The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Fubara: A twist in the tale?

    Fubara: A twist in the tale?

    Finally, it does appear that Governor Siminalayi Fubara and company may have rejoiced too soon given yesterday’s judgment of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt. For a party that have been in wild, non-stop celebrations over the vanquishing of their supposed foes, the lucid, unambiguous and certainly uncontroversial judgment of Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, as reported by this newspaper, would come close to a deadly blow to the solar plexus. Clearly, Fubara’s nightmare, as indeed those of his hordes of irreverent supporters, may have only just begun.

    Now, the sum total of the judgment is that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are still members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Being members of the PDP of course means that they could not have lost their seats in the House of Assembly. In other words, everything that the 27 lawmakers have done in the course of their legislative business is deemed to be proper in the eyes of the law; which renders the ‘gang of three’ who have been carrying on in their place at the prodding of the governor, as impostors!

    And the court didn’t stop there. As if to clear the fog of possible ambiguity on the status of the group of 27, it made clear that membership of a party is only proven by being listed on the party’s register, or by membership card, and that television ceremonies and or verbal statements, were not part of the equation. Some other accounts (not The Nation) ominously, (at least for the all-conquering party), quoted Justice Gbasam as saying that the Rivers State government is bound to obey all laws passed by the 27-member assembly.

    Read Also: Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)

    For the hitherto all-conquering party, the latest twist must have been somewhat devastating. However, while the option of an appeal is still open, what is apparent is that the room for judicial shenanigans have since narrowed considerably. The best the governor and his team could do at this time is play for time; even at that, it seems unlikely that the appellate courts will overlook the constitutional aberration of his anointed three-member parliament carrying on with the business of law-making while the matter drags through the tortuous process. Surely, the courts couldn’t be such an ass!

    And while it seems still early to speculate on what the future bodes for the governor, what is increasingly unlikely is the erstwhile gung-ho, self-help and undisguisedly scorched earth tactics earlier pressed for service by the governor, will further avail him. And with the political option midwifed by President Bola Tinubu cynically shredded in the moment of assumed invincibility, and the same judicial cum constitutional path, which the governor and his team have disdained have suddenly come to constitute a burden too heaven to carry, never rule out more sinister, devious and equally desperate measures from the quarters of a man whom I referred to in this column of May 14 as emperor!

    Which leads yours truly to another minor plot in the intriguing play: the response of the state government to the judgment as reported in most newspapers and the television yesterday. Again, as reported by this newspaper’s online edition, the state government is said to have described the report of the judgment affirming the 27 as members of the PDP as ‘misleading and false’. The report quotes the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma, as saying that the suit before the court did not seek to declare the seats of Amaewhule and 26 others vacant.

    Who to believe?

    It would, most certainly, have been a different matter had the attorney-general denied that suit in question was ever heard in the Port Harcourt not to talk of a judgment proceeding therefrom. Rather, what he, an interested party, did amounted to his own interpretation of the judgment on Monday.

    Do I believe him? What’s in the credibility of a so-called officer of the law, whose appointment is not just tainted with illegality (he was screened by a three-member parliament) but, going by the governor’s declaration, is actually a Man Friday, sworn to fight the enemies of the governor? Nigerians, surely have better things to do than pay attention to the rather specious effusions of that central figure in the travesties going on in the court-rooms of the famed Garden City!

    And lest we forget how we got here: We had a rumble in the parliament and so the edifice had to be torched ostensibly to prevent a worse disaster from happening; a governor, sworn to the public interest thought nothing of rolling out the bulldozers to finish the job; all of these in desperate acts of self-preservation. Now, we are told that the state government has approved N19.6 billion to put the building back. Yes, the governor and his government have been carrying on in flagrant defiance of the law.

    Meanwhile, a majority elected by the people can’t sit because the governor deems them to have abdicated; he thinks a three-member parliament is just fine because he says so. And the good people of Rivers are cheering him on because their beloved governor appears to be winning his self-appointed war against the godfather!

    Soon, it would be daybreak! 

  • Still on Labour’s impetuousness

    Still on Labour’s impetuousness

     When I read your piece on NLC and TUC strike Tuesday June 4, I simply chuckled. It is as if you were reading my mind.

    It is insightful and demonstrates how low organised Labour has sunk since the ascent of Joe Ajaero and his side kick, Festus Usifo as President.

    What Ajaero has been doing is pure brigandage bothering on a treasonable felony against the Nigerian State, daring President Tinubu to bare his fangs. So far, the president has been restrained and I commend him.

    For crying out loud, how can you begin a negotiation by insisting on the consolidated salary of the highest ranking public servant on Level 17 as the acceptable minimum wage (600k plus) and then drop to the equivalent of Level 16   step 7 (the last step on the level-400k plus) as your best take on the issue?

    Truth is Labour is intent on destabilising the present government to achieve a predetermined agenda.

    As Labour was strutting about its touted minimum wage, public servants were having a big laugh wondering if Labour was actually ready to get a deal for them. Even before I retired in April, speaking to a cross section of different cadres, I got the same feedback: Is Labour actually ready to have a deal with the government on the new minimum wage?

    On my part, I knew they were bent on “shutting down the economy” as a way to demonstrate their new found “power” under the present government during which it has been declaring strike actions on the drop of a hat.

    Read Also: How good are Finidi assistants for Super Eagles?

    I have witnessed strike actions in my time and never ever has the Labour union forcefully shut down the national grid, throwing the entire country into darkness. Or locked up the airports forcing private carriers to incur undue charges and passengers incalculable stress and losses in terms of cancelled pre-arranged business transactions across the country.

    This is gangsterism at its highest and economic sabotage that should be punished to avoid recurrence. Labour cannot and should not continue to hold the country ransom in the guise of fighting for the course of workers.

    Indeed, strike action for Labour under Ajaero and Usifo is now the First resort not the Last resort. For crying out loud, public servants on the directorate cadre are barred from participating in strike actions and so government offices were never locked by Labour in the course of any strike to allow skeletal services to go on.

    This age old tradition has been desecrated under the new Labour leadership. I believe it is time to reconsider the issue of decentralisation of NLC and TUC. Truth is, when the smoke clears, only the Federal government can pay whatever is finally agreed. Many State governments except a few would be able to pay the new minimum wage. Ask public servants in many of the States when they started earning the old minimum wage of mere N30,000 years after it came into effect! I expect Labour to declare another strike action whenever this is proposed but it is the way to go moving forward.

     Labour cannot pretend to be fighting for all workers in the country, whereas at the end of the day, many State governments will not adhere to the outcome and the Organised Private Sector would look the other way, even though it is usually part of the Tripartite negotiating team  that holding it to ransom is no longer acceptable..

    •Oji Onoko,Lagos.

  • Benefits of increased minimum wage

    Benefits of increased minimum wage

    Sir: Increasing the national minimum wage should be viewed as a strategic decision with numerous benefits. Given the widespread issue of underpayment of workers, a thoughtful raise in the minimum wage would bring about extensive positive benefits that outweigh any potential drawbacks.  It also reinforces a fundamental principle: the right of workers to receive fair wages. Embracing this perspective highlights economic wisdom and demonstrates a commitment to fairness and societal progress.

    A key benefit of increasing the minimum wage is the potential boost in employee motivation and productivity. Reasonable wages motivate employees, enhancing their commitment to their jobs and increasing their productivity and innovativeness. Higher wages reduce employee turnover, lowering recruitment and training costs, and fostering a more experienced and skilled workforce. This increase in productivity can contribute significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the long run.

    One of the major issues facing Nigerian workers today is low purchasing power, which has led to a decrease in demand for goods and services. This demand reduction negatively impacts the turnover and profitability of many companies. If this trend continues, some companies might be forced to close down or lay off staff to stay afloat. An increased minimum wage would enhance the purchasing power of employees, leading to higher demand for products and services a basic item like sachet water, which costs N50, has seen reduced demand as people choose to boil and filter their tap water. Better wages will stimulate economic activity thereby boosting sales and profitability for businesses.

    Read Also: War Cabinet Minister Gantz resigns from Netanyahu’s government

    An increased minimum wage will contribute to reducing insecurity and fraud in Nigeria. The fraud triangle theory identifies pressure as one of the main factors driving people to commit fraudulent activities. Workers who earn insufficient wages may be pressured into criminal behaviour to make ends meet. Similarly, children from financially strained families might be forced to fend for themselves at an early age, increasing their risk of engaging in criminal activities. With a reasonable minimum wage, the pressure on families would be alleviated, reducing the incentive to engage in crime. Furthermore, as businesses thrive with increased consumer spending, business owners will have more resources to support their families, further contributing to social stability.

    Better wages improve workers’ standard of living, thereby enhancing life expectancy.  Additionally, poorly paid individuals are less likely to afford proper healthcare. In Nigeria, many lack health insurance, and even among the insured, dissatisfaction with service delivery is common. With higher wages, individuals can better afford healthcare services, resulting in improved health outcomes and prolonged life expectancy

    The government stands to benefit from an increased minimum wage through higher tax revenues generated by increased economic activity. As businesses expand and profitability improves, tax contributions from corporate income tax, value-added tax, and personal income tax are likely to rise. Additionally, a healthier and more financially stable workforce can reduce the government’s expenditure on social welfare programs.

    Some argue that increasing the minimum wage could lead to wage-push or cost-push inflation, resulting in higher prices for goods and services. However, it is important to note that due to industrialization and technological advancements, labour costs often constitute a relatively small fraction of the cost of goods and services in many companies. Moreover, the improvement in workers’ productivity resulting from higher wages will lead to greater labour efficiency; which will offset some of the increased costs. Therefore, the inflationary impact may be less significant than feared.

    Indeed, while acknowledging the inevitable rise in operating costs for businesses, it’s essential to recognize that the impact will be more pronounced on smaller enterprises unable to capitalize fully on economies of scale. Initially, such an increase may precipitate job losses as businesses strive to adapt to the change. However, in the long run, as productivity escalates and consumer spending surges from the augmented purchasing power stemming from higher wages, businesses may be compelled to expand their workforce to meet escalating demand. This cyclical effect has the potential to stimulate job creation and fuel economic growth, underscoring the transformative power of strategic wage adjustments.

    •Kenechukwu Aguolu FCA, Abuja.

  • LG autonomy; lifeboat for Nigeria’s sinking boat

    LG autonomy; lifeboat for Nigeria’s sinking boat

    Sir: The dragging of the 36 state governors to the Supreme Court by the federal government in the bid to extricate the 774 local governments from suffocation represents a ray of hope for ordinary Nigerians and a laudable effort for consolidating the country’s quadriplegic democracy. This effort will definitely open up an opportunity for the tier of the government to have access to the direct transfer of their allocated funds from the federation account as stipulated in the constitution.

    It is undeniable that the twin evils of escalating poverty and spiralling insecurity across the country can only be addressed when the long-awaited dream of local governments’ full autonomy becomes a reality. Poor Nigerians are looking forward to having the closest listening ears of those in charge at the level to their complaints.

    Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Bello Shehu was recently quoted to have said: “Full autonomy will engender good governance, transparency and accountability at the local level. Security challenges like banditry, kidnappings, terrorism, electoral violence, etc., would be reduced to the barest minimum if the quantum of funds meant for local governments is channelled towards rural development”.

    One could not agree more.

    Read Also: Ondo faults AGF’s suit at Supreme Court on LGs autonomy

    According to the recent World Bank data, 89.8 million Nigerians were poor as of the beginning of this year. It added that an additional four million Nigerians became poor during the year, raising the figure to 93.8million. It also projected that the number of poor Nigerians will rise to 100.9 million if urgent steps are not taken to address the fallouts of the removal of fuel subsidy.

    When receiving members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, last year in Lagos, President Bola Tinubu had said: “I am committed to supporting a strong and ideologically-determined democracy that is progressive, inclusive, and focused on eliminating poverty while providing quality education for our children’’.

    Surely, Mr President’s vision of eradicating poverty on the land and throwing his weight behind goal four of the UN’ s Sustainable Development Goals which aims to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030, will never be accomplished without actualising full autonomy of the local governments.

    Today, the top remedy for the pressing issue of increasing out-of-school children, which is among the major problems constituting a very serious threat to the national security and future stability of the country, is ensuring that the local government have the resources needed to address the matter of the estimated15 million out-of-school children roaming the streets of the country. If urgent action is not taken, when these stranded starving children grow up, they may turn into anti-social elements. After all, the ancient Greek philosopher, scientist and polymath, Aristotle once said, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime”. Because the local government councils are closest to the masses, any real development and ray of hope for poverty eradication could only be witnessed when this tier of government are allowed to stand on their feet.

    More than a mere constitutional imperative, it is also a matter of survival for the millions of impoverished Nigerians living in extreme poverty, severe hunger and fright. Some public commentators and analysts look upon it as the surest path to the resuscitation of the country’s ailing and comatose democracy.

    Mr President should move heaven and earth to accomplish this life-saving vision of rescuing Nigeria’s vulnerable population from the strangulation of state governments at the grassroots level. We urge our state governors and members of the legislature to find the empathy, understanding and discernment to allow this life-saving vision to come into being.

    •Mustapha Baba,Azare, Bauchi State.

  • Emerging state tigers

    Emerging state tigers

    In the midst of the economic challenges ravaging the country, especially with the Labour unions threating to resume their debilitating strike over the demand for a new minimum wage, there are some state governors, making giant economic strides that could transform their states, to economic tigers. While not exhaustive, they include Enugu and Niger state governors. A major emphasis for the economic growth of the states should be agriculture and agro-allied industries which would cure hunger and unemployment, in one fell swoop, for the majority of states in the country.

    Governor Umaru Bago, of Niger State is placing emphasis on food security and agricultural mechanization programme and his plans are exciting. With the largest land mass amongst states in the country, measuring 76,363 km2, substantial part of which is arable and hosting Niger River valley, the state is well positioned to be a major agricultural hub in the country. Commendably, Governor Bako is focusing on championing agricultural revolution in the state which presently, is hosting a number of large scale rice mills.

    There is a large scale rice farm in Swashi village, Borgu Local Government Area, reported to cover 3,000, hectares, and is worth about $15 million investment. The Kiara Rice Mills Limited is reputed to be Africa’s largest rice mill. With an investment worth $30 million, it is located in Kpatsuwa village, in Mokwa Local Government Area, and it is said to produce 350 metric tons of rice annually. Mostly, private investments, they are made possible, because the state government has provided the enabling environment.

    Read Also: Minimum wage: Labour awaits Tinubu’s decision on N62,000

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) must have seen that commitment, to make out time, to visit the state about three months ago, to commission about 1,000 tractors and other agricultural equipment which would galvanize agriculture development in the state. Commending the governor, PBAT said: “we have seen the level of commitment here. We have seen leadership. The success of any leader will depend on the ability to do what needs to be done when it ought to be done.”

    Clearly, Governor Bako appears to understand the connection between the ravaging insecurity plaguing his state and unemployment. Niger State, abutting the federal capital territory, Abuja, and with large expanse of ungoverned spaces, constitute a threat to itself and its neighbouring states and the FCT. The state, also endowed with vast mineral resources, is an attraction to the bandits and vagabonds, who engage in illegal mining, and have made life very unbearable for the law abiding citizens in the area.

    So, attracting investment and providing machineries for indigenes of the state to engage in commercial agriculture is not only encouraging the economic growth of the state, but dealing a blow the insecurity in the state. The governor also talked about a collaborative effort with Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Lagos states, which is a welcome development. A state like Kogi, which is afflicted by bandits and sundry criminals, roaming much of its ungoverned space, should take a cue from the Niger State government, and turn its land to meaningful use, to ameliorate their challenges.

    Enugu State is another state whose governor is an exemplar in growing the state economy. One exciting news for this columnist is the gradual revitalization of the cashew industry in the state. There are large expanses of cashew plantations in Oghe and Oji River areas, and they use to be a major income earner for the southeast region, under Dr. Michael Okpara, as the premier of the region. Should the state government show the kind of commitment to cashew production as it is doing in other sectors, the local economy of the communities and local governments where the plantations are would be better for it.

    With an ambitious plan to grow Enugu State economy from the current level of $4.4 billion to $30 billion, the governor is surely one of the governors to watch. The magic the governor did with making water available in the metropolis, after decades of neglect, within 180 days of assuming office, literally turned him into a hero amongst the urban populace, and this columnist asks him, to remember the rural communities. They too need pipe borne water, after all, what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.

    Another interesting area of development in the state is the education sector. Few days ago, I was talking to a relation, a retired principal of a secondary school, and she shared startling information about the senior secondary school examination going across the state. The state government has threatened any school principal, whose students are caught in examination malpractice, with demotion. My relation told me of a principal, who called together the final year class, to plead with them, not to engage in malpractice, to save her job.

    The school authority is also formally banned, from entertaining the examination invigilators. She said schools are only entitled to provide water and nothing more for the invigilators. The state governor, who boasted in an interview that he has not seen anywhere in the continent or elsewhere where similar education plans like his, is being implemented, within the time limit he set for himself, may actually be correct. In fact, another relation of mine, who has been in politics since the Babangida era, rubbished the governor’s plan to build 260 smart schools, across the wards, as unrealistic.

    But the governor has boasted that he will deliver on that promise, and has budgeted a massive 33 percent of the 2024 budget, for education, far higher than the UNICEF standard. He promised to deliver 12 years of free and mandatory education for every child, using what he referred to as Experimental Learning. From age three, the child is taken through pre-primary, when still impressionable, and within that three years, the moral proclivities of the child, will be moulded. No doubt, the plans are bold and exciting.

    The governor claims he wants to produce, versions of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, in the state. He is also planning to recruit and train the teachers to do the magic. Of course, the state with the crown jewel as a sub-national tiger is Lagos State, reputed as the fifth largest economy in Africa. With a gross domestic product of $84 billion, and the continuous massive economic add-ons, like two deep sea ports, at Lekki and Badagry, new rail lines, and agricultural partnerships with states that have what Lagos lacks – land, Lagos remains the exemplar of state tigers.

    Luckily, PBAT was a state governor and one who suffered some deprivation from the federal government while he was in power as governor. He is therefore in the best position to collaborate with any state governor, willing to set his domain on the part of sustainable growth. As he keeps reiterating, the economic recovery and growth of the nation needs the collaborative support of the sub-nationals.

  • Interrogating Nigeria’s food inflation crisis

    Interrogating Nigeria’s food inflation crisis

    By Lekan Ibirogba

    A two-page special report titled, “Forces Fuelling High Price Regime, Despite Naira’s Rebound,” published in The Nation of May 27, offers an illuminating context for understanding the sky-high prices of commodities and services, which Nigerians have been grappling with for several months running. Although its major focus is on the relationship between the value of the Naira against convertible currencies, especially the US Dollar, the special report provides an understanding also of why food inflation constantly registers as a major driver of composite inflation figures usually announced monthly by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The many informed sources interviewed for the special report marshalled cogent explanations why, even though the Naira has appreciated significantly in value against the US Dollar in recent weeks, prices which rose astronomically when the Naira exchanged at between N1,900 and N2,000 per one US Dollar, are yet to witness commensurate reduction now that the Naira exchanges for no more than N1,500 to one US Dollar.

    This intervention is to draw attention to other drivers of food inflation, and to underscore the point that, without arresting these drivers, we would continue to bemoan the high cost of food in the country, which according to the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for April indicated that food inflation accounted for over 40% of total consumer price index. By now, it should be clear to all and sundry that the distribution of 10 kg, or even 25 kg, bag of rice as palliatives does little to affect the prices of other food commodities in the market, which means such hand-outs neither boost the purchasing power nor alleviate the pressure on the consumer.

    What is also obvious is that, over the past 25 years, states and local governments have not given agriculture—and food security—priority attention.  While state governments, for obvious electoral mileage, have pumped in resources into the construction of outrageously priced local airports, overhead bridges, highways, and other infrastructure, agriculture has been largely neglected.  The clearest pointer to this neglect is to ask how many kilometres of rural and feeder roads have been constructed and maintained by the sub-national governments in recent years. If such rural roads were in place, the country would have tackled one of the crisis issues in our agricultural sector, which is, post-harvest losses due to logistic difficulties in more efficiently moving produce from the farm to the market. If the wasted harvest had been in the market, prices would reduce and, all else equal, there would be less challenge of affordability to citizens.

    Read Also: NLC defends shutting down national grid

    The very low rate of mechanisation in our agricultural activities and the equally low utilisation of irrigation are also pointers to the little attention that state governments are paying to agriculture. On March 11, there was a lot of fanfare when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched about 500 tractors, as part of the Niger State government’s commendable effort to literally revolutionize mechanisation in cultivating the extensive arable land in the state. Where are the other states? It is a safe bet that you can hardly count up to 25% of the 36 states where mechanisation in agriculture is a priority measure to help increase food production and make a positive impact on the country’s food security situation. On the other hand, the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has reached an agreement with John Deere and TATA Africa for the supply of 10,000 tractors and mechanical implements at the rate of 2,000 tractors per annum. The ministry is also implementing another agreement with Brazil and Belarus, for the supply of equipment to boost mechanisation in the country. But let each state government raise its finger and announce how many functional tractors they have with its state’s Ministry of Agriculture.

     It is also worthy of mention that what is widely acknowledged as the death of local governments in the country, because they have been rendered non-functional by most state governors now and in the past, is also a pointer to why local governments do not play any significant role in the country’s agricultural sector. How then can we assure the country’s food security? It is no rocket science that if all tiers of government played their roles optimally in the nation’s agricultural production system, the country’s strategic food reserve would be full of stock from where periodic or targeted releases are made in order to curtail runaway prices of food commodities.

    In the same vein, commodity dealers and members of market unions who are retailers fix their prices almost arbitrarily, like a cartel. Haven’t we all noticed how you go to a market, where ordinarily you can haggle, but it often turns out that there is little or no variation in the price at which the traders are willing to sell a particular commodity? In some cases, where a trader decides to marginally reduce the price of his/her food commodity, he/she cautions you not to let other traders in the same commodity in the same market know at what knocked-down price you bought from him/her. There is little question that, indeed, Nigerian consumers are at the mercy of traders and dealers, who themselves are at the mercy of transporters, who are equally at the mercy of high cost of diesel to fuel their trucks, plus exorbitant cost of maintaining their vehicles owing to the poor state of road infrastructure countrywide, including impassable rural and state roads.

    Recently, some officials of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission visited some markets in Lagos, in an open push against the arbitrary pricing of commodities that are all adding up to the country’s aggregate inflation figures. The commission would need to do more, through the market unions and associations who have enlightened leadership. Moral suasion will do some good, but it appears that these traders do not recognise that price fixing which short-changes consumers is frowned at seriously by the law. After decades of wild spraying of Naira notes at social events, there is a sudden realisation now that it is, in fact, an offence for which you can actually go to jail if prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. So, people are now learning to behave themselves. Traders need such a lesson.

    Except on few occasions when haulage truck drivers, or commercial vehicle drivers, disagree vehemently with law enforcement officials over extortion, and there is the so-called accidental discharge, the norm is that drivers and the extortionists have long established a notorious relationship. The drivers do not complain, because they do not want to be delayed. They simply “drop something” for the law enforcement officers. These are daily occurrences and open secrets. Some of the haulage trucks are conveying food items from one part of the country to the other, and the extortion points they encounter are uncountable. The consequence of “dropping something” at every extortion point is that the cost is passed on to the owners of the goods and produce who similarly pass on the cost to the consumer. So, part of the food inflation derives from the corrupt practices of law enforcement officers on the highway.

    It is reassuring to hear, and to read, from time to time, the declared goal of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, to increase food production countrywide. Free seeds and seedlings to farmers, subsidised fertilizers, herbicides and other agro inputs, are among the bag of measures by which the ministry hopes to achieve the goal of increased food production, in collaboration with the state governments. Fair enough. But the Federal Ministry of Agriculture must ensure that fertilizers and other inputs get to the farmers on time, because the perennial complaint of most farmers is that these boosters of agricultural production often arrive rather late and therefore not so useful. The system must also get rid of the rent-seeking middlemen/women who pose as farmers to collect inputs whereas they have no farmlands, except to resell to genuine farmers same inputs at scandalous profits.

    The National Economic Council, Nigeria Governors Forum, and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), must see the current affordability crisis in Nigeria’s food security system as a wake-up call to re-order their priorities and strive to change the depressing narrative for the better, and for all times. It is also important for individual states to interrogate their respective food security situation and fashion out mitigation measures, where necessary. For example, why does Kogi State consistently rank as Number One with the highest food inflation in the country? How can the state change that profile? And what is it doing to alter that ranking?

    •Ibirogba, a public affairs analyst, writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • A tale of two Anthems

    A tale of two Anthems

    The National Anthem which ushered in Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960 and prefaced every important official ceremony until it was replaced in 1978 on the eve of the inauguration of the Second Republic, sprang back into life two weeks ago, literally and figuratively.

    The debate that resurrected it took just two days in the National Assembly.  While it lasted, many in the attentive audience compared the effort to revert to the old Anthem to a solution in search of a problem, as something ginned up by a legislature bereft of a sense of the nation’s priorities to create the illusion of momentum.

    The National Assembly voted unanimously in favour and President Bola Tinubu signed it into law in double quick time.  Goodbye, Arise, O Compatriots; welcome back, Nigeria We Hail Thee.

    Personally, I prefer the latter to the former. 

    There is a cadenced solemnity, an evocativeness, to Nigeria We Hail Thee that is missing in  Arise O Compatriots. The first time I heard Arise, I burst instinctively into something between a jig and a marching drill. Its rhythm called to mind the chants of the white-garment churches in the neighborhood and the parade-ground orders of the military that decreed it into being.

    It has been claimed that Nigeria We Hail Thee was composed one languid summer between dinner and bedtime by a British “housewife” – never mind the sexism – who could find no better use for her time.  But when it comes to the sociology of Nigeria, she is far more percipient than her critics.  To distill that sociology into 95 words arranged in three evocative stanzas is no mean achievement.

    Read Also: Experts: how Nigeria can gain from new maritime territory

    It has also been argued that reverting to Nigeria We Hail Thee smacks of atavism. But atavism has its uses.  In the evolution of the species and society, it serves as a mechanism of correction and regeneration.  Any wonder, then, that there is a clamour for a return to parliamentary government in place of the predatory assembly that now passes for the legislative branch?

    There is some irony in the return to Nigeria We Hail Thee which, remember, was the unofficial anthem of NADECO and the Opposition during the struggle for the validation of MKO Abiola’s election as President – an election annulled by military president Ibrahim Babangida.

    His successor, the loathsome Sani Abacha, warned darkly through a senior official, that singing the old anthem at any ceremony would be regarded as treasonous and punished as such.  But that did not deter the June Twelvers. It is a mark of the desperation, the mendacity of the regime that, even when activists sang the official National Anthem at their outings, “security reports” had it that they had sung the old anthem.

    I recall three such events.

    The first was an international conference of the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF), at the Gateway Hotel, in Ogun State. At the time, its president, General Olusegun Obasanjo, was a prisoner in Abacha’s sprawling Gulag.  I was chairing the final session when the security official – there was no mistaking his French suit and the jacket’s bulging pockets and the walkie-talkie — ordered us to disperse.

    I often wondered where the inspiration came from, but I asked the audience to rise and sing the official National Anthem as an affirmation of our faith in and commitment to Nigeria.  I have since realized that it came from an overweening sense of self-preservation.  Even under Abacha’s brutal rule, it seemed to me, they were unlikely to shoot people singing the National Anthem.

    The official who had looked so menacing when he walked in now stood at attention and executed a salute, while those his superiors regarded as unpatriotic, if not downright subversive, were singing the National Anthem lustily.  Much to my perverse pleasure and doubtless to the pleasure of many others, confusion, nay, bewilderment, was stamped all over his face.

    The second was a lecture (May 23, 1996) organized by the Lagos NUJ to mark the first year in prison of Kunle Ajibade, editor of TheNEWS magazine, who had been jailed, based on perjured evidence, for being an accessory to a coup that was for all practical purposes a phantom.

    Just before the event started, the intruder approached me and he said he had “orders from above” to preempt the “meeting.”  I told him it was not a meeting.  The “conference” must not be held, he reiterated.  It was not was not a conference, I replied testily. 

    Whatever it was, he said with a hint of exasperation, he had come with orders from above to stop it.  His back-up stood not too discreetly at the back.

    Could I see the order?  No sir, he said, barely concealing his surprise that anyone could have the audacity to make such a request.  How then do we know that you have such an order, and that it comes from the proper authority?

    Sensing that his patience was running out, I asked the journalists assembled to sing the National Anthem as an affirmation of our faith in Nigeria.  It was rewarding to watch him and his backup spring to attention and take a salute as we sang the anthem, after which we dispersed.

    The third occasion was nothing if not surreal.

    We were gathered at the Conference Hall of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, in Victoria Island, Lagos  — judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,  ambassadors, university professors and administrators, captains of industry, eminent political and literary figures — for the public presentation of Chief Bola Ige’s memoir, People, Politics and Politicians of Nigeria (1949-1979).  Odia Ofeimun and I were the designated masters of ceremony.

    The indications were unpromising.  The lights and the air-conditioning had not been switched on at the time the event was scheduled to start   The hall was musty.

    Soon enough, the inevitable security official surfaced.  Pulling me aside, he stated that the ceremony must not hold.  After some jousting, I led him to Bola Ige and asked him to repeat what he had just told me.

    Ige, who had no tolerance for humbug, was a study in composure.  Sweeping the audience with one arm, he did a roll call for the intruder’s benefit.   

    The former Chief Justice of Nigeria is here, he began. So is the Chief Judge (now President) of the Court of Appeal.  So are several Senior Advocates.  So is the Ambassador of the United States.  So is a former head of the Nigeria Security Organisation.  So is the vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan,  So is Chief Anthony Enahoro, one of the architects of Nigeria’s independence. . .

    “And you say you have orders from above that this ceremony must not hold?” Ige said, looking the officer in the eye.

    Yes sir, the officer replied tremulously.

    “You will have to make the announcement yourself,” Ige said.

    Just as the officer was finishing, I respectfully asked the audience to sing the National Anthem to affirm our citizenship and respect for the laws of the land.

    Not a few shook their heads in sorrow and despair as they walked out of the Auditorium.

    In each of the instances I have cited here, the “security report” claimed that I had been rousing disgruntled elements to sing the old National Anthem.  A solicitous inside source warned, per a well-connected uncle, that something nasty might happen to me if I did not leave the country at the earliest opportunity.

    It is a delicious irony that the 1960 Anthem, the rendition of which Abacha’s regime criminalized, has been restored as the National Anthem.

    Nigeria, we hail thee.  June Twelve, our Democracy Day, we hail thee.  To all Nigerians born on June 12, 1993, and its anniversary, Happy Birthday.  To their mothers, Happy Anniversary.

  • Unburied hero

    Unburied hero

    It was reassuring that the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) responded positively to negative news about the inaction of the authorities, which has delayed the burial of the celebrated designer of Nigeria’s flag, Taiwo Akinkunmi, who died on August 29, 2023, aged 87. He remains unburied, 10 months after his exit.

    In a statement, NICO said it had “considered taking up a major role and responsibility in coordinating and collaborating with other agencies that may be necessary in giving a befitting burial to this fallen hero.” The agency described the national flag as “one of the greatest tangible heritages of this country.”

    A concerned group, Yoruba World Congress (YWC), UK, recently wrote an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, saying Akinkunmi, known as ‘Mr Flag Man,’ “did his best for this country and his body should not be allowed to remain in the mortuary without attention and without a befitting burial.”

    Following his death, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had led a Federal Government delegation that paid a condolence visit to his family in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he was based, though he hailed from Abeokuta, Ogun State.  “He designed one of the most powerful symbols of our collective existence as a country and a nation,” the minister said at the time. Also, the Oyo State government had officially expressed its condolences in a letter to the family signed by Governor Seyi Makinde. The authorities gave the impression that they would be involved in his burial.

    Read Also: Why I was denied Botox, thread lift in UK – Uriel

    However, the public show of interest by the federal and state authorities has not resulted in expected action. According to YWC, the Akinkunmi family “had planned the burial for 7th and 8th of December 2023,” but “it was annulled by the Oyo State government on the grounds that there was no representation from the government to confirm the date chosen by the family.”

     The Oyo State government was said to have requested another date for his burial, and his family sent “April 10, 11 and 12 2024.”  “But this date has also lapsed as all attempts to get to the governor or his representatives were futile,” YWC observed.  Since his death, the group added, his family “made it known that they have been paying N2,000 daily as a mortuary bill without any support from the government.” The YWC, therefore, called on President Tinubu “to urgently look into this matter so that the family can bury their dead and be pacified.”

     Akinkunmi was in his early twenties, and a student in London, when he designed the national flag, after stumbling upon a newspaper advertisement calling for the submission of designs for the Nigerian flag ahead of the country’s independence from British rule in October 1960. He deserves a hero’s burial.

  • FIFA WORLD CUP 26

    FIFA WORLD CUP 26

    George hunts for Super Eagles’ victory against Benin  

    Head Coach  Finidi George has admitted that the Super Eagles were condemned to win their 2026  FIFA World Cup Group C qualifier against Republic of  Benin today in Abidjan. 

    “ We are going  to approach the game with all seriousness; the match against South Africa is gone, George said at his press briefing. “We have learnt from it and we just have to get ourselves to have that fantastic second half that we had (against South Africa) and if we can start that way, we would have a chance.” 

    Lying in a strange fifth place in the six-team Group C after three rounds of matches, the Super Eagles know only a win against the Cheetahs this evening will keep them seriously in the hunt for a place at the World Cup finals to be jointly hosted by Canada, USA and Mexico in two years’ time.

     “We’re very much aware of why we are here and what we have to do,” George was quoted as saying as the Super Eagles contingent landed earlier  in Abidjan. “The players want to go to the World Cup and they have resolved to give their all in every game going forward. We had our opportunities against South Africa on Friday and should have won, but that is gone and we face another challenge now.

     “We have resolved not to look too far ahead in this race. The essence is to take it one match at a time. Benin Republic is in our front now, and we must deal with that squarely.”

    Read Also: Hajj 2024: Pilgrimages to start returning to Nigeria June 22 – NAHCON

    With only three points from their first three matches of the campaign, and going up against the Cheetahs who boast four points, the Eagles know they must fire on all cylinders and recreate the happy moments of the AFCON at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny – where they won all three matches played there during the Africa Cup of Nations finals earlier in the year.

    Gabonese official Pierre Ghislain Atcho will be the referee for today’s encounter that commences at 4pm CIV time (5pm in Nigeria).

    Ethiopian officials Temesgin Samuel Atango and Tigle Gizlaw Belachew will serve as assistant referees 1 and 2, while Cameroonian Antoine Max Effa Essouma will be fourth official.

    Djamel Haimoudi from Algeria will be the referee assessor, with Burkinabe David Yameogo as commissioner and Ivorian Atte Claude Elloh as security officer.

    The Super Eagles’ delegation to Abidjan  led by President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, included 23 players, technical and administrative officials, a few members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management, and a couple of media representatives. They flew aboard a chartered ValueJet aircraft from the Obong Victor Attah Airport in Uyo and landed at the Aeroport Felix Houphouet-Boigny at noon on Sunday. 

  • Benin wants to beat Nigeria in Abidjan, says Rohr 

    Benin wants to beat Nigeria in Abidjan, says Rohr 

    German coach Gernot Rohr  has yet predicted a difficult  match as The Cheetahs of  Republic of Benin tango with the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C qualifier today at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

    Rohr, who switched coaching roles from Nigeria to Benin, said the game offers the Cheetahs the opportunity to avenge their loss to their illustrious neighbours in the  2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Charles de Gaulle Stadium in Port Novo.        

    While the Super Eagles have only secured three points in their opening three matches, The Cheetahs only on Friday secured a shock 1-0 win over Rwanda to jump to third position with four points  while Nigeria sits in fifth position in their six-team section that also houses Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe.  

    “Everything is possible in this group,” Rohr told NationSport exclusively from Abidjan. “Who could believe that Lesotho will be on the top after three matches?”

    Though the Super Eagles are pressed for the maximum points in today’s Group C match, Rohr said the coach George Finidi-led side must brace for stiff resistance, adding that The Cheetahs won’t be overawed. 

    Read Also: Why FG must improve Nigeria’s economy, by ex-Osun lawmaker 

    “Our game on Monday (today) is a crucial one,” the former Bayern Munich defender, who qualified  Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2019 and 2021 AFCONs, further said. “Nigeria needs to win and Benin wants to win.

    “The last match between the  two teams in Porto Novo is a bad memory for Benin.”

    The willy-old fox who ironically supervised that defeat of Benin in Port Novo has, in the meantime, taken a potshot at Nigeria’s inconsistency since he left the Super Eagles’ job.     

    “Since I left, three coaches arrived already and the style of the team changed with some new players,” he affirmed. “It will be an interesting game for all of us.”