologies to transmit promptly voting decisions in farflungcommunities, thereby narrowing the time and space formanipulation and fraud. Nigerians, who are so adept in the use ofthese technologies, can be expected to contribute significantly totheir innovative use.

Claiming democracyenthrones representationand accountability as thecentral features of ademocratic system. Ifoffices are filled throughprocesses of intimidationand fraud, the vital linkbetween citizens andr e p r e s e n t a t i v e s i ssevered. Chief R.A. FaniKayode, the acerbicNigerian politician in the1960s, is reported to haveo n c e s a i d o f a

forthcoming election: “Whether or not you vote for us, we willremain in power.” The collapse of civilian governments inNigeria over the past five decades can be traced to such cynicalattitudes. Putting Nigeria right in so many ways depends onmaking sure that rules and procedures truly count. And there isno rule or procedure in a democracy more fundamental than theequal value of each individual's vote. That is the bedrock ofcitizenship in a democratic system.

To avoid repeating the past you have to know the past. Followingthe ending of the Cold War, pro-democracy movements sweptthrough the former soviet states of Eastern Europe. They alsoswept aside single party and other authoritarian regimes inAfrica. In 1993, Nigeria should already have completed fourelectoral cycles after the 1979 elections and be well on its way tobecoming a consolidated democracy. On June 12, 1993, asubstantially free and fair election did take place. What is more,the election results never officially announced demonstratedthat there was broad national support for the party led bypresidential candidate, Moshood Abiola. Then the election wasannulled and the country collapsed into five years of dictatorialrule. Olatunji Dare has recently published a book that furtherdocuments this tragic episode: Diary of a Debacle: TrackingNigeria's Failed Democratic Transition (1989-1994).

Had the 1993 elections not been annulled, and had Nigeria found

III. June 1993: NeverAgain

FEATURE


“The mantle of foundational leadership, whichSouth Africa will forever celebrate in NelsonMandela and the United States in GeorgeWashington, awaits to be assumed in Nigeria.All executive office holders in Nigeria take apledge that they will faithfully uphold theconstitution and the office of president orgovernor.”

FEATURE


a way to overcome its difficulties within the framework of theconstitution rather than outside it, we might today be talking, notabout Restoring Nigerian Leadership, but celebrating itsdemocratic achievements. In all countries that make a decisivebreak from praetorianism, as is apparently now taking place inTurkey, the very idea that a properly conducted election wouldbe quashed, no matter who the victorious candidates and partiesare, would be unthinkable. What happened in June 1993,therefore, must be consciously addressed by Nigerians. Wecannot run from the tragedy of June 12 and its sequels, or sweepthem under the carpet. Nigeria and its people have paid too greata price for those derailments of democracy.

In 2011 Nigerians will have the opportunity to avoid repeating1999, 2003 and 2007, all increasingly flawed elections. In viewof the commitments made by President Goodluck Jonathan, andunder the leadership of INEC by Professor Jega, and with thevigilant actions of civic and professional groups, the 2011elections can be an occasion to repeat the achievement of 1993with regard to the performance of the electoral system. If thathappens although the challenge of reaching that standard is high- and the decisions of theelectorate in federal and statecontests are honored, then thenation can start putting June 121993 and its unfortunatesequels squarely behind it, andbegin building for the future.

My friend and colleague, DeleO l o j e d e , C h a i r m a n o f234NEXT, shared an importantinsight with me a year ago.According to Olojede, betterg o v e r n a n c e i n N i g e r i adepended on better elections. If elected officials do not reallyowe their positions to the electorate, they are unlikely to regardpublic service as the main reason for holding office. ImprovingNigeria's deplorable electoral system was therefore criticallylinked to tackling the many problems caused by decades ofmisgovernance. Olojede's argument was straightforward andcompelling. We are all aware of how the natural wealth ofNigeria has not been used to better the lives of its people, andhow much the nation's progress has been blocked by the failureto make progress in providing services that are taken for grantedin many countries, such the provision of a stable and adequatesupply of electric power.

We have seen how government leaders such as GovernorBabatunde Raji Fashola SAN of Lagos State has radicallytransformed awareness of what can be done to improve the livesof Nigerians and build the physical infrastructures required foraccelerated growth. If office-holders do not believe they will beheld accountable by the electorate for how they perform, then allthe self-serving prebendalist practices I discussed in my book onthe making of Nigeria's second republic will be manifested.

There is a sense that real progress will now be made in thehandling of Nigeria's finances as evidenced by the leadershipdemonstrated by Mr. Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the CentralBank. Genuinely enterprising corporate leaders have emerged inmany sectors, and a young generation of Nigerians is rearing toinvest their talents and energies as occurred in many of today'srising economies. In addition to becoming an electoral

I V . T h e R o a d t o aDevelopmental Democracy

democracy, Nigeria therefore has the prospect of becoming adevelopmental democracy. I was intrigued to read YusufMaitama Sule's recollections in the Financial Times specialsupplement of September 30 entitled Nigeria@50. Mr. MaitamaSule described how, as a minister in the first post-independencegovernment, he read a report that identified three countries thatwere likely to join the industrialised nations of the world: India,Brazil and Nigeria. Goldman Sachs, the major banking firm, hasidentified Nigeria as one of the Next 11, that is, countries likelyto join the rising powers of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Overa decade ago, the Economist magazine reported that if Nigeriahad used the vast earnings from the export of petroleum wisely, itwould now be an economic colossus. How long will we keephearing what Nigeria could have been and what its prospectsare? When will we begin celebrating how much it has met andeven exceeded expectations?

Nigeria will not get its economics right until it gets its politicsright. Its political system must be democratic, and federal, forreasons of its own history and its diverse composition. In theforeword I wrote for Olatunji Dare's Diary of a Debacle, I quoted

a s ta tement Nobe lLaureate Wole Soyinkamade at a conferencec o n v e n e d a t m yuniversity in November2006: “The Nigerianpeople have alwaysapproached democracyand the elites havealways pushed themback.” Nigerian citizenswill approach those gatesagain in a few monthstime. At home andabroad, Nigerians often

declare how much they desire governments that will truly leadthe way in building their nation, reducing its appalling levels ofpoverty, and nurturing a productive economy. The road to such afuture passes through the gates of the 2011 elections. If thoseelections are substantially free, fair and credible, Nigeria canexperience a new birth of freedom.

To conclude: We must restore the dignity, integrity, and the highpurpose of national elections in Nigeria. They have been broughtlow in many places with ballot boxes stuffed with ballot-papersalready thumb-printed or simply snatched at gunpoint; electionmonitors and journalists chased away and sometimes beaten;and voting results announced for polling stations where novoting had taken place. You know all the failings, all the tricksand thuggery that have rendered electoral competition in Nigeriaso elusive and, at times, farcical. Such experiences are neveruniform across the nation and so, even when the elections are asterrible as they were in 2007, there are enough occasions ofpeaceful and efficient polling to maintain hope that thoseoccurrences can become universal. And yes they can. TheNigerian electorate and electoral system did it in 1993. They cando it again.

I conclude by echoing words from the Second InauguralAddressof U.S. President Abraham Lincoln: Fondly do we hope,fervently do we pray that Nigerians will be empowered to use therights and privileges conferred by universal suffrage to choosethe finest and most honourable men and women to representtheir wishes, their dreams, their interests, their welfare, and their

“We are all aware of how the natural wealth ofNigeria has not been used to better the lives of itspeople, and how much the nation's progress hasbeen blocked by the failure to make progress inproviding services that are taken for granted inmany countries, such the provision of a stableand adequate supply of electric power.”

By Staff Reporter

Chairman of the IndependentN a t i o n a l E l e c t o r a lC o m m i s s i o n ( I N E C ) ,

Professor Attahiru Jega has chargedNigerian media to be impartial inorder to have a credible electoralprocess in the country.

The media must be impartial in itscoverage of political parties and beguided by established rules in thecoverage of political campaigns, thechairman said.

Professor Jega made the appealwhile presenting a lecture entitled“the role of the media in conductingcredible elections'' at the just-concluded 2010 press week organisedby the Nigeria Association of womanJournalist (NAWOJ) FCT chapter.

According to the INEC Boss,Democracy must thrive for the mediato thrive, because the media is bestplaced to help democracy thrive.

The media he explained, shouldreport constructively on the electoralprocesses by exposing the flaws of thesystem where they truly exist and ifpossible, suggest amends, andunderscore the strengths inherent inthe system.

“The media thrives best in its roleas the society`s conscience under aliberal environment which onlydemocracy guarantees. Democracymust thrive for the media to thrive”, hesaid.

Media coverage of electoralprocesses he noted is best whenjournalists report on the unfoldingelectoral processes in a manner thatwould sensitise the public andg a l v a n i s e t h e m f o r a c t i v eparticipation. “Because the media is ahighly competitive industry, thetendency has been that manyorganisations rush to the streets withinconclusive results which theyparade as 'exclusive declaration of theo u t c o m e s a h e a d o f n o r m a lpronouncements by designatedreturning officers who are mandated

by law to make such declarations.''Such premature declarations of

outcomes, the INEC boss noted oftenprejudice the populace and obstructthe acceptability of official results“especially if, for practicallyattestable reasons, they are at variancewith those premature or inconclusivedeclarations'’

The commission he explainedrather is presently working on somemodalities to bring the media onboard at par with INEC in theannouncement of results during the

2011 general elections, stressing thatNigerian woman constitute one of themarginalised groups in the politicalprocesses but NAWOJ he reiterated isuniquely positioned to advance thecause of women involvement in theseprocesses through good reportage.

“This potential of the media is socrucial that no matter the level ofintegrity quotient of the electoralprocesses in themselves, what thepeople make of these processes willdepend largely on what they see and inthe media'' he added.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attachiru Jega

“The Media:A Panacea for Democracy”

-Prof. Attahiru Jega

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