Nigeria: Obasanjo's Perspectives On the Power Situation - AllAfrica.com

Lagos

Being the textual matter of former president Olusegun Obasanjo's place on the powerfulness sector owed to be presented to the House of Representatives Committee probing contracts in the sector

The President and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel, I give thanks you for your missive of the 3rd of May 2008 received on the 9th of May 2008 inviting me to look before you. In the said letter, you said that the invitation was to give me "a just hearing on allegations and counter-allegations which were made behind me in regard of my function in the executing of undertakings in the powerfulness sector from 1999 to 2007".

Your missive which came to me on the 9th of May 2008 inviting me to look on the 12th of May 2008 (the 10th and 11th beingness Saturday and Lord'S Day respectively) did not stipulate or include inside information of the peculiar allegations and counter-allegations made before you by some people who appeared before you to which you desire me to answer or respond.

As much as I would wish to help your investigation, just hearing which you referred to demands that these specifics ought to be forwarded to me and adequate clip ought to be provided for me to set up before appearing before you. The demand for adequate clip goes more than imperative mood since I have got got left the authorities since 2007 and I have no entree to authorities information and information which are in the detention of the government.

Relevant Links

It is my position that your undertaking is not an easy 1 and nil should be taken for granted. Since you have got taken it upon yourselves to beef up our pattern of democracy which was re-established in 1999, and for which I was a cardinal participant and nourisher between 1999 and 2007. As a democrat, I will wish to make whatever is possible within the Constitution, the law and decency to assist as you set up a new case in point of probe and putting searchlight on the executive director actions and duties after office. It is a case in point that may function the state well or function the state not so well. It is seen by me as healthy for our immature democracy if it is carefully, fairly, justly and honestly carried out. I will trust that my response to your invitation will not be taken as case in point for other former Presidents to be so invited in future. It may be regarded as being in bad taste sensation and that may be right. I chose to be here not because I see it as compulsory or mandatory. It is absolutely voluntary.

In general sense, democracy is a system of authorities in which the ultimate powerfulness rests with the people. In institutional sense, it is a system in which powerfulnesses are divided or shared among institutions: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. With the conception of democracy and good governance, we have got a system based on good leadership, regard for the regulation of law and owed process, answerability and transparency. Your undertaking must be to heighten these pillars of democracy and good administration and I am here just to help you in doing that as a agency of continued nurturing of our immature democracy. Having said this, no establishment of authorities should utilize its powerfulness to forestall or impede the other establishments of authorities from being able to work properly, effectively and appropriately. I appreciate Section 88 of our Fundamental Law which states that the National Assembly have powerfulnesses to look into any substance in which it can do laws for the intents of making law, and that powerfulness and energy is portion of such as laws. However, in Section 148, the President have powerfulness to allow executive director director duties to ministers, to throw regular meetings with curates for determining the general way of domestic and foreign policies and to organize the activities of curates in the discharge of their executive responsibilities. The President takes a squad and galvanises, mobilises and inspires that squad into action. What I am saying here is that the privilege and the corporate duty of the members of Executive Council must not be hindered by the manner the National Assembly transports out its function, otherwise it may be difficult, if not impossible, for the Executive to transport out its domestic and, certainly, its foreign duties, policies and responsibilities. Each establishment should transport out its mathematical functions in such as a manner to heighten its ain public presentation and the public presentation of other establishments of Government. Going on from this point, I could state that having granted executive director duties to the curate responsible for powerfulness and, believing in the conception of corporate duty of the Executive Council, I make not necessitate to look before your Committee since the Ministers responsible for Power and Finance have got appeared on their ain separate behalf and on behalf of the Executive Council. Iodine have got got chosen not to travel that manner because I, personally, believe that we must all carefully, justly, fairly, sincerely and honestly go on to foster and beef up democracy, if the exercising you have embarked upon is not working to a pre-conceived answer.

May I draw your attending to the missive of 3rd of May received on the 9th of May headed "Invitation to Look at the Populace Hearing on the Power Sector". I observed that the missive was not authored or signed by the President of the Committee, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu. The signature is that of one Sahmed. As a substance of **** comment, I believe that courtesy and decency will propose that a missive from any Chamber of the National Assembly to me as former President of this country, on a substance of this nature, will be signed by the caput of the chamber concerned on behalf of the Committee or the Clerk of the National Assembly or, at the minimum, the President of the Committee itself and not by a 3rd party. For the ground of the mode and mode your invitation came as well, I may take not to look and merely object to the manner of invitation. Again, I have got chosen not to travel that way. As Africans, we must esteem age and authority. It is also a merchandise of birth and genteelness in an African culture. I trust members of the Committee will have got something to larn from this exercise. Be that as it may, allow me travel to the points that volition "give an penetration and position into what" Iodine cognize and my function in the executing of undertakings from 1999 to 2007.

Page 1 of 5

1