The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Of demolitions without compensation

    Of demolitions without compensation

    • By Samuel Jekeli

    Sir: In the sprawling urban landscapes of Nigeria, where progress often clashes with the rights of its citizens, a pervasive issue plagues the lives of countless individuals – demolitions without compensation. While development is essential for the growth of any nation, the pains inflicted on citizens who fall victim to these demolitions without adequate compensation are often overlooked.

    Demolitions without compensation have become synonymous with displacement, loss, and despair. Families who have called a place home for generations suddenly find themselves on the streets, watching helplessly as bulldozers reduce their homes to rubble. These demolitions, often carried out in the name of urban development or infrastructure projects, disregard the basic human right to shelter.

    The immediate consequences are devastating. Families are left without shelter, belongings, and, in many cases, any means of livelihood. Children are forced to abandon their schools, disrupting their education and jeopardizing their future. The elderly, who should be enjoying the fruits of their labour in the comfort of their homes, are left vulnerable and destitute. The toll on mental health is immeasurable, as the trauma of losing one’s home and security can have long-lasting effects.

    One of the fundamental issues exacerbating the problem is the lack of a comprehensive legal framework to protect the rights of citizens facing demolition. While some legal provisions exist, their enforcement is often lax, and loopholes allow abuse. In many cases, citizens are not adequately informed about impending demolitions or are given insufficient time to make alternative arrangements.

    Compensation, when promised, is frequently inadequate and fails to cover the full extent of the loss. The bureaucratic hurdles in claiming compensation further contributes to the agony of those affected. The absence of an efficient and transparent system for compensation leaves citizens at the mercy of unscrupulous practices and amplifies the injustice they face.

    Beyond the immediate personal suffering, demolitions without compensation have far-reaching economic consequences. Small businesses, often the backbone of local economies, are decimated. Markets, shops, and enterprises that were once thriving hubs of economic activity are reduced to debris, leaving business owners without income and employees without jobs.

    The ripple effect extends to the broader community as well. The loss of economic stability in one area can contribute to a cycle of poverty, creating a domino effect that hampers the overall development of the region. The lack of foresight in urban planning and the failure to consider the socio-economic impact of demolitions perpetuate a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break.

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    Addressing the pains caused by demolitions without compensation requires a multi-faceted approach. First and foremost, there is an urgent need for a robust legal framework that safeguards the rights of citizens facing demolition. This framework should ensure proper notification, adequate compensation, and a transparent process for citizens to claim entitlements.

    Government agencies responsible for urban development must prioritize community engagement and consult with affected citizens before embarking on demolition projects. This proactive approach can help identify alternative solutions that minimize the impact on residents and their livelihoods.

    Civil society organizations and the media play a crucial role in amplifying the voices of those affected and holding authorities accountable. By raising awareness about the consequences of demolitions without compensation, these entities can build public pressure for policy reforms and better enforcement of existing regulations.

    Demolitions without compensation are not just about physical structures being razed; they represent the dismantling of lives, dreams, and communities. The pains inflicted on citizens who fall victim to these demolitions are a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive legal reforms and ethical urban planning. As Nigeria strives for progress, it is crucial to ensure that the journey includes the well-being and dignity of every citizen, leaving no one behind in the shadows of development

    •Samuel Jekeli,

    Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.

  • Grateful hearts

    Grateful hearts

    The Israelites’ syndrome — of fashionable jeremiad — is loosed upon the land. Perhaps that’s natural when things are tough?

    It’s double jeopardy, though: when chief among those that spew that distemper are those that ruined the land during their sweet and reckless power days.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo just whipped “Afro Democracy” — whatever that means — from his bag of subversive tricks, with trademark malice masking as reason.  

    His Vice-in-power, Atiku Abubakar, also just huffed after a single six-year rotative presidency (by the way, an Abacha-era ploy to cripple pro-June 12, 1993 democratic forces), after Atiku’s insensate fixation with power had blighted his latest run.

    Twin-prodigals that wrecked yesterday, posing as today’s — and future — messiahs? Toh!

    Still, instead of getting defensive, the Tinubu order should put things in right frames, and stop moaning over “serious liabilities from Buhari”, as Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), just did — though he claimed he blamed no one but told the truth.

    At the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference, Ribadu said President Bola Tinubu inherited more or less a bankrupt country, referring to the Buhari-era loans. 

    To be sure, loans are always disconcerting.  But which serious capitalist economy demonizes loans — lazy ones that lack the creative oomph to thrive from loans?

    Later, at the 19th Annual Nigerian Editors Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the NSA restricted his jeremiad to his core duty: security.  He listed Tinubu’s inherited challenges: Boko Haram (North East), Banditry (North West), massive oil theft (South-South) and security meltdown (South East).

    Good, the NSA addressed the flower of the media.  But had the media tracked the environment, as it should by its core duty, and always published reports which core data dutifully track progress and setbacks, Ribadu should have sounded hollow.

    Why? Of all four, only Banditry (North West) dawned during the Buhari era.  

    Even then, it was a spin-off from de-fanging Boko Haram: felons fleeing from a North East getting too hot; but plaguing, with their small arms, other parts of the country, as bandits (North West); and kidnappers-for-ransom (nation-wide, though with a vicious North West strain).

    The other two: massive oil theft and South East insecurity were self-inflicted. 

    All seem to have forgotten the Niger Delta New Avengers, once lionized by a section of the media back in 2015/2016, because President Goodluck Jonathan lost power; and some folks swore they’d make the country ungovernable.

    It’s fitting irony though that Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, linked with New Avengers back then, now does a yeoman’s job putting off the New Avengers’ blaze!

    The South East meltdown is too fresh to forget. The Igbo political elite, rogue or straight, cut that region’s nose to spite its face, on account of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB.  Beware of what you wish for!

    But back to assets and liabilities: pray in 2015, what assets did President Muhammadu Buhari inherit from President Goodluck Jonathan — the electoral fall guy for PDP’s 16 years of ruin, though ill-luck Jonathan bore his brunt with uncommon grace? 

    What assets, indeed — beyond PDP-era sleaze, which hit doomsday proportions under President Jonathan, and caused the party to kiss federal power goodbye?

    On the contrary, what assets did President Tinubu inherit from President Buhari?  

    In 2015, the 2nd Niger Bridge was not there.  Neither was the Lagos-Ibadan standard-gauge rail.  Or the 1835-metre Loko-Oweto bridges, that link the North to the South East and South-South, over the Benue River.  

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    The Lagos-Ibadan expressway, now fully reconstructed, was a virtual death trap.  From 2015 to 2023, Buhari’s Works Minister, Babatunde Fashola, drove work on the relay of roads and bridges to, first time ever, link Bonny Island, home of Nigeria’s Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), to the Rivers mainland; just as he did on the Apapa-Oshodi-Alapere carriage way in Lagos, now completed. 

    Besides, pre-2015, no one seriously pushed cultivating Nigerian rice — and other crops — until the eat-what-you-grow and grow-what-you-eat whoop of the Buhari era. 

    That agro-rebirth has divined admirable agro-processing zones that may yet hallmark the Tinubu era.  If well implemented, food security is well-neigh sure, via agro-allied re-industrialization, with jobs that come with it. 

    After, add Buhari-era investments in refineries, now rolling into the Tinubu era, and set to banish the import of refined petroleum by end of 2024 — all of that in eight years, rolling into nine.  Compare and contrast all of that to the 16 PDP years!

    Yes, the Buhari-era debts were the flip sides of these critical infrastructure.  But wouldn’t the assets, acquired by those debts, be pressed into service to better drive the economy, than defensively whine over the “serious liabilities” from Buhari?

    All too true: Buhari made his mistakes, not the least the catastrophic Naira redesign policy.  The Tinubu administration would make its too.  But the point is that serious attempts to right long-settled wrongs, started with Buhari in 2015, after the Obasanjo-led PDP had frittered near-all away, with a far richer till.

    Again, compare and contrast Buhari’s and Tinubu’s opening policies.  Buhari, though slow off the blocks, tried to rally local efforts, with support loans — grow-what-you-eat and eat-what-you-grow!  

    Tinubu, admirably bolting off the blocks, is pitching for global capital: venture capital from anywhere — even the Nigerian diaspora — to come set up shop in a huge, mutually beneficial market.  That’s the sum total of his explosive economic diplomacy.

    Different tactics and strategies.  But same urgent push to catch up with lost time.  

    That’s the thing though — with eternal droning and wailing, critical breakthroughs, even as clear as a sunny day, vanish with sweet doom and gloom.

    You see only the large swath of undone business.  But are blind, deaf and dumb to little problems solved, which could well be the pivot for scaling the so-called big ones.  Grateful hearts do the direct opposite.

    That the Jews spent 40 years, instead of 40 days, may well be scriptural history.  But it’s also piquant metaphor for a mind that sees nothing but gloom, even if the day dazzles with promise.  That’s the Israelites’ mindset.

    But hey, it’s politics! You can’t stop folks from always brooding and painting the worst-case scenarios, as Obasanjo, Atiku and allied opposition, will continue to do.

    But the Tinubu order should remind everyone of the ruins of PDP’s 16 years, than crumble under pressure, belittling the recalibration, from 2015, on which it must build, though tweaking policies, wherever necessary.  Any other way is shooting itself in the foot.

    In truth, Buhari handed Tinubu a better prospect than Jonathan handed Buhari in 2015.

  • Lest we forget…

    Lest we forget…

    These days, I couldn’t but think of how much has changed in nearly six months of the Bola Tinubu presidency. With everyone talking of how much things have not only gone south and sour but have become utterly hopeless, one might be forgiven to imagine that the dreaded Armageddon has finally berthed on our shores. 

    Sure, things are bad – really bad. So bad that nearly everyone that one meets has something to say about how terrible the current situation is. Before now, Nigerians could write a book on the soar-away inflation, the record unemployment and growing poverty and immiseration; the corruption and self-interests and how these have hobbled the nation’s development.

    Six months after, they have just enough materials to do wholesale book on the correlates of the new exchange rate regime and the fuel subsidy removal both of which combined, are believed to have brought the roof down on everyone’s heads. The town – as they say – is not smiling at all.

    Of course, the naira – our beloved currency is down and under. Rather than bring respite, the liberalisation of the forex market would seem to have compounded its woes. Even with the best of assurances, there are, as yet, no cast iron guarantees of its imminent bounce back with consumer price index – no thanks to our reliance on imports for items ranging from food to basic household goods – already threatening to spin out of control.

    The other day, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, released its October headline inflation report showing an increase in rate to 27.33% relative to the September rate of 26.72% with year-on-year headline inflation at 6.24% points higher compared to the rate recorded in October 2022 (21.09%).

    With so much gloom abounding, it has become extremely hard to see any tiny flick of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. 

    Yet, one is constantly reminded of how a nation that barely escaped the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) noose has a lot to be thankful for. It seems a measure of the changing tides that the P&ID vultures which once held the nation by the balls are currently stewing in their own juice as the one-time underdog has now been afforded the sweet song of victory.

    Did I hear – free at last?

    Not quite. Whereas the battle that finally ended at the English court may have brought relief at the passing of that nightmarish chapter, it seems early in the day to roll out the drums. At least, not with the other vultures – known and unknown – still lurking menacingly by!

    In any case, if the P&ID saga and its aftermath is any revealing, it is how numbed Nigerians have become with their ever unending but dreary ‘drama of existence’; and from their apparent surrender to those dark forces massed against that very existence.

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    It is precisely that drama that today’s piece is all about. Another dark chapter in the story of how – you guessed right – the same Nigeria – was allegedly defrauded by such an amount that reduced the whole P&ID saga to a mere child’s play. We are here referring to a tidy sum of $62 billion said to have been ferried away – without arbitration –while Nigerian officials conveniently slept!

    Guess the culprits? The so-called International Oil Companies (IOCs), whose altars our so-called leaders are known to bow and worship!

    P&ID, as you already know, was accused of seeking to reap without as much as turning the sod. How about actors who, after ploughing on another’s field, went on to harvest but chose to render nugatory, the articles of settlement choosing instead, to cart away what belonged to another, enabled by minions and fifth columnists?

    Thanks to former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, for going public with it, hereunder is how the international wire agency – Reuters – reported the affair on October 10, 2019.

    “Nigeria is seeking $62 billion from oil companies under regulations that allow the government to revisit revenue sharing deals on petroleum sales if crude prices exceed $20 a barrel, the attorney general told Reuters on Thursday”.

    The medium, quoting Malami said: “Computing the amount that should be credited to the Nigerian government if the law was effectively applied, that translates to around $62 billion against the IOCs (international oil companies).

    All options are on the table and there is no limit to what we can do in terms of engagement, in terms of settlement, if the need arises”, he was further quoted to have said while also conveniently short of naming the offenders!

    In truth however, it is the governments of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa that deserve the plaudits for going to court to enforce the PSC contracts. The apex court in 2018 had ruled that the federal government take steps to recover all outstanding amounts due under the PSC.

    At issue most certainly, was not the regulation. Rather, at a time of low oil prices and the government in the bid to incentivise the oil majors, had deservedly availed the operators sufficient fiscal leg-room to allow them breathe and to recoup their investments. Only that the sharing contract would automatically change should oil prices exceed $20 a barrel – as it later did!

    The problem was that our officials chose to look away even when oil prices rose. And for whatever reasons, neither of the parties that drew up the agreement – not the government and certainly not the IOCs – pretended that such an agreement existed let alone the thought of bringing it up. Not even when oil prices hit the $80 mark! In fact, at some point in 2014, oil prices actually hit the $100 mark.

    Unfortunately, while the IOCs and their Nigerian enablers smiled to the bank, the Nigerian government was too distracted to call for the books or went on Rip Van Winkle sleep. At least, not until Malami made the computation public through the highly publicised demand notice!

     And so far from being a call to charity, or even a play at brinksmanship, it was, ordinarily, something of a straight forward demand for equity and fair-play on behalf of a short-changed people and on which the Supreme Court as the final authority had pronounced upon!

    As one might imagine in such circumstances, the real scandal would soon follow. Like they say of the death of an elephant when all manners of knives suddenly spring out for a piece of the action, one such was the emergence of one Trobell International, described as the recovery agent with the letter of authorisation from AGF Malami to collect five percent (or $2.15 billion or N774 billion) commission on performance(?)!

    Surprised, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the contract whose commission he also described as “excessive” suspended. Indeed, the president’s then Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, had also insisted that the government did not even need the help of the company to recover the debt as the Supreme Court had already directed the companies to pay up!  And so the matter was rested. That precisely is where we are today.

    Think of what an inflow of $62 billion can do to the value of the naira as indeed the economy as a whole. We are talking of non-debt, unencumbered cash, which the law already deem to belong to the federation account, but is being withheld by a cartel of lawless operators. The least the Tinubu administration can do for the country at this difficult time is press for the recovery of every dime of that money.

  • Children of hippopotamus

    Children of hippopotamus

    This writer was enthused as he listened to the musings of Timipre Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa State and Minister of Petroleum Resources, at a book launch, years ago. He was all poetic. Last week, exercising similar poetic license, he called former president, Goodluck Jonathan a hippopotamus. Writing on his X account (former twitter) Sylva exploded his verbal fusillade: “Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement is unfortunate. I sincerely hope he was misquoted. Let me just quote our respected Wole Soyinka: “you can take the hippopotamus out of the swamp but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.”  

    Jonathan had earned the ire of Sylva when he visited Governor Duoye Diri who defeated Sylva at the recent gubernatorial election. Jonathan said that he would have relocated his mother from Bayelsa State to Abuja had Diri lost the election to Sylva. Before that clincher, he had talked how insecurity reigned in Bayelsa in the past until Diri took over, thereby suggesting that Sylva’s success at the polls would have yielded the state back to violence, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

    At that book launch, years ago, Sylva with a scintillating voice, extempore recited a poem, as part of his opening remarks, after which he spoke in a very stimulating voice that caught my fancy. Sylva who had served his tenure as governor, before that event, came off as a bohemian politician with a mastery of the English language. I recall that someone who listened to my fulsome praises of Sylva after the event dismissed his performance as a façade. He said that Sylva is not as soft as he spoke.

    That incident receded in my memory until Sylva violently, albeit verbally, reacted to the insinuation by former President Goodluck Jonathan, that he has a violent persona.  Instead of using statistics to prove his innocence, and perhaps comparing his tenure with other governors, Sylva marshalled derogatory allegory to deprecate the former president’s allegation. Social media netizens would call that ‘vawulence’. I recall that Bayelsa and parts of the country were up the radar in violent crimes, while Sylva was the governor and Jonathan was the president.

    So, the hippopotamus allegory could be applicable to denizens of a violent environment, and the two protagonists stand as accomplices. Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo expectedly falls into this category, and he showed up at the river bank few days ago. After enjoying eight years of what is akin to imperial presidency, he has drawn his sword to slay western liberal democracy. Speaking at a function he organized with his acolytes, in his Olusegun Obasanjo Library redoubt, he spoke about “rethinking western liberal democracy for Africa”.

    In his usual magisterial manner, he proposed what he called “Afro democracy” without any theoretical foundation. Many commentators have dismissed his efforts as a diatribe against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (PBAT) government in which he seems to be an outsider, having campaigned vigorously against its emergence. His bogus claim is perhaps a continuation of his failed efforts to scuttle the inauguration of the government after the results were declared. After his calls for the cancellation of the result, and installation of interim government gained no traction, Obasanjo may have resorted to pseudo-intellectualism to achieve the same violent purpose.

    Another leader that fits into the hippopotamus allegory is former vice president, Atiku Abubabakar. Since losing to PBAT, in what may be his last presidential contest, Atiku has raised the sceptre of violence against real and imagined enemies. After deprecating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to his heart’s desire, he has re-trained his verbal fusillade at the courts. According to Atiku, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) after massively rigging the election, is using the courts to gain what it lost at the polls.

    Exhibiting what some commentators call post-election loss trauma, Atiku called INEC chairman and members all manner of scurrilous names, laying specious claims that the agency was compromised to hand over the trophy to APC. With election tribunals reaching decisions unfavourable to Atiku’s interest, the former vice president has called out justices involved in the trials. He has warned darkly that APC is using the courts to appropriate Plateau, Zamfara, and Kano states, where the party lost the gubernatorial elections.   

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    Atiku however has no qualms with election petitions, where APC lost to the opposition parties. Those calling him out have reminded him of instances in the past when all APC candidates including election winners were disqualified over party infractions of the electoral laws in Zamfara, as well as instances where the party could not participate in elections in Rivers State. These instances have not assuaged Atiku’s call for violence against the election, which he started immediately INEC declared PBAT the winner of the presidential context.    

    The hippopotamus allegory would suit the tempers in Kano over the gubernatorial election petitions. With the tribunal and appeal courts giving judgments in favour of APC, the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has drawn daggers against the judiciary and the winners. Throwing caution to the wind, lawyers and non-lawyers have brazenly called Justices who sat on appeal in the case names, alleging they were compromised. Even the state attorney general, Haruba Dederi, has maligned the Justices, without any fear of repercussion as a legal practitioner.

    Supporters of the NNPP and APC are in the muds mudslinging each other like hippopotamus and drawing their daggers in the streets. If the trends continue, the days ahead when the Supreme Court delivers the final judgment would be fearful for the people of Kano State, particularly should NNPP lose the state, which is their only hope of remaining politically relevant in the scheme of politics. Returning to the natural habitat of hippopotamus, Rivers State is rocking from intra-party crisis in People Democratic Party (PDP) where the ruckus is between the federal capital territory minister, Nyesom Wike and his godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

    Strangely, despite what must have been the best effort of Wike in choosing the most malleable of candidates for the gubernatorial election, things fell apart within a space of four-five months. Similar falling apart happened in neighbouring Edo state, where Governor Godwin Obaseki deserted his political godfather Senator Adams Oshiomhole in a most politically violent manner. If the allegory of political heavy weights as hippopotamus is allowed, perhaps the children of hippopotamus are learning the political violence skills of their forbearers.

    Timipre Silva in describing that political habitat of the sea animal, adopted Soyinka’s postulation that “you can take the hippopotamus out of the swamp but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.” Truly, a fruit does not fall far from the tree. The children of hippopotamus have grown large jaws for verbal and physical violence, as necessary skill to endure in the redoubt of Nigerian politics.

  • Still on revenue generation from expatriates’ employment

    Still on revenue generation from expatriates’ employment

    • By Diekola Modupe

    The media has been somewhat awash with reports about broadening the government’s income base. It is commonsensical to grow inflow, flowing from the extant, age-old, and probably weather-beaten desire to diversify the nation’s revenue source from oil. Agriculture, steel development, manufacturing, mining and quarrying, have among other sectors been proposed as future major determiners of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    In recent times, it has been partly pursuant to the promise of the Bola Tinubu administration to advance the GDP to one of a trillion-dollar economy in another seven years. While most of these plans are long-term, the short-term variants have come in the quest for the elusive portfolio investment, the recalibration of the payment system for improved effectiveness, and the latest talks around extending the contribution base of expatriates’ employment.

    To be sure, the expatriates are supposedly highly skilled workers, putatively hired to do jobs that local expertise cannot do, or rather hired because of the exotic preference of the employer, and provided they can handle the cost implication. For now, just around $2000 is expected to be paid by every expatriate annually as a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) fee. This is a statutory levy for permission to work.

    The new argument is that beyond this level are the untapped opportunities of getting more income from the nearly 200,000 expatriates in the country, which could fetch between $1.5 billion and $2 billion per annum, from the activities of the skilled men, in what is supposed to be different from what they presently pay, and which every other citizen pays.

    The plans are that if the nation needs to seek other ways of paying off its huge debt, manage its growing population, faced with declining resources and then mitigate the anxieties of filling the $3trillion gap required for its infrastructure in the next two decades, then it has to be much more creative and ingenious in raising revenue. The place of infrastructure cannot be overemphasized for being a tool for macro-economic stability, the creation of employment, enabling productivity and efficiency, social change and development of the rural areas, boosting trade and commerce and sustainable growth and development.

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    The other argument seems to be that the practice of making expatriates contribute more to a nation’s purse happens in countries like Singapore, Japan, and Cambodia, if to shore up the chances of locals, by discouraging foreign entrants into some sectors, where locals can thrive. There is also the question of nationalism, considering how migrants have become useful to many foreign economies even beyond what they pay, in addition to other huge financial commitments for naturalizations, and job-specific payments.

    If these are done in other places, why can’t there be some semblances here in Nigeria? What is more? The proposed obligations from the expatriates shall be because their income is locally generated and a central contribution is necessary given that they are presently only obligated to the states. In many situations where they are mobile, tracking their payments is difficult. But this could be resolved with the overarching obligation to the centre.

    As projected, an expatriate should be obligated on the aggregate amounts of his/her income for the year, from any salary, wage, fee, allowance or other gain or profit from employment including compensations, bonuses, premiums, benefits or other prerequisites allowed, given or granted by the employer to the expatriate.

    Other than the factors highlighted, the need for more expatriates’ contributions has now arisen because expatriates and Nigerians should not be at par when it comes to liabilities on income as presently is, in addition to the fact that Nigeria has no special law governing revenue system with respect to expatriates, in a situation where a presumptive income due is required. Importantly, Nigeria is considered a very expatriate-friendly country.

    From the proposal, companies are understood to employ expatriates for the short or medium term to develop or train local employees. Once understudied, they are supposed to exit. But in actual practice, they stay unnecessarily longer. The anticipated increased financial obligation should discourage this anomaly.

    The proposal leaves the government and citizens without any burden. It is also against the background of the fact that with Africa rising as an emerging market, more expatriates are coming in. The large markets from a large population and a greater influx of foreign skilled workers are in evidence, especially in a country like Nigeria.

    Records have it that Nigeria’s natural resources and economic opportunities continue to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) from investors worldwide. Based on the National Bureau of Statistics, capital inflow to Nigeria in 2018 was $19.07 billion, of which $7.78 billion represents FDIs. Capital inflows from January 2019 to May 2019 amount to $14.2 billion, of which $2.87 billion represents FDIs. Beyond these facts is the thinking that the flow and people need to do more. Looks plausible, if probably practicalised.

    In summary, the other benefits include an increase in employment rate and a lowering of the quest for foreign exchange, in addition to the inclusion of citizens where we do not require expatriates for construction, supermarkets, restaurants, and retail. The policy would likely also put these sets of Nigerians on a level playfield with the expatriates to some extent. There will similarly be lowered demand for scarce foreign exchange, especially from the parallel market, eventually reducing pressure on the currency.

    Another instance is in the banking sector in Nigeria, which is 99% run by citizens.  All the technology start-ups in Nigeria are also 99% Nigerian entrepreneurs’, where they harness skill sets and knowledge that are always available. So, there is no sector which cannot achieve this, including the oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, retail services, etc.

    Revenue earned by the government can be put to use for the benefit of the Nigerians in many areas ranging from education, production, health and infrastructure, among others. Largely, with the initiative, there will be more job opportunities, improved remuneration, more chances for training and skill acquisition, enhancement of the prestige of the Nigerian workers, and reduction of the demand for foreign exchange, resulting from the draining salaries of expatriates.

    •Modupe, public policy analyst, writes from Abuja.

  • We’re lighting up Niger Delta with solar-powered streetlights, says NDDC boss

    We’re lighting up Niger Delta with solar-powered streetlights, says NDDC boss

    The Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has said the commission is undertaking an ambitious project of lighting up Niger Delta communities with solar-powered streetlights.

    He said more regional and legacy projects would be executed by the current board of the NDDC.

    Ogbuku spoke during a visit by members of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt.

    “We will undertake more legacy and regional projects. We have embarked on an elaborate project to light up Niger Delta with solar-powered street lights, as part of the measures to reduce criminality in our communities,” he said.

    Ogbuku in a statement signed by the NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Pius Ughakpoteni, said the commission was working in line with the policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which emphasised stakeholders’ engagements in the development process.

    He said it was important to involve stakeholders in driving the sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

    Said he: “We all face the same challenges in the region, this means we must work together to address the challenges, regardless of our ethnic background. Challenges such as underdevelopment and ecological problems confront all of us.”

    Ogbuku said the history of the Niger Delta struggle would not be complete without indexing the contributions of the Ogoni people.

    “Your contributions cannot be forgotten. More importantly, we are going to support all ethnic nationalities because we are working for all ‘Niger Deltans’.

    “In the quest for development of the region, NDDC alone cannot achieve it without the support and partnership of stakeholders in both public and private sectors,” he said.

    Ogbuku said the commission would organise a stakeholder’s summit early next year to review its activities in the past 23 years and give groups in the region the opportunity to be part of the development process.

    He urged the MOSOP delegation to support the NDDC in its efforts to develop the region, advising them to avoid denigrating the commission.

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    Ogbuku enjoined the Ogoni to promote peace, as development could only take place in a peaceful and safe environment.

    He said: “I, therefore, urge you to support the policies of President Tinubu’s administration. Let us ensure that there is peace in our communities.”

    Ogbuku told the visiting delegation that the newly inaugurated NDDC Governing Board was committed to accelerating the development of the Niger Delta.

    The MOSOP President and leader of the delegation, Chief Prince Biira, appealed to the NDDC to extend more development projects to Ogoniland, to enhance the living conditions of the people, who had suffered many years on account of oil pollution and negligence.

    He reminded Ogbuku that the NDDC was a product of the struggle of the Ogoni people and other agitated ‘Niger Deltans’.

    “The essence of this engagement is to exchange ideas on the development challenges of our people. Your pedigree rekindles our hope for a new dawn,” he said.

    The MOSOP President described Ogbuku as “a visionary administrator with a mission to bring transformational development in communities across the Niger Delta.”

    Biira said things were beginning to change in the way NDDC was tackling the developmental challenges in the Niger Delta.

    He said: “We commend the NDDC for initiating a fresh era in the region. We urge you to sustain this laudable effort. We agree that NDDC has projects in Ogoni land, but a lot more needs to be done.

    “For instance, we need assistance in upgrading and furnishing primary schools in our communities.”

  • Tantita Security faults Bayelsa council boss over military invasion claims

    Tantita Security faults Bayelsa council boss over military invasion claims

    • Restates commitment to end illegal oil bunkering

    Bayelsa State Operations of Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL) has described as unfounded and unthinkable, allegations in a recent publication by the Caretaker Council Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government, Mr. Lucky Okodeh, and a video circulating on the social media alleging invasion of Igbomotoru community by TSSL, using the military.

    The firm, owned by a former Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, regretted that the recent publication from the caretaker chairman and an orchestrated video making the rounds of a supposed protest carried out by mischievous elements to bring its operations into disrepute, leaves a sour taste to be desired.

    Recall that Igbomotoru community in the Bomo Clan of SILGA on Sunday protested the alleged invasion of the riverine community by military personnel and gunboats.

    The community chiefs, women and youths, in several videos posted online, claimed that the invasion was allegedly at the instance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the November 11 election in the state, Chief Joshua Maciver.

    But in a statement yesterday by the Coordinator, TSSL, Bayelsa State Operations, Maciver, he said what the scriptwriters of the purported protest failed to understand was that the organisation, as a private security company, did not possess the authority to order Federal Government forces but rather provided credible intelligence to guide federal forces in combating the menace of illegal bunkering and ‘kpofire’ activities.

    Maciver urged indigenes of Igbomotoru community to go about their lawful duties, saying the military personnel were on ground to safeguard federal assets and by extension lives and property in the area.

    He added that TSSL remained steadfast in its commitment to eradicating illegal bunkering activities across Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta.

    Maciver said: “It is crucial to emphasise that the deployment of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in our operations is not meant to intimidate law-abiding citizens conducting lawful businesses.

    “Additionally, the placement of gunboats extends beyond Igbomotoru community, encompassing strategic routes used by illicit crude oil bunkerers in areas such as Azuzuama, Tebidaba-Okoron, Lasukugbene, Lagosgbene and other communities.

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    “While we refrain from directly accusing individuals or groups involved in illicit activities, it is noteworthy that the expressed discomfort by CTC Chairman, Mr. Lucky Okodeh, in the media raises questions. It prompts speculation on whether he is aware of potential clandestine activities within the Igbomotoru axis, suggesting that the presence of security forces may unveil illicit crude oil syndicates and mercenaries, contrary to the Federal Government’s stance on crude oil theft.

    “Moreover, during the launch operation of Igbomotoru camp of Tantita Security operations, which took place on October 14, 2022 and was attended by the state Coordinator, Great Joshua MacIver, along with the incumbent Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Lucky Okodeh, in company with security agencies, including the Nigerian Army with gunboats, the entourage was welcomed to a warm reception by the community members.

    “The CTC chairman during that visit enjoined the community leadership to work with the surveillance company and security agencies and its apparatuses in place, noting that their presence in the town was not to take away their means of livelihood, but to better the lot of all and sundry in the course of their operations.

    “To this date, Tantita Security along with the military and NSCDC have carried on with their responsibilities without any report of violence, harassment, or intimidation of any kind from 2022 up until this moment.

    “We wish to state categorically that the call by the caretaker chairman of SILGA is unnecessary and not born out of goodwill, as it overlooks the collaborative efforts required to address security breaches common within riverine communities and environmental degradation associated with illegal bunkering activities.”

    “As a responsible private security company, we anticipate the cooperation of local government authorities and Bayelsa State government in fostering a secure environment for residents.”

  • Oborevwori kicks-off N78b star projects

    Oborevwori kicks-off N78b star projects

    Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has said his administration would continue to upgrade roads across the three senatorial districts.

    He spoke yesterday in Effurun during the groundbreaking ceremony of the

    N77.9 billion road and flyover projects awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.

    The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, ex-governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, federal and state lawmakers and other top government functionaries, reiterated his administration’s commitment to upgrade roads across the state.

    He noted that road was a critical infrastructure driving the development of other sectors of the economy.

    The four projects were awarded to the construction giant in Uvwie and Warri South local governments.

    “The projects are as follows: the design and construction of flyover from Enerhen junction, Effurun to Marine Gate, Warri in Uvwie and Warri South councils.

    “The design and construction of road expansion and improvement works on the section of DSC/NPA expressway from Effurun roundabout to DSC roundabout on the Effurun/Patani (East/West) highway.

    The project includes construction of a three-quarter Cloverleaf interchange at the existing Effurun flyover as well as two pedestrian bridges in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government.

    The design and construction of flyover at PTI junction, on the Effurun/Patani (East/West) highway, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government.

    Oborevwori said the cumulative contract sum for the four projects was over N77.99 billion, adding that the contractor had a completion period of 27 months.

    “I stand here today filled with joy and excitement as we begin the process of giving Warri the desired facelift with this groundbreaking ceremony.

    “This signals the commencement of construction of four key projects in Warri/Effurun metropolis.

    “It is the fulfilment of a promise I made after my inauguration as governor on May 29, this year. We have released the agreed sum as advance payment to the contractor.

    “These four strategic projects are aimed at solving the gridlock often experienced between Effurun roundabout, through PTI road junction, to DSC roundabout on the Effurun/Patani (East/West) highway at Effurun.

    “They will also ease vehicular movement at the stretch from Enerhen junction, Effurun to Marine gate, Warri, in Uvwie and Warri South local governments,” he said.

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    The governor added that the projects would not only change the face of Warri/Effurun metropolis, but also ease tragic congestion and by implication, alleviate the suffering experienced daily by commuters.

    He said because of the strategic nature of the roads in the region, construction works would result in traffic disruptions, diversions and other inconveniences to motorists and commuters.

    Oborevwori, however, said government and the contractor would take steps to minimise the disruptions.

    He appealed to motorists and pedestrians to be patient, orderly and obey traffic rules and regulations, to facilitate ease of movement and reduce travel time through the construction area.

    The governor advised

    motorists to use the alternative routes in the vicinity whenever feasible, to reduce the volume of traffic in the construction area.

    “The state government has begun a programme of maintenance and rehabilitation of these alternative routes to reduce inconvenience for travellers and motorists.

    “I urge the contractor to work relentlessly to meet the schedule we have agreed on,” he said.

    Oborevwori, however, urged the

    immediate communities and their leaders to appreciate the enormous investment government was making and solicited for their support to ensure the speedy completion of the projects.

    The Managing Director of Julius Berger PLC, Dr. Lars Richter, said the project would be delivered within the stipulated period of 27 months

    Also, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, thanked Governor Oborevwori for the projects and promised to ensure their protection from the time of commencement to completion.

    “Our youths need to be engaged. We will make sure the project is completed without any disturbances,” the king said.

    The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, promised to ensure that the projects came to fruition.

    Represented by Dr Rowland Oritsejafor, the royal father said the projects were unique because they would unite the people.

    In attendance were former governor of Delta, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, royal fathers and chiefs, among others.

  • Ogoni youths decry inadequate compensation, poor payments by HYPREP contractors

    Ogoni youths decry inadequate compensation, poor payments by HYPREP contractors

    Rivers State youths under the auspices of Ogoni Youths Federation (OYF), have accused the contractors engaged by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in the ongoing Ogoni clean-up, of underpaying their workers and inadequate compensation to land and crop owners.

    OYF in a statement in Port Harcourt yesterday by its Spokesman, Emmanuel Goteh Bie and Secretary-General, Mesua Ntormabari, said its members recently protested at the headquarters of HYPREP in Port Harcourt to register their grievances.

    They claimed that the contractors engaged by HYPREP to carry out 100-bed space at Kpite in Tai Local Government of Rivers State failed to pay workers and give compensation to crop and land owners.

    They said the workers engaged by HYPREP contractors at the ongoing centre of excellence at Wiyakara community in Khana Local Government were underpaid.

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    They said: “Ogoni Youth Federation takes responsibility for the protest carried out recently for the reasons of underpayment of workers at the ongoing centre of excellence at Wiyakara community in Khana Local Government by contractors; inadequate compensation to land/crop owners at Kpite in Tai Local Government by the contractor handling the 100-bed space hospital and lack of adherence to corporate social responsibility and local content components by contractors handling HYPREP jobs in Ogoniland.

    “We have been advised by Ogoni elders and critical stakeholders to suspend further civil actions and explore alternative means of dispute resolution to achieve the above items stated.

    “Ogoni Youth Federation hereby calls off further protest as a means of resolving the above impasse.

    That Ogoni Youth Federation distances itself from any contractual transaction with one of the contractors.”

  • Stakeholders seek stiffer penalties for gas flaring

    Stakeholders seek stiffer penalties for gas flaring

    Niger Delta stakeholders have advocated stiffer sanctions against oil companies engaging in gas flaring and an enforcement of existing policies on gas flaring in the region.

    They urged host communities and individuals affected by oil exploration to become conversant with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), to press for their rights.

    The stakeholders spoke at a one-day roundtable discussion organised by ActionAid, a civil rights group, on the negative impact of oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

    The event, held in Asaba, Delta State capital, was attended by representatives from the National Assembly, host communities, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and the media.

    Participants called on oil companies to foster good operational relationship open to stakeholders, while appealing for proper clean-up of the areas affected by the effect of the oil spillages in the Niger Delta.

    Besides mapping out ways for the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy, the stakeholders urged multi-national oil companies on the necessity to have a carbon gas desk.

    They enjoined relevant authorities, including the House Committee on Climate Change and Committee of Niger Delta Affairs to establish a desk office with the host communities for ease of complaints.

    Participants advised that the Nigerian government should be given conditions on accessing the global funds for environmental issues, while rejigging existing policies on climate and environmental change.

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    According to the communiqué, the importance of strong synergy in the fight for climate and environmental justice in the Niger Delta area cannot be overemphasised.

    It called for regular conversation among key stakeholders affected by oil exploration in Niger Delta communities.

    It accused western banks of funding the activities of multi-national oil companies, thus intensifying the environmental degradation in the region.

    The communique pointed out that community leaders have been compromised due to poverty, resulting from the divide and rule strategy used by international oil companies.

    It blamed the Federal Government for a lack of political will in implementing relevant laws in the oil industry, adding that this has been an impediment in the fight against abnormalities associated with oil explorations in the Niger Delta.