The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Nigeria’s interest in a period of uncertainty

    Nigeria’s interest in a period of uncertainty

    By Abiodun Komolafe

    Still on the last governorship election in Edo State, new facts emerging suggest that political decisions must not be taken in a hurry because the ramifications of these decisions might take longer and bitter toll on the society to rectify. Specifically, facts emerged that, principally, it was the All Progressives Congress (APC) that destroyed APC in the exercise; and it was because the centre was not holding. It is good when Nigerians attribute these decisions to subjective issues. But, in a subjective combination, if a part of the system is faulty, the rest of the system will carry the weight.

    The electioneering period in Nigeria is only designed to make our politicians sober a little. Once it is over, good judgment takes flight, leaving the stage for ‘to your tents O Israel’ to thrive. For instance, if you’re voting away a qualified and promising candidate because you dislike his sponsors, that cannot be said to be rational, or in the objective interest of the system, the political structure, or that of the benefits of the people. Apparently, if the reasonflying around about the purported ”patriotic decision” by Edos to reject  Osagie Ize-Iyamu are true, then, one can only hope and pray that the consequences would not be a matter of monumental regret and an unwitting outlet for what the people did not bargain for. When Godwin Obaseki also decided to decamp to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that, was enough ground to send him packing. Interestingly, Obaseki knew that everything in this part of the world has a price; and he was willing to pay! Otherwise, how come other aspirants in PDP were able to easily forgo their ambitions and step down for the decampee, as if they never nursed any hope of victory in the first place? These are the bigger issues.

    The main reason Ondo voted out Rotimi Akeredolu in 2012 was because they did not want ‘Lagosians to come and start dictating anything to them’, not necessarily because they had something better than what the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate was bringing to the table. In the end, Akeredolu lost, even in his Polling Unit. A similar fate almost befell Osun in 2018, where the question of an ‘Ajele’ governing the ‘Land of Virtue’ almost ruined the building of a probable improvement in the people’s life chances. Had the result gone the other way, only God knows what the reality on ground would have been by now!

    By the way, those who are drowning themselves in burukutu today because they have defeated Bola Tinubu and Adams Oshiomhole might have forgotten that the duo are two individual Nigerians exercising their civic rights to join, solicit votes, and organize others to participate in a democratic process. The two are two-term governors in their respective states. While one is the reigning National Leader of the ruling party, the other is its immediate past National Chairman, and a two-term president of Nigeria’s ‘can-only-bark’ labour movement. Tinubu is not an upstart and has been living in Bourdillon, long before the nuances of politics and the storms of the political deterioration that pushed him into politics were even initiated. Let’s not deceive ourselves, Oshiomhole is also worryingly comfortable. When the masses are, therefore, incited against these people and/or their interests, it is ultimately the masses that still bear the brunt.

    In the interest of Nigeria, the people’s voting rights should not be taken for granted, for the basic code at the heart of democracy is that all votes must count! The reality of the social conditions of existence in Nigeria, which doesn’t make people to reason well to be able to plot the graph, has to be addressed. If, for instance, Governor A could leave his domain to cause troubles and political upsets in another state – because of some selfish interests – and gets away with it without possible rebuke or sanctions at the party level, then, the society is in for perilous times.

    All said, when will our ‘emergency democrats’ begin to ponder the kind of legacy they’d want to bequeath to the ailing Nigerian state? Won’t posterity record their appearances and passages in their respective domiciled societies?

    Oyetola at 66: a gift to Osun State

    On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola marked his 66th birthday.

    Discreet investigations into the life and times of Oyetola have shown that the governor is not only a driven goal-getter and consummate achiever, he’s also a silent worker whose sense of patriotism and compelling ability have gone a long way in liberating the state from all forces of negativism. Within a very short time of assumption of office, he has touched everywhere, without making noise. He has demonstrated that governance is not about pumping but having the wisdom of spending money.

    Without doubt, the lacuna between the time of election and the confirmation of Gboyega Oyetola as governor by the Supreme Court gave the people no peace. But, right now, within the lean space of about two years, the insurance guru and astute administrator has brought a definite turnaround to the state. Now, it will be difficult to discuss the development Osun has had in the last two years without giving it a pass mark. Even, the opposition is beginning to see and embrace both the reality and the benefits of good governance. Yet, the man on the saddle in Osun is looking forward, robustly planning with imagination and wisdom, and graciously taking responsibility. One can only wish he’d not lose focus in taking the state to a higher level and building on the achievements of all his predecessors in office.

    Evidently, it is only stuffs like this that can help in the development of the entire country. Why? If, by now, Oyetola’s development plans still revolve around excuses, especially, as to why salaries are not paid promptly, why street lights are in shambles, with impassable roads littering our towns and villages, the story would have been greatly unpalatable. All the more reason the Federal Government should take a leaf from Oyetola’s book. If Nigeria’s leaders can emulate this man, who, despite the paucity of funds, has positively affected the fortunes of Osun, the attack being hurled at them as a result of lackluster performance will become a thing of the past. It is as simple as that.

    At 66, let yours sincerely join other well-meaning Nigerians in giving ‘66 gbosas’ to our governor.

    May principalities and powers, assigned to rubbish our leaders’ efforts, backfire.

     

  • Kano: What sets the Ganduje administration apart

    Kano: What sets the Ganduje administration apart

    By Salihu Tanko Yakasai

    Recently, the ever-drowning opposition elements in Kano State have made a last-ditch attempt to cast aspersion against the administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR in respect of the decision of the state government to resuscitate some non- or under-performing public assets through public private partnership arrangement with some willing investors that have shown their readiness and commitment to turn around such assets for the mutual benefits of the parties involved.

    These non- or under-performing assets include Daula Hotel, Triumph Publishing Company Nigeria Limited rendered comatose by the Kwankwaso administration but revived by the present administration, Tiga Rock Castle Hotel and the abandoned structurally defective Shahuchi multi-floor car park awarded by the Kwankwaso administration during its second term between 2011-2015. This poorly executed car park project had to be demolished and in its place, a modern shopping complex is being constructed under a PPP arrangement with a private investor.

    In their ever-futile attempts to rubbish the sterling achievements of the Ganduje administration, the dwindling opposition elements will clutch at every straw in order to show to the gullible that they are still relevant in the politics of the most populous state in the country despite the fact that most of the founding fathers and die-hard members of the sect have now seen reality and paid allegiance to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR having been convinced of his vision and mission to move the state forward in addition to his political acumen, foresight and dexterity. These prominent politicians that have returned to APC include the former Deputy Governor, His Excellency Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, the former Secretary to the State Government, Engr. Rabi’u Suleiman Bichi, the former APC National Treasurer, Alhaji Bala Muhammad Gwagwarwa, the former governorship candidate under the platform of PRP, Alhaji Salihu Sagir Takai and many others that have been attracted by the laudable achievements of His Excellency, Gov. Ganduje and his amiable disposition, humbleness and open-heartedness to carry all along.

    As is their characteristic penchant for spreading rumours, these elements were in the air alleging that the Ganduje administration has started selling these public assets to private individuals or entities which is far from the truth. What really transpired is that some private investors recently made presentations during the State Executive Council meetings on their respective proposals to develop these properties so that they will be put into good use with immense benefits such as revenue generation, job creation, etc.

    For example, Triumph Publishing Company Nigeria Ltd premises will be converted into a modern bureau de change market in order to bring the scattered operators of bureaus de change at Wapa, Fagge under one secured environment with modern facilities while Daula Hotel will be developed into a modern housing estate. In the case of Tiga Rock Castle Hotel, which is now completely unutilized and in a deplorable condition, the facility will be re-developed by a private investor to serve as a tourist destination and recreational/sporting arena.

    Contrary to the rumours being peddled by the few remaining opposition elements, the state government has not yet given the go-ahead to the private investors to develop Triumph Publishing Company Nigeria Ltd, Daula Hotel and Tiga Rock Castle Hotel because the proposals have to be critically scrutinized and assessed by the relevant agencies before a decision is finally reached by the government because his Excellency, Gov. Ganduje has repeatedly stated his aversion to bequeathing poorly executed or abandoned project to the incoming administration in 2023.

    What distinguishes the present administration from others is that His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR has a vision and mission to transform Kano into a modern mega city with state-of-the art amenities that can compete with its peers in the country. As a visionary leader, his main concern is to lay a solid foundation for the most populous state to become a paragon of development in the country in the foreseeable future as exemplified by his administration’s mission to develop the human resources of the state into an asset through the introduction of free and compulsory education policy at basic and secondary school levels and the provision of critical infrastructures in both rural and urban areas.

    From the inception of the present administration on May 29, 2015, 204 new projects were initiated while 29 inherited projects were continued totaling 233 projects out of which 128 have been completed while the remaining 105 are at various levels of completion. In addition, the present administration has expressed determination to initiate new additional projects like the construction of mega secondary schools and JAMB CBT centres in each of the 44 local government areas, a light rail transit system in the metropolis, among others. This is despite the dwindling revenue accruing into the state coppers and a huge monthly wage bill of about N10 billion but His Excellency is never daunted by these formidable financial challenges as he is fired by the desire to leave behind indelible legacies.

    In the health sector, the Ganduje administration has come up with various policies and programmes toward ensuring a healthy citizenry that will provide the needed manpower necessary to catapult the state to the next level.

    The administration has completed two gigantic hospital projects initiated by the Shekarau administration, embarked on the construction of a multi-billion Naira cancer centre which will be the first of its kind in the country, embarked on the construction of four mega hospitals at the four newly created emirates with a minimum of 400-bed capacity each, established the State Contributory Health Care Management Board and the Health Care Trust Fund, converted Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital into a teaching hospital, among other laudable undertakings and initiatives which have attracted commendations from critical stakeholders from within and outside the country. Even the successes the state has recorded in the fight against polio and the current Covid-19 pandemic is attributable to the commitment and political will demonstrated by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR.

    So, it is abundantly clear that the Ganduje administration is far ahead of its immediate past predecessor in terms of vision, mission and realization of set objectives as it always weighs the pros and cons of any policy or programme before implementation as in the case of the above-mentioned non- or under-performing assets belonging to the state. There is no doubt that leaving these assets as they are now will not be beneficial to the state and any impartial and discerning mind will attest to this fact. Before the envisaged turn-around of these assets is executed, the state government will have to be convinced about the viability of the projects, the financial strength, experience and expertise of the private investors and the ultimate positive end results of the undertakings to the state to ensure value for money.

     

    • Tanko Yakasai is the Special Adviser to the Governor of Kano State on Media.

     

  • Are male politicians dinosaaurs?

    Are male politicians dinosaaurs?

    Nnedinso Ogaziechi

     

    If we are to go by the story of the creation, God created man and seeing that he needed help, made the woman. It is therefore funny that the same man that the creator found a helpmate for often try to relegate the woman to the background and ultimately gets overwhelmed by duties that ought to be shared by the two genders.

    Ironically, the same creative process runs through the multiplication of humans through procreation. Neither of the genders can bring about the birth of a regular human without the other. Technology and science can only go as far as we have seen. For now, a sperm and an egg are still needed for a fertilization to take place.

    It is therefore a descent to the abnormal that in modern leadership tussle around the world, some ill-informed men still assume a sense of entitlement and try everything to exclude women. However, ironically, in countries that have adopted democracy, more women vote at elections and the same men with a flawed sense of entitlement still seek the votes of women to win at the polls. Women are the most consistent, active and loyal voting bloc in the world.

    However, the idea of relegating women to the background in leadership is neither socially nor economically profitable for any nation. African women especially had always provided leadership in pristine times before the colonial masters came with the idea of ‘housewives’ because their wives where pretty much idle at home.

    The legendary amazons of Dahomey and the various legendary queens in Africa all provided political and economic leadership to complement the men too. There were complimentary leadership styles for both genders and trouble started when the men decided to appropriate the political and economic spaces and to deal women some tokenism.

    This trend is an obvious ill-wind that blows no one any good as the economies of the crassly patriarchal societies tend to show, more poverty and social ills hold down the economies of such nations and Nigeria is a good example.

    The Roundtable Conversation had the Honorable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos state, Cecelia Bolaji Dada, an astute administrator/politician. She was in the Lagos State Sports Commission and later became an executive secretary before being elected as the Vice Chairman for Apapa Local Government for two terms.  As an award-winning Vice Chairman of a local government, she believes that women have nothing to fear when they are competent and ready to work to develop their communities and nation.

    To Bolaji, competence has no gender and the readiness to serve is personal to everyone. She believes that very often, some women show defeatist attitude when it comes to political participation but she believes that mentorship by the few women who are already in politics must be taken more seriously. In her days as Vice Chairman of Apapa Local government, mentoring younger women was a passion for her and the dividends have been huge. It is important for women to first have confidence in themselves, be disciplined enough to earn respect of everyone and be ready to show the full female capacity in multi-tasking. Neither your work nor the home must be shortchanged if you are a focused human being.

    Planning must be key for women not just in politics but in all spheres of life that they find themselves. Be able to speak up, be able to stand against the men. The fact of life is that most  insecure men are intimidated by brilliant and confident women so they try to frustrate the women so that they will give up because the dictum that what a man can do a woman can do better is not a ruse. Women must be ready to show competence at all levels. There is no position that a determined woman cannot creditably handle.

    The mentorship of young women must be a priority for all women and even men because a well-educated and empowered woman can move mountains. Politics is for everyone and it is ironic that while men lay claim to leadership, women are the real voters and if they are discerning enough to vote, they must be capable of leading too. Political positions should not be an exclusive of men and that is where kudos must go to the past and present governors of Lagos state she says.

    Lagos state is very much ahead of other states when it comes to women inclusion in both elective and appointive positions in the state. The governor, Babajide, Sanwo-Olu recently won the ‘HE for SHE’ Ambassador Award  from an NGO for making his government very inclusive as quite a number of women are in his cabinet and those in the civil service including the judiciary that deserve to be promoted to Permanent Secretaries or appointed as judges equally get their promotions unlike what happens in most other states that the governors tend to play to the gallery whipping up either religious of cultural sentiments that exclude women and deny them what is due them.

    To the Commissioner, the number of women in elective and appointive positions in Lagos state even though there is still room for improvement stands as a morale booster for women to seize the moment and realize that they must step up and participate and not wait to be handed power just because they are women. The political terrain requires a great sense of duty and discipline. Women must stand up to the men with their dignity intact and not be intimidated by name-calling and all those mischievous tags some men use to intimidate women out of politics.

    Leadership is about integrity and any man or woman that shows integrity would always have a seat at the table. Bolaji insist that women must desist from the pull-her-down syndrome that empower men. The idea of seeing women in politics as women of easy virtue empowers the men. In most cases, men are empowered to call female politicians names because most often the women who are not in politics yield to the male blackmail of women. When looked at critically, if a woman is accused of being of easy virtue just because she insists on meeting men at the barricades and defying their mischievous nocturnal meetings by attending same, who are her partners if not the same men?

    She believes women must come together and support the women who are providing leadership either as elected or appointed public servants.  To her, planning for women must be key. Neither the home nor the work should be neglected because women are nurturers. Politics should not affect the home or parenting skills because nature has endowed women with the capacity to multi-task brilliantly.

    She believes that support from discerning men who know the capacity of their partners also helps and that is why she believes that women must marry or be in a relationship with men who would always support their interests progressively no matter the field. She observes that in her case for instance, it was even her husband that motivated her to be an active politician and that support has made all the difference in her administrative and political journey. In mentoring younger ladies, she points out that each woman must be in a relationship with a partner they can communicate effectively with because that is the foundation for trust and counts for a seamless relationship in future.

    It takes a very confident man to allow his wife or partner to attend the ‘intentional’ nocturnal meetings without feeling insecure. It all boils down to a mutual sense of trust and loyalty for partners to trust each other. To her, the main issue to her is, the idea of blackmailing female politicians by the society is a cultural tool of oppression. She believes that no profession corrupts anyone. People decide their moral compass irrespective of their profession or political activities. People still accuse doctors, nurses, actors, bankers, traders, even full time housewives whose husbands are insecure would still complain.

    Having been in government since the year 2000, she knows and has observed enough to realize that women are the ones holding themselves back. Being the only woman on the board of the Lagos State Sports Council, then Secretary to Apapa local government then to the vice Chairmanship position for two terms and other political experiences along up till now as a Commissioner in Lagos along other very strong and active women makes her conclude that if only women can dream it, they can achieve it because women are pillars for nation building.

    Appointive posts do not make you a politician, starting from your communities and wards should be the initial steps to build your political growth on. Politics must be taken from the bottom up not the other way round. Most times some women assume they can just jump out and become a governor or president, no, the men will always beat you to it because they often are the ones going from their wards to the pinnacle which is the Presidency. Women must realize that participatory democracy is about numbers and not a sentimental gender issue.

    The take away from this conversation is that men are not the political dinosaurs that most women often assume. The decision to be politically involved should be made for development by women who do not have to wait to be handed power on a platter. Mentorship is key for women.  Most men in or out of politics would support any serious minded woman able and ready to serve. A partner’s support for a woman is an addition and that should often inform choices of a partner. Lagos state leads in women inclusiveness in governance.

    What are other states up to? The dialogue continues…

  • When varsities turn to constituency projects

    When varsities turn to constituency projects

    By Dr. Pini Jason II

    SIR: All over the world, universities are regarded as sacred places where knowledge is mined for the betterment of the society. In Nigeria however, universities, particularly public universities are established lately to serve as a fulcrum for the political advancement of those who providence have made to occupy political leadership positions at the various strata of government.  In fact, the national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi often referred to these crops of universities as constituency projects!

    When political leaders begin to see universities as “constituency projects”, the university education sub-sector is set for a crash. This is premised on the fact that, university, just like a child needs care and protection; and that can only be achieved when adequate resources are available to cater for its needs.

    In the last ten years, the Federal Government has established not less than 15 new universities without regards for their sustainability in terms of adequate financial resources needed to keep them afloat. Some states that mostly relied on borrowed fund to pay their monthly salaries have more than one!

    Ironically, some of the newly established universities should not be more than a department in a well-funded university. How can one justify the establishment of a University of Transport Studies when we have departments of transport technology in most of our universities? How can one justify the establishment of a University of Petroleum Resources when we have departments of petroleum resources related studies in most of our universities?

    Funding of universities have been the major sources of friction between the federal government and ASUU, in fact it is one of the major reasons why ASUU has been on strike in the last seven months.

    At the moment, we still have some universities where students still take their lectures under mango trees! We still have lecturers on professorial cadre without office accommodation!

    If you go round our universities, you will discover that 80% of the projects, either completed or on-going are being funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). TETFund is a product of ASUU struggle.

    The unfortunate thing is that, instead of government to consider and relate with ASUU as a stakeholder in the university project, ASUU is seen as an enemy that must be crushed at all cost. That should not be so. As I type this, university teachers who constitute the membership of ASUU are being owed between three to eight months of their salaries.

    The truth is that, as long as government refuses to fund the universities they established, Nigerian graduates will continue to remain unemployable.

    • Dr. Pini Jason II, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
  • COVID-19: Crisis is a terrible thing to waste

    COVID-19: Crisis is a terrible thing to waste

    By Sulaymon Rukkoyah Abidemi

    SIR: The Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer observed that “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” While COVID-19 would be remembered as months of painful inconveniences, not being able to leave your home except for a necessary run to a store, pharmacy, or public market and being secluded with immediate family members for seemingly endless days, could there be a tiny sliver of the silver lining so that this event would not be wasted? I think so.

    In the aftermath of World War II, for example, numerous discoveries made the world and our lives better. Computers, jet engines, nuclear energy, radar, penicillin, pressurized airplane cabins, photocopying, and superglue, to name just a few. The point is good things can come out of extremely trying circumstances.

    Then comes COVID-19. A cataclysmic event, seemingly out of nowhere, that suddenly upends travel schedules. Face-to-face meetings drifted nearly into extinction. Large numbers are working from home. Now the time question is seemingly upended. “What do I do with the surplus of time on my hands?”

    Yes, I’ve seen all the recently released movies. I’ve had the best of leisure in my compound. Now what?

    We can agree that this is a remarkable period in our lives. Never before, and possibly never again, will we have as much discretionary time as we’re having it now. Is this not the perfect opportunity to take good care of ourselves—including eating well and getting exercise? To that, is this not the perfect moment to revisit our planned plan? If we have forgotten what we committed to do, what a perfect time to create a new one.

    Due to the emergence of COVID-19, the average person now clearly realizes that personal hygiene and sanitation can play vital roles in preventing disease transmission. This is true, even for those diseases like COVID-19 that are primarily respiratory in nature, as respiratory droplets contaminate hands and environmental surfaces. And then spread through cross-contact. This transmission pathway is well known; however, this current pandemic has brought the risks into sharp focus for everyone.

    When good hygiene practices become institutionalized, they become part of the culture. These beneficial behaviours are then passed along to our children and pay dividends in better health and longer life for generations to come. These practices, if they are sustained, will also help to control the next round of emerging pathogens that will surely come.

    Skills are best learned by doing, not reading about them or solely watching others. There is great value in watching someone do something right, as long as you know what to observe. But it must not stop there. Without practice, and some feedback mechanisms, skills are not cemented into a person’s behaviour. Worse yet, they don’t develop the confidence to try applying the skills.

    Yes, a “crisis is a terrible thing to waste”. It need not be something we merely endure until it’s over. We can make good use of it and end up with some enduring benefits. They may not be as dramatic as computers, radar, or jet engines. But that improved skill and behavior can be extraordinarily valuable to you and your future accomplishments.

    • Sulaymon Rukkoyah Abidemi, rukayatsulaymon@gmail.com
  • For how long will ASUU strike last?

    For how long will ASUU strike last?

    By Abbas Datti

    SIR: Students of public universities are still sitting idle at home with not even the slightest hope in sight about resumption of teaching and learning activities in their institutions. On the other hand, their counterparts in private institutions are receiving lectures unabated in their various institutions. If the government is doing all it can to persuade the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to resume work, at least, the students can hope that series of negotiations might eventually lead to settlement of this industrial disagreement. But the reverse is the case, as the country’s managers of tertiary education sub-sector don’t give a damn about ending this industrial dispute.

    Is President Muhammadu Buhari not aware that ASUU is still on strike? The current attitudes of both the labour and the education minister are sure guarantees that the strike action will last longer than expected. Our fears are the government is not even responsible enough to acknowledge the existence of the issues raised by ASUU.

    One continues to ask these questions. What will it take this government to meet ASUU’s demands and for how long? Do those in charge have guilty consciences about what might be the feelings as indeed the future of those students in the public universities?

    When will the ASUU strike get Buhari’s intervention? Since the labour and the education ministries failed to settle this crisis, Buhari’s intervention might bring a definite solution to ASUU’s grievances. We can’t heap all the blame on ASUU alone since the authorities failed to even engage them in round table discussions. Without any doubt, the continuing failure to do so absolves ASUU from any blame. We are only at liberty to take sides when ASUU refuses to honour the government’s invitation, or through discussions, it refused to concede to its justifiable agreements.

    It is not that Nigerians have no right to berate, censure ASUU for the continuing delay in resumption of academic activities in our universities. But truth be told, the government too is responsible by its lackadaisical and careless attitude. Or is that provision of good tertiary education isn’t one of the major priorities of the present government? How do you expect ASUU to resume when government prides itself on having the best approach to deal decisively with ASUU?

    Why should anyone expect ASUU to give up on their demands when the authorities seem to see it as weakness to engage in deliberations that might lead to solution to ASUU’s problems? Instead, the present administration resorted to an insensitive measure of stopping the wages of the academics thereby starving them with their respective families.

    The bitter truth is we are all victims of government’s negligence and nonchalance towards our needs. We have clearly seen how government officials devoted much of their time to settle resident doctors’ grievances. Why is it not also possible for stakeholders to find a way to make ASUU suspend its ongoing strike?

    I noticed with dismay that the labour minister adamantly refused to even acknowledge ASUU’s strike action. Worse still is, government officials don’t have even a scruple to unashamedly post images of their children graduating from foreign universities on social media. I feel quite embarrassed whenever I come across such images.

    Having spent almost half the academic year at home, government should be at least be considerate about the plights of the university students. It is time to engage ASUU in meaningful negotiations.

    • Abbas Datti, malamabbasdatti@gmail.com
  • 60 years on: Time for fresh start in industrial relations

    60 years on: Time for fresh start in industrial relations

    By Kanmi Ademiluyi

    SIR: Tomorrow, Thursday October 1, Nigeria will celebrate its diamond anniversary. There is obviously a lot to be grateful for. However it is also a time to look at the structural and the attitudinal imbalances of the post-colonial state.

    The current industrial relations imbroglio is one area deserving of attention. Not a great deal has changed from the post-independence days of the labour leader number one the irascible Michael Imoudu. Like much else, industrial relations in the post-colonial state is still frozen in time and space going all the way back to its emergence in the colonial era.

    Both organised (when it was given the legal space) and unorganised labour played a sterling role in the struggle against foreign occupation, racial domination and the erosion of self-esteem. Sixty years on they still earn a central place in the pantheon of national liberation heroes, creating a veneer free of ethnic suspicion, a really national group.

    Unfortunately now with millions of Nigerians below the poverty line, the centrality and effectiveness of labour must be called into question. From a cynical perspective, labour after independence with the advent of the post-colonial state has simply become “an aristocracy of labour”. To be honest this is an offensive depiction. Nevertheless the issue inconvenient as it is has to be faced.

    The inconvenient issue of an aristocracy of labour has to be looked at from a perspective of a perceived increase in living standards for the labour leadership and declining perhaps pauperization of those they claim to represent. The turbulence of the past few days brings the dilemma once again to the fore. If labour must accept a part of the blame for the erosion of living standards, it must also be central in answering the eternal question “what is to be done? “.

    Too many institutions are frozen in the space of the colonial era, banking (focused on the short termism of the inherited Anglo – Saxon banking model), a police force which has not transited into a service but still bears the mindset of the enforcers of the orders of a colonial state and the labour leadership itself fixated on adversarial cut and thrust. From the perspective of the country’ industrial competitiveness, labour’s role is tragic. Nigeria’s post-colonial state to give an example has a hideous record on industrial safety. The safety ordinances are observed in the breach oftentimes in a way that will shame a colonial administration.

    When you juxtapose this with plunging living standards, 60 years on, it is time for a change. The age old adversarial model must be reworked. The empirical evidence is unambiguous, it has not delivered. A comparative analysis with the efficacy of other models in particular the Nordic and post war German model is instructive. In the era of the unexpected intrusion of the novel Covid-19, their solidity has once again been demonstrated.

    After so many decades of watershed debacles not least the tragic – comedy of the Udoji Awards, we really have to start afresh. Headline grabbing monetary awards inevitably ends in disillusionment. We must look at the alternatives.

    The present industrial relations tussle over tariff increases will be sorted out but we do 60 years on have to face the stark realities of a socially combustible erosion of living standards and work out new partnerships through which governments, labour, the private sector as well as civil society can work hand in glove create to a new competitive economy while creating sustainable development and delivering ever increasing living standards.

    • Kanmi Ademiluyi, Osogbo, Osun State.
  • At 60: Change begins with you

    At 60: Change begins with you

    Moses Wecan

    SIR: In Nigeria of today, there is no longer a fence to sit on. The fence is not a place for any bona fide Nigerian citizen desirous of a better Nigeria to sit on.  The fence is not a good place to be energetically.

    The way some of our leaders have been piloting the affairs of Nigeria is akin to a turbulent flight and if care is not taken, we might be heading for a crash unless we all refuse to sit on the fence and make that change now.  We must all rise up today to redirect the path the country is heading. The imaginary crash must not happen under our watch. All citizens must put their hands on the deck to ensure such never happens.

    It is said that “what doesn’t kill a man will only make him stronger.”  If you are alive in Nigeria with all the tribulations which are not peculiar to Nigeria alone, I congratulate you. You are a born fighter and it is time to make that change for posterity sake. Trials and tribulations are not meant for animals but humans and having survived all of these in Nigeria, you are stronger and ready for the change.

    Here is the strategy for a positive change in Nigeria that will transform our dear country for good. Every citizen should go get a very big giant size mirror and position it in their various rooms. This is the most potent weapon for a change of this nature, because, change begins with you.

    Here is the plan. Look straight into the mirror and ask the man in the mirror about his contribution thus far towards making Nigeria a better country.  You see dear compatriots; some of the men in the mirror are the biggest problem of Nigeria. Some are corrupt, clueless and incompetent.  Others are terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, rapist, looters, hate speech and fake news proponents.

    Some other men in the mirror are docile, gullible, fickle minded and will rather sit on the fence doing nothing even when the country is shouting – May Day!, May Day!! – and is at the verge of crashing.

    Other group of men in the mirror will do whatever it takes to rig elections and impose grossly incompetent politicians on us after we collected peanuts in exchange for community development and better life for our children and generation yet unborn.

    It is not the job of Mr. President or any one single individual to make Nigeria great, it is the job of the man you see in the mirror.  God has a purpose of sending you to Nigeria, dig deep within you to discover the purpose and contribute your quota to nation building.

    Will Nigeria ever be better and greater? The answer lies in the hand of the man in the mirror – YOU. Change begins with you.

    Happy Independence Nigeria @ 60.

    • Moses Wecan, moseswecan@gmail.com
  • What is Nigeria celebrating at 60?

    What is Nigeria celebrating at 60?

    By Emmanuel Oladesu

    In October 1, 1960, the future of Nigeria was bright. But, 60 years after, there is gap between expectation and reality. The country’s snail-like movement to progress, despite its rich human capital and abundant natural resources, is baffling.

    The Federal Government is rolling out drums. Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Layiwola Mohammed, said it will be a year-long celebrations. It may not be cost-effective. But, really, there is a lot to celebrate.

    It could be said that Nigeria has made progress in some areas. The country has passed through many difficulties and survived. From few schools at independence, it now boasts of many universities. But, the relic of giant firms and industries that produced great technocrats of old are gone. Nigeria loathes productivity. It is a country of imports and capital flight.

    Many Nigerians living in the towns and cities may not have the opportunity to listen to President Muhammadu  Buhari’s live independence broadcast tomorrow. It is not because they cannot afford television sets. As usual, electricity is beyond their reach due to power failure.

    Those taking the advantage of the independence holiday to travel will endure the hardship of a boring journey on the roads, which are death traps. The infrastructure battle is slow.

    Four days ago, another strike by labour was averted.

    Already, confused and restless university students are at home, not only due to Covid-19, but owing to the prolonged lecturers’ strike. There is no end in sight yet.

    The fear of the future that has engulfed the tertiary students is heightened by the awareness of the soaring number of unemployed graduates roaming the streets in search of elusive jobs.

    Across the six geo-political zone, there is no peace. There are security challenges.

    Corruption has not abated among public office holders, despite prosecution by anti-graft bodies.

    Nigeria, as it is said, is more disunited than it was 60 years ago. Official nepotism is still the watchword. It reflects in appointments to critical positions. Thus, the feelings of marginalisation and exclusion persist.

    Gradually, the preoccupation of those in power is the 2023 calculation. This is the story of Nigeria at 60.

    It has been a tortuous journey from 1914. Crises of development have continued to assail the ever  fragile federation. At independence, Nigeria emerged as a country of many nations struggling for relevance. The sustaining power was the subscription to federalism by the leaders who sought to build on the foundation laid by the colonial masters.

    On October 1, 1960, the future was bright. World leaders acknowledged the enormous natural endowment, the quality and quantity of its population, and vast opportunities available to the former British Colony. The three premiers have laid examples of transformational leadership in the Western, Eastern and Northern regions. Also, the colonial masters predicted that, by the mid seventies, Nigeria would become a medium  ranking world power playing enviable roles in the comity of nations and shouldering continental responsibilities in times of peace and war.

    The 1966 military coup deepened the distrust and suspicion among the unequal regions. Legitimate authorities gave way for dictatorial leadership. The mistake of the first military ruler, Major-General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, who foisted the strange unitary system on the country through his controversial unification decree marked the beginning of the journey to gloom.

    Sixty-three years after flag independence, the rich country is in pains. Its oil is both a blessing and curse. The natural resource is domiciled in a region. Ironically, the zone is struggling with poverty. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has become a bastion of graft, theft and steal and go.

    Life expectancy has dropped abysmally in Nigeria. Basic amenities, including portable water, electricity, medical facilities, and roads, are in pitiable state of disrepair. The only prosperous people are those in government, who have cornered state power and appropriated public resources. Thus, many analysts described Nigeria as a big contract up for grab.

    What has Nigeria learned from Asian countries, including India, Singapore and Malaysia? They have left Nigeria behind in the march of development, although they are not more endowed than Nigeria. But, they became the Asian Tigers because they have good leaders.

    At 60, the national question has remained unresolved. It was not Nigeria that was colonised by the British. Only kingdoms were colonised. But, independence was restored to Nigeria. Diverse people; incompatible social formations were lumped together. On what terms? The 1999 Constitution has continued to lie against itself. What is the basis for peaceful coexistence? Restructuring, the projected solution, is put in abbeyance. This is a challenge to the National Assembly.

    Nigeria is still being confronted by identity crisis. Why is a section still pushing for disintegration or balkanisation? It is not due to feelings of alienation, marginalisation and injustuce?

    The country has also continued to grapple with distribution crisis. How the wealth is generated is usually less important than how it is distributed.  Thus, there is no fairplay.

    The greatest headache of Nigeria at 60 is democratic consolidation. Civil rule was restored in 1999 after a protracted battle against the soldiers of fortune. The country has witnessed an unprecedented political stability. But, to many, democracy ha not been fully attained.

    At 60, government should imbibe a culture of reforms. It should cut across sectors.

    Leadership should have national outlook.

    The cost of governance is high. This makes the picture of recurrent expenditure very worrisome. The corridor of power is attractive because it is perceived as an avenue for private accumulation

    Elections are still problematic. It is always war. Poor elections breed illegitimate government. Also, violence and vote buying should attract stiff penalty. Nigeria urgently needs a special tribunal for the trial of electoral terrorists.

    Government should resolve the power challenge. If there is electricity, the informal sector will survive. The manufacturing sector will be revived.

    Where should Nigeria be in the next 60 years? A technological giant. A great federal democracy. A self-sufficient country. A secured polity. A united nation state.

    The government and people should dream great dreams about the future, do away with habits that impede development and lay a concere foundation for future prosperity.

  • The other side of Osun State Governor Oyetola

    The other side of Osun State Governor Oyetola

    By Ismail Omipidan

    TODAY, Tuesday, September 29, 2020, is the 66th birthday of my Principal, Adegboyega Oyetola. To celebrate him, I have elected to speak about a few of his attributes as a leader.

    Interestingly, those attributes, one of which is the fact that running a State in a depressed economy is possible, have not only changed my perception about taking up the job of a media aide to a complete stranger, but have further rekindled my hope about the future of our State and the country at large.

    I have said it before, but let me say for the umpteenth time that prior to my appointment in August last year, there was no prior relationship between my boss and me. I saw him for the first time in my life two weeks before I was appointed his Chief Press Secretary, CPS. On the first day of our meeting, which was with the outgoing CPS, a pleasant senior in the journalism profession and current editor of The Nation newspapers, Mr. Adeniyi Adesina, the governor simply said: “I have seen you from the CCTV while you were waiting to see me. My spirit works with you. But I don’t know if you will be willing to work with me. ”

    At that time, I was still skeptical. But two weeks later when I made up my mind, and I was to resume, my predecessor led me to Mr. Governor’s office to inform him I was resuming that day. Mr. Governor shook my hands, congratulated me and said: “Don’t worry, we will make you comfortable and help you to settle down.”

    I moved into my official quarters same night and the rest as they say is now history. However, before settling down for the job, I gave myself three months within which to decide whether I wanted to stay or not, reason being that until I encountered Mr. Governor, I was one of those who believed one cannot do the job of a publicist for a person one barely knows. Besides, as a young man, I was also conscious of the brand I had built of myself over the years. I wouldn’t want anything to diminish that brand.

    However, in less than one month, four incidents happened consecutively, all of which made me change my mind and I decided I had indeed come to Osun to stay.

    The first happened when we were to respond to the LAUTECH Ogbomoso issue. I was barely two weeks old on the job and needed to issue a statement on the contentious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) matter. I had gone to see Mr. Governor on the need to respond to certain misinformation in the public space concerning the issue at the time.

    Mr. Governor reluctantly accepted that I do the statement. His initial hesitation was borne out of the fact that he detests controversy, no matter how little.

    As I reached for the door, Governor Oyetola called me back, saying “CPS be sure of your facts, don’t give account of what we haven’t done. Don’t say things that will embarrass us. Say only those things we have done.”

    That day, Mr. Governor made a strong impression on me. As I made to leave his office, I knew my job was simple as I wouldn’t struggle to communicate the policies and programmes of the administration to members of the public. Here is a fine gentleman, who doesn’t expect you to cook up fallacies to serve the public.

    The second incident had to with his speech. A draft was made. But as we were reviewing it together, we got to a stage, he said: “CPS, these are all lies. Remove those paragraphs. We haven’t done anything of the sort.” By the time we were done reviewing the speech, more than half of the body was gone. Many a principal would certainly have gladly read those lies and half truths to the public and still feel good.

    The third incident happened at the Government House. It was in the evening. I was asked to contribute to a discussion. I had a contrary view to that of my Principal, the Governor. I stated this. He conceded to me, but said: “Look, come out of your shelf. Be free with me. Feel free with me. If I had not asked you, I would have taken a decision without hearing from you.”

    The fourth and final one for the purpose of this piece occurred in Abuja. It was my first official trip with him. After the day’s job, he called me around 8pm, saying “CPS, have you been offered an accommodation”. I said no, but I quickly added: “I don’t need one. I have a home here. My family lives here, sir.”

    He said: “In that case, do not be in a hurry to set out tomorrow. Take your time. Spend time with your family.”

    I was happy that here is a man that values family. I got home that night, told my wife and we both concluded that a Principal who bothers about one’s family, not about his job alone, is worth one’s sacrifice. That was the day I made up my mind to stay. So far, I can say with all sense of modesty that I can stick out my neck for my Principal. He has so far not disappointed. But a full dose of that will come in two months time when we will be giving our mid-term report.

    Suffice to say that in Osun, we may not have all the billions, but we are surely getting our priorities right under Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Despite the paucity of funds, my Principal has so far kept faith with the vision of the founding fathers of the state to sustainably build Ipinle Omoluabi – State of the Virtuous.

    Since coming on board about two years ago, the Governor has demonstrated that he not only understands and appreciates the peculiar needs of an average Osun person, but is also passionately interested in growing the state from where his predecessor left off.

    Rather than reel out excuses, he has been fulfilling most of the promises he made to the citizens of the state during the electioneering. From the Igbajo road which was last touched 33 years ago, to Atakumosa Market which got burnt in 2015, my Principal has validated the popular axiom:”the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

    Hear what the Asiwaju of Igbajo, a legal luminary, Chief Solomon Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who led a delegation of Igbajo Development Association (IDA) on a “Thank You” visit to Mr. Governor said last Sunday: “For many years, this (Ada-Igbajo) road has been crying for rehabilitation. Even before I became the Commissioner for justice in the State (1991-92), this road had been in a terrible state.

    “But today, we thank God for using your government to come to our aid. This will go a long way to redefine many things in the benefiting communities.

    “You have given us a great relief. Osun is very lucky to have you as Governor at this time. You have come to power with deep experience in both the private and the public sectors as reflected in the way and manner you have been prudently and sensibly running the resources and affairs of the State.”

    Interestingly, from his achievements so far, I make bold to say that what Osun citizens will get from Oyetola’s administration will be an enduring legacy that would not only stand the test of time, but also one that would be remarkably different and which would remain a reference point, long after he would have completed his tenure.

    My dear Principal, as you mark yet another birthday today, I pray to Allah to grant you the tolerance to deal with all the trials and travails that would be coming your way.

    May Allah open His various ways of blessings and favour for you, today, as you add another year. He will protect you from all the evil tricks that emanate from Shaitan and his forces among men and jinn, overlook your shortcomings and show you grace and mercy. Amin.

    I know that soon Allah shall give you that with which you will be well pleased.

    Happy 66th birthday to you, sir!

    • Omipidan is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the State of Osun olubus