Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Former Editorial Board Chairman of The Guardian, Dr Reuben Abati, was a fiery columnist before he went into government between 2011 and 2015. Abati, winner of Fletcher Challenge Commonwealth Prize for Opinion Writing (2000), was Special Adviser, Media and Publicity of the President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, Abati speaks on his voyage into the world of criticism, his government days, the Buhari administration and national issues.

Being a critic, I am sure you would have offended some people. How have you been able to maintain your relationship with those you criticise and those who criticise you?

People should have a sense of humour. The first principle of intellectual work is humility. You are trained to know that you don’t know it all; and that every viewpoint is relative and important. When you are engaged in intellectual pursuit, you don’t act like your view is superior to that of others, because it is from the interplay of perspectives that knowledge is obtained and quality contribution made to scholarship. So, I don’t go about carrying in my head that this person criticised me; so this he/she is not my friend.Take, for instance, Rudolph ‘Dr Damages’ Okonkwo whose book, This AmericanLife Sef’s reading, I attended in Lagos, I have been a victim in his hands for more than 10 years, even before I went to Abuja.

He was one of those attacking me but we are still friends because we know that the larger objective is to move our country forward. It is not about personal issues, but about our commitment to the public space in ensuring that Nigeria is a good and open society for the benefit of all. We are friends, it doesn’t matter whatever our views are. And there is a rich dialogue going on out there about Nigeria by Nigerians in the Diaspora on issues pertaining to the country.

 How was the experience of moving from the critical mass into the other side of the divide?

I think it was a great experience. And in the process, I must have acquired some additional skills and experience. Also, it was an office that offered me additional responsibility – and it was a very challenging one.

Looking back also, it was a tough work because I was dealing with a very critical constituency. It was a very political period, with a very vibrant opposition that challenged every little effort by that administration. It was like going to war. Coming out from the warfront, when you get back home, there would be memories, there would be experiences; but at the end of the day, we thank God for the opportunity.

Of all the wars you fought  as presidential spokesperson, which was the toughest?

Well, politics is war by another means. One of the toughest moments was after the deregulation of the downstream sector. You know that marked a turning point for the Jonathan administration in January 2012 when we had Occupy Nigeria’s protest and all that. And trying to explain something that you would think was very simple to the public and straightforward enough was a problem because the opposition was ahead in imposing a certain prejudice. Ironically, a new administration came in and did exactly the same thing. Then, you begin to ask yourself: the same people, the same issue, but in one instant it caused so much problem and resulted in long-term loss of goodwill for one administration; but with another administration, the people just accepted it. I think it is something we can interrogate on another level.

Was it tougher than the Chibok girls’ issue?

The Chibok girls’issue was another turning point. But the very first was the deregulation of the downstream sector. That is what we call it officially, but you call it removal of fuel subsidy.

How has your being on both sides of the divide impacted your writing?

It enriched my perspective. And that is what is important. And you would how find it has impacted my writing in some pieces I have done in recent times.  I’d give you two quick examples. When everybody was saying President Muhammadu Buhari was travelling very often, that he should stay at home, I wrote a piece defending him. I said he is the Number One diplomat of the country and it is part of his job to engage the international community. And if there are things to address internationally, you can’t complain that he is travelling too often. A President cannot travel too much. It is part of his job. That is not the full summary of the article but the premise – and I offered a defence. If I didn’t go into government, I probably would have had a different perspective. But if you ask me 100 times, I would defend it because I was there and I know that Presidents don’t go on tourist trips. It is not a jamboree; it is a lot of work because I was involved. And recently when John Kerry was visiting Nigeria, I wrote a piece, John Kerry’s visit: Beyond the cover story. If I had not been in government, I probably would not have been able to write such a piece. Somebody who had not had my kind of experience would probably just write a general copy, full stop.

But I was there. I was involved in interfacing with the Foreign Affairs ministry; I was involved in preparing briefs on international trips, on foreign visits and diplomats coming to see the President. I was involved in helping to edit their copies, walking with diplomats, discussing with them and attending meetings. So, I had an idea. I know what a President would face when he has an important visitor like that. So, I could prepare a brief to guide foreign affairs. If I had not been there, I would not have been able to write such a copy.

  But some critics say the President does not need to travel so much since the Foreign Affairs Minister is there?

No, it is not the same thing in international relations. It is not enough to say, when the Minister of Foreign Affairs is there, why does he need to travel? It is not the same thing. Every minister is an appointee of the President. Even when he sends an ambassador, they are there as his agents. And the highest level of government-to-government relations is  between the  presidents of countries A and country B, sitting together and exchanging views. And it is a serious business. People can complain about the size of delegation;  that is not what I am talking about. But they cannot say the President cannot do his job as the country’s Number One citizen.

What is your take on the way the Niger Delta crisis is being handled?

I have written on that. In my last article on that I was saying, there was no point in adopting violence or military repression as a strategy – that the issues at the basis of the renewed protests would still need to be addressed.

Some say your articles are no longer as critical since your voyage into government …

That is not true. Since I left office, I have written on the Niger Delta Avengers; I have written on MASSOB. There is no topical issue that I have not actually treated. But I have not been doing frontline political writing because it could be misinterpreted as sour grapes. You can’t be a spokesman for the immediate past President, and immediately, you start criticising the people who are there. That would be sour grapes.

Do you have any regrets going into politics that you don’t want to talk about?

No regrets. In fact, it was a good experience. If you are in the private sector, you probably would not know what goes on in the public sector. But if you have that kind of experience that moving from one side to the other offers, in the long run, it’s an advantage.

It was an opportunity to learn a lot – I learnt a lot. Looking back, the kind of experience I have had, not too many people have been that privileged. So, it is not a thing to talk about regrets: it’s a thing to be grateful for because in 100 years, not many Nigerians would have the opportunity to even have that exposure.

I am sure you’ve had many people asking you, what next, after being presidential spokesperson? Let me be presumptuous, what next – journalism or memoirs?

Well, I have never left journalism. Immediately I left Abuja, I went to Oxford to do a programme on the side so that I could refresh, having been in the midst of politicians for four years. And immediately I came back, The Guardian asked me to continue writing my columns. And I have been writing those columns – Saturday and Sunday – for more than a year now.

Segun Adeniyi and Governor El-Rufai each wrote a book about their experiences while in government, are we expecting one from you?

Definitely, but when? I cannot say. Certainly, the experience was so rich and the exposure was so useful that it would be a disservice not to at least, someday, sit down and reflect on it. But, when you leave the government, I don’t think it would be a good idea to rush quickly and go and write. At the end of the day, you’d discover certain gaps. It probably helps to give some time for reflection. And in the light of what has been happening in the last one-and-a-half years, there are new revelations coming up that could guide anyone who wants to write about the President Jonathan years.

Basically, I think the kind of experience that we had should be documented and I would like to do it. Although when I was in office, there were people on the social media who were saying “we know Abati would write a book one day. And if he writes it, we would not read it, we would not buy it. And I used to be amazed – that a book that has not been written, people are already saying they would not read it”. (Laughs).

 

Have your phones started ringing…again?

The first line in my article, some weeks ago was that “It looked like my phones were gradually beginning to play Lazarus”. (Laughs).

Many artistes have documented various aspects of the nation’s socio-political life since 1999, using books, drama, music and movies as formats. The latest of such documentaries is Kolade Oshinowo’s Changing Times, which reflects the nation’s dark side, consequences of bad governance and lack of desire for progress, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.  

Chibok Girls, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Cries from Sambisa Forest, Immigrants and No Fuel, No Work: these artworks signpost Kolade Oshinowo’s collection of paintings and drawings in his forthcoming solo art exhibition Changing Times holding at Terra Kulture Gallery on Victoria Island, Lagos.

In reaction to these developments, especially insecurity, Oshinowo, who was working on fabric collage as theme of his exhibition, opted for the challenges plaguing the nation. Expectedly, scanning most of the works is akin to reading a newspaper filled with horrifying reports on insecurity and its attendant casualties.

Despite the tragic nature of some of the issues, Oshinowo renders the paintings in subtle tones that leaves viewers less troubled by the visual representation. For instance, paintings, such as Tears from Sambisa, Escape from Sambisa and Immigration, which mirror some of these horrible situations, are still colourful and interesting to behold. This trait is not unexpected of the former Deputy Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, who has sustained an artistic practice for over four decades as a professional.

Oshinowo graduated from Ahmadu Bello University(ABU), Zaria in 1972, a period that witnessed the post-Zarianist ideology that impacted on visual arts practice in Nigeria. Apart from the miseries on the land, the retired art teacher also mirrors the changing realities in the socio-economic spheres such as fuel scarcity, commerce, religion among others. No fuel, No work, Omo Oloja, The Arena, Return to Oyingbo, Divine Encounters, Enclosed market and The Assembly are some of the paintings Oshinowo uses to document the changing times in the society. Instructively, the theme of the exhibition aptly expresses the diversity of the collection as well as moments in the nation’s history.

Like many famous male artists, Oshinowo is never shy to paint female figures, especially in a group setting like market scene. Paintings, such as Youth wing, Neighbourhood fish hawkers, They come from Makoko, Celebrity and Socialites confirm the artist’s penchant for female figures. But the rendition of the works reflects the maturity of the artist in handling colours.

According to the artist, these are, indeed, troubling times. “My output includes works that attempt to reflect our dark side and the consequences of several wrong choices we have made as a nation. Negative reports have invariably overshadowed what we always assumed to be our ‘normal’ life. Our state of wickedness and penchant for ‘man’s inhumanity to man’ has continued to assault our collective psyche robbing us of our genuine desire for progress,” he said.

How does Oshinowo handle some of these realities? He finds it difficult to remove himself fromcertain elements. For instance, he has been painting divine intervention since 1998 and he is still painting it. “There is hopelessness in the land, so we seek God’s intervention. I work with a great deal of energy and passion; unending streams of responses to various stimuli within our socio-economic, political, cultural and environmental space. Decades of uninterrupted studio practice, searching, researching, exploring and discovering has often resulted in my desire to outdo myself.

“I try to subject reality to a preferential process of selection and choosing only what it is in concert or harmony with my own disposition. I allow my paintings to talk to me in a meditative engagement in my work. This dialogue has enabled me to give life to a large body of work,” he said.

Primarily, Oshinowo dedicates many of his  paintings to raising people’s consciousness about the excess luggage that come with absence of good governance and corruption in the society. He believes that he may not be able to solve the problems using painting as a platform, but can highlight them for the public. “For a long time to come, Sambisa forest will not be forgotten in a hurry because of the imagery it has created in people’s minds. In fact, any painting or drawing must have a story line, that is one sure way for it to remain timeless,” he said.

Oshinowo urged younger artists to be more creative and dig deeper in their works rather than lifting other famous artists’works. “In the short run, it may work, but in the long run, it will be disaster,” he added.

Changing Times, which will open from September 17 to 27, will feature 52 paintings and drawings. They include Lone umbrella, Survival, Ancestral masquerade, Vanity, Brothers, Return to Oyingbo, Omo Oloja, Enclosed market, The Arena and The assembly.

Global School Feeding Sourcebook – Lessons from 14 Countries (2016) is a publication on the school- feeding programme by the World Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), with the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), to understand why so many poor countries were using the programme as a key part of their response to emerging food, fuel and financial crises of 2008.

The book indicates that 14 countries have implemented the programme, particularly to provide guidelines to decision makers and practitioners on school feeding by analysing programmes in various countries, using a standardised approach and then to compare their case studies to see what lessons can be learned. They are Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa.

Accordingly, the programmes are gaining  recognition for their twin roles as a long-term social protection investment as well as acting as a productive safety net for children and their families in the short-term. The research by developmental partners review that the programme was meant to help get children into school and keep them there, increasing enrolment and reduce absenteeism; and also to contribute to their learning, through aavoiding hunger and enhancing cognitive abilities.

The programme has been linked to job creation, agricultural sector received boost in terms of demands, helped to guide countries as they make decision about different trade-offs in the design of the program and improved standard of the health of school children, evidenced in particular through a reduction in diarrheal cases, as well as cleanliness in the school environment.

There are equal numbers of programmes that adopt centralised and decentralised approaches, either to take action at the highest national level or at the most local school level; it is however the context that will determine which approach is more appropriate. Most programs have shown themselves however effective in terms of their outcomes. The programs commonly targeted at public schools with a good percentage of them producing one meal a day except countries such as Chile and Ecuador that gives two rations.

Approximately 368 children, which is one out of every five, receive a meal in a school day with universal coverage for most countries, excluding Nigeria where Osun State was the focal state.

The focus of the book is on building understating at country-level and document government school feeding programmes in low-and-middle income countries, ensures that positive contributions are made to food markets and the enabling systems around the countries generates structured and predictable demand for food products, thus benefiting farmers and promoting sustainable local economic development.

Comparatively, the programmes have shown that there are many routes to achieving a successful school feeding programme. It also shows that the programs themselves are surprisingly fluid and dynamic, often changing drastically as they evolve. This implies a continuing need for countries to monitor their programs in real time and to provide feedback that can lead to evidence-based changes in policy.

A well-articulated policy and legal framework helps to create a platform for cross sectorial interaction and helps ensure better policy alignment. Whatever the mechanism, some form of regulatory framework closely informed by the national context is a perquisite for effective, sustainable and government-owned school feeding programmes. Countries such as Brazil, Mexico and South-Africa regulates the programme through national Constitution but Osun State (Nigeria) is moving from reliance on technical guidelines towards developing a state level law on school feeding.

A critical study of Osun State School Feeding (O’MEAL) can be attributed to strong political will as well as effective financial disbursement and food procurement practices. Osun is located in the southwest, with a population of 3.5million out of the 168million Nigerians. Sometime in 2004, the Federal Government initiated the Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) through the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004 (UBEC, 2005). The legislation stipulated that at a minimum all state primary schools must provide one meal (breakfast, lunch or a take-home ration) a day to each pupil. To begin the national program the Federal Ministry of Education in 2005 decided on a phased pilot of the programme, which rolled out in 2006, beginning with 13 states from the six geo-political zones. The l3 pilot states included: Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, the Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, and Yobe. Of the pilot states, the Osun State HGSFHP (OSHGSFHP) was the only programme that remained, representing a model of good practice, among other school feeding initiatives in Nigeria.

The OSHGSFHP was, however, redesigned in 2012 and is now termed ‘Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-MEALS Programme). It provides a meal a day for over 252,000 primary s in elementary grades 1-4 in all 1,382 public primary schools in Osun State. One cook (commonly known in the O-MEALS Programme as a food vendor) prepares the school meal for at least 50 pupils.

The O-MEALS Programme receives 40% of the funding from the state and 60% of the funding from the constituting local governments. The total annual budget stands at N2.6 billion ($16.40 million), excluding staff salaries and other support costs covered by other ministries; while per child budget is N10, 080 ($63.40)  yearly. Unlike other school feeding programmes piloted in Nigeria, the O-MEALS Programme does not advocate for in-kind support from parents or from communities as it is in countries such as Mali, Namibia. In addition, N750,000 ($4,717) (N9 million [$56,604] yearly) is budgeted monthly for monitoring and evaluation.

The O-MEALS Programme is decentralised and community based. Hiring cooks is initiated at community-level. Women and traditional leaders participate in hiring cooks which ensures the credibility of the cooks from within the community. Although there is no document of quality standards for the O-MEALS Programme, the programme mandates a menu-based on the National Guidelines for School Meal Planning adjusted to accommodate seasonality and local availability.

Like Brazil School Feeding Programme, which is known as ‘ProgramaNacional de Alimentacao Escolar (PNAE) – the National School Feeding Programme was first introduced in early 1940s. Until 1993, school feeding implementation in Brazil was centralised at Federal level. It is an example of universal program, completely regulated and sponsored by the national government.

As at 2014, the programme has reached 42,333,722 children in 163,000 public schools – children with special education needs; kindergarten; pre-primary; primary, secondary, youth and adult education; indigenous; and slave-descendant communities are benefitting from the programme, making it the second largest programme in the world behind India.

When Cape Verde school feeding started in 1979, following independence with WFP assistance, it was an intervention to address food insecurity but in 2010, the government of Cape Verde took full responsibility of the program and has since changed the role of the program. The programme is universal, which covers children in primary schools from grade one to six as well as children in public pre-primary schools and provides a total of 85,079 pre-primary and primary school child with one meal per day.

Chile School feeding programme named Programa de Alimentacion Escolar (PAE) began as far back as 1929 and it covers 9,670 primary and secondary schools reaching 1,850,000 children with at least two rations depending on the categories (Breakfast and Lunch).

Cote d’Ivoire programme was adopted by the government as a means of achieving universal education. Earlier, they were supported by parents and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). WFP from 1989 to 1998 supported various projects through the government’s initiative, the Integrated Programme for the Sustainability of School Canteens ‘ProgrammeIntegre de Perennisation des CantinesScolaires’ was one of such.

In this context, the Ecuador government has  emphasised the development of an inclusive- social policy and in the consolidation of food assistance programmes such as school feeding.

 

Fifty-five loyal customers of Helping Lives, a joint initiative of A2W Ltd, Natures Pure Marvel and Generis Solutions, have been selected to take part in a six-day holiday trip to Dubai, in a rare gesture described by the organisation as a way of rewarding excellence.

The organisation, which has Ruzu Bitters as its flagship product, seeks to address three key issues of health, wealth and education. It is spending N50 million on the all-expenses paid trip where the beneficiaries will have the opportunity of an educative and empowerment conference participation, an amazing city tour, shopping in the biggest mall in the world, having a Dhow Cruise, enjoying the Desert Safari and dining in the only seven-star hotel – The Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Speaking in Lagos on Friday during the departure of the contingents, its Managing Director, Mr. Adeolu Akinyemi, said: “Few companies are making a difference to the bottom of the pyramid here in Nigeria as we have with Helping Lives.”

Helping Lives, according to him, is about eight months old and, in that short time, has empowered over 20,000 Nigerians with monthly income ranging from N10,000 to N2million.

“In that same of space, over 200 students have been given scholarships to return to school, not to mention the amazing health testimonies recorded via the use of her flagship product, Ruzu Bitters across Nigeria,” he said.

Reeling out various diseases plaguing the country, he said: “Helping Lives was created to help and alleviate the level of poverty we have in our country. By distributing a revolutionary health product, Helping Lives, distributos of Ruzu  Bitterss, have been able to help thousands live healthier, earn extra income and hundreds of students return to School.”

He said the 55 customers were being rewarded for being the most-driven ambassadors for the company’s product and the Helping Lives Initiative. ‘’It is also to celebrate their commitment to help people and making Nigeria a better place for all to live in,’’ he said.

Describing the initiative as noble, he said Ruzu Herbal Bitters is 100 per cent made-in-Nigeria, making Helping Lives-compliant with the drive of the government to buy made-in-Nigeria. “For everyone seeking an extra source of income with a passion for helping people, Helping Lives is one initiative to pay attention to,” he advised.

According to him, the organisation had held over 20 events hosted in various parts of Nigeria and it intended to sponsor local retreats and vacations to boost and encourage  tourism, national integration and a few international vacations to give its top customers the international exposure.