The Nation Newspaper

Category: Friday

  • Obi, T.A. Orji and Igbo enweze syndrome

    The sterling examples set by former governors Peter Obi and Theodore Orji of Anambra and Abia states respectively would remain the pride of the Southeast for a long time to come. The Obi phenomenon is stuff for business school books about prudence in public office. T.A. Orji on the other hand, rescued Abia from the death-grips of a family cabal that had hijacked the state for its own.

    For instance, until TA took over effectively, Abia had become a wasted ghost land where worthy sons dared not return to. He changed all that. Obi transformed Anambra from a near-jungle to a model state. This duo that ought to be shining lights in Igbo land are being abused and disparaged daily by their successors and predecessors just to taint them and bring them down. Any wonder miscreants are taking over and not a single guiding voice in the land. N’ezia, Igbo enwe eze, what a shame.

     

  • Reimagining the PMB presidency

    It has become apparent in this epoch that imagination is as lean as the president himself and ‘body language’ is fast becoming an effusion of body odour to the people. And just as ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was branded ‘Mr. Clueless’, and appropriately so, President Muhammadu Buhari is fast earning the moniker of ‘Mr. Fuddy-Duddy’ and it looks like it’s gonna stick. What a pity.

    However, the coming of a belated cabinet may well re-imagine this presidency and rescue it. The executive council formed more than six months after inauguration is no doubt a good pick taken together; if only this cabinet had been set up earlier. Imagine what might have been if we had this team at work since July, about six weeks after inauguration.

    Perhaps the most telling reason to confirm that the PMB presidency is in dire need of deep strategic support (and it needs to realise its acute deficiency) is the statement emanating from last Monday’s workshop organised by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Represented by the new Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, PMB had blamed the delay in the take off of his government on the Goodluck Jonathan government.

    Hear PMB: “We expected comprehensive report on the state of the economy, the security situation, infrastructure development or deficit and social issues, among others in an atmosphere devoid of bitterness, confrontation and conflict.

    “What we got was the exact opposite of what we expected…The incoming government was completely left in the dark and only got handover notes four days before handover date.”

    One thought a handover note often comprised what the predecessor deemed important. It could come in tomes of a thousand volumes and it could also be only a few sheets. Whatever it may be, no new government with a clear vision would depend on his predecessor’s notes to initiate its actions. Again, we remember PMB told us he was taking his time to restructure; he also told us that he could work without ministers who are essentially noisome.

    One thought every new government must have clear ideas and the directions it wishes to go. What has a handover note got to do with the president appointing quality ministers in good time? Again, does it take so long for a new government to determine the true state of affairs of a country? All one needs do is to mandate the heads of the critical MDAs to generate the requisite reports in one week flat; and it is done.

    Blaming ex-President Jonathan after about nine months of beating him at the polls only lends credence to critics who think PMB has lost touch, or never had it. It is akin to a man who wins a trophy and complains that the loser would not teach him how to pop champagne or loft the silverware and jump for joy.

    Monday’s seeming faux pas may be considered the final denotation in a long narrative of inertia and lost opportunities of the PMB era. Coming on a groundswell of massive goodwill and popular desire for change, the change people are left with today may well be a few coins of disillusionment.

    For a country that literally offered the president a triumphant entry; for a people not only willing to do just anything but actually did everything to allow the president a grand entrée, the honeymoon is surely over now. The PMB government was running on what has been commonly called ‘body language’. In support and deference to the new government, Nigerians had over these few months endeavoured to do the right things even at their own detriment. Most people were acting on the expectation that the new government would latch on to such outpouring of goodwill and restructure certain fundamentals. But nothing of such has happened.

    One example is the petroleum sector, which was in a hail of crisis even as the president was inaugurated in May. Six months down the line, not a thought seems to have been spared on this matter of urgent national importance. What do we have today? The seeming reprieve granted by the stakeholders has been withdrawn, fuel is scarce once again across the country and PMB is about to pay a whopping N415 billion in so-called ‘subsidy’. And this is just the first tranche.

    How much does it cost to build a modern modular refinery? Assuming the president has no thoughts whatsoever on this absurd ‘subsidy’ conundrum before he ascended office, a panel of five, set up in June could have given him the answers he needed and he would have pronounced a clear direction on this ignoble ‘subsidy’ by the end of June. We would have long gone past the current crisis. Now we are back to the sorry days of ex-President Jonathan… with attendant sufferings for the people.

    Electricity supply is another sad example. The new owners of the distribution and generating companies who had begun to behave themselves upon the emergence of PMB, expecting a definitive new order, have simply reverted to their old ways, seeing neither spunk nor substance in PMB. Today, we are back to the old days of anything goes. Now in the middle of the dry season when power supply is needed most, what we have is sustained outages and sabotage. We are back to the Jonathan days… with attendant sufferings for the people.

    The latest we hear is that the presidency has ordered reassessment of the Gencos and Discos. We thought this was the natural action to have been taken in the first weeks of June. Every discerning person in the country could tell that though government divesting from power was salutary, the process was fraught with abuse and irregularities. Further, the new owners have continued to play pranks in the last two years, extorting the people and making little investment. If only PMB had ordered this ‘reassessment’ in July, we would be reaping results now. Today the people harvest woes and weariness.

    The war against graft has even turned out more vacuous, considering that it is the major plank of PMB emergence. Most of PMB’s energy seems to have been poured here, but not one person has been named, not to think of pulling anyone in for prosecution (apart from former NSA, Sambo Dasuki). Just a few days ago we were told that suspects were innocent until proven guilty. How profound! Six months after, we are still building up cases against those accused.

    How effective can that be with no Attorney-General and Minister of Justice? How can we fight graft with a smeared template? From one’s seat here in Lagos one can perceive the stench in graft agencies in faraway Abuja; there ought to have been a clearing out and cleansing in order to start on a clean slate. Can you clean with a dirty mop?

    Many Nigerians are truly apprehensive now about the PMB presidency and his ability to lead Nigeria out of the woods and back from the brink. The utter lack of urgency where speed is of essence is most frustrating. The ship of state is sinking, yet government struts as if it has 40 years to work. Now that a cabinet has been formed, it is hoped that purposeful activities will commence on all fronts.

    But who would lead change. PMB’s capacity is in doubt, yet he bugs himself down the more with the Petroleum Ministry as if he is going to go to the ministry and pore over files or go to the creeks and remark crude pump calibrations. Many are therefore apprehensive of the quality of vision available at the helm, thus individual brilliance would be key and perhaps engender competition.

    The party has not shown a brilliant core either. One thing that is certain, however, is that between the party, the president and the cabinet, there is need to re-imagine this epoch.

  • A virtuous woman goes home

    A virtuous woman goes home

    The Book of Proverbs is especially important for the wealth of knowledge and universal principles of life that it contains. Many, if not all, of the proverbs present readers with core knowledge about life and what it takes to survive and succeed. With the majority of the proverbs written by the king whose only request from God was the wisdom to deal with the subjects he was tasked to govern, it is not a surprise that the proverbs are veritable sources of divine wisdom.

    As I thought about the most appropriate tribute to the Yeyeoba of Ife, Chief (Mrs.) H. I. D. Awolowo, the sage’s “jewel of inestimable value”, it occurred to me to turn to the good old source of eternal wisdom. One cannot do better than revisit the sagacious reasoning of the author of the Book of Proverbs.

    The writer of Proverbs 31: 10-31 starts the passage with an intriguing question that borders on skepticism: who can find a virtuous woman? There is a suggestion in the manner of the statement that it is going to be a difficult venture. He also provides a reason for the apparent doubt: her price is far above rubies. In other words, assume that one is able to find one; it would take a fortune to have her and keep her.

    The reasoning has a connotation of the economic law of supply and demand. The writer has an understanding of human nature that makes virtue a very rare commodity among men and women. Human nature is generally based and depraved. Recall that God, the omniscient being, once regretted the making of human beings; hence His decision to clean the slate with the deluge. Philosopher Hobbes, from a secular perspective, understood human nature as egoistic, acquisitive and covetous.

    Virtue is rare; but it is in great demand. Even the most depraved human being would like to have a virtuous associate, not for the best of intentions to be sure, but in a logical pursuit of his or her base motive to exploit the innocent. Many a woman or man has fallen into such hands.

    The law of supply and demand makes sure that the virtuous woman, in short supply, must be very expensive to have and keep. This is the meaning of the passage in question. But how is it so? What makes a virtuous woman? What are her character make-up, qualities and credentials?

    First, we are told that the heart of her husband does safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil. The testimony here is to the moral rectitude, excellent understanding and ability to serve as a confidant and companion for her husband. In essence, she is the best counsellor to her husband. This is where we can make sense of Chief Awolowo’s description of H.I.D. as “my jewel of inestimable value.” The metaphor is as telling as the ruby analogy in the Proverbs.

    This was the woman who chose to stay behind when her husband had to travel abroad to pursue higher education. She did so because she wanted to take care of her children. She took good care of the home front so that her husband had the peace of mind to pursue his goal. In the tumultuous days of political persecution, she was her husband’s lieutenant through thick and thin. Even a Mr. Lynn could not intimidate her!

    Of course, she was able to stand her ground because she had no skeleton to hide. She was the ideal of decorum. As she remarked in her memoir, “a wife of the Chief Executive must be level-headed and must understand the feelings of people around and outside her. She can be of good help to her husband if she opens her eyes and ears to what people are saying or doing, especially when her husband is not there. She has to be a good detective and be brilliantly-imaginative. She must be able to warn her husband of impending dangers.”  It wasn’t a surprise that her husband found her a dependable and indispensable ally.

    Second, the writer of Proverbs tells us that the virtuous woman works willingly with her hands; and like the merchant’s ship, she brings her food from afar. Mama Awolowo recalls how her husband insisted that she must not work after they were married. The sage wanted his wife to enjoy her life and just take care of their children, a most noble and selfless interest in the welfare of the family. But after her husband left for the United Kingdom, she launched her business career.

    The decision to engage herself in some business to support the family paid off tremendously as it also helped her husband. But more importantly, when he returned home and got into active politics, Mama demonstrated in action the kind of support a political spouse ought to give to her husband (or wife). Many have ruined the political ambition of their spouses by the kind of ostentatious life that they live while preying on the public wealth.

    Even after her husband had returned from England and suggested that she didn’t have to work because he would make good money as a lawyer, she had her business at Gbagi, Ibadan, selling textile materials. Her husband was the Minister of Local Government and Leader of the Regional Government. That was a great lesson in self-discipline. As the author of our passage remarks, “with the fruit of her hands”, the virtuous woman “plants a vineyard.”

    Thirdly, the virtuous woman stretches her hands to the poor and the needy. We are told that she rises early, a tribute to hard work and industry. But she also cares for others as she does for her children and husband. Beside the non-public philanthropic activities of the sage and his jewel, which must have been many in a society that is so blessed but so poor, they also initiated the idea of Dideolu Specialist Hospital, an idea which has finally come to fruition. It is a befitting tribute to the caring disposition of the virtuous woman.

    Fourthly, with peace at home, the husband of the virtuous woman shines in the city “when he sits among the elders of the land.” This is literally true of the peace that H.I.D. created for Awo in the house. He was able to shine not just in the city but in the country, on the continent and in the world. Among his peers, he was unrivalled. Sure, he had the intellectual endowment and the discipline, but as the elders suggest, if the household was chaotic, the city would just appear like a jungle.

    Fifthly, the virtuous woman is clothed with “strength and honour”, wisdom is “housed in her mouth”, and the law of kindness “resides in her tongue.”  Receiving many honours and awards, including the traditional titles of Mojibade of Ikenne, Iyalode of Remoland, and Yeyeoba of Ife, as well as the academic award of Doctor of Civil Laws, Honoris Causa (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) is evidence of the wisdom and strength of character that a virtuous woman is endowed with. It is no less significant that she combined all with uncommon humility and fear of God.

    Finally, her children call her blessed. The virtuous woman brings up her children in the fear of God; she guides them in the path of modesty and moderation; she provides for their needs and counsels them against ostentation. She teaches them the virtue of hard work and self-discipline. Therefore they grow up toeing the path of rectitude and they never depart from it because on that path, they succeed and excel. They know how they get there and the mother who led them there is recognised and acknowledged with grateful hearts. They call her blessed.

    In celebrating the life of Mama H. I. D. we must rededicate ourselves to the lessons that her life taught us: trustworthiness, dependability, industry, kindness, honour and integrity, and above all, the fear of the Almighty God to whom we will all return. As she returns home on the centenary of her coming, her good work follows her.

  • Of ministers, assets, smoke and the kitchen

    Following upon last week’s article here about ministers and assets declaration, a reader who feels quite strongly about the matter has weighed in with this piece coming on the heels of the inauguration of the cabinet on Wednesday. His intervention is the main article published below, while the boxed piece (PMB’s cabinet: More pains for Ndigbo) is EXPRESSO’s.

    IT is a well-known fact that corruption is a major factor hindering the development of Nigeria, and unless a ruthless war is waged against it, we shall continue to wallow in the cesspool of poverty and underdevelopment.

    Although the term corruption encompasses many vices, for the purpose of this article which deals with the declaration of assets, we shall limit the term to stealing of public funds and fraudulent acquisition of material property by using one’s exalted public office. This article in the main is in support of PUBLIC declaration of assets by Buhari’s ministers as espoused by one of The Nation newspaper’s most forthright and incisive columnists – Steve Osuji in his column of Friday, November 6, under the title Ministers: Of baron politicians and assets declaration. Corruption in the form of looting of public treasury by public office holders is so endemic and adamantine that unless and until corruption and thieving public office holders are ruthlessly dealt with, there is certainly no hope of salvaging this country for the present generation of Nigerians, let alone for future ones. No matter how good development projects are on paper, unless there are transparently honest public officers to execute such laudable programmes, funds meant for such projects would ultimately be stolen.

    It is a globally received wisdom that corruption has almost grown to the status of a state policy in Nigeria, especially in the recent past. Therefore no method – no matter how seemingly unorthodox – should be spared in waging a relentless war against this cancerous monster – corruption – which will inexorably lead to the demise of this country if left unchecked in its destructive path of festering metastasis.

    Ministers and similar public office holders should declare their assets PUBLICLY. Yes, the constitution may not expressly say assets should be declared publicly. However, a constitutional requirement is often the irreducible minimum. What parents would advise their children to strive for minimum cut-off point of 200 in UTME for university admission? Of course, 200 is the irreducible minimum which we all know is almost certainly not good enough for admission into most universities. Similarly, our public office holders should not be content with just the irreducible minimum moral requirement, but should aim at several notches above the  minimum requirement. That is precisely is the wisdom in what President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have done. The ministers, if they are truly on the same page with the president and vice president in the fight against corruption, should also move several notches above the irreducible minimum in the scale of morality by declaring their assets PUBLICLY, if indeed they have nothing to hide. Any minister who can stand to account for every kobo in his or her current assets, or is not planning anticipatory acquisition of assets during his or her ministerial tenure, should have no problem whatsoever in declaring his or her assets PUBLICLY NOW.

    It is against the background of the current indescribable and unexampled level of corruption that the call for public officers to declare their assets PUBLICLY, ought to be seen as a welcome policy. Such declaration of assets should be published BEFORE the assumption and at the EXPIRATION of the tenure of public office holders.

    All potential appointees for public offices must be required to declare their assets publicly. Any potential appointees who are opposed to their assets being published publicly should be dropped even before their names are submitted to the security agencies for clearance. Public declaration of assets by political appointees is an effective deterrent against corrupt or corrupt-minded individuals seeking public offices. As has been noted, public declaration of assets should be before the commencement and at the end of the tenure of political appointees. The reason for declaring their assets publicly TWICE is to enable the citizens whom they earlier swore to serve selflessly and honestly to assess their stewardship by comparing their assets at the end of their tenure with what they were at the commencement.

    It should be emphasised that all public declaration of assets before the commencement and at the expiration of a public assignment should include assets owned by the wife or wives as well as the children of the public office appointees, provided such children are either still in their minority or existentially dependent on such political office appointees. These measures should not be considered too stringent because there is a level at which the life of a public officer can no longer be considered private. In any case, anyone who considers these measures too intrusive of his or her privacy could simply decline to serve; public office is neither a birthright nor military assignment. Is it not said that he who cannot stand the smoke must never venture into the kitchen?

    Since CHANGE is the ideological battle cry of the APC and ‘difference’ is inherently embedded in CHANGE, the newly sworn-in ministers should set this ‘difference’ in motion. How? By declaring their assets PUBLICLY for a change, thereby raising the standard of public morality beyond the irreducible minimum standard of declaring their assets privately before the Code of Conduct Bureau. Nigeria now needs leaders not of middling moral quotient, but leaders who are prepared to exceed minimum moral requirements.

    I strongly recommend that a clause be inserted in the constitution, making public declaration of assets a sine qua non for appointments into public offices such as president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet positions (ministers, SGF, chief of staff, etc), INEC chairman, state commissioners, headship of NNPC, Customs and such other positions that may be deemed sensitive and susceptible to looting of public treasury. Such a clause in the constitution should not only be devoid of encryption in legal obfuscation, but be simple, decipherable and idiot – proof without any ambiguity or equivocation.

    In conclusion, may I humbly but resolutely advise the ministers to choose the path of rectitude, follow the example of President Buhari by declaring their assets PUBLICLY, thereby heralding the birth of a new national ethos of public morality. God bless Nigeria.

     UGBEBOR, a consulting engineer, contributes this piece from Ibadan.

     

  • Evidence of leadership

    Evidence of leadership

    A leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do, and like it”.                                                                        

     Harry S. Truman (1884 – 1972) Former U.S. president

     

    Preamble

    In a few days time, The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar CFR, mni, will storm the city of Ibadan in a rare academic regalia. As the Chancellor of that Premier University, His Eminence will grace the Institution’s 67th convocation an occasion at which he will formally be installed as the Chancellor with a grandeur having been so appointed by the Federal Government early this year. The occasion will further confirm the qualities of good leadership in him.

    Good leadership is recognised not by official position or use of force. Genuine leaders are mostly known by their utterances, their actions and their conducts. Such are leaders who never say YES when they mean to say NO. They never make promise and renege on it. Such are people who   never betray those who trust them.

    Those were the qualities in Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that prompted the Almighty Allah to say as follows about him: “There is surely an excellent example for you (Muslims) to emulate in Prophet Muhammad for those of you who believe in Allah and the hereafter and also remember Allah at all times” Q. 33: 21

     

    Good Leadership

    Philosophers who assert that every new century has a way of producing a great leader may be right after all. The example of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto is a manifest attestation to that assertion. Ever since he assumed the exalted throne of the Sultanate about nine years ago, this great man has convincingly demonstrated all the qualities of genuine leadership. Every statement he has made socially, religiously and politically and every action he has taken officially or personally has proved to be a school from which all well-meaning people have learned one thing or the other.

    Like any other thing modern, this Sultan is modern by all standards. He knew on assumption of the royal office that the most effective link between the Sultanate and Nigerians (especially the Muslim Ummah) is the internet and he put that royal institution online as soon as he ascended the throne. Thus, as an exemplary leader, he demonstrates his leadership prowess by possessing mastering fingers on the computer.

     

    Historical perspective

    In the days before the official emergence of Nigeria as a country through the amalgamation of certain tribes and regions by the British colonialists, Sokoto Empire was beyond today’s Nigerian map. It consisted of a vast area of today’s Niger Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Benin Republic and some parts of Togo and Ghana.

    However, with the partition of Africa into various colonial entities in 1884, the Sultanate of Sokoto became drastically reduced with a large chunk of its territory falling under various colonial authorities.

    In the days of Uthman Dan Fodio and his brother, Abdullah Bn Fodio, the main glory of the Empire was education which became its heritage through the descendants’ line. It is on record that Clapperton, a British colonial agent once had an encounter with the first Sultan, Muhammad Bello, the son of Uthman Dan Fodio in 1824, in an interesting intellectual circumstance. After the encounter which came in form of a tacit debate, Clapperton had to admit thus: “He (Muhammad Bello) continued to ask me several other theological questions, until I was obliged to confess myself not sufficiently versed in religious subtleties to resolve these knotty points”.

    And, when Clapperton returned to Sokoto two years later, (1826) and presented Bello with a copy of Arabic Euclid, he was shocked to learn that his host already possessed one. Both Muhammad Bello and his father, Uthman Dan Fodio, made such complex linguistic, theological and legal studies that the one had 97 books to his credit while the other had 93.

     

    Genesis of literacy in Nigeria

    When the Europeans first came to our own part of Africa in the 16th century, the only literate part of what is called Nigeria today was the north. And that was because Islam had reached that part of the country with its Arabic literacy since the 11th century. The British colonialists confirmed this when they arrived in the 19th century.

    The only reason why the colonialists did not retain Arabic literacy in the north was that they did not understand it. If they had not ignored Arabic literacy, the north would not have been perceived as backward educationally today. At least by 1919, when the South was just beginning to embrace literacy with less than a score of schools, the North already had over 25000 schools where various subjects were taught and learnt in Arabic language.

     

    Philosophical assertion

    Philosophers who assert that every new century has a way of producing a great leader may be right after all. The example of His Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar is a manifest attestation to that assertion. Ever since he assumed the exalted royal office about nine years ago, this great man has convincingly exemplified all the qualities of genuine leadership. Every statement he has made socially, religiously or politically and every action he has taken officially or privately has proved to be a school from which all well-meaning people have learnt one lesson or another.

    Five years after his ascending the throne in November 2006, the symbiotic relationship between history and man was reconfirmed in Zaria, on Wednesday, (November 23, 2011), where a galaxy of well-meaning men and women from all walks of life assembled to say “we are here to bear witness”. That was the day His Eminence was installed as the CHANCELLOR OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA. The occasion was just one of many laurels accruing to him since he became the Sultan. And that same year, he was also named the 16th most influential Muslim leader in the world as his global itinerary in pursuit of peace and tranquility has come to confirm his unique royal mission.

     

    The role of education

    In Islam, education is the first law. It is only through it that man can understand life in all its ramifications. That was why Allah’s very first revelation to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordained education thus: “Read in the name of Allah who created; He created man from clots of congealed blood; Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, Who taught man by the pen; He taught man what he (man) did not know…”Q. 96:1-4. To further emphasise the compelling need for education in Islam, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have said in one Hadith that “knowledge is a lost treasure. Muslims should look for it and pick it wherever they could find it”.

    Without education there can be no information. And without information there can be no progress. That is why the Sultan started his reformation of the Sultanate from the premise of information based on education. It is only with education that most problems in this world can be solved without much ado. Sultan Muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar also believes that education without social harmony is like a virtue without value and that there can be no harmony in a society where people are overwhelmed by ignorance and penury as is the case in Nigeria today. Thus, he has consistently focused on these two areas in his global campaigns.

     

    Historic quotes

    At his installation as the Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University in 2011, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar said that the current socio-economic indices in Nigeria were a clear indication that the country had begun to drift. He blame the failure of the country’s unprecedented resources, development to match the national wealth on corruption.

    In his words: “Corruption has emasculated our progress even as poverty and unemployment have pushed citizens to the brinks, fueling and confounding social conflicts and inter-communal crisis has extracted heavy toll in both human lives and property”. He went further to say that: “Persistent insecurity has generated panic and anxiety; our social and physical infrastructures are far from meeting the needs of the nation; the country appears to be adrift and at the core of all these is moral decay engendered by ignorance and greed.”

    He also noted that the reform of the tertiary education sector could not be effective without putting in place, the progressive developments required in the basic and senior secondary education sectors insisting that “our state governments, especially those of the North, must begin to realise the enormity of the challenges facing the education sector and take urgent and necessary steps to address those challenges.” He lauded the founding fathers of the ABU, especially, the late Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and urged the authorities of the school to continue to abide by the cardinal principles on which the institution was founded.

    That is the Sultan for you, a man who is at the topmost echelon of the tree of comfort but feels so much concerned about the plight of the peasants who are consigned to the weeding of the shrubs without any hope in life through official policies. He has never relented in his advocacy for good governance and denunciation of corruption as well religious intolerance and avoidance of provocation

     

    Interfaith inclination

    When he was invited in January 2010 as a special guest of honour to a religious seminar organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), with the theme: ‘Knowing Your Muslim Neighbour’, Sultan Abubakar delivered an historic speech that reverberated meaningfully across the entire world. And in May, same year, he also invited the leadership of CAN to a special conference of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) held in Kaduna. The theme of that conference was: ‘Islam in the Eyes of the Christians’. He is the first Nigerian special class monarch to engage in such an interfaith affair at the national level and his speech on that occasion was also electrifying. Please read an excerpt from that speech as presented below:

    “….the task of overcoming Nigeria’s problems calls for sacrifice, dialogue and understanding; and all national stakeholders must overcome the myopia of greed and self-centeredness to move this great nation forward and safeguard its strategic interests….we must begin to look into the future with hope and confidence and to ensure, first and foremost, that we shore up the foundations of our political system. The National Assembly, and indeed all tiers of government, should not relent in their current efforts at electoral reform and in ensuring that Nigerians have a genuine electoral process that guarantees free and fair elections. Unless and until we do that, our nation will continue to be haunted by the unholy alliance between fraudulent elections and illegitimate electoral outcomes, the consequences of which we all know too well. We must break away from this vicious circle and confer on Nigerians the power and indeed the ability to decide, freely and willingly, who leads them at all levels of governance”.

    “….There is also the urgent need for us to re-evaluate our conception of leadership as a nation…. needless to add, that there is no way we can make genuine progress as a nation when a significant number of our populace wallows in abject poverty unable to secure the requisite means for their sustenance and to cater for the health and educational needs of their families. Democracy must build a humane society capable of looking after the legitimate needs of its citizenry. For it to be truly successful, it must be able to bring real progress to all sectors of our diverse society.

    “Finally we must all work hard to limit the influence of wealth in our society and to support those values that promote social responsibility, excellence and hard work”.

     

    Conclusion

    That is Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, a leader who knows the problems of his followers and associates with them with a view to solving those problems. He has since delivered similar, captivating lectures of historic records at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Britain as well as at Harvard University in the United States on the invitation of those institutions. As he will be installed as the Chancellor of the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, ‘The Message’ column joins thousands of Nigerians at home and abroad to say to His Eminence: CONGRATULATIONS!

  • PMB’s cabinet: More pains for Southeast

    Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari has dispelled any iota of doubt about his ill feelings towards Ndigbo. Those who thought that his announcing about 50 national security and strategic appointments with nary one Igboman good enough to be listed was not premeditated would be wiser now. But in announcing his cabinet midweek, he has shown that there is indeed no love lost between him and the Igbo nation.

    Yes, all ministries are equal in status, but do not be fooled, some are more strategic and if you like, ‘juicier’ than others. Consider the top dozen: Justice, Defence, Finance, Interior, Works/ Power, Petroleum, Transportation, Education, Agriculture, Communication, Health and FCT. Not one of these did the President allow an Igboman; not by any chance! Imagine Ngige for Labour and renowned scholar and former VC, Prof. Anwuka, as under-minister for Education!

    The point must be made, however, that this is the first time in Nigeria’s history that appointments have been so vindictively and provocatively skewed against a section of the country. Even the military was sensitive enough to maintain a healthy balance all the time for the sake of national unity. This is a dangerous precedent for our yet fragile nationhood. But more remarkably, PMB by this mindset demeans his presidency and ultimately, his legacy more than he harms Ndigbo. It looks like a solid cabinet, regardless of this flaw.

  • Ministers and challenge of change

    Ministers and challenge of change

    The change campaign slogan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Muhammadu Buhari, its presidential candidate in the 2015 general election, resonated with a substantial majority of Nigerians culminating in the historical defeat of an incumbent for the first time in Nigerian history. Nigerians assumed, rightly to my mind, that they were voting not just for a change of personnel but, more importantly, for a change of direction.

    The presupposition of the change mantra and its acceptance by the electorate was that the status quo was no longer tenable or acceptable. With youth unemployment up in the stratosphere and generalised poverty and its attendant miserable existence ravaging the nation while a few amass stupendous wealth, many Nigerians felt neglected and unappreciated by their government.  Informed citizens voted for change and they succeeded; they got their favoured president.

    Success soon led to a new reality. Normally a successful change means better realities for the nation and its downcast and demoralised citizens. The party of change is therefore expected to bring successful change. And because they had waited for so long to see a substantial and positive change in the conditions of their existence, the people cannot be expected to be patient. Their patience has worn thin and they cannot understand why their desired change wasn’t coming within a month of the inauguration of the new administration.

    But the reality has been different. There have been real challenges in six months.  An opposition party campaigning on the promise of change can be forgiven for not knowing what it was getting into, the extent of the damage done, and the substance of the needed repair. It was in the interest of the party in power to hide the depth of the trouble, especially in the economy. But who wants to hear excuses or complaints? All the electorate needed was change and the miracle man they elected must deliver.

    In fairness to both the electorate and the new administration, each has a point. First, the economic reality that the new administration met on the ground was a mess. The slump in the oil market in our mono economy has made it impossible for the states to pay the salaries of their workers, a substantial number of who don’t really contribute productively to the economy but have been kept in the system for political reasons. States have to be bailed out by the Federal Government while the original challenge of states managing to live within their means remains unresolved.

    At some point, however, and sooner than later if the country is not only to survive but to prosper, the important issue of managing the economy of states must have to be an issue for the government and party of change. Where a state receives close to 70 per cent of its resources from federal allocation and it spends close to 80 per cent of its resources on workers’ salary, it is clear that there can be no capital development in such a state. For how long can this continue?

    Second, judging from the revelations from just a few cases that the EFCC has been battling, it is clear that corruption has eaten deep into the national flesh and it is about to crack the bones. This is an area where Nigerians have been unanimous in their rage against the system. They want the new administration to fight corruption. Indeed, they see the new president as Mr. Integrity and that was why they gave him their support. It appears that the president got that message loud and clear. Time, of course, will tell.

    Third, there are cultural realities that are not the making of the new administration. Indeed, these have been with the nation since the dawn of its birth. There are cultural cleavages, including religious bigotry, ethnic chauvinism and blatant sexism. These fissures in the anatomy of the nation could be extremely painful and tragic with different groups talking past each other and making national consensus on important matters difficult to resolve.

    Thus while many saw presidential candidate Buhari as a Nigerian nationalist who can bring sanity to a broken system, others saw him as a sectional irredentist. And as he emerged as the elected president, that division still endures. In the circumstance, it will take the Wisdom of Solomon to bridge these divisions and move the nation forward in one accord. Mr. President has his work cut out for him.

    Beside the pre-existing realities, however, the new administration and the coalition that brought it to power have had to deal with a new reality which is no less challenging. APC was marketed as the party of change. But since its assumption of responsibility for the running of the nation, it has struggled with its own inner demons, to the delight of its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It appears that the party of change has not been well prepared for the discipline that it takes to govern with a mission of change.

    The indiscipline that has been exhibited at the National Assembly is unimaginable but understandable. APC is a coalition of forces that massed against the PDP. While the emergence of the party as a formidable opposition was hailed by many Nigerians as a redeeming grace, it now appears that some within the coalition only wanted a change of administration so they could have a shot at positions they had coveted for long. Surely, no one should be condemned for having an ambition; but it is unforgivable to allow ambition to scuttle the substantive change that the electorate had clamoured for.

    The NASS dysfunction has gone on for too long already and it is time that the President used his bully pulpit to call the perpetrators out. For, while we have separation of powers, it is not a far-fetched supposition that if it is not arrested early, the charade going on with the National Assembly will consume the other arms of government including the executive, and scuttle the change agenda.

    This of course naturally takes us to the newly appointed ministers as change agents. Believing the president that he has chosen his ministers solely on merit, they are the talented 36 out of 150million Nigerians. They must be proud of themselves. Even if they are the loyalists of Mr. President, and not necessarily the best, there is still good reason for self-jubilation and pride. The President was elected by a clear majority. That he has confidence in the 36 men and women is a big deal.

    They are, in Mr. President’s testimonial, round pegs in round holes. I understand this to mean that each of the honourable ministers has the requisite knowledge, the skill-set, and the temperament for the specific task to which he or she has been assigned. Therefore, I expect that the real change that our people desired with their vote would not elude them after all. Each of our honourable ministers must therefore contribute as a team player to the commonwealth such that they put naysayers to shame.

    Investing in human talents through the transformation of the educational system will produce educated citizens with consciousness for their health, and great potentials for wealth creation in a diversified economy, thus increasing national productivity, boosting infrastructural development including roads, rails and waterways, and ultimately benefitting the nation and its proud citizens. This is the tie that binds all the government ministries and departments. None is missing here. Therefore if all the ministers work together, the benefits are substantial for the nation. The world is watching. We wish them Godspeed.

  • Ministers: Of baron politicians and assets declaration

    Two leading front page reports of the Saturday Punch (October 31, 2015) are quite paradoxical and telling about the current epoch of Nigeria’s political development. The prime headline rendered in perhaps, the boldest of letters available screams: “NIGERIA BROKE, CAN’T PAY MINISTERS – Buhari”.

    But a less striking headline below the one quoted above reads: “Nigerians demand public asset declaration from Buhari’s ministers” while the ministers-designate are reported to have retorted that they would not make a public declaration of their assets. Even the bold cover photo on this page lends an epic corroboration to today’s thesis. It is the picture of a failed portion of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. It is an unsightly picture of vehicle wading through a deep, water-logged trough right in the middle of the road. It is a picture of abjection, stagnation and soulless dereliction seen only in extreme war conditions and failed states.

    Did you ever hear of the failure of a portion of highways anywhere else in this age? Let us take the liberty to point out a few more grisly stories highlighted on this front page: “South Africa to return seized $9 million currency to Nigeria on November 30,” it says. This is the story of Nigeria’s ‘raw’ cash, ignominiously caught-up in the middle of an official money-laundering heist last year under the guise of trying to purchase arms. And one more: “Customs retires three ACGs and 26 others.” Here about 40 senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service were swept out of office just by a wave of the hand. If they were found guilty of abusing their high positions and gouging themselves with revenues accruable to the nation’s treasury, we were not told. Whether they had tainted the high offices bestowed on them, it did not matter. They were just shuffled out. No points made, no lessons learned, highly trained top officers just flushed out: perhaps to go and enjoy their ‘good fortune’.

    But we digress. Today is actually about our ministers-designate and the question of public assets declaration. Some of the screened men and women who would handle some of the most important jobs in the land soon were asked if they would declare their assets following in the footsteps of their boss, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), but the majority of them had promptly objected to such prospect.

    According to the report, a good number of those called up on the phone noted pointedly that they were not constitutionally bound to make their declarations public. They did not have to follow in the footsteps of the president and his deputy, some of them said. Recall that President Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, recently set the example of making their assets public.

    Some ministers-designate indicating they would not let the people they would serve know what they are worth, immediately reminds one of America’s 19th century ‘robber baron’ businessmen, who deviously amassed wealth and became very affluent and powerful; often beyond the control of the state. But while those were businessmen who deployed rough and untoward tactics to corner the commonwealth, most of our politicians of today can easily pass for baron politicians or robber public officials who hijack premium political positions and offices and convert same to personal estates.

    Since independence and particularly in the last 16 years, having acquired a huge chunk of the state, they go on to begin to subvert the state and all her institutions or tinker with them to suit their purposes.

    Buhari’s Sisyphean huddles Over the years, Nigeria’s political robber barons have grown unchallenged and set in their ways. They had become the very bane of the country; growing in means, growing in number and making Nigeria a banana republic where the rule of law had taken flight. Now for Buhari, tackling this ugly phenomenon would be akin to Sisyphus the storied King of Corinth condemned pushing this giant rock up a hill and each time, being trolled back to the base.

    For the first time since independence, Nigeria’s political robber barons are facing a modicum of scrutiny with the advent of the Buhari presidency and it seems now or never to break that killer mould. Does the president have the resilience, capacity and the ruthlessness to extirpate this monster?

    The matter of political robber baronage is exemplified by the current dilemma about making assets public. This is one huge test of his ability to crack the skull of this monster. Most of his new men cannot and indeed, would not dare to make full public disclosures of their net-worth. It would amount to the option of either the country going up in flames or the ‘culprits’ being set alight.

    One would wager that very few politically-exposed Nigerians today would be comfortable showing what they have to Nigerians. How would Nigerians react if they woke up one day to find on a minister’s assets sheets, a total worth of about N50 billion or more. Many are wealthier than their states or even a few states combined. That is why they cannot be brought to book. They can hire all the SANs in Nigeria to frustrate a cause.

    Now what would he do with these set of barons; some of whom he had nominated for the big jobs. When asked recently about the nature of some of his nominees, he had spoken candidly that: “This is a teamwork… there are people (nominees) I accepted from other people in our team that I trust without even knowing them… may be the one that had problem in the National Assembly, I doubt if I have ever met him in my life.”

    How far can he go if compromises such as he noted above have been made already. But the obverse is that how far could he have gone if he did not make such compromises in the first place. Let’s call the task ahead of the president the devil’s alternative. Meanwhile, Nigeria is broke according to the president, yet it is being run by some of the richest people in the world, who would not dare make public their assets.

  • As Kogi decides

    In barely two weeks (November 21), the people of Kogi State in the middle belt of Nigeria will go to the polls in a governorship election. It is poised to be one of the most keenly contested elections in the country in recent times for many reasons.

    First, the new permanent voter card system would make the people’s vote count substantially. Two, the two major gladiators, the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada (PDP) and the chief contestant, Prince Abubakar Audu (APC) are both second termers. This means that the people have had the privilege of assessing them both and can tell who had served the best and therefore, who would serve them better, given a second chance.

    Many analysts think it would be close, as what the one may lack the other has. They say it would be close to call. While the incumbent, Wada, is cool and of quiet mien, Audu is known to be able to rouse the rabble. While Wada is very peace-loving and has indeed brought peace to a much fractured environment, Audu is remarkable for his steel and hardihood.

    Finally, one thing to be said for Wada is that the state under his watch does not seem to be embroiled in the fiscal crises most state are faced with; if he owed many months in salary arrears, his campaign would have been a mite more difficult. In a country facing cash crunch, the ability to manage resources and meet basic obligations must count for something. Well, it is a call for Kogites, they know best.

  • Zones of disaffection (2)

    Zones of disaffection (2)

    Last week I made a general philosophical point regarding the resolution of culture conflicts in a federal democracy. I concluded that any such conflicts must be resolved in favour of the host community. Today I focus on two specific cases of culture conflicts in recent times.  Fortunately for me, between the time that I submitted my piece last week and now, in one of the cases that I had in mind, there has been an intervention that supports my position. In the second case, the victim has made a suggestion that reflects maturity and experience.

    I start with the first case. Igbo traders have found peaceful abode in Yorubaland for decades. They are found in the remotest parts of the region. In my own family house, an Igbo family found a warm welcome, settled down and gave its children Yoruba names. The husband chose Bamidele for himself and learned to speak fluent Yoruba. Unfortunately, the man passed on; but the wife remained there for a long time with the support of the entire community. That is the way of Omoluabi, comparable to the Yoruba traditional practice of adopting their new abode and showing respect for their host culture.

    Times appear to have changed and to the dismay of many Yoruba, including the Afenifere Renewal Group, there is a new phenomenon but avoidable cultural crisis brewing with Igbo traders in the Southwest installing themselves as Eze Ndigbo in various Yoruba towns and states.

    Since the first reporting of the Akure incident and the Deji’s pronouncement of the matter of Eze Ndigbo in that ancient city, I have learnt something new about the particular matter and about human nature generally.

    First, I had thought that the incident was an unnecessary provocation by the Igbo traders of that ancient Yoruba city. I later discovered that it is a zonal crisis across Yorubaland.

    Second, I had sworn that the Yoruba in other cities and states would not engage in such blatant disregard for host cultures. To my utter dismay, I have since learnt that it is a national malaise. I have been told that Yoruba traders and residents of Kano have an Oba Yoruba. So do the Yoruba residents of Abuja. I remember also that in the dark days of Abacha, there was a powerful Seriki Shasha, a Hausa-Fulani monarch in the heart of Ibadan city.

    The new craze only confirms our knowledge of human nature, including the search for glory and the lust for greed. It is unclear who crowns the Oba Yoruba of Abuja or Kano, just as it is unclear who is responsible for the installation of Eze Ndigbo of Akure or Oyo State.

    Numerous Igbo achievers have received traditional titles in Yorubaland for many years. Such titles are in recognition of their contributions to the nation. Many Yoruba have also received titles in Igboland and in the land of Arewa. This is not the issue.

    Why the recent craze for Eze Ndigbo in Yoruba towns and states or for Oba Yoruba in Kano? If it is to protect the interests of Igbo or Yoruba traders respectively, that can be done simply by having an Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa traders association with an elected or appointed leader in the various states or cities. If it is to have a seat at the political table in their various states of residence, it is a legitimate aspiration that can be achieved simply by becoming a caucus within a political party. They do not need a traditional title to achieve such a goal.

    The Eze Ndigbo title in Yorubaland is an unnecessary irritant in a tradition-conscious culture like Yorubaland and a distraction from what could be a very fruitful relationship between Igbo and Yoruba cultures.  The Akure incident is an example of what could be an ugly pattern.

    Yoruba traditional rulers are rulers of their domains, not of an entire state. Therefore there can be no Eze Ndigbo over a whole state. Is the Eze Ndigbo of Oyo State a recognised traditional ruler in the state alongside Iku Baba Yeye? Will the Eze Ndigbo then be a member of the Oyo State House of Chiefs?

    If the Eze Ndigbo title is conferred on a person by an individual or group other than the traditional ruler of a Yoruba town and it is meant for a particular Yoruba town or state, it is a challenge to the authority of the traditional ruler(s) of that town or state. Anyone that bears a traditional title in a Yoruba town is subject to the authority of the traditional ruler that confers it.

    By the same token, if an indigene of a Yoruba town is conferred with a traditional title by a traditional ruler of another town, he or she still bears allegiance to his or her traditional ruler. Bringing to town a title from another domain does not confer any superior or even ranking authority over an indigene of a Yoruba town. It must be ditto with an Igbo title.

    Fortunately, the controversy generated by the Akure incident has been doused by the intervention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo with its support for the Deji of Akure’s banning of the Eze Ndigbo title. This demonstrates the depth of the organisation’s cultural understanding and its commendable willingness to build bridges across cultural divide.

    Yoruba organisations and traditional rulers must also stand against the bastardisation of the institution of Yoruba Obaship by Yoruba residents of other states and cities who self-install as Oba Yoruba whether in Kano, Kaduna, or Onitsha. Emirs must condemn the corruption of their culture by self-proclaimed Seriki Shasha and his ilk in Yorubaland. Let there be adequate respect for our sacred traditions.

    My second case is the abduction of Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a former presidential candidate of AD/APP in the 1999 presidential election. He is a respected Yoruba leader. His abduction from his farm and his being forced to walk miles was not only demeaning to him; it was capable of creating avoidable inter-zonal crisis.

    We have just gone through a presidential election that many in high places tried desperately to portray as a zonal competition in which the North was supposed to be pitched against the South. As a prominent member of a political tendency, if something tragic had happened, a serious crisis would be difficult to avert.

    The issue of cattle rearing has come up in the ensuing discussion because Chief Falae’s alleged abductors are Fulani herdsmen and he had had problems with them or their likes shortly before his abduction. Could it be that they came back to avenge the court judgment against them? Kidnapping is a crime, and kidnapping for ransom is criminal exploitation, which deserves heavy punishment. The issue is, however, more than kidnapping.

    The kidnappers are herders and there have been serious clashes between herdsmen and local farmers especially in all states of the Southwest. When herdsmen deliberately steer their cattle through farmlands and those cattle destroy crops, do they expect the farmers who invested in and laboured restlessly on the farms to be quiet? But when farmers like Chief Falae go to court for compensation, they become targets for kidnapping. We cannot go on as if the rule of law is a sham.

    Fortunately, the victim, Chief Falae, has come up with a suggestion that conforms to what happens in civilised communities. Rearing cattle through towns, villages and city streets is barbaric and unbecoming of a modern republic. The government of change must find it appalling and unworthy of protection.

    Herdsmen need grazing land for their cattle. The business of cattle rearing is their livelihood. They also benefit the nation with a regular supply of protein needed for a balanced diet. The federal and state governments provide the infrastructure needed by all professions without which they cannot make contributions, including tax payments, to the society.

    It is time to make provision for herdsmen in the form of well-maintained grazing ranches, on payment per use basis, in various states of the federation. As the need is inter-state, the Federal Government must take the lead.