Category: Discourse

National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu, has hailed the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu, as chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS).

She said this yesterday in a statement issued by the agency’s Communication Officer, Marcel Anyatonwu.

 Akobundu said the endorsement was indication the ECOWAS sub-region as well as Africa believe in the capacity of the President to provide purposeful leadership in steering the sub-region from its economic challenges and improve multi-lateral relationship among member states, while promoting democracy and good governance.

She applauded the President for upholding democracy and rule of law by taking a stand against any coup in Africa.

 The AUDA-NEPAD chief noted the pronouncement has sent a strong signal to any group contemplating the act.

 Akobundu hoped President Tinubu’s tenure would bring good tidings to the sub-region, noting with his experience and ability as a team leader and player, ECOWAS would feel his impact in coming months.

 She called for support for President Tinubu from his counterparts and those to work with him to realise all he set out to achieve.

 “With the statement made by the President, it’s clear he understands the challenges of the sub-region and has pledged to work with his colleagues in finding workable solutions’’.

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against patronising hawkers of drugs.

The agency, noting these merchants of fake and substandard medicines, who are in the streets, buses, and other places, are a threat to public health, and endanger national security.

It explained most drug hawkers, who work with criminal syndicate networks like insurgents, kidnappers, robbers, among others, supply and distribute psychoactive drugs and narcotics.

 NAFDAC also warned Nigerians against consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide, as they can cause cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure.

 It said it has commissioned a scientific study on the best approach towards mitigating the health hazards posed by ripening of fruits with carbides.

 Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, spoke during launch of the agency’s media sensitisation workshop on dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbides.

She said: “To address these pressing issues, NAFDAC has launched a nationwide crackdown on drug hawking, coordinating with law enforcement agencies to ensure offenders face full wrath of the law.

 “No offender will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law. In this regard, we solicit the co-operation and support of all other law enforcement agencies, journalists and well-meaning Nigerians in ridding the country of this harmful and shameful practice.

 “NAFDAC’s enforcement officers are currently carrying out synchronised nationwide operations to put an end to this dangerous practice.

 “The perilous practice of fruit ripening with calcium carbide   poses  risks, artificially ripened fruits, which are often sold in open markets,  may appear ripe on the outside, but their inside remains underdeveloped and unfit for consumption.”

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday urged governments and parents to prioritise the first 1,000 days of life of children as a critical period that underscores their survival.

 It noted focus must be on immunisation, adequate nutrition, and hygiene of mother and child, as this will affect cognitive, affective and physical development of children.

 The international body said, among other things, malnutrition adversely affects brain development of children, especially as 80 per cent of the brain is formed within the first 1,000 days of birth.

Speaking during a media dialogue in Gombe State, on importance of the first 1,000 days of life to a child, UNICEF’s Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Tushar Rane, said: “The first 1,000 days are about nourishing bodies, brains and future. 270 days is for pregnancy, while the remaining 730 days are from birth to two years.

 “Children from poor families are at greatest risk of malnutrition in the first 1,000 days. It is important to let the public know they must not miss the first 1,000 days of the child’s life, especially to mothers, to ensure their development and growth.

 “State governments must ensure we do not leave any child behind, and enhance its efficiency to ensure we do not leave any area or vulnerable community behind.”

 Acting Executive Secretary of Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr. Mariam Abubakar, said: “Maternal undernutrition contributes to adverse effects in mothers and infants, including increased cesarean delivery rates and risk of maternal mortality in mothers. Undernutrition lowers educational attainment, lowers economic productivity, increases morbidity and shortens life expectancy.

 “We must encourage mothers to breastfeed their children, as breast milk is the first immunisation for every child because it contains antibodies, improves bonding. Breastfeeding is the standard of feeding children below six months.”

• By Oche Echeija Egwa 

Timing matters in everything. Less than twenty-four hours in office, two directives by Nigeria’s newly sworn-in President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, set the tone for emerging change, reverberating across the country and the world. Albeit, initially greeted with consternation and skepticism, steadily and inevitably, the doubt has given way to applause. 

On President Tinubu’s first foreign trip, June 20th, 2023 – June 24th, 2023, to attend the Summit on New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France, the two master strokes of removing the age-long fuel subsidy and streamlining the dual exchange rates, paved way for new friendships, partnership deals and an inspirational presence on global stage. The President was attending his first international conference.

The historic decision on May 29th, 2023, to re-align the economy in his inaugural speech, completely altered the trajectory of Nigeria’s financial fortune, redefined trade and diplomatic relations, and showcased the President’s image as a reformist and a listener. Other actions on security, financial regulations, signing of bills, that directly impacted lives, also projected President Tinubu to the world for being a people-first leader.

The two decisions taken on the nation’s economy made President Tinubu a toast of world leaders and financial institutions at the Summit. The ovation by economic and financial experts for the courageous steps revealed more for the future, with the World Bank projecting, after the meeting in Paris, that Nigeria will save about $3.9 trillion in 2023, and N21 trillion between 2023 to 2025. 

The seriousness and quick engagement of critical stakeholders in the economy, like trade unions, oil marketers, depot dealers, the NNPC Ltd by the administration was also taken by the foreign institutions as a deliberate attempt, and not political convenience, to take the country to a new height, as well as various initiatives and measures being out on the drawing board to alleviate the impacts. 

The two-day Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, was aimed at repositioning the global financial architecture to reconsider less developed countries, who are dealing with debilitating debt hangovers, struggling through energy transitions, and still reeling from effects of climate change and Covid-19. President Tinubu seized the moment to start a new conversation about Nigeria. 

A plethora of sideline meetings were lined before he arrived in Paris, and the President was careful in making the right choices for Nigeria’s economic prosperity. President Tinubu met with French President, Macron at the Elysée, President of Swiss, Alain Berset, at Palais Brongniart, President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, Director General of World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim), Prof. Benedict Oramah and President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud–Basso.

The President also held meetings with Senior Vice President of Airbus/ATR, Public Affairs, Laurent Rahul Domergue, on aviation matters and a two-hour marathon interaction with the Nigerian community based in France, where he outlined his vision for the economy, starting with a roadmap on palliatives to soothe the burden of subsidy removal. He sought “family” support for more inclusive growth, especially with technical expertise. 

Every speaker at the forum thanked the President for taking the bull by the horn, and getting the “elephant’’ out of the way. 

“You have shown we have a committed and competent leader. You are the first President of Nigeria, who has no godfather. You are your godfather. We are impressed with the removal of subsidies and streamlining of foreign exchange. We will wait for the palliatives,’’ Prof. Emmanuel Iga, a Nigerian in France, said. 

The meeting with the Nigerian community was facilitated by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President, Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, who highlighted achievements of the administration within three weeks, assuring of better days for Nigerians.

“We are ready for business, and prepared to welcome investments,’’ President Tinubu said, while receiving the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of AfreximBank, and President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). 

The President assured the delegation of AfreximBank Executives led by Dr Oramah that the Federal Government will continue to stimulate the economy with policies that support investments in areas of Nigeria’s competitive advantage, particularly agriculture. 

“We need reforms for national survival,’’ he added, noting that it would take sacrifice and audaciousness to reposition the economy, calling for more collaboration to consolidate and solidify. “We must stimulate recovery for the growth and prosperity of our people, which will not be far away. Nigeria is ready for global business and our reform is total. Nigeria is blessed with human and material resources.’’

The President of AfreximBank commended President Tinubu for the valiant steps in stopping the fuel subsidy and unification of the exchange rate, assuring the Nigerian leader of the full support of the financial and development institution on the ongoing reforms.Oramah said the bank was already building the first African Specialist Hospital in Abuja, and an Energy Bank, pledging to inject more money into the economy to further build confidence of investors. He listed areas of interventions to buoy the economy, like infrastructure, health, energy and agriculture. 

An elated investor, Renaud-Basso said it would be a mistake for the development bank not to invest in Nigeria, after considering six potential economies for investment. She explained that the focus of the development bank would be on the private sector, especially Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). 

President Tinubu welcomed an investment of $520 million in specialised agro-processing zones by the African Development Bank (AfDB), praising the leader of the multilateral institution, Dr Adesina, for further opening up the economy for investments that provide job opportunities and reduction in poverty. The Nigerian leader said the agro-industrial project strengthens an area of advantage as he listed the priorities for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), including women and youth empowerment, infrastructure development, with stable electricity.

Dr Adesina thanked President Tinubu for the daring initiatives that had repositioned Nigerian economy in three weeks and stimulated appetite of investors from different parts of the world; removal of fuel subsidy and correcting the distortions of the exchange rate.

“First and foremost, it was a great opportunity for me to see His Excellency to personally commend him for the thoughts and ideas he has brought to the Summit in Paris. We discussed many things and I commended him for his boldness, his vision and determination to having macroeconomic stability in Nigeria.’’

“All these are right signals which the President is sending, which investors and the international community like and will attract investors,’’ Adesina added, “No bird can fly with its wings tied behind.’’

Senior Vice President of Airbus/ATR, Public Affairs, Laurent Rahul Domergue, assured the President that the company was prepared to invest in the aviation sector, particularly in supplying planes, maintenance and training.

President Tinubu and Talon agreed on creating a new platform of joint patrols and surveillance by the Customs, that will check importation of illegal goods into Nigeria, through the neighboring country, and they further reviewed the trade relations that will benefit the West Coast, and Africa. Talon pledged his support, saying “whatever is forbidden in Nigeria is forbidden in Benin.’’  

To further demonstrate his seriousness on tightening the borders and controlling smuggling, the President told Talon that he had appointed a new acting Comptroller General for the Nigerian Customs Service, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi. 

The Summit, attended by more 50 world leaders, including a rarely seen Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, was largely participatory, with syndicate sessions, and leaders of the developing countries challenging the host, and the more privileged leaders to “walk the talk.’’ 

The President’s every hug, and pumping of handshakes with members of the international community in Paris was followed with felicitation on the valorous step of removing the overdue subsidy on fuel, and streamlining of the exchange rate that had enriched a few for many years, enabled smuggling and impoverished majority of Nigerians.

Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance and Economy, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, had over many years called for removal of the subsidy, alongside multilateral institutions, like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and economic experts, which cost about $10 billion annually. 

Reviewing the outcome of the Summit, she said “there was an unprecedented frank but constructive dialogue between leaders from the south and north leading to a consensus on action against interlinked challenges of poverty, climate and inequality and an action plan to solve them.’’

An elated President Tinubu left Paris after the Summit with a promise to do more, especially in tackling poverty.

• Egwa is an Assistant Director in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President, Special Duties, Communication and Strategy.

Criticism is good. However, passing lies and half-truths as criticism is petty – not worthy from a respected writer in the mould of Sonala Olumhense. His column, published in Punch newspaper of Sunday, June 25, 2023 titled, ‘Lagos, Centre of Excess’, exposed his intent of rubbishing Lagos while disguised as criticism. 

Citing the administration’s agenda as he gathered from the state’s website, Olumhense began: “The problem is that despite being Nigeria’s richest economy by a large margin, Lagos scores embarrassingly badly on most of those self-chosen themes. Last week, it emerged—again—as one of the four most unlivable cities on earth in a survey of 174 cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit.” 

“The only cities worse than Lagos: Damascus, Syria; Tripoli, Libya; and Algiers, Algeria: each of them with such problems as conflict and terrorism.  Lagos has no such issues.  Yet.”

It is curious that he adds a ‘Yet’ as if expecting Lagos to be engulfed in crisis anytime soon. Well, we should tell Olumhense, a former Nigerian editor, who has cocooned himself in Connecticut since the early 1990s, that Lagos is Nigeria’s most peaceful state now.

Olumhense goes on: “The picture is no better should you zoom out the lens of history.  In 2022, in a ranking of 172 cities, only one was worse than Lagos.  Ten years earlier, in 2012 and during the governorship of Babatunde Fashola, only one city was worse.  And 10 years before that, in 2002 and during the governorship of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos tied for 127th out of 130 cities.”

By the 1990s, Lagos was a crime haven. Bank robberies happened regularly just as citizens were robbed daily. This situation necessitated the creation of Operation Sweep by the military administration of Buba Marwa. By 1999, the Bola Tinubu led civilian administration renamed the squad as Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and revisited the security architecture, bringing about the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) which had the private sector contributed to policing. Till date, Lagos remains the only Nigerian state that generously funds the operation of a ‘federal police’, consequently making the state the safest in the country. If Olumhense thinks Lagos is unsafe, millions of other Nigerians and foreigners didn’t get his memo as people keep flocking to Lagos. 

Unjustly rubbishing Lagos, Olumhense describes the state thus: “It is not a functional city. It is not a modern city and apparently does not aspire to be. It has been bad and unchanging for a very long time despite vast government revenues and large supplies of official bravado.”

Yet, since 1999, Lagos has built a light rail, the first of its kind in West Africa. It has scrapped the usually decrepit but iconic yellow and black striped Molue buses as its major public transportation mode for a BRT system with comfortable buses, also the first in West Africa. And recently, it launched electric buses into its fleet. Sadly, hoodlums burnt some of these buses during the 2020 END-SARS riots which would have provided succour in these hard times of fuel subsidy removal. There are also the Lagride taxis and the strides the state has made in water transportation by building modern jetties and providing boats and ferries. It’s sad Olumhense does not acknowledge the state’s successes in transportation.

Continuing in his vile piece, Olumhense condemns all 15 Lagos governors for failing to upgrade the state, and writes how the state has remained stagnant. Specifically relating to traffic management, he writes: “the traffic patterns in 2023 are the same as they were when Fela sang his famous “Ojuelegba” song about 50 years ago. On almost every road, any driver or truck pusher can drive in any direction at any time. No government has productively reviewed or changed the use of any to enable traffic flow to improve. Very often, in some cases, traffic from different ends of the same road simply blocks off the other, and new chaos erupts. That is not how a modern city functions.

“Regarding driving, there isn’t much evidence that most of the people who drive in Lagos earned their licences. Driving is a combat sport and there appears to be no consequence for the most egregious behaviour. That is a jungle, not a livable city.”

That’s hyperbole taken too far. Lagos is not a jungle and remains home to over 20 million people. And Ojuelegba, which Fela constructed his famous song, Confusion Break Bone (CBB), after, has long been redesigned. But wait, does Olumhense know the difference between driving through Apongbon and Oshodi since 1999? Does he know of the constructions at Abule Egba, Pen Cinema Agege, Fagba, Ikeja, Lekki, Mile 2, Iyana Iba and Yaba? Does he know that the roundabout at Allen Junction has given way to an American-styled four-way junction? Does he wonder why the state created the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)? Does he know these are measures the Lagos State government has put in place to ease traffic? He needs reminding that these did not happen by magic. And talking of one-way driving, I challenge Olumhense to drive against traffic on Lekki Expressway, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way or Ikorodu Road to see whether he would get away scot-free. However, a friendly warning. He shouldn’t attempt to drive without a licence in Lagos else he may learn his lesson the hard way. 

Knocking Lagos for indecent parking, Olumhense writes: “The state government gives licences to anyone who wants to build commercial facilities, with no provision for parking. Even big businesses such as banks and hotels are not compelled to build adequate parking facilities, the assumption being that roadside parking would suffice.”

As a New Yorker, Olumhense may be ignorant of regulations Lagos has put in place for new commercial buildings to design parking before building permits are issued. Or that clearly defined setbacks are ordered for old structures. The City Hall, one of Lagos’ oldest event centres had a make-over about a decade ago. Chief on the redesign was underground parking spaces. It’s similar for many other commercial buildings in the state..

But not content, Olumhense yaps about the environment like he really cares, writing: “no government in Lagos State has actively committed to the urgency of a comprehensive modern drainage and sewage system.”

According to him: “What is considered to be drainage in Lagos is often built by individual property owners: perhaps a two-feet deep hole in front of the property over which the road into the property runs.  That superficial construction—which is often much higher than the road itself, is otherwise often uncovered, thereby becoming a receptacle.”

We should remind Olumhense that in 2021 and March this year, New York also suffered a flood. Maybe he lampooned the American state he calls home over nature’s bounty. Perhaps he chose to ignore that in 2022, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) predicted that many states would be affected by floods. Thankfully, Lagos State did not suffer despite being among the states at the lowest sea level. This was because of proactive steps taken by the Lagos State government in regular refuse collection, street sweeping and desilting of gutters. He may also be ignorant that the Babatunde Fashola administration embarked on clearing  major canals in the state. Subsequent administrations in the state have continued this task.

But like someone on a whining spree, Olumhense continues: “Among others: you often can find no safe sidewalk on which to walk or jog. And people do consider that to be critical when they think of a livable city. For instance, the five-star Marriott Hotel in the state capital, Ikeja, has rooms that are almost $1,400 per night, but none of its guests can confidently walk its Joel Ogunnaike Street pavement because of the smelly exposed drainage. Consider also, the commercial Allen Avenue where, in the 40 years since it was developed, the state government has failed to set it up so that people can park or shop. Shamelessly, it has a “broken drainage” system.”

Maybe the columnist who failed as the publisher of City Tempo only knows how to sloppily spew out unbalanced write-ups. Does he take into cognisance how Lagos attracts the most migration from other Nigerians without anything like a special status? Does he know that Lagos remains a top African destination? 

Firstly, Marriott Hotel has adequate underground parking, contradicting his position that the state does not pay any attention to parking needs. Also, I wonder if the drainages on the street were “two feet holes” constructed by “individual property owners” as he tries to portray. He also describes the street as smelly. What an exaggeration? Had he said a portion he passed smelled badly, he might have been fair. But to describe the whole of Joel Ogunnaike which houses more than five other hotels as smelly and unsafe is a big fat lie. He can come on any Saturday or Sunday morning and see people jogging or walking past as others take leisurely evening strolls.

While write-ups like Olumhense’s can’t be wiped away from journalism, they should not masquerade as constructive criticisms. Lagos is not perfect but remains a work-in-progress which occupies its pride of place in the world, and qualifies as Nigeria’s Centre of Excellence, regardless of any denigrating report.

• Ajayi is a concerened Lagos resident

• By A n i e t i e U s e n

Towering at six feet tall with a regular weight of 90 kilograms, and dressed this afternoon in a dark maroon suit, a white shirt with a spotted tie to match, Governor Umo Eno walked briskly into the sprawling State Banquet Hall to the ovation of the mammoth crowd, jam packed with his adoring supporters. It was his first official assignment as the governor of the beautiful and peace-loving people of Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria.

 All was set this afternoon for the swearing-in of his newly appointed Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, the champion of Uyo politics and scion of the famous Uwah dynasty, which Governor Umo Eno, a pastor and entrepreneur had chosen as the engine room of his nascent Administration. Straight from the Security Entrance, where he gained access to the Banquet Hall, Governor Eno, nicknamed as the Golden Governor, walked quickly across the front row of the hall, pumping hands, hugging friends and waving endlessly with a permanent smile playing on his lips; just as he was accustomed to, during his long tortuous campaign stump across the 31 LGAs of the oil-rich State. He was the cynosure of all eyes, exuding confidence and feeling at home before a crowd that idolised him and had stood by him against all odds for 14 months of political consultations and rigorous campaigns.

Preliminaries are done with. Pleasantries are over. Some sort of decorum is restored in the hall. Standing now before the new governor, backing the curious crowd and about to take an oath of office as Secretary to the State Government, SSG, was the Secretary General of the Governorship Campaign Council, Prince Uwah. He is a natural choice for the job or as they say it the man the cap fits. His nickname is Hammer and the hall erupted with the chant of ‘Hammer, Hammer, Hammer’. He had also played the same crucial role as the Secretary General of the Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Campaign Council, during the second term campaign of the former governor. So the excitement of his constituents was both palpable and understandable.

Soon, the solemnity of the occasion dawned on all, as Hammer began to read after the governor the oath of office followed by the oath of allegiance. He stood ramrod like a royal guard and a clean-shaven head like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. With his navy blue suit, white shirt and pink tie, he cut the image of a banker. In a moment, the SSG was through with the ritual. “So help me God”, he concluded, to the thunderous applause of the audience.

Read Also: A’Ibom 2023: Umo Eno remains PDP candidate, as party files appeal

Next, the governor read his prepared speech extolling

                the virtues and enviable track record of the SSG. “You are coming into Office at the time our State is on the cusp of greatness, and as the Engine Room of Government, you are expected to deploy your organisational and people’s skills in managing our vast bureaucracy, which thankfully, is undergoing E-Governance processes…This is the Golden Era of our State, and we have zero-tolerance for weak links in our engine of operations. I am confident of the choice we have made in you. Go there, get the job done, for our State and for our people and afterwards, come the Happy Hours…”. The Hall erupted again with another thunderous ovation.

But perhaps the best line of the governor’s speech was not in the written address. It was extempore and off-the-cuff. “I intend to run this business of Government with a private sector mindset…and usher Akwa Ibom fully into a golden era”. And many believe the Golden Governor has what it takes to accomplish the task, goals and mission he has set for himself. One strong believer in him is his very accomplished predecessor, former Governor Udom Emmanuel, who with Obong Victor Attah, another former Governor and modern father of Akwa Ibom State, headhunted Governor Eno for the office and role he is occupying today. Said Emmanuel publicly on the day he inaugurated the PDP Governorship Campaign Council in Uyo: “The man that is coming after me (Umo Eno) is a hundred times better than me”. For a very accomplished governor like Udom Emmanuel, who has broken records of good governance in recent time, to say that about Eno, means the State is truly poised for a golden era.

Evidentially, Akwa Ibom has since the end of military rule in 1999, produced the best possible crop of leaders in Nigeria, from Obong Attah till now. Many, very often agree that Governor Emmanuel has surpassed them all. It would appear the full story of Governor Emmanuel has not yet been fully told. One thing that is certain and settled in the minds of Akwa Ibom people is that one of the greatest achievements of former Governor Godswill Akpabio was headhunting Udom Emmanuel to raise the bar of good governance and make Akwa Ibom a model State in Nigeria. By the time Emmanuel concluded his eight years in office last week, the poser on many lips was not what has Udom Emmanuel done with our money but where did he get the money in this hard times to accomplish so much! This is the same shoe that Governor Eno has stepped into for one week now. He is literally speaking in the shoes of a giant, as his predecessor had diligently and quietly brought Akwa Ibom State to the “cusp of greatness” to quote Eno himself in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023.

The good news is that in his first week in office, Governor

                Eno has shone and shown signs of greatness. The child of a lion, as an Akwa Ibom adage says, dare not resemble a goat. Not surprising, Governor Eno swung into action immediately after his oath of office. First, he saw off his predecessor to his country home in Awa Iman, Onna LGA, before he made brief stops to thank his community people of Ikot Ekpene Udo, and pay homages to the No.1 traditional ruler of Akwa Ibom State, Nteyin Solomon Etuk, who is also the paramount ruler of Nsit Ubium, the Oku Ibom Ibibio and the President General of the Akwa Ibom Traditional Rulers Council. That same night, on his first day in office, he wound up in the company of his wife, Patience, and the deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, at the inaugural State Banquet at the Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort which lasted till the early hours of May 30, 2023.

Later that same day, May 30, 2023, Governor Eno announced his first five appointments in a Press Release signed by Dr. Nathaniel Akpadiaha, the Permanent Secretary in Government House. They included Prince Enobong Uwah, as SSG, Ekerete Udo, Chief Press Secretary, Anietie Usen, Senior Special Assistant, Otobong Edem Idiong, Chief of Protocol and Dr. Mrs. Uduakobong Inam, Economic Adviser.

The next day, May 31, 2023, was hectic for the new governor

                as top government officials, old and new, took turns to meet and brief him, inside his expansive and stately new office, considered as one of the most beautiful governor’s offices in Nigeria. The new governor is a workaholic. The earliest he leaves the office is 10pm. Even at 10pm, May 31, he left the office with some of his aides to visit Obong Paul Ekpo, the former PDP State Chairman, current National Ex-officio Member Of the Party and Member-elect of the House of Representatives, who lost his wife, after a protracted illness. He spent nearly an hour with the bereaved family and as a pastor, knew the exact words of comfort and consolation for Obong Ekpo, who was one of the pillars of his electoral victory. “In everything God wants us to thank Him and everything means everything…”

Perhaps, one of the best of Governor Eno’s first seven days was June 1, 2023. It was just his fourth day as governor and he was learning fast and gaining a firmer grip of the ship of State. First, he did what no other governor has done in the State. He drove a short distance from his office in the company of Senator Eyaknyi, his deputy, to visit the Press Centre, where the CPS and SSA, M&P hold sway. It was his way of demonstrating the respect and importance he attaches to the media. Next was his most important assignment for the day.

For the eight years of his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, the first day of every month was the Government House Covenant Service. It is one of the days government officials as well as senior political stakeholders gather in the Government House Chapel by 6pm to praise God, pray, listen to sermons by guest preachers and worship God. Under Governor Emmanuel, this prayer programme was also followed by another prayer programme, known as Government House Prayer Service, held every third Saturday of the month at 8am. So, June 1, 2023 was the first Government House Covenant Service that would be presided over by the newly elected governor who is also a pastor and church founder. It was reckoned that the usual venue in the Government House Chapel would be too small for the expected crowd. The governor directed that the venue be shifted to the sprawling Banquet Hall next door. Even then hundreds could only find a standing position as the Banquet Hall was filled beyond capacity.

Taking over the microphone soon after the praise, worship,

                sermon and prayers, Governor Eno was at his best, both as a pastor and a politician. He began with the song MADE A WAY by Travis Green. It is a chart buster in Christendom worldwide and the congregation erupted in joy and took over the song from his mouth: “You made a way/Don’t know how, but You did it/Nothing can catch You by surprise/ You got this figured out…When it looks as if we can’t win/You wrap us in Your arm and step in/ And everything we need You supply/You got this in control/ And now we know that

You made a way/And we’re standing here/ Only because You made a way/ And you move mountains/You cause walls to fall/ With Your power/You perform miracles/There is nothing that’s impossible/And we’re standing here/Only because You made a way”.

By the time the song ended, the governor was moved enough

                to jokingly remind the jam packed hall that Akwa Ibom State has got both a governor and a pastor in one person. “Now you know that God has given you two for the price of one”, he said. The crowd bursted into laughter. But that was not the highlight of the Covenant Service. The highlight was the testimony the governor shared on how God raised him from nowhere and helped him through the fiery furnace of political fire to become the governor.

 “I have to thank you, thank God who has made it possible for us to be here. It looks like a dream for me…But again, that song ministered to me several times when it was as if I was breaking down…I remember one day I got so boxed up and my last daughter, Ebenezer, came to me and said ‘Daddy do you really need all of this? What are you looking for? You don’t need this. You have trained us, we don’t lack anything, we’re okay. Please this attack is getting too much’

 “So one day, I walked up to the Governor and said, ‘Your Excellency, I think I want to quit, not because whatever they are saying is true but I think my family is really not ready for these insults. And the governor looked at me and said, ‘Pastor, did you take breakfast today? Let’s go and have breakfast’. And then we went on to attend a meeting and he said: ‘my option A is Umo Eno, my option B is Umo Eno, my option C and D is Umo Eno…’ That gave me some strength to continue…I know clearly that the shoe I’m stepping into is very big. Don’t mind him (former Governor Udom Emmanuel) when he says I’ll accomplish 200 times more than him. It’s a prophecy and I claim it because he is Elijah and I am Elisha. But you know, the God of this new beginning will go with us. And it’s only if he goes with us, that we’ll accomplish that which God has sent us to do”, Governor Eno said.

 It was at that same gathering that the governor gave Akwa Ibom people a glimpse of his soon coming appointments. He had never hidden his desire to preside over an inclusive government. But today, he granted many a deeper insight into the composition of his government. “We will work with you and with everyone else to set a new agenda for Akwa Ibom. That’s who we are. There’s really no time to say that this government has ended and this one has started. Like I keep saying to people, please don’t expect that kind of miracle that you don’t want to see the old faces again and there should be only new faces. It can’t work like that. We need the wisdom of the old to be able to navigate the new. And so you’ll see a mixed grill of the new and the old. There’s no way you can put away the old. After Solomon departed, the sons of Solomon did it and the kingdom split. You need to put both together. You need the ideas of the old”.

To call a spade a spade, he went into specifics. “I won’t leave people that were with me in the trenches; people that went to 31 LGAs with me and suffered all the hard times with me for people who have long CVs. I am saying this because I’m receiving more CVs now than the people that were with me during the campaigns. That is not to say that you’ll not see the new. But more importantly, you’ll see those that were with us in the trenches”. He also said that his Personal Assistants will come each of the 329 wards of the State, and they will be active supporters of PDP who reside in their wards and contributed to the success of PDP.

  The next morning saw him in the home of his political grandfather, Obong Victor Attah, where he went to thank the respected elder statesman, for standing firmly with him, when Governor Emmanuel endorsed him as his successor on January 30, 2022. Later that evening and for the first time since he became governor, he stepped into the State-owned Executive Gulf Stream jet and flew out of the State; first to the monthly Holy Ghost Service in Redemption Camp, near Lagos, before he jetted out to Bauchi to attend the PDP Retreat for newly elected governors and national lawmakers. With the help of the State Executive jet, he was back to Uyo that same evening into the warm welcome of government officials led by Senator Eyakenyi, the deputy governor. Straight from the airport, he drove to the traditional marriage of the daughter of late Oron political stalwart, Pastor Onyong Asuquo.

On Sunday, the seventh day of his tenure, he attended his

                first Sunday service as governor, at the All Nation Christian Ministry International, Eket, the Church he founded 20 years ago, where he also indicated and justified his intention to look inwards for the coming Akwa Christmas Carol Festival. “This year’s Christmas Carol Festival will have a little twig. I would like us to localise our Christmas carol this year and I will tell how we are going to do it. This because we will use that platform to promote and raise our local talents. It’s a big platform that people all over the world will come or tune in to it. We will look at churches. I want them to get ready, the big and small churches, we will invite them, let all of us come out. I would like to see creativity that is beyond hymns”, he said.

  Whether in his appointments, visits or statements, the first one week of Governor Umo Eno is a pointer to a deft political move by a shrewd political actor, to quickly strengthen and consolidate his political base and assure same, as the Bible says that “the hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labour”.

• By James Udemba

It the 15th edition of the Professor Eni Njoku Memorial Lecture which held recently at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, something significant happened. The Guest lecturer, Reverend (Professor)!Chinedu Nebo, a former Vice – Chancellor of the University and a former Minister of Power in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, veered off his topic to heap praises on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, holding him up as a practical example of what good governance is all about. If  members of the opposition PDP in Imo State were around, they would have accused the Governor of shopping for praises. Coincidentally, Uzodimma, who was to serve as the Chairman of the event, was not physically present due to exigencies of other state duties. Again, Professor Nebo is not known for sycophancy given his pedigree as a Venerable of the Anglican Church and an accomplished Professor of Metallurgical Engineering, who rose to the position of Vice – Chancellor of the University and the pioneer Vice – Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.

 On that day, he simply narrated what he observed on his last trip to Owerri, the capital of Imo State and asked the representative of Governor Hope Uzodimma to pass his message of of commendation and appreciation to him. What was his experience? He said he drove through Owerri- Okigwe highway and didn’t encounter any potholes and the journey time was significantly reduced unlike what it used to be. Because he has been a regular user of the road, his testament carried a lot of weight. He was nobody’s praise singer. He appreciated what some people would rather not see. Fortunately, two other eminent professors and former deans of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, who were present at the event, corroborated what Nebo observed, thus opening the floodgate of honours, praises and commendation for the Imo State Governor.

 Indeed, it is instructive that Uzodimma had served as the guest lecturer at the 14th edition of the Professor Eni Njoku Memorial Lecture series. What it means is that the organizers found something of value in him and decided to tap from it. And as if that was a cue, other Nigerians and indeed the Nigerian state needed to applaud the administration of Hope Uzodimma in the last 40 months , they certainly grabbed it with both hands. From Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Igbos resident in the oil – rich states of Rivers and Bayelsa , crowned the Governor Onyendu Ndigbo na Rivers and Bayelsa, that is the Leader of Ndigbo in Rivers and Bayelsa. Just the same day, the Government of Rivers State conferred on him the highest highest honour of Grand Service Star of Rivers State ( GSSRS). Shortly after, the Federal Republic of Nigeria conferred on Uzodimma the national honour Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), while the Progressive Governors’ Forum – a group of 18 governors of APC – elected the Imo State Governor as their Chairman.

 It is significant that each of these honours, recognitions or commendations has a history. In other words, none was done in a vacuum. Take for instance, the Professor Nebo’s commendation. Apart from the Owerri- Okigwe highway, Uzodimma has built more than 100 solid roads running into several kilometers. He has done the Owerri – Orlu highway. He rebuilt the MCC – Uratta – Toronto road and all of these were commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari. Each of the 27 Local Government Areas has a five –  kilometre road  being built by Uzodimma. So, road users, including non – residents of Imo State, like Professor Nebo, are daily testifying to the road revolution of the Governor in addition to other democracy dividends which he has relentlessly continued to deliver to the people.

 For Igbos resident in Rivers and Bayelsa States, they were moved to honour their beloved son, Uzodimma, as the leader of the race because no other governor had taken the welfare of Ndigbo so seriously as Uzodimma. As a people whose economic interests are supported and sustained through the ports, they were overwhelmed with joy when Uzodimma flagged off the dredging of Oguta Lake, Orashi River to Degema and the Atlantic ocean. They are obviously quite excited that the potential of a sea port in the East is just but a stone throw away. They are happy that the economy of the South – East will receive a boost through the initiative of the Governor. They also know that the cultural ties between Igbos and the people of the Niger Delta region will be restored when the dredging is completed and commercial activities resume along the coastal areas.

 According to the the secretary of the organising committee for the reception by Igbo residents in Rivers and Bayelsa States,  Hon. Obiora Umeh, apart from what Uzodimma has done for the people of Imo State which are being acknowledged all over the state, the steps he has taken to rejuvenate the economy of the entire South – East through the dredging of the rivers up to the Atlantic ocean is unprecedented. He noted that such a visionary leader ought to be encouraged, hence his adoption as “Onyendu Ndigbo in Rivers and Bayelsa States”. He went further to assure the Governor that their members from Imo State will be at home during the November election to ensure that he is returned to the office for a second term. 

While Igbos in Rivers and Bayelsa states see Uzodimma as the champion of their cause, former Governor Nyesom Wike sees him as a national icon whose patriotism has gone a long way to unify the country. In a letter he sent to his Imo State counterpart notifying him of the award of the highest Rivers State Honour of GSSRS, Wike described Uzodimma’s contribution to national development as worthy of emulation. Said Wike” I am pleased to notify you of my approval for conferring the highest Rivers State Honours on you as Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS). This award recognizes your outstanding commitment and contributions to advancing national unity, equity and justice and your valuable support for Government and people of Rivers State” It was noteworthy that the award was given from a PDP governor to an APC Governor. Before then Wike had publicly declared in a national television that Uzodimma will certainly defeat anyone challenging him in the November election. Could that be why the opposition PDP was jittery and accused Uzodimma of shopping for awards?

 However, as the Americans would say, they ain’t see nothing yet. Nobody saw the national award from the federal government coming. Although one can not say that it came from the blues, given Uzodimma’s antecedents as a patriot who believes in the unity of NIigeria. In truth, the award was well – deserved. In the last ten years, Uzodimma has taken the message of unity and peaceful coexistence among all ethnic nationalities to every state of the federation. Through lectures, reactions to unfolding events and private discourse with stakeholders, Uzodimma has always emphasized that being together in one indivisible country will be of benefit to everyone. Indeed, in his lectures he had also invited  his Igbo brothers and sisters to take advantage of the numerical strength of Nigeria to advance their economic interests, instead of contemplating leaving the country. To his credit, he has been consistent and unambiguous in describing the economic and political benefits accruable to all the ethnic groups in a United Nigeria. That perhaps explains why many individuals and groups have applauded the bestowment of the national honour  of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Hope Uzodimma. From the NLC, NUJ to the Imo State Council of Elders, from traditional rulers to road transport workers and from market women to prominent Nigerians, the verdict is the same: the national honour of CON bestowed by the Federal Government on Governor Hope Odidkia Uzodimma is well – deserved.

 Expectedly, accolades have continued to be heaped on Uzodimma since the announcement was made. Some remember that the Governor in a bid to cement national unity had appointed none indigenes of Imo state to his cabinet. Some also remember patriotic spirit with which he undertook his duties as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise where he was reputed to have saved billions  of Naira for Nigeria. And some have appreciated him for being a pan – Nigerian who continues to preach unity even while not relenting in drawing attention to the  obvious marginalization of his race in the politics of Nigeria. Such a patriot no doubt deserves to be awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger ( CON).

 It must also be in appreciation of these and other admirable leadership qualities that the Progressive Governors’ Forum elected Uzodimma its Chairman within the same week that the Federal Government honoured him with the national honour of CON. This forum is made up of all governors elected under the banner of All Progressive Congress (APC). While it is conceded that any of them could have been the chairman, the antecedents of Uzodimma in the party and the circumstances of his emergence are worth being noted. First, Uzodimma is a first time governor who will be seeking reelection in November this year. Secondly, he didn’t join APC from inception. So why did his colleagues and the leadership of the party settle for him? It was the Bible which emphasized that a man diligent in his work will dine with Kings. Uzodimma has been committed, passionate and diligent in the running of the affairs of the APC, especially in the South – East where he is fondly referred to as the Governor General of APC. The results of his hardwork are glaring.

Read Also: Diri, Uzodimma, Sylva, Melaye, Anyanwu make INEC final list for governorship polls

Before Uzodimma joined APC and sought the goveenorship ticket, the party was about to be rejected by the people of the state on account of the leadership style of his predecessor. He not only won the goveenorship election for APC but has since consolidated on the victory. All the bye – elections held in the state since he became Governor were won by the APC. During the last general election, APC swept both national and state legislative seats – further attesting to the popularity of the Governor due to his unprecedented achievements in office in the last 40 months. It is also instructive that in the entire South- East, it was only in Imo State that APC scored the majority of the votes in the recent presidential elections.  

Again,  as the man given the responsibility to coordinate the activities of the party in the South – East, Uzodimma has been diligent in the discharge of the task. It is to his credit that APC is now accepted in the South – East more than it was three years ago. It is to his credit that APC has made more inroads and now have more elected federal and state lawmakers in the South – East than it did three years ago. For a man who carried out this mass mobilization, a recognition as the chairman of the Progressive Governors” Forum is not misplaced.

 However, the adage that says to whom much is given, much is expected is now applied to Governor Hope Uzodimma because all the awards and responsibilities bestowed on him require more hardwork and commitment. Again he has to do a balancing act of attending to his duties at home and offering leadership in the national sphere. But as one who is adroit in handling responsibilities since his adulthood, Uzodimma will certainly deliver. What these awards  mean is that people outside Imo State are appreciative of his leadership qualities which have brought immense development to the state in addition to the national space. With his reelection just few months away, Uzodimma should be confident  of success knowing that the day of reward for all his hard-work is coming.

  Yet, I  dare say that for Governor Hope Uzodimma, CON, “it is morning yet on creation day” because I see greater honours and accomplishments ahead of him.

Udemba is an Owerri based public affairs analyst.

• By Ali M. Ali

The   Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is, currently, huffing and puffing, spoiling for war because, the   newly minted regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has walked its talk of decisively   ending   the fuel subsidy regime. The Union is threatening industrial action by Wednesday, June 7th   unless the government   continues with this   clearly untenable   culture of “fraud” and “rent.” The reaction of the Labour Union is both bewildering and hypocritical.

It is confounding because all the major presidential candidates in the February   national polls said they were going to end the “fraud” that was the fuel subsidy.

It’s duplicitous therefore, for the Labour Congress to grandstand. It won’t get any accolades. I am skeptical if Nigerians would heed the call. They didn’t in 2016 when they asked us to shun work following former president Buhari’s upward review of fuel charge.

Discerning Nigerians have since concluded that the trade Union is hostage to vested   political and business   interests. It dances to their drumbeats. That explains, in part, why it speaks through both sides of the mouth. One moment, the Labour Union is hobnobbing with apostles of subsidy abrogation, the next it is grandstanding because a certain President Bola Tinubu has walked his talk. Different rule for identical pledges, one is tempted to conclude.I am dead certain some key elements in the top echelon of Labour Congress are captives of   political interests. The Labour Party’s presidential   candidate Peter Obi actually labeled   subsidy as “organized crime”. 

He was right. Obi assured that it would be the first thing he would banish the moment he assume presidential powers. And NLC cheered. They hailed him. He was “in their party” after all.Today NLC is puffing, flexing wizened muscles and threatening to shut down the nation because the president isn’t  “in their party” .That is how I see it and a number of Nigerians who are unimpressed by NLC’s disposition. Obi scored bull’s eye however.

I concurred and total agreed with his description that   subsidy is  “organized crime”. From a manageable N261 billion naira in 2006, fuel subsidy has snowballed in to a monstrous 7 trillion in 2023.Only ‘organized crime” approximates this astronomical rise. I am not alone. The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima revealed just last week of the existence of a powerful oil cabal wanting the fuel subsidy regime to last forever.Former Minister of finance Mrs Okonji Iweala who tried to clean the messy and fiscally challenging subsidy regime has emotional scars to show for that intrepid attempt. She initiated an audit and discovered that over $2 billion dollars were bogus claims. She advised government not to pay. The oil cabal kidnapped her 83-year-old mother in return!I am in total sync with Shettima when he said, “we either end subsidy or subsidy would end Nigeria”Obi must have read the   2012 House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Management comprehensive report to poetically captured the nature of the subsidy regime as organized crime.

The shocking details of that report exposed a cocktail of woes that combined to make subsidy administration a cesspit of depravity and sleaze.The report confirmed widely held notion popularized by the likes of former Central Bank Governor and maverick economist that fuel subsidy was a buzzword of “renting”, for “scam” and patronage. In the wake of the fuel price hike on January 1st, 2012,Sanusi argued, forcibly, before an enthralled crowd of “stakeholders” at a town hall meeting, with all the logic of a polemicist, at his disposal   why the subsidy regime was anachronistic.His persuasive arguments were punctuated by thunderous applause by a motley swarm of government ministers, state governors, captains of industries and Labour leaders.He dismissed the puerile argument that scuffling fuel subsidy would bring “hardship” and “difficulties”‘”This is not an economic argument,” he said.

”The economic argument” he continued would “be this is the cost of removing subsidy and what   is the cost of not removing it?”  he rhetorically asked.He concluded on an unnerving and chilling note. ”This government (JONATHAN’S) can continue to paying this subsidy till 2015,it won’t come down…but the next government would be saddled with a debt burden that it can’t maintain and the Greece situation would be nothing compared to where we are!”Sanusi warned, eleven years ago that “if the dollar gets to N200, inflation hits 18% and oil crashes by 30 to 40 percent, then we would know what crisis is…instead of slowing down, you want to continue paying one trillion naira subsidy to who?”We are presently in the reality Sanusi predicted more than a decade ago.

With Nigeria’s total debt profile nearly 47 trillion naira and a suffocating 95 % debt-servicing ratio, the new regime of President Tinubu has had to brave the odds by walking this tough path of eliminating subsidy.

Read Also: Tinubu right to remove fuel subsidy- APC Professionals

During the campaigns, Tinubu was emphatic. Subsidy would go. Some 8.7 million Nigerians believe in his capacity and voted for him. I am flummoxed therefore, that Labour is calling for industrial action.The House Ad Hoc committee probed   a three-year period from 2009 to 2011. It discovered a progressive increase in subsidy intervention budget and zero accounting. 

In 2006, subsidy for both PMS and HHK was tolerable, being N261.1b in 2006, N278.8b in 2007 and N346.7b in 2008. Five companies including NNPC were involved in 2006, 10 in 2007 and 19 in 2008 contrasted to 140 in 2011,sayid the report in its preamble.In 2023,fuel subsidy has skyrocketed to an incredible 7 trillion per annum.  Every month, the government spends a whopping 400 billion to subsidize fuel for an indeterminate number of  consumers nationw.

The various organs responsible for efficient   execution of the subsidy regime encouraged a culture of skullduggery and financial brigandage. They flatly   and deliberately refused to keep a reliable database, thereby frustrating accounting process.

According to the House Ad Hoc Committee report “We found out that the subsidy regime, as operated between the period under review (2009 and 2011), were fraught with endemic corruption and entrenched inefficiency. Much of the amount claimed to have been paid, as subsidy was actually not for consumed PMS. Government officials made nonsense of the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) Guidelines due mainly to sleaze and, in some other cases, incompetence. It is therefore apparent that the insistence by top Government officials that the subsidy figures was for products consumed was a clear attempt to mislead the Nigerian people’’.

The report continued “Thus, contrary to the earlier official figure of subsidy payment of N1.3 Trillion, the Accountant-General of the Federation put forward a figure of N1.6 Trillion, the CBN N1.7 Trillion, while the Committee established subsidy payment of N2, 587.087 Trillion as at 31 December 2011, amounting to more than 900% over the appropriated sum of N245 Billion. This figure of N2, 587.087Trillion is based on the CBN figure of N844.944b paid to NNPC, in addition to another figure of N847.942b reflected as withdrawals by NNPC from the excess crude naira account, as well as the sum of N894.201b paid as subsidy to the Marketers.

The figure of N847.942b quoted above strongly suggests that NNPC might have been withdrawing from two sources especially when the double withdrawals were also reflected both in 2009 and in 2010. However, it should be noted that as at the time the public hearing was concluded, there were outstanding claims by NNPC and the Marketers in excess of N270billion as subsidy payments for 2011” In present day Nigeria, NNPC is claiming outstanding N2.8 trillion unpaid subsidy by the government.

The Group Managing Director told reporters last week soon after meeting with President Tinubu. This colossal outstanding is twice the fund allocated to education in the 2023 federal budget.

At 7 trillion naira annually, subsidy is gulping one third of the N21 trillion naira total federal budget. This is certainly not tenable. The fuel subsidy is gone for good.

The government now is freed of the burden. The freed resources should be channeled to specific ends. Nigerians are groaning under the weight of hyperinflation.

Economic activities are on a downward slop.Thankfully, the president is a listener.

Ali M. Ali is a journalist and former Deputy President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.