And Four Other Things...
Dr. Junaid Mohammed, the northern “elder” who promised Nigerians hell if power did not return to the “north” in 2011, is at it again. This time, the “elder” says if Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo becomes president, for any reason, before 2019, the “north” will insist on getting fresh two terms starting from 2019. What an elder! Any society with this character as an elder is doomed. He is certainly not my elder. It may interest him to know that no part of Nigeria can produce a president all by itself. Go and check the 2015 election results. Buhari would not have won by northern votes alone. Statements like this can set the nation on fire. Reckless.
The 2017 federal budget is now ready and, all things being equal, the next thing is presidential assent. Since President Muhammadu Buhari is on medical leave and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is the “co-ordinator” of activities, many have asked: “Who signs?” Alhaji Lai Mohammed, information minister, said “that decision will be taken when the budget is transmitted to the presidency”. On his part, Senator Ita Enang, special adviser to the president on national assembly matters, said, before backtracking, that “the budget will be transmitted to Mr President and the president will assent to the budget.” Have these guys ever read section 145 (1) of the 1999 constitution at all? Amusing.
Hurray! The national assembly is planning to amend several sections of the 1999 constitution to allow younger people to contest for office. In the wave of the election of 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron as French president, the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign has been reborn in Nigeria. The proposal is to reduce the qualification ages from 40 to 30 (presidential), 35 to 30 (governorship) and 30 to 25 (national assembly). But wait. We often think the law is our problem, yet how many 30-years-olds get appointed as ministers despite the fact that the constitution allows it? In any case, changing the law is easier; preparing our youth for leadership is the real deal. Imperative.
Patrick Asadu, a member of the house of reps, has said the worst PDP government is better than the current APC administration. The lawmaker from Enugu state said: “The PDP government was not and could never have been perfect, and [only a] few human endeavours are totally perfect, but the worst of the PDP government is 100 times better than the best of the present APC government.” Given that the PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years, during which the country did not exactly become South Korea, and APC has only ruled for two years, can Asadu be more circumspect? I agree that APC is fumbling, but it is not as if PDP set the world on fire in its first two years either. Exaggeration.