The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Makings of a full blown Middle-East war

    Makings of a full blown Middle-East war

    By Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    Iran, on April 14th, launched a much anticipated overnight reprisal attack against Israel, in response to the deadly April 1st drone strike on her consulate in Syria which resulted in the death of top Iran’s Elite Revolutionary Guard Corps officers. Members of the Guard killed included senior commanders Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brig.-Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi. Consequently, Tehran fired more than 300 ballistic and cruise missiles into Israeli territory injuring at least 12, military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. Israel reported that the missiles were launched simultaneously from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, adding that almost all, if not all, of the missiles were intercepted. The successful interception of the missiles was made possible in partnership with an alliance of countries like Britain, the United States and Jordan.

    Confirming the attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said early April 14th that a drone and missile attack was under way against Israel. Maj.-Gen. Hossein Salami, Commander of the Guards, claimed the drone attack against Israel was “more successful than we had expected,” but warned that any retaliation by Israel would draw a more forceful response. Iran said a “new equation” in its frosty relationship with Israel had been launched, and warned of a “much bigger” assault on Israel should Netanyahu decide on a full scale attack.  “We have decided to create a new equation, which is that if from now on the Zionist regime attacks our interests, assets, personalities, and citizens, anywhere, and at any point we will retaliate against them,” Hossein Salami told Iranian state Tv.

    Aware of the capacity of Israel to preserve self and tenaciously defend national interest, Iran’s official position was restated by the Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who warned: “In case the Israeli regime embarks on adventurism again and takes action against the interest of Iran, the next response from us will be immediate and at a maximum level.” Reacting to the attack, Hamas has expressly thrown its weight behind Iran, saying it was a deserved response to the attack in Syria. Houthi rebel officials in Yemen also congratulated Iran for their action.

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    Israel’s three-man war cabinet made up of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, former Defence Minister, is weighing commensurate options of response to Iran’s provocation which experts say is capable of pushing the middle east into a full blown regional war. This is exactly what Iran anticipates. Reacting to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We have intercepted, we have contained; together we shall win.” Israel will respond to Iran’s attack, but the latitude of the onslaught is yet to be decided, an Israeli official told CNN. The official said Israel is yet to decide whether to try and “break all the dishes” or do something more measured.

    Israel and Iran have for years engaged in a shadow war to exert more influence across the middle-east. They launch proxy attacks against each other and vested interests on land, sea, in the air and cyberspace. The latest bombardment of Israel marked a turning point in the conflict. According to Ahron Bregman, a political scientist and expert in Middle East security issues at King’s College in London, “it was the first time Iran directly attacked Israel from its own territory. Before now, Iran has largely used foreign proxies like Hezbollah militia to attack Israeli interests, while one key Israeli strategy was targeted assassinations of Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists.”

    Western allies have urged Israel to de-escalate the ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians and created a big humanitarian tragedy. Although the United States of America has taken a neutral stand, promising not to join Israel in a likely offensive against Iran, President Joe Biden condemned the attack and echoed the United States’ firm support to Israeli security. Other friends including Germany, Canada, France and Britain restated their commitment to Israel but expressed fears that Tehran’s assault could further undermine peace in the middle-east.  Biden had urged Netanyahu to consider the events of Saturday night a “win” as the attacks had been largely unsuccessful, and instead validated Israel’s ability to defend self against vicious attacks.”

    However, US military warned that “we do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will not hesitate to protect our forces and support the defence of Israel.” Biden had issued a directive for deployment of aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region in anticipation of any eventuality. “We will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people,” he said.

    The European Union, United Nations and other international bodies made phone calls, appealing, meeting and also mediating to prepare grounds for peace in order to forestall impending escalation of hostilities between the two nations. Israel does not take lightly any slur on her sovereignty. Those who understood how pugnacious and assertive Israel could be in a situation like this are simply waiting for the breaking news report. The middle-east is racing against peace and peaceful co-existence. Without urgent regional interventions and sincere global actions taken on genuine peace, this imminent crisis will escalate into a full blown war. Instability in the middle-east is tantamount to elusive global world stability.

    Global leaders seem not oblivious of the calamity awaiting to befall the earth. It is right to say that global politics is seen not to be played fairly. Information churned out concerning this crisis and decisions made on middle-east issues are full of lies, biases, pretensions and subterfuge. Iran is bitter with the turn of events in the region and those who think the biases or Iranian position will fade away soon should think twice. Tehran is bent on snatching the regional dominance from Israel, which she feels is domineering by any means possible. She also feels Israel represents the interest of her longtime foes in the West. Those who are beneficiaries of the old order do everything within their reach to maintain the status quo, while the middle-east has continued to suffer endlessly as a result. Supremacy battle between the super powers has invariably had a devastating effect on the middle-east peace and stability.

    Supremacy battle, cultural and religious differences fuel the animosity between both countries. Israel is very much aware of Tehran’s involvement in sponsorship of major crisis in the middle-east by engaging Hamas, Hezbollah and Houtis of Yemen as foot soldiers. Iran positions herself as the defender of Islamic interest while she continuously benefits from the ruins and instability in the middle-east. Whatever action Iran takes in the name of protecting the interest of the entire middle-east is both for economic and religious reasons. The attack on Iranian Embassy in Syria is the usual response to the existing tension.  It was also strategic in prosecuting the war in Gaza and weakening the military capacity of Iran, which is bent on building nuclear war heads.

    Experts have in various contributions to the crisis sued for peace and recommended a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. However, Iran sees Israel from the prism of a stranger and usurper in the middle-east.  The major casualties of war are mostly innocent women and children. They know next to nothing about plans and attacks against Gaza by Israel, or Iran against Israel. When the hostility begins and pressure mounts high, leaders in both countries will find shelter and comfort in allied states, leaving the vulnerable in the cross-fire. Global sympathy will drive the narrative based on state interests, but the damage would have been done. Israel may not be contemplating the magnitude of what happened in Gaza to repeat in Iran, but the retaliation will be devastating. The world will talk, sell their weapons and when the damage is done, they will donate part of the proceeds from the ruins of the war as aid and call for ceasefire.

    • Eze, a media and communication specialist, writes via sunnyeze02@yahoo.com

  • Aviation and government support

    Aviation and government support

    By Remi Animashaun

    In recognition of the critical role of aviation in national security and economic development, no government leaves aviation issues to market forces entirely. Not even the United States or the European Union. The United States government has supported the Boeing Corporation and European countries have supported Airbus unabashedly.

    On October 1, 2011, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the American government had provided subsidies worth $5.3 billion to Boeing, calling the subsidies illegal. Europe had alleged that Washington had subsidized the large aircraft manufacturer based in Seatle, Washington State, to the tune of $19 billion between 1989 and 2006. The WTO had in 2010 ruled that Airbus, based near Toulouse in the southwestern part of France, had been receiving inappropriate subsidies from European nations. 

    Against this background, it is strange to read an article by one Ope Banwo bemoaning what he called lamentation by Air Peace over the ongoing price war by foreign airlines to undermine its newly launched operations on the Lagos-London route. Banwo alleged that Air Peace initiated the price war by charging a mere N1.2m for an economy ticket on the lucrative Lagos-London route, as against N3.5m charged by European carriers. Worse, the writer stated the price war serves Nigeria’s biggest air carrier right, even if it meant the airline abandoning the London-Lagos operations. He, therefore, said that the Nigerian government should not come to the aid of our airline.

    Banwo is blissfully ignorant of the aviation industry and the role of the government in supporting its strategic interests. What could be of more interest to the Nigerian government that Air Peace can slash fares of international travel by over 50% at a time of unprecedented economic hardship?

    In business terms, the drastic reduction in fares would automatically translate to a considerable reduction in business costs. London is not just the capital of Nigeria’s erstwhile colonial master, but also the world business capital, as Tunde MacAlabi, the chief executive of the Africa International Investment and Trade Fair and Exhibition, noted recently in a statement endorsing Air Peace’s patriotic intervention on the Lagos-London route.

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    MacAlabi, for those who may not know, was deeply involved in the development of Murtala Muhammed Terminal Two in Ikeja, Lagos, under the ebullient leadership of Dr Wale Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). MacAlabi marketed Nigeria very well at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sidelines last September. Among participants in the AIITFE last year were the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; and the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmud. 

    Banwo wishes Air Peace to go the way of Bellview, Arik, and Medview. What manner of man is happy to see that international aviation operations of his country are purely by alien airlines?

    While the N1.2m charged by Air Peace is cost-reflective and informed by patriotism, the far-below-market fares now charged by British Airways, Qatar Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines, among others, are done in bad faith. These air carriers are portraying themselves as exploitative and unconscionable. For if they should succeed in chasing Air Peace out of the London-Lagos operations, as they did to other Nigerian airliners, they would quickly revert to the old exploitative rates of charging N4m for a one-way ticket to London in the economy class.

    It is axiomatic that Banwo has no clue how patriotism drives governments in countries famous for subscribing to the primacy of market forces. Amidst the Great Recession of 2008, the new President Barack Obama administration decided to rescue the three iconic American motor companies, namely, Ford Motors, General Motors, and Chrysler Motors, though Ford later opted out of the package because its situation was not as grave as its two peers.

    The package worked wonders. Hence, when Obama was campaigning for reelection in 2012, his campaign message was simple: “GM is alive, Osama bin Ladin is dead”. GM represented the wisdom of his economic management style and bin Ladin’s death was the triumph of his foreign policy. The message resonated with the Americans, and he was reelected resoundingly.

    Just on Monday, April 15, 2024, the Joe Biden administration announced the provision of a whopping $6.4 billion to Samsung Electronics of South Korea to develop a chip manufacturing and research centre in Texas! This is the extent Washington has gone to support even a foreign firm so long as it produces and researches in the United States. And someone has the guy to argue in a public forum without any sense of embarrassment that the Nigerian government should not support our own airline in the highly competitive aviation market.

    The problem with pen pushers like Banwo is not just crass ignorance of the dynamism and flexibility of global developments, but a profound lack of self-esteem. No self-respecting person can pen an article like his own advertising ignorance. A person without self-esteem cannot have patriotism.

    Even if Banwo is a hired gun, he should exhibit a bit of intelligence and maturity. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and other foreign airlines operating in Nigeria should search for agents who could do a fairly decent job. The article by Banwo against Air peace while extolling foreign interests could not have been lower.

    • Animashun wrote from London.

  • Chibok: Destroying the future of our tomorrow?

    Chibok: Destroying the future of our tomorrow?

    The 10th anniversary of the abduction of 276 schoolchildren from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria, has again brought an eerie feeling of despair and panic. The anniversary is a high point as it has again shown the entire security apparatus of Nigeria as gravely inept and compromised. That’s what it tells us!

    The most important thing about Chibok is not just that it happened! As a matter of fact, it ought not to have happened! Instead, it is about what the country has learnt in ten years! People’s lives have been destroyed but it seems as if Nigeria has moved on! According to reports, “48 of the victims’ parents have died since the girls were kidnapped.” So far, 22 rescued schoolgirls were said to have come back, with 37 children. In any case, that the schoolchildren even have children is in itself a social crisis!

    Of course, things happen! But the difference between Nigeria and other countries is that, whenever things happen in sane climes, they are used as an opportunity for an advance – to improve society as well as prevent a repeat. A good example was the cholera outbreak in the Lagos Colony in 1922. Of course, people died! But the colonial government made a lot of improvements in sanitation and sewage drainage. Indeed, that’s what led to the establishment of the Environmental Health Officers or Sanitary Inspectors, famously referred to as ‘woléwolé’. Since then, things have been improving in terms of environmental conditions, though not as much as one would have liked or wanted. But what has the Nigerian government learnt from the Chibok saga and how has it been managing the people’s expectations? From the look of things, nothing so far!

    When the Chibok girls were abducted on April 14, 2014, it wasn’t taken seriously by the Goodluck Jonathan-led until Nigerians became confronted with the open truth. A cross-section of Nigerians even opined that Leah Sharibu happened under the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration because nobody supervised Defence spending and contracts. To them, lots of things happened under the immediate-past regime and those who reaped from the ruination of the country would not want to give up without fighting back. But for how long will the Bola Tinubu administration bear them?

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    Chibok! Dapchi! Kuriga! It is pathetic to note that the Safe School Initiative looks like just another scam! Yes, humongous sums of money were sourced from far and near for the scheme but how many of our schools have become safe through, say, parameter fencing? All the more reason President Tinubu must commission a Judicial Panel of Inquiry and an audit to carry out an audit on how the funds have been spent since inception, the impact it has made and the modus operandi for (its) revampment.

    Arguably, it is difficult to kidnap students from St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo because it is in the metropolis but one doesn’t have to be a military strategist to know that Chibok cannot be too far from an exposed environment like Urban Day Grammar School in Ijebu-Jesa. Therefore, simple elementary common sense demands that the environment be cleared two miles before the school to dissuade criminal minds and tendencies. Have the handlers of our education system done that?

    Well, we can deceive ourselves as much as we like but it is unfortunate that the whole stuff has become what America’s 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower described as the Military Industrial Complex. In the words of the Singaporean author and political commentator, Chua Chin Leng, “When there is peace in the world, the Americans would have to create jobs for themselves, to make themselves useful again as responsible people, not warmongers and murderers, not merchants of war. There will be no one to buy their expensive war machine, no more needs for military gangs aka allies.” Of course, that’s why America has to be going around, looking for conflicts to win. Otherwise, how will ‘God’s own country’ keep its people employed? It therefore goes to say that, once we allow a conflict to take root, it becomes an economy. Tragically, Boko Haram and ISWAP have become part of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The only challenge is that it cannot be measured. To Nigerians, it has become a way of life on all sides; and it is fear-provoking!

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

    Re: On ‘Afenifere and the progressive camp’

    I read your column on April 6, 2024 and I was impressed by the Afenifere story and the need to reawaken the Yoruba people and re-ignite the streak of development in a nation trapped in the tragic crossroads of development planning and elite complacency.

    It is unfortunate that the dynamics of time have left Afenifere behind. So, only ARG can chart a new path of visionary progress and renewed doctrine of socialism which the current generation can key into.

    ●Emmanuel Awe,

    Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    From what our gentleman (Mr Abiodun Komolafe) has written, it shows that he is an insider. I rejoice with him for being alive to reveal to Nigerians a fractional part of what he actually knew about ARG and our elders in Yorubaland.

    To all our elders, this is the actual time we have to make good use of our talented gentlemen. If we do, we are going to recover what we have lost as a result of our unfeeling attitude.

        ●Chief Olusola Fayemi,

    Osogbo, Osun State.

    As you have pointed out, the DAWN Document isn’t a separatist agenda; it’s for the social, economic, educational and psychological development of the Southwest.

    DAWN is all about charity beginning at home: if we can’t control the whole, let’s control and develop our region! So, the gospel of DAWN is the only way to go for the region to get back on track.

    Unless the DAWN Document is implemented wholeheartedly by the states; and, unless it becomes their guiding principle and working tool, the zone will forever be lost and wandering.

    So, Afenifere must first believe in the DAWN initiative. Until that’s done, it will remain a toothless bulldog and an insignificant wailing wailer!

    ●Gideon Ogunleye,

    Lagos, Nigeria.

    Hmmm! This is a deep and thought-provoking piece.

    But where did we lose it?

    Unfortunately, successive leaders are only interested in themselves, not communal togetherness.

    Many of the ARG members who have had access to power seemed to have forgotten where they were coming from.

    May God help us!

    ●Ahmed Lawal,

    Aramoko-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    I like this good piece on Afenifere.

    But who breaks the Berlin Wall between the factional groups in Afenifere?

    My brother, Afenifere is no more!

    ●Dr. Jimoh Agboola,

    Osogbo, Osun State

    Those who inherited Afenifere only did so for political gains, not service to the Southwest. Since they’re not attuned to the attributes of its founding fathers, we can now see the effects of the absence of ideology on the part of those parading themselves as Afenifere/ARG.

    In the olden days, whenever Afenifere spoke, it was with one voice and the country would be shaken to its foundation. Unfortunately, that attribute has been sold for selfish interests! It is sad!

    One way forward is to collapse all the factional and fractional groups of Fasoranti, Adebanjo and ARG to become one old and bold Afenifere, because united we stand, divided we fall! This can be done by way of the Afenifere Peace Summit, involving the three groups.

    ●Chief Biodun Aguda,

    Iloro-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    Is Tinubu a candidate of Afenifere? If not, it will be morally wrong for Afenifere to set Yoruba Agenda for the president.

    Besides, Afenifere is to protect and promote Yoruba Agenda. So, how on earth would a socio-ethnic organisation support a candidate outside its territory?

    ●Tunde A. Akinpelu,

    Ibadan, Oyo State.

    ● KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

  • Nigeria: The changing governance story

    Nigeria: The changing governance story

    By Temitope Ajayi

    Tracking many stories of remarkable progress currently taking place in Nigeria can be a very difficult task. This is so because these important stories are lost to some who daily indulge in the cacophony of negative reports. These negative news often dominates the headlines.

    With a 24-hour news cycle that tends to focus only on the distasteful narratives, several Nigerians have been made to accept the view that nothing good is happening in their country.

    Those who rely on the mainstream media and social media as the only sources of news and information they consume are the worst hit by the cycle of misinformation that portrays our country as descending rapidly to the edge of the precipice.

    However, the reality is different: the country is making progress in leaps and bounds.

    Late Swedish physician and Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute, Hans Rosling, his son, Ola Rosling, and daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling, extensively dwell on this subject in, “Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think,” a book published in 2018.  In the book, the authors demonstrate that majority of the people are made to hold the wrong notion about the state of the world because the media project data, analyse trends and select stories to make people assume that things are getting worse around them.

    The authors assert that a majority of the people view the world as poorer, less healthy, and a more dangerous place to live in than it actually is. In other words, many people believe they are living in a worse period in the history of mankind because of misinformation.

    The same situation the Roslings describe in their book is at play in Nigeria, where individuals, interest groups, activists, analysts, self-serving politicians, and opposition elements constantly project and amplify negative stories.

    It is as if we are in a race with those who can say the most horrible things about our country.  Yet, we have an abundance of good stories to tell the world. We seem so numb to the good news that we are dismissive of breakthroughs and innovative trends.

    For instance, we downplay the significance of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and its possibilities to reflate the economy.

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    Many people forgot so soon that we had been importing petroleum products for over three decades because the state-owned refineries are moribund. Our national economy bled, and the country was in a fiscal cul-de-sac for those years as a result of subsidy payments on petroleum products.

    Today, however, Nigeria is home to the largest single train refinery in the world with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude per day.  Cynics do not see this as a breakthrough.

    Nigerians who are 60 years old and below started seeing modern rail infrastructure from 2016 when the All Progressives Congress-led administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari  commissioned the standard gauge rail system, beginning with Abuja-Kaduna route, later Lagos-Ibadan and then, the Warri-Itakpe.

    The national rail modernisation project is progressing with Kano-Katsina-Maradi and Kano-Kaduna standard gauge rail projects at different stages of completion. The contractor working on rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge recently announced the completion of the Port Harcourt-Aba section. While the Federal Government is rallying stakeholders to promote economic integration across the country, the Lagos State Government recently launched two metro rail lines -Blue and Red Rail lines – as part of the state’s elaborate masterplan to build a modern and efficient megacity. Like Lagos State, there are visible signs of remarkable, quantifiable progress in several other states, including Kaduna, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Kebbi, Borno, Gombe, Oyo, Ekiti and Ogun, among others.

    A few weeks ago, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration embarked on the construction of the 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway that will connect nine coastal states in another bold move to further bolster economic growth and open up the country to productive economic activities.

    While it may be very easy for critics and other armchair analysts to ignore these developments and their significance to remaking Nigeria, there is no gainsaying that these projects and many more that are ongoing or about to be instituted across critical sectors are the core of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Indeed, it is hard to process why the so-called critics and cynics can not see the Lagos-Calabar Highway project as a clear demonstration of the President’s commitment to harnessing the potential of our renascent Blue Economy.

    Despite what is bandied by the most vociferous critics, a recent policy intervention on the state of the economy by the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a think-tank group, refuted the apocalyptic prognosis of the economic situation of the country by opposition figures, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    The experts at IMPI made brilliant and well-thought-out submissions that repudiated the doomsday prophecy of critics.

    Acting true to type, the People’s Democratic Party Presidential candidate in the last election, and a few others, including business advocacy groups, derisively heightened tension with their pronouncements on the state of the economy. They framed the country under the leadership of President Tinubu as a hostile business environment, scoring the administration low on business enablement. While politicians, such as Atiku Abubakar, will naturally play politics with everything to score cheap points, some corporate advocacy groups often raise needless alarms, ostensibly, to compel the government to do their bidding and usually in manners inimical to the interests of the people.

    For example, while private sector advocacy groups, such as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), regularly issue press statements on many businesses shutting their operations in Nigeria, such statements always fail to disclose that new businesses are also springing up in the country.

    It is not only in Nigeria that businesses shut down operations. And in any case, businesses wind up operations for many reasons that may have nothing to do with the operating environment.

    It is a worldwide phenomenon shaped by a variety of factors. For instance, when the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria announced that 767 companies shut down in 2023, the Small Business advocacy group in the United Kingdom announced that 345,000 businesses closed shop in the UK.

    The UK Group said: “More businesses closing down than starting up for the first time in 12 years.”

    While it is not good for any business to shut down operations, irrespective of the number of employees, those who project the negative narrative should be nuanced and more balanced in their analyses.

    In its submission titled, “In Defence of the Nigerian Economy,’ the Independent Media and Policy Initiative declared: “767 companies that closed down in Nigeria do not in any way come close to the 345,000 closures recorded in the United Kingdom in that same period. Neither can the number be compared to the 460,000 companies that shut down every quarter, that is every three months, in China, or the 10,655 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) shut down in 2022-2023 in India.

    “As routinely rendered, we are further informed by the Indian data that there were over 11,000 new firms that started business afresh for every one of the 175 shutdowns in 2022.”

    Interestingly, while the announced exit from Nigeria by GSK and Sanofi generated much furore on the social media and mainstream media last year, about the same period the two companies were planning their exit, indigenous pharmaceutical companies, such as  Emzor were making new multi-million Dollar investments to expand their production lines in Nigeria.

    More balanced news reports on Nigeria in that respect should have also included statistics circulated by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which indicated that 105 applications for the construction of drug manufacturing facilities across the country were approved, and 35 percent of the promoters of the approved applications actually completed construction of their factories. Within this period, Emzor Pharmaceuticals Company owned by Mrs. Stella Okoli, Japanese Multinational Pharma, Otsuka, and over 20 newly registered local drug manufacturers cumulatively, invested over $2 billion to complete their World Health Organisation (WHO)-compliant facilities to produce quality pharmaceuticals and essential drugs for Nigerians.

    In its ranking of Africa’s 100 fastest growing companies in 2023, Financial Times (FT) ranked 27 Nigerian businesses on the list.

    The FT list, again, validated the strength of the Nigerian economy and its viability as a business destination for investors seeking to make good returns on their investments.

    Since his assumption of office less than a year ago, President Tinubu has been bullish in addressing the identified problems besetting the investment climate in Nigeria.

    The administration has restored global confidence in the monetary policy reforms of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that have seen the Naira rebound strongly against the Dollar, and other convertible currencies, making the Naira the best performing currency in the world.

    On the back of the reforms embarked upon by the fiscal and monetary authorities, the country’s currency gained N900 against the US Dollar within a spate of two months. This is spectacular, but to subjective critics, they are unimportant.

    On security, the progress being made is noticeable and can be felt in the calmness that has returned to the South-East geopolitical zone.

    This is where the criminal activities of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) have been brought under control. In the North-West zone, and parts of North-Central, most especially, Abuja, where there was a surge in banditry and kidnapping, the Nigerian Military and Police have successfully gained control and counterbalanced major threats to security of lives and property. The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, announced on Monday, April 15, 2024, that the security forces had rescued 1,000 Nigerians from their abductors without payment of ransom.

    This is the evidence of successful security operations across the country. Again, the cynics and inveterate critics will not find such feats interesting to amplify.

    In the technology ecosystem, Nigerian startup companies have continued to record big strides. At least 10 Nigerian startups were selected among 40 technology firms listed for the $4 million Black Founders Fund.

    The Black Founders Fund is sponsored by Google for Startups (GfS). Nigeria continues to lead the pack in tech startups and capital raising in Africa. In the First Quarter (Q1) of 2024, 121 African tech startups, led by Nigeria’s Moove, raised $466 million.  Of the total amount raised in Q1 2024 by tech startups on the African continent, Nigerian startups got the lion’s share of $160 million. Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has remained vibrant and a huge centre of innovation and driver of economic growth.

    A 2022 report on African Tech Startups Funding by Disrupt Africa also showed that startups from Nigeria accounted for 28.4% of the total funded ventures and received 29.3% of total investments in Africa.

    The report indicated that 180 startups from Nigeria collectively raised $ 976 million out of the $ 3.3 billion that flowed into the continent. From the Nigerian tech ecosystem, Andela, Flutterwave, Opay, Jumia, and Interswitch emerged unicorns out of a total of 7 unicorns in Africa.

    That each one of these five companies with over $ 1 billion in valuation came out of Nigeria is an affirmation of the progress Nigeria is making in human capital development.

    Another interesting twist to this enchanting story is that majority of the founders of the leading startups came out of the Nigerian school system. They had their education from primary school up to the university level in Nigeria.

    The story of Kiakia Bits Limited and Sycamore, two companies managed by innovative and enterprising young Nigerians, illustrates the impact Financial Technology (FinTech) companies are making on the economy as enablers of growth for small businesses. Established in 2016 by Olajide Abiola and his partner, Chiemeziem Anyadike, Kiakia has over 200,000 customers and has advanced credit worth over N20 billion to more than 12,000 small and medium scale enterprises within eight years. Babatunde Akin-Moses and two of his partners started Sycamore in 2019 after they met during their MBA programme at Pan-Atlantic University (PAU), in Lagos.

    Within five years, the company has gained recognition and reputation as one of the most visible and viable brands in the FinTech space. Sycamore has 140,000 registered customers, out of which over 10% are active.

    The value of transactions on Sycamore’s platform in dollar terms is in excess of $30 million. The company has disbursed over N25 billion in credit to various small and medium enterprises. A major revelation from both Kiakia and Sycamore is the report that 99% of their credit to small and medium scale enterprises are performing, an indication that the businesses they support are doing well.

    Overall, the groundbreaking performance of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) as, possibly, Africa’s best stock exchange in terms of capital appreciation, the footprints of BUA Group in manufacturing and other consumer goods, the solidity of IHS Towers and MainOne as Africa’s telecoms infrastructure backbones, the disruption caused by Air Peace on the lucrative Lagos-London route, the grandeur of the sprawling Lekki-Deep Sea Port rank highly among countless high-impact business endeavours. And finally, the indomitable spirit of Nigerians epitomises the narrative of progress that should be regularly amplified by all patriotic Nigerians.

    – Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on media and publicity.

  • Reverse the hike in electricity tariff

    Reverse the hike in electricity tariff

    By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

    SIR: The recent decision of the Federal Government to further remove electricity subsidy was greeted with mixed reactions from Nigerians. The removal of electricity subsidy has come at a wrong time when Nigerians are yet to recover from the shock of last year’s hike in the price of petrol.

    With only 44 percent metered customers, Nigerians have thought that government, through the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), will provide adequate meters and improve power generation and distribution in the country. However, this has not been the case.

    There is nothing wrong to ensure cost reflective tariff among the numerous energy consumers in the country. The categorisation of customers into different “bands” by NERC can be seen as a good development. The question begging for answer is: will the new plan address the erratic power supply? For instance, under NERC’s new tariff plan, customers on ‘Band A’ will enjoy 20 hours of power supply at 225kWh as against N68/kWh.

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    The ‘Band A’ customers, which include elites, banks and factories, can be able to shoulder the new tariff hike. But further breakdown of the new tariffs reveals an alarming burden that the average Nigerian will face in affording electricity on a daily basis. Under the new tariff plan, 24 hours of electricity per day will cost a staggering N5,400, amounting to an unbearable monthly total of N162,000 and an astounding yearly total of N1,971,000. These exorbitant figures are simply unaffordable for the majority of Nigerians who are already grappling with economic hardship and trying to make ends meet.

    The new tariff regime will also see factories’ cost of production go up with corresponding increase in prices of goods and services. Those companies have no options than to pass the burden to the end users (consumers). According to the NERC, the new tariff will affect 15 percent of customers who enjoy 40 percent of power supply. But at the end, millions of Nigerians will be worst hit by the new tariff regime.

    It is a well-known fact, even in developed countries, that electricity subsidy exists. Government provides or grants subsidies to companies and other households in order to keep the price of good and services within the reach of the common man. The rush with which the Bola Tinubu administration is eliminating subsidies amidst growing poverty in the land calls for great caution. Already, Nigerian electricity workers have condemned the hike in tariff and called for immediate reversal. Their union chided the Minister of Power and NERC for not consulting them before they came up with the plan.

    The Federal Government should reverse the removal of electricity subsidy. Instead, government needs to improve power supply and exploit other alternative sources of energy such as solar and winds. Government should hasten the completion of abandoned Mambila power project to improve power generation and distribution in the country.

    • Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, imustapha650@gmail.com

  • Burden of an ill-conceived electricity tariff increase

    Burden of an ill-conceived electricity tariff increase

    By Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    Nigeria is a nation with a long history of perennial challenges of public power supply. The country seems to have unfortunately accepted the anomaly as part of its national life. Since one came of age, the power sector bears the trade mark of inefficiency. The problem of insufficient power supply has remained unchanged. The old reasons adduced for poor performance in the sector more than two decades ago are not different either. Despite the poor supply situation, citizens still pay through their noses for an underperforming power sector which delivers little or no quality services. Many Nigerians cannot remember a time when they enjoyed constant public power supply up to 15 hours per day. A lot of money has been spent and much more is still allocated to the power, sector but no remarkable progress has been made.

    What ordinary Nigerians constantly experience is poor service outcome, routine tariff increase and general inefficiency. The latest assault on Nigerians is the announcement of new tariff regime and classification of customers, currently placed on new categories of bands A-E. The citizens had no input when decisions were taken on this band classification. Effective from April 3rd, the charges of selected customers on Band ‘A’ has increased to over 300 percent. Days after, the Federal Government has hinted on extending similar measure to other band categories.

    The unit cost of electricity for those placed on Band A was jacked up from ₦68 per kWh to ₦225 per kWh excluding VAT. Those on other bands are denied electricity supply in a failed attempt to meet up with the obligation to band A customers. The prevailing lie in government circle was that the increment only affected a small percentage of Nigerians and that government still subsidises electricity. Officials implementing government policies are often economical with the truth regarding the impact of anti-people policies. In this case, the only thing that matters to them is saving without considering the economic impact of such savings on the well-being of the people.

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    Government failed to understand that industrial customers whether big, medium or small placed on Band A will factor in the cost of fuel, diesel and the increase into the prices of the goods and services they provide. Therefore, whether customers are placed on Band A or other categories with or without electricity, the burden of every company’s expenses is transferred to the ordinary people, namely the customers/consumers.

    When will government concede to the mood of the nation and inputs of the masses before taking any decisions on issues directly affecting them?  Pundits say the band idea is a ploy to assist the cash-strapped Discos to raise fund. This is happening in a country where power outages last more than 24 hours daily or even days in most places. It is also happening in a country where the national power grid had collapsed more than 58 times between 2017-2023. How could government remove subsidy on electricity, but goes on to subsidise hajj fare to the tune of over N90bn? Is Nigeria ready to move from a poor nation to a developed one?

    Nations occupying the front row in industrial growth and development attain such feat with serious investment in power supply. There is no gain saying the fact that, access to uninterrupted public power supply has become a tall dream in Nigeria. The more money is spent on the sector, the worse it becomes. Bogus contracts entered into by government with industry players like Siemens to remedy the situation has suffered several set-backs, and the end is not yet in sight. The long wait for remedy continues while government officials have often admonished citizens to keep hope alive. Both past and present governments do not seem to have a grasp of the fundamental problems bedevilling the power sector. If they do, Nigeria cannot be shamelessly talking about 4,500mw of electricity since 1960.

    One major problem facing the sector is the appointment of people without requisite knowledge and experience. The endemic corruption in the sector and lack of purposeful goals have also contributed to the obvious failure. Almost all ministers of power since 1999 except Engr. Bello Suleiman were/are square pegs in round holes. They were/are green horns occupying compensatory political positions earned on recommendation or political party affiliation. As novices, they come on board bereft of ideas or blueprint to drive government agenda. It is a disservice appointing an accountant or a lawyer as minister of power.

    Policies often put in place by these appointees to address the challenges are mostly badly thought out, externally influenced or geared towards inflicting more pains. Since year 2000, tariff increase has been the only visible item dominating and governing the Multi-year Tariff Order (MYTO) while other germane issues like customer privileges are relegated to the background. In fact, Nigerians wake up to multiple tariff upward reviews every two to four years without additional power infrastructure to support the aging ones or addressing the needs of several rapidly expanding communities.

    There is no home grown solution to the intractable problems of power except borrowed directives handed down by World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These borrowed ideas deepen and worsen the economic woes of the poor citizens. A country where little children always jump up in excitement and shout “Up Nepa!” when public power supply is restored after days of blackout has no business increasing the cost of electricity or services not adequately rendered. Those in charge should go back to the drawing board, comprehensively work hard to improve on the sector instead.

    The power sector was painfully balkanised, claimed and annexed in favour of some highly placed individuals just like the Europeans did to Africa in the 1885 Berlin Conference. The companies were shared as business status symbol serving the interest of a few. Provision of excellent services for Nigerians was secondary on the power sector reforms agenda. How could a country allocate such all-important national asset to incompetent, non-experts in government or their associates whose interest only hinges on making quick money. The Nigerian bidding system is so magical that one wonders how these ill-prepared investors schemed their ways through the processes without anybody flagging their glaring incompetence. The process deliberately accorded certain privileges to bidders/owners who cannot differentiate between a fuse and feeder pillar. 

    The country should as a matter of urgency innovate and diversify in areas of power generation. This could be regionalised based on the corresponding resources within every geographical zone. The Northeast is blessed with potentials in solar energy. The Northwest is endowed with the blessings of hydro-electricity and wind. The Northcentral can boast of a good level of coal deposit and resources for hydro-power supply. The Southeast is blessed with little water, gas and abundant coal deposit. The Southsouth and Southwest have resources in hydro-power and gas. The world is going green and Nigeria has to run with the idea together with the world.

    Unfortunately those at the helm of affairs and friends of people and institutions close to the corridors of power have only succeeded in allowing the sector to thrive, but generally restricted it from flourishing. They have succeeded in bringing the sector down on its knees and resorted to untenable ideas and prescriptions not peculiar to Nigerian circumstances. With the enormous human and financial resources invested in the power sector, after 63 years of existence, Nigeria has no business being in the league of nations lacking adequate power supply.

    This electricity tariff increase is ill-conceived and equally ill-timed. It should be halted. Let Nigerians breathe.

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Development Communication Specialist, writes via sunnyeze02@yahoo.com.

  • 1999 Constitution and the future of Nigeria

    1999 Constitution and the future of Nigeria

    By Ponle Sueez Akande

    SIR: Assuming the reader knows the constitutional history of Nigeria; and appreciates, also, that the 1999 constitution is essentially unitary; then he or she would appreciate that agitations for devolution of powers, from the national government to the subnational government or the constituent or  federating units, would continue without break; until devolution is achieved.

    What many may not appreciate is that there may not be restructuring to true federation or devolution of powers before year 2028. Furthermore, there may not be restructuring to true federation of Nigeria before the year 2031. In these eventualities, how would the present situation of gross insecurity, mass unemployment, mass poverty, gross infrastructure deficits, mass illiteracy, corruption, capital flight, inflation, grossly poor level of industrialization and over dependence on grossly inadequate foreign earnings from exportation of crude oil and gas, with escalating foreign debts have become, reduced or worsen?

    Governance is social science, though more conjectural than as physical science or natural science is; and is, indisputably, relatively empirical; guided, as such, by principles and facts.

    The contravention or transgression of scientific principles are of inescapable, undesirable consequences. The formulation or design of a constitution of any country must be based on the historical and present social, economic and political facts of life in that country that is the cultural facts,  culture being conceived as the totality of all the facts of life of a country. And Nigeria, not being mono-cultural, but heterogeneous, cannot – scientifically – have an essentially unitary constitution. It must have a confederal or federal constitution.

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    Accordingly with its peculiarities, Nigeria  must have a confederal or federal constitution, accepted by all or most ethnic groups of the country. This is the ratio decidendi – rationale – for a people’s constitution of Nigeria, the restoration or achievement of a truly federal or confederal constitution of Nigeria. Ethnic plurality of a nation-state calls for, or necessitates, plurality of ethnic or constituent constitutions, with substantial devolution or constituent reservation of some crucial powers, thereby.

    Ethnic groups, societies or communities, with different sets of facts of life in the socio-economic sectors must be governed by different sets of policies in their respective areas or jurisdictions.

    Education, industrialization, urban and regional planning, judiciary, jurisprudence, laws, labour and employment, security and policing, agriculture, banking and finance, lands, transport, water, health, environment, commerce and trade, public administrations, public finance, mining, energy, electric power, engineering, technology, communications, etc. are all interdependent; and different sets of integrated policies in these sections are only respectively appropriate for different ethnic groups. Only matters of external affairs, defense, money and central banking, and a few others, must be centrally legislated upon in a multi-ethnic nation-state such as Nigeria. It is the transgression of the fundamental principle or law of social-science that is the root-cause of the developmental retrogression or degradation of Nigeria. This transgression is the imposition of the unitarian 1999 constitution as amended.

    Without restructuring or devolution of powers in Nigeria, before the year 2027, then  or thereafter, there may be a breakdown; or the total foreign debt of Nigeria would have become an amount in the region of two hundred [200] billion US dollars, by 2027. This is very dangerous functionally.

    But, how can we achieve restructuring Nigeria, with devolution powers, before year 2027? How does President Tinubu formulate the respective draft constitution or executive bills? With substantive devolution powers, do we still reasonably retain the present 36-state structure, with the inherent diseconomies of scale of almost every state in Nigeria?

    What if the required two-third majority of the whole members of the National Assembly is not secured? Or what if the required two-third majority of the 36 state assemblies is not secured? This prospect is very dangerous.

    Nigeria urgently requires ingenious social engineering, for take-off and acceleration of the process of industrialization of the country. Nigeria is at the stage of bad pre-conditions for take-off of industrialization. The five successive stages of industrialization are: pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, transition to industrial maturity, industrial maturity, and search for quality.

    Nigeria cannot achieve take-off of industrialization with the dysfunctionality of the current urban and regional development, and the respective constitutional incapacitation of the constituent states of Nigeria without achieving the urgent imperative of restructuring to a six-region, truly federal structure, instead of, or super-imposed upon, the present 36-state structure of Nigeria.

    • Ponle Sueez Akande, akandeponle01@gmail

  • Naira rally: why consumers aren’t seeing relief yet

    Naira rally: why consumers aren’t seeing relief yet

    By Chinedu George Nnawetanma

    SIR: Over the past few weeks, the naira has appreciated from a record low of around N1,900/dollar to N1,148/dollar as of April 12, prompting the US investment bank, Goldman Sachs, to pronounce it the best performing currency in the world in April.

    This has come as a relief to many Nigerians who have been battered by the negative effects of the seemingly perpetual and unstoppable depreciation of the naira against the dollar. One of the areas where Nigerians have felt the pangs of the weak local currency is in the prices of goods and services. Prices of everyday goods, including staple foods and household items, seemed to soar with every visit to the market. This also manifested in higher transportation costs, utility bills and other services.

    This synchronized rise in the prices of goods and services with the depreciation of the naira is largely a result of the country’s huge dependence on imported goods. A large chunk of all the products used in the country are imported, including many consumer and industrial goods like milk, sugar, petrol, vehicles and machinery. It is unsurprising then that the prices go up as the cost of importing them becomes higher. Even service providers, who do not directly sell imported goods, will be forced to hike their prices in such a scenario in order to remain profitable as they utilize one imported product or the other in their day-to-day operations. This creates a vicious cycle that fuels inflation.

    But, as many of you have wondered, why haven’t the prices of goods and services come down since the naira has strengthened steadily against the dollar and other major global currencies in the past few weeks? Well, this is related to a variety of factors, including price stickiness.

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    Price stickiness occurs when businesses do not immediately bring down the prices of their goods and services because of the higher cost of their current inventory. Many of the products still in circulation today were imported or produced when the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar was very low. It is usually when they exhaust their old stock and purchase or manufacture new ones that the prices will adjust, all things being equal. That way, they do not unusually incur losses and cut into their profit margins by selling at a rate lower than the original cost price.

    Another factor that is keeping the prices of goods and services high is psychology, or the fear that the naira’s gain against the dollar is temporary and the currency will depreciate again in the near future. Simply put, if businesses expect the naira to weaken against the dollar anytime soon, they may be hesitant to lower the prices now. This waiting game can further delay the decrease in consumer prices.

    For businesses in the service industry that do not sell physical products, additional considerations like high operating cost can contribute to price stickiness. Many service providers rely on imported goods and equipment for their daily operations, from office supplies and cleaning materials to tech hardware. Wages and salaries adjusted upwards when the naira was weaker may also not be reduced even with the stronger naira. Reducing salaries is a delicate and controversial move that can dampen workers’ morale. Keeping the salaries and overhead costs high while reducing the prices of the services provided can squeeze the profit margins of these businesses.

    All in all, the effects of naira’s appreciation may take some time to trickle down to consumer prices due to some of the factors pointed out above. Businesses typically factor in not just the current exchange rate, but also their past purchases, the overall cost of production and future uncertainty. While a stronger naira is a welcome development, Nigerians might need to be patient for its full impact to be felt by consumers.

    • Chinedu George Nnawetanma.

  • Matters arising in contemporary Kannywood industry

    Matters arising in contemporary Kannywood industry

    By Usman Abdullahi Koli

    The Hausa cinematic industry has been in existence from time immemorial. It started as stage dramas mostly performed during festivities in the 80s, but gradually metamorphosed to what is obtainable now. Kannywood is a term coined from Hausa films produced in Kano State of Northern Nigeria. Some states like Kaduna and Jos also make Hausa movies, but they are not as popular as those in Kano. Talented individuals and groups have contributed to the development and set unforgettable milestones in Kannywood. One of such persons is Adamu Abdullahi Zango, also known as Prince Zango. Adam has been acting in Hausa films for over 20 years. He is one of the pioneering cast members of many ancient movies. Zango is a multi-skilled individual as he acts, sings, produces and directs films, while at the same time introducing new faces to the screens.

    However, despite the immense contributions of Adam Zango, he has been a victim of accusations, controversies and rumors, but they all turned out to be a bunch of false claims in the end. One of the major problems dragging the Hausa film industry back is enmity. No matter how talented an actor is, if he is not in the circle of those who consider themselves owners of the industry or if their stardom is at its peak, he or she is always considered worthless. An adage states that “united we stand, divided we fall.” The level of unity and support for one another in Kannywood is below expectation. It is only in Kannywood that actors receive financial support when they come out crying in videos, exposing what they are going through. Such behavior is contrary to other entertainment industries, where actors and actresses frequently check on colleagues and offer helping hands without disseminating the act on social media.  

    Some years ago, in his philanthropic effort to give back to society, Zango promised to give out millions of Naira to orphans in Kaduna. People from the industry and outside started saying that he could only make promises without implementing them. This, among other factors, contributed immensely to the current reality Zango is facing in the industry. People don’t usually appreciate him or keep quiet about issues that affect him directly, turning his life into a topic of discussion every single time. Adam was not given the opportunity to attend higher education, but his zeal to actualize the ambitions of young people inspired him to sponsor a high number in Kaduna, Jos and Kano states. The possession of assets, valuables, and material things by all those who work in WhiteHouse Family, an entertainment venture owned by Zango, is a testimony that he is full of kindness, selflessness, open-mindedness, and what he has never makes him proud.

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    What Zango is currently going through, I don’t see it as depression, as claimed by many. There are people he wholeheartedly helped and trusted but who turned against him. Additionally, he is facing a lot of troubles on social media from those who dislike him, always fabricating lies against him. Yes, silence is not golden. He is supposed to speak up in his defense, since no one is willing to stand up for him. The best one could do for the woman he loves is to marry and confide in her. What kills faster than a bullet is betrayal from a life partner, and the bond of trust ends without a second thought. Many accused Zango of frequent marriages and serving his wives with hot breakfast (divorce) in short periods. As revealed by him, the truth of the matter is that most times, the wives failed to be submissive, respectful and faithful as commanded by our religion. Zango has been hiding the facts about what led him to divorce his wives from public space, but the ranting from near and far is unbecoming and unbearable. He has decided to let the hen out of the cage. Frankly, keeping some issues hidden is better, as exposing them is like adding salt to an injury.

    Furthermore, most of the films produced by Zango were created by local writers, not copies of Bollywood or Hollywood stories. The films contributed to the portrayal of real Hausa norms and values, cultures and traditions, dressings and foods, shelters and festivals, while maintaining the religious injunctions. The languages being used are authentic Hausa, alongside idioms, styles, and proverbs, making it easier for children to learn. Despite dressing in Western attires in some movies, Zango still maintains the moral compass of Hausa and Islam. Factually, nobody can boldly point out where Adam is seen in a fantasy scene with women in films. Other characters have done worse than what Zango did in movies and feel that doing so is normal, without minding the repercussions on their families or people who took them as role models. By the way, who is morally upright in Kannywood?

    In summary, I have been an advocate for Kannywood, as I have written about misunderstandings between Rarara and former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, the decision of MOPPAN to dismiss Rahama Sadau, among other topics in the Hausa entertainment industry. It should be noted that stakeholders and characters in Kannywood should see themselves as one family, because commendation to one affects the rest and vice versa. People need to reciprocate kindness with kindness. Fans and mentees of artists should learn to respect each other by supporting themselves and resolving issues through dialogue.

    Adam Zango needs to control himself, especially in moments of anger, and stop making decisions at those times. He has faced worse situations before and stood strong. He can do it again. Let him consult relatives and trusted friends before taking any bold steps in his life. Finally, as a celebrity and a mirror to a limitless number of people, Adam Zango should ignore the negative comments, criticisms, disrespectful and abusive words of followers on social media platforms. If he gives them no time to reply, they would have no choice but to stop. Kannywood has never had a gifted actor like Adam Zango in its history. He should cherish the God-given talent and be more focused, optimistic, and keep pouring out the best in him in both acting and music. Anything related to his personal life should be private, as antagonists always look for weak points or where he does wrong to attack him. He should keep in mind that he is a son, father, and someone others look up to. His words and actions, whether good or bad, would be replicated by them.

    • Usman Abdullahi Koli, ANIPR, writes from mernoukoli@gmail.com.

  • Abiodun’s outpouring of post-subsidy interventions

    Abiodun’s outpouring of post-subsidy interventions

    By Kayode Akinmade

    During the COVID-19 lockdown, the then President, Muhammadu Buhari, some notable aviation experts and other credible national and international bodies singled out Ogun State, along with Lagos, for recognition. They lauded  the two states for their valiant efforts to tame the menace and save the nation needless casualties. Today, as the expected socioeconomic effects of the removal of subsidy on PMS and the floatation of the naira bite hard, Ogun under Prince Dapo Abiodun is playing the same lead role that earned it recognition in the immediate past political dispensation.

    That is not fortuitous: great leaders are known for empathy, integrity, resilience, accountability and dependability. According to the Center for Creative Leadership, a top-ranked provider of executive education, “A good leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience. They should  encourage learning agile and flex their influence while communicating the vision, showing gratitude, and collaborating effectively.” Dr. Jennifer Varney, Executive VP of Academic Effectiveness at the Southern New Hampshire University, echoes this view when she avers that “good leaders possess self-awareness, garner credibility, focus on relationship-building, have a bias for action, exhibit humility, empower others, stay authentic, present themselves as constant and consistent, become role models and are fully present.”

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    In rolling out food and cash palliatives, Governor Abiodun is showing the central place of people’s comfort in his administration’s programmes. He recognizes the challenges of day-to-day living that the people face and wishes to offer them relief while heightening the delivery of infrastructure projects, including airports, dry ports and expressways. At the moment, in the area of education,about 150,000 students across all levels of education in the state are getting cash awards. The Educational Cash Award For Student Help (OgunEduCASH) is an intervention programme for learners in all public primary and secondary schools, as well as public and private tertiary institutions across Nigeria, to cushion the effects of the economic challenges on learners and their parents. The scheme, announced by Governor Abiodun in February, is a robust part of the state’s palliative package whereby each tertiary education student gets N50,000 cash from the state government, regardless of whether they are in public or private tertiary institutions. That is not all: 100,000 indigent students in public primary and secondary schools are each getting N10,000 cash.

    Not surprisingly, the social and traditional media is replete with testimonies of students who have enjoyed this cash award, which is without prejudice to scholarships and bursaries. They couldn’t hide their excitement even as they showered encomiums on the governor for the gesture. Among many other students, Aminat Asaye, Tomiwa Iteoluwa (Mass Communication HND 2), Ogunjobi and Olujomehin Ebudola (Accountancy, HND 2) and Rokeeb Ayinla (Marketing ND 2), all of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, appreciated Governor Abiodun for the gesture, saying the money would go a long way in meeting their educational pursuits. They were joined by Adebayo Farouq and Olatinuke Olajumoke (Computer Science, HND 2), and Liadi Israel (Computer Science, ND 2), of D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, who averred that the cash awards would cater for their projects and support in paying a sizeable part  of their tuition fees. And equally mesmerized by the gesture, Adewale Oyenekan, Rebecca Akinfenwa, Leduwe Ayomide, Toheeb Adesina, and David Dosunmu of the Federal College of Education, Osiele, described Governor Abiodun as compassionate, tender hearted, generous, and student-loving father, describing the gesture as an indication of the governor’s passion for the prosperity of the citizenry. Students from some Universities – OOU Ago- Iwoye,TASUED Ijagun also commended the unprecedented efforts of the governor. Specifically, Miss Sharon Olumuyiwa (HHM Dept. OOU) and Dotun Sowole (Bus. Education,TASUED) appreciated the gesture which they claimed helped them in the pursuit of their education.

    That was not all: palliatives aimed at easing both Lent and Ramadan were distributed across the three senatorial districts of the state. The palliatives, including rice, were shared in churches and mosques, with the beneficiaries commending the governor for his kind gesture and noting that their pains were being ameliorated. Said the Bishop of Remo Diocese, Methodist Church Nigeria, The Rt. Rev. Bamidele Ibikunle: “It is an exciting thing to know that our governor is thinking well of the people and I am happy especially today that we are commemorating the Palm Sunday. We want to thank the governor in a special way for being mindful of his people because times are hard and this palliative will go a long way in ameriorating people’s suffering, particularly people who are not sure of what to eat at Easter. They can now have something on their table to eat with their families.” And speaking during the distribution at the Ijebu-Ode Central Mosque, the Grand Chief Imam, Sheik Miftaudeen Ayanbadejo, said: “I thank His Excellency, Governor Abiodun, for this palliative because there is hunger in the land and whatever the government can do to bring relief is welcome.” The cleric urged the Federal Government to open the borders “for a short time even if it is for three months to allow things to normalize.” Hear the Chief Imam of the Ilaro Central Mosque , Alhaji Tajudeen Adewunmi: “The hardship in the land is too much and it is telling on the people. You can imagine a situation where people can no longer afford three square meals per day. It is only God that can come to our rescue. Thank God that we have a governor who feels the pulse of the people and is ready to meet everybody at the point of needs.”

    Indeed, one of the things that constantly gave Nigerians concern before now is the oft-reported hijacking of palliatives by political actors or bureaucrats following their announcement by the various governments. That is why the Ogun State government has been keen ensuring that the intended beneficiaries of its schemes access them directly. Unlike what obtains in other areas, all the palliatives are getting to the direct beneficiaries. For instance, the beneficiaries of EduCash have been lauding the government for its transparency. The government was able to get the data of all students of Ogun origin through collaboration with the school authorities. Names were submitted by VCs, Provosts and Rectors using information submitted by students while filling in JAMB forms or during registration in the institutions, and the students were paid simultaneously. Testimonies abound on Twitter, Facebook and platforms like Nairaland. At the lower levels, the government identified indigent students through their teachers, and testimonies abound of parents thanking the government for the gesture which, according to the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, has gulped over N3bn.

    In distributing rice palliatives to the vulnerable and less privileged across LGs, the Abiodun government was meeting a critical need, and it is instructive that there were no reported incidents of rowdiness or fighting. In any case, it is a thing of great joy that in the area of surgical interventions, over 1500 residents have benefited already. The free surgery takes care of ailments like goiter, fibroids, hernia, etc, and has so far been a phenomenal success. Governor Abiodun knows what he is doing: he has a target, and the right people to ensure that the targeted beneficiaries get the interventions. That is obviously an unbeatable combination.

    • Akinmade is Special Adviser on Media and Communications to Ogun State Governor.