The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Public assault

    The public assault meted against the former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, in Nuremberg, Germany, has exposed the peculiar challenges faced by politically exposed persons of Igbo extraction. Poor Ekweremadu, the political bounce he spent 20 years of guile and trickery in the peculiar slippery political environment of Nigeria to build has been perforated by a few IPOB zealots in far away Germany.

    Unlike in Germany and other western European countries, political protest in Nigeria has not matured enough for protesters to freely pelt their leaders with objects, to register dissent. So, while the German government is resisting pressure to haul in the protesters who manhandled Ekweremadu, the Nigerian government is putting pressure on the government to arrest and prosecute the boys who acted on behalf of IPOB. My worry is that in our country of copycats, there is the possibility that the Nuremberg maltreatment may become the new way to register political protest by youths in Nigeria.

    So, as Ekweremadu is left to lick his wounds, political elites, even from other geo-political zones, must weigh their options on how to deal with what may turn a malignant tumour for Nigerian elites. Of course, they should join the government to condemn the action of IPOB against Ekweremadu, and urge that necessary steps be taken to ensure that such style in exercise of the right of protest is discouraged by law enforcement agencies.

    Truly speaking, the easiest way to stem the burning anger of youths of our country is to ensure good governance across board. Those in authority must mend their ways, unless they want to bring the roof down on our heads. The level of corruption in our country is so unnerving that one needs to be sturdy in resistance to resort to self-help, not to be tempted to applaud the kind of humiliation meted out to Ekweremadu. Of course, not as a person, but as a metaphor for the frustration that governance in Nigeria has turned to.

    It is the same feeling of disenchantment about the way Nigeria is that the Buhari government taps into in its war against corruption. Interestingly, because Ekweremadu has been in power for so long, he has developed a cult of followers as well as a coterie of haters. While his followers are raising their voices to condemn the humiliation of their beloved, his haters are saying, the treatment serves him well, and is a notice to others that the day of reckoning is near.

    As Ekweremadu’s young political acolytes tried to salvage what is left of his famed invincibility in the state politics, when he landed at Enugu airport last week, the sense of forlornness in his eyes was too glaring to miss. While the young Turks stood guard for a photo shoot, their master’s eyes were so distant, apparently realizing that its joyous political life was dying. The eyes betrayed weariness and sense of failure as he failed to gingerly maneuver the land mines this time around, as he has done for 20 years in Enugu State politics.

    In a statement by his media aide, Ekweremadu excoriated Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB gang for betraying him despite his modest efforts to help secure his release on bail. Kanu accused him and other Igbo leaders of being responsible for Operation Python Dance, which the federal government ordered to deal with IPOB.  Sounding upbeat, Kanu has threatened to deal with other Igbo political leaders for their alleged role in bringing IPOB to its heels.

    While calling those who attacked him in Germany miscreants, Ekweremadu was forced by political exigencies to reply the allegations by Kanu, while advertising his achievements as the highest political officer holder of Igbo extraction. He cannot afford to ignore the miscreants, considering the harm they have done to his political image.  Exuding confidence at the Nuremberg treatment to Ekweremadu, Kanu has ordered his followers to arrest President Muhammadu Buhari and hand him over to Japanese authorities as he visits Japan. Of course, Kanu knows his supporters would be putting themselves in a harm’s way if they try such stupidity.

    But such is the crass insensitivity of Kanu’s IPOB, and the dilemma they foist on Igbo leadership in a Nigeria that is badly governed. While the majority of Nigerians are clearly disconsolate with the state of affairs, IPOB’S decision to challenge the corporate existence of Nigeria as the solution, strewn with land mines the political road of Igbo political elites, should they show them overt sympathy.

    To make matters worse for the Igbo political elites, in a Nigeria where their people feel so marginalized, the message of a new Biafra by IPOB resonates well, especially amongst the hoi polloi. It is that discontentment that Nnamdi Kanu exploits and Igbo leaders know that. To compound their challenge, their competitors from other regions know that local challenge exists, and would not mind to take advantage if the opportunity arises.

    Of note, Ekweremadu’s political opponents at the national level will be chuckling at his recent misfortune from the home front. After all, he connived with the former senate president, Bukola Saraki, to share the spoils of senate leadership between the majority party APC and the minority party PDP. They would be happy at his recent misfortune, and even amongst PDP, there are those who will privately be wishing him more misfortune, considering that he has enjoyed a roller coaster of joy for 20 years.

    In Enugu State politics, Ekweremadu has also managed to outwit those he formerly called his masters. His former boss as governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, though in the same party with him presently, would not forget how he joined his successor, Sullivan Chime, to deal him a deft blow. Across the political divide, Chime, now an APC stalwart would be chuckling at the turn of events. There are also others in the state, who started with him, but whom he had outfoxed along the line, to stay at the top in the state political cadre, who will be happy at his misfortune.

    But regardless of how Ekweremadu’s enemies and friend-enemies may feel about his style of politics, it is important they work together to ensure three things. They have to agree on how to take appropriate steps to discourage the resort to self-help by the multitude of disenchanted self-exiles. Secondly, they have to stop the glaring mismanagement of public resources by those of them in public service. Finally, President Buhari must be discouraged from giving fillip to the marginalization of Igbos or any other group in Nigeria.

    Considering several encounters with Ekweremadu in the past, this column is not his fan, but it does not support his being violently abused.

  • If not now, when?

    Driving through Lagos, I am struck by the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty. However, what is truly interesting is the contradiction between what one views and what one hears concerning the potential of this bustling metropolis.

    With all of its complexity, Lagos offers an excellent window onto the problems that beset this country.  First, I must note the incredible traffic congestion that requires workers to leave for their jobs at 4 or 5 am in order to arrive on time, if their employer expects them to commence by 7:30 or 8 am. And of course, they must fight similar congestion on the return home, which will require three or more hours in traffic just to arrive in time to get a few hours of sleep before one must repeat this torturous process again.

    The daily commuter must also deal with horrible road conditions and persistent flooding during the rainy season. Then there are the “hawkers,” the car to car salesmen who possess anything that you might need, often times carrying the merchandise on their heads.

    What else will you see as you travel around this city? You will note the frequency of beggars who will approach your vehicle asking for money or food, oftentimes they are physically disabled or minors, sometimes they are mothers accompanied by their children.

    You will also see the trash. Litter on the streets, litter in what passes for parks, and the plastic bottles and other refuse that are thrown into the waterways around Lagos.

    One cannot omit the kekes (motorized tricycles), okadas (motorcycles), and danfos (passenger vans), which are the principal source of transportation for anyone who does not own or have access to a car. They magnify the chaos in the city by their ignorance of any semblance of the customary rules of the road and their refusal to abide by traffic regulations.

    Which brings me to my fellow drivers, who are hardly blameless for the city’s chaos. In the main, they adopt an every man, or woman, for himself/herself attitude that leads them to make three lanes on a street intended for two, even if it means driving toward on-coming traffic; making left-hand turns from the right-hand lane; they do not hesitate to block intersections, and at times will drive on the pedestrian walkway, if necessary.

    This is the Lagos that exists today. Why should I expect more or something different? Perhaps it is because alongside these attributes, I also see the success of Nollywood, the brilliance of local fashion designers, an energetic financial hub, and a blossoming tech community, in sum, one of Africa’s most ingenuous creative communities exists in that same Lagos.

    How can these undeniably impressive characteristics be scaled up in a way that will produce greater prosperity for the majority of the people who live in this city?

    Let’s not bother with the obvious. As soon as you land at Murtala Muhammed Airport, the crying need to bring that facility and the rest of the nation’s infrastructure up to just latter 20th century standards is painfully clear.

    The state government will have to invest in modern mass transportation, regardless of the predictable impact on the kekes and danfos. Do I really have to point out that a massive road repair programme is in order? Not only will it ease traffic congestion but it would also serve as a much-needed jobs programme.

    I could go on … Lagos must continue to strive to provide reliable power to all of its citizens and a public education should be free. No child should be kept out of school due to the inability to pay school fees.

    What is less obvious is the fact that, as one of the country’s less appreciated slogans says, Change Begins With Me. If Lagos is going to become a first world city, Lagosians will have to change. They will have to give up driving as they currently do. Lagosians will have to stop throwing their trash on the street or polluting the waterways. There can be no tolerance for seeing minors hawking when they should be in school. The “me first” attitude that makes it difficult for many Lagosians to queue up for anything, in the supermarket or at the airport, will have to be cast aside.

    Undoubtedly, some will say this is rubbish. They will contend that such changes are impossible, or worse, they will argue that they are unnecessary. Nigeria is not Europe or America, they will say, Africans are comfortable with things just as they are. Really?

    I would counter that part of the attraction of life in the U.S. or in the UK for many Nigerians is that they admire the fact that those societies seem to work, that there is a greater sense of organization, less chaos. Many Nigerians desperately long for the same attributes to take hold in their country.

    What is undoubtedly true is that change will not come quickly or easily to Lagos. It will be difficult for many to absorb, there will be resistance and skepticism, for change often requires sacrifice.

    Yet, progress always requires some degree of change. And if not now, when?

    It is time to make the steps, as hard as they may be, to bring Lagos, if not all of Nigeria, into the 21st century. Step by step, day by day, it is the only way for Lagos and Nigeria to join the ranks of the developed world!

    It can be done. If China can become a superpower in a couple of generations, if the Emirates can build world-class tourist destinations out of the desert over the same period, why should it be impossible to achieve similar progress here?

    If it can be done, if it should be done, when do you start? If not now, when?

  • APC in a quandary over Kogi’s Bello

    GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is widely regarded as the most inept governor in the country, barring perhaps the stiff competition former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, gave him in the past two or three years. But since the exit of his competitor after a most uninspiring rule, Mr Bello has become incomparable. He is widely regarded as youthful, a claim now being put to the test by his detractors who insist he is in fact older than he looks and claims. Having punished Kogi for about four years with nothing really to show for his governorship other than that he wasted the state’s time and resources, he has shockingly indicated a desire to fight for re-election on the assumption that his first term could be attributed to his electoral effort.

    For a man eager to get a second term, and having sadly neither worked for it nor earned it, it is passing strange that he is going about it the wrongest way. He has still not cleared the salary backlog of civil servants, other than make highly publicised token gestures, and he has neither courted nor befriended state workers and other Kogites whom he has oppressed and scandalised. Yet he has presented himself to be canonised by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to seek a second term in November. He seems to think that since his party initiated the ugly and reprehensible conspiracy to foist him on the state some four years ago, it should be wiling again to get him into office by hook or crook. It is not clear how they would do it, or whether they are even willing to affront all civilised values to sanction his participation.

    But whether the APC allows itself the humiliation of embracing Mr Bello’s ambition or not, it beggars belief that the governor sees the brutalisation of the state as the surest way to make an unforgettable impression on the electorate. He has thrown his hat into the ring. It should have been immediately and forcefully picked up and hurled at him. There are many reasons to do this beyond his scandalous management of the state’s financial and human resources, beyond his deliberate refusal to pay civil servants their salaries. He hopes to contest the governorship three months from now, but he has done nothing of significance to justify even one vote, indeed, no reason at all to endear him to the electorate. He has fought everyone, some of them the state’s leading social, political and judicial elite, and befriended no one, no matter how insignificant, including unknown and uncelebrated lawmakers.

    Two of his enemies stand out, two gentlemen who had nothing against him starting out, and who even actually befriended him and helped pave the way for him to be accepted and crowned. The Chief Judge of the state, Nasir Ajanah, an Ebira like him, stands out. For elementary reasons, including refusing to subordinate the judiciary to the executive branch, Mr Bello singled out Justice Ajanah for excoriation and intimidation. Adopting the reprehensible style by which former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, was unceremoniously shoved out of office, using a combination of propaganda and judicial heresy, Mr Bello had hoped to quickly get rid of the chief judge in favour of his Man Friday. He cajoled the mannequins at the Kogi House of Assembly to initiate impeachment process, and hoped that his intimidatory tactics would persuade the public and help galvanise the state judiciary to endorse his wish.

    Not only did the judiciary stand pat and courageously resisted his bullying tactics, judicial workers also lined up behind their embattled chief judge. Consequently, the legislature’s floundering plot to unseat Justice Ajanah failed miserably, embers of the conflict nevertheless still flickering. Judicial workers union, Kogi branch, was shocked to see that the top wigs of the judiciary in Abuja were ambivalent towards a chief judge they had a duty to protect against the infamous executive putsch hatched by an irresponsible politician.

    Since he lacked policies and programmes, Mr Bello seemed to have nothing else to do than engage in verbal and judicial brawls with officials and politicians he has had no reason to fight. His other prominent enemy, who started out as a loyal party member, is the deputy governor, Simon Achuba. Mr Achuba was not as discriminating as Abiodun Faleke, the late Prince Abubakar Audu’s running mate who should have constitutionally inherited the governorship mantle when the APC candidate slumped and died in 2015 after the governorship election had been fought and won. Mr Faleke, angry because of the injustice perpetrated by his own party against him, spurned the indignity of being asked to be the automatic running mate of the inexperienced and untested Mr Bello. But Mr Achuba rushed in where angels feared to tread, and only months later became public enemy number one of the cantankerous governor. All manner of intimidatory tactics have been brought to bear on the deputy governor in order to force him to quit. And yet he was no radical, nor even a querulous politician. Sadly both the legislature and the judiciary have signed on to the Bello rigmarole designed to force Mr Achuba out. The conspirators may succeed because there are really not many people left with any spine in the state.

    Mr Bello is sustained in office by his supporters and mentors in Abuja. The support is so wide-ranging and so massive that he does not feel burdened by the dictates of conscience to act responsibly in office. He hopes their support will get him the ticket, assuming the APC at the national level caves in to injustice. More, he hopes that once he gets the ticket to run for re-election, he would use all manner of state coercive machineries — all of them without exception — to win the November poll and coax a pliant judiciary to endorse the repugnant outcome. These are the reasons Mr Bello is fighting everybody, exempting no one, a few months to a decisive election that could finally ruin the state. He has made no friends, and is not encumbered to make any. He has enacted no great policy and built no significant structure, because he has by his obnoxious habit formed the opinion that his powerful political and judicial friends in Abuja have his back.

    If Mr Bello surmounts the controversy swirling around his real age, and manages to extricate himself from the double registration trap INEC has woven around his neck, he may indeed get the ticket. APC under its staid former national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, could not absolve itself of blame for enthroning an undeserving and incompetent politician. It remains to be seen whether the current party chairman, the pugnacious Adams Oshiomhole, can withstand the wiles and savagery of Abuja to dethrone Mr Bello. The obstacle is not one of ethics, it is one of courage. Indeed, everyone knows the right thing to do in Kogi. The problem is to find those to do it. It will take a truly herculean effort by Mr Oshiomhole not to disappoint himself and Kogites, for Mr Bello could not conceivably win a free and fair election in a state he has loathsomely brutalised and bastardised.

  • Edo’s path to good governance

    IT is the duty of government to provide social amenities, as well as security of lives and properties, and an enabling environment for business to grow and thrive. This is precisely what the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has been doing without much noise or political hogwash.

    When the citizens of a state are gainfully employed, and when the vast majority of the populace comprising youths are busy with their legitimate jobs during the day, then we can all sleep at night with our two eyes closed, because gainful employment helps in reducing crimes drastically.

    Section 176(1) & (2) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that ‘there shall be for each state of the Federation a Governor, and, The Governor of a State shall be the Chief Executive of that state.’

    The sanctity and dignity of the office of the governor of a state must be preserved and respected by all and sundry. This is to enable a state governor to be focused and not be distracted in the delivery of the onerous task of good governance, because the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, anything to the contrary such as political in-fightings, or acts of character assassination and personal aggrandizement is a clog on the wheel of progress.

    Sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through the 1999 constitution derives all its power and authority. Therefore, the basic primary purpose of government is to hold power in trust for the people and serve the people.

    In Edo State, the facts speak for itself. Enter Mr. Godwin Obaseki with the golden wand in his hands and everything he touches turn into gold. The governor of Edo State is a man of few words with lots of action. He is a man that has shown that action speaks louder than words, and indeed in Edo State the numerous works of the governor are speaking very loudly for him.

    The governor of Edo State has been able to restore peace, order and sanity in the state. Citizens can now drive around in peace, and carry out their legitimate business activities orderly, without fear of molestation and harassment. This was, however, not the case prior to this very time.

    To all intent and purpose, the governor has been able to touch all sectors of human endeavour. In his efforts to promote the political objectives of government as contained in the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy as provided by Chapter 2 of the 1999 constitution, the governor has been an advocate of unity and peaceful co-habitation irrespective of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties. Edo State is indeed home to all.

    Irrespective of partisan or party affiliation, the governor is a true friend to all; that is why he is greatly loved and appreciated by all Edolites due to his magnanimity, humility and respectful disposition. He has been able to carry on with the business of good governance of the state with great calm and optimism, despite repeated distractions from political quarters.

    On the basis of economic objectives of government, Edo State is fast transforming into the economic hub of the nation. A visit to Edo State shows an egalitarian economic system that does not permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of a few individuals or group, but rather an economy where means of production is evenly distributed. In spite of the positive effects of good governance, this has been the major challenge that the governor is facing because some selected few individuals still feel that the collective patrimony of Edo State should be under their control. However the Edo State governor is not a pushover, and he is equal to the task of securing the state and protecting its resources.

    The governor has been able to discover new economic grounds and fully harness the resources of the state for an efficient and dynamic self-reliant economy for the good governance of the state. This has led to a massive and total overhaul of virtually all sectors of the state both in human resources development, educational development, social development, as well as foreign policy objectives of government. The continuous inflow of foreign investors to Edo State lends credence to the fact that development and economic growth can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and good governance. It is the duty of government to provide such a conducive environment for business to thrive, and this, Governor Godwin Obaseki is doing to the best of his ability.

    The traditional institution has been given the relevant pride of place in the state. Respect for elders is now the order of the day. In Benin City, the Edo State capital, the Oba is truly king and highly revered. Contributions of the Edo State traditional institutions led to the curtailing of social vices, notable amongst which is the disbanding of Community Development Authorities (CDAs) whose brazen rascality had hitherto defied all forms of security measures. The importance or necessity of the traditional institutions in development of any society cannot be overemphasised. The Edo State governor is a governor to all and he takes advice from his elders.  In Edo State, the government works side-by-side with the people and traditional institutions; it is indeed government of the people for the people by the people.

    Social infrastructures all over the state are now wearing a new look. From the judicial sector, to the legislative sector, from the educational sector to roads and infrastructural development there is evidence of good governance. Rural developments have never had it so good. Local government administrations are now enjoying both financial and administrative autonomy and this has led to massive development in the local government areas across the state.

    It is the general belief that if all the states of the federation are well developed, then the nation at large will be fully developed and Nigeria will be a better place to live in. Edo State governor nicknamed ‘the wake and see governor’ is doing his best for Edo State and he must be supported.

    Security of lives and properties has been given top priority and this has helped in reducing crimes drastically in the state to the barest minimum. The synergy between the Edo State Government and security operatives is quite commendable. Only recently, the Edo State governor made resources available for the clearing of a large expanse of bushes at both sides of the Benin/Ore highway which hitherto were hideouts of criminal elements such as kidnappers and armed bandits. This has helped in checking the excesses of such criminals.

    To this end, the Peoples’ governor of Edo State should continue with his developmental strides, and should be supported by all well meaning Nigerians including the president of Nigeria. Edo State is home to all Nigerians and investors are welcome to the heartbeat of the nation.

     

    • Erekose writes from University of Benin, Edo State.

     

     

  • An encounter with scavengers in reporters’ garb

    If I am not mistaken, this is the week of Lagos State-based journalists – a week dedicated to the examination of issues pertaining to the growth or retardation of the profession and, of the nation; ultimately leading to revelry, patting of backs and giving out of awards to deserving practitioners at the grand finale.

    But there is one award that may not be given out by the Dr Qashim-led executive: the award for the most atrocious scavenger in the profession. And, if that happens, why? I ask the question because, aside government assignments, scavengers seem to dominate most events whose organisers expect the members of the media to cover for them.

    These scavengers, most of them given out by their inappropriate mode of dressing and comportment, descend on programmed events like a swarm of bees. And the way they operate suggests they have an association of their own, probably affiliated to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (?)

    Before questions are asked as to the correctness of this observation, let it be known that this columnist witnessed one of such occurences in Ilasan area of Lekki last week where the Association of African Traditional Religions (AATREN) held a seminar as part of their annual Isese Day celebration.

    At the event at which important traditional rulers from Lagos and Ogun states were present, a horde of fake journalists were all over me, apparently oblivious of who I was. Their number overwhelmed the genuine journalists officially accredited to cover the event, but I outsmarted them. I felt a deep revulsion in me at the incident, and how I wished there was anything I could do on the spot to get them rounded up by law enforcement agents for prosecution for impersonation. I just wonder how many of the monarchs and other unsuspecting guests at the event were fleeced by these unscrupulous fraudsters, masquerading as journalists.

    One of the scavengers approached me and said he was a Radio Lagos journalist assigned to cover the ceremony. And when I asked for the name of his boss that sent him, he mentioned a long retired director of the organisation who I’m aware died almost a year ago!

    The take-away from this is that these scavengers are either dismissed members of the press or those who know genuine members of the profession or are just fraudsters who are adept at penetrating even fortresses.

    The chairman of the Lagos State Union of Journalists strikes me as a brilliant and decent practitioner. He’s knowledgeable enough to know what damage these bad guys are wreaking on our profession, and if he can go the extra mile of ridding the profession of these “area boys” or miscreants, he would have achieved a feat many before him failed to achieve. These miscreants are like a festering sore that requires surgical operation!

  • Leadership, expectations and democracy

    Democracy  largely is an ideology of great expectations of leadership by the electorate who  elected leaders into power in  the hope that promises made during campaigns  will   be  met. When  elected  leaders  meet  such expectations or  even  part  of it,  the pendulum  of   satisfaction   and   fulfillment swings   up  and down. When expectations are  not met at all  there  is  at  first indignation,  leading to despondency  then  the anger of betrayal makes  the political  arena tense and at  times violent. It  follows  therefore that it is better and even safer that elected leaders keep  their election  promises  so  that they can gain the confidence and support of the electorate and keep  their power  and the perquisites of office deservedly  instead  of attracting the hostility, distrust  and contempt  of those who elected them by not keeping their election promises. Today  I look at the ways and means that some  leaders in some nations are using to  ensure that they  do not lose  the confidence of  their people  because they  elected them into office in good faith to keep election promises and make life  better  and comfortable for  them.

    It  is always better here that charity should start  at  home in Nigeria where a new cabinet  was sworn in this week with fanfare in the capital in Abuja.  We  shall  examine  the level  of expectations in the land on the new  cabinet  more  so that the  government is a re elected one that has a score card already on its performance in office in the first  term from 2015 to  2019.  That  certainly creates a spring board  on  the quality  of expectations or  hope  of Nigerians on what is in the offing for them  in the next four years.

    We  go  to Italy  too where  a leader of a coalition government  has literally broken  the coalition and brought the government  down  because he feels  that  the electorate is in tune  with his kept promises  and  he thinks it   would  be  propitious     for  him    to call    for  an   election  for now  so   that   he  can   win  and  do away  with his coalition partners. We  look  at the two  leaders  of the Western  world, namely Britain  and the US as  they  cope with political situations and unique  leaders that  have divided their  stable  governments sharply if  not  wildly  in a way  that even  they are shocked at how  and why they  got  to the messy impasse  they  have found themselves.  Brexit  is rocking Britain  with Boris  Johnson behaving as if he is the  Messiah to make Britain great  again when  EU  leaders  have told him bluntly  that  they   are  ready  for the  specter of No Deal   he has used  to  get  into power as PM. Donald  Trump, the maverick  US President  has  boasted  always  that  he has kept  his campaign  promises  but now that the economy  is  shaky  he is not fazed  as he  even  joked  that  as  President of the US in these unusual  times,  he is the ‘chosen one ‘.

    We  go back  again to  Nigeria  where a new  government is in place   with  many of the old Ministers  still  on board. The  fresh  faces too are not that new  as   some    have been  governors before. In  terms of  expectations the old hands  could search  their conscience on their last performance and beat  their chests if they  think they  have satisfied Nigerians in terms of  expectations or bow their heads in shame if they know they  have  not. Generally  expectations  are low  of this new  cabinet  in the nation. There  is a saying that  you  do not  change  a winning  team but  this was not one in the last  four years  and there  is no need to mention names or portfolios.  The issues of insecurity, terrorism,  banditry, herdsmen and farmers are  still  untouched in terms of  their  savagery  and pervasiveness  in  Nigeria.   The   fact  that  at  the time  the  Ministers  were  being sworn  Nigeria’s  borders   were  closed   to  check    the influx  and   menace of  illegal   immigrants  threatening our collective  security  is  ominously  symbolic.  That   really  is a  big challenge   for   the new  Minister   of Interior   former Osun State  Governor  Rauf  Aregbesola.  Indeed  there  is  a saying that  it does not  matter  how the snake  is killed  as long  as it is   killed  and its menace  removed. Unfortunately  the ‘snake’  marauding  our citizenry  is wildly alive  and well.  Our  hope is that  the new government will   kill  it permanently  so  that Nigerians  can  pray  and  clap  for  government and its ministers  as they go  into  the government’s second term, hopefully  to meet  the expectations of the Nigerian  nation, this    time   around.

    In Italy  the Interior Minister Matteo Salvini  who  has become popular with the implementation of Italy’s anti Immigrants  policy became opportunistic   to  become PM by  precipitating a crisis  that  forced the PM  Guisseppe  Conte to  resign  and for his coalition  partner  to  seek  new coalition  partners.  What  interests  us here is that  Salvini  is savouring the joy   and strength  of  living up to the expectations of the electorate and is cashing on that  to get   even  more power. That  really  is how a democracy  should  run.  The  fuel   of a  vibrant  democracy should   be  the  realization of  election promises  by those  elected  into office  and Salvini  is gambling  on that right now in Italy  and I wish him luck  and   hope  that his huge  democratic  gambit does not  back fire as a bird  in hand is worth two  in the bush.

    With  regard to Britain and  the US  and  the menace of Brexit  and a Trump  presidency  I  see  the two  leaders as two  sides  of  the same  coin.  Trump  even  before Boris Johnson  came to power  was in favour of Brexit  saying  loud  and clear that  the US would  make a  better  trade deal with  Britain  such that it would  never regret leaving the EU. Boris Johnson  on the other  hand is  holding the British electorate  by the jugular  that it voted to leave the EU   referendum  and that  it cannot change  its  mind and  would leave by October  this year  deal  or no Deal. That  too is  living up to  the  expectation of the British  people inherent in the referendum  result,   no matter   how   close.  The  fact  that the implementation of Brexit is difficult  does  not  invalidate the expectation of the British  people in such a way  that a second referendum  would  be  required. That  again shows  that  democracy  is not always a bed of  roses  as  the  British  electorate  wrestles tirelessly  with its own Brexit decision and expectations.

    Similarly, the US President Donald  Trump  should  be commended,  no matter    how grudgingly  for living up to his election promises on Immigration and  a buoyant  economy.  He has also brought China to its   knees   to respect  intellectual property and control  piracy  in its economy and   internationally. Trump  has  been  his  government’s  most vocal  trumpet  and talking drum of his  government’s achievements  and he has been  helped  immensely  by the technology of tweeter which  has  helped  him  a lot to take on both domestic and foreign enemies  and detractors  alike.  Regardless  of his offensive utterances  there is  something to be admired in a leader  like Donald  Trump   who brags about his  fulfillment of the campaign promises  he made before  coming to power. That  really is the  essence of  leadership in a democracy  anywhere in the world.  Once again  long live the Federal Republic of  Nigeria.

  • Another chance

    Its honour, its glory is long gone. The labour of its heroes past has given way to weeds – stubborn grass and all sorts that would have had no space when the machines were still at full blast churning out tyres. A portion of the empire has now transformed into a bank, resplendent in white facade. Dunlop, our Dunlop, why art thou forsaken us?

    I remember Dunlop again two days ago when President Muhammadu Buhari swore-in 43 men and women as members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Some of these men and women are not new in the FEC. Even those who are new to the cabinet are not new to government. Most importantly, it is not lost on them that Nigerians will look up to them for things to change, I mean for things to truly change!

    Dunlop, for me, has become a metaphor of all that is wrong with our country. If a giant can fall, dwarfs stand no chance.

    One area many are looking for change is in the manufacturing sector, where Dunlop used to be a king before closing shops when running cost among others clogged its bloodstream. I am yet to see any country that is great without a strong manufacturing sector. I am also yet to see a country with a strong currency without a thriving manufacturing sector. I am still searching for a great nation which celebrates epileptic power supply and glorifies mediocrity.

    Our manufacturing sector is dead and waiting to be buried. If you are in doubt, take a trip to the once-thriving textile industries in Kano and other parts of the North. If you reside in the Southwest, Lagos offers you a glimpse of the evil that has befallen the textile and other industries. With our fashion sense and love for parties, this is one industry that should be contributing greatly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). No sight better captures our sad reality than the now-abandoned premises of Dunlop on Oba Akran Road, Ikeja. The textile factories in Aswani, Kano and other parts of the North are now relics. Many factories have become churches.

    I cry each time I have cause to pass through a once-bubbling industry that has now become a church auditorium. Sadly, we have many of them all over Lagos. I am also yet to see any great nation that prides itself as an exporter of cocoa, timber and rubber. The export of these items cannot yield us much because we export them raw — no value-added. What makes chocolate the toast of all is the value that has been added. Raw cocoa smells, and only by adding value to it can it appeal to the mass of the people. Rubber only makes sense when it has been turned to plastic and other products. The furniture we import from abroad is made with the wood from Isehin, Isaga-Orile and other remote places in Nigeria. We simply ship our almighty oil abroad. What is wrong with refining and supplying other nations?

    Our health sector makes me cry. Our primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions were world-class. The University College Hospital (UCH) was first among equals globally. Its facilities were top-notch and its members of staff could raise their heads high anywhere in the world. No thanks to brain drain, UCH and others are now shadows of their old selves. The brain drain that hit the health sector in the ‘80s started the declining standard in our teaching hospitals. We are yet to come out of the brain drain. As you read this, many doctors are on their way to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia because of the poor state of medical practice in the country. Even those who are not leaving are not committed. Many a doctor in government-owned hospitals runs private clinics and dedicates attention to their private practice than their primary employer. I find it difficult to blame doctors for seeking better lives abroad. The government is responsible for infrastructure decay, poor power supply and lack of equipment, which have made working at home a bad idea.

    The poor state of the economy has made unemployment our close friend. We have paid lip service to diversifying the economy. Our almighty oil contributes about 85 per cent of our oil revenue, but its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, which is less than 10 per cent, is abysmally low. Other sectors must contribute to the GDP if we intend going anywhere. If there is anything that has also contributed to more to our problem, it is corruption.

    The Buhari administration has made the fight against this monster a major issue. But, we need to go beyond that. There is a need to strengthen the anti-graft agencies for effective prosecution. As noted by this paper two days ago: “Most prosecutors carry a workload that, because of its excessive size or complexity, interferes with quality prosecution and attention to detail. It is not unusual to see prosecuting counsel shuttling from one court to another. In some instances, cases have been adjourned or stalled due to the absence of a prosecutor.”

    One grey area, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must address, is the state of our foreign missions. A report in this paper on Wednesday notes: “Many of the 110 Nigerian missions and embassies abroad are still a national embarrassment despite promises of reforms and rationalisation. They are still groaning under financial difficulties. “Some of them have reportedly not paid salaries for months and owe huge debts. As part of its cost-saving measures, the Federal Government ordered the closure of three of Nigeria’s foreign missions and down-sized one. The closed missions were in Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Serbia. The one in Ukraine was downsized. Nigerian embassies and consulates do not render their duties to Nigerians abroad. To procure a common passport when one is in dire need is a problem.”

    It will be a great disservice if I leave out electricity as part of the major problems that must be addressed in this dispensation. For me, it is the main problem. Addressing it will resolve so many of our challenges. Democracy’s attempt to fix the electricity challenge has been a major flop. Since licences were given to Ikeja Electric, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and nine others, they have shown that they lack what is needed to make a success of the sector. It has been garbage in, garbage out. Consumers regularly express their displeasure through blockades of electricity distribution companies’ offices over poor service delivery occasioned by erratic billing and epileptic power supply. Consumers, consumer advocacy groups, regulators and legislators have shouted themselves hoarse. The courts are having hectic schedules with cases filed by short-changed consumers. For me, the investors rushed into the deal thinking it would be all rosy like the situation when GSM licences were issued.

    Many parts of the country are in darkness. Not a few have called for the withdrawal of licences of DisCos. This is one area we should be running. Instead, we are yet to start crawling, not to talk of walking and far away from running. I sense that selfish interests have been sold as national interests. The good of one is sold as the good of all.

    My final take: I see the constitution of the cabinet as another opportunity for us to get things right. I am more than convinced that Nigeria cannot remain like this. Our pace is too slow. Slow and steady do not always win the race. We must run now because we are lagging in every area of human endeavour. Let us do a marathon and even if this means many slow runners falling by the wayside, so be it. Things must change. The implication of things remaining the way they are is grave. Certainly.

  • Legal profession and its future

    The Nigerian Bar Association seeks by its theme for its 2019 Conference to “face the future” in the areas of legal practice and education, rule of law and future of human rights, sectoral and structural transformation, diversity and inclusion for development, technological innovation and disruption.

    The magnitude of the scope of issues this conference hopes to cover is indicative of the understanding by some of the leading practitioners in this country of the enormity of the problems that confront the future of the profession in Nigeria. Therefore, let it not turn out that the laudable ideas behind this impressive theme and its array of sub-topics will again be no more than a mere fleeting noise with no substantial impact.

    I am persuaded that the only reason the profession is still marginally relevant to the development of this country today is because of the few developments we have seen in recent years, including the lessons learned from the International Bar Association, the NBA’s association with the American Bar Association Section on International Law, the creation of specialized practice sections and new interest from non-litigation lawyers.

    However, we must admit that a lot needs to be done if this country is to have a future for lawyers. Today the pursuit of excellence that ought to be the hallmark of the profession has lost ground alarmingly to the pursuit of title and advantage.

    The strictures of a corrupt and mediocre national system foisted on the country by its myopic military rulers continue to hamper the progress of the entire country, no less the legal profession.

    We must accept that the future of Nigeria will determine the future of the legal profession in the country that the real showpiece of a vibrant and progressive legal profession is the legal system it operates and the benefits this brings to the polity.

    In “facing forward” then, it is important for our profession to deliberately remove the blinkers of narcissism and take a clear look around it at the environment in which it is operating in order to be sure that it is looking in the right direction when it says it is looking at the future.

    Having done that, it should then “face forward” by preparing the profession through deliberate developmental steps to meet the challenges that the future will pose to the country, its legal system and consequently the profession of lawyers that (in the order of Roscoe Pound) ought to repair, maintain, invent, innovate and implement measures to ensure the society does not experience a complete break down as current trends in our country seem to portend.

    There is a lot to say and listen to about the need for the profession to “face forward” and no doubt the conference promises an array of capable speakers who will properly interrogate the theme.

    However, I take the liberty of my freedom of speech to make this modest contribution to the discussion regarding the process of “facing forward” from the perspective of (i) ensuring we are actually looking in the right direction (ii) preparing for the challenges of the future.

    Sometimes I have wondered if the Nigerian legal profession will be able to stand the test of time and some of my positions about certain aspects of the organisation and management of the profession has stemmed from my conclusion that unless the profession repositions or reinvents itself, it will not be a relevant institution in the future, at least not in Nigeria as we know it today.

    Fortunately we have been able to elect a new President of the NBA who has the capacity to see the profession holistically and therefore better apprehend what the future holds.

    Disregard of the problems of ACCESS TO JUSTICE has been one of the major hindrances to the relevance of the profession. Over 75% of Nigerians today find no relevance for lawyers in their lives. They see the profession as elitist with its formalities, rankings, and corruption.

    Legal aid has failed to take off in this country in a manner that would be useful to the daily-oppressed peoples of Nigeria. In any event even if it was available it would be ineffective since it could not provide the kind of service that would enable their cases get the traction and solution that they need in view of the scheduling problems faced by the courts.

    Where a judge’s daily cause list is populated by over 30 cases on the average and the only hope any case has of being heard is if it involves a “Senior Advocate of Nigeria” (SAN), legal aid would not be of any benefit since only some of those aspiring for the SAN title find involvement in legal aid matters relevant.

    Once they have the title, they immediately become experts in areas that they consider more lucrative and forget the “expertise” they professed in order to procure the rank.

    The rank of senior advocate in this sense (as in many other ways) poses an obstacle to the future of the profession in so far as these “leaders of the Bar” are satisfied with this state of affairs, which they believe is part of the glory of being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

    Rather than waste a lot of effort trying to reform the ‘unreformable’ process of appointing SANs we should find a solution to the scheduling problem in the courts. I believe that resolving the scheduling problems of the courts alone will go a long way in reducing the desperation fuelling the almost mindless pursuit of the title of SAN.

    Ideally, no litigant should have to wait in court watching “African Magic” only to find at the end of the day that his case scheduled for hearing that day is so far down the list that the tired judge has to throw in the towel before that litigant’s case can be called.

    I have appeared in various capacities in litigation in many other countries (including in England where our inspiration often comes from) and I find that every case is scheduled in such a way that you only have to show up in court at a particular time on a particular day and your case will be called and heard for the period of time allotted to it.

    Why can’t we do that in Nigeria? Is it because of inadequate facilities, judges or just the pleasure of those who benefit from this gross inefficiency? In some courts even the court clerks have made a business out of positioning cases on the “cause list”.

    My junior colleagues in our firm report to me often that if one is not a senior advocate but one is willing to pay for it, one can have one’s case/s positioned higher up on the list so that, after the senior advocates have been served, one’s case may then stand a chance of being called before the poor judge’s energy fails him for the day. What a mess.

    This scheduling mess makes a mockery of our justice administration system and further cements the mediocrity that the rank of SAN seems designed to institutionalise.

    I am not criticising SANs here; I am criticising the entire concept. I believe that it is anachronistic, unnecessary and unconstitutional. It is a vestige of our colonial mentality and has served no useful purpose in the profession that I can point to other than creating a mythical class of lawyers who are, mainly undeservedly, regarded as the best in the profession.

    Our constitution, a Republican one, finds no place for the stratification that the SAN scheme (an imported and adapted English Queens/Kings Counsel concept) seeks to establish amongst litigants in Nigeria.

    Nigerian lawyers need to be sensitive to the socio-political needs of the country, particularly the urgent need to RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA to abate its ongoing partitioning.

    Many of the ailments bedevilling our country today are outcomes of the long years of military rule including the unitary constitution we currently fraudulently call a federal constitution.

    The failure of this country to rise to its potential of greatness is directly related to the concentration, by our constitution, of power in the hands of one man at the centre: “The president of the federal Republic of Nigeria”.

    The future of Nigerian lawyers is dependent upon the future of Nigeria. If we are not more sensitive to the happenings around us in this regard we may eventually find that we no longer have Nigerian lawyers. Perhaps we may have Arewa lawyers, Odua Lawyers, Biafra Lawyers, etc, but certainly not a Nigerian Bar Association that we currently so cherish.

  • Drug abuse: Killing Nigeria softly

    It is not the drugs that make a drug addict, it’s the need to escape reality – Riley Blue (Fictional character portrayed by Tuppence Middleton). Addiction begins with hope that something “out there” can instantly fill up the emptiness inside – Jean Kilbourne, a public Speaker.

    In Nigeria, the cosmetic approach of always treating symptoms rather than the disease has created more problems than solutions in the fight against drug abuse and addiction. The failure to deploy sustainable holistic approach to tackle drug abuse and addiction from the source keeps impacting our society negatively. This drug-troubled situation has remained so for long given the deep-rooted nature of drugs and this has eaten far into the fabrics of our nation today. It is therefore imperative for all concerned and well-meaning Nigerians to address this ravaging challenge of drug abuse in our society today by providing a lasting solution as a matter of national urgency and emergency.

    A drug is a substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose. Drugs are meant to change the state or function of the body. The misuse of, or overindulgence in drugs is called drug abuse. To abuse a drug is to use it for non-medical purpose, or to take an overdose of the prescription. The use of a drug only for the effect it produces is an abuse of that drug. Experts and clinical pharmacists have submitted that self-medication or self-prescription is a common form of drug abuse.

    Drug abuse is also the use of illicit drugs resulting in physical, mental, emotional and social impairment of the user. Legally allowed drugs may be abused through overdose or non-conformity to prescription directives.

    According to the World Health Organisation, drug abuse or substance abuse is the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. This results in a strong desire to take the drug and difficulty in controlling its use despite harmful consequences. Recently, a report of the first ever survey on drug use in Nigeria was released. The survey, which was supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Union, revealed that, about 14.3 million Nigerians, representing about 14.4 per cent of the country’s population between ages 15 to 64, were said to have abused drugs in the past one year.

    With respect to addiction treatment and rehabilitation, drugs can be classified, as regulated by the Controlled Substances Act into five categories – narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens and anabolic steroids. Narcotics work by inducing sleep, dulling and deadening the senses. Depressants decrease neuronal or physiological activity in the body. Stimulants act to increase and promote physiological or nervous activity in the body. Hallucinogens create a sensory perception of something that does not exist leading to substantial subjective changes in thoughts, emotions and consciousness. Anabolics are used to treat weight loss and muscle growth.

    Research reveals that the five most addictive substances in the world are: Heroin, cocaine, nicotine, barbiturates and alcohol. Mostly abused drugs among Nigerian youths, due to the affordability, are some prescription drugs such as tramadol, codeine, antibiotics, cough syrups and laxatives. The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, said drug abuse could lead to irregular heartbeat – cramp, coma and death. She identified reasons for high prevalence of drug abuse in the country as: love of money by peddlers, unemployment, disobedience to laws of the land and the porous borders. According to her, the only way to prevent a breakdown of law and order by the addicts is for government to develop and enforce National Prescription Policy.

    Drug addiction is simply dependency on drugs, especially those which are illegally procured. Drug addiction is a disease which affects a person’s brain and behavior resulting in an inability to control the use of such drug. Wikipedia defines addiction as a brain disorder characterised by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences. It has been observed that the indulgence of addicts in drugs is their way of shying away from the harsh and unfair realities of life.

    It is established that the main reason people get addicted to drugs or alcohol is to escape reality, but the truth is, the absence of feelings is no replacement for reality – the problems still remain. Addicts do not choose to get addicted; they only choose to deny their pains momentarily. Numbing that pain temporarily will make it worse when it is eventually felt. The surging demand for illicit drugs has become alarming, given their accessibility and availability on the streets and in most towns in Nigeria.

    According to HealthyPlace.com website, “You don’t get over addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not use. If you don’t create a new life, then all the factors that brought you to your addiction will catch up with you again.” Addicts must take deliberate, concerted and uneasy steps to disabuse and condition their minds to break free from the self-prison of addiction.

    Dealers and distributors of illicit drugs are to be treated as criminals, while the users, being the addicts are the victims. The government should establish more drug addict treatment facilities which will cater for the reorientation, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts in the society.

    With prevention and treatment techniques, drug addiction is controllable, treatable and reversible. Societal stigmas toward drug addicts must be stopped. Addicts undergoing rehabilitation should be lovingly embraced by the society to avoid discrimination, feelings of guilt, shame, rejection and possible relapse.

    It is also very important to caution some of Nigerian celebrities, musicians in particular, who flaunt their shameless and irresponsible lifestyles through the displays of their drug-using lifestyles in their songs. The videos of such songs and the lyrics encourage living on hard drugs. These songs tend to put the use of hard drugs in good light. The songs provide encouragement to drug addicts. Such musicians remain bad examples for impressionable young ones in the society who may choose to tread the same path.

    There must be collaboration of all segments of the society to address this drug challenge. Parents, guardians, schools, government, health care providers, non-governmental organisations, pharmaceutical industries and media houses have huge roles to play together in order to curb the menace of drug abuse. When all hands are on deck, this huge challenge of drug addiction and abuse in the country becomes surmountable.

    • Ojewale writes in via kayodeojewale@gmail.com

  • Lagos VIS: Dawn of technology in service delivery

    Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) was initiated by many countries to drive process that ensure vehicles on roads meet required standard of safety, maintenance and control of carbon emission which can endanger human life.  In 1977, the ‘Federal Clean Air Act’ was amended by the United States Congress to require states to implement vehicle emissions inspection programs, known as I/M programs in all major metropolitan areas whose air quality failed to meet certain federal standards.

    In some countries, brand new vehicles are subjected to various road checks or worthiness test before certification, after three years of use to secure people’s life from road threats associated with poor vehicular maintenance.

    In the United States of America, for instance, each state is autonomous in its choice of Vehicles Safety Inspection that they deem fit to improve safety on their roads. Vehicular   inspection exercise is conducted in 18 states on annual or biannual basis for safety depending of the category of vehicles involved. In Maryland for instance, vehicle safety inspection is conducted prior to registration or transfer of ownership only.

    Now, some states are now clamouring for the abolition of safety inspection process due its inability to reduce accident on the highway, seeing it as avenue to merely generate revenue by their government. However, in United Kingdom vehicle inspection is a mandatory annual test of safety, road worthiness and exhaust emission for vehicles above three years old. Accredited garages or service centres are approved to run comprehensive check, before certification.

    In Nigeria, the Vehicle Inspection Service (then Vehicle Inspection Office) has come of age from early 70s when the agency was responsible for conducting test as a necessity for the obtaining of drivers’ license, to issuing the license and some other major documents required to operate vehicles on roads.  Traditionally, the officials of the agency conducted regular checks on motorists plying major roads, for expired vehicles’ documents along major accessories of standard vehicles.

    These may include dysfunctional system such as emission, headlamp, broken windscreen, side mirrors and indicators, break lights, worn out tyres among others. It was a regular occurrence on roads to see motorists without relevant documents become apprehensive or jittery at the sight of vehicle inspection officers. The fear of being penalized have made some desperate drivers make suicidal moves to escape being arrested, thus threatening life of other road users. While some often escape, only a few are always lucky. The gravity of their violation determines penalty awarded against the motorist. On many occasions, vehicles have been impounded with demurrage incurred over the numbers of days such vehicles stayed in vehicle inspection until all penalties are paid. In worst scenarios, rickety vehicles were restricted to yard for owner to refurbish such vehicles until it is no longer a threat to the environment or other road users. Driving through a slow moving or near stop traffic before now could signal of Vehicle Inspection check ahead, especially during peak period. Hence, the fear of VIS officials was the beginning of wisdom.

    The need to inject the system with modern day technology, in line with the restructuring plan of the Lagos State government has since swept through the operations of Vehicle Inspection Service with the deployment of modern day technology, put in place to improve its efficiency.

    Consequently, inspection officers were withdrawn from roads and trained on a new mode of operation, using the Automatic Number-plate Recognition (ANPR) system to track traffic offenders without direct contact. This system works with CCTV cameras which are now planted on major roads to capture and process plate numbers to identify authenticity as well as validity of vehicles documents. This time around, officials have no business chasing vehicle owners operating on Lagos roads with expired documents.

    It is now a matter of interfacing with their system in the comfort of their office and generating penalty for offenders. A more civilized approach to vehicles inspection has detached vehicle inspection officers from having direct confrontation or harassment from the public. In recent time, it was reported that vehicles belonging to some notable people in the society were captured to be on roads with expired document. Consequently, owners were alerted with text messages which give ultimatum to pay fine within stipulated period. This has given victims of such penalty some flexibility of time to redeem penalty before their vehicles get impounded.

    In view of growing incidents of carnage caused by poorly maintained vehicles on Lagos roads, with attendant loss of lives, Lagos State government reiterated the need for compulsory road worthiness test to periodically certify fitness of vehicles that operate on Lagos roads. Meanwhile, the state government has commenced operations of two computerized vehicles centres in Ojodu and Ikorodu.

    This transition from manual way of inspection, to technology driven method has improved efficiency of the system, while increasing the numbers of vehicles comprehensively tested on daily basis as other locations commence operation. Furthermore, the awkward and rigorous ways of testing motor vehicles that are error ridden have given way for a more error-free technological checker.

    As conducive environment is key to efficiency of Vehicle Inspection Services, the construction of headquarter for the Agency at Ojodu, will eventually foster harmonious relationship with Federal Road Safety Commission for better service delivery to motorists. The peculiarity of Lagos State in hosting high level of vehicular activities daily has definitely increased demand for Vehicle Inspection Services in all its operational locations in the state. This justifies the recruitment of about 200 staff with some conversions from within the system and requisite training in the line of efficient service delivery.

    Despite the fact that the Lagos State government does not delight in imposing undue sanction on motorists, they are, nevertheless, expected to obtain genuine documents to avoid penalties for defiance. Such include valid driver’s license, valid road worthiness with computerized inspection at the inspection agency,  Lacvis,  valid insurance certificate, valid hackney/state carriage permit for commercial vehicles, Lagos State Driver’s Institute Permit for (commercial drivers), fire extinguisher, good tyres/spare as well as C-Caution and Retro Reflective Tape (at the back of  vehicles).

    While the state government has not relented in its efforts to secure lives and property, especially in putting in place preventive measures against disaster of vehicles from our highway, it is important that all stakeholders key into the process. If we must put vehicles on the road, we must ensure that due documents are obtained, for the safety of all.

    • Odumade is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.