Austin Umahi, the younger brother to the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi Friday withdrew from the Ebonyi South Senatorial bye election.
This followed the zoning of the position to Onicha local government area by the State Working Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on the orders of Governor Francis Nwifuru.
His withdrawal followed a meeting by the Umahi family of Uburu, Ohaozara local government area where he was prevailed ipon to withdraw from the race.
The seat became vacant following the resignation of appointment Senator David Umahi upon his appointment as Minister of Works.
A statement by High Chief Nwaze Umahi the eldest son of Umahi’s family, x-rayed the contributions of Austin in building APC in Ebonyi state and noted that Austin would have had a clear winning if he should go on with his Ambition.
It however noted that the younger Umahi was prevailed upon to shelve his legitimate ambition in order to give peace a chance as no position is worth spilling the blood of anybody as no sincere person who wants to serve the people in any capacity ought to fight for it.
The Statement reads in part, ” The general public is hereby intimated that on the 28th day of December, 2023 , the family of late Joseph Umahi Nwaeze of Umunaga Uburu, Ohaozara LGA, Ebonyi State held a meeting whereat we reviewed the developments and utterances with respect to the vacant Ebonyi South senatorial seat which Austin Umahi had indicated interest in contesting on the APC platform and notes as follows:
“That the Umahi family is not unaware of the resolution purportedly passed by the State Working Committee(SWC) of the Ebonyi State APC purportedly zoning the Ebonyi South senatorial seat to Onicha Local Government Area.
“That the family is not unaware that the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution has no place in law as it’s the exclusive preserve of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) or the National Working Committee (NWC) to zone political offices, if need be, and to organize party primaries for all elective offices.
“That the family is fully convinced that it is the inalienable constitutional right of Austin Umahi, as a member of the APC and Nigerian citizen of Ebonyi South Senatorial District, to contest the APC primary for the rerun election to the vacant Ebonyi South Senatorial seat notwithstanding the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution.
“That the whole essence of the purportedly Ebonyi APC SWC resolution is to oust Austin Umahi from contesting the primary in view of the clear evidence on ground that Austin enjoys an overwhelming grassroot support capable of granting him outright victory in a free and fair APC primary and re-run elections in Ebonyi South.
“That contrary to the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution, the APC otherwise has a MORAL BURDEN to give Austin Umahi the right of first refusal in the Ebonyi South senatorial rerun election having earlier won the APC senatorial primary of 28th May 2022 which he relinquished on the intervention of the family to HE Engr David Umahi, the then Ebonyi state governor and current Minister of Works.
“That Austin Umahi is known to be a reliable APC member who has worked selflessly and relentlessly for victories of the party in Ebonyi State and was the Director General of Divine Mandate Campaign Council for HE Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, his sole agent in the governorship primary and his State Returning Officer in the governorship election of March 2023.
” He did all these to the satisfaction and admiration of both the APC members and non-members in Ebonyi State.
“That Austin Umahi has never enjoyed any political appointment, notwithstanding that he was the same person who dropped his position as National Vice Chairman of the PDP to defect to the APC with the then Ebonyi state governor, HE David Umahi, and joined since then in building the APC in 2020.
“Not withstanding the facts above highlighted:”The family of late Joseph Umahi Nwaze has decided to passionately appeal to Austin Umahi and his teaming loyal and dogged supporters to kindly shelve his legitimate ambition of contesting for the vacant Senatorial seat for now in order to give peace a chance and disappoint all those people who want to engender crisis and anarchy in Ebonyi South Senatorial District.
“That the family immensely appreciates Austin Umahi for accepting to drop his just ambition and thank his teaming supporters for their sustained support even after the purported Ebonyi APC SWC resolution”, the statement read.
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu is dead! May God repose his soul! Since nature abhors a vacuum, his Deputy, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has now been sworn-in as the substantive governor of the state. May God order his steps in the onerous tasks ahead!
By the way, if Aiyedatiwa could become the governor despite the intimidations from those whose hearts were made of rocks, nothing is impossible on earth. But then, this is just the beginning of what to expect in the foreseeable future, especially if the Obe-Nla, Ondo State-born politician is eyeing Alagbaka as its Chief Tenant, post-February 23, 2025. Interestingly, the governor’s many battles and subsequent triumph must have exposed him to the politics of Abuja. He can only build on this rare feat. Again, this is where playing politics through the party structures in the state comes in.
Isaac Kekemeke! Olusola Oke! Jimoh Ibrahim! Agboola Ajayi! Yele Omogunwa! ‘Bourdillon Boy’ Adewale Akinterinwa! Lucky Aiyedatiwa! But where did Ondo State miss it? For those who have refused to give hope to their people when it’s badly needed only to start scheming for the soul of the state invites an obvious question of development. Take, for instance, at least four Local Governments in the Ondo South Senatorial District of the state (Irele, Okitipupa, Ilaje and Ese-Odo) have been subjected to uninterrupted darkness since 2014. But, rather than rally to solve the problem, its leaders have always been candidates for “to your tent, O Israel”, until elections beckon.
As an oil-bearing community, Ilajeland statutorily produces Commissioners for the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC). Otito Atikase, who currently serves as Ondo State Representative on the NDDC Governing Board, is from Ugbo Kingdom. On his part, IfeOluwa Oyedele, the current Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services) at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), is from Igodan-Lisa in Okitipupa. Besides, Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Governments supply the Chairman, Secretary and two other members to the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC); and that’s a permanent feature. Discreet investigations also revealed a special derivation budgetary provision which accords the Senatorial District special attention.
But why can’t these leaders learn from the Akoko cultural sub-group of the state? When a similar challenge befell Akokoland some years back, the late Pastor T. B. Joshua was reportedly contacted and he promptly rose to the occasion. He committed a huge sum of his personal resources to it, and, within three months, Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Akoko South East and Akoko South West Local Governments were reconnected to the national grid. Other donors showed up only after ‘Emmanuel’ had already saved the day. The dangerous truth is that Ondo South is blessed with sons and daughters, some of whom are even wealthier than T.B. Joshua but whose wealth has not impacted their people. Well, that’s a story for another day!
With his death, Akeredolu now belongs in the past and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. So, as the world is now Aiyedatiwa’s, let it be noted that the worst is yet to happen to the ‘Sunshine State’, especially as political activities are expected to heat up in the coming days. Typical of Nigerians, those who lost out in past battles won’t want to let go of fate. The defeated will be expected to return to the trenches to devise new ways and means. But only for a while, they’ll return with deadlier plots to undermine the governor’s position, with one primary aim: prevent him from securing the party’s ticket to contest the next Ondo governorship election, slated for November 16, 2023. So, it is a matter of who blinks first. For luck to keep smiling on Aiyedatiwa depends on how seriously he takes the mantle handed over to him by providence. It is what will define the shape, size and trend of things to come. Therefore, the governor needs to beware of banana peels on his path to success. If his ambition is to retain the seat of power, he needs to do more.
Aiyedatiwa needs to study the body language of Abuja before jumping into the governorship race. Otherwise, it may amount to daring the lion in its den and the resultant ‘roforofo’ will be a burden too heavy to bear for a state that’s already lacking in good governance. Twice or thrice in Nigeria’s recent history, Bola Tinubu has sponsored candidates for the governorship position in Ondo State; twice or thrice, he has lost out. But that was then! The music has changed: power has smiled on the ‘Jagaban of Borgu’ and Tinubu is now the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed, even the unArmed Forces, with all the principalities and powers of that exalted office answerable to him. If the president wants, this is the time to exact his pound of flesh and right-thinking Nigerians needn’t take its likely implications for granted.
Yes, time may be no more on Aiyedatiwa’s side. However, those who think that he will take it cool or play by the rules are likely to be living in fool’s paradise. Similarly, those with the notion that the now-wounded ‘Aketi Boys’ and other interested parties in the political game will shy away from spoiling the show for the governor are yet to wake up from slumber. According to Femi Afolabi-Peters, a United Kingdom-based International Security and Intelligence Consultant, “all the events of the past months were nothing but politics of succession, especially, by those who believed they had brighter chances than the governor.”
In the words of the Specialist in Clandestine Security Operations, “power is not served ‘a la carte’. You gotta have a solid plan of action and seamless execution trajectory. Aiyedatiwa’s becoming the governor would bestow on him more powers and that’s bad news for those who professed love for Akeredolu but, in reality, they’re after self-interests anchored on survival instincts. Deep down their hearts, they’re only capitalizing on the late governor’s health situation to covertly advance their personal political agenda”
I also share Afolabi-Peter’s views. Now that Aiyedatiwa’s head has paved the way for him, the onus is on him to wield it responsibly, lest his traducers pee on him. Going forward, he needs to embark on surreptitious political loyalty operations, all with a view to separating the whiff from the chaff because saboteurs abound within every structure. Many more will align with the governor in the coming days, of course, with the sole purpose of killing him gradually from within. Who says Betty, Akeredolu’s wife, Babajide, his son, and other perfect storms of the Aketi political tendency won’t attempt to extend an olive branch to him? Who says the governor shouldn’t accept that open-heartedly, at least for some political advantages? Who says Aiyedatiwa shouldn’t be circumspect and be as wise as a fox? Besides, hasn’t the Wike-Fubara feud again shown that Nigeria’s political model is devoid of morals and that one can only triumph if he plays the game like ‘professional bastards’? Surely certainly, one who thinks otherwise had better enroll in the seminary and quit this ‘evil vocation’.
Lastly, a cross-section of Nigerians is reportedly of the opinion that Aiyedatiwa is scant in giving and that he has no political base. It also insists that, although the governor is a child-of-circumstance who only survived molestation from the ‘Aketi Boys’ by some dint of luck, he is lacking in goodwill. As such, he is the least person that can be presented by his people. Of course, these are weighty remarks, especially in a democracy like ours. But then, it is not too late for Aiyedatiwa to overcome these rather messy calibrations. He only needs to learn at the feet of President Tinubu.
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant them peace in Ondo State!
While the other peculiarities of failed transactions and poor network services by banks do not feature this time around as compared with the Emefiele era, the Naira scarcity still bites despite the recent assurance of the CBN that there is still N3.4 trillion in circulation nationwide.
Now coming at a time when the marginal propensity to spend is more likely to be on the increase, owing to the festive periods such as the Yuletide and the new year, such artificial scarcity of the Naira will incur more hardship on ordinary Nigerians as it will affect the prices of goods and services, leaving Nigerians to pay more.
So how come with a rise in circulation of money by N2.4 trillion, Nigerians are still in the search for Naira notes? The CBN’ s story of 3.4 trillion being in circulation seems not to be adding up. Rather the situation seems to resemble the times when the apex bank removed N2.3 trillion cash from circulation, an act that crippled the economy resulting in the loss of almost 20 trillion Naira.
Another scapegoat for the Naira scarcity has been labeled as panic withdrawals by Nigerians who are apprehensive of God knows what reasons. These Nigerians according to the CBN are alleged to have withdrawn huge amounts of cash and kept them in their abodes, expecting some sort of chaos as witnessed early in the year.
How plausible is this? How can these alleged hoarders hoard at most 50 to 69 percent of the such stated cash in circulation? Let us assume that this is allegedly true, to what ends then? What institutional capacity do these hoarders have to keep such monies out of circulation? Again, even if these hoarders are seeking to avoid a repeat of what transpired in February 2023, should such hoarding not be only the newly redesigned notes? How come the scarcity is felt both ways with the new and old notes becoming scarce legal tender? It definitely isn’t adding up!
Isn’t it indeed funny that in a spate of 16 days, the Federal Government and the CBN have repeatedly contradicted each other? While I had earlier pointed out the comments of the honourable minister for information alongside the reactions of the apex bank, the sum total of both contradictory statements suggests that there is something sinister about the whole situation, call me a conspiracy theorist, call me an alarmist but there is more to this situation than it appears.
Is there a problem with the stability of the nation’s banking sector? Are our funds within the Nigerian banking system secure? Now while a scarcity of the legal tender isn’t really a clear indication of such a situation, it could be misinterpreted by the populace as such, thus leading to panic withdrawals.
The scarcity of such notes bears with it some form of economic consequences, I am only hopeful that those at the helm of affairs understand the weight of such. Asides the disruptions that will arise with such there is also the issue of a depreciation in investor confidence.
The average Nigerian who is apparently not smiling owing to the prevailing economic situation in the country cannot now welcome such. It is an added punishment to the suffering Nigerian who has not only grappled with rising costs in energy but also in the price of staples.
In a country where Cash transactions still top in number the type of transactions available to our people, it is therefore imperative that we resolve such an imbroglio while planning ahead to deepen the level of fiscal inclusivity amongst other choices. They should however ensure a steady flow of the Naira notes.
January 2023 like every New Year came with all the enthusiasm, dreams and hopes expressed by humans across the globe. In Nigeria, it was an election year. The general elections was held between February and March. That meant that the political parties in the previous years had finished with their congresses and primaries and were going to the voters with their manifestoes. Nigerian democracy despite its flaws recorded some improvements.
The two dominant political parties in the last eight years, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had to contend with two new power blocs, the Rabiu Kwankwanso led New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Peter obi led Labour party (LP). The election campaigns were as divisive as they were intriguing.
In the usual political environment of a developing country like Nigeria, the issues tilted more towards the mundane like tribal and religious issues than core issues of competence, track record and readiness to handle the socio-economic problems confronting the country. First the PDP as a party was confused about their constitution and the unwritten agreement about zoning. Hitherto, the party’s style was for the presidency to move between the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Precedents had been set since 1999 with a South Westerner, former President Olusegun Obasanjo who handed over in 2007 to the Northern late Umaru Ya’Adua who unfortunately died in office.
The debate and political intrigues about his then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan replacing him was as intriguing as it was epic. He ended up serving as president but lost the 2015 election to former President Mohammadu Buhari who served out his eight-year tenure. The elections of 2023 saw former Vice President Atiku Abubakar getting elected at the PDP primaries as the presidential candidate.
A Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and one who had in 2019 contested with Atiku Abubakar as his Vice Presidential candidate under the PDP had in sensing that the party might not stick to the North-South rotation of the presidency left the party and joined the Labour party where he got the presidential ticket. The LP had been in existence but somehow had failed to attract enough national attention substantially.
For the PDP, the dye was cast after the primaries as former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike then felt that the emergence of an Atiku through a last minute seeming ‘treacherous’ stepping down of former governor, now Senator Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto for fellow Northerner, Atiku Abubakar signaled a sort of ‘betrayal’ of the Southern candidates.
Again a Wike not being picked as even a Vice Presidential candidate eloquently spoke volumes. The party is still reeling from the post-primary trauma if their loss of the presidency and the seeming political ‘royal rumble’ in Rivers politics between governor Sim Fubara and his erstwhile godfather, Nyesom Wike post the governorship elections is anything to go by.
On the part of the ruling APC, the primaries seemed less rancorous even though the entrance of former Vice President Yemi Osibanjo into the race earlier seemed to have stirred some controversy given his political history in relation to now President Bola Tinubu. Former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi also lost his bid to fly the APC presidential flag.
The political nuances and economic realities pre and post the APC primaries were as interesting as they were intriguing too. The Buhari administration and their weird monetary policies that almost brought a covid-19-like economic hardship capped with the tackily handled ‘naira re-design’ were seen as a subtle sabotage of the candidacy of President Tinubu. He was however determined that it was his turn to be president and his famous ‘e mi lokan’ phrase was birthed. At some point he assured his supporters during his campaigns that whether there was fuel or lack of same, whether there was money or no money for the campaigns, success would be his at the end of it all. His stoic stand to push ahead despite all odds was remarkable. He even was faced with the Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy which many analysts criticized as not good enough for a multi-religious country that has since 1999 sought to balance the Presidency and the Vice Presidential seats between Muslims and Christians. As in 1993 with an MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) Muslim/Muslim ticket, the APC Tinubu/Shettima Muslim/Muslim ticket went into the election explaining that what mattered was not the religion but the commitment to work for the country.
Rabiu Kwankwaso’s NNPP could not make serious inroads beyond winning Kano state governorship seat which even then is now at the Supreme Court for final adjudication. But Kano is a very significant part of the Nigerian electoral map. The country awaits the apex court’s verdict. It is interesting to see how the political pendulum of the state swings going forward. The APC chairman, former governor Ganduje being a former ally of Rabiu Kwankwaso and other political realities would take time to unravel.
The Labour Party surprisingly had against all odds changed the dynamics of electoral participation in the country. The fans of the Peter Obi candidacy some of who refer to themselves as Obidients have seemingly re-awakened the civic duty responsibility especially amongst the young Nigerians who hitherto had shown apathy for political engagements. The party made significant inroads in the political space as they now have seats at both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They now have a governor Alex Otti in Abia state and some seats at some state houses of assembly.
The 10th Assembly has a former governor Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President and chairman of the national assembly. He comes with a wealth of executive and legislative experiences and expectations are high that he would lead the legislative arm with diligence, responsibility and patriotism and refrain from toying the line of the senator Lawan-led 9th assembly that is popularly regarded as a ‘rubber stamp’ assembly given their proclivity to accent to almost all bills and requests from the executive without questioning or some critical evaluation.
The Roundtable Conversation has tried to recall history here because most times humans tend to forget history but like legendary Chinua Achebe said in his iconic Things Fall Apart, “a people must understand where the rain started to beat them”. Nigerian politicians of every political hue are some of the least trusted leaders on earth. There is chronic trust deficit between the people and the political leaders. This is not out of place because it does seem the political elite do not feel the pains of the people. There is a serious disconnect between the people and the leaderships.
The level of poverty in the country is evidence that since 1999, Nigeria does not seem to have made significant progress. It is sad but the reality is that Nigeria seems to have retrogressed despite the huge natural and human resources in the country. To have 133million citizens living in multi-dimensional poverty and more than 20million children out of school, the global highest is a very disturbing issue that the political elite must seek ways to remedy.
If democracy is government of the people for the people and by the people, the Nigerian situation seems to somewhat negate that definition. What it means is that there must be introspection as the country moves into 2024, a new year. The people must be given enough reasons to believe in the democracy being practiced. All the three arms of government must understand that the country is what they make it through their actions or inactions.
The New Year must be one that the welfare of the people must be prioritized. Understandably, the global economic hardships that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic is still an issue but must not be given as the perennial excuse for lethargy in governance at all levels. Other countries have managed to navigate their economies to recovery through deliberate choices and determination to put the country first. Nigerians see insecurity, infrastructural decay, weak currency, unemployment, inflation, food insecurity etc. as huge problems that leaders at all levels of leadership, local state and federal levels should prioritize in the new year. State governors must stop feeling insulated from the scrutiny of the people and making it feel like the presidency is a magic office that solves all problems.
State governors must see themselves less as emperors but more as the servants of the people. The political parties must be restructured to ease the stranglehold of certain individuals and groups on the structure that does not benefit the people. The restructuring of political party functions must be a priority so that Nigerian political parties can be based on real ideological convictions without which no democracy can function optimally as we have seen with the Nigerian experience.
Nigerian political parties must be based on real political ideology and run in line with the American standards Nigeria seems to have copied. It is not enough to just copy some aspects that benefit individuals in the parties and jettison those ideals that grow and develop viable democracies. The legacies of each politician must matter but the collective political direction must be propelled by a collective decision that has the people at the center. Nigerian politicians must move away from the monotonous cycle of elections-campaigns-elections. There must be an urgent re-orientation that can bring development.
• Factory, workers operate without safety equipment, protective gears
• Employees: Why we can’t stop working in spite of hazardous conditions, poor pay
• Standing for long hours causes hypotension, damages spine, cartilage – Medical experts
After working for weeks as an undercover in a Lagos-based shoes factory, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reveals the hazardous conditions under which workers in a Lagos shoe factory operate only to be paid peanuts and the serious threat the mode of operation poses to their health, particularly their spinal bones.
This report was facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism(WSCIJ) under its Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability(CMEDIA) project
On a Monday morning in the Ayobo suburb of Lagos, hundreds of job seekers besieged the gates of JTH Badroh Limited, a Lebanese-owned shoe manufacturing company, daring the cold dawn and desperately waiting to be picked for employment. The reporter was one of them.
That has been the norm for years. As early as 6.30 am from Monday through Friday, people of different age grades line up to be picked by the company’s Nigerian supervisors for the day’s job. At 7 am, the selection exercise ends and those that would be engaged for the day are taken to different departments for the jobs they needed to do.
Nestled in the interior of the rusty Lagos community that shares a boundary with Ota in Ogun State, there is no billboard or signpost to indicate the presence of a manufacturing firm. Right from Megida Bus Stop directly opposite Anchor University all through the tarred road that ends around ‘Poultry Oyinbo‘, where the factory operates from, it comes across as a nondescript entity.
With not fewer than 50 workers engaged daily for morning and night shifts, it is a place where workers are expected to work their socks off for peanuts. The shoemaking company is a world of its own; a workplace that reeks intrigue, nepotism and corruption, where workers are made to work until their spines crack.
At the factory, there is no payroll for workers. Employment terms, dismissal as well as salaries/wages are verbally determined. Job seekers do not need to submit credentials and curriculum vitae or even go through any formal interview process to get employed. They are not issued any identity card or company’s handbook.
Before entering the company’s premises, a worker is asked to drop his belongings at the security post. There is no arrangement in place to secure their jobs as they are hired on ad hoc basis. And there are no perks or bonuses aimed at motivating workers even if they work their hands sore. The highest position a Nigerian worker in the company can attain is ‘supervisor’, and that is only possible after the worker must have worked consistently in the company for many years.
Inside the factory’s production line
Once a worker leaves the security post, he or she is ushered into a fairly large hall where workers are given different tasks to handle in the production lines. And once work begins, a worker cannot sit or squat for the more than 10 hours they operate every day.
No worker is allowed to use his or her cell phone while production lasted, and anyone caught violating the rule is sacked instantly without any pay for the day no matter the number of hours already put in. For workers who are expected to stand at their duty posts, any attempt to sit or rest a little is deemed laziness which also attracts dismissal without pay.
Workers on morning shift work from 7 am to 7 pm with an hour’s break in between. And for the night shift, work begins from 7 pm and ends at 7 am, also with an hour’s break to get some sleep.
Once the workers resume duties in the morning, they work non-stop for six hours before going on break at noon. By 12:50 pm, they must be back to work for another seven hours before closing for the day.
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Altogether, a worker works for 13 hours each day, 12 of which they spend standing and without shoes. So, for five days from Monday to Friday, a worker puts in 65 hours of work for a meager N7,500.
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On hourly basis, a worker’s pay in the factory amounts to about N115 per hour. A source at the factory said that N1,000 was the amount paid to workers before it was increased to N1,500.
Considering that the amount payable to a worker engaged for one month in the factory is N30,000, the amount the worker spends on food and transportation leaves him or her with virtually nothing at the end of the month.
The reporter experienced serious dehydration in the period he worked at the factory, such that two plastic bottles of water were never enough for food break.
A Lebanese manager known simply as Jay at the factory told the reporter who had complained that the N1,500 paid each worker daily was too meager: “This is what we offer people. Even young boys and girls work here. If you cannot take the N1,500, there is no job for you.
“If you work very well today, we will pick you up tomorrow. If you don’t work well today, there will be no job for you tomorrow.”
During the production of shoe soles, materials are poured the men in the section have sweat cascading their bodies as they pour materials into the funnel-like furnace. Inside here, it is a beehive of activities as workers of different ages are seen fixing, hitting, painting and performing all sorts of hard tasks with urgency in order to meet the targets set for them.
There is usually a cacophony of noise from different sections as busy hands strive to impress roaming supervisors. It is not uncommon to see blistered hands of those that sit on mats all day to affix fittings, laces and tags on straps.
On the part of those designing the shoe soles, standing for hours on end is no less arduous for such chicken feed. In the factory where production takes place, the heat experienced by workers is extreme. The ceiling fans are positioned to cool the raw materials while workers are left sweat profusely. While the factory is installed with air-conditioners, they are found only in the offices of the Lebanese and in the warehouse where goods are stored.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are installed in every part of the factory. A source said that many workers have been sacked because the CCTV cameras showed that they were in possession of flip-flops from the factory.
Due to the tedious nature of the job, many of the workers cannot afford to come to work every day of the week. Some come two or three times a week. But those who have targets strive to go very early in the morning.
After the day’s job, workers line up at 7pm to be paid in cash by the supervisors, after which everyone departs. Checks revealed that a pair of slippers cost N800 directly from the company, although it sells in bulk and not in units.
Different classes of workers
There are different categories of workers according to the various sections. They range from young boys and girls to fairly elderly men and women. The designing section is replete of youths, mostly young women and men who are deemed strong. Saddled with the task of designing the soles of flip-flops, they use chemicals to print on the soles and design more than 1,000 soles per hour. They do all this standing for 10 to 12 hours.
Once they are done they take the designed soles to those who would affix the strap to the soles. These are men who also work standing. Sadly, they are not paid N1,500 per day like their counterparts in other sections. Rather, they are paid N100 per 60 pairs of soles they work on. In sum, they are paid N100 for working on 120 soles.
The number of soles they work on in a pack determines their take-home for the day. On their part, the fairly elderly sit on mats all day to fix different fittings on straps.
‘Why we can’t stop coming’
A single mother of four in her late 40s, Funmi, admitted that the work is too tedious, particularly when one considers the amount that is paid in return. But she said she could not stop coming because she wanted to save the proceeds from the factory to travel to Iraq and become a housemaid, a caregiver or a surrogate mother.
She said: “I have a target. Once I am able to save enough money, I will travel to Iraq to work either as a maid, a caregiver or a surrogate mother. I have made enquiries about Iraq and I learnt they are liberal. You don’t have to wear hijab like in Saudi Arabia.”
Favour, one of the workers, who has spent three years at the factory, said she had got used to it. She says she comes to work every day despite the tough nature of the job and the scant reward for it.
Another worker, who identified herself simply as Wunmi, says she works in the shoe firm because she has no choice. She recalled that she experienced excruciating pains the first time she came to work, saying: “The job is not easy. You resume very early in the morning and close at night, standing all through the period. But I have no choice, it is better than lying idle.
“When I first started, I spent my daily pay on painkillers. Standing for more than eight hours is not a joke. I had pains all over my joints. It was extremely tedious, but there are no jobs in the country.
“In fact the supervisors pick you only if you can bribe them with money or your body.
“When I first started, one of the supervisors started touching and teasing me, calling me his ‘crush’. He would give me preference over others, so at times I could sit down and rest if I got tired.
“But others dared not. Many times, he would ask me if I had money for lunch.”
One of the supervisors, a Nigerian, who gave his name as Charles, said he got disillusioned with life and decided against furthering his education. Instead he pitched his tent with the company for N50,000 monthly salary. The Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) holder says he does not need to go to a higher institution because at the end of the endeavour, there would be no job.
Corruption reigns supreme
A source who works in the company revealed the dark side of operations in the factory. According to her, the Lebanese allegedly sleeps with desperate female workers. She said many young girls and ladies had to trade sex in exchange for daily work slots.
She also accused Nigerian supervisors of doing the same, saying: “One of the supervisors had enquired about a young lady who had come to work and had started making passes at her. It was later I told him she was married and had children. That was why he eventually left her alone.
“Many of the young girls and ladies have to sleep with the supervisors and the foreign owners just to retain their place.
“A certain lady was having an affair with one of our supervisors at a time, but it seemed the supervisor got tired of it when he a new lady. So he told her he was no longer interested, and the lady collapsed in the factory.”
Efforts made by the reporter to speak with the management of the company met a brick wall. All the telephone numbers on their Facebook and Instagram handles were said not to be reachable.
However, a senior supervisor, Sunday Stephen, told our reporter that the owners treat workers poorly because they believe Nigerian work is stressful. He blamed the poor treatment of Nigerian workers by foreign interests on the nonchalant attitude of Nigerian leaders towards citizens’ welfare.
He said that that when government officials come for inspection in the firm, they don’t even enter, not to talk of inspecting the facilities and the conditions in the factory. Instead, the Lebanese owners bribe them, present some documents to them and then leave.
He appealed to the reporter to help do something about the issue.
He said: “Nigerian work is stressful. That is why the Lebanese are doing like that. In fact, if you can do something about it so that they can change, it will be nice.
“When government officials come here on inspection, they don’t even enter into the company. The Lebanese give them money and show them some papers and they go back.
“That is the way Nigeria is, and that is why the Lebanese are doing like that,” he said.
Poor safety standards
At the factory generally, no premium is placed on safety. There is no sensitisation on hazards and safety measures. It was observed that the workers do not wear safety jackets or overalls. There are no protective head gears, hand gloves for those handling chemicals or nose masks to ward off offensive smell of pernicious chemicals.
While putting in a shift at the designing section where instep of soles are designed and printed upon, after the designing the soles, workers are required to clean the paint-stained containers with a certain colourless chemical which at first does not give any irritating feeling, but once you take your hand off it, you feel extremely hot sensations which cools after some time.
Asked if it was safe to clean the container with the chemical, one of the supervisors on duty claimed it is not harmful.
Recalling his experience at a fan manufacturing company in Agbara, Ogun State, Mr. Tolulope Sanusi, who works for a human rights organization, urged the government to make efforts to create jobs for the youth. He also called for strict monitoring of foreign companies in the country even though they pay taxes.
He said: “Government should ensure it creates jobs for the youth. It should deepen industrialisation. There are thousands of youths out there who are either unemployed or underemployed. Those foreign companies who treat workers poorly are doing so because they know that there are no jobs in the country.
“I once worked at a fan-making company in Agbara, Ogun State. It was a terrible experience for me. We resumed at 8am, go on break from 12 pm to 12:30 pm; then we would continue till 8 pm.
“We spent one week on day shift and another week on night. We were used anyhow. We could not talk or explain. They threatened us with physical assault and sack.
“They paid us N1,000 per day, and the work was extremely tedious. A major accident happened then and the machine operator lost his fingers while he was trying to work on molding machine for the fan blade.
“We also had minor accidents while using cutlass to cut plastics, and in the end, no treatment, no compensation. Government should be strict with those companies even if they are paying tax.”
Psychology of employees working under poor conditions
A clinical psychologist at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Dr. Fisayo Adebimpe, noted that employees working under terrible conditions are prone to anxiety and depressive symptoms. She said they might feel hopeless, worthless and extremely sad.
She urged government to intervene urgently, adding that individuals should be able to report their grievances to the relevant agencies with punitive and corrective measures put in place to safeguard their mental status and well being.
Adebimpe said: “Exploitation is one demeaning action anyone can experience from fellow humans. This trend, unfortunately, has been there over time without being curtailed.
“Our concern is the psychological trauma the individual experiences during this distress. The people who find themselves there are the most vulnerable. They do not have a choice or any alternative to sustain their daily livelihood. Hence they become victims to different kinds of abuse.
“There are links between labour exploitation and other forms of exploitation such as sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced criminality.
“Most of labour exploitation happens when there is a strong disparity and manipulation on the part of the employers on their employees. The employees are subjected to unfair working conditions, even without been adequately compensated for the services that they render.
“Employment/labour exploitation, especially in the private sector, needs proper monitoring, especially by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Most of the employees find themselves in those situations either voluntarily or through some form of coercion working in sub-par conditions. Some have their wages held for work that is being completed.
“Some of these employees even live in groups in the same place where they work and leave those premises infrequently despite the hostile treatment. Some do not even have access to their families at all.
“Basic provisions are not always provided by the employees, such as access to health care treatment, good shelter, and even feeding. Some might even lose their lives without being compensated.
“Since there is no labour contract, they are subjected to long working hours without access to their earnings.”
Long-term implications
Asked about the long-term implications, Adebimpe said: “Most of them are prone to anxiety and depressive symptoms. The fear and apprehension of what will happen next become the bone of contention for their fate.
“They cannot dictate or predict what is going to happen next. Some might feel hopeless, and at an overwhelming undue sadness, they might feel worthless. At a point, some might experience a form of suicidal thoughts because of the unfriendly working conditions.
“We should not forget the current economic situation in the country. The poverty level is high, and these employees always find themselves in compromising situations and do not have a choice.
“Some might even find themselves in life-threatening situations and even bullied as being a failure. The little stipend received might even be diverted into maladaptive behaviour such as substance/drug abuse, betting, gambling, and so on. Some ladies/women might be forced into prostitution and sexual activities
“There is a need for urgent intervention by the government. Individuals who find themselves in the situation should be able to report their grievances to the relevant agencies with punitive and corrective measures put in place to safeguard the mental status and well-being of these individuals.
“These cases are well reported but we have not seen any drastic changes.”
Standing for long hours at work endangers workers’ lives – Experts
President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Ijanikin, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Osibogun, said employees who stand for long hours risk swollen feet, elevated blood pressure, varicose veins, among others.
In an interview with The Nation, Osibogun said: “Standing for long hours can be an occupational hazard in some professions such as traffic wardens, neurosurgeons, security personnel, etc. Some of the health effects include varicose veins, swollen feet, muscle fatigue, waist or low back pain, elevated blood pressure, orthostatic hypotension, and dizziness.”
A specialist doctor, Managing Director of Hamaab Medical Centre, Lagos, Tunji Akintade, said: “When soldiers are on parade, they stand for long hours, and until the President comes to check the parade or their commander. If they fall, nobody gives attention to them. They stand up on their own and go back to standing.
“What has happened there is simple: there is a redistribution of blood flow away from the brain, so they lose balance when they fall flat, the blood flows at the level of the heart back, so they regain their senses.
“It is only lethal when the person falls into hot oil or is driving. That is called orthostatic hypotension. That is one effect of standing for long.
“But the major effect of standing is on the backbone, the legs, and the muscles. The muscles ache badly. I stood in a BRT from 3:30 pm till 9 pm yesterday, and as of now, my muscles are still aching. Relaxing, and drinking enough water will relieve the ache.
“The effect also is that there is a tendency for you to be dehydrated. Another one is, in our spine, there is a pack, which is a disc in between the bones. There is going to be weight in the bone, so the cartilage will keep eroding, reducing in size.
“If it is 5cm, it will reduce to 3cm, like that till the bones start grinding against each other. That is when we have back pain. Regular standing causes joint aches, muscle pain, back pain, and orthostatic hypotension.
“The support of the backbone reduces through regular standing, and the cartilage which prevents the bones from rubbing against each other can flatten out through excessive standing.
“Naturally, bones should not touch bones. If that happens, you have back pain and you also feel it in your brain. When the synovial fluid (lubricant) in between the bone joints dries up through dehydration and long-standing, the cartilage too starts eroding and you start having serious back pain.
“Those that stand excessively risk the cartilage eroding. Those sitting too are at risk of back pain. It is more severe when a patient has underlying health issues. For instance, a hypertensive person would aggravate the condition. For an arthritis patient too, it becomes more serious.”
Asked how the issues can be managed, he said: “Managing the issue requires doing an X-ray or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to determine the extent of damage. People who stand or sit for long hours are likely to abuse drugs, and most of the drugs they abuse will predispose them to ulcer and the drugs they usually abuse are under the family of what we call non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.”
ILO convention and approved practices on wages, others
The International Labour Organisation Convention Articles 2 and 3 states that: “Minimum wages shall have the force of law and shall not be subject to abatement, and failure to apply them shall make the person or persons concerned liable to appropriate penal or other sanctions.
“Subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article, the freedom of collective bargaining shall be fully respected.
“The elements to be taken into consideration in determining the level of minimum wages shall, so far as possible and appropriate to national practice and conditions, include–
“The needs of workers and their families, taking into account the general level of wages in the country, the cost of living, social security benefits, and the relative living standards of other social groups.
“Economic factors, including the requirements of economic development, levels of productivity, and the desirability of attaining and maintaining a high level of employment.”
On chemical use/ handling, the ILO reckons that “the protection of workers from the harmful effects of chemicals also enhances the protection of the general public and the environment, and noting that workers require, and right to, information about the chemicals they use at work, and considering that it is essential to prevent or reduce the incidence of chemically induced illnesses and injuries at work by ensuring that all chemicals are evaluated to determine their hazards; providing employers with a mechanism to obtain from suppliers information about the chemicals used at work so that they can implement effective programmes to protect workers from chemical hazards; providing workers with information about the chemicals at their workplaces, and about appropriate preventive measures so that they can effectively participate in protective programmes; establishing principles for such programmes to ensure that chemicals are used safely, and
Article 12 of the ILO on exposure to chemicals says employers shall: “Ensure that workers are not exposed to chemicals to an extent which exceeds exposure limits or other exposure criteria for the evaluation and control of the working environment established by the competent authority, or by a body approved or recognised by the competent authority, following national or international standards; assess the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals; monitor and record the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals when this is necessary to safeguard their safety and health or as may be prescribed by the competent authority; ensure that the records of the monitoring of the working environment and of the exposure of workers using hazardous chemicals are kept for a period prescribed by the competent authority and are accessible to the workers and their representatives.”
Article 13 section 2 says: “Employers shall limit exposure to hazardous chemicals to protect the safety and health of workers; provide first aid; make arrangements to deal with emergencies.”
On working hours, the ILO standards provide the framework for regulated hours of work, daily and weekly rest periods, and annual holidays. These, in turn, ensure high productivity while safeguarding workers’ physical and mental health.
Article 2 of the organisation’s Convention on Work Hours says: “Working hours of persons employed in any public or private industrial undertaking or any branch thereof, other than an undertaking in which only members of the same family are employed, shall not exceed eight in the day and forty-eight in the week…”
‘Ineffective policies and regulations cause human rights violations in foreign companies’
A legal practitioner, Florence Adewale, said ineffective policies and regulations are responsible for the violation of human rights especially by foreign companies who come to invest in the country. According to her, exploitation comes where there is no effective structure or compliance-monitoring mechanism.
Adewale said: “There are lots of human rights violations in foreign companies and yet remedies couldn’t be gotten due to ineffective regulations.
“There is a case study of a hardworking young man, who was a casual worker in a foreign company four years ago.
“He was engaged as an able-bodied young man but was discharged with an amputated leg while working in the foreign production company. Yet no compensation!
Comrade Ismail Bello, Deputy General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said: “The issue of exploitation of workers is a global one. It is not only peculiar to foreign companies.
“As members of labour, when we notice a violation of workers’ rights, we take quick action. We ensure we bring in workers to the union to fight for them, but it is increasingly difficult.
“When employers resist union activities, then we know what they are out to do.
“Government has a lot of responsibility to shoulder. Every employer should comply with Nigeria’s labour laws. We need the government to strengthen labour.
“It is a tripartite arrangement that involves government, labour and the employer. And we are in a big fight with the private sector. It is sad that most companies have no billboards to show their addresses.
“Labour is trying. We as a union actively compel employers to do what is right through picketing, strikes, demonstrations and all that.
“A workplace without a union is like a concentration camp. Only a labour union can help enforce laws and protect workers.
“The government is not doing enough. There is a big gap. If government does its bit, then things become easier.
“It is the duty and responsibility of the government to protect citizens’ rights irrespective of labour intervention.
“The government should set up a factory inspectorate division. Factory inspection is as essential as wages and other welfare packages. It should also ensure foreign companies comply with our laws.
“As a union, we will expand and deepen our sensitisation campaign to ensure workers join the union.”
In a clarion call to the government, Adewale charged the government to impose strict punitive sanctions on employers that violate the laid down laws of employment/labour, among other sanctions.
She said: “The government can help to safeguard the rights of the workers in foreign companies especially foreign production companies by providing adequate infrastructure and manpower in the Ministry of Labour; duly check/safeguard against abuse of power by employers.
“There should also be strict monitoring, compliance and evaluation systems to checkmate the companies and to ensure that they comply with ethical practices.
“Sometimes, the location of the companies to the office of the ministry is quite a distance. This alone discourages/hinders inspection of the officers in the company. Hence, manpower and adequate infrastructure are needed.
“Nevertheless, the government should also ensure that there are good, effective, and practicable regulations of business in Nigeria, whereby, there are adequate provisions for the employee in terms of good and conducive working conditions and adequate if not sufficient compensation is paid in cases of injury or damages.
“It is important to also formulate and implement laws that prohibit unethical practices in organisations.
“Public awareness/sensitisation is necessary so that the workers/employees can know their rights, especially on the need to have an insurance trust fund. Then the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund should be strong and effective.
There should be an effective union that can fight for victims (employees) once their rights are violated; an effective union that will supervise the excesses of owners of foreign companies and prevent ill-treatment of employees.”
FG to go tough on employers
The Federal Government (FG) has said it will sanction employers of labour over indecent working conditions that go against local and international labour laws.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, made this known during the inauguration of Decent Work Country Programme III (2023-2027) on in Abuja.
The DWCP was inaugurated to promote jobs, guarantee rights at work, extend social protection, and promote social dialogue.
The programme was organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation.
Lalong noted that workers in the informal economy are exposed to poor working conditions, low pay, long hours of work and low rates of unionism, unsafe working environments.
“Government is aware of the activities of some of these employers, who, due to the pursuit of profit, disregard the extant labour laws. This creates work environments that frustrate the attainment of decent work for employers or employees because of the quest for profit.
“Many workers are exploited and made to work in very indecent and intolerable conditions, which negate all local and international labour laws. Hence, we shall not fail to sanction such organisations and ensure that the rights and privileges of Nigerian workers are protected,” he said.
He directed the Inspectorate Department in the ministry to wake up to its responsibilities and ensure full compliance with decent work regulations across the country.
“I shall be engaging relevant government agencies to ensure that these entities are fully made to face the wrath of the law,” he added.
– This report was facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project
• Communities get help 25 years after • We’ll soon complete projects across state – LWC MD
When we published a report few weeks ago about water challenges in Lagos State and how depraved business people were latching onto the opportunity to flood the state, Lagos Island in particular, with all manners of packaged water, the Lagos State government assured that it was working hard to end the challenges of lack of access to potable water in the state.
The government’s statement, though sounded like the usual tongue in the cheek response of state actors to media inquiry, but recent completion of Abesan water works in Alimosho local government area of the state where the people had suffered water challenges for 25 years showed that the government is walking its talk and may by so doing end the business of killer water merchants. INNOCENT DURU reports.
For the past 25 years, the residents of Abesan Estate, the largest estate in Lagos State and environs had grappled with the challenges of having clean and potable water.
The water sources, wells and boreholes are polluted by petroleum products sipping into them from burst pipes.
Consequently, the people could not use the water and had to travel many miles to buy water which they weren’t sure of its fitness for consumption.
But the people heaved a sigh of relief recently when the state government revived and recommissioned the moribund the Mosan Okunola water works at Abesan Estate.
Elated by the development, the traditional leader of Fatade area of Alimosho, High Chief Kamorudeen Amao said: “We thank God for what the Lagos state government has done. I am very happy that they have intervened in our situation. Our prayer is that God will give them the grace to maintain it.”
The water plant will provide two million gallons of water per day for the people.
Prior to the revival of the water plant, Chief Amao said: “We have been having water challenges for the past 25 years. Petrol sipping into the ground was affecting our water. When we fetch water from our boreholes, it is petrol that we would get from it. The polluted water was affecting our people.
“Personally, each time I bathed with it, I always had challenges with my skin. There have been reported cases of skin irritation by people using the water. Instead of using the water, we would rather travel some distances to fetch water.”
Asked how well they trusted the water they were going to fetch, Chief Amao said: “We still cannot vouch for the water we were fetching from other places. We just have to make do with what we have. We buy that water because we feel that it is somehow good when you drink it.”
The traditional leader of Baruwa, Alhaji Halid Baruwa was also gladdened by the intervention of the state government.
“We thank God for what the Lagos State government has done with this project,” he said as he went down memory lane to relive the hardship they had suffered as a result of not having access to clean water.
“Our water was polluted by petrol since 1998. We were always buying water. As retired civil servants, we were buying water using the meager pensions we are receiving.
“We can’t tell how good the water we were buying was because we had no opportunity of carrying out laboratory test on them. There is no any form of treatment for the water the water that the federal government provided for us, we were told is not fit for human consumption because of the iron content.”
Speaking at the re-commissioning of the project and flag off of reticulation extension in Baruwa area of Alimoso Local Government area of the state the General Manager of Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Engineer Mukhtaar Tijani expressed joy that the project saw the light of the day in spite of challenges facing the corporation. His words: “I stand before you today with great joy and enthusiasm as we gather to witness a significant milestone in the provision of potable water to our communities. Before delving into the details of the Abesan Mini Waterworks project, let me briefly speak on some of the challenges faced by the Lagos Water corporation today.
“Lagos, with its status as one of Africa’s most densely populated cities, serves as Nigeria’s economic hub, boasting a population of over 21 million inhabitants. The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), tasked with providing potable water in the state, has encountered hurdles over the years, including aging infrastructure, energy shortages, and operational limitations.
“In response to these challenges, the state government, under the leadership of our Governor Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, took proactive measures to revitalize and reposition the Lagos Water Corporation.
I must express our gratitude for the unwavering support from Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Hon. Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab. With their support we have embarked on several initiatives that will reposition the corporation for operational and commercial efficiency, such as:
● On-going emergency Intervention on Adiyan Phase I, Iju and Akute Intakes, which when completed will increase the plants (Adiyan & Iju) capacity utilization.
● On-going Rehabilitation of Isashi Waterworks and extension of Reticulation to LASU & Iba Estate
● On-going internal restructuring of the operations of Lagos water Corporation.
● On-going addition of 70MGD Adiyan Phase II Water Treatment Plant Project, which when completed will serve almost 3million of the State population with impact to the following areas (Ipaja, Ayobo, Idimi, Ikotun, Isolo, Kirikiri, Amuwo, Ajegunle, Apapa, Agege extension and boost supply to already served Lagos metropolis).
These Initiatives when concluded will significantly contribute to our goal of providing potable water to the residents of Lagos State.”
Continuing, he said: “Now, let’s shift our focus to the reason we are here today, the Abesan–Baruwa Water Supply Scheme. Recognizing the immediate need to address water supply challenges in the Abesan Housing Estate, the Lagos Water Corporation embarked on a targeted approach to solve this problem in the most efficient manner possible.
“Two key water sources, Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks in Abesan Estate and the Adiyan Phase I Waterworks, supplied water to this area. Knowing that Adiyan Phase I waterworks is currently undergoing rehabilitation and will be unable to operate at optimal capacity until the conclusion of the rehabilitation, we shifted our focus to the non-operational Mosan Okunola Plant. The restoration of the plant became a priority for us. The extensive rehabilitation work done on the plant includes but is not limited to the rehabilitation of existing electro-mechanical infrastructure such as pumps, drilling of new boreholes, and power equipment upgrades including a new transformer and earthing system.
“I am pleased to announce that through the hard work and collaborative efforts of the contractor Aquadrill Nigeria Ltd and the project team led by Engr Lawal of LWC, the operational capacity of the Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks has been successfully restored. In addition to this, the 5km reticulation network around the estate is now energized, as we have carried out significant repairs to the pipe network over the past 6 weeks and as we speak we have over 5 metered customers receiving water from this water treatment plant in Abesan Estate.
“At the Abesan Estate Gate on Ipaja Road, we have connected this water treatment plant to the Baruwa community who has suffered significant ground water issues in recent times. The successful linkage of the Mosan Okunola Plant with Baruwa community now allows us to supply water to specific areas, including Baruwa compound, Taiwo close, Fatade Road, Sule Street, Oyewole Street, and Pipeline Road. Looking ahead, we plan to extend the pipe reticulation within Baruwa, covering approximately 3km. This expansion will positively impact areas such as Asalu Lawal Street, Ajibola Street, Remilekun Street, Odubakin Street, Adebanjo Street, Kareem Street, and more.”
The MD went on to appreciate the host community, saying: “I want to extend my gratitude to the residents of Abesan and Baruwa for their input and cooperation during our test running phase, where valuable feedback was received and leakages were reported by residents, we most especially appreciate individuals like Mrs. Shola, Mr. Sakaraya, Mr. Remi, and others for their contributions. Special thanks to the Baale of Baruwa Community for his support during the network linkage implementation. We could not have done it without all of you.
“I am going to conclude this speech by calling for the cooperation and collaboration of the residents of Abesan and Baruwa. I call on you to reconnect to Lagos Water Corporation services and ensure prompt payment of your water bills. To incentivize this, we are offering fifty (50) free house connections on a first-come, first-serve basis. We assure you that our operational team will promptly address leakages and customer requests, ensuring continuous supply of quality, potable water to the community.
“A heartfelt thank you to our partners, including the Federal Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, USAID, WaterAid, Resilient Water Accelerator, and others. Your continued support is invaluable. We also seek your support for the timely completion of the pipe reticulation extension within Baruwa.
To our esteemed principal, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, today’s achievements were made possible through the internal revenue generated by LWC. With your continued support, we pledge to achieve even more and remain steadfast in delivering on Mr. Governor’s THEMES+ Agenda.Thank you all for being part of this success story, and we look forward to a future of improved water supply for Lagos State.”
Compliments of the season everyone. Permit me dear, to dwell on events associated with the European leagues, which one hopes their lessons are not lost on those who run the beautiful game in Nigeria. The past two weeks’ scenes captured the essence of having top-ranged medical facilities with dutiful medical personnel, whose knowledge of their trade comes to them as second nature.
Two European examples in Spain and England showed how to effectively handle life-threatening incidents without making a meal out of it. The Spain incident should have taught Nigerian clubs, the organisers of the league (Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that any spectator’s life is as important as that of any top functionaries, sitting in the VIP lounges of any stadium in the country. It is expected that the Nigerian clubs didn’t see any confiscated facilities on display, while they are saving distressed people’s lives. There was no margin for error. Everything needed in the medical boxes to be taken to the stadium are inspected and tested and certified functional. The oxygen cylinders didn’t require a wheelbarrow to tow them to the field. They didn’t require hefty men to bring themto the field either.
Nigerian clubs should understand that fans form an integral larger family of matches. The Nigerian referees ought to be educated by the referees’ trainers on the need to monitor what is happening in the fans’ seating area to enable them aware of any emergence and stop the game pronto if it involves threat to life of a distressed fan irrespective of his or her status in the society. The provision of medical facilities must be readily available.
The ambulances in the stadia attract attention as a distressed patient is wheeled into it. The drivers of the ambulances are usually on standby with their engines humming and ready to speed off if that was the instruction of the doctors. Of course, the ambulances are miniatures of what you find in the hospitals, equipped with what are needed to revive, stabilize distressed fans in response to the prompt attention and treatment administered to them.
A search party wasn’t needed to get the standby drivers to ignite their ambulances’ engines. You don’t hear any of the driver complaining of lack of fuel. The ambulances’ batteries didn’t malfunction in the processes of their rescue missions. I hope that Nigerian club owners are reading what I have highlighted. No soul should be lost owing to anyone’s negligence of duty. We are tired of government setting up Commissions of Inquiry to find out what happened as incidents are handled with expertise on top of their games as it’s the practice in other climes. Life-saving gadgets must be seen to be functional and even tested during pre-match meetings before games begin in the evening. Need I say that no fewer than six specialised hospitals would have been on alart and standby for patients as soon as crisis begin. Right from the scene of the incident, doctors on ground, who participate in administering necessary first aid. Such exercises would have provided doctors in the targeted hospitals with the patients’ case history to guide them. There is no room for laughable foolery of the hospital’s management, asking to be paid deposits before continuing treatment of patients.
While the doctors at the stadia do their job on the field, no government official is expected to be seen interfering as it is common practice in Nigeria where agbada-wearing big guns usually heighten tension at the stadium with their needless darting to and fro seeking and attracting attention. There should be no room for busybodies.
The English people can’t stop making the game beautiful in England with innovations. One of such innovation happened last Saturday when 40-year-old Rebecca Welch took charge of Burnley’s 2-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. She became the first woman to officiate a Premier League. Welch became a referee in 2010 when she combined it with a job in the NHS, before becoming a full-time official in 2019.
”In January, Welch became the first woman to officiate a men’s fixture in the Championship. She returned to Craven Cottage a month later after serving as the fourth official during Fulham’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester United,” according to one of the BBC match reports last Sunday.
Welch’s handling of last Saturday’s match was top notch. She didn’t need VAR decision to authenticate her decision and VAR did not overrule her judgment either. Of course, women are very dutiful on matters such as this. And Welch’s debut in the Premier League won’t be the last. Rather, it is just the beginning of an epochal day when the centre referee, the two assistant referees and the reserve referee would all be women. That would be the day. I look forward to Welch handling a game and the players pushing and shoving one another even after she would have blew\\ her whistle.
Interestingly, as I watch the game which Welch handled I looked forward to any setting where players would cluster her the way they behave with male referees. Welch followed the movement of the ball and was always close to any spot where offence could be committed.
Burnley’s manager, Vincent Kompany, who spoke to Welch at full-time, said: “I wanted to congratulate her because it’s a big moment.
“After the game, it’s fair to say that it’s a milestone moment and may there be more, and the best thing will always be when someone is judged on merit. But you have to have a first and this is it, so well done [to her] and I’m happy to be part of this moment.”
Truth be told, the English people know how to set agenda for the good of the game. It explains the reason the game in England is the showpiece that it is in all ramifications. Again last week, the first black man to officiate in a Premier League game, Sam Allison becomes the first Black referee in Premier League for 15 years in a Boxing Day match between Sheffield United and Luton. It made Referee Sam Allison the Black man to officiate a match in England’s top division since Uriah Rennie in 2008.
According to Skysports’ report: ” BAMRef – which offers guidance, support, mentoring and counselling to Black, Asian and mixed heritage referees – said before the game: “It is a further step in the right direction towards refereeing, reflecting society and the playing contingent within football.
“It is also the culmination of years of hard work by BAMRef members. We hope to work with Howard Webb (Professional Game Match Officials Board chief) to identify and promote more black officials to the top flight.”
Dan Forbes, at level four in the referee pathway and working for BAMRef, said: “It’s been a long time coming for him and it’s been a long-time ambition as well. He totally understands the pressures.
“Sam absolutely deserves to be there, he’s one of the top referees in the country and there’s no doubt Sam will deliver and fly our flag.
“We’ve also got some other top referees coming through – Lisa Rashid, Ruben Ricardo, Aji Ajibola – who deserve the opportunity. “This is just the starting point. This is not the end. It’s huge, it’s also well overdue. The impact will be huge. If you can’t see it, it’s a lot harder to be it,” Skysports wrote on their website.
Did you notice the name Aji Ajibola as a black referee deserving of the feat in the future. It raised high hopes that something good can come out the country though Ajibola learned his trade in England. Had Ajibola been a footballer, moves would have been made by the NFF chieftains to persuade him to play for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations which begins next year in Cote d’ Ivoire. Ajibola isn’t so the NFF wouldn’t bother itself about the upcoming feat. It would just what it is to him.
Why has the All Progressives Congress (APC) since its formation been unable to constitute its Board of Trustees (BOT) as provided for in the party’s constitution? I have always found this curious and inexplicable. Indeed, so uncomfortable some key members of the party appear to be with the word or concept of the BOT that they have rechristened it as the National Advisory Council. Yet, despite this change of nomenclature, I am unaware that this critical organ which is indispensable for maintaining high ethical standards within the party and serving principally as its moral compass has been inaugurated.
The APC constitution provides that the BOT shall “Be the embodiment of the conscience, the soul and the sanctity of the Party and shall intervene in all disputes and crisis in the Party to ensure its stability at all times”. Given the criteria stated for its membership and the vast experience of those qualified to belong to it, the BOT should be at the vanguard of propagating and upholding the values of the party. Its influence stems from the assumed integrity of its members as well as their rich experiences in public life and the wisdom this confers.
It is perhaps in the absence of either a BOT or a National Advisory Council that the former Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) as well as National Vice Chairman of the ALC, Mallam Salihu Lukman, has often chosen to speak as the conscience of the party and to hold successive leaderships of the APC to account particularly with regard to fidelity to the party constitution, organizational efficiency and adherence to the principles of good corporate governance.
During the week, Lukman, a development economist, former students union leader, pro-democracy activist who is also described as a political organizer, launched his new book ‘APC and Transition Politics’. The author said the book was written to document his experiences in the struggle that brought President Bola Tinubu to power. This book will certainly make interesting, informative and provocative reading as Lukman can be as controversial as they come and he never refrains from speaking out courageously and boldly as well as taking a stand in accordance with his principles.
To those who have been at the receiving of his often acerbic, trenchant and unsparing criticism, Mallam Lukman cannot be their idea of a good and loyal party man. If he truly had the best interest of the party at heart, they would reason, why does he often resort to public criticism of its leaders which is tantamount to washing the party’s dirty linen in the open? While he may exaggerate in some of his positions, indifference to or silence on many of the issues he raises can certainly not be described as a demonstration of love for the party or the administration of President Tinubu.
A veritable gadfly, he has been a constant and unrelenting thorn in the flesh of successive leaders of the party from Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during his tenure as National Chairman to governor Mai Mala Bunu when he served as Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Comnittee (CECPC) to Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman as well as the National Secretary at the time, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and now Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
His views may at times come across as exaggerated, extremist or unpalatable but they still serve a useful purpose. For instance, a few days before he launched his book, Mallam Lukman addressed a press conference in which he warned the APC of the possibility of its being swept out of power at the centre in 2027. Referring to current severe economic hardships, he said “Life is becoming more difficult. We must appeal to our leaders that things are getting out of hand at the rate at which we are going under a Party that is envisioned to be progressive. We are likely going to start witnessing rebellion if care is not taken by 2027”. Luckily, the Tinubu administration itself is very much aware of the current inclement economic climate and the consequent harsh existential conditions.
Speaking recently at the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 16 participants, Vice President Kashim Shettima acknowledged that “All of us here belong to a tiny segment of the Nigerian population. And you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that the poor are angry with us. Go to the slums and mingle with the poor. I am a native of Maiduguri (Borno State Capital). Anytime a rich man brought a new car to his house, it used to be a place of pilgrimage. People used to go and see not out of anger, but of admiration. But now, as we cruise around in our bulletproof cars, one will see contempt in the eyes of the poor. We have to improve the quality of governance”. Beyond this, there is a palpable sense that majority of Nigerians are willing to give the Tinubu administration time to settle down and for its bold policy initiatives to begin to yield the desired results.
It is certainly significant that the administration’s wholesale removal of the fuel subsidy and the attendant sharp inflationary spirals has not elicited the kind of outrage and mass demonstrations that erupted when previous administrations tried to toe the same policy path. This is reflective of a willingness to give the administration the benefit of the doubt but this supportive stance of the public does not obviate the fact that the peoples trust must not be taken for granted and that the administration must be sensitive to the imperative for the requisite sense of urgency in delivering concretely on its Renewed Hope Agenda.
Mallam Lukman is a passionate and vehement advocate of fundamental reforms of the APC to enable it become a viable, vibrant and dynamic organization. In a recent open letter to leaders of the party, he noted that the current ruling party is becoming a replica of the PDP “with all the negative attributes “. According to him, “We spent eight years under former President Buhari motionless in terms of developing the needed initiatives for party building. Are we also going to experience another era of zero initiative for party building under the leadership of President Asiwaju Tinubu? Where is the claim of being progressive? Where then is the justification of any link to being an Awoist?”.
But then, it is heartwarming that the current leadership of the party has revealed plans to improve its organizational efficiency and strengthen its ideological orientation. When he led members of the National Working of the APC on a visit to President Tinubu this week, the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, unfolded plans to establish a National Institute for Progressive Studies, launch an electronic registration portal and develop a reliable database. This most certainly is the way to go.
It is interesting that even before Mallam Lukman’s new book hit the bookstands, remarks made by a former National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, at the book launch had generated considerable controversy. Oshiomhole had recalled how the author of the book as well as former governors Ibikunle Amosun and Kayode Fayemi of Ogun and Ekiti states, respectively, had conspired to engineer his removal from office as party Chairman. Oshiomhole had strenuously resisted attempts by some governors to foist their governorship and other candidates on the party insisting that only those who emerged through credible primaries would be accepted by the party.
In a swift response, Senator Amosun accused Oshiomhole of peddling falsehood arguing that the erstwhile National Chairman of the party deserved to be removed from office because he conducted what he described as the worst primaries ever in the history of the party.
It will be recalled that on November 20, 2018, Oshiomhole had addressed a press conference in which he stated reasons why the purported primaries conducted by the Amosun group in the Ogun APC lacked credibility and could not stand. In conclusion, I will quote him at length to show the albatross that governors had become in the party at that time.
According to Oshiomhole, “At a stakeholders’ meeting, governor Amosun decided to introduce the third element which didn’t feature in the resolution of the National Executive Council and announced that Ogun State was going to adopt consensus and he proceeded to define what in his view constitutes consensus. He announced somebody as the consensus governor, he proceeded to announce another man as deputy governor; he went on to announce himself as the next Senator and he said the current serving Senator, Tejuoso, should step aside. He also went on to announce that the second Senator also from Ogun State would step aside while another will come in”.
He continued, “Governor Amosun went on to announce another man who will be the next Speaker and another one as the next Deputy Speaker. He also single-handedly pronounced that of the eight House of Representatives members, seven will not return. According to him, only one will return. All these he claimed is a consensus”. Luckily for the APC, the first National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, set a very high standard in terms of comportment, maturity, ethics and efficient administration of a political party. He showed the light for present and future generations of the party’s leadership to find the way towards the strengthening of the APC as a cohesive, stable, efficient and result-oriented political party.
Super Eagles Head Coach Jose Peseiro has revealed the list of players to defend the colours of Nigeria in next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
There are returns to the squad for Turkey-based captain Ahmed Musa and Greece-based vice-captain William Troost-Ekong. The coach also named Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as part of the travelling party for the tournament, as well as Enyimba captain Olorunleke Ojo.
Sadiq Umar makes the squad, with Club Brugge starlet Raphael Onyedika also named for the tournament. Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface were also included in the squad for the tournament.
Here is the squad in full: Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Stanley Nwabali, Olorunleke Ojo.
Defenders: William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Chidozie Awaziem.
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Joe Aribo.
Forwards: Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Moses Simon, Ahmed Musa, Sadiq Umar, Ademola Lookman, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze.
The Super Eagles will kick off the tournament against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea on January 14th before facing hosts Cote d’Ivoire four days later and Guinea-Bissau on the 22nd.
There will be no club vs country controversy involving Victor Osimhen after Napoli released him in good time for the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire. Napoli have stated to that effect.
That means Osimhen could miss the Serie A clash at home against Monza. The striker is 25 years old today.
