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  • To those attacking me for supporting Tax Reforms

    To those attacking me for supporting Tax Reforms

    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing” – Edmund Burke an Irish Statesman.

    Insults and threats to my life will not change my quest for a better Nigeria

    This is a response to the backlash I’ve been receiving, which includes threats to my life with regard to my position supporting the tax reform Bill various Nigeria’s political class, particularly the northern political establishment and citizens to have a change of mindset with regard to how northern Nigeria should rethink northern Nigeria and change our current retrogressive trajectory of development to a positive trajectory. Indeed, it goes without saying that we are the most backward region in Nigeria, despite having produced more Presidents than any other region in Nigeria. The truth is the truth, no matter how much we deny it! And the sooner we face reality, the earlier we start sincerely taking the right steps to reverse the ugly trend for the better. Ignoring the reality will be at our own collective peril! By the way to those blindly insulting me and threatening my life, I am deterred. By the way, I am not known to shy away from speaking truth to power if I even stand alone.

    And then Nigerian Governors Endorse the Tax Reform Bill

    It is interesting that yesterday Nigerian Governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum (across political party lines), finally endorsed the Tax contentious Tax Reform Bill. This is a very good development, especially after the pushback by some Governors and politicians who were vehemently against the Bill, so much so that the Governor Nasarawa State, His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi Sule; a gentleman, and technocrat that I have high regard for; during a television interview called some of us, who are proponents for Tax reform as people looking for a job.  I am sure that his excellency’s perspective that we are “looking for a job” has changed since he has now joined “us” – the proponents of the Tax Bill (the so-called “job seekers”); as he is now in favor of Bill. In the past week, there was a growing number of politicians who are now accepting the Bill; having aligned with what I had consistently requested that we all do, i.e.; read the Bill, Consult, Engage, Debate and Negotiate, with a view to having a robust, acceptable, actionable and productive Tax reform in the interest of all Nigerians. Indeed, in the end, we will be vindicated.

    I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his political sagacity in managing the process and polity to achieve a positive outcome. This significant milestone of the acceptance of the Tax Bill (with some modifications) will set the tone for the acceptance of the Bill by Nigerians and the ultimate passage of the Bill for a better Nigeria.

    The tax reform will be an opportunity for northern Nigeria and indeed the entire States across Nigeria and the FCT to reposition for more competitiveness and derive more value from their contributions to the economy rather than “killing” the tax reform initiative. If so, the North would lose a golden opportunity.

    Food for Thought for our Northern Nigeria

    The backlash and verbal attack, including political leaders interestingly, requires that I respond to reiterate my position, and I will continue to speak to our people, even if it is a few of them as I have seen the massive responses from various well-meaning Nigerians and indeed Northern Nigerians, supporting the narrative that I have been passing, objectively seeing the reasoning, seeing the foresight and looking at the strategy I appreciate a lot of Northern Nigerians for speaking truth to power, with a view to having a better society, with a view to having a better country. My context of contestations, reflections, and contributions is mostly apolitical. Of course, man is a political animal. But if I want my region to grow, if I want Nigeria to prosper, then I would love northern Nigeria to grow. Because indeed, if northern Nigeria grows, then ultimately Nigeria will be better. I use this opportunity to say loud and clear, like I have said in other forms, that northern Nigeria is not the only region that requires reform, it requires a rethink for progressiveness and progression. As we have seen, some leaders of thoughts from other regions come together to rethink their region, to push a collective agenda for the progress of their region. Last week, Nigerians witnessed the emergence of the new President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Senator Azuta Mbata. This socio-cultural group has largely demonstrated cohesion (despite some dissenting positions), just like other regions enforced the agenda for the progress of their respective regions while not losing focus, you know, of the unity of our country. It is within that for over 30 years, I have been contributing my humble opinions, and trying to redirect our thinking and influence us to rethink our region for the betterment of our people, to rethink our region for the betterment of Nigeria, rethink leadership of Northern Nigeria with a view to adding more value so that we can also have a better strategic position, better than just political power in terms of population.

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    Northern Nigeria has a proliferation of interest groups that are here to be able to harmonize positions and move in one direction with one voice. I’m not saying that we should not have different interest groups with different thinking, but the earlier we start having a unity of purpose in our movements, the more likely we are able to have a mindset that will move us together in a unified, progressive direction. Otherwise, the mismatch of ideologies, visions, and misalignment of objectives will further polarize the North and further exacerbate the current spiraling of the North into the abyss of backwardness. From insecurity to increased infant maternal mortality, 70% of about 130% of the multidimensionally poor Nigerians are from the north, which translates to about 90 million or so, almost close to the total population of Sudan.

     Divergence of views and ideas is what makes societies more productive and successful. But only if those views and ideas are canvassed respectfully and constructively. Characterization of opposing ideas and views will not invalidate the substance of those views or ideas but could deny that society or nation some quality opportunities for growth and Development at the peril of the people and to the advantage of other societies or countries.

     The northern leaders must harness the wealth and potential of northern Nigeria and translate them into real core value or real social-economic value for Northern Nigeria and indeed for the entire country and even the Sahel. The history of Northern Nigeria is so rich and important that reducing the conversation the way we have been reducing it, discounting any valuable contribution and emphasizing the need for us to have these hard conversations, you know, leaves much to be desired, and speaks volumes with regards to how bad and how things are, you know, happening and becoming in northern Nigeria.

     The 1 billion US Dollar question for Northern Nigeria is, are we making any positive progress as a region? And if so, should we ask ourselves those questions as to why we are not making the right progress or moving in the right direction, to say the least, or should we continue living in self-deceit and pretend that all is well just because we don’t want some people don’t want to offend some people or we should allow some people to continue leading the north by the nose into the abyss of retrogression.

     The culture of weaponizing or demonizing constructive and progressive opinions by gaslighting the people by politicians, religious leaders, and traditional rulers is not only bad but antithetical to the progress of our societies and Country. The hallmark of critical thinking, especially in a diverse society is to engage a thought process of status quo a view to achieve a more desirable outcome.

     I have had cause to contribute to constructive criticism of some Policies of this administration and President Tinubu listened to us and either reversed or stood down those decisions in the interest of the policies. Some of the policies include the expatriate quota policy, etc. That should also be the attitude of Governors and political leaders, i.e to objectively listen and where necessary adjust strategies and policies in the overall interest of Nigerians, who are actually the mandate owners.

    Indeed, political leaders from other regions are also not different from northern political leaders. Having recognized that we have excellent, excellent political leaders who are governors and ministers but they indeed are in the minority and I will continue pushing you know the narration and the thought discussions you know along with other very eminent Nigerian patriots until we start listening. We must tell ourselves the truth, and that’s the bottom line.

    It is in the light of the foregoing that I have been speaking and it is in this light I’m still urging, with profound respect to our political leaders with profound respect to our leaders of thought, traditional religion, etc. to rethink Nigeria. God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • Encounter with Richard Akinjide on Islam

    Encounter with Richard Akinjide on Islam

    Monologue

    It should not be strange to readers of ‘The Message’ that this column is coming up, today, with such a memorable title as presented here. A newspaper columnist, who is also a veteran Journalist, is like a human octopus that deals with issues and occurrences from n, with the readers of this column, is, essentially, one of the fundamental indices of the profession called journalism. It is also a major ingredient of the beauty of that profession.

    Chief Richard Osuolale Abimbola Akinjide, who died a decade and half years ago, was a Nigerian frontline lawyer and a politician of prominence. He was also one of the most ardent readers of ‘The Message’ column when alive.

    The encounter

    On a particular Saturday in 2010, the iconic political juggernaut and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) called me by telephone and requested me to please see him at his Idi Isin residence, near NIHORT in Ibadan. On entering his living room, a ‘hill’ of newspaper cuttings sitting on one of the stools by his side, caught my attention. The sight of that ‘hill’ was a confirmation of the fact that the man was truly an ardent newspaper reader. After exchange of pleasantries with me and offer of drink, Chief Akinjide asked me to formally introduce myself to him, which I promptly did. He then decided to play the role of a journalist by interrogating me in a cross-examination manner with which lawyers are typically renowned in a law court. And, when he started quoting copiously from the various articles in my  column, and picking out copies of those articles from the ‘hill’ of newspaper cuttings by his side, It became clear to me that the ‘hill’ was deliberately placed on that stool in readiness for my coming.

    Impression

    By Chief Akinjide’s disposition in the course of our conversation, I noted a double edged impression which he created. One of those impressions was for me while the other was for him. On my side, I noticed a very sharp, juvenile brain with a uniquely active memory in him despite his octogenarian age.

    This man, who had become a Federal Minister when I was in the elementary school, so much dazed me with his analysis of my writings that I felt he would have been one of the best newspaper columnists in Nigerian history if he had chosen journalism as a profession. He vividly reminded me of the quality of Western education which his generation acquired during the colonial rule in Nigeria. In fact, Chief Richard Akinjide was Allah’s special gift to Nigeria even if Nigeria did not appreciate that gift as much as expected. One of the pungent questions he threw to me, which warranted the writing of this article, was about my educational background. He said: “which secondary school did you attend?” And, in answering that question, I simply told him that it was MARKAZ. He asked me to repeat the answer and I proudly told him once again that it was MARKAZ. And, from his inquisitively agitated visage, I could see that he never heard that name before. There and then, he asked me to tell him the language by which that name was coined, its meaning as well as the location of the school.

    It was during my explanation that he discovered that I could speak, write and comprehend Arabic language very well.

    Akinjide’s surprise

    I told him that MARKAZ was the name of an Arabic school (madrasah) established by the late Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, in Agege, Lagos State. And when I also told him that I was not privileged to attend a conventional secondary school because my father could not afford it, he was highly surprised. His next question was: “then, how did you come about the high standard English language with which you are writing your column?”. My explanation on how I learnt English language privately, after I left the Arabic school, sounded so much unbelievable to him that he confessed that he had thought that I attended either Oxford or Cambridge University in UK, for my degree course, perhaps after completing my secondary school education at King’s College, or St. Gregory’s College in Lagos. However, in response to that guess, I told him that I attended King’s University, Jeddah, for my degree and I read English. But he was still surprised that I obtained my first degree in English Language and Literature in the Arab World. He did not know that virtually all my lecturers at King’s University were Britons and Americans. There and then, he tactically left that angle and asked me to tell him something about Arabic language and its usefulness. But to my amazement, Chief Akinjide’s surprise became heightened when I told him that all science subjects that brought about technology and the modern civilization originated from Arabic language. For instance, I told him that such subjects like Chemistry (Kaymiyau), Physics (Fisiyau), Algebra (Aljibrau), mathematics (Ar-Riyadiyat) and several others in sciences were originally Arabic. I also told him that the very first University ever established in human history was University of Cordoba which was established by the Muslim Arabs of the second Umayyad dynasty in Spain, in the 9th century. I did not stop there. I added that it was the Muslim Arabs that invented figure zero (0) which paved way for digital system in mathematics made technology possible. That conversation lasted about three hours but from his body language, Chief Akinjide needed more information about Islam’s contribution to human civilization. He then told me that he would continue to invite me for further discussions on that subject whenever the need arose for it.

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    Another meeting

    About four weeks after that first encounter, Chief Akinjide called me again, by telephone, to his residence. I then thought of getting a witness to that intellectual conversation because of the future. I asked my brother, Dr. Wole Abbas (now a Professor and a former Head of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, to accompany me to Chief Akinjide’s residence. I narrated to him what had transpired between us in our previous meeting. And, being an intellectual rendezvous, my brother was ready to be a witness.

    On reaching the place, the conversation began again. And for another period of over three hours, the conversation continued with the active participation of Professor Wole Abbas. At the end of that second conversation, the man asked a puzzling question thus: “where were people like you when we were rigmarolling in search of religious right path? Or don’t you know that I was born a Muslim and I was given the name Rasheed at birth? It was because I did not understand the meanings of the Arabic recitations to which I was subjected that I later decided to become a Christian”. “And, now, is it possible to combine? And, is it not too late to change? That last question clearly showed the confused situation of Chief Akinjide’s mind on religious matter. But the opportunity of another meeting with him, thereafter, did not come. From that conversation, I discovered that, unlike molst Nigerian politicians, Chief Akinjide was a serious-minded realist whose lifestyle was a template of emulation by today’s Nigerian politicians.

    Reminiscence

    The above related episode came to throw a challenge to Nigerian Muslim clerics over two conspicuous issues that jointly put a question mark on the practice of Islam in Nigeria today.  One is about the Qur’anic schools in Nigeria. The other is the Mosque affair. The two are closely interrelated.

    Informed Muslims will recall that Islam first reached some parts of what is now called Nigeria in the 11th century CE. That was over 1000 years ago when no one could have dreamt of a country to be called Nigeria. Even the colonialists who caused the emergence of Nigeria as a country were, at that time, still wallowing in total ignorance as they foraged wildly and aimlessly in the darkness of life. It took about 500 years after the arrival of Islam before Christianity came to Nigeria in the 16th century. Today, if the two religions are compared in terms of education and material progress in this country, one will be found obviously ahead of the other by far. As a matter of fact, it will seem as if Christianity preceded Islam in Nigeria by 500 years. There is a fundamental question here not yet asked let alone answered. Where did things begin to go wrong for the Muslims?

    It is only logical that a question like this is asked at this stage before any answer can be provided. From a Yoruba adage we learn that “when a kid suddenly slips and falls down he looks forward to someone who can lift him up. But when an adult slips and falls down, he looks backwards to see the cause of his fall”. After over 1000 years in Nigeria, Islam is eminently qualified to be called an adult. Thus we can jointly look back to see where things started going wrong for Islam to remain a crawling adult?

    If the past generations of Nigerian Muslims did not ask the above question, it wasn’t because they lacked intellect or foresight that could ginger them into asking such a question. Even if they asked a similar question, their political and economic hindrances would have posed as lack of wherewithal to answer it effectively. They could therefore be pardoned. The circumstances in which they embraced Islam and practiced it were quite different from those of today. That they even stood firmly by Islam in those days at all, despite the implacable persecutions they faced, was an impeccable testimony to their steadfastness in faith.

    The Difference

    Unlike Christianity which was escorted down to Nigeria by its European propagators and was strengthened by the colonialists after assuming power, Islam only migrated to Nigeria unaccompanied. That it emerged as a force to be reckoned with was only due to the grace of Allah. Nothing beyond education encouraged certain great scholars like Usman Dan Fodio and his brother, Abdullah Dan Fodio and Sultan Bello to rise up and embark on vigorous propagation of Islam which enabled that divine religion to retain its vitality till today. It should be remembered that both Usman Dan Fodio and his son (Muhammad Bello) made such complex linguistic, theological, scientific and legal studies that the one wrote 93 books while the other wrote 97 books.

    Clapperton’s Encounter with Sultan Bello

    It is on record that Hugh Clapperton, a British colonial agent, once had an interesting intellectual encounter with Sultan Muhammad Bello in 1824. After the historic intellectual encounter that took both of them through a compex web of knowledge display, Clapperton had to admit thus: “He (Muhammad Bello) continued to ask me several other theological questions, until I was obliged to confess myself not sufficiently versed in religious subtleties to resolve those knotty points”.

    And when Clapperton returned to Sokoto two years later (1826) and presented Sultan Bello with a complete copy of Arabic Euclid he (Clapperton) was shocked to learn that his host already possessed one. (Euclid is an ancient geometry book of 13 volumes named after its Greek originator).

    Literacy in Northern Nigeria

    When the Europeans first came to the territory now called Nigeria in the 16th century, the north was the only part that was literate. And, that was because Islam had reached that part of the country since the 11th century, with its Arabic literacy. The English colonialists confirmed this on their arrival in Nigeria for colonization in the 19th century. And that was why they were much more cautious in their dealings with the northerners than they were with the southerners.

    That the colonialists did not retain Arabic literacy in the north was due to the fact that they could not communicate in that sophisticated language. If they (the Europeans) had not ignored Arabic literacy, the north would not have been perceived as backward literarily today by the southerners. At least by 1919 when the South was just beginning to embrace literacy, in the Western way, the North already had about 25000 schools where students were taught various subjects through Arabic language. 

    Today, however, over 80% of Nigerian Christians are conveniently lettered either in English which is the official language of Christianity in this country or in their vernacular languages through the Roman alphabets.  That has enabled them to translate the Bible into about 21 Nigerian languages.

    But on the contrary, less than 5% of Nigerian Muslims can be said to be realistically familiar with Islam through literacy in Arabic. And, without adequate literacy in Arabic language, there can be no thorough understanding of Islam which is the total way of life for any serious Muslim.

    Today, despite the age of Islam in Nigeria and the population of the Muslims, the Qur’an has just been translated into about than five Nigerian languages. Even that was only possible because the two initiators of those translations (the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi and Sheikh Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory) were well educated in the language of the Qur’an. They were later emulated by some scholars from tribes other than  Hausa and Yoruba.

    Problems of Qura’anic Schools

    Many Nigerian Muslims who passed through the Qur’anic schools in Nigeria and care now claiming to have graduated (through celebration of Walimah) have ended up being serious embarrassments to Islam because of the shallow depth of knowledge they possess.

    The problem of Qur’anic schools in Nigeria is not just about faulty curriculum but also about anachronistic teaching methodology still being used.

    Arabic Language

    Language is the prima facie of any culture. A culture that is not entrenched in a language is only bidding its time of oblivion. Islam is a foremost culture with a foremost language. But with due apology, the attitude of some of Nigerian clerics who are teaching in Qur’anic schools has virtually changed the colour and the taste of Islam, as a culture, in Nigeria for the worse. Rather than being an attractive place of learning, most Qur’anic schools have been turned into scaring centres for our children. And, only a very few of those children are now willing to attend Qur’anic schools. The result is that no seriousness is attached to those schools in our society any longer.

    Qur’an is the encyclopedia of Islam. It is not meant for recitation alone. It is the final source of all researches in all fields of learning for those who know its value. Anybody who wants to claim authority in Islamic knowledge must, of necessity, be able to read, write and comprehend Arabic language very well.

    In Islam, Qur’an is the house in which the Muslims’ minds reside. The foundation of that house is Arabic language. Without understanding Arabic language, it is impossible to comprehend any literature written in Arabic, be it the Qur’an or Hadith. Only modernization of Arabic schools can change the situation of Al-majirai in Nigeria.

  • 2025: Reforms must transcend rhetoric

    2025: Reforms must transcend rhetoric

    As the clock ticks into 2025, Nigeria teeters on a precipice where adversity and hope interlock. The stage is set for a decisive year as the country’s major sectors hum with latent energy: the economy struggles to shed its old skin, politics braces for reform, and the creative industries moot a new narrative. The new year pulses with the promise of rebirth and the threat of regression. Some would call it the epoch of Nigeria’s reckoning—a litmus test of spirit and ambition.

    Against this backdrop of intrigues, a groundswell of apprehension sweeps across the country, beckoning a collective resolve to either seize the moment or risk further decline. In this pivotal year, every facet of national life becomes a battleground of will and transformation as the country’s most significant sectors hurtle between progress and paralysis. The stakes have never been higher, and the journey more profound.

    This is Nigeria in 2025: The economic outlook for 2025 stands at a crossroads of hope and hard truths. President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious tax reform proposals hold the potential to unlock $7.5 billion (about N7.5 trillion) annually, a treasure chest capable of rejuvenating the nation’s fiscal landscape. Yet, this ambition is shadowed by a burgeoning debt-to-GDP ratio, climbing from N97.3 trillion in 2023 to a staggering N138 trillion by late 2024.

    The challenge is clear: reforms must transcend rhetoric. If implemented effectively, these measures could stabilize the naira, curtail inflation, and rebuild investor confidence. However, failure would deepen fiscal woes and push millions further into hardship. To traverse this precarious path, Nigeria must prioritize efficient tax collection, diversify revenue sources, and foster an enabling environment for small businesses. Debt management will demand fiscal discipline and transparency.

    Perhaps the most heartening narrative in this economic tale is the resurgence of local refining capacity. With the Dangote, Port Harcourt, and Warri refineries ramping up operations, Nigeria’s energy sector has shifted from dependency to competition and export potential. This renaissance promises to temper fuel prices and reinforce foreign reserves, heralding a future unchained from imported petroleum.

    Despite global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels, Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains pivotal. The proposed national credit guarantee company could inject much-needed liquidity, while anti-theft measures aim to boost production. However, over-reliance on this sector is a perilous gamble. Diversification into renewable energy and investment in local refining capacities will be essential for long-term stability.

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    Through it all, Nigeria’s creative economy may experience further reawakening. Buoyed by global recognition of Afrobeats, Nollywood, and literary icons, the sector’s revenue is projected to leap from $5 billion in 2022 to $25 billion by 2025, according to the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC).

    The heartbeat of Nigeria’s cultural identity subsists in its storytellers, musicians, and filmmakers. Nollywood’s record-breaking haul in 2024 sets the stage for another stellar year. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s fiction writers continue to elevate her literary reputation globally. Support for this sector through grants and international collaborations will amplify voices that inspire and challenge societal norms. As a soft power tool, Nigeria’s cultural exports hold the potential to reshape perceptions and nurture diplomatic ties.

    The government’s $100 billion growth plan outlines ambitious initiatives: improved infrastructure, digital accessibility, and intellectual property reforms. Yet, creatives must also leverage technology and explore untapped markets. By harnessing strategic partnerships, expanding training programs, and nurturing grassroots talent, the industry could become a cornerstone of Nigeria’s GDP, offering employment and a unifying narrative.

    The agriculture sector remains a stronghold of prospects and optimism. With the government’s tariff waivers and investment incentives, farmers are poised to scale production, tapping into growing regional demand. Yet, challenges such as climate change, outdated practices, and inadequate financing threaten to erode gains. Empowering farmers with access to modern technology and reliable financing will catalyze growth, anchoring food security and economic stability.

    In 2025, the government has committed N826.5 billion to revitalize the sector, underscoring its resolve to enhance food security, generate employment, and reduce food import dependence. Key initiatives include investments in irrigation systems, mechanization, and value-chain development. Efforts to attract foreign direct investment through tariff waivers and agribusiness programs are also expected to transform the sector.

    Despite these plans, food insecurity looms large, exacerbated by climate change and limited modernization. Scaling up food production to meet the growing population’s demands—exceeding 220 million—is paramount. While the sector contributed 28.65% to GDP in 2024, modest growth highlights the need for sustained efforts to strengthen the industry.

    Telecoms, a lifeline for millions, face a tough year. Exchange rate fluctuations threaten profitability, but tariff adjustments and renegotiated leases offer a lifeline. Expanding internet access, especially in underserved areas will unlock new economic and educational opportunities, driving digital inclusion.

    As political tides shift, 2025 will demand accountability and humane leadership. With a national budget expanded by 74.18% to N47.9 trillion, expectations are high. Yet, the real test lies in execution: will this budget translate into meaningful infrastructure, security improvements, and job creation? The political climate, increasingly volatile, may witness a redefinition of Nigeria’s democracy. State actors must address electoral reform, corruption, and regional discontent to maintain stability.

    By May 29, President Bola Tinubu will reach the halfway point of his tenure, a milestone that could shape perceptions of his administration. His decision to implement controversial reforms early in his term was strategic, ensuring hardships fade from voters’ memories if positive outcomes materialize by 2027. Every success strengthens his political standing. In contrast, opposition parties—including efforts to create a “mega party”—face internal fissures and power struggles. Despite these challenges, they will remain significant players in upcoming elections.

    Insecurity casts a long shadow over the country, with insurgencies in the North, communal clashes, and rampant banditry exacting a heavy toll. Despite the defense sector consuming a significant portion of the national budget, many Nigerians remain disillusioned, yearning for safer roads and thriving communities.

    Achieving stability will require collaborative efforts between federal and state governments, strengthened by international partnerships. A combination of technology, intelligence-led operations, and grassroots peacebuilding initiatives is essential. Experts emphasize that a stronger economy, improved welfare for security personnel, and better intelligence gathering will be pivotal.

    Grim statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics reveal that Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers within a year, while over 614,000 lives were lost.

    Perhaps the most heartbreaking subplot of Nigeria is the erosion of its middle class into 2025. Inflation, unemployment, and taxation have bludgeoned this demographic, leaving many in dire straits. Historically, the middle class serves as the backbone of any nation, driving consumption, innovation, and economic stability.

    In Nigeria, this group has become increasingly vulnerable, caught between rising costs of living and stagnant incomes. Limited access to affordable social services has deepened their plight, making it difficult for families to afford basic necessities or plan for the future. Reviving this social stratum will require intentional policies: affordable housing, access to quality healthcare, and educational reforms that prioritize skills for a modern economy. Without this revival, the dream of shared prosperity will remain elusive.

    No doubt, the narrative of Nigeria in 2025 remains indistinct, its contours shaped by state actors. From policymakers to creatives, farmers to technocrats, this year demands purposeful engagement from all. Whether Nigeria advances or regresses will depend on the collective determination to confront its challenges with clarity and resolve.

    As the year progresses, the measure of success will not be in lofty rhetoric but in tangible progress.

  • Government needs to appoint ambassadors now

    Government needs to appoint ambassadors now

    The Tinubu administration has been in power for about one and a half years and almost for half of its term and has not deemed it necessary to appoint principal representatives of the president outside Nigeria. The ostensible reason for not appointing envoys is the bad economy. After a year and a half of economic reforms, the time is ripe to use all the tools available to government to tackle whatever ails the country and diplomacy is one of those tools government can use to bring life into the economy.

    First of all, let me say the problem of adequate funding of our diplomatic missions is not new. It is a perennial problem and other administrations since the 1970s have tried unsuccessfully to confront this problem. There has been effort to rationalize diplomatic representation abroad by pruning down the number of missions. I have had personal experience in this regard under the Babangida military regime and Obasanjo civilian administration. We closed a few missions and consulates down and the problems became manageable but it did not totally disappear. It was a very difficult problem because missions were opened over the years because of specific reasons and to close any mission down would send wrong signals to the host country or countries even outside the host countries. We took a look at regional representation and tried to look at representation from regional prism but the question of in what country to locate missions to look after the affairs of our country without sending negative feelings to other countries in the region. For example, if we take the example of the Caribbean basin and which of the missions in Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Jamaica and Venezuela to close down without sending wrong signals. For serious political, cultural and strategic reasons, we can’t touch Cuba. Jamaica and Trinidad are necessary for cultural and racial reasons and Venezuela and our country are members of OPEC and we may need their support in crude oil allocation among member countries. In South America, we have missions in Brazil and Argentina and if we treat Venezuela as part of the group of our missions on that continent and perhaps add Mexico that would not be regarded as too many, so we cannot rationalize any of the missions out of existence.

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    Now to North America. The United States is the elephant in the room that we cannot touch. I believe we have closed down our consulate in San Francisco which used to serve Nigeria’s interest in the western part of the United States. We have a consulate in Atlanta to serve our interests in the South and Midwest of the USA which cannot be closed down because of the close to one million Nigerians in that region and their contribution to the economy of Nigeria through their home remittances. We have a full mission in Washington DC and a consulate in New York. We also have a permanent mission to the UN in New York. To an uninitiated person, this may appear over representation but each mission and consulate does different things. In a dire economic situation, we may be forced to close down the consulate in New York. We have a full mission in OTTAWA Canada which we cannot touch because Canada and Nigeria are senior and important members of the Commonwealth. Besides, the rising population of Nigerians in Canada compels us to begin to think of having a consulate in either Edmonton or Calgary or Vancouver cities in Alberta and British Columbia provinces in Canada. We share cultural and educational ties with Canada and we can exchange experiences with the country on the proper constitutional development of a cultural and pluralistic federal country.

    Moving to Europe which is our long time trading partners where almost every mission’s existence can be justified. All countries that are able and can afford it have missions in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Russia. For economic reasons, we cannot trifle with our missions in these countries. These days, it is necessary to have missions in Ukraine which is a large country from which we buy grains particularly wheat since bread has become a basic staple in Nigeria and our people seem to have refused to have bread made from other substitute. Since the emergence of the European Union, we have also had to have a mission to the political and economic entity but our mission there is happily covered from our mission to Belgium. The Netherlands (Holland) has been a long-time trading and investment partner with Nigeria. It is the home of Shell Oil Company that was involved in the development of the Nigerian oil sector.  The Netherlands is also hosting the World Court which is an important organ of the UN and to which we have been dragged before a couple of times in recent times. We can close down our missions in Hungary and Belgrade without much to lose. Our small mission in Dublin can stay for educational and cultural reasons.  We have closed down our consulate in Liverpool which was a waste of resources. We can cover Portugal from Spain just as we cover the Vatican from there.

    Now to the Middle East and the vast Asian continent. It is absolutely necessary to maintain our missions in Japan, India, Pakistan, and South Korea but not in North Korea. We can continue to have missions in Malaysia and Thailand but not in the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.  In Australasia, our mission in Canberra Australia is important for Commonwealth ties and we can cover New Zealand and other Commonwealth pacific islands from our mission in Canberra Australia.

    We have to have missions in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. But do we really need missions in Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait or any other area of the Middle East that cannot be covered from expanded missions in the most important countries in the region?

    Now we have to severely prune down our missions in Africa. With a mission in Pretoria and Consulate in Johannesburg we don’t need separate missions in Botswana and Mozambique which can be covered from either Zambia or Zimbabwe. We need our missions in the DRC and Angola but not in the Central African Republic (CAR) or Congo Brazzaville and Gabon which can be covered by our mission in either the Cameroon or Malabo. Our East African missions in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda should remain so also should Ethiopia and Sudan remain. When the chaos in the region is over, we may have to rethink our presence in South Sudan and Eritrea. In North Africa, we cannot close our mission in historic Egypt, Morocco Algeria and Libya but Tunisia should be closed down. All our missions in our sub region constituting ECOWAS should remain open while we should shut our mission in Mauritania unless that country returns to ECOWAS.

    From this panorama of our diplomatic representation and the rationalization of a few of the missions, I am suggesting the government should seriously consider sending heads of missions or ambassadors for obvious reasons. The present situation of heads of missions ad interim is not good enough or sustainable in the interests of our country .The Ike Nwachukwu time in the Foreign Office came up with the idea that our diplomatic relationship should be subjected to full cannons of ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY. Missions should be judged on the economic dividends accruing to our country by the returns of attracting investment, economic aid and or political and military support for Nigeria. Any mission where the diplomats remain in their offices drinking tea or wine would be deemed not to have earned their posting. Missions also should be involved in joint Nigerian and host chambers of commerce where they exist and sponsor them where they do not exist. Missions in African countries we have helped to liberate must find areas Nigerians can be involved in joint ventures with nationals of those countries and by this I don’t mean nefarious trade in human trafficking and prostitution and drugs which unfortunately our people have been accused of in Southern Africa. Angolan shores for example are swarming with fish. I remember we encouraged the Ibru group to go there in the 1980s and 1990s but their staying capacity was not what we can write home about. I am happy that  Dangote Cement  and some  Nigerian banks  are active  in many African countries to reap from our diplomatic labour in the past because it is the friendship Nigeria has established  there that permits Nigerian companies to have access to those countries . Embassies can perform all kinds of activities, they can negotiate and sign treaties in their plenipotentiary capacity they can even perform civil marriages between Nigerians and nationals of host countries.  Fees are chargeable in this regard. They of course perform immigration duties of issuing passports and visas which bring in considerable revenue to the national exchequer. If you don’t know this, ask the embassies of the UK and the USA about the enormous revenue accruing to them from these consular services! They can encourage cultural exchanges such as in athletics and soccer in which Nigeria’s image can be strengthened. Our football teams can earn forex from such engagements. A well and thoroughly organized series of cultural exchanges can bring much dividends and publicity to Nigeria.

    The minister of Foreign Affairs and all ambassadors are advisers to the president in whose province belongs the foreign policy of any country. As they say the buck stops at his desk but no president or head of state can or is capable of carrying out unaided his own foreign policy and this is why he must have not only a foreign minister but also foreign missions.

    I understand the limitations imposed on poor countries weighed down by the burden of poverty and economic downturn but happily Nigeria does not belong in this group and we must not give the impression that we are down and out. Nigeria can fund a pruned  diplomatic representation all over the world with I believe half a billion dollars and hope to generate a return commensurate with our investment in terms of foreign direct investment, technical assistance, educational assistance and trade. Having said all this, Mr President, send ambassadors to head your foreign missions as soon as possible.

  • Too big for his breeches

    Too big for his breeches

    It was a bolt from the blue. Many were shocked on Monday when what transpired within the hallowed chamber of the Lagos State House of Assembly hit the airwaves shortly after midday. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who for the better part of his tenure, saw himself as Lord of the Manor, had been impeached as speaker after a record-breaking term of over nine years.

    Obasa had everything going for him as the primus interpares (first among equals). All the members were loyal to him. They did his bidding as his word was law. He virtually turned the assembly into his fiefdom, determining who gets what, when and how. He has power, raw and naked power, which he wielded brutally.

    Obasa grew up in the streets of Agege, a part of Lagos, where class and status never counted, until now. Then, you kept your bigmanism in your pocket. Relationship, as in the omo adugbo mi philosophy, was key. Without it, you were nowhere with all your millions or even billions. Once you could touch base with the boys on the street, you were good to go.

    I know because I am an Agege boy (I schooled there, by the way, when it was still a bush). Agege boys know their way in every situation because they never forget where they come from. Those who forget their ‘roots’ always pay dearly for it. No one should know this better than Obasa. Thus, he was guided by his Agege mind when he took his first tentative steps as speaker in 2010, seven years after he became a member of the house.

    He knew the card to play,  and he played it well, as he took popularism to a new height. He threw his office open to old friends from Agege and any other person from the area who required his assistance. Undoubtedly, he put Agege first, but sooner than later, he became larger than life under his self righteous claim of ensuring that Agege is not marginalised. It was a ploy to expand his political territory and the discerning saw through him.

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    Obasa was no longer speaking for Agege, but for himself. There is nothing wrong in trying to raise your political profile, but you do not do so by fighting battles that will alienate you and your followers. Obasa who had consistently acknowledged how he was picked from nowhere, dusted up and given power a’la carte, allowed success to get into his head. He was consumed by hubris, that age-long enemy of successful people, who never remembered that “by strength, shall no man prevail”.

    As speaker, he had many things going for him. He was the third citizen in a state of almost 35 million people, with a lot of resources at his disposal. His fellow memebers of the assembly trembled before him. He knew how to whip them into line, forgetting that they were his backbone who may decide to break him, if things got to a head. No leader no matter how powerful is invincible and invisible. When a person’s time is up, they will get him, no matter how cunning or good at scheming he may think he is.

    Obasa’s cup became full when he started to openly fight Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who rather than fight back,  tolerated him, warts and all. To political pundits, Sanwo-Olu was too politically timid to have kept quiet in the face of such provocations. They believed that Obasa had constituted himself into a nuisance and should be so treated. It has now turned out that there was wisdom in the Sanwo-Olu approach. Those who could not stomach such nonsense, if they were in his position, picked up the gauntlet on his behalf.

    From then onwards, Obasa’s days as speaker were numbered. Obasa’s treatment  of the governor and his entourage during the presentation of the 2025 budget last November 21 was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The governor was kept waiting for four hours and when the assembly eventually convened, Obasa added insult to the injury. He neither apologised nor explained why he and his fellow memebers turned out in dark goggles, similar to those worn by Gen Sani Abacha in his days as military head of state.

    His remarks on the occasion were confrontational, uncouth and disrespectful of the state’s first citizen. As usual, Sanwo-Olu took all in his strides. Even when his men were urging him to fight back, he kept his head. “He did not even report the speaker to the President”, a source confided in this reporter. But when the matter was brought to the President’s notice by others, he was said to have expressed shock. Obasa’s address at the budget presentation ceremony became his Achilles heel. He took not only on Sanwo-Olu, but also on others who once held the exalted office of governor.

    He never recanted the statement, which was also a direct attack on his benefactors who gave him the wing to fly. He now knows where power lies. Obasa lost out in the power game because he lost his Agegeness. He did not remain true to the unwritten Agege code of “remembering who you are and where you are coming from”. Just a little taste of power as speaker and he allowed it to get into his head. It is because of his likes that many benefactors think twice before picking up people from nowhere and turning them into political powerhouses. The fear is they may turn round and bite the finger that fed them.

    Obasa is not a good poster boy of a political leader who came from nowhere and hit the limelight. As he makes his way back home from the United States (US), where he was when he fell from office, he has enough time for sober reflection on his 21-year odyssey in the assembly. Will he return in 2027 or is this his last hurrah?

  • For our tomorrow…

    For our tomorrow…

    Yesterday, activities marking the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day were rounded off nationwide. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the Abuja event, while the governors took charge in theira respective states. The yearly event is in memory of soldiers who defended the territorial integrity of our country against external aggressions and also fought in other wars at home and abroad. If not for their sacrifices, we may not be here today.

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    Yesterday, they fought to keep our country one. They left father, mother, wife and children to go to war. There can be no sacrifice too great today to make to honour and keep their spirits alive. We remain eternally grateful to them. As we remember them yearly, the greatest honour we can give them is to ensure that their families do not lack. It is disheartening to see those still living among them, sleeping on the road or going about with bowls in hands begging for alms. No soldier after serving his country nor his offspring should ever beg for bread.

    They were not soldiers of fortune, but men and women who laid down their lives for our tomorrow to be bright. May their sacrifices not be in vain.

  • Will Trump be good for Africa?

    Will Trump be good for Africa?

    In his first incarnation as United States President, Donald Trump, once referred to a clutch of developing nations – many of which can be found in Africa – as shithole countries. The brutal insult was unleashed in a moment of frustration over the perception that a horde of immigrants in search of a better life were about to overrun his country.

    By ‘shithole’ he was referring to the abysmal levels of poverty to be found in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. To keep out the invaders, one signal policy of his first term was the effort to erect a wall across America’s southern borders. As campaign rhetoric, it was electrifying and attractive. The wall never fully became reality, what with his careless boast about making Mexico pay for it!

    Seeing how successful he was with the immigration theme the first time, the now U.S. President-elect returned to it with uncommon fervour during last year’s campaign. He reminded his compatriots of how his Democratic opponents had opened the gates of America to the rabble from around the world. He infamously claimed repeatedly that Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Kentucky, had been killing and eating their neighbours’ pets. Despite the denunciation of these lies by the city’s mayor, there were those who held on to it as gospel truth just because Trump said so.

    By pressing every racist and anti-outsider button he could reach, Trump showed once again that he understood his country better than his liberal rivals. Of course, his rhetoric played well because of ongoing economic challenges with rising cost of living that left many Americans angry at how little they could get for their dollar.

    So, as part of his agenda to Make America Great Again (MAGA), he has promised massive and unprecedented deportations of illegal immigrants once in office. He has equally committed himself to abrogating the rights of people from other countries to claim citizenship just by being born on American soil.

    This certainly would be bad news for many Africans and Latin Americans who presently live in the U.S. as undocumented immigrants. It is equally bad news for many in the middle class in these parts who have exploited this citizenship through birth provision in U.S. to have their children on America soil. There are millions of others who are just getting set to cross the Atlantic who won’t be cheered by the fact that the new sheriff in town is not so welcoming.

    Still, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if such hostility forces the governors and the governed of these so-called ‘shithole’ countries to clean up their act and their domains such that they become places that people don’t flee from.

    Trump’s second coming will see the continuation of his ‘America first’ policies in other ways. There was a time the most powerful nation on earth was perceived as the world’s policeman. Not anymore. Under Trump there would be greater isolationism. The U.S. won’t be rushing around to put fires around the globe, neither would it be dishing it out billions of dollars for that same purpose.

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    It is so serious that the president-in-waiting has time without number shaken a major pillar of American foreign policy by warning he could pull out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), if European partners don’t pay their fair share. In what promises to be a disruptive next four years, nothing is too sacred to be tossed overboard.

    For, instance, rather than commit to further heavy funding to support Ukraine’s war against Russia, Trump would rather the embattled country cuts a deal that sees it accept the physical realities on the ground produced by Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

    This is the same United States led by the late Jimmy Carter who made human rights observance and the defence of democratic principles a key peg of American foreign policy. That thrust saw it stand against a slew of brutal dictatorships across the world for several decades. It is why certain levels of U.S. military hardware cannot be sold to certain countries ruled by dictators. Even some supposed democracies cannot access the arms if their human rights record is problematic.

    But we’ve seen in the past and present that Trump would rather cosy up to despots like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Putin, than worry about how the actions of these individuals are causing millions to be denied basic freedoms.

    One of the recent tragedies on the African continent has been the regression from democracy to junta rule in places like Niger, Mali, Gabon and Burkina Faso. In the process the U.S. lost its military presence in Nigeria’s immediate northern neighbour, dealing a blow to regional counterterrorism efforts.

    Unlike Democratic Presidents like Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Trump doesn’t look like he would be too concerned with what African despots get up to – especially if there is no major American interest at stake. That should be good news for the juntas that hold power in these West and Central African states, but bad news for the millions living under their oppressive rule.

    It is equally doubtful if an America in retreat would be suddenly keen to challenge Russia’s ambitions in the Sahel, or China’s growing economic imprint across the continent. For now, Trump appears to be more focused on tariff wars than engaging in arm wrestling with the Asian giant in some distant corner of Africa.

    Perhaps, Trump may yet succeed where Biden and NATO failed with force of arms. Their support for the Ukrainians has not produced battlefield victory, only kept the mighty Russian army at bay. The incoming American president would rather cut his country’s expenses and broker a deal – no matter how smelly.

    The same scenario is playing out in the Middle East where Israel and Hamas are said to be close to a breakthrough ceasefire and hostage deal in their bloody war. The hard negotiations may be going on under Biden, but Trump could end up with the plaudits if the agreement is inked once he steps into office.

    A truce in these two wars – especially the Ukraine-Russia one – could have far reaching global consequences given how the conflict has disrupted the world’s economy in the last few years. Although, the effect of peace breaking out would be felt around the world, the impact would also be far-reaching over the short to medium terms in Africa. It may take a while for traditional trade routes and linkages to be restored, but definitely calm returning in these two conflicts would benefit the continent. And that would be down to Trump’s different approach.

    But things may not necessarily pan out in such a tidy fashion given that it is near impossible to speak of Trump and order in one sentence. His first term was noted for its chaos. The leopard clearly hasn’t changed its spots so the world must watch warily as the new president begins to flex his muscles. African countries must, especially begin to chart a different course in their economic and foreign policies, given that the continent might be a high priority for the incoming administration.

  • Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency

    Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency

    Despite significant legislative achievements, especially in education, energy, and environmental protection; peace-making deals, notably between Israel and Egypt; and historic diplomatic breakthroughs, particularly with China, President Jimmy Carter’s presidency was not favorably considered by pundits and voters alike.

    There were at least two major reasons for the poor assessment. One, the economy had taken a downturn, due in part to fuel shortages, which led to a hike in pump prices of petrol, and uncontrollable inflation. Two, Carter’s tenure was consumed by conflict in the Middle East (Israel vs Egypt; Israel vs Palestine; and Iran vs Iraq); Cold War between the United States and the old Soviet Union; and the Iran Hostage Crisis involving 53 American hostages held for 444 days in the American Embassy in Tehran. Unfortunately, Carter’s mission to rescue the hostages ended in disaster due to poor weather and the crash of one rescue helicopter, which killed 8 service members.

    Voters reacted so negatively to the economic and hostage crises that they denied Carter re-election in November 1980 and gave a landslide victory to his Republican opponent, President Ronald Reagan, who assumed office in January 1981.

    Nevertheless, whatever credit Carter missed as President, he got back in unprecedented post-presidential achievements. More than any other American President before and after him, Carter had the widest range of activities and the most global reach after leaving the White House. To be sure, he was aided by his longevity: He was the longest-lived President in American history, at 100 years and 89 days. He also had the longest post-presidency, at 43 years and 344 days.

    Upon leaving the White House in 1981, Carter went back to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, and returned to the family farmland to tend to peanuts, cotton, soybeans, grain, and pine trees. However, as he got increasingly involved in other activities, he soon phased out his farming duties and relied on partners or renters for all farming activities.

    For coordinating those post-presidential activities, he used the Carter Center, which he and his wife, Rosalynn, set up in 1982 in collaboration with Emory University in Atlanta. He and Rosalynn also collaborated with Habitat for Humanity International, a global nonprofit housing organisation, established in 1976, to provide affordable housing across the United States and in at least 70 other countries around the world.

    Working with these two institutions, Carter and (for the most part) Rosalynn visited at least 145 countries. They worked on healthcare, agriculture, peace, human rights, conflict resolution, promoting democracy by monitoring elections, and building homes for the poor around the world. Carter also pursued his interests in carpentry, woodworking, painting, and writing, while Rosalynn pursued her pet project on mental health. In the last chapter of his bestselling book, A Full Life: Reflections at 90 (Simon and Schuster, New York, 2015), Carter provided a summary of each of these activities as of 2014. He still worked even until 95!

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    The central focus of their healthcare project was to eradicate or at least reduce the incidences of malaria and five “neglected tropical diseases” afflicting millions of people in Africa, South America, and Asia. They include river blindness, filariasis, trachoma, and guinea worm. The Carter Center has been credited for working for nearly 40 years to eradicate guinea worm. This mission has been achieved in at least 17 countries. As of June 2024, only three human cases and 297 animal infections were reported, almost 100% reduction from an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986, when the Carter Center took on the disease.

    Their work on peace and conflict resolution took them to dangerous places. According to Carter himself, “These choices are not always popular, because they put us in contact with unsavory people or groups. They have included Maoists in Nepal, the Communist dictator Mengitsu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia, Mobutu Sese Sekop in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Radovan Karadzic in Bosnia and Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia, Kin Il Sung and his successors in North Korea, the Castro brothers in Cuba, Omar al-bashir in Sudan, and leaders of Hamas in Gaza and other places.” On many occasions, he was invited by these leaders, because he had acquired a solid reputation as an impartial mediator, and he succeeded in mediating most of the conflicts.

    One of the projects Carter really enjoyed to the fullest was his job as a Distinguished University Professor at Emory. He lectured in different departments and schools during the academic year. The subjects included history, political science, environmental studies, theology, African American studies, business, medicine, nursing, and law. For over 30 years in a row, he started each academic year with a town hall meeting with several thousand students, “where I answer unpredictable questions.” His appointment to this role illustrates the elasticity of the American academic tradition. It does not require the NUC’s obnoxious type of “you must have a doctorate degree” to teach in a university, thereby cutting off people with talent and experience like Carter and many others like him from sharing their expertise and experiences.

    Carter discovered his love of writing, especially after buying his first word processor after leaving the White House. He authored at least 33 books, mostly bestsellers. He wrote on a variety of subjects, from history to religion, from personal reflections to a focus on his father, from his village of Plains to the White House in Washington, from war to peace, and from the boyhood years to adulthood and aging. None of Carter’s books could be pushed aside.

    In the next contribution, Carter’s character, philosophy, and what President Biden described as “simple decency” will be analysed.

  • $52.88; Census; pre-emptive firefighting!

    $52.88; Census; pre-emptive firefighting!

    Stolen money returned again and again. This time just last week it is $52.88m linked to assets seized from Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former petroleum resources minister.  At every turn to fight corruption, we are thwarted. Time was when the clarion cry was ‘Let’s have women in power in both public and private. They will not be so corrupt.’  Well, we all remember Oceanic Bank and its female leadership. We all remember the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs with its successive female leadership. Then we were told we need a younger leadership which would be less greedy and less corrupt. We have had several governors who could be classified as much younger than their predecessors. Sadly, several of them have been summoned to EFCC and some are in court facing corruption questions some of them around payment of school fees years in advance for their children. So, not surprisingly, it seems the corruption bug does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender or age or ethnicity and religion and language spoken. Anyone and everyone placed in authority, or in any employment at every level from gateman to General Manager, can decide to become corrupt or remain honest.

    Let us not make any excuses about institutional corruption. An institution is a building and cannot be corrupt. It is the humans in the institution that create the corruption. Corruption is a personal decision which becomes the cause of the a debilitating disease resulting in deprivation of money, material, opportunity and can worsen actual physical disease through theft of money required for food, treatment, surgery, medicines. Corruption makes school books expensive and scarce, school equipment inadequate and a student under educated and not fit to pass the examination.

    $52.88m is a lot of money especially with our rubbish exchange rate of N1,600+ to the dollar. But it is just the tip of the iceberg of funds MIA-Missing in Action across every sphere of governance and a lot of the private sector.

    We always seem to leave it too late before ‘discovering’ massive fraud after the harm has been done. Pre-emptive monitoring with resultant reduction of corruption if not total prevention should be the lessons taught and learnt. So how many more episodes are we going to witness before the lessons are learnt and put into practice?

    Corruption takes many forms especially when it comes to the population count. We must GET THE NEXT POPULATION COUNT RIGHT.  Judging from 30 million election turnout and National Identity Number, NIN and other statistics and the over 60 million ghost potential voters who had cards allocated but did not turn up to use their cards and the fact that censuses have always been corruptly manipulated for political and economic advantage, many believe the overall census figure may be inflated by 30% or more. Now 30% of the touted numbers is 140-160million. Let us be generous and agree on a current population in the region of approximately 160m.  We are planning a census. Will it be as secretive, corrupt and contentious as previous censuses some of which were marred? Remember the former Nigerian Population Commission (NPC) chairman who wanted to reveal all only to be unceremoniously dismissed, fortunately with his life.

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    But is a multibillion census on a nationally empty stomach a wise decision expenditure at this time? What will make it any more accurate than past censuses mired in miscounting, inflated and deflated and politically manipulated numbers?

    Surely, our government does not want to count people who will become corpses through hunger and security mishaps before the census figures are even published. Indeed, the census count workers may be ridiculed or even attacked by irate citizens going through the extreme hardship being faced by almost the entire population at present.

    So, we should first save Nigeria from food famine and insecurity and the high cost of living and kick the census exercise football 2-3 years down the road to a more stable time.

     There are serious lessons Nigeria must learn and teach from the massive climate change upheavals going on worldwide-heatwaves, floods, fires, drought, and earthquakes. We are in a dangerously hot period in Nigeria and have had market fires, sadly, a usual occurrence now. Massive fires in different parts of the world have been on the rise in recent years, the worst currently ongoing in Los Angeles. Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims and the homeless. We are told that overhead electricity cables, destabilised by wild winds were prone to spark and set fire to the dry grass following a long drought.

    Our electricity suppliers must be trained on protocols instructing them to immediately switch off the relevant sections of the national grid at the first signs of high winds or when a fire alert is received. The electricity authorities need to pay much more attention to weather reports and should be in the  state security loop to quickly take counter measures should he face a similar fire hazard seen in LA. The winds have often fanned ignited dry grass smoke across the expressways of Nigeria and fires are common along many roadsides in the dry season, some deliberate some spontaneous. Instead of overhead electricity cables, underground cabling is now being recommended abroad. Will that happen here? Importantly, we must make more protocol guidelines and effort to discourage random unsupervised fires from now on. We must fight fires before they start.

  • Obi’s New Year message and ‘Obidients’ threat

    Obi’s New Year message and ‘Obidients’ threat

    Peter Obi in his New Year message reminded Nigerians of the obvious:  the worsening political, economic and security situation of our country. Food insecurity that has become our new national norm; our nation and its fortunes are in clear reverse, while Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty.

    To change the narrative, Obi wants President Tinubu to cut down what he considers as his “wasteful foreign trips; travel around Nigeria by road to observe the condition of most of our collapsed highways; visit our national hospital, make both impromptu and planned visits to our tertiary institutions, visit various IDP camps and assure these Nigerians that they will soon return to their communities.

    Finally, he wants the president to ensure “future elections are credible and truly reflect the will of the people”.

    The president has already acknowledged some of these problems and the harsh effect of his economic policies. What he said was that to avoid mortgaging the future of our children the way PDP did by selling or sharing properties kept in their care for our children, we needed to make some sacrifices today.

    In fact, the expectation of most Nigerians was that the president’s first act in office was going to be resettlement of those driven from their land to IDP camps back to their land. That is distributive justice.

    Nigerians did not only expect the president to visit the hospitals, they had expected him to sponsor a bill stopping all political appointees and lawmakers from embarking on medical tourism. This is the only way to equip our teaching hospitals.

    Obi is also allowed to make few exaggerations including his claim that Tinubu’s less than two years administration should be held responsible for the current figure of 100,000 Nigerians living in extreme poverty despite ARISE Television’s admission during the interview that the figure as at the time Buhari took over power 10 years ago (2015) stood at 70%. After all, government is a continuum.

    Obi who claimed victory despite coming a distant third in the 2023 election and who is yet to congratulate the winner of the contest despite INEC’s verdict and the Supreme Court’s celebrated judgment also has the right to call on the president to guarantee the sanctity of the 2027 contest. 

    I think what Felix Morka decries is Obi “crossing the line of truth and peddling false narratives, arrogant unwillingness to acknowledge obvious markers of progress, mobilizing outrage and stoking tension against the government’ which he thinks  are not exactly the most admirable hallmarks of leadership.”

    He also frowns at the fact that Obi led a restless band of online mobs, who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.

    Even here Obi has not crossed any red line. The beauty of democracy is that no one has the last say especially in a world where the media is a captive of the dominant ruling class and where no newspaper or news platform can be said to be truly free. We have seen selective coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza by CNN and presentation of alternative reality by the Fox News which aided Trump’s triumph in his re-election bid despite his election denials and sponsoring of an insurrection against his own government.

    This is why I also think ARISE television cannot be accused of crossing any red line for  its decision to play the devil’s advocate following attempt by APC and its spokesman, to discredit Obi and  his message. It was obvious whose battle was being waged when Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was confronted during an interview on its THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, with a question such as –  “You have actually hit back with a volley of attacks, calling Peter Obi a prophet of doom. Some of you have said he is always embarking on voodoo economics that are not in line with current realities. Don’t you think that is a slingshot that has gone beyond normal politicking?

    Morka’s: “No, he is the one throwing darts. Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip… Obi has crossed the line so many times. And, I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets. He should manage it” would have been sufficient answer for those not engaged in politics of mischief and subterfuge. But for ARISE reporters   “it is a threat to free speech”; for Obi  it is an indication of impending crackdown by an intolerant federal government  while for former VP Atiku Abubakar, “an alarming disdain for democratic principles.”

    I sympathize with Morka who, as a result of “Peter Obi’s allegations has received  about 400 documented threats, about 200 of which are explicit death threats messages, individuals have detailed how they plan to harm me—threatening to shoot me, behead me, and carry out other gruesome acts”. But even in spite of the above, I still don’t think anyone has crossed the red line. Free speech is another name for democracy.  

    The beauty of democracy is that it is not without its democratic ethos which for instance celebrates character. In this regard, the messenger is often the message. Probing the character of purveyors of messages is as important as free speech.

    Unfortunately, the common denominator between Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar is opportunism. Atiku Abubakar has moved from PDP, through ACN to PDP, back to APC from where he went back to PDP where he first served as vice president in 1999. Upon his return, he waged war against those who kept the party together while he was shopping for presidential tickets from other parties. And tragically his breach of PDP’s constitution was to put the party in disarray in the run up to the 2023 election.

    Peter Obi is tarred with the same brush.  He first rode on the back of Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s APGA party to power. After publicly declaring he would never abandon APGA, he jumped boat after his second term to join PDP. He rose rapidly and became Atiku’s running mate in the 2015 but following Atiku Abubakar’s breach of PDP constitution which would have allowed Obi to emerge as PDP candidate in the 2023 election, Obi decided to pull down the edifice on the heads of everyone.

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    Obi decided to play identity and religion politics by exploiting the sentiments of his Igbo people that had since 1999 supported PDP to victory. Close to 70% of his six million votes in the 2023 election came from Southeast and South-south populated by his Igbo brethren,

    For Atiku and Obi’s infidelity and opportunism, Tinubu’s eight million votes would have been no match for PDP and Labour’s close to 14m votes.  Their loss was Tinubu’s gain.  Sadly despite being deficit in character, both men still pretend to be part of solution to Nigerian crisis of nation building.

    Peter Obi, the Obidients’ best candidate to govern Nigeria, displayed no special skill as governor of Anambra, a state he left as a jungle. As a business man once described as ‘a container economist’ by President Tinubu, all he has told us publicly is that he was a wine importer. And for Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo’s testimonial on him was damning.

    I think we must start to interrogate how we got to this sorry path while remembering with nostalgia, the role of Nigerian youths in the evolution of the Nigerian state. While the nation is today being haunted by a mob ready to fight and kill for a man who believes in nothing, we easily recollect how it was that 20 Nigerian law students who in 1920 first proposed the idea of a Nigerian federation patterned after Switzerland to the colonial masters.

    While we today have in Lagos some youths who do not behave much differently from the Almajiris of the north, visiting violence and destruction on government and private properties, what we had in the forties in Lagos were youths who organized debates and strategized on how to get rid of the colonial masters.

    It is on record that Chief Anthony Enahoro who went on to become one of the  best parliamentarians Nigeria has ever produced was an editor  of a national newspaper at 22, and that Bode Thomas, the deputy chairman of Action Group who died at 33, was the author of ‘regionalism’ despite his principals’ preference for federalism. Even military boys who did not have advantage of education but joined the military to be able to climb the social lather ended up ruling our country in their twenties and thirties.