The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • The relativity of truth

    The relativity of truth

    • By Patrick Wemambu

    Sir: Susceptible to critique, accomplished banker-cum-administrator, Bismarck Rewane was on Channels Television recently to analyse how Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee hike of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 18.75% to 22.5% (400 basis points) will affect Nigerians.

    Elaborating on what he termed the audacity of the monetary policy against the backdrop of a crisis of confidence rocking the society, the seasoned economist posited that four things are scarce in Nigeria. These are dollars, electricity, food and truth in that numerical order. A combination of the said shortages, we are told, is responsible for the discontent (protests) witnessed in some Nigerian cities lately.

    Plausible as it sounds, Rewane’s postulation of four big shortages in Nigeria would appear to stand logic on its head. For starters, is it really true that the dollar is scare in Nigeria? Honestly, to me, the answer to that question should depend on who is looking for that currency, and the scope of search. Likewise, how could anyone justify the claim of food shortage in the nation? With large-scale hoarding of essential items in warehouses across the six geo-political zones, smuggling of commodities by unscrupulous merchants to neighbouring countries and post-harvest loses of agricultural produce in millions of metric tonnes; the situation may very well be labelled ‘mismanagement not dearth of resources.’

    This brings one to the fourth shortage of item claimed by Rewane to be the most important factor needed by Nigerians ‘more than anything else’. Pray, when did truth become scarce in the country?

    If one might even ask, what is truth? Simon W. Blackburn, distinguished research professor at the University of North Carolina, USA and author of the book “Truth: A Guide and Others” views truth in metaphysics as the property of sentences or assertions said in ordinary discourse to agree with the facts or to state what is the case. Simply put, truth is the aim of belief which sustains humanity. Suffice it to say, what Rewane believes to be true, may not be factually correct to another. Without doubt, it may not be said to be absolute but relative – depending on who is saying what. Different strokes, you might say, for different folks.

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    Come to think of it, what would you say fiery personalities like former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama; Bishop Matthew Kukah; Sultan Sa’ad  Abubakar III; former Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II; Sheikh Nuru Khalid; Pa Edwin Clark; Gen T.Y. Danjuma; Pastor Tunde Bakare; PANDEV; Ohaneze Ndigbo; Afenifere and Arewa Consultative Forum, among others, have been doing over the years regarding the issue of governance in Nigeria? Of course, speaking truth to power!

    Clearly, from the aforementioned instances of individuals constructively engaging the government in the task of nation-building, it should be difficult to sell the idea of shortage of truth in Nigeria. What definitely is lacking under the prevailing circumstance is the political will of the ruling class to listen to the strong and resolute voices of truth clamouring for improved welfare and security of the citizenry.

    This is talking about the imperatives of justiciability of Chapter II, especially Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

    By the way of conclusion, concerns have been expressed in a few quarters regarding the existence or not, of recipes for finding truth. However, in the long run, the issue may boil down to whether some things are absolute and objective or all things are relative and subjective.

    •Patrick Wemambu,

    Abuja.

  • Women entrepreneurs as catalyst for innovation and rapid growth

    Women entrepreneurs as catalyst for innovation and rapid growth

    • By Ene Bolanta

    Sir: In recent years, we have witnessed a significant rise in the number of women entrepreneurs entering the business world. Women are breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings, establishing themselves as formidable forces in the entrepreneurial landscape.

    This surge in women entrepreneurs is not only empowering, but it is also driving innovation and rapid business growth. Women are bringing fresh perspectives, unique ideas, and a different approach to problem-solving, which in turn, is revolutionizing industries which is no surprise.

    Research has shown that diversity, including gender diversity, is a catalyst for innovation. When women entrepreneurs are provided with equal opportunities, they bring a diverse range of experience, skill, and perspective to the table. This diversity fuels creativity and fosters a culture of positive transformation within organizations.

    Women entrepreneurs are often known to challenge the status quo, introduce disruptive ideas, and pioneer new solutions that address unmet market needs. Their fresh insights and unique approaches push businesses to evolve and adapt, ultimately driving rapid business growth.

    Also, against popular belief, diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords; they are essential components of a thriving business. Gender diversity, in particular, has been proven to have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. Past studies carried out by Mckinsey in 2017 showed that companies with a higher representation of women in leadership are 21% more likely to outperform their competitors.

    Therefore, by embracing diversity and inclusion, businesses can tap into a wider pool of talents, perspectives, and ideas. This diversity fuels innovation, enhances decision-making processes, and ultimately leads to better business outcomes.

    While women entrepreneurs such as Ibukun Awosika, Folorunsho Alakija and Tara-Fela Durotoye have without question made remarkable strides, there are others who still face unique challenges on their entrepreneurial journey that hinder their growth and success. Issues such as gender biases, limited access to funding and capital, and a lack of representation in key industries are just a few of the barriers that women entrepreneurs face.

    To overcome these challenges, it is crucial for society, the government, and businesses to take proactive steps such as implementing policies that promote gender equality, providing targeted funding and support programs for women entrepreneurs, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity within organizations.

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    Also, in order to ensure their success and drive rapid business growth, women entrepreneurs must employ strategies such as building strong professional networks and seeking mentorship from successful women entrepreneurs who can help them navigate challenges and open doors to new partnerships and investment opportunities.

    They must invest in continuous learning and skill development, leveraging technology and the digital landscape which offers countless tools, resources, and platforms for marketing, e-commerce, and business management. They must seize all opportunities to enhance their business acumen, leadership skills, and industry knowledge. By constantly expanding their skillset, women entrepreneurs can stay ahead of the curve, adapt to market changes, and drive innovation within their businesses.

    While the economies of many nations both developing and developed alike are at risk of recession, maybe the answer we all seek to reverse the weakening growth momentum lies in embracing gender equality and tapping into a wealth of untapped talent, unique perspective and tenacity which will undoubtedly lead to increased innovation, improved problem-solving, and ultimately, rapid business growth.

    •Ene Bolanta,

     <enebolanta@gmail.com>

  • Issues in restructuring

    Issues in restructuring

    SIR: Restructuring the federal arrangement in Nigeria is an issue that enemies of this country would not want to hear. This is due to the fact that some people have been misinformed and others have misconstrued the essence of restructuring.  Restructuring, in simple parlance, is all about how to make the citizenry enjoy the essence of having government in a political community.

     It is only when we want to deceive ourselves that we would say there is nothing wrong with the present federal arrangement. Nigerians are stakeholders when it comes to the issue of survival of the country under a true federation but some have greater stakes. As a friend and colleague said recently, Nigeria has, unfortunately, been led by time wasters in the past. It is time to reverse some of the evils which their bad policies brought upon us as citizens of this great country through restructuring.

      In the past, the issuance of new vehicle plate numbers was under the state. Ditto, issuance and renewal of drivers licence.

     The military came and without public input and discussion with the states unilaterally took over the responsibilities and transferred them to the federal government. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was asked to take over the responsibilities.

    We are Nigerians and are in a better position to provide a truthful, objective and sincere assessment of how the FRSC has discharged these responsibilities over the years.  From my investigation, many Nigerians who applied for the renewal of their driver’s licences in the last one and a half years have yet to get their licences renewed. Yet, the same FRSC team harasses people on the road every day. Haba!

     On the issue of faded plate numbers, the Lagos State Government came out recently with a fee of ₦18,750 for a replacement and threatened affected vehicle owners with serious reprisal measures, including a threat to impound such vehicles.

     I implore the Lagos State Government to take things easy and apply wisdom in the management of state affairs.

    Read Also: Why restructuring remains elusive

     My initial reaction when I saw the circular was to ask: “Is it right for the Lagos State Government to threaten innocent citizens who obeyed the law and applied for plate numbers? Also, the vehicle owners did not produce the plate numbers. They were produced by the government. Why should the government produce fake plate numbers? Therefore, it is not only embarrassing for one government agency to embarrass another but very shameful. Let the affected government agencies talk to each other and stop punishing innocent members of the public.

    The Lagos State Government and the FRSC should note that there is tension in the polity occasioned by government policies at the moment. It is fraught with danger to heat the already tense atmosphere through a punitive measure. A colleague of mine was stopped by the FRSC recently over the issue. He was asked to go for a replacement of his vehicle plate numbers. He asked them at whose expense? He was told ‘at your own expense’. Then, in annoyance, he asked them where they expected him to get the money given his eight-month salary held by the same federal government since 2022.

     The tension across the land was generated by the government’s policy and therefore should be brought down by government policy in which the issuance of driver’s licenses and vehicle plate numbers should be returned to the state where the responsibilities were carried out in the past without tears. This is because the FRSC has failed us.

    • Tayo Popoola (Associate Professor) University of Lagos.
  • Another look at calls for state of emergency on illicit drugs

    Another look at calls for state of emergency on illicit drugs

    SIR: It was a piece of great news last week when the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control (IMC) declared that it is making progress in achieving the targets outlined in the fourth National Drug Control Plan, otherwise known as the National Drug Control Master Plan, NDCMP 2021-2025.

    The pronouncement was made by the chairman of the IMC, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), who is also the chairman/chief executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). But in the same breath, the IMC called for a declaration of a state of emergency on drug abuse in Nigeria.

    Coming from such a body, the call for a state of emergency is weighty and shouldn’t be taken lightly because the IMC is a body that comprises NDLEA, NAFDAC, NACA, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the Military, Customs and other MDAs. The call, therefore, is a collective concern that acknowledges the severity of the drug abuse situation in the country.

    Concerned citizens will realise that the call for a state of emergency didn’t come out of nowhere. It has been resonating for some time now. Late in 2023, the same call was made in the senate during plenary by Senator Ibrahim Dankwabbo, who, in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Committee on Narcotics and Drugs, said the situation has reached a point where they are considering holding an emergency summit.

    In February, the Governors Spouses Forum made a definitive statement, calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse in the country.

    Indeed, the calls are in reaction to the disturbing trends in society. As far back as 2018 when the National Health and Drug Use Survey was conducted and its findings made public, Nigerians knew that they had a dire drug situation.

    The fact that the country’s drug use prevalence―which is the rate at which citizens abuse illicit substances―is 14.4%, almost three times the global average of 5.6%, is cause for concern. Now, the red flag has been waving in our faces for six years, and the sooner we acknowledge that drug abuse is a big problem, the better it will be for the country.

    This is not to say, however, that NDLEA has not been doing what it ought to do. Far from it. Indeed, the agency has been doing its best, and it shows in the record number of traffickers arrested and convicted and the quantity of illicit drugs seized and destroyed. The truth, however, is, that the drug abuse situation in the country requires the government at all levels to double their present effort by 300% if the country were to stamp out the drug scourge.

    Read Also: Declare emergency on illicit drugs

    The NDLEA will also need to be further empowered and its resources magnified to cope with the magnitude of work on ground. But this is not possible unless the government and people in society first agree that the severity of the situation warrants the allocation of more scarce funds to battle this menace.

    Declaring a state of emergency would permit expanding resources, maximising targeted subventions and deploying coordinated action across the various strata of society to combat the abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs.

    We should not forget that a comprehensive approach to stamping out illicit drugs in society, as recommended by UNODC, goes beyond the arrest of traffickers and the destruction of seized drugs. A country’s drug control measures also include prevention, education, treatment, rehabilitation, and a spectrum of support programmes for people battling addiction.

     What this means is that Nigeria’s effort so far has been merely scratching the surface. In the meantime, the problem has become colossal. With the declaration of a state of emergency, urgency will be attached to tackling the problem, and it will be easier to mobilise the resources, political will and social goodwill required to overcome the drug scourge.

    • Neta Nwaedozie, Nise, Anambra state
  • President Tinubu and fight against corruption

    President Tinubu and fight against corruption

    • By Comrade Bishir Dauda Sabuwar

    Sir: Corruption, whether mega or petty, is the bane of Nigeria’s development. Many factors are hindering the effective war against corruption in Nigeria. One of such factors is the impunity. This is more so among the high profile political elites, especially those who belong to the governing party. This kleptomaniac class assumes that they are above the law. And that they can plunder and get scot free.

    Under the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, we witnessed a new dimension in the looting of state treasury. And this was at a time of so much noise and propaganda to the level that African Union actually crowned the former president as its anti-corruption champion.

    Today, in a dramatic manner, one after another, the officials who served under President Buhari are being summoned by various anti-corruption bodies to come and explain mysterious expenditures or disappearance of humongous amounts of money entrusted to their care.

    A bizarre case is currently before a Federal High Court Abuja over withdrawal of $6.2m from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) vaults. In fact, we were, most recently, amused and entertained by Bamaiyi Mairiga, a forensic expert who told the court that the signatures of former President Buhari and his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustafa were forged by top officials of the apex bank.

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    Prior to this, Buhari’s former minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouk was quizzed EFCC in connection with financial malfeasance. She was grilled for hours. But apart from these suspects, there are other officials of the last government whom Nigerians accused of using their offices and connections to swindle the country. Whether they will ever be brought to justice is a matter of time.

    From his leadership style, President Tinubu is more of corruption fighter than the last administration.  So far three high-profile public officials have been suspended from their duties on account of alleged corruption. These are Betta Edu, Halima Shehu and Salihdjo Ahmed. This serves as a warning to those who are thinking of committing anything unwholesome.

    It is in this context that I believe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves the support of all Nigerians in his renewed anti-corruption agenda.

    •Comrade Bishir Dauda Sabuwar,

     Unguwa Katsina.

  • Telling coup mongers the gospel truth

    Telling coup mongers the gospel truth

    • By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi

    Sir: Recently, the federal government, through the Ministry of Defence, directed the intelligence community, specifically the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA, to go after coup mongers who have been clamouring for military takeover. 

    The Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, who issued the directive through the Director of Information, Press, and Public Relations of the ministry, Henshaw Ogubike, described those calling for an undemocratic change of government as agents of darkness and mischievous enterprise.

    Recall that in February, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, also said that those calling for coup d’état were enemies of Nigeria, saying the law would catch up with them.

    This followed the disclosure by the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, that it is being pressured from certain unnamed quarters for a takeover of the government following the lingering insecurity in the country.

    But Musa said the Armed Forces was on top of its game and would continue to do the needful in protecting democracy in the country. He described the coup as an inappropriate way of attaining power.  As such, he reiterated the continuous military support and unwavering commitment towards safeguarding and deepening democratic governance in Nigeria.

     Instead of calling for a military takeover, he emphasised that all citizens should rally behind the government to resolve the present challenges. “It is when you go through difficulties and come out of them better that you will truly appreciate what it is to build a nation. The country is going through a trying period, but I can assure Nigerians that the situation will get better.” Gen. Musa had stated.

    Also on his part, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said personnel of the Nigerian Army, had accepted the democratic system of government in place in the country and had no plan to truncate it. Lagbaja described the personnel of the army under his leadership as agents of democracy. He gave the assurance that soldiers would continue to carry out their mandates as contained in the constitution.

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     It is pertinent to note that any call for violent change of government by the military is absurd, preposterous, and naive, as the military has come to terms with a democratic government in Nigeria and is focused on their constitutional mandate of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country against any threats. Therefore, it is high time for those propagating the idea of truncating the constitutional government to desist from it and face democratic reality on the ground as a means of legitimate leadership.

    It is undeniable that the current economic hardship is incredibly frustrating. But let’s be clear: military rule cannot be the path to a better Nigeria.

     The economic problems we face are complex and would not be solved by a military takeover. As such, we need well-thought-out solutions, not a forceful power grab. Citizens should be demanding better output from elected officials, not calling for the military to step in. Hold them accountable for creating an economic plan that benefits all Nigerians.

     There are better ways to address our challenges. We need strong institutions, a free press, and a vibrant civil society to hold our leaders accountable. We need to work together, through democratic means, to build a better future for Nigeria.

    Focusing on peaceful demonstrations, holding leaders accountable for their actions, and supporting and strengthening civil society organisations that promote democracy and good governance will go a long way towards providing solutions to our difficulties. 

    It is time to work together for a more democratic and prosperous future. Together, we can build a better Nigeria.

    •Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi,

    ymukhtar944@gmail.com

  • When VP Shettima visited Ogun State

    When VP Shettima visited Ogun State

    • By Elijah Udofia

    Sir: Recently, Nigeria’s number two citizen, Senator Kashim Shettima, stormed Ogun State for a one day working visit. While in the State, he visited and commissioned the Modern Adire Shared Facility at Adire International Market Asero and the National MSME Clinics, Ultra-Modern Fashion Hub, Ajebo Road all in Abeokuta,

    He also took time to interact with small scale entrepreneurs who are in the business of producing the local tie and dye fabrics known as “Adire”. A highly impressed Shettima who acknowledged the high quality and beautiful products displayed in the market, must have known that nothing hold a business back like money. During the 2nd edition of the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Clinic, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto in Abeokuta, he brought the message of hope from President Bola Tinubu when he said that the federal government would give N150,000 cash reward to every exhibitor at the clinic. As if that was not enough, he again announced that a grant of N100,000 will also be given to over 200 owners of new stores at the Modern Adire Shared Facility at the Adire International Market, Asero, Abeokuta.

    Similarly, the host governor Prince Dapo Abiodun also announced conditional grants of N100,000 to 10,000 MSMSE, N500,000 to be given to 2,000 SMEs, and N50,000 to 5,000 market women in the state, totalling N2bn.

    For the vice president, the coming to Ogun State signifies the need to support businesses and transform ideas into commercially viable ventures, just as the 2nd phase of the Expanded SMSME clinic is a strategic intervention to fortify the foundation of small businesses in the country.

    The vice president was of the view that such clinics would serve as a lifeline for enterprises as it would offer immediate financial support to the exhibitors and provide small businesses the opportunity to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission and get their certificates within a day.

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    There is no denying the fact that Small and Medium Enterprises plays very pivotal role in the economy of any nation. It helps in stimulating and strengthening the economy by developing local technology, mobilise and make use of traditional savings, and structurally balance the large and small industry in the rural and urban centres of a nation. It also provides employment to a large segment of the nation’s population.

    The role of the Small and Medium Scale entrepreneurs is so vital that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) says that “the Small and Medium Enterprises contribute 48 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and employ over 84 percent of Nigerians”.

    The SMEs not only make goods and services available even in difficult to reach areas, but also stimulate consumer’s spending and drive demands which ultimately leads to increases in the economic output and overall Gross Domestic Product of the country.

    Despite their significant roles in a nation’s economy, SMEs are daily facing many challenges some of which include lack of access to cheap and long term sources of finance, high cost of infrastructure such as power, transport, distribution and logistics. These perennial challenges have resulted in the collapse or limited growth of many SMEs thereby preventing their much-needed contribution to the economy.

    Having recognized the significant and far reaching roles of the SMEs, both federal and state governments have started looking in the way of the SMEs by implementing several policies to support them to grow. One of the ways of doing this is through the provision of grants, infrastructure and other needed support.

    The visit of Vice President Kashim Shettima to the Gateway State is one that would linger for quite a while, particularly for those who benefited from the largesse of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of Governor Abiodun.

    It is now left for the beneficiaries of the grants to make the best use of the opportunity to them to expand their businesses and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country.

    •Elijah Udofia,

    Laderin, Abeokuta.

  • UNICAL and the 45 academic staff employed in 2019/2020

    UNICAL and the 45 academic staff employed in 2019/2020

    SIR: The issue of omission of our names from the revalidated waiver for 2019/2020 academic staff of University of Calabar approved by office of Head of Service of the Federation on October 10, 2022 refers.

    The waiver approved by the office of Head of Service of the federation to our former vice chancellor, Prof Zana Akpagu stipulates that a total number of 667 academic staff should be employed by the university in 2019/2020. It is interesting to note that the total number of academic staff engaged was far less than the approved number of 667

    Due to our continuous deprivation, suffering and stagnation in all phases of our lives due to our non-capturing by IPPIS, some of our colleagues approached House of Representatives for an intervention in resolving the issue.

    The House having considered the merit of the case, gave a favourable ruling that all the affected academic staff be accommodated and waiver revalidated for them since the quota given then for the employment was not exceeded, and the total numbers of the affected staff stood at 169.

    It was very shocking and mind-blowing to some of us that the revalidated waiver for the affected staff bore only 124 names and no clear cut criteria was adopted for the selection thereby excluding 45 of the affected staff. The university relied on the list and conducted screening and verification for the 124 staff on December 28, 2022.

    As a group of the omitted staff we wrote to notify the school management on January 4, 2023 about the injustice and unequal treatment meted on us because there was no justification for our omission.

    We waited several months for the university management to act on the issue or reply to our letter but to no avail; it then became abundantly clear to us that there was no interest on their part to correct this anomaly.

    In our quest to see that this issue is resolved, we approached Federal Ministry of Education and National University Commission for intervention as advised from the office of Head of Service of the Federation

    The Federal Ministry of Education after setting up several committees to consider the merits and inviting the vice chancellor to hear her on side of the story, subsequently gave an approval to the vice chancellor on April 25, 2023 to screen and confirm the status of the omitted staff and thereafter apply for a revalidated waiver to the office of Head of Service of the Federation.

    The vice chancellor, relying on the approval from the Federal Ministry of Education and the intervention from NUC, invited the affected staff for verification and screening on June 6, 2023.

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    After the screening, the vice chancellor applied for a special waiver for the 45 staff, but while the application was yet to receive final approval, a presidential directive exempting federal institutions from obtaining waiver was issued, implying that the issue of revalidation of waiver had been cancelled. This was confirmed to our representative who monitored this case for us at the relevant ministries, departments and agencies concerned.

    As a group, we have faced stagnation, suffering, deprivation, inequality and it is heart breaking, realizing the fact that our colleagues similarly affected are now receiving their entitlement while we continue to go home empty.

    Worthy of note is that the school management actually included the 45 omitted academic staff in the nominal roll and the 2024 budget of the university. It is on the strength of the above that we are seeking intervention for urgent amelioration.

    Our appeal is for relevant authorities (Minister of Education, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President) to direct our vice chancellor to put an end to our continuous suffering by processing the budget clearance since we have been captured in the 2024 budget and there is approval from ministry of education which she relied upon for our verification and screening.

    • Abu Gabriel Inaku, For the affected UNICAL academic staff.
  • To Obaseki: Between empathy and impeachment

    To Obaseki: Between empathy and impeachment

    SIR: I make a humble and passionate appeal to Governor Godwin Obaseki. I entreat him because I regard him as a civilized and enlightened man. May it not be in the annals of Edo political history that there was once a deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, impeached under his watch for his aspiration. It will be perceived as a sting of “betrayal” and it will invariably redefine “loyalty and aspiration” as antithetical. Please, don’t get me wrong because this is far more polite than one can imagine. This is the kernel of my entreaty: Leave your deputy alone to deal with his issues and resolve them without initiating impeachment. Reconciliation is always a prosperous option. Listen to your kind heart. I am not insinuating he must be governor.

    Yet, we cannot justify an impeachment without putting a wedge on the path of positive advancement in other spheres of life. Please, Mr. Governor, talk to Edo State House of Assembly to discontinue the impeachment process. Honourable members must ensure that legislation prohibits any move that bears the semblance of retaliation. Do yourselves a favour because you don’t know the next victim in sudden political twists and turns.

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    Dear Mr. Governor, here is the point: Bear with Comrade Philip Shaibu, not for his sake but for the sake of your own indomitable spirit. What I see in you is what I see in your deputy – a resolute spirit. We often say only God can determine who gets power. This saying should not be personalized and meaningful only when it is to our advantage.

    When you were at your lowest point and facing your political trials, your rock bottom foundation was the support from Edo people and your deputy, who you used to call your brother.

    I am pleading. Your silence has been golden. Continue to be a big brother to him. Feel for the number two man who seeks power so passionately and determinedly without your support. A man whose level of determination makes him literally stressed out, worried, burdened, spending strength and resources, deserves empathy not impeachment. Hear my humble plea for mercy.

    • Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Andrew Obinyan, Benin City, Edo State.
  • Declare emergency on illicit drugs

    Declare emergency on illicit drugs

    • By Kalthum Alhassan

    Sir: About four weeks ago, members of the Governors Spouses Forum, during a two-day Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Care (DPTC) training called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on illicit drug use and trafficking pandemic.

    The first ladies’ demand, contained in a communiqué released after the training organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was not the first call for a state of emergency on drug abuse in recent times.

    Sometime in November 2023, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Narcotics, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, said on the floor of the Senate during plenary, that members of the committee and the relevant bodies and authorities would consider the possibility of having an emergency summit on drugs because of the seriousness of the issue. Several individuals and institutions have echoed similar sentiments in the past six months.

    Now that various institutions of the state are waking up to the need to take the drug problem seriously, it is about time that society gives this subject matter the attention and treatment it deserves as an urgent issue of national interest.

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    The drug abuse situation in Nigeria has been a source of worry since 2018, when a UNODC-supported national health and drug use survey showed that the country has a drug use prevalence of 14.4 per cent which translates to 14.4 million Nigerians abusing drugs. The same study showed that Nigeria has the largest number of users of cannabis in the world, estimated to be 10.6 million.

    In the past six years, more worrying facts have emerged from NDLEA arrests and seizures and other drug-influenced crises (such as the Mkpuru Mmiri epidemic in the Southeast in 2021) to show how deep abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs have become entrenched in our society. Just recently, there was a seizure of heroin worth 50.9 kilograms. This was barely 18 months after over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Lagos.

    When all facts are added together, there’s no denying that illicit drugs are a serious problem in Nigeria and the situation has reached a tipping point where the declaration of a state of emergency is an appropriate response.

    With calls coming from the Senate and the Government Spouses Forum, it is about time the federal government pays serious attention to the country’s ‘silent drug pandemic’ before it gets out of hand and endangers more Nigerian lives.

    •Kalthum Alhassan,

    Tudun Wada, Kano.