The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Can judiciary save council system in Anambra?

    Can judiciary save council system in Anambra?

    By Chekwube Nzomiwu

    Another opportunity has beckoned for the judiciary to resolve the prolonged impasse in local government administration in Anambra State. Since 1999, Anambra State has witnessed only two democratic transitions at the local government level. Within the same period, there were transitions to five democratically elected administrations at the state-level under different governors. The governors were Chinwoke Mbadinuju (May 1999 to May 2003), Chris Ngige (May 2003-March 2006), Peter Obi (March 2006-March 2014), Willie Obiano (March 2014-March 2022) and Professor Charles Soludo (March 2022 till date). All these administrations had their democratically constituted legislative arms, comprising elected members of the House of Assembly who make laws for the state.

    But, at the local government level the opposite is the case. Rather than conduct election to elect chairmen and councilors for the 21 councils and 326 wards in the state, respectively, governors preferred to run the local government administration with handpicked officials, in contravention of the law and a subsisting judgment of a competent court, which held that the state government cannot impose leaders on the local government areas.

    Section (7) 1 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) guarantees a local government system by democratically elected councils. The constitution further imposes a duty on the state government to ensure the existence of such democratically elected local government. In Anambra State in particular, the Local Government Law of 1999, provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of the local government councils, and for related purposes.

    It will be recalled that the Federal High Court Enugu, in a landmark judgment on suit no. FHC/EN/CS/90/2005, declared that the Anambra State Government has no power to appoint officials to govern local government areas. Justice A. L. Allagoa entered the judgment on September 26, 2006, in favour of an activist and politician, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, who was the sole plaintiff in the matter.

    The judge held that by the combined effect of Section 7 (1) and 318 (i) (c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor of Anambra State has no power for appointment and approval of caretaker management committee, or in whatever name so called, to administer respectively, the 21 Local Government Council Areas in Anambra State.

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    Dr. Okonkwo had complained to the court that he was being denied the right guaranteed him in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right, Cap A, 9 Articles 13 (1) 24; 28 and 29 (2) of the L.F.N.2004 vol. 1, to participate in his domestic government in Idemili South and the third tier of government – the Local Government Council – which Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution decreed.

    In his judgment, Justice Allagoa held that the Anambra State law providing for caretaker committee is inconsistent with Section 7 (1) of the Constitution. “Looking at the provision literally, it is clear that the constitution of the local government by democratic system is guaranteed by the constitution itself. The constitution then imposed a duty on the state government to ensure the existence of such democratically elected local government,” Allagoa said.

    He further made it clear that the powers of the State House of Assembly under Section 7 (1) of the Constitution, to legislate concerning local government councils, clearly did not include power of the state government to appoint caretaker committee to run local government. Consequently, the court ordered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents – the Governor of Anambra State, Anambra State House of Assembly and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State – to pay the sum of N5million as exemplary damages to the plaintiff. The defendants complied with the judgment and it subsists till date.

    Eighteen years after the judgment, governors in Anambra State continue to run local government administration with undemocratically elected officials, wearing the garb of transition committees. The last local government election in Anambra State was held eleven years ago at the twilight of the Obi administration in November 2013. Incidentally, it was the only council polls held during the eight years of Obi administration, which ran the councils with transition committees.

    Piqued by the obstinacy of the governors, Dr. Okonkwo recently dragged Soludo and three of his predecessors to the Federal High Court, Awka Division, over alleged use of undemocratically elected officials to run the councils. In the fresh suit brought through originating summons, he is requesting for nine consequential reliefs/directing orders, premised on the interpretation of the previous judgment of the court in suit no. FHC/EN//CS/2005, delivered on September 26, 2006.

    Listed as 1st to 8th defendants respectively in the latest matter are the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governor of Anambra State, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State, and Anambra State House of Assembly. Others are former governors, Ngige, Obi, Obiano, for themselves and on behalf of their transition chairmen and councilors, and Mr. Livinus Onyenwe for himself and on behalf of transition chairmen under the Soludo administration.

    Besides redefining local government administration in Anambra State, the suit has wider implications. For instance, having acted contrary to the constitution which they swore to uphold, the governors risk being barred by the court from contesting election or occupying public office or seeking for re-election under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In particular, the suit constitutes a threat to the second term ambition of Soludo.

    The plaintiff is also asking for an order to compel the 2nd to 8th defendants to render public account before the court, of all funds, illegally expended by them or agents and privies, during their respective administrations, while executing their illegal and unconstitutional usurpation of offices at the local government council areas in Anambra State, by tampering with public funds, excluding salaries and allowances of local government council employees and workers expenditure. If the court grants the orders, it will serve as a deterrence to governors from usurping the functions of the councils and scare people away from accepting illegal council appointments. It will equally encourage the conduct of local government election.

    The plaintiff is further asking for an order, directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th defendant to publish before the Honourable Court, the FAAC Allocation to the respective 21 local government areas in Anambra State from 2006 to 2024. This will improve accountability in the councils.

    In addition, he is urging the court to order the 1st respondent (the Federal Republic of Nigeria) to put into the effect the unanimously passed resolution of the Senate, asking the Federal Government to halt the statutory allocation of funds to local government area councils, where chairmen and councilors were not democratically elected. Chief Okonkwo demanded for exemplary damages of N100billion in his favour, against the 2nd to 8th defendants. 

    The case will impact positively on the traditional institutions and town unions in Anambra State, which have been bedeviled by crisis as a result of imposition of leaders, giving rise to grassroots autocracy and financial malfeasance. The plaintiff wants an order nullifying/setting aside all the purported directives, financial expenditures, presentment of “Igwe elects” by town unions to chairmen of transition councils, and issuance of certificates of recognition to them as His Royal Highnesses (H.R.H) for government recognition, purportedly made by the illegal and unconstitutionally constituted caretaker/transition committees with effect from September 26, 2006 by the 2nd to 8th defendants, having not been democratically elected.

    • Nzomiwu writes from Awka, Anambra State.

  • Truth behind Kaduna’s debt

    Truth behind Kaduna’s debt

    By Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    SIR: Nobody should have any sympathy for Governor Uba Sani or his political ilk in the murky waters of Kaduna State politics. They know the truth but choose lies above decency when chasing political relevance. He saw the raging inferno, but decided to jump in simply to fulfill a life ambition of occupy the position of a governor. Sani has the audacity to talk about debt burden when he was aware of the negative financial standing of Kaduna State before now. What was he thinking when everything humanly and inhumanly possible was done to make him governor? Has he forgotten so soon that he is there to cover the mess created by his predecessor? This same issue of high debt profile was not hidden before he was handed the governorship ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC), but his ambition compelled him to keep mute like a humble servant. Now that he has achieved his political aim and gained little political ground, he is pretending to be a new creature.

    Senator Shehu Sani was denied re-election to represent Kaduna Central in the National Assembly in 2019 because he kicked against this same loan. When Uba Sani eventually took over representation, he obediently and blindly supported all the loans taken by then Governor Nasir el-Rufai, which he is currently complaining of because he wanted to be governor to the detriment of progress and development. Below was his submission on the loan when the going was good with el-Rufai: “I have assured my colleagues in both the Senate and the House of Representatives that it is not possible for the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, to fail on the promises of his administration regarding the use or disbursement of the loan from the World Bank. I even insist that I, Senator Uba Sani, be held liable if the Governor fails or disappoints. But of course, I know el- Rufai will never fail the people of Kaduna State. I am extremely happy and proud of the role some of us played in securing this loan for Kaduna State.” This was on March 5th, 2020.

    It is ironical that the same man has forgotten so soon the role he played in setting Kaduna twenty years backward. As for the State House of Assembly angling to prove a point or assert its oversight authority, where was the house when el-Rufai reigned supreme? The house was an appendage of the governor and, as such, could not bark let alone bite. In fact, the people of Kaduna know that nothing tangible will come out of this investigation. It is a smokescreen aimed at lining the pockets of the legislators and most importantly diverting the attention of the people from glaring poor governance leading to the suffering of the masses. The current Speaker of the assembly was also a member of the house when the loans were taken. Did he raise an eyebrow even when a section of Makera constituency he represents was sidelined in allocation of project and execution? They were all part of the joint conspiracy to defraud Kaduna people on account of their political interests. Nigerians should pity the uninformed minions who go about making a fuss about the good intention of the Kaduna State governor when, in all honesty, he had an opportunity to save the bad situation but declined.

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    Uba Sani has started the war which he cannot finish. He should take a lesson about the brutality of godfathers from Sim Fubara of Rivers State. Leaving staunch loyalists of the former governor like Hadiza Balarabe, the deputy governor who served under el-Rufai, behind to remain in the same capacity and electing Bello el-Rufai as member representing Kaduna North in the House of Representatives are politically strategic.

    These people are the former governor’s eyes and ears who are capable of deploying their joint political arsenal to fight back and destabilise Uba Sani’s government if care is not taken. The governor should watch his back before the fate of Balarabe Musa befalls him. Already, the Speaker of Kaduna Assembly has cried out concerning alleged intimidation by Bello el-Rufai. Leadership is a continuum with an offer to serve, and it affects lives. Great leaders do not fret in the face of adversity. They find answers to societal problems and leave the past to dwell in the past. The governor cannot feign ignorance of the high handedness, endemic corruption and bad leadership witnessed by Kaduna people during the past administration. The best he should do is to provide answers to the problems of Kaduna people, especially in the areas of rising cases of insecurity and increasing cost of food and essential commodities.

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, sunnyeze02@yahoo.com

  • Threat of disintegration in Sudan

    Threat of disintegration in Sudan

    By Inwalomhe Donald

    SIR: Sudan is at imminent risk of collapsing after one year of violent conflict and is on the verge of mass famine with its food supply decimated and young children now starving to death in its cities, villages, and displacement camps, There is a threat of disintegration in Sudan. It will be difficult to stop Sudan from disintegration because of the attitude of foreign actors inside Sudan. United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been accused of taking sides in the on-going conflict in Sudan.

    The power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into a large-scale conflict in April 2023 and has been driving humanitarian needs in the country ever since. Now, a year since the fighting first broke out, the conflict has directly killed at least 14,700 people, and injured almost 30,000 more.

    Before the conflict, Sudan was already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. Long-term political instability and economic pressures meant that  15.8million people were in need of humanitarian aid. The conflict has only exacerbated these conditions, leaving almost 25million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — in need. Over 8million people have been forced to flee their homes since last April, making Sudan the world’s largest displacement crisis.

    The war that broke out on April 15th, 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Al-Burhane and the Rapid Support Forces of General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, aka “Hemetti,” soon spilled over into Darfur, where the latter comes from.

    It is Arab militiamen, the Janjaweed, who form the bulk of the RSF troops and who in the 2000s, under the command of General Daglo, carried out a scorched earth policy in Darfur, pillaging, raping and killing members of non-Arab ethnic groups on behalf of deposed dictator Omar al-Bashir.

    The fighting quickly turned into a conflict between the Janjaweed Arab militias massively supported by the RSF and the so-called “African,” i.e., non-Arab communities such as the Masalit, who have formed self-defence groups. The latter makeup most victims of the violence.

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    South Sudan President Salva Kiir recently raised an alarm over the war in Sudan, saying the country should not be allowed to split. “Sudan is too important, a country, in the African context, that cannot be abandoned to be consumed by its internal conflict. It cannot be allowed to disintegrate,” said Kiir. He made the remarks during a visit of his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, where they discussed the status of implementation of the September 2018 peace agreement.

    South Africa, Uganda, and Sudan were guarantors of the deal. The African Union entrusted the five member countries with periodic review and evaluation of the status of the agreement. This committee, known as C5, comprises Algeria, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa as the chair.

    The South Sudanese leader explained that Sudan was a buffer zone of turmoil in Africa for it to be allowed to be consumed by its internal conflict. He did not suggest what the continent should do. “And as you know, Sudan is a buffer between the two zones of turmoil in Africa and if it is to be allowed to be consumed by its internal conflict, I think the whole of the heart of Africa, and maybe the whole of Africa, will be bleeding,” he warned.

    Sudan lies between two conflict zones that cut across Africa with ramifications extending from the Atlantic oceans in the west of the Indian Ocean into the east.

    Political analysts say the threat of conflict in this region to global peace is a matter of prime concern to everyone and should not be underestimated. Arresting the current conflict in Sudan will avert inflammation of other wars that could provide a breeding ground for many terrorism groups.

    • Inwalomhe Donald, inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com

  • World of work

    World of work

    By Daniel Ighakpe

    SIR: Unemployment and poverty are two of the major problems currently plaguing Nigeria’s economy and its society. Nevertheless, despite the high rate of unemployment and poverty, the situation is not necessarily hopeless. People can still find some meaningful work to engage in, even though it may be small. And, as one talented Nigerian musician, Sonnie Smyth, sang in his music video entitled: ‘NO WAHALA’: “No wahala, e go better, after today, I go see tomorrow o!”

    If you are unemployed, or cannot find a job in your area of particular interest, it is wise to consider looking for a job in other areas, even if the job is considered ‘menial’ by the standards of some people. Do not allow false pride to let you look down on a job – as beneath your dignity. Any legitimate service that can benefit others, and that people are willing to pay for, can be considered as an alternative job opportunity when jobs are scarce.

    People differ in terms of many characteristics such as intelligence, talents, academic levels, etc. Therefore, depending on human potential and the specific working environment, work can be equally beneficial to the person or demeaning. For example, prostitution, gambling, and drug dealing constitute work, as you get a kind of remuneration for the service you provide. But the money you get out of these kinds of work becomes useless, as it neither contributes to human flourishing, nor is the basis of a meaningful life. Work should be the key to human survival and flourishing, and not to degradation of the individual and his moral values.

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    On the other hand, no matter how honest, working from dawn to sunset does not make your life flourish either. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” goes the popular saying. Workaholics, whose only purpose in life is work, deprive themselves of the enjoyment of engaging in other activities. Productive work is not an end-in-itself, but a means of flourishing. If one pursues productive work to the exclusion of everything else in one’s life, so that it becomes one’s only purpose in life, this will undermine one’s flourishing. On the other hand, those who keep their life balanced are likely to enjoy their work even more.

    So, in conclusion, whether your work is mostly mental, mostly physical, or somewhere in between, recognize that there is dignity in labour. Hard work helps us to care for our material needs. Moreover, it contributes to our self-respect, after all, hard work is just that – hard. When we discipline ourselves to stick with our work – even if it seems boring or difficult – we can have the satisfaction of knowing that we held ourselves to a high standard. We have won the victory over the inclination to take the easy way out. In that sense, work brings an intense feeling of satisfaction.

    God wants us to enjoy the fruitage, or reward, of our hard work. His Word, the Bible says: “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in his hard work. This too, I have realized, is from the hand of the true God.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24.

    • Daniel Ighakpe, Lagos.

  • Imperialists’ imprint on African countries

    Imperialists’ imprint on African countries

    SIR: Western ideology and influence has done nothing but enrich African politicians and elites, yet the general populace are impoverished and oppressed. Education, religion and politics which spear-headed, speeded up development, civilization and technological advancements in the West turned out to be a curse, scam and sort of harbinger of poverty in many African countries. Isolating the separate struggles in countries like Niger, Togo, Guinea, Sudan, Mali, South Africa, Angola, Burkina Faso and Liberia narrate stories of third world countries who take one step forward and two steps backwards.
    Banditry, kidnapping, terrorism even insurgency has persisted in Nigeria due to socio-economic grievances. Ethnic and religious tensions contribute to violence as Christians/Muslims vie for power, resources or autonomy. A songwriter once said; “mushroom mentality is the problem killing Nigeria. It is the cause of tribal wars, it goes with the entitlement of born-to-rule and born-to-serve.”
    The bane of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria are Islamic fundamentalists. We can link them to ISIS, ISWAP, Al-Qaeda, Islamic network, Fulani herdsmen and Islamic terrorists. Nigeria was a British colony (1882-1960) and they cooperated with the Fulani who came through the desert in 18th century. The two imperialists worked together for a common purpose and interests in Nigeria. We may be ignorant of sponsors of terror in the 21st century but it was clear to America and other powerful nations that Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden sponsored terrorism in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s through rebels, anti-imperial groups, guerrillas and Al-Qaeda network. In 1980, President Ronald Reagan ended the cold war.

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    We may not believe every imagination or what the mind conjures, yet the situation of things in Nigeria portends danger, destruction and disaster. As we stand and gaze with our eyes fixed upon the farther shore, there’s no towering height nor glimmer of light coming from Africa. Political leaders do well to protect themselves and their loot (spoils). What then can save African countries if not an imminent shake-up and turnaround? Voters often put their lives at risk in the face of the police, army and other security apparatuses trying to choose who will lead them while the incumbent takes a frustrating decision for re-election and continuity affecting results and outcome of every election.
    Decolonizing Africa in the 21st century is a multifaceted endeavor that requires concerted efforts at political, economic, cultural, and environmental levels. It involves reclaiming identity, sovereignty, and agency in the face of historical injustices and contemporary challenges. Democratic elections in almost all the African countries are shams, plunging the citizenry in shambles. By addressing leadership challenges, Africa can forge a path towards true independence, prosperity, and dignity for its people.


    •Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu Awka

  • Electricity tariff and tyranny of blackouts

    Electricity tariff and tyranny of blackouts

    SIR: The recent decision of the Federal Government to increase electricity tariffs is one that has rankled with a great deal of people, especially because the hike doesn’t result in a higher standard of energy services.
    ‘Up NEPA!!!’ with which Nigerians cheer intermittent power supply has become at once a paradoxically cheerful crumb of triumph and comfort catalyzed in two words, and an elegy for the failure of energy in the country.
    There is also a new termite in the bunker waiting to chew everything to pulp, and it is the tendency of the national grid to collapse unimpeded sporadically, plunging vast swathes of the country into darkness.
    Nigerians have tried so hard to keep the lights on. Not the one from the distribution companies, for it is said that even they use generators; but light like hope that illumines the labyrinth of the heart. Now, the light is going off at the end of the tunnel, Nigerians are at the end of their tethers and all they see is darkness.
    Another fact that is making it impossible for Nigerians to swallow the high tariffs pushed into their faces is that there is no improved energy services to match the rapacious appetite of the regulators to hike tariffs. Inadequate energy supply continues to confront citizens and visitors alike in their many lives as consumers, business owners and service providers. If services are not commensurate with cost, the consumer is entitled to their disgruntlement.
    Those who make, unmake and remake the policies that have kept Nigerians in darkness for decades now must find the humility to admit that their hubris is hurting not just a critical sector, but an entire country. Since cutting the tree from the top isn’t working, can those who wield the axe be humble enough to start from the bottom? Can they unbundle the sector and start again?
    The best resolution for desperate illness is not usually a cure. It is sometimes death, only through which life can begin again, unbundled from previous concerns and unburdened by past niggles. Since various cures have been tried — and failed—for the power sector, it may be time to take a different road. The present road surely forks somewhere.
    Nigeria wanted steady power supply to be its metaphor for returning to democracy after eight years of darkness under military rule. President Olusegun Obasanjo sunk about sixteen billion dollars into the project. But all it has produced until date are long shadows and even longer groans, a landscape populated by non-existent power infrastructure and stifling heat. As usual, the funds have since flown away, finding eternal disappearance in the forests of Nigeria’s corruption. The ensuing darkness has ensured that Nigerians cannot see the wood for the trees.

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    In the face of this regime of extortion, this era of extortionate energy pricing, this propensity to take an arm and a leg for light, and eons of sighs and sneers, what’s this darkness? What is this death of light, this dearth of power?
    Nigerians are uncomplicated consumers who are always willing to pay for what they consume, their tastes are often measured and prudent. In fact, they usually pay even for what they do not consume – that is, until they can no longer pay. Nigerians pay bills even when treated unfairly.
    A case in point is the situation of electricity consumers who are yet to obtain their prepaid meters. Many of them have paid and processed their meters, but are yet to receive them. While what should be a seamless process suffers unnecessary delay, they are billed extortionately and indiscriminately every month. Paired with the costs of other goods and services now, what is visible is a noose overflowing with necks.
    It exhausts scandal that Nigeria remains In literal darkness many years after independence. What is more scandalous is the half-hearted attempts to treat a grave illness with painkillers. If it has not worked, and is not showing any sign that it will work, why do Nigeria’s power-brokers persist with this folly?
    If Nigeria must finally stumble out of this dungeon, then there must be light. As long as it is only darkness, nothing will change. To ask people to pay more for deepening darkness is depredation in daylight. The tariffs are like guns and sheriffs are thieves.


    •Ike Willie-Nwobu,Ikewilly9@gmail.com

  • Petroleum price normalisation at work

    Petroleum price normalisation at work

    SIR: Before the twin policies of fuel subsidy removal and exchange rates unification by President Tibunu’s administration, the official price of petrol (PMS) was about N192, diesel (AGO) N850, kerosene (DPK) N1,100, aviation fuel (Jet-A1) N700, and cooking gas (LPG)/kilogram about N750.
    After implementation of the said policies, the price of petrol went to slightly above N600 and remained there for quite some time despite immediate “consequences” of the policy of the exchange rate unification in the foreign exchange market, which led to the free fall in the value of the naira from the official rate of N414 to above N1,900 in the parallel market.
    Within the same period, the prices of diesel increased from about N850 to about N1, 700; kerosene from N1,100 to about N1, 450; aviation fuel from N700 to about N1,500; and cooking gas from about N750 to about N1, 200. Those who know the parameters in the market know too very well that there was no magic whatsoever that could have retained the price of petrol (PMS) unchanged as we had it unless subsidies were paid whether officially or otherwise.
    Experts in the oil and gas industry will agree with me that had petrol price been truly cost-reflective without any form of subsidy after its acclaimed removal, its price would have since been competing with those of diesel and kerosene. Subsidies were removed in all the by-products of crude oil by the previous governments, but attempts at petrol subsidy removal by various governments at various times were largely resisted.

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    However, the present scarcity of petrol is a process of its actual cost-reflective pricing free from any form of subsidy by the government ahead of the entry of Dangote refinery into the industry. Dangote refinery will very soon start supplying petrol to the market. The entry of Dangote refinery may not bring the cost of fuel below N600 as some people expect because the price we have been paying for the product was not cost-reflective if one puts exchange rate into consideration.
    It is apt to state that with Dangote refinery, the cost of diesel and aviation fuel reduced because there were no subsidies on them, the consumers paid cost-reflective prices on them. Petrol is a different story. The price of petrol may not go back to pre-May 2023 because cost-reflective price has not been charged for the product.
    The reduction of the price of diesel from about N1700 to about N1,100 occasioned by improvement in the value of naira against the dollar and the recent entry of Dangote refinery into the market is a huge relief to the economy. Almost 98% of our heavy duty trucks which move all kinds of goods to various destinations for our consumption use diesel as fuel. Most of our local industries use diesel for their operations, while most of our private cars use petrol. If the price of diesel stays at its present level or goes lower, we will likely see its impact on the prices of goods!
    Few days to the end of president Obasanjo’s administration in 2007 , 51% stakes of our moribund Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries were privatized to a business consortium led by Aliko Dangote with the aims of resuscitating them for local refining, but soon after the late President Yar’Adua took over, he revoked the transaction. It is interesting to note that Dangote was granted private refinery licence by the Buhari administration, which he built from scratch. The Federal Government under President Buhari bought 20% stakes through NNPL. It is worth noting that, 20% of whatever will be generated by the refinery will go to the Nigerian government.
    Our optimism about the refinery is that it is expected that it will have positive impact on the Nigerian economy by reducing our dollar demand for refined products importation, and increase dollar supply from the export of its excess refined products. If that happens, it will strengthen the naira against the dollar which hopefully will benefit the economy.
    The refinery’s 650,000 barrel production capacity is about 120million litres, which is more than our about 50 million litres local demand daily. It is expected to meet 100 percent of our consumption requirement when fully operational. It is projected to save Nigeria up to $10billion in foreign exchange and generate another $10billion in exports. It will save Nigeria about $9bn a year from importing petroleum products.


    •Nurudeen Dauda,Kaduna

  • DSTV and corporate greed

    DSTV and corporate greed

    Where corporate greed will lead DSTV, the pay-TV and its content company, Multichoice, only the market can tell. What is clear though is DSTV’s reflex these days is to hike subscription rates without thinking.
    Does that push further entrench DSTV as the Nigeria pay-TV operational monopoly? Or does it push it to its virtual grave, by its annoying hikes at the drop of a hat, pushing its subscribers to rally a rival competitor to take its place?
    Again, only the market will tell!
    DSTV’s fixation with hiking rates is clear. It has hiked its subscription thrice in 12 months, though those 12 months spill from 2023 to 2024: April 2023, November 2023 and now, in April 2024, it is giving notice of a further hike, effective 1 May 2024.

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    A pseudo-contrite DSTV was all cant, in its hike message: “We understand the impact this change may have on our valued customers and partners, but the rise in the cost of business operations has led us to make this difficult decision.” Haven’t we heard all of this before?
    That appears the only thing coming out of DSTV these days. Were every firm to behave like DSTV, let’s just say Nigeria’s inflation level would have been something else. It takes that risk because it’s an operational monopoly that feels it can always get away with subscription hikes. Well, good luck.
    It’s latest hikes are, to say the least, obscene: the Premium bouquet jumps from a N29, 500 monthly rate to N37, 000; Compact+, the next in the hierarchy: N19, 800 to N25, 000; Compact: N12, 500 to N15, 700; and the lower packages: Confam: N7, 400 to N9, 300; Yanga: N4, 200 to N5, 100; Padi: N2, 950 to N3, 600.
    The most annoying thing is as DSTV hikes take mathematical leaps, its content takes a geometrical dip, sapping subscribers with a Thomas Malthus warning of viewing doom, while they pay more.
    Both the quantum and quality of its offerings are dipping, with the annoying repetition of old films and low quality of new ones. By the way, can the present quality of “Tinsel”, its longest running serial in Nigeria, match the standard when “Tinsel” made its debut? Then, compare its latest epics like “Itura” the Yoruba epic, with its loose plots and many gaps, with “Ajoche” (the Idoma epic) and “Riona” (the Itsekiri one). How many of its current series can hold a candle to “Hotel Majestic”?
    If DSTV and Multichoice, its content czar, were to look themselves in the mirror, they’d find they now charge more money for relative junk.
    Well, it’s a democracy and market suicide is a choice. Let them keep at it. When subscribers vote with their feet, they’ll get the message from their market grave. By then, DSTV would be an excellent case study of how corporate greed is excellent grave for greedy brands.
    It’s time a viable competitor came to put DSTV out of its market arrogance, just as it was when HItv was around to checkmate DSTV’s excesses.

  • Minimum wage delay

    Minimum wage delay

    It’s impossible to have a new national minimum wage in Nigeria before the end of May, when the President Bola Tinubu administration will mark its first anniversary, according to the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC). Its president, Festus Osifo, said the body’s National Executive Council, on April 25, “discussed the issue of minimum wage and that the government has to do everything possible to ensure that this is fast tracked because the only way you can inflate your economy is when you empower the working class.” 

    This gives the impression that the Federal Government is responsible for the delay. The National Minimum Wage Committee is made up of representatives of the federal government, state governments, the private sector and organised labour. 

    Last year, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, was reported saying the N30,000 national minimum wage would expire at the end of March 2024, adding, “Certainly, there is a new wage regime that will come in on April 1, 2024.” That did not happen.

    Osifo also observed that “the last wage award that was paid to the federal workers was February 2024 and that of March and April that is just ending have not been paid.” TUC called on the Federal Government to “immediately release the payment of wage award for March 2024 and April 2024 and to ensure regular payments moving forward, so that at the end of April, when salary is coming in, the wage award is also paid until the new minimum wage is put in place as agreed in the communique of October 2 of 2023.”

    Read Also: New minimum wage: May 1 not feasible, says TUC President

    The Tinubu presidency had reached an agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC, following the dispute that arose from the removal of fuel subsidy and the threat of a nationwide strike by the unions.

    The Tinubu administration had approved the payment of a wage award of N35,000 monthly, for six months, to all federal government workers, starting from September 2023, and “pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.” The administration should honour the agreement. 

    TUC identified state governments that have performed poorly “in terms of payment of wage award, in terms of putting palliatives in place,” naming Benue, Anambra, Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi and Katsina states. These state governments can be described as spoilers.

    The new minimum wage is overdue since the old one has expired. The issue should be resolved without further delay.

  • Why government must protect Air Peace from strangulation

    Why government must protect Air Peace from strangulation

    SIR: In the aviation sector of the economy, Nigeria and Britain signed an agreement which is known as Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). This agreement entails that Nigerian- owned airlines should be permitted to land in British primary airports like Heathrow, while British-owned airlines should be permitted access to Nigerian primary airports like Abuja and Lagos international airports.

    Paradoxically, the British government has been observing this voluntary agreement in the breach whereas Nigeria has complied fully with the agreement. The Nigerian government allows British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and other airlines to be doing business in both Abuja and Lagos international airports.

    Air Peace, owned by a Nigerian compatriot, Allen Onyema, sought international flight to the United Kingdom for over seven good years without success. A lot of bureaucratic bottlenecks and aero politics were strewn on his path against granting his airline access to the lucrative Lagos-London route. He faced a lot of bitter politics and recriminations from both Nigeria and Britain to make his dream come true.

    Against the foregoing background, when his dream finally became real under the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on March 30th, 2024, most Nigerians of good spirit were elated about the event. The British government most perfunctorily granted Air Peace access to the Gatwick airport in southern London against his desire for Heathrow airport in central London. Nonetheless, it was not a mean feat by Air Peace.

    Curiously, immediately Air Peace entered into the lucrative Lagos-London route, foreign airlines, which have been milking Nigerians and exploiting them, devised a devious scheme to frustrate Air Peace out of business. Their  latest strategy is to crash their fares below what Air Peace is charging. Before the entrance of Air Peace into that busy international route, these exploitative foreign airlines were charging as high as over five million naira for the economy class for a journey of six hours. Their business class was as high as 16 million naira. Air Peace airline crashed the economy class to as low as one million four hundred thousand (1.4 million) naira.

    These exploitative foreign airlines are reportedly reducing their economy class to six hundred thousand naira from their hitherto four million naira. Shouldn’t this be an eye opener to the Nigerian government that without the intervention of Air Peace, these monopolistic foreign airlines would have continued to exploit Nigerian travelers? When was the last time these foreign airlines reduced their fares prior to Air Peace’s intervention? Doesn’t their latest action of fares reduction clearly show that their intention is to drive Air Peace out of that route just the same way they chased Arik, Bellview and other Nigerian-owned airlines out of that route?

    Read Also: Ohaneze lauds Air Peace for Lagos-London flight operations

    If Nigeria’s struggling economy must grow, the Nigerian government must protect and support local entrepreneurs against foreign monopoly and strangulation. The Nigerian government demonstrated this aphorism during the telecommunication era. Without the intervention of Globacom, which is owned by a Nigerian, foreign telecommunication outfits would have exploited Nigerians unquantifiably. It was Globacom that made it possible for Nigerians to be billed per second. Foreign competitors said it was not possible until Glo made it possible, and they followed suit. These foreign telecommunication outfits are careful with Nigerian consumers today because Nigerians have an alternative in Globacom.

    Nigerian government must protect and save Air Peace from strangulation through tax rebate and even subsidy payment to stop the monopoly of the foreign airlines on London-Lagos route. Nigerians stranded in London can never be brought back to the country free of charge by these exploitative foreign airlines, but Air Peace can do that in the event of an emergency. The airline had done that in the past when Nigerians were stranded in South African xenophobic attacks, those in the Russia-Ukraine war, Sudan, among others were airlifted back to the country free of charge by Air Peace.

    Air Peace’s intervention on the Lagos-London route should be seen in the context of the Nigerian Super Eagles playing in the World Cup football tournament, which usually unites all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion. The situation Air Peace has found itself should elicit concerted outrage against foreign airlines and should never be viewed from ethnic prism. In any case, when will a Nigerian airline survive foreign conspiracy if the Nigerian government doesn’t support it or should we surrender to foreign airlines forever on that airline route?

    • Ifeanyi Maduako Owerri