The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Nebo and the power sector demons

    Nebo and the power sector demons

    Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, was a Roman General. In 217 BC, he was faced with the huge and intimidating task of defeating Hannibal, the Carthaginian General, who had invaded his country. Weighed against the invading army, Fabius’ troops had no chance at all. But fight he must, lest Rome be overrun.

    Therefore, he had to devise a strategy. He avoided pitched battles and frontal assaults in favour of wearing down his opponent through a war of attrition and indirection. While evading decisive battles, he employed the tactics of harassing the soldiers of Hannibal in small columns by taunting them and causing them to pursue him through the hills until they got tired, without actually fighting.

    It worked. In the end, Hannibal, left with a disorientated, dispirited and totally dishevelled army, in spite of having the numbers, superiority of firepower and experience, lost the war. But before this happened, many Romans were totally disenchanted with this strategy. Not only was it novel in the history of warfare, its workability was highly in doubt. They preferred the open, frontal confrontation they were familiar with, no matter how dangerous and risky.

    To underscore their misgiving, the Roman Senate voted for Fabius’ removal and his replacement with another General, who would do exactly what they expected – confront Hannibal in direct battle. Step in Gaius Terentius Varro, who did just that. The resultant battle of Cannae was disastrous. The Romans not only lost, but continued to lose many other battles that followed, which took a toll on not only on the soldiers but enhanced the danger the country faced.

    Having learnt their lesson in a hard way, they had to return to the Fabian option, which eventually led to the vanquishing of the Carthaginian warlord.

    Today Nigeria seems to face a similar situation in the power sector of the Nigerian economy, where Professor Chinedu Ositadinma Nebo, its helmsman, has been trying to accomplish the mandate handed him in February this year by President Goodluck Jonathan in satisfying the yearnings of Nigerians for uninterrupted power.

    How would the minister vanquish this powerful force without destroying the house like a bull being forced out of a china shop? This has been the abiding question since he appeared on the floor of the Senate during the screening for the job and promised Nigerians that he was going to exorcise the demons and evil spirits in the sector.

    Well a particular view believes that the best way was for him to draw out his bayonet and begin to chase anybody in sight, who he suspects belongs to the cabal he described above. That he has not done this thus far seems to have incensed them extremely, just like in some tendencies in Rome over the strategy of Fabius.

    That bitterness was conveyed in the most forceful manner in a recent treatise entitled Of Nebo and his Demons, which appeared in a powerful Nigerian newspaper and authored by an equally powerful Nigerian writer, recently. So infuriated was the writer against the minister, that he was castigated to no ends for lacking the “fighting spirit” and not having the “foggiest clue” of how to do his job that the writer recommended his immediate removal.

    To underscore the obviously manifest danger in this recommendation, the writer even went ahead to identify those Nebo should square up to, to prove his “fighting spirit.” And who were they? They include the chairman of the board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Hamman Tukur, for the twin reasons of allegedly refusing to report to the minister and his refusal to allow Manitoba Hydro International, the Canadian firm employed to manage the transmission architecture of the power sector carry out its mandate, because the managers of the TCN’s hunger to award “inflated contracts;” the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, for not lifting a finger to help because he had never been a “fan” of the Manitoba idea; the Minister of Petroleum resources, Dame Dieziani Allison-Madueke, for her alleged tolerance of perceived incompetence in the her ministry and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), captured in the inability of those in the oil and gas sector to supply gas to the thermal power stations; and then the labour unions in the sector, for allegedly shifting the goalpost in reaching an amicable settlement over their entitlements.

    Now, assuming but not conceding that this is the real picture, does Nebo’s option in proving his “fighting spirit” lie in stepping into the gallery for a fighting match with these alleged tendencies? Is that the only way to prove that he has the “foggiest clue?” For those with some “foggy clue,” one of those we are talking about here is the second most powerful Nigerian. How could anybody with the “foggiest clue” of government operation, not only in Nigeria but anywhere in the world recommend such a clearly suicidal duel for the minister and claim to be pointing the way forward? In fact, would the author not be helping the process more by simply pointing these people out to Nigerians as the culprits instead of the strange conclusion of asking for Nebo’s head?

    Again, assuming, but not conceding that this is the picture, would it not be safer for the minister to try persuading this powerful force(s), or at best employ the Fabian option, if he must fight, to nibble at their weapons in the attempt to wear them out to submission? Pray, how would the minister’s immediate sack, which the author recommended otherwise solve these problems and conduce the immediate magic envisaged for Nigerians?

    But the true picture is quite different from what the author tried to paint apart from the fact that there are still a lot of challenges in the power sector. For one, beside the primordial enemies known to all Nigerians, the minister is actually working in agreement with other stakeholders and has by that made clearly manifest inroads to the heart of the problem of power delivery, albeit, quietly and silently. On the contrary, the Manitoba issue has been settled and the group has since been issued with the Schedule of Delegated Authority (SODA), apart from inaugurating the TCN board. Likewise, the labour issues have also been settled and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) workers are currently awaiting their pay cheques. It is no longer news that the new owners of the generating (GENCOs) and distribution (DISCOs) arms of the PHCN have since paid up the 25 per cent of the cost of the companies and are on the verge of paying up for the remaining 75 per cent. It is also true that in spite of the challenges in gas supply, power generation has actually been upped rather than dipped.

    Yes, the transmission component is still a huge challenge, occasioned by the innocuous and the substantial, which is being addressed also. The clearing of the foliage along the transmission lines, one of the hidden but serious problems, has since begun. On the larger scale of expanding the transmission capacity, the minister is getting a lot of assistance from his employers for funding, which is one of the major factors.

    In this regard, the minister has been able to obtain an immediate N5billion relief from the federal government from the N13billion promised for minor purchases and maintenance of the GENCOs and DISCOs, currently gasping for financial breath, because they were not captured in this year’s budget on the assumption that the new owners would have taken over by December last year, one of the problems the minister inherited. Besides, he has almost concluded arrangements to secure a $3.7billion for the expansion of the transmission architecture of the TCN, to be concluded in 2016.

    In all, the destination of the journey is the takeover of the power sector by private owners, which is expected to happen in a few months time, given the extensive work already covered. This is the true picture.

  • Killing Nigeria’s nationalities

    A very spirited campaign has been going on since about 2000 to question the existence of the nationalities that make up Nigeria. From the look of things, this is a very determined push to deconstruct the nationalities of Nigeria, to make each nation deny itself, to break down the spirit of oneness and unity in each nation.

    The captains of this campaign tell us that because some local Igbo groups did not acknowledge themselves as Igbo until recently, therefore there is “nothing like an Igbo nation”. That the Urhobo nation is made up of “a mere congeries of ethnic fragments” and therefore have no right to call themselves a nation. That the Yoruba subgroups like Ekiti, Ijebu, Oyo, Iyagba, Egba, Oworo, Ijesha, Akoko, Owo, Igbomina, Awori, etc, are separate nations, and therefore the Yoruba should stop claiming that they are one nation. That the Ijaw are a series of unconnected little groups and are not a nation. They have similar things to say about other Nigerian nationalities.

    Their foundational ideologue was no less an eminent academic than the late Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman, former Professor of History at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. A number of fiery treatises written by Prof. Usman in 2000 and 2001 under the auspices of the Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CEDERT), Abuja, laid out the dogma for this campaign. Its most recent spokesman is Nuhu Ribadu, former presidential candidate.

    What is the purpose, or objective, of this campaign? What are its captains trying to achieve? They say that their objective is to build one Nigeria. In a recent lecture in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nuhu Ribadu said as follows: “Let us drop any form of identity that introduces us as something other than “citizens” (of Nigeria)”. In his own intellectually more sophisticated language, Prof. Bala Usman had written in 2000-2001 that any attempt to study, analyze, understand or manage the affairs of Nigeria in terms of ethnic categories was a “campaign against the corporate existence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, an open assault on Nigeria’s “political stability” and on the “survival and growth of democracy” in Nigeria. In short, to build Nigeria into one united country, and to solve the multifarious problems of Nigeria, we Nigerians must deny and throw away our identities as Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, etc; we must suppress our consciousness of being Ijaw, Igbo, Tiv, Edo, Nupe, etc, and replace it with a consciousness of being Nigerian.

    Any sincere effort to contribute to the building of a united and workable Nigeria deserves to be welcomed and commended. However, what we know (both conceptually and factually) about the main army pushing the campaign against Nigeria’s nationalities today does not show at all that their real objective is to contribute sincerely to building a harmonious and workable Nigeria. Conceptually, how is it possible for a nation (even if it is only a small nation like our Birom or Mumuye of the Middle Belt) to consciously forget their ethnic, cultural and national heritage? Where in the world has such a thing ever been done? Even in countries which have for many centuries comprised many different nations large and small (countries like Britain or Spain or India), have any of the nations thrown away, or lost, their identity? Why is it necessary that we must throw out our national identities and cultural heritages in order to be able to make a success of our common country of Nigeria?

    Factually, what we know about earlier postures of the leaders of this campaign does not rhyme with their present posture. In the 1950s, when leaders of Nigeria were trying to form Nigeria into a workable entity, the Northern, Hausa-Fulani, leaders were very strong defenders of the uniqueness, aspirations and sensitivities of ethnic national, and sectional, interests in the making of Nigeria. They fought back everything which seemed to suggest or imply some pressure on the integrity and identity of their part of Nigeria. At some point, in fact, to protect their heritage, they proposed that Nigeria be organized as three separate countries connected only by a customs union; and sometimes, they even considered seceding from Nigeria.

    I am not saying that these actions of theirs, in defence of their part of Nigeria and their heritage, were bad; all I am saying is that these actions are facts of Nigeria’s history. Indeed, I will say today that they were very much on the right line. I say that because, in a country like Nigeria comprising many different peoples, each people in its own homeland, with its own culture, its own culturally determined aspirations and ways of doing things, the only way to build a harmonious and successful country is to proceed cautiously and nurture a culture of respect for the various peoples, large or small. In terms of constitution making and politics, a culture of respect for all nationalities in a large country like Nigeria would produce a rational federation in which the nationalities would be the basis of states, the states would have a fair amount of autonomy over the management of their lives and their socio-economic development, and the federal authority would be reasonably able to defend the country, speak for the country in the world, protect the rights of citizens and of states, impartially see to the relationship among the states, and defend the constitution. Making the nationalities the basis of the states means that each large nationality would be a state, each contiguous group of the small nationalities would be a state, and no nationality would be split between states. A rational federation would also mean that much more funding would go to the states together than to the federal authority, and that each state would also be able to generate funds of its own. Finally, it would mean that the federal authority would not engage in any kind of aggressive integrationist policies.

    By and large, the federation which our founding fathers designed for our country, and which they operated between 1952 and 1960, was organized along the lines stated above. The serious weaknesses were that, in the structure of our federation, we did not respect the rights of the small nationalities to group themselves into states of their own, and our regional boundaries split up some nationalities. But our regions had enough autonomy to generate development and progress and, therefore, our country made considerable progress in most directions. By 1960, our country was, on the whole, a land of hope.

    But as soon as we became independent in 1960, with our Northern brothers in control of the Federal Government, everything began to change. They who had been among the staunchest defenders of the rights of their region (and of regions in general), now found the amount of freedom enjoyed by the regions unacceptable. They now wanted to control everything, and to hold on to federal power forever. In 1962, they started war against one of the regions. Between then and 1999, northerners, mostly as military dictators, more or less destroyed all centres of non-federal power in the country and grabbed virtually all power for the Federal Government which they controlled. The 1999 Constitution sums up the enormity of this distortion of our federation. The states became impotent entities. Poverty, corruption, crimes, inter-ethnic and religious conflicts grew calamitously. The world began to predict that Nigeria would break up.

    In the context of this sad history, the campaign being waged now against our nationalities has only one purpose – and that purpose is not to build a harmonious and happy Nigeria. It is to destroy the nationalities (the last standing entities in our country) and turn Nigeria into some sort of medley, a field of cultural ruins, over which an all-powerful Federal Government would stand like a colossus. It is a peak-point of the battle that the controllers of federal power have waged since independence to subdue all entities that stand in the way of unrestrained federal power. Actually, Bala Usman wrote his fiery treatises of 2000-2001 in answer to one Urhobo citizen who had written that Urhoboland belonged to the Urhobo nation, and to other southerners who were demanding that the Nigerian federation should be restructured so as to give the nationalities more control over their resources.

    Confusing, subduing and deconstructing our nationalities can lead to nothing good.There is a better way to build our federation. We have our nationalities. True, most of them have internal fault-lines and uncertain boundaries; and many have only recently found their unity. But that is the nature of nationalities all over the world. No nationality in the world is completely homogenous; none has boundaries that are completely neat; none can claim to have been one nation since eternity. Let us construct a sustainable federal structure on our nationalities. What has been concocted for us, what we are calling a federation now, is chaotic and unsustainable. Bashing and deconstructing our nationalities can only generate more disaster.

  • PDP’S hypocritical antics in Ekiti

    Apparently anxious to divert attention from the many internal crises ripping the party apart and daily rendering it more and more vulnerable in the forthcoming 2015 elections, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a mischievous and utterly misleading attack on the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The PDP has seized on the recent fence-mending mission of the party leadership to Ekiti state to describe Tinubu as a despot bent on imposing a choice on the people of Ekiti. Of course, there is neither rhyme nor logic to this baseless accusation. In the first place, what moral right has the PDP to accuse anybody of despotic tendencies? This is a party that wanted to impose a chairman on the Nigerian Governors Forum in the person of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and when this failed, it suspended the winner of the NGF election, Governor RotimiAmaechi from the party for enjoying the support of majority of his colleagues!

    A party that ordered a sitting governor not to seek re-election of a voluntary association like the NGF is now preaching the tenets of democracy to others. How ridiculous! This is a party that has made it so obvious that it is bent on harassing, intimidating and preventing anybody from challenging President Goodluck Jonathan for the PDP presidential ticket in 2015. Towards this end, members of its National Executive Committee (NEC) are removed and replaced at will. Its National Chairman, Alhaji BamangaTukur, remains in office against the will of majority of its NEC members all because of his willingness to manipulate intra-party processes in favour of Jonathan towards 2015. All national chairmen of the party since inception have all been imposed and removed at will by the presidency- Solomon Lar, Barnabas Gemade, Audu Ogbe, Vincent Ogbulafor and now BamangaTukur. The so called national conventions that produced President UmaruYar’Adua and later Goodluck Jonathan were clearly manipulated to arrive at pre-determined outcomes despite the deceptive charade on national television. We can all recall how former Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State was brazenly prevented from asserting his right to seek re-election as the party’s governorship candidate while the favoured candidate of the presidency, Seriake Dickson was foisted on the party and is today the governor of the state. In Kogi state, aggrieved PDP candidates who were manipulated out of contrived governorship primaries are still in court seeking justice. We can go on and on citing instances why the PDP has no moral right to preach intra-party democracy to anybody.

    But then, let us come to the substance of the PDP’s baseless allegation. How true is the claim that Tinubu is despotic and disdainful of democracy? In the first place, Tinubu was not in Ekiti state in his personal capacity. He was on a delegation of the national leadership of the ACN, which included the national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, the leader of the party in Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo and a prominent member of the party from Ekiti, Dele Alake among others. The position forcefully articulated by Tinubu at the Ekiti parley was, therefore, that of the party. Again, the fact that the party leadership expended time, energy and resources to go to Ekiti to settle internal disputes and put its house in order towards next year’s election is indicative of a party that respects the electorate and refuses to take them for granted.

    It shows that the party, despite Governor Kayode Fayemi’s outstanding performance in office, is approaching the next elections with all seriousness. And the logic of the ACN leadership is impeccable. Why do parties exist and why do candidates seek office? In a healthy democracy, the purpose is to fulfil the party’s manifesto and pursue the greatest welfare of the greatest number of the people. Now, if an incumbent is widely acknowledged as delivering on this mandate, why should a party dissipate energy on intra-party contests?

    Tinubu spoke for close to one and a half hours at the event but the media reported only a minute fraction of what he said and mostly out of context. The ACN national leader’s concern and passion for the cohesion and success of the party in the entire South-west is understandable. It must not be forgotten that in 2003, Tinubu remained the only governor standing in the South-west following the electoral blitzkrieg of the PDP. He not only held on tenaciously to Lagos State but played a pivotal role in the current resurgence of the progressives across the South-west. He can thus lay claim to a greater stake in the survival and strengthening of the party in the region than any other person. In any case, the people have greater trust in the judgement of Tinubu than that of the thoroughly inept PDP leadership. When he was to vacate office in 2007, he expressed his preference for his Chief of Staff, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to succeed him. The PDP then accused him of imposition and dictatorship. Lagosians however trusted his judgement and today Fashola is rated as easily the best governor in the country.

    The PDP cannot pretend to love Honourable Opeyemi Bamidele more than Tinubu or other ACN leaders. It is unfortunate that Tinubu’s reference to Bamidele’s ambition was completely reported out of context, perhaps not deliberately but because the media could not reproduce his extensive remarks in full. Tinubu had discovered Bamidele’s potentials and had drawn him close ever since the latter was a student union leader. When Tinubu was elected to the Senate in the aborted Third Republic, he engaged Bamidele as one of his legislative aides on legal matters. Both Tinubu and Bamidele were in exile during the pro-democracy struggle against military dictatorship. When he was elected Governor of Lagos State in 1999, Tinubu engaged Bamidele first as a Special Adviser in the office of the Deputy Governor and later Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development. He played a role in the appointment of Bamidele as Commissioner for Information and Strategy by Governor Fashola in 2007. At every point in time Tinubu has played a positive role in the evolving political career of Bamidele.

     If the Jagaban had not recognised Bamidele’s intelligence and competence, he would not have given him those responsibilities over the years. Tinubu has never said that Bamidele is not eminently qualified to be governor. But there are scores of eminently candidates in the party equally qualified to govern Ekiti effectively and there can only be one governor at a time.  If, therefore, Asiwaju this time around asks Bamidele to voluntarily shelve his ambition for now in the interest of the party, he is eminently qualified to do so and no one can accuse him of bad faith. Indeed, Tinubu told the gathering in Ekiti that Bamidele was one of those who brought Fayemi to the party leadership and strongly canvassed for his candidacy in 2007. He urged the governor to draw Bamidele close and cautioned some of those close to Fayemi to desist from creating any bad blood between the two men. The PDP should, therefore, concentrate on resolving its internal contradictions and stop meddling in matters that do not concern it.

    • Dr Akintola is a political scientist and lawyer based in Lagos.

  • Treasury raiders

    Nigeria bears the bold stamp of a rogue country because its leaders are unashamedly and bold-facedly roguish. Today we seem to pick up all international silverware in the most abhorrent and detestable conducts while we take the rare in most human development indices as measured by the United Nations. Consider this checklist: most corrupt country, we are in the top league; worst place to be born, we lead; infant and maternal mortality, we are in top bracket. We also lead among countries with the least school enrolment; countries with the most impoverished population and countries with the highest polio virus prevalence.

    There are other more elegant but damning indicators like Nigeria being among the leading private jet owners; country with the highest importation of rice and wheat; country least conducive for setting up business and country with the highest crude oil theft to name just few. But the other day, we earned more laurels: Nigeria has been named as running the most expensive democracy in the world and our lawmakers stand out singularly as the highest paid globally.

    This new ‘feat’ is coming from no mean quarters than The Economist of London, the supercilious 170-year old quality weekly. In a survey of 28 countries across the world drawing data from various sources like the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority; government websites, IMF and its in-house database, The Economist found that Nigerian lawmakers are by a wide margin, the highest paid in the world. Nigeria tops the table with Kenya in a distant second and Ghana third. The study found that Nigeria’s federal legislators earn a basic salary of $189,500 per annum which the magazine converts to be N30.6 million.

    The survey matched the basic salary of legislators against each country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person and found that a Nigerian lawmaker’s basic pay is 116 times the country’s GDP per person which stands as $1,600. The $189,500 basic pay of a Nigerian lawmaker is about 52 per cent higher than a Kenyan’s ($74,500) which came second. Of course, Nigeria beats legislators from even highly developed countries of the world like USA, Germany, Japan, Canada, Singapore, France, Britain, Israel, Italy, Spain, Australia, South Africa, etc. We beat even oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. While most other countries’ legislature pay is almost proportionate with the per capita income (PCI), especially the highly developed countries, the pay in Nigeria and by a lesser extent, Kenya and Ghana seem to have no relationship with PCI.

    The Economist has done nothing new. As Hardball can confirm, it has only added a global comparison to what we have been shouting about since 1999. Our National Assembly (NASS) has since the beginning of the current republic, continued to evolve as a conclave of such characters we are too dignified to mention on this page. They have relentlessly and remorselessly grown into a cabal of treasury raiders. The governor of the central bank once accused the NASS of cornering about 25 per cent of the GDP but they kicked and cried and almost ate him raw. They have renounced this survey but they never present counter figures. They live in denial and wish hypnotism upon the rest of us.

    But the truth is that we, Nigerians do not know how much our legislators earn, even down to the state houses of assembly. Their emoluments are the best kept secrets in the world and beyond the basic pay as The Economist has shown, no system in the world can fathom their benefits, bonuses and ‘perks’ which are indeed the cause celebre. Beyond the out-of-the-world booty they award themselves, Nigerian lawmakers have perfected a method of stupendously enriching themselves through extortionate ‘over-sighting’ and the other contraption they call constituency fund.

    Two consequences of the lawmakers’ misbehaviour are that Nigeria is perpetually embroiled in budget crises and the MDAs are never put through proper over-sight. Verdict: the NASS has managed to ‘legitimise’ a vastly corrupt system with viral consequences on the polity. Do we need further explanations why Nigeria is in a shambles?

  • Strike: FG, ASUU should consider the students

    SIR: One of my prayer points in 2011 when I gained admission to University of Ibadan (UI) was that there should not be strike throughout the duration of my four-year course. But this prayer has been rendered ineffectual by both the federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who seem to be fighting every year. I have spent two sessions in school now with two strike actions. By prognosis, I pray I still don’t experience two more before completing a four-year programme.

    Since ASUU embarked on its total and indefinite industrial action on July 1, it is really having negative impact on us. We are at home idle, only just to roam about the streets; this is not too good for us as an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Do not let the devil engage us into prostitution, internet fraudsters etc before you decide to call off the strike.

    I don’t want to believe that the government is lackadaisical about this issue because their children are not schooling in Nigeria or because their children are attending private universities. We are regarded as leaders of tomorrow, would it be good to see the leaders of tomorrow engage in all nefarious activities just because ASUU is on strike.

    Government, ASUU, strike a balance and call off this strike.

    To my fellow colleagues at home, please irrespective of our religion, let us take this case to God in prayers so that the Almighty God would intervene and that FG and ASUU would come to meaningful conclusions. And also let us all engage ourselves in activities that can add value to our lives. ASUU, Government, for posterity sake, consider the students and resolve the crisis as we are at the receiving end.

     

    • Saanu Grace Damilola

    Department of Communication and Language Arts

    University of Ibadan

     

  • Oil theft: Suicidal incompetence

    Yesterday, Hardball in considering this irksome matter of 400,000 barrels per day loss of our crude oil, described the Federal Government’s attitude as some form of ‘weird ignorance’. But upon further reflection, I have found that eminent American historian, Barbara Tuchman, who had long interrogated the question of mediocrity and lack of wisdom in governance had a better grounding on what is going on in Nigeria today. She could have had Nigeria in mind while writing her essay, “An Inquiry into the Persistence of Unwisdom in Government.” She likened our current situation to what she described as “suicidal incompetence”.

    She writes: “A problem that strikes one in the study of history, regardless of period, is why man makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human activity. In this sphere (government), wisdom – meaning judgment acting on experience, common sense, available knowledge and decent appreciation of probability – is less operative and more frustrated than it should be. Why do men in high office so often act contrary to the way that reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests? Why does intelligent mental process so often seems to be paralysed?”

    Why is the Goodluck Jonathan administration apparently suffering mental paralysis in solving a problem that is critical to the very life of the country? Why is it crying out and feeling helpless in a situation that requires drastic and decisive action? If thieves either from within or without could steal this quantity of our most prized product; something as bulky and difficult to contain as crude oil, only heavens know what else is being stolen from this country? Why would a Federal Government that possesses all the might to tackle miscreants no matter how organised they may be, continue to cry out in frustration as if it were a victim of some conspiracy?

    It is this mindset of victimhood that must have informed the confounding calls for help from abroad. The late president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in calling for help, described stolen oil as “blood crude”. At two different fora, President Jonathan had called on Western countries to come to the aid of Nigeria prompting members of his cabinet like Erelu Olusola Obada (Minister of State for Defence) and Gbenga Ashiru, (Foreign Affairs Minister) to join the chorus. Obada speaking at Chatham House in London last week, parroted the ‘blood crude’ banality while passing all blames and responsibilities to foreign governments. She said that crude oil theft posed dire consequences to Nigeria’s economy stating that the vessels deployed in hauling the illicit cargo were foreign just as the refineries that patronised them.

    How her British audience would have laughed her to scorn. Why are we making such fools of ourselves, how thoroughly embarrassing! They would have marveled at the stark illogicalities of her submission and the sharp incongruities of her position and the ineptitude she had dramatised for her international audience. As Minister of Defence, how could so many crude laden vessels pass under her nose unnoticed; how come they ship out so much unrefined crude? Which is easier: barring rogue vessels from Nigeria’s territorial waters or checking thousand of private merchant ship on the high seas going about their business? Who bears the cost of policing the high seas and the refineries?

    This mind-blowing crude oil theft going on in Nigeria today is the most eloquent testimony to the failure of leadership and government in this country. It is not and it will not happen in any other country in today’s world of sophisticated metering and surveillance technology. It is symptomatic of the incompetence and irresponsibility that Nigerians have had to put up with in all spheres of public life today. Our leaders love the kitchen but they hate the smoke; they love power but they don’t understand the work and rigour that go with it.

    Hardball admonishes that if the Federal Government doesn’t know how to quell the ongoing brigandage, if it seeks foreign help it must be willing to hand over the powers too. Yes, our incompetence has simply reached a crescendo, a self-destruct level.

     

     

  • Injustice to the Tiv in Taraba

    SIR: What is democracy if people’s preference do not matter, their expectations crashed, their voices not heard and their needs and aspirations not adequately cater for? Democracy is of no relevance if appointments and employment opportunities are skewed in favour of some particular interest groups or tribes, while some are left to wallow in miseries and frustration.

    Beginning from 1999 when the new dispensation began, the indigenous Tiv people of Taraba State have neither produced a local council chairman, state assembly member, commissioner, adviser or Senator to mention only few.

    Now the Tiv people are asking some pertinent and reasonable questions like; are we really the indigenous people of Taraba State? If we are then, why is that the key positions in the state are dominated by other interest groups or tribes? While we grope in darkness?.

    The Tiv people are the single largest ethnic group in southern Taraba State. And they are predominantly in seven local government areas of Takum, Donga, Wukari, Ibi, Gassol, Bali and Gashaka. The 1947 census put the Tiv as the undisputable majority ethnic group in the defunct Wukari Federation with a total population of over 40,400, representing 34%.

    It is unfair that other ethnic groups in the state have not considered the Tiv for any of the strategic posts in the state they pioneered its creation through one of their illustrious sons, Hon. David H.Gba’Aondo of blessed memory who move motion in the Federal House of Representative Lagos in 1983 for the creation of the state. The big question is; are there no qualified persons from the Tiv who can function very well in these offices?

    The marginalization of the Tiv people in Taraba State needs to be addressed so that we can move the state forward. The other tribes must change their attitude towards the Tiv. They must be more willing to give than to take. They must see their position in the state as a privilege not as right. Political and traditional leaders from Tiv must united in their goals, eschew selfishness and treat sectionalism as a taboo. Educated Tiv sons and daughters should not be afraid of speaking out against political, economic, social and every form of marginalization in the state. Silence sometimes is taken as agreement or compromise so the Tiv people of Taraba State must speak out now.

     

    • John Akevi

    Bauchi

     

  • From the cell phone

    For Segun Gbadegesin

     

    Good morning sir, your article this morning is commendable but Mr. Governor should not relent on his transformation agenda. Thanks! From Kolawole, Ibadan

    Thank God for your observation of this good work going on in Oyo State cum West in general. Please do access other states and zones. From Myke, Enugu

    “Anikura baba omokomo, Akanmu baale jibiti.” The days of the hirelings are over in the West. Something good is happening in Oyo State. God bless Ajimobi and his fellow Southwest governors. From Akande, Ojoo, Ibadan

    Re: I see; therefore I know. Although before now, my flair was for Chief Rasheed Ladoja in sympathy for 2006 impeachment saga! With dramatic and sporadic infrastructural explosion by two year old administration of Governor Isiak Ajimobi, I am anxiously waiting to cast my vote for him and his candidates in the next elections; no controversy. From Lanre Oseni

    “I see; therefore I know” is reasonably encouraging to provoke further development of Oyo State.’yinni yinni,ki a le se mi in’. But the government must not rest on false glorification of acclaimed performance. We must continue to push him beyond limit, and above his vision or dreams. This will surely benefit, not the indigenes alone but all and sundry. From Alhaji Hon. ADEYCorsim, Oshodi, Lagos

    I cannot wait to read the good strides in terms of performance by some PDP governors analysis like this by you. From Fryo, Jos

    Not for publicity, Dr., l agree with you, it is very customary with the highly placed Nigerians attemping the distortion of facts weather deliberately or falsely, but the record will not lie, IBB or anyone can say anyting, but the record is there. Thanks for refreshing our memories, bravo sir! From Omo Oba, Lagos

    Dear Segun, to be candid, the Yoruba people are very wise for rejecting PDP. We in the South-south are hoping that INEC will register APC so that APC will deliver south south from the grip of the PDP. From Chuks, Delta State

    Opalaba would do well to visit our State of Osun and see wonders. Here is a state that has little or no financial resources, but is still being able to embark on monumental projects all across the state. It is indeed, ‘Government Unusual’, going by our indefatigable Governor’s slogan. May God continue to guide him. Anonymous

    Good day, sir. I read your interesting piece on the backpage of Friday’s edition of The Nation Newspaper. It was a good testimony about the good work embarked upon by the Ajimobi administration. However, I want to enjoin you to take a look at greater projects going on in neighbouring Ogun State where the entire state has been turned to a huge construction site with 17 major roads being reconstructed and expanded. Each of these roads have six lanes and about 10 overhead bridges are ‘growing up’ simultaneously. The first overhead bridge to be constructed by the state government in 37 years of existence had been commissioned in January with a six lane 2.4 kilometre road having all accompanying road furniture. I will be happy anytime you are chanced if you come around to see this massive reconstruction being executed under the Mission to Rebuild Ogun State of the Ibikunle Amosun administration. From Yusuph Olaniyonu

    For Olatunji Dare

     

    Its been 20 years now but you seem to nurture the general disaffection of June 12 to personal   bitterness. Castigating IBB everyday will not reverse the tide of history. Do you ever scrutinise the roles played by OBJ and others? Please grow up, after all, MKO was no saint. I hope you will be courageous enough to publish this text. From Suleiman Nwobasi, Port Harcourt.

    The truth of the matter was that IBB was not prepared to vacate office, but was forced by the Nigerian people. He cannot run away from the fact that he annulled the best election ever held in Nigeria and he created the foundation for the current political crises in the country. From Abdullahi Danja, Abuja

    Dare, good morning and thank you for your piece. What an apt title! But for your piece the self acclaimed evil genius would have succeeded with blue murder. All of us cannot be afflicted with collective amnesia. Anonymous

    Buhari and his northern parasites will still treat Asiwaju and his southern brothers, the way they treat Abiola and Awo. Dare, tell me what did Awo did not do to please these people? May history not repeat itself. Anonymous

    We have learned a lot from the annullment of June 12. As we all know, nobody is a custodian of knowledge except God. The deed had been done by the then military government headed by IBB, and consistently we keep on dragging on the same issues which is very dangerous to the unity of our nation. The man said he has taken responsibility of all that happened, so in that respect, let us forgive and forge ahead. If a man is running and he is looking behind, he is bound to fall. IBB is human not God, He is bound to make mistake. Let us forgive him. From Hamza Ozi Momoh, Apapa Lagos

    Thanks for your comment “IBB: A tormented mind at work”. If IBB has nothing new now Nigerians know better he should shut up. Anonymous

    Why does IBB think Achilles, the sleek Greek God- Man is most remembered for his heel? It is because that was his greatest weakness that ended his life. Insatiable love of power is IBB’s greatest weakness

    (Achilles’ heel), which was his reason for the annulment of June 12. That was his greatest offense against Nigeria as a nation. He will, forever, be remembered for June 12. From Jerome A. Adie, Calabar

    Your piece “IBB: A tormented mind at work” was another arrow well pieced at the man right at his heart if he has one at all. He is lucky he can be talking so sensely only in a nation like ours. For if it was like the Middle-east, one bad guy would have blown his head with just a bullet for what he has caused Nigerians. But let arrows like this continue to pierce through his heart. From Ayoga Obemnkpang

    I used to be an ardent and strong supporter of IBB before the anulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election. But, despite all the appeals and counsels from different quarters for him to de-annul the election, he refused, we need to pray to God on his behalf for forgiveness and failure to do that, posterity will judge him. From Laide Oguntimehin, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

    Uncle Dare, reading through your article, “IBB: A tormented mind at work” reminds me of what my History teacher said in my class one as,”History is the record of important events which has taken place in the past.” June 12 can never be wished away from Nigeria as generations will hear and read about it. From Akinlade Esther, Lagos.

     

    For Kunle Abimbola

     

    ‘Presidential anarchy’ has been the order of our govermental pattern. Our constitution intends a tyrannical democrat for our president. In Nigeria, the president, directly or indirectly appoints INEC, IG, CJN, COAS, and other notable appointments. So what do we expect? The National Assembly should rise up to her responsibities and save the nation. From Alhaj Hon. ADEYCorsim, Oshodi, Lagos

    Re: Presidential anarchy. Dear Abimbola, you raised some topical issues in your essay. President Jonathan, Mrs. Jonathan, Onyesome Wike, Mbu should tread carefully. Like every other things on earth, power is transient. They should tread carefully. Jonathan is moving to the wrong side of history so fast. Today is not for ever. Who will deliver us from this monster call PDP? Anonymous

    Olakunle, your Republican Ripples on presidential anarchy, hit the point. But, the jonathan presidency is suffering pschopatic lunacy, neurotic disorder inherited and political hallucination. But hear the prophetic truth; Jonathan’s presidency is doomed. It will keep sliding down until it expires in complete disgrace. Mark my words. From Samuel

    Kunle, God bless you for today’s. We are watching where this lunacy we take us to. This is just the first stanza of a story of perfidy that can easily destroy a nation. From Tunde Akingbade

    A Master piece Abimbola even though you took a swipe at one of our revered elderstatemen Balewa. Dele Giwa timeless quote in one of his incisive article is still apt to this day: “power will serve as a burial ground for those who misuse it”. And to Gulak, Abati and co., a review of Ola Rotimi’s play may teach a lesson but truth is they never learn as those whom the gods will sacrifice will first make them mad. From A. A. Umar

    I hope the press will certainly save this country from sliding into anarchy. The press today has become trhe conscience of the natiom. It seems the President and his Dame have learnt nothing. Anonymous

    Sir, there is no other word that captures the heading other than presidential anarchy. You speak in metaphor which makes it an interesting reading. All what that are said therein are facts and facuals. Keep it up brother. Anonymous

    Dear sir, I enjoyed your write-up on presidential anarchy. There is no other word to describe it other than that. The truth is that Jonathan and his wife are very desperate for 2015 forgetting that no amount of compulsion or intimidation can earn him re-election if rigging is ruled out. He has performed so absmally bad that he does not deserve a re-election. Only time will tell. Anonymous

    You cannot be in Lagos and claim to feel the heat than we the Rivers people, leave Jonathan out of this! The truth is that we are tired of the tyrannical nature of Ameachi. He should stop using our allocation to water your likes! From Daboye Briggs esq., Port Harcout

    Re: Presidential anarchy. The Presidential rascality as being displayed in Rivers State’s issue must not be allowed to go unchecked. The President, his wife and some worthless politicians are the harbinger of the crisis. The Rivers’ issue is a replica of Bayelsa’s. The President is suffering from power madness/intoxication. 2015 and States elections are around the corner hence his excesses must be curtailed. The IG is a robot and ever prepared to play the script of his master and the reason the President is against state police. He must not be allowed to continue with his numerous undemocratic and insensitive actions, stop this monster. From Past Odunmbaku

     

    For Tunji Adegboyega

     

    Re: ‘The tragedy of victory’ (The Nation on Sunday of July 21). I commend General Alabi-Isama (rtd) for putting the records straight on the Civil War. However, why did he wait till now since ‘My Command’ was written? Hatred, envy and unnecessary cheap publicity which have made Nigeria to retard? A plus for the book. Finally, on the publicity for great contributors to Nigeria who linger in suffering – General Adekunle and Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, I hope Mr Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives read their story at the book launch. Please help. From Lanre Oseni.

    Tunji, notwithstanding Brigadier-General Alabi-Isama’s misgivings about Adekunle and Obasanjo’s military exploits during the Civil War, the duo remain war heroes for their sagacity and military prowess. Please let the south-west governors come to the aid of General Adekunle before it is too late. From Barr. Moronkeji.

    You spoke our minds on Alabi-Isama’s book. But I wonder why the author failed to invite Obasanjo to the occasion; that aspect is faulty if he wants the public to believe him. OBJ is not a fool; he will reply him at the appropriate time. We need to appeal to Generals Gowon, Danjuma and Akinrinade to release their own memoirs and not go to their graves with the stories like Ojukwu. It is a shame the way the Federal Government treated Pa Akinkunmi and General Benjamin Adekunle. How do they expect to abate corruption? Let’s give kudos to Alabi-Isama for bringing one of the ills of the society- injustice – to the fore. Anonymous.

    I agree with you and I also said it at the book presentation that the real tragedy of the civil war victory is the neglected heroes. To the war veterans, it is survival of the fittest; it’s a nation’s waste of fine skills rather than opportunity for them to impart it. This used to be the desire of my late husband and war commander, Col Edet Utuk from Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. General Alabi-Isama should lecture young military personnel. They need what he carries. It is well. From Mrs Grace Utuk.

    The real tragedy of victory in war also includes the opportunity for opportunists to make egocentric distortion of facts. That, as I understand is the spur for Alabi-Isama’s pictorial account. From Kuteyi, R.R., Ondo.

    Your article on ‘The tragedy of victory’ is an interesting piece. However, I am surprised by your claim that Gen Benjamin Adekunle fought gallantly to preserve the country whereas he had been adjudged to have fought gallantly on both sides by killing …! My dad was a soldier under the 3 Marine Commando; was it not the same Adekunle that was quoted as saying he will shoot anything that moves in Biafra, including women, children the Red Cross, etc! A soldier without care for unarmed civilians! Gallantry indeed! As a journalist, you have access to information; so, correct me if I am wrong. Alani Akinrinade was a gallant soldier who demonstrated great gallantry to the extent that the Biafrans nicknamed him “Chinese” because they felt he was a hired Chinese mercenary. I am disappointed that Obasanjo abandoned his men. It’s a shame. Anonymous.

    Well done, Tunji for putting a soft side to the hard facts in your column last Sunday. Please help list out the ‘lies’ in My Command as exposed by Alabi-Isama’s new book on the Nigeria Civil War. From A. Oyeniyi.

    Your piece on Alabi-Isama’s Civil War memoirs is thought-provoking. It was a bourgeoisie war and not a class war which could have produced a society without the existing striking poverty. Nigeria under the present socio-economic order is a paradise for the bourgeoisie and an abyss of pain and penury for the toiling masses. From Amos Ejimonye, Kaduna.

    It is not in our leaders’ character to remember or take care of past heroes. They are only after how to enrich their own pockets. From Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia, Abia State.

  • When politicians play the hide and seek game

    SIR: The drama that took place between President Goodluck Jonathan and the four northern governors in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital is an ominous sign of what to come. Both actors in the scene arrived in the capital city separately to be anointed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. But the show got twisted when the four governors decided to hide in order to avoid their own President who was holding secret meeting with the same Obasanjo they came for. The drama got more interesting when Nyako said “we have come to greet the most accomplished Nigerian and to consult him for very important matters”. President Jonathan also visited the Hilltop to greet the “Father” and of course, for consultation as well while Obasanjo remain the consultant.

    The irony here is that both actors are from the same PDP and at the same time dribbling themselves using hide and seek tactics to achieve their ambition. It is obvious from their desperation that the actors at Obasanjo’s house are working towards presidency come 2015.

    Why the hide and seek politics if both actors are working towards pushing Nigeria from political and economic doldrums? Why is everybody working in different directions? In the National Assembly, Speaker Tambuwal is accused of playing double standard. In Rivers State, Amaechi is seen as a traitor and a betrayer simply because somebody wants to achieve a personal goal. 2015 is still some miles away, but the political atmosphere is heavily pregnant; the North singing war tune to take over power; President Jonathan is hanging on by all means even though there are clear evidences that he is struggling. But the stark reality is that all these individuals are seeking sectional agenda, not the interest of a decaying generation.

    The quest for personal agenda is our problem. A United States report has just warned Nigeria’s leaders to beware of another civil war. The report says that “parochial interests, cultural, ethnic, economic, regional and political secessionist tendencies are endemic in Nigeria”.

    The birth of the insurgent in the north that is now spreading like wild fire is not accidental. The fact remains that the youths that transformed into the terrorist group in the North and other parts of the country today were used by politicians to outsmart their perceived opponent or enemies, but dumped thereafter.

    Can we ever win the war against the menace called selfishness, the disease that has eaten deep into our marrow? Isn’t the more reason why human beings are slaughtered like Christmas chicken across the country? Governors conducting minor election among themselves only to have the result disputed; a member of parliament using the mace as a weapon against fellow lawmaker?

    How do we move the country beyond where we are when our thoughts and permutations are on how to milk available resources while leaving the masses in the grave yard of poverty? Nigeria is rich; the God-given resources can simply go round if it is not left in the hands of few insatiable and greedy individuals.

     

    • Sunday Alifia,

    Ibadan, Oyo state

     

  • Stella Damascus blasts proponents of child marriage

    Stella Damascus blasts proponents of child marriage

    Nigerian movie star and singer, Stella Damascus, expressed her anger over the issue of child marriage being discussed in the Nigerian Senate in a video posted on YouTube on Monday.

    The actress expressed her deepest concern concerning the problem and found it appalling. She questioned why such matter should even arise in the house when Nigeria has better issues to grapple with (education, power).

    She wondered why a person like Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima is still a political office holder in Nigeria instead of behind bars.

    The Nollywood star also asked the Frist Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, why she has not done anything yet on the issue.

    According to her, the first lady has time to reply issues that do not concern her but chose to keep quite on the child marriage act. She described her silence as shameful.

    She urged Nigerians to stand up and address the issue as sitting down and doing nothing makes them partners to the crime.

     

    Click here to watch the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c_knQ-XpR3s