Cancel Obasanjo’s TV, radio licences, Gani tells Yar‘Adua

[Dan-Borno]

By Tony Amokeodo
Published: Monday, 10 Dec 2007

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, has urged President Umaru Yar' Adua to cancel without delay, the television and radio licences that were allegedly granted to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Chief Gani Fawehinmi In a statement issued from London and made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Sunday, Fawehinmi said the action of Obasanjo on the issue was tantamount to corruption and a brazen abuse of office.

He added that it was illegal for the former president to grant television and radio licences to himself on the eve of departure from office. He said that the development was contrary to Section 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution.

A national newspaper (not The PUNCH) had on December 6, reported that Obasanjo had on the eve of his departure from office, granted himself two licences to establish radio stations in Port Harcourt and Lagos and two licences to establish television stations in Lagos and Abuja.

According to Fawehinmi, the former president had not denied the newspaper report, saying that President Yar'Adua had also not denied the report.

The Senior Advocate said, "In the circumstance, this report stands uncontroverted and uncontradicted.

"I, therefore, consider the action of ex-President Obasanjo in awarding to himself television and radio licences as a brazen abuse of his office and power as President of Nigeria.

"This is contrary to Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides that: 'The State shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.'

"That was not the first time during his eight-year tenure as president that Obasanjo had used his official position to grant himself licences.

"In 2003, he presided over the meeting of the Federal Executive Council to grant himself a licence to establish the Bells University of Technology.

"I had cause to criticise his action then. In addition, I made the issue a legal matter and that is still pending in the Court of Appeal.

"Corruption and abuse of power constitute the fundamental bane and drawback of our development and progress.

"Nigeria must jettison the philosophy and abandon the established practice of using public political offices to benefit the leaders instead of the governed.

"This is the root cause of corruption and abuse of public office, which has characterised governance in our country at all levels since independence 47 years ago."

Calling on the President to take a decisive action on the matter, Fawehinmi said, "I therefore, call on President Yar'Adua to cancel or withdraw forthwith all the television and radio licences stealthily or surreptitiously acquired by General Olusegun Obasanjo on the eve of his departure from office as President of Nigeria on May 29, 2007.

"The constitution must be respected over and above personal and political party relationship that may exist between the incumbent President and ex-president Obasanjo, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.

"It is only then that the usual refrain of 'rule of law' and 'servant-leader' can have any meaning."
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Most of us (Nigerians) never knew anything about this TV and
Radio licences that Ubanshegu gave himself before leaving the
Aso Rock, because it was a deal done never meant for Nigerians
to know.

It does'nt surprise me at all, because, the Nigerian Law vested
excessive powers to the Executive (President or Governor) and
they eventually misused those powers to their benefits and that
of their immediate families.

For God's sake, what will the old general be doing with a TV and
Radio station? its a question worth answering, especially by our
Northern elites and politicians.

I can vividly remember how this man tried to sabotage the effort
of the Kano based private FM station, if not because of the calibre
of people involved as directors, the Radio station would have
been history by now.

Ubanshegu has come to understand that the world is turned
around with information, and by obtaining his own source of
diseminating information, the world (nigeria) will be in his pocket.

But the problem now is, how could the Federal Government revoked
the licence it has given?  Xcept if he has violated any of the rules
as set by the body regulating it.  Even section 15(5) as cited by
the Legal Guru will be hard to establish on this man.  However,
the Federal Government in its wisdom has so many ways of
sabotaging whoever comes its way.

We wait and see.

[waduz]

OBJ is exceptionally rapacious and ravenous. His greedness knows no bounds. Remember how he relegated himself and his standing in the perception of all by taking the position of chairman board of trsustees (PDP)? At his age, any one with decency and condour will honorably retire from active service to sitting queitly at home and playing the role of a political juggernaut and demagogue. At his time, his grest grand chilldren will keep him company by shaking and pulling his beard! But not OBJ, he wants to remain very much around as if without him tangible will take place in this country. The man will continue to wallow in unnecessary bickerings and chicanery until he kicks the bucket! Ofcourse, Yaradua can revoke the liciences on the simple reason that due process and transparency were not adhered to........ ;D