‘Nigeria Too Big For Yar’Adua’—Arewa Youth Leader
May 15, 2009 14:13, 758 views

By Eromosele Ebhomele
The country seems to be too big for president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to effectively govern.


This was the opinion of the National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Usman Shettima, who spoke with P.M.NEWS on Wednesday, in Lagos. President Yar’Adua would be two years old as president, on 29 May, this year, but like every other frustrated Nigerian, Comrade Shettima lamented that not even one of his seven-point agenda has been achieved. This, he said, is frustrating enough to all those who fought for the enthronement of the country’s democracy.

Asked to assess the present administration, a visibly angry Shettima said; “we were thinking that if Umaru comes, it is possible that out of nothing something would come out. Then he brought his seven-point agenda. “But two years down the line, we have not seen even one of the agenda coming into being, not even the one declared as emergency. I could not remember anywhere in his speech where he said he would not be able to execute the seven-point agenda in four years. “He did not tell us he would do everything in eight years. So, my understanding is that he meant that the agenda would be executed within four years and if after two years nothing is on ground and things are worse at the expense of the common man, it means we have a problem.

“I don’t want to jump to the conclusion that Obasanjo’s government was better than this, but then, this government is bogged down and it becomes frustrating for us because we know what we put in for these people to enjoy the so-called democracy.” While advocating for a new constitution that will feature the input of the 140 million people living in the country, he said  he does not trust the legislators to do the job because only a few of them have the integrity. Most of them, he said, do not know why they were elected. “They do not contribute at sitting, they don’t come home to their people. “They leave their wives back home and busy themselves sleeping around with women. You even see some of them in clubs at night. Are these the kind of people to trust?” he asked.

He stressed that the 1999 Constitution was imposed on the country by the Abdulsalami Abubakar military era, and for this reason, it lacks credibility and the binding force to provoke political leaders to actions that would uplift the majority of the people in the country. He also advised that the possible solution to the lethargy of Nigerian leaders, especially those currently manning the seat of power, is for the country to revert to the confederation system of government, where the constituent parts would have autonomy and rule themselves. With this, according to the Arewa Youth leader, the issue of resource control would be solved as each region would begin to handle whatever resources they are blessed with and only pay part of what they earn to the central government. He emphasised that this type of government helped Nigerians in the early days of the country’s independence.

Explaining other benefits of the confederation, Alhaji Shettima said it would enable the people in the regions to carefully choose their leaders. “If your grandfather or father was a thief, then we would say we cannot vote for you because robbery and criminal activities flow in your vein. “So at the level of regional autonomy, we would begin to produce people with sincerity and honesty,” he said. He warned politicians, especially those whom he said have messed democracy up, to be battle-ready as he and some other prominent Nigerians were engaged in sensitising the people against the ruling class, most of whom are eyeing political positions in 2011.

For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their dictum of do-or-die politics, he said civil society groups would stake their lives to see that the party’s politicians are thrown out of the system. “Never again, I mean never again will Nigerians fold their hands and watch the rubbish, like what happened in Ekiti, to happen again. “This has gone a long way to show that things are going beyond our imagination and it has further shown to us that we have been sleeping. “But I tell you it is not going to be easy with any of these political leaders. Though nobody would kill anybody, we would make sure they do not trample on our rights again. It is no longer business as usual,” he said.

He also expressed fear over the forthcoming general elections, as he said what happened recently in Ekiti had further widened the scope of the country’s electorate who would now do everything to protect their mandate, and in the event that the politicians try to manipulate, a drastic action would be taken by the electorate. He praised the Ekiti people for their resolution, adding that the PDP has committed suicide by stealing the mandate of the state which the world knows was not given to them. “It is unfortunate, but Ekiti people will still reclaim their mandate. “Segun Oni’s government will remain unpopular until the mandate is reclaimed. When Obasanjo thought he was the almighty in this country, he never thought that the third-term agenda would die. That is what is going to happen to PDP in this country,” the fiery youth leader said.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/05/15/nigeria-too-big-for-yaradua-%e2%80%94-arewa-youth-leader

I just wondered how he was able to make through as a two term Governor in Katsina state??Good this is coming from his people

UMYA is visionless, incompetence, sick, corrupt, 20011 is the time for change in Nigeria political landscape.

walata44:

20011 is the time for change in Nigeria political landscape.

20011 !

walata44:

UMYA is visionless, incompetence, sick, corrupt, 20011 is the time for change in Nigeria political landscape.

Going by what happened in Ekiti,,,2011 election has been conducted,concluded,signed,sealed,delivered and the winner declared as president Yardua,,,If you like call MUMU,LAZY,SLOW etc,,,that is the kind of Government that befits Nigeria as Country until we get acts together,,,