The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Horrific!

    Horrific!

    • Discovery of 70 bodies in Abia market raises questions on security alertness

    Abia State Governor Alex Otti  recently said 50 decomposing bodies, 20 headless ones and many skeletons were uncovered by security operatives during a raid of the forest around Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in the state. He also said payment of ransom to suspected kidnappers was traced to the market, which has now been sacked and marked for complete makeover by the state government.

    The governor, who spoke against the backdrop of insinuations that the take-over of the market was an ethnic card, said the move was rather in line with his administration’s determination to cede no inch of the state’s territory to criminals, and efforts to ensure safety of the life of every citizen and visitor to the state. He further argued that the plan to make the cattle market a daily market was not targeted at any particular tribe in the country, but rather aimed at revamping the security architecture of the market and its host community.

    Addressing journalists in Umuahia, the state capital, Otti said: “A few weeks ago, we found that a lot of ransom that was paid for kidnapping ended up somewhere around Umunneochi, and we decided to raid the place. During the raid, we made shocking discoveries. In less than 48 hours, we recovered over 50 dead bodies around the cattle market in Umunneochi. We recovered over 20 decomposing headless bodies – men, women, children! We recovered so many skeletons of people killed.” As is typical of most crime hubs, there were allied vices domiciled at the said location. “We also discovered that gunrunning, prostitution and so many things were happening in the market,” the governor said, adding: “So, we realised that the first thing to be done is to secure the market. We went in and brought down many brothels. And we felt that the market, just like any other market, should be a day market which starts in the morning and closes in the evening.”

    Otti further said part of measures aimed at boosting security in the area was to convert the market to a general-purpose one and fence it round. “We feel that those people hibernating in the market should go and live in the communities. We want to have a peaceful Christmas around Umunneochi and other parts of the state,” he stated. The governor recalled the imputation of an ethnic agenda to the measures, saying some people misinterpreted these to mean his administration was asking northerners trading in the market to leave the state. But the misunderstanding, according to him, was resolved upon interactions with leaders of the northern community who rescinded a threat to retaliate against the Igbo in the North.

    The northern community Umuchieze, in Umunneochi council area, however faulted the governor’s claim of discovery of 70 bodies, saying they were not aware. Community spokesman, Buba Abdullahi, was last Wednesday reported saying it was merely giving a dog a bad name just so to hang it.

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    ‘’The portrait of Lokpanta cattle market as sketched out by Mr. Governor was of one modern-day house of horror. No fewer than 70 bodies discovered, besides numerous skeletons unearthed! It is highly curious that those discoveries were made after the fact – that is, with so many people taken out of circulation and no red flags raised about the missing people before now. It must have been a function of extreme laxity of security alertness that so many people ended up interred around a single location, and such location remained under the radar of security agencies until this recent discovery that Governor Otti spoke about. Only heaven knows how many other locations like this yet exist and are staying under the radar of security agencies.’’

    The disclosure by the Abia helmsman is a big indictment on government – past and present – under which the sheer culling of the people affected was perpetuated. And who, by the way, were these victims and their family links? The skeletons are of which individuals? Under which circumstances were the people killed, and who are the likely culprits of the killings? It isn’t enough for the Abia State government to just take over the Lokpanta cattle market, it should also institute a panel of inquiry to conduct forensic and other relevant probes aimed at unravelling the circumstances of the killings and work with security agencies to track down the killers. The fact that such serial killings took place unnoticed also underscores the need for Abia and all other state governments, working with the security agencies, to install surveillance facilities by which dark spots in respective territory could be monitored.

    But beyond the roles of government and the security agencies, there is as well need for community awareness by every citizen regarding things happening in our surroundings. Besides cattle traders at the Lokpanta market, for instance, there were other people transacting businesses there who may not be directly involved in the killings, but whose lack of sensitivity to their surroundings provided cover for the killers. People need to be aware of their environment such that they could raise the alarm over any untoward ongoings they notice. Eternal vigilance, as they say, is the price of liberty.

  • Nwabueze exits

    Nwabueze exits

    • A patriot and constitutional law expert departs

    His contribution to “the Nigerian constitutional evolution and the evolution of the entire legal system of Nigeria” earned him a life-time achievement award from the Hallmarks of Labour Foundation (HLF). It was a defining honour for Prof. Ben Nwabueze, who died on October 29.  A statement by his family said he was 94. He was born in Atani, in present-day Anambra State.

    The distinguished constitutional lawyer and scholar made a name for himself not only by the books he authored but also through his participation in constitution crafting.  In a 2017 published interview, he said he would like to be remembered as “a true patriot of Nigeria,” and described himself as “a man passionate about knowledge.” At the time, he stated that he had written 34 books, the last of which was Save Our Constitutional Democracy from Emasculation.

    Among his books are The Machinery of Justice in Nigeria; Constitutional Law of the Nigerian Republic; Nigerian Land Law and Constitutionalism in the Emergent States. Others are Presidentialism in Commonwealth Africa; Judicialism in Commonwealth Africa; The Presidential Constitution of Nigeria; A Constitutional History of Nigeria; and Federalism in Nigeria under the Presidential Constitution.

    He was a prominent member of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) responsible for the 1979 constitution that gave birth to Nigeria’s Second Republic. He later criticised the same constitution, calling it “a unitary constitution, more or less in the devolution of powers.” Under that constitution, he observed, the Federal Government was “all-powerful,” and its powers “all-encompassing,” saying the CDC was “misguided” by the public clamour for a system that would promote unity at the time. According to him, “we thought the best way to achieve that unity was to create a powerful centre.”

    Following his changed perspective, he became a strong campaigner for a different approach, showing his dynamism as a thinker.  In 2017, he led a coalition called the Southern Leaders of Thought, which called for restructuring the country by abolishing the current 1999 constitution, which is fundamentally similar to the 1979 constitution. The group argued that the country “imperatively requires a new constitution adopted or approved by the people at a referendum.”

    His membership of The Patriots and Project Nigeria Movement, where he had leading positions among several other eminent Nigerians, further demonstrated his pursuit of Nigeria’s glory.  The groups, in a posthumous tribute, described him as “our leader in constitutional exploration for the stability and prosperity of Nigeria in the last 15 years.”

    Recognised as an authority in constitution crafting, he was a member of Zambia’s constitution drafting committee in 1973, and a constitutional adviser to the government of Kenya in 1992. Indeed, a former secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, was reported saying, “It’s on record that Prof. Nwabueze single-handedly drafted the Kenyan constitution, which saw the country move from a one-party system to a multiparty democracy.”

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    He studied Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, 1956 – 1961, and School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1961 – 1962. He earned his Doctor of Laws (LL. D) at the University of London in 1978, based on three outstanding books he wrote on Constitutionalism, Presidentialism, and Judicialism. The same year, he became the first academic to be made a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), mainly on the strength of his published works.

    Nwabueze taught Law at Holborn College of Law, London, and in some universities in Nigeria and other African countries, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the University of Zambia. He was a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM), the highest academic award in the country, which underlined his scholastic stature.

    He was appointed as the country’s minister of education in 1993, but held the position for only eight months; and was a recipient of the Nigerian national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

    He was also a significant cultural figure, who co-founded the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in 1976, and served as its pioneer secretary -general. 

  • Revitalizing basic education in the North

    Revitalizing basic education in the North

    • By Abubakar Adamu

    Sir: Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu recently lamented that massive investments in the nation’s basic education sector have not translated into desired results.

    It is the glory of a nation to have an effective and productive educational system. Basic education is the bedrock of the society hence the need to actively give out the best towards ensuring its sustainability.

    UNICEF reports around 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. It is a significant rise compared to a figure of 10.5 million recorded in 2021. UNICEF also states that one out of five children from Nigeria does not attend school. This implies the need for the government at all levels to give in their all towards reaching out to the pupils, privileged to make it to the four walls of the basic education institutions.

    The minister said the investment so far in education is commendable but the output is not commensurate, not matching the input, therefore they need to do something about that. He further stated: “It is really disheartening that despite the federal government’s huge investment, interventions and technical support, the basic education sub-sector is still bedevilled by these unpleasant occurrences: learners sitting on bare floors, high rate of drop-outs, increased number of out-of-school children, poor infrastructure, dilapidated classroom buildings, inadequate learning facilities, unqualified teachers, inadequate monitoring, inequitable access and low learning outcomes which have resulted to the falling standard of education in our country.

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    According to UNICEF, in the North, the picture is even bleaker, with a net attendance rate of 53 percent. Gender, like geography and poverty, is an important factor in the pattern of educational marginalization. States in the northeast and northwest have female primary net attendance rates of 47.7 percent and 47.3 percent, respectively, meaning that more than half of the girls are not in school.

    In response to these challenges, the minister said: “The SUBEB chairmen must also ensure that every child in their respective state benefits from the free, universal and compulsory basic education, regardless of sex, ethnic or religious backgrounds, language or status as this will reduce the out-of-school children syndrome”.

    The education deprivation in northern Nigeria is driven by various factors, such as economic barriers, religious, socio-cultural norms and practices that discourage attendance in formal education, especially for girls. The activities of insurgents have also contributed greatly to this phenomenon.

    There is therefore need for new strategies and collaborative efforts between the federal and state governments to address the identified problems so as to ensure that basic education in Nigeria yields rich results.

    •Abubakar Adamu,

    University of Maiduguri

  • The country the women deserve

    The country the women deserve

    • By Kene Obiezu

    Sir: According to the 2023 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index report, Nigeria ranks as the 16th most unsafe country for women in the world. If this is not a scandal, then pray what is?

    The odds stacked against women in Nigeria are well documented. In a country that is the perfect microcosm of a patriarchal world, women play second fiddle to men in almost every sphere of life.

    In politics especially, while women form the bulk of the Nigerian electorate and grassroots supporters, they embarrassingly play catch-up when the pies are go be shared.

    According to the report, Nigeria ranks 16th worst country out of 177 nations in terms of the status of women. The ranking was compiled along indicators linked to education, jobs, laws, and organized violence, divided into three categories: inclusion, justice, and security. According to the report, all the bottom 20 countries, including Nigeria, experienced violent conflicts between 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, 2022 has been identified as the most fatal year for conflict-related deaths since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

    According to the rankings, the top five countries for women to live in are Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

    The greatest indicator of the unmitigated marginalisation of women in Nigeria is in politics. The National Gender Policy prescribes that 35 per cent of all political appointments be reserved for women.

    If the NGP has been given a particularly short shrift by successive Nigerian administrations because it is a mere policy, there was a ground breaking judgment of the Federal High Court in 2022. The court ruled that 35 per cent of all political appointments should be reserved for women.

    The current administration which took off on May 29 has not abided the judgment of the court even if it initially promised to do so.

     A raft of early appointments initially promised to meet the 35% requirement for women until follow-up appointments put paid to those hopes. There is no doubt that the trend has to be reversed soonest if Nigeria is to drop out of the list of the worst countries for women completely.

    Women are nation builders, peacemakers and crucial components in the wheel of any nation that aspires to development.

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    The benefits of creating an inclusive society for women are well documented. It includes significant gains for children and the economy.

    It also includes great strides in all the indices that decorate a prosperous society.

    What Nigeria must do is clear- build a society that prominently features women in every sphere.

    In politics, education, the economy and just everywhere, women should be granted the visibility they need to contribute what they have in abundance. It is Nigeria that will be better for it.

    It has to begin from allowing women to participate in the highest levels of government.

    When women are allowed to play their part in taking the decisions which affect them, they are able to better shape policies that would benefit them and their children the most.

    There is a lot more that women can contribute than they are doing at the moment. Allowing them to contribute only makes sense.

    Promoting and enforcing legislation that promotes the rights of women is vital as is bringing to account all those who make the country unsafe for women.

    To do otherwise is to ignore a crucial part of it, much to its own peril.

    For as long as women remain where they are in the country, Nigeria can expect to continue its painful slug to national development.

    •Kene Obiezu,

    keneobiezu@gmail.com

  • May good times roll under President Tinubu

    May good times roll under President Tinubu

    • By Solomon Odemwingie

    Sir: It will be unpatriotic for any Nigerian, and even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s opponents not to wish him well in office now that the Supreme Court has settled for all time the legal dispute over the February 25 poll. If the president fails, the country bears the brunt. All hands must be on deck to help him, as going by his words: “good governance is not a one-man show”. 

    Nigeria needs urgent attention for rapid development in all facets to enhance the standard of living of the people. Things are not as they used to be when Nigeria had the shock absorber to withstand all sorts of political waywardness and profligacy. We need to bring the government closer to the people and discourage gladiators whose ostentatious lifestyles do not mirror the poverty in the land. 

    To say that many are poor is an understatement because some economists define poverty line as the minimum acceptable standard of living. In a sense, poverty is not the total absence of food on the table but of choice. What many people go through today is no longer poverty but starvation and squalor. Something urgent has to be done to facilitate a reversal of this intolerable status quo. 

    As it stands now, we do not need a saint to rule us but one who is not a stranger to the notorious lifestyle of a cabal of political parasites. A leader, who knows our people, especially those that used their privileged positions to inflict heavy injury on the state of the nation.  

    For the president, the task ahead is to make life better for the people and the coast is now clear for him, following the affirmation of his election by the highest court in the land. Those who had anxiously looked forward to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, know how much we were taken backwards by a combination of human and natural factors. In his tenure, he was far removed from the people whose welfare he swore to protect.  

    True, bridges were constructed and launched. The rails welcomed new sophisticated trains just as agricultural cultivation witnessed large scale production of local rice and other produce. While all these happened, the people still do not have food on their tables. 

    So far, Tinubu has handled things differently as he moves to restore confidence in government. With Tinubu now on the saddle, all eyes are on him to ensure that things work so that Nigeria can regain its seat in the comity of nations.

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    The president has started well. His inaugural address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Ne

    w York last month, served notice that Nigeria is back. Not only back, but also backing other African countries so that the continent can have a firm voice in global affairs. 

    One great advantage of executive presidency is the easy location of responsibility as the chief executive is directly answerable to the people whose mandate he enjoys. Today, Nigeria is at a crossroads. Everyone claims to be innocent while pointing fingers at others. Who do we now blame?

    When Tinubu said that it was his turn to rule, many tongues wagged with all forms of interpretations from the unimaginable to the ridiculous. He now has a date history, with reality dawning on us that Nigeria needs a radical change.

    Corruption and deceit are no longer in tune with the reality of the moment. If the president could remove oil subsidy in his first few minutes in office, we believe that he is also ready to take on those who have caused Nigeria a great disservice. In his words, of course, this will be a herculean task because of some fundamental inhibitions and the way we are.

    Having removed fuel subsidy, Nigerians are waiting on him for the palliative measures to cushion their pains. In his Independence anniversary speech, he outlined measures to give Nigerians a good time. May the good times roll.

    •Solomon Odemwingie,

    Benin City

  • ANA: Towards a virile library at the writers village

    ANA: Towards a virile library at the writers village

    • By Tunde Olusunle

    At one of the earliest editions of the reinvented Mbari Series, perhaps the inaugural, I suggested we should endeavour to help purposely grow the library of Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA), by donating books and similar resource materials. My idea is that writers who are already published for instance, should avail the burgeoning library of our publications. I should probably note here that on my last visit to my alma mater, the University of Ilorin last August, I donated multiple copies of my books to the institution. There are four full decades between my disengagement from the university, and the present. I reckoned the present generation of students in literature and the humanities will be well served knowing they have predecessor authors and creative writers. I was happily received by the representative of the university librarian, Dr (Mrs) Aminat Titilayo Abdulsalam on behalf of the vice chancellor, Prof Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN. The very grateful authorities of the university followed up with a well-worded letter of appreciation.

    I’m also of the opinion that we as writers should equally help mobilise books by other writers from other climes. We get better as writers when we study the works of others as we chart thematic and stylistic courses in our careers. This is standard truism worldwide. How would contemporary African literature have been without the inspiration of the oeuvre of Nigerian authors like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo, John Pepper Bekederemo-Clark, Gabriel Okara, Elechi Amadi, Zulu Sofola, Ola Rotimi, among first generation Nigerian writers How about the influences of older pan-African writers like Leopold Sedar Senghor, Alan Paton, Dennis Brutus, Lenrie Peters, Sembene Ousmane, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Peter Abrahams, Okot p’Bitek, Kofi Awoonor, Yulisa Amadu Maddy, Ayi Kwei Armah, Ama Ata Aidoo, and so on? 

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    What about the literary perspiration of the Kole Omotosos, Isidore Okpewhos, Ossie Enekwes, Chinweizus, Femi Osofisans, (Okinba Launko), Odia Ofeimuns, Niyi Osundares, Tanure Ojaides, Olu Obafemis, Festus Iyayis, Bode Sowandes, Funso Aiyejinas, Tunde Fatundes and so on, categorised as “second generation Nigerian writers?” Ken Saro-Wiwa, Femi Fatoba, Abubakar Gimba, Tess Onwueme, Zaynab Alkali, have also impacted Nigerian contemporary writing in various ways. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo (of blessed memory) for instance, said in response to a question about his career as a playwright, that Osofisan his former teacher was a very strong influence. Harry Garuba, Ezenwa Ohaeto, Ben Okri, have also “infected” the careers of successor writers, in various ways. 

    Need I attempt a listing of those of us classified as “third generation” writers? My dissertation on the evolution of the poetry of our generation as enabled by the print media turned out numbers in hundreds, variously mentored by artistic forebears. A few names will suffice: Remi Raji, Nnimo Bassey, Sola Osofisan, Olu Oguibe, Afam Akeh, Sesan Ajayi, Emman Usman Shehu, Izzia Ahmad, Esiaba Irobi, Uche Nduka, Onokome Okome, Ogaga Ifowodo and Nduka Otiono. There are also Udenta Udenta, Denja Abdullahi, Chiedu Ezeanah, Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, Toyin Adewale-Gabriel, Maria Ajima, Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, Sola Babatunde, Tivlumun Nyitse, Wumi Raji, Sunnie Ododo, Mopah Aileku, among several others. Such has been the vibrancy of the authorial harvest on the nation’s literary farmlands.

    Flipping through the poetry collections and anthologies; novels and novellas; plays, playlets and musical drama published by a single publisher like Kraft Books for instance by Nigerian authors, reveals a massive haul of works by a multiplicity of Nigerian writers! How about works published by other outfits like Bookcraft, Spectrum Books, Parresia Publishers, Caltop Publishers, and so on, by our writers? This is not forgetting books of essays, biographies and similar publications, written by Nigerian authors. Renowned South African literary scholar, Chris Dunton once reaffirmed the continuing dominance of Nigeria in the African cultural orbit. He pointedly describes our country as the “powerhouse of African literature.”

    My brainwave is to the effect that we begin to build a proper “house of books” rich enough to be a semi-one-stop-shop for works by us all and compelling enough to invite researchers and literary enthusiasts from anywhere in the world. We are developing boarding facilities in instalments within the village already. People can spend time doing academic interrogations within the scenic environment of the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, convinced they have sufficient stuff to pore through. True, technology has hoisted substantial quantities of materials we may need for research purposes on the internet. Desire for the crispy crinkle of hard copies, however, is not going to die anytime soon. Not for generations fed on hard copy resource materials. We are conservative and irrepressible about that tactile texture of our reading material.

    With the ongoing 42nd edition of the Annual Convention of ANA (Wednesday November 1 to Saturday November 4) in Abuja, may I make an appeal: Let’s all donate copies of our various publications. We should autograph and date every copy we are donating and indicate that they are gifted to the ANA library. The ANA librarian should follow up by stamping every copy with the NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY message. If I find a book I donated to ANA in “Sambisa forest,” I know it’s been deliberately relocated to an unfamiliar destination! Together let’s make our Mamman Vatsa Writers Village the envy of the discerning. 

    Permit me to specifically put on record the fact that Femi Osofisan and Olu Obafemi, both distinguished professors, renowned men of letters and former Presidents of ANA, recipients of the Nigerian National Order of Merit, (NNOM) at various times, have blazed the trail. Nicknamed “living ancestors” by their literary protégés on account of their longstanding affiliations with and contributions to the growth of ANA, they have previously, generously donated books and resource materials to ANA over time. For the avoidance of doubt, Osofisan attended the inaugural meeting convened by the iconic Chinua Achebe where ANA was birthed in Nsukka, 42 years ago! Akachi Ezeigbo and Udenta Udenta, eminent scholars and professors have also supported the association with freewill book donations, at various times. 

    Al Bishak, professor of literature has joined in challenging the rest of us to be open-hearted towards ANA. He has donated 10 copies of his ground breaking book: Black Papyrus: Global Origins of Writing and Written Literature Traced to Black Africa to the ANA National library. He has concurrently gifted five copies of the book to each of the 36 state branches of ANA and the FCT. Al Bishak equally stretched his generosity to the 134 member countries of the Pan-African Writers’ Association, (PAWA), each of which received five copies. This spirit behind these precedents, should continually guide our book and material contributions to the ANA library and resource hub. 

    I should add that our book donations at this year’s convention will not be a one-off event. Not at all. In the same manner that we are constantly in the business of creativity and publishing should we also continually build up on our additions and resource investments in the ANA library. Some of us also receive books from different parts of the world from time to time. Let’s avail the library of extras from such dispatches. Arising from the foregoing, the Femi Osofisan Secretariat should move promptly to digitise the operations of the library, consistent with global best practices. Since we pride ourselves in having perhaps the first and only purpose-built writers village in Africa, we should also set the pace in the smooth operationalisation and modernisation of the envisaged library. 

    •Olusunle, PhD, is a Fellow-designate of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA)

  • Strategic option for development of South-south and Southeast

    Strategic option for development of South-south and Southeast

    • By Mark Osonwanne

    Our country Nigeria turned 63 years this year 2023. In the individual life, this is a significant benchmark for it signals the onset of midlife for some people. For most successful persons this age indicates the period when much of the earlier investments in hard work, creativity, enterprise development would have matured and fruits of success would have been seen. Thus the rest of life for many will be period of consolidation and much harvesting from earlier endeavours. It is a critical period in the life of an individual. 

     The Niger Delta Regions situated on the Gulf of Guinea which is now one of the world’s leading domains for deep water oil and gas exploration account for less than 10% of the land area of Nigeria. It is one of the large wetlands of the world whose diverse ecology provides a challenge to the concept of sustainable development given the relative fragility of the ecosystem and particularly the potential for loss of biodiversity. Since the area accounts for up to 95% of the oil production, approximately 2mbpd and proven oil reserves of Nigeria, approximately 25 billion barrels with a potential for up to 40 billion barrels; its development should constitute a national priority. It is Nigeria’s ark of development or circle of development if we include offshore. The development if properly executed has the potential to drive the economic development of the rest of the country. If this is to happen our approach to its development must be comprehensive and holistic. We must also take into account the damage that has already been done by over 63 years of exploitation of the oil and gas reserves in a period when the world was not as environmentally conscious as we are today.

    There is now discussion of renewable energy and action. The ecological damage already done through loss of swamps especially of its flora and fauna, increase in turbidity of surface water, as well as the long term effects of gas flaring and potential environmental damage due to oil spills must be taken into account. The erosion menace and havoc in many parts of Southeast and South-south can be traced as a consequence of environmental degradation of the regions. 

    Situating Niger Delta region’s discourse in global ethical context 

    How is it possible that regions as resource-rich as the South-south and Southeast, with oil and gas streams that account for nearly 90% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, be ranked with the poorest in the world? What kind of distributive justice places emphasis only on the distribution of benefits without a commensurate attention to the distribution of burdens?

    Put in another way, what world order purports and supports a global citizenship are enjoyed by only a few at the expense of the rest? The South-south and Southeast belong to, and is inalienable from, the world community under the United Nations Charter. The principle still holds that all nations within this community are by nature equal, irrespective of the levels of their political, socio-economic and economic development. This being the case, the fundamental values, outlined in the Millennium Declaration in September 2000, namely, freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibility should apply in these regions as elsewhere in the world.

    The international system that was founded on ‘cooperation’ rather than on ‘competition’ among and between states should actively pursue the path of collaboration among equal and reciprocally responsible partners on all issues, especially ones that lie at the very basis of the survival of mankind, not just nationally or regionally, but internationally. The absence of such international interest, cooperation and action on all issues, especially ones that concern indigenous communities who lack the political wherewithal, social connexion and fiscal means to resolve issues that adversely affect them, is a disturbing trend.

     The environmentally destructive engagement of multinational oil corporations in the South-south and Southeast qualifies, to be evaluated internationally on account of its global consequences, present and yet to come. This is why the issue of responsible and accountable use of the resources of the earth as a ‘public good’ demands central importance in international discourse.

    In the case of Nigeria, there appears to be a nexus between the collapse of public probity and the demise of environmental accountability, a potent mix at best. Operating on a faulty economic paradigm, successive policy regimes were primed into the blind quest for economic growth, with the hope that this would solve all the problems that development posed in the post-independence period and beyond. This has however not yet materialised, more than six decades later.

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     Instead Nigerians have witnessed the jettisoning of their African ethics of mutuality, where every individual was a sacred person-in-community, the string protecting the weak and the rich in the context of the community; where the ‘one’ was an unalienable part of the ‘whole’ that accorded her/him the full dignity of personhood irrespective of his/her particular limitations; where the ‘one’ lived, scarified and died for this ‘whole’ in return for the assurance of security and fullness of life that this ‘whole’ represented; where progeny was desired, planned for and celebrated as the epitome of intergenerational longevity.

    In place of this ethic, Nigerians have submitted, albeit grudgingly, to the official adoption of a survival-of-the-fittest mentality that subjects everything and everybody to assuaging the greed and ambitions of the powerful. 

    The massive resources needed for the development of the regions must involve the international community. However, the days of aid and charity are gone. Thus the resources that need to be mobilised must come as foreign and local investments. What programmes and incentives do we need to put in place to attract the massive foreign investments needed? Given the strategic location of Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea and this at the hub of sea lanes of the South Atlantic and given the dominant position of Nigeria now and in the future in the international oil and gas industry, it must be our vision to build up the South-south and Southeast regions as the international hub for oil and gas industry in Africa and South Atlantic, much as Singapore has done for trade in the Asian region. 

    •Osonwanne, retired Oil and Gas professional, sent this piece from Saint Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

  • When everything is not enough

    When everything is not enough

    Some people, many a time, expect women to be perfect. They don’t leave room for them to make mistakes, and be vulnerable, and they stereotype them. But, the truth is that they need to make mistakes, learn from the mistakes and emerge better.

    Those are my takeaways from the newly-released ‘Everything Is Not Enough’, the sophomore novel of Lola Akinmade Åkerström. The American edition came first on October 22. The UK and Europe followed on October 26. The Nigerian edition is slated for February 2024.

    The author has held readings in Washington and Richmond, Virginia and New York. The novel is a sequel to Lola’s ‘In Every Mirror She is Black’, which is about Kemi Adeyemi, a marketing executive, who is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, the CEO of Sweden’s largest marketing firm. Kemi’s immediate task is to help fix a PR fiasco about a racially tone-deaf campaign. It is also about Brittany-Rae Johnson who meets Jonny on the plane on his way to the U.S. This chanced meeting ushers the former model-turned-flight-attendant into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege. It is also about a Somali refugee named Muna Saheed, whose day job is cleaning the toilets at Jonny’s office.

    Their ordeals did not end in ‘In Every Mirror She Is Black’. ‘Everything Is Not Enough’ tells us more about them and Sweden’s discrimination against black women. It contains twice the drama of ‘In Every Mirror She Is Black’. 

    In this continuation of the stories of Brittany-Rae, Kemi and Yasmin, there is enough drama to keep the reader turning the pages.

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    By the time Yasmin and Brittany’s paths cross, the dramas in their lives are at their peak. Secrets are being unearthed, facts are surfacing and what used to be truths become barefaced lies. There are even suspicions that their men are mean fellows capable of violence of unimaginable proportion.

    At this moment, Kemi’s confusion has taken a leap so high it makes her fear about tomorrow, not just her tomorrow, but that of the significant other growing in her. 

    The men in the novel, like the women, are flawed but some of them are either outright racists or closet ones. Some of them objectify women, especially black women. One of them, despite all his wealth, shows traits of a mental health challenge. Or how else can you explain a man who keeps changing women like mothers change diapers for babies? His fetish for black women borders on the absurd. Simply ridiculous. He is so terrible that everything is not enough for him. 

    This novel also parades a number of memorable fringe characters such as Kehinde, Kemi’s twin sister and moral compass. Though predominantly set in Sweden, some key actions happen in London and Washington. Courtesy of those scenes, we see bits and pieces of these powerful cities. 

    The work also touches on the evil of conflicts, conflicts that displace people and force them to seek refuge in places where even when they spend decades, they will never fully be accepted but just tolerated. Through Ahmed and Afran, the author opens the sore that conflicts represent. Through Yasmin’s parents’ fate, we feel the senselessness in wars and conflicts of any kind.

    All in all, Lola Akinmade creates so much crises that one may worry about how she is going to resolve them. This is one of the aspects that a reader is likely to give her flowers because not only are all the seemingly scattered threads brought together, they are merged with panache and grace and the outcome is a fitting climax to an exhilarating ride!

  • The miracle we need

    The miracle we need

    A friend and I exchanged transcontinental messages last week and the conclusion of the message is that our nation is in a mess. 

    Things are hard. Really hard. The best of times have to replace what we have at the moment. How we get here is immaterial. What is important is how do we get out and get out truly happy. 

    The signs are glaring that our economy is on life support. And it looks like there is no quick fix, yet a quick fix seems to be what we need so as to stop our people from finally slipping into hell. At the moment, many families are just one step away from hell. Many will even tell you they are in hell already. You can’t blame them. They struggle to feed. No thanks to the skyrocketing prices of bread, rice, beans, yam and other food stuff. They battle daily to commute to their places of work. No thanks to the all-time high price of petrol. 

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    Businesses, especially those with foreign inputs, are in trouble because our currency has become chameleon. It changes colours, sorry values, every other day. The few times it has gone down, it jumps higher subsequently. 

    Those seeking foreign education now have to pay through their noses. Those used to travelling frequently abroad now have to evaluate the importance of such trips like they never did in time past. 

    At this moment when President Bola Tinubu no longer faces judicial distractions, he and his economic team have to work out something, and real fast too. Our nation must thrive. Our people must survive. Our people must feed well. Our people must commute to work and elsewhere without financial hassles. Our people must earn truly living wages. It has to be well with our people. 

    We have bled enough. The gashes on our people need to start healing. It is time we all breathed without life support machines. 

    May we see the miracle our nation needs.

  • Artificial Intelligence and real estate sector

    Artificial Intelligence and real estate sector

    • By Lanre Adeyinka Taiwo

    The reality we all have to accept is that we are living today in times of great changes. The old order is fast crumbling, that is if it has not crumbled, while new activities appear by the day. It is so rapid and sudden that the breakthrough or innovation we are celebrating today could be outpaced by a new one tomorrow. Technology has changed the world, technology continue to mould and remould the society; technology is improving our daily lives, improving the way we do business, and the way we practice professions. As humans evolve and our needs and wants change from time to time, advanced and modern technologies come to the rescue to fulfil these needs.

    Take for instance, Artificial Intelligence (AI), defined as the simulation or approximation of human intelligence in machines, the technology which includes computer-enhanced learning, reasoning and perception being used across different industries today. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various sectors of the economy, and the real estate business is no exception. The integration of AI in real estate has fundamentally altered the way properties are bought, sold, managed, and valued. This transformation is driven by the remarkable potential of AI to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and customer experience.

    Ability of AI to provide predictive analytics and market insights is one of its most significant advantages in real estate practice. AI-powered algorithms assist real estate professionals to make informed decisions, such as pricing properties competitively, predicting market fluctuations, and identifying prime locations for investment by reason of its effectiveness in analysing vast amounts of data, including property prices, market trends, and historical sales data. AI-driven property search platforms have transformed the home-buying experience. The platforms utilize machine learning to understand user preferences and offer personalized property recommendations, using user’s search history and interactions, while suggesting homes that matches their specific criteria, thereby making the search process more efficient and user-friendly.

    Via AI technology, virtual property tours become realistic, making properties virtually accessible. The technology saves buyers and sellers time as parties could remotely explore and access properties, which also provide a good opportunity particularly for international buyers who can’t physically visit a property before purchasing. AI-driven inspection tools and drones are transforming the property inspection process. Equipped with cameras and AI algorithms, drones can with utmost precision, assess a property’s condition, help buyers and sellers identify potential issues with due diligence process which guarantees AI tools and platforms effectiveness in facilitating global real estate transactions, irrespective of geographical barriers. Thanks to AI-driven data and property insights, investors and buyers can explore opportunities beyond their local market with ease, thus expanding the reach of the real estate business.

    AI-driven chatbots are changing the way real estate agencies provide customer support. The virtual assistants can handle inquiries, schedule showings, and provide information on available properties at any point in time. This not only improves customer service, but also allows real estate professionals to focus on more complex tasks while ensuring potential clients receive prompt responses. To the extent that real estate transactions involve huge financial risk, AI can be effectively applied when it comes to credit scores analysis, borrower risk assessment, and potential red flags identification which results in more secure and reliable real estate deals. Investors and property appraisers can use these insights from AI algorithms to evaluate the potential value of a property based on various factors, such as location, property type, market trends, and historical data and make more accurate valuation and investment decisions.

    In addition, property management companies rely on AI for efficient property maintenance. AI-powered sensors and monitoring systems can detect maintenance issues early, thereby reducing the risk of costly repairs. Furthermore, smart home technologies, controlled by AI offer convenient and energy savings to residents.

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    Because real estate industry handles substantial amount of sensitive information and financial transactions, AI is reliable in enhancing data security and preventing fraudulent activities by detecting anomalies in transactions and safeguarding client data. Not only that, AI can contribute to sustainability in real estate by optimizing energy consumption and reducing environmental impact. Smart building systems can automatically adjust lighting, heating, and cooling, resulting in energy savings. AI can also help in designing eco-friendly buildings with reduced carbon footprints, aligning with the growing demand for environmentally conscious real estate.

    The real estate industry involves complex legal and regulatory aspects. AI-powered tools can assist real estate professionals in ensuring compliance with local and national laws; reduce the risk of legal issues and enhance overall transparency in transactions. AI streamlines document management; reduce the time and effort required for paperwork in real estate transactions. From contracts to financial documents, AI-driven software can organize, manage, and store documents securely and minimize the potential for errors. Real estate is a highly competitive field, and AI offers a competitive advantage. Companies and professionals that embrace AI solutions can provide more efficient and innovative services, and secure patronage of tech-savvy clients who value cutting-edge tools and processes.

    The real estate industry continually evolves, and AI is adaptable to changing situations, whether it is market shifts, new regulations, or emerging technologies. AI-powered businesses can navigate faster in an ever-changing landscape and position themselves for future growth.

    AI’s importance to the real estate industry cannot be overstated. As AI technologies continue to evolve, it is essential for real estate practitioners in particular to subject themselves to comprehensive understanding of the technology, including its potential pitfalls and better practices before full application and integration into businesses and practices. What is not in contention however, it that AI has come to stay and it will keep redefining real estate business.

    •Taiwo is a Lagos based Estate Surveyor & Valuer