The Nation Newspaper

Category: Friday

  • Crucial points to note on the N180 billion palliatives

    Crucial points to note on the N180 billion palliatives

    • Profile of the palliatives so far

    Last week, Thursday, 17th August 2023, the federal government announced that it would give each state of the federation a sum of N5 Billion palliatives to cushion the impact of the removal of the payment of subsidy on fuel – The total cost implication amounts to N180 Billion.

     The decision to share the palliatives is a consequence of the vagaries of the escalation of cost of living crisis occasioned by global and national economic downturn and more so due to the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is a key policy direction of the new administration aimed at enabling the socio-economic turnaround of the Country. 

     One of the provisions of the N5b funding is that, the state governors are to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers to share with the most vulnerable citizens in the state.

    The above subventions are additions to other initiatives that were rolled out by President Tinubu during his national broadcast on 31st July 2023.

    While the above initiatives are laudable and reflect the readiness of the administration of President Tinubu to mitigate the impact of the subsidy removal and other economic downturns, it is important that decision-makers, leaders at various strata, and critical stakeholders note the following critical points:

    The need for transprency and accountabity

    With regards to the 100,000 bags of Rice and 40,00 bags of Beans: A quick calculation shows that: on average a bag of Rice is about 50 kg, while a bag of Beans is about 40 kg. Therefore, 100,000 bags of Rice could amount to 5 million Kg of Rice per State. By applying a rule of thumb and saying the State Government could share 10 kg per homestead, that means that about 500,000 vulnerable citizens will get the 100,000 bags of rice. The implication of this hypothesis is that, as an example, in the case of the poorest State in Nigeria according to the NBS 2023 multi-dimensionally poor index, i.e. Sokoto State with an estimated over 4.3million multi-dimensionally poor citizens, only about 20%% of the multi-dimensionally poor of the poorest State in Nigeria will get a share of the bag of rice and/or beans. Another poser is; if the 100,000 and 40,000 bags of rice will be a one-off exercise. If so, what are the other interventions that will be provided for the over 133 multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians for example in the next 6 months? Do state governments have robust plans and pathways to exit the vagaries of the removal of the fuel subsidy? These are bearing in mind that the IMF has told us that the economic growth rate of Nigeria for 2023 is 3.9%, while the growth rate may contract to 2.9% by next year. Please note that this projection did not cater to the current impact of the removal of the subsidy. With the further socio-economic headwinds, we are facing, it is important that the interventions are more far-reaching and sustainable as far as the 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians are concerned – given that the concept is that no vulnerable Nigerian should be left behind. To this extent, the methodology and integrity of the social registers, vis-à-vis, what NBS has already done, will be amongst the critical success factors. The fact that if we juxtapose the sharing formula of the bags of rice and beans with the 133 multidimensionally poor index, the expected impact will be on less than 1% of the poorest people in Nigeria is a very worrisome situation. I worry that we may end up with a palliative-driven economy while running out of a subsidy-driven economy. 

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    I am aware that the Governors have their own respective plans, but due to the aforementioned statistics and realities, the Governors are obviously struggling to roll out and action them. The actions of some of them are very laudable, for example, the Executive Governors of Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, and Lagos States. 

    Another important point to note is the possibility that the palliatives may not reach the multidimensionally poor if the palliatives are hijacked to settle politicians and their loyalists (this applies to all political parties). Let us not forget what happened during the COVID-19 period with regard to the palliatives that were stockpiled and hidden and the gory outcomes that we all saw on local and international media of poor people breaking into those warehouses. May we not witness such occurrences, even though it happened already in Adamawa State some weeks ago. That is an indication of potential outcomes if things are not handled properly.

    Even though States have their peculiarities, it will be good if the Nigeria Governors Forum comes up with an overarching strategy based on which they can generate workable and impactful templates that will apply to all. For example, I appreciate the methodology adopted by the Governor of Yobe State, as follows: assessment of intervention, identifying vulnerable persons, identifying the areas of intervention, and how to ensure that it reaches those people. It will be highly commendable if the aforementioned parameters are followed transparently, and equitably with proper accountability frameworks and systems, albeit the total package is still meager because it appears that the bags of rice and beans may only last households for two weeks and then we have 6 months of headwinds to contend with to get out if the first phase of the doldrums because the economic indices will get worse before they start getting better, i.e. the issue of the rising price of PMS due to market forces will remain on the table, the price of US Dollar will increase due to traditional global impacts as we inch towards to end of the year, and other economic variable that are still in the negative until the interventions and solutions kick-in. 

    Value creation at state levels

    The genuineness of the Governors and Local Government Chairpersons and their legislators; and commonality of purpose across party lines will determine how far they will go in making the needed impacts of sentence and bettering the lot of Nigerians. There should be government-to-government collaborations at subnational levels for socio-economic stability and sustainability of states.

     The Federal Government cannot do it alone, state governors must think out of the box, because all the states in Nigeria are so blessed with man and material resources such that no state has any business being poor.

     Citizens should demand more transparency and good governance at subnational levels to catalyze better service by their respective governors and legislators. We pay too much attention to the Federal Government, such that we forget the immense responsibility placed on the Governors to deliver good governance. In the past 24 years of return to democracy, some Governors stood out as a model of progress and development. We should demand more so that more Governors  sill perform. So far, I see that some Governors have been demonstrating capacity, empathy, and patriotism. We implore them to do more and for others to step up.

     Fight against insecurity and corruption and the importance of foreign policy

    It is important that the Governments (at the Federal and State level) include security as part of their short—, mid-, and long-term strategy. Apart from national kinetic insecurity, the issue of food insecurity is escalating due to global warming, geopolitics (war between Ukraine and Russia, Sudan meltdown, the rising coups in West Africa, and the potential military intervention in Niger, etc.), is another key rising concern. 

     For instance, the fertilizers that will be shared will be worthy of note that the fertilizers will be useless if the farmers cannot go to the farms to produce due to insecurity. Farmers need to return to their farms as soon as possible to produce more food and raw materials for the economy to mitigate the looming food shortage with dire consequences.

     In my opinion, we should not lose sight of the significance of national security, the fight against corruption, and our international relations strategy (security, socio-economic, trade, investment, etc.) in which foreign policy (Nigeria-First) should be the nexus – going forward.

    The role of organised labour and civil societies

    I wish to call on organized labor and civil societies as levers that should control government and governance, to step up and re-strategize. As times are changing so should you change. Your engagements and agitation strategies should also change with the nuances of the government you are engaging in and our current realities. Importantly please do not forget that the multi-dimensionally poor citizens are also in the informal sector which, according to the IMF, constitutes about 89% of our populace. 

     Reduction of cost of governance

    Leadership by Example: Citizens eagerly await the immediate tangible downward review of expenditures by topline leaders (Executive and Legislature) on the cost of running their various offices and institutions.

     In conclusion, how the Federal Government and importantly State and Local Governments think, plan, and implement with a holistic view and pragmatic approach will determine the outcomes, positive or negative. I pray that our leaders at all strata will think, plan, and execute with fear of God, empathy, and a high level of political will for the sentence and betterment of our people. 

  • Letter to Nigerian youths

    Letter to Nigerian youths

    Dear Nigerian youths,

    This letter being addressed to you through this medium (The Message)is not by design but by accident. Nigerians of my age and beyond (60+) never had an opportunity to be so addressed. Let it be known to you that except life and sound health, none of Allah’s bounties to man is as treasure-able as youthfulness. The definition of youth varies from place to place and from faith to faith. But generally, youthfulness spans from the age of puberty (at 16) to that of reasoning (at 40).

    That is the second stage of human life as it follows that of adolescence. It can be said therefore that the juiciest part of human life is what people call youth. And whoever is blessed with it is blessed with all hopes of life.

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    Youth is the spur of ambition and risk. It is the period of determination and resolution. It encourages attraction between genders and engenders association across boundaries. All efforts in human life that yield results in old age are made at youthful age. To an average youth anywhere in the world, the sky is never the limit. There are still many other firmaments beyond the sky. Youth is the stage of hard work. It is the stage of planning. It is the stage of vision and mission. That is why the youths of any nation are seen as the bone marrow of such a nation and the beacons of the future. And fortunately, youths invariably constitute majority of the existing people at any given time in any given nation.

    Youths before now

    In the years past when life had meaning and culture had value, youths were seen as the pride of the nation. They were the natural arrows fixed to the parental bows which were often shot through the iron gate of life. This was the case in Nigeria before and during the colonial era. And after the country’s independence, the youths constituted the glory and hope of their parents. Their role in the family encouraged the bearing of many children as they partnered their fathers in tilling the farm land and harvesting the crops. In short, they formed the live wire of their families.

    When a father was said to be rich in those days, it was only because he had many children (male and female) who constituted the workforce of the family. The father’s pride then was not just the number of children he had but the volume of contribution made by those children to his wealth. Thus, children were considered as wealth.

    In those days, youths were not just helpers of their parents on the farms or in   their trades they also assisted them in training the younger ones. Yet, they had the highest esteem for those parents in their utterances and in their conduct. The level of discipline in those days was such that boys were handled by their fathers while girls were mostly handled by their mothers. And the mothers dared not utter a word while any child was being subjected to discipline by the father. In a nutshell the upbringing of a child was the main key to societal serenity.

    Change of trend

    Today, Nigeria is a different story altogether. The youths of yesteryears have become the elders of today. They have left the chord of discipline that escorted them into the world of decency to the new train of indecency. And that chord is no longer suitable for either today or tomorrow as the trend has changed dramatically. The current trend began in January 1966 when some uncultured youths in military uniform, spurred by blind ambition, threw the value of age and experience to the winds and killed the then leaders of the Nigerian nation in what was called a military coup d’état. By that unfortunate act they plunged the nation into a precipitate civil war that rendered the youth wild and eroded the value of youthfulness.

    For 13 years thereafter, the vagabonds remained in power using whim in place of experience. And when a brief civilian interlude came on board in 1979 for only four years, the vagabonds perched on the governance again and like hungry vultures, they fed on the carcass of democracy to their fill. Through that unbridled usurpation of power, the so-called Nigerian military weaned themselves from the ladle of integrity and destroyed whatever was left of their nomenclature.

    Here we are today, looking desperately like a starved hawk and hanging restlessly in the balance like a gagged hyena. Virtually every Nigerian has forgotten the real cause of our calamity. The cry everywhere is now about the effect of that calamity on the nation. No one endeavours to look back and see where the downfall started from.

    And without looking back, there can never be any correction as to how to rise again. A Yoruba adage states axiomatically that when a toddler falls down he looks forward (to see if there is any adult around to lift him up). But when an adult falls he looks backwards (to see the cause of his fall). That is the difference between experience and potential.

    Banking on potential to govern a nation that requires experience as did the eaglet Nigerian military can never bring any meaningful result. Both potential and experience have their role and chance in any society. But neither can take the place of the other.

    The difference

    You the youths of today are different from those of yesteryears in many ways and the differences are clear. The youths of the past were very hardworking and dedicated. They served their parents diligently and stood by them in all circumstances. They sought their parents’ advice and learned from the latter’s experiences. You the youths of today are very lazy, slothful, time wasting and lackadaisical in your attitude to life even as you are served by your parents from infancy to old age. Yet you despise those parents and treat them with disdain like nonentities. You believe that those parents had worked on your behalves and that you are only in the world to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

    The youths of the past were patient contended and full of respect for the elders. They were humble, obedient, always eager to know as they queued up to learn.  You the youths of today are very inpatient, greedily ambitious and you see yourselves as masters of knowledge when in actual fact you are slaves of ignorance. Unlike the youths of the past, you the youths of today are mostly empty-headed, very arrogant, highly materialistic and hastily avaricious.

    You always want to start your lives from the peak of your parents’ achievements without asking about what those parents had gone through before reaching the peak.

    You spend money lavishly without working for it and you never think of bearing any responsibility either in the homes or in the society. You are generally characterised by all the conducts that were classified as shame in the past. To you shame has its price. And as long as you can pay that price in coins by whatever means, you are important in your own estimation. Thus, shame, as far as you are concerned, is a vital aspect of culture which has no negative effect on your lifestyle. As a matter of fact you have taken shame for pride.

    If a few youths of the past can be described as a bunch of problems for their society, due to their misbehaviour, majority of you today’s youths are the real cogs in the societal wheel of progress. To you, life has no meaning except it is heavily coded in money.

    Your slogan that “long life is irrelevant in the absence of money” is a testimony to this assertion. That life span in Nigeria has dropped so drastically is due to your disappointing lifestyle which often creates hypertension for your parents and leads to their early death. Few parents talk of heirs nowadays because those of you who are supposed to be their heirs have long thrown away the toga of worthy heirs. In the past, mothers were not known for staying with their daughters in the latter’s matrimonial homes while leaving their husbands behind without care. This strange but new trend that has almost become a part of Nigerian culture arose because of the incompetence of today’s young women, even after many years of training, is questionable. Thus, despite the ubiquity of young men and women, there is scarcity of husbands and wives just as there is dirge of fathers and mothers.

    Virtually everything that matters to you today’s youths is devoid of our known core value. By your measure, the value of life can be found only in the volume of naira.

    Causes of generational change

    Whenever there is cause to review the generational trend with the intention of righting the wrong, you the youths of today are often quick in pointing accusing fingers mischievously at the generations ahead of you saying they caused the debacle. But while pinching the back of the elders you often forget that sooner or later you may become elders whose back will be pinched by the youths who succeed your own generation. You have forgotten that most of the scientific discoveries and technological advancement of your age which lured you into roguery were not available for the past youths.

     There were no such things as hard drugs, cyber crimes, armed robbery, sophisticated fraud through manipulation of figures and forgery of signatures. There were no cases of rape, child trafficking, audacious prostitution and day light murder with impunity as are rampant among you today.

    To you, all these crimes are either professions or callings in which you   actively engage. Thus, you do not believe in the existence of any demarcation between decency and indecency an indication that ‘family name’ which was highly valued in the past has no meaning to you. Unlike most youths of the past, you were sent to school but your goal was mere certificate rather than knowledge. And what you acquired in those schools in the name of education is hardly worth the paper on which your certificates are printed. For most of the years you spent in school, your preoccupation was either cultism or other frivolous activities that have no bearing with education. That is why most of you turn out to be unemployable University or Polytechnic graduates. A few of you who secured public employments have been discovered to be sheer misfits on those jobs as your competence remains questionable.

    Implications

    The implications of all these are many. While most of you are not quite useful to the present you are also not hopeful about the future.

    There is hardly any major crime in Nigeria today that is not principally committed by you today’s youths all in the quest for money. It seems that the only language you understand is money and only those who can speak the language of money command your respect.

    Many centuries before our time, an Arab poet intuitively came up with a sonnet fits perfectly into today’s Nigerian situation. He said: “Here is the era against which we had been warned through the admonitions of Ubayy Bn Ka’ab and that of Abdullah Bn Mas’ud; an era in which truth would be totally rejected while falsehood and insurgence would be glorified and held aloft; Should this era linger without any change (of attitude) neither cry at a funeral nor smile on the announcement of a new birth would be experienced”.

    Which of the situation expressed in the above poem is not applicable to Nigeria today. What impact does religion have on the society again?

    We used to know of motor spare parts. Today, spare parts are no more of motor but of human beings. And the most active merchants of this queer business are you the youths of today. When we talk of illegal oil bunkering, it is the business of the youths. When we talk of kidnapping, it is the business of today’s youths. When we talk of suicide bombing and terrorism, it is the business of today’s youths.

    And all these are for money and nothing else. Where is Nigeria going from here?

    Conclusion

    The aim of this expository article is not to malign or denigrate the youths of today. All the children of this columnist are today’s youths who do not constitute a separate island. But preaching is like a mud surrounded by men and women in immaculate regalia. No one of them will be spared if the mud is splashed. As a onetime youth and now a father qualified to be called an elder, it is not expected of my type to start throwing stones while residing in a glass house. But truth knows no boundary. It cruises on like a surging train without minding whose ox is gored. To rekindle Nigeria’s old hope or create a new one for the future, the youths of today must return to the established values of the past. It was through those values that the tranquility of the world was solidly upheld. And it was through deviation from it that the world became as restive as it is today. If tranquility must return as wished by many, you the youths of today must change your loins. And that is the only atonement that the world requires to return to tranquility.

  • Critical points in Niger junta crisis

    Critical points in Niger junta crisis

    On Tuesday, 15th August, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Chairman of the ECOWAS, received the Special Envoy of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, (who doubles as the Chairman of ECCAS) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gabon, Mr. Hermann Immongault, at the State House in Abuja. It was a solidarity visit on behalf of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) with regard to the ongoing efforts to restore democracy in the Republic of Niger. I was excited to hear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s response which partly read, ”We are working not to compound the problem. We have well-meaning people who have intervened. “I understand the fear of our people on any form of military action. We are working to keep the sanctions in place and we are following them to the letter.”

    Accordingly, I wish to draw the attention to Mr. President, and other ECOWAS member Countries and citizens as follows:

    I hope that the sanctions that are being meted out on the Nigerien Junta, are such that they will impact only the junta, and will not in any way impact negatively on the innocent citizens of Niger. Because it appears some of the sanctions may have adverse consequences on the citizens of Niger who are not supposed to bear the brunt of the sanctions in any way. If the objective is to protect the welfare and well-being of the citizens of Niger, who have their global and national rights in line with their constitution, and in line with provisions of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, I implore ECOWAS to tread with caution with regard to the sanctions. If the sanctions will have an adverse impact on the citizenry of Niger, then the objective of the sanctions will be defeated. Pain and misery should not be escalated to the already terrible situation that the citizen is facing. Therefore, we need to be very strategic in applying the sanctions. In addition, within the revised Treaty of ECOWAS, I am yet to see provisions for military interventions within the ambit of ECOWAS. If so, what modalities are we talking about to ensure that we do not set a bad precedent that may haunt the West African sub-region.

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    Another point to note is the impact of the reactions by the junta to the sanctions that are being meted out and the potential military action by ECOWAS on the Junta. It is obvious that the Junta had a strategy before it made the move. Therefore, it is essential that we consider their actions and inactions in formulating the way forward to restore democracy and relationships in the overall interest of ECOWAS. The consequence of military action will be dire not just to the people of the Republic of Niger, but to Nigeria as the country with the largest land border with Niger in West Africa (over 1,600 Kilometers), and subsequently to the entire West African subregion. Innocent people will die and their properties will be lost/ destroyed. The lives of generations of families will be truncated. Over 500 years of relationships between Nigeriens and Nigerians will be soiled and dangerously affected with long-term negative socio-economic consequences that we should not contemplate. I am raising the cautions without prejudice to the action plan of ECOWAS. Because it is highly unlikely that the junta will be taken out without inflicting a high level of damage on the meager infrastructure of Niger and importantly the citizens of Niger, the majority of whom have been expressing support to the junta. The life of President Mohammed Bazoum and his family should also be considered, given that the junta has threatened to kill him if any attempt is made to take them down.

    Instances:

    As a reaction to the sanctions and the posturing for military actions and saber-rattling against the Nigerien junta, the junta closed their airspace. Nigeria is part of ECOWAS and our President is the current Chairman of ECOWAS, and it appears yet again like most times, Nigeria takes leading roles to provide interventions but ironically, we end up bearing the highest brunt rather than benefits of such interventions/ leadership roles. 

    By geographical positioning, Almighty God has positioned Nigeria in a strategic location such that our travel time from Nigeria to Europe, the USA, and to the Middle East is very strategic, efficient, and cost-effective. With the closure of the Nigerien border, the time and cost of travel from/Nigeria to/from Europe and also the USA by air (where the flights are not direct flights) will significantly escalate with a ripple effect on the cost of travel, cost of doing business, and cost of living. This will also have adverse consequences on the Nigerian aviation sector and all the critical sectors the aviation sector enables/supports. Because if you look at the mapping and the trajectory of travel by air, the closure of the Nigerien Airspace is already impacting Nigerian travel time and economics. Interestingly, the closure of the Nigerien airspace has rather conferred advantage to the likes of Togo and Ghana which are competing with Nigeria in the regional and continental aviation sector. This is an important point to note by all critical stakeholders. 

    In addition, with the closure of the Nigeria/ Nigerian land border, Nigeria and Niger citizens are already significantly impacted socially and economically. Niger has the longest land border with Niger in ECOWAS. The Niger–Nigeria border is 1,608 kilometers (999 miles) in length and runs from the tripoint with Benin in the west to the tripoint with Chad in the east (source Wikipedia). There are seven northern States of Nigeria bordering Niger, with a total estimated population of over 55million people (source Wikipedia and NBS). There are 6 southern States of the Republic of Niger including the capital where the Junta is situated, Niamey sharing a border with Nigeria with an estimated population of over 13 million people. It is worthy of note that the immediate potential impact of military action will affect the region covering over 1,600 Kilometers with a combined population of about 77 million people, and subsequently spread throughout Nigeria. The consequences will be cataclysmic on Nigeria and the sub region

     Four days ago, The Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) cried out over a weekly N13 billion loss of agricultural produce at the Nigeria-Niger border closure. This is apart from the huge number of job losses in the northern part of Nigeria where the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics have stated in the last quarter of last year, that about 60% of the about 133million, multi dimensionally poor Nigerians are living and are already struggling to survive. Interestingly, amongst all the ECOWAS nations, it is only Nigeria that is suffering these huge socio-economic losses and impacts in an already critical socio-economic situation that Mr. The President is battling to come to terms with.

    It is also worthy of note that Niger is the buffer between Nigeria and the troubled Republic of Libya which has since become a hotbed and breeding ground of hundreds of terrorist cells and groups (thousands in number) that have since been filtering into Nigeria and the Sahel region, further exacerbating our dire national security situation. How we manage the Niger crisis could further make or better our national security in Nigeria. A few days ago, a military helicopter was gunned down by suspected terrorists and the next day about 23 officers and soldiers were ambushed by terrorists. With the largest and very porous land border with Niger, this is another poser for our President and his strategists to ponder while formulating the next moves.

    Recommendations on the way forward – “Nigeria first”

    In closing, I humbly advise that Nigeria thread with caution, because Nigeria provides the majority of the funding of ECOWAS, and if peradventure a military action is to be taken to take out the junta in Niger, Nigeria will certainly carry the chunk of the cost, and bear almost 80% of the negative impact based on the aforementioned points and more.

    Therefore, I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider holistically, our entire foreign policy strategy going forward. I agree with the big brother role we play, but most times we tend to over play that role with zero value except mostly negative consequences on Nigeria. We have seen examples in our interventions in South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, etc. In my opinion, going forward the Nigerian foreign policy should be about ”Nigeria First. In this instance we have a “conjoined twins” neighborly relationship with Nigeria. Therefore, we need to be strategic while considering the overall ECOWAS strategy and action plan, lest we shoot ourselves in the foot. The best approach should be Nigeria’s interest first before any other interest(s). We can still play the big brother role, but more strategically with tangible and intangible benefits. 

    I look forward to a fast track return to democracy in Niger through robust and forward-thinking diplomatic engagements. I pray as I believe that there is a diplomatic answer to the Niger imbroglio and not military action, because Military action will not be in the best interest of Nigeria and the sub region.

  • Why not Hijrah holiday?

    Why not Hijrah holiday?

    It never rained but poured in Nigeria recently Press stirred up brouhaha over the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday in the State of Osun by Governor Rauf Aregbesola. A particular Southwest newspaper went completely off the track over the issue and exhibited untold ignorance in a manner of a king dancing naked in a market place by writing an editorial on the matter thereby subjecting itself to public ridicule. It was a display of blatant ignorance shamelessly celebrated by some other newspapers of the like.

    Shortly after that episode, another Governor of a Southeast state (Imo) declared six weeks holiday for Christmas against the constitutional tradition of two days that Nigerians are familiar with. And the same newspapers that earlier sparked brouhaha kept mute in what confirmed unbridled sectarian hypocrisy typical of shamelessness in Nigerian professional journalism. The connotation of their silence in the second case cited above is that the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday was wrong because it was not inherited from the colonialists whilst the six week Christmas holiday was right because it tallied with their religious interest even if it was unjust and contradicted the norm of conscience. That is the extent of slave mentality in Nigeria as often exhibited in the name of religious chauvinism.

    Succinct Assessment

    Taking a retrospective assessment of the two above-mentioned scenarios after six months, a well known Professor of Medical Biochemistry, decided to chronicle the historical background of all the known calendars in the world as a way of tutoring some ignorant, self-arrogated Nigerian journalists on the essence of Hijrah holiday for mankind. Though a Medical Biochemist, his intellectual wellbeing has never restricted him to any straight jacket enclave of literacy because he knows the difference between literacy and knowledge. To him, literacy is merely a means of documentation of events and occurrences while knowledge is like a farm where all necessary crops must be planted and harvested for the assured survival of the farmer.

    Yours sincerely first had an encounter with this intellectual colossus in 1984 when he delivered a public lecture on Hijrah calendar at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, where many Nigerians first got the idea of Hijrah calendar. In that lecture, he did such a thorough analysis of the subject that he thereafter became a reference point for most researchers on Hijrah and the use of calendar. The summary of what he said on that occasion, according to my records is as follows:

    Experienced Narration

    After many millennia of incessant wandering in search of sanity and reason man was able to sight the crescent of civilisation. While he advanced along with his new crescent, he reflected on his past wanderings and thought of sharing the experience of this with his successors in order to leave a mark of guidance on the threshold of life. Civilisation, therefore, taught man to chronicle the experiences of his peregrination on earth by the means of calendar. And today, the chronology of events and the human evolutionary development are traceable only to the beginning of the use of calendar. By definition, calendar is a system of reckoning time in which the beginning, the length and divisions of a year are arbitrarily defined. It is a table that shows the months, the weeks and the days available in one specific year. It is a schedule especially one arranged in chronological order as of the case on a court docket.

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    Types of Calendar

    Since the discovery and the use of calendar as an aid to historical records the world has journeyed through various stages of reckoning events through time and space. The use of calendar itself is a pointer to the earlier civilisation of the races or communities which made use of it. One of the earliest calendars which have helped in piloting human history through the millennia is the Chinese calendar which is supposed to have begun in 2379 B.C. In this Calendar, years are reckoned in cycles of 60, each year having a particular name that is a combination of two characters derived schematically from two series of signs, the celestial and the terrestrial. Months are also reckoned in cycles of 60 that are renewed every five years and each month consists of 28 to 30 days. There is also the Jewish calendar used by the Hebrews which engaged in the reckoning of time from the year of creation as based on a periodic cycle of 19 years with the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year of each cycle designated as leap years.

    This is followed by the Hindu calendar which began in about 400 CE. It is Lunar-solar in nature and the Hindus believe so much in it even till date. In this calendar, the solar year is divided into 12 months in accordance with the successive entrances of the sun into the signs of the Zodiac, the months varying from 29 to 32 days. Another calendar is the one called Roman calendar which is an ancient lunar calendar designating the days of the new moon as the ‘calends’ and the days of the full moon as the ‘ides’ while the 19th day before the ‘ides’ are designated as the ‘nones’. The original Roman calendar, introduced about the 7th century BC had 10 months with 304 days in a year that began with March.

    Two more months, January and February, were added later in the 7th century BC but because the months were only 29 or 30 days long, an extra month had to be intercalated approximately every second year. Thus, the days of the month were designated by the awkward method of counting backward from three dates: the calends, or first of the month; the ides, or middle of the month, falling on the 13th of some months and the 15th of others; and the nones, or 9th day before the ides. This rendered the Roman calendar hopelessly confused especially when officials to whom the addition of days and months was entrusted abused their authority to prolong their terms of office or to hasten or delay elections.

    Pagan Origin of Roman calendar

    Most of the months in the Roman calendar were dedicated to various gods of the Romans. The calendar, though got the blessing of the Christian leadership and was refined by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE, as polytheistic token. For instance, January from ‘Janus’ is the Roman god of doorways and beginnings.

    February from ‘Februs’ is the Roman god of purification. March from ‘Mars’ is the Roman god of war. April from ‘Aprilis’ is the month of the goddess of love and beauty. May from ‘Maia’ is the Roman goddess of growth and spring season. June from ‘Juno’ is the sister, the wife and coequal of Jupiter, the supreme Roman god. July named after Julius Caesar and August after Augustus Caesar. The months of September, October, November and December indicate 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th respectively in the old Roman calendar. These last four months are a misnomer in the order of numerals within the calendar. For 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th in numerals to represent 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months in the calendar are incomprehensible. But they were retained for sectarian sentiment.

    The Julian Calendar

    Also in 45 BC, Julius Caesar decided to use purely solar calendar on the advice of Sosigenes who flourished in the 1st century. This calendar, known as the Julian calendar, fixed the normal year at 365 days, and the leap year, every fourth year, at 366 days.

    Leap year is so named because the extra day causes any date after February in a leap year to ‘leap’ over one day in the week and to occur two days later in the week than it did in the previous year, rather than just one day later as in a normal year. The Julian calendar also established the order of the months and the days of the week as they exist in present-day calendars. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July), after himself. The month Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) in honour of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, who succeeded Julius. However, some authorities maintain that Augustus established the length of the months we use today. The Gregorian calendar which puts January as the first month of the year was adopted by England and America in 1752. It is the calendar now commonly used throughout most parts of the world.

    Other Calendars

    Yet, there are other known calendars which include the Roman ecclesiastical calendar used by the Catholic sect, the French revolutionary calendar introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1793, the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE. But by far the most authentic of them all is Hijrah calendar because of its uniqueness and eventfulness as authenticated by its clear historical background. The idea of putting this calendar into use was suggested by Caliph Umar Bn Khattab in Madinah as a historic landmark for Islamic religion. And it has since been in use throughout the Muslim world especially in determining the beginnings and ends of every lunar month as well as Muslim festivals. Qur’anic source of Hijrah calendar of all the calendars mentioned above, Hijrah alone, which is the Muslim divine calendar, is unique for its eventfulness and clear historical background.

    Its dating began on the 16th of July 622 CE a day after the migration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Yathrib (Al Madinah). After a non-such persecution and threats to his life by the Makkah pagans, the messiah of mankind had to migrate for the safety of his life and, by implication, for the rescue of humanity from the wildness of coation. Whereas every month of Hijrah calendar has spiritual importance apart from the universality of its blessings for mankind, its effect from 622 CE is only symbolic of modernity as it actually came into existence from the beginning of the earth when it was decreed and its months were christened by Allah Himself. The Qur’an testifies to this as follows: ‘Surely, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in one year in Allah’s decree since the day when Allah created the Heavens and earth. Of these months four are sacred (Muharram, Rajab, Dhul- Qa.dah and Dhul-Hijjah). This is the only straight and righteous path.. (Q. 9: 36). No other calendar can be so referenced in any revealed Book other than the Qur’an. The twelve months mentioned are Muharram, Safar, Rabi’ul Awwal, Rabi’uth-Thani, Jumadal ‘Ula, Jumadath-Thaniyah, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah. Thus, the significance of Hijrah calendar is manifest not only in the eventfulness of its historical background but also in the divinity of its months. Unlike other calendars which were imposed for the purpose of worshipping material gods or to subject people to psychological subservience, Hijrah calendar is an evidential indication of human salvation. And besides, it has divine sanction. Nigeria is for us all and no one should think of creating an environment of subservience for a major chunk of the populace.

    Conclusive Tutorial

    In his conclusive submission, the said Professor aims at educating Nigerian media to the effect that Hijrah was not peculiar to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as some other Prophets had preceded him in emigration. For instance Prophets like Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Yusuf, Shu’ayb, Musa and Isa, all emigrated from place to place before finally settling down. Of all these, only Prophet Muhammad’s Hijrah has a direct bearing on the practice of Islam. And since no Muslim has ever objected to the declaration of any public holiday for the adherents of other religions in Nigeria, it will be foolhardy for any responsible person to constitute himself into a cog in the wheel of Islam in any part of the country by opposing a declaration of Hijrah holiday constitutionally for Islam. In a sane society whatever is considered good for the goose must equally be good for the gander. But those who take their hatred for Islam as a hobby should know that no amount of barking even by millions of dogs can ever halt a surging train.

  • Aviation sector needs presidential intervention

    Aviation sector needs presidential intervention

    “With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It is no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you simply have to run faster than others to survive.” ¯ Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Monarch of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)…

    Mr. President, I wish to commend you for setting up the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which clearly indicates the importance you place on our fiscal policy and tax systems for better revenue and resources management, going forward. I am hopeful that you will continue to add value to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. Sir, it is on this platform that I stand yet again to respectfully and humbly draw your attention to a very critical area that requires such high-level presidential attention – the aviation sector. This request is coming at the heels of the hue and cry on the events of the past 6 to 7 years in the aviation sector which left in its wake crises and controversies, which unless addressed by Mr. President, the sector will further plunge into more crisis. 

     Aviation is at the intersection of national and global economy, security, social development, and foreign policy. This became more noticeable during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020; where the Aviation value chain was arguably the strongest link and enabler in the global and national fight against COVID-19, and beating the COVID curve on the journey to global and national socio-economic recovery. It was and remains a critical driver of national and global economies. Aviation is an enabler, a facilitator, and a catalyst. Mr. President. I also use this opportunity to request Aviation be integrated into all national economic development initiatives. 

     Mr. President, the Aviation sector needs to be given the attention it deserves as a critical enabler and support platform for you to achieve your vision for Nigeria. I note, however, that so far, there haven’t been aviation specialists/ technocrats in this administration, particularly your Ministerial designates and nominees. Mr. President Aviation is a Sine qua non for national development. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to upscale the quality and standards of our airports’ infrastructure, facilities, and services from economic, social, and political points of view. Our Aviation is not competitive, viable, or sustainable. 

     For over 10 years, so many investments have been made in the aviation sector by the Federal Government, corporate organizations, and individuals running into Billions of US Dollars. Billions of USD of taxpayers’ money, national income, foreign, and local loans have been incurred and procured all in the name of reforming the sector and yet, we are yet to achieve the initial desired objectives. More worrisome is the fact that,  if critical steps are not taken now at such a high level, we may not be able to rescue such a critical sector in the next four years (short to mid-term) in terms of infrastructure deficit, systems, and services.

     Some examples of key issues are as follows:

    According to   Mordor Intelligence, a market research, intelligence, and consulting firm, the aviation market size is expected to grow from USD 333.96 billion in 2023 to USD 386.21 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 2.95% during the forecast period (2023-2028). Nigeria needs to be positioned for key opportunities going forward.

    • The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), is currently, the largest trade market in the world, giving a single market access to about 1.2 billion people, across 52 Countries having a collective GDP of $ 2.5 trillion. Aviation will play a critical role for Nigeria achieving its AFCTA visions and objectives

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    ·•About $500m China load overhang for the upgrade of key Nigeria Airports that is still a work in progress while the project. Is getting more completed with no clear solution and end in sight.

    • Issues of petitions, litigations, etc on the Airport Concessions and Nigeria Air projects, etc 

     It is based on the aforementioned points and more, that I please and beseech you, Mr. President to set up a presidential committee on aviation sector reform. The presidential committee will be more immune to retrogressive elements. The Committee can be given a shorter timeline (e.g. 6 months) than is given to the fiscal policy and tax reform committee. This is because there have been templates that have been set up by previous administrations and a lot of work and money have been invested. The Committee can review and make recommendations  of improvements and propose a better way forward for the industry. I believe that within 6 months or less, the Committee could come up with recommendations for a quick turnaround of the sector.

     In addition, the Committee can become an important support for Mr. President and helps the incoming Minister to achieve a successful sector. Importantly also, Mr. President, I believe such Committee will be a critical value-add because it will be a different layer that will support you and support the new Minister while the new Minister is settling down.

     Mr. President, it is worth of note that of the 48 Ministerial nominees, Honorable Nkieruka Onyejeocha is the most likely the only person that had a tangential aviation experience which is only from a legislative perspective, as the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation from 2015 to 2019. While I do not doubt the capacity of all Ministers-designate to head any Ministry assigned to them effectively, I believe that legislative oversight of aviation is not enough to equip Ministers to easily weather the current aviation sector minefield. Therefore, the Presidential Committee will facilitate a faster learning curve process for the incoming Minister of Aviation, who may not “hit the ground running. 

     Sir, there is a need to look at our aviation sector from strategic regulatory, operational, and business perfectives because of the sensitivities, and technicalities around the industry, I urge you to declare a state of emergency in the aviation sector 

     The Committee should be made if proven character and performance track record in their various areas of specialization in aviation, in governance, and business. Members could also be drawn from agencies like FIRS, NCS, ICRC, etc., and both public and private sectors so that the recommendations could be robust and far-reaching.  Accordingly, the support of such a critical presidential committee of subject matter experts and technocrats will be very key for “real” aviation reform at this point in time. 

     With regards to regulation of the industry, some legislations over the past 8 years have been passed into law while some legislations remain works in progress with a lot that needs to be done There are also some legislations and/ laws that are incongruent to today’s aviation and in some cases are in parallel to the overall objective of the industry and ICAO provisions, and that is part of the reasons why he impact of aviation on the overall national economy is considered marginally transactional rather tangibly strategic and economically impactful. Another important point to note Mr. President, is what I term, “the minimum acceptable standards” for aviation in Nigeria which should be in line with globally acceptable practices because if we want to remain relevant and competitive, Mr. President, you should take nothing less than that. It is a sector that requires precision, consistency, and sustainability.

     Non-inclusion of aviation in the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform

     Your Excellency, I noted that NCAA and FAAN were not included in the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms. In my opinion, there are serious Fiscal Policy and Tax issues to be addressed in the aviation sector. In addition, as a key revenue collection point, just like NPA and NIMASA, Nigeria Customs, etc., there is a need for input from the two agencies from Aviation to the Presidential Committee. I am sure that the two organizations will provide clarity and add value to the very important assignment of the Committee.

     Additionally, from a Strategic perspective, because Aviation is an enabler for critical sectors, the specialist insights and data from aviation is a critical success factor for broad and all-encompassing Fiscal Policy and Tax reform initiatives and strategies. The inclusion of Aviation will help to achieve tax policy coherence. 

    Your Excellency, as I leave you to decide Mr. President, please accept my best regards and wishes as you lead this Country at a very tough time. These are some of my contributions Mr. President. Thank you and God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Upscaling good governance in states

    Upscaling good governance in states

    Your Excellencies, the Executive Governors of all the States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I once again congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all of you, and fellow Nigerians for the peaceful transition to a new political dispensation. Mr. President and all of you, especially those that have taken new mandates, are settling down to the business of governance, at a critical time in the history of this Country when it is most polarized along ethnic, tribal, religious, regional, and other parochial lines; At a time when the Country is facing the global and national of insecurity and strong socio-economic headwinds.  

    On the 16th of June, 2023 episode of my Column, titled, “So far, so good”, I spoke to Mr. President on some key points which I believe are relevant to our case of nation-building.

     Accordingly, and with the utmost respect to you, your excellencies, please also permit me to speak to you on the following key points as my initial thoughts with regard to upscaling the quality of good governance at the subnational levels (irrespective of political party affiliations) and consequently, the entire Country under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In doing this, I will yet again lean on the quote by Mr. Lee Kwan Yew (stated above), which to my mind remains relevant to our case of nation-building:

     Dimensioning some of the challenges:

    As you are aware, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is currently facing multiple challenges including:

    •Debt stock of over N77 Trillion; Debt to GDP ratio of over 23%; interest rate of over 20% and rising, Economic growth rate is currently at about 3.1% but projected to contract to about 2.9% next year (according to IMF), over 133million (about 65% of the national population) of Nigerians multidimensionally poor, etc.

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    •Additionally, according to the President of Africa Development Bank, Mr. Akinwumi Adesina, Nigeria now spends about 96% of its revenue servicing debt, with the debt-to-revenue ratio rising from 83.2 % in 2021 to 96.3 % by 2022. It is also worthy of note that out of the entire Nigeria’s 2023 budget; only 30% of total expenditure will be spent on critical capital projects. The non-debt recurrent expenditure (NDRE) of over N8 trillion is the largest expense in the budget (amounting to about 40%), i.e.,16% higher than the 2022 revised budget of N7.11 trillion. This includes an overhead cost of N4.99 trillion, which accounts for over 60% of non-debt recurrent expenditure. Etc.

    •It is worthy of note that according to the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the current revenue-sharing formula is as follows: The Federal Government takes 52.68 % of the revenue share, states get 26.72 %, while local governments get 20.6 %.

     Due to the aforementioned challenges and also with the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, (which is a welcome development), it is very important for Governors to “think out of the box” over and beyond monthly subventions from the Federal Government, and find ways to reduce reliance on donations, loans and “grants” from multilateral organization and other Countries, except if and when necessary; to rather focus more on value creation and value-innovation within the available and potential resources  (material and human) to your respective States. Interestingly, every State in Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources like solid minerals, agriculture, human capital, etc. which if properly harnessed, leveraged, and nurtured will drive the socio-economic progress and development of your respective States in the short-to-long term. This is the time for Governors to demonstrate the capacity, creativity, and love for their people and Nigeria – individually and collectively a better Nigeria. 

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    Nigerians are also expecting accelerated interventions at State levels. I commend the efforts of some Governors who have already taken proactive steps to mitigate the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on their populace. The notion that the President is the only one responsible for the welfare and well-being of the citizens of Nigeria is not correct. The Governors are also key to the delivery of good governance as is evident in your various activities and interventions. But there is a need for more action and performance, with consequent positive impacts and more visibility.

     The execution quotient of your excellencies with regards to the promise you made to Nigerians during your campaigns will determine the speed and quality of the dividends of democracy that the people will enjoy in your respective states during your tenure. It is also worth noting that the political consciousness of Nigerians is at its highest since independence, and therefore the citizens are watching and will be sensitive to developments (positive or negative).

     With the current global and national economic challenges that are increasingly impacting on our national income and other economic inflows/ receivables which are used to drive governance and deliver dividends of democracy at federal and subnational levels, it is important that I remind your excellencies of some very important critical success factors:

     Critical success factors

    •I believe that more quick wins will be achieved at the subnational level to complement the efforts of Mr. President at the Federal level. Mr. President signed into law some legislations that done at the twilight of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari by the 9th National Assembly, that gives the States of Nigeria for powers for example to generate, transmit and distribute their own electricity and other support systems so that they can be more impactful at the subnational level because you are closer to the people.  While I propose some policy coherence and correlation between the States and the Federal Government, I also look forward to your excellencies, operating in modular ways by applying some critical and strategic thinking to catalyze the socio-economic development of your various States in a way and manner that there will be succor and sustenance for the people. 

    •Value innovation through Public Private Sector (PPP) initiatives. In this case, I dare say the “real, people-oriented and impactful PPP” models (and not white elephant projects) if used viably and efficiently used as strategic tools, will change the dwindling fortunes of the States, especially in terms if critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, agriculture, solid minerals exploration and management, health care systems etc.

    •Another critical success factor is in the area of Youth Empowerment. I urge you to continuously harness the skills of Youths and channel them to productivity and development, from technical skills acquisition, talent hunting, value, and job creation, entrepreneurship, and importantly education in all its ramifications, value re-orientation, and leadership by example. To enable them to earn sustainable good lives and livelihoods.

    •In addition, at the National Executive Council level, to see some new strategic synergies of creativity to engender productive states and national economies in the short to long term. 

    •Inter-state collaboration and partnerships regardless of party affiliations is very important going forward. I expect to see more of such collaborations by individual states and also by leveraging platforms like the Nigerian Governors Forum, for governors to look beyond party lines and to look at the constitutional mandate of governorship and align the provisions with the visions and aspirations of Governors. Such partnerships could result in an increase in the income of your respective states, create more jobs, and better welfare and well-being of your people.

    Review of the structure and cost of governance for an efficient public sector – Upgrading and streamlining governance framework (across all strata of the public Sector). For example, emulating the recommendations of the Orososanye Report. 

    •Entrenchment of the culture of excellence and prudence in the public sector by providing quintessential leadership, i.e. starting the reforms from the top and setting examples with zero tolerance to indolence, mediocrity, nepotism, and sycophancy.

    •Transparency and Accountability in public service, resources allocation, and utilization

    •Anticorruption Strategy and Value-Reorientation: Beyond the mantra to action through realistic, practical, and pragmatic plans and actions with the requisite strategy, management, and execution.

    •Local Government Autonomy: While this topic remains a thorny issue in line with the principle of devolution of powers, I will still urge your excellencies to ensure the entrenchment of the autonomy of the Local Government Administrations as a critical success factor for governance at the State level. This will remove a pile of blames from Governors for the non-performance of some Local Government Chairmen and their Councilors.

     Conclusion

    In conclusion, your excellencies, I know that governance at this critical time in the history of Nigeria is not easy, and I commend you for taking the bold and tough decision to serve as Governors in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am also sure that you prepared for this moment knowing the challenges that you will face, and more importantly, your people elected you with a lot of expectations. Therefore, to whom much is given, much is expected.  I leave you with this quote by Mr. Jack Welch, “When you are made a leader, you weren’t given a crown, you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others”. I wish you all, Mr. Present and all Nigerians, God’s Guidance and Grace. May Almighty God Continue to Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Ekiti: A taste of history

    Ekiti: A taste of history

    Preamble

    Saturday, November 21, 2015 was a day of honour in Ekiti State. For two days before that Saturday, Ado Ekiti, the capital of the state, had come alive with a memorable history. The people of the state trooped out in their thousands to take a glimpse of a rare guest on a rare occasion. The guest was no other personality than His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). He was there as the first Sultan ever to visit Ekiti State.

    The occasion was for the installation of an indigene of the state and a gentleman of honour as the President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of Yoruba Land.  The honouree is Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello who incidentally is also the Grand Imam of Ekiti State. It was a special day of joy on the part of Ekiti people as it was on the part of the Sultan.

    Two days earlier (Thursday, November 19, 2015, His Eminence had travelled down to Ado-Ekiti from Ibadan where he had been installed as the new Chancellor of the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. The day of Imam’s installation in Ado Ekiti was his sixth day in Southwest Nigeria. Shortly after his arrival in Ado Ekiti, Thursday before, His Eminence paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, CON, JP, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti (at his palace) who hosted him and his entourage including yours sincerely, with the grandeur of royalty.

    Observance of Jum’at Prayer

    On Friday, November 20, 2015, His Eminence commissioned the newly renovated city’s Central Mosque after paying a courtesy visit to the State Governor in his office. The Jum’at prayer observed in that Mosque was led by the Rector of the Centre for Arabic and Islamic Culture, (Markaz) Agege, Sheikh Habibullah Adam Abdllah Al-Ilory OON. In his sermon, Sheikh Al-Ilory laid emphasis on the duties of an Imam and the importance of Mosques in Islam. He counseled the new President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas on the challenges ahead of him and how he could surmount those challenges. While admonishing the Muslim Ummah against hearsay and tutored them on the need for cooperation with their leaders for the purpose of   unity, he called on Muslim leaders in the South West to give Imams and Muslim scholars their deserved respect and work hand in hand with them in promoting Islam in the region.

    Dignitaries

    Among the dignitaries that observed the Jum’at prayer were His Eminence, the Sultan and His Royal Majesty, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti (though a Christian who regarded joining His Eminence in the Mosque as part of royal hospitality). Others were His Royal Majesty, Oba Akadiri Momoh the Olukare of Ikare; His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Sakariyau Olayiwola (S. O.) Babalola, OON, DSC, President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) who made the highest single monetary donation of one million naira to the installation programme; the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Professor Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, OFR, FNAL,  a retinue of Sokoto Chieftains who were in the royal entourage of the Sultan, the Head of Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kamil Koyejo Oloso and all the Chiefs and Senior Imams of the six States of the South West as well as those of Edo and Delta States.

    Some of those dignitaries including Chief S. O. Babalola; the Magajin Rafi and Galadima of Sokoto; Professor T. G. Gbadamosi; Dr. Abdullah Jibril Oyekan; members of MUSWEN’s Secretariat Task Force as well as a retinue of other Muslim dignitaries from various States had been parts of the entourage of His Eminence since his arrival in the South West the previous Monday. The Vice Chairman of the Task Force, Alhaji Murziq Bidemi Siyanbade’s role in this was particularly distinct as he virtually relocated to Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, where His Eminence was officially hosted as he was shuttling between that place and the University of Ibadan to ensure that the hosting protocol was properly maintained.

    Grand Finale

    At the Ground Finale held at the grandiose Ado Ekiti pavilion, a galaxy of traditional rulers, Imams and Alfas as well as representatives of various Islamic Organizations were present in their joyful mood, an indication that the long awaited unity of the South West Ummah had come at last. The Governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose was represented by his wife Mrs. Feyisara Fayose; Delegates of Hausa communities from various States and representatives of some Emirs who came from the North were also there to grace the occasion. The Chairman of the occasion was Alhaji Khamis Tunde Badmus of Osun State who was ably represented by Senator Adebayo Salami and made a very handsome monetary donation.

    The President-General designate was presented to His Eminence, the Sultan and the public for turbanning by the Secretary-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, Sheikh Ahmad Aladesawe of Owo, Ondo State, who also gave the welcome address. The installation lecture was also delivered by Sheikh Habibullah Adam AbdullahAl-Ilory, the Rector of MARKAZ, Agege, who is well renowned for apt oration and electrifying delivery power. In the lecture, he spelt out duties and responsibilities of an Imam globally and locally. He emphasized the fact that the new President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas would henceforth devote more time to his office than to his family and urged him to be well focused in carrying out his God-ordained duty. The President of MUSWEN, Chief (Dr.) Babalola also gave a goodwill message in which he emphasized the unity of the Ummah and   further reiterated Sheikh Al-Ilory’s lecture.

     Profile

    The 63 year old new President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the South West, Edo and Delta, Sheikh Muhammad Jamiu Kewulere Bello, was born on January 2, 1952. After his primary education at Ansar-ud-Deen, Ajilosun, Ekiti, he attended the famous Arabic/Islamic Institute (Zumratu Diyau Salihin) and later became a student at Arabic Training Centre, established by Sheikh Mahally Badrudeen of Ile Ami in Iwo, Osun State. He was also a student of Sheikh Agbarigidoma of Ilorin in Kwara State and a number of other renowned scholars were his teachers.     

    Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello briefly dabbled into transportation business before he was persuaded to become the Chief Imam of Ado Ekiti in 1985. He was turbaned by the then Chief Imam Yusuf Olatunji Ogunlayi of Ikole Ekiti. When Ekiti State was created from the old Ondo State in 1996, the Muslim leadership in Ekiti State unanimously appointed him as the Grand Imam of Ekiti State.

    Appointment as President-General

    On June 4, 2015, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello was unanimously appointed as President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the South West at a meeting of the League thereby becoming the 6th Imam to occupy that post. After his installation by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, the new President-General thanked everybody that played a role in his emergence and in making the occasion a success. He then promised to strengthen the Unity of the South-West Muslim Ummah on the one hand and that of the latter and the Northern Muslim Ummah on the other.

    Acceptance Speech

    In his acceptance speech, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello said: “At this juncture, I wish to say with absolute humility and spirit of devotion to Allah (SWT) that I accept this responsibility placed on my shoulders through my appointment as President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of the Southwest States. As you are all aware, the responsibility of the office is enormous. However, with the special grace and assistance of Allah (SWT) coupled with the cooperation of all and sundry, I hope to contribute my quota to move forward the entire Muslim Ummah in all States of my jurisdiction in particular and the Nation in general……”

    He stated further thus: “Essentially, I would be ready to work with all Islamic Organizations, groups, sects and Associations to advance the frontiers of Islamic religion towards achieving greater peace, progress, unity and development in our midst and in the Nation at large. Good initiatives towards achieving peaceful co-existence and societal peace among various other faiths shall always be supported…….”

    Chronology

    Among his predecessors in that office were the late Chief Imam Muili Basunu of Ibadan, Oyo State; the late Chief Imam Armiyau Parakoyi of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State; Chief Imam Yayi Akorede of Akure, Ondo State, Chief Imam Mustapha Olayiwola Ajisafe of Osogbo, Osun State and Chief Imam Aruna Shuara of Ibadan, Oyo State (who was not formally installed before his death in 2015).

    History

    The League of Imams and Alfas was established in 1964 at the instance of Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory of the great Institute of Arabic and Islamic Culture (MARKAZ), Agege who served as its second Secretary-General. At the inception of the League, Sheikh Adam Al-Ilory was nominated as President-General but he turned it down and opted for the post of Secretary-General. When the post was conceded to him, he chose to nominate Alhaji Jimoh Bamgbola of Abeokuta, Ogun State. The latter was both a scholar and a publisher.

    Other personalities that later served as Secretary-General after Sheikh Adam Al-Ilory were Sheikh Sadrudin Biobaku of Gbagura, Abeokuta, Ogun State and the current Chief Imam Ahmad Aladesawe of Owo, Ondo State. With that arrangement, the league succeeded in creating a formidable unity forum for all Imams and Alfas in the South-West region.

    Comment

    The establishment of the League of Imams and Alfas of South West was a turning point in the unity of the South West Muslim Ummah especially in speaking with one voice on matters of common interest and in fighting for the rights of the Muslim clerics in the region. And with the formal establishment of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) in 2008, that unity became formidably strengthened as both bodies began to work together like a pair of scissors. Today, Yoruba Muslim clerics and their elite brothers and sisters are one and the same in brotherhood. Their spiritual union has created a strong synergy between the Northern and Southern Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.

    Central Planning Committee

    Members of the planning committee for the installation of Sheikh Kewulere Bello as President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas were selected from the States that constitute the League. They included the following: Imam Ahmad Aladesawe (Secretary-General), Owo, Ondo State; Alhaji Morufu Olawale Isola and Imam Rabiu Salahudeen, from Osun State; Dr. M. T. A. Alayinde, Imam Wasiu Nuru, (markaz) and Alhaji Saadullah Bello, Lagos State. Others were Imam S. S. Bamgbola, Ogun State, Grand Mufti Batuta, Ondo State; Alhaji Fatai Muili Alaga, Oyo State; Alhaji Abdul Fattah Enabulele, Edo State as well as Chief Imam of Delta State.

    Local Organization Committee

    Some members of the Local Organization Committee for the installation  included the following: Late Alhaji Barrister Yakubu O. Sanni (Chairman); His Excellency, Dr. Sikiru Tae Lawal, former Deputy Governor (Ekiti State) and Chairman, Finance Committee; Aare Sulaiman Afolabi Ogunlayi, Chairman Programme and Publicity Committee; Alhaji Jimoh Dayo Ajayi, Chairman, Security Committee; Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade, Chairman, Welfare and Entertainment Committee; Dr. Ibraheem Azees, Chairman, Medical Committee; Alhaji Ganiyu Ibrahim, Secretary, LOC and Alhaji Jamiu Babalola, Assistant Secretary, LOC as well as a host of others. As can be seen on that list, some members of the LOC were also members of the Central Planning Committee.  

    The Role of MUSWEN

    Since its inception in 2008, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), being one of the two main pair organs of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) in partnership with Jam’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) of the North has been playing a very vital role in solidifying the unity of the Muslim Ummah in South West Nigeria. For instance, the former Secretary-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, the late Sheikh Sadrudeen Biobaku was a member of the Board of Trustees of MUSWEN until his demise. Also, the late President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, Imam Mustapha Olayiwola Ajisafe was the Vice-President of MUSWEN. Thus, in furtherance of that unity, the newly installed President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere Bello as well as the current Secretary-General of the League, Sheikh Ahmad Aladesawe have been officially invited to be members of the Central Working Committee of MUSWEN. Besides, a special powerful delegation from MUSWEN, led by its then President, the late Chief (Dr.) S. O. Babalola paid a courtesy visit to Ekiti Muslim Community in the residence of the then President-General designate of the League in August 2015 in the spirit of unity and cooperation. These and many other gestures are pointers to the fact that MUSWEN’s hand of fellowship is always out for the League to grab with love. Also, in October 2015, another MUSWEN team led by its Executive Secretary, Prof. D. O. S. Noibi paid a courtesy visit to Ondo Muslim Community and even observed the monthly meeting of that Community. If all these efforts by MUSWEN are adequately reciprocated and complimented by other stake holders in the South West, any tendency for deviation that could cause fanaticism and consequent terrorism may become easy to nip in the bud.    

    Observation

    This is an era of religious uncertainty. What we call religion these days is nothing more than a fraudulent cloak for fraudulent activists. The more we claim to be religious the deeper we sink into the quagmire of iniquities. Some people who claim to be men of God are nothing more than men of evil. There is hardly any crime in the world today that is not aided or even generated by people who masquerade day and night in the cloak of religion. The modern day generation has turned religion into a capitalist mercantile. It is the duty and responsibility of both MUSWEN and the League of Imams and Alfas to cooperate in stemming any spate of such ugly trend and return sanity to Islam in the region.

    Meanwhile, ‘The Message’ joined MUSWEN in rejoicing with both the League of Imams and Alfas and its  installed President-General by saying: CONGRATULATIONS!   

  • Why not Hijrah holiday?

    Why not Hijrah holiday?

    It never rained but poured in Nigeria recently Press stirred up brouhaha over the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday in the State of Osun by Governor Rauf Aregbesola. A particular Southwest newspaper went completely off the track over the issue and exhibited untold ignorance in a manner of a king dancing naked in a market place by writing an editorial on the matter thereby subjecting itself to public ridicule. It was a display of blatant ignorance shamelessly celebrated by some other newspapers of the like.

    Shortly after that episode, another Governor of a Southeast state (Imo) declared six weeks holiday for Christmas against the constitutional tradition of two days that Nigerians are familiar with. And the same newspapers that earlier sparked brouhaha kept mute in what confirmed unbridled sectarian hypocrisy typical of shamelessness in Nigerian professional journalism. The connotation of their silence in the second case cited above is that the declaration of one day Hijrah holiday was wrong because it was not inherited from the colonialists whilst the six week Christmas holiday was right because it tallied with their religious interest even if it was unjust and contradicted the norm of conscience. That is the extent of slave mentality in Nigeria as often exhibited in the name of religious chauvinism.

    Succinct Assessment

    Taking a retrospective assessment of the two above-mentioned scenarios after six months, a well known Professor of Medical Biochemistry, decided to chronicle the historical background of all the known calendars in the world as a way of tutoring some ignorant, self-arrogated Nigerian journalists on the essence of Hijrah holiday for mankind. Though a Medical Biochemist, his intellectual wellbeing has never restricted him to any straight jacket enclave of literacy because he knows the difference between literacy and knowledge. To him, literacy is merely a means of documentation of events and occurrences while knowledge is like a farm where all necessary crops must be planted and harvested for the assured survival of the farmer.

    Yours sincerely first had an encounter with this intellectual colossus in 1984 when he delivered a public lecture on Hijrah calendar at the Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, where many Nigerians first got the idea of Hijrah calendar. In that lecture, he did such a thorough analysis of the subject that he thereafter became a reference point for most researchers on Hijrah and the use of calendar. The summary of what he said on that occasion, according to my records is as follows:

    Experienced Narration

    After many millennia of incessant wandering in search of sanity and reason man was able to sight the crescent of civilisation. While he advanced along with his new crescent, he reflected on his past wanderings and thought of sharing the experience of this with his successors in order to leave a mark of guidance on the threshold of life. Civilisation, therefore, taught man to chronicle the experiences of his peregrination on earth by the means of calendar. And today, the chronology of events and the human evolutionary development are traceable only to the beginning of the use of calendar. By definition, calendar is a system of reckoning time in which the beginning, the length and divisions of a year are arbitrarily defined. It is a table that shows the months, the weeks and the days available in one specific year. It is a schedule especially one arranged in chronological order as of the case on a court docket.

    Types of Calendar

    Since the discovery and the use of calendar as an aid to historical records the world has journeyed through various stages of reckoning events through time and space. The use of calendar itself is a pointer to the earlier civilisation of the races or communities which made use of it. One of the earliest calendars which have helped in piloting human history through the millennia is the Chinese calendar which is supposed to have begun in 2379 B.C. In this Calendar, years are reckoned in cycles of 60, each year having a particular name that is a combination of two characters derived schematically from two series of signs, the celestial and the terrestrial. Months are also reckoned in cycles of 60 that are renewed every five years and each month consists of 28 to 30 days. There is also the Jewish calendar used by the Hebrews which engaged in the reckoning of time from the year of creation as based on a periodic cycle of 19 years with the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year of each cycle designated as leap years.

    This is followed by the Hindu calendar which began in about 400 CE. It is Lunar-solar in nature and the Hindus believe so much in it even till date. In this calendar, the solar year is divided into 12 months in accordance with the successive entrances of the sun into the signs of the Zodiac, the months varying from 29 to 32 days. Another calendar is the one called Roman calendar which is an ancient lunar calendar designating the days of the new moon as the ‘calends’ and the days of the full moon as the ‘ides’ while the 19th day before the ‘ides’ are designated as the ‘nones’. The original Roman calendar, introduced about the 7th century BC had 10 months with 304 days in a year that began with March.

    Two more months, January and February, were added later in the 7th century BC but because the months were only 29 or 30 days long, an extra month had to be intercalated approximately every second year. Thus, the days of the month were designated by the awkward method of counting backward from three dates: the calends, or first of the month; the ides, or middle of the month, falling on the 13th of some months and the 15th of others; and the nones, or 9th day before the ides. This rendered the Roman calendar hopelessly confused especially when officials to whom the addition of days and months was entrusted abused their authority to prolong their terms of office or to hasten or delay elections.

    Pagan Origin of Roman calendar

    Most of the months in the Roman calendar were dedicated to various gods of the Romans. The calendar, though got the blessing of the Christian leadership and was refined by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE, as polytheistic token. For instance, January from ‘Janus’ is the Roman god of doorways and beginnings.

    February from ‘Februs’ is the Roman god of purification. March from ‘Mars’ is the Roman god of war. April from ‘Aprilis’ is the month of the goddess of love and beauty. May from ‘Maia’ is the Roman goddess of growth and spring season. June from ‘Juno’ is the sister, the wife and coequal of Jupiter, the supreme Roman god. July named after Julius Caesar and August after Augustus Caesar. The months of September, October, November and December indicate 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th respectively in the old Roman calendar. These last four months are a misnomer in the order of numerals within the calendar. For 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th in numerals to represent 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th months in the calendar are incomprehensible. But they were retained for sectarian sentiment.

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    The Julian Calendar

    Also in 45 BC, Julius Caesar decided to use purely solar calendar on the advice of Sosigenes who flourished in the 1st century. This calendar, known as the Julian calendar, fixed the normal year at 365 days, and the leap year, every fourth year, at 366 days. Leap year is so named because the extra day causes any date after February in a leap year to ‘leap’ over one day in the week and to occur two days later in the week than it did in the previous year, rather than just one day later as in a normal year. The Julian calendar also established the order of the months and the days of the week as they exist in present-day calendars. In 44 BC, Julius Caesar changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July), after himself. The month Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) in honour of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, who succeeded Julius. However, some authorities maintain that Augustus established the length of the months we use today. The Gregorian calendar which puts January as the first month of the year was adopted by England and America in 1752. It is the calendar now commonly used throughout most parts of the world.

    Other Calendars

    Yet, there are other known calendars which include the Roman ecclesiastical calendar used by the Catholic sect, the French revolutionary calendar introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1793, the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 CE. But by far the most authentic of them all is Hijrah calendar because of its uniqueness and eventfulness as authenticated by its clear historical background. The idea of putting this calendar into use was suggested by Caliph Umar Bn Khattab in Madinah as a historic landmark for Islamic religion. And it has since been in use throughout the Muslim world especially in determining the beginnings and ends of every lunar month as well as Muslim festivals. Qur’anic source of Hijrah calendar of all the calendars mentioned above, Hijrah alone, which is the Muslim divine calendar, is unique for its eventfulness and clear historical background.

    Its dating began on the 16th of July 622 CE a day after the migration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Yathrib (Al Madinah). After a non-such persecution and threats to his life by the Makkah pagans, the messiah of mankind had to migrate for the safety of his life and, by implication, for the rescue of humanity from the wildness of coation. Whereas every month of Hijrah calendar has spiritual importance apart from the universality of its blessings for mankind, its effect from 622 CE is only symbolic of modernity as it actually came into existence from the beginning of the earth when it was decreed and its months were christened by Allah Himself. The Qur’an testifies to this as follows: ‘Surely, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in one year in Allah’s decree since the day when Allah created the Heavens and earth. Of these months four are sacred (Muharram, Rajab, Dhul- Qa.dah and Dhul-Hijjah). This is the only straight and righteous path.. (Q. 9: 36). No other calendar can be so referenced in any revealed Book other than the Qur’an. The twelve months mentioned are Muharram, Safar, Rabi’ul Awwal, Rabi’uth-Thani, Jumadal ‘Ula, Jumadath-Thaniyah, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah. Thus, the significance of Hijrah calendar is manifest not only in the eventfulness of its historical background but also in the divinity of its months. Unlike other calendars which were imposed for the purpose of worshipping material gods or to subject people to psychological subservience, Hijrah calendar is an evidential indication of human salvation. And besides, it has divine sanction. Nigeria is for us all and no one should think of creating an environment of subservience for a major chunk of the populace.

    Conclusive Tutorial

    In his conclusive submission, the said Professor aims at educating Nigerian media to the effect that Hijrah was not peculiar to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as some other Prophets had preceded him in emigration. For instance Prophets like Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Yusuf, Shu’ayb, Musa and Isa, all emigrated from place to place before finally settling down. Of all these, only Prophet Muhammad’s Hijrah has a direct bearing on the practice of Islam. And since no Muslim has ever objected to the declaration of any public holiday for the adherents of other religions in Nigeria, it will be foolhardy for any responsible person to constitute himself into a cog in the wheel of Islam in any part of the country by opposing a declaration of Hijrah holiday constitutionally for Islam. In a sane society whatever is considered good for the goose must equally be good for the gander. But those who take their hatred for Islam as a hobby should know that no amount of barking even by millions of dogs can ever halt a surging train.  

  • How ready is Nigeria for AFCFTA?

    How ready is Nigeria for AFCFTA?

    “With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It is no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you simply have to run faster than others to survive.” ¯ Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Monarch of Dubai and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirate (UAE)…

    Today, I will reflect on Nigeria’s preparedness to participate in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA); in doing so, I wish to lean on my credentials as the first substantive MD/CEO of arguably the first operational airport free trade zone (FTZ) in Nigeria (not Export Processing Zone – because FTZs are more all-encompassing), and also as member of the World Free Trade Zone  Organization (WZO) amongst other relevant professional experiences out of over 25 years of my professional career across various sectors including International Trade and Investment, Aviation, Logistics and Supply chain, ICT, Agriculture, and Solid Minerals.

    The journey so far

    The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) has been ratified by Nigeria, joining other 52 African Countries to form the biggest single continental market for goods and services in the world.  This is a welcome development considering the benefits of creating the largest trade market in the world giving access to over 1.2billion people with a collective GDP $2.5Trillion. At full implementation, AFCFTA is expected to boost intra-regional trade to at least 33% from the current 10% in the next decade.  AFCFTA is also projected to lift at least 50 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035, according to analysts, however, the slow pace of action is becoming a source of worry.

    In addition, AFCFTA is also aimed at facilitating free movement of persons, capital, and investment to deepen economic integration, promote and attain sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, gender equality, industrialization, agricultural development, food security, and structural transformation.

    President Muhammadu Buhari took initial steps to ensure successful take-off especially with the setup of the National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) and the appointment of Mr. Olusegun Awolowo as Secretary, in the last quarter of last year.

    The essence of good vision critical and strategic thinking

    About 20 years ago President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the then Executive Governor of Lagos State, conceptualized and setup the Lekki/ Lagos Free Trade Zone. It was a visionary and courageous move – highly strategic. About twenty years after the conceptualization of arguably the largest Free Trade one in Africa, the AFCFTA was berthed, as if that is not enough, the $19bn Dangote Refinery, the largest refinery in the world is sitting in the Lekki Free Trade Zone; moreover, the construction works on phase-1 of the $1.5 billion Lagos multipurpose deep seaport located on the Lekki Free Trade Zoe is also completed. In addition, the space and preparation for the Lekki International Airport is ongoing – the next level Airport that will be part of one of the biggest logistics hub in  Africa. The Lekki Free Trade Zone has become a game-changing platform for game changing projects that will not only turnaround the economy of Nigeria but will certainly be the best foot that Nigeria will put forward in the AFCTA competitive space going forward.

    Based on the aforementioned antecedents, I am optimistic that during the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria will successfully key into the AFCFTA and achieve the objectives.

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    How can Nigeria key into the opportunities and rein-in the benefits?

    According to AFCTA Secretariat, the current value chain priorities for the ACFTA secretariat towards job creation and industrialization on the continent are; Agriculture and agro-processing, Transport and Logistics, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive sector.

    To further contextualize the initiative, in the words of the Secretary General of AFCFTA Mr. Wamkele Mene, “The private sector creates jobs, not governments, not the AFCFTA secretariat. Collectively it is our job to establish the requisite investment climate so that African businesses can take advantage.”. To that extent, the private sector will be key to the achievement of the AFCFTA.

    The way forward for Nigeria, is to as a matter of priority improve and upscale our competitiveness in terms of our critical infrastructure i.e., intermodal transportation network; power; logistics and supply chain platforms i.e the airports and the entire aviation value chain; seaports and the entire maritime value chain, land borders; products value addition and processing.  Therefore, our preparedness domestically is very critical. There should a wholistic approach in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to formulate an over-arching strategy to achieve the key objectives and importantly reining-in the benefits for Nigeria and consequently for Africa.

    To improve our trade volumes and increase incomes, we need to improve the state of our not-so-competitive manufacturing and industrial sectors that are struggling under multiple global socio-economic variables, it is a major red flag. Multiple taxation and leakages; and tax policy incoherence are other major barriers to success for AFCFTA. I believe that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, already has in his mind the objective of making our AFCFTA participation a success, as he stated some weeks ago during his maiden speech as the Chairman of Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS), wherein he talked about leveraging on the opportunities provided by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA).

    Points to note

    • Nigeria is blessed by a unique strategic geographical location, arable land; huge, skillful and productive human capital and abundant natural resources. With the right strategic planning, performance-driven execution, and ultimately political will, Nigeria will be primed to contribute immensely on AFCFTA, while earning maximum socio-economic values.

    • Appropriate funding is very important. I expect to see robust and viable PPPs what will support critical infrastructure and sectors

    • Cost of doing business in Nigeria is high and will impact on the cost of items produced thereby making them expensive and not competitive. This so especially when such products and services have to compete favorably in at the global and continental markets.

    • As at 2021, about 50% of the Africa GDP was driven by the Services sector. Therefore, a lot need to be done to encourage players by introducing incentives to scale down the cost of doing business, because countries like Ghana, Togo, etc. are slowly becoming hubs that are eating deeply into Nigeria’s market share in sectors like Aviation, Maritime, etc.

    • Because of the lead time it takes to plan, invest, setup and operate the critical infrastructure and systems, the time to start actions should be immediate.

    • Project execution from a project management perspective is another key point to note..

    • What will be our international trade and investment strategy and endgame? What are the strategies to ease business and ensure positive outcomes and impacts?

    • It is worthy of note that many years before AFCFTA, Nigeria has been providing goods and services to the West African Countries and also some other Countries in sub-Saharan Africa for example, Niger to Mail, Benin to Sierra Leon; Nigeria to Chad, Cameroun up Sudan. These trades have been happening majorly informally. Therefore, this is an opportunity for Nigeria to gain immensely from AFCFTA.

    • We need to have synergies and coherence in terms of policies conceptualization, formulation and execution. Using our international airports in Nigeria as an example. Instead of having the single window platform in line with best practices and also inline of the Ease of doing business policy, in practical terms you have layers and layers of bottlenecks and over-arching regulations that otherwise should have been streamlines and made seamless, transparent, efficient and accountable for the ease of doing business

    • Some of the inhibitors that will continue to draw us back if not addressed in short to long term objective if AFCFTA the “US” factor. The competing, conflicting and/ or parallel intra-Africa trade policies and actions including air bi-lateral agreements amongst member nations of the African Union (AU) will remain a key inhibitor. Therefore, there is the need for sincerity of purpose and practical synergies amongst member nations with regards to international trade, insecurity.

    Based on the aforementioned, Nigeria’s over-arching national strategy has to change especially with regards to the Economy, Foreign Policy, Trade and Investment. Foreign policy as a nexus for international Trade

    Other critical success factors incude

    • Upscaling our logistics and supply chain capabilities by improving and upscaling our airports, seaports, intermodal transport network and land borders infrastructure and management capacities

    • Modernising customs and border processes: Streamlining intra-Africa crossings 

    • Technology

    • Improvement of our laws through Legislation, Policy, and Regulation reviews

    • Standards and Quality Assurance – Monitoring, Compliance, and Enforcement

    • Building in-country Trade Facilitation capacity

    • Sensitisation strategy for the critical stakeholder

    • Harmonisation of Standards and Regulations

    Conclusion

    I request that all the aforementioned factors need to be considered in crafting the strategy blueprint and roadmap – it must be a wholistic strategy starting with building our internal capacities, competencies and other resources. The infrastructure, economic gateways, support for our local industry, other sectoral investors and service providers will be cataclysmic to the achievement of the objective of AFCFTA, and to also effectively reap the full political, and socio-economic benefits of AFCFTA.

  • Good Governance and the paradox of leadership 2

    Good Governance and the paradox of leadership 2

    On 7th July 2023, (two Fridays ago), I started a discussion titled “Good Governance and The Paradox of Leadership In Nigeria: Part- 1”, wherein I reflected on my theory/ concept of “the leadership value chain” as the key to good governance in Nigeria. I also promised to continue with Part- 2 in which I wish to continue reflecting on how we got to the situation we are today, i.e. the erosion of the leadership value chain, and some possible ways forward.

    Managing our exepectations

    As a Country, especially in our civil/ public service, there is no enabling framework, systems and processes to managing expectations of citizens, to ensure value is given to employees and to discourage/ curtail corruption.

    If we look at the Civil/ Public Service remuneration and compensation structure and system, in my opinion the salaries and emoluments paid to the civil/ public officers have created the culture of corruption. This is because for over 60 years since independence, despite decades of negative socio-economic dynamics and impacts, the Nigeria civil service has only undergone marginal increase of salaries and wages of civil/public servants. The issue of minimum wage has been in the front burner for a very long time in Nigeria. The current “take home” minimum wage even as at the time it was pegged some years ago, could “not actually take the civil servants to their homes”, talk less of today.  This has led to the systemic creativity of corruption in our civil service, as staff resorted to “self -help” to assure sustenance. This situation further entrenched and emboldened the culture of corruption which has permeated into our larger society.

    Members of the Armed Forces are largely, not adequately covered by proper insurance and other forms of demonstrable assurances of welfare and protection of the lives and livelihoods of their families in the event of injury or death in the line of duty. Their salaries and emoluments are not adequate, and sometimes not even paid as at when due. Worst still, the retirees’ pensions and gratuities are mostly not paid as at when due. These gory situations also further entrench corruption in our society. Consequently, the fear of a bleak future pushes a lot of people to crime, criminality and ultimately corruption (directly or indirectly). The paradox of a society that demands for so much from its citizenry for almost next to nothing is a panacea for the continuous promotion of corruption and the slide into the abys of backwardness as a nation.

    Another key downside to this situation is the erosion of patriotism from the minds of citizens who will consciously or subconsciously be looking out for themselves and their families rather than loyalty to a nation that is not loyal to its citizens. To my mind loyalty should be symbiotic., i.e. mutually beneficial and not mutually exclusive.

    Furthermore, the systems are not robust, fair, objective and equitable enough to safeguard the hopes and expectations of citizens across various strata of leadership (vertical and horizontal). There is a gap in addressing what happens, when an incident happens to them in the line of duty or after retirement. Essentially, our structures are built such that people are afraid of what will happen to them and their families after the leave service or if they die in the line of duty. The aforementioned points have also triggered a large appetite for corruption.

    Another key factor that has engendered corruption is the lack of meritocracy in our civil/public service. The support for indolence, nepotism and lack of the culture of the pursuance/reward of excellence have also made people to wonder why they have to give their best when their best does not translate to commensurate compensation, career growth or job security. Sometimes, person with/without merit could be promoted or even have better career progressions, recognitions, positionings and rewards ahead of colleagues that perform better; due to nepotism, favoritism, ethic jingoism, sexism, godfatherism, etc. In some cases, promotion and career pathing including transfers and postings are commercialized, i.e. paid for by the staff that are interested and can afford or are ready to do so. There is mostly no reward for hard work, diligence, and honestly. These are some of the banes of our progress as a nation – a vicious circle that has entrapped the country from moving forward.

    Another very sad dimension, is that some fresh graduates, and even staff that are working and people looking for political appointments, in some cases, have to “procure”/” buy” employment by paying huge sums of money to get appointments including, as alleged, employments into the armed forces. This has been the recipe for the disaster of the failure we are facing today. Basically, the basis for compensation and reward are flat and based on parochial variables. There is no motivation for the pursuance of excellence. The system largely does not reward excellence or exceptional behavior.

    The erosion of our values systems in our homes and societies where we have moved away from core values of honesty, respect, integrity, hard work, etc., to the values of materialism, and what I call “adult peer-pressure” (I must do what someone else is doing even if I don’t  have the capacity to do so), etc. are other key factors that are drawing us back and reflection of the failure of the leadership value chain because at all strata of society/ organizations there are leaders who by their actions or inactions are key promoters or supporters of such negativities with adverse impacts on our societies.

    Accordingly, achievement of the national growth and development that we dream of will continue to be a mirage, until we consider the leadership value chain as a critical success factor to good governance. It is worthy of note that, quality of leadership is a function of the societal values of the nation.

    Food for thought

    Just like I mentioned in Part-1 of this topic; while I agree that a lot of blame of failure of governance is on the “focal point leaders”, I also believe that the leadership value chain is also largely responsible for the enabling corruption – promoting it, fighting it, containing it.

     While I am not an advocate of autocracy or dictatorship, what is true is that in a democracy it is very difficult to have the concept of a “benevolent leader” whereby the focal point leader cannot take some critical decisions without due recourse to the principles of separation of powers or without due to regards to the rule of law. Therefore, the leadership value chain is a critical success factor for the “focal point” leaders in a democracy. So, if within the leadership value chain, the focal point leaders are mired in what I call “the conspiracy of the establishment” (by “Establishment”, I mean for example; the Civil Service, e.g. Minister, or a Permanent Secretary, CEOs of MDAs, Directors of MDAs, etc.), then the focal point leaders are what I call, “entrapped” leaders, whose capacity to be positively impactful will be highly undermined, and compromised. We also have the legislature, we have the judiciary who are part of the leadership value chain.

    The societal leadership value chain also extends to our homes, churches, mosques, traditional institutions, etc. The failure of leadership value chain strata starting from our homes is the reason why corruption is thriving in Nigeria which will continue to inhibit the delivery of good governance. It is the same reason why we will take money and sell our votes to politicians that we know are corrupt or who cannot deliver, after which we hypocritically expect good governance. The same reason why we do not stop at the traffic light when it is red, but we expect saints and incorruptible men and women to emerge from within us and successfully deliver good governance, where we all have various roles to play within the leadership value chain.

    Ladies and gentlemen, in a democracy, leaders emerge from within the societies. To that extent, I believe that, fundamentally, leaders reflect their society.

    In conclusion, I will leave us with a food for thought to reflect on: Please go to any traffic light junction anywhere in Nigeria, and observe for 10minutes how we conduct ourselves at the traffic junctions. Do we obey the traffic lights/ rules especially when it is a traffic warden that is managing the traffic (he/she is the leader at that point in time), and if we do not obey the traffic rules, can the traffic warden manage the traffic effectively and efficiently? Your answers could be as good as mine.

    I believe that ours is not a hopeless situation. In the next and final episode on this topic, I will speak on how we can possibly change the current paradoxical situation of the leadership question for good governance. Thank you for following and reading.