Public Statement
Being a statement by Mr. Sina Fagbenro-Byron, made on 24th January 2001 for the information of friends, political colleagues, associates and the interested public.
Background
From my University days as Public Relations Officer of the National Economic Students Association and Students Representative Councilor representing the Hall of Sultan Bello, [U.I] [both in 1979], and as President, Law Students Society, U.I branch [1988], I established foundations as an advocate of Fundamental Civil Rights and Corresponding Civil Responsibilities - believing that without one the other cannot endure.
As a citizen of Nigeria, I have tried to demonstrate this commitment in practical terms through participation in voluntary work as well as active partisan politics although I have never contested for any public office.
- The needs and Sustainable Development of the African people;
- The prosperity of our nation [Nigeria]; and
- The need for harmonious co-existence in our environment,
have all come together to shape my political ideology.
Politics
My modest involvement in national politics which started in 1979 was and is still driven by my belief that:
- [Sustainable] Development is imperative for African Peoples, having been slaves and having enslaved ourselves for far too long;
- we must and can break the cycles of poverty and mental infancy; and
- the greatest resource available to us is our human resource -The People.
Partisan Politics
No matter what political party one associates with, my firm belief is in putting nation before party without necessarily being disloyal to the party. This is for the simple reason that all the people belong to the nation but not all the people belong to the party.
The political party is however one practical mechanism for collectively designing and implementing plans, strategies and programs to improve the human development indices of the people. Hence, the beauty of a multi-party system is that the people may have a choice between alternative programs and implementers of programs - from time to time.
The parties meanwhile are obliged to throw up their very best in the spirit of competition and valued service to the people.
In a nutshell, the party system was designed for the benefit of the people and not the other way around. The development of Nigeria and indeed Africa will depend on politicians and statesmen who get this relationship right. Therefore, while one is all for party discipline and loyalty, partisanship must as of necessity be subject to the interests of God [by which I mean ‘source of life and architect of the systems of cause and effect’’] and Nation.
Nigeria is my nation and her people are my people. With qualifications in economics, law, information science and development policy management, respectively and at age 42 [forty-two] it cannot be said that I overreach my bounds if I declare aspiration to serve her in any capacity whatsoever open especially through clear and open channels.
Furthermore Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution gives me the right of freedom of association [and disassociation] for the protection of my interest.
However, if I, as a politician, aspiring to serve should join or disjoin any political party it should be first, in consideration to God, secondly, for the benefit of the people who I aspire to serve and thirdly, for the protection of my informed interest [precisely in this order.]
Service
Very recently I declared publicly for the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] hoping sometime in the near future to run for public office on that platform.
The political agenda I intend to pursue given the privilege to do so is as follows: ·
- Education Reform and the reintroduction of quantifiable minimum standards in our public school system.
- Health Reform and parity with United Nations Development Program-recommended minimum expenditures on health care delivery.
- Social Security and advocacy of the National Identity Cards Scheme as a tool for its achievement.
- Full Employment through a campaign for the implementation of the National Railway Project [conceived by Mr. Seun Mabogunje] and hopefully Nigeria’s answer to the TVA Project of former US President F.D. Roosevelt.
Association
Hitherto I had been a member [I was not able to obtain a registration card] of the Alliance for Democracy [AD] where I held interim office as Treasurer, Ward L1 Ikeja. I also was on the campaign team of my good friend and brother Mr.Oluwole Akande in his noble bid to win a sit in the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of the AD.
Many of my valued friends in the AD and elsewhere have asked for the reasons behind my political declaration. This statement amongst other things is in respect for such friends and the interested public.
Consequently, for clarity of thought and certainty of expression the reasons for leaving AD for the better [in my estimation] alternative, in my estimation, lie in the following contradictions:
- The AD/Afenifere symbiosis, is a mystery to me in spite of my over one year association with both. I find it unacceptable to be led blindfolded.
- All attempts at reforms/review of political programs and practices of the AD have met stiff conservative opposition. There is a foreclosure on fresh ideas and I operate best from a nursery of ideas.
- AD does not have a national agenda. I have aspirations for national service.
- AD has a mono-ethnic vibrancy. I believe that the socio-political challenges faced by Africans, especially Nigerians in this century can only be met through the employment of multi-disciplinary solutions within multi-cultural frameworks.
With all due respect to the AD, no party owns the Yoruba and contrary to how the AD is run the AD is not the exclusive property of the Yoruba collective.
The party was registered in 1999 on the understanding that it was a national party, it presented itself as such and in fact is somewhat indebted to some notable non-Yorubas for its successful registration and initial moral strength. There is a difference between politics of issues and politics of personalities and I choose and urge the informed public to stick to the issues as best as we can.
Moreover, knowing our leaders is one thing but being sure of what leads us is an entirely different matter. Progressivism is not just a name but a mental attitude. I beseech you, is it possible to be progressive without being objective?
My greatest respect will always go to the ordinary folk who pay their dues and ask nothing more from society than their basic rights. To quote Bernard Shaw..
’Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country is to bring up a family.’’
Many have done this and more are still doing this. We who aspire to public office must realize that we cannot be greater than these ones until and unless we truthfully and wholeheartedly serve them.
Thanks for Your patience,
Sina Fagbenro-Byron
Guides
A Choice To Serve and a Platform To Stand