Category: Dr John Ekundayo

“What we are doing as a party is that we have changed the face of campaigning in the state, and you will discover that we have not done so much open campaigning in Ekiti State, this is deliberate. We have been embarking on stakeholders’ meetings with every critical stakeholder in Ekiti State. We want to take feedback from them; we want to know their expectations, and we want to have one-on-one contact with them. This was done in all the units in Ekiti State and I believe that this has been helpful.” – Oyebanji

While growing up, in this columnist’s days of yore, there was this famous advertisement tagline of a non-alcoholic drink that despite living then in apparently analogue age, went viral! It had the tagline: “The Difference is Clear!” Several billboards were literally screaming with the advert; airwaves of radio were rent with it; the newsprint media was awash with it; the nascent television era caught the bug as well. Ubiquitous and unique in this depiction and display was the branding of some taxis in such a way that they were fitted with mounted mobile billboards of: “The Difference is Clear!” The heavy advertisement investment paid up for the firm producing the drink – 7Up! The sales shut up thus increasing the product’s market share and temporarily outsmarted other competitors in the food and beverage industry of the time. Of course, the bottom lines of the manufacturing firm greatly improved to the excitement of the business owners, distributors, retailers and shareholders. There is something about the slogan: “The Difference is Clear!” This is what in strategic studies is referred to as the Unique Value Proposition (UVP). According to Harvard Business School, Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness, “a value proposition defines the kind of value a company will create for its customers. Finding a unique value proposition usually involves a new way of segmenting (differentiating) the market (sic).” What were uniquely attractive to customers in 7Up that other notable competitors of that era did not possess? Simply and squarely stated: the size, shape, content and price of the drink! The bottle design was unique; the size was bigger and of course, the content was evidently magnanimous to consumers than other competitors in the market. Added to these was the unique and uncommon lower price penetration in the market with incentives to distributors to demand for more quantities.

One-on-one with Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO)

The race to Oke Ayoba, as Ekiti Government House is referred to in Ekiti common parlance, is nearing the finishing line with less than a week by the time this publication penetrates the public domain – exactly 6 days! Having been keenly following political developments and events in Ekiti for some years, this essayist, sought one-on-one interactive session with the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (popularly called: BAO), in the June 18 Gubernatorial election in Ekiti. Despite his heavy campaign schedule, he was magnanimous and gracious in acceding to the request. Three salient questions were asked as they were three strong contenders, BAO of APC inclusive, in the race to Oke Ayoba. The others are: Engr. Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Chief Bisi Kolawole of the People Democratic Party (PDP).

It is good to hear from APC flag bearer himself:

Question 1:

In less than a week, to the gubernatorial election coming up in Ekiti State, precisely on 18th June 2022, how confident are you that you would emerge as the winner of that election?

BAO:

I am confident of victory because I am not new to Ekiti people, we have come a long way; we have done a lot of things together. I have been with Ekiti people at every defining moment in their history as a state. I was part and parcel of the team that fought for the creation of Ekiti State. I was even the Secretary of that Committee and I put together the blueprint for the development of Ekiti State. This is at the communal level. At the governmental level, I have served Ekiti in various capacities for eleven years. Of all the people aspiring to that office, I am the most experienced in terms of understanding the nuances of governance in Ekiti State. Also, I have been selling my manifesto to every critical stakeholder in Ekiti State, and I believe that this has been helpful.

Question 2:

There are actually three main contenders in the election coming up on the 18th of June, Engr. Segun Oni, representing the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Chief Bisi Kolawole of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and you, BAO, flying the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC), how do you think you can outsmart these other two contenders and emerge victorious?

BAO:

What we are doing as a party is that we have changed the face of campaigning in the state, and you will discover that we have not done so much open campaigning in Ekiti State, this is deliberate. We have been embarking on stakeholders’ meetings with every critical stakeholder in Ekiti State. We want to take feedback from them; we want to know their expectations, and we want to have one-on-one contact with them. This was done in all the units in Ekiti State and I believe that this has been helpful because it has actually given us the opportunity to actually connect with the voters and to know their expectations which would help us by the time we get into government. Now that we have completed this one-on-one campaign, the house-to-house campaign is still on-going, as I speak, we now embark on an open campaign to garner support from our people (sic). The beauty of the house-to-house campaign is, it afforded us the opportunity to sell our manifesto to them and to hear from them one-by-one their expectations from the government. So, by the time we get to office, we would not be shooting from the dark, and I think this has been helpful and this one thing that we are doing differently from other parties. We have also massively engaged the youths on social media to get to the population on the social media and to take feedback from them. This is a game changer in the history of campaigns in Ekiti State and it has been extremely helpful.

Question 3:

If you can see yourself as the incoming Governor of Ekiti State come October 18, this year, what would you say, in your career both in the public service and private sector, is your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) or Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to Ekiti people in this regard?

BAO:

On my Unique Value Proposition (UVP), I have been a major player in both the private and public sectors; and my eleven years’ experience in governance has exposed me to the nuances of governance and also being a private sector person, it has also exposed me to the pains and issues in the private sector. One thing we are going to do, we are going to run a very smart government; we are going to rely heavily on the use of data because our margin of error must be reduced. We do not want to play with the future and aspirations of our people. So that our government would run smartly. We would do more with less. We are conscious of the precarious situation of our country; we are conscious of the dwindling federal allocation to states.  We also know that expectations of the people keep increasing on a daily basis, so we must be able to navigate all these curves and deliver on the promises we have made to our people. And we can only deliver this by doing more with less, by prioritizing issues that will give happiness to the greatest number of our people; and by reducing wastes in governance; and by also ensuring that we rely more on the use of technology; and reduce our error margin to the barest minimum.

Will Oyebanji Outsmart His Opponents?

In the introductory part of this article, there was the mention of the once famous 7Up advertisement. Analogous to the 7Up advertisement tagline, are there some Unique Value or Selling Proposition of the candidacy of Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), of the All Progressive Congress (APC) that would be readily perceived by Ekitikete as they head for the polls this Saturday, 18th June 2022? This columnist, as a researcher and analyst, called on some people residing and/or working in Ekiti to decipher their understanding of the grassroot feelings, yearnings and longings of the Ekitikete regarding the possible outcome of the gubernatorial election. Virtually, the verdict is that BAO is on ground in all towns and villages in Ekiti and is going to carry the day if election is held as stipulated and devoid of violence, acrimony or irregularities. The 6 Point Actionable Strategic Agenda that encapsulates: 1. Youth Development and Job Creation; 2. Human Capital Development, 3. Agriculture and Rural Development, 4. Infrastructure and Industrialization, 5. Arts, Tourism and Culture; and 6. Governance, speak glowingly of the incoming government of BAO if voted into office by the good people of Ekiti State. Presently, a team of experts is working on the key performance indicators (kpis) that would be tailored and targeted whilst being tracked to ensure measurable performance from day one!

Concluding remarks:

In concluding this piece, Ekitikete should follow a man with a veritable manifesto among the top contenders as BAO is seemingly the only one with such a document that is already being further worked upon by monitoring, evaluation and learning experts that will dovetail into tangible inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts in aligning with the Result Based Management (RBM) approach. Key performance indicators (kpis) are being established already with some having low hanging target dates for fruition – 30 day; 60 day; 100 day, etc. Enough is enough of stomach infrastructure aspirants (politicians) offering fish without teaching Ekitikete how to catch fish! Imagine aspirants promising regular payment of salaries, pension and gratuity as a programme!! Any responsible employer should meet up with his obligation to his or her employees, be it in the private or public sector. Doing so is exhibiting responsibility rather than achieving a feat. Ekitikete should ask these other contenders what to expect from them at the end of one, two, three or four years!

In raising the level of awareness and participation in the electoral process, strategically, the BAO team engaged in some unique road shows – first of its kind in Ekiti. In these epoch-making shows, his avowed and vociferous supporters rent the air with shouts of “BAO! BAO!! BAO!!!” synonymous with the support of the people of such towns and villages for the party, APC, and the candidacy of Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO). It is BAO all the way crisscrossing all towns and villages of Ekiti. It is high time, party members, unanimously worked for victory come this Saturday, 18th June 2022, even as many are defecting from opposing camps and parties to align with BAO, having seeing the star and signal of victory in the horizon, synonymous to many defecting to the camp of David in Biblical times when it was his time to reign as recorded in 1Chronicles 12v21-22. Ekitikete, ure de ooo! A ro’ju, a r’aye ooo!! (Ekiti people, good has come! We shall witness it in a good frame of mind!!)

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

Channels TV: You are not interested in who succeeds you? President Buhari: “No. Let him come whoever he is.”

Channels TV: “You don’t have favourite for 2023 … in your party?” President Buhari: “No, I wouldn’t because he would be eliminated if I mention, I better keep it secret.” – Channels TV, 5th January 2022 (as recorded).

It was in the heydays of the cherished country-wide football league in Nigeria. It was in the early eighties. One of the leading teams of that era, IICC Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan travelled down to be hosted by the rising Housing Corporation Football Club of Akure. The Akure Sport Stadium was jam-packed with spectators and soccer pundits. There were some beating their chests that IICC would be stopped from shooting and that the Housing Football Club would carry the day. Interesting and intriguing to this columnist were the teeming number of fans that trooped in from Ibadan to Akure and also the accompanying skillful talking drummers. As the match progressed, the talking drummers were entertaining the spectators. Eventually, there was a goal through the legendary midfield maestro, Muda Lawal (one-time best midfielder in Africa). This goal against the host, scored in the second half of the match, fueled the talking drummers into a frenetic and frenzied display. Suddenly, the talking drum sounded and many of the opposition fans from Ibadan echoed the wordings of the drums. The song from the fans, adept and adroit in interpreting talking drums, went thus: “awa ti goke odo ka fara to ja, eyin to ku ke mura” (meaning: we have climbed through the bridge before it breaks, the rest of you should prepare to do the same feat). This scenario is analogous to the situation between the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition political party, the People Democratic Party (PDP). It would be recalled that the People Democratic Party (PDP) held her presidential primary election, amidst pomp and pageantry on Saturday 28th May 2022 in Abuja. Even though observers may tag or term it as monetized or dollarized, it was transparent for the whole world to see! It was indeed an election, not a consensus contraption. However, the ruling party instead of sticking to the earlier earmarked date of 29th -30th May 2022, for her presidential primary, shifted ground, relying on the extension window favourably offered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the election umpire.

PDP Primary: Schematically Skewed!

One well-kept secret of PDP winning presidential elections was the nationalistic outlook. It is like that is belonging to the old school of thought as the contextual charismatic young Turks have taken over the reins of the party. Aftermath of the party’s primary, the chairman of the party is from the north central while the presidential candidate hails from the north east. Yet, enshrined in the PDP’s constitution is zoning! Could this be an error or oversight or intentional to score a particular goal, possibly thinking that the best way to win the 2023 presidential election is picking the candidate from the region with maximum number of voters? Do these young Turks gauge the mood of the apparently fractious country, Nigeria, in a time like this? Do they not think of the thin fabric holding the nations within the country called Nigeria together is about giving way? The whole country watched as the incumbent Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, against stipulated procedure mounted the podium for the second time to step down for the eventual winner, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar even though the runner-up, the incumbent Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, supported the former in the previous election. What a way of paying back camaraderie in the political arena! The end may not be in sight yet. We are waiting and watching the unfolding scenario. Any lesson to be learnt by the ruling party, APC, in what played out last Saturday aftermath of the PDP Convention?

APC presidential primary: President Buhari, you are right, but …

It was on record that before the President jetted out to Spain on a state visit, he met with the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) (umbrella body of all APC Governors). There was a 12-point charge to them as a first step of his consultation with stakeholders in the ruling party. In items 7 and 10 of the charge to PGF (as published), the President was emphatic on the established internal policies that promote continuity and smooth succession which enable first term governors to pick second term tickets and also allow second term governors to pick their successors. Going this route, Mr. President enthused: “I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.” Whilst no politically discerning mind within Nigeria’s context should fault the President tinkering especially in our nascent democracy, the timing is both odd and ominous for the ruling party especially coming on the heels of success recorded by the PDP at her presidential primary which jettisoned the controversial consensus contraption! This was the stand and stake of this columnist in the edition of the “Followership Challenge” published in the Nation newspaper of Sunday 22nd May 2022. This is an excerpt from the piece: “. . .the timing for the adoption or adaptation of consensus option in a presidential race is too close for comfort for the ruling party. The interview with Channels TV seemingly gave the President away as having a preferred candidate.” The President and his close confidants, often referred to by certain iconoclastic critics as cabals, definitely miss the political planning, permutation and programming in this context. In virtually all cases that Mr. President referred to, especially of the governors, there is a covert or overt signal to the politically discerning mind of the direction of who the crowns fit, possibly a year or so before the primary elections! In the aforementioned Channel TV interview that was conducted early January 2022, President Buhari, when asked whether he has a successor in mind, stated inter alia: “No, I wouldn’t because he would be eliminated if I mention, I better keep it secret.” It is apparently illogical and irrational, politically pontificating, to expect to keep the party’s cohesion and simultaneously hold to power at the centre with less than a few days to the party’s convention, and yet no political signal of where Mr. President is heading! Are the close confidants of the man in the saddle thinking of the humongous resources that aspirants have pumped in and are still pouring into this jamboree that had been apparently decided before the whistle is blown for the commencement of this seeming politico- melodrama synonymous with the running of the National Working Committee of the ruling party, APC?

APC: It is not too late!

It is widely stated in Yoruba common parlance: “aja to ma sonu, ko ni gbo fere olode” (meaning: the dog that will get lost, will not hear the whistle of the hunter). I hope this will not be the lot of the APC as it was the portion of PDP pre-2015 election that caused unexpected disaffection and subsequent implosion within the once acclaimed largest political party in Africa that once pompously posited holding unto power for 60 years! Then, it was the gain of the APC as many disgruntled elements of the PDP en masse aligned with the APC as the new-PDP (nPDP). It is obvious that with the emergence of the ubiquitous Atiku Abubakar, suave and savvy politician, laid and loaded with gargantuan war chest to prosecute the coming presidential election, APC could as well be singing her nunc dimittis of continuity and prepare to surrender the keys to the gates of Aso Rock if any candidate is foisted on the party at a crucial time like this in the country. There are some pertinent and purposeful posers in this context: What are the qualities expected of this candidate? Is the President considering a power shift to the south as he will be in the saddle for eight years come 29th May 2023? Does Mr. President really want a consensus candidate that the major stakeholders would unanimously choose? How would the aggrieved party members who had expended time and resources to this cause be pacified in moving the party forward to winning a major election? Or, will he, at a dying minute, after seeing the stakeholders’ inability to fixate on a consensus candidate, open up on his “best kept secret” of a candidate? The last question would seemingly be answered by the President working from his script as the right response is already known by him and possibly his close confidants. Whilst keeping fingers crossed, we, followers, are waiting and watching keenly, with interests and intrigues, at unfolding political drama in the ruling party which is whimsically strange to all previous political prognostications, permutations and projections.

• Ekundayo, Ph.D. can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“How can we say we are fighting corruption under this situation? The Customs Act says you must send in your audited accounts, six months into another financial year. We must clear the outstanding unaudited accounts.  What the President does with this will tell us how we are fighting corruption.” (Senator Matthew Uroghide, Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) – 21st February 2020, Punch newspapers.

It was the late Professor Chinua Achebe, highly and globally referred author, novelist and social critic, that opined that, simply and squarely stated, Nigeria’s problem emanates from inept and rudderless leadership. This columnist while conducting his PhD research studies in Malaysia centred on followership controverted this stand and stake of Achebe with the cognitive notion that followership failure, in a democratic setting, is responsible for the country’s woes. Many may not concur with this columnist in this controversial leadership-followership circus or conundrum. In Yoruba common parlance, it is said that: “ki a ti ibi isana kiyesi ogun” (meaning: it is good to observe the way a stick of match produces fire as a patterned behaviour of a charm or amulet). In a melodrama that occurred during the Senate Public Account Committee (SPAC) reported in the Punch of 21st February 2020, there was an alleged query raised by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation regarding a discrepancy of twenty-eight billion Naira (N28b). In the original submission to the SPAC by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, there was non-reporting of this figure. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) raised an eyebrow that all collections and remittances of NCS are automated. In a swift response, the Accountant General evasively stated that the seeming discrepancy was already appropriated as the 2015 ECOWAS Stabilization Fund to which there was no empirical documentation to substantiate. The whole issue was allowed to rest untidily that way! Swept under the carpet? The Senator Matthew Uroghide-led SPAC was an unfinished business worth torch lighting specifically with recurring incidences of unaudited accounts of many MDAs to the scale and span of five years and over! What a country with intent in crippling and checkmating corruption!! In corroborating Albert Einstein, it is insanity when we do the same thing over and over whilst expecting different results. The erstwhile Chairman of SPAC, Senator Matthew Uroghide, in exasperation stated: “the Customs Act says you must send in your audited accounts, six months into another financial year.” As we speak, has there been any move on the part of the Federal Government to enforce compliance with this Act? What is the present National Assembly (NASS) doing to ensure compliance and dealing with errant MDAs? Is NASS doing anything tangible to review our archaic and atavistic laws that allow someone stealing billions to spend six months behind bars with payment of paltry amount while the seemingly hungry, common criminal who stole ten tubers of yam was to spend five years in prison? Was there any query from the Presidency regarding this incident to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation? In the book titled: “Tipping Point” written by the best-selling author, Malcom Gladwell, it was discovered that small crimes whilst not punished graduated into big crimes in New York, USA. Before leaving this matter, it is noteworthy to mention that the Accountant General in office then in 2015 is the same Ahmed Idris, the recently suspended Accountant General of the Federation indicted for disappearing from the treasury the humongous sum of eighty billion Naira (N80b). One can posit: is Malcolm Gladwell not right that small criminals if not checkmated will become big time criminals?

Mr. President: Let us begin somewhere

This present government of President Muhammadu Buhari has exactly one year in office. It is not too late to insert some fiscal controls into governance to apparently checkmate and cripple corruption. Firstly, there should be updated audited accounts for all MDAs. The government can set aside a space of six months for all MDAs to comply. Secondly, external auditors should be contacted and consulted to look at the books of all revenue generating MDAs. The report should not just be submitted to the government but be published for public scrutiny. Thirdly, globally acclaimed experts should be engaged to inculcate into our fiscal systems controls via exploiting modern technology that will sound alarm once there is a probable corruption within the system. Fourthly, heads of MDAs cum Accountant General of the Federation should be given less power to access funds on behalf of the government even though this may initially introduce some sort of red-tapism, but it will duly serve as a form of probity, accountability and transparency. The system should inculcate multi-layer endorsements before there is release of funds as it is done in countries like Singapore. Fifthly, payment of services rendered by the government should not be through cash but through e-format. In Singapore for instance, there is a cash card accepted in public places to pay for public goods and services. There are loading points within the city-state-nation where owners of cash cards can credit their cards.

Mr. President: Do we need a loan from China?

In the last one week, the news wave has been hit with heist at the high echelon of the government at the centre. It is indeed worrisome for a wobbling economy struggling to survive. Imagine this occurring in the midst of a perennial Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and gargantuan funds being expended in both subsidy payment and debt-servicing. Definitely, it is not going to be a tea party for the incoming president come 29th May 2023. First to be reported was the alleged klepto-treasury manager, Accountant General of the Federation, of a humongous sum of eighty billion Naira (N80b). He has since been suspended from office while he had earlier been picked up by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). In the same vein, before the dust settled, the former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere was on the hook of EFCC for alleged diversion of forty-seven billion Naira (N47b). This according to Channels Television was done through registered contractors belonging to the agency of government. Coming on the heels of Ekere was that of another alleged heist committed by the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh. In a widely circulated online publication laced with seemingly undeniable details, NIMASA helmsman was accused of looting alleged sums of N1.5trillion and $9.5million belonging to the agency. If this is confirmed by EFCC, even as Dr. Jamoh himself reported to be a kinsman of Mr. President, has officially written to EFCC to probe it further, it will be a landmark heist – first time thieving will be in trillion! The rate of corruption thrives in high places, with puerile and pedestrian punishment meted to actors caught in the act, if care is not taken, the whole vault of the Central Bank will be emptied one day while security men just “tanda for outside dey watch!” About the last one year, it would be interesting and intriguing itemizing the alleged heist in the MDAs of the federal government, even at subnational level as well. These are some of the major ones:

Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (Ahmed Idris)         N80 billion

Office of the MD, NDDC (Nsima Ekere)                     N47 billion

Office of DG, NIMASA (Bashir Jamoh)                                                      N1.5 trillion

Office of the CEO/MD, FMBN (Gimba Yau Kumo)                  N31 billion

Office of the MD, NPA (Hadiza Bala Usman)                 N165 billion

Office of the Accountant General of Rivers State (Siminaliayi Fubara)                    N435 billion

Is the Federal Government serious in moving Nigeria forward?

President Muhammadu Buhari, as the father of this house called Nigeria, must not allow this house to fall even as the cracks are widening. It is both worrisome and irksome that some of the cracks are arising from the foundation. EFCC should be allowed to wield the big stick no matter whose ox is gored in the process! It is instructive for the Federal Government to pay attention to the tinkering of legal luminary, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, faulting the suspension of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning as illegal as only the President could suspend or sack Idris in consonance with the Constitution. According to Falana:

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) against the naysayers’ expectations, finally held their much-publicised national convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Saturday, 26th March 2022. It was televised live and was full of camaraderie, colour but less of candour expected of a party, birthed in 2013, brimming then with hope which many Nigerians could bank on as the only chance to curry change, thus checkmating and crippling the seeming clueless and rudderless leadership associated with the power-drunken ruling party of that time, the People Democratic Party (PDP). The latter, once pompously posited that the party would remain in power for 60 years! How are the mighty fallen?  Today, PDP is struggling for survival in the opposition with chances of climbing into the saddle of power ebbing due to lack of coordination, cohesion and coherence. Will the ruling party, APC, learn from PDP before it is too late? Who says that APC cannot somersault from the saddle and be struggling even as PDP is doing now? An African proverb succinctly and squarely states: the fall of a dead leaf is a warning to the green ones. It is less than two weeks to the APC presidential primary election. There is so much uncertainty about the direction the primary election could go with avalanche of aspirants numbering up to 25 submitting the nomination forms.

Buhari: In love with options?

In opening the year 2022 tagged as the year of primaries by this columnist, the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari on 5th of January, availed Channels TV duo of Seun Okinbaloye and Maupe Ogun-Yusuf to interview him on salient national issues. In the course of the interview, he opined inter alia: “All I said is that there should be options, we must not insist that it has to be direct … it should be consensus and indirect … you can’t tell (dictate) to people you are doing democracy, allow them other options so they can make a choice …” Seemingly, it is like the President is a man who posits for options which is a hallmark or trademark of a democrat. To President Buhari, primary elections could either be direct, indirect and consensus. Three options. However, in the conduct of the APC national convention of 26th March, 2022, the President wielded the enormous power of his office when out of the blues he made it known that he preferred Senator Abdullahi Adamu who was not even among the contenders for the office of the Chairman of the ruling party! In his own words, the anointed candidate that eventually emerged as the Chairman, albeit clandestinely conducted, stated that, about a month to the convention, he was oblivious that he would be the Chairman of APC!! In essence, this is another case of an accidental chairman of a party!!! What vision will an accidental Chairman has for his party? Surmising it, the APC Convention was only about consensus by force or fiat. Mr. President, there was no other option on the table, candidly speaking even as some were loudly grumbling and complaining aftermath of the apparent consensus contraption. Will the APC presidential primary go this awkward route? This is a salient question to ask as there is seemingly no perceived presidential positing or preference or postulation with less than two weeks to the presidential primary in the guesstimated largest political party in Africa!

Presidential powers @ primary

Whilst some analysts are of the view that the incumbent governors and president could influence the way the primary elections go, it should be saliently and succinctly stated that sagacity needs be engaged not only on the part of the governors or president concerned, but top leaders of the party need to reach unanimity in an open and frank discourse. In the aforementioned interview with the Channels TV, it is interesting and intriguing reading the lips and mind of President Buhari as the duo of Maupe Ogun-Yusuf and Seun Okinbaloye were rounding up the interview:

Channels TV: You are not interested in who succeeds you?

President Buhari: “No. Let him come whoever he is.”

Channels TV: “You don’t have favourite for 2023 … in your party?”

President Buhari: “No, I wouldn’t because he would be eliminated if I mention, I better keep it secret.”

In essence, can it be inferred that Mr. President would mention his preferred candidate, though may not be as popular, possibly within the week of the presidential primary election in APC following the fashion of the APC Convention of 26th March that resulted in the election or selection of the incumbent Chairman of APC? Definitely, there is an anointed candidate that the President is holding close to his chest, possibly with some of his close confidants in the know. Meanwhile, many of the presidential aspirants are over the fields canvassing for votes from delegates from other zones. There are possible scenarios that the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC may throw out melodramatically: firstly, there may be no election at all; secondly, there might be election with the proviso, already concurred to, before submitting the nomination form, by the presidential aspirants, for any of them to give away his or her victory in case the party so demands!

Courting consensus, crippling cohesion?

As an analyst, this essayist believes the incumbent has the advantage to project or present a candidate in the gubernatorial or presidential primary. However, there should be striking a balance in choosing consensus that may cripple cohesion aftermath of the party’s primary. The timing for the adoption or adaptation of consensus option in a presidential race is too close for comfort for the ruling party. The interview with the Channels TV seemingly gave the President away as having a preferred candidate. It was amazing that jerking up the nomination fee to One Hundred million Naira (N100m) did not deter or dissuade many from throwing their hats into the ring. Not pre-empting the wielding of presidential power of last-minute preference for a candidate, what will happen to major contenders in the party who have invested much resources? Will cohesion not be cut off in the aftermath of the primary election? How will the party guide or guard against implosion going into a major election with the main opposition, PDP, ready to capitalize or take advantage of any blunder of APC going forward?

Fayemi’s Future Framework

In concluding, it would be instructive to point out for posterity the events heading up to the primary elections of APC in Ekiti State. Prior to the primary, according to an informed source, the incumbent Governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, contracted an independent consulting firm. There were names of possible contenders or aspirants given to this firm. The personnel of the firm engaged Ekiti people of various strata and the outcome was on one man of the pack. According to inside sources, the man was not even the seeming preferred candidate of the Governor. He decided to heed the firm’s finding while jettisoning his own preference for the betterment of Ekiti, now and in the future. The man is Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) who served in the government of erstwhile Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, first and second term of the incumbent, Governor Fayemi. The President cannot go this route as time is no longer on his side. However, will the President, as a way of courting cohesion within the constituents of the party, allow the party to conduct an indirect primary like it was done in 2015 when he was elected as APC candidate in Lagos, Nigeria? All eyes are on President Buhari. Back to the Ekiti APC gubernatorial candidacy, up till now Governor Fayemi has not said or stated at any time that Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) was his anointed candidate. However, to the politically discerning in Ekiti APC, it is crystal clear that BAO is a chip off the old block. It is amazing that up till now Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has not been publicly seen with Fayemi, even during the unveiling of his manifesto, his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi showed up. The last time they were publicly seen together was in Abuja when BAO was presented to the President.

Conclusively, and conversely, which way will the presidential primary of APC go, according to the APC amended time table, happening seven days’ from now by the time this article is published? All eyes are on President Muhammadu Buhari. Will he, in these dying days, wield his powerful president power to foist a candidate on APC? Will things not fall apart? Will the centre be able to cohesively hold the party’s structure and system together? We are watching and waiting for the aftermath of the primary election slated for 29th – 30th May 2022 at Eagle Square, Abuja. Until then, all fingers are crossed!

• John Ekundayo, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“Taking cognizance of findings of research of past elections conducted from 1999 till 2019, it has been discovered that the president always emerges from either of the two most popular parties. It has been the norm in the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 elections. It will be seemingly situated come 2023 (sic).” – John Ekundayo, Followership Challenge, The Nation, Sunday, 17th April 2022.

The National Republican Convention (NRC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) were the dominant parties in the Third Republic, overseen by the military junta headed by the maradonic and maverick General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB). The year of establishment of the two parties was 1989. Initially, there were thirteen (13) parties that were formed by mingling and mixing of antecedents, ambitions, preferences, pedigree, camaraderie, ideology, policy and philosophy. The military junta headed by IBB, wanting to flex her muscle of a high-handed umpire, proscribed all the 13 parties, and by military fiat birthed two political parties – NRC and SDP. Hence, all politicians are to choose either of the duo if they were interested in partaking in the politics of that era. Aping the democratic systems of the United States of America (USA), the NRC was designed to be conservative in colour and content while the SDP was to be welfarist in nature. It was the intention of the Babangida administration to detribalize party formation thus ensuring and ensuing harmonization of people of diverse social, cultural and religious leanings and longings. How far did the IBB government succeed in this adventure? The seemingly subjective side of the concept was skewed to failure, ab initio! How? The presidential primaries conducted, without allegation of rancour or rigging by the two parties, were voided by the almighty military junta without any reasonable justification. It was the primaries that threw up Shehu Musa Yar Adua for the SDP and Adamu Ciroma, for the NRC. If the two parties were allowed to democratically evolve with regulated norms and ethos in place, there would not have been the June 12 saga happening in the first place! Should we throw out the baby with the bathwater? Personally, I believe there is something good in IBB’s approach of a two-party system. Follow me in this treatise.

One Good Thing in IBB’s Policy

Ab initio, looking at my writings, and discourses on national television (Channels TV, TVC and Arise), I have been a vitriolic critic of the maverick and maradonic maneuverings of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) especially his non – apologetic posture on the annulment of the best election in the history of Nigeria – June 12, 1983 election. However, looking in retrospection and rationally at our political scene from 1999 till 2019, spanning two decades, IBB seems to be right in initiating the two – party system; albeit his tinkering or interfering with the process, nonetheless undemocratic, was the Achilles’ heel. This columnist, writing under the theme: “The leadership question cum consensus conundrum” published in the Nation newspaper of Sunday, 17th April 2022, succinctly stated, inter alia:

“Presently, there are eighteen (18) political parties in Nigeria. Taking cognizance of findings of research of past elections conducted from 1999 till 2019, it has been discovered that the president always emerges from either of the two most popular parties. It has been the norm in the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 elections. It will be seemingly situated come 2023. In essence, the President of Nigeria, all things remaining the same from now till the time of the election early next year, will either emerge from the presidential candidate of APC or PDP (sic).”

Thinking and tinkering along these lines, if the 2023 election is held as stipulated and scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the president of Nigeria come 29th May 2023 will either be the presidential candidate of APC or PDP. What is the import of this research postulation or projection taking cognizance of the socio – economic cum political context of Nigeria? It speaks volume!

Pinpointing Presidency 2023: Prying PDP and APC?

Be you a student, public servant, professionals in the private sector, market men and women, traditional rulers, clergy, farmers, herders, business men and women in diverse areas of the economy, etc., with the on – going lecturers’ strike in our public universities, ebbing economy, inclement insecurity, pervading promiscuous political pandering, inclined indebtedness, etc., anyone not interested in who becomes Nigeria’s president come May 2023 is impervious to the present day realities within Nigeria’s context and could be reckoned with as docile, alienated (as defined by scholars in followership studies) or simply and squarely stated, politically dead! It is as grave and grievous as you read it here! There is no depicting or describing it mildly!! It is true that most enlightened and educated men, referred to as elites, are mostly illiterates politically and they are the fulcrum of our problem as they knowingly or unknowingly refused to participate in the electoral process. They do not make choice and participate in voting. They allow commoners such as artisans, market men and women, commercial drivers and riders (bus, taxi, maruwa and okada), etc. to choose who our president or governor or senator will be! Are the elites still exhibiting grandiloquence, in content and context, while for the umpteenth time depicting lackadaisical or laidback demeanour to politics and politicking?

No more “siddon look!”

It was the late elder statesman, former governor of old Oyo State and later Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige of blessed memory that popularized the cliché: “siddon look!”, meaning just sit on the fence and watch as spectators. In concluding this essay, it is imperative to drive home the point that Nigerians should be prying into the process put in place by the two political parties before the presidential primaries of the APC and PDP coming up later this month – it is at the door! It is remarkable and instructive to note the action of a Civil Society Organization (CSO) referred to as Concerned Nigeria Citizens this past Wednesday in Abuja. These active and courageous followers marched on the secretariats of both the APC and PDP with a letter appealing for the zoning of the parties’ presidential candidates to the southern part of Nigeria. It may be insinuated that they were sponsored by some group or scrupulous political actors from certain sections of Nigeria but it could not be gainsaid that they passed their feelings and feedback to the right quarters. It is democracy. Other groups and bodies could be more prying and poke – nose further into the preferences, policies, and processes in arriving at the election or choosing of the candidates in these two dominant parties. Why should concerned and functional followers fixate on just two parties – APC and PDP? Someone will want to argue that many are disillusioned about the duo and therefore will likely look elsewhere for their preferred candidate. This is true in a politically enlightened environment. Truth be told: Nigeria’s followers, even many reading this do not own voters’ card (Permanent Voters Card, (PVC)); those who have PVC might not move out of their houses on the day of the election as “if there is a lion on the street” and others, as it occurred in previous elections, will fail to vote on the election day due to subterrain premeditated political dribbling by unscrupulous politicians in cahoots with corrupt INEC officials who will delay the process and in the ensuing melee, will go home and refuse to come for voting thereafter. In research findings, it is mind – boggling the humongous numbers in 2015 and 2019 elections that were accredited but did not vote. INEC, come 2023, should up their game such that there should be immediate voting after accreditation of voters.

Concluding this write up, this columnist, with the lens of empirical, rather than cognitive   research, methodology will want to infer that the outcome of the 2023 presidential election will not differ but defer to de facto trends from 1999 to 2019. Hence, reference will be made to the earlier submission quoting excerpts from an earlier article on the leadership question of Sunday, 27th April 2022: “It is therefore imperative for followers to be involved in the issues relating to the process, procedure and policy guiding who will emerge on the platforms of these two parties as the candidate of either of them will eventually lead this country. It is as sacrosanct as simply and succinctly stated in this piece!” Are we paying attention to the process of choosing or electing the candidates in these two parties; playing our part through commenting or critiquing the process; or we dey siddon look? The result will manifest after the elections of 2023. It is not too late, we should be involved through interfacing, interacting and investigating the political process.

• John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Leadership Strategist, and also a Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“These ideas have come from my interactions with various categories of Ekiti citizens at home and abroad … This is not a politician’s usual promise to a voting public but a pledge from an Ekiti man to his people. This is a promise from me to you … Our proposed strategic pillars of action are all interlinked. We are ensuring that there is sufficient investment, and attention given to the specific areas … to create opportunities, improve well-being and deliver sustainable growth for everyone …” – Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Ekiti APC Gubernatorial Candidate.

In Ekiti local diction, it is commonly said that: “Omo ka ga, ose re a tirin”, meaning a child that will grow tall, his legs will be thin. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s (BAO) unveiling of his manifesto on Tuesday 26th April 2022 was a scintillating signature combining years of initiation, interaction, idealization and integration in community engagement and governance. The mainstay occupation of the average Ekiti man and woman is farming. It is good to initiate this write up with an analogy of farming so that Ekitikete, home and abroad, could easily relate with this treatise. In preparing for farming activity, there is an input stage where the farmer has to get the size and location of his farmland, get his seedlings ready while awaiting favourable climate before commencing planting, and also acquire basic farm implements, such as cutlasses and hoes in readiness for action. This is the Input stage. Secondly, there is the Activity stage of clearing the land to size and specification, making heaps through hoeing, planting the seedlings, etc. Activity stage also includes nurturing, weeding, containing pests and combating pre – harvest diseases that may hamper or hinder harvest. Thirdly, there is the Output stage culminating in reaping the fruits. For instance, a farmer that plants seedlings of maize, will expect after the Input and Activity stages to get fruits of maize in abundance as a grain of maize seed could yield cobs of maize fruit depending on several factors. Output is not the final stage. The next stage is Outcome which is the immediate effect(s) of the harvest (Output). In this stage, the maize could be eaten, processed, dried, sold thus enhancing the financial viability of the farmer and supplying of input to local industries. It could also lead to export if specifically processed and packaged in case of abundant yield meeting local demands. Hence, foreign exchange earnings can come from this outcome thus improving the internally generated revenue of the state resulting in Impact stage of the Result Chain. The steps stated here is modern adaptation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) that is beyond rhetoric!

Periscopic Perceptions of the Pillars

In the opening of this treatise, the analogy presented is intentional to drive home a point made by Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) in the unveiling of his manifesto at the iconic Bishop Adetiloye Hall, Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, 26th April 2022. This writer was present as an ethnographic researcher, leadership strategist and follower. It is instructive to pontificate or pinpoint certain portions of his speech in these days of digital technology that reminds the writer or speaker years after writing or making a speech. How we need to be careful of what we say or write! Ab initio, Oyebanji squarely and simply stated thus: “This is not a politician’s usual promise to a voting public but a pledge from an Ekiti man to his people …” It is a truism that many politicians, not just in Ekiti, but all over Nigeria, are fond of making floundering and faltering promises to the followers. Oyebanji was clear that his was a pledge! This is “a binding promise or agreement” according to Merriam – Webster Online Dictionary. These are the seven pillars:

1. Youth Development and Job Creation: This is an idea whose time has come. However, it should be proactively and practically operationalized to ensure tangible input transcends to activity that will showcase discernible output; and ultimately, expected outcome will manifest bettering the lives of some of our battered youths which have turned to motorcycle riders (okada), tricycle riders (keke maruwa), whilst some are into dastard acts of shambolic internet fraud. As enunciated by Oyebanji, acquisition of digital and vocational skills will engage productively our youths couple with the aggressive inculcation of measurable scheme of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) laced with sports development.
2. Human Capital Development: According to BAO, the focus of this pillar will “be driven by four components – Education, Healthcare, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Social Investment. These areas recognize the foundation for a productive workforce, is a healthy and knowledgeable workforce.” Basic education is currently free for both primary and secondary education in the state, courtesy of the current administration of the Dr. John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) administration. One of the tangible legacies is increased enrollment and Ekiti is placed second in the states with lowest number of out – of – school children nationally. BAO intends to pursue health care inculcating and institutionalizing affordable and accessible health insurance schemes statewide as it is the norm in sane climes. This is commendable if optimally operationalized with inclusion. Ekiti can build on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) as this is one major legacy of the JFK administration. Water flows in taps in Ekiti with the revamping of the Ero and Egbe Water Dams.
3. Agriculture and Rural Development: This is one core and crucial pillar. If I have my way, it should be the 1st Pillar to be tagged Agribusiness with the overarching aim of industrializing the entire state within a few years and thereby attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) that will ultimately boost the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) overtime. There will be tangible and discernible results within eighteen months in the saddle!
4. Infrastructure and Industrialization: BAO should build on existing infrastructure whilst liaising with the Federal agencies to upgrade highways within the state. The airport project that is on -going should be completed to aid transportation, tourism, agribusiness and industrialization.
5. Arts, Culture and Tourism: This is a pillar not to be ignored. Ikogosi Warm Springs, located at the hometown of Oyebanji is Ekiti’s iconic tourism site. It is high time it was upgraded with a public private partnership (PPP) with the possibility of linking it with a super highway straight from the airport to boost tourism and facilitate the siting of a 5-star brand hotel within the precinct of the Springs. In addition, there could be the possibility of cable car connection between the site and a strategic town like Aramoko located on a major highway linking Lagos – Ibadan to Ekiti towns. Moreover, just like Governor Chukwuma Soludo is showcasing Igbo traditional attire, BAO could rejig the traditional “Kitike” wear. Kitike is traditionally woven in Ekiti. The art could be modernized and commercialized just like the use of “Adire” is being appreciated and adopted by Ogun State indigenes. Why not Kitike in Ekiti?
6. Governance: This is the last but the least pillar. Governance should be inclusive and people oriented with a good feedback mechanism to discern the feeling, yearning and longing of the people from time to time. Community Development Associations (CDA) should be strengthened and sustained to enhance community engagement and inclusion at the grassroots.

Recommendations and Conclusion

These are laudable pillars as depicted aforementioned in this treatise. However, as this writer was taught at Harvard Business School, by Professor Robert Simons, in a module in Strategy Execution: “Strategy is important, but execution is everything.” In essence, that your strategy is well-crafted does not translate to a better outcome or results at the end of the day. It is therefore imperative to lay emphasis on breaking down these strategic pillars to actionable steps that will be tracked with key performance indicators (kpi) that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time – bound (SMART). BAO should, as a matter of earnest, commit these strategic pillars to a ream of cerebral and sagacious men and women competent in each sector to harmonize his thoughts and condense them to simple, actionable, measurable and trackable steps that are time bound with crystal and clear-cut key performance indicators (kpi). Surmising it thus, in the words of erstwhile British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill: “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Succinctly and saliently stated, it is vital to, first of all establish the baselines. What are baselines? The point the current administration will reach come October 2022 as Dr. John Kayode Fayemi once pontificated that his government would not suffer governance to go in reverse gear due to electioneering campaign. Hitherto, he has lived up to that billing! The team to be constituted should work in harmony with the present state actors henceforth to update record, establish and review baselines so as to hit the ground running as from October 2022 as BAO beats all other contenders in the race to Oke Ayoba. However, between now and then, there are lots of to be done in ensuring all party members in the state of the fountain of knowledge are fully mobilized not only to vote but to campaign and convince their friends and family members to vote for the APC that BAO is flying the flag in the June 18 election in Ekiti. Meanwhile, strategic actions culminating in canvassing, campaigning and convincing people to vote should be the mode of operation rather than noisy but fruitless campaigns that lead nowhere.

• John Ekundayo, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com

“To start with, our public finance is currently hobbled by the enervating trifecta of low revenues, mounting debts and growing petrol subsidy. There is hardly a miracle that can reverse this overnight or a soundbite that can poetically make them vanish from 29th May 2023.” – Waziri Adio, Thisday, Sunday, 17th April 2022.

Who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari come 29th May 2023 is topmost on the agenda presently in political discourse and debates in our dear country, Nigeria? Candidly, Nigeria is seemingly smothering economically taking cognizance of statistical metrics glaring analysts in the face. These are crystal clear signals that even before passing the baton come 29th May 2023 to his successor, Buhari, should as a matter of priority, consciously steer the ship of state out of troubled waters. It is as crucial as that even though many political gladiators eyeing Aso Rock are seemingly grandstanding without reflecting on the onerous duty peradventure any of them eventually mount the saddle. It was my friend, Festus Akanbi, Deputy Editor, Thisday that jolted me into writing this piece when few days ago, he chatted me up and demanded answers to daring questions bordering on oil subsidy vis – a – vis the World Bank release as touching Nigeria’s public finance and debt sustainability.

Moreover, while ruminating proffering answers to his probing questions, Waziri Adio’s column in Thisday of Sunday, 17th April 2022 caught my fancy. I was apparently arrested by a paragraph in his treatise. Do aspirants jostling for Buhari’s job know what are the issues at stake bordering on security, power generation, unemployment, oil subsidy, oil theft, infrastructure, education, health, etc. “The bigger the head, the bigger the headache” (apology to late Chief MKO Abiola). Adio succinctly and saliently captured the moment when he adroitly pontificated inter alia: “to start with, our public finance is currently hobbled by the enervating trifecta of low revenues, mounting debts and growing petrol subsidy. There is hardly a miracle that can reverse this overnight or a soundbite that can poetically make them vanish from 29th May 2023.” In this edition of the “Followership Challenge”, borrowing the diction of Adio, this columnist would want to fixate, in the trajectory to 2023, on the trifecta of repugnant revenue, debilitating debts and paranoid petrol subsidy. These are core and cogent issues that all serious contenders in the trajectory to 2023 should confront whilst the followers also have to really engaged these aspirants or contenders to see how they can strategically steer the ship of state without blaming the predecessor for the plethora of problems inherited, after all, a successor to any office inherits both the assets and liabilities. In the past, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the opposition party, was lampooning and lambasting the People Democratic Party (PDP), the then ruling party. The opposite is the case presently as PDP blames APC for the ailing economy whilst the ruling party ascribed it to years of the locust of the PDP in power. Enough of buck passing! This is not leadership!! Leadership provides direction to solutions resulting in mutually acceptable outcomes. Surmising it succinctly, leadership is a journey involving participants – leader and followers – heading for a desired destination.

Taming The Trifecta

As at the time of going to the press, the price of crude oil in the international market was hovering around $107.91, no thanks to the Russia – Ukraine internecine war. Nigeria is supposed to be raking in revenue in dollars but the reverse is the case. The menace of oil theft with the concomitant low production of crude oil turns the supposed gain to gloom. Nigeria’s government should go full steam against the oil thieves and curtail them before grounding the country. Moreover, the present administration should apply brakes to further borrowing. It is an open secret that much of the borrowing is expended on the rail infrastructure which if care is not taken will mortgage our future to China and other creditors. Presently, not less than 95% of our revenue is expended on servicing debts. Why should we borrow more? It is unwise! In addition, the World Bank recently raised a red flag that continual funding of oil subsidy by the government may jeopardize our public finance and debt sustainability. Is this not apparent with a humongous budget of four trillion Naira (N4t) to fund petrol subsidy? It is truism that withdrawing subsidy on petrol may be politically suicidal especially in the eve of an election year. What is the way out of this conundrum should be of utmost preoccupation in the mind of any serious contender for the presidency?

It is high time Nigeria’s Federal Government thought out of the box for homegrown solutions to this perennial malaise of oil subsidy palaver. Firstly, it is vital to economically, as a policy, diversify and disinvest from oil forthwith. Plunging a certain percentage of oil earnings of this year in prospecting for a new oil field in the coming year is not sensible as the world is even shifting from fossil fuels and demanding for compliance with sustainable actionable steps. It is imperative to diversify away from oil. In this vein, the handlers of Nigeria’s economy should provide a level playing field as well as strong political will to diversify our economy away from oil. The Buhari government has toed that part but not with strong traction in its trajectory. More proactive, progressive and passionate steps are needed to steer the ship of state away from sinking! The remaining one year could still be explored and exploited to sagaciously stem the tide. It is doable.

Secondly, Nigeria could strategically unleash her latent Diaspora resources at a time like this! What stops Nigeria from establishing a Diaspora Development Bank with such audacious goals as offering collaboration opportunities in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Nigerians in Diaspora especially in startups in Fintech, ICT, Pharmaceuticals, Medicals, Agribusiness, etc.  For instance, Agribusiness will enhance export resulting in increased GDP, creation of new jobs and jerking up the value of the Naira. Why this upbeat about Diaspora’s capability? In 2021, the World Bank projection of Diaspora remittance inflow for Nigeria was surpassed, amounting at a time to a whopping $14.2 billion within nine months ending September 2021!

Thirdly, Nigeria needs to genuinely and patriotically review her import list with a view to discarding some items on the list, especially those that are locally produced. I read recently of the government at the centre lowering tariffs on imported vehicles and I was wondering, are we putting on our thinking caps in a dipping economy with a galloping value of the Naira? It is widely known that much pressure has been on foreign exchange needs whether for medicals, educational, industrial, commercial, governmental, etc. Hence, it is inconceivable to be lowering tariffs on any imported item presently unless they are core and cogent reasons which the Federal Government fails to offer. In fact, any serious government at the level of our tottering economy vis – a- vis the unpleasant exchange rate of the local currency, Naira, will review myriads of items on the import list and pruned the list to checkmate undue pressure on the demand for forex and simultaneously offer a new lease of life to local industries producing same items with a view to grow and boost the economy within the nick of time.

Postscript – APC and PDP: Hope Rising?

The outcomes of the meetings of both the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party, APC, in unanimity, decided to conduct the primary elections of the party through indirect primary method. In essence, delegates of the party, from all the nooks and crannies of the country, will be the determinant factor in who emerges as the party’s presidential candidate. This will be the norm for the gubernatorial, national assembly and house of assembly elections across the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Earlier, the top leaders of the main opposition party, PDP, had equally coalesced their conversation on the adoption of the same indirect primary for the choice of their presidential flagbearer for the 2023 election. This columnist recently was appealing to the leaders of the two most popular parties – APC and PDP – to toe the line of reason and jettison the controversial contraption called consensus. This columnist is both elated and excited that the duo are going this route of indirect primary as it is one way to develop and deepen our nascent democracy. However, there should be a level playing field and a generally accepted list of delegates so that at the end the process will be adjudged fair and square by both party members and observers. May the best candidates emerge. We are following and flowing along.

• Ekundayo, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com