The Nation Newspaper

Category: Nnedinso Ogaziechi

  • JAMB: Beyond technical glitches…

    JAMB: Beyond technical glitches…

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is the government agency charged with organizing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across Nigeria.  JAMB as an agency was a military creation by a decree promulgated by the Act (no.2 of 1978). Since then the agency has been in charge of organizing admission exams into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

     Like all human institutions, there have been challenges along the way. Many students and their parents have had stories to tell either of joy or sadness. There have been cases where due to either genuine mistakes or tacky acts of negligence, otherwise brilliant students have either had their results seized for alleged UTME center fraud or errors in the handling of the exam marks.

    However, it is equally notable that there have been recorded excellent performances from some students who have scored very high marks in the well sort after UTME exams. With the appointment of Prof. Ishaq Oloyeded by the Buhari government in 2016, notable changes have taken place around the organization of the UTME exams. It is now more digitized and for some time, the Commission has contributed huge revenues from the form sales to the economy.

    The JAMB registrar seems to have enjoyed something of a heroic adulation by many Nigerians given the improvements with the organization of the exams and the other improved administrative processes that have made it easier for the organization to minimize the series of flaws that have bedeviled the process like exam malpractices and late release of results. These improvements seem to have given Prof. Oloyede somewhat of a heroic acceptance in academic circles.

    Then with the UTME results that were recently released by JAMB, eyebrows are being raised. First there was disbelief amongst some students and their parents with the results. The social media had been awash with some students calling on JAMB to look into their results because given their academic records, they could not align their 2025 UTME results with their previous academic performances.

    Luckily, unlike many institutional failures in the country, JAMB was alerted and a stakeholders’ meeting held and a promised immediate investigation carried out. Over 387,000 candidates in most states in the South East and Lagos were affected. JAMB admitted that a technical error that compromised the integrity of the results in about 157 centers nationwide had occurred. 

    The registrar in a teary and emotional press conference said that the board discovered discrepancies linked to faulty server updates in its Lagos and South East zones which led to the failure to upload candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination. The national outrage had been massive and there was even a protest match by some parents and candidates at the JAMB office.

    Read Also: How I scored 334 in JAMB – 16-year-old Ebule shares his secret

    Sadly, the gravity of the issue was such that a distraught candidate, Faith Opesusi allegedly committed suicide after finding out she allegedly scored 146 points out of 400, a mark that was possibly too low to get her any slot at her choice university. She was one of the 78 percent of students that scored below 200. Some other candidates must be undergoing levels of trauma and depression. They are young and impressionable and are in a society that often measures success by academic achievements

    The Roundtable Conversation believes that now that this tragic issue has happened, beyond retaking the exams, the Nigerian government and its education agencies must recalibrate in order to minimize such grave errors  that have earlier come in small forms and left unattended leading to this tragic loss of life. The education of our children must be prioritized in ways that there is better eaze of gaining admission and studying the chosen courses by succesful students. This is because most dreams of candidates begin to die from their being disenfranchised from UTME exams to admission nepotism into chosen universities. In a country with little or no statistics or research findings on the effects of admission challenges into Nigerian tertiary institutions, candidates feeling suicidal or depressed must be avoided for a growing economy like Nigeria.

    We spoke to Prof. Anthony Kila, a renowned educationist, a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development and a political economist and the Centre Director, Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS). He is a veteran lecturer and public affairs analyst. He believes that the nation must learn from this very sad incident even if we all agree that humans cannot be seen as infallible. Errors will occur in human institutions but there must be efforts to avoid the avoidable ones.

    To Prof. Kila, there could not have been a deliberate attempt to sabotage the efforts of the candidates by the management of JAMB. What we must do is to try to improve systemic efficiency first by making sure that competence and diligence cannot be compromised in staff recruitment either in JAMB or any other institution. There must be a staff audit to determine competences that can drive human excellence  for both staff and contractors.  There must be efforts to make sure that the academic sector must, like Ceasar’s wife, be beyond reproach.

    A system must be in place for remedies that can assuage the anger and disappointment that comes with human and technical errors and they  must be swift, fast and reliable.  Again Nigerians must build institutions that can stand irrespective of who is at the helm.  The system must be such that each human in the system optimally functions. JAMB and other academic examination bodies must begin to institute measures that make the system accountable, flexible and credible. In the academia, there must be no room for errors let alone grave ones like the one that impact young impressionable candidates that often believe that getting academic achievements validate their existence.

    As regards the candidate that committed suicide,  Prof. believes that we must readjust our social values where there is an assumption that failure at any instance means the end of the world. He believes that parents and teachers must let young people understand that failure and success are two sides of the same coin of life. Failing is not an end and succeeding at the level of progressive exams like UTME does not crown anyone with life successes.

    There must be a reorientation of students to let people who had failed entrance exams like UTME several times but still succeeded in their dreams as professionals in different fields of life. Very often, there is a illusion that succeeding in getting admission at the first sitting is the magic wand for life success.

    There must be a more convenient way to come over such human errors and still maintain trust in institutions and calm down candidates and their families. The skepticism in the system can be assuaged if there is a set way that errors can be corrected with minimal discomfort. There could be an imediate remarking of scripts or a way that the exams can be re-taken. Good that JAMB is planning this.

    He also believes that we must let young people understand that admission criteria does not always end with high scores. Scoring high marks is good but in a competitive admission environment, high scores might be relative. A candidate might score 300 for a course that the admission cut-off mark is possibly higher. 

    The Roundtable Conversation observed that it was a very teary-eyed Prof. Oloyede that accepted full responsibility as the registrar of JAMB. How does his fellow Prof. analyze that in a society where crying is not seen as a ‘manly’ behavior? He believes that shedding tears is a human expression of emotions either for joy or sadness. In this instance, it is obvious that the registrar recognized the gravity of the errors that put a question mark on his integrity given the charismatic image he has enjoyed for his efforts at re-organizing JAMB to be more functional.

    However, while his acceptance of responsibility seems exciting in an environment where the social impact of not taking responsibility for systemic errors abound, his reactions are commendable  but he must go beyond that. There must be a thorough investigation of the incident that led to such technical glitches with so much impact that a life was sadly lost. There must be a forensic audit to establish whether  the issue was out of human negligence or an unavoidable technical problem. That is the only way to forestall future incidents.

    The Roundtable Conversation totally agrees with Prof. Kila. If we agree that education is the bedrock of any society, then we must be more deliberate in handling academic processes. This incident is not new, the scale might be massive but it is not a one-off one. Possibly the role of social media in highlighting the issue through first person narratives helped.  The academic future of our children must be of international best practices if we must catch up with development.

    Beyond re-taking the exams which by the way might be neither here no there because of trust deficiencies in the system by affected candidates, some might be too disoriented to do as well as they might have done in the initial exam. The affected candidates might need therapy to address the trauma the issue might have caused them.  There must be a thorough investigation and the culprits identified and if there are punishments stipulated in the law, that the law takes its cause. The acceptance of responsibility and the tears of the registrar might not just be enough.

    The academic world runs on high levels of credibility, diligence and integrity. The young who are the future and the victims of the system must be reassured if they see that the people who caused their traumatic experience if culpable face the law. That way, they too would grow understanding that actions or inactions have consequences. Is there room for justice with JAMB in this instance?

    • The dialogue continues…
  • Any calming the Rivers of conflict?

    Any calming the Rivers of conflict?

    The Nigerian political space can be as intriguing as it can be deeply confusing. The political actors can be hired by the greatest global film industries like Hollywood, Nollywood or even Bollywood and their performances would be top notch. The political actors in Nigeria are ever active in or out of season. There are no dull moments. Political analysts have somehow agreed that the Nigerian political theatre seems eternally active. The political environment can be riveting, opaque and confusing all at the same time.

    While Nigeria adopted the American presidential model of democracy, many democratic structures that have taken roots in America are often very noticeably absent in the Nigerian model. There seems to be some ‘Ostrich-playing’ by the Nigerian political class as they seem to make no serious attempts to adopt those democratic structures that make the American model such an enduring even if imperfect legacy.

    First of all, Nigeria has no strong political party structure that shows any ideological leaning. The political party funding empowers a few who then wield powers that stretch their influence and relevance. When this happens, the creation of the proverbial godfathers naturally enters the mix in ways that stands them on the mountains of influence.  Candidates often emerge through undemocratic party primaries and that is where the electoral flaws begin. From the ward levels to the highest political party in the land, it becomes the survival of the fittest.

    That Nigeria has one of the most litigious post-election cases stems from the flawed structures of the political parties as candidates are often not products of the will of the majority from intra-party primaries. The internal conflicts in the political parties show that there is something wrong with the political party structures. Many politicians oscillate from one political party to the other almost towards the beginning of a new campaign season with no sanctions. The Nigerian voting public is often not considered when these politicians make their moves based on political expediences.

    This background is the foundation for the roles of political godfatherism in ways that have created huge problems in Nigerian democracy. Most party members seem to have little or no say in who emerges as candidates. This is exactly why a notorious politician in Anambra state once boasted that he, ‘installed every elected candidate from the Sweeper to the Speaker’. This rhetoric is often true of some other ‘very powerful’ members of the many political parties.

    This backdrop seems to be the albatross of democracy in Nigeria at least since 1999. The governor Siminalayi Fubara odyssey in Rivers state seems a slice of a larger political dysfunction that pervades the whole country even if undocumented. His relationship with his former boss, former governor Nyesom Wike, now minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under whom he served the state as Accountant General is not far from the regular issues in Nigerian political space.

    Many people believe that the declaration of the six-month state of emergency in Rivers state by President Tinubu was a needed intervention to restore order while others believe that it is as unconstitutional as it should not have a space in a democratic process. The Roundtable Conversation sought the views of two elder statesmen whose views on such national issues are always profoundly relevant.

    Read Also: Pastor Tunde Bakare and the state of the nation

    Dr.Kalu Idika Kalu is a foremost economist, former World Bank Economic Strategist, a two-time Minister of Finance, Minister of National Planning and Minister of Transport. To him, a state of emergency in a democracy should not be an option. He believes that the suspended governor Fubara ought to have been earlier held accountable for allegedly destroying part of the house of assembly building that belongs to the people. His precipitate action to allegedly prevent an impeachment move by the house members has no place in a democracy.  He overreached himself with such a very reckless act. The law enforcement agencies ought to have waded in at that time to question the governor’s actions or inactions that led to the destruction of public property. This would have been the way to let even other governors realize that acting with impunity would not be tolerated.

    A state of emergency rule that brings in a former military man should not be a solution to an obvious political problem. Political solutions are always more functional in democracies.  As an economist, Dr. Kalu feels that democracies when made very functional stand a better chance of serving the people and guaranteeing economic growth. The alleged crisis between the suspended governor and the FCT minister could not have enhanced economic activities in the state neither did is encourage investment as investors prefer calm operating environments both politically and socially.

    However, the renowned economist believes that the only redeeming feature under the circumstance would be for the sole administrator, Rtd. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to make sure that as a citizen who has served the country in a very high capacity, he works in the six months to retain democratic structures and not dig in more military structures through committees or other undemocratic institutions.  He must work as an arbiter whose temporary job is to foster peace and calm the polity. He should consult more with the stake holders without being partisan. He should discuss with the traditional rulers and the other relevant demographics whose roles are reconciliatory.

    His six-month stay would make a calming difference depending on his efforts at walking the democratic routes even as a retired military man. There is no room for command and control. His contribution to democracy should be evident in his ability to just take actions that would amount to an improved welfare of the people through wide consultations. The aim of governments in a democracy is to enhance the welfare of the people. He must not through his actions give the impression of any form of partisanship or taking sides. His eyes must be to extend his legacy of service to the nation through this role. The suspended governor and the house of assembly members on the other hand must recalibrate and understand that two months is almost gone and they must use this period for introspection to serve the people better.

    Mr. Lade Bunola, popularly called Ladbone in media circles is a veteran journalist whose footprints are boldly marked in Nigerian print media practice. He was the former Managing Director of The Guardian Newspapers and now sits on the board of many others. He is a multi-award winner from several media and non-media organizations. His,  ‘Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence’ from the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism speaks to his value. As a veteran journalist, he believes strongly in the role of the media as the watchdog of every democracy. He believes that media must not let the baton fall from standing firm in defense of democracy.

    As regards the state of emergency in Rivers state, Ladbone believes that more democratic options ought to have been applied to resolve the political issues in the state.  The President ought to have applied dialogue to resolve the political issues between the suspended governor Fubara, his political mentor, Nyesom Wike and some of the house of assembly members. He believes it is unconstitutional for a president to remove a governor because they both enjoy the mandate of the people that elected them. The fact that some other president made the same mistake does not make it right.

    The constitution lays out clearly the process through which a governor can be removed and that is through well-laid out impeachment processes that includes the active involvement of the state Chief judge that is mandated to set up a committee to investigate the alleged infractions by a governor after which a required number of votes must be collected before an impeachment goes through.

    He believes the president could have employed dialogue by possibly engaging some of the respected voices of the region like the former governor or Akwa Ibom state, Chief Victor Attah,  King Alfred Diete-Spiff and other notable traditional rulers. Even though the public might not be privy to the security reports that necessitated the state of emergency, dialogue with the different warring parties would have been a better option if our democracy must be nurtured to grow. In democracy, politicians must understand that winning is not permanent, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. All processes are listed in the constitution and must be followed in ways that there is the maintenance of law and order.

    An intervention would have calmed a Wike while governor Fubara would be made to understand that his mentor deserves respect too and severing relationship with him is not the most ideal thing to do. Prior to the court process, the assembly members that defected to another party ought to lose their seats and then another election held which would have them re-contest and the voters given the chance to either give them their mandate under another party or to reject them at the polls.

    Ideally, if the President had explored other options other than the emergency rule by a sole administrator, the issues might have been better resolved and the governor re-instated faster than the six-month tenure while the peace-building continues between the tripartite teams; governor Fubara, his alleged godfather Nyesom Wike and some of the House of Assembly members. Peace would be achievable but it needs more efforts and the acceptance of the fact that no one person or political party must win all the time. Democracy is like a swinging door that rotates victories and loses.

    The Roundtable Conversation believes that Nigerian political actors must be willing to play by the rules so that our democracy would thrive and begin to have dividends that can be progressively functional. We must restructure the political system to align with the functional tenets of democracy by handing power solely to the people through intra-party democracy that cascades into almost flawless electoral processes. When this happens, there would be less post-election rancor and ultimately zero need for such an intervention as the Rivers situation.

    • The dialogue continues…

  • Nigerian legislators: Power for its own sake?

    Nigerian legislators: Power for its own sake?

    The past six weeks have had the Nigerian Senate being the center of public discourse. It started with the Senator Akpabio Vs Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uguaghan drama during a plenary session. Like wild fire during the hamattan, the altercation seems to have spiraled out of control. There have been accusations and counter accusations. The senate directed the Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate the case of gross misconduct by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.

    Their verdict was a six-month suspension of Senator Akpoti Uduaghan, barring her from the National assembly, suspending her salaries and that of her aides and removing her security. According to the senate leadership,  “Let it be unequivocally stated that Senator Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent act of misconduct and disregard for the Senate Standing Order.

    Senator Akpoti Uduaghan had made several allegations bordering on sexual harassment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio to the media both locally and internationally. She took her case to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) some weeks back. The Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, was equally at IPU and pushed that the claims made by Akpoti-Uduaghan at the United Nations event that she was suspended for raising allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio was untrue.

    Kafilat Ogbara as the House Committee  Chairperson on Women and Social Development was representing the  National Assembly to present a response to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s speech  at the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the status of women was in her words, “In response to the call by the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Right Honorable Tulia Ackson to hear both sides of the matter, I have received a letter from the Nigerian Senate in my capacity as Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development of our parliament in Nigeria and the parliamentarian representing Nigeria at this conference,” she stated.

    Nigerians and the world eagerly await the intervention of the IPU on this issue. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had gone to some foreign cable news media to tell her story before coming back to the country. In the meantime, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions hearing on a fresh petition submitted by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio ended in chaos as Senator Nwebonyi and Oby Ezekwesili exchanged words.

    The Senator Nwebonyi had since the Senators Akpabio Vs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan seems like a spokesperson of the Senate President given his media rounds making some allegations against Senator Natasha. It was therefore not surprising that the Committee sitting ended in chaos given the verbal exchanges between him and Oby Ezekwesili. The trigger seems to have  been his being shouted at, to ‘shut up’ after he seemingly interrupted  the process. They then went on with invectives at each other to the utter outrage of the whole country. The Senator ‘assured’ a highly accomplished Oby Ezekwesili that, “you can never be a senator”.

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    The Senator Natasha Vs Senator Akpabio issue has so engulfed the political space that it is the most written about national issue in the last six weeks. It has even been linked to the chaotic ‘recall attempts’ of a senator Natasha that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the processes flawed and therefore not valid. An Abuja Federal High Court  presided over by Justice Binta Nyako  had on Friday barred parties in the suit filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and three others from granting press interviews on issues relating to the case.

    No matter the merits of the cases by both parties, the Roundtable conversation feels that the Nigerian 10th senate has not lived up to expectations. The Nigerian people would be better served that the senate shines through as the representatives of the people, as the second tripod of the democracy we practice that must have the people and service to them as the focal point of their tenure in the national assembly. Make no mistakes about it, politics especially with legislators is not a walk in the park, there must be arguments, debates, lobbying, points of disagreement etc., but the grass which symbolically is the people must not be allowed to suffer whle the ‘elephants’ in the parliament ‘fight’.

    Nigeria has been going through socio-economic problems over the years. More than 134million Nigerians live in multi-dimensional poverty, more than 20millions Nigerian children are out of school in what is seen as a global highest in a seemingly ‘peaceful’ country. There is high unemployment, high maternal and child mortality, high insecurity, low productivity and other high indices of poverty and underdevelopment.

    On the other hand, Nigerian legislators are some of the most highly paid parliamentarians in the entire globe. They reek of luxury, power and influence. However, their influence is not always about the people they represent. It is always almost about themselves, their ego and their comfort. There is often zero allegiance to the voters who are the mandate givers in cases of real elections.

    The question is, given the below average performances of most government parastatals, ministries and agencies that are supposed to deliver service to the people, where is the legislative oversight functions? We understand some of the perfunctory committee ‘sittings over public petitions’ , but what has changed? How effectively functional is the legislative oversight functions? Why do we often hear of ‘juicy committees’? What are the implications of tagging some committees ‘juicy’?

    Most legislators are so self –centered that they only remember their constituencies during elections only. Once they access power, they run to cities and forget the constituents.  Ironically, most of them feed fat on so-called ‘constituency projects’ that really defy any valid explanations. This often turns out to be political smokescreens.  When Nigerian politicians fully understand the meaning of their legislative duties, development would be accelerated in the country. They would understand their core duties, be more committed to the people who voted them in, be more accountable and take joy in serving the people rather than the present grandstanding and ego-trips that create chaos and are very distractive.

    The issue remains that most politicians who vie for seats in Nigeria do so not as a result of any sense of service but to acquire power for its own sake and for personal reasons. Most have no vision, no agenda or commitment to the general good. The fact that a Senator Elisha Abbo notorious for assaulting a woman in a sex toy shop suddenly jumps out to narrate his experience with a senator Akpabio few weeks after the Senator Akpabio Vs Senator Natasha issue gained national attention is almost laughable.

    While it is his right to speak what he wants us to believe is his own truth, it is apposite to remind him that as a Senator representing Adamawa North in the Senate, his scandalous behaviour then adds to the litany of toxic masculinity and official abuse of power by politicians in Nigeria. His appearance at the Ethics and privileges Committee then regarding his case was scandalous too as it ended in chaos too.

    A senator Elisha Abbo might or might not be speaking the truth of his encounter with the Senate President before he was sacked by the courts but the Roundtable sees his sudden media engagements as merely playing politics. How has he atoned for the scandal that brought him notoriety?  What legacies did he live for his senatorial district? What was the equity and fairness bills he pushed as a senator? What will a senator Elisha Abbo be remembered for?

    Taking advantage of political situations to leverage public approval or sympathy cannot earn anyone garlands. It amounts to speaking  from both sides of the mouth for one who has a history of gender injustice to suddenly want to leverage on the present issue at the senate to launder an image immersed in a scandal he has not shown serious remorse for rather than mere politicking.

    Again on the senate floor, as the senate seemingly debated on the need for late Prof. Humphrey Nwosu to be honoured post-humously, it was interesting to watch  a senator like Adams Oshiomole, who rode on the back of Nigerian workers to national prominence and political gains and visibility argue that a Prof. Nwosu, who as a worker, gave the country the freest, fairest and most credible election ever did not deserve to be honoured, because, in his words, “Don’t accept a job you cannot do and someone must have the courage to do something” all in reference to the late NEC chairman.

    For an Oshiomole, a Prof. Nwosu was a coward. Being a senator, the Roundtable conversation wants an Oshiomole to understand what an award means. It is not a canonization of any human. It is rather recognition of a certain level of diligence, excellence, commitment, sometimes patriotism and a level of integrity. Politics must not dilute the meaning of diligence, integrity and a sense of patriotism lest our children begin to seek heroes from other lands. Going round media houses trying to justify his dishonouring a man who though fallible and imperfect gave the country the best election ever, told his story before he died and acknowledged globally as a man of integrity is just a tad too disappointing.

    Being a national legislator is not just about your constituency, it is a national service that seeks to work for the progress and unity of the country. Legislators must like Ceasar’s wife be, ‘above reproach’ especially in their discharge of their legislative duties in or out of the chambers. Discipline and decorum and a sense of history, equity and justice must be keys. There must be no descent to comic distractions. It is a serious business of national importance.

    • The dialogue continues…

  • Akpabio vs Natasha: Letter to women politicians

    Akpabio vs Natasha: Letter to women politicians

    Nigeria is a country contradictions and ironies. The most populous black nation on earth with a vibrant youth population but where productivity is low and consumerism reigns supreme. It is a land blessed with both human and natural resources including oil but with a staggering 137million leaving in multi-dimensional poverty. It is a nation with some of the most educated Africans but with more than 20million out-of-school children.

    Nigeria has some of the most fertile lands and with a friendly all year weather but where food insecurity is giving a harvest of physically and mentally retarded malnourished kids. With the high illiteracy of women comes the high incidents of low life expectancy because illiteracy and poverty especially of women cannot yield good results. Maternal and child mortality is very high. It is just logical because any nation that does not invest in comprehensive healthcare, agriculture and education will logically harvest these outcomes.

    Democracy has been described as the best form of government due to it being centered on the people as it is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. There is no mention of gender in the definition of democracy. Ironically, even monarchies seem to be gender-blind as most monarchies especially the ones done by inheritance often give women a chance to be functional queens. The late Queen Elizabeth II of Britain was queen for more than 70 years.

    Nigeria practices the American Presidential model of democracy. Somehow, it is merely in form and not necessarily in practice. To start with, the political party structure in America imperfect as it might be is based on defined ideological models. The Republican and Democratic parties, the two most dominant political parties operate under identifiable ideological lines. The Red and Blue identities speak loudly of either side of the aisle.

    Nigeria’s earliest  political parties, the NCP, the NCNC, the AG, etc. were somehow fired by ethnic and religious leanings and so each region seemed to have been dominated by ethno-religiously rooted political parties.  This has largely been the albatross of the Nigerian state. Development has been difficult because of flawed military interventions and politics fired by mundane colorations. With time, more political parties were formed but were still fired by the same parochially unproductive sentiments that informed the earliest post-independent political parties.

    However, the Nigerian socio-political environment is male-dominated with sprinkles of cultural and religious sentiments equally influenced by the colonial history of mono governance. Even the earliest female political players are often omitted when the country references active players of the period. So the rhetoric is always, “our heroes past” leaving out the heroines of the time like Gambo Sawaba, Funmilayo Rasome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo and many other heroic women of the period.

    Today the male dominance of the political field in Nigeria is a continental if not global embarrassment.  Smaller countries like Liberia, Namibia, Tanzania, Malawi etc have all produced female presidents. These are countries Nigerians often describe as ‘small’ countries. Kenya has seven female governors up from four in 2017. The women pushed for a constitutional review that made it unconstitutional for any single gender to occupy more than two thirds of any elective position. That is development. Nigeria has never had q woman nominated by any political party as president. There has never been an elected female governor or Vice President.

    Rwanda, the African phoenix rose from the ashes of a 1994 genocidal war to become the world’s number one country in female representation in parliament with about 60.1%. Circumstantial as that may be, this fact has been noticed through the progress the country has made. Rwanda has become a big insetment and tourism hub in Africa. This is a testament to the value inclusion brings to the development table. Liberia was stabilized after the war by the presidency of former president Eileen Johnson Srileaf who the women of Liberia sacrificed everything to bring to power seeing what they had suffered during the male-induced and powered war.

    As the world watches with dismay the drama in the Nigerian Senate between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for the second time in less than a year, the Roundtable Conversation has a message for the women in Nigerian politics. As analysis and counter analysis go on around the incident that happened in the senate between the two senators, it is again time to call for a better strategy by the Nigerian women in politics rather than dwelling on mere analysis.

    We might not yet fully understand the socio-political undercurrents that have led to the issues between Senators Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The duo is in the eye of the storm for a second time. The first time was the Senate President using the Nightclub innuendo as political satire while addressing  Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan during plenary a few months ago. There was outrage and he later apologized and whipped up all the socio-political emotional PR to douse the national tension over allegations of misogyny given that he had equally crossed parts with another female Senator, Ireti Kingibe.

    The Senate President is however not new to controversies of such nature as he had as Minister of Niger Delta had public confrontation with the former Interim MD of the NDDC, Dr. Joy Nunieh who claimed she had slapped the then minister  Akpabio for alleged sexual harassment. Again, a Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has alleged some sexual harassment by the same Senate President Akpabio yesterday on Arise TV Morning Show as journalists wanted to find out her side of the story over the incident.

    As expected, there have been various angles to the incident with varied interpretations and many alleging marginalization of women not just in the National Assembly where out of 109 senators, there are just 4 females making it just about 2.7%. Out of 360 House of representative members, there are just about 17 women or 4.7%. With the declining number of women in the apex law-making arm of the government, progress cannot come to the country. Women bear the brunt of poverty and underdevelopment so something must give.

    For state assemblies, there is an abysmally low female representation. To think that the legislature is the arm that makes laws in a democracy, it is horrifying that some state assemblies have no single female! What this means is that in those state assemblies, men and only men make laws about issues that affect women most of which they have no knowledge nor experience about. Development cannot happen with lopsided representations. No bird flies with one wing.

    So as analysis and counter analysis go on about gender injustice and exclusion  in Nigeria politics, again, the Roundtable Conversation has the same recurrent message for the Nigerian women in politics. Insist on internal party democracy. Fight for inclusion for party leadership positions that is where the power is. Stop accepting to be WOMEN LEADERS. That is the first acceptance of second class citizens. There are no MEN LEADERS. What you have and which makes men the most powerful political operators has no gender prefix. The are just party leaders.

    Read Also: Natasha-Akpabio row: Seat arrangement not a gender issue, says Shaibu

    Women should stop working for men given the proactive roles of the female demographic in voting. The women in politics should stop being errand girls to men who more often than not, they are more qualified and more experienced than. A Rosa Park needed no man to force her to sit down to make the history she made. AN Eileen Johnson-Sirleaf did not emerge Liberian President by being Woman Leader.

    Make no mistakes about it, women can organize themselves internally as groups and possibly have leaders but not on a political party structure as mere political appendages to men. It has not worked, it will never work. The lamentations about the experiences of most women in politics happen because Nigerian women erroneously assume men will be their savior.  The men gain from the status quo so they can’t fight your battles for you. Politics is not a tea party. The male privileges are enormous and they work together to grab power. Women must be ready to resist the bullying and name calling meant to discourage them from political participation and the onus is on the women who are  armed with education and experience to be at the forefront. A they say in social parlance, ‘pick-misism’ can never save women. Lamentations cannot be a solution. Women must resist the urge to be seen as religio-culturally complaint in a self-defeatist way.

    As we await the full investigations of the Senators Akpabio Vs Akpoti Uduaghan possibly by the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the senate, no one should expect any magic wand being waved thereafter to solve all the problems for women in Nigerian political space. Women must go beyond protests and analysis of this singular incident because while that is disturbing enough, there are women who have been killed, maimed or scared off politics by male intimidatory tactics and bullying.

    While legislative debates and disagreements especially in legislative environments are common place on a global level, we must caution that the Nigerian state seems not to have fared very well in the committee of nations in terms of women participation due largely to no fault of the women. What has changed however is the culture of silence and ignorance.  Education has helped unknot certain belief systems but the masculine arrogance of many men can be tamed by the courage and perseverance of women especially those in politics. They must re-strategize like the men in other to dismantle the chain of oppressive/abusive tendencies. The political structure must change and the women no matter how few can lead the battle…and win!

    • The dialogue continues…
  • NASS, Development Commissions and 31 states comedy

    NASS, Development Commissions and 31 states comedy

    The Nigerian House of Representatives often presents Nigeria with some comic even if politically scandalous bills and other issues often bothering on the ludicrous. The people have seen fights with clothes torn and chairs flying. There had been heaps of the local currency allegedly a product of some sleazy transactions involving some members.  We have seen the emergence of a certain ‘Integrity Group’ whose members fought on the floor of the house. We have seen some of the ‘integrity group members mired in the fuel subsidy scandal with some being convicted and jailed.

    We have seen a member come to the house and unashamedly ordered his four wives that he had brought to the chambers  to stand up for recognition as proof of his masculinity and control. Another member had  protested the idea of electing more women into the house because in his words, “they will take the male positions”. We have seen gender equity bills being thrown out because some of the members fear their political and social advantages might vanish before their eyes.

    The 9th National Assembly had been severally referred to as ‘rubber stamp’ assembly but some political analysts who viewed their relationship with the former President Buhari’s  administration as very passive in terms of playing their very vital legislative roles. The often touted legislative/executive harmonious relationship was often seen to be tilted against  the legislature which in every democracy ought to be the most powerful tool for checks and balances given that they represent the people of their constituencies.

    The 10th National Assembly is seemingly yet to define itself somewhat. The people seem to wait with baited breath while quietly documenting their actions and inactions. Given the varied constitution of the National Assembly in terms of party memberships, not much differences have been noted. It seems to be business as usual given that most of the legislators mainly operate as mere politicians with no marked ideological similarities.

    The modus operandi of most of the politicians is often the same. There is still no structurally defined system in place. There is still largely an opaque national political agenda towards real growth. The focus/alliances are still the same; self, tribal, ethnic, religious and class agenda. No developed country thrives on these myopic agenda. The Roundtable Conversation feels that national growth must be a product of real altruistic political road map to development.

    So the clamour for regional commissions for the six geopolitical zones by law makers seems on the surface to be a very progressive idea. However, given the history of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from its days as OMPADEC, through to the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, not much development has come to the people or the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg. The environmental degradation, the poverty, the lack of development and the seeming agitation in the area continue to astonish the world.

    While on the face of it the development commissions might seem a good idea, to us, it really begs the question. The law makers sponsoring the bills and their supporters must be able to establish how functional those development commissions can be. What would be their terms of reference? How would they be funded and what would mark them out from the story of the NDDC that seems to have been full of scandals and corruption?

    It is an irony that the National Assembly that is supposed to make laws, represent their constituents and carry out oversight functions on the executive have largely left most of the job undone. If the legislative arm diligently carries out its oversight functions at the local, state and federal levels, development would have reached more people without the extra burden of development commissions. Scampering to sponsor bills for regional development without set foundational socio-political actions would merely be a round robin game.

    Nigerian political class is notorious for white elephant projects at various levels. Establishing Development Commissions mainly to fulfill regional political agenda would never be the correct route to development. The National Assembly ought to be more proactive in their law making and oversight functions which can be the propelling force for development. With more than 20 million children out of school in a 21st century Nigeria, what magic would six regional commissions make? Education is power.

    The legislators ought to be more concerned about the political structure that raises leaders who act as emperors in a democracy. There is urgent need to strengthen the political party structure in ways that the legislature becomes more functional. There must first be a functional and credible political party structure that can ensure that electoral laws are obeyed in ways to enhance intra-party democracy as a precursor to credible elections. This is a fundamental necessity. The dysfunction in the political party structure raises questions about our democracy.

    When there is intra-party democracy, elections would be less flawed and the elected would be held to account. It is largely due to lack of accountability that elected officials in Nigeria do not take their constitutional roles seriously.  Governors in Nigeria operate like emperors. As the political slang used to go, ‘they often influence the electoral processes from the ward level to the highest office in the land. 

    The saying that he who pays the piper dictates the tune cannot be over-emphasized under this circumstance. Today, the Attorney General of the federation keeps reiterating the law about the Local government financial autonomy. That is admirable but it is a practical illogicality because the governors seem to be the eternal hands of Esau with the body of Jacob.  The governors in Nigeria exercise too many powers in ways that stall development. The legislators must rise to that aberration in the political space.

    The recent House of Representative Constitution review Committee’s proposal for the creation of some additional 31 states in Nigeria is as ludicrous as it is a serious sign that our legislators seem to lack the tedious task of tidy thinking. To add 31 new states to a country with 36 states plus the federal capital territory Abuja bringing the states to 67 is not only outrageous given that not up to ten of the existing states operate profitably is just unbelievable.  Most of the states rely on federal allocations and random internal and external borrowing for sustenance and payment of salaries.

    Read Also: Fed govt to boost farmer support with targeted interventions – Shettima

    The proposed bill is the evidence that most of the politicians in the country are removed from realities. The focus seems to be a rat race for the creation of regional commissions and more states for the politicians to redistribute amongst themselves. Creation of political hegemonies seems to be at the core of most of the bills around commissions and extra states in a country with more than 137million people leaving in multi-dimensional poverty. Some of the existing states have been run down by those who have had the good fortune of being chosen to run the states at some points in our democratic journey.

    It is very curious that instead of the house to focus on why most of the states are insolvent and barely able to pay salaries let alone develop critical urban infrastructure to help the people, they want to further split the states possibly to spread more poverty. It is interesting that instead of looking at functionality and national interest, most politicians seem to be re-enacting the, ‘scramble and partition of the existing states in Nigeria.

    In a curious way, the proposed bill took no notice of the funding that goes into running a state. Their ambition seems to be just establishing more dysfunctional states. The lack of national and real people’s interests in the proposed bill clearly affirms that the Nigerian political class has some lessons to learn. Regional development Commissions and states do not spark development.

    Our legislators must understand the essence of the legislative arm in democracies. There is a reason coup-plotters and other global dictators descend heavily on the legislative arm anytime they happen to seize power. It is a great pillar of democracy. This again brings to the fore the need for the qualifying criteria for elections to offices to be reviewed in the country. The world is leaving Nigeria behind. The low level of the qualifying criteria for most elective positions is reason some people find their ways to certain positions.

    The world has gone beyond ‘attempted school certificate’ as the qualifying criteria for certain offices. This seems to be exactly why some very ignorant people find their ways to positions they have no business vying for in the first place. It is always an exhilarating joy to listen to most legislators across the world including some African countries. On the contrary, the Nigerian politics seems to be the exclusive preserve of the least endowed intellectually.

    Debates in the legislative houses often expose the immaturity and lack of intellectual sophistication of most members. Professional or occupational achievements are often not considered by political parties in choosing candidates for elective posts and this is main reason certain aberrations exist in the political space. The scramble for regional development commissions and mushroom and insolvent states cannot be route to development.

    The proposal for the creation of extra 31 states in a country with the myriad of developmental problems like Nigeria just affirms the allegations that the National Assembly seems peopled by people that need some lessons in legislative duties and nation-building. Like the legendary Shakespeare said, “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”.

    •The dialogue continues…

  • Kalu, Emir Sanusi II, Agary, Abaribe, others raise a voice…

    Kalu, Emir Sanusi II, Agary, Abaribe, others raise a voice…

    As the tumultuous year 2024 clock ticks to a close, Nigerians home and abroad like the global community eagerly await the dawn of 2025. As with all New Years, there are expectations, regrets, anticipations, dreams, plans and even the often laughable ’New Year Resolutions’ some of which fade away before the end of the first quarter of the year. But humans are born optimists. Pregnancies occur and there is growth and expectations of development. The child is born and there is hope of the expected milestones of growth both mentally and physically.

    So when a child is born and does not develop according to the known milestones especially the motor and cognitive stages, naturally the parents and extended family begin to ask questions and plans are made to assist the child lead a near normal life. These days, fatalism that fuels superstition has given room to realistic steps to assist children with physical or learning challenges to develop and maximize their potentials no matter how imperfect. The bottomline however is that the adults in the societal room make efforts to help the child with development challenges.

    This narrative is a mere illustrative sample of the developmental challenges and how the human community tries to fill the gap. At regional and national levels, Nigeria appears like the child whose development is challenged and the people that pride themselves as the greatest black people on earth have seemingly been oscillating between near development and a situation of total socio-economic chaos resulting in mass poverty and  gaining the country the notoriety of the country with the largest number of out-of-school children, the poverty capital of the world, the country with one of the highest number of maternal and child mortality and numerous other development challenges that have impacted the standard of living and life expectancy.

    Since 1999 and with the return to civilian democracy in the country, each administration has encountered daunting challenges that seem to worsen with each transition to a new government. The socio-economic problems in the country have in a way stunted the growth of a 64 year old independent Nigeria. But Nigeria has not always been in dire development straits. The descent to anomie started with the post-independent power struggle of which the military took a huge advantage of. Coups and counter coups, a three year war, and political instability almost pushed the country off the edge.

    The return to civilian democracy in 1999 has signaled some development but it is still not uhuru. The country is still tethering and the socio-economic problems seem to be escalating by the day. There has been a tendency for the blame game between the leaders and the led. The Bottomline line is that both sides of the aisle are casualties of systemic dysfunction.

    Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo Foundation, a socio-cultural group of women of Igbo ancestry or by marriage has since its birthing in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown period been concerned about the slow development not just of the region but of the whole country. The group, coming from a background of traditional dual governance of both men and women decided to take the lead  by doing something. The group has a Board of Advisers made up of only men working progressively with an all female Board of Trustees giving vent to the motto of the foundation which is “Partnering for Development”.

    The vision of the group is to steer both regional and national conversations that could accelerate development. The first word Nkata in Igbo language means conversation. The group believes that the powerful tool of conversation, dialogue or effective communication can be employed to unknot the development crisis that has been affecting the country. They have in the last three years been deeply involved in strategic communication using all necessary tools to address issues of development in the country.

    For this year’s conference, the group brought together informed and influential Nigerians to Abuja to discuss the theme, “Driving Transformation Through Value Re-Orientation, Inclusive Leadership and Sustainability”.

    This theme was chosen after very wide consultations. The bane of Nigeria’s developmental problems is due to a multiplicity of issues. However, at the root of the problems is the loss of core values that held communities together. The values that do not by any means produce Saints but at least helped the society to uphold certain core values that helped in maintaining a more progressive and cohesive society. The values of integrity, honesty, diligence, respect and other values seem to be on the decline. Ironically, most people assume that the leaderships over the years are to blame but aren’t the leadership taken from the people?

    Again, inclusive leadership has been an issue in the democratic space. Civil Rights and Gender advocates have been worried that the Nigerian political space is suffused with masculine energy in that more than 90% of political offices are occupied by men in all tiers of government. What this means is that many qualified women do not get the much desired opportunpartake in leadership. Global institutions like the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) all have research findings that show that countries with less opportunities for women are always lagging behind developmentally.

    Ironically in Nigeria, statistics have shown that women excel in those areas where merit and capacity are the criteria. The informal sector that contributes a lot to the GDP has mainly women operators. Many women are at the helm of many financial institutions as chairmen and CEOs. In the academia, many women are in very high positions just as many perform well in sports, entertainment and music. It therefore beggars belief that when it comes to political inclusion, very few women are allowed to bring their competence and learning to contribute to national development.

    The near exclusion of women, the youths and those living with disabilities in the democratic process contributes to the lack of development in the country. No bird flies successfully with one wing. This is exactly the reality of the Nigerian situation. The human capital is neither fully developed nor utilized for the good of the country. So the conversation at the conference was robustly about three key points, value-reorientation, inclusive leadership and sustainability.

    Read Also: Kalu, Emir Sanusi II, Agary, Abaribe, others raise a voice…

    The varied Speakers at the conference from the different sectors of the Nigerian society spoke brilliantly about the need for an introspection by the Nigerian society. National development is never sourced out. The citizens must choose what path they want to development. The political structure must be inclusive and equitable. The present political exclusion cannot birth a developed nation. The political party structure must change. Competence and merit must be the criteria for leadership selection.

    According to Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Soeaker Nigerian House of Representativesthe 10th assembly who Chaired the Conference, the house would be willing to revisit the gender equity bills and make other laws that would facilitate inclusivity to enhance development. In his speech, he agreed that national development cannot be achieved without women participation given the fact that women are natural builders.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, spoke of what he called “the uncomfortable truth”. According to him, while we all acknowledge the loss of values especially amongst his Igbo ethnic group, he believes that women have a role to play in raising their children with admirable values that ennoble. He said the people must go back to the values of integrity, diligence and honesty if any changes must happen to propel development. Acquitting wealth by any means is not a cultural attitude. Wealth in Igbo culture always comes from traceable business

    According to the Emir of Kano, HRH Lamido Sanusi II who was Royal Father of the Day, investing in women must be a priority and a national emergency because women hold the key to development. He believes that the idea of brandishing statistics of, maternal and child mortality, malnurished children, out of school children, child brides, female IDPs is defeatist. The governments must try to be proactive right from the cradle because an educated woman holds the key to the prevention of a lot of the socio-economic problems that affect the country. According to the Emir, investment in women development is key to national growth given the great role they play in the lives of their children.

    The Emir recalled the role he played as Central Bank governor in making sure more qualified women were appointed into many financial institutions and today more women are directors not just at the CBN but they are also CEOs of many banks. He went further to advise Nigerians about values that matter. He believes the people must distinguish between what and who they are. In his view, what you are might be a position but who you are is the value you bring to the people through what you are.

    The former First Lady of Ekiti state, Erelu Adebisi Adeleye-Fayemi a renowned civil and gender rights advocate reiterated her call for the protection and empowerment of the girl child or woman by ensuring they are educated, certain harmful cultural practice eradicated because rather than enhance development, those harmful cultural practices negatively affect not just the woman but the society at large. In her view, every woman who is denied a seat at the table, every girl who is denied education, every woman under the burden of domestic violence takes the country down the ladder of underdevelopment.

    Timi Koripami-Agary (PhD), a retired permanent Secretary and activist often called Mama Amnesty for her very effective role in the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta was the Mother of the Day at the conference. As a very renowned mediator on Labour, gender and conflict issues she maintains that development cannot happen like magic. She  insists that the country must be conscious of the value of women and equity to development. It would be delusional to assume that development can come without peace and gender justice rooted on the justice system that guarantees equity for all.

    The conversation as is being advocated by the Nkata group should be embraced by Nigerians from all regions because of the interdependence of all the regions. Bringing the conference to Abuja and the coalition of Nigerians from almost all tribes in the country was a good way to prepare the people for the coming year. There is no alternative to the national conversation that Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo Foundation has initiated. This is the first part of what happened at the Abuja Conference.

    • The dialogue continues…
  • November 5th: All eyes on American democracy

    November 5th: All eyes on American democracy

    American presidential and congressional/senatorial elections happen on the first Tuesday of November on every election year. This 2024, the 5th of November, just three days away will determine one of the most consequential Presidential elections in United States‘ history. Great as the United States is as seemingly the lone super power, no woman has been elected president. The very first major political party nomination by the Democratic Party was that of Secretary Hilary Clinton in 2016.

    A Hilary Clinton, former first lady, two-time Senator and former American Secretary of State won the popular votes during the 2016 election by more than three million votes but lost through the electoral  college to the Republican nominee and 45th president, Donald. J Trump. Kamala Harris, broke a record in 2020 by being elected the Vice President to President Joe Biden becoming the first woman of South Asian and African heritage to become Vice President in America.

    For the 2024 election, President Joe Biden patriotically handed over the baton to Mdam Vice President, Kamala Harris. A very remarkable historical first that is seen as not just a very selfless act but also a stamp of trust and patriotism for his Vice president and America. A woman of many firsts in her career as a public servant who became the first Asian/African  American to be elected the Attorney General of California and later a Senator of the United States. 

    With the nomination and endorsements from almost all Democrats and some Republicans,  Vice President  Harris came into the Presidential race just a few months to the D-day and is squaring up with former President Trump. The two candidates have kept the global media buzzing as pundits battle with realities and permutations. In 2016, they were wrong after the ballots were counted. A Hilary Clinton, a seasoned lawyer and former Secretary of State lost to the new kid in politics, the businessman, Donald Trump.

    As the world holds its breath as the first female Vice President of America goes against former President Trump, the stakes are too high. This election is like no other in the history of America. America in its global policeman of democracy has never elected a woman despite women getting the right to vote about a hundred years ago.

    The Roundtable Conversation feels that beyond all the hullabaloo about the different electoral value of the various demographics and their ability to swing votes, too many lessons stand out for very unstable democracies in developing countries especially Nigeria. The history of the first Tuesday in November as the election day in America is very profound. It was chosen with the people, who are the mandate givers in a democracy in mind. It was chosen as the freest day that allows the most agrarian population in the 19th century to come out and vote with little inconvenience as regards their leaving their jobs or being impacted by some inclement weather.

    As time went on and occupations diversified and people embraced other non-agrarian occupations, the early voting and mail voting was introduced by law. Today, these kinds of voting bring convenience to every voter in America. Geography and distance is never a disadvantage to any voter. This is an inclusivity that is lacking in the electoral system of Nigeria. The political class in Nigeria seems to have no plans for any form of inclusivity in the Nigerian political space.

    People could give the puerile excuse that Nigeria’s independence is just less than a century old but they forget that the fathers of America laid a very solid foundation that gave power to the people. This merely takes patriotism, humanity and a large heart and not a million years. The Nigerian political class seems less patriotic than the founders of American democracy and writers of their constitution.

    The Nigerian democracy is fashioned after the American model but in some weird way, the political class merely picks and chooses what favours individuals, the male gender, groups and regions. This attitude is the albatross of the Nigerian model of democracy. There is exclusion, there is no ideological identity of the political parties unlike the American model. The Nigerian political parties lack ideological convictions in a way that the late political scientist and former Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo had described the political parties as mere gatherings of people.

    With no strong ideological leanings, the political parties lack character in ways that voters can trust or country thrive from. In fact, there is a huge trust deficit on politicians because they see the political class as selfish and very politically fluid as majority of politicians effortlessly defect from one party to the other depending on the political expediencies they expect. The Republican and Democratic parties in America are easily identifiable by the ideals they are formed on.

    Even though America has never elected a woman president, there is a sizeable representation of women in party leaderships, many women have been elected mayors, governors and to various political offices in ways that is progressive. In Nigeria, the existence of the very vacuous, “Women Wing” of political parties is an eloquent testimony of the subtle and overt sexism that exist in the Nigerian political party system. Somehow the political parties in Nigeria are exclusively run by men and women are offered tokens as “Women Leaders” while there are no “Male Leaders” or Male Wings of political parties. Less than 10% of women win party nominations.

    There is no equity in representation as the youths, women and those living with disabilities always clamor for inclusion. There is also no financial order in the Nigerian political space unlike in America where there is a well monitored financial order in ways that fraudulent financial donations to parties either by corporate bodies or individuals is often monitored and defaulters punished.. Conversely, the Nigerian political system seems to be a ‘winner takes it all’ as individuals with enough money and influence often impact the administeration of the political parties negatively.

    The stability of electoral institutions and dates is one aspect of democracy that Nigeria must try to emulate. More often than not, electoral systems are corrupted by leaders and made unstable. As Americans go to the polls everyone sees how near perfect the system works. There is an impersonal institution that is loyal to the system and not individuals no matter how influential they are in the country. This points very much to Barack Obama’s advice to Africans to build strong institutions rather than strong individuals. Strong institutions are more viable for development as they are more productively enduring than seemingly strong individuals given the mortality effect every human is subject to.

    The American electoral system is very compelling when it comes to individual self-presentations. Candidates put themselves on the public space once they declare their intentions. Winning or losing or even dropping out at the early stages is often almost automatic given the demands of the voters through holding individuals accountable. Candidates are expected to face the voters through various media and town hall platforms during campaigns that even though they still use surrogates, the candidates must be leading. In the Nigerian system, sometimes, the candidates feel the voters don’t matter.

    Read Also: This American democracy is alien!

    The American system gives power to the voters even if there are some missteps sometimes. No human system is perfect but Nigeria can do better with its electoral system. Most times the Nigerian electoral system is so flawed that it is a known fact that Nigeria has some of the most litigious elections in the world with a substantial number of elections often determined by the law courts. In some instances, post-election litigations last years into the tenures of some usurpers of power. In these instances, voters are denied their voices and discontent reigns supreme.

    With each successive American election, the world sees the patriotism in the people. This 2024 presidential election is even more profound as many Republicans are for the first time voting for Vice President Harris based on what they term love of country and loyalty to the constitution. This is possibly a sentiment lacking in most Nigerian politicians as power is often about, personal ego, personalities, regional and ethnic loyalties and even, sadly, religion. These are very divisive sentiments and its not surprising why the country is as underdeveloped as it is divided along ethnic and religious lines.

    The 2024 American election again projects the power of voting demographics. Each candidate will win or lose based on how their policies on the economy, immigration, gender rights/justice, abortion, etc. appeal to voters across America. 64 years after Nigerian independence, politicians still campaign based on the provision of basic infrastructural facilities like electricity, roads and schools. These seem to be the permanent clichés at both state and federal elections.

    While infrastructural development is necessary, most times the campaign promises are mere smokescreens. Successive governments at local, state and federal levels seem to be disloyal to their campaign promises. Sadly, more often than not, such failure on campaign promises do not impact on the chances of most Nigerin politicians to access power at future elections. This speaks to the powerlessness of the electorate in a developing country like Nigeria.

    As the world holds its breath as the clock ticks towards one of the most significant elections in US history, the greatest lesson must be learnt by citizens of Nigeria, one of  the most populous and endowed countries in the world. Adopting the American democracy model must not just be on paper or about the convenient. Profound lessons must be taken away from America not as a perfect system but as a functional system where the rule of law works to hold every citizen to account and where loyalty of individuals is to the nation and not to an individual, state or political party. America is great because the citizens love and work sincerely for their nation and people.

    • The dialogue continues…
  • The deafening silence…

    The deafening silence…

    The world seems very crisis-ridden at the moment. What with the wars between Russia and Ukraine and in Middle East by Israel/Hamas/Hezbollah. While these are in the global media, there are the unspoken wars in the seemingly ‘peaceful’ corners especially in Africa. There are the decades-old Somali/Al-Shabaab militants, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies, the Janjaweed Coalition.

    Besides these ones, the West Coast of Africa has been embroiled in coups and counter coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger with the attendant collateral damages in human deaths and destruction of infrastructure. In all the conflicts, women and children become the most victims of the fall out; deaths, displacements and sexual abuses. Economic and social issues that impact development are on the increase as Sub-Saharan Africa continues to teeter towards instability and underdevelopment.

    In Nigeria, it’s been no less a thing of worry that the socio-economic conditions have impacted women and children more than any other demographics due to a number of socio-political variables. Nigeria has had more internally displaced people (IDPs) than at any peace time in the country due to the attacks by bandits, kidnappers and other insurgents that have been attacking communities, raping, killing, abducting and harassing citizens.

    In all the conflicts across the world, men are the decision makers, they are often the leaders, the instigators, the recruiters of foot soldiers, armies and mercenaries. This is basically because globally, there is a patriarchal bent to socio-politics. In some countries, there are very few women in government. Men make the decisions that impact on about half the population of the world if not more.

    The Roundtable Conversation is concerned about the Nigerian situation, the largest black nation on earth with more than two hundred million people. Sadly, due to some cultural and religious manipulations, the society is almost exclusively run by men as most countries embraced democracy after the colonial experience. However, the Nigerian brand of democracy is run with systemic exclusion of women, those living with disabilities and the youth. The policies that concern these demographics are often made by men.

    Despite the advocies for inclusive politics, Nigeria still lags behind in women representation especially in the legislative houses at local state and federal levels. In some states, there is no single woman in their houses of assembly. This then means that all laws and bills concerning the welfare of women are either not raised or are handled by men who know nothing about the needs and reproductive health of women. Most women are denied education in certain parts of the country because of poverty and the child-marriages that invariably stalls both the physical and intellectual growths of women.

    Today, Nigeria has just four women in the Senate, down from seven in the 9th Assembly. In the House of Reps., the number of women went from 22 in 2019 to about 11 in 2023. On the contrary, Rwanda, the phoenix emerging from the 1994 genocidal war has become the country with the highest percentage of women in parliament in the worlf with more than sixty percent of women in parliament. About  half the cabinet is made up of women. The Rwandan economy is doing well and now one of the investment and tourism hubs in the continent.

    Kenya on the other hand, had a constitutional review in 2010 making it illegal for any gender to occupy more than two third of any position. They had elected three female governors after that and in 2022, added four more female governors making it seven female governors in Kenya at the moment. On the other hand, Nigeria, the most populous black nation has never elected a female governor. No major political party has ever nominated a female presidential or vice presidential candidate.

    On the other hand, women constitute a great percentage of the informal economy that contribute to the nation’s GDP but largely left out of decision making.

    Despite women being very few in governance, they still exist. The Roundtable Conversation feels that few as women are especially in the National Assembly, they have been largely mute in addressing the issues that affect the country especially women. While we understand the many challenges that these few women face in the discharge of their duties, we believe they can do better and they can do more.

    Getting lost in the legislative houses seems a defeatist attitude that can never be an option. These women belong to political parties and must not be lost in the crowd just because of their gender. There are huddles on the way but attempts must be made to jump those huddles. Raising their voices for good governance is an option. We however assume that they seem to value the much touted ‘party loyalty’ than pulling their weight to get the men in the executive to act in the interest of women.

    While we understand that legislative processes involve the say by the minority and the way by the majority, it seems the minority is not making much moves. The fight for change by women in global history is not won in silence. The power to vote was fought over centuries and was eventually won. Today women are Presidents, Prime Ministers and Heads of Governments. It took the voice of a few strong women.

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    The Margarte Ekpos, the Gambo Sawabas, the Funmilayo Ransome Kutis did not make history by staying mute. The Aba women of 1929, the Amazons of Dahomey, Queen Amina, Queen Idia and the Egba women that contronted the then Alake of Egba land did not stay behind the scenes. The few women in the Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly seem to have run into the shadows after being trusted by the voters. Make no mistakes about it, there are a few vocal women but we want louder voices, a chorus.

    We want women to raise their voices about issues creating more poverty in a nation where more than 133million live in multi-dimensional poverty, more than 20million children out of school, more women and child illiteracy, maternal and child mortality, more child-brides than most African and developed countries etc. We don’t want mere tokenism of just chorusing to male sponsored bills.

    Being benchwarmers at any level of government is not acceptable from any gender but in a world where women are increasingly endangered, any woman that has a chance, has a voice and refuses to maximally use it must feel some sense of failure. Being numbers in government is not enough. Nigerian women must work and act like women are in dire straits in the country.

    The women must decide whether the political space for women would continue to shrink or expand.  Acting as mere errand women for male politicians is one reason most female politicians make little or no impact in igerian politics. The women must aspire to be in leadership positions in political parties so as to redirect the functioning of the party structure in ways that merit becomes key more than gender and financial muscle.

    Women in Nigerian politics must start by dismantling the ‘Women Leader’ position in political parties. It is a very degrading tokenism and a mockery of the female intellect. What by the way is Woman Leader? It is an eloquent testimony of second classism. They are flattered by a vauous tag that makes no political sense. It is a position that just organizes fellow women to vote for men. It has little or no political dignity for the women.

    While everyone understands the impact of financial power by the men in Nigerian politics, it is enough reason for women to fight through bills to enact laws that can streamline political party funding as done in stable democracies where the people contribute to support their favourites making the game fare and accessible. The moment there are structural chnges to how political parties are run in Nigeria, things will change. Merit and capacity would begin to matter. Donors will support candidates based on what they perceive as their professional and private pedigree. With a transparent and fair political party structure, more qualified women would be ready to throw their hats in the ring and contest for political offices and while no one is insinuating that women are saints in politics, men are not either. The question is, has Nigeria fared well under the present lopsided male dominance?Ironically, while men edge out many women in the political field through unfair means, women in the academia, sports, corporate governance, banking and other sectors have proven to be great performers. It is then surprising that the same men who appreciate women in most of these fields somehow exclude many from political spaces. The result is the poverty, the insecurity, the conflicts, the intractable low lifespan especially for the men who never seem to realize how impacted their choices of excluding women in the political space impact leadership.

    The Roundtable Conversation believes that the status quo must be dismantled and women must realize that the men who are the beneficiaries would not lead the struggle. Women in politics must be more proactive and work for their welfare. There must be a shift from the fatalism that tend to convince women that leadership is a male prerogative. No one knows the gender of God. He might just be a woman given his works and how structured the universe is. Culture and religion must not be tools to push exclusion. No bird flies with one wing. Our women politicians must wake up and smell the coffee. A lot needs to be done.

    The dialogue continues…

  • The Dangers of selective government ‘philantropy’

    The Dangers of selective government ‘philantropy’

    Nigeria practices the presidential style of democracy fashioned after that of the United States. However, there is a myriad of structural differences in the two systems. Somehow, the elected representatives of the people in the executive and legislative arms seem not to be held accountable by the people and the system. That is why campaigns in the United States are more  expository of the character and professional competences of politicians.

    On the other hand, the Nigerian political system is flawed in some key areas; the political party structure, the electoral system, party leadership style, campaign funds and lack of accountability by the elected and appointees. The political parties seem to lack definable ideological convictions making it difficult for the people to really align committedly with any political party as a development agenda. Most partisan party members are in it for the socio-economic expediencies they will get after election victories.

    Most Nigerian politicians easily swing between the political parties depending on which side they feel their bread can better be buttered. There is hardly any identifiable sense of patriotic verve that motivate most politicians in Nigeria. This lack of patriotism manifests in the ways they handle their public service. Most are in it for their egos as can be seen from their attitude in offices. Immediately after elections. They often forget their promises to the people and literally fence off  the voters.

    The lifestyles of many politicians in offices spell luxury and arrogance. Many are in it for the opportunities for self-aggrandizements that accrue from certain positions and influence peddling. Immediately after elections, it is often a ‘we vs them’ attitude as the politicians tend to live in a bubble feigning ignorance of the challenges the citizens face. This is not the best of democracy. There is an aloofness that Nigerian politicians show that any little action by them is seen as a favor to the people and they make media song and dance over things that ought to be insignificant and ordinary.

    The fact that Nigeria is battling with more than 133million citizens living in multi-dimensional poverty, more than 20million out-of-school children, more than 10million children chronically malnourished with the attendant consequences of mental and physical retardation amidst the resources and human capital since independence shows that the Nigerian democracy has not paid off as expected.  The political class has over the years failed the people. 

    Curiously though, the Roundtable Conversation has observed over the years that most politicians love the limelight with their tokenism to the some of the people. They invite media attention when they renovate schools, build infrastructure,  give scholarships to deserving students, give out palliatives or assist some indigent people in dire need. It is even worse with the advent of the social media. The moment certain pathetic cases of some individuals are highlighted in the media, some politicians jump on the bandwagon possibly for the visibility and media attention that would give them.

    Recently, a young lady who is described as content creator in the social media made a video showcasing her mother living with mental health challenges.  It attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians. Some commended her for being sincere and caring for her mom who apparently is on the streets uncared for by no one except possibly her children one of who damned a very judgmental society that stigmatizes mental health issues to bring her mother’s challenges to the media space.

    The Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye upbraided the young lady for filming her mentally ill mother, “for personal gain and social media content”. While the minister might mean well with her comments, the young lady might possibly have done that in desperation. Given how mentally health cases  are treated by society, that young lady must be commended for her courage and tenacity. Yes, if it was for personal gain, what in the world would be better than attracting attention to possibly help one’s mother? Yes, it is for a personal gain but the one worth every effort. In a society whose healthcare system for even regular illnesses is in shambles, mental illness is often shrouded in many superstitious beliefs and patients are often left uncared for. We suspect desperation to get help for her dear mother and hopefully help others.

    Yes, mental health issues are global in nature but it is for governments to create room for their care to the best of their ability. There are mentally ill people on the streets around the world but there are more facilities like rehab homes, therapy and social welfare agencies and psychiatric institutions. The essence of governments is to see to the welfare of the people to the best of their ability.

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    While the Women Affairs minister might be correct in admonishing citizens not to exploit vulnerable individuals especially those struggling with mental health issues, we feel the young lady might just have taken the bull by the horn to bring government attention to the challenges she and her family are facing over their mother.  We however commend the minister for seeking more information on this case and promising to ensure proper care for the woman.

    A few days ago too, one 22 year old Grace Udeme Esenowa,  a mother of four who dropped out of high school due to teenage pregnancy was in the news. She is a farm house worker who fed her four kids with chicken and fish feeds. Her employer, one Pastor Uzoma had taken interest in her case and escalated her story to his social media influencer daughter who put up Grace’s story on Instagram. Grace’s partner had previously been beaten to death because he allegedly stole some potatoes.

    The wife of the Akwa Ibom state governor, Pastor Patience Umo Eno had on reading the story demanded a mental evaluation of the young lady while offering to rehabilitate her with accommodation, sponsorship for skills acquisition and other forms of assistance. That is very commendable. However, Grace is one out of millions of young ladies whose lives are distorted by teenage pregnancies. So tragic that her partner passed while possibly trying to provide for the four children they had together. We believe that governments in the country must do better not necessarily to eradicate certain social ills but to minimize them.

    The beginning of Grace’s sad life is her teenage pregnancy and parental rejection that forced her to go live with a man that had violated her innocence at 16! How serious does Nigeria treat such sexual abuse of young girls? It is possibly only Lagos state that has a very functional Gender-Based Violence Agency that is very diligent and tries to prosecute conclusively sexual predators. Many of them have been jailed in the recent past.

    What is the Akwa Ibom state government planning to do to address teenage pregnancies? What is their school curriculum like? Did the young lady realize what it meant to have sex with a man if it was consensual?  What counseling agenda does Akwa Ibom and other states have for young ladies and their parents in cases of teenage pregnancies when they  inevitably happen? It is not enough to stigmatize the young lady, in many ways, the state had failed her and her ilk.

    She went to live with her violator because she had no options. Her life trajectory is enough to induce mental health issues. Feeding her children with animal feed must have been an act of desperation. She possibly had no option in a situation where caring for the kids had become her  responsibility given the death of her partner which was enough to induce some mental health issues too.

    The Women Affairs Minister and the First lady of Akwa Ibom State through their actions narrated above have not broken any laws. Their actions are commendable. However, the Roundtable Conversation believes that governments in Nigeria at local, state and federal levels can do better. There can be more efforts at making policies and laws that can help the citizens better and reduce the often media glitz that comes with certain isolated cases of human needs. There is no perfect system anywhere in the world but we all know that Nigeria often lacks the political will to plan properly for a functional society that can reduce poverty and give more dignity to the human person.

    Most politicians in Nigeria treat citizens as one mass of needy group who must be eternally grateful for the little given every once in a while. We cannot continue to be a country of pity parties. The 22 year old might not have been in the news if the society cared better for the girl child. Caring for the girl child does not mean waving the magic wand and abolishing teenage pregnancies, it is more comprehensively about planning for the welfare of the different demographics.

    Policy and law makers must work together to develop more functional systems that address social issues that make life difficult especially for the vulnerable in the society. Sexual offences against young girls are not treated with the seriousness it demands. There must be serious plans to institute social nets that can cushion the vagaries of life to avoid all the spontaneous acts of isolated philanthropy that merely puts government officials or their spouses as some Mother Theresa to a tiny percentage of the deprived in the society.

    Make no mistake about it, the Roundtable Conversation is by no means implying that assistance by public officials to those who need them is wrong, we just feel that a society is not run sparks of seeming humanitarian acts. There must be a deliberate attempt to build a system that fundamentally takes care of certain basic issues to minimize spontaneous rescue missions. Democracy in Nigeria must be truly government of the people, by the people and for the people. That way, we can address the core illnesses not the symptoms that exert palliatives that are not far reaching.

    • The dialogue continues…
  • NASS and the scramble for development commissions

    NASS and the scramble for development commissions

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is the first formally established regional development commission by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000. Its sole mandate was to develop the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008 announced the formation of the Niger Delta Ministry under which the NDDC was to operate as a parastatal for maximum efficiency.

    One of the central mandates of the NDDC was to train and educate the youths of the goose that lays the golden egg – the Niger delta region.  This was aimed at addressing the restiveness of the youth that had started impacting the production and distribution of crude oil. Beyond educating and training the youths, most of who were actually sponsored to study abroad on scholarship, the commission was also mandated to develop key infrastructure to aid productivity and make the region more self-sustaining.

    Sadly though, the NDDC is not the first development commission to be established by the federal government with its myriad of  oil-induced environmental devastation that have impact the lives of the citizens. The wild life, agriculture and marine lives of the people are some of the worst in the world amongst oil-producing nations. 

    It must be noted that NDDC idea came after an earlier commission, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, OMPADEC established on June 25, 1992 by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd.) . OMPADEC did not record much success as the commission went from one management failure due to alleged corruption to the other. It is safe to say that the failure of OMPADEC necessitated the establishment of a Ministry of Niger Delta under which NDDC was supposed to operate.

    However, the NDDC despite a few achievements for the region has come under national criticism as many of the successive management boards have come under serious allegations of corruption. It is public knowledge that the money that has been invested in the Commission has not been commiserate with the infrastructural development or the states under the NDDC Act. At some point, even the students sent abroad under the late  President Yar’Adua’s  Amnesty Programme were in the streets of most global capitals protesting the delay in remitting their tuition fees. The allegations were not denied even if the problems were belatedly sorted. That singular act of irresponsibility by the management of the NDDC is symptomatic of many other projects of the commission. There have been series of allegations of corruption, under-performances, probes and National Assembly Public hearings involving the successive managements of the Commission with no serious outcomes.

    Reports indicate that by 2021, more than 13,000 projects and programmes by NDDC have either been abandoned or are uncompleted. These contracts are estimated to have cost about N15 trillion or $40bn. A good percentage of the  abandoned projects are sited in Rivers State. This had necessitated former President Mohammed Buhari  to order  a forensic audit of NDDC from 2001 to 2019. The audit led to a termination of some of the unexecuted contracts.

    The core Niger Delta states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta and Ondo states remain some of the worst environmentally degraded areas in the country with the attendant poverty, intensifying insecurity, emergence of various militant groups and poor infrastructure. Given the rise in oil prices and the amount of monies being allocated to the commission, the condition of the region has become objects of films, creative arts, novels, poetry and documentaries all picturing the gaping paradox of a region so rich yet so impoverished the poignancy of the narratives are so impacting on a global scale that most writers and film producers have won awards for the power of their depictions of the environmental and infrastructural tragedy of the region.

    The Roundtable Conversation finds it apposite to recount a tiny bit of the NDDC story because of the rising demand and time given by the National Assembly to regional Development Commissions.  Following Boko Haram and other terrorist activities in the North East over the Years and given the continued devastation of the areas in question, there have been rising poverty, an increase in the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other socio-economic fall outs. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) was established in 2017 to help mitigate the problems of the conflicts and insurgency in the region. The NEDC was supposed to almost replicate the mandate of the NDDC investing in the future of the region through environmental training programs for Northeast women and youths.  At some point during the administration of former President Mohammadu Buhari, he had instructed the World Bank and some other global agencies to direct their humanitarian programmes to the North Eastern region of the country. It remains to be seen whether the NEDC and other interventionist programmes have yielded the desired results for people.

    The Bill for the establishment of the South West and South East Development Commissions had seemingly past second reading. The Bill for the establishment of the North West development Commission passed first reading in the Senate two days ago. So as it stands today, only the North Central has no Development Commission Bill in the waiting but knowing the Nigerian system, it might not be too long in coming. But the question is, to what end?

    The 10th National Assembly is going the route of those before it. There seems to be no diligent Oversight functions on plethora of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).  Sadly too, the same Senate ‘screens’ nominees for these MDAs but somehow fail to be thorough before confirmation and to do thorough Oversight functions to keep both the appointees and the civil servants on their toes. May be the NDDC might have delivered satisfactorily on its mandate and other MDAs might be more accountable too.

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    The ‘scramble for Development Commissions’ just for regional balance shows some form of  systemic failure. How have the National Assembly handled the  petitions and results of the public hearings they have organized? Are there conclusive investigations? A  thorough Oversight Function  by the two arms of the National Assembly ought to have nipped certain lack of transparency and alleged corruption cases in the bud.

    The` Roundtable Conversation spoke to Kalu Idika Kalu,  a member of the APC, former two-time finance minister,  of national planning and transportation minister, former Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Chairman Development Committee of the World Bank with vast experiences about development paradigms  across continents. We asked him his views on the proliferation of regional Development Commissions and the value that can add to development. To him, while development Commissions are not a bad idea, the nation’s development structures are wobbly and totally ill-prepared for meaningful development. The first and crucial action is to address the structural inefficiencies first.

    The nation must apply due diligence and structural efficiency that ensures civil servants and indeed the leaderships at various levels are accountable. We must address the fundamentals, there must be structural and monetary policy efficiency for things to work well he insists. We must fix the center, monetary, fiscal, financial and management systems before things begin to work properly for development.  There must be proper cost-effectiveness and good financial analysis that have been proven functional in other jurisdictions.

    The creation of regional Development Commissions cannot function optimally if the structural defects are not sorted. Funny enough the same National assembly just passed a budget, where would the funding for the Commissions come from without good economic planning based on global models? One would have thought that the National Assembly understands the real essence of development. There are more to development plans that are far beyond setting up of development commissions. There must be a conscious effort to rejig the public service mentality.

    There must be a conscious effort to first make people understand the essence of development and the price the citizens must be ready to pay. Development Commissions do not function in a vacuum. The NDDC experience should have shown us that something is wrong with the system.  It should not really be about vague regional scramble for development commissions without a holistic national re-orientation of the human capital that will ultimately run the organizations.

    The Roundtable believes that the political immaturity being displayed by the legislators is an ill-wind that blows no one any good. The National Assembly is there for national duties being representatives of the people. While we agree that they are representing their regions and constituencies, their job is not to scramble in a wild goose chase style to establish regional development commissions just for flawed regional equity. Functionality must be the goal rather than mere optical satisfaction.

    It is just curious that the ‘race’ to sponsor bills for regional development commissions is not grounded in reality and achievable goals. The Senate has not done well in carrying out oversight functions that in the real sense would force MDAs to fill the development gaps that they seek through regional development commissions. There is no scarcity of MDAs to work to develop every region. What is lacking is the systemic efficiency of the human beings in public service. The National Assembly  has not acquitted itself satisfactorily through oversight functions on the Ministry of Niger delta Affairs,  the NDDC and many other MDAs. NDDC ought to stand as a successful model first before the wild goose chase for other regional development commissions.

    ●The dialogue Continues…