The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Uduaghan in APC: The shape of things to come

    It is no longer news that Dr Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan has switched political camps, having dumped the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The presence of the former governor of Delta State at the national caucus meeting of the APC hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, put to rest months of speculation as to whether he would leave his former party or not. What is new, however, is that the movement of Uduaghan to the APC is generating reactions.

    In one of such reactions, a spokesperson for the incumbent governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, said the defection will not affect the fortunes of his principal’s party, the PDP, in the 2019 elections at the state at federal levels. That reactions are trailing the exit of the former governor from the ruling party is not unexpected.

    Uduaghan is not a small politician. He is one of the biggest politicians ever to emerge not only from Delta State but also from the Niger Delta. Having been a Commissioner and then climbed the political ladder of Delta to become the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), from where he was elected governor, whatever he does or does not do is bound to generate reactions. But no matter what anybody may say to the contrary, the defection of Uduaghan is bound to rub off negatively on the PDP in Delta.

    And the beneficiary of that development is his new party, the APC, which will reap bountifully from it. Since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule from military dictatorship, the PDP had held sway in Delta. In essence, the party has held on to power in the state for 19 years notwithstanding the efforts of the opposition forces, including Chief Great Ogboru, who has serially contested for governorship, to dislodge it.

    With the benefit of hindsight, Uduaghan is one of those who made it possible for the PDP to have a firm grip on the state. Now that he has exited the PDP, one does not need a seer to foretell that the army of loyalists that he has built on the political terrain over the past 19 years will follow him to the APC. The former governor, in fact, hinted of the mass defection that may soon hit the PDP in Delta in a statement to announce his crossing to the APC when he said that after explaining some of the deeper issues that motivated his decision to his followers, who had been urging him to stay on in the PDP, most of them agreed to join the APC in the near future. Consequently, he made it clear that he was going into APC as “’John the Baptist’ to the numerous Deltans that are coming in (to APC) soon – very soon”.

    The forthcoming 2019 elections promise to be the time to showcase how much damage the exit of the former governor has done to the strength of the PDP to win elections in Delta, especially in Delta South where Uduaghan hails from and where many believe he is likely to pick the ticket to run for the Senate. Meanwhile, those who are close to the former governor say he is not a frivolous politician who will exit a political platform without a good reason to do so, or the sort of politician that will act in a manner unless it is for public good.

    According to the sources, the former Delta chief helmsman weighed carefully the options of staying back in the PDP and thus remaining incapacitated in contributing to the efforts to move Delta and the rest of the Niger Delta forward, or joining forces with the APC which government at the federal level has, over the past three years, proved that it is committed to addressing the challenges of the oil rich region through its engagements with stakeholders and the deployment of social and infrastructural projects. He chose the latter.

     

    • Ejuwa, a marketing executive, sent this piece from Warri

     

     

  • Doctrine of necessity for Nigerian Football

    The crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may well be a blessing in disguise.

    Several attempts had been made to streamline the Nigerian football season with contemporary practice of running club competitions from August to May. We will recall the club versus country controversy which pops up whenever African stars are invited to national duty for Africa Cup of Nations in January, a crucial period for clubs in Europe and South America.

    In view of this, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has resolved that from the next edition in 2019, the tournament will hold in June and July, which is the off-season for most of the world’s leagues. The club competitions – CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup – will also switch from a February to November schedule to an August to May calendar starting from 2019. The transition begins this year with the 2018/19 inter-club competitions, which kicks off in November this year and climaxes on June 1, 2019.

    Meanwhile, the NFF and other stakeholders of the beautiful game in the country are worried about how not to miss the fast approaching deadline for next season’s CAF club competitions, given that our top flight league has 14 rounds of matches to go. On Monday, the NFF mandated its sub-committees (Organising, Technical and Development, Finance, Marketing, Football and Ethics, and Fairplay), to suggest the way out of meeting CAF’s October 15 deadline, when FAs are to submit entries for the two continental club competitions.

    “The road-maps designed by these sub-committees would be thoroughly scrutinised by the Emergency Committee early next week with a view to approving and streamlining feasible work plans,” the NFF statement said.

    At the heart of the matter is what the federation itself has identified as finding “a credible conclusion to the various leagues in this football season.” Staring us in the face is the reality that 14 Matchdays in  the 2017/18 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) can’t be completed in seven weeks, not forgetting the AITEO Cup, which still has at least five more stages to reach the finish line.

    This is where the doctrine of necessity comes into play. Political actors adopted it to save the nation from constitutional crisis in 2010 when an ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua failed to transmit power to his deputy Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and almost grounded the country. The doctrine of necessity is hinged on extra-legal actions with the objective of restoring order.

    If we go by the rules, we may have to ask the teams to play three matches per week to conclude the season before October 15. In a country as geographically massive as ours and with teams travelling by road, this is practically agreeing to a dead sentence for the players and officials.

    Read Also: FG endorses Pinnick as NFF President

    The other option is to perhaps borrow the example of leagues like Scotland where teams are divided into two equal sections in the concluding phase of the season to determine the champions and relegated sides. By the time the 2017/18 NPFL was suspended ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, these were the 10 teams in the upper rung of the ladder: Lobi Stars, Akwa United, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Plateau United, Niger Tornadoes, Katsina United, Abia United, Rivers United and Rangers. In the lower section were: MFM, Nasarawa United, El-Kanemi Warriors, Wikki Tourists, Kwara United, Go Round, FC IfeanyiUbah, Sunshine Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Heartland.

    If this option is accepted and the top 10 teams are made to complete the season facing themselves, they will not have the same number of matches since some of them had completed their head-to-head before the league went on recess. The outstanding fixtures among these 10 teams, for instance, will see Niger Tornadoes play eight matches, while Lobi Stars will have seven games. All the other teams have six outstanding matches, except Katsina United with five. A similar scenario applies for the bottom 10 teams. How then do we achieve a fair outcome when the teams don’t play equal number of matches?

    This is the time for the team administrators to subsume their interests and act in the overall interest of Nigerian football. The NPFL should be considered to have ended, which means Lobi Stars, the top team at the time of the force majeure, should be crowned champions and immediately registered for the 2018/19 CAF Champions League. This will allow the football administrators time and energy to focus on completing the AITEO Cup, whose champions should emerge before October 15 and be fielded for the CAF Confederation Cup.

    In the same light, no team should be relegated from any of the divisions or promoted to the upper level. Clubs and other stakeholders will lose revenue from gate-takings and sales, but it’s the sacrifice everyone has to pay to get our football back on track.

    We can then work towards commencing the 2018/19 season in the next two months – allowing for transfer of players and officials. If we don’t have another man-made crisis, our football season should achieve the August to May calendar by next year.

    Muyiwa Akintunde is a public relations consultant and sports enthusiast

  • M.A. Ahmed, My father, 20 Years After…

    Today, Tuesday, 21 August, 2018, which incidentally is Eid-il-Kabir day, is 20 years after the demise of my biological father, Mallam (Alhaji) M.A. Ahmed.

    Early life:

    My dear father, Musa AdelekeMosobalajeAyinde Ahmed, was born in Ilorin on February 3, 1939 to the family of Sheikh Nuhu Ahmed of Imam-Imale Compound, Masingba, Okemale-Okekere area of Ilorin and AlhajaAsmau Abdul-Baaqi of Ubandawaki Compound, Pakata area of Ilorin. His homestead, the Imam-Imale scholastic and spiritual dynasty, located in the twin areas of Masingba in Okemale-Okekere and Koro Guruma in Faagba/Emir of Ilorin’s Palace environ, holds the position of Deputy Chief Imam of Ilorin till this day on historical and hereditary fronts.

    The favorite child of his father, by all verified oral accounts from his siblings and other family members, little Musa, as was the practice in Ilorin of his era, began his education in pure Islamic form. He started as a student, for 5 years, under late Sheikh Imam Muhammad Busayri Ali-Agan of Ali-Agan Compound(the father and grandfather of Sheikh Imam Yakub Ali-Agan and Dr. Abubakar Ali-Agan respectively). After his father’s death in the late 1940s, he sojourned to Lagos to continue his Islamic education under late Sheikh AbubakarSiddiqKadara,an indigene of Ilorin who had carved a niche for himself as a top Islamic scholar at the time, atKadara Street, Oyingbo, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Heoften sneaked out from Ebute-Metta to DadiAlaja Street, Lagos Island, to listen to the unique recitation of the Holy Quran by our Grand ‘Baba’, the 1st Mufti of Ilorin, late Sheikh Muhammad Kamaludeen Al-Adabiyy, MFR, and his student, late Sheikh Ali Olukade.

    After the visit of his teacher, Sheikh AbubakarSiddiqKadara, to Ilorin after his Hajj (pilgrimage) in 1956/1957, my father requested to be enrolled at the Islamic school of late Sheikh Kamaludeen Al-Adabiyy in 1957, at the age of 18! His attraction to the unique combination of Islamic and Western education by late Sheikh KamaludeenAl-Adabiyycompelled him, one year later, in 1958, to enroll at Ansarul-Islam Primary School, Okemale, Ilorin, simultaneously with his Islamic/Arabic education. That year, 1958, was the first time he ever attended a Western-education oriented school, at the‘old age’ of 19! Having had his mental faculty enriched by over 14 years of Islamic education, his brilliance shone in the primary school as he spent only 3 years, from 1958 to 1960, instead of 7 years usually spent in primary schools in that era. In fact, he got promoted to the next class every term and only spent a full year in Primary 7. He graduated as best pupil at the age of 21! In current times, at that age, averagely, most students would have had a University degree, and in some cases, a Master’s degree!

    Musa Ahmed proceeded to Government Higher Teachers’ Training College (GHTTS) Ilorin, which was later renamed as Ilorin Teachers’ College (ITC) Ilorin, and is now known as Sheikh AbdulQadir College Ilorin, for secondary school education, from 1961 to 1965. After obtaining Grade 2 Teachers’ Certificate, he was appointed the Headmaster of Ansarul-Islam Primary School, Oke-Aluko, Ilorin, for a short period of January to October 1966.

    Marriage/family life:

    Based on his avowed commitment to obtain a University degree before marriage, my father, on June 12, 1971 married my mother, former Miss BaseeratTitilayoAbiola,now Alhaja B. T. Ahmed, an Awori lady from Otta, Ogun state, daughter of late Sheikh Abdul-AzeezAbiola, a famousIlaro-based producemerchant and cleric who was National President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’atNigeria from 1978 to his death in January 1987. They were blessed with five children.

    Similarly, on June 12 1981, he married my step-mother, former Miss MulkahAdebisi Bello-Olukade, now Dr. (Alhaja) M. A. Ahmed, an Ilorin lady and daughter of another renowned Islamic cleric, late Sheikh Ali Olukade of Jaji Compound, Isale-Aluko area, Ilorin, who lived in Shyllon Street, Palmgrove, Lagos, and who was an early disciple of late Sheikh Muhammad Kamaludeen Al-Adabiyy.They were also blessed with five children.

    Higher Education, Teaching/Lecturing Career:

    Insistent on obtaining a University degree before marriage in an era when his male peers in Ilorin, and most parts of Nigeria, married and had children between 17 and 24, my father, at 27 in 1966, gained admission to Abdullah Bayero College (ABC), Kano, a department of Arabic & Islamic Studies under Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, from where he graduated with a B.A. (Combined Honours) Islamic Studies & History, Second Class Upper division, in 1970, at the age of 31!

    He transited from being primary school Headmaster to a secondary school teacher, having taught at various schools and was appointed as Head of Department of History, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language at illustrious schools such as Queen Elizabeth School (QES)Ilorin, Government Secondary School (GSS) Ilorin, and Abdul-Aziz Atta Memorial College Okene (AAMCO), now in Kogi state, between 1973 and 1975. His commitment to education led him to obtain a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the premier university, University of Ibadan, in 1974.

    Mallam Ahmed left secondary school teaching for tertiary education lecturing in 1975, when he became a Foundation Lecturer (Lecturer II) of the Arabic & Islamic Studies Department of the College of Education, Ilorin after it gained autonomy from its initial auspices underKwara State College of Technology, Ilorin.

    He became the Head of Department of Islamic Studies, Advanced Teachers’ College, Oro-Ilorin (which was later renamed as College of Education Ilorin) from October 1976 to August 1985.  He was promoted to Senior Lecturer and Principal Lecturer on 1 October 1976 and on 1 October 1981 respectively. His penchant for further studies led himto North America, at the renowned McGill University, Montreal, Canada, from 1978 to 1980, where he obtained a Master’s degree (M.A) in Islamic Studies with the highest grades and a Research Grant of 15,000 Canadian Dollars by the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research,on account of his academic excellence as best graduating student.

    Shortly after his return to Nigeria, considering his stellar academic performance in Canada, he was appointed Dean, School of Arts, Kwara State College of Education (KWCOED) Ilorin from 1981 to 1985, a position he held simultaneously with his role as Head of Department (HOD) Islamic Studies.

    Resource person:

    He was a teacher, writer, author, and administrator per excellence; hence, he was resource person to/in so many associations. A few of these, which I cannot mention exhaustively due to space constraints, included: Member, Sub-Committee, Planning Workshop on Teaching of Religionsin Schools, Colleges of Education and Other Higher Institutions, Resource Person to the Nigeria Association for the Study of Religions (NASR) from 1981 till death, Chairman Committee on Examination Malpractices- appointed by the Kwara State Ministry of Education (August 1982), Resource Person, Seminar/Refresher Course for Teachers of Arabic & Islamic Studies, Kwara State (August 1982).

    He was also: Member, Writers’ Workshop on Islamic Religious Education Curriculum Development for Primary, Junior Secondary and Teacher Education levels for Nigerian Educational Research Council (NERC), now Nigerian Educational Research & Development Council (NERDC), Lagos, from 1982 till death, Member, Nigeria Association of Teachers of Arabic & Islamic Studies (NATAIS) from 1970 till death, Chairman, Kwara State Chapter of NATAIS (1987-1989); and a strong, committed member of Ansarul-Islam Society of Nigeria. He wrote numerous papers, articles, and books; and he produced countless students who, today, are top academics in universities and other higher institutions, and executives in diverse sectors such as military, politics, industry, religion, commerce, public administration, judiciary, etc.

    Executive administrative Career:

    The journey to executive administrative roles for my father began in August 1985 when he was appointed the Deputy Provost of KWCOED Ilorin. His tenure was adjudged very successful, hence, the Governing Council appointed him as Acting Provost in December 1986. The Governing Council at the time, under theChairmanship of Mrs. M.O Tunji-Olagunju, particularly liked his honesty, competence, and humility; hence he held both the Deputy Provost and Acting Provost roles from December 1986 to April 1988 (the first in the history of KWCOED Ilorin) preparatory to the appointment of Dr. J.Y. Bello from ABU Zaria as the substantive Provost in May 1998. The new substantive Provost, having noted his sterling records, agreed unanimously with members of the Governing Council to appoint him as Deputy Provost, for a second term, from May 1988 to April 1991; after which he was re-elected as HOD, Islamic Studies, for the umpteenth time.

    He attained the zenith of his teaching and administrative career in the College of Education system, when in October 1992, he was appointed the Provost, Kwara State College of Education, Oro, by the elected Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Sha’abaLafiagi (now Distinguished Senator representing Kwara North in the current 8th Senate).

    Against the insistence of the Military Administrator, Colonel Peter A.M. Ogar (Rtd), Kwara State Commissioner of Education, and the Chairman of Council at the time, my father declined to take the option of a second term of 4 years as Provost at Oro, and returned to his primary institution, KWCOED Ilorin, at the expiration of his first term in October 1996.He subsequently returned to KWCOED Ilorin as Chief Lecturer in Islamic Studies Department, his last position before he exited the world on Friday, 21 August, 1998, at 59 years old.

    Students, associates, friends, academic colleagues:

    Among very many, my father’s students, friends, associates, and colleagues includedProf. I.O Oloyede- his best student at KWCOED Ilorin, who later married his wife’s younger sister;Dr. SaaduAlanamu, Alh. Ibrahim Oniye (current Makama of Ilorin, who was his primary school classmate);late Sheikh Sultan Abdullah Kamaldeen Al-Adabiyy (his very close friend and spiritual father of all his children);Sheikh Ahmad OlayiwolaKamaldeen Al-Adabiyy (current KhalifahAdabiyy), Alh.AliyuAlarape Salman, SAN (his cousin),SheikhAbdullahiAbdulhameed (his cousin, and current Imam-Imale of Ilorin), late FataiIshola, Alh. Sulu Amasa Umar, and five former Grand Kadis of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal:Justice AbdulkadirOrire, Justice AbdulmuttalibAmbali, Justice Abdulkadir Oba Imam-Fulani, Justice Idris Haroon (with whom he was a teacher at AAMC Okene in the 1970s), and Justice S.O. Muhammad.

    Others were Prof. Yusuf LanreBadmus, Prof. Hamza Abdulraheem, Prof. A.Y. Abdulkareem, Alh. Abdul-Lateef Adekilekun (1st Mufti of Ede in Osun state), Alh. A.K.W. Aliy-Kamal, Alh. Hassan Qadriyyah, late Dr. Katibi, Dr. A.A. Imam, Chief (Mrs) M.O. Tunji-Olagunju, Mr. O.J. Ifabiyi, late Dr. J.B. Agbogun, Dr. G.K.Oyinloye, Mr. J.B. Luke, Mr. I.S. Alasan, Dr. J.Y. Bello, Prof. Y.N.S. Ijaiya, Dr. ToyinAkanbi, late Prof. I.A.B Balogun, Prof. Z.I. Oseni, Prof. A.G.A.S.Oladosu,Prof. Y.A. Quadri, Prof. R.D. Abubakre,Emeritus Prof. AdeoyeAdeniyi, late Prof. AfolabiToye, Prof. S.O. Abdulraheem, late Alh.SuleRaji, late Alh. Saka Saadu, Alh. S.A.T Adisa-Onikoko, Alh. S. B. Basambo, late Alh. B.L. Yusuf,Alh. DasukiBelgore, Alh. Bamidele Ahmed, late Prince OjoFadumila.

    Lessons from his life:

    My father’s life was an open-book in absolute reverence for God. He was a very pious Muslim, whose entire life was pivoted on the fear of God and the teachings of Islam; but he was also an exemplar in religious tolerance, to the extent that his neighbor in Ilorin, a retired top executive of NITEL who is a Reverend/founder of a church, was one of his closest friends.

    Unequivocally, one of his major attributes was integrity. He left an extremely clean financial and administrative record throughout his stellar career; he was incorruptible in words and in actions! My father admonished us that there was no ‘little sin’, no ‘little lie’; and ‘sin was sin’ and that everyone would account for ALL of his deeds on earth before God. He was a strict respecter of time-keeping, and a perfectionist in speaking and writing English language!

    My father had told us, his family, and so many other people, almost 15 years before his death, that he would want God to take his life on any of these three instances: anytime on a Friday, or between the hours of late afternoon prayer (Asr) and evening prayer (Maghrib), or anytime during Ramadan. Indeed, God answered his prayer far beyond his wish- he died both at 5:45pm, between Asr and Maghrib; and also on a Friday!

    Our family hasrecords of several testimonies about his great life written before and after his death; from diverse persons and institutions, which I cannot recall here for space constraints. He was a pious Muslim, a foremost Quranic reciter and memorizer, an Islamic scholar, a professional teacher, a prolific writer and author, a knowledgeable ascetic mystic (Sufi and Maqaddam), a seasoned administrator, a reputable educationist, a lover of God and all things so related, a responsible and caring husband and father; and a lover of humanity.

    Finally, I wish my father, fondly called “Mallam” (i.e. “teacher”) by all, who would have clocked 80 years next February, and who lived a remarkably pious life, eternal peace; may Allah enable us all meet in Paradise (Jannatul-Firdaus) on the Day of Reckoning. Amen.

    Tajudeen Ahmed, a top executive of a leading conglomerate, wrote in from Lagos

  • How not to assess Lagos under Ambode

    I say without any equivocation that this young man who is there now-Akinwunmi Ambode- has raised the stake of performance (in Lagos State) especially in infrastructure.– Olabode George, chieftain of the opposition People’s Democratic Party,( PDP).

    About the time strident critics in Nigeria had begun to come to terms with the reality of Lagos as standing out of the pack in an environment of ill-performing states, posting distressing infrastructure-deficit indices, a global body has turned out a report suggesting the contrary. So on the one hand, we have the rare acclaim of a known censurer of the Ambode government; and on the hand we are being offered the partial picture of what is on the ground.

    Read Also:Eid-el-Kabir: Embrace sacrifice, love, unity, Ambode urges Muslims

    According to the 2018 Global Liveability Index released by The Economist Intelligence Unit(EIU) World Bank, ‘’Lagos is the third worst city to live in.’’ It examined 140 cities and placed Nigeria’s economic and commercial hub at 138, Syria and Bangladesh being the only two lower.

    Vienna, the Austrian capital, was ranked the most liveable city in the world. Melbourne in Australia came in second place after a seven-year at number one. Japan’s Osaka came in at third position.

    The ranking was based on five parameters: Political and Social Stability, Education, Culture, Environment, Infrastructure and Access to Health. For Infrastructure among the other factors, ‘’the quality of road network, quality of public transport, international links, availability of good quality housing, quality of energy provision, quality of water provision and quality of telecommunications were considered.’’

    Interestingly, by the reckoning of a widely-travelled and respected Nigerian financial expert Mr. Bismarck Rewane, these are areas where Ambode’s Lagos has fared excellently. Not known for flippant comments on political and economic matters because of his integrity, Rewane has become a favourite of newsmen on hot-button issues. So when the EIU report came up, he spoke what many have regarded as the objective view.

    He criticized the world body for its judgment that Lagos is the planet’s third worst city to choose to live in. It’s an unfair and harsh verdict, Rewane told an interviewer on a leading TV News station operating from Lagos last week. He declared solemnly: ‘’First and foremost, I think the report is subjective and it is based on warped criteria. Certainly, in a survey that says that number 86 is Johannesburg when you talk about crime, terrorism, insurgency and Lagos is 138 out of 140, it’s unfortunate. I feel safer in Lagos than in Johannesburg…I must come out strongly that the EIU …is a bit subjective and does not reflect the truth. Lagos is definitely not the third worst city to live in in the world. I stand by that and I am ready to join issues with the Economic Intelligence Unit whom I respect anyway…’’

    His stand tallies with those of most dispassionate observers who have taken keen interest in developments in this state growing by leaps and bounds every day. Adjudged the fastest growing and the fifth largest economy in Africa, Lagos is heading for the 20 million population mark, earnings it the mega polis epithet. That poses inherent security and infrastructure challenges characteristic of such climes.

    But that is precisely where to dig deep to find out if the Lagos authorities are aware the world is watching them to know if they are tackling the issues appropriately and in accordance with global best practices. The world has become a small space, any corner of which you can access from the comfort of your room. What happens in your backyard or bedroom is in the world domain, not even public domain. So the world can’t but notice the mammoth activity of urban renewal in Lagos. The entire state has become a veritable construction site, where new roads are either being built or existing ones are experiencing a face-lift via expansion and modernization. And to secure lives, residential and office apartments which have failed safety are being pulled down to make way for befitting centres of commerce and habitation.

    The transport sector is similarly being driven to the next level, with the phasing out of the ubiquitous molue. The more appealing luxurious Lagbus fleet are taking over on newly created corridors not only to add aesthetic beauty to the city landscape, but also to deepen the security of commuters.

    There is now an unprecedented move by the Ambode government to trash the notorious slums in the state into the dustbin of the past. He has come under attack for attempting what his predecessors dared not to undertake: displacing the huge ghettoes and rickety markets to create for modern and affordable settlements and business centres.

    But, as ex-Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings told complaining compatriots when he was rebuilding Ghana after years of decay, ‘’it is a bitter pill that must be taken for lasting relief’’. Time is proving him right, because Ghana has enjoyed a sane and equable political and economic history since his days. It was a challenge the current generation of Ghanaian would have been battling with if Rawlings hadn’t confronted it then.

    I think when reports of the nature under review are coming up, their authors must also consider on-going projects of renewal in societies being assessed. That way, they would avoid producing halfway verdicts of the type being criticized by well-meaning Nigerians. The critics are not those in government or so-called sponsored commentators. They are those who believe the EIU has not been fair to an administration whose members are having sleepless nights in order to make Lagos safe and turn it into a tourism haven as well as the investors’ dream destination.

     

    Anibaba, a journalist wrote from Ikorodu, Lagos State

  • Uniqueness of Lagos State Education

    DISTRICT SIX ANTHEM

    The Lagos State Post –Primary Teaching Service Law No 4, 2005 created six educational districts. The District Six which comprises Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi/Isolo was one of districts created with its headquarters in Ideal Nursery and Primary School, Oshodi.

    All districts have their anthems but the concern of this write-up is to point out the uniquecharacteristics of District Six Anthem.

    The two verses of the anthem with eight lines each explore the features of UNICEF quality education, the historical and noble policies of Lagos State patriotic leaders and the anthem makes allusions to National Policy of Education (NPE 1981, 2004) and the mission of the Nigeria Secondary School Education Board.

     The second line of the first verse “Is building future leaders’’ echoes the NPE (1981) main aim of Secondary Education which is the preparation for useful living within the society.The implication is that schools at various levels are expected to “build” future leaders and develop the high level technical capacities that would sustain the economic growth, social development and democratic institutions. The third line, “In partnership with competent teachers” is an excursion to the mission of the Nigeria Secondary School Education and the feature of UNICEF quality education which states “Education processes through which trained teachers are child-centred teaching approaches in a well-managed classrooms and schools”

    The next three lines showcase one of the greatest achievements of District VI in creating conducive learning and teaching environment in accordance with the stipulation of the UNICEF education quality which states “Environments that are healthy, safe, protective and gender-sensitive”.

    The last two lines of the first verse demonstrate the fact that the pacesetter District VI has, since its creation, been impacted the entire universe through the healthy and well-nourished learners who are ready to face any challenges “We learn to read and write’’ is a clear pointer to the educational content that is reflected in relevant curricular and materials for the acquisition of basic skills especially in the area of literacy, numeracy and skills for life.

    The second verse is not only eulogized the Lagos State but showed a deep senseof appreciation to Lagos State past and present leaders in all ramifications. The Lagos State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (LASEEDS) playsa major role in our educational development. One key issue on which the success of LASEEDS rests is effective and efficient educational implementation of a qualitative and result oriented educational system which can produce competent high –level manpower vital to drive the system successfully (Lagos Education Year Book 2000).

    The anthem renders a solemn prayer, “God bless our patriotic leaders’’ who turn Lagos to “ A State with no equal’’ because of the provisions of Quality Education, Good Feeder Roads, Adequate Security, Food (Lake Rice), Well Planned Environments and Sanitations, Shelter, Medical Care /Aid, Water, Communication Channels, Excellent Community and Social Relationship, Transportation etc.

    Since the administration of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson (1967-1975) up to the present one under His Excellency, GovernorAkinwumiAmbode, the Excellent Statehas been given “Key to our success” which is “A smooth drive to our greatness”

    The District VI anthem encapsulates many issues like praising our visionary leaders from the first Tutor-General,Alhaja T.M Akinwande to the good administration of the current one, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Onadipe.

    Secondly, the anthem is a barometer of a national sentiment about patriotism, hard-working, nationalism and sense of belonging.

     Mr. Faniyi Sunday is the Vice Principal Academic, Ikeja Senior Grammar School Oshodi, Lagos State

  • Kaduna 2019: Options before the opposition

    In six short months, the seven million citizens of Kaduna State will be electing a new chief executive as Governor Nasir El-Rufai ends his tenure at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House. The ‘Accidental Public Servant’ has since his assumption of office on May 29, 2015 made the job of the opposition in the 2019 general elections as easy as it could ever get. Voters could also be hardly more sophisticated than those in Kaduna State who now wait to be wowed with the best alternative to the incumbent.

    Disdain for democracy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is clearly writ with the number (or lack) of its governorship aspirants. All those capable of challenging the governor have been muscled out of the party and many are joining or rejoining the opposition parties. Thus, while armed robbers, bandits, cattle-rustlers, kidnappers and terrorists ravage the state, security apparatus seem devoted to hounding and demolishing properties of perceived opponents including those within the same party.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is displaying a dazzling array of alternatives. These candidates who recently came together as the Group of Eight (G8) comprise Dr. Muhammad Sani Bello (Mainan Zazzau), Alhaji Ja’afaru Sa’ad (Galadiman Ruwan Zazzau), Malam Bello Kagarko, Alhaji Isa Ashiru, Alhaji Sani Sidi, Alhaji Ramalan Yero (Dallatun Zazzau), Alhaji Shuaibu Idris (Mikati) and Mr. Jonathan Kish. Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi who just defected to the PDP is also expected to join the race. At a meeting in Kaduna recently, the G8 unanimously adopted the party’s strategy to come up with a consensus candidate from amongst themselves for the 2019 gubernatorial elections in Kaduna State.

    According to one of these aspirants, “We are all qualified and capable, but as members of the same family we do not have room for internal crisis usually associated with primary elections. To me this is unity of purpose. All we want is victory not only for our party but primarily for the people of Kaduna State whom we hope to represent and serve.’’ The wisdom behind this is clear. A united front will enable the party to harness and channel all its energy, expertise and resources into winning the elections against a sitting governor with state resources.

    As the exercise to extract one from eight goes underway, a few salient observations could make the procedure easier. Producing consensus candidates has been a tradition introduced and consolidated by the PDP since its registration in 1998. Presenting the single most formidable candidate that will be a leader of all and stand the best chance should not be such a difficult duty at this point. Experience fuelled by empathy for the people groaning under the poorest governance ever in Kaduna State will ensure a speedy resolution of this issue.

    Zoning of party and political offices for effective inclusion in governance as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution has worked wonderfully to unite the country and its states and local government units. It has also ensured representative democracy among its diverse people. Upsetting this time-tested apple-cart can only generate rancour and dissent that will weaken the bright chances that the opposition has at present.

    In the case of Kaduna State, the office of governor ought to rotate among the three senatorial zones. The incumbent being from Zone Two, means the next governor in 2019 should come from either Zone One or Three. For the Kaduna State PDP, its chairman, Mr. Hasssan Hyet is from Zone Three which leaves Zones One and Two for consideration for office of governor. The party would be unfair to field a candidate from the same zone as the present governor which leaves the choice to Zone One.

    Interestingly, Zone One parades the highest number of candidates for consideration. These include Dr. Bello, Alhaji  Sa’ad, Alhaji Isa Ashiru and the immediate past governor Alhaji Yero. Malam Bello Kagarko and Alhaji Sani Sidi, who are both from Zone Three may face crisis of identity as they seek to stand elections from Zone Two on account of residence. Mr. Jonathan Kish from Zone Three and Alhaji Shuaibu Idris (Mikati) from Zone 2 are disqualified based on the zoning formula.

    Three of the four aspirants from Zone One are all highly experienced and relatively well-known to the people of Kaduna State. Bello and Yero especially have been active politicians for more than a decade and were at various times members of the Kaduna State Executive Council as Commissioners. Ashiru was a two-time member of the State House of Assembly and a member of the House of Representatives and like the other two, a grassroots politician. Records of their performance or lack thereof are still fresh in the minds of the people.

    However, the 2019 election promises to be a keen contest between the ruling party and the once powerful party it ousted in the previous polls. The PDP must field the best and most acceptable candidate to have a good chance at regaining power that it lost after sixteen years. Its choice should also avoid acrimony and shun all those with too much negative baggage. A long and tedious race is won by the lightest and most unencumbered.

    If education, experience and exposure are some of the criteria for selecting the best, then Dr. Bello tops the list. His spectacular career in several banks and his stint in the academia complemented with robust roles in politics at the state, national and international levels give him an easy edge over the rest. This was demonstrated in his selection by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to serve a four-year tenure as its Financial Controller between 2014 and 2018. Instead of seeking a fresh term or looking for lush jobs in other national or international institutions, he returned to the classrooms at the Kaduna State University where he was previously a senior lecturer and dean of faculty. In the next dispensation, the people of Kaduna State deserve no less than a governor with these achievements, antecedents, attitude, predisposition, merits and qualifications.

    The greatest leaders in ancient and modern history were almost always teachers. This is because teachers learn more than the average people and knowledge is their stock-in-trade. Kaduna State is not tagged the ‘Centre of Learning’ for nothing. It is on account of its abundance of learned professionals in all walks of life and also the many institutions of learning that produced leaders for Nigeria and the world. Giving Bello the ticket for the 2019 gubernatorial election is the best decision delegates of the PDP would take at the party primary elections scheduled for September 2018.

    • Kwasau writes from Kachia LGA of Kaduna State.

     

  • Obaseki’s effort to revamp College of Agriculture Iguoriakhi on course

    Our attention has been drawn to the concerns raised over the ongoing revamp of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, the latest being the worry expressed by Usifo Sebastian Ebhuomhan.

    While Ebhuomhan’s faith in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s capacity to steer our collective destiny to prosperity is commendable, his analysis of the issues underlying the institute’s overhaul, merely scratched the surface.

    To begin, after 18 months as governor of Edo State, most Edo people and residents in the state, who have kept steps with Obaseki’s style of governing, would attest to his inclination towards rigorous research, as the only basis for decision making, not emotions, no matter how compelling.

    So far, all the decisions that have been implemented by the state government in the institute are the outcome of an investigative panel that was set up to dig deep into the affairs of the institute, after an unscheduled visit by the governor exposed the derelict state of the institute.

    The Obaseki administration is not one to be swayed by emotion-laden chorus, no matter how amplified, more so, when the hard and cold facts show a dysfunctional institute where the government was paying lecturers who chose when to go to work, exploited students and did not bat an eyelid over the status of the students whose certificates suffered credibility crisis in the labour market and could not participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme for several years, not to add the fact that the staff of the institute outnumbered the students.

    Governance, for Obaseki, is about taking tough decisions that will engender sustainable growth and development for the largest number of people possible.

    Understandably, tough and reform-oriented decisions are not always popular in the short term but they recruit millions of followers when the gains start kicking in.

    Edo youths deserve an institute of agriculture that can compete with its peers anywhere in the world, and parents who toil to send their children to educational institutions in the state, do not deserve anything less.

    We will not accept anything short of the best standard obtainable in the industry and we will not run an agricultural institute that lacks the capacity to impact market-oriented knowledge and skills.

    We will not take the familiar and easy route, though popular, but fraught with failure, in a matter that is as important as the future of our children.

    Today, we are happy to report that the students of the institute currently undergoing internship in world class agricultural companies across the state are for the first time, enjoying quality hands-on field training that will clearly put them ahead of their peers in the labour market, on graduation.

    Mr. Ebhuomhan also expressed fears over Governor Obaseki’s commitment to create 200,000 jobs, which the governor promised Edo people.

    Ebhuomhan need not worry; we will exceed the 200,000 jobs target. For clarification, our strategy for creating these jobs includes creating the enabling environment for industries and private companies to thrive in the state and create decent direct and indirect jobs and as at today, thousands of such jobs have been created. By the time we roll out our statistics of jobs, much of these quibbling will be silenced.

    If Mr. Evbhuomhan has been following global trends on job creation, he would appreciate the efforts of Governor Obaseki to reposition the respective government agencies that are supervising the influx of companies into Edo State.

    While the state government will employ new staff into the civil service, as is now being done with the recent vacancy advertisements by the Civil Service Commission, published in the VANGUARD Newspaper, page 8; OBSERVER Newspaper, page 19, NATION Newspaper page 32 on May 15th this year, most of the jobs will be created by the private companies.

    As you may be aware, construction has commenced in the 1800 Emotan Garden estate on Upper Sokponba Road in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

    The first phase of the project is expected to be delivered in 12 months and already, the governor has secured a deal with steel and ceramic manufacturing companies in the state to supply their products to the developers of the estate.

    The implication of this deal is that the steel and ceramic companies have a ready market of 1800 housing units to produce for. To achieve this, the companies will increase their operational scale by employing more people to be able to produce and meet market demand. This sort of development chain reaction is what Obaseki is about.

    Meanwhile, that is just one of the many job creation strategies of the Obaseki administration. It is not politics; it is measurable and can be verified by anyone.

    If there is anything the governor has in sufficient proportion, it is the capacity to frugally allocate scarce resources for the best outcomes possible. This cannot be controverted and has never been in dispute.

    This capacity is today manifest in all spheres of our life in Edo, and has been re-echoed by World Bank experts, development actors and informed opinion and thought leaders in the education sector.

    As part of the ongoing restructuring of the Agric college, a new curriculum as well as new faculties have been developed by the state government, an exercise that was carried out by over 10 professors drawn from various tertiary institutions in the country, with expertise in curriculum development.

    The new international standard curriculum for the College is in compliance with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)’s provisions for curriculum. This will qualify the restructured college’s programmes for accreditation.

    Structurally, the college has been redesigned as a multi- campus institution with campuses spread across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, with the main campus in Iguoriakhi. Construction work is set to commence.

    The New College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, will give students and parents real value for their money with its new Information Technology-based curriculum and a rich educational resource center that will be linked to the world.

     

    Osagie, Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

  • Sani Abacha: Remembering the despot 20 years after

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Twenty years ago today, precisely, 8 June 1998, the former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, died mysteriously in office.

    Dismissing reports that the Kano-born artillery soldier died after eating a poisoned apple from one of his mistresses, former chief Security Officer to the late Head of State. Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), had claimed in 2017 that the late Abacha’s health system collapsed “immediately after one of the security operatives that accompanied the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, shook hands with him.”

    The ex-Nigerian strongman became unconscious and died few hours later.

    While tears flowed freely at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, there were celebrations and dancing in Lagos and  other cities across the country.

    Abacha is widely remembered in Nigeria and across the world for his style of government.

    He was a man of few words, but deadly actions. Born on the 20th of September, 1943 in the ancient city of Kano, he announced the coup that sacked the administration of ex-President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983 and brought Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to power.

    He also announced the then Chief of Army Staff, Major-Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as the new military President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in an evening broadcast on August 27, 1985.

    That coup speech was read by Brig. Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro.

    Abacha was appointed the Minister of Defence in 1990.

    Read Also: Abacha as President Buhari’s hero?

    He took over power on November 17, 1993 after a Federal High Court in Lagos had declared the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan as illegal.

    The ING was put in place by the Babangida’s administration following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election presumed to have been won by the late billionaire businessman, Chief MKO Abiola.

    The Abacha cabinet comprised of several prominent politicians – Bamanga Tukur, Lateef Jakande, Adamu Ciroma, Jim Nwobodo, Babagana Kingibe, who was Abiola’s running mate; Uche Chukwumerije and Solomon Lar.

    It is unfair to accuse the Abacha regime as completely negative. This is because the regime stabilized the Nigeria economy. In four years (1993 to 1997), Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserve rose from $494 million to $9.6 billion and the external debt of the country was reduced from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion in 1997.

    It should also be recalled that the inflation rate of 54 per cent inherited from the Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was reduced to 8.5 per cent between 1993 and 1998 under Abacha.

    Abacha increased the price of petrol just once in his four-and-a-half years stint in office and set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, which was widely acknowledged to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention programmes in education, health and water.

    In sports, Nigeria excelled under Abacha. For the first time, Nigeria earned gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics including the much coveted one in football.

    He personally phoned the players and other sportsmen and women during these competitions. He motivated them and they in turn won laurels for Nigeria under the then Sports Minister, Chief Jim Nwobodo.

    In 2014, the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration chose Abacha as one of Nigeria’s greatest heroes for “unity, patriotism and national development.”

    However, he is remembered for his scarce public appearance and refusal to grant interviews or allow the publication of any personal information about him and developed a habit of working only at night.

    He had informed Nigerians during his national broadcast, on assumption to power in 1993, that his regime would be “firm, humane and decisive” and any attempt to test the will of the regime will be decisively dealt with.

    And he lived up to these words, with the continued arrest and detention of journalists and Nigerians that criticized his regime. Between 1995 and 1996, at least 200 senior officers were sacked, including the first Chief of Army Staff, Chris Alli.

    His successor, Ibrahim Alkali, was also fired on grounds of outspokenness. The killing of the Ogoni nine still remain fresh in the minds of Nigerians, with the international community tagging Nigeria “a pariah state.”

    Abacha also jailed prominent Nigerians like Sheu Yar’Adua, Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief MKO Abiola (winner of the June 12 1993 elections), for revolting against his regime.

    Yar’Adua and Abiola later died in prison.

    Abacha was also accused of looting the treasury, stashing the funds abroad, especially in Switzerland.

    Adeyinka Akintunde is a graduate of Philosophy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria. A social commentator and Online Reporter

  • Alleged Kano underage voters: INEC not culpable

    Following the Kano State Local Government election held on 10th February 2018, there were several reports in the media, particularly the social media, alleging that underaged persons voted in the election. Both explicit and implicit in some of these reports was the suggestion that since the National Register of Voters compiled by INEC was used in the election, the alleged problem of underaged voting in the Kano Local Government election is linked to a prevalence of underaged registrants in the National Register of Voters.

    I must note that till date, not a single formal complaint on this matter has been received by the Commission. Rather, some stakeholders, including a political party, have taken to the media to criticize INEC and in some cases to impugn the integrity of the National Register of Voters. Concerned that some of the claims being made about the Register could create doubts in the minds of citizens about INEC’s preparations for the forthcoming general elections, the Commission on 21st February 2018 set up an investigation panel into the allegations that underaged persons voted in the Kano State Local Government election, using the Register of Voters given to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) by INEC, as prescribed by law.

    For the avoidance of doubt, let me emphasize first, that INEC was not in any way involved in organizing the Kano State Local Government election beyond the legal requirement that the register of voters compiled by INEC should be used in all Local Government elections nationwide. The conduct of that election was entirely the responsibility of KANSIEC. Secondly, let me also emphasize that the investigative committee was not established to inquire into the general conduct of the Kano State Local Government election or to inquire into the organization or challenges of KANSIEC. Indeed, INEC has no legal remit to do so. Rather, as the Terms of Reference of the Committee show, its role was strictly to inquire into claims linking the register of voters compiled by INEC and the alleged incidents of underaged voting in the election.

    The investigative committee had National Commissioner Engineer Abubakar Nahuche as Chairman, another National Commissioner Barrister May Agbamuche-Mbu, two Resident Electoral Commissioners (Barristers Mike Igini and Kassim Geidam) as well as some Directors and staff of the Commission, who are experts in ICT, as members. It has since submitted its Report. The Commission has carefully considered the report and accepted its findings and recommendations. Based on its Terms of Reference, there are four key points in the findings and recommendations of the Committee, which may be summarised as follows:

    1. Kano State Independent Electoral Commission requested for and received from INEC the Kano State Register of Voters for the election. The Register was produced for use for the elections. However, the Register was only sighted in a few polling units. In other words, the Register was not used in most of the polling units. In fact, accreditation using the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) largely did not take place.
    2. Given that the Register was substantially not used to accredit voters before voting, it is logical to conclude that if underaged voting occurred in the election, it was not due to any presence of underaged registrants on the Register of Voters. However, after examining some of the images in circulation, the Committee found that they have been available long before the Kano Local Government Elections. The few images and video clips from Kano show no accreditation of voters or any relationship with the Register of Voters.

    iii.    There is need and ample room for collaboration between INEC and all stakeholders to continue to update and improve the National Register of Voters to eliminate all ineligible registrants from it, including dead persons, aliens and underaged registrants.

    1. INEC should work with the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure continuous improvements in the quality of all elections conducted in Nigeria.

    Since the central interest of the Commission and Nigerians in this remains the National Register of Voters because it is the bedrock of the 2019 general elections, let me share with you a few facts about the current register of voters.

    Essentially, the present register of voters is the one compiled by the last Commission in 2011. Recall that before 2011, the register of voters was full of errors including strange entries like Mike Tyson, incorrect entries and misplaced records. Although the pre-2011 register was supposed to contain the fingerprints of registrants, the last Commission found that most of the fingerprints were missing or of very poor quality. Also, there were integration issues and a lot of data were lost because they were collected using incompatible platforms. In addition, there were multiple registrations, as there was minimal attempt to remove multiple entries from the register. These were some of the problems that the last Commission tried to solve by embarking on fresh registration of voters in 2011.

    Since the 2011 general elections, the Commission has been updating this register in accordance with the law along three lines: (i) addition of new registrants from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR); (ii) more stringent running of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to identify multiple registrants and remove them; and (iii) updating incomplete records such as entries with incomplete fingerprints and wrongly spelt names among others. These became particularly important with the introduction of the PVC and Smart Card Reader (SCR). For this reason, records without fingerprints had to be updated, otherwise, the concerned voters will not be able to vote using the PVC and SCR. As a result of these updates and clean up, a final register of 68,833,476 was used for the 2015 general elections.

    Consequently, this Commission believes that it inherited a register that:

    1. Meets a high standard of biometric registration. In fact, many other countries have subsequently learnt from INEC in handling their own registers. For instance, during the recent Presidential election in Liberia, the country’s National Electoral Commission (NEC), through the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), which I currently chair, requested the services of INEC staff to sort out issues with their register. Their work has been highly commended by these organisations and the diplomatic community for contributing to the success of the Liberian election;
    2. Contains 68.8 million valid entries, easily the largest single database of Nigerians in existence;

    iii.    Supports fingerprint matching for authentication of voters during elections using the SCR;

    1. Supports the introduction of machine readable, chip-based PVC; and
    2. Ensures continuous updating through the Continuous Voter Registration, as prescribed by law.

    Under the present INEC, only 432,233 new registrants have been added to our national Voter Register. This represents 0.9 percent increase on the Register used for the 2015 general elections. These additions came essentially from the CVR carried out in 2015 and 2016 in States where we conducted off-season Governorship elections namely Bayelsa, Kogi, Edo and Ondo as well as the FTC Area Council elections. From April 2017 when we commenced the CVR to December of the same year, some 3,981,502 new registrants were recorded, including figures from Anambra State Governorship election held in November 2017. This figure represents the first major additions to the Register since this Commission came on board. Even so, except for the 190,767 new registrants added to the voter register in Anambra State, the new registrants are just about to be added to the national Register.

    It is important to remind us that this National Register of Voters has been used to conduct the 2011 and 2015 general elections, as well as several re-run, off-season and by-elections. Most of these elections have not only been adjudged to meet international standards but have also produced varied outcomes for different political parties at different times. Indeed, the Register used in the Kano Local Government election of 10th February 2018 was the one compiled in 2011, updated in 2014 and used for the 2015 general elections. This Commission did not add a single name to the voter register. As with all elections, some political parties have won and some have lost using the same Register. In fact, many constituencies have changed from one political party to another between elections on the basis of the same Register. Therefore, for anyone to suggest that the same register, on the basis of which political parties have won and lost elections at different times, is suddenly unreliable is curious to say the least.

    Let me reiterate that this Commission is convinced that we now have a dependable register, even if it is not perfect. We believe that it is a huge national asset, easily the largest database of Nigerians in existence today containing over 70 million entries of names, addresses, photographs, ten fingerprints, telephone numbers etc. I implore all Nigerians to see the value of this national asset and work with the Commission to continue to improve it. Considering that there are few if any perfect voters roll anywhere, we can continue to work together with stakeholders and indeed all citizens to ensure that all ineligible registrants and entries are removed from the register and that eligible voters who have not registered take advantage of the ongoing CVR.

    Let me also share with you what we have been doing and what we plan to do as a Commission to continue to update the register and remove ineligible entries from it.

    First, we have made registration more continuous than ever before, starting from April 2017. We regularly display the provisional register after each CVR exercise for claims and objections, as required by law. This usually lasts between 5 and 14 days. We appeal to Nigerians to always use the opportunity of this display to alert the Commission about ineligible registrants, including underaged persons and aliens, as well as incorrect details of registrants.

    Second, also as required by law, we have consistently given political parties copies of the register for each year and ahead of general elections as well as Governorship off-season elections. Only recently, on 28th February 2018, we gave each of the 68 political parties a copy of the register containing names of the 3.9 million new voters registered in 2017. We urged them to use the register not only to reach out to voters, but also to check whether there are ineligible persons on the list and draw the attention of the Commission to them. Unfortunately, since this Commission was inaugurated in 2015, there has not been a single report from any political party of ineligible voters on the Register.

    Third, we have been working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to eliminate aliens from the Register by confiscating PVCs from aliens who are not entitled to vote, thereby identifying them for removal from the Register. Furthermore, the Immigration Service has promised to post their officials to registration centres during CVR to check the incidence of alien registrants.

    Fourth, we intend through our Registration Area Officers (RAOs) to engage communities in all our 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards on a continuous basis to identify deceased persons and other ineligible registrants for removal from the Register. We have developed a RAOs Log Book specifically for this engagement. We appeal to Nigerians to cooperate with them in identifying ineligible registrants for removal.

    Fifth, we intend to include major civil society groups and the media in the publication of the Register of Voters in the future. Section 20 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides that the Register be published 30 days before a general election. In addition to political parties, we intend to include other categories of stakeholders by making available copies of the register to them. Of course, this is without prejudice to the right of every Nigerian to apply for and receive the Register on the payment of the necessary fees as enshrined in the Electoral Act. We hope that CSOs and the media will also join in identifying ineligible registrants for removal.

    Sixth, after the ongoing CVR, which as the law provides will end not later than 60 days to the forthcoming general elections on 16th February 2019 – please note that the law says not later than 60 days, which means that the CVR must end on or before the 60th day to the election –  we intend to display not only the provisional register, but the entire Register at all the Registration Areas/Wards across the country. This again will provide a good opportunity for all citizens to interrogate the Register and identify ineligible registrants, including underaged persons, for removal.

    Finally, the Commission notes the recommendation of the Nahuche Committee that collaboration between INEC and SIECs is necessary to improve the quality of elections in Nigeria, including Local Government elections. In fact, INEC has forged a longstanding relationship with the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FORSIECON), the umbrella body of SIECs. We shall continue to collaborate with FORSIECON towards establishing robust pathways to improving the quality of all elections conducted in Nigeria. Some of the ideas already mooted include drafting of a model law establishing SIECs to bring them in line with the Electoral Act and global best practices, as well as the development of voluntary “Guiding Principles for the Conduct of Free, Fair and Credible Elections in Nigeria” to which we expect all 37 Election Management Bodies in Nigeria to accede.

    Ironically there has been a silver lining in the cloud of allegations of underaged voting in the Kano State Local Government elections. It is providing the Commission an opportunity to take another look at the Register and to engage with stakeholders on how to continue to update and improve it, particularly through the removal of ineligible registrants. As we have consistently promised Nigerians, as a Commission, we shall continue to be open to criticisms, accept shortcomings and take bold corrective steps whenever necessary. All we ask is for Nigerians to see election and the processes related to it, not as the business of INEC alone, but as a collective national project.

     

    • Prof Yakubu is the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission

     

  • Reflections on Senate invasion

    The physical assault on the upper chamber of the National Assembly on April 18 has no comparison in Nigeria’s political history. Although there are parliamentary skirmishes in some of our legislatures in the past, the only comparable event was that of Western House of Assembly in Ibadan in 1962. It was the hey day of the internecine war between Awolowo and Akintola factions of the Action Group, the dominant political party in Western Nigeria in those early days.

    The Ibadan event led to serious political and constitutional developments, mostly negative, until these events engulfed Nigeria in the civil war of 1967 to 1970.

    There is a difference though between what happened this year and the event of 1962. While the latter could be traced to factionalism within a party, this year’s sordid happening should be seen in a larger context. It was invasion by ‘outsiders’ on Nigeria’s parliament. It could probably have been ignited by both intra and inter party squabbles, but one must be honest to admit the fact that it assumes a larger dimension than anything that has happened in our political process since the British departed our shores in 1960.

    More ominously, it happened in a parliament that has become the most criticized, perhaps the most hated national institution of our time. Don’t they deserve this odious perception? They do. It is the only institution of state that keeps the financial benefits it derives from the state under wraps. If for anything else, this veiled attempt at institutional cover up will continue to give the hallowed chamber a bad name, irrespective of its performance.

    Throughout our experience in constitutional governance, it is the only parliament where the government party and the opposition coalesce together in a marriage that negates constitutional set up of government and opposition. It is believed members are not divided on party lines at all; indeed there is a very thin layer of difference between the two major parties in the National Assembly.

    Some people have alleged that the senator from Delta was the arrow head of the attempted civilian coup. If this was true, the prospects are frightening indeed. This is so because many Nigerians believe that at one time in the future, considering the wide gap between the poor and the rich, the millions of unemployed youth, many of whom have good professional certificates, may become restless and would just enter and sack the National Assembly. That could be the beginning of the beginning-apologies to K.O. Mbadiwe.

    The National Assembly could be a natural target since most Nigerians believe that they are taking more than their fair share of the national cake. In fact there is a general belief that more about five percent of national income is consumed by the National Assembly with population of less than five thousand. Sure, the other branches of government – the executive and judiciary are not inhabited by saints. As everybody who cares knows what the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the president, the minister etc takes from the national till are no secret whereas the earnings of members of the National Assembly are shrouded in secrecy,  making people believe that presiding officers of the two chambers earn as much as N35 million per month. And also that senators and members of House of Representatives take N15 million to N20 million per month. In a country where poverty is literally crawling of its four legs, the inequality is certainly unacceptable.

    In some cases, the National Assembly is its own worst enemy. The general belief is that members dare not express different view points from those of the presiding officers or the assembly’s leadership as a whole. In a supposedly liberal democracy, it is wrong for a member to be expelled because he holds contrary views to popular palace positions.

    Indeed Nigeria needs restructuring but not the physical, geographical or financial compartments which some people envisage but the restructuring of the mind and orientation will perform the magic which we envisage for the betterment of our country.

    This 8th assembly should have a rethink. They should be apprehensive about what Nigerians think about them. Besides the annual ritual of senators and members of the House of Representative reaching out to their constituents with singlets, motorcycles and palm wine on annual basis, and beyond what they call constituency projects, they are one day going to dissolve into the larger society where they may not find life comfortable with their unearned billions.

    Although Nigerians are reputed to forget and ignore events so easily, actions bordering on the notorious looting of the national treasury is certainly one that they cannot easily forget.

    Expectedly, this strange event has continued to attract comments across Nigeria. In particular pundits have a field day drawing conclusions. One that is particularly cynical is that the invasion of the Senate is as result of the continuation of events that happened in Kwara State some 20 to 30 years ago. This was when they alleged the Saraki dynasty was imposing its will on the hapless Kwarans. This is a reference to the assumed power of Bukola Saraki over his distinguished colleagues. This power of money and sinecure positions, are what is propelling the assembly resulting into the negative image. It is indeed a black spot in our constitutional history.

    But two issues stand out clear. One: Is it an offence or constitutional breach for a senator to have different views and express these views openly against the leadership position? Two: How did the present Senate leadership emerge in the first place? Is it not by cunning, by conspiracy or by some subterfuge? Until these two issues are resolve, the 8th Assembly particularly the Senate will continue to attract deserved odium from Nigerians.

    • Fasuan MON; JP writes from Ado-Ekiti.