The Nation Newspaper

Category: Columnists

  • A potpourri of Abati, Lady Gaga, Ben Obi and SLS

    A potpourri of Abati, Lady Gaga, Ben Obi and SLS

     

    When a columnist is assailed by a torrent of issues, dire and critical, he often resorts to cooking them all with one pot ( a cauldron if you will). This column has gathered the above in-the-news dramatis personae to x-ray what they have in common or uncommon.

    Hurray, Reuben Abati can bite too!: Ouch, we don’t want to think for a moment that our dear colleague, Dr Reuben Abati has been pressured into posturing like an ‘attack dog’ for the president too. Sorry we have been asked to use ‘attack lion’ at least in the spirit of the corps. While I will not divulge who made this all-important correction, you and I know who has been pressuring our Abati to make his bite as ferocious as his bark lest his office would be relocated near Aso Rock kitchen where Mama can rework his media offerings which she thinks are beginning to lapse into annoying literary essays.

    Well, if he did not want to heed the warnings, the recruiting of a wild, if not hungry ‘lion’ into the mix has snapped our venerable Reuben into quick march. Who would not, what with the ‘initial gra gra’ of the second lion raising dust everywhere and perhaps getting all the freebies. It didn’t matter that Reuben had done quite well in the past 14 months under the extreme and peculiar circumstances he found himself. He had done his very difficult job with unusual aplomb, gradually elevating his office to a quality presidential instrument of public engagement – reflective, authoritative, genuine and germane.

    However, it seems Abati has been pushed to change from the civilized style to the crude Nigerian way. Abati showed us his teeth last Sunday in a widely circulated article: ‘The Jonathan they don’t know’. So much is wrong with the piece apart from the effusion of canker and abuse. Now who are ‘they’? Is it the masses of Nigerians who voted overwhelmingly for Jonathan just last year? Yes Reuben has a ‘new’ job to do now but he is versed enough in the art of public perception; he surely knows that the president lost Nigerians in January when he ambushed them with that vicious New Year gift of ‘subsidy’ removal. Look at the tsunami of incongruities that has trailed that singular, crazy action. Has any problem been solved? Look at the mind-bending corruption unfolding under his principal’s watch. You are right Reuben, we do not know this President any longer.

    Abati  opened his piece snapping at all manner of ‘enemies’ of his principal calling them all manner of names like cynics, ignoramuses, unintelligent, thoughtless, anarchists and alaseju – the extremist. You must remember this word which General Ibrahim Babangida popularized at the peak of his dictatorship prelude to clamping down on the Nigerian free spirit as represented then by lecturers, unionists, activists and of course, newspaper houses. Did Reuben deliberately refrain from using the English word ‘extremist’ in his write-up and settled instead for the Yoruba term, alaseju?

    Need we remind our dear friend that this ignoramus mob of critics has been part of the democratic culture from the beginning of time? One American president once described his horde of critics as “a nattering nabob of negativism.” Let me close with this quote from Abati’s piece: “The clear danger to public affairs commentary is that we have a lot of unintelligent people repeating stupid clichés and too many intelligent persons wasting their talents lending relevance to thoughtless conclusions.” Well Reuben should accept our sympathy but nobody, not even the idiotic columnist will hand him his script to rework before publication. And of course, if he and his principal don’t like the Nigerian smoke, they should quit the Nigerian kitchen.

    A Lady Gaga-ed world: now you may begin to wonder what the enfant terrible of American entertainment world, Lady Gaga has got to do with this column? Nothing really except that she is at number 14 in the Forbes list of 100 world’s most powerful women. The salacious, often ill-clad and flesh-flashing musician is listed as a celebrity.( Hey, my ancient reader, celebrity is now a profession in this new world in case you have not noticed, thank you.) Lady Gaga (pardon me I couldn’t be bothered with her real name) comes ahead of the president of Argentina, the prime minister of Australia, the prime minister of Thailand, the president of Malawi and the president of Liberia. She even comes ahead of Queen Elizabeth II of England. She is rated to be by far more powerful (whatever that means) than numerous women of notable achievement and substance including our own Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

    The message Forbes is passing to us is that the world has become so terribly dumbed- down and stupid that it places so much values on a young woman who does little else than dress wildly and showcase her body. Can you see the direction the world is travelling?

    Ben Obi drops Ogbunigwe on Ndigbo:  Chei, our dear elder, Chief Ben Obi, who is adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on inter-party affairs has lobbed a grenade at his people. In his wisdom, Chief Obi has advised Ndigbo not to contemplate the presidency in 2015 until his boss, the incumbent has decided whether he wants a second term or not. It may sound unbelievable if not ludicrous but that is the way of the Igbo elite, he is the quintessential house negro. Give him a small pot of porridge and he mortgages his homestead. It was the same situation in 2003 when Chief Ojo Maduekwe, then minister in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration admonished that it was idiotic for Ndigbo to contemplate the Nigerian presidency ostensibly because his boss wanted a second term desperately.

    What has changed in Igboland since 2003? Nothing, excepting that Elder Maduekwe has remained in one miserable appointment or the other since then. Do these people know what Ndigbo suffer by having fewer states with huge population in Nigeria? How many federal projects has been completed in Igboland since 2003? Do they know why Igboland is today a wasteland for kidnappers, assassins and pimps? Our leaders and elders can’t go home anymore and termites build multiple mole hills in their obi. Our elders now observe traditional rites in the cities. E woo, aru eme na ala Igbo. With men like these, who need leaders and elders.

    Sanusi: the joker in the (Central) Bank: those who gave Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS) some benefit of the doubt would have by last week, given up hope entirely on him. This fellow has proven for sure that he has no clue (this harmful word again) about running the central bank, the pulse of any nation’s economy. First he is too loquacious, too impulsive and he enjoys grandstanding a great deal. This is not the nature and character of supreme money men of the apex bank ilk. They are hardly seen, hardly heard unless in matters of extreme monetary importance.

    Second, who says the banks in the country must be in perpetual reform mode.(it’s the CBN that need a forensic reform). Since 1999, there has been this morbid instinct to continuously tinker with our banks. The result is that the banking system has been thoroughly ravaged by these ill-informed, and one must say, ill-motivated reforms. Now, Sanusi, the current banker of bankers seems to have worked himself into a mire and as we say in my place, a man who has been beaten to the ground can only spray dust and nothing more. Sanusi’s  current irrational action of introducing five thousand naira currency notes only signals that he has unraveled completely and the best thing that can happen to him now is to help him out of that seat in the best interest of all. He has become the joker in the bank.

  • Letter to CBN Governor

    Letter to CBN Governor

    Whoever amongst you sees something abhorrent let him change it physically; but if he is incapable, then, let him change it verbally; and if he is still incapable to do so then let him change it wishfully; however the last option is an evidence of a very weak faith”. Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

    Dear Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Ordinarily, this open letter would not have been necessary if some other avenues were available for public servants like you to rob minds with the ordinary citizens of Nigeria. Similar letters had been written in the recent past through this column to some other prominent public servants in Nigeria including Mr. President. Though you are being surreptitiously labelled unjustifiably by the Press as the most controversial CBN Governor ever in Nigeria, it is a matter of delight for reasonable Nigerians who follow your focused direction that you are calmly weathering the storm despite unwarranted heat being maliciously generated from certain quarters to ensure your failure.

    You would have probably noticed that ‘The Message’ as a column takes a special interest in your office. This is not because you are a Muslim and in charge of money but because your courageous and patriotic performance so far deserves public cooperation and support. And, by winning the World Banker of the year 2011 award, you have put the malicious sceptics to shame. Ever since you became the CBN Governor in 2010, this column has followed your track record very keenly and has randomly commended or admonished you as the situation warranted. Yet, we have never met one on one.

    By and large, as the 10th Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria you have wonderfully proved your mettle by showing that administrative prowess is surely a property of intellect with which only the Almighty Allah endows whoever He wishes. The very quantum of your impeccable achievements in that exalted office in the past two years conspicuously stand you out of the pack. In a sane country the citizenry should be proud of you.

    However, there are moments in the life of a leader when it may become necessary to look over his shoulder and see if the foot soldiers are still there to man the rear effectively. Perhaps for you this is one of such moments.

    Going down the memory lane, you will recall that though the British Colonialists first brought monetary coins and currency notes to Nigeria in 1892 such monies were not in public circulation until 1912 when the West African Currency Board was established to issue currency notes for the sub-region. Nevertheless, the history of Nigeria’s Central Bank did not take root until 1952 when the report of an enquiry into banking practice in Nigeria was submitted. That enquiry led by G. D. Paton a Briton appointed by the Colonial Administration paved the way for the first Banking Ordinance designed to ensure orderly commercial banking and to prevent any establishment of unviable banks that year. Subsequently, a draft legislation for the establishment of Central Bank for Nigeria was presented to the House of Representatives in March 1958 which became fully implemented on July 1, 1959 when the CBN officially came into existence.

    Since then, the Central Bank Act, 1958 (as amended) and the Banking Decree 1969 (as amended) have constituted the legal framework within which the CBN operates and regulates banks. Also, the wide range of economic liberalization and deregulation measures which began in 1986 with the adoption of a Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) resulted in the emergence of more private banks and other financial intermediaries. The Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Decrees 24 and 25 of 1991, which repealed the Banking Decree 1969 and all its amendments were, therefore, enacted to strengthen and extend the powers of CBN to cover the new institutions in order to enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy, regulation and supervision of banks as well as non-banking financial institutions. Unfortunately in 1997, the General Sani Abacha led Federal Government enacted a new CBN (Amendment Decree No. 3 and BOFI (Amended) Decree No. 4 to remove completely the limited autonomy which the Bank had enjoyed since 1991.

    Thus, the 1997 amendments brought the CBN back under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance an opportunity that opened the gate for reckless looting of the national treasury. The Decree made CBN directly responsible to the Minister of Finance with respect to the supervision and control of banks and other financial institutions, while extending the supervisory role of the bank to other specialised Banks and Financial Institutions. That amendment placed enormous powers on the Ministry of Finance while leaving the CBN with a subjugated role in the monitoring of the financial institutions with little room for the Bank to exercise discretionary powers. In 1998, another CBN (Amendment) Decree No. 37 which repealed the CBN (Amended) Decree No. 3 of 1997 was enacted. The Decree provided a measure of operational autonomy for the CBN to carry out certain traditional functions which enhanced its versatility.

    However, the current legal framework within which the CBN operates is the CBN Act of 2007 which repealed the CBN Act of 1991 and all its amendments. The Act provides that the CBN shall be a fully autonomous body in the discharge of its functions under the Act and the Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Act with the objective of promoting stability and continuity in economic management. In line with this, the Act has widened the objects of the CBN to include ensuring monetary and price stability as well as rendering economic advice to the Federal Government.

    Besides, the regulatory powers of the CBN were strengthened by the Banks and other Financial Institutions (Amendment) Decree No. 38 of 1998 which repealed BOFI (Amendments) Decree No. 4 of 1997. By this Decree, the CBN’s powers on banks, especially those relating to withdrawal of licenses of distressed banks and appointment of liquidators of such banks, including the NDIC was restored. Through those amendments, the CBN may vary or revoke any condition subject to which a license was granted or may impose fresh or additional condition to the granting of a license to transact banking business in the country. This is the Act that gives you as the CBN Governor the enormous powers which you now wield within the banking sector albeit to the great advantage of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Now that we have a controversy at hand over the desirability or otherwise of introducing a new denomination of Nigerian currency it may become pertinent to also look if briefly at the history of Nigerian currency from colonial times. You will remember that the West African Currency Board was initially responsible for issuing currency notes in Nigeria from 1912 to 1959. Hitherto, the various tribes in Nigeria had used various forms of money including cowries and manilas.

    But on July 1, 1959, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued the first Nigerian currency notes and coins thereby forcing the West African Currency Board to withdraw its notes and coins from circulation in the country. It was, however, not until July 1, 1962 that legal tender status was changed to reflect the country’s new status. The notes were again changed in 1968 as a war strategy following the misuse of the country’s currency notes in certain circumstances.

    And on March 31, 1971, the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon announced that Nigeria would change to decimal currency on January 1, 1973 in line with the modern monetary policy in the world. He said the major currency unit to be called Naira would be equivalent to ten shillings of the British currency of Pound Sterling while the minor unit would be called kobo 100 of which would make one Naira. The decision to change to decimal currency followed the recommendations of the Decimal Currency Committee set up in 1962 which submitted its report in 1964. But for the January 1966 military coup that led to a civil war, the Nigerian decimal currency would have been in use since 1966.

    The change that took place in January, 1973 was a major one which involved both currency notes and coins. The major unit of currency which used to be one Pound (£1) ceased to exist and the one Naira which was equivalent to ten Shillings (10/-) became the major unit. Yet on February 11, 1977 a new banknote denomination of 20 Naira value was issued as the highest denomination. This was special in two respects. Its issuance became necessary not only as a result of the growth of incomes in the country but also as a preference for cash transactions and the need for convenience. Thus, N20 note became the first currency note in Nigeria to bear the Portrait of a Nigerian citizen, in this case, the late Head of State, General Murtala  Ramat Muhammed (1938-1976) who was killed in a February 13 1976 military coup attempt.  He was declared a national hero on the 1st of October, 1978. The note was issued on the 1st Anniversary of his assassination as a befitting tribute to a most illustrious son of Nigeria.

    Again, on July 2, 1979, new currency notes of three denominations: N1, N5 and N10 were introduced. These notes were of the same size: 151 x 78 mm as the N20 note issued in 1977. In order to facilitate identification however, distinctive colours similar to those of the current various banknotes were used. The notes bore the portraits of three other eminent Nigerians who had been declared national heroes on October 1, 1978. These were Herbert Macaulay; Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Chief Alvan Ikoku. The back of each of these notes was engraved in such a way as to reflect the cultural traits of the country. But by 1991, when the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), had terribly battered the value of the Naira rendering it almost valueless, both the 50k and N1 Notes were reduced to coins. Later, in response to the expansion in economic activities and to facilitate an efficient payments system, the N100, N200, N500, N1000 were introduced respectively in December 1999, November 2000, April 2001 and October, 2005. And on February 28, 2007, N50, N20, N10, and N5 banknotes as well as N1 and 50K coins were reissued with new designs, while a new N2 coin was introduced.

    Since 1991 when SAP rendered the Naira almost valueless, the coined denominations of Nigerian Naira has become moribund having been rejected by the populace thereby turning Nigeria into a country without coins. Despite this however, Nigerians had never queried any need for introducing new currency denomination as they are now doing in respect of N5000 note.

    Now, many questions are begging for answers:

    1.   At a time when corruption is virtually at its crescendo in the country and you as the CBN Governor are calling for a cashless economy what informs the introduction of the highest currency denomination note of N5000?

    2.   Is there no contradiction in advocating for a cashless economy with one side of the mouth and campaigning for introduction of N5000 with the other side as you are now doing?

    3. What is the logic in introducing N5000 note at a time when Nigerians have not been convinced on the need to return to the use of coins which you are now trying to reintroduce?

    4. Why is such a delicate and highly controversial action being unilaterally taken with neither the involvement of the legislature nor the consent of the populace through a referendum?

    5. In a democracy, who should have the way on a vital national policy as new currency? Is it the majority or the minority? Are you aware that an imposition of such a policy by you the CBN Governor, the Presidency and the pseudo politicians called business group may boomerang especially when the same group is seemingly responsible for the current national economic doldrums?

    6. How economically reasonable is it to spend about N40 billion to mint new currency only to gain N7 billion as being claimed by your spokesmen?

    Perhaps you need to be hinted that the general impression in the country about this new monetary policy and which is probably responsible for the overwhelming opposition to it is the suspicion that you may be inadvertently colluding with some corrupt politicians to ditch Nigeria economically.  This impression is a direct opposite of the high esteem in which you were held before now by most Nigerians because of your marvellous performance in the banking sector. In the past one year, two Nigerian public officials have positively rendered the populace nonplussed by their wonderful actions. These are your esteemed self and the Inspector General of Police Muhammad Dikko Abubakar.

    Mr. CBN Governor, you have done well so far. Please, do not allow these chameleonic politicians to use you for their own purpose because they will eventually dump you characteristically and turn back to laugh at you. A leader is known not by the power he wields but by his application of magnanimity in the use of such power. You are already considered by the populace to be a national economic hero. Do not allow any political charlatan to reduce you into a villain. Politicians are best known for doing that. You are not one yet but you know them. A word is enough for the wise. We shall meet again in a foreseeable future to exchange notes God willing.

    •Historical facts in this article were culled from the internet.

  • ‘Black’ Sunday

    ‘Black’ Sunday

    Men of the Lagos police command must wake up to sustain war on criminals

    Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, appeared right on the mark when he said his men in the Lagos State Police Command were sleeping; that was after last Sunday’s robbery incidents in the state which caught many Lagosians unawares. Of course there had been pockets of robberies in Lagos before that incident; there had been some cases of car snatching and even armed robberies; it was just that they were not as serious as that day’s. It must have been some two or so years that Lagosians were treated to such a rude shock by armed robbers who operated in broad daylight then, robbing banks and other places of value. As a matter of fact, such operations then usually began as part of the devil’s perilous package of the ‘ember’ months. So, for Lagosians, end-of-the-year accidents were not the only headache then; they were also worried about end-of-the-year robberies.

    But the state government gave the robbers a good chase, equipping the police, boosting the pay of their men on patrols and assisting them with sundry other items that they need to facilitate crime prevention and crime fighting. With the kind of investment the Lagos State Government has made into providing security, the bulk of which is splashed on the federal police force, it would be interesting to know if it would require anything more substantial to run its own police force. Soon however, the investments began to yield result; the heat became unbearable in Lagos that the hoodlums relocated to neighbouring states, making residents in the state to be able to sleep with their two years closed for so long.

    But that was until last Sunday. Many people who went to church had probably just returned and were relaxing at home when the news hit the air waves. I was somewhere on Dopemu Road when a call came from a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official who called the Lagos Traffic Radio and alerted of the robbery operation going on around the Agege area of the state. That was the road I and my family members that were going out were supposed to take; I only made a detour when I got to Dopemu Road so as to show them something along the way. So we did not have inkling of how serious the robbery was until we were returning and we took Capitol Road. It was there we saw a crowd of sympathisers and we knew it was not a joking matter.

    Given the manner of their operations, it would seem that the robberies in the metropolis on the day were well planned. That it took the better part of Sunday afternoon was one pointer to this. The robbers attacked a bureau de change at Agege where they shot some of the currency operators and carted away two sacks (Ghana-must-go bags) containing foreign and local currencies. They also reportedly gang-robbed in the Anthony, Ojodu, Itire, Ikeja, Ilasamaja and Gbagada areas of the state between 1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. Obviously they came to Agege purposely to attack the bureaux de change operators there and they made a big catch. Indeed, if the stories of millions of naira and other foreign currencies the robbers were reported to have carted away there are true, then the people operating the bureaux de change attacked must know there are moles in their midst. If not, how come the robbers knew when such huge sums would be found on them?

    The robbers killed no fewer than six persons, including three policemen and a commercial bus driver. The incident was unfortunate for one because the Lagos State Government has invested heavily in the police, even as it has led the private sector to do same. As a matter of fact, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of the state was to launch 114 new patrol vans presented by the 20 local government areas and the 37 local council development areas in the state, 40 motorcycles and other equipment for the police, to battle rising wave of crime in the Lagos metropolis the day before the robbers struck. Also billed for launching for the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, were four big vans and an ambulance vehicle, bullet proof jackets and helmets. The other equipment, apart from the patrol vans, were donated by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, STF. Good enough, Mr Abubakar was present at the event.

    Could it have been that the robbers carried out their operations because they felt waiting until the equipment were launched could make the job more difficult and hazardous for them? We might need to investigate if there was no collusion between the hoodlums and some bad elements in the police. This is much more so that there were claims that the robbers probably intercepted police communication, hence they were able to navigate their way without much hitches.

    Well, the state police command has said the robbers made it easy because they (police) were trying to avoid a situation where there would be many civilian casualties. This makes sense. But the robbers’ success in their operations makes it imperative for the police to restrategise so they won’t be giving us the same excuse if the bandits decide to strike again. We are already in September and Christmas and the New Year celebrations are only a few months away. Everybody wants to celebrate; thieves, robbers and hard-working people. Whilst people who actually worked for their money would make their celebration low-key, knowing that January is usually a ‘long’ month, those who made cheap money from armed robbery, kidnapping and other crimes want to celebrate big because every day is Christmas for them until they are caught.

    All said, we have to do something about unemployment in the country. Without mincing words, the governments, particularly the Federal Government, has to give Nigerians the enabling environment to do something worthwhile with their lives. It does not appear this government has the hands on the handle concerning what to do to stem the tide of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, and if it has, it is damn too slow in making progress.

    Well, the Lagos State Police Command has said its men are not sleeping. Its spokesman, Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent, also debunked claims that there is an upsurge of crimes in the state. In her words, “There is no upsurge at all. Yesterday night (Tuesday September 11) we arrested eight suspected armed robbers with seven AK47 rifles and six locally made pistols. So, the men are not sleeping”. I agree with her that crime has gone down considerably in the state. But the state police command has to prove that it has gone down for good. And the only way to do that is to ensure, as the inspector-general has warned, that there is no repeat performance of last Sunday’s incident in the state. The command would also do well to apprehend the robbers as demanded by both Governor Fashola and Mr Abubakar. That will be the icing on the cake and a true deterrence to others who might be planning to replicate the act. That naturally should be the least to expect from a police command that the state government has had to bend over backwards to provide mobility, allowances and other forms of assistance. It will also be a way of ensuring that their colleagues and others killed by the bandits did not die in vain.

    So help them God.

  • Okon becomes currency controller

    Strange things are happening all over the country. Everything points at some apocalyptic convergence of malignant forces. The mysteries are mounting, and they are beyond the purview of ordinary people. Amidst rumours of mysterious ailments in high places, a woman was reported to have given birth to a goat and newspapers carried pictures of the horrid miscegenation without any sense of shame. There were reported sightings of a man on horse back riding through the clouds. Strange floodings and oceanic distemper are the norm. The end of time may be nigh.

    Snooper had been woken by a historic din. Thinking that the hour of man was at hand, yours sincerely rushed out half-naked to meet his maker only to be confronted by a truly outlandish sight. There was the sinister Okon in the uniform of a master workman supervising a huge boiling cauldron which hissed like a thousand vipers. There were about half a dozen hefty workmen who strangely deferred to him as he spewed a torrent of instructions. There was Baba Lekki affecting the solemnity of a professorial fraud. There was a man with the languid superior airs of a northern aristocrat who came with his own praise singer and drummer.

    “Okon, what is all this nonsense about?” an irate snooper demanded.

    “Oga, no be nonsense at all at all. We dey cook dem new naira note,” the crazy boy retorted with a fiendish grin.

    “Meaning what?” snooper snarled.

    “Oga as dem Yaro for Centre Bank say him wan print dem five thousand naira for dem local printers naim I say make Okon come tender before dem Ibo pikin come flood dem place with dem Taiwan naira. Okon don dey look for money sotey man come tire. I no dey play football with dem money again. Na penalty I dey play now. Person who no sabi how dem dey make money him go waka quench,” Okon offered.

    “So which line of business is this?” snooper demanded from the crazy boy.

    “Okon dey sell naira. Some people dey steal money, some people dey steal oil, some people dey steal dem aeroplane,some people dey sell dem people, but na naira Okon dey sell. When naira come jam naira for market, dem Centre Bank mala go no say even warder sef get master and no be only for Guinea dem dey make brocade.”

    “So who is this man?” snooper asked of the Sahel aristo who was eyeing him with calm disdain.

    “Na Alhaji Makuri, naira controller, na him dey supply dem chemicals,” Okon replied with a sheepish mien.

    “Na Malam Mercury be dat one,” a tipsy Baba Lekki interjected icily. “We don dey reach Weimar Republic gradual by gradual,” the crazy old man added with a scholarly guffaw.

    “Baba, shut up. I no dey like dem Wema Bank. Na dem Yoruba bank. And dem Yoruba no be better people at all at all. Na dem Yoruba cashier for dem Wema Bank for Okokomaiko who come steal dem first Yoruba wife from Okon .I beat dat one sotey he come forget him shoes.” Okon snorted in self-importance. It was at this point that the crazy boy lost his concentration. The witches’ brew exploded with volcanic gusto, sending everybody running for cover.

  • Birthday wishes to all nine-niners

    Last Sunday, September 9, snooper added another year. As usual, the whole day was spent entirely in bed amidst a crushing avalanche of books, journals, periodicals, newspapers etc. After a lifetime of gruelling exertions, it is not just the failure of expectations and the expectations of failure that turn one into a social coward. It is the failure of Nigeria to justify the immense suffering and misery it has inflicted on Nigerians.

    Snooper wishes to thank those who sent felicitations, particularly our sister and aburo, Deputy Governor and dancing Diva on the high hills of Ekiti-land, who sent a big okura with the stern warning that Okon should not steal his master’s meat. That will be the day, maam. Okon now goes by the title of Chief of Domestic Staff to snooper with concurrent accreditation to the boudoir.

    Snooper sends belated felicitations to all glorious nine-niners who berthed on this mystical day and in particular, General Buba Marwa, Hon Dipo Akingbade, our in law, our very young friends, Chukwuma Kanu, Oluwafolajimi Oladunni, the families of late Professor Ojetunji Aboyade and our late friend and classmate Aderemi Adesoye, a.k.a “Gurube”, a former permanent secretary in Ogun state, who was born exactly the same day as snooper. This fact was only discovered after reading his in memoriam a few years ago. Memories are made of these. God bless you all.

  • She wants to know why

    I came back from a three-day visit to Kenya last Monday with a copy of the in-flight magazine of Kenyan Airways- Msafiri (The Traveler) which I gave my children to read.

    They asked some questions about Kenya before I travelled which I didn’t have enough time to answer them. I was happy to get them the magazine which had more than enough information they needed to know about the East African country.

    What I didn’t bargain for was that the magazine will trigger a very pertinent question about one of the critical areas Nigeria has failed to live up to the image of being the giant of Africa.

    I had forgotten about the magazine when on Wednesday, Yemisi, my very inquisitive daughter who is fond of asking tough questions asked me, “Daddy, is Kenyan Airways owned by the Kenyan government?”. I replied Yes, not realizing what point she wanted to make.

    “Do we have Nigeria Airways? she followed up. She obviously knew we didn’t have one and her next question when I answered No was very intriguing.

    “So why do we have a Minister of Aviation?” she asked. I didn’t expect the question and had to gather my thoughts before I managed to explain to her that the job of the Aviation Minister was not that of running the country’s airline but the wider issues of policies and regulations.

    From the look on her face she was not impressed by my response. She fired back “If Kenya can have an airline, why can’t we have one”.

    I did not have an answer for her this time. I told her we used to have a national carrier but like many other legacies of the country, it now belongs to the history books.

    Does anybody out there have an answer for Yemisi. She wants to know why we don’t have Nigeria Airways like Kenya whose population is not up to a third of ours.

    She and her generation deserve an answer from the past and present officials responsible for running the aviation sector.

    I can imagine what the reactions of the youths of today will be when they fully realise how we have mortgaged their future due to years of mismanagement of the resources God has blessed us with. We like to brag about our position in the comity of nations internationally and in the continent, but the truth is that we don’t have much to show in terms of basic facilities which can enhance the standard of living of the average citizens.

    I spent three days in Nairobi and there was no power failure for a second. I didn’t see a generator anywhere and I didn’t have to ask them if they use it like we all do in Nigeria. We have become so used to constant light out that in recent weeks that power has been fairly regular many have been wondering how long the improvement can be sustained.

    I enjoy flying Kenya Airways each time I do and really wish we have a national carrier we could be proud of. I dream of a Nigeria that can set pace for other African countries in virtually every area of endeavour considering our large population and resources.

    If we don’t want to continue to be the laughing stock of the continent, we must get our acts right and be able to say like Kenyans in Swahili language, Hakuna Matata (No problem).

  • The Jonathan they don’t know

    “They” in this piece refers to all the cynics, the pestle-wielding critics, the unrelenting, self-appointed activists, the idle and idling, twittering, collective children of anger, the distracted crowd of Facebook addicts, the BBM-pinging soap opera gossips of Nigeria, who seem to be in competition among themselves to pull down President Goodluck Jonathan. This army of sponsored and self-appointed anarchists is so diverse; many of them don’t even know why or how they should attack the President.

    The clear danger to public affairs commentary is that we have a lot of unintelligent people repeating stupid clichés and too many intelligent persons wasting their talents lending relevance to thoughtless conclusions. Hold on. I don’t want to be misunderstood. I am not saying nobody should criticize the Nigerian President. I spent some time learning that legal maxim: “volenti non fit injuria”. Public position comes with its own share of risks and exposure. But the twittering, pinging, Facebook crowd of the new age must be guided by facts.

    Hold your stone. Don’t haul it yet. Shhh. Wait, Mr. Alaseju! I have spent the last fourteen months working with President Jonathan. I have followed him everywhere. I can write a whole book on his Presidency so far, but you won’t get to read that until much later. I have heard that some people are protesting that they will not buy the book if it gets written. Well, your choice. What I can report, for now is that he is a grossly misunderstood President. Too many people are unfair to him. They criticize him out of ignorance. They abuse him out of mischief. And the opposition doesn’t make things easy at all. Can we look at a number of issues?

    You say he is a clueless President. You are wrong. He is not clueless. Nobody is more committed to the Nigerian Project than President Jonathan. In spite of unforeseen challenges which his administration has had to contend with, President Jonathan is doing his utmost best to positively transform Nigeria. Ordinary Nigerians know and appreciate this. Those parading themselves as leaders of the opposition who claim that the President has lost the support of Nigerians represent only themselves and their selfish interests.

    President Jonathan is a clever, methodical and intelligent man, who is very adept at wrong footing all the persons who make an effort to second-guess or under-estimate him. He understands the complexity of Nigeria. He is acutely conscious of the historicity of his emergence as Nigeria’s No. 1. He knows that he is here as the leader of all Nigerians. He knows that he is a representative of all common persons, particularly the children of all blue collar workers who never wore shoes or got a chance to eat three-square meals, and whose mothers and aunties could never be part of policy-making processes.

    When he spoke about not wearing shoes as a child, he meant that as a metaphor for the disparities in the Nigerian system, and the urgent need to redress inequalities. But I have heard some persons responding literally that Nigerians should never vote for a man who never wore shoes. How simplistic. Attention needs to be drawn to the fact that a rooted, people-sourced President who seeks to transform Nigeria, and who campaigns on a platform of transformation, will necessarily be opposed by those who consider themselves the children of Empire builders, those who think that their ancestors built Nigeria. Wrong.

    The Ijaws, the fourth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria, have as much right to have their son as President as every other Nigerian group. But Jonathan doesn’t even dwell on this. I have never heard him utter an ethnic statement. He sees himself as the President of all Nigerians. He is at home with every group. He is focused on the challenges of nation-building. He wants to transform Nigeria. He wants to unite the country. He is determined to promote the country. And he is doing so already. He knows Nigerians want regular power supply. He is working at it. That is why we have crossed 4, 400 MW.

    He knows Nigerians want infrastructure. That is why he is telling Bi-Courtney to fix Lagos-Ibadan Expressway or get out. That is why he is telling a particular Minister to fix the East-West road and get it fixed quickly. That is why he has directed the relevant agencies to get corrupt persons to answer for their misdeeds. That is why he is strengthening Nigeria’s foreign relations. That is why he is transforming the agriculture sector, from a contract-awarding, fertilizer distribution enterprise into big business. And more… The reason President Jonathan does not go into a song and dance routine is because he knows that true rebranding of a nation is a projection of positive things that are already happening.

    They say he is “tribalistic”. Not true. How many Ijaws are in President Jonathan’s inner circle? Very few, I can tell you. There are of course, all kinds of persons who go about telling people that they have the President’s ears and eyes. They would even tell you that they think for the President! I used to have nightmares whenever I heard that, but it no longer bothers me. I have since learnt that some Nigerians consider it fashionable to wear false garments.

    The Presidency qua Presidency is staffed by key officials from all parts of the country. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation is from Ebonyi State. The Chief of Staff and the Head of the President’s Secretariat are both from Edo, the Protocol Liaison Officer and Principal Private Secretary are from Adamawa, the Chief Detail is from Borno, the Aide De Camp (ADC) is from Kogi, the Perm Sec, State House is from Benue, the State Chief of Protocol is from Kwara, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity is from Ogun, the Chief Physician to the President is from Rivers. Only the Chief Security Officer, the Special Assistant, Domestic and the Special Adviser, Research and Strategy are from Bayelsa.

    When he is in the office, and he gets there early every day, and works till very late, he is exposed to all categories of Nigerians. He runs a modern and open Presidency. He is on Facebook, Twitter, email, SMS, BB, and he reads. And he writes. This is not a provincial President. The intelligentsia, his immediate community, should support him to do his work.

    President Jonathan was the first Nigerian leader to appoint a woman as his Chief Economic Adviser as well as the Nigerian leader who opened up the Nigerian Defence Academy to women. And he took affirmative action in political appointments to a higher level by reserving 35% of all appointive positions in government for our women folk.

    The facts in this regard are incontrovertible. Under President Jonathan, women occupy very strategic positions (Petroleum Resources, Education, Co-ordinating Minister/Minister of Finance, Water Resources, Minister of State, FCT, Minister of State, Defence, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs 1, Minister of State, Niger Delta) and the headship of many of the MDAs. The President’s commitment to Nigeria is total. All his children school in Nigeria. Even his dress code promotes Nigeria.

    They say Mr. President drinks. My friend and colleague, Etim Etim, called the other day to say that whatever may be the challenges on this job, he could affirm that I am at least enjoying. “What with all the choice drinks on every trip,” he said. I told him, “No, we don’t drink.” He protested. He thought I was lying. He had heard that kain-kain is a staple fare on presidential flights. I told him No. We are not allowed to touch alcohol. Alcohol is not served during official duties. Yes, when there is an international function, wine is served, but nobody gets drunk around here. That will amount to an act of indiscipline. The President himself does not allow alcohol to be served at his table. But when you go to social media they tell you something else. Lies. Lies. Lies.

    I have even heard that the President spends billions on feeding. Well, I have enjoyed the privilege of eating at the President’s table. What does he eat? Fish pepper soup. Cassava Bread. Slices of yam. Rice. Boiled plantain. Fruits and vegetables. He fasts when he chooses, and fasts all month during Ramadan and Lent. And because he takes his exercises and keep fit regime seriously, he eats very little. Okay, he drinks coffee. And yet there are people out there who keep claiming that there is a feast in the Villa every day. They say at every meal, the table is decorated with roasted turkey, and every delicacy under the sun. Lies. Lies. This President is not a glutton. We have a disciplined, hardworking president who enjoys his privacy, and the company of intelligent people.

    Here is a man who is an epitome of loyalty and simplicity. The thing about the President’s critics is that they just cannot accept that someone with his simplicity can be their President. This is the Saul Complex. Saul could not accept the fact that somebody as simple as David could be favoured by God. And just like Saul threw the spear at David out of uncontrollable jealousy, these critics are out to throw any kind of spear to see which hits the target, hence all their lies about the President.

    Let me end by saying that the President is a simple man but simplicity is not naivety. If simplicity were to be naivety then the world would not be where it is today because it is simple men like Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Kwame Nkrumah, who have shaped the world that we live in by simplifying what others have complicated.

     

    Dr. Abati is Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President Jonathan

  • President Jonathan and his critics

    Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to everyone in that society…and not to be subject to the inconstant, uncertain, unknown, arbitrary will of another man.

    John Locke (1632 – 1704)

    It is not part of the character of the writer of this column to praise an individual, or try to seek support for him or her on this curious page. But given what is going on presently in the country and the heavy shelling of verbal artillery from various angles on our perplexed looking president, I found it most important and patriotic to stand up in defense of the sacred office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this as a mark of respect and a sign of duty call. Again in response to the natural responsibility imposed on me as a Nigerian; a natural phenomenon from the almighty. And also as part of my conscientious effort to do what I believe is right. To be honest, I am willing to write, yab, curse and jaw-jaw fiercely to defend this significant office and the sovereignty of my dear country, and in this, I will say, ‘so help me God.’

    First to set the record straight, I am not a member of President Ebele Azikiwe Goodluck Jonathan’s economic, social or political ideas or polices, neither do I agree to most of his administration’s plans for the country. I have never met, seen or known how he looks like physically in person, I think the best I can describe him would be: A tall, slim, smiling looking man, often dressed in his trademark south-south black designer attire and his famous black resource control hat. Perhaps, I could add that he has a siddon look disposition, a weak speech commandment, and overwhelmed problems. All these from the little I have seen of him on the pages of newpapers, magazines, the internet and TV.

    But all the same, I am willing to defend this helpless individual whom providence unpredictably has bestowed the leadership of this great rich country upon today, like it or not. And as a Nigerian writer, with big curious eyes on what is happening in this country since the incursion of this ijaw man into the muddy Nigerian political terrain, I have made it a duty to keep my curious eyes on this hitherto unknown fellow from the creeks of the impoverished Niger Delta, as he steers us towards our destiny as a federal nation. And among the various lacunas I have noticed since my self employed surveillance is the fact that those blaming the Presido over the various Katakata bedeviling this country today and calling for his resignation are not really being fair to him. I inclusive.

    What many of us have failed to comprehend is the fact that the man Goodluck Ebele Jonathan never envisioned that he would one day rule over the biggest black nation in the world. That when he signified his intention in 2011 to run for presidency and subsequently won the election, he had thought sitting on the hot seat in Aso Rock was a moi-moi issue. Again, those calling on the president to end the Boko Haram crises, for instance, have failed to see the truth that the man Goodluck Ebele Jonathan prior to his ascending to the revered office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had never set foot on the larger part of the north, neither did he ever taste fura da nono, eat tuwo da miyan kuka and brasbisco or indulged in some spicy suya, kilishi or balangu meat. So those blaming his inability to yet visit Maiduguri, and Yobe the hot bed of the Boko Haram sect have failed to see the writing on the wall. Truthfully, how many of the elected and selected representatives of the people from these two states have had the guts to relocate or visit his or her constituency since the beginning of the bombings and killings in these two states? Who among them have come out boldly to try to find a peaceful resolution to these problems and the other numerous retrogressive crises going on in the entire north today? Honestly, it beats my imagination on why most northern leaders are still waiting for Jonathan a south-south man with south upbringing to solve the north’s problems. Okay, he is now the president of the whole country, but how vast and dependable are his orientation and understanding of the north? Can he truthfully, for instance, solve the shameful problem of almajirinchi across most cities in the north without the help and support of the northerners themselves? Or do they expect Jonathan to come and help them drive and rehabilitate these helpless children from the streets? No, I think the northern leaders should open their eyes truthfully and look inward, stand up and boldly solve their problems. If not, then they are not worth holding the positions they are occupying, thus it will be more honourable if they stop parading themselves as northern leaders, and spokesmen.

    I think the northern leaders need to hold on to their known pride, left behind by past patriotic northern leaders and stop seeking for more revenue allocation from the national level, like beggars. Instead they should appreciate the vast rich natural resources at their disposal from God, and use their ingenuity as leaders to create huge revenue to their region, spur development and rekindle their lost splendour in the eyes of the people, as exemplified by past northern leaders. If the south-west region, the south-south and the south-east regions and their leader don’t wait for Jonathan before tackling their own problems always, why should those in the north keep harping the blames on Jonathan alone when none of them had taken a bold step as a nationalist northern leader with the whole north as his constituency? Can Jonathan truly solve the disgraceful sights of public schools, bad roads, religion and ethnic crises in the north? Why should the north expect Jonathan to solve the crises in Jos, Bauchi, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Gombe, Yobe, Sokoto, Kogi and Kano, when in actual sense the leaders and followers in these places have refused to take their destiny in their hands and tackle all the man-made katakata blowing across their villages, towns and cities themselves? True, the northern leaders in the national and state Houses of Assembly, including the waned 19 Northern States Governors Forum, traditional and religious leaders and chairmen of various local councils in the regions are not being sincere to themselves, because only few of them have seen the need to help propel solutions to the various dead industries in the north; hitherto viable establishment like Arewa textiles, the New Nigerian Newspapers, the Northern Nigerian Development Company, Arewa Hotels and the Northern Railway Corporation amongst others.

    Please, let us leave President Jonathan alone to carry on with the cumbersome task of steering the heavy loaded problematic Nigerian ship safely towards 2015. The truth is, the man himself has tasted the enticing hot seat inside our famous Aso-Rock, and them no dey tell man say load heavy for head.

    Our failure to leave this overwhelmed fellow alone will seem as if we are all trying to turn the president into a semi-god, who has the solutions to all our problems, when in true sense, the man no be witch.

     

    Culled from nigeriansinamerica.com

     

  • Our Union: of affection or of policy?

    Citizens should have the freedom to identity with the culture of their new homes

    I have borrowed the title of today’s piece from Daniel Defoe, one of Britain’s most successful and most cited writers. Reacting to the Union Act of 1706 that created the United Kingdom, Defoe said that the union was more of policy than of affection. This short statement raised profound questions about the legitimacy and appropriateness of the unification of England, Scotland, and Wales into a union, without giving due consideration to the feelings of the nationalities so unified about the act.

    The cacophony of voices about how to make the Nigeria Union or what many commentators refer to as the non-negotiable unity of the country only suggests the need to unearth the unconsciousness of the nationalities or ethnic groups that are making effort to debate the best way to make their territorial togetherness profitable to all that are involved in Africa’s largest postcolonial state. Whether the topic is diversifying the police system or respect for cultural rights of indigenous communities that constitute the federation, the notion that the federal government— executive and legislative—and those that consider themselves official and unofficial trustees of the current polity, the effect is the same: troubling.

    The club of former Inspectors-General of Police, Northern Governors Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, and self-appointed spokesmen for the North are cocksure that allowing states and local governments that make laws to have state or local police system to enforce such laws will not only lead to abuse of such system by state governors but will certainly destroy the country’s unity. Retired IGPs indicate that to have a constitution that allows for any police system other than the existing federal police monopoly is a sure bet for fragmentation of the country. More worrisome is the news that the club of retired federal police bosses is lobbying the National Assembly to jettison any intention to amend the constitution in respect of law enforcement.

    Similarly, the stridency in the voice of the North, particularly the Arewa Consultative Forum in relation to amendment to abrogate indigeneship in a multiethnic federation is fraught with troubling interpretations. If it is true that the National Assembly is contemplating such an amendment that will have no space for the cultural rights of indigenous Nigerian communities, it becomes crucial that whatever amendments are arrived at by the legislature must be submitted to a referendum. All of the communities in the country are indigenous cultures, which the UN has resolved to protect. There is no mainstream culture in the country that turns other cultures into marginal cultures. The closest to a mainstream culture in the country is a pidginized form of British culture made possible by the English language used to conduct government and business affairs.

    Calling for an end to indigeneship outside of a regular constitutional conference is to put the cart before the horse. Our lawmakers need to do more research about the place of indigenous culture(s) in the country. It is the various cultures that negotiated through the three regions for political independence from Great Britain in 1960. The ACF’s claim that ending the situation of dual indegeneship “would promote national integration, since it would put to rest for good the controversy about who is an indigene and who is not an indigene” needs to be critically examined by those attempting to amend the constitution. What is at stake is not indigenous culture(s). It is the need to work out residency requirements for citizens that want to migrate from their own indigenous cultural community to another.

    It is not possible for citizens from other parts of the country that migrate to the North and are put in Sabo to be integrated with their hosts that live outside of Sabo. Correspondingly, it is difficult for northerners that move to the South and ask for a space to create Sabo in the South to be integrated into the indigenous cultures of such southern communities. What is needed more urgently is to abrogate Sabo across the country. Sabo represents physical segregation that militates against integration that is needed to make a new comer to a culture feel at home.

    The freedom of movement of every Nigerian must be respected at all times. Each Nigerian citizen should have the option to live in any part of the country that he or she desires. His or her political rights must not be abrogated because of the decision to move out of the state or community of birth. What is required is for the national assembly to make constitutional provisions to safeguard each citizen’s right to vote and be voted for and to buy and own property in any state of the federation.

    Each state should be allowed to determine how long a citizen wanting to be a resident of another community must stay in that community to enjoy political and social rights available to residents. Integration or assimilation (indigenisation) to a new culture comes after residency. It grows from the degree of identification of the resident with the host culture, and should not through constitutional mandate. In addition, residency in another state requires compliance with the laws of such states as well as respect for the cultural rights of indigenes of such states. Citizens should have the freedom to identify with the culture of their new homes, if they want to be accepted as part of the community. Such identification marks the difference between a union of affection and one of policy.

  • What game is the north up to at inec?

    Mr President should right the impunity displayed by Professors Jega and Oba

    Can Professor Jega, a celebrated academic and former University Vice-Chancellor, double as an ethnic bigot ? Is the famous Professor Oba, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, working in tandem with Jega in his historic role of a northern irredentist? Or is it as simple as the Federal Character Commission becoming comatose or completely blind and toothless wherever in the Nigerian polity the North wields an unfair advantage? These and more questions agitate the mind on reading the advert:  THE TAKE OVER OF INEC published in the Monday, 20 August, 2012, edition of this newspaper by the  ELECTION INTEGRITY NETWORK  but which in itself emanated from an earlier story by  TheNews Magazine.  It will be a little disingenuous, even unfair,  to claim or even pretend that INEC has just so  suddenly become an ethnic enclave.  The story was the same when Igbo elements ruled the roust in the agency only that under Professor Jega  cronyism and outright nepotism has  assumed an industrial  scale, albeit, with  Professor Oba’s ludicrous connivance, no doubt.

    For ease of reference, let us quote directly from the advert under reference.  According to the publication, INEC’s top management is made up as follows: 1. Prof Jega (Chairman)- Kebbi  2. U.F Usman (Director of Logistics) –Kebbi  3.A. Muktar (Director of Human Resources) –Sokoto  4. A.A Uregi (Director of Finance) –Niger 5. M. Kuta (Internal Auditor) –Niger 6. E.T Akem (Director ICT) –Benue 7. I. Biu (Director of Voter Education) – North East 8.I.K Bawa (Dep. Director, Legal) –Plateau 9.Okey Ndeche (Director, Operations) –Anambra 10. Nyise Torgba  (Director M& E/Performance) –Benue 11. A.A Adamu Head, Commission, Secretariat) –Kogi 12. M.Ekwunja (Director, Civil Societies) 13. E. Umenger (Director, Public Affairs) –Benue 14. Regina Omo-Agege (Director, Political Monitoring) –Delta. 15. B.E Edoghotu (Estate & Works).

    It would have been mind boggling enough  if the above  was the  only  problem with  the  sheer crudity of the brazen institution  Professor Jega sits atop but it certainly does not stop there. The composition of INEC’s  national commissioners who head the vital committees overseeing  the most important departments as stated hereunder, according to the sponsors, is much more revealing:

    1.   Col. Hamanga  ( Chairperson, Logistics Committee) –Adamawa

    2.   Dr Nuru Yakubu ( Chairperson, Operations Committee) –Yobe

    3. Ambassador Wali (Chair person, Procurement Committee) –Sokoto

    4. Prof Jega           (Chairperson, F&GP) –Kebbi

    5. Prof Jega         ( Chairperson, ICT) –Kebbi

    6. Hajia Amina Zakari (Chairperson, Political Monitoring) –Jigawa

    7.   Membership of a newly constituted  INEC 9-Man Strategic Planning Committee  reads as follows: Nuru A. Yakubu, Istianus Dalwang, Mustafa Kuta, M.S Mohammed. Torgba Nyitse, Emanuel Akeem all from the North with only Mike Igini and Okechukwu Ndeche from the South. This is asides the fact that the commission’s secretary is also from the North. This Jega has ensured by all means in his two years.  How blatant can some supposedly educated people get?

    8. Pray, what is Professor Jega thinking? How on earth can a supposedly thorough-bred academic, whose appointment by a President  of Southern extraction  elicited rapturous joy across the entire country become so untidily insular and unfeeling? How can such an otherwise accomplished individual so conveniently forget that  Nigeria runs a federation  with a Federal Character Commission firmly in place in its constitution and  be so whimsical and selfish? What will he claim as alibi for this totally unacceptable lop-sidedness in an agency that is so critical?

    I found the following comments  by  Ifeanyi Izeze very useful in taking a look at the Federal Character Commission. Wrote Izeze in 2011 : “ When Nigeria’s Federal Character Commission (FCC) was established in 1996, it was supposed to enforce the federal character principles which aimed at ensuring fair and equitable distribution of posts; social-economic amenities; and infrastructural facilities among the federating units of the nation.

    The intention was for it to be the watchdog of government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in ensuring an evenly distributed workforce that reflects ethnic diversity and the geopolitical divides of the country. It was  also supposed to ensure that socio-economic amenities and development infrastructure are equitably distributed across the country.

    ‘In recognition of its failings, wrote Izeze, the Commission after a Port Harcourt stakeholders retreat recounted as follows: The FCC  has delineated the country into national, state and local government levels as channels of distribution among the federating units for ease of implementation. Allocations at the national level, it said, will now be based on the 36 states and Abuja or the six geo-political zones or north and south …’

    Given Professor Oba’s roaring  success as Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, I am not in the least surprised that the  FCC under his watch has decided not to have INEC  on the commission’s radar. After all, it is very convenient for the interests he ministers to, but as a federal agency, one is at a loss  as to why not even the Presidency through the office of either the Secretary to Government or that of the National Security Adviser could draw attention to this totally inexcusable situation. Even if some of these individuals are career officers, they should promptly be transferred to other sections of the bureaucracy, leaving only what is genuinely due to the North. This wrong must be corrected for the world to see that we are a country under the rule of law.

    What then are the probable calculations of the North which these eminence griise so faithfully represent  on the  count down to the make or mar 2015 general elections in the country? The Election Integrity Network  has some take on this question. It stated that the structural iniquity in INEC  displays nothing but a suspiciously skewed regional interest especially at a time when geo-political struggle for power has assumed a violent dimension. The body believes that this is a carefully planned restructuring in which the most important organs responsible for future elections are placed smack in the hands of  the North.

    The only time in recent memory that I can recall a similar scenario was during the Abacha era when you could hardly find  four Southerners on the list of  the topmost  twenty security officers and a security council meeting could hold with hardly a southerner in attendance, going strictly by ranking. Without a doubt, this arrangement  at INEC  cannot be a happenstance; rather it is the result of cold calculations aimed at far beyond the present. And to imagine that these are by individuals  who are loudest  in  proclaiming the inviolability  of the Nigerian  state.

    Must it  be an Animal Farm too?

    The sponsors of th advert in question  touched on the total absence of any Yoruba man or woman in the management team of such a crucial agency.  For me personally, this is a non-issue since some leading Yoruba  would rather  permit themselves  be consumed by their cry of mainstreaming than fight to be treated as equals with members of their party from  other parts of the country. If these  PDP  people already traversing  the South-West  ahead of  the next elections were treated as co-equals, having comprehensively lost out in the legislature, they should have resolved with their party leader and President, the urgent  need to be adequately represented in agencies like INEC. This, however, will never happen since they are experts at feathering their individual nests as opposed to corporate South-West interests. It is for this reason too, that we never heard anything about regional integration when for some six or seven years they held the region in a stranglehold.

    As things stand in INEC today, I think Mr President owes it a duty to Nigeria  to right this egregious display of impunity perpetrated by two professors who, ordinarily, should feel outraged at the management structure subsisting in an agency so crucial to the very continued, peaceful co-existence of the country itself. In its present state, should the North decide so to do, it can, through these individuals so completely influence the 2015 general elections in ways that the Kenya experience of a few years back could be nothing more than a child play in a country of over 150 million people.

    So Mr President, a stitch in time could more than save nine.