The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Adamawa and internal security

    Adamawa and internal security

    • By Zayyad I. Muhamma

    Sir: At its 8th meeting held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on September 9, the Northeast Governors Forum expressed its concern about the new dimension of growing banditry in Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states. The governors called on the federal government to intervene. Among the six states in the northeast, Adamawa State would seem to be the exception. It is doing well in the area of internal security.

    The Adamawa State government employed three approaches. First, the Umaru Fintiri-led government looked at the areas affected by Boko Haram’s insurgency, and then developed post-war programmes with a comprehensive implementation strategy to fast-track the healing of the war’s scars. The government restored basic infrastructure and local economies, returning the affected communities to their peaceful and productive pre-war status. A simple example is the bubbling economic activities in townships like Mubi, Michika, and Madagali. Secondly, after the restoration of basic infrastructure and integration of the lives and livelihoods of the people, the government employed a quick rehabilitation of agricultural lands, places of worship, health centres, bridges, and schools, including the creation of productive employment for the teeming unemployed citizens, especially young people and women.

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    Over the years, developmental efforts in many states laid emphasis on urban development at the expense of rural development, which has led to a substantial rise in inequality among Nigerians—inequalities beget insecurity. What the Fintiri-led government did was balance urbanisation and rural areas’ needs. While Adamawa State’s capital, Yola, is being transformed into a working city that accommodates all segments of society and provides basic and modern infrastructure, other local governments are getting what they ought to have in the areas of agriculture, basic electricity, healthcare, and human development. What the government did was equate each community’s basic infrastructure needs with youth employment needs to curtail crime.

    For example, when the notorious Shila Boys re-emerged, the Fintiri government used a soft and hard approach: the government provided young people with cash grants, loans, and training on new skills through the Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA) and the Adamawa State Social Support Programme (ADSSSP). Those who refused to change their ways were dealt with the hard way by law enforcement agents.

    There is a theory that says no one can experience perfect security because individuals or states are not perfectly secure or completely insecure, but the Fintiri model of community engagement, local people’s parley, and provision of basic needs has helped Adamawa State curtail farmer-herder conflicts, ensure peaceful co-existence and banish youth restlessness, within the state. The Fintiri model of internal security management is working; other states in the northeast sub-region can copy it.

    •Zayyad I. Muhammad,

     Abuja.

  • Corruption and the necessity for probe

    Corruption and the necessity for probe

    • By Abachi Ungbo

    Sir: Corruption thrived luxuriantly during former President Jonathan’s administration – the breadth confounded the nation as his successor beamed the searchlight into the dark tunnels through which it all happened. The former Minister of Petroleum – Diezani  Madueke and the National Security Adviser- Sambo Dasuki easily became the administration’s face of corruption. Huge corruption proceeds were retrieved just as prosecutions were made. Though, many other cases are still lingering in courts.

    It was a huge heist as the anatomy of the corruption was laid bare. Speaking in an event organized by the Youngsters Foundation Initiative (YFI) in commemoration of the 2017 International Corruption Day, Debbie Palmer – Head of the UK-DFID stated that Nigeria lost $32 billion to corruption during the six years of the administration of President Jonathan. It clearly exemplified the whys and wherefores for the stifled development of the country despite being awash with huge resources.

    It was in the early days of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and not a few cheerleaders were spurred by his action. It was a kind of an opening gambit that struck fear to the entire system. With that, it reinforced the legendary Buhari allergy to corruption. The courage was applauded and hope and confidence grew anew of a new era of zero tolerance to corruption. Pathetically, that fizzled out as days wore on.

    The fight against corruption lost considerable steam. It became entirely rigged with rhetoric than action. The administration simply gave up on its avowed fight against corruption. In fact, corruption became braver! The reverberation of bruits of corruption and sharp practices cast aspersion on the squeaky-clean reputation of the president.

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    The opinion of Bishop Matthew Kukah on corruption in the last administration which he expressed in his lecture at the celebration of the 60th Anniversary to the call to Bar of Aare Afe Babalola was singularly brutal- he stated that “they were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms.”

    There have been calls for probe since President Bola Tinubu assumed power due to the huge stench of sleaze with the attendant cost to the nation. In my estimation, what is good against Jonathan should be good also against Buhari. Call to public service shouldn’t be seen as a call to the dining table.

    Everyone should be made to account for their action or inactions when immunity expires. For instance, the nation needs to know more about the controversial Nigeria Air which the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika launched 48 hours to his exit. The entire process was not only shoddy but opaque with huge shroud of secrecy. It also necessary to look into the allegation that was amplified by the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on the unaccounted $2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion- oil revenue and fuel subsidy payment between 2016 and 2019.

    There have been so many disapprovals to the proposition of probe- which many consider diversionary and waste of precious little time but it is just way of achieving the following: Firstly, restoring sanity and hope; secondly, reclaiming all that was lost to a few people and thirdly, shedding light to situation that lacked clarity.  

    The points are predicated on the expectation that they will institute an acute awareness on the mind of public office holders on the absence of immunity against corruption which will practically serve as a deterrent.

    This brings to the fore the need for effective and quick prosecution of corruption cases; the cessation of mere slap on the wrist- which the nation has witnessed umpteen times; and the plugging of holes through which corruption take place. The place of strong leadership remains an important factor.

    The housecleaning in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the current administration is commendable and should be extended to other areas and personalities besmirched by corruption. The fight to uncovering the rot and mindless fraud must be carried with much seriousness, commitment and courage- that the former president failed to exhibit.

    The president must demonstrate statesmanship and patriotism in dealing with not a few fellow party men in the last administration who are known to carry a huge badge of corruption. A selective fight will definitely smack of hypocrisy and that will lead nowhere.  

    •Abachi Ungbo,

    abachi007@yahoo.com

  • Between Wale Adedayo and Governor Abiodun

    Between Wale Adedayo and Governor Abiodun

    • By Peter Ovie Akus

    Sir: Nigerians were treated to a mild drama a few weeks back when a video surfaced on social media showing 18 out of the 20 local government chairmen in Ogun State prostrating like school children before Governor Dapo Abiodun. It wasn’t long before the details of what led grown adults, to grovel at his feet like peasants became public knowledge.

    Wale Adedayo, the suspended chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, had in a letter to two anti-graft agencies, and Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, and political godfather of Governor Dapo Abiodun, accused the governor of diverting the statutory funds from the Federation Account belonging to the state’s local government since his assumption of office in 2019 till date. He also accused the governor of diverting N10 billion belonging to the local governments which is their share of the federal government’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme funding assistance, and  of withholding 10 percent remittance due to the local governments from the state’s internally generated revenue. 

    These are weighty allegations which no one expected to go unchallenged by the governor. But the response of the governor is not only appalling but has painted him guilty in the court of public opinion. Instigating elected council chairmen in the state to publicly apologise and bow to him in his office due to Adedayo’s allegations implies servitude, lack of independence, and absolutism on the part of the governor. Using the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and detain Adedayo on charges of attempts to incite the public against the state government and breach public peace is nothing but an abuse of power.

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    The role of the local governments since 1960 till date has been primarily to bring development to the grassroots. The 1999 Constitution just like others preceding it assigns the duties of managing markets, motor parks, primary healthcare centres, collection of rates and levies, and other sundry responsibilities to the local governments. But since 1999 till date, almost all local governments across the states of the federation with the exception of Lagos State have been comatose. The only duty they perform is the payment of the salaries and wages of workers. Most local government chairmen do not live in their domains and only go to the offices at the secretariat on the last week of each month when the state government releases funds to them after making all manner of “deductions” through the Joint State/Local Government Account as it deems fit. Gone are the days when local governments were famed for building community roads, street parks, primary schools, and ensuring cleanliness in the communities.

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), claims in a report that local governments in Nigeria have received N1 trillion in the first half of 2023. Can we truly say that the level of development in rural Nigeria is commensurate with the amount of funds that has been disbursed to local governments over the years? Where has all the money gone? The reason why it is easy for such money to “disappear” is because the average Nigerian focuses all his attention on the federal and state governments while neglecting the local governments. The citizenry need to rise up and demand for accountability from the local governments. 

    It is also pertinent to state that the attitude of governors towards local governments in most states in Nigeria is worrisome. They often refuse to conduct elections into local governments preferring to run them through transition committees which most times are populated by party loyalists. When they do, the elections are a sham with the ruling party in the state winning all the seats. If not for a Supreme Court ruling which guaranteed permanence of tenure for elected council chairmen, Adedayo would have been easily kicked out of office with a stroke of the pen.

    There is a need for amendments to the 1999 Constitution so that local governments can receive their allocations directly from the federation account without recourse to the states as is the norm. This would restore dignity to the third tier of government and enable it function properly rather than as an appendage of the state government.

    •Peter Ovie Akus,

     New Jersey, USA.

  • NAICOM, save me from IGI

    NAICOM, save me from IGI

    Sir: I am writing this to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) as the regulatory body overseeing insurance companies and their processes because I am a victim of injustice. This injustice is meted out to me by IGI Insurance Company. This will be my 11th email on this matter.

    I paid a premium of N10,005 from 2006 for 15 years to IGI. My policy matured in May 2021. I am meant to receive the sum of N2,945,385.00 (Two Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Five Naira.) which has been processed since June 30, 2021.

    Up till now, September 2023, I am yet to get a dime from IGI. This month will make it two years and five months I have been writing IGI to pay me but they kept ignoring my emails.

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    I am writing this to NAICOM as my hope of getting IGI to do the right thing by paying me. I paid my premium judiciously for 15 years. This sort of attitude is what has made a lot of people lose faith in the insurance industry.  Please help me so that I will not die of depression.

    I am writing to let everyone know what I am going through and also know that I tried my best and did what I was supposed to do as an insurance injustice victim by writing NAICOM so if I die of depression it would be known that I asked for help from NAICOM and all concerned.

    • Paul Ezema, <nkemezema@yahoo.com>
  • On Johnathan’s national integration call

    On Johnathan’s national integration call

    Sir: It is by the grace of God and the resilience of the Nigerian electorate that Nigeria has survived an uninterrupted civilian democratic rule from 1999 till date. Even at that, the party formations still bear the awful badge of regionalism – the North for the North, the East for the East, the West for the West and the South-south for the South -south. Except for weak, corrupt and self-centred alliances between the major political parties controlled by the majority tribes of the North, the West and the East regions, to create a semblance of national political spread, nothing much has changed in Nigeria’s skewed political formation essentially tailored to favour the so-called big tribes or ethnic groups. Whether it is the former NPN or the present PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC), it is clear that politicians are not yet ready to form a political party with national spread manned by men and women of unassailable nationalistic fervour, impeccable character, selfless in its calling to visionary and pragmatic leadership. These are the qualities that are needed in addressing the questions of unity, peace and security of the nation where Nigeria’s poverty index will be drastically reduced.

    Here lies the import of former president, Goodluck Johnathan’s call for Nigeria’s integration into a nation. President Johnathan said Nigeria’s woes stemmed from the fact that she has failed to integrate into a nation since the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914.

    He spoke in Abuja at a dialogue to mark the 60th birthday of National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Fellow of Social and Political Thought, Professor Udenta Udenta. Johnathan regrettably noted that there was no commitment on the part of Nigerian politicians to integrate Nigeria into an entity with common philosophy.

    “There was no commitment to integrate Nigeria into an entity that you say yes, this is a nation with common philosophy”, he said.

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     According to the former president, the country was so polarised especially during early party formation as the parties mostly had regional bias.

    There is no doubt the crux of the matter as dissected by President Johnathan cannot be faulted. He has painstakingly identified Nigeria’s faulty and tortuous steps toward nation building. Enduring and sustainable nation building is predicated on a political system that is rooted in its formation with bias for national outlook.

    For Nigeria to attain a viable political system that can effectively drive her socio – economic development and infrastructural transformation, Nigerian politicians have a compelling duty to seriously interrogate the well thought out panacea for pollical stability and enduring electoral process of the country by former President Johnathan. This calls for doing away with myopic mundane and self-centred formation of political parties which can hardly create the enabling environment for Nigeria to be integrated into a nation.

    Self-serving politicians with little or no iota of commonly shared leadership qualities, coming together to form a semblance of nationally based political parties has proved that our attempt at building a cohesive nation through such parties is faulty. The main aim of formation of such parties is to scavenge the spoils of office to the abandonment of moral and ethical values in our political process. Thus, corruption in high magnitude has been the order of the day in the running of administrations overtime. This has been a problem in the development process of the nation and a threat to peace and security.

    The Nigerian project can only be seamlessly executed through such integration that gives room to equity and justice, credible, fair and just electoral process in our political landscape.

    • Braeyi Ekiye, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
  • Drug abuse as an enabler of cultism

    Drug abuse as an enabler of cultism

    Sir: Creating a dangerous synergy, individuals, communities, and the nation at large face significant threats as drug abuse and cultism often go hand in hand. While drug abuse itself is a grave issue, it becomes even more troubling when it enables complicity in the spread of cults and secret society groups within our immediate environment. Consequently, drug abuse has been established as a major causative of most criminal activities, including cultism, rape, terrorism, armed robbery, among others.

    Cultism has gone beyond the shores of educational institutions and now thrives within our closest clusters, like religious groups, cultural associations, residential play and sport groups and political associations; so is drug abuse. With the youths holding a major percentage of persons within these groups, drug barons and their street dealing salesmen are gradually infiltrating the activities of these young ones with drug use culture, aimed at enhancing their participation in choice activities and area of interest, while leading them into cultism and various secret groups.

    While the truth remains that such drug culture that we allow to thrive is gradually eating away the brains of our supposed future leaders and stars, it is then imperative, that we wake up to the responsibility of breaking the link between drug abuse and cultism.

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    Drug abuse, due to its psychoactive and mind-altering effects, can render individuals vulnerable to recruitment by cult groups. Cult groups, mostly led by some undignified individuals, lures mostly young and bright persons with the illusion of offering them a supportive system with a purpose, while preying on their vulnerabilities ranging from struggles with academics, peer pressures, relationship issues, drug use dilemma and other factors. Once they see these persons who often experience feelings of isolation, desperation, and hopelessness, they offer them illicit drugs and some icing with hopes of a better future, making them susceptible to being members of secret societies and cult related groups. 

    Curbing the menace of drug abuse and cultism might be challenging but not impossible, as it requires a multifaceted approach through practical preventive education and awareness about the risks involved.

     One of the approaches I would recommend is for the majority of us, especially parents, religious and traditional leaders, to key into the prevention and awareness activities of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. My experience in joining one of their X Space activity last week, where I listened to a certain psychologist, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ogunkanmi, made me realise that the federal government is doing a lot in drug use prevention and  we all need to key in. 

    Recognising the link between drug abuse and cultism is essential for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies. We can break the cycle and protect individuals from falling victim to the allure of cultism by addressing the root causes of drug abuse and providing support to those in need. We must not underestimate the power of these issues but work together from every strata to create a future that is free from the negative consequences of drug abuse and cultism.

    • Edochie Victor, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State.
  • Why Nigerians should recycle

    Why Nigerians should recycle

    Sir: As long as I can remember, people did make a habit of separating their paper waste from other forms of waste and stacking them up. I have seen people call out on Twitter that they have stacks of magazines they don’t want to just throw away in the bin and if anyone can come over to the house and pick them up. I had a friend who was a publisher of the magazine, and he also put a call out when he was moving offices that he had stacks of old magazines for anyone to come over and pick them up and make alternative use for.

     We all need to practice simple recycling habits to contribute to a cleaner environment and reduce waste. Recycling can take the form of photocopying or writing on both sides of the paper, using water dispensers with paper cups and fewer bottles, using energy-efficient bulbs, going solar, using inverters, using less petrol, carpooling, and also turning off all the sockets at the end of the day.

    Recycling, just like anything else, needs to be a simple daily habit. The hardest part is making it a habit.

    Soil pollution is something we should all be concerned about! Properly disposing of hazardous materials, having good recycling habits, and reusing common household items are simple things you can do each day to keep junk out of our soil and our food safe to eat.

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    Remember, recycling is a collective effort, and small individual actions can make a significant impact when practised consistently. By incorporating these simple recycling habits into your daily routine, you can contribute to a greener and more sustainable Nigeria.

    Thankfully, we’re having a lot of success with plastic bottles as most people separate their plastic bottles and give them out to their domestic help or others to sell. There are certain schools in Nigeria where the student pays their school fees with plastic bottle waste. Now there are more and more recycling plastic bottle plants all over the place, and it’s a sign of progress. I mean, we started with paper and now we have plastic, and we can only get better.

    Recycling is important because the longer we recycle, the longer it takes before it gets to the landfills, which are far too full, and it’s very hard to get new ones because of urban expansion.

    Earth has a finite amount of resources, and as the population increases and modernization develops those resources, there would be not much left for the next generation or even to go around for everyone on Earth.

    • Ovigho Richard Okojevoh,<mrsafetyabc@gmail.com 
  • Modupe Atanda: Murder so cruel

    Modupe Atanda: Murder so cruel

    • By Akinola Ayobami Steven

    Sir: In a society that often seems to have lost its moral compass, where insecurity runs rampant, and materialism trumps contentment, the gruesome murder of Modupe Atanda, a 200-level student of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State stands as a stark reminder of the dire consequences of our collective negligence.

    The circumstances surrounding Modupe’s untimely demise are nothing short of a chilling mystery. Within the supposed safety of a learning environment, tragedy struck, leaving us grappling with unanswered questions. Modupe, a young and promising student, ventured out of the comfort of her bed to study within the walls of her educational institution. Little did she know that her pursuit of knowledge would lead to such a gruesome end.

    Modupe’s life was tragically taken from her. She was not just a victim of heinous crimes; she was robbed of her future, her dreams, and her aspirations. Her story serves as a stark reminder that even the places we consider safe can harbour unimaginable horrors.

    Modupe’s tragic fate highlights the failure of our society as a whole. It reveals a system plagued by lawlessness and insecurity, where criminal acts often go unpunished. It underscores the corrosive impact of materialism, which blinds us to the injustices around us. It exposes the erosion of morality and empathy, as we become desensitized to the suffering of others.

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    In the face of such a horrifying tragedy, the call for justice for Modupe resounds with urgency. It is not enough to mourn her loss; we must demand accountability and action from those responsible for upholding the law. The investigation into her case must be thorough and swift, and the perpetrators must face the full consequences of their actions.

    Moreover, Modupe’s story should serve as a wake-up call for our society. We must re-evaluate our priorities and values. We must strive for a society where safety is not a luxury but a fundamental right, where morality and compassion guide our actions, and where justice prevails.

    Modupe’s untimely and brutal death is a tragedy that should never have occurred. It is a stark reflection of the challenges our society faces today, from lawlessness and insecurity to the erosion of moral values. As we seek justice for Modupe, let us also use her story as a catalyst for change. Let us work together to build a society where such horrors are unimaginable, and where promising lives like Modupe’s are allowed to flourish and thrive.

    •Akinola Ayobami Steven,

    Lagos.

  • Peter Obi strange song on the judiciary

    Peter Obi strange song on the judiciary

    • By Ademola ‘Bablow’ Babalola

    Sir: One of the Nigerian politicians whose trust in the judiciary ought to have been well grounded is the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi. But it’s unfortunate that whenever the verdicts of court favour not many Nigerian politicians, their usual next action is levelling false accusations against the judiciary.

    Three times since Obi’s journey into politics started, he had benefited from the integrity and uprightness of the judiciary more than any politician in Nigeria. He had been favoured by the judiciary more than anyone who had ever sought redress in courts.

    In 2003 when Obi contested for gubernatorial seat in Anambra State, he lost the election to Dr Chris Ngige of People Democratic Party (PDP) in what turned to be a controversial election. Obi pursued remedy in the court and won his mandate back in Appeal Court. 

    In November 2006, eight months after he was sworn in as Anambra State governor, that is, in March 2006, Obi was impeached by the state legislature. His removal paved the way for his deputy, Dame Virginia Etiaba, to become the first female governor in Nigeria. Being a believer of the judgements of the judiciary, Obi approached the court again. And against all odds, based on the facts presented in court, he got another favourable judgement from the judiciary, and returned the second time.

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    As if the judiciary was established for the benefit of Obi alone, another controversy ensued on whether or not gubernatorial election ought to be conducted in Anambra State in May 29, 2007 like in others states, and whether or not the governor, Obi, had the constitutional right to spend four years after Ngige had already spent almost three years of the tenure before another election could be conducted in the state. And without waiting for the issue to be resolved, the INEC went ahead to conduct the gubernatorial election, which ushered in Andy Uba of the PDP into office.

    Like he had done twice, Obi again headed to court. He had the conviction that that was the only place he could get justice to claim his mandate back. And being an independent arm of government, the judiciary gave its judgement based on the genuine evidences presented before it by Obi and his party, APGA. The 2007 Anambra gubernatorial election was declared null and void, and Obi was asked by the court to resume office and continue his tenure till March 2010 when another election was due to be conducted. Obi won again in 2010, and this allowed him to govern Anambra state for eight years until he relinquished power to his successor, Willie Obiano, another candidate of APGA.

    Prior to the judgement, on Wednesday September 6, that validated the electoral victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there were, allegedly, attacks on the integrity of the judiciary, most especially from Labour Party and its candidate including their supporters. Of course the unfounded imagination and doubts towards the judiciary were obviously born out of sentiment. And this prompted many to wonder why someone who had, on three occasions, even in the midst of power from above, been favoured through the rectitude and honourableness of the judiciary was sceptical about the same institution’s fairness and equity.

    But one thing the disgruntled fail to understand is that the judiciary is blind to sentiment. It dispenses judgement on the grounds of genuine facts and evidences presented to defend one’s petition or petitions. The legal maxim: “Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat.” (The burden of proof lies on him who alleges, not on him who denies). 

    The judiciary that favoured Peter Obi three times many years ago when he had evidences to back his cases was the same judiciary that upheld Tinubu’s electoral victory. Nothing is wrong with the judiciary or the judges. They only did what they were sworn to do. Had Obi and his party genuine proofs and evidences to establish their case beyond reasonable doubt, he would have had it the way he had it long ago.

    •Ademola ‘Bablow’ Babalola,

    babalolaademola39@gmail.com

  • Why President Tinubu must show interest in E-Customs project

    Why President Tinubu must show interest in E-Customs project

    • By Remi Adebayo

    Sir: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently thumbed down the practice of servicing Nigeria’s humongous loans with huge national revenue. The president’s description of that practice as destructive is indeed apt considering Nigeria’s rising population and comparable resources needed to cater for the citizens.

    Available records indicate that Nigeria’s foreign and domestic liabilities were in excess of US$100 billion as of 2022; a burden which experts have blamed on successive governments, especially the immediate past administration.

    “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable. We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world,” the president told lawyers while declaring open the annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Abuja.

     Although the president is under pressure to allow massive food importation as a short- term measure to arrest rising cost of living, the porous nature of Nigeria’s borders dictates otherwise.  Taking such route will amount to reversing the gains made in curbing insurgency and cross-border banditry especially along Nigeria’s border up North.

    This is where the e-Customs Project conceived but later stalemated under the former President Muhammadu Buhari should be re-examined to help boost the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for improved efficiency, block loopholes and increase revenue accruing to government.

    The NCS Modernization Project, otherwise called e-Customs Project was given anticipatory approval by President Buhari on September 17, 2019 and subsequently stamped by the Federal Executive Council as a Public Private Partnership model in September 2020. 

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    The project was conceived in 2015 to address the challenges of dysfunctional scanners and other gadgets, tax evasion, lack of monitoring system, smuggling of goods across the borders, inflow of banned items, lack of transparency and cumbersome functions of the Customs Service.

     It is untidy and smacks of high handedness that the Buhari administration will override its first approval without cancelling a previous approval by the President-in-Council. 

    It is on record that Messrs E-customs HC Project Limited and Bionica Technologies (West Africa) Limited, the original concessionaires, have jointly challenged the alleged unlawful and fraudulent replacement of their names in the concession agreement earlier approval by President Buhari and ratified by FEC on September 2, 2020. 

    The firm had raised the alarm of “a sinister plot” to scheme it out as the approved concessionaire and replace it will an unknown entity registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission on 5 April, 2022, almost two years when the project was first ratified by the Federal Executive Council!

    It is inconceivable that the nation’s highest decision-making body which in September 2020 approved a 20-year Public Private Partnership – PPP concession, valued at $3.1billion to Messrs E. Customs HC Project Limited as initial concessionaire, will allow a few selfish government officials to convince it in approving an illegal concession. How does a company benefit from a process in which it didn’t participate? 

    It is disconcerting that less than five weeks to the end of the Buhari administration, the Federal Executive Counting did close its eyes to a valid court order and allowed itself to be misguided.

    The willingness to side-track due process and best practice methods by top officials of the Buhari administration on the e-Customs project through a second and hurried FEC approval was nothing but a desperate bid to empower cronies of the departing administration. With the recourse to litigation by the parties involved in the project, it is now coming to light that President Buhari may have been misled to override an earlier approval granted by the FEC.

    While government officials can be parochial in their actions, majority of Nigerians are waiting to reap the benefits promised by the project, especially full automation of Nigeria Custom’s business processes and procedures through the development and implementation of a robust and secure ICT platform, implementation of modern customs border stations, airports and marine posts as well as revenue enhancement.

    President Tinubu, now wooing international investments from across the globe, must show more than a passing interest in the e-Customs Project where Nigeria stands to reap huge revenue. More importantly, Nigeria cannot be a laughing stock among international investors!

    •Remi Adebayo,

    Accountable Leadership for Better Nigeria Initiative,

    Abuja.