The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • The recklessness of Buruji Kashamu

    Sometimes our politicians do not only lack decency, they also lack finesse. Hear what one of them, a prince, said in a recent interview in The Punch: “I’m ready to contribute resources for mobilisation but this is what many politicians don’t like doing. For example, I am ready to spend even N1billion to ensure the success of the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State during the forthcoming election. It would be a shame on my part if I failed to do that,” proclaimed Buruji Kashamu who parades himself as a PDP chieftain from Ogun State.

    As if the shamelessness was not enough, he ranted further, “I am ready to do the same thing in Osun and Oyo states.” This is a man who is clearly more interested in drawing attention to himself. He is from Ogun State, where he claims to be a party wheel horse. Why did he not even refer to the state? Is it because they won’t give him an opportunity to spend his money?

    For a man to say he gloats over the success he had in fighting former governor, Gbenga Daniel, to a standstill, one would have thought he would concentrate in his state. He probably has surrendered because he lives in Ogun State and has seen that he has no prayers against the good work of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    Maybe he has not travelled enough in Ekiti State to see what Governor Kayode Fayemi has transformed the state into. Maybe he will think twice about wasting his money.

    But he may be doing a world of good to the economy of that state by infusing N1billion into its economy, and Hardball is sure the people will receive his money with open arms. It is clear from what he says that he does not abide in the world of ideas. What is he fighting against in Ekiti? Is it the infrastructural developments that his PDP Segun Oni could not do in about six years? Or is it the quality enhancement of education, or is it healthcare or strides in tourism, or social security for the elderly?

    Kashamu does not speak ideas. He only speaks money, and the people of the Southwest know good money from bad money.

    Clearly he has not travelled to Osun State to see what Governor Rauf Aregbesola is doing, or Oyo to witness Ajimobi’s performance. If he has and he still wants to spend money against the good thing, then he will fall into what people in the Niger Delta call “money miss road.”

    In the interview he also had the indecency to say that he contributed 17 Sports Utility Vans (SUVs) and trailer loads of Ankara for Timipre Sylva, former Bayelsa State governor’s, election. He said the Ankara clothing materials were embossed with his picture and his deputy and he also gave Sylva “lots of cash.” He claimed later that Sylva gave him the IGR and that he transformed N200 million to N1billion monthly. So he is a contractor waiting to make profit for himself!

    This is recklessness on a high stage. We need restraint from our politicians, not the brutish extravagance, the type of public desperado like Kashamu wants to feed the public with.

     

  • A plea for local languages

    SIR: I watched some children conversing in English, and how they ‘butchered’ that language. Worse still they could not even speak Igbo, their native tongue. The emergence of a generation of children especially in the East who either cannot speak the Igbo language well or at all spells doom for the language. It calls for urgent attention if the Igbo language is not to become extinct in the near future.

    It has unfortunately become fashionable especially among young parents to speak only the English language to their children. Yea, they desire them to be fluent in the Queen’s language, to be seen as polished. These parents may not be aware and may even deny it but the truth is that their action is mostly informed by a subconscious feeling that the native language is too ‘local’, primitive, and inferior. Some of these deluded folks even proudly advertise the fact that their children cannot or have difficulty in comprehending their native tongue. By implication, only ‘local’ children are expected to be fluent in their native tongue. How unfortunate!

    I find it tragic seeing parents who can hardly navigate their way through the English language sweating to teach same to their children. I once chanced upon a rather bizarre scene of a woman selling akara balls by the roadside communicating with her little boy in what could best be described as tattered English. How ridiculous!

    These parents end up not only teaching their children horrible English but also denying them of opportunity to learn their native tongue. We thus have children that can neither speak good English nor their native tongue; that are neither here nor there. Such children with little or no knowledge of their roots will grow into adults who may likely feel inferior around more culturally grounded adults from other parts of the world thus giving credence to the unfortunate misconception that we are people without culture and history. This must not be allowed.

    Government and our schools must redouble effort to promote our indigenous languages. The declining number of people who major in our indigenous languages at higher level is indeed worrisome. A secondary school once advertised vacancy for Igbo language teacher and for weeks and got no application. Measures and incentives should be evolved to encourage undergraduates to major in our indigenous languages. Indigenous language literatures should be encouraged. Perhaps a credit in an indigenous language should also be one of the criteria for admission into higher institution. It is indeed of great importance that government and conscious citizens brainstorm and devise means to preserve our languages and cultures.

    And to the parents, especially the young ones, I say, please, help save our languages. It is no shame for a child to be fluent in his or her native tongue. Speak and teach the children their native language, they’ll definitely learn English at school.

     

    • Nnoli Chidiebere

    Aba, Abia State.

  • APC should consider rotational presidency

    SIR: I congratulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) on its highly laudable manifesto. If faithfully implemented, and I have no doubt, it will make Nigeria a real republic- i.e. what belongs to the people, and not what has been shared among some privileged individuals as we have it now.

    A prominent member of the APC and former Senate Majority Whip, Senator Mahmud Kanti Bello, is quoted as saying that zoning, which I understand to mean rotational presidency in particular, is not in the APC constitution. He said “It is part of PDP’s previous constitution, because President Jonathan kicked against it, and he is the leader of the party, and that is one of the reasons why I disagreed with him”. I am making a passionate case for zoning, generally, and for rotational presidency, particularly, as good for order, equity, and stability.

    The APC’s constitution, according to Bello, provides for “something we call fairness”, in place of zoning, “but most importantly, there must be capability, credibility and somebody who can do the job.”

    I make bold to say that each of our six zones is bigger than some countries around the world, and so, we only need to insist on the quality of persons we want, but there is no doubt each zone has it. If you leave the issue of zoning hanging on “we will be fair”, the chances are that one Goodluck Jonathan or another will emerge one day and say, “It is not in our constitution”, and crisis begins all over again!

    Even such positions as the Governor of the Central Bank can be zoned, unless it is subject to seniority succession. To safeguard the possibility that a zone at a particular point in time may lack such an expert, which I doubt, the constitution can provide for position swapping. But the issue of order and equity are fundamental to the well-being of a society. APC should help stabilize Nigeria beyond 2015, to leave an enduring legacy. To make zoning juridical, it has to be in the constitution; a rigorous and detailed constitution is important for guidance and judicial purposes.

    The former Governor of Kaduna State and current chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, is quoted as urging ”old politicians to quit the political stage for the younger generation”. We don’t ask our elders to quit the stage when they can still dance; we dance together and learn more from them.

    Does Makarfi have personal oil wells to protect, or the same chop-I-chop syndrome?

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Still on child marriage debate

    One of the worrisome challenges facing girl child education in most developing world is adolescent pregnancy either following casual unprotected sexual intercourse or as part of her marital responsibilities when she is married off too early in life for various reasons. There are several controversies trailing child marriage and one of such is the issue of consent of the “would-be” bride. Some have argued that child marriage is tantamount to “forced marriage” while others have stated other reasons such as culture, religion and others to make case for it. Recently during the constitutional review debate by the National Assembly where the issue of citizenship was being discussed, an argument ensued about minimum age to take such a decision and there was a digression to minimum age of marriage. This issue which has been repeatedly denied by the leadership of National Assembly that the discussion is about citizenship but not child marriage has drawn local, national and international attention with each group trying to justify her position. It is imperative that Nigerian public consider her decision holistically by not taking matrimonial responsibility as procreation alone.

    Transformation of a child to adult entails physical, emotional and social well-being and it therefore behoves that Nigerian leadership and her citizens take cognisant of all these before benchmarking any particular age as a ripe age for marriage. Medical consequences of child marriage which is often described as “Teenage marriage” in medical literature should also be considered before a far-reaching decision is taken on this popular discourse. According to the World Health Organisation, any girl given out in marriage and consequent child bearing at age of 18 years and below is considered child marriage and pregnancy emanating from such is termed Teenage pregnancy or Adolescent pregnancy. This decision is borne out of compelling evidence that ladies that are pregnant at this age are often faced with myriads of avoidable medical problems, which could endanger their life and sometimes increase their risk of dying when compared to other age group.

    In general, it is estimated that there over 100 million teenage pregnancy worldwide. Asia and Africa account for about 48 and 42 percent respectively. In Nigeria, the 2008 demographic health survey also shows a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy with regional variation. Evidence is replete that teenage pregnancy is associated with poverty, low educational level, high maternal morbidity and mortality.

    Teenage pregnancy is regarded as high risk because of the complications that may occur during the pregnancy, childbirth, and/ or in the postpartum period. The associated hazards of this practice on the teenage girls and their infants are numerous and often lead to life-long debility, social implications, psychological trauma and death.

    Elevation of blood pressure in pregnancy is a very common problem among adolescents in pregnancy and it is referred to as Pregnancy induced hypertension. Progression to convulsion (eclampsia) with fatal outcome has been attributed to a poor attitude of not seeking care during pregnancy and deficient capacity to manage this challenging medical condition in many rural communities in Nigeria. Most pregnant teenagers do not want to be seen in antenatal clinic and they therefore seek help elsewhere where capacity to manage their health problems is deficient. Case fatality is higher in region where the practice of teenage pregnancy is higher.

    The burden of anaemia and malaria infection during pregnancy is higher among teenage pregnancy than other age group. The risk of anaemia in pregnancy is far greater because the young mother’s body has to compete for nourishment with foetus thus causing a rapid depletion of the nutrient reserves. In addition, this population of young mothers is not empowered to eat balanced diet that will boost the red blood cell level. First time pregnant women to which these adolescents belong, have been found to be more vulnerable to malaria infection largely due to decreased level of immunity in pregnancy. The consequent effects of these two conditions include failure of the foetus to grow as expected, preterm labour, low birth weight baby, still birth and in very severe cases, death of the mother can ensue.

    Another serious risk associated with teenage pregnancy is the high propensity to developing cephalo-pelvic disproportion (CPD) in labour resulting in mechanical obstruction due to immature pelvic bones of the birth canal. This is higher among young under-16 years and short below-1.52m adolescents. A contracted pelvis has severe untold consequences on the health of the young mother and her baby. In Nigeria where only about a third have access to skilled birth attendant, most obstructed labour are not detected in time and this results into several complications such as infection, stillbirth, rupture of her womb and death. This is one of key cause of prolonged obstructed labour in the country.

    The rate of operative deliveries including caesarean operations is higher among teenage pregnant mothers than adult healthy pregnant women population. Caesarean section, though relatively safe when performed by competent medical practitioner, its attendant complications, the cost of the procedure, socio-cultural beliefs including aversion for it, and lack of emergency obstetric care services in rural areas are some of the factors that can debar access. This is a reality in Nigeria today.

    Obstetric fistula (a condition where women pass urine or faeces through there vagina uncontrollably as a result of abnormal connection from the bladder and /or the rectum to the vagina) is a socially distressing condition. Many of the women with any of the two types: Vesico-Vaginal Fistula and Recto-Vaginal Fistula are made objects of derision and often ostracized from their community. It occurs commonly following prolonged obstructed labour from the young, immature and malnourished women. Huge resources are voted to curb this avoidable menace.

    Adolescent pregnant women tend to have a higher maternal mortality rate than those in older age group. The risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is twice higher for women aged 15-19 years than as for women in their early twenties and worst still, the risk increases to five times amongst those aged 10-14 years. This has been adduced to lower socio-economic status, low educational level, lack of antenatal care attendance and obstetric care services among the pregnant adolescents. The risk of death is unequally higher among teenage pregnant mothers living in the rural areas compared to their peers in urban areas.

    The socio-economic implication of teenage pregnancy is enormous. The cost of managing them is far higher than other older age group and management should be offered in specialised centres with drain of facility resources. Also, teenage pregnancy is associated with poor educational advancement, poverty, and other related factors.

    The dangers of teenage pregnancy in our society can be overcome when we put in place programmes and policies that will complement values that will proactively discourage teenagers from getting pregnant with possible attendant complications. There is need for genuine efforts from parents, government agencies and NGOs to promote education of the girl child, most importantly in the North where many parents viewed educational investment on the girl child as a waste. Rather than blaming our political leaders, Nigerians should actively engage them constructively before critical decisions are taken which could have far reaching implication on the citizenry. Traditional, faith based organisations, and opinion leaders, human right organisations, civil societies, women organisations and others should engage the political leaders at their ward, local governments and states so that the right decision could be taken for the future leaders of this country.

     

    • Dr. Akinwumi is a Resident doctor at the Department of Community Health, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, while Dr. Morhason-Bello is an honorary Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Hospital, Ibadan.

  • The Suntai dance of shame

    SIR: The Suntai dance of shame has since thrown up a host of commentaries, a congregation of views, and a line-up of various legal and political combatants, all arrayed on either side of the conversational divide. The people of Taraba, who ordinarily should be the main issue, are shut out of the conversation, condemned to the sideline, where they have always been.

    It is needless excavating how Governor Danbaba Suntai came to find himself in this mess. Our concern therefore would be restricted to the events since Sunday, August 25, when Gov. Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State arrived aboard a chartered aircraft, after 10 months of medical treatment abroad following his October 25, 2012 plane crash.

    Then the governor appeared from the aircraft and the whole story was told. A certain hand appeared to have been raised by the ailing governor, who from close observation looked like a man staring absentmindedly, and then the said hand came down. That was all, and the man was whisked away, perhaps to rescue whatever was left of the whole arrangement from collapsing totally into tiny irretrievable pieces. Since then, its been one shenanigan after the other. A strange letter was later followed by a strange video, while Taraba State remained in the vice-like grip of desperate power merchants, who would do anything to survive.

    Having noted the solidarity of the Governor’s supporters, and the energy with which they have pursued their cause, the constitutionality or otherwise of Gov. Danbaba Suntai’s purported return to office via a letter, has been the biggest issue in the entire drama. Again the Constitutional Jurisprudence of our democracy is being invoked, as the Daniel that must necessarily and with alacrity come to judge, if we are to make some sense of out of something that should be a matter of simple commonsense.

    Section 190 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) As Amended, provides that, “Whenever the Governor transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Deputy Governor as Acting Governor.”

    Suntai fulfilled the first part of this provision, when he was about to leave for medical treatment abroad about 10 months ago. To this extent, the reasonable expectation would have been for the other part to follow, the moment the encumbrance which occasioned his sending-in the first letter to the House of Assembly is discharged. The big question is, has that encumbrance being discharged?

    Proponents of the ailing Governor and legal minds alike have argued that since the Governor has fulfilled the second part of Section 190, which simply requests him to transmit a letter to the Speaker, that is all that is required of him, and the Constitution simply asks for no more.

    It is my submission that Section 190 of the Constitution, is not created to simply be an avenue of exchange of letters, or differently put, as a sort of letter-writing exercise. Every provision of the Constitution, by way of interpretation, has both the connotative import and the denotative intention. Under Section 190, it is the phrase, “Unable to discharge the functions of his office”, that necessarily precedes the transmitting of a letter, without which; there would have been no need to transmit a letter in the first place. Flowing from this, the necessary wisdom that cascades to the end of this provision is that another letter cannot be transmitted to the Speaker by the Governor, stating his intention to return to office, if the encumbrance that made him unable to discharge the functions of his office at the time he transmitted the first letter still subsists.

    Simply put, the letters of the provision of Section 190 is that which deals with the procedure for transmitting of the letter signifying the Governor’s request to return to office, however, the spirit of that provision, which is more potent than its letters, and which captures the whole essence of the provision, is one that runs with a deeper expectation that such a letter is ONLY transmitted when the Governor is not only seen, but is manifestly seen to be able to discharge the functions of his office.

    • Olusola Adegbite, Esq. Faculty of Law,

    Obafemi Awolowo University,

    Ile-Ife.

  • Dominant tone of APC

    There is a sense in which talking about so subtle and impalpable a thing as a party’s “tone” is almost self-defeating. If a tone must be adopted self-consciously, rather than simply growing spontaneously out of the nature of the movement and the character of its supporters, it runs the risk of being spurious and counterproductive.

    But everything about a political development as large as the APC mega party has the potential of becoming very important, and deserves the best thought we can give it. Trying then, to avoid phoniness, what qualities are reasonable to hope the All Progressive Congress may display?

    Since it is by definition an attempt to express the views of a nationwide coalition, surely one of the most important attributes of the mega party should be its readiness to cast its net wide and to co-opt, like the defunct ACN, CPC and ANPP parties before it, issues that concern important blocs of voters.

    No doubt, APC has and will probably retain a firm grip on the political allegiance of the youths of this country if and when the party continue to maintain its engagement with the youths as a strategic imperative to meet the challenges of prioritizing human development in health and education among other lists of challenges as rolled out in the party’s 31- page manifesto unveiled by its leadership and elders few days ago.

    The APC may, of course, be more fortunate or alternatively, less so. But if its leaders keep constantly in mind the great strategic objective of replacing the PDP with this newly formed broad-based and essentially progressive/liberal coalition, the future unquestionably belongs to the new party. And that is fortunate; for if democracy does, after all, have a future in Nigeria this 21st Century, let alone what follows it, only the forces and principles represented in the great coalition have a serious chance of realizing that future and protecting it.

    Several years after Chief Obafemi Awolowo formally declared this Nigerian progressive merger proposition, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu restated it still more broadly and emphatically. It now behoves on Nigerian people to advance along the highway of Nigeria’s progressive party amalgamation, which is the alternative choice of Nigerian electorates. The electioneering contest in Nigeria is not the concern of a day, a year or an age. Posterity is virtually involved in the contest, and will be more or less affected even to the end of time by the proceeding that goes on now. Now is the seed-time of the progressives. The least fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a pin on the tender rind of a young oak, the wound will enlarge with the tree; and posterity will read it in full grown characters.

    By unveiling the manifesto of the party with the clear cut eight-point agenda that will propel this nation to greatness, the situation of the Nigerian nation will surely change for better. Geographically, Nigeria sits on the throne of African continent. Her history is that of the evolution of a distinct, separate, and independent people. The APC’s mission therefore, should be the creation of a new breed of patriots and to present to the citizens the example of the happiness and well-being which comes from progressive, self-disciplined liberty. This is the faith of our genuine patriots that founded APC. By that faith, ought we not to abide? The Nigerian nation, the supreme love of our hearts, the highest object of our effort and our thought- the Nigerian nation free of hand and unchained of foot, matching steadily onward toward the destiny to which it is entitled by the reason of its place on the African continent the genius of its people, and its orderly institutions of freedom.

    At this crucial moment of the nation’s political evolution, it is reasonable to expect that opportunity to perform a service for our country, in a purely idealistic spirit, may at last attract into politics and into candidacy of the APC, men and women of sound judgement and mature years who were never able to bring themselves to participate in the strife-ridden, self-seeking and often blatantly corrupt practices that characterize so much political activity of the ruling PDP in Nigeria today.

    To this end, since the ultimate objective of APC is to replace the moribund Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the central government in Abuja and in all the states governed by the PDP altogether, it must be made as easy as humanly possible for the Liberal/Progressive elements in the midst of PDP to move into APC without appreciable loss of status or other disadvantage. This will require great political diplomacy and probably some sacrifice all around, but it will be eminently worth it in the long run.

    If I may intrude here a purely personal note, I go so far as to hope that the All Progressive Congress (APC) might be fun to belong to, and a down right pleasure to vote for. Where is the music that once played so large a part in our politics; the pulse, pounding, rhythms, the popular tunes that can often communicate so much more effectively than words?

    And why not hope for a reasonable amount of humour as well? Frivolousness would be a mistake; the problems facing this country are much too serious for that. But the kind of unforced good humour that clearly implies we do not take our individual selves too seriously, and that we respect the sincerity of our critics, is wonderfully disarming, and shared laughter is often better food for the soul than the most solemn speech- or even a 10-point programme.

     

    • Engr. Shoyebo, an author writes from Lagos.

  • Unfair allotment of stalls at Rivers’ Eke Oyigbo market

    SIR: Traders in Oyigbo market in Oyigbo local government area of Rivers State have been relocated to a new two-storey building plaza built by the local government. Before the relocation exercise, traders were jubilating that their age-long dream of leaving their old haphazardly built dwarf stalls that did not give enough room for display of their wares for a more spacious accommodation has come true.

    Unfortunately their joy may have been short lived as most of the traders, especially the not too buoyant ones that had earlier paid for the new stalls were skipped in the exercise. These unlucky traders are now in a fix as they cannot go back to their old stalls nor take up the new ones they had already paid for.

    Indeed, most of the stalls were relocated to other individuals who are neither traders nor have any business to do with trading as they are mostly civil servants.

    The question now is, was there no proper documentation by the local government as regards return of ownership to the bona fide traders? Under normal circumstances, names, passport sized photographs and other requirements of the traders ought to have been taken by the department in charge of the exercise in order to make sure that the allotment did not shift to wrong hands.

    This unfair treatment to these traders, if not reversed would definitely render their lives hopeless as their only means of livelihood has been completely halted. Against this backdrop, I earnestly call on the Oyigbo local government chairman, Honorable Uche Nweke to intervene in this crucial matter by reviewing the allotment process in order to give the displaced traders value for their money and a sense of belonging.

    Allotting stalls to civil servants who are non-traders is very unfair and not in consonance with justice, equity and good conscience. Please come to their rescue for the Almighty God will never hold those responsible for this heinous act guiltless

     

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt

  • Kogi at 22: Moving forward

    At last, Kogi, a state blessed with agricultural, mining, industry and tourism potentials, yet rated among the poorest in the country, is on the verge of getting it right as an investors’ haven. Created August 27, 1991, Kogi is ranked 13th most populated in Nigeria. The state is richly endowed in natural and human resources and has the potentials of the food basket of the nation and also a tourist destination. According to a report published by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in 2009, Nigeria has commercial deposits of a total of 37 minerals, up from 33 minerals in 2008.

    Kogi State has deposits of a total of 29 mineral resources available in commercial quantities. These include coal, dolomite, feldspar, bauxite, iron ore, tar, limestone, gold, tantalite etc. Each of the 21 councils in the state is said to have deposits of at least two minerals. The Okaba district of Ankpa Local Council alone holds reserves of 99 million tones of coal.

    The report states that Kogi State has enough deposits of coal to supply all of Nigeria with electricity for 400 years. Its limestone deposit would keep three giant-sized cement factories (with over 15m tons annual capacity) operational for an unbroken stretch of 99 years.

    The state capital, Lokoja hosts historical relics and geographical monuments, notably the museum of old European commercial activities and the confluence of River Niger and River Benue.

    Despite the amazing depth of human and mineral resource and tourism endowment, Kogi State had, over the years, placed last in all Nigeria’s social and economic indices.

    Determined to rewrite Kogi’s story, Governor Idris Wada, on assumption of office in January, 2012, raised a think-tank comprising illustrious sons and daughters of the state, to prepare a development blueprint for his government. While it has been tough adhering to the spirit and letter of the blueprint in the face of challenges, suffice it to say the administration is not too far away from the blueprint.

    Undaunted by the several months of election related litigations, Wada traversed Nigeria and foreign countries, while his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi ran errands on the domestic scene. Eighteen months in the saddle, there are sufficient signals to suggest that Wada has made haste slowly as the seeds of the benefits of his silent trips overseas and outside the shores of the state are beginning to germinate. Kogi is presently undergoing an agricultural and industrial transformation made possible through the influx of foreign investors. The result is that, Kogi now plays the role of a catalyst, culminating into the signing of about 12 memoranda of understanding running into billions of Naira.

    The attraction of foreign partners into the state’s economy is driven by the political will of Capt Wada to create an enabling environment for business to thrive. Leading the pack is a consortium of investors from Saudi Arabia, including the Alkatani Group, a Saudi family business with 73 years experiences in oil and gas, steel plant development and pipeline, led by its Vice Chairman, Sheik Sallah Alkatani.

    The partnership seeks dual advantage in terms of direct and indirect employment and to ensure that the lean funds accruing to the state from the federation account are channelled for other developmental purposes. The investors on their part are guaranteed healthy returns on their investments.

    In all of the MoUs signed by the state government, what it has done is to capitalize its land and its content in a “use it or loose it basis” under which the state is allotted a percentage of equity. Aside incentives as tax holidays, access to land with necessary titles, the state also facilitates exploration of minerals through the necessary federal agencies as support to investors.

    The creation of an Investment Promotion Desk by the state government, a one-stop shop for information and detailed discussions, serves as an investment maternity ward for the safe delivery of investment projects in the state.

    Towards ensuring the development of the state’s agriculture and industrial sector, the Wada-led administration, entered into partnership with Ostertrade Engineering and Manufacturing and DPP International APS to develop 6000 hectares of cassava farm and to process it to native and modified cassava starch. The project has an equity investment of US$650 million realisable within 18 months by all parties. The project also has a high net worth with a return on investment of 27 per cent and a pay back period of less than four years. It is also capable of generating thousands of employment in the area of its location.

    The partnership with Espera Global Limited in commercial agricultural and agro-industrial investments, which operates on a Project Model called Strategic Fast Tract Agricultural Development System, seeks to invest up to US$650 million on 25,000 hectares of land. Aside the backward integration advantage to the state, the state also enjoys 15 percent share of the project while employment would be created in agriculture infrastructure and social services.

    The Chelsea Group plans to establish agriculture and ethanol plant and other associated Industries in Ilama Community in Dekina Local Government Area. The project is a US$300 million investment. It has an equity structure of 85 percent and 15 percent for the partner and state government respectively and will occupy a land mass of 10,000 hectares.

    Favic Construction Company seeks to exploit the immense location of economic advantage of Kogi State as a transportation hub. On the average, vehicles from 22 states pass through the capital daily.

    A Mechanic and Spare Part Market in Lokoja, is to be sited on a minimum of 10 hectares of land. The facility which will have an international hotel, car park that will take at least 200 vehicles, a bank, Open Court Restaurants, and Rest Rooms is structured on the basis of 75 percent and 25 percent for the investor and the state, respectively.

    Towards providing mass housing scheme, the state entered into a partnership with Light House Financial Services Limited to build 1500 houses of various categories for it citizens to be located in Lokoja; those for other urban towns would be prosecuted in phases.

    The importance of power in driving socio-economic development of the state made the administration to sign a MoU with Good Earth Power Nig. Ltd and Astra Coal Nig. Ltd. The companies aside investing in housing, agriculture, infrastructure and power plants, would utilize the abundant coal deposits to generate the much needed electricity for the country.

    Astra Agriculture Resources Ltd intends to establish a rice farm and mill at Ibaji. Infrastructures such as health centres, schools, roads, water and electricity would be provided by the investor as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

    Through the Kogi investment and properties Limited, a joint agreement with Kiabo Engineering Group Holding Limited of Hong Kong to Design, Construct and Operate an -storey hotel and offices to be known as Kogi House is yet another brilliant initiative of the Capt Wada administration. The project which would be located in the central business area of Abuja would see the State enjoy 80 percent equity participation in the venture which spans a period of 30 years.

    With the future of the nation closely tied to agricultural promotion, the state massive investment in agriculture especially in sugar through the establishment of a 50 hectares cane sugar seed nursery, is geared towards enabling the planting of 1000 hectare of sugar cane in about a year, an investment anchored by BUA Sugar, Dangote Sugar and Unikem Sugar companies. The trio, planning to set up sugar plantation and refining facilities in the state, it is hoped, would help form the bulwark for the realization of the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

    Without mincing words, the friendly environment created by the Idris Wada administration, the state’s abundant potentials in agriculture, mining, tourism, human capital development as well as its strategic location is making it to presently undergo an agricultural and industrial revolution.

    *Agbana and Abu are both media aides in the Governor’s Office, Lokoja.

  • Why Jonathan must hearken to Nwabueze

    There is a Yoruba saying that the dog that would be lost would never hear the hunter’s whistle. But the hunter must blow his whistle all the same in the forlorn hope that his woebegone kennel might by some chance pick a strain of it. As with the hunter’s dog, so it is with the Nigerian politician who wishes to contest election. There is no dissuading a politician in this clime who seeks an elective office for numerous reasons. One, a horde of ‘supporters’ would have massed around him telling him there is none like him, addressing him in the borrowed garb of the office he contemplates, for instance, “Your Excellency”, “distinguished”, “Honourable”, etc. This immediately puts our poor fellow into a mindset of no return.

    The next step is to build scenarios and bogus plots about how to ‘capture’ the office; the more he listens to them review these ‘foolproof’ strategies, the more he is convinced of his chances and indeed sees himself seated and even working out of the office he seeks. Still living in their dream world, they even go out to allot the positions to emerge from the office in question. And for the Nigerian politician who is an incumbent in an elected office, the worst offence you could mete out to him is to dissuade him from contesting for a second term. It is worse than a capital offence. The reasons they behave this way are everywhere for anyone who cares to see. For instance, the powers attached to elective positions are out of this world be it councillorship or presidency and of course, they are among the best paid and richest in the world.

    Why is Hardball rambling on and on as if he has lost his marbles? Well it is about the advice Professor Benjamin Nwabueze handed to President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest for the 2015 presidential election last week. Nwabueze is a cerebral lawyer, scholar, statesman and an octogenarian to booth. He is the leader of the influential group, The Patriots which boasts of other eminent Nigerians like Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Solomon Asemota and Commodore Dan Suleiman, to name a few. The Patriots had paid a courtesy call on the President in Aso Rock to discuss matters of urgent national import as they see them. Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting, Nwabueze had told them that, “if I were him, I would choose to become a hero to lead the country into transformation and abandon the ambition of a second term. That is what I said and I still stand by it and that is what I would do if I were the president of this country, but unfortunately, I am not.”

    If I knew anything about how these things work in Nigeria (and trust me, I know a little), President Jonathan and the cabal (this word again) that must hold him hostage now (so that nobody might make him see reason over 2015) would still be laughing as you read this. “Imagine that old man, he must be senile,” they would bellow in raucous laughter! “The papa doesn’t know what the world is talking about, imagine telling oga to carry power and dash another person; this power wey we hold for hand so, no bi with power you go do transformation abi na magic we go take command transformation?,” They will laugh some more while quaffing some fiery golden liquid.

    But Hardball suggests that in his sober moment when he is alone and all by himself he must think over Prof. Nwabueze’s profound thoughts. He would even do well to call him to a private meeting where the two of them would debate the issue. Of course, it is one of the toughest decisions any leader could possibly make and each side of the coins is rich in consequences. Let’s just say that it is worth a long, deep, sober thought, thank you.

  • What the youths can do about corruption

    Just like ingenuity is required for any socio-economic transformation of a society, disingenuity is also responsible for corruption embellishment. One can then opine that the latter has been more predominant than the former. Schism between the rich and the poor and the astronomical rise of poverty are great attestation to prove that corruption has thriven high in this morally decadent world.

    Within the last decade and still counting, convention against corruption has greatly increased and yet the increase in corruption has remained undoused. It then becomes logical to deduce that recommendations or treaty signed by the international bodies are to talk the talk, not to walk the talk. The ‘get rich quick’ syndrome is the rationale for corruption. The writer doesn’t condemn the proclivity for wealth; he only calls to question its propensity without any index (competence, hard work).

    Before the world went into recession, executive corruption was reported and was predicted would cause corruption. Banks and mortgage houses disregarded professional ethics and instead concentrated on illegal/inordinate gains. The net result was catastrophic. As a youth passionate about changing my world and anticipating a volte face from corruption to the principles of fairness, equity and justice, youths should launch aggressive, unsparing and non-violent campaign.

    Accounts have it that a huge chunk of African wealth is trapped and stored in western banks notwithstanding their prior knowledge. The western banks cum financial institutions would rather disregard banking ethics and give illegal wealth a safe haven. The perpetrator of a crime is not the only guilty person; accomplices are equally guilty and must be punished accordingly. Therefore, the west having proved to be confederates in corrupt practices in the area of money laundering and other subversion of banking ethics should equally be tarred with the same brush. This should be greeted with their demotion from the rank of the very clean countries from the transparency international perception index (I mean the United States and the European continent).By doing this, the façade would be removed and unsparing analysis /criticism be done to every partners of corruption.

    And also the establishment of strong anti-graft institution would go a long way in dousing corruption.

    By Olaniyi Kolawole

    Akute Odo, Ogun State