N/Assembly plans violence-free political campaigns
Friday, 07 January 2011 00:00 From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
RECENT bomb blasts in Jos Plateau State and Abuja might have forced the National Assembly to review its stand on the security towards the April general elections. To start with, the lawmakers are expressing concerns over legislative measures capable of curbing the excesses of politicians ahead of the polls.
The leadership of the National Assembly and many standing committees believe that with strict enforcement of existing legislations, any act capable of disrupting peace would be curtailed.
In the meantime, the Assembly has begun a comprehensive oversight in the activities of some agencies programmed to execute certain legislations enacted to guarantee peaceful elections.
And to give bite to the position, the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation has said that it will recommend appropriate legislative sanctions against agencies that fail to take appropriate measures to restore sanity to political campaigns.
The committee was worried of the use of indecent language by politicians in their campaigns and said that this should be of serious concern for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigerian Press Council (NPC).
The Committee headed by Aliyu Ahmed Wadada said the agencies were queried for failing to take prompt steps to stop the broadcast of messages capable of causing disaffection in the polity.
Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies are being prevailed upon by the National Assembly to sanction politicians whose actions were in default of the electoral law.
Wadada said: “My committee would not continue to tolerate this. The NBC and NPC would be brief the committee on steps being taken against the disrespect for our laws. There are enough provisions in our statute books to curtail the campaign excesses of politicians. Government agencies must be reminded of their responsibilities in relation to the 2011 elections.”
When the lawmakers met with heads of security agencies in Abuja on security during the elections, the growing disregard for rules by politicians ahead of the elections concerns were expressed.
The open use of provocative language got to a point where President Goodluck Jonathan warned that government would take serious any statement capable of threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria. The warning was in reaction to remarks by former military President Ibrahim Babangida and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar last month.
While addressing a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), the Igbo Political Forum (IPF), South-South Unity Forum and the Yoruba Redemption Group, Atiku had cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the dangers of dumping the zoning arrangement and said, “let me again send another message to the leadership of this nation particularly the political leadership that those who make peaceful changes impossible, make violent changes inevitable.”
While reflecting on the same dangers of dumping zoning, Babangida said: “Any attempt to dump this arrangement therefore portends ominous prospects to the electoral fortunes of the party, but more seriously endangers orderly political transition in this nation.”
At the 55th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP in Abuja, the President warned, “government will no longer tolerate a situation where any individual or a group of individuals threaten the sovereignty of Nigeria. If someone makes a statement that is treasonable, he should face the law.”
Jonathan charged the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to come up with a code of conduct for political office aspirants, stressing that any aspirant that contravenes the code, “should be disqualified.”
But Babangida said that having led the country for eight years and served in the military for 32 years, he knew the real meaning of treason and that what Atiku said was not close to it at all.
“I want to believe that the president was misquoted because of the use of the word, ‘treason.’ I know what treason means and I’m sure the president didn’t say ‘treason’ the way it was portrayed in the media. I tried treason cases about three times, when I was in service. I know what treason is,” he said.
To respond to security concerns, the State Security Service (SSS) issued a statement on the security implications of what it called “unguarded, reckless and divisive” utterances during this electioneering period.
The statement signed by the SSS Assistant Director of Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, stated: “For sometimes now, the SSS has noted with grave concern the unguarded, reckless and divisive utterances of some prominent politicians. The Service has also noted that these utterances, apart from being very inflammatory and extremely inciting are of deep and grave national security concern.
“We are again reminded that democracy is about dialogue, negotiation and compromise. However, a situation where some of those aspiring to rule this Nation, have resorted through their utterances to make “the country ungovernable,” or calling for “a violent change,” is very despicable and unacceptable.
“Security is everybody’s business and cannot therefore be consciously breached on the altar of political expediency. The consequences so far have been an upsurge in political intolerance, violence, assassinations, abductions and stock piling of arms. Accordingly, the SSS wishes to seriously warn all politicians to henceforth desist from making unguarded statements, which have the capacity to undermine and subvert the stability of the nation. Democracy is about the rule of law. Accordingly, appropriate sanctions will be brought to bear on any person found violating this warning.”
A lawmaker said that since politics in Nigeria is tied to serious regional, ethnic and religious backgrounds, statements made during campaigns could produce catastrophic effects after the elections. The lawmaker noted that politicians must learn to jettison the do-or-die approach to politics.
Reacting to the two bomb blasts in Jos and the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, Jonathan said the perpetrators of the act were “criminals that demons were using, not only in Nigeria but also in acts of terrorism across the whole world.”
At a church service in Abuja, the President said that his administration would not be deterred by acts of terrorism, assuring that the security agencies had been fully mobilised to bring those responsible for the bomb blasts to justice.
He said: “The security agencies are on it. For us to get to where we want to be as a nation, we must overcome some obstacles. These bombs and explosions represent such obstacles, but they will never stop us from getting to where we want to be.
“We must remain united as a people. If we can do that, the heavens will be our limit. We have great capacities as a nation, but we all have to play our part to fulfill them.”
On how the National Assembly could help in putting a halt to the acts, the House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole said: “We need to know exactly what happened beyond what we can see now before the National Assembly could begin to look at some of the actions it needs to take in order to support the Executive.”
However, Atiku has accused the government of being incapable of addressing the insecurity in the country.
According to Atiku: “I don’t think the government is paying enough attention to the insecurity in this country. If you look at my manifesto, security is the first issue I intend to tackle if elected president.
But after the October 1, 2010 bomb blast in Abuja, the House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to set up a commission of inquiry and called on Jonathan to hasten the installation of closed circle television (CCTV) in some strategic locations in the Federal Capital Territory.
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