The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • VOM to the rescue

    VOM to the rescue

    • •We commend Lagos State’s Alternative Dispute Resolution system to other states

    The Lagos State government has organised a sensitisation programme on a new initiative in criminal justice delivery referred to as Victim/Offender Mediation (VOM). A variant of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, the VOM programme enables a willing victim of an offence meet the offender in a secure environment, for the purpose of a restorative justice. Unlike the common retributive justice system, where the state is viewed as the victim, while the real victim is alienated, VOM enables the real victim, the offender and the impacted community to be part of the resolution of the criminal act.

    Though new in Nigeria, the VOM programme otherwise known as Restorative Justice has been in practice in many other jurisdictions for over 30 years. So, we commend the Lagos State government for championing the introduction of VOM programme in Nigeria, and urge other states to adopt it.

    Speaking at the ceremony which held at the Magistrate Court, Samuel Ilori Court House, Ogba, Lagos, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said the VOM will help decongest the less serious cases in the dockets of the court, as well as the correctional facilities.

    She noted that: “In restorative justice, its processes are mindful with just one goal which is justice and healing for offender, victim and society”. In her keynote address, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, represented by Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay emphasised that Restorative Justice will ensure peaceful and quick resolution of disputes. She noted that the traditional justice system has led to a lot of setbacks “with evident increase in the rate of crime, long prosecution process and overcrowding of correctional facilities, amongst others.”

    Clearly, the VOM programme has a lot of advantages. It is fast. Once the victim is willing to meet the offender, the matter can be dispensed with in a matter of days. It also brings healing to the parties, as each party is offered an opportunity to suggest a reconciliation approach best suited in the circumstance. Where restitution will assuage the victim, VOM allows for that. As for the offender, he has an opportunity to apologise and make amends, and hear from the victim and the community the impact of the crime.

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    As part of reconciliation, the community may require community service from the offender, and once that is done, there is a healing for those most affected. The offender is also healed after he or she has assuaged those impacted. VOM is also less costly than the traditional criminal justice system. Instead of putting the offender in a correctional facility and feeding him or her, after a laborious trial, a more beneficial arrangement to the society and the victim is arrived at, through the victim/offender mediation.

    This beneficial aspect of VOM was emphasised by the Director, Community Service, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Tomi Bodude, who said: “Court-ordered community service requires an offender to perform a specific number of hours of free work for a charitable agency, non-profit organisation or governmental agency’’ as an alternative to incarceration. She explained further: “a non-violent offender is assigned to community service, and careful screening must occur to ensure that the offender is appropriate for the site and vice versa, while ensuring public safety.”  The Coordinator, Restorative Justice Centre, Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi, explained that under VOM “the victim and offender are brought together to repair the harm while the offender is reintegrated back to the society to achieve a sense of healing for both parties.”

    While the VOM programme is appealing from the explanations given by stakeholders, we hope that the process will not allow hardened criminals escape punitive justice. Hopefully, other states will emulate Lagos and help decongest our correctional facilities and the courts.

  • Edo 2024: Bumpy road ahead

    Edo 2024: Bumpy road ahead

    • By Elempe Dele

    It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson 

    There are few experiences quite like taking a long road trip and venturing somewhere you have never been before like the journey into the future. It is one of the few forms of travel where it is all about the journey: the people, the stories… those moments which are hard to describe to anyone. We can only predict what we might be faced with, this we can do without certitude. 

    The road towards the Edo State 2024 gubernatorial election will not be a smooth ride for any of the three parties; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Labour Party, LP. For the sake of this article, my effort will be concentrated on the envisaged rough journey of the ruling party in the state; PDP under the fistful grip of Governor Godwin Obaseki. 

    PDP at the moment in the state is no longer broken into two irreconcilable factions, it is now into smaller disagreeable pieces. 

    While the Chief Dan Orbih’s camp is still fairly intact except for members that have gone to seek solace under other parties after the shock at the Supreme Court, Governor Obaseki’s camp is getting broken into pieces daily because of the inability of the governor to preserve interpersonal relationship with people, especially loyalists. 

    Today, without being glib about it, the governor is visibly at war with his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu. Another relationship that is being alleged to be frosty is that with Bar. Osarodion Ogie, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG. And these relationships might further get broken because of the separate gubernatorial ambitions of both the deputy governor and the SSG. I have spoken behind closed doors with close allies to the deputy governor; the truth is the relationship is beyond repair.

    First, Philip has become conscious of fact that the governor is not going to support his ambition, so also is the SSG. The SSG is said to be relying on LP rather than PDP to try his constitutional luck. 

    Of recent, the deputy governor’s questionable romance with Senator Adams Oshiomhole and his inability to make even a single councillor or commissioner are additional evidence to the fact that all is not well with the once acclaimed loyal deputy and his brutal boss.

    From a reliable source, I was told the governor does not see either Philip or Ogie as his successor. First, in the gubernatorial and general elections held in 2020 and 2023, Philip proved beyond doubt he has no electoral value in Edo North, according to sources close to the governor. His outing in 2020 as a sitting deputy governor was nothing to write home about and the recently held 2023 general elections were worse. The sources told me the governor won’t risk supporting someone who does not win his constituency. And as for Ogie, the source said the governor knows he has no influence beyond Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area. 

    Secondly, the governor is also aware that his successor cannot come from Edo South Senatorial District. There will be huge gang up from the North and Central against him if he does so because the general feeling is that the ticket should be zoned to the Central Senatorial District while the South produces the deputy. This is also the situation with picking his successor from the North. 

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    Another foreseeable problem PDP generally will be faced with is the problem of the faction that will produce the candidate. Senator Ayu is no more, so the powers of the governor might have been clipped. Secondly, the governor does not enjoy huge following. This was evident in the general election where the outing of the PDP was woeful. Will he risk another attempt at another election with the same headstrong without settling and negotiating an easy way out with the Dan Orbih’s camp? If he unilaterally produces a candidate anywhere from the state, assuming he can, he would not get the backing of Orbih’s camp that are more populous and can easily work with either APC or LP if the need arises. There must be a synergy of sort before the primaries or else everything goes into flames and waste for the governor. Let the not so important House of Assembly election not deceive the governor, this very gubernatorial election is an all-important one where many furtive eyes are focused on it. 

    Again, the PDP candidate, wherever or whoever he comes from, will face stiff opposition from the APC and LP. It is an established fact that APC holds sway in Edo North while the LP holds sway in Edo South marginally. No one can tell specifically if ‘Federal Might’ will not come to play in this election as some pounds of flesh will be taken from all parts of the body of the governor by critical stakeholders. 

     In the south, the Labour Party has been at daggers drawn with the governor who it was alleged used and dumped them, and as well rigged some of their candidates out during the House of Assembly election. 

    Another factor that will not work for the governor is if he decides which is unlikely though, to choose his preferred candidate away from the central district. He has no option than to choose from there and a very sellable candidate for that matter. Even if he does, the candidate will be faced with stiff opposition at home and away because the governor has stepped on too many political feet. His candidate will be seen as his stooge. So there will be natural revolt against him. 

    The governor is in dire situation as we speak: He needs a successor badly because from sources close to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, the commission will be very active in Edo State come 2024. The commission will be poised for awe and shock.

    The most tectonic bump the PDP will be faced with going into the election is the evidential lack of performance by the governor. What is on the lip of everyone now is what exactly is he going to campaign with. For seven years running, there is no significant project the governor can point to that he has started and completed. His achievements so far are in the realms of the invisible.

  • Travel agency outline smart guide for going overseas

    Travel agency outline smart guide for going overseas

    • Warns of travel scam

    With the surge in travel demand from the country, visa applications submitted for various countries are at volumeshigher than ever before. With this increased demand for visa application appointments, scammers pose as employees or associates of the organisation; or touts who promise an early appointment at an additional cost to embezzle job-seekers and innocent customers alike. Head Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global,  Hariprasad Viswanathan, shares some of their common modus-operandi particularly in the digital space.

    It is important for applicants to bear in mind that appointment slots are offered online based on the volume of demand or forecast, and in conjunction with the Embassy’s own internal capacity planning. Once scheduled, they are recommended be at the Centre 15 minutes before the appointed time to avoid missing your slot.

    We strongly advise all applicants to be careful of touts and fraudulent parties who falsely promise early appointment bookings in exchange for payment.

    Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa when appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost. 

    The service fee charged for applicants are duly approved by respective client government and is made either cash deposit in the nominated bank account or through EFT/Card online. This depicted on our platforms like the customer facing websites for the understanding of our applicants with an official receipt issued if service is availed. Service fees varies for each country and is dependent on the different services provided, to offer applicants an enhanced visa application experience. 

    Applicants may visit our website www.vfsglobal.com for more details on service fees and charges for optional value-added services. Please note that services like Premium Lounge are an optional service for applicants for an additional fee to enhance their overall application experience and are not mandatory.

    Phishing is a commonly used fraudulent attempt to acquire personal & sensitive information such as passwords & credit card details, through digital means by misusing official credentials. Considering the presence of imposter sites, it is important to be mindful to never share your personal information on an ‘HTTP’ website to begin with. Always look for websites that begin with ‘HTTPS’ when you are likely to seek or share information.

    Another technique used by a scammer is to trap unsuspecting aspirants with the false promise of overseas settlement. An all-too-frequent strategy involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone official web pages of companies like VFS Global and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. The initial call is backed by fabricated job offer letters and official-looking documentation sent via email. To show acceptance of the job offer or immigration opportunity, the email states that the individual will have to make an up-front payment and share personal information to take things forward.

    Read Also: China reopens borders to all travellers

    With the presence of location pins and information on popular social media and search platforms, many such fraudsterscreate a fake presence using the company credentials like logos, official name etc. and include their contact details in the details provided on these pages that deceive genuine travellers who mistake these details as the official presence of the company.

    Here are some warning signs that indicate a scam:

    • Scammers usually request advance payments to personal bank accounts with the threat of visa application rejection or deportation.

    • They seek personal information under the pretext of re-validating information in the application.

    • Emails about job offers or immigration are sent from fabricated email IDs, usually via commonly used personal email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo.co.in, etc.).

    • Pixelated and out-of-proportion logos are used on fabricated documentation (such as job offer letters and contracts).

    • All communication stops with the scammer once payment has been made.
    Furthermore, one must be very careful in what they share, like their passport or visa application numbers via public domains on the internet or social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, as scammers are constantly on the lookout for such information.

    IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENT VISA APPLICANTS

    During student season, which typically starts from mid-May and goes on till September, the rush for visas is high especially for Australia, Canada and select Schengen locations. Thus, it is important for students to be wary of miscreants looking to take advantage of this peak demand period. Here are some key tips to key an eye out for:

    •​Students are advised to exercise caution when being approached by third-party entities who pose as visa service providers, promising an appointment or favourable visa decision by misusing our company’s name or otherwise.

    •​Students should also conduct proper due diligence and vet the details of the educational institutions that they intend to study at.

    •​Given the unprecedented pent-up demand for outbound travel from Sub Saharan Africa, it is advisable to apply for visas as early as possible to avoid falling prey to such grey operators.

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  • Killing in God’s name

    Killing in God’s name

    You do not use affliction of leprosy to remedy scalding burns from hot oil, do you? But that is what blasphemy killers in Sokoto appear to be doing and they are getting away with it – thus far, at least.

    A resident of the state capital fell victim to blasphemy killing last Sunday, barely a year after another resident did in a gory circumstance that has gone unrequited till date. Usman Buda, a butcher at Sokoto main abattoir, was killed by an irate mob for allegedly making insulting comments against the holy Prophet Muhammad. Reports said he made the blasphemous comment during an argument with another trader at the abattoir on the said day; with eyewitness sources claiming he repeated the comment when confronted by some people present, upon which irate youths attacked him. Some of Buda’s friends at the market who attempted to rescue him were as well attacked and needed to be taken for medical attention. The police, in a statement confirming the incident, said he was battered and inflicted with severe injuries by the time its personnel mobilised to the scene following a distress call. “On (police’s) arrival, the mob escaped the scene and left the victim unconscious, where he was rescued and taken to Usmanu Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital, Sokoto for treatment and was later confirmed dead,” police command spokesperson Ahmad Rufa’i, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), stated. He added that investigation was underway to bring perpetrators to book.

    Read Also: Alleged blasphemy: police confirm butcher’s killing in Sokoto

    It was in May, last year, that a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Deborah Samuel, was lynched by her fellow students after being accused of blasphemy. Protests broke out when the police arrested suspects in connection with the gruesome act, but no one has yet been charged with the killing. As the protest spread, the Sokoto government had to declare a curfew to contain the situation.

    Already, prospects look bleak for a hard tackle against Buda’s killers. Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, in his reaction, vowed his administration’s resolve to deal decisively with anyone who blasphemes the Prophet. In a statement by his spokesperson, he cautioned residents against any act capable of degrading the personality of the Prophet, especially in a state like Sokoto that is Muslim-dominated. He cautioned, though, that the people need “avoid taking laws into their own hands and instead report any alleged crime or blasphemy to the appropriate quarters for necessary action.”

    It was helpful that Mr. Governor acknowledged the issue as “alleged crime of blasphemy,” because that is what it is until suspects are duly reported, proven guilty and penalised under the law. Mob killing of blasphemy suspects is sheer murder, worse than blasphemy, and religious leaders should help their followers get that.

  • 10th National Assembly and performance imperatives

    10th National Assembly and performance imperatives

    • Baba Yusuf

    “Parliament is a deliberate assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purpose, not local prejudices ought to guide but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.” – Edmund Burke, Economist, Philosopher, and former Member of the British Parliament from 1766 to 1794.

    As the 10th National Assembly Convenes. We expect the 10th National Assembly (NASS) to “hit the ground running” with consciousness, appreciation and respect of the reality of our dire situation in Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set the tone and the pace of the current administration, propelling an initial critical momentum. The 10th NASS has no choice but to jump unto the bandwagon to ensure that the movements of the Executive and Legislature are in the overall interest of Nigeria. We expect high performance especially in terms of three (3) cardinal roles of the NASS, i.e. law making, oversight function, and constituency representation. As we watch the commencement of the current legislative dispensation, all eyes are on the Legislature vis-à-vis the role it will play in adding value to the political evolution of Nigeria. We expect an intelligent lawmaking dispensation that will lead to better performance of the 10th NASS. Another important area of focus should be enablement of policy coordination. While we agree that the process of law making is arduous, some of the Bills proposed/presented on the floors of the National Assembly leave much to be desired due to some of the objectives behind the Bills and also because in many cases there are no evidences of robust engagement with respective constituents or the citizens of Nigeria, and/ or clear reflection of the yearnings and aspirations of the citizenry who the entire NASS represent. In some other cases, the Bills are incongruent, in total conflict and/or sometimes parallel to existing legislations whereby if subsequently signed into law, the laws and/ or policies will be counterproductive or injurious to existing laws, thereby creating what I call policy “incoherence”, and/ or bottlenecks that could ultimately defeat the overall objective of progressive nation building.

    Gap Analysis

    There is the perception by a lot of citizens of Nigerians that the Legislature not making the expected impacts; either due to lack of enough information with regards to the roles of the legislature, or based on facts. In both cases the Legislature is considered (rightly or wrongly) as an underperforming Arm of Government. Sometimes they are considered as “rubber stamp” of the Executive Arm of Government, or as “toxic” to the progress of the Executive. In any case the 10th NASS needs to prove to Nigerians that it will stand-out in terms of performance and positive impacts, moving forward.

    Points to note

    Demography of the NASS

    A key point of demography to note is the high number of relatively younger persons that have come to the 10th Assembly. We expect that the youths in the 10th NASS will bring onboard the value of positive vibrant energy, freshness in constructive engagements, value innovation and critical thinking. Since 1999, we have been talking about the youth being excluded/ marginalised from governance. The 10th NASS will be a litmus test to the Nigerian youths with regards to integrity, governance, and the delivery of the dividends of democracy to their respective constituencies in particular and to Nigerians in general.

    Opposition political parties in NASS

    Another point to note is the high number of opposition party members at the 10th NASS, the highest thus far in the political history of Nigeria – about seven (7) opposition political parties in the NASS constituting 181 opposition NASS members (PDP has 117, LP has 35, NNPP has 19 seats, APGA has five seats, ADC and SDP have two each while YPP has one), against the 171 APC NASS members. Therefore, we (Nigerians) expect healthy and robust debates, wide consultations and constructive engagements with a view to ensuring the requisite checks and balances by the Legislative arm of government and the achievement of other legislative mandates for the betterment of Nigeria.

    As we face one the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria, Nigerians are also keenly interested to see the seriousness with which the 10th NASS will take the issue of the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians.

    Budget Padding

    Another critical recurring issue that we look forward to the 10th NASS dealing with, is the issue of Budget Padding. Nigerians will not forget the issue of Budget padding which has become a highly controversial issue since the 8th Assembly, and we have heard the gory details and the unfortunate impacts on Nigerians without any form of consequence on the actors in the Executive and Legislative Arm of the previous governments, to date. Expectedly, the issue of budget padding has become a recurring issue in the previous administrations of Nigeria for the past over ten (10) years. According to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); in the 2021 budget, a budget padding of about N300 Billion was inserted in the Budget, while a budget padding of about N100Billion was inserted in the 2022 budget by MDAs. This very embarrassing and unfortunate situation has brought to bare a serious malaise in our polity that MUST be addressed forthwith if we want to ever make any meaningful progress as a nation. The collusion between the Executive and Legislative arms of government with regards to the budget padding saga leaves much to be desired. Nigerians look forward to high level of integrity, transparency and accountability with regards the budgeting processes, and budgets performance management both at the NASS and the Executive Arm of Government.  I look forward to the complete elimination of the very sad and ugly orgy of corruption tagged “Budget Padding” in this administration.

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    Expectations

    I applaud the performance of the 9th Assembly in terms of number of bills passed during their tenure. However, it is important that the 10th NASS needs to upscale performance to be more impactful in areas of oversight function and constituency representation, as follows:

    Powers of Oversight

    It will be germane for the 10th NASS to take oversight functions more serious by leveraging the powers of oversight vested in the Legislature in the 1999 Constitution to be more impactful particularly in line with Sections 88 and 89, which give the NASS the powers of investigation with the objective of improving our laws, exposing corruption, inefficiencies or wastages in our polity.

    It is worthy of note that while Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution do not empower the National Assembly to prosecute and/ or convict; indeed, the aforementioned provisions are deliberately provided in the constitution to enable the National Assembly to provide a counter-balance to the Executive and to also facilitate compliance with regulations, extant laws, and ultimately the rule of law. In addition, the proper oversight function of the NASS Committees over MDAs cannot be over-emphasized.

    Accordingly, in view of the aforementioned points made, it is also my view that over the years the oversight function of the National Assembly has been grossly under-utilized/ abused. It is more events-driven and transactional than result-oriented. We look forward to a 10th NASS that will be more result-oriented in terms of over-sight functions.

    Constituency Representation

    One of the consequences of non-performance of legislations in terms of constituency representation manifested in the outcome of the 2023 general elections where we witnessed the highest turn-over of members the NASS. Out of a total of 469 NASS members, only 142 returned to the 10th NASS reflecting that about 70% of members of the 9th NASS members could not return to the 10th NASS which is majorly due to poor constituency representation. This outcome reflects the high political awareness of Nigerians at this point of our political history. I expect that this trajectory of awareness and demand for transparency, accountability and dividend of democracy will only increase and will reflect more in our future election outcomes. The days of sharing of meager sums of money, a few goats, frying pans, etc. to constituents as constituency projects, which amounts to insulting the intelligence of citizens will no longer be fashionable, especially when compared to the humongous amount of money appropriated and disbursed to legislators for constituency projects.

    Cost of governance

    The 10th NASS is also expected to support significant reduction of the cost of governance by the Executive and Legislature to demonstrate to Nigerians their readiness to make sacrifices the way other citizens have been making sacrifices and are yet again are being asked to make more sacrifices for the betterment of Nigeria. Only when the 10th NASS aligns with the Executive arm to make significant sacrifices; will Nigerians believe that they are serious.

    Conclusion

    I hope that the 10th Assembly will undertake some candid self-appraisals, and take the necessary steps with the requisite political will to upscale the performance of the Legislature for the better. Otherwise, the impression in the following quote will become the reality of our Legislature; “A Parliament is nothing less than a big meeting of more or less idle people.” – Walter Bagehot, English Journalist, Businessman and Writer, 1826-1877.

  • Soludo’s clarion call to Ndi Anambra

    Soludo’s clarion call to Ndi Anambra

    SIR: Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s call to Anambra State indigenes in Lagos and beyond to come back to the state to invest could not have come at a more auspicious time. This appeal was made at a town hall meeting with Anambra State indigenes on June 23.

    A culmination of events in our polity has made it imperative for Anambrarians, and in extension the Igbo’s to activate the ‘Aku luo uno’ philosophy. The philosophy that encourages investment in the homeland.

     The recent constitutional review that moved railways and power to the concurrent list is more than enough reason to get Anambrarians onboard the ‘Think home’ philosophy promoted by the governor. With this review, state governments can now, to a large extent actually control the developmental narrative of their respective states. The possibilities are enormous, and it will require a concerted and well heeled investment drive to bring these developmental initiatives to fruition.

    Ndi Anambra are renowned for their commercial and trading prowess. They can be found doing business in every nook and cranny of Nigeria and beyond in their quest for accomplishments. They settle nicely, pay taxes and make immense contribution to the development of their host communities. They have proven over and over again as development catalysts wherever they find themselves.

    As much as these are admirable attributes; it leads me to what I term as the ‘hubris’ of this noble and industrious people; which is the development of their host communities to the utter neglect of their homeland. This attitude is ingrained in the belief of Ndi Igbo that ‘wherever one live is home and should made livable and prosperous’. Investing at home does not necessary mean that Anambra will cut economic ties with Nigeria. Last time I checked Anambra is still a state within Nigeria. The push is for Ndi Anambra to have greater investment presence in order actualize the much needed development befitting of a 21st century modern state.

    Read Also: Soludo terminates 30-year communal dispute

    The Nigerian economic and socio-political landscape is undergoing a lot of changes. We are entering the era where the sub nationals will be more assertive and assume primacy in their developmental priorities. Governor Soludo aka Charlie Nwamgbafor, should be given all the support required to make Anambra State a livable and prosperous space. On the governor’s part, he must engender and earn the trust, respect and love of his people. If there is no buy-in by the people on this project, it is as good as dead on arrival. This, he must do by avoiding unnecessary controversies that might pitch him against Anambrarians. His not too palatable run in with Mr. Peter Obi is a pointer to this advice.

    One of the most critical thing the governor must do towards achieving success in the think home project is to ensure the security of lives and property. Without security, not much can be achieved in this direction. It is obvious that the security issue is beyond him in spite of his laudable effort. It is in this regard that it is pertinent that the federal government extends to him the required support to arrest the security situation in Anambra specifically and the Southeast in general. The security situation in the state is the elephant in the room.

    On paper, Nigeria is a federation, but, with a suffocating centre that has a choke hold on the federating states. It won’t be out of place to qualify Nigeria as practicing a unitary system of government. But recent constitutional reforms seem to be addressing some of the anomalies that run contrary to the practice of federalism. In the light of the above, there seem to be a new vigor and heightened drive by some of the states/regions to seize the new opportunities provided by these reforms to re-align, accelerate and extend the frontiers of development in their respective domains.

    Anambra State should not be found wanting in the above regard. The state has both the human and material resources to rise up to the occasion and do the needful. The Anambra State government must be accorded all the necessary support to realize this laudable objective.

    •Enukorah-Ekokah,

    Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra State.

  •  FCT’s indigenous people deserve ministerial slot

     FCT’s indigenous people deserve ministerial slot

    SIR: All eyes are now on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reveal his ministerial nominees. Nigerians await with keen interest the personalities to be tapped from across the country to form the next Federal Executive Council (FEC). The emergence of ministers will enable the people gauge the intent and direction of Mr. President towards tackling myriads of development challenges facing the country.

    During this waiting period, indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja have a course to renew their perennial agitation to be considered for ministerial appointment. Just like other Nigerians, irrespective of where they may reside on the globe are interested in the affairs of their ancestral home and constantly stay in tune with ongoing developments in their states, indigenes of FCT likewise yearn for such representation, justice, equity and fairness within the Nigeria project.

    Since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, indigenes of FCT have been treated as second class citizens in the country. No president has considered it appropriate to appoint from the pool of brilliant personalities of the indigenes of the FCT as Minister of the FCT.

     Aside representation, ministerial appointment is a balancing act that guarantees sense of belonging to all the federating units of the country. Indigenous people of the FCT have been denied these two fundamental rights over the years. Out of the nine ethnic groups in the FCT, none has been regarded for appointment or considered as having the rights to be represented. The opportunity to correct this anomaly soonest rather than later, presently beckons on President Tinubu.

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    The FCT is by no means bereft of indigenes politically and academically qualified to efficiently perform the duties of ministers. In the past and present dispensations, several citizens from amongst the FCT aboriginals have distinguished themselves in various capacities of national assignments.

    The people of Abuja should not be reduced to a lost people in the wilderness of history. Where they come from is not lost on them. These beautiful people of Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbira, Gade, Ganagana, Gbagyi, Gbari, Gwandara and Koro ethnicity have not had a feel of what representation at the highest level of Nigeria’s political echelon feels like since 1999. They have also not benefitted from other cabinet appointments in the past. This has left many of the indigenes in states of dejection and a feel of political marginalization.

    A decision by President Tinubu to appoint an indigene of the FCT as minister as well as giving due consideration for appointment in other ministerial positions, will demonstrate the spirit of federal character and his slogan of renewed hope will automatically resonate across the length and breadth of the FCT and beyond.

    •Deborah Yusuf,

    Abuja. 

  • Governor Namadi’s bold vision in Jigawa 

    Governor Namadi’s bold vision in Jigawa 

    SIR: Jigawa State, aptly termed “The New World” is endowed with tremendous natural and human resources. However, harnessing the resources had been an issue until recently. It was amidst a strong yearning for a leader who would appropriately harness the resources that the people of Jigawa State on May 29, elected Mallam Umar A Namadi, FCA as it 5th civilian governor.

    For the people of Jigawa State, it has been in tandem with the ancient Italian saying that “the right man comes at the right season”. Governor Namadi came into office with a clear vision to develop the state based on his development blueprint tagged “Development Agenda for Greater Jigawa. The blueprint is premised on speedy development through prudent management of human and material resources. Taking deliberate steps to ensure realization of the stated objectives, the governor has been working assiduously towards a leaner, efficient, prudent, and responsive and above all, competent bureaucracy.

    Over the last 30 days, Governor Namadi has become a metaphor of administrative excellence with the appointment of key officials and establishment of Jigawa State Empowerment/Employment Agency. The pace of development in the state has underlined the administration’s determination to transform Jigawa into an enviable state beyond the expectations of the people.

    Mallam has demonstrated an uncommon spirit in his revolutionary drive of transforming the entire institutional framework of governance, employing in its wake, the reports of various transition committees whose articulated roadmap and blueprint have accounted for the phenomenal developments landmarks widely acclaimed by political pundits.

    With his performance in just a few days on the saddle, Mallam Umar A Namadi has earned the trust and confidence of many people. He is charting a new course of state and his work simply speaks for him. There is a general consensus that the government is working for the good people of Jigawa.

    Read Also: Supreme Court affirms Namadi as APC’s Gov candidate in Jigawa

    His administration’s vision is “to build a broad-based, dynamic and competitive economy that ensures the prosperity and well-being of its citizens and secures its children, given its varied natural resources, tourism endowment and demonstrable political will, its potential for real and sustained growth is not in doubt”.

    In Jigawa today, he has secured an orientation shift that promotes “business unusual” policy as a veritable platform to build the state.

    There is no doubt that many aspects of development by individuals and nations have been fired and propelled by vision which is regarded as an indispensable ingredient and catalyst in the dynamics of human existence. This is why Woodrow Wilson once emphasized that “no one that does not see vision will ever realize any high hope or undertake any high enterprise”, a pragmatic statement reinforced by that of Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Where there is no vision, a people perish”.

    Namadi is transforming the state into a hub of activities within the shortest possible time. He has given the Jigawa person a new sense of identity –one that is based on the “can do” spirit and a deep appreciation of his place in the Nigerian scheme of things. He has shown that government can indeed be a force for good and that a peoples’ spirit can be lifted and the wings of their dreams can soar above and beyond conventional thought and beliefs. He is working totally impervious to the challenges of the moment: seeing the bigger picture of how his state would benefit from his relentless contribution.

    •Ahmad Muhammad Danyaro,

    Wuse 2, Abuja.

  • Putting the best foot forward

    Putting the best foot forward

    • By Mike Kebonkwu

    Mr President has appointed service chiefs and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu leads the pack as the National Security Adviser (NSA).  The appointment putts a paid end to the initial speculation whether Ribadu was Special Adviser on Security or the NSA.  How much do we know about these individuals?  For Nuhu Ribadu, he is not obscure in security circles as a former cop and foundational chairman of the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).  Methinks he is eminently qualified; notwithstanding the poor conversation and analysis on media platforms that the conventional practice and expectation is to have a retired top military brass with pedigree as NSA. The appointment of Service Chiefs was timely because security has never ceased to be a nagging problem across the country. 

    The service chiefs have since taken over in their respective departments and institutions. There is the usual initial upbeat, promising to fight insecurity and restore peace and order just as it is customary after such appointments and thereafter the enthusiasm fizzles out. This is good talk; but the truth is that insecurity is not going to be won by political sloganeering and propaganda.  There should be no grandstanding about the campaign to restore peace and security; the NSA and the security chiefs just have to put foot down and do the right things; no media show. 

    Security remains a huge challenge and other economic and socio-political activities depend on the level of security in the country.  Insecurity has been a defining feature of our polity since returning to democratic rule in 1999 from the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo and it has got worse with the progress of time. We have non-state actors actively competing for authority almost in all the geo-political zones.  The proliferation of light weapons and armament in the hands of these criminal elements and their sleeper cells across the country speak to the failure of the intelligence community.  The fact that these criminals have their sphere of control of territory and challenge the authority of the state speak to the dwindling fortune of the military that has become fractious and bickering.

    The insurgency of the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Northeast still muster the capacity to launch audacious attack on troops and their locations.  The bandits in the Northwest and North-central are as daring with no known mark of difference in their modus operandi except that while the form contest for state power under the guise of religion, the latter is purely criminal enterprise of commercial nature harvesting resources and also taking taxes from the people.  The barbaric savagery and bloodbath in Kaduna and Plateau states have remained unabated, attributed to both bandits and herdsmen with ransom taking in large scale.  Their footprints are in both Benue and Kogi states with savage spectacles to behold like aliens contracted for genocidal mission leaving trails of tears and blood.

    In the Southeast, the unknown gunmen and separatists operate as if they are a parallel government declaring forced holidays (stay-at-home) on weekly basis for and including government workers in the civil service and traders. The forests in the South-south of Edo State down to Ondo to the entire Southwest have been taken over by criminal gangs and groups that the government cannot positively identify. How can government and its agencies be referring to criminal gangs operating audaciously as “unknown” gunmen?  Are they spirits?

    The same is true of labelling marauding killers in Plateau and Benue states as herdsmen.  When we see herdsmen, we know them.  The intelligence community and the security forces have to up their games this time around, identify the criminals and deal with them.  This is the overview of the security situation facing the country; it is widespread.

    Read Also: Ribadu and Nigeria’s security challenges

     On the appointment of the service chiefs, only a master tactician and a political strategist could pull this stunt and opening gambit with a resounding ovation with an eye on geo-political balancing and national character.  They may have come from relative obscurity but the service chiefs are eminently qualified in their own rights in relation to their career records.  This is not to throw a dice on their competences and capability as time will tell.  It is not in doubt that the new service chiefs will enjoy the respect of their peers in service; and in any case, they command it as of right, tradition and military ethics. 

    With his appointment as the NSA, Mallam Ribadu would be responsible for the coordination of the security apparatuses of the state.  Nuhu Ribadu himself an ex-cop and a crème of the high echelon of the Nigeria Police Force was the foundational chairman of the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).  He breathed life and vibrancy to the office from inception that at the mention of the EFCC, the political thieves catch cold.  One thing is certain about the ex-cop: he is supremely confident and understands the Nigerian political turf as well as the security network of the country.  He has gut and plenty of it; if anybody has a doubt about this, you may want to confirm from his former boss, and Inspector General of Police now late, Tafa Balogun of blessed memory.  Some people speculate that his appointment was a reward for loyalty to Mr President.  Not a bad prize for someone also that is competent with track record; after all, honesty has its own reward.

    If he finds a C-in-C who is ready to take responsibility, he has the capacity and liver to deliver.  Appointing Ribadu was a smart move to break from the mould and he will be hungry to deliver and prove naysayers wrong.  The argument that the service chiefs may not accord him respect because he has no record of military service does not hold water; service in the military or police is not a requirement or qualification for the office of the NSA.  The job schedule of each of the offices is well defined and they all enjoy their appointments at the pleasure of the same C-in-C.  The good thing about the military is respect for hierarchy and it will smack of indiscipline for any of them to assume and disrespect the office of the NSA.  I do not foresee any problem of synergy and mutual respect in their relationship as team players.  Public office is for national service not an ego trip in self-aggrandizement.  

    Mr President should be ready to rein in any of his appointee that goes out of steps and whip him into line. In any case, for any public office holder, if you do not like the heat, you stay off the kitchen.

    What should concern Nigerians at this point is how this team of service chiefs takes on the security challenges in the country so that we can move freely without having to write our wills before proceeding on a journey.  If the state demonstrates the political will, the security forces have no choice but to deliver. Pictures and dossiers of the service chiefs have been flying in the media with some out-rightly exaggerated.  In terms of geographical spread or national character, the president hit the bull’s eye. It is irritatingly offensive to hear that some people are questioning the purity of the Igbo-ness of the Chief of Naval Staff; that is balderdash.  

    For the Chief of Army Staff, he is a calm and measured person with self-confidence. He has held a few critical Command appointments as former General Officer (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army and GOC 1st Division in Kaduna. He is an infantry officer to boot. With the right political support, he can turn the fortune of the Nigerian Army.  He needs all the prayers against internal sabotage and brewing schism that is creeping into the military. Given the opportunity and necessary political will, he can draw blood from the criminal elements and enemies of the state without negotiation.  The military has a constitutional duty to secure Nigeria and do not need permission before they deal with the enemies of the state.  He has the capacity to breathe on the necks of his lieutenants and subordinates.  The daunting challenge before him as with other service chiefs is discipline amongst the ranks and file which has taken a nosedive. 

    If Nigeria wants to get security right, we should be ready to go back to the drawing board and take a good look at what the armed forces has become today as against what it was in the recent past from the 1980s up to the 1990s.

    The Nigerian military of the 1980s and 1990s produced core professionals who defined their job in relation to the peace and security of the country.  Anywhere there was brewing insecurity, it did not take eternity to rein in the criminals whether it was religious, tribal or separatist groups.  Talking about the military that produced the likes of late General Sani Abacha, Victor Malu, Salihu Ibrahim, Attahiru Ibrahim, Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe, Air Marshall Ibrahim Alfa and  Etim Iyang of the Nigeria Police Force.  These were amongst our finest crème of military and police officers that command unquestionable respect from their peers, exuding absolute confidence acting in the best interest of the country with absolute courage and gut.  The nation expects so much from the new team and they need our support.  We should not provide platform for gang leaders and separatist to malign and impugn on the integrity of the military. 

    The president has put the best foot forward so far.  I want to wish the new service chiefs a successful tour of duty as they navigate this very difficult voyage to restore peace and order to the country.

    •Kebonkwu Esq, a lawyer, writes from Abuja.

  • Fashola: Celebrating a political outlier at 60

    Fashola: Celebrating a political outlier at 60

    • By Olatunji Oke

    Turning 60 is a significant and special milestone in the life of any mortal. Depending on the celebrator, a gaudy or godly celebration is permissible to mark the occasion. Former U.S. President Barack Obama turned 60 in August 2021. This was when the world was still grappling with the aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic with the attendant lockdowns and social distancing. For an otherwise modest and restrained person, Obama reckoned that he could only be 60 once in this lifetime. 

    Despite the hoopla that trailed the announcement of his 60th birthday party, which necessitated a ‘scaled back’ guests list, Obama went ahead to have a ball and a blast with his starry circle of guests including Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Spielberg, George Clooney, and Erykah Badu among other A-listers and Hollywood heavyweights. Well, Covid-19 is now a thing of the past or so. 

    Yet, the latest inductee into the sexagenarian club, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, is not ever likely to throw a party. Fashola turned 60 Wednesday, June 28. Yet, he does not believe in the fanfare and pomp and circumstance of birthday celebrations.

    Ten years ago when he turned 50, aides and associates fell over themselves to throw a jaw-dropping party for him. When he got wind of it, he called it off. Rationalising this in a dated interview, he said, “By nature, I am not a ceremonious person. I don’t like all the noise and partying. When I saw all the plans going on for my 50th, I said no. If this is my day, then those who really love me should allow me to do it the way I want to. I have told my aides how I feel about this whole 50th birthday celebration. I asked them if governors in other countries don’t have their birthdays and is it usually in such a loud way and manner. If I do it my own way it won’t cost me that much to receive my visitors. I funded my 40th birthday when I was Chief of Staff and it cost me so much. I am not quite sure I can do the same now. 

    “As a governor, it will cost me more. I am not sure I want to spend that kind of money on parties. And to tell you the truth, the idea that probably I will have a birthday at taxpayers’ expense is something that does not go down well with me and it’s only for 24 hours. So I am going to have a very quiet and simple day with close friends and family.”

    That is vintage Fashola! He exemplifies a successful outlier in Nigerian politics in many ways. Indeed, it seemed just like yesterday that a suave and smooth-talking 43-year-old lawyer and then Chief of Staff to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu sauntered into public consciousness aspiring to succeed his boss as governor of Nigeria’s most important state. Until then, he was relatively unknown in the political calculus of the state. How could Tinubu have supported the little-known lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria though, ahead of more formidable politicians? Many wondered. Tinubu stood his ground. With the benefit of prescience, he had seen in the University of Benin Law graduate what many did not see. As God would have it, the good people of Lagos State voted massively for Fashola in the 2007 governorship polls. It was only a matter of time before the whole world started seeing in Fashola what Tinubu had seen.

    Read Also: VIDEO: Gov Sanwo-Olu attends Fashola’s 60th birthday

    Fashola would prove to be a different kind of governor. Gifted with an unnerving self-confidence and a nonpareil oratorical skill, Fashola was a breath of fresh air – youthful, measured, and mild-mannered. As governor, he was prudent yet, prodigious; and painstaking but proactive. The Lagos that Fashola met needed rejuvenation and resurgence and he diligently and fearlessly went about these. 

    One recalls with nostalgic flourish his cleansing of Oshodi, until then a deplorable, seamy underworld of all criminal activities known to humanity. And the hotbed of avoidable traffic gridlock. By the time Fashola divested Oshodi of its infamous toga, it became a marvel, a sedate thoroughfare with orderly traffic. That was all he needed, among other achievements in the early years, to tell Lagosians that it would not be business as usual for his administration. 

    During his fast-paced, work-filled, and praise-worthy odyssey as helmsman of Lagos State, Fashola evolved as an administrator par excellence. He also emerged as one of those rare breeds who rule their world and are not bound by a time clock; that group of people who see failure as a launch pad to the success that they either have achieved or seek to achieve. Nothing sets them in a bootstrapping mood like setbacks and challenges. 

    Their resoluteness when plights and ordeals rear their ugly heads is a lesson in resilience. Fashola’s handling of the Ebola scourge in 2014 comes to mind. Even when the tides appear to be rising against him, Fashola is never to be underrated. He is like a phoenix that rises from the ashes of tribulation to the peak of success against all odds. He is also driven by the belief that a man’s reach should always exceed his grasp, which is why he reaches for the moon, knowing that if his grasp missed its cusp, his hands may land on the stars. 

    Through the rough and tough times, the frustrating times of enlightening people about why certain policies or decisions had to be taken; why, for instance, Okada had to be banned on major highways to reduce the incidence of accidents on Lagos roads despite the concomitant loss of jobs; banning roadside trading; and the labyrinthine tax system among others; Fashola held his head high.

    He turned Lagos around, re-engineered its economy, making it one of the fastest-growing in the continent; combated the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease like a Trojan in 2014; soothed the sorrows of people during adversities; built them affordable homes; and constructed new roads where there were none among other success stories.

    He always held that governance should be about the good of all, not a negligible section of the populace. Thus, by the time the All Progressives Congress, APC, came on board in 2014, Fashola unwittingly became its poster boy. And he parlayed his star power for the gains of the APC in the presidential and governorship elections in 2015.

    In the first coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, Fashola was, unsurprisingly, appointed the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, making him a super minister of a sort; a primus inter pares among ministers. Four years after, he was reappointed by President Buhari as Minister of Works and Housing, which undergirds the president’s unflinching belief in his capacity to deliver. In all these illustrious positions, he left indelible footprints of achievements that will be the high water mark that subsequent occupiers would be measured by. Say what you will of former President Buhari, a discerning and dispassionate majority believes that no administration in the history of Nigeria’s existence revamped national infrastructure as much as President Buhari. Fashola superintended that ministry!

    Almost two decades after his first public office appointment, Fashola has become one of Nigeria’s most adored politicians of his generation. The occasion of his 60th birthday touches a personal chord in some of us who saw him work at close quarters in those early, tentative days; how he surmounted some of the debilitating challenges that confronted an emerging mega city like Lagos; showing concern and compassion for everyday Lagosian, and how he set Lagos on the path of progress and prosperity. 

    We saw a devoted and hands-on family man who never shirked his filial and paternal responsibilities notwithstanding his punishing schedule. As his ‘aburos’, we benefitted immensely from his well of wisdom and encouragement which is why he quadruples, for many of us, as a role model, leader, mentor, and friend. Personally, I remain eternally grateful to him for leading me by the hand through life’s many vicissitudes and helping to actualise the vision of Lagos Indicator as a veritable feedback mechanism of his administration’s activities.

    However, whether he throws a party or allows one thrown for him, the former Lagos State governor has earned his stripes in public office and he deserves all the accolades that come his way. The outpouring of well-wishes from across the world is a pointer to the fact that he has impacted mankind in his various political offices and given the opportunity, would do even more!

    •Oke is a publisher.