The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • APC, stop the noise; stop Jonathan!

    SIR: The All Progressives Congress (APC) should stop the lamentation over the loss of Ekiti to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    In Nigeria, you use what you have to get what you want, on behalf of the hapless citizens. When President Goodluck Jonathan used Commissioner of Police Mbu Joseph Mbu to torment Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and make the state ungovernable, the APC directed its members in the National Assembly to block all Bills, including the budget, to checkmate him.  He was humbled and stopped his unconstitutional acts in Rivers.

    President Jonathan used the armed forces and police to intimidate APC supporters in Ekiti thus securing a victory for his party by force of arms.

    While his ministers, Musiliu Obanikoro and Jelili Adesiyan are running away from Borno State because of Boko Haram, they have no shame in invading a peaceful Ekiti State with thousands of soldiers and policemen to cow the APC. They arrested APC leaders on the eve of the election in their various homes.

    President Jonathan also used the military to prevent governors, who enjoy the same immunity with him, from visiting Ekiti to support their APC brother governor, who had earlier been assaulted by the Federal Government-controlled Mobile Police (MOPOL).

    Among others, these actions constitute gross misconduct. APC should now use its number to sanction the President; otherwise, he will be emboldened by the force-induced victory of the PDP in Ekiti to enact same in Osun State and in 2015.

    The APC federal legislators should muster the will to stop President Jonathan from misuse of the military and police and other unconstitutional acts that will destroy the current democracy.

    • Patrick James, Kaduna

  • Engaging Abuja land speculators

    SIR: It is no longer news that illegal land speculation is still very much rife in Abuja, despite efforts by the Federal Capital Territory administration to tackle this problem. The scourge is more pronounced in the areas of forging of land titles, fraudulent land deals, unauthorized allocation of land titles by council chairmen and other natives of the FCT among other irregularities.

    As it were, land agents would often hoard land titles in their briefcases with the hope of selling these papers when their values would have appreciated, thereby denying genuine real estate developers access to these land titles. Others in their desperate bid to get rich quick indulge in the faking of land papers to dupe unsuspecting.

    In all of these, the biggest losers were the thousands of other Nigerians, mostly FCT residents who fell victims to the nefarious activities of land speculators in Abuja, with scores of them losing precious properties worth millions of naira, and lives in extreme cases. Some others too have been made to pay exorbitant and very outrageous rents fees to Abuja landlords due to the scramble for the few available houses in developed districts.

    As was recently revealed by the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, corrupt politicians in collaboration with other agents are also said to be in the habit of laundering their ill-gotten wealth through acquisition of land in the city by tactically avoiding the use of financial instruments in payment for these land and properties

    This disturbing trend has continued, not due to lack of efforts on the part of the FCTA as successive administrations in the territory have made several attempts to put an end to this, all with little success. In fact, each time new policies are rolled, land speculators always appear to be a step ahead of the game.

    According to the incumbent FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, when he took over in 2011, land speculators were seen as the real landlords of Abuja who were doing their illegal business with reckless abandon. It was a case of individuals or group of people claiming ownership of a piece of land that genuinely belong to someone else, perhaps with the collaboration of some insiders in land administration in the FCT to either forge a certificate of occupancy and other needed documents to sell the land or use it for personal gains.

    That was why the Minister tried to inject transparency and good governance into Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) by introducing the digitalization of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) so that spatially related land data in selected departments and agencies flow in a manner as build up a resource centre in the AGIS. The Minister also replaced obsolete equipment with modern and more sophisticated ones to guarantee system security and operational efficiency.

    Apart from this, collaboration between AGIS stakeholders and other SDAs were strengthened to improve rapid exchange of secure data between AGIS and these SDAS for faster service delivery and information sharing. This led to a reduction in the fees being charged for land application in the Area Councils from N100,000 to N50,000 to enable more Nigerians build and own their houses in the FCT.

    To make land available to real estate developers without having to go through the vagaries and chicaneries of land speculators, the Minister also introduced the innovative land swap policy which entails the exchange of land for infrastructural development. By this, developers are allocated land in a Greenfield district for real property development and in exchange for the grant, the developer is to provide primary infrastructure in the agreed district without any financial, technical or demand risk on the part of the FCTA or the Federal Government.

    It is still early in the day to ascertain whether these efforts and innovations would eventually put paid to the menace of land speculation in the FCT and bring about desired development of the city in line with the master plan. What is clear is that efforts are actually being made by the FCT Administration to arrest the situation restore a modicum of decorum in land administration in the FCT.

     

    •  Danladi Akilu

    Durumi II, District, Abuja

     

  • Countdown to Bayelsa economic summit

    With appreciable growth in infrastrucre and an expanding economy, Bayelsa State is stepping up in its quest for industrialization. With a Gross State Product of N2.4 trillion ($18.5 billion), the state is desirous of attracting good investments locally and abroad. So from July 16-18, the state will play host to an international Investment and Economic Forum in Yenagoa, the state capital. The event, with the theme, “Unlocking Bayelsa economic potentials: Challenges and Opportunities” was put together as part of efforts to share the Bayelsa Dream: an incredible array of opportunities for strategic and forward looking investors in the various sectors of the state economy.

    Today, major institutional modalities – from legal to economic incentives – to attract the right kind of investors have been addressed and streamlined to cater for the next phase of development in the New Bayelsa State. The state government seeks to use the forum to look for serious investors ready to take advantage of the state’s vast untapped resources to invest in the state. The emphasis is on major partnership with the private sector, to influence the culture and character of the people to be more active in business and indeed the local economy through job creation and improved living conditions. The government is also seeking to leverage on the ensuing business environment to create alternative sources of income.

    With oil and gas being dominant enterprise in Bayelsa economy, the state government is pushing for a paradigm shift with premium on other sectors such as power generation, agriculture, hospitality and tourism and e-commerce.

    The power sector in particular, presents a very rewarding business opportunity considering the abundance of gas in the state. Against the mid-term objective of the state government to generate 3000 megawatts of electricity, the state government not only seeks investors to share in its vision, but also partners to boost electricity supply to the national grid.  Interestingly, a number of companies have shown interest and even some have signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with the state government.  There is certainly room for more given that the sector remains a goldmine for investors willing to pump in the needed massive investments. Thus the forum will be an apt avenue for strategic investors to rub minds with officials of the state government as part of its bid for economic diversification.

    Equally, for some time now, the economic diversification efforts have necessitated a shift to agriculture and tourism to create a new economy. The last two years have seen increased activities in the development of agriculture in the state, training of hundreds of youths at Songhai Farms in Port Novo, Benin, establishment of the Agricultural Training Institute and generally, in encouraging people to go into farming. Today, the cultivation of cassava and rice is increasingly seen as a viable business.

    In all, the emphasis is on modernization of farming, to encourage large scale farming to boost employment and hence farmers’ incomes. There is no doubt that the large scale cultivation of rice will be hugely successful because the local environmental conditions allow for continuous planting of rice throughout the year.  Similar considerations apply to the cultivation of cassava and plantain and the growing business of aquaculture in Bayelsa State hence the need to showcase the possibilities for investors. Here, government is desirous to see many agro-allied businesses spring up in due course.

    The other arm of the economic diversification is tourism.  This sector has received generous investment by the state government particularly in terms of the right infrastructure and enabling laws. Bayelsa State is adjudged as one of the safest states in the nation today and this is good for tourism which explains why it attracted socio-cultural, arts and cultural events like AMAA, the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Pageant, the International Day for Culture, the UNESCO First African Underwater Cultural Heritage Conference, top class musical events and other international functions drawing the cream of global celebrities in recent times.  This is clearly an affirmation of Bayelsa as a worthy environment to do business; a place that is safe and secure. It is already documented that the state has the longest coastline of beautiful beaches in the world and an array of historical sites waiting for global visitors.  That’s why the sector is being developed to the desired international standard by the restoration government led by Governor Seriake Dickson.  He sees tourism as a major component of the future economy hence his determination to pour more resources into the sector while encouraging others to do same as a lucrative enterprise. From this perspective, it is a timely step by any serious investor to come into the tourism industry in the state to invest.  The basic requirements of infrastructure are happening in terms of roads and bridges, urban renewal, electricity generation and general security of lives and property. From hotels to golf courses and the New Yenagoa City, something spectacular is evolving in the Glory of All Lands. These are not happenstances but deliberate and visionary. The future is appealing to the present with so much optimism that Bayelsa State can create its own Eldorado by sheer passion, vision and leadership. For those who would like to invest in hotels and real estate, the environment is now very liberal and indeed, the collection of certificate of occupancy has been computerized and made easier to acquire.

    In the last two years, the state government through the Bayelsa Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) has actually done some good work in cementing vital business relationships with MoUs signed with some reputable oil companies to open vistas of economic progress in the state. More of this development initiative will be tabled for investors’ appreciation at the forum to see what gains are accruable to them in the oil and gas sector of the state economy. Of course, Governor Dickson has repeatedly stated of his desire to see Bayelsa as the new business and economic hub in the Niger Delta and so much is being done to realize this lofty objective.

    As explained by the Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment, Barrister Kemela Okara, the Bayelsa Investment and Economic forum promises to be a harvest of golden business opportunities. With an airport of its own to make transportation easier to the state, an integrated railway linking the vital economic areas down to the Sea Port at Agge and a free trade zone, among other strategic initiatives to boost business, Bayelsa State is moving up the ladder of investment destination.

    In the long run, Bayelsans hope to see an emerging state economy with steady growth in the private sector and a preponderance of local entrepreneurs as core beneficiaries in the value chain; this would be really good for the local economy, the people would be happier for it.

    • Iworiso-Markson writes from Yenagoa 
  • Ambode: Making Lagos work after Fashola

    Ambode: Making Lagos work after Fashola

    Aquintessential public servant, those who know him quite intimately, see him as an exemplar in accountable governance, selflessness and unalloyed uprightness whose only “weakness” is his implacable commitment to public good, no matter whose ox is gored!

    Oh, your surmise is damn right! The man I’m discussing here is the one who, today, many in the Lagos State public service environment fondly address as Mr Public Service –Akinwunmi Ambode. His name is synonymous with the pivotal aspect of a promising public administration. He hugged the limelight when he became the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance of Lagos State in January 2005; a year after, he rose to the position of Accountant-General of the state.

    The magic wand he brought into the service in good measure readily became an integral ingredient of the evergreen accomplishments of the then state government led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (now national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who has since earned himself the sobriquet: Architect of a modern Lagos State!

    Even Tinubu’s most virulent foes and Ambode’s (if there is any), would testify to the incontrovertible fact that the symbiosis between Tinubu’s administrative genius and the sublime professional expertise of Ambode and his ilk, oiled by the shared passion for public good, ensured the historic feat of the Tinubu-led bailout of the state from the hands of interlopers.

    Ambode’s Midas touch in the state’s public service under Tinubu, coupled with his achievements as Managing Consultant/CEO of Brandsmiths Consulting Limited, a public finance and management-consulting firm with vast knowledge of public sector administration, readily threw him up as a primary subject of public discourse since his interest in the 2015 governorship tussle in the state sneaked into public domain.

    “From recording the second best result in the entire West Africa in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1981 to graduating with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at 21 and a Masters’ degree in Accounting combined with being a Chartered Accountant all at 24, the stage was set for a brilliant career in Accounting. One could therefore re-write his biography with the title: Ambode and the Power of Focus.” These lines were contained in a writer’s recent thoughts about Ambode, who was born at Epe in Lagos on June 14, 1964, with an impressive educational voyage through St. Jude’s Primary School, Ebute Metta on Lagos Mainland, Federal Government College, Warri and the prestigious University of Lagos.

    Even the cynics of the deepest dye would find it hard to disagree with Tinubu when he described him at a forum as “an uncommon civil servant” in whom he discovered an embodiment of the sterling attributes of a great accountant.

    Tinubu’s workaholic successor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in a letter of commendation to the accounting icon, appreciated “the high sense of dedication, selflessness, loyalty and integrity” which he brought to bear during his glorious public servant days.

    The few who were hitherto in the dark about what Ambode stands for, perhaps knew better at a recent public presentation of his biography, The Art of Selfless Service, written by Marina Osoba.

    Thunderous ovation threatened the venue to its foundation. Even those who had known him intimately for the past five decades had their jaws pleasantly set apart. “This is indeed an illustrious son that Lagos and indeed, Nigeria must be proud of,” many presumably soliloquised.

    Much as I thought I knew the astute accountant, I was more enlightened when a fortnight ago, I found myself in the midst of those who, to me, knew him from Adam at a gathering in Lekki. On virtually everyone’s lips is the aspect of his upbringing which, in the discussants’ view, should be internalised and imbibed by the youth of today who see it as a waste of time working towards their life goals. Their discussion and eventual conclusion on the man, reminded me of the immortal words of the late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who once admonished: “After rain comes sunshine; after darkness comes the glorious dawn. There is no joy without its alloy of sorrow; behind the ugly terrible mask of misfortune lies the beautiful soothing countenance of prosperity. So, tear the mask!”

    As a growing youth, he was said to have brave all odds and trudged on to put his life on a sound footing in the first 27 years of his exemplary life, especially after the death of his father when he was barely 18 – thus contributing to his uniqueness as a man.

    A further lesson for youths: Quite a negligible few in his shoes would rather spend eternity looking for plum jobs that would put them in the league of the Aliko Dangotes of this world overnight. But no; Ambode did not behave like his peers today would. He willingly embraced civil service which people see as acutely impoverishing – if only for its snail-speed opportunities for self fulfilment.

    But the consummate accountant was not idiotic after all. He was simply dancing to the irrepressible dictates of his destiny and his unique psychological disposition to the forces of his uncommon foundational familial impetus!

    I feel compelled to believe without a scintilla of doubt that his sterling personality traits and abundant trainings, which combined to midwife his leadership capabilities, recently, prompted the respected Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Okikiola, the Akiolu 1, to urge the state chapter of the APC, to prod Ambode into the ring for the next governorship election in the state.

    “Myself, other traditional rulers and some notable elders have met and decided that Ambode should be the next governor of Lagos,” the esteemed monarch declared, albeit to the discomfort of some who I guessed, knew Ambode not, especially in the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    There is no gainsaying that fact that the monarch and others like him, are armed with the belief that Ambode possesses enough mental and professional ammunition needed to sustain and improve on the world-acclaimed achievements of Governor Fashola in the state.

    “I have taken my time to study the goings-on in the political circles of this state for months now as we prepare for the 2015 polls. I have discovered that people want the sustenance of all the indices of the new Lagos that we are celebrating today and from all indications, the man called Ambode, from what I have gathered from many people, is the one with the character needed to keep the ball rolling in the best interest of Lagos residents,” a reader insisted at a newsstand recently. It was during a heated discussion of the fate of the state after Fashola at the popular Ojuelegba Under-bridge in Surulere. I think the man said it all!

    • Adetola lives in Lagos.

  • Ayobolu’s Further thoughts on Ekiti polls

    SIR: Segun Ayobolu’s piece in The Nation of July 5, can best be described as an attempt to justify the vilification of the good works of Dr. Kayode Fayemi as Governor of Ekiti State. It is possibly a part of the grand design to prepare grounds for his longstanding friend, Opeyemi Bamidele, who has become a lost sheep of sort, to return to the APC through the back door now that the chips are down.

    It is most surprising that Ayobolu could admit in one breath that he goofed for reacting in his

    column without proper appraisal of the empirical realities and went ahead to condemn what his instinct had told him was right using apparently orchestrated text messages from obscured readers, rumours and outright lies as the main premises of his write up.

    Ayobolu unwittingly exhibited his malicious intent when he said that he (a reputable journalist) did not visit Ekiti State in the last almost four years in spite of the fact that his friend, the governor

    was reportedly making waves in the state. On what basis was he writing previously in celebration of Fayemi?   His reference to the issue of the rumours about a university owned by Fayemi is lazy because severally the governor dismissed this as a non issue when it came up.

    It is unbelievable that a journalist could accuse a governor that utilized outcomes of village square meetings to plan his annual budgets as disconnected from the people. It is on record that Fayemi had absolute participatory governance and executed over 1,200 projects spread across the 132 communities in the state. Many of these projects which are dear to the hearts of the people include palaces, town-halls, health centres and rural roads some of which have been abandoned for over 25 years. How can anybody accuse a government that initiated and completed over 1,200 projects in the 132 communities in the state of being disconnected with the grassroots? The governor’s statement in his concessional speech that the new Sociology of Ekiti will attract the attention of scholars in future is pregnant with meanings for discerning minds and the wise.  Although some mistakes might have been made in these past three years, that would certainly not explain why a sitting governor will lose all the Local Governments and more so that he has been adjudged as having performed very well in office.

    One thing is clear though, posterity will judge the happenings of June 21, gubernatorial election in Ekiti. History scholars will surely have a field day trying to rationalize the victory of PDP over APC in

    spite of the monumental achievements of the incumbent APC governor.

    If indeed the election results reflect the yearnings of the Ekiti people, so let it be.  One can only hope that the in-coming administration improves the lot of Ekiti, our land of honour because this state is greater than individuals, post mortem or not.  It is when you marry another husband that you know the deference.

    •Tayo Ekundayo,

    Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation,

    Ekiti State.

  • Imoke: Celebrating gentleman-governor at 53

    Today is no doubt unique. Unique in the sense that it is an important date which occurs only once in a calendar year in the life of a man (I used the term man, generically to include woman). Today is equally one of those rare occasions many in political offices would spare no effort to roll out the drums for having notched half a century and three years.

    In a clime where life expectancy is lamentably put at 47 years, no one can begrudge someone occupying such an exalted office of governor from throwing a bash or better still make some noise at 53 years.

    But for Governor Liyel Imoke, even as he clocks 53 today, he would rather have none of it as it is usually not one of his pastimes. He considers it frivolous. And so for him, today will pass just like yesterday or any other day.

    Nevertheless, at 53, his life flips at your face like an open book with illuminating chapters you never get tired of perusing.

    Born 53 years today to late Dr. Samuel Imoke, in July 10, 1961, there is an element of freshness about him at just 53 years, freshness of spirit, freshness of ideas, freshness of vision and mission about him as a person, as a leader and statesman.

    For a leader who has hit a purple patch and made a glittering success of life at a very young age in both private and public capacity, is life itself not worth celebrating at 53? Not a few will respond in affirmative that it calls for popping of champagne and rendition of speeches.

    But for His Excellency, the task of offering responsive leadership is too demanding to bask in birthday frivolities. So, if today, as unique as it ought to be in the life of His Excellency, comes to pass as uneventful, it is deliberate and only goes to define his personage as a gentle, calm, reticent and self-effacing leader and statesman.

    While many hanker after leadership, and inordinately crave that too, Imoke has overtime exemplified and redefined what a true leader ought to be.

    In his case, while he did not set out to be a leader, but rather became one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent, he has demonstrated the confidence to stand for what he believes in, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

    Everything considered, Imoke is not your everyday leader who abrasively foists himself or throws himself in your face. He is the kind that God in His compassion, thrusts on the people to make a difference, create an impact, leave an indelible mark and remains etched in their memories years after he has gone.

    For me, His Excellency is one I regard as a servant leader, one who is not concerned about his own success, but who sacrifices himself completely for the success of others. Imoke is a servant leader who does not write people off when they fail to acquit themselves or square up to expectations, rather one who comes alongside them and assists them grow into their potentials.

    He no doubt learnt the story of his people before he threw his hat into the ring in 2007 to drastically transform them. As a servant leader, his administrative style is not to coerce his people to change; but to carefully assist them to change from the well-worn siege that government only existed for those in government.

    Determined to make a difference and bring about a change in the lives of his people, he has continued to strive to bequeath a legacy that will inspire generations after him to honestly live and not just exist.

    As he turns 53 today, so much is being said about him by a vast concourse of lieutenants, aides, associates alike. There is a consensus of opinion that His Excellency is a perfect gentleman to the core, an amiable leader with an infectious humility. Many across a broad spectrum often speak of his charm and an overdose of his humility with envy.

    This trait is so telling that it is often difficult in several of his official and private outings to distinguish him from his aides. Instances abound where the government with his team have experienced delayed flights. On such unpleasant situations, you will find His Excellency engaged in warm and informal conversations with his aides to the point that you are likely to take them as contemporaries.

    As a team player, Senator Imoke seriously frowns on the personalization of governance or leadership. He is one rare leader who goes out of his way to shore up the self-esteem of his staff.

    His philosophy is anchored on the belief that if people believe in themselves, it is amazing what they can accomplish. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are a leader. This philosophy has been the galvanizing tonic in the success of his administration this past seven years.

    A deeply cerebral and reticent leader and an administrator, he believes that there is much to gain by listening than talking. It is this attribute that equally characterises his lack of “noise” surrounding so many of achievements in office these seven years.

    At a time when it is most fashionable in government to advertise every little token like filling of potholes, commissioning of sewing machines and motorcycles as poverty palliatives, Imoke, despite the numerous capital projects scattered across the state, has gone about infrastructural development with the least noise necessary.

    In governance, he has continued to point the way forward and raising the bar, challenging leaders of all levels of government on what a difference vision, creativity, focus and persistence can make.

    His style is very firm, but not rigid, inclusive and accommodating, but still demands sacrifice and commitment from all. His style is consultative and open, yet very decisive. His humanity is unquestionable, even as he seeks to the entrenchment of tough and enduring policies for posterity.

    It is exactly this style of leadership that Cross River State people needed at the time he became governor in 2007. Despite the obvious despair, hopelessness and daunting challenges then, Imoke demonstrated strong convictions and unusual courage as well as an enterprising spirit. This has been the main reason for his effectiveness.

    As an astute manager of resources, Imoke sees plenty, even in the face of paucity. It this rare determination to make the most out of nothing, that he has ensured Cross River State is growing in leaps and bounds and raising the bar for others. That Cross River has become a developmental template and a reference point for most of the states today is due largely to Imoke’s conscientiousness and forthrightness.

    Governor Imoke has transposed his calm persona on the system by entrenching such core values of trust, selflessness, integrity and passion for the people and effectively earning their confidence and abiding followership.

    He has re-defined the concept of leadership and effective governance by re-orientating the mindset of the political class to see politics as a call to service.

    As he clocks 53 today, a lot can still be learnt from his example. A retelling of countless stories from his life in private and public service offers generous inspirational material to draw from.

    We can felicitate with him by reflecting on a man who labours in the face of nothing to change his state and then try to live up to his standards.

    Happy birthday Your Excellency!

    • Obogo is Personal Assistant to Imoke on Research and Documentation

  • INEC’S weird volte-face on Osun REC

    The common refrain from the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is that it is doing all within the confines of its powers to conduct a credible governorship election in Osun State come August 9. Certainly, a majority of the electorate expect nothing below the bar of excellent performance from INEC.

    But a recent decision it took in respect of its Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, to wit, that he should go on ‘leave of absence for his own safety’, gives the impression that the commission is rattled by the baseless opposition some politicians in the state mounted against the person of the REC. It does appear this is not the same INEC that vowed some months ago not to prevent Akeju from conducting the governorship election if those alleging he was partisan did not present unassailable evidence. This strange turn-about from the leadership of the electoral body does suggest, in spite of its claim to the contrary, that those who bayed for the blood of the REC have inundated it with irreproachable evidence.

    It should be recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) began the illogical call for the redeployment of Akeju. The governorship candidate of the party in Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had in 2011 asked a court for an injunction to stop Akeju from conducting the election of that year in Osun. The prayer was granted. INEC did not contest the injunction and was even making arrangement for the court’s order implementation. Quite strangely, the same PDP immediately went back to the court to ask for a stay of execution of that injunction it had sweetly won earlier. Justice Babs Kuewumi who presided over the case was so pole-axed that he described the request as ‘bizarre’, wondering why the plaintiff (PDP) in that court was doing what the appellant (INEC) in the Appeal Court should expectedly undertake.

    Last February when Jega came to Osogbo for a stakeholders’ parley, a drama of opposition against the REC was staged by the PDP and Labour Party. They asked that the REC be redeployed. The other parties did not join them. But in his response, Jega strongly posited that the commission would do their bidding only when credibly substantiated evidence was produced against the REC. He added that the commission was not one to change its officials based on mere allegations. The INEC chair was clear in his submission that nothing would be done to Akeju without believable proof of the allegation levelled against him.

    This explains why the sudden change of decision on Akeju by the leadership of INEC is absurd and confusing. As rationalised last week by Jega’s Chief Press Secretary, Kayode Idowu, Akeju is just on ‘leave of absence’ for his personal safety. Is it that there are threats to Akeju’s life because he will conduct free and fair election? Is the new REC, Olusegun Agbaje, going to conduct a less credible election? Who are the people threatening Akeju’s life? Is Agbaje’s safety assured? If Agbaje is going to conduct a free and fair election, will the same threat not be transferred unto him?

    Let it be said that INEC fools no one with its strange behaviour and its even stranger justification. Discerning Nigerians know too well that INEC has just done the wish of the PDP, which has noisily repeatedly asked that Akeju be prevented from conducting the August 9 governorship election in Osun. Regardless of its advertised faith in Akeju and claim of his still being the substantive Osun REC, the commission has just in a different way revealed that it does not trust the man. In the same outlandishmanner that it has granted the wish of the PDP and its inverted poltroons, the commission has equally condemned Akeju. The commission, like those whose wish it has oddly acceded to, sees Akeju as a threat to the coming election. Is the case about the REC’s retention in Osun not still in court? Why the weird decision and breaking of coconut on the head of the REC?

    Similarly, INEC should know that nobody except the troubled PDP believes the humbug that the commission’s request for Akeju to proceed on leave of absence was ‘his contribution towards ensuring the credibility of the state governorship election’. So Mr Akeju is so daffy that he deliberately stains his integrity and honour in order for the election to be credible? Indeed, it is strange that a body which trumpets its decision to do right in the conduct of its duties care less about keeping its words with regard to not lifting a finger against its officials without irrefutable evidence of partisanship or wrongdoing. If political parties are involved in ‘intense partisan acrimony over his person’, should he be so unfeelingly made to suffer for their nervousness?

    The question remains, can INEC still be trusted to conduct a truly credible election in Osun? If it commends itself for its outing in Ekiti, will it not strangely turn around to perform below acceptable standards in Osun in a few weeks to come? Will INEC not give in to pressure from the PDP to overlook riggings when they are perpetrated? Jega and his men should note that the Osun electorate will not accept any strange behaviour from it during and after the governorship election.

     

    • Eluyemi, writes from Ile-Ife, Osun State.

  • Infrastructure and social development

    BIG infrastructure projects are by their nature, social investments, especially in developing markets, where the provision of basic services is often lagging far behind the needs of fast growing populations. The provision of power, water and transportation infrastructure are often taken for granted in the developed world, but serve an undeniable social purpose in Africa.  The electricity that we deliver to rural villages can be the difference between a school student’s ability to do his homework or not. The water we supply dramatically affects the health of those given access to it. Similarly, the roads, bridges and railway lines we construct make it easier for people to get to their respective destinations.    The jobs that are created by infrastructure projects themselves deliver a social return and we are proud that in Lagos about 423,000 jobs have been created on infrastructure projects over the last three years. These are the considerations that we take into account when examining each and every one of the projects we embarked on.

    Lagos is not alone in Africa in having to address a vast infrastructure challenge. The World Bank estimate is that Africa faces infrastructure investment deficit annually of US$93 billion for at least a decade. That is far beyond the capacity of African governments to address alone. Alternative sources of finance must be found, wherever we are on the continent and so, while providing a social good, infrastructure projects are increasingly required to also deliver a commercial return to those willing to invest in it as an asset class. One of the most impressive achievements in the infrastructure space over the last decade has been the ability to deliver on projects that attract international investment. De-risking infrastructure investment in Africa, while delivering a strong commercial return means that going forwards, we should be able to attract more and more of the investment we need to bridge the gap.

    In 1999, following the return to democracy and the election of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State, the revenue of the state was certainly not enough to deal with challenges facing the state. The revenue generating ability was limited and the needs of citizens immense. It was clear that unless a financial reengineering took place, the state would neither have the resources, nor the capacity to deliver on what it required to build the city. I have been lucky enough to serve in both the administrations of the Asiwaju, and his successor the current Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola and I am proud to have been involved in delivering such a revolution.

    From less than 700,000 registered tax payers when our party took office, we now have over 4.2 million. From a state budget of N69 billion per annum we now have a budget of N497 billion per annum. At that time, the state of Lagos did not have a single public ambulance, from rickety garbage collection to an organized garbage collection leading to advance recycling and sorting. Managing 10000 tones of waste on a daily basis, and creating jobs for thousands of Lagosians

    But as we have grown the state budget, so the challenges facing the government have also increased. From a population of 5.9 million in 1999, we now have over 21 million people and our population is believed to be growing at over six percent per annum; that is 10 times faster than New York or Los Angeles. Despite our ability to successfully increase the state’s revenue generating capacity, our physical infrastructure requirements continue to place significant demands on our balance sheet.

    We have to be able to invest faster than the state budget allows us to if we are to expedite the delivery of services to the masses. That is why Public Private Partnerships are so important and why we will continue to use them to find new and innovative ways to deliver the services our citizens need and deserve.

    For us, the concept of PPP goes beyond the simple structure of partnerships between the public and private sectors to reflect the lens through which we assess their potential impact.

    The first “P” is for People. All the projects we consider must fulfill the people of Lagos’ needs expeditiously, efficiently and economically. If they do not improve public service delivery, they are not considered as relevant initiative.

    The second “P” is for Possibilities. Removing the need for the government to use only its own funds we are able to consider a far greater wealth of possible projects and initiatives than we could without.

    The third “P” is for performance. For every project, we must set clear benchmarks, milestones and deliverables to audit the performance of the project against the promise. If they do not deliver tangible benefits, they must be held to account.

    Using PPP for social infrastructure?

    Classically, the concept of PPP in social infrastructure is about leveraging the capacity and skill of the private sector to enhance the delivery of social services such as education, health, shelter and security. All of which are equally important to the future development and prosperity of Lagos and its people. Many people often misinterpret this as the need to build physical assets, like hospitals and schools. The reality is that it can be much simpler than that. Let me cite a few examples: As the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, Lagos is home to some of the world’s largest companies as well as our own emerging indigenous private sector with a rapidly growing need for skilled labour. Every private sector leader I meet with is crying out for improvements in the relevance and skill by our university and Polytechnic graduates. Therefore, it becomes imperative to revamp and restructure our education curricula with a view to ensuring students acquire the right skills for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation, and we need to provide greater access to technical and vocational training. By doing so with a forward looking understanding of the needs of the private sector (a partnership), we can drastically improve the skills of our young people, and so their ability to secure sustainable employment, but also support even faster economic growth. I am of the opinion that better educated workforce will only increase our ability to attract investment. As such, we partnered with Samsung to build an academy that teaches electronics at a practical level. Besides, we have the following infrastructure to boost our water provision: Akute 10.15 MW plant, necessitated by the need to stop fueling with 33000 litres of diesel; Island IPP supplying electricity to government facilities such as General Hospital, Island maternity and a host of others; Alausa IPP supplying government offices with constant power.

    Finally, our vision for Lagos is to create a Mega City of the future. To do that we have to make decisions that show we have a “Mega Heart”. The social impact of the projects we initiate is the only true rationale for delivering them. Our challenge is to match the delivery methods to the expectations of our people.

     

    • Hamzat, Honourable Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lagos delivered this paper at the Nigeria Infrastructure Building Conference.

  • Memento mori: ‘There is God o’!

    When a leader looks down on the very public on the strength of whose votes he got into office and tells them to their faces: “I don’t give a damn!” in response to  a harmless question of public concern, what further evidence do we need to come to the grim reality that these are not normal times?

    A leader or any public office holder at all tiers of government should expect salvo of criticism from the watching public after all they are in office in the first place at the instance of the public from whom criticism of all shades come – justly and unjustly; besides criticism itself is an integral element in the social contract between the leader and the led. A leader has to develop a thick skin and learn to handle criticism and differentiate between positive criticism   and that which can be classified as purely mischievous. But it is so unfortunate that, every so often, sycophants jump in the fray in defence of the source of their daily bread, ‘man must whack’ which hardly helps the matter.

    In Nigeria today, the campaign for re-election into office for the second term starts right from the inauguration of the incumbent. It is so unfortunate how quickly we have come to this sorry passé. For some inexplicable reason, the leadership carries on as if it is all about them alone; the plight of the masses doesn’t seem to matter anymore, which callously completes the obscene spectacle. Once voted into office, whether performance is below average or not, the leadership deploy all manners of gimmicks possible to entrench themselves in office and government if possible, for life.

    On all fronts, our new generation of political gladiators have been found wanting in sharp contrast to exemplary leadership of the first generation politicians. Sacrifices and selflessness are virtues of leadership that are lacking now. The late Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and all the regional premiers and politicians of that era in government took a cut of 10 percent in their salaries to trigger off the drive for savings to finance our development.

    Really and truly, sacrifice has no place in the lexicon of the present generation of leadership. It’s so unfortunate that the selfless service rendered by the first generation of politicians cannot be replicated. The emerging picture of younger Nigerians can at best be described as a youth whose future has been hijacked and stolen by those who will stop at nothing at maintaining the present status quo.  And again, there is a noticeable paradigm shift that now leaves the Nigerian youth holding   on to the short end of the stick.  Lest we forget, a time was when the Nigerian youth was not only vibrant but known for its penchant for the pursuit of a robust pan-Nigeria and pan African agenda. They were very prominent in the agitation and the build up to Nigeria’s eventual independence in 1960; their voice rang out to the whole world during the campaign against Apartheid era in South Africa. We remember with nostalgia the Ali-Must-Go University students’ uprising; we also note with pride the mass movement and outcry engineered by the Nigerian youth in the wake of the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed in 1975.

    Now in our clime, caution has been thrown to the wind; general comportment and etiquette has no place in our polity. Nepotism, greed, crude  serial verbal abuse are the in thing across board; not to mention the colossal human lives that have been wasted and which to them  is no big deal. We are in a nation where a man’s worth is judged by his fleet of cars; his chain of mansions and fat bank accounts – even if all were acquired through shady means.

    Education, from whichever direction we look at it, has remained our greatest problem. It is on record that at one time education alone cost more than 40 per cent of Western Region budget and 50 per cent of Eastern Region budget respectively. The leadership of these two regions saw education as the key to development. We tend to think that generating electricity is our biggest problem but a closer look at the situation on ground to my mind education is our greatest problem. As much as we have brilliant scholars, it is sad to note that for every one of those brilliant ones,   we have over a hundred others who despite their university education and academic qualifications are unemployable and those employable hardly get employment.

    Perhaps the only glimmer of hope could be found in the crop of younger Nigerians, who in the midst of the chaos have been able to make bold statements at home and abroad in the areas of arts and entertainment.

    But what does the general picture look like?  We have  a generation of youth being used to snatch ballot boxes; an army of cult members engaged in daily bloodletting; able bodied men kidnapping for ransom to make a living; an ever rising population of  youth in drug trafficking; violent armed robbers and sundry other vices. We are definitely sitting on a time bomb.

    A recent report published by BGL, a Lagos based consultant firm has it that five percent of the country’s population consumes well over 41 percent of the country’s resources while the remaining 95 percent is left to struggle with the remaining 60 percent – which practically translates to a few being overfed while the rest wallows in poverty; going to bed hungry and greeting each day with bout of hunger.

    The matter is made worse and more obscene by a leadership which is not only insensitive but takes pride in indulging in grandiose lifestyle which invariably condemns the mass of the people to a life of needless deprivation in the midst of plenty.

    We started assembling cars before South Korea but today we are importing from Korea. When  Malaysia began her agriculture revolution in the area of palm oil production, they came here to collect seedlings of palm oil and before our very eyes climbed to an enviable height as the world’s largest exporter of palm oil whereas we have consistently dropped abysmally in world reckoning.  Major agricultural industries that shot our beloved county into world reckoning on the global market now lay comatose – the groundnut pyramid; the cocoa industry as well as cotton production. A time was in this same country when we were the highest producer of cotton in Africa with cotton contributing more 20 per cent to the nation’s GDP. It has dropped to a mere five percent. The malaise that afflicted the cotton industry is quite monumental, as we now limp with a mere 10 ginneries – a far cry from 51 scattered across the country in the 80s. In the South-west, we had specie of tomato with its own unique taste I still miss my grandmother’s stew till today. Our specie of tomatoes has disappeared and we now rely exclusively on the tomato from the north – have we spared a thought on this development? Does it bother us?  Is there anything wrong in the continuous production of agricultural products that shot us on the world map and gave us world-wide recognition before the discovery of oil?

    Sincerely people on both side of the divide – the leader and the led have fair share of the blame for the slide that has become our lot in the country. While the leadership has chosen to ride roughshod, the followership cannot be said to be docile but seems to have been boxed into a corner, voiceless. There is therefore the urgent need for re-orientation of the masses of this country. I have no doubt on my mind that the hardship of recent times would have made our people know a bit more of what they do not want and how to reject it at the polls. The average Nigerian has over the years  watch the country disappear as a result of our  laid back attitude toward issues of national importance; we bury our heads in the clouds in a defeatist manner believing that things will get better without playing a positive role. The scenario playing out has greatly distorted the beautiful picture of Nigeria well meaning Nigerians craved for.

     

    • Princess Adeniran Ogunsanya served as Secretary to Government (SSG) Lagos State 2007-2011
  • Works Minister: Rapid response needed on Eha-amufu roads

    Works Minister: Rapid response needed on Eha-amufu roads

    A couple of decades ago, one of the touchstones of Eastern pride bordering the northern part of the country was Eha-Amufu. Revellers and long-fatigued train passengers from distant Iddo Terminus Lagos and Kano heading to Enugu, Umuahia and Port Harcourt,  often heaved a big sigh of relief when they berthat this first Ibo speaking area. All trains the most popular then Express Train and later Diesel Train also the local goods train popularly dubbed ‘Subaba Train, amongst others, must make a major stop over and be recharged with tonnes of water. The  train station popularised this homogenous and large community, which equally boasted of being haven to tens of hundreds of non indigenes living peacefully and doing commerce at Eha-Amufu.

    The good old days of the 60s and 70s also made the town strategic in many respects. During the unfortunate pogrom in the north, when Easterners especially Igbos were slaughtered, it was at Eha-Amufu that the Red Cross and authorities of Eastern Region met with returning fleeing easterners and received some decapitated bodies.

    Scary stories to be left for another day but one cannot obliterate history.When eventually the war and guns boomed, with several months into warning 1967, the Biafran soldiers pulled out from the sectors of  Obollo-Afor and Obollo-Eke, it was to Eha-Amufu, this all important town that served as the rendezvous  as all officers and soldiers retreated to the town. It became a buffer zone. When Eha-Amufu fell to the Federal troops, it was only time for Enugu the capital to be threatened but the Biafran Engineers blew up the corresponding bridges to stop advancement. Ironically, at the end of that gory war in 1970,  Nigerian troops were stationed in the town for years before relocating to Obollo-Afor. It is also the gateway for drivers plying the north through Obollo-Afor heading to the foremost Nigerian Cement Factory at Nkalagu just a stone throw. Then the roads were well tailored and maintained. Heavy duty trucks made daily trips to Nkalagu passing through the town to pick trailer loads of cement. Of late, indeed for over 30 years now, the town has been forsaken, there are no longer any passable roads, gullies and shallow graves are erecting along that busy roads as accidents occur regularly and vehicles fall into pits  and craters that have since taken over what used to be a most easier and connecting road to Nkalagu , Enugu and beyond.

    There average villager believes successive Federal Governments have deliberately left the teeming population of the people of Isu, Agu-Amedeo, Amede, Ihenyi, Umuhu, Eboh and Mgbiji all in Eha-Amufu including users of the road to suffer untold hardship.

    A town that hosts a Federal College of Education with a spiralling student population and lecturers, is now the butt of mockery, forsaken and abandoned. The students and lecturers of this vital institution including commuters and vehicle transporters are the worst hit. They now swim through the ponds and instead of going through Nkalagu road to Enugu which also in very bad shape with major link bridges broken, now do a detour through Ikem to Ugwogo then Enugu, thanks to the road constructed by the Enugu State Government.

    The Eha-Amufu ageless Eke Market which often attracted traders from all over the eastern states and beyond, now hardly gets any patronage. The cash crops, tubers of yams, cassava, palm oil and the abundance of grass cutter animals which made the town the cynosure of all eyes, all are stockpiled without any external market for them. Of course once  the place is inaccessible, it is only saying the obvious that no one would risk getting stuck in the mud. So the agrarian people suffer, no produce can be evacuated from the farmlands, and those that manage to get their produce, cannot find market for them.

    Several stories have been bandied around about contract awards, for decades but the roads deteriorate daily as no single work is at the site.

    So what has really gone wrong? The people are no longer interested in being told

    the Eha-Amufu road project is either captured in the budget or not. Their patience is running out. It could not be blamed on the stars of the rural peasants who inhabit the town. One will wonder if any official of the Federal Ministry of Works had ever gone through that road and why has the Minister of Works not taken proactive action at least to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

    .For this strategic town which once produced an erudite scholar Professor Brown Enyi, who had to be lured to return from Papau Guinea to strengthen the academic staff of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and has also produced notable academics- Professor

    Hilary Edeoga,  the present Vice Chancellor Federal University of Agriculture Umudike, and Professor Benjamin Mba Provost of Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu to name but a few amongst other sons and daughters of the town who are widely celebrated in different gamut of human endeavours, the least expected of appreciating their contributions to nation building, would be to reconstruct this crucial link road immediately.

    Since time is of essence considering that the people have been virtually cut off  and lives made misery and brought to a standstill, perhaps the most agonising is the inability of the natives to connect and reach their brethren leaving across the Umuhu villages and those living on the farmlands close to Nkalagu in Ebonyi State, because of the Orchin Bridge which had since collapsed  over five years ago, there will be the urgent need to take drastic action by government.

    Infant mortalities and expectant mothers are the worst hit during emergencies, they cannot be evacuated. Why this gargantuan sorrow for a people who pay their taxes regularly and are law abiding. Is it a crime to be rural based?

    In order to get cracking immediately, it is germane to consider the following urgently.

    Take One: The Presidency should approach the solution through a major Special Task Force.

    Construction equipment and workers should be drafted immediately under a Special Presidency Aggressive Execution and Arrangement to commence work even if it is palliative.

    Take Two :The two Governors of Enugu and Ebonyi State, need to get Abuja and the Ministry of Works to check this nuisance.

    Take Three Whoever has been awarded the contract, must be compelled to begin work without

    delay. If the contractor is incompetent, in its place, let another take.

    Take Four : All Public Officers elected and appointed of Isi-Uzo origin, both state and national levels   should get cracking and swing into action. Unfortunately for the nation, nothing really works, until concerted efforts and pressure are brought to bear on those whose duties should have ordinarily done their bit without coercion.

    Take Five: This is the most craziest of all. Aged mothers and women of the 75, 80 and 90 bracket

    are prepared to bare topless and go on that road and refuse to leave until the Federal Ministry of Works and its allied agencies do something drastically and immediately.

    It will be an abomination for such elderly peeved mothers to show the entire world and go viral on the social network their flattened  and flabby breasts after all they have nothing to lose and hide.

    After all the late Ghanaian sage Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah was fond of reciting ‘That one had nothing to loose, than his or her chains. These mothers would have nothing to shy away from but their chains of a cancerous Eha-Amufu road.

    We pray it does not get to that, or even make the women go full blast nudity, that would be a curse on the land, whose consequences cannot be quantified . There is indeed  a palpable anger of the people, frustration and vexation . One can feel it in the air and smell the combustion as thick and clouded like cutting through an ice with a knife.

    Take Six : This is a critical period leading to an election year of February 2015 . It will not be out of place to urge those whose job it is to get the road repaired at least to put smiles on the faces of these beleaguered people whose strength is in their population, which is staggering and indeed the highest in Isi Uzo Local Government of Enugu State.

    Lets hope reason will prevail and the FederalGovernment will rise now to the occasion  and repair once and for all this very important Federal road and build the corresponding bridges.

    Lets  restore the beauty of a once popular town Eha-Amufu whose epic and resounding place in Nigeria history, cannot be wished away.