The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Engaging the Diaspora for inclusive development

    The World Bank had just released its latest Report on “Migration and Development” in Washington DC at its 2014 Spring meeting.  In the Report, the Bank predicts a 7.8% growth in remittances to Developing Economies in 2014, with Nigeria as the largest recipient of same in sub-Saharan Africa at US$21 billion in 2013.  Even more significant is that the expected increase in such flows to developing countries this year would be maintained in the next few years.  There is no single accepted definition of the term “Diaspora”, neither is there a legal recognition of the term which consequently has given rise to many different meanings and interpretations. Some of my brothers and sisters abroad with whom I have interacted in the past refused to be referred to as Nigerian Diaspora.

    The Diaspora is a “scattered population” with a common origin in a foreign geographic area. Diaspora can also refer to the movement of the population from its original homeland. Diaspora has come to refer particularly to historical mass dispersions of an involuntary nature, such as the expulsion of Jews from Europe, the African Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the southern Chinese during the Coolie slave trade, or the century-long exile of the Messenians under Spartan rule.

    Recently, scholars have distinguished between different kinds of Diaspora, based on their causes such as imperialism, trade, or labour migrations, or by the kind of social coherence within the Diaspora community and its ties to the ancestral lands. There are European Diasporas, Asian Diaspora, Internal Diasporas, as we have African Diaspora.

    Most African Diaspora left Africa physically but not emotionally, which prompted them to maintain links with their respective countries of origin. This emotional attachment is what each African government should take serious advantage of. Some are refusing to be tagged African Diaspora as they believe they have a home to return to regardless of where they presently reside. Perhaps the common element is the need to encourage all peoples of African descent in the Diaspora to give back to the continent some of their financial resources as well as skills and experiences to help improve the lots of Africa in their respective areas of expertise. In other words, there is a real need to strategize on how best to tap the skills of African Diaspora to help their respective countries in nation-building for inclusive development in Africa.

    We should recognise that Diasporas represent one of the contemporary global forces shaping the directions and trends of this century, which makes it very important to partner and join forces with the Diaspora in the development efforts in their respective countries. Advantage should be taken of the huge presence of African Diaspora resides in such powerful political centres such as London, Paris, New York, and Washington DC, and some other major cities across the world where global policy decisions are made.

    In this regard, the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) should work for the removal of the major obstacles that hinder the full engagement in development. African governments must, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of poor infrastructure that would challenge the Africa Diaspora’s readiness to contribute to the Africa development. Some other considerations would be the transfer costs, bureaucratic burden, procedures, dual citizenship, investment projects, security for business transactions, and portability of rights, such as voting rights for them. Partnership with Africa Diaspora should include private sector, civil society, academia, public enterprises and other development stakeholders, in promoting institutional change.

    Additional strategies should include efforts by various African governments to assess the Diaspora’s development potential, collecting data on Diasporas, overcoming competition among Diaspora groups both socially and professionally, and building partnerships with host countries. There should also be strong and effective communication among various government agencies, community representatives and corporate actors.

    On their part, the African Diaspora should be prepared to make necessary sacrifices.  While recognizing that some may be willing to return to the continent, some others may find it hard to abandon their investments in their residing countries, and some others may never think of returning. In effect, the DTCA should encourage African governments to aggressively and creatively push for the African Diaspora to make their contributions in whatever form to Africa’s development. In this regard, the intention of the Nigerian authorities to plan a Diaspora Bond aimed at mobilising savings and thus boost financing for development would be a positive step.

    The creation or establishment of African Diaspora associations, through their various social or professional associations, could form a hub for African professionals, where various African governments could recruit experts. Not all Africans in the Diaspora have to be in the government to contribute to the growth of their respective countries. And not everybody can work for the government, or establish businesses.

    Meanwhile, there is no doubt that Africans are making tremendous contributions to the development of their host countries in their respective specialities. They compete favourably in areas such as management, medicine, technology, and even politics. Unfortunately, there has been no corresponding impact of their roles in influencing some policies that affect them as a group in their home countries. One of the reasons for this might have been lack of practical approach from their countries of origin to harness their involvement at home.  Another reason could be the little or no involvement in their respective communities at home, and lack of cohesive responsiveness in same. Fortunately, some Diaspora communities are maintaining or developing strong political ties with their homeland.

    With specific regard to the Nigerian in the Diaspora, who are making remarkable and positive contributions to the development in their host countries, particular reference should be made to Kase Lawal, in Houston, USA, who was once named as one of the top three billionaires in Ebony’s list of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans. In addition, some work at CNN, NASA, Federal, State, County, and City Governments, in some very sensitive areas.  These are models, and the challenge for the Diasporans is to ensure that the activities of the few criminals in their midst does not becloud the contributions and achievements of these flag bearers.

    In terms of financial contributions to their respective countries of origin, it was reported in 2012 that an estimated 30 million migrants sent cross-border remittances worth $60 billion to recipients in Africa, benefiting an estimated 120 million residents. According to Soheyla Mahmoudi, the Task Team Leader of African Institute of Remittances (AIR), (with the four member-states of Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya and Mauritius) and Senior Operations Officer in the World Bank’s Africa Region Finance and Private Sector Development, “If the banks that pay out the remittances month after month were to offer the beneficiary families an array of basic financial services such as savings accounts, payment facilities and small loans for micro-enterprise, it is likely that the portion of remittances saved and invested would grow from current levels”.

    I conclude this piece with following quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.  But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.  And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”  Africans in the Diaspora are not evil; on the contrary, and with few exceptions, they constitute a powerful force for good in their host countries.  They are also part of our heart in the African continent.  The African Union declared in 2005 that the Diaspora is the sixth region of the continent.  Perhaps Nigeria’s Diaspora of over 25 million can be considered her 37th state. They would remain a powerful social-cultural force, as well as an economic and political enclave in this century.

    • Excerpts of a paper delivered by Professor Gambari, CFR, OCORT at a Seminar organised by Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), Abuja

  • Second Niger Bridge: Four more years of pains

    In March, the PDP campaign organization led by President Goodluck Jonathan went to Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge to continue the endless and primitive politics of building a second Niger Bridge. The political promise to build the second Niger Bridge to lessen the burden of commuters and boost commercial activities in Igboland and Nigeria has been going on since former President Obasanjo’s days in office. The political promise continued with the late President Yar’Adua of  blessed memory to no avail. The matter featured prominently in President Jonathan’s campaign in 2011 and in March this year, Nollywood Actors went to Onitsha to kick off the project, promising that it will be delivered in four years, through Public Private Partnership (PPP). The implication of this is that Igbo are being made to finance the construction of the bridge as they would be placed in bondage for the 25 years the construction company will tax users to collect the huge N117 billion we are told the bridge will cost to build.

    Now, as we wait for 2018 when the second Niger Bridge will be delivered according to President Jonathan, traffic chaos will continue to be the hallmark of that very important bridge till 2018. On Friday April 25, I was returning to Lagos around 9.00am and on reaching Onitsha, I was held for close to four hours just to access the bridge. Those coming from Asaba were held also and as I drove past them I noticed the frustration on the faces of travellers, the trailers, the tankers, luxury bus drivers. Consequently I figured that their sufferings will go on for four more years assuming the Nollywood Actors in PDP get their acts together and keep the long-awaited promise. I have been trying to imagine what commuters will go through in the next four years while waiting for this bridge? I have been trying to figure out what will be lost by Onitsha/Nnewi business axis in the next four years. I have been trying to imagine how many people will die on that corridor before the bridge will be delivered in four years. I have been thinking of what the South-east and South-south will lose in four years while waiting for the bridge. The plight of millions of Igbo and non-Igbo who travel home for Christmas and Easter holidays are better imagined in the next four years. I learnt that what I witnessed on that bridge that day is now the daily picture of chaos, tension and endless suffering that Igbo have to endure.

    When I returned to Lagos, I was disturbed by the news that the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen said that work on the bridge has stopped because the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment was not done. I smelt rat. The minister’s position was to be countered later in far away Rome by the former governor of Anambra State who is neither the Minister of Works nor the spokesman of the Jonathan government. I knew it was an extension of the queer and nebulous politics that is being promoted in Igboland today, which promises Ndigbo a lot of placebos while other sections cart away the choice fruits of governance. Even as Julius Berger were to firm up Obi’s rebuttal, I smelt rat. The minister who is supervising the ministry of work can’t be wrong. I knew these were deft efforts to manage what is certainly an ugly development but I want to keep my fingers crossed.

    What is happening today on this bridge is the price to pay for the inability of Igbo leaders to put a stop to politics of the stomach and play strategic politics. Igbo leaders through greed and political dishonesty have mortgaged the future of Ndigbo and turned them into beggars in a country where they are critical stakeholders. After the PDP convention that produced General Obasanjo in Jos in 1999, Igbo political pundits figured that if the South-west takes eight years, and the North picks eight years, then by 2015 it will be the turn of the Igbo in PDP to produce the President of Nigeria. Next year is 2015 and Igbo do not belong to PDP and neither are they in APC. The chance to be relevant in 2015 was lost when Igbo sold to President Jonathan politics in 2011. Now as the 2015 general elections draw near, Igbo leaders have been shouting from the rooftop that to elect President Jonathan is a desideratum for Ndigbo. Now tell me where this decision will lead Igbo politically in Nigeria.

    A people must blow their own trumpet. A people who seek for a better future must lay the foundation today. When a people lack vision, there is no hope for such a people. Today the Nollywood Actors in PDP called politicians have tricked Igbo once again on the Second Niger Bridge and the target is 2015 general elections. In August last year, the same Igbo leaders were made fools in Enugu Airport without them knowing when they were gathered like people without heads to witness the so-called official opening of Enugu ‘International’ Airport. You need to see our people dancing atilogwu music in the name of celebrating an International Airport that is not by any standard or stretch of imagination an International Airport. After the dance of shame I decided to travel to Nnewi via Enugu Airport to see things for myself. Can you imagine what I saw? These clowns just changed few things and repainted the old and outdated airport and invited the world to come and celebrate mediocrity. Again, Igbo was shortchanged, and scammed for 2015.

    You can take this or leave it, Igbo has paraded the worst form of governors in Nigeria since 1999 except two or three of them. No wonder bandits and kidnappers seized the entire South-east while the governors looked helpless. Governor Peter Obi had the capacity to build the Second Niger Bridge, and he would have solved the biggest problem facing South-east and South-south in terms of land transportation. South-east governors would have pulled resources together to build that very important bridge and take the glory but political timidity and lack of vision beclouded their sense of reasoning. Governor Fashola built a longer bridge in Lagos and so did Governor Uduaghan of Delta State in building the Asaba Airport. All we have from the present loud political players in the East is politics of self and stomach and in such a selfish position, they accept anything so long as it would enrich them in the long run.

    Forty-four years after the Nigeria/Biafra war have been a long time for Ndigbo to use their tongues to count their teeth. This slave mentality must stop forthwith. This idea of blowing trumpets for other people to be President in a nation that belongs to all of us is unacceptable in the 21st Century. Nigeria still stands on a tripod but political traders in Igboland have consistently made efforts to remove the third leg that belongs to them for politics of the stomach.

    I suggest that a radical revolution is needed in Igboland to clear the Augean Stable and replace them with men and women who play politics of ideas and advancement. Collective politics must take over personal politics for personal gains.

  • Reflections on unemployment in Nigeria

    Perhaps the most serious problem today in Nigeria is unemployment. The mammoth crowd at each of the venues of the ill-fated interview organized by the Nigerian Immigration Service on Saturday March 15, which claimed nineteen lives and wounded many more tell the story better.

    Though no exact figure is known, unemployment is believed to be high in Nigeria: over 40 million people are believed to be unemployed in the country (Nigerian Bureau of Statistics).The youths are mostly affected. Not long ago, a major company reported the incident of PhD holders applying for a driving job. It is a good measure of how rough the unemployment weather is today. According to the Third National Development Rolling plan, graduate unemployment is on the increase. The manpower board studies show that only 10% of school graduates get employed annually. There are families with 3-4 graduates unemployed in the country. According to newspaper reports there is association of registered unemployed with a membership of 43 million people. This is truly a time bomb.

    Unemployment is not a new problem in the country. Writers such as Basil Davidson identified it as serious problem of the 1940s in colonial Africa. The trouble is that It has been getting nastier by the day ever since. The policy response has been ineffectual. Thus by 1980s, it started to bite harder on the educated Nigerian.

    Large scale unemployment in Nigeria is traceable to unhelpful ideas of development from the west as repackaged in the 1980s by Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan of the USA to the effect that the state should not participate in economic activities. Related here is the emergence of a group of elites-Nigerian apostles of the market economy who took the country on the wrong ideological road. They resurrected the ghost of Adam Smith often regarded as the father of Classical Economics to make a case for free trade as the basis of ‘the wealth of nations’ and the exclusion of the state from economic activities. They spearheaded the idea of excluding the state from economic activities in favour of ‘minimal government’. The western media sold it across the globe and buyers in Nigeria-the false prophets of development – readily bought it.

    The argument over the role of the state is as old as the idea of nation –building and I have no problem with both Margaret Thatcher and Reagan’s position for they were trying to find solution to problems of their countries and not Nigeria’s and if their approach worked for them it does not mean that it must work for us. It suffices to note that given the severe nature of unemployment in, Nigeria it was irrational to preach and accept the exclusion of the state from economic activities. Unfortunately at the end of the day, Reagan was not able to actually reduce the scale of government’s role in economic affairs, nor was privatization policy able to bring about greater efficiency in service delivery in Britain. Nor did the need for state intervention abate. As one expert notes it would appear that the more we cried about the horror of big government, the more the need for state intervention increases.

    The problem with the Nigerian elites was their uncritical acceptance of the western ideas without regard to their appropriateness to the Nigerian situation. Nigeria needed the presence of the state to forge development more than either the USA or UK at the time because of the differences in their stages of development. And they seem to forget too that the ideas of development are never constant but ever shifting. Two western leaders later emerged to show that the state and the market can work hand in hand for the good of the society. In America, President Bill Clinton webbed socialist values into capitalism to produce a mix that kept creating jobs upon jobs till he left office. And in Britain, Tony Blair took the best of the market values into socialism to create a rainbow of policies that saw rapid growth in the economy and created more employment opportunities. But in Nigeria, instead of such creative use of development ideas through ‘cross dressing’, the false prophets took side with Thatcher and Reagan to impose an unhelpful and inappropriate model of development on the country.

    The most visible step taken in the 1980s to tackle unemployment and other development problems was the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) with its emphasis on sales of public enterprise. It was a poor policy response that continued even in times of democracy. But the approach which effectively put the nation on the wrong ideological path made no dent on unemployment because it was inappropriate. In fact unemployment worsened so much that by 2004, Obasanjo had to admit that it was the number one problem of the nation.

    Unemployment like poverty can be significantly reduced or even banished through a number of measures based on creative thinking and deduction from history. It requires frontal attack through multi-dimensional activities led by the state. For instance the effective exploitation of our mineral resources would promote employment and reduce poverty immensely. While the capacity to do this and to add some value to them is not beyond us, extant policy disfavour state participation in economic affairs. The elites seem to lack the imagination and will to do the correct thing. This is one of the reasons we are worried about the continued importation of petroleum products because it promotes employment abroad and denies same at home.

    The crippling inability to explore, add value to products and manage our abundant resources well is a serious bane to employment in Nigeria. Some writers refer to this as the ‘paradox of plenty’, or ‘resource curse’.

    The present moment requires proper focus on employment as a way of promoting accelerated national development. The high rate of unemployment today must be traced to the mistake of 1999 of not doing away with SAP and associated values imposed on the country by the military. What was needed in 1999 were reflationary measures against deflation, creation of more jobs and engagement of more hands as opposed to sacking of workers, expansion of the economy especially the productive base rather than contraction and inclusion of all willing and able and not exclusion of the state which the policy of privatization represents.

    Contrary to belief of the false prophets, the basic assumption of privatization that the sales of public enterprises would result in expanded economy, greater efficiency of operation and more jobs was wrong. The private sector was not ripe to lead economic development or play the role of chief promoter of employment in the country. Privatization which was about the sale of public enterprises was in some way alien, immoral and violation of some of cultural values of the people of Nigeria and so could not help in the promotion of employment in the country.

    It could be argued that privatization has worked elsewhere but our argument is that it is inappropriate to the Nigerian situation and has worsened the unemployment problem. Apart from the huge corruption that characterized the privatization process in Nigeria some of the companies sold did not improve even after sacking workers. Those who subscribe to privatization of everything today should visit Durbar Hotel in Kaduna, Volkswagen complex in Lagos and NITEL to appreciate the ruin we have visited upon ourselves through wrong policy. At least NITEL was paying its staff before it was sold. Today it is in ruins with the workers jobless.

    The problem with Nigeria’s public enterprises in 1999 was poor management. Nigerian elites cherish the appointment of wrong people to high positions of responsibility. Instead of the best, she goes for the worst and entrusts the management of high profile companies to crooks and novice. Merit and consequence management have no place. A manager runs aground an enterprise and he is allowed to go unpunished and even to be celebrated by associates. In the process the jobs disappear.

    For a non-industrialized country like Nigeria, the Keynesian approach is the best. It was applied in the 1930s to deal with the great depression in the USA and post world war 11 Europe’s reconstruction efforts via the Marshal Plan. In 2008 when the financial system came crashing to awaken the world once more to the cold reality of the irrational model spear-headed in Nigeria by the false prophets. The state which had been relegated to the background was cashiered to the rescue through a series of bail –out measures. Reason triumphed but the question remains: is it only in crisis we should do the needful and reasonable by allowing the state to intervene?

     

    • Abhuere, PhD, FNIM, is of Centre for Child Care and Youth Development, Abuja.

  • Quiet revolution in Abia

    Abia surges ahead! The state is navigating through a turbulence of siege mentality expropriated by the deposed taskmasters. The sort of turbulence that normally herald a cruising swagger on the airspace. Expectably, the victorious march elicits excitement and anxiety alike. But the shouts of freedom reverberate louder in the air. Abia situation is akin to the transition from the biblical Egypt to the promise land – Canaan. The relocation to Canaan, though a land flowing with milk and honey, was a grueling journey – sleepless nights, hostile weather, scarcity of basic necessities of life, and the risk of carnivorous animals – yet the game was worth the candle.

    Those who felt that their empire has decapitated are not sleeping. They want to pull the roof down on all of us. They are leaving no stone unturned in order to reverse the hand of the clock. But Abians have vowed not to return to Egypt. Sadly for them, the era of royal hand-pickings after demonic oath-taking in altars of principalities are gone for good. The era of celebrating illiteracy and glorification of mediocrity has expired. The chief architect of modern Abia and the champion of the liberation struggle, Governor T.A. Orji is not also losing steam in cleaning up the Augean stables.

    Governor Orji has institutionalized a sustainable peace among the stakeholders which has never been witnessed since the creation of the state. If he is a dictator or averse to alternative view points, as advanced by a section of the media, he couldn’t have continued to strike healthy collaboration from Abia leaders. Not even pecuniary consideration could make virtually all of them to sacrifice their pedigree and hard-earned reputation, if not that things are working out well in Abia. Indeed, Governor Orji is a rare consensus-builder.

    He battled the den of kidnappers and stamped out violent crimes from Abia domain. The state received accolades from far and near for squaring up with the challenge of arresting the menace. Businesses picked up once more. Investors regained confidence in Abia’s friendly business climate. Laying a solid foundation for the state became the flagship of Orji’s administration. Monumental structures for conduct of government business are built. New office complexes for the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government which previous administrations treated with ignominy are erected in the state capital, Umuahia. Umuahia has been transformed from a glorified village to a sprawling 21st century city. Markets that used to occupy the heart of the town had been relocated to the suburbs and the hinterland. Network of new roads, that criss-cross the state capital – opened up new areas for investments and property development. Many Local Government Areas have also benefited from the aggressive rehabilitation and reconstruction of rural roads infrastructure.

    Governor Orji’s poverty eradication strategy has become a benchmark for other public officers. He started with a monthly stipend of N15,000 each to over 4500 indigent youths across the 17 LGAs. The package was largely for students and those in apprenticeship, and the confessions of the beneficiaries indicated that it was a veritable stop-gap measure. It indeed acted like an economic soothing balm, in a country where there is no welfare anchor or social security package, for the weak and the less-privileged. At the last count, over 700 youths are beneficiaries of Governor Orji’s free distribution of buses and taxis under the state youth empowerment programme. No strings attached! It has boosted intra and inter-city transportation and created jobs in the transport sector. Hitherto, what was presented as empowerment packages were wheel barrows, machetes, hoes, and hire-purchase tokunbo motorcycles but today there is a quantum leap to reflect the present economic realities. Youths are no longer impoverished with tools that confine them to perpetual menial jobbers. Most of the beneficiaries are working towards boosting their transport businesses with a fleet of cars and buses in the near future. That is the reward of vision and human face disposition to governance.

    Of all the Governor Orji’s legacy projects, the modern dialysis centre at the newly constructed Abia State Specialist & Diagnostic Hospital marks an uncommon radical approach in health service delivery in Nigeria. It has considerably helped to curb medical tourism to medically-advanced countries.

    The classy International Conference Centre that is almost completed marks yet another giant stride of Governor Orji. Repositioning the state to host topflight events is an awesome idea. With an inviting façade, the centre houses four conference halls-the main hall, the banquet hall and two other halls with VIP Lounge and gallery. The main hall has 5000 sitting capacity while other halls can accommodate about 4000 other persons. The International Conference Centre is digitalized with a full complement of latest information technology facility that is seen in all modern centres for conferences, conventions and business cocktails. It has an in-house IT and audio-visual facilities. Activities there can be streamed live on television stations and various social media platforms.

    In the education sector, which is the bedrock of every developed society, it is no longer news that Abia State came second in the overall best result of schools in Nigeria in the just released results of the May/June 2013 West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination Certificate (WASSEC). According to WAEC, “the breakdown of the results show that 12  states in Nigeria recorded percentage that were above national average   in the following order:  Anambra State (67.85 per cent), Abia State (65.17 per cent), Rivers State (58.56 per cent), Lagos State (56.03), Cross River State (53.34 per cent), Bayelsa State (51.66 per cent), Enugu State (50.22 per cent), Delta State (46.49 per cent), Imo State (46.03per cent), Abuja (43.9 per cent), Ogun (39.92 per cent), and Kaduna (39.47 per cent)”. Abia students have continued to sustain the winning streak because of Governor Orji’s robust transformation in the education sector. The State Universal Basic Education Board that is primarily charged with the rebuilding and rehabilitation of classroom blocks and maintenance of standards in primary schools was recently adjudged the best-managed board in the South-east by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja. Besides, the students that represented Abia State in the Grand Finale of the 10th edition of NNPC Annual National Quiz Competition held last year in Abuja came first and the winners are automatic recipients of scholarships to any tertiary institution of their choice in Nigeria. The scholarships will cover the duration of their course of study.

    In agriculture, the Ochendo Liberation Farms- a farm settlement scheme in the three senatorial zones of the state has rebound agriculture to the front burner for food security and job creation.  At Okeikpe, Ukwa West LGA, the State has a four-hectare plantain plantation. Already, it has provided employment opportunities to over 100 youths and young-adult rural dwellers in that domain while people have been encouraged to develop personal farms to eke a living. At Lodu, Umuahia North LGA, there is also a four-hectare plantain plantation; and another five hectares of land was designated for massive production of special varieties of cassava. The Isiala Amaba in Isuikwuato LGA of the State, has equally earmarked a four-hectare land for plantain plantation. These are meant to encourage people to build careers in the sub-sector. So far, over 200 farmers in the state have benefited from the suckers freely distributed. Abia has also been allocated 10,000 suckers of exportable improved variety of banana in the 275,000 stems of banana suckers procured by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Currently, the Golden Guinea Breweries Ltd Umuahia that was moribund before the governor assumed office is being revisited with aggressive rehabilitation to enable it to take off again. The news and the sight alone have rekindled hopes of new things and robust economic activities that would come alive in the state capital. And with the two new power plants almost completed in Ala Oji and Osisioma, which Governor Orji boosted with the provision of security, road network and tax waivers, the state is poised for  a fresh golden era in all facets of human life.

    •Uche lives in Umuahia

  • BRF’s successor: Is Ambode the final choice?

    BRF’s successor: Is Ambode the final choice?

    It appears the choice has been made. Babatunde Fashola(SAN) now has a potential successor with whom he has some issues. The Christians seem to have had their say and their way. The politicians appear to have lost again to the technocrats. Akinwunmi Ambode, a Christian and a former accountant general in Lagos state, is not your typical professional politician, he can only boast of one or two years post- resignation political experience.

    The “oracle of Bourdillon”, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is watching the unfolding drama of selection with keen interest. Tinubu does not talk much when it comes to choosing his anointed. His body language is enough. He does not like to be predictable when it comes to his choice. He knows how to get the message across to his ‘structure’. And they know how to decode his message(s) especially when it comes to “oga, tala ma dibo fun” (Asiwaju, who are we voting for?)

    Undisputably, the governorship slot has been zoned to Lagos east. But who is the most favoured candidate of Asiwaju in Lagos east? Is it Gbenga Ashafa, a first term senator representing the district? Is it Abike Dabiri, the only lady contestant from the zone? Is it Leke Pitan, a medical Doctor and a former commissioner in Tinubu’s cabinet? Is it Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the honourable speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly? Is it Tola Kasali, also a former commissioner in Tinubu’s cabinet? Or is it Akinwunmi Ambode, a former accountant general in Lagos state?

    I will not want to flatter myself to assume that I know Asiwaju’s disposition towards everyone of these aspirants since we all served under him and were all “made” by him. But with all sense of modesty, I can say that with my twenty three years of “reading and studying” Tinubu (our first meeting was in 1991 through Dapo Sarumi and my uncle, Dr. Segun Machado of blessed memory), I know one or two of the aspirants that he will never touch with a long pole. Anyway, that does not matter anymore. The agitation by the Christians for a Christian governor since the time of Michael Otedola, has helped Asiwaju in doing the shortlisting. From all indications, the two Christians on the list, Leke Pitan and Akin Ambode seem to have been automatically shortlisted while a muslim aspirant of substantial social influence in the state was put on standby in case of any political eventualities. Though he has not openly excluded anybody from the list, the wise ones among the aspirants have reduced their spending and their consultations. This is why the tempo of night politicking has gone down.

    By now, if you are on the list and Asiwaju has not called you for a tete-a-tete, positive or negative, you are on your own. To members of the structure the message is clear that Asiwaju is inclined to the Christians’ agitation for a Christian governor. And of the two Christian aspirants, Pitan and Ambode, the codes being received from the symbol of the structure, are pointing towards Akin Ambode as the anointed or the ‘special one’. If Asiwaju is opting for Ambode, and not Pitan, does that mean the Pitan is not his favourite? Absolutely No. Aside from being a commissioner in Asiwaju’s Cabinet, Leke Pitan has consistently represented Tinubu at every function he (Tinubu) could not attend. Pitan is a loyal and influential member of the Tinubu group. The only disadvantage (if any), in my view, would be his age. Leke Pitan is nearer Sixty years that Ambode who was born in June 1963. Besides, Ambode is seen as a neutral choice being a technocrat. The choice of a politician could have triggered envy, jealousy, ripples, malice and misunderstanding among fellow politicians. During Tinubu’s administration, Ambode proved to be a very diligent, hardworking, committed, loyal and intelligent officer who never betrayed trust reposed in him.

    With less than two years post- resignation political experience, the politicians are wondering if Ambode would not behave like Fashola who had a very testy relationship with Asiwaju during his first term in office. The Fashola hostility was so strong that most Asiwaju supporters believed that it was because he was not really a politician and had nothing to lose. In a worst case scenario, he would dust his law books, dry clean his silk and gown and goes back to his law profession.

    As expected, Asiwaju Tinubu has denied ever trying to impose any candidate. It was an unnecessary denial because nobody has ever quoted him on this. Those who know him very well know that he is too meticulous and circumspect to make a pronouncement on his choice. He has a way of revealing his ‘anointed’ to his own people.

    As stated earlier, the core politicians are always suspicious of the technocrats because they feel they are not always loyal and committed since they have nothing to lose politically. As much as one can refer to Ambode as a political neophyte, his resignation from office was contingent upon his desire to contest for an elective position. Right from the moment he resigned, he had told his very close friends and associates that his target was the governorship. Immediately after his resignation he went to inform Asiwaju Tinubu of his political intention. Whether there was an understanding or agreement between the two on what position to vie for remains a secret between the two of them. If therefore Asiwaju has indeed chosen him, it must have been a fulfillment of a pledge made to him when he resigned.

    The truth is that Ambode’s resignation was necessitated by a frosty relationship he had with Babatunde Fashola. His reasons were never made public but circumstances of his departure were strangely awry. The thinking is that being a very strong Tinubu boy in Fashola’s cabinet, there was no way he would have resigned his appointment without clearance from Asiwaju Tinubu.

    Fortunately for Ambode, his christian faith gave him an added advantage over others. Besides, Ambode is a very rugged and dogged fighter who remained focused to his ambition and never allowed himself to be distracted by the contemptuous way the politicians treated him. Even the mere mentioning of his name was evoking unmerited mockery. If today the name Ambode is echoing in the political circles as being the anointed, it was because both Ambose and Tinubu were faithful to the covenant between them when Ambode resigned.

    Will Fashola be happy with the choice of Ambode as his successor knowing how much the two of them loathe each other? In this instance, he has no option because he lacks the political structure that can counter the formidable political machine of his predecessor. Fashola’s preferred choice was never configured as a relevant aspirant hence his complete isolation from all political equations. It is in Fashola’s interest to begin to see Ambode as a friend and his possible successor if he is to avoid another collision with Asiwaju. This is the time he should be reconciling with all those he might have offended these past seven years. In politics, personal animosities are secondary to political expediencies.

    This is why I believe that the choice of Ambode is strategic to a greater political interest. Political leaders hardly make concessions on benevolence no matter the intensity of the pressure. If Christians see Ambode’s choice as a victory, they should not be reluctant to pay a price for this victory when those, nay he that chose Ambode requires their alliance in achieving a greater political objective. Until the whole game is played out, Ambode’s choice remains inchoate and it may require extra prayers by the Christians to avoid a replay of the Hakeem Gbajabiamila scenario. Let those on standby know that the whole process is between God and man.

  • One-third of malaria drugs fail quality tests 

    Nearly a third of antimalarial medicines have failed quality tests due to poor packaging and incorrect levels of the active ingredients over the last 70 years, yet limited monitoring capacity in low-income countries means the problem’s true scale remains unknown, a study finds.

    Despite the potential harm to patients from substandard drugs, over 60 per cent of malaria-endemic countries have no information on the quality of medicines used within their borders, according to the review of drug analyses, published in Malaria Journal this month (8 April).

    The expense of building the necessary infrastructure of laboratories and regulatory bodies to monitor medicine quality means the issue is “barely mentioned” by the global health community, says Paul Newton, study co-author and a researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.

    He says it is vital to check the quality of the actual drugs distributed. “After spending huge amounts of human and financial resources on developing new drugs and treatment regimes, it is a very illogical system where we neglect the quality of the final intervention,” he tells SciDev.Net.

    As well as risking patients’ health and increasing the disease’s economic burden, medicines without the correct balance of active ingredients could increase the incidence of drug-resistant malaria, the report finds. This is because exposing pathogens to levels of a drug that are too low to kill them effectively increases the risk that survivors will become resistant and pass the trait to future generations.

    “[Falsified or substandard medicines] are very likely to contribute to disastrous antimalarial artemisinin resistance, increasing mortality and morbidity and risking the loss of these vital medicines for malaria control,” the report says.

    The paper, which systematically reviews more than 9,000 analyses of antimalarial drugs since 1946 in countries mainly in Africa, Asia and South America, finds that 30 per cent of samples failed quality tests. Counterfeit medicines could sometimes be identified by their fake packing, the report says, though chemical analyses — which sometimes revealed the drug’s active ingredient to be absent or present only at low levels — are also necessary, because official packaging for comparison is not always available in the developing world.

    Of the drugs that failed tests, more than 39 per cent were classified as fraudulent copies, 2.3 per cent as unintentionally substandard and more than 58 per cent as poor quality for unclear reasons.

    Yet only 41 of the 104 countries where malaria is endemic possess any publicly available data on medicine quality, the study says. Even when information exists, it is insufficient to fully understand the problem, it says.

    For example, although malaria in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon together account for an estimated 40 per cent of global disease burden, the paper says only one publically available analysis of the drugs in these countries is available.

    Political will and foresight from governments and development donors is needed to see that investment in developing nations’ ability to police drug quality through governmental bodies, which is a low priority for donors and governments due to its expense, could save money, says Newton.

    The WHO’s Rapid Alert System, which standardises and makes accessible information on substandard drugs that would otherwise remain hidden in government databases, helps, says Patricia Tabernero, a report co-author and the coordinator of the antimalarial quality group for the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network.

    But with only three laboratories in Sub-Saharan Africa and five in South-East Asia pre-qualified by the WHO as capable of accurately analysing the quality of antimalarials,

    developing nations’ ability to produce data is still far too low, she says.

     

    Source: www.scidev.net

  • Adieu, quintessential Femi Segun

    Femi Segun was a man that kept his star shining per second, his exotic and likeable character kept the moon rotating at the speed of an aircraft, he laid awake at sunset, trusting his dream, working hard at it, he remained on top of that glorious dream until his death in March. Segun was a miracle of beauty with grey hairs on his head and chin. It was in July 1997, while away in Cape Coast, Ghana, attending the Pan African festival (PANAFEST) for the first time that we saw a familiar Nigerian, exchanging glances, then we remembered it was Segun, holding his magistrate wife. We introduced ourselves to him; he was so happy meeting us, he brought out his Kodak camera, took some shots with us, photographs that will forever be cherished by us.

    We gave him the account of our experiences since we arrived the festival, especially how the world had fallen in love with our National Troupe led by the energetic music curator and director, Dr Laz Ekwueme. The Panafest that year was able to achieve one thing; it became a melting pot for blacks in Africa and in the Diaspora. The Nigerian delegates comprised of notable arts journalists and promoters like Jahman Anikulapo, formerly of The Guardian, Professor Nduka Otiono, Prof. Newton Edebiri, and so on. After the historic festival in Cape Coast, we became good friends, visiting his office at Victoria Island and later at YWCA, Obalende, where he ran a mini African museum, discussing extensively on international politics, arts, culture, diplomacy and festivals around the world. His was one of the romantic tales of a diplomat who conveniently got married to the arts world, a man in love with good music which reinforced the richness of his background and character as the son of a renowned writer and publisher, Mrs. Mabel Segun. His influence in the diplomatic community was remarkable, as an interpreter to a former President and to other international visitors to Nigeria. No doubt, Segun was a living witness in his lifetime of a future revolution in the political landscape of the country yet unborn. Not long, I and Taiwo, my twin brother were appointed country Representatives for Panafest in Nigeria. Uncle Segun on hearing the news, encouraged us to use the opportunity to make Nigeria benefit immensely from Panafest as an arm of the African Union (AU). A perfect model for youths who want to excel in so many areas, yet remaining stabilized in pursuing such lofty dreams; he made it a point of duty to attend all Panafest outings in Nigeria. We remember vividly Panafest 2012 Colloquium at the Muson Centre, Lagos, where the energetic and dynamic governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was our keynote speaker, Dr Segun stood up at a point in the crowd to applaud the inspiring paper given. He was not given to pride and arrogance at all. A man of inner beauty, he had an ignited spark always dancing round his face, his physique capable of withstanding an Olympic medalist, swift on his footsteps attending conferences, movies premieres and exhibitions. He consumed the passion of great men across the land, among whom was Prof. Wole Soyinka, in whose house we had our last encounter with him. We had gone to keep an early morning appointment with the Nobel Laureate, when a powerful power bike roared into the compound. Alighting was a man fully kitted, like an astronaut ready for a voyage into the moon. Alas it was Segun! We envied him that he must have had a smooth ride through the nasty traffic we encountered on the Island that very morning. At that point, we wished and prayed to have power bikes as twins someday in the future, but on hearing about his crashed power bike that claimed his life, we made a U-Turn in our decision and offered a silent prayer: God never give us power bikes in our lives!

    Segun was a man of fulfilled dreams; now angels and galaxies unknown to the human race are welcoming him to the bosom of the Almighty God, with the imperishable lions’ medal for victors draping round his immortal neck. Our heartfelt sympathies to the Segun and Kuti families, especially aunties Bisi, Yeni, Rolake and her sister. Adieu Femi Segun

    • Taiwo & Kehinde Oluwafunso, Panafest representatives in Nigeria wrote from Lagos.

  • A united front to combat malaria

    Growing up in Angola, I witnessed the cruel and devastating impact of malaria, as well as experienced this horrific disease firsthand. Later, as a mother, I was grateful to have access to preventive therapies while pregnant so that I could protect myself and my two sons could be born healthy. Now, as a physician, I am committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community from this disease.

    Thankfully, over the past decade, renewed investments and partnerships have driven remarkable progress against malaria. Since 2000, more than 3.3 million lives have been saved and global deaths have decreased by 45 percent. And right here in Africa, the number is closer to 50 percent, with eight countries that are on track to meet the WHO 2015 goal of reducing their malaria case incidence rates by 75 percent.

    Despite this progress, malaria continues to kill more than 627,000 people each year, the majority of whom are children under the age of five. The disease also has broad repercussions for health and economic development, harming pregnant women and their infants, preventing children from attending and participating in school, and limiting adults’ economic potential and ability to invest in their families.

    Today, being World Malaria Day, partners who have joined the fight against malaria will take stock of progress made and reflect on the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. While we should celebrate the gains we have made, we cannot become complacent. Our success is as fragile as it is remarkable and it must be sustained.

    To continue progress against malaria, the global community must now, more than ever, reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that the tools to combat this disease reach each person in need.

    Unfortunately, there is no “silver bullet” capable of eradicating malaria singlehandedly. We’ve seen again and again that combating this disease requires a comprehensive approach that tackles the disease from different angles and with different approaches. We must deploy bed nets and other prevention tools, diagnostic tests, effective treatments and educational campaigns to combat malaria on the ground, while looking for long term solutions like improved drugs and vaccines.

    Implementing an effort of this grand a scale requires ongoing collaboration and cooperation across the board to effectively leverage the expertise and resources of each partner. Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities we have is to fully engage the private sector.

    As a physician for ExxonMobil in Angola, I have been inspired by the integrated approach the company takes to address malaria. Having seen the way malaria impacts workers, their families and communities in sub-Saharan Africa, ExxonMobil introduced a workforce malaria program and support for community malaria control efforts more than a decade ago. Our focus on the four ABCDs – Awareness, Bite prevention, Chemoprophylaxis and Diagnosis and early effective treatment– has been paramount to the effective control of malaria in ExxonMobil workplaces, the execution of our community outreach programs, and our ongoing support for malaria research and development.

    In the past decade, this approach has helped avert an estimated 1,800 malaria cases among non-immune workers and, since 2007, no ExxonMobil workers have died from malaria. Similarly, our partnerships with leading malaria organizations are encouraging innovative and effective programs that address malaria from all sides. For example, in Chad and Cameroon, ExxonMobil supports a national multimedia malaria prevention campaign through Malaria No More and trains health workers to provide malaria prevention and treatment services—particularly for pregnant women—with Jhpiego.

    ExxonMobil is not alone in our commitment to fight malaria. We are part of a larger effort of businesses partnering with the public sector to drive a comprehensive response to the parasite.

    In sub-Saharan Africa, this joint support has made a powerful impact, and it is emblematic of how corporations can be agents of change across a spectrum of control efforts. ExxonMobil’s partnerships alone have helped distribute more than 13 million bed nets, provide close to two million malaria treatment doses, and train 355,000 health workers. When combined with other companies’ initiatives, these efforts translate into expanded impact where it is most needed.

    As a community, we can build on these successes. Going forward, the global malaria community must remain steadfast in its commitment to leverage the resources of its partners and foster greater collaboration to expand the reach of these interventions. Together, we can reduce the burden of malaria – and build a more prosperous and healthy future across the continent.

    • Dr. Setas-Ferreira is Regional Advisor for Community and Public Health at the ExxonMobil Corporation

  • Ekiti: Footsteps of a trailblazer

    Any society desirous of improving its socio-economic and political fortunes must, as a matter of utmost necessity, be endowed with leaders who have incisive focus on the management of public affairs as well as the operation of the private sector. Such leaders must be people of proven integrity and credentials, and the leadership provided must be blended with an appreciable measure of intellectual finesse, sincerity and uncommon sagacity, in addition to being people’s oriented, liberal, broad minded, honest and transparent. Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, without any iota of contradiction is immensely endowed in this regards.

    Plato, a great philosopher postulated that the foundation upon which a formidable society is built lies in the ability of its leaders to recognize and harness the potentials of its people and align them towards the development of that society. The present administration in Ekiti State under Fayemi, mindful of the aforementioned, on assumption of office, set machineries in motion for the realization of his age-long love, hopes and aspirations for the future of Ekiti State where governance will be for service to the people as against personal aggrandizement.

    The legendary king Midas of Greek mythology had an extraordinary gift of turning everything he touched into gold. Considering the landmark achievement of Fayemi in Ekiti State from assumption of office to date, referring to him as a personality with the Midas touch cannot be a subject of controversy. Ekiti State under his leadership has witnessed unprecedented leap characterized by monumental development strides in all aspects of human endeavour. The amiable Governor fondly called “EYIYATO”, is a man whose approach to governance remains unrivalled, legendary and novel.

    The relative peace witnessed is Ekiti State today and the accompany sustainable development is a product of dint of sheer hard-work, courage and sincerity of purpose displayed over the period by the pragmatic, purposeful and resilient administration which believed strongly that, no meaningful development can thrive in an atmosphere of acrimony. The glamour and creativity this administration has brought to bear, as far as governance is concerned within the last four years is uncommon and as such deserves the commendation of all and sundry. The robustness of the administration’s innovations in the areas of blocking of loopholes in the system, job creation efforts and youth empowerment, social security scheme for the elderly citizens, to mention but a few has become a reference point for other states to emulate.

    Education, our main industry in the state has never been given the desired pride of place in the recent past until the present administration came into being. Free education policy of government, the ICT initiative for secondary schools, reconstruction and renovation of new and existing schools across the state, training and re-training of teachers, prompt payment of teachers salaries among others stand out as part of this administration plan to bring back the lost glory in the education sector. The sheer splendor in Ekiti state public schools today is bound to startle even the unrepentant critics of the administration.

    Also, the health sector has and continues to enjoy its own fair share of attention by the present administration. The free medical care which focuses on the vulnerable group in the society is being given an accelerated boost. Children under five years, elderly above 65 years, pregnant women as well as physically challenged in Ekiti State can now access health care without any stress. The urban renewal project of government is on course and in no distant future, the state will become tourist/investors delight as infrastructural development in the areas of beautification as well as massive road construction and rehabilitation projects spread across the length and breath of the state continue to remain on the priority list of the administration. The multiplier effect of the monumental strides and developmental leaps on the socio- political and economic life of Ekiti in both the short and the long run can best be imagined and will remain unrivalled in the annals of Ekiti existence as a state.

    Fayemi, a scholar with impeccable records of achievement, a man with an incredible passion for excellence and moral uprightness, a man with stupendously amazing qualification and excellent leadership qualities that transcend party politics, a leader who loathes vanity, timorousness, sloth and dissipation but cherishes the virtue of intrepidity prudence, charity and integrity, a social justice crusader of all times whose concern centered on the moral understanding of human actions in their relation to the social goals of man, a quintessential personality per excellence, an author of many academic works on governance and democratization and above all, an advocate of egalitarian society is an accomplished academic with a PhD in War Studies specializing in civilian-military relationship and defence planning obtained from University of London in 1993.

    A grassroots man by all standards, the governor has left no one in doubt that he is committed to the realization of the dreams of our founding fathers, which is, to make Ekiti State, a model among the state of the federation. This task has always engaged his attention and he has been spearheading it through uncommon zeal and unwavering commitment. It is only logical that the citizen of the state, irrespective of political leaning and affiliation pray for him for more positive results in all his lofty projects and programmes and rally round his administration in its transformation drive.

    As election in Ekiti State is fast approaching and for sustainability of the laudable programmes put in place by the present administration in its quest to consolidate on the gains already recorded and to actualise all its lofty objective of making Ekiti State the most politically, socially and economically developed among the states of the federation, giving Fayemi another chance to direct the affairs of the state cannot be out of place. At this point of our history as a state, primordial or personal agenda and political differences must be put on the back seat. Launching into the future with renewed vigor and hope to secure a better tomorrow for all and sundry, as well as issue based politics should inform our political decisions. Fayemi has been tested and performed creditably hence the need to have abiding faith in his administration’s commitment to turning around the aggregate fortune of Ekiti State for good now and beyond 2014. With the unflinching support of the esteemed good people of Ekiti at the 2014 poll, the amiable governor is more than ever before, ready to bring to bear once again, his astute leadership endowment and creativity in his usual quest to take Ekiti to the promise land.

    Finally, making choice of candidate for the office of the governor should be through achievable manifestos, practical logic and debates as well as altruism of the candidates based on their antecedents and character both in public and private domain over the years. As usual, a vote for Kayode Fayemi is a vote for progress, prudence and sustainable development that will always stand the test of time.

    • Aladesami writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Echoes from Akwa Ibom Town Hall meetings

    Ahead of 2015 general elections, politicians are garnering supports from the electorates and are not leaving anything to chances. It is time to form support groups, alliance, re-align, decamp to other favourable party and seek for relevance.

    It is also time for those who engage in dirty politics to smear their opponents and rivals and indulge in name-calling in a bid to score cheap political points. Expectedly, some governors will be demanding for second term, while others will be shopping for their successors. Those aspiring for the Senate, House of Representatives and state assemblies would not be left out. In Akwa Ibom, like in other states, crucial issues about 2015 politics, particularly, succession came to the fore at the recent town hall meetings/constituency briefings by Governor Godswill Akpabio across the the 10 federal constituencies of the state. The constituencies are Eket, Etinan, Ikono/Ini, Itu/Ibiono, Abak, Ikot Abasi, Ukanafun/Oruk Anam, Oron, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene. Although, over 500 completed rural projects were commissioned by the governor as part of the activities, the constituents were more interested in the succession plan.

    At the inaugural town-hall meeting at Eket Federal Constituency, Akpabio said as an intrinsic part of democracy, the meeting was an opportunity for the government and the people to gather, engage in useful dialogue and take a concrete decisions for future of the state. He was right. For that was the classical method that the Greek city states adopted at the beginning of what has today been termed democracy. The idea was to allow the majority of citizens to have a say in government. Town-hall meeting is therefore a cardinal democratic instrument!

    One subject that dominated the meetings recently in Akwa Ibom was the issue of Akpabio’s successor. The points, arguments and submissions of the speakers on the subject matter varied from one federal constituency to another.

    While some wanted zoning on the bases of senatorial district, some others called for recognition of ethic platforms as the formula for power sharing. For instance, while the former Minister for Lands and Urban Development, Rt Hon Nduese Essien called for zoning to Eket Senatorial District, (following Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts) the former Deputy Governor, Chief Etim Okpoyo, from  Oro tribe, preferred consideration on ethnic basis. Essien specifically suggested that Eket Federal Constituency should be favoured in the zoning process. However, one important point on which many agreed upon was that there must be zoning.

    At Etinan Federal Constituency issues of Akpabio’s successor also dominated the meeting. Speaker after speaker spoke on the need for equity, justice and fair and equitable distribution of elected positions in 2015.

    Senator Effiong Bob in his submission said while the issue of zoning of governorship was being canvassed, the position proposed for Uyo Senatorial District should be clearly spelt out. Bob commended Akpabio for his development strides, noting that history will judge him (Akpabio) not on how he started but on his successful ending. He advised politicians to eschew bitterness and rancor and what he called “tortoise politics”, characterised by deception.

    Canvassing zoning of the governorship position to Eket Senatorial District, the former military administrator of the state, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga said the position of the PDP should be over and above other personal considerations. “In 2011, I was in this field in Etinan to present Chief Godswill Akpabio as the best saleable product for the governorship race and today I am proud to say that he has not disappointed us. The legacies he would leave behind would speak for him.” Nkanga said.

    The traditional rulers who were expected to maintain neutrality in the affairs of politics however, gave their fatherly advice at the town hall meetings. The paramount Ruler of Etinan, Edidem Ime Dickson Umoette made reference to the 2011 “Asan declaration”, explaining that the  Ibibios through the traditional fathers gave Akpabio a royal blessing with the assurance that  he would return power to the Ibibios by 2015. However, as one observer quickly noted, the Ibibios are spread all over the three Senatorial Districts so by zoning power to Eket Senatorial District, the Ibibios could still grab the governoship.

    As the town hall train berthed on the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, the cradle of Ibibio, political chieftains in the area apart from lending their voices to the call for the return of power to Eket Senatorial District canvassed for the 2015 Senatorial seat for Governor Akpabio.

    At the Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency meeting, the Senator Representing Akwa Ibom North-West, Senator Ita Enang was of the view that the 2015 Governorship be thrown open to aspirants from all the senatorial districts so that the people of Uyo Senatorial District would not be excluded from the contest.

    Majority of the speakers including a former commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Etok Ekanem, Senator Anietie Okon, Mr. Mfon Udeme and Mr. Idongesit Ituen called on the people of the Federal Constituency to support Eket Senatorial District for Governor in 2015 in the interest of justice and fairness. The main point is that Uyo Senatorial District produced a two-term governor in Obong Victor Attah; Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has produced a two-term governor in Akpabio. Hence many argue that justice demands that Eket Senatorial District should produce the next governor.

    The discourse on the 2015 governorship got heated up as the town hall meeting progressed. At the meeting in Ikot Abasi federal constituency, the former Commissioner of Finance, Obong Obot Etuk Afia in his analogy said since Senator Udo Udoma from Ikot Abasi, Eme Ufot Ekaette from Onna  and Senator Helen Esuene from Eket have taken the senate position, it was justifiable to let Oro Federal Constituency take the Senate slot in 2015.

    Affia argued further that, “Since Eket Federal constituency had produced two governors for the state, the governorship for 2015 should be zoned to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. The former Deputy Governor, of the state Obong Nsima Akpan who corroborated the position being canvassed for Eket Senatorial district said the zone has produced three Deputy Governors who have understudied governor Akpabio and were in a better position for the governorship slot in 2015.

    In Ukanfun/Oruk Anam, and Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituencies, speakers at the meetings passed a vote of confidence on the governor and through voice-votes declared their total support for Akpabio’s senatorial ambition in 2015. The Deputy Speaker in the state house of assembly, Elder Udo Kerian Akpan, Senator Itak Ekarika, Mr. Saturday Akpan and Iniobong Okonko from Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in their various speeches said Akpabio has taken the state to the national lime light and would be a strong voice for the people of the senatorial district in 2015.

    At the end of every town hall meeting a motion in support of the zoning of governorship to Eket Senatorial District was moved by a House of Representative member from the respective constituencies and was subsequently seconded by a House of Assembly member from the areas. The motion was adopted through voice-votes by the stakeholders at the meetings.

    Akpabio in his final words to the people thanked them for taking such positions and assured the stakeholders that the state PDP led by Obong Paul Ekpo, was taking note of all their submissions on the 2015 governorship in the state. Akpabio assured that for peace, justice and equity, “the party, PDP, at the state level will meet with other stakeholders at the end of the town hall meetings in the 10 Federal Constituencies to attempt the zoning of key political positions ahead of the 2015 elections so that all the senatorial district will be effectively represented”.

    • Ufot is a journalist and public affairs analyst based in Uyo