The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Sim Fubara’s political mind games

    Sim Fubara’s political mind games

    According to Oxford Languages, a mind game is “a course of manipulative behaviour intended to discomfit another person or gain advantage over them.” Julia Wilde of D News in a 2016 presentation titled “The Mind Games Politicians Use To Win Our Votes” notes: “From the way they look, the way they sound, to the words they choose, politicians and their staff carefully craft their speeches and appearance to invoke emotion in their constituents.” Roy Eidelson also deals with this tendency in his 2018 book titled Political Mind Games: How the 1% Manipulate Our Understanding of What’s Happening, What’s Right, and What’s Possible.

    In Nigeria, the first civilian Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, played mind games, during the governorship campaigns in 1992, through, among other means, his awesome long convoys of glittering cars. In fact, he was nicknamed “Serubawon” (‘Cast fear in their hearts’), through his intimidatingly affluent campaign roadshows. Eventually, he defeated even more established politicians in his party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Mind games continue to have concrete relevance in contemporary Nigerian politics, and the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is increasingly proving to be adept at playing them.

    Like gubernatorial candidate Isiaka Adeleke in the 1990s, Fubara has emerged as a fearsome political spectacle in today’s Rivers State. But Fubara did not establish his intimidating political credentials through the display of affluence. Rather, in the language of Roy Eidelson, Fubara demonstrated, unmistakably, “what’s possible”. And his political opponents have been justifiably apprehensive. As the saying goes, if you’ve been stung by a bee before, every insect you see thereafter becomes a stinger in your imagination. In their passionate response to Fubara’s visit to the state’s legislative quarters on 9 May, 2024, it appeared as if the anti-Fubara lawmakers did not want to take anything for granted.

    Read Also; Governance began only three months ago due to Rivers crisis – Fubara

    But, were the legislators justified? Yes, they were. A feud developed between Fubara and his political mentor and predecessor, Barrister Nyesom Wike  (also of the PDP), who was in fact the political enabler of Fubara’s ascendancy to the position of Governor. The rift was due to what appears to be the over-bearing influence of Wike on the Fubara governorship. With Wike controlling an overwhelming majority of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and with increasing belligerence on both sides, Fubara feared that he could be impeached by the legislators. As a seemingly preemptive measure to prevent the lawmakers from carrying through any impeachment proceedings, Fubara ordered the demolition of the legislative chambers. This counterpoise demonstrated how far he could go in his feud with Wike, who is his erstwhile benefactor, and with Wike’s supporters.

    Meanwhile, there was widespread exchange of pugnacious language between the two sides. Wike’s grouse with Fubara was that the latter was an ingrate who was repaying good with evil, considering the former’s nomination of and immeasurable support for Fubara’s campaigns, which earned him victory at the governorship polls.  In a 24 November, 2023 press engagement, Wike declared: “I don’t like ingrates.” Fubara had ample opportunity to shoot back on 6 May, 2024 when he received a delegation of elders from Bayelsa State: “There’s nothing wrong in one helping anyone, but nobody takes the place of God in any situation, and so long as I’m concerned, God is God. God can even bring your enemy to open a door for you. … But that is not enough for me to worship a human being.” Fubara further said: “the young people … who claim that they are Assembly members, are not assembly members. They’re not existing. … Their existence [depends on] me allowing them to exist. If I derecognise them, they’re nowhere.” 

    Like a ding dong, Wike responded on 12 May, 2024:  “I have never told anybody to worship me. Nobody can worship man … but as politicians we appreciate those who have helped us.” Wike also assured one of the 27 anti-Fubara lawmakers: “Nobody will remove you as an Assembly member.” This assurance probably became necessary because on the floor of the House of Assembly on 11 December, 2024, the 27 pro-Wike legislators announced their defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Legal opinions differ as to whether, by that action, they had not lost their seats as Assembly members. In response to calls from both within and outside Rivers State, the President had attempted to broker peace between the feuding parts, based not on legal niceties, but on political expediency. 

    Meanwhile, Fubara doubled down on his mind games by paying an ominous visit to the Rivers State legislative quarters on 9 May, 2024. This visit was ominous in a number of ways. First, the pre-chambers-demolition visit of 30 October, 2023 followed the belief that the legislators were planning to impeach the Governor, just as it was being rumoured before the 9 May, 2024 visit that moves were on to impeach him. Second, the Governor was reported to have said as follows about the visit to the legislative quarters: “It’s my property. I came to see it. Is the assembly not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in checking out how things are going on there? You’re aware of the development. We have a new Speaker. And I went there to see for myself how things are, because there might be a few things I might want to do for the good of our people.” It is to be recalled that the demolition of the assembly chambers was also presumed to be due to the compromised integrity of the building, seemingly for “the good” of the legislators and “our people”.

    Third, on the 9 May, 2024 visit, he was dressed in a polo shirt on a pair of trousers and topped with a flat cap complemented with a soft, self-assured swagger. This dressing reenacted cynically the sartorial pointer to the possibility of demolishing the legislative quarters. In other words, Fubara’s attire was like the executioner’s suit to the legislators. Once bitten, twice shy. So, the legislators were wondering whether history was about to repeat itself. They expressed their apprehensions very passionately, even if sometimes ridiculously.

    According to the exasperated factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, “Rivers people were stunned this afternoon when they got the information that the Governor of Rivers State Sir Siminalayi Fubara stormed the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters in yet another attempt to demolish the Rivers State House of Assembly quarters just the way he demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly complex. … The Governor has shown that he’s a violent man. … We call on the President of the Federal Republic, we call on the International Community, the British High Commission, the U.S. Embassy, all known democracies in the world, to intervene … and call him to order.”   

    In continuation of his mind games, on 10 May, 2024, it was widely reported that Fubara had signed Executive Order 001 – 2023 relocating the sitting of the state’s House of Assembly to the Government House. The Punch newspaper of that day tellingly headlined the news as, “Rivers  crisis: Anxieties as Fubara’s men release 2023 executive order moving legislators’ sittings to Govt House.” The newspaper also quoted the Executive Order as follows: “Now, therefore, I, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, this 30th Day of October 2023, under the powers vested in me under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby issue, order and direct that all proceedings and business of the Rivers State House of Assembly shall temporarily take place at the auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt, until the repairs, renovation and reconstruction of the chambers of Rivers State House of Assembly.”

    Just as Fubara’s mind games with respect to the visit to the legislators’ quarters and his Executive Order were beginning to lose some steam, Fubara shot back to headline dominance by saying on 13 May, 2024, at the swearing-in of the new Attorney-General for Rivers State, “As it is today, in the local parlance, they say that the jungle has matured. We will be setting [up] a panel of enquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”  Moreover, at the same event, seemingly responding to the assurance which Wike had given to the lawmaker mentioned above that his position in the House of Assembly was secure, Fubara remarked on 13 May, 2024: “Maybe where they are, they are telling them that nothing will happen. It’s happening here live. We have our own legislators that are performing their duty according to the Constitution.”

    Though he did not specify the years or administrations to be covered, his statement has generated the following, among other headlines: “Fubara to probe Wike’s administration” (The Cable); “Fubara vows to probe Wike’s administration”; and “Why I will probe Wike’s administration – Governor Fubara” (TVC News). These show Fubara’s effective use of innuendo.

    Wike may be older than Fubara, and may be more versed in the act of governance. But Fubara has managed to establish verbal equality with him; that is, if he has actually not already surpassed Wike with the ominousness of Fubara’s words. To Rivers State House of Assembly members in particular, the fear of Fubara is increasingly appearing to be the beginning of wisdom. He doesn’t seem to have time for base theatrics and doesn’t contest for a singing position; rather, he is proving to be a quintessential Nigerian political mind games player.

    Fubara is also helping to consolidate a stereotype. On 7 May, 2024, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju said as follows regarding Fubara on the TVC News programme ‘Journalists’ Hangout’: “a lot of people who don’t talk, they are more dangerous than people who talk all the time. This is what we’re seeing.” This seems to be echoing Wike’s perception of Fubara. This perception is metaphorically represented in a Yoruba proverb as “Denge tutu lehin o gbona ninu” (‘Pottage is cold on the surface but hot beneath.’) Those who don’t recognise this fact easily get their tongues and throats scalded. Fubara is, in other words, the kind of person labeled as “Eniyan jeje, ab’iwa kunkun” (‘A gentle person, with a tough character.’)

    In the past one and half to two weeks, Fubara has thrown River State into emotional over-drive and has made himself a topical issue. In fact, writing about him today in this column, shows how successful his political mind games have been. Meanwhile, the resolution of the Rivers State political crisis is in the hands of the judiciary. It is hoped that the different cases in court would be given accelerated hearing in the interest of the nation.

  • Lagos-Calabar coastal road as vista of economic opportunities

    Lagos-Calabar coastal road as vista of economic opportunities

    By Tajudeen Adigun

    To the rats in a covered gourd, the gourd is their universe. The space in the gourd put  a terrible limitation on their view of life. Those who see nothing good in the 700-kilomtre coastal road share the limitation of rats in a gourd.

    It might not be the longest road in Africa, but the Lagos-Calabar coastal road would be the longest highway in Nigeria after its completion. A silver bullet road that would run across two geo-political  zones of the country; the Southwest and South-South and capable of  boosting the economy beyond experts and technocrats’ expectation.

    The 700-kilometre long concrete road will, undoubtedly, impose an earlier unknown ruggedness of special iron underlay mats on the muddy soft-mangrove forest terrain. This would be creamed off with a thick layer of concrete that is capable of carrying vehicles of variety of weights that would drive on with. No wonder the seemingly prohibitive cost. Four billion naira per kilometre

    It is not only the length of the road that is intimidating and unprecedented, its whooping N15 trillion cost is equally awesome. Some obervers have insinuated padding of the cost.  It’s, therefore, not a surprise that the N4 billion per kilometer road has attracted flurry of criticism. Some people tagged it prohibitive, while others say it’s government’s joker to openly fleece the treasury for slush  funds to prosecute the 2027 presidential election. Those shouting themselves hoarse, calling it sheer prodigality or misplaced priority are not on the same page with the President. They could not see the magic to economic  buoyance that the project portends. The coastal road is a new forward moving instrument that could breathe oxygen to the troubled economy. It will be a relief for an economy that gasping for breath

    Read Also; I’m amused seeing those who said Asiwaju had no chance now gallivanting around him – Gbenga Daniel

    Funded on the Public-Private arrangement; the Federal Government would contribute 30 per cent, while Hi-Tech construction firm  would foot the balance of 70 per cent. This coastal project  has not only  been passed by the National Assembly  in the 2024 budget, it has also been twice  approved by the Federal Executive (FEC). It was, therefore, not a surprise that work has started on the Lagos end of the project. The road would, undoubtedly open up the virgin mangrove forest to unleash  multiple opportunities for revenue-generating activities to facilitate multiple economic benefits that will turn round the fortune of residents and other technically-trained hands. It’s a fertile ground for setting up  a vast hospitality industry. Besides, it could also provide opportunities for  setting  up of commercial fishing hub, if the government is desirable of  making the area a fish basket of the nation. The potential bounty of the sea and littoral edibles such as fishes, crabs, lobsters,  not to talk of other water  species from the ocean that are awaiting exploitation to garnish dining tables across the country.

    Trawlers combing the sea for a large-scale fishing, smaller vehicles harvesting the littoral coast for what it could offer. Refrigerated warehouses sited at strategic points to offering retail services of iced fish to take their consignments to the people.  The fish depots on the coastal road are just low-hanging fruits that would not only create markets , but also  offer job opportunities. This would reduce unemployment long queues, increasing disposable  income in the workers’ pockets as the government too would  have  more people on tax –paying list.

    The 700-kilometre is an ideal route for setting up hospitality industry to promote tourism.  Amusement parks, castles, hanging pedestrian bridges not to talk of tourist villages built to serve both home and foreign guests and vistors. Recreation centres that boast of different class of hotels and restaurants are also sign-posts that would kick-off benevolent economic activities.  Fuel stations that would inevitably spring up along the road are another source of job creation. The created value-chain  of service delivery that would absorb some unemployed  youths, men and women would not leave the economy positively unaffected. Foreign tourists would undoubtedly be attracted. What a source of hard currency (foreign currencies) path to boost supply to Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.  Individual entrepreneurs would tap into the opportunity of building tourist villages, castles, hanging -bridges in the mangrove forest to bring flurry of activities that could give tourists pleasure of cool breeze from the open ocean’s view.

    A challenged economy as that of the present day Nigeria in the doldrums could be retrieved from the  quagmire that is threatening to make life unbearable for the people. Tools such as monetary and fiscal policy could be deployed to the rescue. The coastal road is new avenue that could serve as a Midas touch that would provide opportunities to nurture the economy to buoyance.

    The present poor economic situation in the country; worsened by paucity of funds to finance development projects could be said to have made partnership the choice to finance  the coastal road project. The viability and the embedded profitability, it should be noted would have made it attractive to the Hi-Tech firm for  participation. The government  would exploit the opportunity of a private firm participation to reflate the slumped economy to a bubbling, robust and fast expanding economy that has what it takes to attract more foreign investors.

  • Democracy, governance and credible elections (1)

    Democracy, governance and credible elections (1)

    There is a problem about the institutional framework in which the Nigerian state as presently constituted is based. To have democracy, good governance and credible elections, there must be institutional reforms and great accountability in government. The three are interwoven, only that we tend to think that democracy is all about elections. In any case, the fact that those ingredients are currently missing is an indication that Nigeria still has a long way to go. After all, without democracy and governance, there can’t be credible elections.

    To put it politely, Nigeria, even as we speak, has very weak institutions, and without a functional justice system, she can’t be said to have credible elections. For any democracy to stand and be as its definition, the power of credibility cannot be underestimated. However, the achievement or otherwise of this ‘credibility’ is a huge task, because credibility means different things to different actors in democracy, more so as the definition hovers around the same center: the people. Notwithstanding, the issues of credibility in our elections requires a serious conference, taking into consideration the level of litigations that always go with elections in Nigeria. Take, for example, the United Kingdom where only one electoral dispute has ever gone to court over a long period of time. Of course, it is because she has a functional judiciary and nobody would want to waste his resources on frivolous litigations. The lawyer who handles such cases can even be disbarred. So, how come Nigeria remains a semi-democratic country 25 years into the 4th Republic?

    Read Also; Tinubu’s intervention made 2024 Hajj possible, says NAHCON Chairman

    In any serious democracy, it is the government that sets the right template for an election to hold. Unlike countries like Spain, France, South Africa, even some other African countries, Nigeria needs a constitutional court so that her political practitioners can originate and conclude constitutional issues in record time. In a constitutional court for instance, the needless imbroglio currently troubling the peace of Rivers State won’t even take more than two to three weeks to resolve, instead of this long-winded abracadabra, which is no doubt affecting the perception of Nigeria as an unserious economy.

    What we are saying is that governance and elections are intertwined and that a political economy that is lacking in internal security mechanisms, weaponizes and actually glorifies poverty is not one where credible elections can be held because it is based on state capture. In a country under the subordination of the state to powerful individuals and vested interests, the idea is to make the people very poor so that, on an election day, prospective voters can be induced. Even when there’s no election, the masses are induced with palliatives. The tragic truth is that political entrepreneurship has become the parameter for politicking and the determinant of victory. Otherwise, why should minimum wage even be a debate in Nigeria?

    Again, that’s where the late Obafemi Awolowo excelled as a leader! But how come successive leaders have not been seeing the link between the minimum wage, the purchasing power parity and investments? Call it an election gimmick but that’s why Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State deserves a standing ovation. Well, it’s not that N70,000 as minimum wage for workers in the state is fair enough but then, the governor has demonstrated that a worthy credit analyst would prefer Benin City where the purchasing power parity is N50,000.00 to Gusau where the purchasing power parity is N31,000.00. In a way, Obaseki has shown that, for any economy to attain its potentials, it is better to have 15 million people who are on a living wage of N105,000.00 per month than to have 200 million people who are on a minimum wage of N30,000.00 per month.

    ‘Ojú to dilè ni iroré ń so.’ (Pimples usually infect an idle face. The notorious truth is that we can’t have functional democracy, good governance and credible elections without a sound educational system. Had Nigeria also been blessed with a sensitive political class, Nigerians would have been benefiting from free and compulsory education as far back as 1974 or 1975. Of course, the difference would have been that Nigeria would not have been having all these problems because of a better educated population. Matter-of-factly, the better educated the people are, the better and the saner the choices. A better educated population is a better informed and more productive population. But when politics fails to deliver its goods to the people, waiting for much chemistry to work at the same pace for development to show up becomes the norm. Obviously, that’s what Awolowo got right and that’s why people like Joseph Stiglitz won the Nobel Prize for Economics.

    Secondly, compulsory education is the best form of population control. On the day of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the United Kingdom as the parting colonial power had 7 million more people than Nigeria. Whereas Nigeria’s population grew from 44,928,342 in 1960 to 229,152,217 in 2024, the British population has grown by only 15.34 million since 1960. The implementation of the Education Act of 1947, which made education free and compulsory up to the age of 18 in the UK led to the halving of her population within one generation. Why and how? Educated people “marry later” and have fewer children. What’s more? Educated populace is better skilled, has higher purchasing power parity and many other advantages. That’s why countries like Italy and Japan have declining population growth. They are actually begging and bribing their citizens to have more children. For Nigeria, the story is pathetically different!

    Forget the delusion of grandeur, unless some steps are taken in the right direction, Nigeria as a country may be fast sliding into irrelevance. For example, South Africa is currently the biggest economy in Africa, of course with the soundest fundamentals. She is followed by Egypt and Algeria and only God knows the true occupier of the 4th position between Nigeria and Morocco. South Africa has strong institutions of the state. As a matter of fact, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is already terrified of losing the forthcoming elections. Most importantly, she has basic industries like iron and steel and machine tools. So, she manufactures and exports cars to Europe. Unlike Nigeria, South Africa doesn’t assemble cars. As former President Donald Trump said: “if you don’t have steel, you don’t have a country.” In terms of fundamentals therefore, how to arrest Nigeria’s descent into irrelevance should be the key question.

    But how did we get here? When Nigeria decided to throw away the Lyttleton’s, 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, it became obvious that the country was gone. Brazil currently operates the 1988 Constitution, which is the 7th enacted since the country’s independence in 1822, and the 6th since the proclamation of the republic in 1889. Look at today’s Brazil! She’s currently the world’s 9th largest economy. Not only that, 92% of all new cars sold in Brazil are powered, not by petroleum motor spirit, pms, but by the ethanol derived from sugarcane. For greater certainty, Brazil is a huge producer of sugarcane. Impliedly, had Nigeria kept up her existence on the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, she’d have been powering not less than 92% of her cars by ethanol derived from cassava. After all, dear country is currently the world’s largest producer of cassava with an annual output of over 34 million tonnes of tuberous roots. What this means is that, instead of buying a litre of pms for N700.00, ethanol derived from cassava would not have cost more than N130.00. Besides, that would have been a boost for agriculture and industry would have been competitive because its cost would be lower. Added to these is that the destiny of employment generation in the country would have been given a lift-up.

    ● To be concluded.  

  • Lagos means business

    Lagos means business

    By Funke Cole

    In a manner of speaking, the now famous tagline “Eko for Show” associated with Nigeria’s Centre of Excellence, Lagos State, is not a mere platitude after all, judging by the degree of monumental socio-economic development projects that dot the landscape.

    A first-time visitor to Mile 2, Oshodi, Oyingbo, Abule-Egba, Agege, Iyana-Ipaja, Ipaja Ayobo, Epe, Badagry, and other uptown districts, not forgetting the urban parts of the Lagos metropolis and its environs such as Gbagada, Ilupeju, Apapa, Maryland, Ikeja, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki, among others, would naturally marvel at the presence of commerce and industry in those places. Such a visitor will be awestruck by the fast-paced infrastructure situated in those neighbourhoods whether in the form of rails, network of roads, to the mass housing projects, tourist attractions, recreation centres, etc.

    These important milestones achieved thus far, are all thanks to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has made it clear that he is on a mission to actualise the ideals and ideas of a Greater Lagos as envisioned by successive leadership of the state, chief among who is the real Architect of the New Lagos himself, President Bola Tinubu, whose template has made the face-paced developmental strides achievable today.

    Drawing inspiration from his predecessors, Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to see a Greater Lagos arise has propelled him to make significant strides along that line thus far and most of which are not just promising but already bearing good fruits.

    Read Also; Tinubu’s intervention made 2024 Hajj possible, says NAHCON Chairman

    Certainly one area the governor has recorded some giant strides is in capital importation through foreign direct investment (FDI); which has made the state the envy of many other states playing little in the FDI space as the case may be.

    Capital importation means foreign investments into a country’s economy and is made up of FDI, portfolio investment, and other investments.

    One way the state has been able to achieve this all-important lofty heights is by deliberate and conscientious efforts by all concerned, of course, with the governor not just rising to the occasion for the most part but providing the leadership to drive these significant strides. As the chief marketer of the state, Sanwo-Olu has never left anyone in doubt about the immense potentials of the state.

    Whether on the home-soil or in foreign lands, Sanwo-Olu has always raised his voice above the din as he preaches, cajoles, entices, woos everyone to the famous state rich in aquatic splendor, flora and fauna put together.

    Late last year the governor was in the forefront when he embarked on a number of business networking meetings and programmes outside the shores of the country, all in his quest to bring in fresh investments into the state.

    One of the events which readily come to mind is the Lord Mayor’s Show in London. The governor led other delegates to the United Kingdom to attract foreign investment into the state. During the show, Sanwo-Olu, along with other members of the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) Council chaired by him, engaged in strategic one-on-one and bilateral meetings with key United Kingdom-based businesses, investors, government officials, and Nigerians in the diaspora, all with one message: “Lagos is open for business. Come and invest in Africa’s economic powerhouse.”

    He said his administration had been proactive in collaborating to catalyse infrastructural development and was the first African city that participated in the show to attract foreign investors to Lagos State.

    He said: “Lagos is not just going to London for the parade and pageantry; this visit has a more strategic purpose. This is a prime opportunity to showcase Lagos on a global platform. The newly inaugurated LIFC Council signifies not just an institutional milestone, but a commitment to a bold vision—positioning Lagos as the beacon of financial innovation in Africa.

    “The Lord Mayor, Prof. Michael Mainelli’s invitation stands as a resounding endorsement of Lagos State’s commitment to excellence, as well as recognition of its increasing economic prominence. This invitation aligns harmoniously with the council’s mission to establish Lagos as a global financial hub, attracting investments that will fuel sustainable economic development.

    “Investment isn’t merely a transaction; it’s a catalyst for job creation, driving sustainable development and fostering a symbiotic relationship between investors, the State, and the communities at large,” he said.

    Just like last year, an elated governor couldn’t hide his excitement last Thursday, while addressing the audience at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, where he emphasised the state government’s readiness for investment.

    He said: “With a focus on infrastructure, we invite global investors to explore the vast opportunities in Lagos, Africa’s booming economic hub.

    “From health to education and agriculture, Lagos offers a stable platform for growth. The Lekki Deep Sea Port and a 200-hectare food hub project are set to revolutionise commerce and food security in the region.

    “With strategic investments in rail, health, and housing, we’re geared up to support global partners looking to make a home in Lagos and we showcased this at the event. The newly launched red rail line alone will serve nearly one million Lagosians daily.

    “Our commitment to fostering a tech-savvy environment is evident. Over $3 billion has flowed into Lagos in recent years, nurturing a network of start-ups and unicorns valued at $5 billion.

    “We promise a conducive business environment with predictable returns. Delegates at the summit are already aligning with us for fruitful partnerships. Be part of Lagos’s vibrant economic journey.”

    Expectedly, the concerted efforts by the state government have continued to pay off ultimately. At a time the economic headwinds have continued to negatively impact on most businesses, with foreign capital inflow into Nigeria ebbing by 26.4 per cent to $3.9 billion in 2023, thus plunging to a 17-year low since 2007 when capital importation stood at $5.3 billion, Lagos state on the other hand has stood afloat.

    The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in 2023 was $1.15 billion, indicating 29.5 percent of the $3.91 billion total capital importation recorded in the year.

    Analysis of the NBS data showed that Lagos State topped the list of states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that attracted the most foreign investments in 2023 as the state raked in $2.50 billion, representing 64 percent of the total capital inflow into the country, while the FCT emerged as the second top investment destination with $1.17 billion or 30 percent of the total capital inflow.

    The report also showed that Lagos remained the top investment destination with 65.38 per cent of total capital importation just as she remained the top destination in Q4, 2023 with $771.68 million, accounting for 65.38 percent of total capital importation, followed by Abuja (FCT) with $370.80 million (34.07 percent) and Rivers State with $6 million (0.55 percent).

    For a governor, who doesn’t miss any chance at projecting the state, when Sanwo-Olu hosted the British royal couple, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a few days back at Lagos House in Marina, he didn’t disappoint.

    Prince Harry, accompanied by his wife, Meghan, both on a three-day visit to Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games, which he founded in 2014 and they had a stopover in Lagos as a wrap.

    The Invictus Games are aimed at raising funds and supporting serving members of the military as well as veterans to overcome their physical and mental illness or injuries, which would help them to develop a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.

    Speaking to journalists after a closed door meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Sanwo-Olu praised the royal couple for the work they are doing with Nigeria’s military men, especially on issues around mental health.

    He said: “For Prince Harry, it has been a very interesting and informative trip to the country. He has seen a lot. And part of the things we are hoping he will take away is the diversity and extent of how big our country is, how we continue to ensure that we live together in peace and harmony, and what role Lagos plays in the whole conversation.”

    Still doubting the place of Lagos in the scheme of things as far as business is concerned? Quit doubting: Lagos is business and business is Lagos!

    ·         Cole, a public affairs commentator writes from Lagos

  • Jaiz Foundation disburses N15m in Lagos

    Jaiz Foundation disburses N15m in Lagos

    •Scholar warns collectors against abuse

    The Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation has disbursed N15 million to 165 indigents in Lagos.

    Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr. Abdullahi Shuaib, said the beneficiaries cut across different segments including education, health, economic empowerment, and welfare, among others.

    The event, held on Tuesday at Beleke Smith Memorial Mosque, Surulere, was the 9th edition of zakat disbursement by the foundation.

    He lauded Zakat payers for their unwavering support and donations over the years while urging other wealthy individuals to toe the same line.

    Dr Shuaib said: “At today’s event, no fewer than 165 indigents will be presented with cheques and tools worth N15 million for economic empowerment, health, livelihood, educational intervention, among others. 

    Read Also: Oilserv pledges to support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner gas

    “The sum of N6.4 million was earmarked for the economic empowerment category comprising 32 beneficiaries. Similarly, while the sum of N4.5 million went for education support, N2.8 million was awarded for humanitarian support. 6 beneficiaries shared the sum of N1.7 million in the health category.

    “We ask Allah to continue to bless the zakat payers’ wealth, families and enterprises as they continue to support the cause of Allah and humanity.”

    Guest speaker, Sheikh Imran Abdulmajeed Eleha, cautioned beneficiaries of zakat disbursement against abusing the gesture by turning themselves into permanent recipients of zakat proceeds.

    Sheikh Eleha, the Chief Imam of Daaru Na’im Central Mosque, said the purpose of zakat is to empower the less privileged who should utilise whatever they get judiciously.

    He explained that zakat is one of the empowerment and anti-poverty strategies established by the Shari’a, thereby warning against abuse of the privilege by beneficiaries.

    He commended the Jaiz Foundation and other Islamic organisations administrating the collection and disbursement of zakat in Nigeria, noting they are preserving the Shari’ah.

    “The purpose of zakat is to empower the less privileged people. Therefore, once you are selected as a beneficiary, you are to use the money or zakat item judiciously. It is not ideal for people to abuse the zakat collection by turning themselves into permanent recipients. The best thing is for zakat beneficiaries to strive to reciprocate the gesture by paying back in the coming years.

    “During the time of Umar Ibn Abdulazeez, one of the Caliphs of Islam, the Ummah disbursed zakat for two years, and people had become so empowered that in the following year (which is the third), nobody had cause to receive zakat.”

    Sheikh Eleha noted the huge challenge of poverty and hunger bedeviling Nigerian society is due to our low application of zakat as a strategy to empower the less privileged people.

    He said, “The Islamic community must have arrangements for empowering Muslims. The Shari’a has established many ways including sadaqah, zakat and others. It is because we do not follow these ways properly that we are still facing a huge challenge of hunger and poverty today.”

  • Deborah Samuel: Of martyrdom and hope for a better Nigeria

    Deborah Samuel: Of martyrdom and hope for a better Nigeria

    Sir: Our eyes are filled to the brim with tears; our minds distraught with misery, pains and grief; the air and land saturated and flowing with blood since Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was stoned to death in a brutally gruesome, cruelly savage and barbarically harrowing experience with her corpse burnt to ashes on Thursday May 12, 2022, for alleged blasphemy.

    Honoured by the International Religious Freedom, through the Department of State, United States of America on Monday August 22, 2022, the IRF had remarked that: “we honour her life as we continue the work to end such vicious violence”.

    Sadly, the criminal conspirators and perpetrators of this heinous crime have not been persecuted or are at large, scot-free for about three years now.

    As Africa searches for renaissance, the erstwhile South African President Dr. Thabo Mbeki once described Nigeria as a mismatch. In the words of the former South African President in The Guardian October 4, 2000, what we have in Nigeria is “a grotesque and confusing mismatch: the body of truth and the head of falsehood”.

    Read Also: Advancly, Bolt Nigeria team up to provide drivers with access to credit

    That notwithstanding, Professor Ali Mazrui, famous for his scholarly work and sound erudition for the restoration of the dignity of man in Africa and the diaspora in his uncompromising comparison of the United States of America and Nigeria said that USA and Nigeria have several qualities and characteristics; while USA is the colossus of Western hemisphere, Nigeria is the colossus of Africa. But while Americans are alive and well, Nigerians are alive but not well.

    Originally, designed to provide a framework for governing, four million people in thirteen colonies in the Western hemisphere, the American Constitution, for example, was guided and propagated by the vision and genuine sense of justice, freedom, equity and fair-play by the founding Fathers to protect the inalienable rights of man known as “The American Dream.”

    Indeed, the basic provisions of the United States of America Constitution were so pragmatic and soundly conceived that with 26 Amendments, it now serves the need of more than 240 million people from different ethnic nationalities in 50 diverse states that stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

    Today, by divine power of the unseen hands of fate, destiny, providence and circumstances, history has placed Ahmed Bola Tinubu squarely and perfectly as the 7th elected President of Nigeria.

    For About two decades now or more, the unity and peace in Nigeria have been threatened and ravaged by the menace of kidnapping, abduction, banditry, unknown gunmen, bloodletting and martyrdom etc.

    Under Tinubu, never again will average Nigerians groan in poverty, insecurity, nepotism and mediocrity, etc., but will dwell as one indivisible entity through love, meritocracy, creativity, supernatural abundance and excellence which is the watchword of Lagos State which he superintended for eight years.

    Leadership is about service to God and humanity because power comes from the Lord God Almighty. Therefore, let those who are elected to serve at any level painstakingly sacrifice their personal interest at the altar of national or public interest. May the Maker and Creator of the entire universe be gracious to humanity at these trying times, so that the ways of the LORD may be known on all the earth and salvation among all people!

    •Peter Agwara (Ph.D),Methodist Church, , Marina Lagos.

  • Of NAPTAN’s sit tight leadership

    Of NAPTAN’s sit tight leadership

    Sir: Alice Mchellan Bimey and Phoebe Apperson Hearts had projected into the future when in February 17, 1897 established National Congress of Mothers at a meeting in Washington DC with over 200 parents, teachers, workers and legislators to form parents body to seek for the welfare of the school children and also fight for their right within the ambit of the law.

    The foundation laid over 125 years ago has grown to a formidable students’ mouthpiece birthing what is known today as Parent Teacher Association (PTA). One will not forget the role played by late Chief Babs Animashaun who committed his God given resources, connections and everything within his power to make sure PTA otherwise known as National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) stands the test of time by taking the gauntlet in seeing to its registration at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on June 23, 1995 with registration number 8588.

    Geometrically, the fortune of the once revered association has nosedived and the centre cannot hold.

    Late Chief Babs Animashaun relinquished the leadership of NAPTAN in a controversial manner in 2005 at a triennial congress held in Abuja and the members present at the congress invoked Article 10 of the Association’s constitution to conduct the election where Alhaji Haruna Danjuma emerged as president.

    Thereafter, a case was filled at Lagos High Court by late Chief Babs Animashaun challenging the election. But the case was later struck out for lack of evidence.

    Read Also: West African countries must unite to defeat terrorism, other challenges — Tinubu

    Constitutionally, Danjuma should have run two terms of four years each. By this, his tenure ought to have ended by 2013. But after a reconciliatory meeting was held in Ibadan Oyo State from March 26 – 28, 2012, it was agreed that because of the circumstances surrounding his first tenure, notably the issue of litigation, he should be allowed to do another one more term to end in 2017. It’s been years since yet Haruna Danjuma has not deemed it fit to call for another congress where new national executives would come on board and continue where he must have stopped.

    This is a typical example of sit tight syndrome by leaders.

    Some months back, the association General Secretary Comrade Benjamin Dugeri died in active service, before him, the association also lost two prominent members of trustees in person of Wada Waziri from Kano State and Chief Mrs. Mulikat Idris from Lagos State.

    NAPTAN needs to reenergize on a new template with vibrant and result oriented leaders who must be seen and also be heard loud and clear in the scheme of things as far as education issues are concerned.

    My passionate appeal goes to Alhaji Haruna Danjuma to, without further delay take the bull by the horns and call for congress by whatever means legal to enthrone a new executive. His silence is not golden but coated with ash as it has negatively affected the fortune of NAPTAN as an association. He must realize now that whatever he does on behalf of the association henceforth is unconstitutional bearing in mind that his administration has been there for 19 years, Whatever idea he has but failed to implement these past years should be jettisoned to allow fresh hands, fresh brains and fresh ideas to come on board for an expected paradigm shift to enable our children have better representation in the education sector.

    An important stakeholder like NAPTAN should not only be seen but heard and I believe that the time has come to rejig the association. For Danjuma’s name to be etched in gold, he must quit now and take a bow because a good actor leaves the stage when the ovation is loudest.

     He should remember that NAPTAN is bigger than any single individual.

    •Deacon Akinola Olufemi,femiakins230963@gmail.com

  • Economic crisis and regime instability

    Economic crisis and regime instability

    Sir: There has been so much hoopla on the adverse impact of the economic reform policies of the current government. We think that examples exist elsewhere in the global South to guide our attitude and perhaps, the response of the government to the grave situation that not only threatens the economic well-being of the people but also, the popularity of the government and even regime stability.

     Politically, austerity measures are carried in the background of ever-present authoritarianism. However, in Nigeria, we practice democracy hence debates and disagreements are some of its characteristic features. What is significant is that the repressive temper of dictatorships hurts economic recovery in the short- and long-run. Hence, politically, manifest authoritarian regimes more often collapse during economic crises. However, equitable governments steer through economic crises relatively unscathed.

    Read Also: Fuel scarcity hinders economic activities in Onitsha

    The experiences in Indonesia and Malaysia are of relevance to guide our country. In other words, differences in cross-border policies produce dramatically different outcomes during crises. When asset specificity divides supporters as in Indonesia, the government and the people desire mutually incompatible policies. The ensuing incoherence in the strategy of renewal of the economy is followed by regime instability. When coalitions are not divided by asset specificity, which bears the brunt of market reforms, for example during the financial crises in Malaysia, regimes adopt radical measures that enable them to survive. Indeed, such regimes interpose in the market for redirection and to beneficiate capital goods importation for domestic production of the needs of society.

     Indeed, in the history of Nigeria, the economic crisis between 1980 and 1982, threw up incompatible policy choices. The continuation of those policies of austerity, grand-scale borrowing to fund consumption and passing the bulk of the pains to the ordinary person have always resulted in hardship. Our economic history has taught us that such policies would not help in the long run. Therefore, the functionaries of the current government need to think through the situation.

    This is why I would recommend that our people in the government find and read the account of Thomas B. Pepinsky on Economic Crises and the Breakdown of Authoritarian Regimes: Indonesia and Malaysia in Comparative Perspective. It is a relatively old book published in 2009.

    •Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, PhD,Benin City

  • Concert of losers – and plotters

    Concert of losers – and plotters

    The political circuit is agog with the Concert of Losers and Plotters de-marketing the ruling order, no matter how ridiculous they sound; always hoping the people are gullible and always available to be scammed.

    That’s the impression you get from the latest tours of the eternally restless and excitable Peter Obi, self-condemned to a torrent of talks, sensible or senseless, just to keep up the fob for his doting Obidients.

    Still, Obi’s latest tours should really intrigue you.  First, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.  At the 2023 presidential election, Obi and Atiku viciously neutralized each other, while President Bola Tinubu galloped into town with the presidential diadem.

    Read Also: Oilserv pledges to support Nigeria’s transition to cleaner gas

    Atiku, hitherto self-projected Mr. Pan Nigeria, declared himself the autochthonous northerner, who every genuine northerner must vote.  It was practical but fatal political Freudian slip, exposing Atiku for what he really is — a closet northern irredentist.

    Obi, on the other hand, pushed for naked Igbo and Christian votes, deluding himself such raw appeal to tribe and faith would push him through.  He collapsed, though given his tally as third best, he was able to game many sorry souls.

    Both pounced on each other, claiming victory from a clear and meritorious loss. Both oozed mutual contempt at each other, while claiming they would triumph at the courts.  When both crashed after the Supreme Court’s final verdict, both danced naked with intemperate howls that saw nothing but gloom and doom.

    But now, both — breaking news! — are back under the same sheets, plotting where delusional hope always springs eternal!  By the way, both had bad-mouthed the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, thus alienating not quite a few in that belt, in their early poaching and pitching for 2027.

    But beyond Atiku, Obi’s new taste appears some sweet but strange cuisine: he savours the politically living dead.  Sule Lamido of Jigawa was the glorious Obasanjo era poster boy.  But Lamido, always a damp squib, is politically displaced from his Jigawa lair.

    He also serenaded Bukola Saraki — the one who inherited his father, the goodly Baba Oloye, Dr. Olusola Saraki’s lifelong Kwara political empire, but crashed it in less than 12 years, instead becoming a political living dead!

    O, if Obi doesn’t go to this one, this one would go to Obi: Pat Utomi, the Don Quixote of Nigerian politics, always tilting at the windmills of “mega party”, every pre-election season!  He was also with Obi during his Labour Party misadventure!

    No — it’s no crime to plot for legitimate power in a democracy.  But this Concert of Losers and Plotters must know: had they implemented critical, life-changing policies during the Olusegun Obasanjo PDP era, they won’t all be in political Siberia now. 

    Eternal plotting won’t get them out of that hole.  Only quality thinking will.  But the snag: the lost PDP boys and quality thinking are two parallel lines that will never meet.  Too bad!

  • NITDA-NIMC partnership and security of online transactions

    NITDA-NIMC partnership and security of online transactions

    Sir: The digital age has revolutionized financial transactions, making online payments an integral part of everyday commerce. However, this convenience has also exposed users to various cybersecurity threats, including identity theft, payment fraud, data breaches, and ransomware attacks. As digital financial services continue to expand, organizations like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) play a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity measures.

    NITDA and NIMC are working together to establish and enforce robust cybersecurity standards and best practices within the online payment ecosystem. In addition to encryption protocols, NITDA and NIMC are promoting cybersecurity awareness and education among stakeholders through workshops, seminars, and training programs. These initiatives empower businesses and individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and respond to cyber threats effectively.

    Read Also:Shettima charges pilgrims on global diplomacy, positive Nigerian values

    NITDA’s Cybersecurity Guidelines for Internet Services Providers (ISPs) and NIMC’s Biometric Verification Number (BVN) system are notable initiatives aimed at strengthening cybersecurity in online transactions. The guidelines outline the security measures ISPs must implement to protect user data and ensure the integrity of online communications, including financial transactions. The BVN system assigns a unique biometric identifier to bank customers, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and fraudulent activities in online banking and payment processes.

    Integrating biometric data into authentication processes strengthens identity verification, mitigates risks associated with password vulnerabilities, and enhances user experience in online transactions. Adopting end-to-end encryption (E2EE) ensures that data remains encrypted throughout its entire journey, from the sender to the recipient, without being decrypted at intermediate points vulnerable to interception.

    Educating stakeholders about cybersecurity risks, best practices, and incident reporting protocols is paramount in building a cyber-resilient environment. Implementing secure software development practices, such as secure coding standards, code reviews, and vulnerability assessments during the development lifecycle, mitigates risks associated with software vulnerabilities and exploitable weaknesses.

    As the digital landscape evolves, cybersecurity regulations will also evolve, necessitating ongoing compliance efforts, regulatory alignment, and proactive adherence to cybersecurity best practices. NITDA and NIMC’s engagement with regulatory bodies ensures that cybersecurity measures align with industry standards, legal requirements, and customer expectations for data privacy and security.

    In conclusion, collaboration, innovation, and proactive cybersecurity measures are essential in ensuring safe, reliable, and trustworthy digital financial services. By staying vigilant, embracing technological advancements responsibly, fostering collaboration across sectors, and prioritizing cybersecurity awareness, NITDA, NIMC, and stakeholders can collectively navigate the complexities of cybersecurity in online transactions and uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s digital economy.

    •Shuaib S. Agaka,Kano.