Nigerian Eye

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There was heated exchange between Nigeria’s communication minister, Adebayo Shittu, and a presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, on a public affairs radio programme in Ibadan on Saturday. 
 
Mr Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters, was in Ibadan in continuation of his campaign efforts. He arrived Lagos from the UK earlier in the week. 
 
The programme was held on Fresh FM, Ibadan, owned by foremost broadcaster and musician, Yinka Ayefele. 
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The interview had barely kicked off when the debate became heated. 
 
“Minister, it is great to see you. This is the minister of an outgoing regime; the Buhari regime will be kicked off power by 2019,” Mr Sowore said shortly after the programme began. 
 
He had barely concluded his introductory statement when Mr Shittu fired back, saying the Sahara Reporters’ publisher is a dreamer. 
 
“By your wish or by God’s wish? You are just dreaming. You are a day dreamer” he said in response to Mr Sowore’s claim to which the presidential hopeful replied saying, “By the wish of the people of Nigeria, Sir. It is not a dream. It is the realisation you’d wake up to on February 15.” 
 
Mr Shittu retorted: “Sowore, what’s your electoral worth? Whether in your Ife (sic), home or any part of this country.” Mr Sowore replied: “My electoral worth brought you to power in 2015. Nobody even heard about many of you in 2014.” 
 
The minister thereafter said the Sahara Reporters publisher didn’t know about him because he was inconsequential in politics. “You are inconsequential…” he said. 
 
In defence, Mr Sowore said he was consequential because Mr Shittu and others came to power by the efforts of young Nigerians like him. 
 
He said, “I am consequential because you came to power on my back, on our back… on the back of young people who invested a lot of hope.” 
 
In response, the minister described the publisher as a mere noise-maker. “What did you invest? Did you invest more than me, No? I will not sit here and allow someone make noise…You are just a noisemaker. You are just a noisemaker.” 
 
The Sahara Reporters publisher thereafter warned that the minster’s conduct was typical of the same way handlers of former President Goodluck Jonathan treated Nigerians before they were defeated at the polls in 2015. 
 
“This was the same way Jonathan people were sounding in 2014… you are gonna be shocked in 2019,” Mr Sowore said. On accusations by the minister that he was a dreamer and that his statements were politically motivated, he said: “The Nigeria of the future is for dreamers like me.” 
 
Apparently angered by Mr. Sowore’s statements, Mr. Shittu said: “You think the presidency is for people like you? Go and start from being a councillor. I have been a member of the House of Assembly, I was a commissioner twice, I was already a lawyer… you wouldn’t know, you were too small. How old are you? How old are you? This is not a platform for minions like you to come… you think the presidency is something you can just buy in a market place? You are a giant in university politics (and) by the grace of God you will be put to shame.” 
 
The anchor of the programme, Isaac Brown, momentarily brought the situation under control but the coordinated conversation didn’t last long before it turned into a shouting match yet again. 
 
When asked to explain the rationale for vying for the presidency, the 47-year-old publisher said he had been around for thirty years fighting for the betterment of the country. He also said he had built a media platform whose reportage help bring the present government into power. 
 
“That’s rubbish!” Mr Shittu fired back. “I have been in politics since you were born. For forty years, I have been in politics and I was already a lawyer before I joined politics forty years ago. You can’t be here and talk rubbish. 
 
“This is rubbish! You want to become president? You are a day dreamer. Who will make you president? You will be president of your Ife… not Nigeria. Go and be president in Ife. You think it is cheap as that? We will see…” 
 
On the #NotTooYoungToRun initiative, Mr Sowore said it was not enough for the youth to simply contest on the basis of their being young. 
 
“You have to take power because we are responsible and should be responsible for it. That’s why we are having a heated argument here. I have been doing this for thirty years; by next year, it will be thirty years. We are the ones that fought for the democracy they are enjoying today,” he said. 
 
Few weeks back, an ex-aide to Mr Shittu had in an open letter accused the minister of gross abuse of power, accumulation of ill-gotten wealth and refusal to pay his aides’ allowances. The long letter, which was circulated widely online, was also published by SaharaReporters. The minister would later refute the allegations and challenge the aide to publish evidences of his alleged ill-gotten wealth. 
 
In the course of the programme on Saturday, Mr Shittu accused the publisher of publishing falsehood against him without contacting him to verify the fact, an accusation to which Mr. Sowore replied by saying the minister barely picked his calls and reply messages. 
 
“We do (contact affected parties in a story for reaction) but they don’t react until they get into trouble,” he said. “I have your (Mr. Shittu) telephone number… I called you. I had sent you text messages even before now but because you think I am inconsequential, you ignored me.” 
 
Mr Shittu, who said Mr Sowore needs ‘mentoring’, thereafter threatened to sue the SaharaReporters publisher over the said publication. 
 
“Minister, you know what Fela said: take me to court and I will open book for you,” Mr Sowore said amidst laughter.

Latest-News Sahara Reporters' publisher and Buhari's minister exchange hot words

There was heated exchange between Nigeria’s communication minister, Adebayo Shittu, and a presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, on a publi...

'Why women nag in relationships'

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Some women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have given reasons why many of them nag in relationships than their male counterparts. 
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Many males assume that women have inclination for nagging if they want something done for them, an attitude that annoys or irritates the targeted person. 
 
However, some women, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Sunday, said that women were only sensitive, responsive and vocal by nature. 
 
They gave reasons such as ineffective communication, lack of understanding, and insensitive attitude of their partners, among other factors, as some of the causes of their overt and confrontational attitude. 
 
Mrs Gloria Agbo, a media practitioner said: ”The society has stereotyped women and labelled them as the ones who nag more, when there are men that have treated their partners so rash that it makes them timid, vulnerable or even aggressive.’’ 
 
According to her, a woman nags when she is being ignored or deprived of her rights. 
 
“ When she expects you to do what is your duty in a relationship, and you don’t do it, despite repeated requests, it will definitely makes her nag. 
 
“ However, I also use nagging to seek attention whenever I feel neglected or ignored, because every woman needs attention from her man,”she added. 
 
Miss Halima Sarki, a civil servant said some women nag when they don’t get what they want despite several requests, which always elicits emotions like anger, frustration and the tendency to whine. 
 
“ I nag when I repeatedly bring up the same issue severally in order to get an action done but do not get the response I want, which gets me angry and frustrated. 
 
“Some women prefer things done their way, without considering the opinion of the other parties involved, so nagging is a tactic for them until they get their way.’’ 
 
Esther Adeosun, a retired health worker said women nag more when there is lack of understanding and ineffective response to the action being communicated. 
 
“ When there is communication breach and lack of understanding definitely the expected action would not occur, which in most cases tend to make a woman nag, particularly when it has to do with assisting in house chores. 
 
“ I used to nag when my children don’t do the house chores they are assigned to, expecting me to remind them daily, which gets me angry,’’ she said. 
 
Adeosun, therefore, stressed the need for good communication strategy, team work, mutual respect and understanding to avoid issues that would necessitate nagging. 
 
Meanwhile, Mr Fidelis Yamai, a psychologist, said nagging could lead to a breakdown in relationship, cause a lot of fight or emotional and health problems. 
 
“ It is detrimental to the health of the persons involved. 
 
“ Both parties may begin to disdain for each other, question the relationship and make them wary of seeing each other. 
 
“ Instead of being happy and looking forward to spending time together, they begin to avoid each other,” Yamai said. 
 
Yamai, therefore, stressed the need for proper communication, love, attention, good relationship and being supportive and taking responsibility as some of the factors that could reduce nagging in relationships. (NAN)

Latest-News 'Why women nag in relationships'

Some women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have given reasons why many of them nag in relationships than their male counterparts. ...

Why senators oppose Buhari’s $1 Billion security fund – Saraki

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Senate President Bukola Saraki said yesterday that lack of due engagement with the National Assembly may force the majority of senators to oppose President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to withdraw $1 billion to fund purchase of security equipment. 
 
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He blamed unending executive/legislature friction on lack of consultation and collaboration between the two arms. 
 
He said that some senators have already expressed their disappointment to him on Buhari’s approval of such a huge amount of money without recourse to the National Assembly. 
 
But he did not say whether the upper chamber will automatically block the use of the fund for what Buhari intends. 
 
Saraki spoke in Jos, Plateau State at a retreat on “Strengthening Executive-Legislature Relations”. 
 
It is expected that President Buhari’s approval of $1 billion for purchase of security equipment would be one of the topical issues for debate when the Senate resumes plenary on Tuesday. 
 
The Senate President who insisted that Nigerians must be prepared to defend and protect the institution of the parliament, noted that government was all about institutions and not individuals. 
 
He said that the number of blackmails some of them have received for doing the right thing was simply alarming. 
 
He said that it is obvious that the National Assembly is constantly under attack by individuals who abhor the principle of separation of powers as enshrined by democratic doctrine. 
 
Saraki insisted that protection of the institution of the parliament was the only way sustainable democracy could be guaranteed in the country “because without the legislature there will be no democracy.” 
 
He also stressed the need to always do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time for things to work in the country. 
 
Saraki said: “There is no way the security architecture of this country can work without a strong synergy between the executive and the legislature. When you see certain agencies who by their actions and utterances frustrate the relationship between the two arms, you begin to wonder what is going on. 
 
“What do we need to do? Do the police need more funding or more powers? Do they need new legislations to strengthen them? These are the issues where the executive and the legislature must work together. What do we need to do? 
 
“In a good environment, such an issue needed to have been discussed with lawmakers. Already, some senators are angry. They said they were not consulted by the executive before such a decision was taken. These are the issues we are talking about. Some people have already taken position because they were not consulted. That is why I stressed the issue of collaboration between the two arms. The issue of engagement is important.” 
 
The Senate President who said that friction between the two arms of government goes beyond party affiliations, noted that “even during the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the executive and legislature, had some frictions.” 
 
According to him, “It means it is not about the party. It is not about any individual. It is about the system.” 
 
Saraki said that it seems officials of the executive arm have formed the habit of always blackmailing senators and members of the House of Representatives. 
 
His words: “In a situation where a particular arm of government stands up and calls people from another arm of government thieves, looters and other names, how can we work together? How? It is not possible. It is not realistic. If we collaborate, the country will be better for it.” 
 
He also wondered how President Buhari could write the National Assembly to endorse N4.6 trillion capital market bond without first discussing the issue with the leadership of both chambers. 
 
He said:”Imagine the federal government wants to raise a N4.6 trillion bond from the capital market. The leadership of the National Assembly first heard about it through a letter written by the President. This is what happens. 
 
“I needed to be here to speak on these issues. It is not just about today. Posterity will be here to judge us that what I am saying is true. If we do not change the way we behave, we will remain like this for many years to come.” 
 
Also on how heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are allegedly frustrating the passage of the 2018 budget, the Senate President said that the executive arm should be held responsible. 
 
“If you want to strengthen democracy, the priority of everybody should be to strengthen the legislature. If you do not defend the legislature, there is no way our democracy will be strengthened because government is not built on individuals. It is built on institutions. 
 
“That is why in developed countries, governments can change, but it does not affect the stability of their democracy because their institutions are strong. We decided to run a presidential system of government. By its nature of checks and balances, there is bound to be frictions. The question now, how healthy is that friction? 
 
“If you take the 2018 budget for example, even before people had bothered to find out where the cause of the delay is coming from, people were already attacking and blaming the legislature. 
 
“When I led the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives to see Mr. President, he came to the meeting briefed as if the delay was that of the National Assembly. He was humble enough at the end of the discussion to render an apology.”