The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday

  • Interesting times

    These are indeed interesting times for Nigeria’s football. Super Eagles now have a chief coach and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chieftains not in hurry to announce the team’s assistant coaches. The Eagles now have a Nike kits deal worth $750,000. In subsequent years, the deal will rise to $1 million, culminating in the $2.75 million deal for a country that had her debut at the World Cup in 1994.  Did I hear you say chicken feed? For Nigeria’s soccer teams in the next three years, $2.75 million is paltry but that is the price we must pay for doing players’ and coaches’ biddings.

    Interestingly, nobody has told us how people can get the kits. Most times, it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for anyone to get Nigeria’s kits anywhere in the world. Even visits to the manufacturers haven’t solved the puzzle. Merchandising is one of the money spinners in the game. Replica jerseys and other memorabilia are revenue earners for serious countries, especially during big competitions such as the World Cup. The biggest gift for any Nigerian in Diaspora is the Eagles jersey.

    Beyond the annual increment of the sponsorship deal by $1million, we need to know where soccer fans can get the original jerseys. NFF needs to tell us their plans to stop people from selling fake Eagles kits so that they can make good business of it. Most importantly is the need for the jerseys to be affordable. I look forward to the day when fans can walk into shops within the stadium to buy the jerseys. I marvel at mammoth crowds dressed in their countries’ colours at match venues. This is the sensible thing to do not kowtowing to players’ and coaches’ needless demands.

    Players and coaches decide, including the awful choice of lemon green as the country’s colour. They decide the hotels they will stay, tell us how much they should earn and pay them upfront yet, the Eagles are the 45th in the world; seventh in Africa. These are truly interesting times for our football.

    Lemon green isn’t dark green, which represents the dominant colour in our flag.  We don’t want disco jerseys. We must stop this nonsense. Countries draw their identities from the dominant colour on their national flag. Lemon green isn’t one of our flag’s colours. No wonder we are being paid $2.75 million for a three-year deal.

    But that is the price we are paying for not qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and also the disrespect our coaches and players showed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to our previous kit suppliers. Our coaches wore Adidas complete training kits to press conferences, even as they had Nike fez cap. A blue Nike cap on green Adidas should tell anyone that there was something wrong. Not so with our coaches. As for our players, they played with all manner of boots, insisting that they had personal kitting deals, which are not applicable when they play for their European clubs. I hope sincerely that the NFF knows what it has signed with Nike and should insist on our players’ and coaches’ compliance with the tenets of the contract. It smacks of irresponsibility on our part for players’ and coaches’ deals to supersede that of the country. Only in Nigeria can such things happen. It shouldn’t, therefore, come as a surprise that the NFF always goes to government cap-in-hand for cash.

    Any player or coach who is unwilling to wear what he is given should be decamped. It was for this reason, among others, that Nike dumped us in the past. We should stop this tendency of going back to our vomit for pittance when we could solve the problem by getting our players and coaches to comply with what they are given or stay at home. Having been to the World Cup for the fifth time, such trivial things like getting a kit contract should be given. We should be the ones accepting such deals at our terms, not struggling to persuade a firm that dumped us in the past that we have changed our ways.

    Details of the contract, signed at The Soho Hotel, Richmond Mews, London last week Thursday showed that the products’ value would increase in the second year, with American company NIKE committed to supplying kits to the value of $1million to the Nigeria national teams. NIKE will supply kits worth $1million to the National Teams in the year 2017 and 2018. The three-and-half year contract was signed by NFF President Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi. Tina Salminen, NIKE’s African Football Sports Marketing Director, represented the American behemoth.

    There are also various bonuses specified for any of the National teams that qualifies for major international championships. The Super Eagles are to earn $500,000 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

    According to Pinnick: “We are comfortable with the contract, because NIKE came across during the negotiations as being fluid and ready to listen to our demands. That is always the key aspect; you always need a partner with a listening ear.

    “Nigeria football is happy to associate with a global leader and I am much convinced this is just the beginning. As we go along, NIKE may also be willing to partner with some of our domestic Clubs and even the League Management Company.”

    My heart bleeds that we can come cheap in the name of securing a kitting deal. But that is the best this new board can do now that the brand Super Eagles is jaded. Otherwise, we would resort to the colourless locally made one that would make us the laughing stock. It is an insult for Nigeria to earn $500,000 for qualifying for our sixth World Cup in 2018, when some other countries are talking about eight digits or more for the same feat. I pity the NFF board. They must call our players to order. Things they dare not do in their clubs we accommodate and that is why the game is prostrate here.

    It is superfluous for anyone to think that the kitting firm of the national teams should kit our domestic clubs. This argument doesn’t add up, they are separate entities. They should be allowed to do things that suit their purses and attract better income than what Nike is offering the Eagles that has fallen to the extent of being beaten at home by Uganda. Eagles are a crawling giant.

    We are on the verge of starting a new campaign with the Eagles and the ground rules must be documented in a Code of Conduct where the players and coaches know their boundaries. Other countries make money from kitting deals and international friendlies played either at home or away venues.

    It would shock many people to hear that the NFF spends as much as N48 million, sometimes higher than that for a home game of the Super Eagles, largely because the coaches invite an armada of our players in Europe for every game. As many as 29 players from around the globe are invited. These 29 players fly business class, are accommodated in choice hotels and earn as much as $10,000. In some instances, like the inglorious 2-2 draw against Bafana Bafana in our last game of the botched Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Uyo, the Eagles received $5,000. The coaches must be challenged to invite not more than 13 Europe-based stars at the most.

    One cannot understand the basis for inviting 29 established stars for friendly matches. The NFF must insist on paying appearance fees of not more than $2,000. Friendlies are meant to test rookies from the grassroots and fringe players from the main team.

    If we truly want to groom a new team, we need to set our eyes on the Flying Eagles and the Dream Team VI. In doing that, we must be prepared to accept whatever results that we get from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. I have my fears about this qualifiers, given the fact that Egypt has been absent from the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. They have spent this period rebuilding their team. They are a better prepared side than ours. We should therefore, accept our lot in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and build on our gains towards a credible outing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    I’m excited that Kelechi Iheanacho is back on the pitch. He scored a goal for Manchester City on Monday against Chelsea’s reserves even though his English side lost the trophy on 5-2 aggregate, having lost the first leg 3-1 and 2-1 in the second leg.

    Ihenanacho and Awoniyi should be invited for our next game against Chad. Chidera Eze and Musa Mohammed are also young men who could be fielded against Chad. Eagles will increase its recovery abilities in the midfield if younger boys are allowed to function in place of our ageing senior players – no disrespect to what they have achieved for the country.

    Happily, Stephen Keshi is worried about the long list of bench warming members of his first team. Keshi needs to watch clips of the Dream Team VI and Flying Eagles to pick new players. This idea of sitting back to say that these young lads must earn their shirts in the Eagles isn’t the way forward. The Big Boss must accept that many of those who were in Brazil in 2014 won’t make the 2018 World Cup squad, except that isn’t part of his brief.

  • Elections, civil wars and professors

    As  we approach May 29  2015,   the hand over date of the incumbent president to the president elect,  there  is need  to watch  the utterances and body language of both leaders in the interest of the transition of power  from  one to the other. Make  no mistake  about my observation  here as it is patriotic and  it is not that of a cynic who  may  be accused  of seeing a cloud  on every silver lining. I  am  not one at least for today and for the sake of this analysis. Secondly  I believe that power  changed  hands in Nigeria on February  28 2015  when  the incumbent lost  for the first  time in our democratic history to a  challenger albeit  an experienced loser  hitherto.  But  power changed  hands even more peacefully  and  seamlessly  when the incumbent in that election, now loser,  quickly congratulated  his opponent as winner  and  the nation heaved  a huge  sigh  of relief while the  outside  world clapped  in both astonishment and undisguised  wonder  at the feat. That  made May 29  a formality  or a fait  accompli   to  look   forward  to until some rumblings  started coming out of Aso  Rock which  may  be described as mere after  thoughts or public  soliloquys on an election  that has come  and gone while  yielding way democratically  to a change that certainly will  not wait beyond May 29 2015.

    What  I am  rambling about should  be obvious by now  if you have  been following developments in the Nigerian  news  media in the last week. I  am shortlisting three events only for our digestion and analysis today in line with the topic  of the day which seem to pitch three incongruous issues together. But  I  assure  you that I will show you the umbilical  cord bonding them together quite easily.  The first  news item was  the warning from  the presidency to the president elect not to run a parallel government as the incumbent is still in office and not out  of power yet. The  second was  the lamentation of  Chief Rasheed  Ladoja  of  the  Accord  Party   who  lost  in the guber election  of April  11 in Oyo  State and conceded  defeat but is going to the election tribunal  to contest the results  because he thinks  he has evidence  that his party the  Accord Party indeed won the guber election  in the state. Chief  Ladoja pointedly  condemned the use  of Professors as  Election Returning  Officers  because  they are arrogant and they are  not necessarily the best  for the job  in the Nigerian situation. The  third  was  the criticism  of the presidential  election  results by the incumbent president this week. The incumbent said his Party the PDP  could  not have gotten the results  it  got in some states in the  2015 presidential election which he  likened  to the Nigerian Civil War  on which there  have been many  written accounts. He  condemned defectors who left his  party  for  the victorious PDP saying such  defectors will come back on empty stomach from the APC  which obviously would starve them.

    Starting from the issue  of parallel  government it is clear there is a misunderstanding from the presidency. It  was reported that the incumbent  will hand over only  on May  29 which  was later denied before the Transition teams of both sides were put together. It would appear  that the denial was just a sound bite while the content of the denial is the spirit of the  hand over in the presidency. That  means the presidency is working as if it has just begun its tenure when indeed it should be rounding up proceedings after five years ending in electoral defeat. The sackings and appointments being announced corroborate this view. No  incoming administration on a fresh  mandate  can close its eyes and mind to the creation  of booby traps  by an outgoing administration  which  seems to have adopted the scotched earth war strategy  of Attila  the Hun  when he sacked  the Ancient  Roman  Empire in those dark days of the Middle Ages. Attila’s policy  was  embedded  in the statement he made that where  I have passed  the grass will  not grow again. Such  policy  or its offsprings are not applicable or   relevant  in  our transition  of power schedule to May  29 and  that  perhaps  explains   why the president  elect is ever  vigilant on the last acts in  office  of the outgoing president. Just  like  the Communists use  to say – Eternal vigilance is the price  of liberty and  one can say  in this transition saga that eternal  vigilance on the part  of the  president elect is the price of  a successful transition  on MAY 29 2015. In  the US where we copied  the presidential system lame duck  presidents use the exit period  to pardon their  cronies and collaborators in office on one form  of punishment or another not for sackings and new appointments as we have been seeing nowadays.

    On  the issue of INEC  using professors as returning  officers raised  by Chief  Ladoja  in  Ibadan one can say that the Accord  Party leader was both right and wrong. Professors  are  arrogant as of right because they have knowledge that is unique in their area  of specialization which others  don’t have. That  is hardly  their  fault.  But  they  are not professors  in the task their fellow  professor,the boss at  INEC  assigned them  at the last  elections and that too is not their  fault  but that of the professor  that appointed them whose  motive was  to enhance the electoral  process with the aura of prestige and integrity associated with  professorship . That  however did  not jell as the professors as returning officers behaved like frightened  chicken before the public view obviously because outside their ivory  tower  they were  like fish  out  of  water. They  were ill equipped  for the mechanical  duty  of announcing results which  had  nothing to do with their  various fields of endeavor on which  they  can postulate confidently and even look down on their  audience.  At  the last elections the Nigerian audience had cause and important ones at that   too,  to look down on the theatrical performance of the otherwise distinguished professors who announced the election results nationwide. Please  find time to look at videos  of the election results  announcements again and  have  a merry laugh at professorial  nervousness and  awkwardness  in the process  of announcing mere election results to a waiting nation.  On  that score  Chief Rasheed Ladoja was right that that  simple electoral chore was not the best to use our best brains for under  the circumstances.

    Thirdly  on  the comparison of the 2015  elections to the Nigerian Civil War I have  a suspicion that  the post  election bad blood that crystallised into sackings and new  appointments at the point  of exit  from power reflect a war stance based on the Attila scotch  earth policy of ancient times. Otherwise an election,  won or lost  is manifestly different from any war not to talk of a war amongst brothers which a civil war such as ours really was. But  our civil war ended on a note of the three Rs  of General Yakubu Gowon namely  Reconciliation   Reconstruction, Rehabilitation ,and  the nation  has moved on ever since.  Even  post  election violence which the incumbent’s  fast concession averted can not be likened to a war because  it is  a protest against  electoral  robbery that is allowed to stand in the face of glaring evidence. It  is a political reaction outside the law that is condemnable but it is an expected reaction to perceived injustice but certainly not a war.  Just  as an  election  by any stretch of the imagination can not be called a  war  as it is just a simple political competition in which one  party or person wins and another loses. As it happened in our nation at the last 2015 elections  making us to look forward to the hand over of May 29 2015 Insha  Allah Amen.

  • Democracy, May 29 and new global challenges

    As  Nigeria transits to a new government on her Democracy  Day  on May  29, and   the outgoing president fired the Inspector   General of Police  ostensibly  over partisanship  in the last  presidential elections, there  is no doubt that the  firing stemmed  from a clear case of sour grapes. The  Yorubas  have a saying that sums up  such furious  and  pointed counter reaction. They say desperate  diseases  require desperate cures  and that   literally  it is in order  to ruin the eggs of a fowl that overturns your pot of medication. Coming  from  a usually  restrained incumbent  president who some thought  could not hurt a fly and  whose  major weakness in losing the election was that he did  not perform or did not have plan to say what he did till  it was  too late, one  hopes this is not a potent  sign  of unexpected  actions that may make the transition turbulent after a graceful act  of defeat concession. Anyway  we  are watching and we are all ears as we  take on some issues  that walk  alongside  our   historic  match  towards  the inauguration of the president elect on May  29.

    Two  issues,  namely  migration to Europe  of  Africans   via  the  Mediterranean Sea and Xenophobia  in S Africa  dominate  the global  scene  and concern  this week. It  is   however  note worthy that the   European  Union-the EU  is deeply  concerned  about the flood  of Africans  who are ready  to  die on the high seas  in seeking a new life in Europe  by landing in Italy at any cost  just  to escape the life of misery and poverty  that is their lot if they stayed in Africa. On the  topic  of  Xenophobia which  is hatred  of strangers  and which  has been the lot of Jews  in  Europe leading  to Hitler’s  Holocaust  in the Second  World  War  one  thought  that  the  civilized   world  had learned enough from  such  horrors for humanity to move on decently in the assurance that man  has  transcended  such  levels of bestiality.  But  as  ISIS  has  shown   in  the  Middle East when it burnt  the Jordanian pilot alive  and displayed  the video  to  a world  audience   and Boko  Haram  did by abducting the over  200 Chibok  girls  in  Nigeria, while El  Shabab  went and killed mostly  female  undergraduates  in a Kenya  University  recently, barbarism and  lack  of respect for human life   and dignity is  still  a reigning  virtue  and value  in some  societies  in spite  of the attempt  or veneer  at civilization  and claims  of being decent and modern  societies.  I  look  at these two  issues  today and also  that of the visit  of the presidents  of  Ghana and Cote  D’Ivoire to  both the outgoing  Nigerian  president and the president elect and   draw  some conclusions  from some of the body  language reported  at  both  meetings.

    On  the migration  matter  which  has  become an election  issue  in Europe in which right wing parties  are becoming popular because  of  xenophobists  who  think foreigners are responsible  for their poor economic condition I  can  only hope  that the incessant  migration will  not lead  to a new xenophobic Europe against migration  altogether. Before  now  I had  argued   that Europe must take care  of the migrants  because of Colonisation,  its iniquities  and exploitation  of the colonies.  But that argument  does  not  hold water now given the way  elected  African  leaders  after  independence  frittered away golden  opportunities  to make economic progress  the goal  of their leadership. Instead  they    amassed  colossal  and  dubious  wealth  for themselves  and their families through  massive corruption  and personal  enrichment  that created the type  of poverty that made  their subjects  ready  to flee  and die  on the high  seas; to  seek  a better  life  rather  than hang  around and die predictably  of hunger and poverty  in their native nations.

    It  is  great  pity  indeed  that ironically  colonialism  created globalization  which  spawned democracy  and the market  economy which gave  rise  to corruption and political  instability and  that beckoned  on migration which  has now  created xenophobia in  Europe. It  could be uncharitable  but  one can  be forgiven  to say the  chicken has come home to  roost  but one  will still have to answer  the important question – for who? Is  it Europe  or  for  Africa?  For  me, at  the risk  of  being  said  to be dodging the question,  my sympathy  is with the EU for  the humanitarian  approach   some political parties  in power have adopted  to find a solution to the migrants issue  even though it is costing them expensive political power at recent and on coming elections especially  Britain  where campaigns  are on for elections into the next British Parliament.

    Certainly  one can  not compare  the type  of xenophobia  in Europe with  that of  S Africa fuelled  by a Zulu  King   who  said  a terrible thing and thought  he recanted when  he lamented  that he would  not be the first  to say  that foreigners  should  go home. The  Zulus  were  a war  like race and fought both  the British  and the Boers  who  seized their  land and colonized  them  but  the history  of the gallantry  of Chaka  the  Zulu  who  was their  most famous King is now part  of the history  of S Africa  that any  African  can  be proud  of.  Incidentally  S Africa’s  democratically elected president Jacob  Zuma  is a  Zulu  and should  do  something  urgently to  call  his king to order  so  that S  Africa does  not migrate  ingloriously  from  freedom  from  apartheid into  another   evil  opprobrium  of xenophobia  in broad  daylight  and right before  our eyes.  Really  it is very  saddening that  Nigerians from Nigeria which  led the fight to crush  apartheid globally  and free  Nelson  Mandela are  being targeted in the hate  fed xenophobia. President Jacob  Zuma should  use  his executive powers to stop the killing of fellow Africans immediately  and assure  his countrymen  of his strategies  to alleviate their economic woes and plight  in a nation where they  wield invincible  political  power  but  have  not been able  to translate  that into economic emancipation  and development  of the masses  of deprived  and suffering  black  S Africans.  The  solution  however  is not in killing well  meaning and hard working Africans in their midst.

    Just  as it is not in migrating as those getting drowned  in the Mediterranean are  discovering. Again  one can thank  God  Almighty that Europe is Christian  and  merciful  to the migrants  and has not turned them back or turned on them like the S Africans. I  think  that is what is driving the rescue  effort in the Mediterranean.  I  really  cannot resist quoting from  Mario  Puzo’s  best seller  The  Family  on the Renaissance  period,      given  me by my friend Eric  Teniola.   The  Renaissance   was a time    when  Popes  had children  and concubines.  Pope  Alexander told  his wayward  cardinal  son   Caesar  Borgia. ‘I  believe  in an  Almighty  God  that  is  Merciful  and Kind. That  is our   faith and that you must believe. Learn  to  live with your sins. Confess  them  or not  but never  doubt  faith. ‘ That  I believe,  by some bizarre twist   of   fate,  is what is  driving Europe  which  is largely    faithless    today  to pick  up  Africans ready to die to escape  man made poverty and penury  and find a way to give  them succor  in a foreign land one way  or the order. I doff  my  hat – and   bless  my heart-  to them  in awe  and admiration  as they  exhibit  the best  trait of humanity  amidst  the cascades  of globalization and modernization;  which  is being one’s brother’s   keeper.

    Lastly  the visit  of the two  incumbent presidents   from Ghana  and Ivory  Coast  to  our incumbent  president and president elect   could  not   be devoid  of  certain  feelings  and emotions. Of  course the president elect  was  happy  to receive his august  visitors  as he expects  from May  29  to  begin  to enjoy the dignities, honors and   perquisites to which  the visiting heads of states  are accustomed to. On  the other hand the   visit  to the incumbent    or  outgoing   president  have been  devoid  of the usual  pleasantries  and banters as the host  has lost  power although  he has not lost face  or dignity by  the swift  way  he conceded defeat.  The  visit  was  a farewell  one.  That  explained  why  according to some reports there was one podium for the visitor instead  of the usual  two for the incumbent and visitor as in the recent happier  days. That  again shows that  power  is transient and  is  not a permanent   possession of  any  politician  as  it is renewable at  the polls only  at  election  time;  as we  did last  time  and effected  a change and  a sweet  one  at  that. Again  long  live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • The Igbo man in the Nigerian polity

    The Igbo man in the Nigerian polity

    Ordinarily, the emergence of three non-Yoruba citizens to represent Lagos in the House of Representatives in the March 28th National Assembly elections ought to be celebrated as signifying the strengthening of Nigeria’s democracy and the deepening of federalism in the country. For, one of the cardinal goals of political development in Nigeria should be the ability of residents anywhere in the country, irrespective of their ethno-regional origins or religious persuasion, to contest and win elections for public office wherever they reside, earn a living and pay their taxes. This is a condition for and measure of the degree of the country’s transition from mere artificial statehood to genuine and more enduring nationhood.

    Unfortunately, the victory of  Mr Oghene Egoh, Mr Tony Nwalu and Rita Orji to represent Amuwo Odofin, Oshodi/Isolo and Ajeromi/Ifelodun federal constituencies of Lagos in the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seem to have very little to do with the ideals of democracy, true federalism or common nationhood. Rather, the trio’s electoral triumph was a function of bloc voting by their non-Yoruba kinsmen in enclaves where they constitute a numerical majority in Lagos state. The victory of three other PDP House of Representatives candidates of Yoruba extraction at the polls was also a product more of non-Yoruba anti-APC bloc voting rather than their individual merit or that of their party platform. What was at play was, therefore, not necessarily a commitment to meritocratic democratic competition particularly on the part of the Igbos in Lagos but a manifestation of crude ethnic expansionist and hegemonic tendencies.

    The unrestrained and provocative triumphalism of Igbos in Lagos in the aftermath of their historic electoral breakthrough in the last national legislative elections in the state suggests, unfortunately, that their electoral behaviour was informed by sinister motives. They had, no doubt fallen for President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP’s relentless divisive campaign since 2011 that non-indigenes constitute a numerical majority in Lagos, which they should exploit to exercise electoral dominance in the country’s commercial capital, financial hub and industrial nerve centre. Yes, the majority of South-south electorates resident in Lagos must naturally have voted for their ‘son’, President Jonathan and his party. Yet, the latter have not attracted any irritation or hostility because they have not exhibited the ambition to contest ownership of the political space with their indigenous hosts.

    It is indisputable that the Igbo constitute one of the most dynamic, creative, energetic and industrious ethnic groups in Africa. It is not for nothing that many perceive them as the ‘Jews of Africa’. Their technological and military feats during the Nigerian civil war – manufacture of guns, bombs, tanks, aircraft and refining of petroleum among others – remain legendary accomplishments. Unfortunately, post- civil war Nigeria has not harnessed the immense potentials of the Igbo towards achieving the country’s quest for technological liberation. Of course, the Igbo leadership has not helped matters by an undue dependency on the centre and addiction to ‘mainstream politics’ that has blunted the creative edge of the people and hindered the kind of autochthonous development in the region witnessed during the civil war.

    Unfortunately, the many positive attributes of the Igbo have not often been complemented by the kind of political wisdom and sobriety needed to succeed and thrive in a multi-ethnic and culturally complex polity like Nigeria. For instance, in the first republic, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) wielded effective political control in Lagos and much of the South West. Yet, despite his political astuteness and assiduity, the great Zik could not see that it was simply not feasible for him to emerge as Premier of the Western Region at a time when the premiers of the northern and eastern regions were indigenes of their respective regions. Had Zik thrown his considerable weight behind any of his accomplished Yoruba loyalists in the NCNC such as Adeleke Adedoyin or Adegoke Adelabu to be Premier of the West, Awolowo would not have so successfully outflanked him to become Premier and ultimately establish political dominance in the region.

    No one has written as eloquently as the late Chinua Achebe on those sterling qualities of industry, high achievement motivation, competitive spirit and disdain for constricting tradition responsible for the remarkable strides of the Igbo in virtually every sphere of human endeavour. But the renowned novelist also admitted that this success could also breed “a deadly penalty: the danger of hubris, overweening pride and thoughtlessness which invites envy and hatred; or even worse, which can obsess the mind with material success and dispose it to all kinds of crude showiness”. These are exactly some of the disagreeable traits of the Igbo responsible for the ethnic disharmony brewing in Lagos and which has in the past created problems for the Igbo in other parts of the country.

    For instance, during the week, a group of Igbo investors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) demanded that in the incoming General Muhammadu Buhari administration, the position of Minister of the FCT should be conceded to the Igbo. According to their spokesman, Elder Friday Ugoala, Chairman of Zaudan Pazeri Property Owners Association, “Abuja has major stakeholders, not just those residing in the city. It is on record that Igbo have not less than 70 per cent in terms of property, merchandise and hospitality industries. So, we have invested heavily in Abuja, and we are demanding that the ministerial slots should be shared with Igbo who are major stakeholders in the FCT. We have reasons to demand for the slot of Minister of the FCT, because he will be sure that our investments are protected”. Even if there is some merit in this demand, is this the wisest way to achieve the objective? Will this kind of demand not sensitise most residents of the FCT just like those of Lagos after the last election of the danger posed by the seeming hegemonic aspirations of the Igbo elite?

    It appears to me that not many Igbos have read the very profound lecture titled ‘The Igboman in the Political Economy of the Fourth Republic’ delivered in May 1999 under the auspices of the Anambra Towns Development Association and the Imo Forum by the distinguished Igbo scholar, Professor Green O. Nwankwo. The illustrious professor of Finance, business and management who retired from the University of Lagos in 1998 identifies 12 traits of the Igbo both positive and negative. Among the positive traits are a dogged determination to survive, energy, hard work and adroitness; the Igbo-spread and visibility throughout the nooks and corners of the country as well as Igbo domination of the informal sector of the nation’s economy. Of the latter, he however warns that Igbos still “operate in the periphery rather than the mainstay of the economy” as “Very few, if any, Igboman’s business is quoted on the stock exchange… Even where the business is a limited liability company, it nonetheless invariably is sole proprietorship/family business”.

    Professor Nwankwo decries what he describes as the lack of perspicuity on the part of the Igbo, the absence of a solid home base economy in Igboland, the Igboman’s ‘anarchic individualism gone berserk’, his extreme republicanism manifesting in ‘Igbo EnweEze – the Igbo has no king – and by implication no restraining influence as well as what he calls his hyper-materialism and money mania.

    Professor Nwankwo draws a number of implications from his analysis of the Igboman that still resonate poignantly today. He contends that “(1) As long as he has no solid economic base in his home state, so long will he continue to migrate to look for life chances outside his home state. (2) As long as he continues to migrate, settle and invest massively to develop his resident state without bothering, seeking or asking for reciprocal deals from residents of other states, so long will the Igbo man’s home state remain undeveloped and unattractive for settlement and investment. (3) As long as he does not really invest to develop his home state and as long as he fails to attract federal presence in his home state, so long will foreigners shun investments in the home states, and so long will real development continue to elude the Igbo in his home state”.

    I think the brutally frank Professor’s message is simple: The adventurous, enterprising spirit of the Igbo is good and indispensable to nation building. However, the Igbos cannot realistically want to invest and create wealth outside Igboland while erecting barriers against reciprocal investment by outsiders in their home land. This is particularly so as the Igbo, no matter how fecund, are unlikely to achieve outside Igboland the numerical supremacy necessary for the kind of political domination they seek in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country where they have invested heavily. For the Igbo, therefore, charity must begin at home.

     

  • Forgiven sins

    Stephen Keshi is back in the saddle. Surprised? Don’t be because in Nigeria nothing is impossible and everything is possible. Keshi’s return may be as a result of our inability to hire a better manager, preferably a foreign coach. Even if we have the cash to pay such foreign coaches, will they be prepared to tolerate our endemic attitude of not paying coaches promptly? This is why we have returned to the Big Boss. Keshi looks sober. Will he remain this way when the Eagles return to winning ways? Keshi doesn’t look like one to share spoils of such feats with anyone. Not with his Big Boss’ toga. I wish he could.

    I hope this decision doesn’t come to haunt us, looking at what the Egyptians will pose to us during the qualification matches. Keshi said he is a changed person. He has promised to invite Nigerians who play regularly in Europe. He is also prepared to allow talented players in our age-grade teams to fight for shirts in the Eagles. He has asked the media to report things the way it is. He tacitly apologised to Nigerians but has kept mum about his assistants.

    I wasn’t in Abuja on Tuesday otherwise I would have asked Keshi what he would do if Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations?  The threat by Egypt is real. Hector Cuper, who handles the Egyptians, is a veteran in the business. I would have challenged Keshi to sack those who attract bad publicity to him, especially those who told us in the past that seven countries were chasing and those who once described this new deal as slavish.

    What has informed this new change from the Big Boss? Was Stephen Okechukwu desperate for the Nigerian job, having seen that he had lost other deals? Or was he being patriotic with the way he has lost his swagger towards chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)? Or was he bidding his time to get the job before taking his pound of flesh on those who have put him through this trauma? Can Keshi stoop to conquer for a job where his entitlements and salaries will always be contentious? Who talked to Keshi? Is this the best way forward for the Big Boss? Please don’t distract me from watching this drama where Keshi returns as the Super Eagles chief coach. Wait for it; without Daniel Amokachi as one of his assistants? Nigeria football is a huge joke!

    The posers are many. Interestingly, these questions don’t truly address the main problem of the Super Eagles – discipline. Who enforces it and at what cost? Are there double standards? Why can’t the coaches plead with the players to head for their crucial assignments instead of embarking on strikes?

    Twice the Eagles have held the nation to ransom over unpaid allowances, days to crucial matches. Is it true that one of the coaches told a former Sports minister that he couldn’t talk to the boys to head for Brazil for the 2013 Confederations Cup with assurances that they would be paid there? In other climes, such disobedience to the minister would have been termed an assault on the country’s president and the culprit would have been sacked. Equally unpalatable was the sharing of $3.8 million sent to the Eagles by the Jonathan administration from Abuja to Brazil for the players, coaches and officials to share. They couldn’t wait to return to collect the cash. They spent the night preceding our game against France sharing the booty. Where were the coaches? Couldn’t they have kept the money and directed the players to prepare for the French game.

    Such was the level of impunity in the Eagles, it didn’t come as a surprise that we under-performed at the Confederations Cup and the World Cup in Brazil. It is laughable that many people still feel that we did well, when we equalled a feat that we achieved 20 years ago in the United States.

    Has anything changed in the Eagles since the Brazil 2014 World Cup debacle?  Daniel Amokachi’s sack from the Eagles appears to be the likely change. Amokachi had it coming for him once he denounced the list of players that prosecuted the last two international friendly games against Uganda and South Africa. His exit is significant, given the complaints from some of the big boys in the Eagles that Amokachi treats them with levity. Unruly players don’t deserve a smack on the wrist.

    Amokachi isn’t the only problem with the Eagles? The fact that Amokachi washed his hands of the Eagles list shows that Keshi doesn’t carry his lieutenants along in taking crucial decisions on the team’s composition.

    Keshi must be a team player. He shouldn’t pick players based on sentiments. He must change his team formation to get the best from his players. Keshi’s love for the 4-2-4 makes it difficult for him to bring out the best in our players. Nowhere in the world is such an archaic system played.  No good coach will play John Mikel Obi and Oguenyi Onazi in the same game because they play in the same holding midfield position for their European clubs. He needs to pick the better of the two. Otherwise, the Eagles will remain rudderless during matches.

    Onazi appears to be the stronger. He covers up for Mikel who strolls on the pitch, making it difficult for the team to play on the counter. It was so clear in the game against France that Mikel was our biggest problem in the midfield, the moment Onazi bowed out to injury. The Eagles lost the cutting edge they had in the midfield, with Mikel turning around in one spot like the barber’s swivelling chair. When the ball is taken off him, Mikel falls like a mull watching on the turf to see if the opposition will punish his flaw with a goal.

    But can Keshi bench Mikel? Not possible, except he is prepared to take the risk now that he is sober and willing to listen to people like he did when he first took the job. Sadly, Mikel and Onazi are in-and-out of their teams. Ordinarily, this should be a welcome development because it gives the coaches the leverage to assemble another quartet of midfielders.

    Football pundits feel strongly that the next crop of midfielders for the Eagles should come from our best in the Flying Eagles and the Dream Team VI. It simply means that those young boys should be invited to the team to fight for shirts before our first 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad. The midfield is the engine room of any team. We need younger and fitter boys to give the Eagles their pivot to do whatever they have perfected in training. Those who have been given the task to anchor the team’s midfield in the past fizzled out as the game progressed.

    The Eagles midfield has been docile since the exit of Sunday Mbah for reasons best known to the coaches. Several players have been introduced to fill Mbah’s void but they have struggled to make the impact made in the team.

    It’s quite ironical that the Eagles’ defence could wobble when the chief coach was a defender. Our central defence leaks like a broken pipe, largely because those who man the position are players converted to play such roles without cognate experience. Eagles don’t have natural defenders. Our defenders wait for strikers to trap the ball before marking them. Aside, they ball-watch rather than pick the other players making the decoy runs at our goal post.

    Keshi would be shocked to find the right kind of players in the domestic league to man all the positions in the defence. The Flying Eagles captain has shown that he can play effortlessly on the right side of the defence. Against Chad, he could be tested. He is certainly better than Efe Ambrose. I have seen several left footers playing in the domestic league. If Keshi needs help in scouting for good players in the domestic league, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, the current technical committee chairman, can identify them.

    Egypt won’t be a piece of cake. They look like the team to pick Group G ticket – forgive me for being unpatriotic. But if Keshi keeps his word and appreciates working as a group, the Eagles could upset the Egyptians. In picking Egypt ahead of Nigeria, I reckon that they would win their three home matches. I don’t think they will lose to Chad and Tanzania. The Egyptians are a goal scoring team and that could be the distinguishing line between them and Nigeria.

    In Nigeria’s case, we don’t look like a team that can have all her players committed to the cause of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Gabon. Look at what Vincent Enyeama did by pulling out of the South Africa friendly simply because we lost 1-0 to Uganda. Our big boys are notorious with avoiding away games.

    Goals will decide who between Nigeria and Egypt will qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. But can Nigeria beat Egypt at home? That will be the decider provided we beat Chad and Tanzania home and away.

    Good luck Nigeria. Welcome, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.

  • Conquering fixation

    Ghana’s Black Stars captain Andre Ayew was 19 years old when he broke into the senior national team. He is 25 years now and he is almost being tagged a veteran of the game. This is one of the benefits that Ayew’s early introduction has done for the Ghanaian national team. But that is not all. At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Ayew’s younger brother made the squad, with both playing regularly.

    By the time Ayew is 28, he would have surpassed his dad Abedi Ayew’s record in the Black Stars.  Besides, Ayew’s younger brother, Jordan is in tow to break their big brother’s and father’s records with the national team.

    The message being sent to the world is that Ghana has a rich pool of young players who are eager to replace ageing stars, for as long as the country’s football federation sustains this trend. The other perspective rests with the fact that the European clubs are watching. Soon their scouts would invade Ghana to pick the young boys for Europe.

    The spiral effect of this kind of invasion will be the movement of Ghanaian kids. This will invariably increase the revenue bases of the domestic league. Not forgetting that the grassroots would be invigorated by youths eager to emulate those who have moved to Europe. Again, Ghanaians’ interest in the game would be increased, culminating in box office returns at the stadium gates during matches.

    The allusion to what is happening in Ghana is significant because it should push Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chieftains to insist on introducing our exceptionally gifted youths into the Super Eagles. It must be noted here too that Ghana’s Black Stars were about the youngest team at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations held in Equatorial Guinea. It wouldn’t shock pundits if the Black Stars lift the diadem in 2017.

    It must be noted also that all the young boys who did well for Ghana at previous age-grade competitions across the board have been integrated into the team. Very few old men are in the team. And Ghana’s Israeli coach, Avram Grant has tactically dropped them to the bench. He massages their egos by giving them cameo appearances in the second half, only if they suit his plans. No mutiny from the players who have seen the way the younger boys beat them in training for first team shirts.

    The Ghanaians are celebrating. They were not too unhappy with the penalty shootout loss to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the finals. Their solace lay in the fact that they had a team for the future – to rule the world.

    At the 2009 U-17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria, Neymar was always introduced in the second half for the Brazilian team and each time he came in, it was clear to everyone who saw them play at the Teslim Balogun Stadium that he would be a star. Today, Neymar is living his dream by playing for one of the biggest European teams, Barcelona FC of Spain. He is now the captain of Brazil’s senior team. Did I hear you say two examples of investing in the future? Absolutely, but more importantly is the need to ask previous NFFs where those who played with Ayew and Neymar are? Shocked? Don’t be. We have only paid the price for cheating. We are experts in parading men as kids. We enjoy pyrrhic victories. We are experts in quick-fixes not minding how it affects our game subsequently.

    Our administrators are specialists in attending competitions with two aims in mind- collect quantum estacodes and struggle to put themselves in international sporting bodies, even if Nigeria doesn’t do well in such sports.  Little attention is paid to producing developmental plans for each sport.

    Emphasis is on recycling people in our sports administration, coaches and even athletes. How do you engage the car in the reverse gear yet expect the vehicle to move forward. We have refused to change the administrators with their warp ideas.

    Coaches and players now hobnob with the Presidency; a distasteful development that has made impossible a smooth transition in the Eagles, with the NFF going against its wish for the team. I digress!

    Today, Taiwo Awoniyi is the hottest striker in the country. Awoniyi was a marvel to watch at the last U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets won. He has taken his prolific goal-scoring act to the flying Eagles, scoring goals with aplomb, in the absence of Kelechi Iheanacho.

    Rather than draft Awoniyi to the Dream Team VI after completing the Flying Eagles assignment, such mundane talk of him being over-used were proposed by our coaches and their ilk without asking Awoniyi if he could cope with both roles.

    Those who advanced that argument must cover their heads in shame because it has taken Awoniyi’s profound scoring skills to hand Nigeria the qualification ticket for the All Africa Games. Awoniyi reminds me of Henry Nwosu. His knack for scoring goals brings back memories of the late Rashidi Yekini.

    Iker Casilas was here in Lagos for the 1999 World U-20 Youth Championship, which Spain won by beating Japan, then handled by the White Witch Doctor, Phillipe Troussier 2-0, inside the mainbowl of the National Stadium in Lagos. Casilas is still Spain’s goalkeeper, 16 years after breaking into the team as a 20-year old.

    The advantage of playing outstanding players, such as Awoniyi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Eze, in the senior category is that they will remain there for a longer time. Besides, others at thegrassroots would be buoyed to give their best, knowing that they too could be like them, if they improve on their game.

    The argument of former internationals, such as Victor Ikpeba, that Awoniyi would be ripe for the Eagles in two years time is bunkum. This is why Ikpeba didn’t leave the Eagles with a testimonial game, in spite of his remarkable contributions, including winning the Africa Footballer of the Year award in 1999.

    Players get the impetus to live their dreams in a football team through their skills, not age, especially the gifted ones. We must strive to reduce the average age of the Super Eagles from its unacceptable 32 to what others have – between 21 and 28. The game is now being played by young and enterprising players, who are hungry for glory. Little wonder the avalanche of new players that come into prominence after every big competition.

    Need I waste space to list boys who hit it big time as teens, not forgetting the king of soccer, Pele? Whenever I watch Manchester United play with De Gea in goal, I cry. Why? In 2007, a Nigerian ‘kid’ Dele Ajiboye, was adjudged the best goalkeeper at the U-17 World Cup which Nigeria beat Spain 2-0.

    It would be ludicrous for any bookmaker to draw a comparison between Ajiboye and De Gea today, more than eight years after. Do you see my pain?

     Who blinks first?

     By the time you are reading this column today (baring any last minute changes) , Stephen Okechukwu Keshi would have returned to his Super Eagles job at humbling terms. Keshi’s return has been controversial, with the NFF chiefs’ body language not favourably disposed towards working with him.

    This cat-and-rat setting may be the Eagles’ biggest problem, if Keshi plays the ostrich. Unfortunately, NFF men are not ready to tell us the terms of reference in Keshi’s deal, based on a certain clause which forbids either party to make such disclosure.

    But, I’m damn sure the wall of secrecy will eventually collapse and details of the contract, will be subject of beer parlour talks – when the coach fails to get his salaries and entitlements promptly. NFF men must tell us the dos and don’ts in Keshi’s contract now not when he infringes on any. Nigerians deserve to know what would happen to the coach if the Eagles fail to fly.

    I don’t see how an all-knowing Keshi will allow his list to be vetted, yet he refuses to carry the can when the team fails. I also don’t see how Keshi will work with any document given to him by the technical study group and the technical department and yet we expect him to take the credit for victories arising from such group initiatives. Keshi isn’t a team player.

    I also don’t see how Keshi will stop John Mikel Obi from playing for the Eagles even when he is a bench warmer at Chelsea? Will Keshi forgive Sunday Mba et al to give the Eagles the desired fillip to fly higher? Will Keshi swallow his pride and play the functional 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 or even 4-3-3 to bring out the best of our players who shine in their European teams which play these formations?

    Does the NFF have a plan B when Keshi’s tantrums begin, especially if, the federation fails to pay the coach promptly. Would the NFF be right to sanction a man whose fees they haven’t settled, irrespective of the reasons given for the delay?

    I pray that Keshi becomes a team player in this new dispensation. He must do away with those busybodies around him who run their mouths in the media. They are the ones who told us that seven countries were chasing the Big Boss to train their teams. Where are those teams today? These lickspittles shouldn’t tell us in the future how certain powerful men in the fading government begged the coach to stay.

    Keshi has been jobless. Countries touted to be chasing him picked others even though he denied applying for those jobs. Keshi signed a contract he tagged ‘slavish’. I hope he remains humble because he thrives in having power without control mechanism. This NFF board has provided such control mechanisms. I hope the Big Boss can submit himself to control.

  • Echoes of our past opens at Quintessence

    Echoes of our past, an exhibition of works of 14 top Nigerian artists produced between 1972 and 2013 will open today at Quintessence Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, by 11am. The exhibits include works by Ben Enwonwu, Ben Osawe, Kunle Filani, Sam Ovraiti, Mike Omoighe, Olotu Oderinde, Nsikak Essien and Zinno Orara. Others are James Cudjoe, Ogwu Emenike, Hamid Ibrahim, Ajopa Eze Gab Awusa and John Ogbeta.

    The exhibiting artists employ different mediums to charge emotions of love and feeling of nostalgia. Ben Enwonwu produced a stunning piece which collectors describe as our own ‘Mona lisa.’ Tutu, a piece in acrylic produced in 1973, is one of Enwonwu’s notable works shown to excite art lovers, critics and collectors.

    Ben Osawe who worked in bronze, was an accomplished artist who made conception of modern art very explicit. Visual ambiguity was shown consistently in his work. Sam Ovraiti works in acrylic and his Still life with fruits which was executed in 2002 cannot go unrecognised. He is widely known as the most expressive water colorists in the country. His piece in this exhibition is enticing and wets your appetite.

    James Cudjoe, one of Ghana’s most successful contemporary artists shows his works that drives one’s emotions as he draws his images from everyday life. His vibrant and colorful oil paintings, remind one about traffic life and natural habitat.

    Dr. Kunle Filani takes us back to 1990 during the gulf war in his piece Between the Gulf. Filani, a scholar and founding member of Ona movement talks of the danger of war and its consequences.

    Mike Omoighe talks about his home town in his work. The rural setting cannot go unnoticed and this gives a nostalgic feeling to many who are attached to their homeland. “This is a must-see exhibition that challenges our thoughts and invites us to begin to question our mores, tradition and our future as a nation,’ according to curator of the gallery,” Mr. Moses Ohiomokhare

  • With Buhari’s discipline , Tinubu’s vision and Osinbajo’s law

    From  May  29   2015 when  retired General  Muhammadu  Buhari  is sworn in as our new president our  nation turns  a new page  in  terms  of leadership  and governance. My  mission today  is to  hazard a guess  on the path  and direction of that change as  well  as its prospects alongside  the expectations  of  Nigerians.  This  is  because  Nigerians   are  yet to  believe  their  luck and  fate that  a new  government  has resulted from  the flawed  democratic  and electoral  process  that has become our political  culture and has  created the myth  that the incumbency  factor can never   yield  or give way  to  a  change  of  government in any  democratic   election. Now    the  April  11  2015  presidential  elections has  made that  a thing  of the past  and  our  nation Nigeria is on the march again  as in that  famous NTA  network  commercial and  song.

    This  is a march  that can be described  as  both  military  and democratic  in nature  because the  APC  which won the presidential  election is not only  an amalgam  of both , as is the PDP  which it displaced, but  it  is also a   political hybrid of sorts. This  is because  the vision  that created the APC was quite innovative  in its perspective that alliances have  to be created  by whatever  means  across the  north –  south  divide  of our great   nation   to  pose  a credible  and potent  challenge to the mammoth  spread  and reach  of the ruling PDP. This  notion and vision  appeared  to be a gamble then to onlookers,  but now it  is  a gamble  that has paid  off  and very  beautifully  too   in terms  of the dividends  of democracy.  This  again   is because  power  has changed  hands   across  the  nation seamlessly  and  effortlessly  without rancor and the much dreaded post  election violence that  the west  especially  has always  invoked  as the  inevitable  result  of  our electoral  and  democratic  process in  Nigeria. Now  that myth  and misrepresentation  has been guillotined  by  the  smooth  transition  going  on in the emergence of  retired  General  Muhammadu  Buhari  as our president  elect  until  May  29  when he  will  be sworn  in as our president.

    Today  however I look  at this  march as a march  forward and  in terms the  dictates and  philosophy  of the discipline  of Strategic  Management. The  take  off     theory  here  is that a company,  organization   and  indeed  any nation  can  not  be severed from its environment and its strategy must reflect that  fact to be realistic  and successful. If  you  substitute  a political  party like  our new  ruling  party  the  APC   then  you  have real  subject  of political  analysis  that is both educative  and  revealing especially  after  our last  presidential  elections. To  have  a good  strategy an  organization must  have  a vision, stemming from  its  position   as  it creates  programmes  that can  enable it to make products and services  profitably.  Any  organization  in any environment  must  have evolved  a culture  from its way of operations  arising  from its structure, its  systems and  the people working for it. Of  course  the strategy is  the compass that  will lead  the direction  of the operational  march of any  organization  in any environment.

    It  is against   this background  that we take a look  at the trio  of personalities  that have emerged as the  leadership  of  the APC  as  it  takes  over power  from  the PDP  after  May  29. This  leadership  involves   both the president  and vice    president  elect  as well  as the  National  leader  of the Party  Senator   Bola  Ahmed  Tinubu,  the former  governor   of  Lagos  state. In  spite  of this tripod leadership   however  we  acknowledge that since we run a presidential  system, the buck  stops  on the table  of Mr President Muhammadu  Buhari.

    Again  if we start  from  the formal  to the informal we  shall  easily  see that in terms of discipline as a soldier and an officer Buhari  stands head and shoulder  over  the other two. In  terms  of experience  and hunger  for the job  of president also  he has  no equal.  So  the march  of progress  at  his  command  must  proceed at  a fast but  humane pace as  Nigerians expect  the creation  of jobs  for our youths, power  for  our industries,  free tuition  in our universities  and  institutions of higher  learning and the final  onslaught  to terminate the terror  of Boko  Haram in our  midst.

    This   is especially  urgent  and  most desirable now    because  of the report   that  the Time  Magazine  has  insultingly  named  the Boko   Haram leader   alongside  our president as amongst the ‘Most  Influential  100‘. Which  really is  a clear  case  of bad judgement  on the part of the reputable Time  Magazine for the simple fact that it is giving a podium  of recognition  to terrorism and  murder  of  Nigerians just  for  the simple  reason  that Nigerians  are  not  Americans and as such  honors can  be awarded  to their  killers while the US  will  go  to any  length  to attack  and kill  anyone who attacks  or  kills  its citizens. Time  Magazine  should be told that its mis categorisation  of our president  on the same platform with the Boko  Haram leader, no matter  the criteria,  is  not only insolent and barbaric  to  Nigerians,  it is provocatively promoting terrorism  and  is   just not acceptable.

    The  rule  of law  creates  the enabling  environment   for  democracy  and  economic  growth  to thrive  any where  and  Nigeria is no exception.  The  Vice   President elect,  Professor  Yemi  Osinbajo    brings impeccable credentials to support the president elect both  as a professor  of law and as a pastor. The  law of any society  evolves  from its tradition  and customs and  religion teaches  moralty  and ethics  so that citizens  respect each other’s  rights  and beliefs  and do not impose their will on others and create anarchy.  As  a former Attorney  General  of  Lagos state Professor  Osinbajo  is well  placed  to lead  and guide  the march  towards  a peaceful  and prosperous  era  for  Nigerian  after May 29  and we can  not wait  long enough  for him to assume  office with  the president  elect.

    The  third  arm  of this tripod of leadership come May  29  is  an informal arm  of leadership at  least  for now  till May  29  when  he  must  assume  a leading position  in Nigeria’s march  towards  economic  prosperity from that date.  He comes  well prepared  politically, intellectually  and professionally. He  is Bola Ahmed Tinibu  the visioner of the change that translated into the electoral  success that will ensure that a new president is sworn in on the  platform of the victorious APC at  the last April 11 elections in this nation. This  is one laurel  that no  one  can take away  from this former oil accountant and  shrewed  politician  who  extols  and practices capitalism  but with a human face.  Intellectually  he is well prepared  and has a prepared text to turn this nation round in terms of economic growth on the march  towards prosperity  and reduction  of the inequalities and poverty  that has been  the hallmark  of the defeated administration. Asiwaju  Bola  Tinubu is the joint au thor  of the  book  Financialism –which  states that  it is on how to get water from  a well  and how the financial  system bleeds the economy. The  book  is an antidote  to the present IMF  induced and Washington  Concenssus  driven  conditionalities  that have  pauperized  nations  applying it as  Nigeria has for years now through the IMF agent in our midst – the Coordinating Minister for the Economy.

    Luckily  that will  be over by  May  29  when  our new March begins.  I bet  the economic  march  will dance  to the beat and drums Financialism  to the betterment of  Nigerians, their  families  and their future. Really  Financialism  is in the same league as  that  of the book  by the  winner  of the Nobel Prize  for Economics in 2001  Professor  Joseph  Stiglitz  who wrote Globalisation  and its Discontent, a book  that condemned the IMF  and  World  Bank  for imposing a model  of economic growth that favored banks and  financial  institutions while ignoring competing and alternative economc models  of growth  that reduce  poverty and inequalities  while  embarking on the economic path  of realistic and beneficial  change.  That  too  is the theme  of Financialism and  I  can  not see  any Finance  Minister better  prepared  than Asiwaju  for the march  forward to transform  our economy to a prosperous  one with its innovative and well researched analysis  of economic  growth  and recipe  for poverty  reduction and  bridging  of the gap of economic inequalities.

    I  know  and acknowledge  that the manifestoes  and creed  of the APC  are in the public  domain. I  cannot  however resist the urge to  peep  into  the minds of our new  leaders  because their   emergence  has  given us great hopes and expectations. Till  May 29 then,   hazarding a guess  on the  direction  of this desirable and promising march  will  be my main occupation  on this page. It  is an assignment  that I hope  will be mutually  beneficial  with readers generally. Again  long live  the  Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Buhari’s amazing transformation

    Buhari’s amazing transformation

    In spite of his many sterling qualities, I had always harboured the fear that the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari’s virtues could also be the source of a serious weakness that could sabotage his best intentions for the country. The ascetic General is widely revered for his record of integrity and incorruptibility. He is a man of character. Discipline is the defining essence of his life. Buhari is, in many ways, a moral exemplar in a vast ocean of ethical decadence. Millions of ordinary Nigerians see him as a secular saint of sorts. They thus expect him, on assumption of office to deal decisively and ruthlessly with corruption and the corrupt elements in our midst. General Buhari, they believe, has the magic wand to abolish corruption in Nigeria ‘with immediate effect and automatic alacrity’ in military parlance.

    Of course, the trust and confidence of the vast majority of the President-elect’s country men and women in his moral integrity is a huge social capital on which the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) administration will draw on its mission of national redemption. For, the erosion of trust between the leaders and the led due to decades of serial betrayals by the latter has been one of the most formidable obstacles to good, effective and productive governance in Nigeria. But such extravagant expectations on the part of the populace can easily engender feelings of political ‘messiahnism’ on the part of a leader. This is a feeling of political self-righteousness, of being on a national Salvationist mission, which must not be hindered by constitutional or other systemic constraints.

    General OlusegunObasanjo provides a good example of the limits and drawbacks of the Messiah complex. The wily Ota General has been variously described as imperious, vindictive, abrasive, intolerant and much more. But his fundamental weakness derived essentially from his sense of self-righteousness, of possessing a superior patriotism and commitment to national development than his fellow country men and women. This is why, for instance, he declared in his controversial new memoirs that there are only two honest and incorruptible Nigerians – he and General Buhari. In Weberian terms, a Messiah complex leads to a situation in which a leader believes that his legitimacy derives more from his own personal charismatic and moral qualities that can easily override constitutional and institutional restraints in the national interest.

    Thus, Obasanjo was honest and sincere when on assumption of office in 1999, he promised to launch a frontal assault against corruption. To his credit, he set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFCC) in pursuit of this objective. The only problem was that Obasanjo tended to see everybody else as corrupt except he and those within his inner circle. Thus, even though the EFCC under MallamNuhuRibadu’s leadership did a lot of good and effective work, the anti-corruption effort soon became unduly personalised and politicised under Obasanjo. It became a weapon to hound his political opponents and constitutional provisions were not allowed to stand in the way of the administration’s zealous war against graft. The Messiah complex is disdainful of systemic controls and ultimately results in impunity. It was the root cause of the Third Term Agenda pursued by those who believed that Obasanjo’s continued personal rule after two constitutional terms was imperative for the sustainability of socio-political and economic reforms.

    It is against this background that I was pleasantly surprised at the President elect’s profound insight into the nuances of power and politics in a democratic context in the media interview he granted during last Saturday’s governorship and State Assembly polls. His is clearly the most extraordinary transformation yet in Nigerian politics rivalled only, perhaps, by the late MKO Abiola’s transition from pro-establishment business tycoon to a courageous Martyr of democracy. It is obvious that Buhari does not intend to run a one man show. He has no desire for personal heroism. His will be an administration predicated on team work and strict commitment to the rule of law, due process and respect for institutional autonomy.

    For instance, on the massive rate of defections to the APC in the aftermath of the party’s presidential election victory, the President elect said “I think this is mainly a question meant for the party. I wish Chief John Oyegun was here to answer you because we have a system. Just because I am the presidential candidate and the President elect does not mean that the system has allowed me to usurp the power of the party executive”. This is fantastic, almost unbelievable. Under Buhari, there will be a distinction between government and party. We will not have the kind of unhealthy situation under the PDP, in which the party lost its autonomy and became subordinate to the presidency. The President became the leader of the party and could manipulate the removal and election of party officials at will. This is the root cause of the gradual but steady inner decay and ultimate implosion of the PDP as a viable political party.

    General Buhari reinforces this point in his response to a question on the composition of his party’s transition committee. In his words, “…my hope and my idea is to get knowledgeable and experienced technocrats that are really patriotic to study the handing over notes by Ministries and make recommendations…When I get it ready and before it is published, I will show it to the leadership of my party and the terms of reference as well as the time limit and the result of their work, we will quickly study it before the inauguration so that before we are sworn in, we get into action”. This is another evidence of the President elect’s belief in the autonomy and supremacy of the party.

    One would have expected General Buhari to get emotional and partisan in his response to questions on the violence that characterised the elections in states like AkwaIbom and Rivers. This is because his party was at the receiving end of the violence and lost the elections in the states. But his response was restrained, statesmanlike and demonstrated, once again, his firm belief in allowing requisite institutions to function without interference or hindrance. According to him “I think we should allow INEC to give its comprehensive report…I think we have to take our time and let us get as much report as possible in accordance with the electoral Act. I personally want to be legal about this so that people will appreciate that we believe in a system. What we need to do is to modify the system according to the law if we don’t like it and that no one should come out and do to the system whatever he likes”.

    Of course, General Buhari asserts firmly that the electoral violence in Rivers, AkwaIbom and other parts of the country would be thoroughly investigated and culprits made to face the law so that “In the future, those who are in position will know that they are not beyond the law”. On governors of his party who have had running battles with security agencies in states where they are supposed to be the Chief Security Officers, Buhari’s response is once again very insightful: “We discussed and advised them to document these things legally so that it can be taken before the court so that people who work against the law are prosecuted, especially those who have lost their immunity. This is the best way to stabilize the system. People must not benefit from being lawless. You can’t be in a position by virtue of the constitution, subvert the constitution and continue to enjoy the privileges of the constitution…So, whether you are in the opposition or the government, you have to behave yourself. I think that is the way we can make progress”.

    Well, need I say more? These edifying words by the President elect offer glimpses of hope into a more ennobling future under his leadership. Buhari clearly does not suffer from the Messiah complex. Under him, we are likely to have a restrained and cultured presidency that subordinates itself to the constitution and the rule of law and respects the autonomy of other institutions of state.  This is certainly a necessary condition to actualize the change Nigerians voted for on March 28.

  • Beyond GEJ’s phone call

    Beyond GEJ’s phone call

    It is all too Nigerian. I refer to the way Nigerians have been falling over themselves to heap encomiums on President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in the March 28 presidential election. In particular many have been impressed by his calling General Muhammadu Buhari on phone and congratulating him on his victory. Of course, the gesture is laudable. But there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about it. It is what is expected in any decent and honourable society.  That the whole world has joined us in celebrating Dr Jonathan for doing what is right, normal and sane only shows how far we have degenerated morally and deviated from the path of sanity as a people. And this applies not only to Nigeria but the entire black race even though a number of African countries are becoming models of democratic and decent conduct.

    President Jonathan must be quite dizzy from the flurry of laudatory adjectives hurled at him. He has been described as a national hero, a nationalist, a patriot, the saviour of our democracy among others for accepting defeat. Someone even suggested that he should be a candidate for the Nobel peace prize! It is very ridiculous. A cartoon in The Punch of Wednesday put the point cogently. The cartoon depicted four world heroes – George Washington, Mao Zedong, Nelson Mandela and Goodluck Jonathan. According to the cartoonist, Washington led the American people in the fight for independence from Britain. Mao launched an agrarian revolution to make China feed its over a billion people. Mandela suffered years of imprisonment for the sake of his people. And Jonathan? The cheeky cartoonist said “He conceded defeat in an election he lost”! That is what it takes to be a hero in Nigeria. It is very funny.

    Did we expect our humble President to claim victory in an election he so glaringly lost? If he did, would the Nigerian people have accepted any such insolence helplessly? Have we come to think and expect so little of ourselves? Why is everybody sounding as if Dr Jonathan has done us a favour by doing what he is expected to do? Have we forgotten that this is the first doctorate degree holder to be President of Nigeria? Should we expect any less in ethical and moral standards from a man of intellect and culture?

    Not even the victorious All Progressives Congress (APC) could restrain itself from joining the Jonathan as hero orchestra. The party said by that concessionary phone call, Jonathan had ‘snatched victory from the jaws of defeat’ and ‘catapulted himself to a statesman’. Given his uninhibited desperation to win re-election for a second term including deliberately and cynically dividing Nigerians along ethno-regional and religious lines and unconstitutionally manipulating the institutions of state to gain undue advantage, Jonathan’s post-election gesture is not enough to redeem his record. He has left the nation in a moral cess pit from which it will be exceedingly difficult to extricate her. The impunity of his administration has been unprecedented in this and previous civilian dispensations.

    Even the respected General Theophilus Danjuma claims that Jonathan averted civil war in Nigeria by conceding defeat. Not a few Nigerians also believe so. They thus feel a sense of gratitude to Jonathan for respecting the will of the people. This is absolute hogwash. The truth is that there is a divine finger in the affairs of Nigeria. Not many countries could have survived the civil war as one like Nigeria did. Not many countries could have survived the June 12 annulment trauma without descent to war. That Jonathan could have plunged Nigeria into war for the selfish reason of wanting to remain in power against the will of the people in a free, fair and credible? Perish the thought. The glory for the achievement of June 12 belongs to God and the entire Nigerian people, Jonathan not excluded.

    In any case, Dr Jonathan bears the greatest responsibility for the tension and fear of violence that gripped the country before, during and after the elections. He did absolutely nothing to call people like AsariDokubo, Tompolo and other Niger Delta militants as well as elders like Chief Edwin Clark to order when they threatened civil war if Jonathan did not win the election.He empowered and indulged an organisation like the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), which just before the election staged a rowdy demonstration in Lagos openly brandishing sophisticated weapons and threatening violence if Jonathan lost the election. Even a supposedly cultured person like Jimi Agbaje, the Lagos State PDP gubernatorial candidate in today’s election hinted darkly in London that the Niger Delta would shut down the country’s economy if Jonathan lost at the polls!

    Jonathan further heightened the level of tension in the country by the unwarranted degree of militarisation of the polls and the bad precedent set inthis regard by his administration in previous elections in Ekiti and Osun states. We have to be grateful to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, and most of his Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) for their tenacity and resolution to utilise the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) and electronic card readers for the polls despite the fierce opposition of the PDP. Even then, the sheer electoral brigandage displayed in most parts of the South-South and South-East on March 28 is incredible.

    The military and compromised electoral officials were recklessly used to manipulate the election in favour of the PDP. Results announced in most parts of the two regions were entirely fictitious. Yes, Jonathan would still have won in the two regions in free and fair elections but certainly not by the figures and margins announced. Rivers and Akwa Ibom states provide the most glaring examples. Jega’s silence on such brazen cases of electoral armed robbery is baffling. If Jonathan had been proclaimed winner of the election on the basis of such manufactured figures, in defiance of the popular will, we would be telling a different story today.

    In the same way, Jonathan himself is to blame for the widespread belief that he would not accept the result of the election if he lost and that he would enjoy the support of the compromised top military hierarchy in continuing in office against the will of majority of Nigerians. For instance, he had colluded with his service chiefs to achieve an unwarranted six-week postponement of the polls for his personal advantage with adverse financial and psychological costs to the nation.

    Again, simply because he does not like Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s face, he refused to accept the result of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum election (NGF). He recognised a minority of 16 governors as numerically superior to 19 and left the NGF comatose till date. Most people naturally believed he would exhibit the same attitude to the outcome of the March 28 election.Dr Jonathan cannot eat his cake and have it. He cannot deliberately create a problem and at the same time receive credit for acting to avert its consequences.

    Some others say that both Jonathan and the President-elect, Buhari, are heroes of the March 28 election and our democracy. I do not agree. Winning or losing an election is not what makes a hero. Yes, General Buhari deserves plaudits for his tenacity, determination and faith in contesting the presidency for a fourth time despite three previous failed attempts. Yes, he had deservedly achieved heroic status for his sterling integrity and incorruptibility, which make him a star amidst a thoroughly perverse and odious political class. But winning an election only means that the majority of the electorate have accepted your electoral agenda and given you a mandate to fulfil your promises. You can only become a hero when, at the end of the day, you have succeeded to a reasonable extent in fulfilling your part of the social contract. The President-elect, his deputy, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and their party have a herculean challenge ahead. It is not yet celebration time.

    The impression must not be created that the achievement of March 28 was a gift to Nigerians by President Jonathan’s undoubtedly gracious concession of defeat. It was a function of the determination, persistence and fierce resolve of Nigerians to vote and make their vote count. The sick in hospitals, the aged, youth and women across the country trooped out in their numbers to exercise their rights as citizens. This is perhaps the meaning of what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called the ‘common sense revolution’.

    Voters stood in line for hours, many from morning till late at night to make their votes count. They bore the pains of INEC’s logistical problems with patience and patriotism. They were determined to make a statement. Nigeria cannot be the same again after March 28. Never again, will any incumbent government take the electorate for granted. That day marked the emancipation of the Nigerian electorate. An era has ended in Nigeria’s march to democracy and a new one begins.