The Nation Newspaper

Category: Friday

  • The substance of change

    The substance of change

    Change was the magic word that attracted Nigerians to the All Progressives Congress (APC) train and to its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. They wanted change from the direction the country had been pushed in the last 16 years. They trusted the man from Daura because they saw him, not as a typical politician, but as a man of an uncommon disciplined approach to life and an unusual integrity. They rallied round him because they believed it was time to rescue the nation and this was the man who could make it happen.

    Buhari himself noted with trepidation the burden of high expectations that he had to shoulder. He tried to play down his capability to deliver and do so especially in such a short run as the people apparently desired and expected. He didn’t find it amusing that all eyes will be on him within three months of his inauguration.

    To be sure, there is still a lot of goodwill for President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) and there are numerous Nigerians willing to extend his period of honeymoon. The majority of these patient citizens are Buharists to the core. For them, PMB is still the answer and he can do no harm.

    On the other side, however, there is a vocal minority, many of who have never hidden their disdain for the man and have been critical of his moves from the day he won the presidential election. “We told you so” has been the refrain from this circle. For them either Buhari has a northern agenda or he is on a jihadist mission.

    Between the two groups, there is a third, the non-aligned, independent and neutral-minded willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt. Their first reaction to any “shocking” news from the second group is to find out the truth, then the rationale, before making a judgment. They refuse to jump to conclusions about motivation. So they ask questions and refrain from pronouncing any verdict until they are sure.

    More importantly, the neutral independent-minded group is interested in how the President pursues the substance of change. But what do they understand by the substance of change and what does it matter? They certainly want concrete and material change as opposed the façade, periphery, or margin. For them, the change mantra can be more of the same, business as usual masquerading as change.

    What this group craves cannot be achieved in a jiffy, and they know it. Therefore they are not among the crowd demanding the head of PMB because nothing has happened in 100 days out of at least 1,460 days that the President has to effect substantial change in the polity.

    Take the case of appointments. The neutral group grants that Buhari cannot wait for four years before he finalises the appointment of the men and women who will help him achieve the substance of change that they desire. He will have to do this pretty soon; otherwise precious time is wasted. But they also grant him the benefit of the doubt. They are sympathetic with his cautious approach to get it right so he doesn’t simultaneously hire and fire.

    Secondly, they are also willing to concede to him the prerogative of hiring those he knows and trusts into strategic positions that he requires to deliver on substantial change. Therefore they don’t grumble about the appointment of the Chief of Staff (CoS) or Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    The concern of some in the first group mentioned above with respect to the latest appointments is twofold. First, if the appointments are a reflection of the mind of PMB with respect to trust, then it follows that he trusts members of his ethnic nationality more than other groups. Second, they contend that the appointments come with enormous power, which has multiplier effects for the constituencies of the appointees.

    To the first observation, members of the independent and neutral group are not impressed by the criticism. They know that the new President can jeopardise the goals and objectives of his promise of substantial change and thus alienate the electorate with a do-gooder approach to filling the most sensitive positions. They know that there is an enormous danger for the President and for the nation in a strategy that canvasses political correctness in matters of grave importance.

    Surely, there is also a grave danger in the appearance of failing to respect the traditional approach of satisfying all constituencies in a democratic setting. After all, he or at least his party will have to come back to these same constituencies for their votes in short 48 months. The anti-Buharists are gleefully entertaining these prospects of a Buhari or an APC coming back cap in hand for votes and being shunned or worse by voters.

    There is the prospect of a different outcome, however. Buhari’s trusted hands perform beyond anyone’s expectation. They succeed in stamping out corruption. They revive the comatose economy. They surprise us all with a thoughtful and effective agenda for restructuring the nation for optimal performance. And they bring back sanity and probity to governance. In this scenario, Buhari would have achieved the change that he promised, not marginally but substantially. Who in his or her right senses will then deny him or his party a second term on the parochial excuse that his uncle was not appointed SGF?

    I am not even interested here in the certainly legitimate argument of the third neutral group that for 16 years PDP presidents religiously adhered to the mantra of spreading the goodies. They invited every ethnic nationality to the dinner table. But those invited only filled their pot bellies without even allowing crumbs to fall off the dinner table for their kith and kin to snatch. An eight-lane dual carriage Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would have benefitted everyone from every nationality. Didn’t we have Ministers of Works and Transport from the South? Is Benin-Ore Road the better for that?

    There are two more considerations. First, some in the first group made reference to other climes, including the United States from where we copied our presidential system. But in those climes, no one cares where the president’s appointees come from as long as they are competent, accountable and trustworthy. If they don’t deliver, they are fired without any scruple, though the man who made the mistake of hiring them in the first place will have to eat the humble pie. He cannot blame anyone for his error of judgment.

    Our system is not different. What is different is that when it is convenient we preach the gospel of one nation. However, when we look ourselves in the mirror, we see many nations. But our constitution already provides for this paradox of one and the many. Ministers must come from all states of the federation and in the matter of board appointments, it is also expected that the federal character of the nation is respected. Can we then just allow Caesar to take what is his, and God to have what belongs to Him?

    Finally, while the first anti-Buhari group mocks the leaders of the ruling party, especially those from the South as if they have been used and dumped, the neutral group and, naturally the unrepentant Buharists, can only sympathise with the ignorance so unashamedly displayed. Does it really make sense that Buhari doesn’t confide in the leadership of his party before announcing his appointees? And does it make sense that party leaders would not scrutinise the record of those prospective appointees as well as his reasons for choosing them?

    Take the case of the new SGF. His bio shows a man of great intellect and accomplishment. He is an achiever in his discipline. But he is also a strong and loyal party man. Combine these qualities with the fact that he is a Christian from a northern minority nationality. Why don’t Buhari’s critics see this appointment as a plus for him—for recognising and trusting a Christian for the position of SGF and acknowledging and correcting the marginalisation of a northern minority? Blowing in the wind—the answer is.

  • PMB’s Igbo challenge

    One cannot help but say a word on PMB’s appointments so far. It has been confirmed now that he has Igbo challenge. When he excluded the Southeast from the security council posts and one had mentioned it here that it was a calculated act of inequity, I had been assailed all round and branded a tribalist.

    It has become plain now and even some of my traducers are yelping. I also said that ‘provocative discrimination’ (a la Tunde Thompson) against Ndigbo would harm PMB’s persona and presidency more than the victims of his calculated action. No matter how many more appointments to be made, the mindset is clear and obvious now. What has happened is neither a mistake nor an accident.

    Now you hear people say, oh it’s true what they say about this man being parochial and hegemonic in nature. PMB is in danger of being recorded by history as a sectional and parochial leader. That would be sad indeed for a leader who would easily have become Africa’s greatest statesman out of Nigeria.

  • Senate v. EFCC

    Senate v. EFCC

    “ARE you following the turn of events?” Opalaba asked via a text message.

    “What events?” I responded.

    “How can you fail to understand what I mean? The Senate versus EFCC, of course,” he responded.

    “I am sorry but I have been busy with my other priorities,” I replied.

    If you are a regular follower of my adventures with my friend, you can by now guess what follows next.

    My phone rang and it was Opalaba screaming on top of his voice.

    “Other priorities?” Is that what you just mentioned in your response? he asked.

    “Yes!” I also replied indignantly. “You don’t expect that I am always on to every damned inanity that you all decide to engage in, do you? Of course, I have many other useful items on my to-do list.”

    Noticing that I wasn’t going to back off, my friend mellowed.

    “Sure, you’re right. And I guess those of us who have no choice are victims of our circumstance. We cannot turn on the television sets without being subjected to mental torture watching fools display the arrogance of power and the stupidity that comes with it on our screens. What’s our choice in the matter?”

    “Turn off your damned television screens”, I screamed back.

    Now it was apparent to both of us that we were becoming psychological wrecks on account of the irony of the phenomenon of unchangeable “agents” of change; the self-proclaimed change agents who resist change.

    “So what’s the latest?” I asked my friend. And in his characteristic attention to details, he volunteered to guide me through the labyrinth of what he referred to as the latest “drama of the unchangeable.”

    “First, the EFCC received a petition against the wife of the Senate President and decided to investigate her. She appeared before the agency and was reportedly grilled over two days. Among the entourage that escorted her to the agency were senators and political associates of her husband. The investigation is still ongoing and there are reports that it has been extended to London.”

    “Second, a senator representing Delta North Senatorial District received a petition against Ibrahim Lamorde, the EFCC chairman, alleging that he diverted over N1 trillion of funds recovered from officials convicted of corrupt enrichment between 2003 and 2007. At the time, Lamorde was EFCC director of Operations. The petition was submitted by George Uboh to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. The senator, as a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions reportedly shared the petition with the Senate President. As the Senate was on recess, the Senate President reportedly gave the green light to the committee to investigate the matter.”

    “Third, the Senate committee fast-tracked the investigation and invited Lamorde for questioning on the subject of the petition.”

    “Fourth, the EFCC issued a statement rebutting the petition and raising questions about the motive of the petitioner and the Senate committee.”

    “Fifth, two groups in the Senate including the Minority Leader and the APC Unity Forum dissociated themselves from the investigation and advised the committee against engaging in a fruitless effort.”

    “Sixth, Senate President Saraki denied that the Senate investigation of Lamorde has anything to do with EFCC’s investigation of his (Saraki) wife.”

    Having laid out the details of the new sleazy deposit in the gutters of national politics, I asked my friend what he saw as the issues of interest. Never afraid of jumping into stormy water, Opalaba offered his insight on the matter as follows.

    “Oh, where does one start, really? It’s sleazy and sordid. It’s beyond the pale of decency, to say the least. But let us accept two important facts. One, the Senate has a constitutional oversight responsibility with respect to any institution of governance. No one denies this reality. Two, the Senate performs its oversight functions through committees that have the right to investigate matters referred to it by the Senate. These are the non-controversial facts.”

    “What then are the controversial issues in this matter?” I asked Opalaba.

    “There is quite a bunch”, he replied.

    “First, there is no smoke without fire. The fires here, if the Senate leadership can be honest with itself and with the Nigerian people, are two. One, at its inception, Senate President invited the anti-corruption agencies to a meeting. EFCC chose not to attend, thus humiliating the leadership of the Red Chamber. Second, shortly after, EFCC chose to investigate the wife of the Senate President, adding insult to injury. It’s payback time. It’s just as simple as that.”

    “Isn’t that cheap blackmail?” I questioned my friend. “What you’re suggesting is that to avoid spurious charges of retaliation, the Senate must fold its arms and not perform its duties.”

    “I have not finished and you’re jumping the gun”, Opalaba shouted me down.

    “Second, the responsibility for referring petitions to oversight committees belongs to the Senate as a body. The committee web page is clear about this. But let us grant that the Senate President can reasonably be expected to act on behalf of the body in case Senate is on recess. However, since he must be assumed to have a spousal interest in a matter pending before EFCC, good ethical thinking suggests that he should refer this petition to the Senate body to determine the issue of referral. This is what recusal means in decent climes. In other words, the Senate President shouldn’t have been the one ordering investigation by the Committee on Ethics.”

    ‘Third, the subject matter of the petition is not political; it is criminal. The Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions is, among others, tasked with the responsibility of considering “the subject matter of all petitions referred to it by the Senate and shall report from time to time to the Senate, its opinion of the action to be taken thereon together with such other observations on petition and the signatures attached thereof, as the committee may think fit.”’ (my emphasis)

    “The above is quoted verbatim from the web page of the committee. The question is “what can this committee accomplish with respect to the subject matter of a petition that alleges criminal action against the EFCC chair?” It will only render an opinion on what action to take. So why didn’t Senate just refer the petition to the Police or ICPC both of which are also anti-corruption agencies with power to investigate and prosecute?

    “Fourth, there are more disgusting details. The mainstream and social media are buzzing with slimy background stories of the originator of the petition and his Senate representative. At the least, the stories raise a number of questions which should interest the Senate. Indeed, what one would expect is for the Senate Committee on Ethics to first assure itself of the credibility and integrity of a petitioner prior to committing the prestige of Senate to an investigation that may turn out more dirt about him than about the accused.”

    “For instance, is media report true that George Uboh was once convicted of credit card fraud?” If so, does he have a credibility challenge in bringing this allegation against the EFCC?”

    “Is it also true that Senator Nwaoboshi boasted about his relationship with convicted James Ibori, referring to the latter as his boss and friend without a display of moral outrage over what Ibori was convicted of? If true, is this senator himself fit to be a member of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions?” Opalaba intoned.

    “Finally, there is a deeply worrisome nature of our politics even in the cyber age when members of the Millennial Generation who ought to be in the vanguard of probity and cosmopolitan etiquette are instead defenders of primordial, local and partisan interests. Certainly intelligent and morally conscious people may see matters differently. My hope is that in this and other matters of high moral stakes, it is our moral convictions and not our ethnic, local or partisan interests that inform our various positions. God bless Nigeria.”

    If not on any other matter, I agree whole-heartedly with my friend’s sermon from Mount Opalaba in the last paragraph. This phase too shall pass.

  • Like Mark, like Saraki

    Like Mark, like Saraki

    Cash is king, no, cash is god May history be damned! Monetise our legacy! Hand us cash bequeathals! This must be the silent chant of members of our National Assembly (NASS) in the last 16 years. If only they knew any better; if only they realised that the unit of measure of life’s worth lies in legacies and not currencies.

    This is why history will have no golden chapter for Senator David Mark who was Senate president and head of NASS for eight years. The refrain of his supporters has been that he was instrumental to stabilising the Fourth Republic and Nigeria’s nascent democracy. But ‘stabilise’ to what end? Didn’t he merely hold down the cow for it to be milked to death?

    As this column has always canvassed, the position of the Senate President is only second in importance to that of the President of the federal republic. Therefore, under the control of a noble and enlightened mind, the NASS is a veritable instrument for ringing far-reaching socio-political and constitutional changes. But as we have witnessed, none of the structural dysfunction plaguing the polity was righted; no landmark legislation such that could untangle the system and unleash the potentialities of the state was pushed.

    For 16 years, the NASS remained a wayward, licentious lad and in eight years under David Mark’s leadership, it grew into a rapacious money mongering ogre; a loose King Kong trampling the polity and gobbling up our commonwealth. Mark will be remembered for the singular achievement of nurturing a NASS where members earned more than members of the US Congress and the British Parliament put together. We will remember him for bequeathing us with the inimitable legacy of a rogue assembly during his presidency.

     We remember Mark today and for always for that outstanding record of creating a NASS that earned the highest wages in the world. We will always remember him for breeding a corps of hard-hearted men and women who are lacking in compunction or empathy for the teeming horde of a poor and deprived populace.

    We will remember David Mark and his gang not only for mindlessly immiserising the people but for also over-sighting the historic pillage of the country in the last five years. Never in our history had a parliament entered into such incestuous relationship with the executive branch to rape and ravage the country and her people. Saraki, Chip of the old PDP block While we shall allow history to damn Mark and his baleful lot, we shall have to march on the current Assembly. In just a few days, it has become obvious that Senator Bukola Saraki, the new president of the Senate, is as much a lost soul as Mark. For Saraki, ‘change’ must be a stupid new buzzword Nigerians have just discovered. None of all that ‘change nonsense’ for him; Nigeria’s billions of naira beckons, it seems. His eyes must be firmly glued to a future of imperial positions, and he needs money to purchase it. That is all that matters; again, legacy be damned!

    One had thought that Senator Saraki would be influenced by the advantage of better learning and better democratic credentials. We are mistaken it seems. A buccaneer is a pirate and a vampire will always relish blood. Having tasted blood (of the people) in his first term, it is too late to let up now. It does not matter that the economy is flailing, it does not matter that revenues have dried up drastically and it does not matter that workers are not being paid their humble wages across the country. All that matters is to grab positions over which they had bludgeoned themselves since inauguration in May. Now that positions seem settled, the time has come to shovel funds generously into their pockets.

    This must be the best job in the world Is it possible that these NASS members have hurled home the sums we hear they have hurled in just three months of bickering and taking recesses? Is it true that about N13 billion has been shared by our lawmakers already? Is it true that each of the senators has been paid at least N36 million, while each of the House of Representatives members has pocketed about N25 million so far?

    It is scary that all our lawmakers including supposed ‘noble’ men and women (like Ben Murray-Bruce and Dino Melaye) in these pristine chambers would not take a definitive and open stance against what is obviously an obscene, under-the-table payouts. How on earth did the NASS arrive at an annual budget of N120 billion (N150billion up till last year)? Why should NASS comprising of only 469 lawmakers have a bureaucracy of about 4660 civil servants?

    Even at that, why would a NASS with a total head count of 5129 persons have an annual budget of N120 billion, while a state like Benue for instance, with a population of about 4.2 million people has an annual budget of N98.5 billion? To think that such states like Benue would have to also provide infrastructure and public utilities, such as roads, water, health and educational facilities, among others. What this suggests is that the NASS may not need more than N25 billion in total annual budget.

    We will therefore expect the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in all its twiddling and twaddling about fixing legislators’ emoluments and pay cuts, tell us what N120 billion is used for.

    The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), which ought to scrutinise all appropriated spendings in the federation, has been remiss in its duties. It is its duty to ensure that every kobo of this whopping sum is accounted for.

    Members of NASS have been sharing cash as if they were hooded bandits sharing booty this last decade because the federal audit system had become near moribund. Since it has become obvious that Saraki is anything but a change agent and that it seems his leadership would be worse than Mark’s, Nigerians must brace up to effect the change they need by themselves. Enough is enough! Who needs the Senate anyway?

    Extolling the Gov Wada spirit

    Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State is a man of gentle mien and soft words. These characteristics are often mistaken by onlookers as weakness. It is especially so in a political environment that has become the verisimilitude of a jungle. There is therefore, no room for gentlemen of culture and nurture as Wada has proven to be in nearly four years. Here, you either hunt, or get hunted; trample or get trampled upon. In fact, to lead around here you must first make sure that not one person around you is standing erect.

    But it is not so for the Kogi governor, Idris Wada. No matter what else may be said about him, he has played politics of love and upheld a doctrine of live and let live. He displayed it amply last week when he picked nomination form at his party’s headquarters in Abuja. While others in his shoes would unsettle their domain in order to get an automatic second term ticket, he on the other hand, decried do-or-die politics noting: “If I win I will thank God. But if I lose in free and fair primary, I will support whoever emerges. It is not a do-or-die affair.”

    In a state that is prone to political volatility, it is often salutary to hear the man at the helm speak peace and project humility from the seat of power. Here is commending the Wada spirit to other political leaders.

  • Details of Hajj

    Details of Hajj

    Preamble

    This is the season of Hajj. It comes up in the month of Dhul Hijjah every year. Hajj means aspiration towards a higher pedestal in spirituality. It is, divinely, a pillar of Islam made obligatory by Allah for Muslims who can afford it once in a lifetime. Hajj is an ordained pilgrimage and not a mere tourism. Thus, the visa issued to Muslims who perform Hajj annually is that of pilgrimage and not of tourism. Whilst pilgrimage is a spiritual exercise, tourism is a pleasurable journey.

     

    Similitude of Hajj

    The similitude of Hajj in the life of a Muslim is like that of pregnancy in the womb of an expectant mother. The experience may vary from woman to woman as the foetus in the womb undergoes various stages before reaching the stage of delivery. By the time the child is finally delivered, the mother feels a relief of her life while the child assumes a tabula rasa (clean slate) that makes him absolutely innocent.

    Spiritually, a pilgrim is like a newly born baby if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of vanity after Hajj, he automatically becomes like a person in snow-white attire who finds himself in a palm oil market. Unless he spiritually guides his loins, he may immediately become a tainted person both in body and in soul.

     

    Rigours of Hajj

    Muslim pilgrims who are going on Hajj must be prepared to go through series of rigour both spiritually and physically. The rigour of getting the money with which to perform Hajj; the rigour of getting the travelling documents including visa; the rigour of taking care of the home front before embarking on the Holy journey; the rigour of boarding the plane with a sense of high risk; the rigour of going through the security check at the embarkation point as well as the disembarkation point in Saudi Arabia;  the rigour of performing the Tawaf and Sa’y; the rigour of moving from Makkah to Mina on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, then to Arafah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, and back to Mina via Muzdalifah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah; the rigour of locating the tents at Arafah; the rigour of throwing the pebbles at the Jamrat in Mina on the three or four days known as Ayamu-t-Tashrik; The rigour of performing Tawaful Ifadah at the Sanctuary in Makkah after the first day of throwing pebbles; the rigour of shaving the head (by men) and slaughtering the rams by all; the rigour of performing the farewell circumambulation otherwise known as Tawaful Wida‘i all in the midst of millions of people can be too much to forget so soon  after Hajj.

    Whoever is not bothered by the money spent on Hajj should at least be bothered by the various stages of the rigour involved including that of visiting Madinah. To lose all these to the forces of Satan after Hajj is like losing one’s travelling passport after obtaining visa. The prayer of every genuine pilgrim is to retain the validity of Hajj forever.

     

     Conditions for Hajj Performance

    Performance of pilgrimage must be based on genuine intention and high spiritual standard. An intending pilgrim must have attained puberty. He must have been an ardent practitioner of the first four pillars of Islam: (Salat, Zakah, and Sawm) all of which are fervently based on faith (Iman). Hajj without these pre-requisites is like a tree without roots.

    Money is a major pre-requisite for Hajj but it is not absolute.

    Hajj, the last pillar of Islam shows very vividly, the similitude of what mankind will experience on the Day of Judgment. Looking at the unique way in which pilgrims dress for Hajj and how they assemble at Arafat leaving their luggage behind in Makkah, one will realize how ephemeral this world is.

     

    Purpose of Hajj

    The various stages of preparation through which pilgrims pass before arriving at Arafat are symbolic of our peregrinations in life as human beings. Like the Day of Judgment, Arafat is the climax of Hajj performance. Anybody who misses Arafat misses Hajj. But Arafat is not by physical appearance alone. It takes a combination of factors to participate effectively in that great assembly which serves as the climax of Hajj.

    For Hajj to serve its spiritual purpose in the life of a pilgrim, certain steps must be taken before leaving home. They are as follows:

    • Fine-tuning the first four pillars of
      Islam very sincerely
    • Packaging the intention to perform Hajj
    • Ensuring the security of the way
    • Providing for the family and dependants
      at home
    • Paying all the outstanding debts
      including promises
    • Ascertaining the condition of health
    • Perfecting immigration procedures and
      undergoing all necessary medical
      services including inoculation
    • Assuming a mood of humility like that
      of a servant approaching his master.
    • Readiness to endure hardship and to
      tolerate fellow pilgrims’ attitudes.

    Admonishing Muslims on spiritual journey, including Hajj.

    Prophet Muhammad once said: “Actions shall be judged according to intentions. Whoever embarks on a spiritual journey for the sake of Allah will be adjudged on that basis. And whoever bases his/her intention for pilgrimage on marriage or material gains should not expect any reward beyond that for which the intention is based”. The steps to follow in the performance of Hajj are as follows:

     

    The Miqat

    Miqat is the specified place for the wearing of Ihram dress. There are five of such places in all. But the one earmarked for pilgrims from Nigeria cannot be reached by pilgrims travelling by air. It is over-flown while crossing the Red Sea. What most Nigerians do therefore is to wear their Ihram dress in Jeddah which has now been adjudged right through a Fatwah. Thus, Nigerian pilgrims can now wear their Ihram dress on arrival at the pilgrims’ airport in Jeddah.

     

    Tawaful Qudum

    Tawaf means circumambulation of the Ka’bah. The very first Tawaf to be performed by any pilgrim on entering Makkah is Tawaful Qudum. It is performed before a pilgrim settles down in any residence. Tawaful Qudum is an obligatory Sunnah from which only residents of Makkah among pilgrims are exempted.

     

    Residence in Makkah or Madinah

    Most Nigerian pilgrims often seek their accommodations in Makkah or Madinah close to the Haram. This is to enable them walk to and back from the Haram conveniently at the time of any Salat. To minimise pilgrims’ regular occurrence of missing their ways, they are provided with hand bands bearing the addresses of their residences. Pilgrims are therefore advised to wear such bands at all times to enable them show it to either the Hajj guides or policemen when the road is missed. It is also important for pilgrims to always be with their identity cards provided by Nigerian Pilgrims’ Commission or private agents. This is to enable them to be identified in case of sickness, accident or even death.

     

    Movement to Mina

    Pilgrims must be ready to undergo some rigour in the process of moving to Mina from Makkah. The rigour which normally affects all pilgrims is engendered by limited time available for millions of   pilgrims who must move to that spiritual camp before the sunset on the day preceding Arafah day.

     

    The Day of Arafah

    At the Plain of Arafat, pilgrims are advised to stay under their tents and concentrate on the spiritual activities that take them to the place.

    They must reach Arafat by mid day when Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr should be observed combined. Anybody who is not at Arafat by mid day is considered not to have taken part in the assembly and therefore missed Hajj. Immediately after observing the combined Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr the Imam who led the two Salat is expected to give a sermon. Listening to such sermon is as compulsory as giving it.

    The great assembly of Arafat terminates shortly before sunset (Magrib) and the pilgrims return to Mina via Muzdalifah.

     

    Muzdalifah

    At Muzdalifah, pilgrims are expected to halt their journey to observe Magrib and ‘Ishai combined. They are also expected to pass the night there and observe the Salat-s-Subh of the following day before proceeding to Mina. Muzdalifah is adjacent to Mina and is therefore a walking distance.

     

    Jamrat

    Stoning of the devils (Rajmu Jamrat) begins a day after Arafat and continues for the next three or four days that the pilgrims are supposed to spend at Mina. This exercise is obligatory and without it Hajj is incomplete. There three points at which stones are to be thrown. Seven pebbles are to be thrown at each point on every one of the three or four days to be spent in Mina.

    While going for the pebble-throwing exercise, pilgrims are advised to take their pebbles along with them. Except for the first day when seven pebbles are supposed to be thrown at only one spot, pilgrims are required to throw twenty one pebbles each day in the three spots provided while they remain in Mina.

    Picking such pebbles at the point of throwing them is forbidden. All pebbles must have been picked before leaving the tent for the ‘Jamrat’ or on the way.

     

    Majzarah (Abattoir)

    Slaughtering of all sacrificial animals is done at the abattoir in Mina. Pilgrims do not need to bother themselves by going to the abattoir for the purpose of carrying out this compulsory obligation. They can simply buy the guaranteed ticket sold by designated Saudi agents. The ticket is the evidence that one has performed that duty. The slaughtering is done on behalves of the pilgrims by some authorised artisans who are paid by the Saudi Hajj authorities from the money paid for those animals. The animals to be slaughtered at Jamrat range from rams to camels. A pilgrim should slaughter one ram or more while seven pilgrims may combine to slaughter one camel or five of them may jointly slaughter on cow.

     

    Tawaful Ifadah

    For pilgrims who can afford to go to Makkah after throwing the first seven pebbles, it is good to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. For those who cannot, the exercise can be deferred till the end of Tashrik.

    Pilgrims who have performed Tawaf-ul-Ifadah are free to shave their heads and change from their Ihram dress into civil or traditional dresses.

    The only reason for any pilgrim to go to Makkah from Mina during the camping period is to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. No pilgrim should break camping rule by going to Makkah without performing Tawaf-ul- Ifadah. And after performing Tawaful Ifadah, no pilgrim should remain in Makkah or elsewhere without returning to Mina before sunset.

    With the completion of the camping days in Mina and the arrival of all the pilgrims in Makkah, Hajj has been completed except for Tawaf Wida‘i  otherwise called farewell Tawaf. That Tawaf is compulsory.

    It is then left for pilgrims to decide whether or not to go to Madinah. Going to Madinah is not compulsory. It can neither validate nor invalidate Hajj. But it will be spiritually odd for any pilgrim to choose not to visit the Prophet’s Mosque.

     

    Conclusion

    Throughout the Hajj exercise, what should be uppermost in the mind of a pilgrim is the spiritual benefit.

    Hajj is made compulsory only once in a life’s time for those who have the wherewithal to undergo it and can satisfy the conditions attached to its performance.

    On arriving home finally, pilgrims are not expected to start organising parties in celebration of a successful Hajj performance as ignorantly done by some Nigerians. Maintaining Hajj is a necessity for those who know the value of doing that. Whoever is privileged to perform Hajj once should forever be grateful to Allah as no one is sure of getting another chance.

     

    Hajj Mabrur holds seminar

    Hajj Mabrur Ventures Limited (HMV) will on Sunday hold a seminar for the would-be pilgrims.

    The annual seminar will take place at the University of Lagos Mosque auditorium, Akoka, Lagos.

    A statement by its HMVL Director Alhaji Dhulkifli Adewunmi, said the seminar is germane to the success of the religious exercise.

    Pilgrims, he said, need adequate information about the dos and don’ts of the exercise.

    “Aside this, Saudi Arabia is a no-nonsense country that hold strict her laws and would not hesitate to punish whoever flout those laws. So, we need to enlighten our pilgrims on this and other salient issues,” he said.

    Alhaji Adewunmi assured the pilgrims of a successful pilgrimage once they obey the rules and regulations guiding the holy exercise.

  • PMB: The dangers of one-man-show

    Perversive aura of power We must not grant President Muhammadu Buhari too much comfort. We cannot afford to blink or take our eyes off the ball. Not anymore; not after all the tormenting disappointments that have emanated from that Aso Rock Presidential Villa since 1999. Why should a President Olusegun Obasanjo have failed so woefully having rode into the scene with cognate experience none else in Nigeria’s history had? Yet he managed to set us back many years. Did we not think that President Goodluck Jonathan brandishing a PhD, and all that shoelessness, was indeed a breath of fresh air? But he fouled our air so much we are still choking.

    The mere fact that the sheer aura and majesty of power would circumscribe both the holder and beholder is enough reason we must be even more on our guards now and not assume that the long-awaited messiah has finally arrived. It is true that comparatively, PMB is imbued with finer character and personal integrity, but there are a dozen other virtues begirding transcendental leadership and transformational governance.

    It is for these reasons that we, the watchers of all the Estates of the Realm, must wear our skeptic’s cap always and set it askew at an irreverent and annoying angle. Now more than ever before, we must not be afraid not provoke and run against the grain of popular leaning. And like my brother Azu Isiekwene once said, we must not stop at ruffling feathers, we must make sure to pluck some feathers. Especially so when we are sure we are doing so in the interest of both the man in the pristine prison of the Villa and the hapless fella on the street.

    The breeding a benign dictatorship This is why we must not fail to sound the alarm about what is clearly an incipient one-man government and the making of a leviathan; a benign dictatorship. It is not acceptable and neither is it justifiable that PMB would take almost half of a year to form a government. We simply do not have that luxury of time. He tells us he will not appoint members of his cabinet till September. We hear the Senate may not complete ratification of nominees till end of October and we know that it would take these men and women upmost of another six months to master their not so simple environment and begin to deliver any reasonable result.

    Why should we hand over one full year of our lives to a man we elected to office to play around with as he wishes? There is absolutely nothing PMB is doing now that he could not have done with the full complement of his cabinet in tow. It is a dangerous fallacy for one man to imagine he could reform a deeply rotten system all alone in a few months.

    In fact, the dangers and shortcomings of the President discharging executive functions in the manner he has been doing are numerous and indeed, scary. First, most of the activities so far – wholesome and positive as they may be – are at best ad-hoc and direly limited. He does not have the option of robust debate and a weighing up of numerous alternatives to arrive at the best options.

    One example was the setting up of the Adams Oshiomhole-led panel to probe the management of the Excess Crude Account during the Jonathan era. It had one month to report back to the National Economic Council (NEC). But it took all of one month to find out that the panel was inadequate and indeed awkward for that assignment. It took one month to know that audit firms are better suited for the job. That was one month wasted and several opportunities lost.

    Another shortcoming is that the country has remained at a standstill and will be so till a cabinet is formed. A visit to federal secretariats will prove this. It was not that diligent activity was the hallmark of the Nigerian civil servant, but ask anyone of them now and he will tell you there is nothing doing since the new dispensation. Again, it is not for fun that the weekly cabinet meeting is held: it is for setting broad policy guidelines, tracking implementation and reviewing performance and progress taking place simultaneously in all sectors. No one person can do this alone.

    What really is the purpose of the current exercise of having permanent secretaries review their ministries before the President one at a time? This exercise, which is taking months to carry out, would have been better accomplished in a one week summit under a full cabinet. This way, even the ministers would benefit immensely and at the end of the day, the President would set the tone for his presidency and government in the purview of all – the appointees and civil servants. So we would have done in one week (and with better result) what we have been grappling with for months.

    And there is the more foreboding danger of the President getting used to the current situation of ‘working’ alone and all the minnows around him falling all over themselves when he sneezes. He is in danger of creating a debilitating environment that does not allow for debate, questions and a weighing of options. If he gets used to dishing out instructions and people jumping, his cabinet would be ineffectual and he, as much as Nigeria, would be the worse for it.

    Now and for as long as the President’s slow motion lasts, the budget is in abeyance, most projects are abandoned, work cycle is lost and funds are disbursed whimsically from the presidency.

    APC’s slumbering new era? If PMB is taking things slow to dredge the rot in the system, are governors too, who have followed his example, also dislodging sludge? It is worrisome that most of the ruling APC governors have conveniently neglected to initiate governance; even second term governors.

    If Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State (a first timer) could get started immediately, what is holding up Governors Akin Ambode (Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), among others? Why is it taking Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) almost one year to form government? This precedent is dangerous and unacceptable. Apart from the fact that they are running government from their breast pockets, some fellow will come tomorrow and take all of two or three years to form an executive council (exco), standing on Aregbesola’s example.

    One sees absolutely no benefit in a president or governor hedging to form government upon inauguration. None.

    PRESSID: Let’s not throw Jonathan away with bathwater

    One of the most ingenious initiatives of former President Goodluck Jonathan was setting up of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID).

    The scheme, which is in its third year, selects about 100 best of Nigeria’s first class graduates for scholarship in the best universities abroad. The idea is simply to harness a critical mass of thinkers and leaders in all spheres of life for Nigeria’s future. The US has perfected this strategic initiative, reaching beyond their borders to poach the best from around the world.

    The successful candidates for the third batch for the 2014/2015 academic session, who have been offered admission in universities across the world, have been left hanging since President Buhari came to power. If these young Nigerians are being denied their well-merited national scholarship, which they have already won, by the new government, they at least deserve to be informed formally so that they may move on with their lives.

    America, Israel, China, etc., lead the world because they make serious effort to select and groom their very best minds. It is hoped that PMB would sustain PRESSID.

  • Muslim Marital Homes

    Muslim Marital Homes

    “Marriage is part of my tradition. Whoever is capable but refuses to marry is not part of me” Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

    Preamble

    Today’s article is not new. It is only being recalled here due to popular demand. When it was first published in this column some years ago, many Muslim couples in Nigeria saw it as a true mirror of their matrimonial homes. Many others took it for a matrimonial handbook capable of serving as a guide for the conduct of their homes. Yet, many who missed it at that time but only heard of it from others who read it have severally called for its repetition in this column. And because of the value it may add to Muslim homes and the role it may play in resolving conflicts in those homes, ‘The Message’ decided to re-publish it here today for the benefit of all and sundry. Here it goes:

    “A radical 20th century India-born British journalist and novelist, George Orwell, wrote a famous allegorical novel entitled ‘ANIMAL FARM’ in 1945. His focus in that novel was mainly on the Russian revolution of 1917 which he satirised venomously. While writing the novel, that social critic never thought that any possible ripples could arise from it which might have a backlash effect on the entire human social life in the 21st century. But ironically, with the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), in the early 1990s the read application of that book became manifest on the entire social life of today’s mankind. This will be explained shortly.

     

    Institution of Marriage

    Perhaps no institution in human life is as temporally or spiritually valuable as marriage. This is an indisputable fact across nations, races cultures and religions. Marriage is the main axis around which the continuity of human existence on earth rotates. It is either a pivotal source of decency or a clear cause of malfeasance in any given society. Without marriage, human societies would have been like Orwell’s Animal Farm. And were Orwell alive today he would have probably redirected the attention of his novel towards the matrimonial homes globally.

     

    Rate of Dissolution

    Nowadays, the rate of dissolution of marriages is by far higher than the rate at which marriages are consummated. At least, going by the local customs of the various tribes in Nigeria one can conclude that marriages are conducted weekly throughout the country as against the daily occurrences of their dissolution.

     

    Definition

    Some people define marriage as a legalization of intercourse and procreation of children without any reference to its divine sanctity. Others call it a social contract culturally or legally consummated between two consenting mature people of opposite genders. The latter definition is also silent on the obligation and responsibilities of such a union. In Islam, marriage is much more than both definitions. It is on the one hand, a promise made by the male gender who is soon to become the husband and on the other, a trust personified by the female gender who is soon to become the wife in the custody of a husband. Thus, marriage is an agreement between two families aimed at creating an avenue for continuity of social life through a common social venture jointly managed by the two representatives of both families in their bid to set up a home of their own.

     

    Essence of Life

    In the life of any serious human being, three events are fundamentally essential. These are birth, marriage and death. The three form the axis around which the entire human life rotates. All other events in human life are merely peripheral.

    Throughout the world today (Nigeria inclusive), marriage has become a balloon which can be casually inflated in one minute and deflated in the next minute. It has been taken for a mere chess game played for the fun of the players as well as that of the onlookers. To most Nigerians of today, marriage is not more important than dining, wining, singing and dancing. It has been reduced to mere fun and entertainment which many young couples see as a legitimate means of actualizing sexual urge that would have been perceived as a social aberration without passing through a formal matrimonial communion.

     

    Parable of Marriage

    While conducting a marriage in Lagos sometime ago, yours sincerely compared a marital couple to a pair of scissors which has two blades. Each of those blades faces a different direction. The one faces right whilst the other faces left. These positions are not naturally interchangeable. Yet, with the nuptial tie knotting them together in the middle to seal their common destiny, the two blades jointly work assiduously in their move to certify the essence of that togetherness.

    Looking at a pair of scissors very carefully, one will discover that the two blades therein sometimes stick closely together and sometimes stand out separately. Their meeting and parting randomly accentuate the essence of their togetherness. Through those meeting and parting, the two blades of the pair of scissors communicate effectively and mutually function dutifully. And when they stay apart, the tendency is for some intruders to assume that they cannot jointly function again and therefore attempt to penetrate the gap between them. But as soon as that intruder comes in, the two blades of the scissors quickly come together to crush it. There is a marital lesson for human beings to learn from this.

     

    Division of Labour

    No husband can play the role of his wife. Neither can any wife play the role of her husband. The division of labour in the matrimonial home as naturally ordained is the main determinant of the separation of powers in that home.

    Just as the two blades of a pair of scissors face different directions but work intimately together so should any marital couple do. If the blades stick together permanently without opening and closing, the tendency is for them to rust away and become useless to each other. And, if on the other hand, they stay apart consistently thereby leaving the scissors in a permanently open position they will never be able to jointly carry out the assignment for which they are manufactured. Thus, through random meeting and parting of those blades, the pair of scissors is able to perform its duty without any hindrance. And as the blades grow older, they become weaker and less active. So is the situation with marital couples.

     

    Implications

    Unfortunately today, marriage has become like the country called Nigeria where projects are hurriedly executed to satisfy the secret (under the table) terms of contract without any consideration for the quality and maintenance of such projects. When two young people of different genders and backgrounds are coming together to form a couple, they hardly think of the implications of such a union in terms of individual differences and the possible challenges that may emanate from those differences. Young couples of today perceive love either from beauty point of view or from endowed wealth or even from pleasure of sexual intercourse. And that is a way of turning infatuation or possession of material wealth or sexual enjoyment into love which is usually the cause of marital collapse.

    In marriage, love develops only gradually with mutual understanding especially when it becomes evident that one spouse accommodates the weaknesses of the other through tolerance and compromise. The attraction which beauty or wealth or intercourse engenders can only at best generate tentative LIKENESS and not LOVE in the real sense. This is where the foundation of divorce is often laid even before the consummation of marriage. There is nothing called love in a matrimonial home in the absence of thorough study and understanding of each other as well as compromises and tolerance. It is not enough to claim mutual understanding through mutual study during courtship. No matter how long it may last, the period of courtship can never be enough for any couple to fully understand each other. That period is usually to impress each other while the tendency to pretend is often disguised. That is why and Arab poet once coined a couplet thus: “A liking eye sees nothing wrong in the conduct of the liked one; but a hateful eye only searches for the faults in the hated person”

    Marriage is a serious business which must be seriously negotiated initially by the concerned couples and their parents or guardians. At the courtship stage, the concerned couple must not only discuss the modalities of coming together as husband and wife they must also negotiate the factors of sustaining their marriage through proper maintenance of the home. Any marriage without a programme of maintenance and sustenance will become like dew used by a farmer to water his crops into fruition.

     

    The Prophet’s recommendation

    In his recommendation to Muslim men searching for wives, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Wives should be married on the basis of four factors: beauty, wealth, family background and faith”. He however emphasized (Islamic) FAITH as the strongest factor for Muslim couples. He did not recommend such factors to women knowing the difficulties that women might face in making choices of men but he strongly recommended that a woman’s consent in her marriage is germane. The Prophet then concluded that any marriage without such consent is invalid. This means that forcing a girl into marriage without her consent is illegal in Islam.

    Marriages are globally collapsing at an alarming rate today because couples and their families have closed their eyes to two key factors in maintaining the matrimonial home. These factors are COMMUNICATION and MUTUAL RESPECT. No marriage can ever survive or succeed without a thorough pre-marital counseling by parents, guardians or religious clerics who must not only tutor potential couples but also demonstrate practically to them how marriages are sustained using their own marriages as examples. Newly married couples often dream of building their homes on the models of certain older couples in the society. The consummators of new marriages in the Muslim community must be   part of those models.

     

    Communication

    There can be no matrimonial peace in the absence of adequate communication between husband and wife based on mutual respect. Nothing signals the collapse of a marriage more than the breakdown of communication in the home. A marriage without communication is like a house without door. Of course, the children from such homes are mostly the victims of any ensued divorce. If a marriage is initiated and consummated with communication, how can anybody think that such a marriage can be sustained without communication?

    The real essence of marriage is for husband and wife to disagree in order to agree, not the other way round. And in the process of disagreeing or agreeing, communication is the only key instrument without which the home can never remain intact.

    Any couple that closes the matrimonial door to communication has surely opened that door for divorce. Even divorce, whether through mutual agreement or through court injunction, must be communicated in one way or another to both parties.

    In Islam, one of the most potent ways of ventilating communication in the home is to worship and pray together at least twice in a day (morning and evening). A Muslim husband must at least be knowledgeable enough to lead his family in Salat and to preach and pray for such family daily. Through such worship and prayer, many knotty matrimonial issues are untied. And   besides, the children will learn to be good-mannered and to resolve disagreements among themselves. That is why Muslims are urged to acquire knowledge about their religion. The spate of divorce in any society today is much higher among the ignorant couples than the knowledgeable ones.

     

    The Role of Mosques

    By remaining indifferent to the rate of divorce among Nigerian Muslims, the Mosques are shirking one of their foremost responsibilities. It has been said repeatedly in this column that Mosques are not meant for Salat alone. As a matter of fact, Salat can be observed congregationally or individually anywhere that is clean and not necessarily in a building called Mosque. A Mosque in Islam does not have to be a building if its purpose is just to observe Salat. That is why Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said “the entire earth has been made the Mosque for Muslims once it is purified”.

    One of the fundamental duties of a Mosque is to sanitize the society by finding resolution to conflicts. And since no conflict can be more devastating to any society than that of the matrimonial homes it becomes incumbent on every Mosque to have a Conflict Resolution Committee constituted by learned scholars and headed by an Islamic jurist.

    As a duty, the Imam of the Mosque must also be well educated enough to educate the congregation in his Mosque on the need to take their matrimonial conflicts to the Mosques or Shari‘ah courts where such conflicts can be solemnly resolved rather than to customary courts where marriages are dissolved with fiat. Matrimonial conflicts are not new to any modern society. What seems new and worrisome about them is the geometric leap they are taking these days.

     

    Reflection

    The very first conflict in human history was over marriage. And that was the conflict between the first and second sons of Adam (Qabil and Habil) otherwise known as Cane and Abel over the choice of wife. And the genesis of the perennial disagreement between Muslims and non-Muslims of Semitic origin in the world today was the matrimonial rivalry between the two wives of Prophet Ibrahim, Zahrah and Hajarah, (Sarah and Hagar).  If the Mosques cannot resolve conflicts arising from the marriages they consummated to save Muslim homes, what other conflicts can they claim to be resolving? It is embarrassingly shameful to see hundreds of Muslim marriages demolished by customary courts while the Mosques keep aloof.

     

    Conclusion

    Today, Nigerian society is prone to danger of insecurity mostly because of matrimonial instability. And the more marriages are consummated, the more matrimonial homes crumble. Who, then, will save the society by saving our matrimonial homes? That is the biggest question of this time which is begging for a very positive answer. The security of Nigeria as a country depends very much on the stability of matrimonial homes. That is why emphasis should rather be laid on stability of homes than on distribution of contraceptives for the purpose of reducing procreation. There can be no peaceful nation without peaceful homes. This is a panacea for national insecurity. The battle for Nigeria’s future peace is rather in the matrimonial homes than in the Sambisa forests of this world.

     

    God bless our homes.  

  • Anti-corruption matters

    Anti-corruption matters

    The recent visit of the National Peace Committee to President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has generated a lot of buzz from a public that has been re-energised by the president’s approach to national issues in general and the fight against corruption in particular.

    PMB’s campaign promise was anchored on confronting the evil that corruption has wrought on fatherland, reversing the tragic loss of lives and property to insecurity, and combating the undesirable effects of both on the economy, which has stagnated despite the attraction of rebasing.

    Nigerians liked the message of a new beginning with its prospect of a national rebirth and they gave their solid support to the messenger, candidate Buhari. He won the election and set to work to match his words with action. After all, this is what integrity is all about, and for a leader who has volunteered himself as the symbol of integrity, nothing less is expected.

    The reaction has, however, been mixed.  While the generality of the public support the president’s approach, PDP leaders and their surrogates have cried wolf where none is sighted. Among others, they have insisted that the investigation and prosecution of corrupt officials must be holistic and must go beyond the Jonathan administration even back to 1985. They have complained that only former PDP officials are being investigated. They preached the rule of law to a president who had pledged to make it the centrepiece of his administration.

    On his part, the President has reassured his critics that he has no intention of protecting anyone, including members of his party. There are no sacred cows, he insisted, and the finger that commits a crime will suffer the penalty. But his critics are not relenting.

    To be sure, the complainants and critics have not all been partisans trying to score cheap political points. There have been credible contributors to the debate on what the approach to the fight against corruption ought to be. It is on one of these credible contributions that I would like to make some observations.

    Professor Ben Nwabueze has proven his credentials as a true patriot even before he co-founded The Patriots and his many contributions to the constitutional and political development of the country are not inconsequential.  He has made the cause of the social and political transformation of the country his consummate passion.

    Back in 2013, Nwabueze advised former President Jonathan to abandon the idea of running for a second term in order to focus on true national transformation. But after Jonathan agreed to convene the national conference of 2014, Nwabueze and other members of The Patriots forgot about partisanship standing in the way of national transformation; they endorsed him for re-election.

    On the whole, however, Nwabueze’s message deserves to be taken seriously. But to be taken seriously only means that his views must be interrogated seriously and adequate response submitted on behalf of reason, which I believe to be the only basis of his own submissions.

    Nwabueze’s views on this matter were contained in a three-part article in the Vanguard Newspaper Special Reports section on August 13, August 17 and August 19, 2015. But I limit myself to the first instalment, which contains the core of the position canvassed, as others were just embellishments.

    The title: “Corrupt practices: Igbo leaders’ position on probe of past governments”, gives the impression that the position canvassed by Nwabueze is that of Igbo leaders. However, the only author identified in the three instalments is Professor Ben Nwabueze. There is also no indication that he signs on behalf of Ndigbo as the title would suggest. At any rate, group sponsorship shouldn’t detract from the import of the message, provided it has no ethnic colouration. For in addition to the destructive nature of religious divide and the debilitating effects of corruption highlighted by the professor, ethnic rivalry has proven to be a nation buster.

    The main thrust of Nwabueze’s argument is that the Buhari administration’s fight against corruption must be holistic to succeed. By this, he means that it should not be limited to the Jonathan administration; that it must be extended to past administrations, including the former PDP administrations as well as the military administrations of Babangida and Abubakar, which according to him, had not been probed by successive administrations.

    For this conclusion, the professor of constitutional law offers two arguments as follows:

    1. A probe of corruption must have the purpose of deterrence. Presumably, then, he wants to argue, without pushing it explicitly, that probing the Jonathan administration alone will have no deterrent effect on corruption.
    2. Probing the Jonathan administration alone when other administrations before his were as corrupt as or more corrupt than his is unfair because it is selective probe with the appearance of vendetta.

    Now, the first argument above concerning the possible deterrent effect of a limited probe is to be determined by experience, not by logic. Nwabueze himself made reference to the Murtala Muhammed probe which, based on the example of Muhammed himself, with its focus on the military administration before it, including civil servants, succeeded in instilling probity and discipline in public life before Muhammed was silenced by the assassin’s bullet. Therefore, by this example, it appears to me that the deterrent effect of a probe of the immediate past administration can go a long way in deterring future prospective looters.

    On the second argument above, Nwabueze answers his own query, but for some incomprehensible reason, he appears to ignore the salience of the point by rejecting the argument as strange, which insists that Jonathan had a “duty to have probed the (Obasanjo) government from which he took over.” What makes this a strange argument in Nwabueze’s view?

    First, Nwabueze makes the insignificant point that Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, and not from Obasanjo.  Jonathan was the Vice President to Yar’Adua who took over from Obasanjo. And Jonathan himself told the nation that his was a continuation of the Yar’Adua administration. It had to be, since he completed the term of the deceased Yar’Adua before starting his own administration in 2011.

    Second, Nwabueze argues that Jonathan couldn’t have been expected to probe Yar’Adua or Obasanjo because they were all PDP administrations. “All three administrations were PDP governments and it seems inconceivable that one PDP government should probe another.” This is the most bizarre argument that the professor presents in defence of his position.

    Why is it inconceivable that a new president who canvassed for and received the people’s vote would fearlessly do the people’s will by moving to fight corruption through the investigation of wrongdoing by his predecessor? If governors can probe their predecessors belonging to the same party, why is it inconceivable for a president to do so?

    Third, since Professor Nwabueze and The Patriots turned round and endorsed Jonathan for a second term in the last election, if he had succeeded, we will not now be talking about fighting corruption, holistically or partially because it will be “inconceivable” to expect Jonathan to probe Obasanjo or Yar’Adua or himself.  So for as long as a political party is in power, corruption can and will flourish! This is the logic of Nwabueze’s position.

    The reason that corruption had the upper hand during the previous administrations is that the leadership of the ruling party including its office holders was neck-deep in it. Though anti-corruption agencies were put in place, they were not empowered and certainly were not accorded the independence they deserved. This is what Buhari has vowed to reverse.

    We are now witnessing the activities of anti-corruption agencies emboldened to perform their constitutional responsibilities. However, the goal must be to move to a situation where they can perform effectively without executive or legislative prodding and independent of their fear or favour.

    Finally, Buhari knows that he cannot afford to be distracted by an open-ended probe of the past. For the same groups that insist on a holistic probe back to 1985 will be in the forefront of those gearing up to accuse him of doing nothing beside probing past governments. The promise of change is certainly much more positive than the negativity that indefinite investigations and probes seemingly imply.

  • What transformational leadership can do

    What transformational leadership can do

    Singapore just turned 50 and there is a good reason for citizen pride and for the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the celebration while it lasted. And the official celebration lasted only one day because the people cannot afford to stay away from work for more than 24 hours since they still have much to do for the growth and development of a nation and a people that have demonstrated to the world what feat a determined leadership and a loyal followership can perform.

    Fifty years ago, there was a great deal of uncertainty about the future of this city-state, having just been expelled by a unanimous vote of the Malaysian parliament from a federation of 14 states comprised of Malays, Tamils and Chinese. While the union lasted, there was no love lost between the leaders and the people that made up the alliance. For fear that Singapore’s majority Chinese was going to dominate the union, the United Malays National Organisation expelled Singapore on August 9, 1965.

    Singaporean leader, Lee Kuan Yew, was devastated. He believed in the merger of the two territories. On his account, he had dedicated an entire political career to making it work without much thought to the possibility of such a drastic measure by Malaysia. Although devastated, he didn’t succumb to fear of the unknown. As in the case of an individual, national survival instinct kicked in and innate and acquired leadership skills were summoned. The result is visible in all areas of Singapore’s national life.

    Five years ago, I visited Singapore for the first time. The experience was awesome. Trusting in her reputation for being the safest city in Asia, I roamed the streets without fear of kidnapping or encounter with armed robbers. Indeed, perfect strangers were just too willing and ready to help out when I lost my bearing. Singapore also has the reputation for having the cleanest streets and the most disciplined population, not just in the area, but compared with most parts of the world.

    The time I visited the country in August 2010 coincided with the celebration of national independence and the spirit of national pride couldn’t be more glaring. I watched the fireworks at night and I had no problem figuring out the perception of the people about their country. I informally interviewed scores of young college students all of whom attested to the fact that their country was in the right direction. They understood their responsibilities as citizens and were only too willing to discharge them for the good progress and development of their country.

    From the unanimity of Singaporeans about their love for and pride in their country, it is difficult to understand that the nation is not monolithic in terms of the multiracial origin of its people, who include Chinese, Malays and Tamils. The race riot that occurred in 1964 just before Singapore’s expulsion from Malaysia has given way to racial harmony, as they all see themselves as Singaporeans. This may have something to do with the evolution of the country and its economic and financial success.

    It is true, however, that the evolution and the success are the result of hard work and dedication of its leaders, especially the one whose identity became synonymous with the nation, Lee Kuan Yew, a transformational leader whose success has once again demonstrated that leadership matters. As he once declared, the success was not due to magic.

    Yew invested heavily in research and development. He prioritised education and had zero tolerance for indiscipline and corruption. He led by example, going around the street monitoring projects and inspiring the youth. My 2010 cab driver told me that there was stiff penalty for violating the laws against littering, such as spitting chewing gum on the street grounds or defacing public building with graffiti. Of course, we are aware of the penalty for drug trafficking.

    Singapore was forced to become an independent nation five years after Nigeria voluntarily asked for and received her independence from Britain. Because of the circumstance of her coming into being, Singapore did not receive any assistance from its former ally. It had to begin from ground zero. It had to survive and its leaders had the sense to invest their integrity and knowledge into the nation’s future.

    Singapore’s leadership didn’t rip off their nation to build other countries. They refused the pleasure of the moment for the long term benefits for the nation. Today, Yew did not live to witness the appreciation of a grateful people. But wherever he is, he must be beaming with smiles beaming on the nation that he built, not just economically, but also politically, physically and socially into one of the most reckoned with nations in the world, in spite of its just being a city state.

    Of course, Singapore is not all glittering! Her democratic credentials are not in the superlative grade, combining a capitalist economic model with a quasi authoritarian political rule with the same party in power since 1965. There is suppression of public opinion and critics of government have received stiff penalties.

    It’s useful then to ask what lessons, if any, can Nigeria learn from the Singaporean experience?

    First, it is not size that matters. There are big for nothing nations, just as there are big for nothing individuals. For far too long, we have focused on population as if it is the numbers that make a great nation.

    Second, unity and national pride come with tangible national success. We fought a civil war because we wanted to keep Nigeria united. Are we united now as a country? Browse the various blogs and online comment pages for an answer. A more effective road to unity is a selfless leadership with a good understanding of what it takes to achieve national greatness and can demonstrate success in national advancement.

    Third, unlike Singaporeans, we don’t even have a unity of purpose. There is too much mistrust and misconception of motives and intentions. If this is just a followership issue, we may suggest that leadership should come to the rescue. But it is mostly at the leadership level and not for the most laudable of motives.

    Those who fear the personal loss of what they consider their entitlements are often in the vanguard of ethnic jingoism. And as it is at the national level, so it is at state and local government levels.  Within the same party and the same ethnic group, there are crises of confidence. Already, the battle for 2019 has started even with a new president just starting his term! It’s egoism run amok.

    Fourth, a strong and selfless leader with a vision will see through the cracks, rise above the fray and inspire the entire nation, young and old, men and women, of all faiths and all backgrounds, with personal example of hard work, self-discipline and transparent incorruptibility. He will not be distracted by perennial nay-sayers, or partisan critics because he has his eyes set on the prize of national advancement. He will go for the necessary restructuring of the economy and the polity, and investment in human development, as the sine qua non of transformation.

    My support for President Muhammadu Buhari is based on my understanding of his vision in view of his past service and his tenacity in the past three elections. I still have that belief in his ability to transform the nation and in his determination to make a success of his efforts. The ball is in Mr. President’s court. Singapore was not a magic. Nigeria can rise above the cloud of despair that hangs over her otherwise beautiful sunny sky.

  • Chicken season

    Now that the party is over It is quite unfortunate that Nigerians, especially governments across board, are yet to come to terms with our NEW REALITY. And what is this new reality, you wonder? Well for the interest of those who may not know or who cannot appreciate it, THE OIL BOOM IS OVER! The petro-dollar is not flowing into the country anymore and may never flow the way it did for over 40 years. That is our new reality.

    Remember that at the peak of it in the 70s, the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was reported as saying that Nigeria’s problem was how to spend money. His fellow soldiers of fortune overthrew him ostensibly to come and have a taste of the gravy.

    Still quite ignorant about how to manage our oil boom, the succeeding Olusegun Obasanjo government organised one of the biggest jamborees in modern human history, the 2nd African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977. It was the heady days of a new-found oil wealth in the hands of ill-bred military generals. That was how come that for about one month, contingents from about 60 countries of the world were quartered in Nigeria carousing and squandering the riches of a fledgling nation with hardly any institution, structure or infrastructure.

    It is instructive to note that the first such world’s Black festival held in Dakar, Senegal was largely bankrolled by UNESCO. But for the second edition, Big Brother Nigeria had to show the world that it had arrived, so she doled out her new found petrodollars as if there would be no tomorrow, just to impress the world. Why is it that no other country on the continent has dared to embark on such folly as hosting an African arts and culture festival almost 40 years after FESTAC 77?

    Following the same trajectory of wastes, General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s military president from 1985 to 1993, continued the binge. At the peak of his reign, he said in an interview that he could not understand why Nigeria’s economy had not failed. Yes, he was apt to wonder why because it was an era of especial official graft bordering on brigandage. In a free for all treasury-plundering, Babangida’s era epitomised corruption and ineptitude in leadership.

    It peaked with the spiriting away of over $12 billion Gulf War crude oil sales windfall. Babangida never gave account of this huge accruals to the federation account till today. The last time we heard of this matter, an obviously compromised judge threw out the case brought before it by a rights group.

    If the junta were stupid with resources, the civilians fared no better. If you thought the Alhaji Shehu Shagari era (1979-1983) was a sorry period in the life of this country, these past 16 years of the PDP have only left us haemorrhaging mortally. This is where we are now: after Presidents Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria is left, a wounded mass, bleeding to death.

    Back to the beginning To return to our starting point, how many of us realise today, the dire straits the country has lapsed into? From the presidency to the MDAs, state governments and the general populace; and if we truly do, what is our response to it? Many state governments are still spending millions of dollars sending people to junkets called pilgrimages to wherever; even the Federal Government had to do ample damage to the exchange rate by allowing pilgrims to purchase dollars at an artificial rate of about N160 to a dollar.

    Many governors are still chartering private jets and doing the foreign trip runs, oblivious of the crisis in the land. The other day, one of them organised one such elaborate economic summit that do everything but help the economy of the state. In fact, over the years, economic summits have become one of the tried-and-tested ways of disemboweling a state’s treasury. We are yet to see any state government raising nary a panel on practical ways of diversifying state’s economy both in the immediate and long term.

    Considering the chicken option And to think that there are thousands of things that we all can do to begin to turn our fortunes around in just 12 months. The chicken option is one. This is the chicken season: anyone who has a little space in his compound could start breeding a dozen chickens or two now, which would be ready for consumption in December.

    Poultry products have been banned in Nigeria since 2010, yet more than 70 per cent of the chicken and turkey consumed in Nigeria is smuggled. Breeding chickens for about 170 million Nigerians is a multi-billion dollars business. The poultry economy is a large one with its long value chain. Starting from the maize plantation to feed mills, hatcheries, veterinary services, chicken pen technical services, the eggs business, processing and packaging lines, transportation and freezing services and sales outlets services; it’s a long lucrative chain. There is more: even manure and wastes for crops and fish farming.

    Between the Presidency, Customs and MARD The conditions are perfect for Nigeria to breed her own poultry. The only thing that had made us to depend on imported poultry preserved for months with harmful chemicals was cheap oil money, which had robbed us of our senses. Now that oil money is no more, we will do well to hurry back to the basics – agriculture.

    Since President Muhammadu Buhari mounted the saddle, the Nigeria Customs Service has woken up to its duties; trying to curb smuggling of poultry products and making seizures. But smuggling still goes on even at a frenetic rate now because supply has dwindled here.

    This is where the presidency must step in, reinforce the ban and charge Customs to sit up. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) must rise to the occasion and provide support and incentives to poultry farmers. Banks and financial institutions too must see the big opportunity and cash in. The market is huge and waiting to be exploited and turnaround time is short.

    Finally, some of us have forgotten the true taste of chicken. Home-bred chicken tastes better, is more nutritious and will not require harmful chemical preservatives. Let us stop eating smuggled cadaver in the name of chicken and turkey!