Category: Letters

Sir: In his effort to correct the economic sufferings caused by the wayward policies of the previous administration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is trying to implement economic policies that have long-term impact. This has started with subsidy removal, more government spending, introduction of students’ loan, unification of exchange rate, suspension of taxes on some commodities and services and others. These and many more policies are classical economic policies that have long-run positive impact on the economy. In the long-run, the downturn would be corrected, in which the hardworking would have something to take home.

Without a doubt, the fuel subsidy is a heavy burden to Nigeria’s economy in which some few exploit it to their advantage. Due to the problematic nature of the sudsidy scheme, almost all the previous democratic presidents had promised to remove it at a time, for the same reasons that, it has become a burden to the state, it is riddled with corruption and that only few are enjoying it at the expense of the state, leaving the majority with negative consequences.

However, looking at the current state of the nation’s economy, petroleum subsidy is the only guaranteed general state welfare that will be enjoyed by all and has general impact on the whole population. It has direct linkage to transportation, manufacturing, energy, school fees, prices of foodstuff, services and many more necessities. Any slight impact on the prices of petroleum products leads to inflation, hike in transport fees, jobs cuts and high unemployment prospects.

According to reports, the government has proposed a monthly payment of N8000 allowance to be shared to 12 million households in the country for the duration of six months. Additionally, N100 billion is earmarked for road constructions, several billions for the judiciary, N70 billion for the legislative welfare, while N18 billion is earmarked for the agriculture. These are proposed as remedies to cushion the effect of petroleum products subsidy removal for the time being. No doubt, there are clear misplacements of priorities in this proposal.

If the policymakers are truly desirous of cushioning the effect of the subsidy removal, agricultural sector is the most critical sector that needs urgent intervention to create windows that would encourage farmers to access soft loans, low cost hybrid seeds, subsidized chemicals and fertilizers, and other farming implements. This would allow them the plant with ease, as such, the multiplier effects of that would be: availability of food products in the market and a moderate prices of food items due to the subsidized mechanisms that farmers enjoyed. This would have real positive impact on the live of the common man. But giving out N8,000 to 12 million families could only cushion the instant impact, while leaving them exposed to more suffering and uncertain future on the long-run.

• Muhammad Sagir, Bauchi.

SIR: Massive corruption since the first military coup up till the end of the fourth republic in Nigeria has totally collapsed the economy of this giant of Africa. An economy that was once the pride of Africa as one of the great exporter of agricultural and agro allied products, would soon jettison the gains for the discovery of oil, which enabled humongous wealth creation and corruption within the country.

The discovery of oil, rather than being a blessing, turned into a curse because of greed, avarice and the spirit of entitlement. Due to bad leadership, we abandoned or even killed the cash cow, agriculture, for uncertainty of that time.

As a young child growing up in the North, I saw the groundnut pyramids ready for export in Kano; I knew of the palm oil plantations in the East; the Middle Belt had yam and other subsistence crops; the West had cocoa and kolanuts. 

Food was not a problem at all. My family compound in Jos, straddled two streets with openings on both ends, surrounded by markets. Galadima Street was on the South, housing a market of varieties, including our crude abattoir, while Alhaji Fadi Street on the North housed the tomato and pepper market. All of these were in abundance, to the extent that you could go before a trader and be gifted these items. Tomatoes were left in the open and no one dared touch them. The Plateau boasted of potatoes, both Irish and sweet, in abundance and all manner of fruits. 

Those were the days of plenty. We had little money then, but you didn’t need plenty money to feed and we were happy. As a matter of fact, those who had money did not eat anything extraordinary, except extra meat here and there. There were no eateries, few supermarkets etc. Otherwise, we all attended the same market and probably met at amala joint together at the main market area. 

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In all of these, my thesis is that agriculture was the mainstay of the economy at that time. Even in primary schools then, we all had farms for corns, groundnuts, potatoes, both Irish and sweet, and bountiful harvests. I remember in my United Native Africa Primary School, where I started from, fetching of manure for the farms was a major pre-occupation, always welcomed by the students because, it afforded  us a time off school, away from the canes that were sure to fall on some of us slow learners.

The discovery of oil and the making of a different kind of wealthy class saw the gradual erosion of agriculture. Children who had made some money by their new status, withdrew their fathers from the farms to enjoy their new wealth. Then the new phase of rat race began.

A decisive government, in the kind of battered economy that we have now, would think of diversifying the economy as quickly as it can. 

In the era of technology, the government should take advantage of this to invest massively in mechanised farming and be decisive about it. The legislature should enact strong laws to guide against corruption and diversion of funds meant for agriculture. The teeming number of youths would provide ready human resources; there would be creation of employment and a subsequent reduction in crime. 

I am particularly happy when I read of the government’s proposed acquisition of 500,000 acres or hectares of land for agricultural purposes. One just hopes that this is not in the books only.

States could mandate their local governments to provide land for farming to be allocated to individuals with certain conditions that would eventually transfer the land or farm to the individuals. The federal and state governments can also set up agro processing companies on the farms to add value to the raw materials produced. Huge silos for preservation can be built and a farm cooperative system should also be put in place. All of these will greatly enhance the economy and be a basis for exports to neighbouring countries and beyond. It is never too late to start. 

The government should get involved in agribusiness to give direction.

•Prof Tunji Oyelade,

OAU, Ile-Ife

SIR: The raging conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan forcefully remind the world that peace is the only path to progress, and war is never an option.

As the war in Ukraine hit the 500-day mark recently, it was confirmed that about 9000 persons had been killed, including many children with properties worth billions of dollars destroyed. Add the tumult within Ukraine to the surge in global food prices and the upheavals many lives have experienced since the war began, and the true cost of the war would seem unquantifiable.

In Sudan, two military generals are fighting for the soul of the country in what is another catastrophic canvas on which is displayed the immeasurable toll unbridled military intervention in government has taken on democracy on the continent.

In Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohammed Dagalo, the Sudanese are seeing shades of Omar al-Bashir, the now incarcerated dictator whose iron fist pounded Sudan for thirty years before he was forced out of office by pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Three thousand people have been killed since fighting broke out in Sudan. A further three million people have been displaced. The recent discovery of a mass grave in the Darfur Region of the country has forced the International Criminal Court to open investigations into possible war crimes in the region.

While the true price of peace can never be fully known, the catastrophic cost of war is always there for all to see in the times when conflicts flare up dragging many innocent people into unmanageable, unmitigated and utterly unseemly conditions.

To justify the war in Ukraine which it describes as a special operation, Russia has cited non-existent security concerns using the language of warmongers and the itinerary of imperialists.

In Sudan, to justify a costly conflict that has pushed entire families to the edge, the warring military generals wag a finger of blame at each other, each side blaming the other for the insidious instability roiling the nation.

War is costly and warmongers often appear cruel, crude, callous and crass. They are always wrong because there is nothing that can really justify the immeasurable toll that endless fighting takes on people.

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In the case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the threat was immediate and insistent. That any European country would invade another European country was unthinkable for so long. But once it happened, it was considered otherwise. The harsh sanctions and other backbreaking measures have a formed part of a visceral response to the conflict.

For Sudan, many Western countries have been content to quickly pull their citizens out of the country while two military generals reduce a great country to ashes.

On the African continent because many countries are either led by military men or corrupt dictators, there isn’t usually enough voices to ask for accountability when the actions of a few destabilize multiple lives and livelihoods all at once.

In Europe, Ukraine may be the active theatre of war, while in Africa, Sudan has no competition currently. However, the world over is punctuated with pockets of conflict. In West Africa, ruthless terrorists continue to tug at the territories of many states, taking chunks here and there, and creating chaos in the process.

The conflict in Yemen and Syria has raged for many years now. The chaos in Afghanistan as well as the savagery in a couple of other countries has reduced those countries to active war zones.

The world could do with zero conflicts. People everywhere who already bear the brunt of climate change and the other niggles of life should not have to add the peculiar disruptions of conflict to the deleterious destabilization they already suffer.

It is for the world to commit to peace. It is for communities everywhere to commit to peace.

But it is especially important for those in positions of power and authority everywhere to commit to peace because without the commitments of those in positions of authority to peace, lasting peace would remain a mirage.

•Kene Obiezu,

keneobiezu@gmail.com

SIR: President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the end of subsidy in his inauguration speech on May 29, emphasizing that there was no provision for it in the 2023 appropriation.

Understandably, the subsidy removal has brought untold hardship to the average Nigerian although experts agree that this, among others, is one major sacrifice we must make for the country to move forward. This is even more so, when the ever-increasing cost of maintaining the subsidy can no longer be justified at a time of drying resources.

As it is, N500 billion has been set aside from the supplementary budget of N819 billion for the provision of palliatives by the president. Interestingly, that itself has raised a lot of concerns among Nigerians, looking at how unpatriotic elements in government in the past misused or abused earlier initiatives. A good example is the Covid-19 and other similar interventions by the previous administration that was mismanaged with no one ever called to account.

In my humble opinion, rail transportation is a viable option that, if considered, will be a potential solution for reducing the untold hardship presently experienced by the populace. It has the potential to be more cost-effective and sustainable, looking at the current circumstances. It would indeed give more life to our road network; certainly, most of the trucks that too often damage our roads would be kept off the road.

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Indeed, one of the main advantages of rail transportation is its ability to transport large numbers of passengers or goods in a single trip. Moreover, it has a higher capacity compared to other modes of transportation. Improving rail efficiency will no doubt help reduce the present hardship. Again, the cost of commodities will drastically come down especially in transporting perishable goods from one location to another. 

Majority of Nigerians can’t even talk about saving when we’re all struggling desperately to survive in the face of merciless inflation that is getting worse every day. Inflation too often wipes off the little we earn to keep the wolf from the door. To me, hardship encourages corruption in all aspects.

We appreciate the intentions of the president to channel the resources to infrastructure in the country. It should roll out its infrastructure plans without further delay.

I therefore call on the government to do the needful both in terms of finding short-term and long-term solutions. 

•Tajuddeen Ahmad Tijjani,

Azare, Bauchi State.

Sir: On July 11, Nelson Mandela, the late South African anti-apartheid hero was remembered by the United Nations on  the occasion of the Nelson Mandela Day. He remains a matchless reference point.

There are men who walk the surface of the earth and never leave until they leave their footprints on its sands. These men lead simple, ordinary lives but somehow manage to touch many other lives in profound and extraordinary ways, so much so that their memories become monuments to the transcendental tenacity of the human spirit.

Besides his unbreakable tenacity in the fight to liberate South Africa from the clutches of a regime that was darkness itself, Mandela’s non-violent approach to the struggle marked the legendary African freedom fighter as an exemplar for the ages.

In 1994, upon independence, Mandela became South Africa’s first Black President. He willingly left office in 1999 and died in 2013. His name continues to echo around the world.

Today, many African countries, including his native South Africa, could do with leaders like him: towering monuments to integrity and probity to pilot the affairs of their increasingly troubled and desperate countries.

Across the African continent, many countries have continued to struggle under the weight of corrupt and oppressive governments. In some of these countries, inept and corrupt military officials have seized power from their equally inept and corrupt civilian counterparts to reduce their country’s democratic hopes to dust and preclude genuine development.

In countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sudan, the military which initially professed that it came into power to sanitize things has morphed into a monstrous problem on their own, jeopardizing possible democratic transitions and frittering away the resources of their states.

To those who turn the public funds of their country into their personal funds and see governance as an opportunity for personal and family enrichment and aggrandizement, Mandela offers a withering rebuke even from the grave.

Every year, the coming of July 11 gives the world an opportunity to remember a man worth every iota of immortality. Those who occupy positions of power the world over surely have a lot to learn from him, especially African leaders, many of whom have become the greatest tragedies ever to happen to their states.

• Ike Willie-Nwobu, Ikewilly9@gmail.com

SIR: The role of governments in safeguarding and promoting internet freedom has become increasingly vital. The internet serves as a platform for individuals to exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, association, and assembly. As the primary entities responsible for protecting the rights and interests of their citizens, governments in Nigeria have a crucial responsibility in ensuring open access to the internet, guaranteeing internet freedom, and upholding the rule of law online.

Governments, along with private-sector entities, civil society organizations, and international bodies, play a central role in shaping the development of the Communication and Information Society. They possess the power to create policies, regulations, and frameworks that define the parameters of internet access and usage. This responsibility extends beyond the national level, as the internet’s borderless nature demands global cooperation and coordination in internet governance.

The foundation of a thriving internet lies in its openness. Governments bear the responsibility of preserving the open and free nature of the global internet ecosystem. This entails providing citizens with unimpeded access to online platforms, free from arbitrary restrictions or censorship. It also involves establishing and enforcing laws that protect individuals’ rights and interests while balancing the need for cybersecurity, privacy, and protection against speech that incites violence.

Internet freedom is not an absolute concept. While governments aim to enhance internet freedom, they must also consider the rights and interests of all members of society. The internet can be a space where conflicts arise between individuals, groups, or institutions with divergent viewpoints. In such cases, governments have a duty to protect the rights and interests of all parties involved. This includes ensuring cybersecurity measures are in place to safeguard individuals and critical infrastructure, protecting individuals’ right to privacy, and addressing harmful speech that undermines social cohesion or incites violence.

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Furthermore, governments must recognize that internet freedom is not solely a domestic issue but also a matter of foreign policy. As the internet transcends national borders, collaboration and engagement in global internet governance are imperative. Governments should actively participate in international discussions, working alongside other nations, organizations, and stakeholders to establish common principles, standards, and frameworks that preserve internet freedom while addressing transnational challenges.

To fulfil their responsibility in protecting and furthering internet freedom, governments must strike a delicate balance between facilitating open access to the internet and ensuring the rights and interests of individuals are respected. This requires robust legal and regulatory frameworks that promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in decision-making processes. Governments should actively engage with civil society and the private sector, recognizing their valuable contributions and expertise in shaping internet policies.

In Nigeria, the government’s commitment to enhancing internet freedom is crucial for fostering a thriving digital ecosystem, driving innovation, and facilitating economic growth. By investing in internet infrastructure, promoting digital literacy, and creating a favourable environment for digital start-ups and SMEs, the government can empower its citizens to fully participate in the digital economy.

To conclude: the role of governments in protecting and furthering internet freedom cannot be overstated. It is their responsibility to ensure open access to the internet, guarantee internet freedom, and uphold the rule of law online. By striking a balance between protecting individual rights and addressing societal interests, governments in Nigeria can create an environment that nurtures innovation, inclusivity, and respect for fundamental freedoms in the digital realm. Collaboration at both domestic and international levels is vital to address the evolving challenges and opportunities of the digital age.

•Wale Bakare,

 wale@webfalainitiative.org

SIR: On October 17, 2022, at Arewa House, the then APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented to the north, his blueprint for the region. He said he would fight bandits and terrorists with the technology the Buhari administration began to use in 2022. He pledged to turn the North’s fertile land into grain fields. He also said that the North will become the hub of agriculture. The dairy economy and agro-allied industries would be promoted with the Mambila Project accelerated and while rejuvenating existing power stations.

He vowed to exploit the gold in Zamfara, and iron ore in Kogi State. Tinubu also promised to bring back to school the millions of North’s out-of-school children through incentives. He further promised to create a special commission for Almajiri education including employing Almajiri teachers.

So far, President Tinubu has appointed eight Special Advisers (SAs), appointments seen by many political pundits as the direction of his administration’s policies and programmes. Of the portfolios of the eight SAs, agriculture gets none.  Has the president forgotten agriculture or has he other major policy and programmes planned for the sector?

The North needs a unique recovery programme in the agriculture sector; the mainstay of the region’s economy is now devastated by banditry, insecurity, floods, and corruption. Some of the previous administrations’ beautifully designed programmes for agriculture have been abused. Many ‘real’ farmers have tearfully complained that the custodians of the programmes and projects have hijacked the benefits.

The Anchor Borrowers Programme, Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI), Youth Farm Lab, Paddy Aggregation Scheme, Agricultural Trust Fund, Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative (PEDI), Food Security Council, etc, including other CBN interventions programs, are good.

However, the implementation and targeting were not 100 percent successful. For example, under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) fertilizer blenders benefit from government resources, and smile to the banks, while the farmers for whom the scheme was primarily designed for, buy fertilizers through their noses. Instead of the N5,000 per bag, as envisaged by the programme, a bag of fertilizer now costs between N20,000 to N25,000.

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Despite the shortcomings of some of the programmes,  agricultural production has improved. For instance, rice milling created many productive jobs.  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) supported about 4.57 million smallholder farmers who cultivated over 6.02 million hectares of 21 agro-commodities across the country. The programme has helped to improve the national average yield per hectare of these commodities, with productivity per hectare almost doubling within the eight years of the programme’s implementation.

Also, statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), indicated that some of these programmes contributed significantly to the increased national output of commodities, with maize and rice peaking at 12.2 and 9.0 million metric tons in 2021 and 2022.

However, one of the fundamental bottlenecks that these projects and programmes faced, were its managers. For instance, the last two ministers of agriculture were somehow ‘disconnected’ from agriculture. Moreover, some of the managers of these programmes and projects are not agro-enthusiasts or farmer-friendly.

With workable and real farmer-friendly agricultural policies, programmes, and projects, President Tinubu will have a golden opportunity to directly ‘talk’ to millions of northerners.

What should President Tinubu do?

First, his Minister of Agriculture should not only be an agricultural enthusiast, but an agile practicing farmer who understands the entire agricultural value chain, politics, and markets. A personality that understands the needs and global trends in agriculture and has  a connection with real farmers and private initiatives. Tinubu’s minister of agriculture should be someone who sees agriculture from the prisms of entrepreneurship, wealth creation, and national GDP growth. Tinubu should also appoint a special adviser on agriculture and an advisory team on agriculture which should be populated by competent real farmers.

Tinubu should bring real farmer associations and groups on board to assist the government in redesigning the programmes. They have a good grasp of what went wrong with the schemes, programmes, and projects and how to rejuvenate them for millions of real farmers in the country.

The redesigned and improved programmes should incorporate livestock production and the establishment of more herbicide and pesticide factories. Nigeria has no business spending billions of naira on importing water mixed with some chemicals; it should work on reducing the cost of seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs including labour and transportation costs.

• Zayyad I. Muhammad,

 Abuja.

SIR: The United Nations celebrated the International Widows’ Day on June 23 this year, as every other year. On that day, it was as important as ever to remember and resolve to protect a group that remains vulnerable to shocking human rights violations.

Around the world, women already lead difficult lives. Along with children, women are a vulnerable group and the unjust targets of some of the worst injustices committed anywhere on earth. During conflicts, women suffer more than any other group as they have to navigate the dangers and abuses of conflict with providing what little stability their families may enjoy.

For those women who lose their husbands anywhere along the line, life immediately take a swift and savage turn. With the men in their lives and in most cases, their breadwinners leaving the scene, the society invariably turns against them.

In some communities in Africa, upon the deaths of their husbands, many widows do not just have to cope with the unimaginable grief that accompanies their loss but are also subjected to all manner of inhuman and archaic practices.

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The way some Nigerian communities treat women is in itself a reflection of the horrendous treatment women are subjected to and the way and manner they are perceived by the society as a whole. To correct this, there must be renewed and increased emphasis on the protection of women, especially those of them most vulnerable to abuses of various forms, like widows.

There must be increased emphasis on the implementation of the laws which protect women in Nigeria. It is only by protecting women as a whole that widows can be sufficiently protected.

These laws which protect women exist but, as usual, they find little implementation in Nigeria owing to the painfully little political will of those who should enforce them. Around the time when the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights is celebrating its 20th year, it is especially important that the protection of women and widows should move from policy and politics to potency.

Across Nigeria, religious organizations and traditional institutions most also take their roles in protecting widows and women most seriously. A gale of unbearable scandal washed over many Nigerians sometimes last year when a video went viral of a widow being paraded naked for supposedly killing her husband in Anambra State.

Protecting the rights of widows is a matter of human rights just like protecting the rights of women. It is significant that renewed calls and efforts in that wise should never cease.

Until every woman and widow is safe in Nigeria, a lot of work will remain undone.

•Ike Willie-Nwobu,

Ikewilly9@gmail.com