The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • TSA: Why SystemSpecs deserves a competitive service fee

    As the clock slowly ticks towards September 15, 2016 when the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy will mark one year, debates are increasingly dominating the public space. Government officials seem to be playing tag teams praising the policy for instilling a measure of discipline and accountability in the nation’s public sector.

    Last Friday, Vice President Yemi Osibajo said the TSA had flushed out over 40,000 ghost workers from the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) since it was adopted last year. Before him, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed claimed the judicious management of the policy had helped advance the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s fight against corruption and saved Nigeria from imminent collapse. The vaunted impact of the TSA was not lost on President Buhari, who disclosed that the policy had helped his administration take control of over N3 trillion of its cash assets as of the first quarter of 2016.

    But other reactions are not this one-sided. Many others praise the policy for its nationalistic vision, but fault the government for adopting it at this time when Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet. Commercial banks fall into this category because they have an axe to grind. Over the years they had hinged their profits on ill-managed MDA deposits, leaving the government virtually cash-strapped and unable to execute developmental projects. So they argue that the policy is not in their best interests at this time. I beg to differ. It is not financially healthy for banks to depend on MDA funds, nor would we be wise to deposit our investments with financial institutions virtually hopping on one foot. Last Tuesday, Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) helmsman Umaru Ibrahim said the TSA has signalled the end of armchair banking. He stressed that over three years ago, banks had been warned to diversify their sources of deposit mobilisation to avoid overly relying on public funds. So government can hardly be blamed for the mass layoffs experienced in the banking sector, or imposing sanctions for their failure to remit a total of $2.334 billion belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the TSA.

    What I take exception to is government’s sheer hypocrisy in the whole scheme of things. After all, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Policymakers have been in the news for praising the TSA over the past few months without giving due credit to SystemSpecs whose Remita software is responsible for its success. By turns, they have conveniently sidestepped the fact that government owes SystemSpecs its service charge dating back to March last year for providing this service. Is it not ironic that the same government is clamping down on commercial banks for not remitting NNPC funds to the TSA? And since commercial banks are entitled to 40% of SystemSpecs’ service charge, what moral justification does the government have to sanction them for the same offence it is guilty of?SystemSpecs is entitled to a 1% service charge for powering the TSA policy with its Remita software and has a valid contractual agreement with the government to this effect. The company is only entitled to 50% of this fee, while 40% and 10% are meant for commercial banks and the CBN respectively.  This contravenes the argument that made headlines in the recent past that the service fee was bloated and meant for SystemSpecs alone.

    Statistics show that companies abroad rendering the same service charge a much higher percentage than SystemSpecs. For instance, PayPal charges 2.75% for swiped card transactions, 3.5%+15cents for annually entered transactions and 2.9%+30cents for e-commerce integrations. Payfirma charges between 1.99% to 2.95 +25cents per transaction, Square 2.75% for swiped card transactions and Moneris between 2.65% and 2.85%. So without further argument, the President Buhari administration owes SystemSpecs a lot of credit for agreeing to a paltry 1% service charge, which in any case is to be shared with other stakeholders on the service chain.

    SystemSpecs has been denied its due service charge for 16 months and counting. This does not only question the validity of contracts that private entities sign with the Federal Government, but also the negligible recognition we accord our homegrown companies for inventions that turn around our country’s fortunes for the better.

    Recently, SystemSpecs Executive Director Deremi Atanda was on CNBC Africa’s mid-belt programme Power Lunch, where he argued that it was tough for SystemSpecs to continually render services to the government but remain unpaid indefinitely. “We have taken this challenge upon ourselves for the sake of other IT entrepreneurs. It’s not been easy going ahead without being paid for months. But we know that once this is sorted out, it charts the path for others coming into the market,” he said.

    In all of this, I hope government’s inaction does not stifle the TSA just when it is beginning to make some impact. In my opinion, the policy is President Muhammadu Buhari’s single most important achievement. If it fails, observers say the economy would virtually grind to a halt and we would return to the era of “business as usual” in public spending. I sincerely hope this does not happen.

    Oguma is a public affairs analyst

     

     

     

     

  • TSA: Why we mustn’t throw the baby away with bathwater

    It is often said that Nigerians are resilient and can “suffer and smile” their way through any situation, however tough. Maybe so. But as Nigeria gradually slides into full-scale economic recession, frowns are beginning to outnumber smiles and many fear the future looks bleak.

    Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) painted a gloomy picture when it forecast that the Nigerian economy was likely to contract by 1.8 percent this year. Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefelie’s prognosis was no less dire. He disclosed that Nigeria was experiencing economic stagflation, which is a euphemistic way of admitting the economy is experiencing little or no growth, resulting in high rates of unemployment, inflation and a decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Already, the prices of foodstuff, transportation, shelter and other basic necessities are at an all-time high. No one needs to be reminded that massive unemployment only means an increase in social vices. After all, Nigerians have their hands full struggling to make ends meet amidst one of the toughest economic downturns they have ever experienced.

    In situations like this, Nigerians are quick to trade blames rather than see the big picture. Some groups and individuals are already blaming the parlous economy on the Federal Government’s implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy. I beg to differ. It is ironic how a policy that eliminates the diversion of public funds by stipulating that all revenue receipts and payments conducted by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) be deposited into a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) can actually have negative implications for the economy. Rather, we should blame previous administrations for not implementing such a policy sooner, leaving much room for corruption which well-nigh left the treasury empty during the inception of this administration.

    It is also questionable to blame banks’ liquidity problems on the adoption of the TSA policy. After all, we want a banking system that is strong enough to power the economy and keep our investments safe. So there is absolutely no justification for Diamond Bank to lay off 200 staff, Ecobank 1,040 and FBN Holdings a projected 1000 just because the new policy stipulates that Deposit Money Banks (DMB) remit the revenue they receive from MDAs to the CRA at the close of every banking day. A strong banking system cannot be built on profit generated from cash deposits left stagnant while the government is starved of funds meant for capital and other projects.

    What this dire situation calls for is that Nigeria urgently diversify its economy away from crude oil.  Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the veritable tool for economic growth that many other forward-looking nations of the world have adopted. According to statistics, India raked in a whopping $75 billion from its software exports between 2014 and 2015, and is continuously registering double-digit annual growth in the process.

    At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Kigali earlier this year, South African Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, reportedly assured potential investors of positive returns on their investments in South Africa’s infrastructure and ICT sectors. He emphasised that such innovative partnerships could help bridge the financing gaps for economic and social infrastructure.

    Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind if we must move forward. Ours is a country that boasts several homegrown ICT companies and initiatives that show much promise and can be encouraged. For the record, Glo has beat the odds to become a powerhouse in telecoms; while Paga and eTranzact are two ePayment systems that have made a difference on the Nigerian economic landscape. More crucially, the revolutionary TSA policy adopted by the Federal Government was invented and continues to be powered by indigenous software giant SystemSpecs, using its software Remita.

    According to recent reports, the software has already saved the government up to N3 trillion in the first quarter of 2016 alone and has the potential to do more. Recently, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, admitted that the judicious management of the TSA has helped advance President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s fight against corruption and saved Nigeria from imminent collapse. He maintained that this administration had managed scarce resources prudently, thanks to TSA, the anti-corruption fight and elimination of ghost workers.

    All of this can only be good for brand Nigeria as a reference point for something other than corruption and terrorism.

    So rather than throw the baby away with the bathwater, we must begin to appreciate the positive changes in our payment landscape. If change is to happen, sacrifices must be made urgently and that includes economic diversification in favour of ICT.

     

    Aderemi is a Warri-based ICT enthusiast

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Why I am contesting for Publicity Secretary of PDP’

    ‘Why I am contesting for Publicity Secretary of PDP’

    My name is Prince Deji Adeyanju and I have been a member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for several years. I am a firm believer in its principles and ideals. I also believe that PDP is the only truly national party in Nigeria and is, therefore, best placed to deliver successful achievement of the collective ideals and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

    While I recognise that the party is by no means perfect, I am aware that over the years it has deepened democracy in the country and has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Nigeria as a whole.

    Following the defeat PDP suffered in the last general elections, and the zoning of the office of the National Publicity Secretary (NPS) to the North Central Region of the country, I have decided to contest for the office and a place on the National Working Committee of the party.

    I believe I possess the skills, ability and the personality to make an outstanding contribution to the task of improving the image of the party. It is for this reason that I solicit the support of all members of the party as I work to actualise this ambition.

    In return for your support, I pledge to give my best in the day to day activities of the office. I pledge to ensure that the image of the party, the protection and polishing of which is the objective of the Directorate of Publicity, will be significantly better at the end of my tenure than the way I met it. I pledge to execute my duties with exemplary discipline and dedication to duty.

    In return for your support, I pledge to bring a new way of doing things to the Publicity Secretariat of the party. I pledge to lead a revolution that will not only strengthen the faith that members and supporters have in the party, but which will also convince millions of Nigerians that as a party PDP has their best interests at heart and is the most viable vehicle with which to deliver on our collective dreams & aspirations.

    This way, together with the leadership of the party, I believe that we can make this party great again.

  • Of conductors, bus drivers and change

    You know the biggest menace of present day metropolitan Lagos?

    It’s Change.

    Not the Buhari’s mantra of witch-haunting erring public officers; but the pain of losing your loose cash to the sly whims of a Lagos bus conductor.

    Whimsical, right?

    Strange, but true. Nka n be. My worst TV show of all time.

    Yes! I can brag about my own life. In all my life as a sojourner in this Lagos; I have never forgotten my change in any conductor’s hand. I can’t even recall one because there has never been one!

    It is either the change is tied to my airtime, or someone’s leased money or my transport fare to somewhere.

    I am not much of the rough type. Maybe because I ask gently. I have heard many cries of many commuters  and many curses too. How sad it is to lose your change. With the economy where everyone is faithfully sourcing for quick wealth! And times are as tough as hell! It is no doubt we are in the toughest of times.

    This will be the second time I will see a commuter lose their change in a commercial bus. Early this week, I boarded a bus- #50 was my change. At a point, I got tired and stopped asking. I wasn’t the only one who got tired to ask, the woman beside me too, got too tired to ask.

    Surprisingly, She alighted at the next bus-stop. And the rest was history. The bus driver couldn’t try that with me. I made sure my request was well received.

    Today again, a woman paid for a group of her four friends in head gears for an exciting and very colourful function. In the end after paying #500 for the four women. They all got off the bus. Leaving a lump sum in the driver’s hand. That bus was #50 per passenger.

    So the driver gained #500 from one woman!!! How nice.

    I will say this motorists cheat us every single day! It is much worse when all this mantra of change hasn’t gotten us anywhere than hoping for all things to turn better.

    If you ask me, I will say we got whips, a cross, several hammers and nails to crucify these motorists.

    It is so unfair.

  • Rethinking the Nigerian youth

    Rethinking the Nigerian youth

    The potential of Nigeria’s youth population is arguably contradictory: on one side, pockets of shinning stars; on the other, a largely untapped resource. But there is growing evidence that young people can be agents of change, when given a chance. As we commemorate International Youth Day, this article explores the implication of putting young people at the forefront of change and development in this era of peak youth.

    When we talk about young people in Nigeria we often talk about the vicious circle problems that get linked to youth: unemployment, underdevelopment, political thuggery, ignorance, radicalization and militancy – although there are pockets of shinning stars.

    In Nigeria, the median age of our population is 20.1. But this will not carry on forever, and we are not alone in that. We are part of an interconnected world, which is passing a major statistical milestone in human history this International Youth Day 2016. It is the last time in the planet’s history that more people will be under 30 rather than older: right now we are living in the era of ‘peak youth’. The total number of young people in the world is starting to plateau. Today, we have the largest global youth population in history, and this mass will remain for several decades before beginning to shrink later this century. What does this mean for us here, and for the world?

    First, we need to change the way we think about youth. The UN counts those 1.8 billion as youth because they are 15 to 24 years old, but this definition is arguably not universal and is fast changing. The transition to adulthood is being stretched in all countries. In Nigeria, young people are still waiting to take the lead of growth and development, have a decent job, place to live or their own family, and a policies that will determine their future. But the power of youth is that they are neither dependent children nor fully independent adults. Young people are a vital group facing huge personal challenges- challenges on which society collectively succeeds or fails. Youth is not an age bracket; it is the passing from dependency to independence. It is a transition full of potential – potential that must be harnessed.

    Second, we need to change the way we think about what youth can do. This will happen within the lifetimes of many of us today. World leaders, including our own President, Muhammadu Buhari, have set themselves historic Global Goals to end poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030, so this simple fact has huge ramifications. Without the Youth Power of a generation that is 1.8 billion strong and will make sure those promises are kept, that better world will not be achieved for any generation. We have seen an example of what young people can do to change our country positively. Take 25-year-old Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, whose startup, Andela,  recently received $24 million from Mark Zuckerberg And Priscilla Chan’s Fund to train African Engineers and what that could mean for job creation in Nigeria, or Oluseun Onigbinde, who gave up a career in banking five years ago to devote himself fulltime to making sense of the country’s federal expenditures and its implication on growth and development.

    Savvy in the use of data and social media, Onigbinde founded BudgIT Nigeria, a website that provides budgetary facts and figures an average Nigerian can understand. “Sometimes, it takes individual citizens to lead the way,” says Bill Gates, in a speech delivered at the 2016 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the University of Pretoria. “Onigbinde is no doubt a thorn in the side of some of Nigeria’s elite. To me, he is an example of what one person can do to make a difference,” Gates added, underlining the impact young people can make when employed as an agency for change and development.

    Finally, we need to change our assumptions about what young people want. So many of those stereotypes about young people in our country come from assuming that what they want is either to change things in a way that is a threat to society, or that they are so apathetic they do not want anything at all. When my agency Restless Development asked young people to survey thousands of other young people, we found that was not the case at all, and that young people prioritized having a voice, they wanted a decent living that contributed to their society, they wanted sexual rights to ensure their health and freedom from discrimination, and they wanted to be able to show leadership in preventing and solving our biggest challenges. But most of all, they wanted to show they can, and are already, leading. I hear from young volunteers every day that more young people need to the aware of the ambitious but achievable Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But they also have priorities.

    Indeed, it is important to consider the needs of young people before formulating development policies. For Happy Zirra, a Global Youth Ambassador advocating for access to education in Northern Nigeria with the A World at School initiative, goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 4 (Education), and 5 (Gender Equality) are priorities. According to her, “government should also make grants accessible to young people and their organizations to lead delivery of the SDGs.” What this reemphasizes is the need to turn to the agency of young people; to utilize their potential, priorities, and passion to deliver the SDGs.

    If we change the way we think about youth, if we change the way we talk about young people, if we change the way that all ages can participate in our decision making, then, we will find that young people will change our world – for the better. This moment of ‘Peak Youth’ can be a historic opportunity for that positive change.

    Douglas Imaralu is an Atlas Corps Fellow/Partnerships and Communications Fellow at the US hub of Restless Development, a global agency for youth-led development. He tweets from @jefumare

  • Failed Akoko agenda and matters arising

    Failed Akoko agenda and matters arising

    The glaring and inexcusable failure of the political elites in Akoko Land to present an agreeable, acceptable and preferred governorship aspirant out of the about 10 aspirants from the Akoko division for the August 27 scheduled primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State is a classical instance of how political elites could place personal interests above the communal desire for growth and development. With the declaration by the former deputy governor of Ondo State and member of APC Board of Trustees, Alhaji Ali Olanusi that Akoko Land has no preferred governorship aspirant, the ugly scenario painted above might have defeated the Akoko Agenda.

    As an Akoko man, my understanding of Akoko Agenda is the collective desire of majority of sons and daughters of Akoko Land to produce the governorship candidate of the APC and by extension, produce the next governor of Ondo State. The choice of APC is understandable, given the fact that the party is the most dominant and the most popular political party in our region in Ondo State.

    It is instructive to note that Akoko Land has four local government areas, namely Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-East and Akoko South-West.

    For those who would be tempted to accuse our people of sectional interest, the temptation would be defeated if they have a slight idea of how Akoko Land has been neglected by the government of Ondo State since 2009. We have the worst set of roads in the State. All indices of development show that our region in Ondo State lacks government patronage. Infact, it appears the region has been cut off from Ondo State with the alarming level of marginalization we have suffered from the Dr Olusegun Mimiko-led administration since 2009.

    According to the testimony of Alhaji Ali Olanusi, he had an understanding with the Chief Felix Ayegbusi-led Akoko Elders Assembly to summon a meeting of the Assembly to discuss the issue of choosing a single Aspirant for Akoko in the forthcoming APC primary election in Ondo State. The meeting that was well attended by the governorship aspirants resolved to inaugurate a committee to screen the aspirants. Eminent indigenes of Akoko from the Akoko Development Group (ADG) and Akoko Consultative Forum (ACF) made membership of the committee. Chief Ayegbusi himself is a member of the committee. Without mincing words, both governorship aspirants and party elders accepted the membership composition of the committee.

    The report of the committee placed Prof. Ajayi Boroffice from Akoko South-West LG at first position with 74.3%. Hon. Victor Olabimtan from Akoko South-West LG came second with 69.8%. Mr Gani Dauda from Akoko North-West LG came third with 61.8%. Dr. Tunji Abayomi from Akoko North-West LG came fourth with 57.6%. Mr Olusegun Abraham from Akoko North-East LG came sixth with 54.6% amongst others. The report, which was widely publicized further showed that scores on 5-point range assessment rating scale were collapsed into five (5) inclusive and mutually reinforcing clusters of desirable attributes of governorship aspirants.

    The five clusters are: – relevant educational and related background, real and potential capacity to reposition Ondo State, demonstrated consistency, loyalty and commitment to APC and its core values since the party’s inception, contributions to the growth of the party and ability and political clout/influence to relate with the Federal Government and relevant International Organizations/Agencies to attract/secure patronage and investments for development. It is instructive to note that Prof. Sola Ehindero who served as chairman of the committee is from Akoko North-West LG while the committee secretary, Hon. Pelemo is from Akoko South-East LG.

    However, the committee has barely laid its report to the assembly of Akoko leaders of APC that Chief Felix Ayebusi, who is a member of the committee,  whimsically and hurriedly announced the endorsement a governorship aspirant, Mr. Segun Abraham. The committee report had placed Mr Abraham at sixth position. Citing reasons for the endorsement of Mr Abraham, Chief Ayegbusi said since Akoko division has two parts, namely Akoko South and Akoko North, Akoko South that had been favoured most should give opportunity to Akoko North. He, however failed to tell the world the parameters he deployed to adopt Mr Abraham out of the many aspirants from Akoko North. Dr. Tunji Abayomi and Mr Ganny Dauda are from Akoko North Federal Constituency.

    The intrigues and manipulative actions that culminated in an attempt by the Ayegbusi-led group to impose an aspirant on other aspirants left the group in huge integrity deficit. That is why all aspirants rejected the endorsement of Mr Abraham by Chief Ayegbusi. Even Dr Tunji Abayomi, whose Akoko North had been favoured by the Chief Ayegbusi’s kangaroo endorsement, kicked and rejected the arrangement by describing it as “embarrassingly self-serving and divisive”. Abayomi also said any endorsement without the consent of the Aspirants is useless while declaring that no group of leaders can impose a Candidate on any Aspirant.

    In a similar manner, another aspirant, Hon. Victor Olabimtan described the arrangement as dead even before arrival because of lack of confidence in the leaders that are supposed to drive the process. The action of the Ayegbusi group is everything short of modest, honest and transparent. The bone of contention is whether imposition is allowed under a consensus arrangement.

    Due to facts that the Chief Ayegbusi’s self-serving endorsement of Mr Abraham and the report of Alhaji Ali Olanusi-led committee, which recommended Prof. Boroffice for adoption as a preferred governorship aspirant, had been rejected by the aspirants, the aspirants have been admonished to go and discuss among themselves and present a single aspirant who will contest the primary election of the APC. Though, the aspirants said they are not opposed to consensus arrangement provided the process is thorough, all inclusive and the terms are acceptable to all aspirants, the possibility of presenting a single aspirant is almost foreclosed given the ugly turn of political events in recent times.

    In clear terms, the disunity and dearth of cohesion in the club of governorship aspirants in the APC doe not speak well for the collective aspiration of the people of Akoko land to produce the next governor of Ondo State. If Akoko Land fails to produce the next governor of Ondo State, the Chief Felix Ayegbusi-led group should be chiefly blamed for pursuing personal interests at a critical time it was expected to offer acceptable leadership.

     

    Sikiru Olusola writes from Ikare-Akoko

    Ondo State.

  • Ali Modu Sheriff’s excess luggage

    Ali Modu Sheriff’s excess luggage

    I have never been a fan of Ali Modu Sheriff’s kind of politics. It is a political philosophy predicated on the principle of the end justifies the means, which I find appalling. His praise epithet, known as “kirari” in Hausa, recited at all his political gatherings before he mounted the podium throughout his eight year rule as governor portrays him as a “ruthless and mean” person. Perhaps, a critical analysis of this praise epithet will help Nigerians understand why he will continue to be a source of nightmare to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), unless he has his way.
    Anyone who openly challenges SAS, as he is popularly called, has murdered sleep. The way and manner he humiliated the late Mala Kachallah out of office in 2003, describing his election as a mistake (kuskure), and how he almost made Borno State ungovernable for Kashim Shettima between 2013 and 2015, tells the story of the “Lion of the desert.” The duo’s crime was that they refused to be puppet governors.
    However, there are three qualities I admire in the former governor. First, he is a goal getter who never sleeps until he gets what he wants. Second, he never takes anything for granted, such that the way he will fight a common man on the street undermining his political interest is the same way he will fight a governor or president.
    Third, more than any other living politician in Borno’s history, he understands the power of money in achieving political goals. This partly accounts for why he has come this far in the murky waters of Nigeria’s politics. I believe that these qualities, if better managed, can propel him to greater heights, but blind ambition, obsession with power and vendetta have so much blurred his vision that he cannot see these political assets in him.
    His unending desire to become the PDP national chairman at all costs, after the duo of Governors Ayodele Fayose and Nyesom Wike tricked him, underscores his obsession with power. This has continued to erode his remaining political capital, if he still has any. A keen follower of the chairmanship crisis does not need a soothsayer to know that some chieftains took advantage of his financial war chest, collected his money and hoodwinked him into becoming acting national chairman, but left him in the cold at the eleventh hour.
    That was also the basic script of his political act while he held sway as governor of Borno for eight years. Sheriff does not deserve anybody’s sympathy over his current travails, as what you do unto others shall be done unto you. Perhaps, the late Dele Giwa had him in mind when he said “any evil done by man to man will be redressed; if not now then later, if not by man then by God. For the victory of evil over good is temporary.”
    For those who have forgotten, I will recall three major instances out of many to buttress my point. In 2003, he had promised Mohammed Kumalia, a one-time All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Minority leader in the House of Representatives that he would make him governor after dethroning the late Mala Kachallah.
    The young, charismatic and eloquent Kumalia took Sheriff’s words as the gospel truth, started campaigning underground, putting up political structures and even sold one of his properties in Abuja to raise money for the project. At the eleventh hour, Sheriff told Kumalia at the tarmac of the Maiduguri Airport that he has changed his mind because people said he cannot deliver the state to the party. Kumalia was heartbroken; their relationship degenerated leading to his expulsion from the party.
    He has not recovered from this political blow dealt on him by Sheriff till this day.
    There was also the case of his other political soul mate and controversial strong woman of Borno politics, Fati Kakeena. He had promised her the ticket of the Borno North Senatorial district under ANPP. After the elections got to the elections petitions tribunal, he turned his back on her and attempted to bring in Ambassador Ahmed Baba Jidda, his then secretary to the state government. This episode led to a long drawn political and legal battle between him and Kakeena that they have remained sworn enemies till this moment.
    While the case of Kumalia and Kakeena sounds like child’s play, Kabir Wanori, a staunch Mala Kachallah loyalist, is one politician who will never forget the former governor. Sheriff made him decamp from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) promising him heaven and earth, only to dump him like garbage as soon as he joined the party. Wanori became stuck politically like a car broken down midway into a journey, until Governor Kashim Shettima rehabilitated him two years ago.
    The PDP, on the other hand, does not deserve the sympathy of Nigerians too. They knew who Ali Sherifff is before bringing him on board. One thing he loves after his life is power. You cannot befriend a mortuary attendant and say you do not want to see dead bodies. The PDP should not shed crocodile tears. The party was built on deceit and thrived on injustice for sixteen years. It is responsible for Nigeria’s economic woes today and is reaping the fruits of its labour.

    The question is: Does Ali Modu Sheriff need to be PDP national chairman to be relevant in Nigerian politics? The answer is ‘No’. In fact, the manner he has continued to move from one court to another getting all sorts of injunctions is injurious to his political career. The PDP as it is today is a liability and bad brand that no amount of rebranding can repair. In addition, the party’s chieftains do not seem to realise the import of Obasanjo’s tearing of his membership card in the countdown to the 2015 general elections. The former president simply tore the future of the party and no amount of coalition can revive it. Sheriff is just one of the party’s many problems.
    He also does not have what it takes to lead the party because of his personality. Sheriff still has a hangover of Borno’s kind of politics where there is no plurality of views. Hence, he failed to understand the inner workings of the PDP that he said through his aide that he had expelled the likes of Jerry Gana and others who are founding fathers of the party. It was from this point, his trouble with PDP started. It is ridiculous that a man who is a barely two years in a party will expel those who wrote the constitution of the party seventeen years ago.
    As it is today, Sheriff needs to lie low and do proper stock taking of his political career. He left the All Progressives Congresses (APC) under controversial circumstances over irreconcilable differences with the leaders. At a point, he almost engaged Bola Tinubu in a physical combat just because he would not be allowed to produce a candidate for the position of national chairman and secretary respectively. Since joining the PDP, he has continued in the same manner, clashing with the governors elected on the party’s platform. He has made enough enemies in his eight year rule as Borno governor, alongside the Boko Haram controversy. He cannot afford to make more as his shoulders are not broad enough to carry the burden. There is a popular Hausa proverb that applies here: “Da mugun rawa, gaara kin tashi”, meaning “instead of a bad dance, it is better one does not get up at all.” For how long will he continue to accumulate excess luggage for a political career marred by controversies?
    Sheriff, despite his stupendous wealth, cannot win the chairmanship of his home local council, Ngala, today, not to talk of becoming a senator in Borno Central, with eight local government areas. He should stop deceiving himself, if people are deceiving him, that he is a presidential material. According to a Malawian proverb, “he who thinks he is leading and no one is following him is only taking a walk.”
    I wonder how his wife, Fati and children feel when they read stories from Nigerian newspapers posted on social media and the kind of nasty comments that follow. I do not know his children, but I surely know his wife is too gentle for the kind of controversies he keeps getting into. I also wonder what the friends of his children say when they read these negative comments.
    Ali Modu Sheriff, by any standard, either before he became governor or after, is not a poor man. He comes from one of the richest families in Borno. Politically, providence has smiled on him as the first son of Dikwa emirate to be elected governor twice; he was elected to the Senate thrice, though inaugurated twice as the third one was truncated by the military; and reduced the Borno State PDP to spectators for eight years despite holding the government at the centre. Hence, he does not need to be active in politics to survive. Then, why all this trouble? He needs to save his wife and children the trauma of these negative commentaries about him in both mainstream and social media.
    In addition, no matter how biased a historian may be, the story of Nigeria’s democratic experience in the last sixteen years cannot be written without mentioning the name of Ali Modu Sheriff. In the case of Borno, the story will be incomplete without a chapter being dedicated to him. What else does he want?
    Above all, he needs to take a break in order to not to do more damage to the family name. Today, the mention of his name in any part of the country elicits negative reactions because of the brand he has unconsciously built for himself. He needs to protect the family name and allow his other siblings to make their mark in national politics. It is interesting to note that out of his father’s fifty five children, he seems to be the most “famous”, but there are others doing their things quietly that people may not know are from the family with him.
    His insistence on treading the same path can deny his other siblings the opportunity of attaining prominence in national politics because he is damaging his political career and the People’s Democratic Party. The former governor must realise his current actions can rubbish the hard work of his father, Galadima Dikwa, Modu Sheriff. He is gradually becoming a mirror through which Nigerians view the family which may be wrong. Galadima Dikwa is one Borno businessman I respect so much, regardless of what others may think of him. Despite his little education and humble beginning as a local perfume seller, he achieved what the likes of Late Ahmed Mai Deribe could not achieve despite being close to the corridors of power. Every Borno man knows what happened to Deribe’s eldest son, Zanna, at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) despite his father’s stupendous wealth. It is better to allow sleeping dogs lie. He needs to learn from this and tread softly because power makes and destroys people.
    No matter how many court judgments he gets, the PDP governors who are the heartbeat of the party are not likely to accept him; neither will he give up on his ambition to lead the party. He has inflicted enough damage on the party that it will go into the Edo governorship election in disarray. He has also put the “Inconclusive” National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a bigger dilemma on how to proceed with the Edo elections.
    Ali Modu Sheriff must realise that his desperate attempt to lead the party is an exercise in futility. This is because the PDP is a sinking ship and the forces against him are far more mischievous than he is. But true to his praise epithet, he will continue to punch holes in the umbrella, so much so that everyone in the party will become drenched. He will also take the undignifying responsibility of being the undertaker for the party. Excess luggage in politics comes with so much pain that it buries both the owner and his luggage.

  • Beyond Operation ‘’GAMA AIKI’’

    After been away from my second home for four years to study abroad, I visited Maiduguri in July 2014 for a week and decided to see a friend of mine at Bulumkutu Abuja.

    As soon as it was time for the late afternoon prayers known as Asr, I asked him to accompany me to the mosque in the neighbourhood for congregational prayers.

    He declined. Jokingly, he said he will not be responsible for anything that happens to me at the mosque as Boko Haram had agents in every mosque in Maiduguri, knowingly fully well that many people in the neighborhood knew I have been out of the country for a while.

    He conveyed a very important message to me in a sarcastic manner, that the people had their hearts in their mouth as Boko Haram was a government within a government.

    The people seem to have seen phases of the insurgency from when the governor publicly broke down in tears seeing hundreds of his people killed by suicide bombs and threat of removal from then President Goodluck Jonathan. When I met Governor Kashim Shettima later, my fears were confirmed. He looked frail, with gray hair on his head and moustache like a troubled village head indicating stress and laughter seems to have taken flight from his face for a while. This is a story for another day.

    When I look at the situation in Borno two years ago and make a comparison with the condition of the people today, the situation has improved tremendously. The mere fact Eid-el-Fitr  was celebrated without restriction of movement and major roads are now open for the first time in five years  means the place is gradually living up to its former reputation as ‘’Home of Peace”.

    A semblance of cultural activities taking place  at the  Shehu of Borno’s  palace also underscore the sacrifice made by our gallant soldiers led by the Chief of Army Staff(COAS),General Yusuf Tukur Buratai and Governor Kashim Shettima for taking away Borno from opposition politics. I do not know what the situation would have been like if the state was still under an opposition party even under President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The appointment of the trio of Babagana Monguno as National Security Adviser who hails from Monguno in Northern Borno,Buratai from Biu local government area in Southern Borno as COAS and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar  as chief of Air Staff respectively underscores the vision of the Buhari administration in tackling the Boko Haram scourge.

    The duo of Monguno and Buratai apart from being sons of the soil,their knowledge of the terrain has been a great blessing and also been personally affected by the insurgency has given the operation the needed bite and commitment. Air Marshal Sadique is also conversant with the terrain having served in the state during the military era that his records as a young officer then remain unbeaten in Borno today.

    The Boko Haram insurgency and the attendant loss of lives and property that will take states affected four decades to recover fully was due to complacency and negligence. Anyone who was at the Ibn Taimiyya Mosque and listened to Late Mohammed Yusuf’s last sermon in July 2009 few days after members of the Operation Flush attacked his members for not putting on their crash helmet will not be surprised to see many towns reduced to rubbles today.

    Apart from TELL magazine and Daily Trust newspaper that did a marvelous job of interpreting what the threat from Yusuf meant for peace and national security, every other medium treated it as a normal story. The government of the day and security apparatus saw the matter differently. The rest is history.

    ‘’Gama Aiki’’  the code name for the ongoing military operation in the North East to  crush Boko Haram which in Hausa literally means getting the job done is the first step in fighting insurgency. This is because Boko Haram tapped into structural and economic defects in Borno society especially in the ten local governments of Northern Borno. The political class in this Senatorial zone institutionalized the culture of laziness and dependency among youths especially those within the age of 20-30years. This accounts for why places like Monguno, Damasak, Marte, Baga and Abadam became their stronghold until our soldiers crushed or chased them away.

    Out of the ten local government areas in Northern Borno that has produced three governors namely Mohammed Goni, Asheik Jarma and Maina Maa’ji Lawan, only Baga town in Kukawa local government has a vibrant economy where young people can earn a living on daily basis, thanks to the fishing business. All other towns have no single industry where youths can earn a living.

    Their only industry is the secretariat of the local government where the chairman doles out peanuts to idle young men once a month after paying salaries. Of these towns, the case Mallam Fatori which is the headquarters of Abadam local government area that has produced three speakers for the state house of assembly namely Bulama Fugu, Goni Ali Modu and AbdulRahman Lawan  is the worst.

    They are cut off from civilization due to desert encroachment and their only source of affordable healthcare is Bosso in Niger republic. In addition, the desert has so much eaten into the Abadam that only a four wheel drive vehicle can take one there and it will cost five times what it will cost one to build a block of classroom in Maiduguri.

    This is why Nigerian soldiers currently serving in Northern Borno deserve our support and prayers because it is the most difficult terrain to fight an unknown enemy especially in the rainy season. Professor Bulakarima, Bulama Fugu, Goni Ali Modu, other sons and daughters of Abadam can prove me wrong if I am exaggerating. This is why I laugh whenever I hear Niger Delta youths complaining that they have environmental problems. This is because if the people of Abadam alone decide to use the Niger Delta approach to draw government attention to their plight, then the situation will be very messy.

    If the federal government and the state government are really committed to ending the insurgency, it must begin to think beyond just rebuilding houses for the people to return home. This is because resettling people without putting in place economic structures for young people to realize their potential is rubbishing the gains of Operation ‘’Gama Aiki’ . Nigeria can never win the war against Boko Haram if these ten local government areas do not have small scale industries like block making,welding, carpentry, shoe making, packaged water and so- on where young people can earn a daily pay. This remains the only way to block Boko Haram from indoctrinating young men and recruiting them for suicide missions.

    The absorption of some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force into the Nigerian army last week is indeed commendable, but still like a drop in the ocean. I was happy when I read in the newspapers a few days ago that the National Assembly has passed the law for the establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) with headquarters in Maiduguri. While this development is commendable, it is too early to celebrate until the commission takes off and begin to implement laudable programs. This is because the disagreement over where the headquarters of the commission will be located that almost killed the bill is an indication that the political class is looking at it as another version of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) where contract bazaar and elephant projects will be executed for private pockets. The federal and state government must realize that should they fail to make the commission work, build small scale industries in the area, then the aftermath will be catastrophic.

    The state and federal government must come up with a deliberate program that will address the needs of children orphaned by Boko Haram living in camps across the state and ensure they grow up to be responsible citizens. Efforts should gear towards minimizing the effects of the loss of their parents by catering for the educational, social and economic needs. It is traumatizing enough that some children will grow up not knowing either of their parents due to the activities of some lunatics acting in the name of religion.

    When the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) eventually return home, there is need for psychologists and psychiatrists who will help people dealing with trauma. Some of these IDPs will not comprehend the effect of the horrifying scenes they witnessed before fleeing their homes until they return to begin life afresh in their various communities once again.

    Other states should learn a lesson from what is happening in the North East. After all, a Hausa proverb says ‘’once your neighbour’s beard is on fire, quickly apply water to yours’’. This means other states should not gnash their teeth and think such can never happen in their domain. The insurgency is a just a microcosm of the larger Nigerian problem and reaction to the absence of good governance and corruption. In the South West, we have “Area Boys and Omo Onile”, the North West has Yan Daba” and the South East has ‘’Ndi Agboro”. The National Bureau of Statistics captures it more succinctly when it said recently that seventy percent of Nigerian youth are unemployed. These are potential time bomb waiting to explode. The resultant effect of youth employment in these areas may be worse than Boko Haram. The state and federal government must look for ways of creating job opportunities for youths as the private sector in Nigeria is still not vibrant enough to be the largest employer of labour.

    The sacrifice of our gallant soldiers who laid their lives for peace to return to the North East must not be in vain. State and federal government must come together to put structures in place for youth employment and carryout environmental impact assessment of farmlands in these areas so that the people can make use of their farms in the near future. Nigeria cannot afford another form of insurgency in whatever form as the consequences are better imagined than said.

    Lawal, a Public Commentator writes from Boston, United States and can be reached at rafla2002pl@yahoo.com

  • Education: Cure for Poverty

    Education: Cure for Poverty

    In a country of half paralyzed economy system, we can say education is basically the closest, cure for poverty in the world today, it plays a key role in helping eradicating poverty, as a result of the poor quality of education, it has happened that the level of poverty increases, people are more focused on needs and also forget the long term benefits of education.

    Education makes it more difficult for men and women not to be employed, but could be of better advantage, if you hold a good job that is more secure, privilege of good  working conditions and also decent pay that’s the power of education. Education would not only help you cure poverty, but also guard you from poverty.

    High level of education helps you stand less risk of poverty than a less educated person. Which is true in the world today, but it is quite surprising also that not all the successful people of the world today are graduates or even have a taste of education but that does not dispute the importance of education some might even regret it because education gives you edge and balance.

    An educated person would pay attention to everything because he or she might later make sense of it and wouldn’t just act without reasoning. Education keeps you from being trapped because you’d be able to reason logically, you won’t just believe something without reasoning, you certainly need to get educated.

    A great job, a good social reputation are few of the many benefits of being an educated person. Education is a must for a promising and secure future. An educated person has more chances for survival in today’s world. The more educated you are, the better the career options you have. Not only is education important in reducing poverty, the role of education in poverty, is crucial. No country of the world has or would succeed if it has not educated its people, Education is important for the fight against poverty.

    In the societies of today, even the poorest parents wish to invest all they have in children’s education and doing this they believe that the investment would sow good seed, even if they have suffered they still believe in the future of their children. Looking at the situation on ground that’s enough motivation for the children to get good education.  On the long run they would also see the bigger picture on the importance education and how it would help eradicate poverty and also the opportunities that comes after completed education; this would also help prevent the transfer of poverty between generations.

    Education and has contributed to the societies of today it gets you exposed and has also made almost everything accessible. The effect of education is strong.it is advised we get education to some level and this might at list reduce the rate of poverty and make people suffer less. At least if we all have a secondary education, it would reduce the rate, sometimes it is not about formal education there’s need for sex education, parents should at least train or educate their children on sex education, educating the female child can help control birth rate. Some families are larger than expected and suffering.

    A number of school aged children these days are not even in school why? It’s because provisions are not even made for them. Lack of birth control could never be ruled out, teenage pregnancies increases and then this should not be so, education can contribute to reducing poverty.it is important to acquire basic education at least.

    Take a look at those in paid formal employment they earn higher wages because of the level of education, it has become a necessity and a force contributing to the elimination of poverty in a sustainable way, It is therefore important to invest in education that provides children and youth with relevance in the society.

  • ‎How AUN is using technology to tackle illiteracy

    ‎How AUN is using technology to tackle illiteracy

    The American University of Nigeria has being leading the fight against illiteracy in Yola, Adamawa state capital and other states in the North East. Faith Yahaya who visited Yola recently, writes on the school and its effort to reduce illiteracy among school children in the region.

    A survey conducted sometime ago by UNESCO’s showed that despite moves to better the country’s education system, about 65 million Nigerians remain illiterate.

    The pointer here is that we do not need soothsayers to tell us that the statistic is alarming and as a matter of national urgency, we need to work to redress our literacy crisis. The issue of illiteracy especially how to reduce or eradicate it has come up at different fora, but can it be reduced or eradicated?

    There are so many children who are out of school, while those in school right now cannot boast of even getting the quality education they desire, as there are fundamental issues to be addressed. Are the teachers well trained, is the environment conducive and are the policy makers introducing right policy that will encourage better learning?

    The usual maxim we get is that Nigerians or blacks don’t read, but how do we instil the culture of reading into kids when statistics has it that 35 million Nigerian adults are illiterate?

    Another point that has come to fore is the fact that children of illiterate parents are likely to be illiterate themselves, except in rare cases. This is a fact that we are faced with whether we admit it or not. The situation of illiteracy became worse in some parts of the country with attacks by Boko Haram on some communities which left so many displaced.

    To underscore the importance of education, many people have come up with ideas of how illiteracy and poverty which have been the bane of our society can be addressed.

    The former United States of America President, Bill Clinton, said literacy is not a luxury”, but a right and a responsibility”, but how many people have this so called right in Nigeria?

    According to former United Nations Secretary General, Dr Kofi Anan, “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a basic tool for daily life in modern society. It is a wall against poverty, and a building block of development. Literacy is a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity”

    Nelson Mandela also said that education is the most powerful weapon which one can use to change the world.

    There is no denying that literacy is vital to the achievement of every growth index but despite this, illiteracy has continued to be problem.

    To successfully confront poverty, disease, religious fanaticism, political chaos, ethnic bigotry, gender discrimination, economic depression among others, collective efforts must be made to enhance the literary level.

    With the continuous increase in illiteracy level, an expert has said Nigeria needs to do a lot if it wants to remain relevant in the world.

    The African Development Information marked the North Eastern zone of Nigeria as the least educated region in the federation with 52.4 percent uneducated males and 61.1 percent uneducated females.

    With this worrisome statistics, an education expert, the President of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Prof. Margee Ensign stated that the level of illiteracy ravaging the northeast can be eradicated in three years.

    To eradicate illiteracy, Prof. Ensign said policy makers need to adopt technology noting that if it is done, north-eastern Nigeria will wave illiteracy bye. While she also suggested a shift from the traditional mode of teaching which is the use of classrooms and chalkboard or marker to embracing technology, Ensign however stressed that “What is important is the demographics.

    Nigeria is one of the fastest growing countries in the world with a population of about 180 million now. Do you know where the population will be in the next 26 years? Just double it and that will make Nigeria 360million. How are you going to educate the kids that are born everyday? It is really important that policy makers think about it because with the piece of statistics, it is really unfortunate that Nigeria has more children out of school than any other country in the world. Nigeria has millions of illiterates and now with the insurgency, 2 million more have been added to this groups of people. With these statistics, do you think you have time to do things the traditional way? It is not possible but that is what the policy makers are saying.

    The policy makers are saying you should build schools, train teachers but the fact is that, many of the children in schools now don’t get an education that will prepare them to have an income or prepare them to be productive citizens of the country. So, I really believe there is only one way to do it and that is technology and that is why we are pioneering the use of technology in Yola and the Northeast”.

    Besides, since the solution for Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and for education is technology, she agreed that Nigeria can do it well, “It is not the second best solution, I think if we do it well, Nigeria will leapfrog. If we don’t do it in the traditional way, we are going to teach these kids how to learn by accessing information, by having critical thinking skills to evaluate things and they will be the model for the world but we are not there yet because we don’t have approval to do those things and that is why someone needs to shakeup the people at the top really hard. I would love to have the approval to offer this education in a blended format in every major city in this country so that people can learn both online and in person. The research shows that it is the best way to do it. So, it is not the second best solution to use technology but the best but the policy makers are not there yet,” she added.

    She also disclosed that the school initiated a programme called Feed and Read as part of ways to impact knowledge into young kids, noting that It is the children on the street who are learning how to read, half of them are listening to radio while half are on tablet computers. With this initiative, kids learn in matter of months. “With the programme, the children read well, they have confidence and that is how Nigeria is going to change quickly because Nigeria does not have a lot of time and if we don’t educate the 2 million who are out of school in the northeast plus 14 million who are already out of school, we are going to have social unrest for a very long time. So, these people must have education, they must learn how to have

    income, they must learn new skills. We are basically doing model projects in Yola and it will scale them up to the northeast and then they can go anywhere in the country”.

    Having suggested technology as the panacea to eradicating illiteracy, it is high time we look in that direction. At individual level, we need to be better at making parents throughout the country aware of the critical importance learning and education play in their children’s future. A child who can read and write sufficiently will enjoy better employment prospects, better earning capacity, better access to healthcare and be less likely to face social exclusion. Reducing illiteracy should therefore be viewed as an investment, rather than a cost, for both the governments and households. Overcoming illiteracy in Nigeria will require a long-term commitment from governments, NGOs, educators and parents. We can no longer look to just one group to provide solutions or outcomes and that is why we need to work together to implement reforms and programmes like the one suggested by Prof. Ensign.