The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Court restores Gusau as Zamfara deputy governor

    Court restores Gusau as Zamfara deputy governor

    A Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, yesterdayordered the  restoration of Mr Mahdi  Gusau as the deputy governor of Zamfara State.

       Gasau was impeached by the state House of Assembly on February 23, last year, despite a subsisting court order.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, also set aside the steps taken by the House of Assembly, former Governor Bello Matawalle and the state chief judge in the  impeachment during the pendency of the suit in court.

    Justice Ekwo, who held that the action of the then assembly’s speaker, former governor, chief judge and indeed others was an aberration and could not be allowed to stand, described it as “null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.

    “I agree with the learned silk for the plaintiff/applicant that the court must protect its dignity by reprimanding the fifth, sixth and seventh defendants (speaker, governor and chief judge) and undoing the steps, acts or proceedings taken in the impeachment while this suit was pending,” he said.

    The judge also held that contrary to the argument of counsel to fifth to 38th defendants, he did not see in any of the judicial authorities cited and relied upon by the lawyer that authorises any litigant to take extra-judicial action when a case was pending in court.

    “Once parties have turned their dispute over to the court for determination, the right to resort to self-help ends.

    “So, It is not permissible for one of the parties to take any step of complete helplessness, or which may give the impression that the court is being used as a mere subterfuge, to tie the result of litigation and the appropriate order of court before acting further,” he said, citing a previous case.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Matawalle, the three state senators, members of House of Representatives and that of House of Assembly had  defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to  the All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 29, 2021.

    Following their defection, the PDP and Gusau, the then deputy governor, who did not cross carpeted along with them, had in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/650/2021, asked the court to declare their seats vacant having abandoned the party through which they got into the positions of power.

    The plaintiffs had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, President of the Senate, House of Representatives Speaker and House of Assembly Speaker as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

    Also joined in the suit are Zamfara State Governor, Chief Judge, Bello Matawalle, the three senators, House of Representatives members and all members of the state’s House of Assembly as 6th to 38th defendants respectively.

    They sought an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to accept the list of the PDP candidates issued for the purpose of holding and occupying the office of governor, the state and federal lawmakers.

    They also sought for an order for INEC  to issue certificates of return to each of the said candidates for the purpose of holding and occupying the said offices purportedly occupied by members of the APC “in defiance of the decision of the Supreme Court in SC. 377/2019: APC v. Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa and others for the unspent electoral term of office of May 29, 2019 to May 28, 2013.”

    They also sought an order compelling the defendants to swear in Gusau as governor on PDP’s platform to complete the tenure of office, among others.

    The FHC had, on July 19, 2021, restrained the House of Assembly from proceeding with its planned impeachment of Gusau as deputy governor.

    The court gave the order following an ex parte application brought by the PDP’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, in which he canvassed that the House of Assembly, Matawalle and others were planning to impeach Gusau who refused to defect to APC.

    Despite the order of the court, Gusau was impeached by the House of Assembly after receiving the report of the investigative panel constituted by the chief judge, Kulu Aliyu.

    The plaintiffs, however, filed a motion on notice seeking an order restoring the status quo of Gusau wholly to the position as at July 8, 2021 when this suit was commenced, irrespective of the merits as might be ultimately decided in the case, and in particular setting aside all the steps taken by the defendants in furtherance of the purported impeachment proceedings.

    NAN reports that though the suit was filed on July 8, 2021, the plaintiffs amended the originating summons.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

  • Oyo debunks new salary structure

    Oyo debunks new salary structure

    Oyo State government has denied the viral social media reports of a new salary structure.

    A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, described the news as fake.

    He said though the government is working on a new salary structure, the committee set up to work and make recommendations was yet to conclude its assignment. 

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    The statement reads: “Though the government is working on reviewing the current salary structure, the committee set up for that purpose has yet to turn in its report. Therefore, the salary structure being circulated could not have emanated from the government and should thus be disregarded.

    “Recall that sequel to the removal of petrol subsidy, the government set up a committee to come up with a new salary structure that would reflect the new realities in the country. The committee, which has eight weeks to report back, is still working.”

    The alleged new salary structure that has gone viral on social media lists N58,200 as the minimum wage.

  • Serial contemnor

    Serial contemnor

    • Ex-IGP a bad role model for rule of law

    Deputy Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, the new acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), should be wary of the way his predecessor, Usman Alkali Baba, wracked up contempt charges from the courts. The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Abuja had recently ordered his arrest along with Force Secretary, Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Hafeez Inuwa, for disobeying its order, which the court deemed as being in contempt. This latest verdict was in regard of some police officers forcefully retired from the service, but who the court ordered reinstated.

    The retired police officers who were graduates of Courses 33, 34 and 35 of the police academy had approached the NIC seeking an order nullifying their compulsory retirement from service. The court on April 19, 2022, ordered that the IGP, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Force Secretary reinstate the officers. But in a ruling on June 8, 2023, by Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi that was made public last week, the judge berated Baba for refusing to obey the court order despite advice to do so from relevant stakeholders in the police establishment.

    The court said it had it on record that following the April 2022 order, the PSC, which is “the statutory body that is vested with the power to appoint, promote and discipline the judgement creditors/applicants” mandated the IGP to comply. “It is equally noteworthy that the CP, Legal, the Head of Department of the Nigerian Police Force, had also issued a legal advice urging the Inspector-General of Police to comply with the order of this court vide a letter dated and (which) the Inspector-General received on 27/7/2022, yet he has refused to obey or comply with the judgement of this court,” the judge said, adding: “This is an officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who swore on oath to uphold the rule of law, and same law he has now failed or refused to obey.” According to him, the IGP and Force Secretary were given ample opportunity to show cause why they were not to be held in contempt, but despite being served severally with the enrolment order, “they both deemed it fit to flout the order of this court and desecrated this hallowed chamber and temple of justice.”

    Justice Oyewumi apparently couldn’t help getting personal, saying: “Justice is not only for the affluent, it is for the poor and vulnerable also. I pause to say that I wonder what type of head of an enforcement agency…the Inspector-General of Police is if he finds it so difficult, or so difficult it seems for him, to obey a simple order of court.” He accused the police boss of setting a bad precedent by electing to flout the court’s order despite being advised to comply, saying: “It is in the light of all stated, which are in sync with the records of this court, that I hold the Inspector-General of Police Usman Alkali Baba and the Force Secretary AIG Hafeez Inuwa as being in contempt of this court. They are to be arrested and be produced before this court for necessary action.” The court adjourned the case to October 9, 2023. Unfortunately, Baba won’t be the one to continue with the case as he was retired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside the service chiefs and others on Monday. The ball is now in Egbetokun’s court.

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    This latest ruling echoed another by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 29, last year, committing the IGP to three months in prison for presumably defying a valid court order. His committal followed a suit filed by Patrick Okoli, who was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the police. Justice M. O. Olajuwon ordered that the police boss be detained in custody for a period of three months, or until his office obeys an order by the court that Okoli be reinstated made since October 21, 2011. The judge noted that whereas the PSC recommended Okoli’s reinstatement – a decision that the court affirmed – the IGP’s office refused to comply with the order. “If at the end of three months, the contemnor remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge his contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt,” the judge had ruled.

    Following the earlier order, Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi had said Okoli’s casefile predated the tenure of IGP Baba and he needed to be properly apprised of the facts of the case. The IGP also challenged the court’s arrest order and it was eventually rescinded. But now, there’s another order.

    It was unhelpful enough for the rule of law that the former IGP was found in contempt of court; it was worse that he was a serial contemnor. Justice Oyewumi was right in noting that it sets a precedent hazardous to society’s health. Reason is: when the police boss flouts court orders, how shall we cope with disrespect for courts by other personnel of the force? If there is any reason why a court order can’t be obeyed, the court remains the best place to ply that reason. It is unhelpful also that the IGP compels the court to make an order almost in futility: because as he is to be arrested, who will effect the arrest? An officer of the law mustn’t be seen to be in flagrant disobedience of the law, otherwise societal order collapses.      

    The acting IGP must not toe his predecessor’s path on matters of rule of law. Now that he has inherited these cases, he should promptly deal with them as appropriate. This is the irreducible minimum that is expected of him as Nigeria’s chief law enforcement officer.

  • Strategic collaboration

    Strategic collaboration

    •More states should emulate FIRS’, LIRS’ cooperation on tax administration and compliance

    Against the background of Nigeria’s protracted economic crisis characterised largely by sharp revenue shortfalls, particularly as a result of severe decline in oil export earnings, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) to drive improved tax administration and compliance by both agencies could not have come at a more appropriate time.

    Maximising the still substantially untapped potential of non-oil tax revenues to break the unhealthy dependence of the economy on earnings from the petroleum sector with its inherent destabilising price volatility has become imperative within the context of what is clearly an economic emergency that the country has been grappling with, especially in the last decade.

    As explained by the executive chairmen of the FIRS and LIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami and Mr Ayodele Subair, respectively, the overall objective of the collaboration between the two entities is to improve tax administration on their part by reducing tax compliance cost and enabling ease of doing business in the country. The imperative of close tax administration cooperation between the Federal Government and Lagos State, the country’s industrial, commercial and financial nerve centre has been long realised. Thus in 2001, the then Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) had organised a tax retreat in Lagos, in conjunction with the FIRS, to forge a closer working relationship between the two in the discharge of their separate but interrelated mandates.

    Throwing light on the necessity for the MOU entered into by the two agencies, Nami said “the cooperation would enable the two authorities to work as a team in sharing relevant information that would assist both parties in their tax administration and enforcement roles as it would also provide capacity building between both tax authorities”. And according to Subair, the initiative was informed by the realisation of the fact that “Tax compliance and good governance are expected to co-exist as the indivisible social contract that binds citizens and governments anywhere in the world”. This implies that it is not just enough to improve the efficiency of tax collection, this must necessarily be accompanied by delivery of concrete dividends to tax-compliant citizenry.

    Read Also: LIRS, FIRS issue public notice on tax audit, investigation

    The MOU indicates that a joint FIRS/LIRS Audit and Investigation Team (AIT) will be set up to conduct a collaborative joint audit or investigation exercise within a given timeframe. In the words of Nami, “We will carry out a joint audit and investigation as a team, we will also conduct an automatic exchange of information for the gathering of data for the purpose of tax administration. With that information we will be able to carry out tax administration seamlessly”. Through leveraging on their existing distinct competencies in tax administration to cooperate in the areas of information exchange, harmonisation of an integrated tax system and joint tax audit or investigation, the two entities aim to optimise tax revenues to the federal and Lagos State governments, respectively.

    It is noteworthy that systematic and sustained tax reforms have already had salutary effects on the revenue performance of the federal and Lagos State governments in recent years. For instance, Nigeria’s tax revenue performance rose by 56% in 2022 to N10 trillion ($22 billion), reported to be the FIRS’s highest attainment so far. In 2021, the FIRS deployed a new automated tax administration system that has boosted tax collection with non-oil taxes now accounting for more than half of total taxes collected. The agency collected N5.27 trillion tax revenue in 2019, a figure which dropped to N4.95 trillion in 2020 due to the combined effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and economic recession but rose to N6.4 trillion in 2021.

    In its case, Lagos State, the country’s highest tax revenue earner, earned N390.46 billion in tax revenue in the 2021 financial year and as of the 2nd quarter of 2022, the state earned N256.13 billion in personal income tax. Lagos State is widely reported to record the highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) among states in the country and this is largely a function of continuous tax administration reforms over the years since 1999.

    However, the tax administration collaboration should encompass more states working with the Federal Government to maximise the gains from such cooperation. Other states such as Oyo, Rivers and Kano can generate far higher tax revenues than they are currently doing if they embrace necessary reforms.

    Collaboration between the centre and the states as well as among the various states in the country must be more wholistic and all-encompassing in order, for instance, to drastically curtail such debilitating ills as unnecessary multiple taxation. Boosting their respective economic capacities while at the same time enhancing their tax administration capabilities can make every state in Nigeria a major revenue generation centre to the benefit of the overall economy. 

  • Grave misstep by Governor Buni

    Grave misstep by Governor Buni

    SIR: The recent appointment of Alhaji Baba Malam Wali as the Acting Secretary to the Yobe State Government is a stark reflection of the lack of direction within the Mai-Mala Buni administration. It is disheartening to note that Malam Wali has spent a staggering 12 years as the SSG without making any meaningful contributions to the development of Yobe. His latest appointment raises serious questions about the governor’s ability to make informed and prudent decisions.

    Governor Buni must be made aware that his decision to reappoint individuals who have previously demonstrated lack of performance and commitment towards the development of Yobe is a grave display of democratic irresponsibility. A good leader must acknowledge and rectify the shortcomings within his administration, as this directly impacts the welfare and progress of the state and its citizens.

    Simply, by reappointing those underperforming individuals, Governor Buni is sending a disheartening message to the people of Yobe – that their aspirations for growth and prosperity are being disregarded. This action alone undermines the principles of good governance, accountability, and meritocracy, all of which are vital for the effective functioning of a democratic society.

    Read Also: Buni appoints acting SSG, CoS

    Instead of perpetuating a culture of mediocrity and complacency, Governor Buni should prioritize the appointment of competent and visionary individuals who possess the skills, dedication, and experience necessary to drive the development agenda of Yobe forward. It is only through the deployment of capable leaders that the state can overcome its challenges, capitalize on its resources, and uplift the lives of its citizens.

    Reappointing individuals who have previously failed to deliver results without any clear justification erodes public trust and confidence in the government’s ability to make sound and rational decisions. It is time for Buni to embrace transparency, inclusivity, and merit-based selection processes to ensure that the best interests of Yobe and its people are upheld.

    Buni must recognize that his choices have far-reaching implications for the future of Yobe and act in a manner that reflects his obligation to democratic principles and the aspirations of the citizens. Only through decisive action, holding individuals accountable for their performance, and fostering an environment of excellence can Yobe truly achieve its potential as a prosperous and thriving state.

    In a nutshell, Governor Buni needs to comprehend that the fate of Yobe rests squarely on his shoulders. Reappointing individuals who have proven to be incompetent is nothing short of jeopardizing the future of Yobe and its residents. It is high time Governor Buni put on his thinking cap and appoint individuals who possess the vision and capability to reshape the destiny of our state.

    •Kasim Isa Muhammad,

    Potiskum, Yobe State.

  • Nigerians should rise up against hate speech

    Nigerians should rise up against hate speech

    SIR: The Nigerian public space has become a treacherous terrain of toxicity no thanks to cheap talk that is whipping up cheap hate, especially on social media. Nigeria’s multilingual, multi-ethnic and incredibly diverse society has come to steadily confound and dumbfound critics, cynics, and analysts in equal measure.

    While Lord Lugard’s amalgamation of 1914 brought the Northern and Southern protectorates together in 1914 to form the country as it is known today, independence took until 1960. Nation building has taken ever since, with the sobering events of 1967 to 1970 when Nigeria cascaded into an avoidable civil war defining many things.

    Nigeria has not done badly as a country even if there have been many painful moments.

    Many a Nigerian problem today comes down to a lack of unity. For all that corruption has stolen from the country, the cankerworm has benefited from the fact that the country’s challenge has been enfeebled by a lack of unity of purpose.

    Because Nigerians have struggled painfully to mine their diversity, there are those who have come to weaponize ethnicity. Their primary tactic is hate speech with which they seek to becloud reason and appeal to primitive and primordial sentiments.

     According to the United Nations, hate speech calls out real or perceived “identity factors” of an individual or a group, including: “religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender,” but also characteristics such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others.

    Recently, in the face of Nigeria’s security issues which have weighed heavily on public consciousness, the country has made efforts to tackle hate speech, especially in public and on social media by those determined to sunder the country.

    It appears that every region of the country today has its demons to battle. In most of the North it is insecurity at the hands of bandits. In most of the South, it is secessionist agitations that have snowballed into vicious insecurity. At the heart of these existential challenges is the relentless desire of some people to see just how much dent they can make on the country.

    Read Also: 2023: INEC cautions politicians against hate speeches during campaigns

     In Nigeria, hate speech has taken different forms, with each form more dangerous than the last. There have been long, windy speeches dripping with venom, vitriol, and hate directed to different individuals within the country. These speeches deliberately designed as they have targeted people for their religions.

     As Nigeria has moved to tackle hate speech by aid of legislation, it has found itself confronted with structures imposed by law.

    In 2020, an audacious attempt by legislation to check hate speech especially on social media was met by stiff resistance from Nigerians who saw it as a poorly disguised attempt to impinge on their freedom of speech. But there is a clear line between countering hate speech and impeding free speech.

    The Rabat Plan of Action was adopted by experts at the wrap-up meeting in Rabat on 4-5 October 2012.It was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of legislative patterns, judicial practices and policies regarding the concept of incitement to national, racial, or religious hatred, while ensuring full respect for freedom of expression as outlined in articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Plan of Action was also aimed at arriving at a comprehensive assessment of the state of implementation of the prohibition of incitement in conformity with international human rights law and the identification of possible actions at all levels.

     The Plan of Action includes a broad range of recommendations for how religious leaders and actors can prevent incitement to violence and contribute to peace and stability. It is meant primarily as a tool to inform the work of religious leaders and actors, but is also relevant for states and institutions, secular civil society organizations and the media.

    Nigerians must each take countering hate speech as a personal responsibility. Hate speech is a weapon in the hands of those who do not want to see the prosperity of Nigerians. It no coincidence that a lot of hate speech usually goes into politics and elections. It is often a well-hatched ploy to turn Nigerians against each other, heat up the polity and lead to the commission of vicious crimes as it is an open secret that hate speech leads to hate crimes.

    For every Nigerian, whether on social media or in everyday conversation, speech must be directed and dedicated to building a more peaceful and prosperous country where restraint is important and alienation, exclusion, discrimination and hate are eschewed.

    •Ike Willy,

     Ikewilly9@gmail.com.

  • Globe-trotting African presidents should remain at home

    Globe-trotting African presidents should remain at home

    Last week a delegation of the presidents of four African states of Senegal, Zambia, Comoros islands and South Africa and some  top government functionaries from Egypt, Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa  of South Africa, went on a wild goose chase to Ukraine and Russia with what Ramaphosa called “an historic peace mission “ to work for  the resolution of the  conflict between the two countries arising from  the ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy politely told the delegation that he was not interested in any peace talks while Russia continues to occupy a third of Ukrainian territory. Needless to say that Ukraine was not happy with many African leaders’ positions of not criticising Russia and not voting against Russia in the United Nations to condemn that country’s attack on Ukraine a weaker and non-belligerent nation on the grounds of Russia’s support during the African struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid. On the other hand, Vladimir Putin who knows President Ramaphosa well as both of their countries are members of BRICS, a group of countries committed to finding another monetary medium of exchange outside the American dollar, received the delegation warmly even though the Russian president said the terms of the negotiations which included respect for each country’s territorial integrity was a non-starter and no go area after the Russian  invasion and annexation of Crimea and the eastern territories of Ukraine inhabited by Russian speakers who Putin  previously refers to as “Russia abroad”.

    Any knowledgeable person should have known the two country’s positions before this doomed mission was embarked upon. The presidents of the African countries should at least have been well briefed by their missions in Russia and possibly Ukraine if they have diplomatic relations with the latter country. To go to Ukraine to ask it to negotiate with its powerful neighbour and trespasser on the grounds that Africa was starving because of the war in Ukraine and its inability to buy grains from both Russia and Ukraine sounds rather insensitive because Ukrainians in their tens of thousands were dying defending their country in what it regards as “a just war “against Russia. The authorities in Ukraine could justifiably have described the Africans as fighting for their bellies or shall we say “stomach infrastructure” rather than seeing the higher call and more honourable defence of the principle of maintaining the international order supported by the United Nations’ charter in which the principle of inviolability of international boundaries is enshrined. Although this point is in the 10-point negotiating platform the African mission suggested without getting adequate and listening ears and patience of the Ukrainians who rather brusquely shoved off the Africans out of their country on their way to Russia. The Russians were also not ready to listen to any plea of peace. The two countries seem to believe there cannot be any negotiations until they had apparently exhausted themselves on the battlefield. The much expected counter offensive against the entrenched Russians has just begun and Ukraine seems to feel the much advanced NATO armaments supplied it will help it see the backs of the Russians while the Russians with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and more available if needed, will eventually overawe the Ukrainians. With their fixed and unmovable positions there was no chance of a peaceful negotiation.  It is surprising that the Africans felt they would be able to move the Russians and Ukrainians where the much more influential Chinese government had previously failed.

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    On their return home to Africa, President Ramaphosa congratulated himself and his friends about making the “historic trip “in search of peace this time not in Africa but on a global stage in Europe.

    I understand President Vladimir Putin will soon be meeting all African presidents, 52 of them in Africa-Russia summit. I sincerely hope the summit will not take place. What will they talk about? Wheat and fertilizer imports from Russia that cannot be done under normal business relations? Or will they be talking about bringing the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries to more African countries apart from Mali, Burkina Faso and Central African Republic? Or perhaps the sale of more AK-47 that are now manufactured all over world would be on the list of what to discuss. Russia is not in any position to offer African countries that have mismanaged their economies loans to be happily looted by African politicians and their bureaucracies and military who aid and abet the looting of their national patrimonies and even foreign loans. Honestly speaking, if there are things to discuss and I agree there may be things to discuss among friendly countries, this should be done at the level of the African Union and the African commission or at the level of the regional organizations existing all over Africa.

    I hate to see President Putin at the welcoming party with 52 or so African heads of state lining up like school children being called one by one and approaching with two arms stretched to greet the Russian leader with placid face indicating boredom and wondering when the comedy would end.

    I have the same views on France-Africa summit, China-Africa powwow, Britain- Africa meeting, Japan-Africa summit, and Germany-Africa or America-Africa summit. All these humiliations have to stop. If any African leader wants to go to any of these countries, it should do so solely on its own. I know from experience that these global powers are only interested in meeting a few key countries in Africa while the remaining countries can have summits among themselves and sort themselves out! It is about time African leaders understood that the task of developing their countries lies in Africa and not in Europe, America, Japan or China. We are in a world of competing nations and quietly understood but not spoken, competing races. Every nation is out to fight for its own well-being and no amount of propaganda will change this .There was a time when Chinese were derisively referred as “Chinaman”, when Indians were called “coolies”,  Japanese were looked down upon  as “Japs “but not anymore. I remember looking for accommodation in London as a student in 1965 and the hand written advertisement on the wall read “accommodation available, no Indian, Irish, Chinaman, blacks need apply, Jap ok “.  Of course things have changed all the races or nations mentioned in this racist advertisement have earned the respect of the whole world except the blacks and this is where our challenge is and not in gallivanting around the world in various summits in which Africans in the words of the racist British imperialist defender, Rudyard Kipling in his book The White Man’s Burden as “half children half devils”.

    I hope the new president will not allow himself to be dragooned into any summits in which he and others will be lined up as curios from another world to be seen for the entertainment of others enjoying themselves at the expense of Africans.

  • Need for substance abuse education among young people

    Need for substance abuse education among young people

    SIR: Substance use is inarguably one of the challenges staving the potential of the 21st-century child. According to a 2021 World Drug Report, Nigeria could have 20 million drug users by the year 2030. And the challenge is further exacerbated by the reality that many Nigerian students may no longer even believe in the dangers of substance abuse. According to the World Drug Report, though the potency of cannabis has quintupled in the last 24 years, the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 per cent, leading to more risk of first-time abuse in adolescents.

    According to a 2018 study published by the South African Journal of Child Health, substance abuse among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa is already at unprecedented heights. About 41.6% of youth have some experience with abusing substances, with alcohol and tobacco being the highest.

    And today, substance use is highly publicised in the media. Although not all substance-related media entertainment content encourages the abuse of substances, they hardly constitute a substitution for substance use orientation among the young.

    According to a UN report, by 2030, the number of substance users in Africa, the world’s youngest continent, will have increased by 40%

    Substance abuse is a cancer, and like most cancers, is often terminal. But what is the solution?

    Well, the data says that substance abuse education can be the best deterrent.

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    In fact, in a 2018 study conducted by African Healthcare Services on substance use among secondary school students in Oyo State, it was found that the proportion of respondents who were substance abusers was significantly higher among students who had not received any formal lectures on substance abuse at school compared to those who had been taught.

    To address this gap, non-profit initiatives, and government agencies have launched programmes and campaigns to raise awareness against substance abuse in youths.

    But simply raising awareness is not enough. Because according to Natural High, a drug abuse prevention non-profit, most adolescents misunderstand substance abuse statistics. Essentially, making substance abuse education accessible is one thing, but making it digestible for young people is another. It is to that end that the MTN Foundation has, through its Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), created another platform to help make substance abuse education more entertaining and comprehensible for young students.

    The MTN ASAP quiz competition, which aims to provide participants with the necessary information to make healthier personal choices and avoid risky situations that can predispose them to substance use, is one of many social intervention initiatives provided by the foundation. The reasoning behind the quiz initiative was not a shot in the dark. In fact, a total of 18 public secondary schools took part in the competition, and the selection criteria ensured that the institutions represented were from regions of Nigeria where there is a high prevalence of substance abuse.

    With this initiative, there are no losers, because the goal is to sensitise and impact the lives of young Nigerians, steering them away from the abyss of substance abuse and addiction.

    •Blossom Deji-Folutile,

    Lagos.

  • Masterstroke

    Masterstroke

    When the appointments were announced on Monday, the identities of the appointees were shrouded in secrecy. Nothing was known about the military chiefs, mostly, and that should be expected because of the nature of their job. The military brass have held command and not political positions over the years. That their names did not ring a bell with the civilian public should not have been a surprise.

    But it was for mischief makers. They wondered who these officers were. Where did they come from? What and what have they done in their lives? What is their career path? Where did they serve? Since many Nigerians did not know much of military history, it was easy to reach certain conclusions about one or two of the new Service Chiefs, just by going through their names.

    What is in a name anyway? There is a saying that the hood does not make the monk. In the same way, a name does not, in most cases, reflect where the bearer comes from nor his faith. But often times, people are quick to jump to conclusions, especially where politics is involved. As a people, Nigerians like to play politics with everything. Unfortunately, the elite who should know better are most guilty of this.

    Once they are not within the loop of power, they see nothing good in whatever the man in office does. In their eyes, there is no step that the President at that point in time takes that is good. No matter how good the President’s intentions are, they read ethnicity, marginalisation, sectionalism, nepotism, religion and partisanship into them. ‘Oh, he appointed that one as so and so because they are from the same part of the country’, they allege at times.

    Or, they say, ‘don’t you know, that’s his in-law, that’s why he gave him that board appointment’. Many of us journalists have fallen into the same trap. Rather than educate the citizenry, we join in casting aspersions on the leader, just because we do not like him or do not share his political beliefs.     

    Journalism is a facts-based job. Stories, articles, opinions must be factual. Even where we are commenting, which we are free to do, we must not lose track of the basic facts of what we are commenting on. If we do, then we are writing fiction. These days, many engage in fictional writing without giving a hoot about what comes out of such irresponsible journalism. Whatever happened to the credo: “if in doubt, leave out”?

    It seems some take delight in writing negative things about President Bola Tinubu, without first assessing the quality of his actions. It has been three weeks of action since he assumed office. The President has simply dazzled the world with his abilities. Just take a look at the line-up of the Service Chiefs. How can anybody in the right frame of mind fault the thinking behind those appointments? How? Except that person does not believe in the unity of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Wide acclaim greets Service Chiefs’, other appointments

    This is why these wailers, to borrow the word of Femi Adesina, the spokesman of the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, went to town to crucify President Tinubu for not reflecting federal character, as constitutionally required in the selection of the Service Chiefs. This is false. The appointment of the Service Chiefs is a true reflection of Tinubu’s ingenuity.

    It is a masterstroke of an appointment, which has left many of his detractors wondering how he pulled it off. Like the Pharisees did to Jesus, they too are asking no one in particular: ‘Who is this man?’ ‘Is this the same Tinubu?’ ‘The same man that we said was sick of mind and body that is carrying out these actions?’ What led them to the conclusion that Tinubu did  not get things right was just in a name – the name of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

    ‘Ha!’ They rushed to town immediately. ‘We said it; didn’t we? He has done it againl He has left out the Southeast in the appointment of Service Chiefs; given two slots to the Southwest! That was how they jumped to conclusion, even before settling down to painstakingly run through the list. Yet, these are well enlightened people. As Baba will say, ‘enlightened people, my foot’.

    How can they ever think that a President like Tinubu will do that? How can they, as right-thinking members of society, think like that? Again, Tinubu has shown them the stuff of which great political leaders are made. Ogalla is not from the Southwest but the Southeast as his resume shows. His army counterpart, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja is from the Southwest, while the air force chief, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar is from the Northwest.

    Since anything Tinubu does must he criticised, some are asking why all the military brass are from the Southwest? But, are they? The critics are talking about the defence intelligence chief and the brigade guards commanders who were appointed along with the Service Chiefs. Can those officers be in the same class with the Service Chiefs, even as important as their positions are? The answer is in the negative, but military experts are in a better position to say.

    For now, what has been done is done. As Omar Khayyam noted in his poem, Rubaiyat, ages ago: “the moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it”. Hearty congratulations to the Service Chiefs and others. May their appointments bode well for the country.

  • Luxury real estate firm ranks top in Africa

    Luxury real estate firm ranks top in Africa

    Luxury  real estate company, Sujimoto Group, has been ranked by renowned Spanish luxury building materials manufacturer, Porcelanosa, as the only real estate company from Africa to make its exclusive list of developers with the best projects from around the world.

    The Spanish company in its annual ritual of searching for the best companies in the world with exceptional project designs, has chosen Sujimoto’s  LucreziaBySujimoto 15-floor architectural masterpiece deemed “the curves of Banana Island,” as an incredible edifice worthy of attention.

    The edifice, which is  described as Africa’s most luxurious and extravagant skyscraper, is the  brainchild of Sujimoto’s  Group Managing Director,  Dr Olasijibomi Ogundele.

    It was born from a visionary dream to revolutionise and elevate the essence of luxurious living in Nigeria. Inspired by the 16th-century Italian Renaissance and fashioned after the Duchess consort of Ferrara, Lucrezia de’ Medici, one of the most prestigious queens of her time,the project draws inspiration from the noble woman; her embodiment of elegance and ultimate sophistication, which were influenced by her royal bloodline.

    Read Also: Association hails passage of Real Estate bill

    The  project serves as a testament to an exceptional team of designers and architects, both local and international, who meticulously studied how  Nigerian elite desire to live in their own villas, understanding their expectations and creating their desires through a first-of-its-kind architectural prowess of stacking villas on top of each other, creating a vertical estate that houses magnificent maisonettes and two of Africa’s best penthouses in the skies of Lagos.

    Speaking on the recognition by Porcelanosa,

    Ogundele said: “In creating the Lucrezia, our intention was to build the best living experience any HNI could ever dream of. This is why we visited the best penthouses in Dubai and the best homes in Cape Town; we came back armed with the right team of experts, ensuring we cross all the T’s and dot all I’s in the delivery of the most luxurious building any human being can ever wish for”.

    Sujimoto’s inclusion in the esteemed list is a testament to its unwavering commitment to excellence, scattering all rules and setting new standards for unrivaled luxury in the Nigerian real estate sector. 

    The firm has over 2,320 architectural masterpiece projects across the world.

    A statement by the firm said: “The Lucrezia dusts off the records of several impressive firsts, including being the first building in Nigeria with a glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) facade and housing Africa’s first-of-its-kind interactive lobby. Additionally, it features Africa’s pioneering virtual golf bar with over 2500 courses where customers can express the Tiger Woods in them. Lucrezia is also the first building in Africa to have over 48 electric vehicle charging stations, the first of their kind on the continent. The Lucrezia also showcases a one-of-a-kind, fully furnished private IMAX cinema room with a Bang & Olufsen standard electronic system.

    “Within the space of 8 years, Sujimoto Group has positioned itself as the famed class captain of the ‘global community of luxury bricklayers”. This recognition comes on the heels of setting a recognized industry standard for luxury living in Africa while wearing its crown among the top 20 developers to be a part of the esteemed Porcelanosa International Project Award (PIPA) 2023.”