News
Why National Assembly can’t impeach Buhari – Arewa Youths
The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has faulted the National Assembly’s threat to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.
President of the ACF, Yerima Shettima described the National Assembly as a “toothless bulldog” who can do nothing to President Buhari.
Speaking with this reporter on Monday, the ACF President maintained that the impeachment threat by the National Assembly was done out of selfish interest, hence it won’t work.
The ACF President, who noted that such threat was only aimed at, “drawing out the Executive” stressed that constitutionally, the National Assembly lacked the muscles to carry out their threat.
According to Yerima, “I have stopped taking them seriously, they are not serious people. They have their problems and have not in any way showed that they are willing to do anything, otherwise this couldn’t have happened. You only get to hear when something goes wrong with them but when it has to do with Nigerians as a whole, they are silent.
“When it comes to their personal interest, they are busy threatening the President, I’m sure Buhari is busy sleeping over the threat. They can’t do anything, so there is no need analyzing their toothless bull dog threat.
“National Assembly don’t have the muscles, they can’t do anything. They are only trying to draw out the Executive due to their personal interest, but when it comes to doing it the constitutional way, National Assembly can’t do anything.”
The ACF President further rubbished allegations that lawmakers have started collecting signatures with the aim of enforcing their threat.
Reacting, Shettima said, “It’s a lie, quote me anywhere they can’t do anything, they are not straightforward people, they can’t do anything. The crop of people currently in the National Assembly don’t have good character.”
The National Assembly on June 5, threatened to use its powers against the President if he fails to end the current harassment of perceived political opponents by law enforcement agents.
The threat was born out of the refusal of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to honour National Assembly’s invitation thrice, following the continuous killings perpetrated by suspected Fulani herdsmen in some states and the face-off between the police and embattled Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye.
Despite the invitations, Idris had sent representative in the position of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations, Habila Joshak, a situation the senate frowned at, saying it was unacceptable.
Explaining the reason for the IGP’s refusal to honour the invitations, the police had said its Act and Regulation permits a senior officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police to represent Idris in an official capacity when permitted.
However, lawmakers during the joint session also resolved that the President must be held accountable for the actions of his appointees and must ensure a strict adherence to the rule of law.
A lawmaker from Jigawa State, Gudaji Kazaure, had alleged that there was a silent plot to impeach the President.
Speaking with reporters after the 3-hour long joint closed door session, Kazaure claimed that some lawmakers were mandated to collect signatures, an action aimed at impeaching President Buhari.
Despite the threat and alleged collection of signature, Kazaure, however, expressed dissatisfaction with his colleagues over the threat issued against the President.
Over the years, the fashion and make-up industry has grown to be very lucrative. The demand for make-up and fashionable clothing has also continued to rise.
Like Rachel Zoe, an American fashion expert, said, Style is a way of expressing oneself without uttering a word.
The fashion trends in Nigeria are quite unique with rich and colourful designs one wouldn’t want to miss. The fashion industry has really evolved with more exposure, standard and style.
The make-up industry isn’t left behind as well. There has been a high surge in the number of make-up products all over the country. Young women (and in some cases men too) have resorted to studying the art of make-up and the number of young people applying to learn make-up has increased significantly.
90 per cent of the trends in fashion in the country are as a result of Western influence on our African society. Nigeria wants to be a part of the global community of fashion and as such follows and adopts trends from the western culture. Some of these trends are good while some do not even sit well with the idea of ‘being Nigerian.’
While some Nigerians are embracing these trends, others have a different mindset about it. Having spoken to some group of persons about the topic at hand, this is what they had to say;
A make-up artist, Kelvin Demigod said; “The development in our make-up industry has undoubtedly contributed to improving employment.
“There is no denying the disappointment in the fact that our Nigerian make-up industry has allowed the western concept of physical perfection to influence our cultural standards of beauty.
“At the end of the day, make-up is life and it helps some ladies suffering from lack of confidence. It helps to make them feel beautiful and good about themselves therefore we have to embrace it.”
An older man, Mr christopher Ikechukwu, on the other hand is of the opinion that women don’t need make-up to feel confident.
Ikechukwu said, “I personally do not like it when ladies put on make-up. You can apply very little and you’d still look beautiful. Heavy make-up just makes one look scary.
“So I think that women are more beautiful without all those painting on their faces.
“What if there was nothing like make-up, what will all these sisters do?
”When it comes to fashion, some people are very simple and really don’t have time to follow all these trends while some will do literally any and everything to be up to date with each and every trend.”
Mrs Precious Aliko, a fashion designer stated that fashion is a way of life and there’s a saying that says “dress the way you want to be addressed.”
She said; “In my opinion, people should be able to express themselves through fashion. Following the latest trends on fashion, it is a way to let people know that as the years go by, the world is evolving and that staying the same isn’t exactly embracing the evolution.”
A supermarket owner, Adams Wadata said his is not happy with what the world is turning into fashion wise.
Wadata said; “It is really sad to see how our youths dress this days, back in the days, you will see people dress decently but these days, almost every girl wants to show vital part of their bodies to the public.”
He added that he is not a fan of current fashion trends and the government should do something about indecent dressing in the Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari took the decision to recognize June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day; this is a change from the original May 29.
The President further conferred national honours on Chief MKO Abiola, the adjudged winner of the 1993 presidential election, his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and Gani Fawehinmi.
This is to the surprise of many Nigerians who did not expect such gestures from the President Buhari. Some have declared the issues of June 12 as dead and gone when former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to do the needful. Obasanjo was expected to honour Abiola for two reasons: 1. As a Yoruba president, the same tribe with the late MKO Abiola, Obasanjo surprised many by ignoring Abiola and his family. 2. Obasanjo and the late politicians shared almost the same political history namely imprisonment. They were both victims of military highhandedness. It would have been a form of solidarity for Obasanjo, also a former Head of State, to honour his kinsman.
But the point of discourse is about the honours on the politicians by President Buhari. Nigerians have expressed diverse feelings about the gesture. While some are looking at 2019 to have motivated the goodwill, some have only but praises for the Federal Government, while others are of the opinions that even if Buhari’s intentions may seem opaque, he has made a bold step. According to them, all Nigerian leaders in the democratic era, failed to treat this big issue of injustice.
An Abuja-based social activist, Samuel Olu, in his view, said, “Nigerians can easily be deceived. That is the truth. But do you blame them? They hardly see such gestures from their leaders; that is why when they see one, they embrace them with both hands.
“This is Buhari’s third year in office, why did he wait until June 2017? Well we shall see.”
But that is not exactly the opinion of a top political journalist, Kyrian Obikwe, who believes that, “Whether the President did to seek reelection or not, the truth is that he has done what many people could not do. Nigerians, especially the South West can only appreciate him.”
Mrs. Joy Chikelu, a civil servant, said that, “President Buhari did this to smoothing the grand for his second term.
“He (Buhari) declared to run in the next election and is now looking for how to placate the regions. So I’ll say that this is one of those ways.”
Well, to those who do not understand Nigerian politics or those who may pretend not to be following political atmosphere from 1996 till date, the truth is that we will keep doubting until 2019 comes and goes and the politician will rejoice again having successfully used Nigerians.
Nigerian politicians have mastered this way of winning the hearts of the electorates when a general election is close, especially those of them seeking second term in office. We witnessed during the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. It was either they reduced the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol or they start repairing dilapidated roads, or repainting school buildings, or visiting states they had neve visited. Nigerians, being a people that do no demand so much, are easily deceived.
The conferment of honour on Abiola has changed the opinion of many Yoruba people about President Buhari, believe or not. We have followed South West politicians like the ever critical former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode. One can easily detect the change in his opinion of the President. The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, in a swift reaction when the first made the pronouncement, lauded Buhari for the gesture. He even slammed Obasanjo for refusing to honour their hero.
If this one gesture would melt the heart of these two politicians, it would penetrate more in the ordinary voter.
Judging from the past experience, one would authoritatively say that Buhari will do more of this gesture. He would touch the South East, the South South and the middle belt. He has record of all their challenges. He may not be able to solve all of them. But he would certainly do the needful. But is Abiola’s honour a reward, or a plea for votes.
