The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Understanding NNPC Limited’s governance ecosystem

    Understanding NNPC Limited’s governance ecosystem

    By Pius Nnolum

    Ex Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from June 2009 to February 2014, on Thursday, December 7, 2023 claimed that “The NNPC Limited is the ‘most opaque’ oil company in the world,” and advised “that the President becoming a petroleum minister is not a good idea,” in an apparent swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He made these positions known while delivering his remarks at the Bank Directors Summit organised by the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria in Abuja.

    These comments have compelled this obligatory need to interrogate the governance ecosystem in the NNPC Ltd on the watch of Malam Mele Kyari so as to reach a clear understanding of how the national oil company is faring under his leadership.

    President Tinubu, in an apparent tradition of his predecessor, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, kept the position of the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources to himself. He clearly has the power to appoint his cabinet and self as minister and ex-Emir Sanusi would do well to note this.

    Several critical considerations, of course, drove this presidential decision but first a background context. Cut to the bone, energy and its associated infrastructure remain the key development drivers of both ancient and modern civilisations. It’s actually strange that in the morning of the 21st Century, many Nigerian state actors are blissfully unaware that much of the problems of socio-economic transformation are really complications of physical infrastructure – with energy at the epicentre.

    Undeniably, energy systems tend to be high-cost investments but are clearly vital to a nation’s economic development and prosperity. Put simply to thrive in the choppy waters of rapid technology and business model changes, organizations that manage a nation’s energy sector require the right leadership. It is imperativeness for any leader to have a clear vision and articulate it well.

    Today, National Oil Companies (NOCs) in Africa stand on the brink of significant disruption – and of substantial opportunity – as a new era of structurally lower oil prices challenges business models that have long relied largely on exploration and production of hydrocarbons. This scenario goes beyond the volatilities in the sector, seeded by the Middle East crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war.

    The onerous responsibility to drive this behemoth energy corporation fell on the sturdy shoulders of Mele Kyari who was appointed the GMD of the now-defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by President Muhammadu Buhari, on July 8, 2019. Clearly, Kyari, an unassuming scientist who has traversed the entire value chain of the petroleum industry, has turned out to be the right pick as NNPC boss.

    Perhaps his toughest call in an industry he has spent much of his professional life in, Kyari has responded to his top-draw responsibility by quickly taking charge in close synergy with his corporation’s oversight entity, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. His four-year leadership has demonstrated a fundamental grasp of what fossil energy means and an adroit understanding of the imperativeness of circumspect governance of Africa’s preeminent NOC.

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    Kyari set sail by defining a clear vision of NNPC’s transformation and sending a clear message that the corporation’s lukewarm governance narratives of the past were gone for good. Recognising the imperativeness of inclusive governance, he considerably up-scaled engagements with various stakeholders to ensure that they were carried along in the Company’s operations.

    Besides its role as the bedrock of the Nigerian economy, the petroleum sector has been one of the defining features of the country’s post-independence history. This fact centralizes NNPC in the nation’s political economy, given the oil corporation’s assigned role in the industry.

    Not surprisingly, the corporation’s experience has been marked by struggles over what the corporation controls and over who controls it. Perhaps this unique centrality of the corporation in the Nigerian state has spawned its fair share of challenges and reproach.

    It could be recalled that a 2010 joint report by Transparency International and Revenue Watch Institute found that NNPC had the poorest transparency record out of 44 national and international energy companies examined. It is heartening that within his four years in the saddle, the NNPC boss has changed that negative narrative.

    With Kyari’s new vision, the NNPC is boldly anchored on the principle of Transparency, Accountability, Performance and Excellence (TAPE). Perhaps, one of Kyari’s most important and earliest governance initiatives that sounded a death knell to the extreme operational opacity reputation of the corporation is “Operation White.”

    It is a presidential-mandated collaborative initiative driven by NNPC with the active participation of regulatory and security agencies as well as other stakeholders in ensuring that all molecules of regulated petroleum products imported by NNPC are well accounted for and utilised in the country. This initiative effectively ended the era of very poor transparency in the corporation’s governance style. I am not sure ex-Emir Sanusi is aware of this initiative.

    Barely five months after publishing its 2018 Audited Financial Statement, the Kyari-led NNPC released its 2019 Audited Financial Statement with a 99.7% reduction in its loss profile from ₦803bn in 2018 to ₦1.7bn in 2019. On account of these unprecedented governance positives, the conservative Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) lauded the corporation.

    Even the ravages and disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic did not derail the compelling focus, integrity of service delivery, operational stability and reasoned interventions by the NNPC boss.

    Looking at the big picture, the NNPC Ltd’s management, under the firm guidance of Mele Kyari, has patriotically and assiduously worked towards building a stable oil industry for the nation’s growth and development. He has done a good job in posting resounding successes since stepping in the saddle.

    Kyari had scaled a number of hurdles, including the mindless theft of Nigeria’s oil by criminal cabals and individuals, which had left Nigeria for a long time unable to meet its oil production quota. The NNPC Limited management, under Kyari’s astute leadership, launched the “Crude Theft Monitoring Application”.

    The portal has application options for reporting incidences of crude theft, with prompt follow-up and responses, and another one for crude sales document validation. In a subsequent operation that followed, Kyari announced the discovery of a four-kilometer illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation for nine years.

    Certainly, efforts at checkmating crude oil theft and illegal refineries have been yielding positive results as there has been a significant spike of daily oil production to 1.6 million barrels per day. In addition, according to Fourth Quarter 2022 figures released, Nigeria has regained its position as the largest crude oil producer in Africa, ahead of Algeria’s 1.021mb/d and Angola’s 1.088mb/d in November 2022.

    The management of NNPC Limited under Kyari addressed persistent oil loss that the old NNPC had suffered before he became its helmsman in 2019. In 2022, the company posted its second consecutive year of ‘profit’ announcing N674.1 billion in the 2021 financial period and growing it from N287 billion in 2020.

    The figure represented an increase of N387 billion or 134.8% when compared to the previous N287 billion recorded in 2020. Kyari, who made the disclosure via the verified Twitter handle of the company, said the improvement followed the approval of the 2021 audited financial statements by the board of the oil company.

    Aside from recording profit for the company, Kyari has also led the NNPC Limited to resolve age-old disputes with its business partners notably the International Oil Companies (IOCs). This is part of its efforts at boosting Nigeria’s crude production and unlocking investments in the Deepwater space in the aftermath of the coming into being of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

    Consequently, the NNPC and the IOCs signed various production sharing contracts (PSCs) agreements that would ensure the production of about 10 billion barrels of crude oil and generate over $500bn revenue.

    A notable accomplishment of Kyari’s leadership of NNPC Limited is the payment of Nigeria’s joint venture cash call arrears to the IOCs totaling $5.1 billion. This was made possible through the introduction of the Alternative Funding Approach (AFA), which replaced the erstwhile cash-call payment model.

    Besides, NNPC signed various Memoranda of Association (MoU) with many countries, including the national oil companies of Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Sierra Leone in furtherance of the planned Nigeria-Morocco Gas pipeline project. The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP), an initiative of the federal government of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco, is a 5,600 kilometers gas pipeline project traversing 13 African countries namely: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania to Morocco.

    But, by far, one of the most impressive accomplishments of Kyari’s stewardship at NNPC Limited is the flagging off in November 2022 of the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi State, marking the commencement of effort to commercially exploit oil in the Northern part of Nigeria.

    The Kolmani Oil Field, estimated to have a reserve of about one billion barrels of crude oil, OPL 809 and 810, lies in the Gongola Basin of the Upper Benue Trough, straddling Bauchi and Gombe States. The oil blocks are owned by the NNPC Limited as a concessionaire with New Nigeria Development Company Ltd, Africa Oilfield Movers Ltd, and SEEPCO as partners. The well is expected to produce 50,000 barrels of crude per day during the first phase.

    Going forward and putting negative characterisation of NNPC Limited behind, the Kyari leadership as it is has simply chosen the solemn path of sharply focusing on the subsisting challenges in the sector. The leadership stated it was focused at the moment on delivering the task that had been set for the national oil company, stressing that everyone was free to air their opinion. NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, told the media that there would be no need for an official response to the claims made by the ex-CBN boss.

    He explained that constant responses could hinder the enormous task before the oil company, adding that NNPC would rather concentrate on handling the work that it was established to do.

    According to Soneye, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Constant responses to every individual can hinder our work. Our focus remains on delivering energy security, managing ongoing projects, and implementing reforms.”

    But before the Senate recently, the NNPCL GCEO had already made in-sector clarifications that addressed Sanusi’s remittance concerns. He had buttressed that maintaining the energy security target has fostered the confidence that in 2024, Nigeria will become a net exporter of petroleum products.

    He affirmed that no subsidy was charged to the federation, adding that the NNPC had contributed N4.45 trillion as direct revenue into the federation account in a combination of taxes, royalties and dividends and paid N406 billion as dividend to Federal Government’s account from July 2023.

    The narratives about the success stories of NNPC under Kyari’s leadership promise to be inexhaustive as he continues to come up with one innovation after another.

    – Dr. Nnolum wrote in from Lagos

  • Lagos, demolitions and ethnic insinuations

    Lagos, demolitions and ethnic insinuations

    • By Kunle Adeshina

    It is no longer news that the Lagos State Government has intensified efforts toward sanitising the State’s environmental landscape. This is being done through a variety of strategies, which include dislodgment of traders from illegal trading spots, demolition of unlawful buildings, strict enforcement of building/environmental laws as well as reclamation of road setbacks among others.

    It is, however, rather absurd and disgusting that some people are trying to give the exercise ethnic and tribal colourations. That, indeed, is one of the banes of development in our society. It is part of the reason why our progress has been stunted.   

    The truth is that from the outset, the current Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab was very categorical in insisting that it will no longer be business as usual for perpetrators of environmental infractions in the State. 

    This stance is quite logical, considering the degradation the environment has suffered overtime. Upon assumption of office, the Commissioner embarked on a tour of ongoing projects as well as areas affected by perennial flooding in places such as Aboru in Alimosho, Oladoje in Ojokoro, Area G in Ogba and Jankara/Idumagbo in Lagos Island.

    Noting the colossal damage done to the environment through flagrant disregard for building codes and regulations as well as astounding environmental abuse, Wahab was unequivocal in his insistence that application of the law is non-negotiable.

    Things were so awry! Along the Lekki Phase 2-Ikota channel, for instance, structures have been illegally put up on the drains. After a series of meetings held with the property owners, a number of corrective measures were recommended to be undertaken to mitigate the infractions.

    Awkwardly, rather than abated, more structures started springing up in the affected area. Land speculators and developers became more brazen, fencing off the upstream of the Mobil Ologolo area totally sand filling the channel to start another round of construction.

    Based on SOS messages from the residents, from about 22 communities, who were regularly being traumatized by floods, the government had no choice but to take decisive decisions, which included demolishing unlawful structures.

    At the Oke-Afa Bucknor community in Ejigbo LCDA, some property owners equally took brazenness to a new height by totally blocking the alignment of the Oke-Afa Bucknor channel.  Sadly, this has been responsible for the persistent flooding of areas like Jakande Estate in Isolo as well as structures by the foot of the Ejigbo-Isheri Osun Bridge.

    After two years of legal battle, a Lagos High Court in Ikeja recently struck out the case instituted by the property owners against the government.

    The same level of barefaced disregard for environmental law was demonstrated at the Dodan Barracks praying ground in Obalende, Lagos where several buildings extended their fences into the setback of the drainage, thereby impeding free flow of water when it rains.

    At an interactive session convened by the Ministry after the serving of contravention notices and pleas for mercy by affected property owners and their attorneys, the Ministry opted to be humane by reducing the setback to be observed from the mandatory 3.5 meters to 2 meters. It also gave the property owners the option of removing the contravening walls and fences themselves to minimize damages.

    From the foregoing, it is quite evident that something urgent needed to be done to redress the unabashed devastation of the environment through illegal human activities. It is in view of this that the Commissioner approved the serving of 7-days’ notice on illegal properties in some parts of the State, especially in the Lekki axis.

    Around the same time, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) equally began to enforce environmental rules at Festac Village and its extension (including Abule-Ado) in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. It should be stressed that whatever is being done in this axis is strictly a Federal Government affair and it has nothing to do with the State government. 

    Pitifully, many self—seeking public affairs commentators and ethnic bigots have been going about making unfounded claims about the government’s efforts to cleanse the environment.

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     Many are busy peddling half-truths on social media, claiming that the demolitions were intended to target members of the opposition. What a pity!

    The truth, however, is that none of the owners of the demolished structures possess legal documents approving their illegitimate buildings. Anyone with a contrary claim is quite welcome to back such up with relevant documents.

     Right from Lekki 2-Ikota in Eti-Osa to Oke Afa-Bucknor in Oshodi-Isolo LG to Ajiran, Agungi, Orchid, Osapa and Igbo Efon among others, all the affected structures were erected without approved building plans and drainage clearance approvals.

    In view of this, the calls for the prosecution of officers in the regulatory offices does not arise. We all watch with glee when regulatory enforcement officials approach sites of buildings under construction to ask for approval documents and are chased out with hired thugs, who sometimes maim and brutalise them.

    In our neighborhoods, we watch with an “I don’t care attitude” when work continues on buildings marked with “stop work order”. We see all the mindless contraventions but choose to pretend as if all is well. However, when the government moves to wield the big stick, people will suddenly find their voices and begin to justify illegalities.

     Accusing the Lagos State government of ethnic impunity is to say the least absurd and unfair. Today, the state public service has in its fold Nigerians that cut across the major ethnic/ tribal divides in the country.

    The relative peace being enjoyed in the State amply reflects the unrelenting efforts of the government to accommodate various interest groups. The government has a healthy relation with the various ethnic and tribal groups in the State.  The result of this robust relationship is the atmosphere of peace and harmony that currently reign in the state.

     The issues involved in the development and growth of Lagos State and, indeed, Nigeria transcends ethnic and religious sentiments. The brotherly love and bond that have existed between the Lagos State government and the diverse ethnic and tribal groups in the State must not be compromised.

    Fifth columnists, whose major preoccupation is to fan the embers of disaffection for self-seeking interests must not be allowed to profit, as it is their practice, from the current false campaigns.

    Respected elders and statesmen must not be seen championing divisive ethnic causes. Agba ki wa loja kori omo tuntun wo (elders must not permit untoward happenings in their presence).

    •Adeshina is Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • Jakande, progressivism and revisionism

    Jakande, progressivism and revisionism

    By Bayo Osiyemi

    Forty years ago, on December 29, 1983, this sprawling estate was commissioned by the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.

    It symbolised  a populist policy of a government that cared more about the greatest good of the greatest number of people. It was the first of its kind in Lagos State and indeed any part of the country.

    It is the reason we are all gathered here today to celebrate 40 years of community living in this OkeAfa estate, appropriately named Jakande Estate.

    Two days after this commissioning forty years ago, the military, more renown for revisionism, struck, and terminated a government of Lagos State that provided cheap and affordable houses as the ones we have here; apart from the four cardinal programmes of the party in power at the time – the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) – free education at all levels, free medical care for its citizens, rural development and roads infrastructure that gave rise to the first ever Lekki-Epe highway.

    Because “Jakande’s story is now history”, courtesy of the title of a book written on his exploits in government by one of the super permanent secretaries of the time, Mr, now Chief R.B Fanimokun, it is important to draw our attention to the fact that prior to Jakande’s advent, people in the Lekki/Epe axis who wanted to come to Lagos, Ikoyi or Victoria Island, by road, would first need to travel  through Ikorodu back into Lagos and then move to Ikoyi, Victoria Island and

    Maroko where motorable road terminated at the time.

    In contra-distinction to a populist administration that made the people the centrepiece of its existence, the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari curtailed the opportunities available to majority of citizens and put in place a government of the few, for the benefits of the few, with arbitrary style of governance.

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    Alhaji Jakande was an exemplary governor who saw public office as an avenue to minister to peoples needs without looking forward to personal gain. He was imbued with an uncommon sense of mission, as he thought out of the box in providing for the masses of people of Lagos State

    How was he able to achieve this phenomenal feat within a space of four years and three months that his administration lasted before the soldiers struck?

    And, how was it also possible to deliver a two bedroom flat for N5000 (five thousand naira) and three bedroom flat for N6000, (six thousand naira) and in a fair allocation manner that gave no room for favouritism  or preferential treatment?

    He identified man’s inhumanity to man, manifested in middlemen syndrome, and excessive crave for profit, as majorly the reasons why provision of affordable housing was a rarity before his advent in government.

    In tackling the problem, he identified people who shared in his vision, in and out of the polity and the civil service, and laid before them his idea of what he wanted, in providing affordable housing for the low income earners who formed the bulk of the population.

    The team identified (a) direct approaches to manufacturers of housing materials like cement, roofing sheets, iron rods, etc, (b) cut off middlemen and women and stockpiled and warehoused them for supply to contractors who were engaged in the construction of the two and three bedroom units.

    Alhaji Jakande himself offered an explanation for this, by postulating that you can achieve the impossible if you commit yourself, without compromise to a worthy cause or mission, without permitting any distractions.

    It was because of this single-minded devotion to public service and duty that he was able to deliver a total of 30,000 housing units across the state in Amuwo Odofin, Iponri, Abule Nla, Abesan, Dolphin, Anikantamo, Iba, Surulere, Ijaiye, ijeh Badagry in four years and three months.

    I know Alhaji Lateef Jakande much as I know the lines on my palm. Since our association began when I started out life as a reporter under him as editor in chief and managing director of the Nigerian Tribune in the early 70s, I took time to study the Lateef Jakande persona.

    He was focused, determined, and had no time for niceties. As a journalist, he was unsmiling and unobstructive. If you met him on the stairs of our Broad Street building in central Lagos and passed him by, without greeting him, he cared less as he too had no time to greet anyone.

    He minded only his business of news gathering and processing, as well as writing editorial opinions that were a scourge of the military rulers of the time.

    While on this, what differentiated Jakande from other leaderwriters like Bisi Onabanjo of the Daily Service or Ebenezer Aloba of the Morning Post or Adamu Ciroma of the New Nigerian, was that he would pen scathing criticisms of any government policy he disagreed with, and offer solutions to the problems he identified and wrote against. That was why, as John West, which was his pen-name, no one could justifiably pooh-pooh him as an armchair critic. He went to prove that even at a time he had not shown interest in governance, that a journalist, as a critic of government, can also be a doer, a performer !

    He also exhibited uncommon courage in his writings and administration of the  Nigerian Tribune that he trod where angels feared; the reason why he was a regular customer of the military governments with regard to arbitrary arrests and detentions.

    His lion heart and dare-devilry against unjust and incompetent governments in khaki or agbada or babanriga shaped his attitude to governance that he resolved that in going into government, he would make a huge and positive difference as governor of Lagos State.

    Because he abhorred frivolities and shunned ostentatious living, he brought these attributes to State House, eliminated wastes and harnessed all identifiable resources of the state for the benefits of the poor.

    I remember, as if were  yesterday, that in his first outing as governor, he let it be known that his major business in government was to cater, in the main, to the greatest interests of the greatest majority.

    In setting out his agenda for the masses, he attracted to himself massive reaction of the rich and privileged. But because he put on the armour of which some military generals are incapable, he won. He must have been a diligent student of a political consultant, Thomas Sweitzer, who opined that the basic principles of military strategy apply equally to the political terrain. These include: “amassing strength against weakness, keeping focused on primary objective, seizing the offensive and avoiding being placed on the defensive, simplicity of action, economising the use of force, manoeuvring your way out of problems and over obstacles, unity of command and central decision making; using surprise and initiating planning secrecy”

    Marshaling his arsenal against all human, mineral and vegetable obstacles on his way, Alhaji Lateef Jakande triumphed to give Lagos State many firsts including the first state university at Iba, near Ojo, Lagos State Television and 30000 low cost housing units spread across 14 estates in the state, including Oke-Afa that is 40 years old today.

    Before closing and lest some people go away with the impression that he was altogether against the rich, he is on record to be the initiator and creator of Banana Island in Ikoyi, the Haven he created for the super rich to whet their extravagant appetite.

    Jakande is gone in flesh but his works speak on in eloquence and I want to join you the celebrants to call on the current state government not only to continue on its own commendable housing policy of simultaneously addressing the housing needs of the low, middle and affluent citizens at the same time, but to also intensify efforts to maintain and sustain the Jakande estates and the infrastructures therein, so that they do not go to ruin due to negligence and lack of maintenance.

    • (Public lecture by Prince Bayo Osiyemi to commemorate the 40th year anniversary of the commissioning of Oke-Afa low cost housing estate on Saturday, December 9, 2023)

    • Prince Osiyemi was Governor Jakande’s chief Press secretary (from October 1979 to December, 1983).

  • Ademakinwa: What’s left of life?

    Ademakinwa: What’s left of life?

    I do not know how to start this Tribute. Still, I have to do it; and it’s to Temitope Adeniran Ademakinwa who died on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. Ademakinwa died at the age of 62, leaving behind a 97-year-old mother, an elder brother and a daughter.

    During his lifetime, Ademakinwa was gracefully cerebral and deeply analytical. He was meticulous, truthful and responsible. He was gentle, yet assertive. In all things, our departed brother trusted God infinitely. Even when he was passing through difficult times, he remained a distinctive voice and dependable ally. Ademakinwa wanted to make the best of life but, unfortunately, life failed him.

    Towards his last days on earth, Ademakinwa went through extreme deprivation. There were days he went to bed hungry. How then would he attend to his medications? When he fell ill and was admitted to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital (UTH), Osogbo, from July 12, 2023 to August 16, 2023, and paying for his medical bills became threatening, we had to put out an SOS on ‘IleriOluwa Manifest’, the WhatsApp Group platform for former political functionaries in the Gboyega Oyetola-led government. Thankfully, former Governor Oyetola sent something. Former Deputy Governor Titi Laoye-Tomori, now Laoye-Ponle, in whose office Ademakinwa served as Chief Press Secretary for six years, also sent something. Niyi Idowu paid the medical bills at the hospital where the patient was initially stabilized before he was given a referral to UTH. Well, that’s all the man got. But the donations were like just a drop in the ocean. Not unsurprisingly, the big boys in the former administration simply looked unconcerned. Others only contributed prayers; and it was as if Ademakinwa worked at the altar.

    ‘The fall of a yellow leaf is a warning to the green ones.’ In sane climes, working in, or for the government presupposes a secure future! Hey, not in Nigeria! Elsewhere, patriotism pays. Here, that can only happen in an atmosphere of recompense. In this part of the country, we grew up to behold the sacrifices of our biological parents, especially mothers, who wouldn’t eat until they were sure that their children wouldn’t go to bed with empty stomachs. Talk about the protective character of our local hens – from the period of egg laying, to incubation and nurturing of the chicks – and one would also understand the drift of the gist. Here, the leaders are only bent on their personal comfort and personal security. You’re only found useful when you are needed. Your submission and loyalty mean nothing thereafter.

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    For those who have ears, Ademakinwa has brought up some debatable issues. What is left of man after the toil and trouble and what hopes hath he in the strength and wealth of princes? Well, there are many Tope Ademakinwas out there who are suffering and dying without any attention from their masters and those who matter in society. They beg for things as diminutive as feeding their kids, paying their kids’ school fees, even paying rents while their masters live large on the proceeds of political participation. The tragic ingredient of our democracy is that those who have at one time or the other put a muzzle on democracy are the ones reaping bountifully from it while the real heroes continue to bite their fingers.

    On December 31, 1997, I took an article, which no doubt was very critical of the Sani Abacha junta, to one of Nigeria’s mainstream media houses for publication. Its Features Editor at the time angrily threw the material away, even scolded me for writing such ‘an offensive article’. ‘I can’t publish it’, he said with an air of finality! On May 25, 2018, our paths crossed in Osogbo and I pursued the opportunity to express my disapproval of the event of 1997. But, instead of being remorseful, the former editor vowed a repeat, should the situation reoccur. He said, pointblank: “I could even kill for Abacha, because the man was paying my bills”. Interestingly, the said editor is currently a senior political appointee in one of the states in the Southwest, enjoying the perks of the democracy he once loathed with passion.

    As the pioneer Administrative Secretary of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), yours sincerely participated actively in some of the major events that eventually led to the elevation of the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to the post of Acting President; and ditto for the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Strategy Roadmap, which gave birth to the DAWN Commission. Remember DAWN Commission spearheaded the creation of ‘Amotekun’. Again, what happened or did not happen thereafter are matters for another day.

    In 2010, I was on the ARG delegation to a prominent politician’s house in Osogbo and I witnessed how the Afenifere chieftain apologized to his Personal Assistant for the wrongs done to him in the past. If the inward truly moulds the outward, the concerning truth is that the personal aide’s outward appearance was a telltale bulge of neglect and psychological hurt.

    Wither the progressive? Truth be told, Ademakinwa’s ordeal is an indictment on the progressive camp in Nigeria. The fear of the future is one solid reason corruption and eye-service cannot be eradicated from our system. Our beloved brother was a victim of a hardhearted, ‘kill and cry’ and ‘kill and smile’ world where poverty continues to serve as the testament of existence. He worked for ten years as a senior political aide to two successive administrations in Osun but left with next-to-nothing to show for his industry. No severance packages and no perks of sorts. He’s even being owed. Rauf Aregbesola’s government owed him backlog of salary arrears while Oyetola’s administration owed him November 2022 salary which Governor Ademola Adeleke has refused to pay. Most times, Ademakinwa lived on stipends from his elder brother who as a retired soldier also survives on his monthly pension. As a matter of fact, it was the late former speechwriter to the immediate past Osun governor who introduced Kola Odepeju and me to First Bank’s Salary Advance digital lending product.

    Ademakinwa has again defined the hypocrisy of the black man: he neglects the suffering but shows fake love to the dead. Political practice in this part of the world is just a platform for the bourgeoisies and the capitalists to grab power and distribute the spoils of office among them and their cronies. Ours is a democracy wherein the politicians only need the masses as tools to work with while the foot-soldiers certainly need something with which to keep body and soul together. Go out there and see how many trusty followers have become ‘reluctant beggars’ and ‘accidental scavengers’.

    Those who served as David’s followers during his persecution by King Saul were later to become notable leaders in his (David’s) government. When those referred to as the wicked and sons of Belial after the recovery of the loot from the Amalekites tried to mistreat other followers, David also exhibited the rare traits of a good and considerate leader. He passed a law that everyone should be treated equally. Ironically, our leaders only distribute benefits and proceeds of battles amongst the favoured and the violent. Here, it is as if violence pays. One only has to make sure that one gets and deploys enough of it. Once that’s done, even the state will have no option than to negotiate with the violent.

    Gone but not forgotten! As Ademakinwa was preparing for the journey to eternal silence, he muttered, agonizingly: “When the world begins to greet you casually, it’s time to leave.”

    So, what’s left of life? After all, ‘eni tó kú ni tirè gbé!’

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, rest the soul of the faithful departed and comfort those he left behind!

  • Treatment of emergency medical cases

    Treatment of emergency medical cases

    By Christiana Osuji

    Bayo Ohu, a journalist with The Guardian, died from gunshot wounds inflicted by assailants who invaded his Lagos residence in September 2009. He was quickly rushed to the hospital, but medical staff on duty refused to admit him for treatment. Their reason? The relatives did not come with a police report. While his relatives were making efforts to take him to another hospital, he died on the way.

    Despite the widespread condemnation that followed the action of the hospital, the practice of rejecting gunshot victims without a police report remains a vexing issue. Similar incidents include the 2008 case of Saka Saula, the then chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, who was shot in his house. A nearby private hospital refused to treat him. He died while he was being transported to a public hospital.

    In September, Miss Greatness Olorunfemi, a victim of ‘One Chance’ commercial vehicle criminals in Abuja, lost her life due to the same non-availability of a police report.  The victim was pushed out of a moving vehicle and allegedly rejected by staff at Maitama Hospital, Abuja when she was rushed there by good Samaritans.

    There have been a series of reports over the years of gunshot injury victims being denied treatment at medical facilities following the demand for a police report.

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    Health experts state that depending upon the severity and extent of the injury, gunshot victims can die from hemorrhage, shock or damage to vital organs. Moreover, they may be at risk of infection, especially tetanus and gas gangrene. Therefore, such emergencies need a quick response, not a denial of treatment.

    In Nigeria, many of the gunshot victims bleed to death due to delays in treatment. Hospitals, which are meant to be places where lives are saved and where those in need of emergency help are attended to, often appear to be unresponsive to the demands of time.

    It is bewildering that many Nigerian hospitals are still rejecting accident, rape, robbery and gunshot victims.

    Experts have noted that it is unethical for a doctor to reject a patient who has come to seek healthcare services, stressing that if a doctor or hospital cannot treat a patient, such a doctor or hospital should refer the patient to a higher hospital, rather than reject the patient.

    Rejection of patients from medical facilities contributes to avoidable deaths of patients as emergency cases are also turned down.

    This occurrence in our hospitals is a clear contravention of the human rights of patients, and yet this practice is still widespread, occurring in medical facilities across the country.

    It is a global phenomenon, typically occurring in countries where emergency healthcare isn’t free or insured.

    The stance of the law is clearly stated in The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, which came into effect on the eve of 2018. The Act mandates all medical facilities to receive and accept victims of a gunshot for immediate treatment without a police report.

    The Act makes provision for various rights and obligations as well as penalties. The rights are in two categories: The rights of a gunshot victim and the rights of a volunteer or helper of a gunshot victim. The obligations are also in two categories: obligations of hospitals and it states that: Any hospital in Nigeria whether public or private shall receive and accept for immediate treatment of anyone with a gunshot wound, a person with a gunshot wound should be given adequate treatment without an initial monetary deposit; and that a person with a gunshot wound shall not be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment or torture by any person or authority including the police or other security agencies.

    Furthermore: Any hospital that receives a person with gunshot wounds must report to the nearest police station within two hours of commencement of treatment; notify the family members or relations within 24 hours of becoming aware of the victim’s identity; keep an adequate record of treatment given to the injured person; and ensure the victim is fit and no longer in need of dire Medicare before the Chief Medical Director certifies him fit to be invited by the police for investigation.

    The Act listed the responsibilities of the police as render every possible assistance to any person with gunshot wounds and ensure that the person is taken to the nearest hospital for immediate treatment; commence an investigation to ascertain the circumstances under which the person was shot; and furnish the hospital with background information on the victim.

    In December 2014, Nigeria passed the National Health Bill into law, which described denying patients medical attention as an offence.

    Section 20 (1) and (2) of the National Health Act states that “a health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason. A person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000.00 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both.”

    The federal government has pleaded severally with medical facilities in the country to stop rejecting patients, especially in emergency cases but these pleas have seemingly fallen on deaf ears.

    A doctor must see the patient first and if he does not have the facility to handle the patient, should refer the patient to a higher hospital.

    The code of ethics of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria MDCN, expects    a doctor to do all that is reasonably expected of him or her for any patient’s well-being. The definition of “reasonably expected” therefore depends on the doctor’s experience and skill and the availability of resources, especially   equipment.

    Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Dr Olukayode Egbetokun ordered all hospitals and all medical personnel across the country to treat gunshot victims without asking for a Police report.

    The directive, based on the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, was contained in a Police internal memo dated October 25, 2023, and signed by the erstwhile Force Principal Staff Officer, COMPOL Olatunji Disu.

    The memo was addressed to all Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police and the Commandants of Police Colleges in Ikeja, Kaduna, Oji-River, Maiduguri and Enugu.

    Medical experts have asked aggrieved patients with strong cases of rejection by doctors or hospitals to write to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Medical Association for investigation and disciplinary action where necessary.

    The Medical Director at Garki Hospital, Abuja, Dr Adamu Onu said it is a grievous offence for a doctor or a medical facility to reject a patient. A doctor will first see the patient and if he does not have the facility to handle the patient, he should refer the patient to a higher hospital, he said.

    “Every medical practitioner must show empathy and not reject a patient. Some hospitals may have reasons for rejecting a patient. If the capacity is not there, they should refer and not reject. But there may be extraneous issues, for instance, if the doctor is attending to a patient and there is friction between the doctor and that patient and the doctor considers his life not safe with the patient.

    Indeed, two recent episodes corroborate Dr Onu’s assertion. On August 24, a two-storey collapsed at Garki 2, Abuja. The victims were rushed to Garki Hospital where they received prompt treatment before some were referred to other hospitals.

    On September 8, two gunshot victims due to an unfortunate incident at the Garki International Market were rushed to Garki Hospital emergency department at about 2.30pm where treatment was immediately commenced. It is instructive that in both instances, Garki Hospital did not ask for police reports before attending to the injured.

    • Osuji wrote from proedgecomng@gmail.com

  • Climate change: Three key goals Nigeria must focus on at COP28

    Climate change: Three key goals Nigeria must focus on at COP28

    By Bamidele Olajide

    Global environmental stakeholders are currently in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, (30 November to 12 December) for the UN Climate conference known as COP28. The conference aims to continue negotiations to address the global climate crisis. Nigeria’s main agenda in the conference is climate finance needed for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

    Past conferences have resulted in some landmark agreements. However, the negotiation process to institute international climate finance has been thorny for developing countries. Nigeria’s diplomatic and negotiating strategies will have to be top-notch at COP28.

    Nigeria has experienced a harsh climate change reality. The effects of climate change include flooding, desertification, coastal erosion, drought, deforestation, land degradation and pollution. These are also associated with human security issues such as food insecurity, resource conflicts and political instability.

    Nigeria and other developing countries are disproportionately affected by climate change. This is despite their historically low contributions to global warming compared to the developed countries. It is noteworthy that African countries, including Nigeria, will continue to link their development agenda to the international climate regime.

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    For this reason, Nigeria has committed to global climate mandates through policies such as the Nationally Determined Contribution, the National Climate Change Policy for Nigeria, the National Climate Change Council and the Energy Transition Plan. Nigeria’s active participation in COP28 is critical to its development and citizens’ well-being.

    I am a political scientist with research in environmental and energy politics. I argue that Nigeria should focus on three climate finance goals at COP28. These are:

    • The loss and damage finance mechanism

    • Nigerian Energy Transition Plan finance

    • Adaptation finance

    Securing these funds will immediately enhance Nigeria’s ability to respond to climate change. The funds are critical for meeting the country’s immediate, medium, and long-term climate goals. If Nigeria secures the finance it needs, it will be a landmark achievement in the country’s environmental diplomacy.

    Nigeria has found it more difficult than many African countries to obtain international climate finance. Its lack of readiness and corruption reputation have been blamed for this.

    Loss and damage fund

    The successful agreement on the Loss and Damage Fund was the lone positive outcome of COP27. The fund was established to provide assistance to the countries most vulnerable to and most affected by climate change. This agreement signifies that developing countries are becoming assertive and influential in the climate negotiation process.

    Nigeria and other developing countries should not stop at the agreement. COP28 provides a platform for further clarification of funding mechanisms. Access to the fund and implementation of adaptation projects will advance for Nigeria and others once there is clarity.

    The Loss and Damage Fund will help Nigeria to address some of its climate-induced human security crises. In recent years, flooding and resource conflicts have exacerbated loss and damage in Nigeria. The country cannot afford any hesitancy or stalemate on the implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28.

    Energy Transition Plan

    Nigeria announced its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2060 at COP26. To achieve this, the country needs to fund its Energy Transition Plan with US$1.9 trillion. This translates to an annual cost of US$10 billion.

    Meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution commitment will depend on its ability to secure international climate finance. Both initial and updated Nationally Determined Contributions are largely conditional on this source of funding. Therefore, Nigeria’s COP28 negotiators and delegation must be adept at securing finance to carry out the country’s Energy Transition Plan.

    Adaptation finance

    Nigeria’s weak performance in climate change adaptation can be traced to lack of financing. Hesitancy to invest in reducing citizens’ vulnerability to climate change leads to socioeconomic crisis.

    Nigeria should not expect to easily get the funds it needs for adaptation at COP28. Only US$230 million was pledged for adaptation at the last conference. Raising the required funds will require deft diplomatic moves.

    Why this matters

    COP28 is the time for the world and Nigeria to get their climate finance priorities right.

    Nigeria will become more vulnerable to climate impacts if it fails to do this at COP28. A prolonged lack of adaptation finance would increase the number of Nigerians who are not resilient to climate change and its impact. Consequently, it would affect the country’s economy as climate change has an impact on livelihoods and health, damages infrastructure, and threatens food security. Similarly, failure to secure financing for the Energy Transition Plan could hamper Nigerian development projections. This is because the Federal Government treats this as a development plan.

    COP28 represents a critical socioeconomic juncture for Nigeria, and the country has to secure international climate finance.

    • Olajide teaches at the University of Lagos. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. “https://theconversation.com/climate-change-3-key-goals-nigeria-must-focus-on-at-cop28-218623”

  • Building failures: Causes, issues and way forward

    Building failures: Causes, issues and way forward

    By Odinaka Victor Okonkwo

    There are three basic needs of man: food, shelter and clothing. A building is another name for shelter and is therefore one of the basic needs of man. We construct buildings to provide shelter for man, animals, machines, properties and work places. A building protects us, our properties and our animals from harsh environmental conditions. The building also helps to suspend us in space as in multi-storey buildings hence enabling a large number of people to occupy a small area of land.

    A building has failed if it is unable to perform its intended function. The failure of a building could be as a result of many factors. It is best traced by looking into the building team. Like a football team, the construction of a building requires the input of different professionals. Each professional, like each member of a football team, supplies one or more of some of the ingredients needed for the building structure to meet its intended needs. The absence or failure of which leaves the project deficient. Just like in food and nutrition classes, the deficiency points to what is lacking in the product. The addition of the ingredients/input lacking heals or restores the product.

    The architect conceives the building project. He is the one with the mental picture of the building before it is built. This he puts down on paper in the form of a set of drawings. The drawings show the size, shape, look etc of the building to the nearest millimetre. He is usually regarded as the head of the building team.

    The civil/structural engineer studies the architectural drawings and produces the structural drawing. The structural drawings are a set of instructions (ingredients) needed to enable the building to stand firm meeting both the requirements for stability and serviceability. He must be able to understand the architectural drawings. He must understand the soil characteristics of the chosen site and the available building materials in the market.

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    The electrical and mechanical engineers produce the electrical and mechanical drawings respectively. Modern buildings come with electrical and mechanical components like sockets, heater, lifts etc. Their drawings provide information on the electrical and mechanical components of the structure to enable them work as envisaged by the architect.

    The quantity surveyor collects the drawings (ingredients) provided by the architect, civil/structural engineers, electrical and mechanical engineers and works out an estimate of the resources needed to execute the project. He facilitates an estimate of the project cost.

    The land surveyor helps us in positioning the building project accurately on land as provided for in the site plan. Hence in large building projects, they are often hired to enable the contractor locate the exact place/point to erect the building. They are excellent at transferring geometry from paper to land. They can also be hired to position building components like columns as specified by the civil/structural engineers.

    The town planner plans our city. He prepares its layout to enable easy movement of people and access to basic facilities.

    The builder is the professional trained in school to become the contractor (the cook). He is the one that collects the instructions (ingredients) from the other professionals and sets out to execute (cook) the project (food).

    These professionals have inputs to make in our building structure. While the input of some like the town planner is only pre-contractual, others like the architect and civil/structural engineer are pre-contractual and post-contractual.

    A building fails when one or more of the inputs of any of the building team is deficient.

    The reactions to the failure of buildings are often politicized. Whenever a building collapses it becomes an opportunity to invite all the building professionals. Expert views are requested from all building professionals even when it’s a known fact that it has to do with the contribution of the civil/structural engineer. This is to enable each professional gain from the largesse or government spending that often goes with such investigations. Committees set up by government to investigate building collapse often have engineers in the minority. It’s not strange to see such committees being chaired by non-engineers. This shows the value our political leaders place on the problem.

    Our building regulation and adherence to standards is still very low. Our building construction industry is still like a student who is not bothered about what he scores in an exam. He is happy to score anything from 2% to 100%. He is only bothered when he scores 0%. Sure 0% is a failure. But failure actually starts from 39% and below.

    A building that is wrongly sited is a failure. A building that offers poor circulation/movement within the building is a failure. A building that is poorly ventilated or poorly lit is a failure. A building that could not be completed after the release of the estimated cost is a failure. A building that has no safety features is a failure. In each of these cases the building scores below 39%. But we usually react only when the building collapses that is when it scored 0%. Well that too is a failure.

    One of the professionals offers a very essential input which not utilized can plunge the building into a total failure (0%). That is the civil/structural engineer. This should make the civil/structural engineer occupy a special position in our building industry. This should be so because we often ignore or tolerate the failures due to the inputs of other building professionals.

    The government has instituted agencies for monitoring and ensuring our buildings do not fail. These agencies are to ensure that the inputs of the relevant building professionals are not lacking. These agencies to say to least have performed below expectation.

    They do not seem to appreciate the enormous task of monitoring building projects as different from just being a revenue generating asset of government. In fact the latter seems to be their priority and the instrument for assessing their performance.

    The staffing of the agencies is usually poor both in quality and quantity. The agency is supposed to house all the professionals in building construction. To meeting this requirement is however very expensive.

    Synergy with the professional associations will release to the regulatory agencies a pool of ready and viable hands for effective building regulation. The agency will tap from their expertise and numerical strength. They (the professionals) being one of the ultimate beneficiaries of a well regulated industry are willing to assist the agency. The civil/structural engineer is the first culprit when a building collapses. It is therefore necessary to ensure that he makes the necessary input to every building project we want to stand. If however he is careless in discharging his duties for reasons entirely his, he should be reported to his regulating agency COREN for appropriate sanctions.

    A well maintained data or record of work done and by who will enable easy recourse to the culprits in the event of poor implementation of professional duties. People are more cautious when they know that their files are kept properly and can be referred to if occasion warrants. These records should be accessible to the public.

    The relevant professional should be the contractor (cook). As painful as this may sound, the cook (the person that interprets the instructions of the other professionals with the aim of producing the finished product) should be a professional that is able to interpret the instructions from the architect and civil/structural engineer. The most threatening danger faced by the construction industry is the lack of regulation on who should be the contractor. In our construction industry, the contractor can be anybody. He needs not know how to interpret the information supplied by the other professionals. He needs not know the consequences of flouting their instructions. He only needs gut and the ability to imitate what a professional elsewhere did to be a contractor. This leaves our regulatory agencies stretched to their limits.

    Building collapse will remain until we begin to regulate who and who executes building projects and if possible criminalize the execution of building projects by non-building professionals. Building professionals are people who by training are equipped to interpret the instructions from the other professionals. The architect has a smattering knowledge of structures, quantities etc to be able to work effectively in a building team. The civil/structural engineer is taught the very rudiments of architecture to enable him interpret the drawing and hence recommend the appropriate structural elements. This also applies to the quantity surveyor. Building construction must be executed by the person who can interpret appropriately the instructions from other professionals.

    • Engr. Okonkwo Ph.D is of Department of Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State.

  • Tinubu, Ondo impasse and resolutions

    Tinubu, Ondo impasse and resolutions

    Ondo State cannot afford to be at war with itself, writes Jimoh Ibrahim

    The events in Ondo State will soon play out the thesis that liberalism is for absolute peace for the security of humanity. It is needless to engage in war for the peace of the state, and the realist that triggers war in Ondo State must be ready for collaboration and cooperation as President Tinubu posited; in any event, difficult times don’t last long. Ondo State cannot afford to be at war with itself. Regrettably, the realists at the centre of power accumulation in Ondo State are epiphenomena. We know their master, and it is in the democratic peace arena that we shall be engaging their power by democratic votes! They may get no votes in the reality of a democratic election measurable to the power they need now. Otherwise, they should challenge Aketi in a new election and become the Governor!! President Tinubu took power even when the maximum ruler and the head of the realists in Daura kept petrol and currency from 200 million people! President Tinubu was sure of himself as a liberal democrat.

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    Let us not forget that “politics is a power struggle.” Even in the most hospitable circumstances, the human condition is precarious because we are all unavoidably exposed. Yes, as Hobbes in ‘States of Nature,’ every human being is a potential threat because the struggle for survival in a world of limited resources is a ‘war of all against all.’ Hobbes thought that putting a government in place is an excellent way of guaranteeing security! In a world without a government to enforce order – a condition that Hobbes calls the state of nature – every human must be vigilant against threats to survival. A world without Government, he claims, forces humanity into a constant state of war because there is no way to trust in the excellent or peaceful intentions of others. We must always be on our guard lest we be attacked. This condition – in which no ruler or judge can resolve disputes and establish security – is anarchy. In a lawless world, Hobbes argues that our lives must revolve around survival, leaving no time for agriculture, the arts, or sciences conditions of anarchy; Hobbes says, ‘the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.

    As I replied to Hobbes in my PhD War thesis, it is also the case that the Hobbesian phenomenon underscores man’s aggressiveness in the state of nature that requires the leviathan’s intervention. In the face of the Buhari government, Boko Haram created a condition in the Northeast that makes the life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”—a celebration of the leviathan’s failure.

    Aketi case is not that of abuse of power as we saw in Darfur, where Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with war crimes against humanity. There is a Government in Ondo State. Aketi is not the Government but the Head of that Government. We have never had issues with the apparatus of Government and Governance (apologies to the sociologists). Aketi will be back, and this time shall pass!

    • Ibrahim PhD (Cantab), CFR, is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • Oyebanji and the spirit of Ekiti Parapo

    Oyebanji and the spirit of Ekiti Parapo

    By Adeola Makinwa

    Two rare political developments in Ekiti State motivated the writing of this piece. The first was the unanimous endorsement of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) for a second term in office by four former Ekiti State Governors, Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni. The other one was the flag-off of the construction of the 17.85km First Ring Road by the governor.

    Before all else, that a former governor would vouch for an incumbent governor, especially when they are not from the same political party, is a fantastic achievement. It is also proof that ‘a person that’s loved by many people is always seen as a faultless personality’. With just one year in office, what the endorsement has shown is that, since the governor ‘is well-mannered, he will always be privileged with the elders.’ So, whether BAO takes it to the bank or he takes it on its face value, it also means that even the governor’s enemies are now at peace with him. Yes, it’s only the Word of God that has promised that: ‘even your enemies will be at peace with you’. As things stand, the lines are falling for the governor in pleasant places. It is just for him to do more, and his legacy is assured.

    Whichever way we look at it, good governance will always promote unity in any society. Therefore, good governance, which, from all indications, is the main focus of the Oyebanji-led government, should remain his goal throughout his stay in office. That exactly is a panacea or remedy for trouble. Once that is done, his name will be written in gold, for good governance breeds fairness, equity, justice and sustainable development, all rolled into one.

    One of the things that make the state unique is that the founding fathers of the Ekiti axis saw the entire area as one before the notorious military incursion and the misfortune of Nigeria being ruled by the jackboot brought them to this sorry pass. So, the beauty of the democracy that they are currently enjoying lies in the people’s ability not to forget their ancestral origin.

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    Governments go and governments come! Governments also rise and governments fall! But undiscerning governments only allow themselves to be railroaded by the shouts of circumstances and situations of the marketplace; and they end up paying dearly for it. In a state like Ekiti, a man of finesse and little creativity who is not too distant from his nativity can survive any political tests. How? Government policies will reflect fairness in the distribution of benefits to the villages and hamlets, irrespective of the governor’s nativity. Immediately the villages are able to come to terms with the fact that they’re not neglected or abandoned in the scheme of things, the governor can go to sleep with his two eyes closed because the support for the party in power will be total. Even as tough as the late Tunde Idiagbon was, he did that! Fayose also did it! The only disadvantage of this approach is that it must remain unknown to the public; otherwise, the government will become messed up. The irony of life is that knowledge is a conscious attribute which moves only in the direction of those seeking after it. The more reason any government worth its essence must review its strategies periodically.

    In Ekiti, education has become an industry. Put differently, the natural status of education in the state is an advantage to the governor. Matter-of-factly, almost all the families in the state can boast of at least a graduate. So, it is reasonable to say that Ekiti as a specific entity is spatially educated. Time it was when its sons and daughters were all focusing on becoming professors. Thank God it has now paid off, for when education and associated professions come to bear in Nigeria, Ekiti has only gone to show that learning and knowledge are never wasted ventures; they have a way of reproducing and repaying ‘for themselves, by themselves through themselves.’

    The major responsibility of the national government is to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive while the state and the local governments have a responsibility to provide particular services to the people. Needless to repeat, Oyebanji’s decision to construct the first Ring Road Project is a step in the right direction. However, it will be in the best interest of the state and the good people of Ekiti to see the project completed. The old and unprofitable practice whereby projects were initiated but abandoned midway should be a thing accursed under this dispensation.

    Ekiti State is 85% agrarian; and that also speaks for the state. Remember also the timbering and lumbering business. Without doubt, what the operators rake in daily from it is humongous. The only challenge is that those who are feeding fat from it are protective of it. Tourism sector is also supposed to be a thriving business but that has been over-flogged, especially with the security challenges, which, from the look of things, are reluctant to take a flight. Thankfully, the governor has promised “more ferocious wars against … criminalities in the state to bolster investment and ensure security of lives and property”.

    Distinctively BAO is deep. He has shown that governance is not only about construction of roads or building of hospitals but more about making the generality of the people comfortable. What that tells us is that ‘the stealthy movement of the leopard is not out of cowardice)’. But then, there’s always a problem for a sitting powerful man in government, and that’s about reach, access and control. It is natural for certain individuals to create access to the president, or Mr. Governor, or other powerful people in any society. The truth is: we must allow those people to be ballooned and intoxicated with fool’s wine. The president, governor or the powerful people, too, should not be too carried away by their antics, for they are always there! Anywhere you find the orbit of power, there will be those who will say: ‘I have access to his ear’ and ‘he listens to me’. Old schoolmates, old colleagues at work, people one has lived with can be a hindrance. That’s the nature of politics, especially in this part of the world. Therefore, it is for Oyebanji’s eye not to shift from the central goal of bringing the Ekitis together, for wherever – starting from different political parties – the central thing is Ekiti State. What binds them together is the state.

    In Ekiti, in exactly the same way as other states, power is always concentrated in the hands of few people within the ruling party. The antidote is performance. So, it will be in Oyebanji’s interest to embark on projects that will open up the economy of Ekiti. Surely certainly, that will keep the public to his side as well as keep the powers-that-be in reasonable check.

    Lastly, there is an advice for the Ekitis, and it’s to look beyond party partisanship, religious differences and ethnic colouration and appeal to the origin of ‘Ekiti Parapo’ in making a valid construct of an ethnic group. Once this is embedded in their socialization and orientation, it becomes difficult for an outsider to infiltrate them or bring about a strange orientation. On its part, the administration must find a way of making sure that the people are detribalized and set free from religious fanaticism, for anything outside the central goal of development can only amount to a mere waste of time.

    ● Makinwa wrote in from Osogbo, Osun State

  • Electoral conducts in Nigeria: We are the change we need

    Electoral conducts in Nigeria: We are the change we need

    By Zaidu Sanusi

    The recently concluded off-cycle election in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states has come and gone with the usual complaints of manipulation and fraud from the electorate, a section of the civil society and the politicians who lost. It is the usual cry that follows every election. Everyone points fingers to one direction and complains as if the electoral process was conducted by terrestrial beings with no involvement of us, the Nigerian citizens. With every election we go back to the question: when will we witness substantial improvements in Nigeria’s electoral processes.

    It is settled that in today’s Nigeria, achieving victory in an election involves a three-step process: success in the primary election, triumph at the general election, and ultimately prevailing in the courts. 

    With each of the above steps the agency of humans, in form of party officials, contestants, agents, electoral officials, the electorates, media, lawyers, judges, police, etc., determine the quality of the outcome. But at the end of every cycle almost everyone’s role is forgotten as fingers all get pointed at the umpire, INEC. “INEC has failed”, we say. Really? 

    While accusations against INEC for manipulation and fraud persist, and calls for holistic reforms echo, while clamouring for elections whose final outcome are not determined by Supreme Court justices, we should purse and do a soul search. The sought-after change may not be too far ahead. 

    The fact that this lamentations and condemnations of our elections outcome persist tells us that we may have either pointed accusing fingers wrongly all the while or we need to point more fingers in more directions.

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    In the aftermath of the 2007 elections, it was called the greatest sham. Condemnations trailed it. Even the then elected president, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua acknowledged the fact that the election that brought him into office was fraudulent. The Uwais Committee was formed in response to the heavy criticism. Despite subsequent reforms, including the introduction of card readers in 2011, dissatisfaction with results persisted. Then BVAS was introduced and we have then heard of how BVAS is bypassed and compromised. The courts took the next step to declare it not more than a useless prop in the process. 

    In terms of improving the human conduct, we jettisoned the use of random persons as ad-hoc staff for the elections. INEC is accused of hiring wrong hands with politicians often populating the lists with their own persons. It was decided that youth corps members–who are mostly non-indigenes to start with be involved. Lecturers, thought to be the finest of our patriots and idealists were settled on as returning officers. Vice chancellors are now being used as State Returning Officers, all as part of measures implemented to tighten the sanctity of our elections. Yet, concerns about the quality of elections persist.

    The root of the problem, it is now apparent, lies not solely with INEC but with the collective Nigerian society, especially politicians. We have mastered the art of bypassing fool-proof processes. 

    Despite INEC’s efforts, the conduct of elections relies on individuals. The issues extend beyond INEC to encompass society as a whole. Instances of corruption involve youth corps members, security personnel, low-level INEC officials, voters selling their votes, and even civil society members choosing when to be truthful or partisan. Some individuals become political thugs for monetary gain, while media outlets flout rules of engagement to serve political interests.

    While it is easy to scapegoat INEC, a more comprehensive examination involves scrutinizing the actions and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the electoral process.

    This starts with us, the masses; we need that conscious realisation that the right to vote and be voted for is not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidders.

    Security personnel should understand that they owe the country a fiduciary duty to ensure that elections are free and fair without succumbing to corruption and bribery. INEC officials, permanent and ad-hoc should understand that the sanctity of our elections lies in them being impartial umpires. Our youths need that resolve to resist being used by greedy politicians as political thugs to cause havoc on election day. In this regard, parents and community leaders have a great role to play in rolling back this odious practice.

    As for politicians, it is high time they realized that elections are not a do-or-die game and played safely. Only when all of us come together and have a change of attitude and mind-sets can the reform we crave for materialize.

    As it stands, it seems BVAS and IREV are the best the government can offer. Even in the advanced world, elections are transmitted electronically, and just as we thought the introduction of BVAS and IREV would be the masterstroke, the proverbial last straw that would break the camel’s back as far as electoral fraud is concerned, they are being rendered useless. The politicians are the biggest culprits manipulating everyone and everything on their way to their desired destination.

    However, while we think the excesses of the politicians could get tackled at the courts, the summersaults we are currently witnessing in our courts leave little to be desired. The saying, one law for the rich and another for the poor is getting a vivid expression as judgements are often delivered based on the faces of the parties in a case, not the facts on ground. This has further increased the confusion in our electoral process and the resultant litigations.

    At the end, it is evident that what we need is a reform of our mind-set and correction of our collective ways, not the often-mouthed electoral reform. The history of our elections from 2007 to date have shown that any electoral reform is a window-dressing if there is no consensus to do the right thing at all levels.

    • Sanusi, a political analyst, writes from Abuja.