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Category: Bolaji Ogundele

  • Jagaban’s paths to ‘not spending the people’

    Jagaban’s paths to ‘not spending the people’

    Week twenty-four was as exciting as the twenty-three before it. Right from the first day of the week, being Sunday, when the Presidency unveiled President Bola Tinubu‘s plan to attend events in Saudi Arabia later in the week, till he eventually left on Thursday morning and his actual participation in the event, the Jagaban was as upbeat as ever throughout the week.

    Although the events could not have been said to be ‘stream-like’ because there were not many of them, however, the few events there were, engaged the man and his field operators, beaming rays of hope to the extreme verges of the nation. Known for doing whatever he speaks of, President Tinubu took a couple of steps during the week to give live to his statement at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Cabinet Retreat two weeks ago.

    “We can only spend the money, we will find it, we cannot spend the people”, were the words describing his conclusion about taking ease to the people and changing the narrative about Nigeria in his opening speech at the retreat and last week he livened it up. First, it was the launch of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS) and the National Geospatial Data Repository. He also inaugurated the National Coordination Committee on CRVS. The launch of the e-CRVS, which is a national planning concern, was later followed by the signing of the 2023 Supplementary Budget, valued at N2.17 trillion.

    The launch of the e-CRVS, in the President’s words, will go a long way to help the administration achieve the key objective of placing Nigerians within the spectrum of reasonable comfort and global standards of living that the ordinary citizens have always yearned for. If government is able to get the accurate data of citizenship, it can apportion available resources and probably find a way to further swell what is available and meet the basic human needs. Most times, what is mission is not just the resources and the genuine political will, but also the accurate and painstakingly acquired database of citizenship.

    According to the President, the newly launched system is the right tool to achieve this and achieving this is what is required to meet the needs of Nigerians. Now we will know how many we really are, in what classifications, what parts and what probably might be the specific needs of each class and each group, slimming further the margins of error in national planning.

    “This launch marks another great step in our efforts to generate accurate and reliable demographic data in Nigeria. The CRVS system is the basic building-block of an identity ecosystem. It will help to improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians and shall ultimately become vital source of identity data across federal agencies, such as NIMC, NIS, Road Safety, INEC, Police, EFCC and other security outfits.

    “The system will also improve the ability of the federal agencies to generate vital statistics on important population events and migration, further enabling the government to design well tailored, effective and efficient policy, capable of meeting the needs of Nigerian people”, the President had said at the launch.

    Now, under the Tinubu administration, where the Renewed Hope Agenda is the target and the man leading the charge against backwardness is the vision owner himself (the Jagaban), it should just be a matter of time before the desired ease becomes feel-able. How am I sure of this? Asiwaju is like a man on a mission to prove backwardness is not cast into the black man’s fibres. Africans, of the black genus, are capable of removing themselves from the backwaters and igniting a launch into the region of disruptive progress.

    He did it as Lagos governor, when the federal might aimed at curtailing the progress in the nation’s economic nerve-centre, through funding starvation. Jagaban applied the disruptive progress as an idea and there was birthed the dream that is now the 5th largest economy on the African continent.

    Then he took a step that can be considered to be of more immediate nature to “not spending the people” than the e-CRVS launch; he signed the N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary Budget, which targets some very critical needs, including the N35,000 monthly provisional wage award for federal civil servants and the N25,000 monthly Conditional Cash Transfers for the vulnerable members of the population. These two items were specifically introduced by the President to cushion the harsh effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

    At the end of the signing ceremony, the President’s spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, issued a state, in which he attributed some level of clarity on the figures to the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who was among those who witnessed the President signing the budget. 

    According to Ngelale, “providing a breakdown of the supplementary budget, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, said the newly approved expenditure for defence and security consists of about thirty percent, while thirty-five percent is dedicated to the provision of critical infrastructure to be allocated to the Federal Ministries of Works, the Federal Capital Territory, and Housing & Urban Development.

    “The Minister further explained that thirty-two percent of the supplementary budget was allocated to the new Wage Award for treasury-paid federal workers to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, in addition to cash transfers to vulnerable persons, and support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), amongst other considerations”, Chief Ngelale had said.

    Note though that Bagudu had provided some figures before the bill was presented to the National Assembly for consideration and passage, but there are bound to have been some panel-beating by the Senators and members of the House of Representatives. In the bill taken to the National Assembly, Bagudu had informed correspondents at the State House that N210 billion would go for the payment of wage award to civil servants and N400 billion for cash transfer to vulnerable households.

    He further explained that out of proposed amount, N605 billion would be expended on national defence and security, while about N300 billion would be spent on maintenance of bridges. He further said N100 billion provision was made in the budget proposals as infrastructure support for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and another N18 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the off season governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.

    Read Also: Jagaban’s new German connect and the performance bond scare

    In summary, the President, after signing the budget, made a commitment to judiciously apply the resources available to achieve the target of “not spending the people”. In every step taken by the administration, those who have decided to dispassionately observe the trajectory of the Bola Tinubu administration will be able to see a certain design, deliberately aiming at reducing poverty and placing the ordinary Nigerian in a position to be able to live the reasonably comfortable human life. Empowerment, enablement and such ideas of what life and living ought to be, at least minimally, seems to be the overall goal of the administration.

    Of course, besides the two major events, which incidentally occurred same day, there were many other events and activities, which were aimed at achieving the totality of the Renewed Hope Agenda. A big part of that is the fact that he is currently in Saudi Arabia, attending the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh. Before leaving, Nigerians were already made aware of what it’s all about; to continue the drive for more foreign direct investments (FDI) and to further strengthen the bilateral relations between Nigeria and the host country.

    According Ngelale, some of the deliverables that President Tinubu and his team will be looking to achieve in Saudi will include agreements and cooperation on counter-terrorism, agriculture, environment and other areas of mutual concern. 

    However, before leaving for Saudi on Thursday, he received various guests and made some critical appointments into offices, just as he has been doing since he assumed office. For instance, on Tuesday he appointed Dr Abdu Mukhtar as the National Coordinator of the Presidential ‘Unlocking Healthcare Value-chain’ Initiative; he appointed Bashir Indabawa, Enorense Amadasu, and Babajide Fasina as new Executive Commissioners for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). He redeployed Dr. Kelechi Ofoegbu as Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services & Administration of the Commission.

    Also on Wednesday, he appointed twenty Federal Commissioners for the National Population Commission (NPC), among whom nine were reappointed for a second term in office and on Thursday, he appointed Mohammed Abba Isa as his Senior Special Assistant on Disabilities Matter.

    Then on Friday, he spoke at the Saudi-African Summit in Riyadh, informing the hosts of Nigeria’s new focus on economic diversification and assuring their investors of a save business environment in the country.

    “Nigeria, like the Kingdom, is diversifying her economy away from oil dependence to promote sustainable development. My administration has undertaken bold economic reforms by removing wasteful subsidies on petroleum and the merging of our foreign exchange market, among other incentives aimed at improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

    “I also wish to assure all potential Saudi investors of the safety of their investments based on the sanctity of the rule of law and good returns on their investments in the largest economy in Africa. In this regard, the benefit attached to the early inauguration of the Nigeria-Saudi Business Council cannot be over-emphasized,” the President said.

    A new week starts today and even if predicting what the specifics of his outings for the week will be, one thing almost certain for prediction is the fact that he will remain upbeat, breaking new grounds and pulling new surprises. All that is required of you, the reader, is keeping an open mind and following the events.

  • Jagaban’s new German connect and the performance bond scare

    It was another very busy week for the Ciudadano Numero Uno, right from the first day, being Sunday. All through the week, it was from one very crucial engagement to another, all of which will make one to wonder if Baba rests at all. For instance, the event that took most time of the week for the President and his entire cabinet and the crème of the public service was the 2023 Cabinet Retreat and like he said in his opening speech at the event, he meant to sit in all through the three days of the event. Surprisingly, he made good of his promise, to a large extent, his very tight schedule notwithstanding.

    Of course, for it to have been a very busy week, as indicated earlier, it means a lot of events must have found their way on to the President’s daily/weekly schedule, starting from the first day of the week. From the very significant visit of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Sunday, to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday, with all the other remarkable matters and statements that attended it, to the meeting of the National Police Council on Tuesday, where the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun was confirmed as substantive Police Chief and so on and so forth.

    However, three of the activities seemed the most remarkable, with one seeming most important to the President himself. The event that took the most time from him, being the cabinet retreat, might have made more impression with the public, especially because of some of the loud sounding statements the President made at the opening ceremony. However, to the President himself, the most significant event of the week will, without any doubt, be the visit of the German Chancellor, Scholz, and the economic benefits he came with.

    The significance of the visit to President Tinubu, especially how he felt about it, became vivid from Monday when he cast a rate over how it all went. On Monday, just before the commencement of the FEC meeting, the President indicated how very elated the event left him. He even had to thank his ministers for their contributions that made the outing a successful one.

    “Yesterday, we had a very good showing and I thank all of you for sparing your Sunday to attend to national event. The visit of the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany was to me a success. We needed more time, but we were able to cover a lot of ground”, he had said. He was so impressed with it he had to make another reference to it on Wednesday in his opening speech at the Cabinet Retreat.

    No need wondering why it made so much impression on him, everybody already knows that the focus of the administration, at the moment, is achieving economic recovery and setting a solid basis for the overall economic survival of the nation for years to come. The German Chancellor came with two arms in his entourage; the political/diplomatic officials and the government-t0-business arm, consisting of German corporations and business owners. The meeting afford Nigeria, or say the Bola Tinubu administration, the opportunity to firm up business and investment targets, just as it sent the signal out to the rest of the world that Nigeria is fast becoming both a “regional and a global powerhouse”, borrowing the assertion of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr Richard Montgomery.

    He was able to extract commitments from the German team, but he had to assure them first of the safety of their investments as well as the potentials of the environments they are to put their resources. Then on Monday, he put it all on the ministers; they have to work doubly to cement the trust of investors in our economy.

    “Yesterday, we had a very good showing and I thank all of you for sparing your Sunday to attend to national event. The visit of the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany was to me a success. We need more time, but we were able to cover a lot of ground”.

    “You have opportunity to change things. Recently two or three days ago we received the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany and his delegation of investors.

    “One of their key complaints and the question is whether they can bring their capital, repatriate their dividend, or if not satisfied, take their capital away. The Minister of Trade and Investment was called upon by me to explain further, that those obstacles are gone never to come back again. We are open for business.

    “We must take our reforms seriously. The investors are interested in us. We must think inquisitively to see how we can improve and access the opportunities. There’s a lot of competition around us on the African continent and there’s a lot of competition around Europe as well.

    “There’s opportunity, even though you’re struggling to bring support to Nigeria, we are determined to transform the economic landscape of this country and like I said, investors and investment are cowardly, they don’t follow conflicts. Think outside the box, how we can do things better”, he told the ministers.

    The Cabinet Retreat will come in as the second most significant event of the week, going by all that transpired during the three days that the ministers and other functionaries has to be taken through the rudiments of their assignments. The Bola Tinubu administration had its targets set ahead of its inauguration on May 29 and they are encapsulated in the Renewed Hope Agenda. There is a need for every member of the work team of the administration to understand what the agenda is all about and what it means for the people of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Ondo Speaker accuses Aiyedatiwa of ignoring APC peace moves

    It was at this event that some of the functionaries of government who might be strangers to the Jagaban’s modus operandi, especially the younger ones, who were not really attuned to how he worked as governor of Lagos State. There are also those who knew him back then, but not really at close quarters, the retreat was like a GNS101, needed to get them acquainted with what is about to be their official realities.

    Besides the lectures, seminars and explainers they were taken through, the President introduced what will determine the length of time each member of the administration will stay on the journey; either short term or through the long haul. Besides introducing the performance bond, which each minister, special adviser, senior special assistant and other top aides of the President must sign, he instituted the Result Delivery Unit (RDU), to be headed by his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman. According to him, whatever this ‘perception index’ says about the individual official will determine whether he or she stays or shown the door.

    “At the end of this retreat, you’re going to sign a bond of understanding between you, the ministers, the permanent secretaries, and myself. If you are performing, nothing to fear; if you miss the objective, we’ll review; if there is no performance, you leave us. No one is an island, and the buck stops on my desk”, he said.

    Of course there were other significant happenings that found their way out from the Villa during the week. For instance, on Monday Baba put paid to a blackmail attempt on his Chief of Staff, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, by declaring boldly “I have absolute confidence in my Chief of Staff”. Still on Monday, he presided over the FEC, which approved a number of contracts, as well as a N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary Budget. On Tuesday, he waded into the brewing political crisis in Rivers state and on Thursday, he handed flags over to candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi and appealed for free and fair process in the elections scheduled for November 11.

    Then on Friday, he closed the three-day Cabinet Retreat, where he told participants to set aside their personal ambitions for the task of pulling Nigerians out of poverty and observed the signing of the performance bond by officials. He also received Catherine Colonna, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy, a second European visitor within a week.

    Meanwhile, one thing was outstanding from the Jagaban’s body language, right from the beginning of the week; he made it crystal clear that he will no longer permit business as usual. First, at the FEC on Monday, Baba read the riot act while setting the ground rules of how official businesses would be conducted around the Villa, especially when it comes to events inside the Executive Council Chambers and State events where he will have to speak.

    He warned against tardiness and inappropriate conducts by officials and senior VIPs. He even warned against unguarded public comments by those he has permitted to be identified with him.

    “Again, last week I noticed the undue access of people sneaking in and out of this Council. That is not acceptable. I will announce to you those people who are supposed to be here with my content; Hadiza Bala Usman, SA Policy; Bayo Onanuga, Information and Strategy; Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Principal Private Secretary; and Damilotun Aderemi, Private Secretary.

    “Those are people who are granted exception to be here when we’re conducting the business of the nation. Unless I sent for you, don’t come, make it clear. Secretary to the Government and Head of Service, please take note. Unless your staff that are included, no one is privileged to have access sitting in this (Council Chambers), except those four that I’ve announced to you.

    “Let me also say that the planning of events of the government must be well articulated and followed. Any comment, talking points or speeches of the President, must be ready in advance. If it affects your ministry or not, if you have things to add, when we have events, make it available as quickly as possible. If the SGF is not around, make it available to the Chief of Staff. My speeches must at least be given to me in advance so that they can have my input accordingly”, he sternly asserted.

    Then on Wednesday, while delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the2023 Cabinet Retreat, he gave the participants a peep into what the run will look like for everyone; this administration will not be a tea party, but a serious national assignment in which everyone who has been assigned a role will be duty-bound to deliver to specifications of their beats.

    The long and short of the gist is that governance in Nigeria has become a serious business and now there is a set of codes of ethics everyone in the administration is bound to give the highest level of deference to. Who are you not to, especially after you must have signed a performance bond with the administration?

    ●P.S: Ciudadano numero uno is the Spanish rendition of the coinage ‘Number one citizen’.

  • Letting poor breathe looks like conditional cash transfers

    It was another week of events and other hectic engagements for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and they were targeted at the achievement of the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration. Right from Monday, when he presided over the second edition of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of his administration, Jagaban has kept the pace of activities tight, receiving briefings from top government officials who oversee various departments and agencies under them.

    Besides the updates from public officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), ministers and chief executive officers of agencies, the President also hosted many official and courtesy visits, some by governors, others by local and diplomatic callers. He also made a number of new appointments across sectors and all of these will come under mentions before the end of this piece, but first let us talk about what made the Jagaban’s week tick.

    He had loads of events during the week in review, but the launch of the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer initiative on Tuesday got the star sign. It gained the star position because of the acclaims and reviews garnered along the week. In most quarters, especially those who understand socioeconomics, this initiative, which is not a new way of handling the issues of poverty in the developing parts of the world, the RHACCT initiative, if allowed to run as designed and intended, will change a lot about the nation’s poverty index and ultimately the economy.

    You will recall that the President had given a hint to this launch when he addressed Nigerians on Independence Day. Nigeria is going through one of its most try periods and it is at this time that the forces of Nature have placed him at the helms of affairs, perhaps because he was actually designed for this purpose; like Moses of the Israelites, whose purpose was to break the Egyptian bounds on his people, Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has come at a time like this, when the strings have become tightest and all hells are about breaking loose, to come as the beacon in these very dark hours.

    “There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future. Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programs to an additional 15 million vulnerable households”, were the words defining the significant launch of the RHACCT initiative on Tuesday.

    The President is compassionate, as attested to by those closest to him or who have suckled from his milk of human kindness, but he has also proven to be a single-minded pursuer of purpose. Though he derives no joy in seeing his people hurt, he also knows this is time to heal the nation from the injuries of mismanagement and the havocs of corruption, so though he feels what Nigerians feel, the pain of labour is not enough reason to abort the joy of a successful delivery. 

    The N1.125 trillion-valued programme, schemed to be run under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, according to Dr Betta Edu, the Minister superintending over the Humanitarian Ministry, is aimed at taking financial relief to about 61 million Nigerians, belonging to 15 million households nationwide.

    “He, today, is matching words with actions, to mark this day for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the President, who is ably represented by the SGF, would be flagging off the disbursement of N25,000 to 15 million households in Nigeria and this is expected to happen for three months. So in total, 15 million households will be receiving N75,000 over a space of three months. This equates to about 61 million Nigerians directly benefiting from the conditional cash transfer”, Edu explained during the launching.

    Of course, Nigerians always have their opinions of every policy coming from government and rightly so, the direct and indirect effects of such policies end with them. From feelers, the initiative has been received very well from the quarters of the proposed beneficiaries. However, fine as the programme seems, opinion molders still have their reservations and have been suggesting steps to take to make it a success.

    Mallam Bolaji Lawal, a Port Harcourt-based former banker, who is now a farmer, said though he would naturally vote against ‘cash donations’ from public purses in Nigeria, conditional cash transfer is not peculiar to Nigeria. His hope in this new initiative though is the man behind it; President Bola Tinubu, the ‘Idan gan-gan’, who has proven he has as way to do everything differently, to make a success out of journeys that have failed with others.   

    “I don’t believe in it. Not because there is anything wrong with the intent of the policy but because similar policies in the last 24 years never got to the intended, the poor. However President Tinubu has proven time and time again that he is a magic, recent example of his magic is the clearing of backlog of International Passports. It will be a big relief to the poor if the Tinubu Magic is extended to the conditional cash transfer.

    “A way to change the story of highly placed Nigerians hijacking palliatives for the poor is for government to look at the NIN policy again, so it can improve the overall economy of Nigeria like it did in India”, Mallam Lawal said.

    Though it was a cheering development, the RHACCT launch was not the only event of the week. As a matter of fact, there were quite a number of them witnessed across the week. Like it was reflected earlier, the second FEC meeting held on Monday and besides the fact that serious national issues were discussed, the President swore in three more ministers. Dr Jamila Ibrahim-Bio and Ayodele Olawande were inaugurated as Minister of Youth and Minister of State for Youth, respectively, while Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal, was inaugurated a Minister of Environment.

    At the end of the FEC meeting, ministers, coordinated by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, briefed on some of the approvals granted. While the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, informed of the approval granted to apply for World Bank’s Budget Support Loan of $1.5 billion and an African Development Bank’s (AfDB) $800 million financing for the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) project, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, informed of the approval for a N26 trillion expenditure bill for the 2024 Budget, among others.

    Read Also: Ex-militants seek pipeline protection contract for Ondo, Ogun, Lagos

    Besides the FEC meeting and its fruits, it was another week with rains of appointments. Right from Tuesday, the President has been fixing people in various offices, starting with the appointment of a new management team for the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), with Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu as Chairman, pending the Senate’s confirmation. He also appointed Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu as Secretary of the Commission.

    Same Tuesday, he appointed former Permanent Secretary of the State House, Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi, as acting Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON); and Alhaji Ahmed Galadima Aminu as acting Executive Secretary (ES) of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

    Then on Wednesday, because his administration’s focus in the education sector is towards the development of the skills-oriented academic institutions, Jagaban instructed the Minister of Education, Dr Mamman Tahir, to announce the approval of a phased take-off of six of the fourteen institutions approved in the last administration. The Minister explained that they will be those specialised in Education, Agriculture and Health.

    It started raining appointments on Thursday again as he released, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, ten more names for critical appointments. While eight agencies of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation got new heads, both the Bank of Industry and National Agricultural Development Fund got their own too. Friday did not escape the rain of appointments as he appointed a new Auditor-General, in the person of Mr Shaakaa Chira, as well as approved Mr Adewale Adeniyi’s confirmation as the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service.

    Perhaps the most cheering development of Friday, at least for those in the segments the organised Labour affected. As the day was closing, the President announced two waivers on salaries withheld on the grounds of No work-No pay order. First it was an exceptional waiver for the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), for a 17 strike and the it was the turn of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), with partial waiver for four months’ pay out of eight. Some have described this as another show of his magnanimity, especially considering the times.

    A random though from the streets:

    Just a random thought on the Asiwaju’s administration, like from the beginning of it, then these suffocating socioeconomic realities that have attended the good-intentioned efforts he has invested in his dream of a stable and strong Nigeria, some people are really becoming excited about what they anticipate. One of such people is Dauda al-Hassan, a former civil servant and Abuja resident.

    In a one-on-one conversation, al-Hassan, who was in one of the defunct federal agencies, said he is beginning to feel hope again because of what he has heard of the activities of the Tinubu administration in recent times, despite the extremely biting conditions around him. He said he has endured years of hunger, but that he feels government’s policies are about to unlock his comfort and contentment to him.

    “Walahi I feel like my prayers are about to be answered. With all I hear Tinubu has been doing, I believe things will soon be soft, at least feeding will not be a problem again. I feel if all these policies and plans work, in the next two years we should be able to forget we ever suffered like this. I believe by then the Naira should be strong enough and holding should give you confidence.

    Even if it is just for these last few days’ efforts, Nigeria is already hoping to reap some dividends, which will translate to some comfortable. Tinubu has done a lot in a very short time, it is just for us to wait for the maturation of all the efforts and if the tempo is sustained, it’s just a matter of time before all those that have ‘japaed’ start coming back to identify with their country”, al-Hassan said.

    It is the beginning of a new work week, let’s how this one pans out.

  • The Phoenix and the week of mixed sorts

    The Phoenix and the week of mixed sorts

    It was indeed a week of the Phoenix for President Bola Tinubu; he re-emerged more visibly to the public eye, engaging in the normal, everyday activities of the President’s office. He had decided to take it slow and give the body some of the needed rest after returning from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

    Prior to his return to Nigeria from the UNGA event, the Jagaban had traversed thousands of kilometres across the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, spending almost 40 hours in the air. So when he decided to take the chill pills for a week, it was understandable.

    During the week, President Tinubu did most of the work in the office, but he did a lot of it. Right from Monday morning, when he met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and dropped a loaded code on his X handle, to announce his he was back.

    “Moving Nigeria Forward. Received a briefing from SGF Akume at the State House this morning. All hands must be on deck in the great task of positioning our dear nation for progress. #Focused #RenewingNigeria” was his cryptic message to reassure Nigerians he is back and ready to roll and ever since that day, it has been a colourful array of visitors, from different aspects of the President’s background, coming for various reasons.

    Between Monday and Friday, he had received about the largest number of visitors in recent memory; on Monday the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari was one of the first few to enjoy the grace of conversing with Baba; on Tuesday, he met with the acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso; the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; and the Minister for Works, Engr. Dave Umahi.

    The hectic engagements were kept steady all through the week because they continued to troop in from Wednesday on; he saw his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman; Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd); the Group Chief Executive Officer of Matrix Group, Alhaji Abdulkabir Aliu; APC candidate in the upcoming House of Representatives bye-election for the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency, Faud Laguda.

    Also on the list were Saudi Arabia’s Special Envoy and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir; Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; ministers of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abunakar; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; Budget, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu; Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike; and former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aliyu Wamako; Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, among others.

    It was not just about hosting guests to tea and bantering on personal matters, the week also saw a huge number of appointments into public positions. The most earthshaking of the appointments was considered to be that of Mr. Ola Olukoyede as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Mr. Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda as the Secretary of the Commission on Thursday.

    On Monday, he approved the appointment of five persons into the Media & Publicity Directorate, including Mr. Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President — National Values & Social Justice); Mr. Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Public Engagement); Mrs. Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Strategic Communications); Mr. Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President — Public Affairs); and Mr. Francis Adah Abah (Personal Assistant to the President — Special Duties).

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    Also on Wednesday, he approved the appointment of new and returning Chief Executives to fresh terms in office across multiple agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. He also appointed a Special Adviser on Technology and Digital Economy.

    The appointmenst included EVC/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) — Aminu Maida; MD/CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) — Nkechi Egerton-Idehen; DG/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) — Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; National Commissioner/CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) — Dr. Vincent Olatunji; and Postmaster General/CEO, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) — Tola Odeyemi and Idris Alubankudi as SA on Technology and Digital Economy.

    Then on Friday, he continued with the appointments by filling fourteen of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with new chief executives. According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu’s action took roots from his focus on establishing the nation’s economic survival on trade expansion, using the small, medium and large scale industries as springboard.

    The agencies that got new headships included Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) — Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN; Industrial Training Fund (ITF) — Afiz Ogun Oluwatoyin: National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) — Kamar Bakrin; Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) — Olufemi Ogunyemi; Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) — Nonye Ayeni.

    Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) — Aisha Rimi; Oil & Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) — Bamanga Usman Jada; Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) — Charles Odii; Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) — Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke.

    Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) — Rabiu Olowo; Nigeria Commodities Exchange (NCE) — Anthony Atuche, CFA; Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFCMB) — Veronica Safiya Ndanusa; Tafawa Balewa Square Management Board (TBSMB) — Lucia Shittu; National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) — Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin.

    Also on Friday, he approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), making good of a hint given on Thursday by Umahi. The list of the members of the Board and Management included Chairman of FERMA Board — Engr. Imam Ibrahim Kashim Imam; Managing Director of FERMA — Engr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi; member (NARTO) — Yusuf Lawal Othman; Member (FMW) — Engr. Ibi Terna Manasseh; member (FRSC) — ACM Shehu Mohammed; member (Finance) — Babatunde Daramola-Oniru; member (South-South) — Hon. Preye Oseke; member (South-West) — Hon. Oye Ojobe; member (South-East) — Dr. Kenneth Ugbala; member (North-Central) — Sen. Timothy Adudu; member (North-East) — Engr. Abubakar Bappa; member (North-West) — Aminu Adamu Papa.

    He also found time, at some occasions, to give direction and guidance through a couple of policy statements he made during the week. For instance, on Tuesday, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu directed the constitution of an ad-hoc committee to put an action plan together against flooding and appointed the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, as Chairman of the committee. Also during the week, he approved contracts for emergency road repairs across the country, covering over 260 roads, as well as upgrading of some other existing ones, all running into billions of naira.

    One other development during the last week, which the public found rather exciting was the President’s response to the petitions filed at the Supreme Court by the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Among other things, the Jagaban noted that the entire process being pursued by his erstwhile associate was a nothing more than “laced with thrilling suspense, stunning surprises and ecstatic hide-and-seek recreational activities”, not worth the court’s time and the Justices efforts.

    Speaking particularly to the sensational “journey to Chicago” by Abubakar, in search of a certificate that was never lost, Tinubu described the who episode in the legal battle as his opponent’s attempts at creating a crime out of a non-issue, saying “it was at this point that they rolled out their drums of cooked-up allegations of discrepancies in the second respondent’s (Tinubu’s) academic qualifications… bemusing allegations from the backdoor”.

    Many in the public had attempted intervening on the matter, especially those trying to get the Atiku Abubakar and PDP camps to calm down and take another look at their own rather weak and suspicious argument on the needless ‘excursion’ to the Chicago State University (CSU), but one of such interventions, the one by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Temitope Ajayi, was rather instructive. According to him, no one forges what he genuinely possesses

    “We should be clear. In the deposition made by the Chicago State University, there was nowhere the University said the certificate presented to INEC by President Tinubu is fake. The University insisted under oath that President Tinubu graduated with honours and even at that, replacements for lost certificates are done by vendors not the University. The claim that President Tinubu submitted fake certificate to INEC does not make sense. A man cannot forge the academic records he possesses. You can only forge what you don’t have”, he said in one of his many attempts at straightening the logic that those who went on the excursion to CSU were attempting to blur.

    In its own way, the week was not without colour and things definitely got done. The new week is here and the activities can only get more tasking for the man who is known as the back-to-back President. Tag along as the week roles by.

  • Idan’s wand and dispelling clouds of Labour’s strike

    Idan’s wand and dispelling clouds of Labour’s strike

    It was another week of victory for Nigeria, courtesy of President Bola Tinubu’s actions and interventions. Though not much of him was seen through the week, much of his actions and deftness could be felt in how he is responding to Nigeria, as its President. The week got started on a note of statutory officiation for him, being the week of the nation’s Independence Anniversary; the President’s duty on such occasions will require him to attend to issues at the heart of Nigeria, at the moment, and probably gift some form of magnanimity to some categories he deems deserving of such act of reasonableness.

    Coincidentally, it was also the week virtually all Nigerians dreaded to see, for the fear of an impending nationwide strike, called by the organised Labour, represented by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC). While attempting a scare spell on the government, the Labour had made some threats that the ordinary Nigerian had prayed never saw the light of the day.

    When declaring its plan to lead Nigerian workers on a nationwide strike, starting from October 3, the organised Labour had warned “it’s going to be a total shutdown … until government meets the demand of Nigerian workers, and in fact Nigerian masses. The federal government has refused to meaningfully engage and reach agreements with organised labour on critical issues of the consequences of the unfortunate hike in price of petrol, which has unleashed massive suffering on Nigerian workers and masses”.

    However,  Jagaban will not allow anyone, whoever they are and whatever place they occupy, to threaten the peace and security of his people. So he waited till his address to Nigerians, in commemoration of the Independence Anniversary, to take his aim at the threat that was giving the man on the streets the chills.

    He spoke to a lot of issues in his speech, but the one that caught the attention of the people most were his responses to the issues that were to shut the system down in a matter of hours. He did not disappoint, he itemized what his administration had started doing, what it will still do and there in the “goody bag” was the item promising the provisional wage increment.

    “I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp.  I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.

    Read Also: Labour suspends strike for 30 days

    “There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.

    “My government is doing all that it can to ease the load. I will now outline the path we are taking to relieve the stress on our families and households. 

    “We have embarked on several public sector reforms to stabilize the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to fight inflation, encourage production, ensure the security of lives and property and lend more support to the poor and the vulnerable.

    “Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month.

    “To ensure better grassroots development, we set up an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in critical areas. States have already received funds to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices”, he said.

    However, these vows and promises did not seem to cut it for the leaders of the organized Labour, the Jagaban had to initiate ‘Step 2’, which involved another round of engagements between government and the Labour. Though you must have caught the idea that the planned strike was stalled because ministers and Labour found rhythm, be informed that it was deeper than that and that President Tinubu took part in the negotiations all the way.

    Remember he had offered N25,000 provisional wage increment for those considered as the least paid when he made his broadcast in the morning? Well it was not enough for the Labour. NLC and TUC wanted something higher and paid across cadres. None of the people involved in the interface with Labour leaders could have singlehandedly agreed to give Labour what it wanted. So how did the President get involved? How did the earlier promise get upgraded into what looks like what Labour wanted?

    On Sunday, October 1, the Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, who was leading the consultation for that day, was constantly feeding Baba back. At some point, while the meeting was ongoing, Gbajabiamila came out to make a call, discussed briefly with a Labour leader then moved to a corner to make a call that lasted about two minutes. He returned and went back into the meeting room. He was believed to have called his Boss to feel him in on progress at the meeting and got instructed on how to handle a particular knotty development.

    At another point, Gbajabiamila and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, led ministers, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu; and others to take a moment off from the meeting, went into the President’s part of the State House complex to consult with him on the way forward on some of the demands of Labour. A similar pattern was repeated, though not entirely, the next day and at the end of it all, Jagaban, though not seen on the scene, delivered what was required to dispel the dreadful cloud.

    It almost happened, but for one reason or the other, President Tinubu was able to calm the raging storm, which threatened the public’s peace; in case you did not know, many families were already under the weight of the thought of how to prepare for a strike which end was not certain.

    Many have expressed various opinions on how the President managed the Labour issue and they have mostly been praises for him. A particular opinion, which did not stop at hailing the President’s deftness in handling the situation, but also offered a second angle, on how he thinks the organized Labour should be handled some other time, was expressed by Mr Bolaji Lawal, a former banker, businessman/analyst.

    “President Tinubu, once again, demonstrated his rich prodemocracy credential with his handling of the Labour movement. He showed that he is a listening leader that will listen to all strata of the economy, including groups of people opposed to him. We mustn’t forget that Labour is partisan and its intentions will always be suspicious because it is involved in politics. So it is commendable that the President bent over backwards to engage them. It is a sign of uncommon maturity from an African leader.

    “However, we must get the message to the President that he cannot wait for Labour forever and examples abound of leaders, across the globe, taking actions against Labour in the overall interest of the country.

    “The most famous of such leaders was Margaret Thatcher who crushed the Unions in Great Britain in the early 80’s. These Unions made British businesses uncompetitive from the 40’s and this affected the country’s economy adversely. All efforts by successive governments to make them see reasons were met with crippling strikes until the ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher, fought them to a standstill.

    “Even though, Thatcher took flaks for her actions at the time, economic historians agreed within a decade (in the 90’s) that her actions were crucial to Britain’s economic recovery. President Tinubu must understand that if needless distractions from Labour continue, he must act in the overall interest of the country.

    “Apart from being partisan and corrupt, solutions proposed by Labour only reinforce its ineptitude and symbolism with the past. Palliatives have never solved any problem in the past and no Nigerian believes palliatives get to the intended recipients, the poor. Neither do salary increments for federal civil servants help the country in any meaningful way because they constitute only a very small percentage of the population.

    “It should be noted that this is part of the Labour movement’s ineptitude over the decades. It focuses only on the federal government, whereas there are other employers of labour like the state and local governments and the private sector. Because Nigeria is a democracy with a federal structure, the federal government cannot compel any of the other employees of labour to whatever it agrees with organized Labour. We must ask Labour what it’s really trying to achieve. A Pyrrhic victory!

    “It is with all of these in mind that the President must be bold (and he had shown this often) in his quest to fix Nigeria, by asking Labour for time, two to three years, so it’s macroeconomic decisions would have had time to trickle down. Agreeing to ineffective measures like palliatives because of the fear of strikes is not the way to go. Rather, the President must insist he should be given time. That is the way to go”, he said.

    Though he was not physically partaking in other events of the week, he was well represented by his number one aide (Vice President Kashim Shettima) and one of such representation was on Thursday at the celebration of the 2023 World Teachers’ Day at the Eagle Square in Abuja. It was Shettima’s voice, but Tinubu’s reassuring promise to teachers that their reward, under his watch, would start from here on earth.

    Another week starts today, the fears and anxiety of a strike ended with last week and we hope to see new moves this week. What those moves will be we will need to wait to see.

  • Going dark or holding the fort, the wheel’s get to keep rolling

    Going dark or holding the fort, the wheel’s get to keep rolling

    President Bola Tinubu was almost entirely out of the public eyes all through the week, save for the occasional voice drops, echoed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, though press releases. That did not however mean that it was a stand still at House Number 1. As a matter of fact, being the week preceding the Independence Day Anniversary celebration, to mark Nigeria’s 63rd anniversary as an independent entity, there were a couple of activities reversed for the Presidency and one must say that they were perfectly handled.

    Since he left New York in the United States of America (USA), where he participated in the 78th edition of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and gave what has been adjudged by many as one of the finest outings by an African head of state at the UN, making very daring and bold statements on the unequal relationship between African and the rest of the world, the Jagaban had taken some time off to give his body the needed rest.

    It would be recalled that President Tinubu has been in the air for several hours in the month of September for different international engagements and all targeted at solving many of the age-long issues we have lived with as a nation. First it was 11 hours 20 minutes Abuja – New Delhi flight on September 4, where he had to attend the G-20 Leaders Summit as well as transacting businesses on behalf of Nigeria. There are 4 hours 30 minutes time difference between Nigeria and India; like when it is 12:30pm in Nigeria, it is 5pm in India.

    Read Also: Tinubu addresses Nigerians on Sunday

    Then on leaving India, he made a stop at Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after a 3 hours 43 minutes flight on September 10 and returned to Abuja on September 12, another 10 hours 30 minutes flight. Note, again, that UAE is three hours ahead of Nigeria.

    Then five days after the hectic return from Abu Dhabi, that was September 17, he had been scheduled to jet out to New York, another almost 14 hours of flight, to attend the UNGA and engage in other national businesses. Also note that Abuja is 5 hours ahead of New York. These happened back-to-back within a month. Within fourteen days, he has been in the air, cumulatively, for 39 hours 33 minutes and has traversed extensive time zones to the East and West of the globe, within same period.

    It should therefore not surprise anyone when it became obvious that the President decided to go off work to rest for a few days before returning to his desk. Taking time off did not mean that he was entirely out of circulation. Right from after the UNGA outing when he went dark, Baba has responded to a couple of issues from offshore.

    For instance, on Sunday, he responded to the unfortunate abduction of some female students of the Federal University Gusau (FUG) in Zamfara State. Reports had indicated that a number of students from the university were kidnapped by suspected terrorists from their hostel in Sabon Gida on Friday, September 22. He responded on Sunday with a marching directive to security forces to secure the victims’ unconditional release and within hours, seven of the students and three construction workers had been rescued by the military. Even offshore, Baba is not letting things fall apart.

    Also on the Eid-el-Moulud festival day, the President reached out to Nigerians to make a call for nationalism, emphasising reasons why all citizens need to support government to achieve the desired Nigeria, saying “Nigeria has arrived at an important juncture. While the government is taking all necessary measures to make the country secure and economically viable, we need the full support of the citizenry in the form of patriotism, patience, and prayers. The light is certainly bright at the end of the tunnel”.

    However, one thing that the absence of the President during the week and the way the system has smoothly run, notwithstanding, and considering it is a period of an important national event, has proven one thing; Tinubu selected the right set of hands to run the system with him. The way the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, steadied the state-craft’s navigation was a magnificent. All through the week, it was from one state matter to another.

    From his Eid-el-Moulud message to Nigerians on Tuesday, in which he called on citizens to work with the Tinubu administration for the good of all, to the various audiences in his office, including the ones with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Surat Group and MTN Nigeria, also on Tuesday, the Vice President has continued to prove his mettle, leaving no one in doubt.

    However, of all the activities involving the “Aso Rock’s Socrates” (a fitting nickname for the philosopher Vice President, who does not deliver speech, even extempore, without accurate quotes from some of the wisest figures of history), his 63rd Independence Anniversary Public Lecture has been tipped as the message of the week.

    Just like he called out in his Eid-el-Moulud message, Shettima re-echoed the need for all Nigerians to join the efforts by government to re-order Nigeria’s evolution. To him, Nigeria of every citizen’s dream will only be forged when everyone sees the task as a personal one. To him, the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration is a well thought-out plan, aimed at getting most Nigerians out of poverty and set the tone for something recognizing an advanced economy, but then this laudable ‘theory’ will only gain life when everyone sees it for what is.

    “Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the future of a great nation is not determined by the occurrence of their socioeconomic challenge. The future of every nation rests on the intention, sincerity and innovative ideas of its leaders and their commitment to implementing them. 

    “This is why President Bola Tinubu eight-point agenda remains an oasis in a scorching sun. We cannot renew the hope of the nation unless we deliver on our promise to drive food security and eradicate poverty. 

    “We cannot foster economic growth and nurture job creation unless we facilitate access to capital, enhance national security and optimize the business environment for our enterprises. We are going to uphold the rule of law and fight corruption to design the Nigeria of our dream. We can’t achieve any of these unless each citizen remains a strategic partner in pursuit of our ultimate national interests. 

    “At 63, we recognize that what has sustained us and propelled us forward is our collective belief that overcoming the challenges we have inherited necessitates sacrifices, especially from us, the leaders. 

    “We are driven by the realization that these sacrifices are not for nought. They are investments in a brighter future, investments that will redeem the future, the fortune of our great generation and guarantee the well being of generations to come. 

    “Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the present administration also recognizes that the sacrifices made by each Nigerian will never be in vain. Such solidarity with the economy revival strategy, from the bustling streets of Lagos to the serene landscapes of Enugu has inspired our focus on diverse sectors, from agriculture to digital technology, from healthcare to education”, the Vice President said. 

    According to Shettima, the Tinubu administration was not oblivious that there would be hurdles on its way towards achieving its campaign promises for Nigerians, but noted that the government’s faith in achieving success had been built on the realization that Nigerians are never broken by temporary setback. 

    “We knew from the starting point of this race to serve the people that the track will not be without it holes and ponds. We knew that challenges will arise and obstacles will test our resolve, but as our history has shown, Nigerians are too ambitious to be broken by a temporary setback. We are going to emerge from this phase of our reforms stronger, each of us, with renewed hope. 

    “As we honor the labours of our heroes past, as we reflect on the values and principles that have bought us this far, as we strive to excel in all that we do, and as we walk together towards a future where opportunity knows no bounds, let’s remember that our most potent weapon is the overriding resolve of the majority to choose unity over chaos and democracy over anarchy”, Shettima said. 

    The week was dedicated to the celebration of the nation coming of age and it ends today with other activities to be performed by the President. He came in on Friday and he is expected to address the nation in a broadcast and inspect a guard of honour today. This is believed to be his resumption from his brief break. We await more activities as the week starts off.

  • 78th UNGA speech: Like Cicero, like Jagaban

    It was yet another busy week for President Bola Tinubu as he continued the drive to better both the economic and diplomatic images of the country. Just like the week before it, the President spent virtually the entire week abroad, this time around, attending the 78th United Nations’ General Assembly in New York, as well as several other bilateral and business meetings. Remember he was in the capital of India, New Delhi, the week before to participate in the G-20 Leaders’ Summit, as well as attending other critical engagements that were targeted at bettering the economy.

    Although he was involved in several activities at various levels, including a town hall meeting Diaspora Nigerians from across the United States, diplomatic bilateral and business roundtable with global captains of industry, the one tipped as the most significant of the Jagaba’s outing in ‘the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave’ was his 46-paragraphed National Statement to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 19.

    To many Nigerians, just as applicable to other coloured peoples in different parts of the world, the Nigerian President took the UN rostrum to speak the truth to power, speaking on behalf of all the struggling and oppressed nations, those sacrificing everything just to claim a place among those who have forever employed all manners of cunning and force to take all without yielding anything. That outing, in the view of many who have over the years served as the voice for Justice and Equality, was a bold venture for the President of one of the most endowed, but repressed potential powers in parts other than the Global West.

    In such reviews, President Tinubu knew it was a risk to speak out, pointing to the hypocrisy of the big economies, those most of the ‘rest’ of the world are patronising just to be allowed to take steps that will make them count, yet he summoned the courage to say it the way it is, pointing to how corporations and businesses from the developed world pillage African resources, a representation of the struggling economies of the Americas and those in Asia, and such actors never get sanctioned, but protected by their mother-countries through hypocritical technicalities.

    He summarised his truth-poking statement in the closing, saying “as I close, let me emphasize that Nigeria’s objectives accord with the guiding principles of this world body: peace, security, human rights and development. In fundamental ways, nature has been kind to Africa, giving abundant land, resources and creative and industrious people. Yet, man has too often been unkind to his fellow man and this sad tendency has brought sustained hardship to Africa’s doorstep.

    “To keep faith with the tenets of this world body and the theme of this year’s Assembly, the poverty of nations must end. The pillage of one nation’s resources by the overreach of firms and people of stronger nations must end. The will of the people must be respected. This beauty, generous and forgiving planet must be protected.

    “As for Africa, we seek to be neither appendage nor patron. We do not wish to replace old shackles with new one. Instead, we hope to walk the rich African soil and live under the magnificent African sky free of the wrongs of the past and clear of their associated encumbrances. We desire a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people. To the rest of the world, I say walk with us as true friends and partners. Africa is not a problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied. Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future”, he said.

    In another forum, specifically his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, Baba told the world that Nigeria and African will no longer fall for the gimmick of the West; collaborating with their rogue corporations and nationals who come to these parts to steal resources, flood our lands with lethal substances like firearms, ammunition, drugs, toxic wastes and other such inhuman practices, then turning back to invoke ‘human rights’ to gain clemency through the back door.

    “We are facing the great challenge of scavengers ravaging our lands and oppressing our people on illegal mines—taking our gold and mineral wealth back to developed economies by stealth and violence against Nigerians. Where one’s human right ends, the rights of another begin, most especially for self-protection. If we fight, they say ‘human rights,’ but we will now be aggressive and we will question motives. We will stop what is happening in our land. We require your effective collaboration”, Baba had told Guterres.

    However, reviews have rated the President’s outing most successful. Starting with the truth-telling on the floors of the General Assembly on Tuesday, opinions across the world have put President Tinubu’s speech among the best ever delivered by leaders of developing countries to the rest of the world.

    Read Also: Tinubu steering Nigeria through turbulent waters, says Akpabio

    A legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, who many will not call “an everyday friend of President Tinubu, in his review of the President’s National Statement, described it as “a well-received statement at UNGA”.

    Agbakoba, who is never known for praise-singing, dropped a message on his verified X handle, @oagbakoba commending the President for his message to the world, saying “never in the history of UNGA has an African President spoken for the entire African continent, asserting that we are not beggars but equal partners with the geopolitical blocs of the world.

    “Not since Kwame Nkrumah and his vision for a pan-African agenda for development has any African leader delivered a speech on behalf of the 54 nations of Africa. Africa has only itself to blame if it fails to build upon the significant policy speech delivered by President Tinubu at the United Nations General Assembly. Let all of us in Africa rally our collective energies and declare to the world that we are awake and not beggars but partners”, he said.

    Also, a senior media practitioner and former Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, in his summation of the President’s outing said he (Tinubu) was apt in locating the escalating crisis of development in Nigeria and other African countries in the crippling unemployment across the regions, lauding him for the foresight and expressing optimism that sorting this crisis out will help to speed up development.

    “Over the years political and economic analysts in Nigeria have had cause to express grave concern over youth unemployment in the country. Some of them have described lack of job opportunities for Nigerian youths as a ticking time bomb.

    “In cognisance of this national crisis, President Tinubu, during his speech at the Union Nations rightly emphasised that for Nigeria and other African countries to fulfil their duties to their people must create jobs. There is no doubt that one of the socio-economic problems facing Nigeria today is unemployment. And the President has clearly pointed out that creating more and better quality jobs is key to boosting growth, reducing poverty and increasing social cohesion.

    “To this end, I consider President Tinubu’s assertion that Africa’s largest economy is open for business, aimed at attracting foreign direct investment, as most commendable. Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from foreign direct investment through technology transfer, human capital development, job creation, stem insecurity, increased competitiveness, and improve export. This will, no doubt, help to further develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria”, Ebiri said.

    Besides the outing at the UNGA, the President also took part in a number of other engagements targeted at economic growth and development, even the meeting with the Diaspora Nigerians in across the US was still devoted to asking them to bring their resources home for investment. These engagements have also been weighed and sized as steps in the right direction for a President desperate to bring a comatose system back to life.

    One of such reviews was by the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu, who spoke to journalists after the Jagaba rang the closing bell at the NASDAQ.

    “Today is extremely symbolic for us as Nigerians, we should be very proud to see our President come to New York, we have had many Presidents in the past who come for UNGA, but they didn’t pay this kind of attention to coming to a place like this. This is symbolic, it helps people to know that our leader is ready for business, he supports business and he will create the enabling environment for businesses to succeed.

    “There’s so much private global capital looking for the right investment destination and this capital will go to where it’s most welcomed. Seeing the President of Nigeria, come to New York, coming to NASDAQ to ring the closing bell says a lot, that he’s a man that’s pro-business. We need a pro-business leadership to take Nigeria to the next level, it’s all about confidence and trust.

    “If people have confidence in the Nigeria’s economy, if people have confidence in our leadership, the money we need in Nigeria to develop our economy, to drive infrastructure, to even improve our foreign exchange reserve will come to the country. So I’m very happy and that’s why personally I cancelled some engagements to be here with Mr President

    “Also, when we go back home, they should match it with actions to make sure that the promises we made to foreign investors is sustained. What is good for foreign investor is good for local investor. We want to see a vibrant economy in Nigeria and to achieve that, we need to create the enabling environment”, Elumelu said.

    Well, another week of offshore victories ended in America on Thursday evening as the Jagaban headed out of that country, en rout France, back home, for another week of activities. What those activities will be, we will have to wait to see.

  • PBAT the negotiator and the reopening of Emirati corridor

    PBAT the negotiator and the reopening of Emirati corridor

    it was another very exciting week and especially so because President Bola Tinubu continued with the streak and momentum of the week before. The week before last week, he did it home front to offshore, but last week it was offshore to home front. He started his week in New Delhi, India, where he has been from the week before and the event that took him that far from home happened to close on the first day of the week.

    Last week Sunday, just as the G-20 Leaders Forum was winding down in New Delhi, a couple of sidelines meetings were organised among various heads of states. President Tinubu met with three world leaders that day; Prime Minister of the host country, India, Narendra Modi; German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz; and the South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol. The day before then, he had had what his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, described as ‘informal exchanges of views’ with U.S. President Joe R. Biden; European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen; and World Bank President, Ajay Banga, amongst many others.

    In one of the meetings, the one he held with the South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, President Tinubu showed purpose and single-mindedness. While his counterpart was busy with patronage and pleasantries, trying to make him feel good about himself, Jagaban just switched to what was his primary reason for meeting with anybody at all, like “let’s talk about business and our economies, enough of pleasantries”.

    “We will leave nothing hanging. We will finalise what we agree to and we will execute. We will work point-by-point with you to secure rapidly implementable MoUs across sectors of partnership that will involve the active presence of your biggest firms, not just in terms of Nigerian consumption, but in local Nigerian production, from telecommunications to technology, and oil and gas”, Tinubu assured Yeol.

    However, of all the very exciting developments of the last week, the stopover he made in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi, seemed to stand out and won him the star event of the week. When his spokesman, Ngelale, right from India, where he was attending the G-20 Summit, announced the President’s plan to make a stopover in Abu Dhabi, not many people immediately figured the purpose out.

    It became the toast and talk of the town on Monday when multiple sources, including President Tinubu himself and Ngelale, unveiled the details of the fruits of the Abu Dhabi engagement. Of course we knew he was going to meet with his counterpart, the President of the UAE, but details of what they should be discussing were not out there for everyone to know. Except, however, for some who immediately guessed it might all be about the souring relations between both countries since last year, which has affected business in many sectors.

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    “Today, in unity with my friend, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we have initiated a new era of collaboration and friendship between our nations – Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. We’ve also laid a robust foundation for substantial investments in various sectors in Nigeria, a testament to our shared vision for a prosperous future. Together, we are committed to building bridges and fostering a friendship that stands the test of time. As part of our discussions, the following have been reached:

    “Immediate lifting of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travelers by the UAE. Resumption of flight schedules into and out of Nigeria by Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines, without any immediate payment required from the Nigerian government; an agreed framework for new investments worth several billions of U.S. dollars into the Nigerian economy by the UAE government, covering multiple sectors including defense and agriculture; a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between Nigeria and the UAE, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks; a commitment to normalize and enhance the relations between the two countries, fostered by the collaboration between myself and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan”, President Tinubu disclosed on his verified X handle on Monday.

    Almost immediately the news hit the town, reactions excitedly started streaming in. Even if it was meant to be operational in a matter of days, talking about the lifting of travel ban and the reopening of the operations of the two airliners, Nigerians, both back home, in UAE or in other parts of the world, started praising the President for his boldness and thoughts for Nigerian interests anywhere in the world.

    Miss X is a well travelled Nigerian professional in the media industry, she has traveled to the UAE; either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, a couple of times, besides the fact that she is quite informed about the operations of travel agencies. To her, Tinubu has taken a rather strategic step, especially considering the shape of diplomatic politics these days.

    “In this era of evolving geopolitics and global alliances, I firmly believe that no nation should isolate itself. Nigeria, too, must keep pace with these changes. Strengthening our ties with the UAE can bring significant mutual benefits, and one crucial step is facilitating travel between our countries. Therefore, the prospective lifting of the visa ban and the resumption of Emirates and Etihad flights are indeed positive developments.

    “I hope these plans can be realized without undue delay. It’s worth noting that this achievement reflects positively on the Tinubu administration, especially considering the previous unsuccessful attempts by the Buhari government to lift the ban and reinstate these flights”, Miss X said.

    Another outstanding activity during the President’s week was the approval for the establishment of a Presidential Committee dedicated to the reform of the livestock industry and the provision of long-term solutions to recurring clashes between herders and farmers in the country, headed by the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje. The Committee will be attending to an issue touching various social issues like security, food security, productive agriculture and many others. Besides, it is an issue touching many lives and cultures and which has fueled fears in many ramifications.

    While meeting the Committee, the President explained that the it is expected to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers while ensuring the security and economic well-being of all Nigerians. The most significant item on the list of recommendations by the committee has been said to be the proposition for a Ministry of Livestock Economy.

    “The federal government is fully prepared to cover the cost of acquiring the land. These opportunities will provide gainful employment for our veterinary doctors, while opening doors for the private sector as the provision of new educational opportunities for herders’ and their children emerge. Medical facilities will be established. This is a life-changing opportunity that we have.

    “Imagine us producing enough milk for our school children. Imagine us becoming net exporters of cheese and yoghurt. Imagine us producing the skin massively with a major Nigerian leather industry. Imagine us providing cold storage facilities and employment across the nation. These things are possible in front of us,” the President charged.

    Taking a look at the route now being plied by the President in the attempt to put an end to farmers-herders age-long conflict, the National Chairman of the Arewa Economic Forum (AEF), who also happens to have a background in Agriculture, Ibrahim Shehu Yahaya, popularly known as Dandakata, hailed the innovation, but still expressed the opinion that only the creation of a Ministry of Livestock Economy will bring the best out of the entire idea. 

    “While we see the acceptance of the report by the President of Nigeria as a sign of excellent and positive response to a very good initiative and extensive work by the committee, we remain fully behind the creation of a Ministry of Livestock Economy, not a committee.

    “It’s pertinent to note that the pastoralists do not enjoy much benefit from the government at all levels. While other citizens that are engaged in various businesses get all kinds of support from governments like markets, schools, access roads, inputs at subsidised rates, water, electricity and various kinds of assistance and incentives the pastoralist gets not much if any.

    “Meanwhile the grazing routes and reserves are not available for their use. The calls for ranching doesn’t take into consideration the amount of funds needed to develop that business unit, which no bank has funds available to offer those in the business, coupled with the fact that the main requirement for a loan in Nigeria, land collateral, isn’t available to the pastoralists while at the same time the govt hasn’t provided them with education and the facilities that will enable them navigate the intricate financial system to be able to negotiate for such funds.

    “Our call is for the establishment of the ministry which will engender a positive platform for the pastoralists to be fully engaged in the formal economic sector and the revival of nomadic education that will ensure the pastoralists are brought into the 21st century as other citizens”, Dandakata said.

    Still on Thursday, President Tinubu hosted the very colourful Rivers people, who visited to show solidarity, pledge their loyalty and support. This visit came with some revelations. Of course, the visitors, drawn from across political parties, besides securing a commitment from the President on the repair or reconstruction of the Eleme Junction axis of the East-West Road, they made him blow the cover on his relationship with the former Rivers State governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike. Jagaban revealed that Wike is not just his minister, but an adviser and admirer, whose works as minister so far he credited.

    Then during the week he made a number of very critical appointments, which will tell on how the administration performs financially, eventually. He appointed Zacch Adedeji, a man who has been described as a numbers genius, as Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Thursday and on Friday named Dr Yemi Cardoso as Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). There were still others though.

    Now this week is just starting, but it is safe to say from now that it is going to be largely offshore as he leaves today to participate in the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the USA. We’ll wait to see how it goes.

  • Captain Jagaban and the $14 billion FDI shipment

    The last week, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, came with its unique features, from beginning to the end: full of activities, mostly visible, mostly offshore. It was the week he showed the world that Nigeria, under his watch, indeed means business, rhetoric aside, and practically showed Nigerians they are on the cusp of igniting the innate greatness of their homeland.

    Like indicated earlier, it was a very busy week for the President, more so when he had to fly almost 12 hours to cover the 7560 kilometers between Abuja and the capital of India, New Delhi, to kill many birds with one stone. Coincidentally, this all important trip happened at a time of great anxiety, excitement and batted breath. During the week, the Presidential Election Petition Court delivered its judgment and you can only imagine what that particular event meant for him.

    Of all that transpired through the week, most of which happened offshore, the deliverables from the Indian venture have been tipped as the most impactful, both for the President and Nigeria. Being a shrewd resources manager, Asiwaju would not confine his activities to just the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which was the primary reason for the visit, he ensured to explore the six-day foray to pluck strategic economic fruits for the country, through an array of meetings, during which agreements and Memoranda of Understanding were signed.

    To show his seriousness about intensifying his administration’s drive to shop for foreign direct investments (FDI) to shore up the economy and create real living employments for Nigerians, President Tinubu pulled some of his ministers, who will play key roles in actualizing his targets, along; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, were his missiles deployed at sealing deals.

    He also had the company of the governors of Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and the governor of Ogun State, Mr Dapo Abiodun, whose state is one of the most industrialized in the country, to take part in some of the deals.

    Starting from the night of his arrival on Tuesday, President Tinubu had hardly arrived his lodgings at the Le Meridien in New Delhi, when the first business meeting got underway. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Hinduja Group of Companies, a conglomerate with a total asset portfolios exceeding $100 billion, Mr Prakash Hinduja, was already waiting in line to discuss business with the leader of the largest economy in Africa.

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    Then on Wednesday, the President chaired a Presidential Roundtable and Business Conference, which was jointly put together by the Nigerian High Commission in India, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Nigerian Indian Business Council (NIBC). At the event, which gathered more than twenty Indian global businessmen and more than thirty Nigerian international business men and women, the President was able to garner agreements, MoUs and investment promises amounting to about $14 billion.

    Indorama, which already has a magnificent presence in Nigeria told the President it would be investing and additional $8 billion to expand its business in the country. Jindal Steel and Power Limited, one of India’s largest private steel producers, said it would bring $3 billion into the Nigerian economy. SkipperSeil Limited is bringing $1.6 billion to invest into the power generation subsector in the next four years, and so on.

    Achieving this in just one outing, especially at the very beginning of his tenure is a good sign for Nigeria’s economy and an indicator to the capacity of the person Nigerians have entrusted with leadership, according to Bolaji Lawal, an agro-business investor, who has a background in Banking and Economics.           

    “President Tinubu has left no one in doubt that he is a strategic thinker, however as President he is proving to be a strategic worker. Tinubu is setting Nigeria up for prosperity within a trip to India that lasts only a few days. He has secured investments valued at about $14 billion from Indian business men and entities. The big deal is not the investment per se, but the strategic nature of the industries targeted.

    “The President and his team secured a $3 billion commitment to invest in Nigeria’s Iron Ore and Steel Development industry. This, in my opinion, is the most strategic achievement of the Indian trip because this is where Nigeria has underperformed the most, despite the overwhelming importance of this industry to the country’s economic development.

    “It must be noted that there is no country on the planet today that achieved success in its industrialization program that doesn’t have a robust steel industry, even though it may not meet local demand a 100% at times. But Nigeria is lucky, we have resources that enable us to meet local demand and become a net exporter of iron and steel materials and products.

    “The iron and steel industry, when fully developed, has the capacity to create 2 million direct and indirect jobs. The impact of this on the economy of Nigeria is multi-dimensional and cannot be overemphasized”, Lawal said.

    Then the meeting with the Nigerian community in India on Thursday evening was a heart-to-heart engagement, where the President spoke to his the people about being good ambassadors of the country where they sojourn. Then when the permitted window for stay expires, he admonished they should not become nuisances, he said “don’t wait to be criminalised. Come back home if cannot renew your visa”

    Before addressing them on the plans for the country and for the people in the Diaspora, Asiwaju had to apologize for arriving late, then raised then he opened up

    Jagaban doesn’t joke with friends and family (A snippet from his human angle)

    The President still keeps his ‘down-to-earth’ character, notwithstanding the office he now occupies. For instance, there’s this protocol of security details usually struggling to keep a certain line of doing things for VIPs and preventing casual contacts with whoever has not been ‘cleared’ to pop up. But Baba will not be restrained, especially when he feels strongly about the correctness of getting something done or reaching out to some people. One of such occasions presented itself in Delhi.

    After the Presidential Roundtable and Business Conference with Nigerian and Indian captains of industry, and he was to be ushered out, the security details will usually make way for him by ensuring a clear path, removing everything and everyone, no matter the calibre, from the way. Of course, everyone had moved back and ensured a clear path. However, the President was intended on paying respect to a particular participant in the room with whom he has kept a long time relationship.

    “I need to greet Chief Okoya before leaving the room”, the President said and was about moving towards the right side of the room where Nigerian businessmen and women were all standing in gesture of respect for him as he left the room. At that same instance, his gaze fell on another figure on the left hand side of the room, who was standing in the crowd, genuflecting in respectful greeting for him. “Oh, Wale you are here as well?”. It was Mr Wale Tinubu, the Chief Executive Officer of Oando Oil, who also happens to be his nephew. From there on, they both went towards Chief Razaq Okoya, the Founder of the Eleganza Group, a well respected business mogul and a father figure for most Lagosians.

    The week also saw victory for the President at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Wednesday. Many legal luminaries had from the onset predicted a home run for the President in the legal tussle as, in their opinions, the petitions filed by the opposition parties and their candidates; People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Peter Obi, as well as the Allied People’s Movement (APM), were hollow and needless in the first place.

    Meanwhile, before he left the country on Monday, en route India, he held a meeting with the Minister of Defense, Abubakar Badaru, the Minister of State, Bello Matawalle, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the service chiefs. He also granted audience to the Global Vice President of the computer software company, Oracle, Mr Andres Garcia Arroyo, with whom he discussed his administration’s plans to deploy technology to sanitize public expenditure. Jagaban sees no reason a deadbeat and bloated public service system should take so much resources to the detriment of required public infrastructure.

    As he will be returning to the country from India tomorrow, the nation will have to take the time to savour the sweetness of the brewing stability and progress.

  • He’s given us ministers, now what we need from our ministers

    He’s given us ministers, now what we need from our ministers

    Just like it has been in recent times, the Aso Rock Presidential Villa did not see much of physical activities from President Bola Tinubu’s office.

    But a lot went underground unnoticed, just like they say, the wheel of governance has continued to grind, non-stop, whether you see it or not.

    However, one event loomed so large. There was no way anyone, especially in the country, will claim not to have noticed it.

    The long awaited cabinet was inaugurated on Monday, with all the 45 ministers screened and cleared by the Senate being sworn-in.

    That was a major activity for the President and also for all citizens because these are men and women who will run the Renewed Hope Agenda along with Tinubu and his Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

    But much more, they are the people who make all Nigerians feel like a part of the government. For instance, ministers are from all states of the federation and for all Nigerians.

    There is a particular feeling about hearing the name of your kinsman mentioned as part of those who are to make things work for everybody. You do not even need to know them in person. It is nostalgic.

    So the week started on a note that  concerns everybody and as expected, everybody has one opinion or the other to express.

    Charging his ministers to their duties, President Tinubu reminded them of the dire situation facing Nigeria and what is expected of them to lighten the people’s burden and to really “let the poor breathe”.

    He did not just stop with charging them to deliver. There was a note of warning; every man or woman will be measured by the standards the administration had promised Nigerians. The primary duty is to make the people believe in governance once again.

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    The President admonished the ministers: “Since my inauguration on May 29, I have taken steps to begin implementing the agenda from which I campaigned and for which I received the mandate of the Nigerian people. With the inauguration of ministers today, we are about to accelerate our governing efforts to move forward, highlighting our best aspiration for Nigerians. It is all about a great team. And I believe we have them here. “It is the highest honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the Federal Executive Council of our beloved Republic. With such high honour comes tremendous responsibility. In this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure, all of you who have been sworn-in have been called to distinguish yourselves. It is me who know you and delegate this authority. But the greatest number of Nigerians is highly expectant of delivery and accountability and transparency. “I expect that you will serve with integrity, dignity and deliver. I will hold you to that standard we all promised Nigerians. Your assignment begins immediately. As your country honours you today, by this call to service, you must each work to make yourself worthy in the eyes of God and all our nation’s people. Your highest obligation is to restore public faith in government so that our people can once again believe that the right hands in government can show. I believe in you that the government can be a positive force for transformation and a vehicle for collective progress of this country”.

    Meanwhile, having fixed people where he believes they will best deploy their energies and talents, Nigerians have also been helping with thoughts on how the administration can make the best of the team for the good of the nation.

    Bolaji Lawal, a socioeconomic analyst in the banking sector, identified four task areas for the administration to achieve its goals and the ministries that will help in achieving them.

    According to him, increased revenue, job creation, security and power are those areas that need to be gotten right to get the nation running straight.

    “These ministries are defined by what is considered the most urgent priority of Nigeria at the moment, which are increased revenue, job creation, security and power.

    These are the most important because solving them resolves a lot of other issues. For example, increased revenue and job creation may resolve other problems like infrastructure deficit, poverty alleviation and so on.

    “The first task area is increasing revenue for the job of running the system, without having to borrow, like President Tinubu promised when he inaugurated the Tax Reforms Committee.

    Here, the ministries of Finance and Coordinating Ministry for the Economy and that of Budget and Economic Planning must think outside the box to figure this need out.

    “These ministries are very important. They must plan, organise, propose, project, track, give feedback and make necessary adjustments along the way to the achievements of the government’s economic policies and programmes.

    The Minister of Finance must be given the necessary powers to get the cooperation and collaboration of every other Ministry, Department and Agency of the Federal Government”

    For job creation, which is the second task area, five ministries will help to considerably bridge the massive employment gap in the country.

    Number one is the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. This ministry should have as its focus prepping one million young Nigerians (in five years) for the global IT market.

    “Also, the Ministry of Health is where Nigeria has perfected producing high quality medical personnel cheaply and this has attracted global attention. This Ministry should reposition Nigeria in such a way that it can benefit from the export of these highly skilled Nigerians by developing policies that improve medical facilities back in Nigeria. “The ministries of Sports Development, Marine and Blue Economy, Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development will do much in creating millions of jobs for both skilled and unskilled hands. Already the Sports fields are bringing in foreign currency, but only at the informal level. Policy reforms will reorganise the sector and increase remittances. The major gain here is in terms of remittances and this ministry should target exporting a million youths in a decade. “Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is a hardly tapped resource of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It will create jobs and enhance government revenue. Also, in the Ministry of Steel Development, the Ajaokuta Steel Mill alone has the capacity to create a million direct and indirect jobs. This project alone will impact Nigeria’s GDP growth.

    “The third task area is Security and the much that could be seen puts much tasks on the shoulders of the Ministries of Defense, Interior and Police Affairs. They must develop a new security architecture that can effectively secure the nation.

    “The last task area for the administration will be getting the Power sector right. The success of the government’s economic programmes is dependent on the availability of Power. The ministries of Power, Petroleum Resources and Gas Resources must fashion out a way to overcome all the bottlenecks that stand in the way of uninterrupted power supply across the length and breadth of the country. This industry, if properly harnessed, is a multi-trillion Naira one that impacts the GDP of Nigeria”, Lawal stated.

    Other Nigerians have also been voicing what they will want to see from the government and how they will want the President and his ministers direct public life. One of such voices is that of Eguando Tone Jeff, an Abuja-based Public Affairs Commentator, who believes some of the ministries have much to tap from in order to grow the economy and ease some of the burdens that Nigerians have been forced to live with for too long.

    “The Blue Economy ministry needs to harness the opportunities in fishing, ship registration, tidal energy (a clean power created by ocean wave) and so on. This is a global economy worth $2.5 trillion so Nigerians expect the minister to get to work so that we can pluck out of that global business that will generate FOREX, create jobs and revenue for our country.

    “Tourism is another area that Nigerians want to see generate revenue like the entertainment industry. The Minister needs to brand top artists like Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy as ambassadors to sell, not just their music, but attract the world to our Tourism. The $2.3 trillion global economy of Tourism is waiting for Nigeria. We have all that can attract the world; the sun, sand, sea and monuments, if well packaged.

    “There needs to be synergy between the Ministry of Tourism, the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies to create a futuristic security template because tourism does not thrive where there is insecurity.”

    Don’t forget to add the Works Minister should work out modalities to sanction contractors who engage in construction of federal roads that end up failing in less than one year of construction.That is economic sabotage of scarce resources that should be applied to the benefit of Nigerians”, Eguando said.

    Large as the ministerial inauguration loomed and appearing as the undisputed mega event of the week, it will be difficult for one not to note the President’s engagements regarding the Niger Republic debacle.

    As Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he has had to coordinate many of the activities of the regional body to prevent a breakdown of interface with the General Abdouramane Tchaini-led junta in Niger.

    To that effect, the President met with ECOWAS Envoy to Niger and Nigeria’s former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Commission’s President, Dr Omar Tourey, at the Villa on Tuesday and Thursday.

    He also met with Islamic leaders, known as the Ulama, on the same matter. It should be noted, however, that as the administration moves close to hitting a hundred days in office, activities are expected to pick. More activities are expected, probably from this week.