The Nation Newspaper

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  • Civil unrest as anathema to foreign direct investments

    Civil unrest as anathema to foreign direct investments

    • By Olufemi Adedamola Oyedele

    Civil unrest is fighting between different groups of people or causing of mayhem by people living in the same community. Civil unrest includes violent protests. Losses caused by this fighting are usually not covered by insurance. Destructive protests are usually classified as civil unrest as protests are not meant to be destructive but peaceful. The constitutions of all civilised nations provide for the right of the people to peaceful protest. The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 40 of the constitution provides that: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons and he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests”. The only restriction on and derogation from peaceful assembly of people is in section 45 of the constitution.

    Section 45 of the 1999 constitution states that: (1) “Nothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society;  (i) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health;…”

    This shows that the right of the citizens to protest ends where the rights of other citizens to defence of their lives and properties, safety, orderliness in the society, public morality or public health begin. Since the criminal law of the nation proscribed arson, it will not be in the line of peaceful protest for anybody to set properties (private or public) like buildings, roads, bridges and vehicles on fire during protest. The acts of clamping down an economy or destroying properties are features of war and not peaceful protest which the constitution provides for. The constitution did not have looting of assets in mind during protests.

    Protests are statements or actions expressing disapproval of, disagreement with or objection to something or development in the society other than to democratically elected government which the constitution (written or unwritten) states can only be rejected in the polls. A feature of civil unrest is running down of economic activities through clamping down of the economy. So, when protesters are blocking the roads with the aim of stopping people from carrying out their ‘day-to-day’ activities or pulling down structures or putting buildings on fire and taking law into their hands, they are in war and not protesting. On May 2, 45 people were arrested after protesters and police clashed during a protest in southeast London (Peckham) over the planned transfer of asylum seekers to the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset, according to BBC News. Normal people do not resort to assault while protesting.

    The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police known for its long record of abuse against Nigerian citizens, especially the youths before October 11, 2020. It was on October 10, 2020, that the youths started a protest to end the oppression, extortion and victimisation of the citizens by SARS operatives. On October 11, 2020, Muhammed Adamu, then Inspector General of Police (IGP), announced that the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other tactical squads have been stopped from carrying out their operations including traffic checks “with immediate effect”. During the End-SARS protest of October 2020, there was economic losses amounting to over N200 billion (USD486.40 million) due to physical damage according to reports. Supermarkets were torched, shops looted, Lekki Toll Gate and part of Television Continental (TVC) were burnt and about 150 Lagos State buses which were used for public transport were burnt down. Over N400 billion (USD972.80 million) were lost due to economic clampdown for 10 days.

    Read Also: Economic sabotage: NNPCL, NMDPRA, others deny complicity

    Foreign businesses like Shoprite where groceries are sold and Samsung and Games, where electronics are sold, were mainly the targets of looters and miscreants. The Circle Mall, Osapa at the Fifth Roundabout, Lekki, Lagos, accommodating the biggest Shoprite in Lagos, experienced serious vandalism and arson and has not been rehabilitated up till today. Nigerian growing economy depends more on foreign direct investment (FDI) for survival. Foreign investors have apathy for civil unrest in that they are always at a loss when this unrest occurs and their investments are affected. During one of the mayhem in Lagos State in 2023, a lorry full of yams was looted by ‘area boys’. Only God knows the condition of the owner of the yams today. Foreign investors carry out risk analysis before they establish business in any nation apart from measuring the purchasing power parity of the people of the country. At times they engage risk assessors to carry out the risk under PESTLES analysis.

    PESTLES analysis is the assessment of the political, economic, social, technology, environmental, and security risks of the nation. Where a nation is under incessant civil unrest, the security risk will be high as the products of the foreign investors, either in stores, warehouses and in transit, can be looted or torched. Insurance premium for loss of goods and loss of income in countries with high security threats will be high and profit low. In a situation where there are alternative countries that the investors can invest in, the high security risk nations will lose the investment.

    Nigerians, as citizens of an oil producing country is supposed to have high purchasing power parity if not for the high rate of corruption in the country and high rate of unemployment. Nigeria should be attractive to foreign investors except for the high security risks. All hands must be on deck to prevent violent protests in the country to attract foreign investors into our business environment.

    • Oyedele, an estate surveyor and valuer, writes from Lagos.

  • The Nigerian syndrome

    The Nigerian syndrome

    • By Leonard Karshima Shilgba

    The Nigerian refuses responsibility, but pushes it to the “leaders”. Let’s consider an example: If you frequently ride the train on the Itakpe-Warri line, you would have noticed that the toilets at train stations along the route and on the train coaches are without water! Passengers are often dehumanised: men and women are made to ease themselves in the bushes around (polluting the environment)! And if you are in natural need while on board, may heaven help you. You see overhead water tanks at those stations, but there is no water in them. This is not the responsibility of “leaders” in Abuja o. It is the responsibility of “ordinary” staff of NRC at those train stations, who would rather collect money from desperate passengers (who could not book their trip online because seats have been fully booked) and push them aboard without seats!

    Additionally, those NRC staff have failed to either keep the train stations neat or the facilities working (including the television system for passengers) blame the “leaders!

    What Nigerians often blame in their “leaders” is a thriving virus within themselves!

    Ungrateful Nigerian: You would find a Nigerian claiming they have benefitted nothing from Nigeria. He has attended or attends a highly subsidized federal university where the whole fees up to graduation is less than N800,000 ($500), and receives highly subsidized medical care from a government hospital. This ungrateful Nigerian doesn’t pay taxes; he vandalizes public property: as they build and construct, he cannibalizes. Yet, he blames Nigeria’s challenges on “corrupt leaders”.

    Read Also: AGSOBA celebrates 116th Founder day, brainstorms on Japa syndrome

    The Nigerian always sees the greener field “abroad”: The Nigerian receives subsidized education in Nigeria, becomes a medical doctor, and fights any attempts to make him serve his country for a few years before taking the “japa” bug. Oh, how Nigerians hate Nigeria, and do everything they can to destroy her! The rush to anywhere “abroad” is a mad one.

    “Don’t blame Nigerians, blame their leaders,” someone may say. Take a flight backwards in time, and start counting from 1999: Many of the “leaders”, political leaders in Nigeria today, were like you 25 years ago: unknown, unsung, just “ordinary” Nigerians complaining against “corrupt and incompetent leaders”, just as you are doing today. What you need is not from “abroad”. People build their country. “They have not given me an opportunity,” you defend yourself. They gave you an opportunity to receive subsidized education; how many opportunities do you need? Life is hard. Create the opportunity that you need; by the way, there are Nigerians who are building, creating, founding, and doing great things in Nigeria. Some of you Nigerians that have “japa” are living in very degrading circumstances, but for the banal fun of “I am living overseas”. Don’t misread me: some of you have decent purpose and living abroad. I was once one of you.

    Ignorant Nigerian: Have you ever come across an ignorant Nigerian arguing confidently, yet ignorantly from an uninformed position? Many Nigerians read junk (comedies, gossips, etc.) on social media. They don’t have appetite for economics, law, political development, civics, or mathematics. How can we build a nation with so many ignorant people, who DON’T READ, but feast on rumours?

    Correct a Nigerian, oh, he will let you know that he is not a “fool”; but he has just said it, not you!

    As I listen in to Nigerians, observe them, read them, and try to engage them, I am afraid for Nigeria for the egregious preponderance of ignorance. The people don’t understand the significance of government’s fiscal, monetary, or social policies. All they do is cry “Things are hard, give us food, bring back fuel subsidy, make a litre of petrol N167, make the exchange rate N300 to $1…”

    Ah, and some of those Nigerians are university graduates! They believe that economic change is by decree, and that their “leaders” wish them death by refusing to pronounce the economic decree.

    They overlook the local and state governments in their search for welfare and fix their gaze and expectation on the federal government. When shall those Nigerians READ? Almost N50 out of every N100 shared for Nigerians is to the local and state governments! During the #EndBadGovernance protests, it was reported that one state governor told protesters, “I will collect and pass on your complaints to the president”.

    I was shocked at such display of ignorance on both sides!

    Sense of entitlement: Nigerians often believe that Nigeria owes them. Nigeria means its citizens. Who owes you, Nigerian, and who do you owe? You Nigerian belong to a family in which you have certain responsibilities. If you live a dependent life as an adult within your small family, caring for no one, but expecting from everyone, you are a burden on the nation. And aggregation of people like you is a threat to Nigeria. There are Nigerian men who have more children than their incomes can support. After doing all the marrying and producing of children without government’s endorsement, they blame government for not “helping” them, while they pay no taxes. But government is like a community cooperative. Members make a regular contribution, and each withdraws according to what they have put in. What have you put into Nigeria? Haven’t you withdrawn more than you have put in?

    We need Nigerians that build. And if you can’t build, neither must you pull down.

    • Shilgba, PhD is professor of Mathematics, Admiralty University of Nigeria.
  • Dangote refinery: The danger of a single narrative

    Dangote refinery: The danger of a single narrative

    • By Richard Akinnola II

    When the Dangote refinery controversy blew up, naturally as someone wired to support anyone l perceive to be oppressed, this time, Dangote, l lined up in support of the richest man in Africa.

    I perceived he was being unduly treated by the Downstream and Midstream regulators, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). For days, l had heated arguments with people with opposing views on this matter. However, Ademola Adigun, one person l respect, cautioned that people should not be too emotive on this matter but seek knowledge. I took that as a challenge.

    While several groups of people, including one of my constituencies -the civil society, have made pilgrimages to the humongous site of the Dangote refinery, unarguably, the largest private refinery in world, l decided, what in my opinion was sifting facts from emotion. The issue has even reverberated in the hallowed chambers of the House of Representatives, where the ad hoc committee set up to investigate the issue, among other issues in the upstream and midstream petroleum section, was dissolved on Monday.

    In a report today by Daily Nigeria, the Speaker, Abbas Tajuddeen, dissolved the committee over alleged compromise by some members of the committee who had exculpated the richest man in Africa, even before the assignment kicked off.

    From my findings, there are three major critical issues that are affecting the operations of Dangote Refinery

    Crude supply feedstock

    It does appear that when Dangote was building the refinery, there were no proper arrangements on ground on how he will get feedstock for the refinery. His refinery is the largest single train refinery in the world. Nobody builds and opens a refinery of this magnitude without refinery agreement to get feed stock.  Dangote didn’t have a feedstock agreement for his refinery.

    I have read where some people claimed that he has an agreement with NNPC Ltd but that arrangement was not a feed stock agreement. What happened with the NNPC arrangement was that during the project building phase, Dangote Refinery project got stuck and NNPC Ltd got the approval of the President to take equity. Subsequently, the NNPC got a loan and paid $1bn as part of the 20 per cent equity while the rest was to be paid in crude supply.

    The lack of feedstock was part of Dangote’s problem and he is now sourcing feedstock when the refinery is powered. So far, NNPC Ltd has given him 39 cargoes.

    Crude oil prices

    Dangote’s claim that IOCs are selling crude oil to him at $6 per barrel above international price doesn’t seem to be true. What l discovered is that crude oil has different grades. What he got from the US is WTI and the price is not the same as others.

    Another key issue under-pricing is that the margin of sale of crude oil is different because it is an international business.  There is what is called market margin and it is usually from $1.5 to up to $20 per barrel.

    There are several crude grades and Dangote Refinery uses different grades of crude to blend. So, when Dangote said he is importing from the United States, it is because he needs it as part of the grades to be used to blend in his refinery to produce petroleum products. His refinery needs several percentage of Bonny light, WTI and others to be able to blend very well. But he is using the fact that he imports from US to give the impression that he is importing from US and other countries, when in actual fact, is that he is sourcing different crude grades to blend!

    Another critical point of under-pricing is that the marketers buy this crude grades and add their own margin which ranges from $1.5 to $20 but the Nigerian government is giving it to Dangote at a margin of $0.5 per barrel which to me seems to me to be a good deal for him.

    Read Also: Dangote refinery: CSOs to monitor NNPCL crude sales compliance

    One other contentious issue is that Dangote is also persuading the regulator, to persuade the International Oil Companies to give him crude but the IOCs cannot do that because they have Production Sharing Contract (PSC) with the Nigerian government. Through the PSC, the IOCs produce, give Nigeria government its share and take the share of their crude and sell to marketers. Dangote didn’t enter any agreement with the IOCs to give him feedstock. What people must also know is that these IOCs borrow money from banks, invest in equipment, drill the oil fields, give government its share and take theirs, sell, recover their costs and make further investments.

    Also, Dangote wants to use the local refinery obligation to obfuscate issues but this is not working for him because the local refinery obligation, according to the PIA, is based on a willing buyer and willing seller arrangement.  This means the product must be available, and the parties must agree on the price in line with Section 109 of the PIA, which deals with the National Crude Oil Requirement of Refineries. The section states that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission shall base the allocation of the domestic crude oil supply obligation applicable to the respective lessees on the National Crude Oil Demand requirement supply curve, which is the supply curve of crude oil or condensate that can be supplied on a voluntary basis at the prevailing international market price.

    Downstream

    On the controversial issue of licensing of Dangote Refinery, while it has the license to build the plant, the refinery does not have license that covers other parts of its operations.

    For monopoly, Dangote is asking the regulator to direct all oil marketers to get petroleum products from his refinery.  But the question to ask is: Can Dangote guarantee Nigeria three billion litres of petroleum products per day in strategic national reserves for 32 days and not sell it? For the regulator to give Dangote that monopoly that he asking means that the business of other oil marketers would be killed and this is against the policy of deregulation because marketers should be allowed to import so there can be healthy competition.

    Another contentious issue is the sulphur content in the petroleum products. It was reported in the media that the NMDPRA has minimum of 11 staff members in Dangote Refinery and all other local refineries. The test of the petroleum products from the refinery are done daily and sent to the regulator. This means the regulator knows what they are saying when they stated that the product is inferior.

    One worrisome aspect of the whole arrangement is that Dangote will need a minimum of $1.8bn working capital to operate the refinery and no bank would be willing to give it to him because he appears to be at a financial tight corner. This was further confirmed with Monday’s International Fitch ratings which downgraded the Dangote industries Limited, reflecting the precarious liquidity position of the business conglomerate.

    The report stated inter alia that the group’s liquidity position, “followed lower than expected disposal proceeds, operational and financial underperformance compared to our prior expectations, also affected by local currency devaluation, and lack of contracted backup funding to repay its significant debt facilities maturing on 31 August 2024….We view the lack of DIL’s audited accounts for 2023 as a corporate governance issue. The RWN reflects uncertainty related to the group’s ability to refinance maturing debt.

    “Lack of tangible steps to refinance or repay the maturing debt would lead to further downgrade while we do not expect a positive rating action until the company’s liquidity position improves substantially.”

    I love Dangote and his can-do spirit, the reason l initially was emotive when this controversy broke. My study of the whole scenario has however changed my perspective. I want him to succeed but he too has to do the needful. The monopolistic mind-set which he carried from his cement business cannot work in the deregulated petroleum sector. More importantly, he needs a pragmatic approach to solve his liquidity challenges in this petroleum sector, which, with the benefit of hindsight, he underestimated, based on the seeming hand-in-gloves relationship he had with the previous leadership of the CBN, where it appeared he had “easy” access to funds.

    Soji Adekunmbi, an Abuja based public policy analyst, in an article in The Cable, proffered solutions to Dangote to enable him navigate the humongous financial quagmire he seems to have found himself, when he posited: “A few options are available to Dangote but the most viable of them is that he should consider divesting some of his shares in the refinery. It may seem a difficult option but it is the best for him given the circumstances.

    There are business entities who took a similar path when confronted with some of the challenges seemingly facing Dangote. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi government sold Aramco, the national oil company to the public when it faced difficulties.

    Even Microsoft founder, Bill Gates sold off a majority of his stake in the company retaining a mere five percent interest in the business. Gates took that route after facing anti-trade court cases following Microsoft’s monopolistic nature, which had caused the collapse of several IT companies.

    Dangote should do the needful by selling shares to Nigerians as it is obvious given the intricate nature of business in the oil and gas sector particularly the huge capital outlay required to keep a business going, he cannot pull it off alone.”

    • Akinnola is a lawyer and civil rights activist.
  • The anatomy of street protest

    The anatomy of street protest

    • By Mike Kebonkwu

    Protest and riot is not one and the same thing; we do not need Google or a textbook definition to know this. However, a protest may be peaceful or violent depending on the material condition and existing realities on ground.  Protest is a universal tool of dialogue by other means when negotiation breaks down, or whenever the authorities ignore the demands of the people. 

    Protest may rightly be called a political tool when used to make demand on government for socio-economic change of the material condition of the people.   Protest is used to draw attention to demands for changes in the living condition of the people due to policies of government; it is a legitimate tool.  The Nigerian youths and students have been noted to engage the government for political demands to fund education and improve the socio-economic conditions of the masses.  In the 1980s and 1990s, the youths and other progressive forces staged massive protests across the country against IMF and World Bank loans and austerity measures like removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of national currency.  It was also the sustained protests of the youths and Nigerian people that led the military to hand over power to civilians in the democracy that we are enjoying today. 

    Nobody should attempt to take away that liberty and right enshrined in the constitution.  This is the zoomer generation; the Gen Z with a body of knowledge the world had never known; it is internet-driven; they are highly impatient and want quick results. 

    Why are people on the street protesting in Nigeria?  The street dialogue is not peculiar to Nigeria; the colour is red in Kenya, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, America etc. in carnivals of protests making demands on their governments.

    In all good conscience, we cannot close our eyes to the pervasive insecurity across the land, high cost of living, youths’ unemployment and hunger that have driven the populace to the edges. Protest is a universal article of right in a free democratic society. It is pedestrian to conclude that because the words, ‘day of rage’ or ‘revolution now’ are used then it is conclusive that it is intended at regime change or violent.  We should stop behaving as if there is a dividing line between the citizens and government one against the other, No!

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a secured four year term, sealed and delivered and renewable come 2027 all things being equal.  Government should not be scared of dialogue on the street by citizens in exercise of their democratic right to protest.  The president himself had been part of many progressive protests in the past leading to the return to civil rule in the country. In Nigeria, right to protest is a constitutionally guaranteed right and cannot be taken away even by the court under any guise; when a court is misled to give an order taking away the right to protest, that order is null and void ab initio. A community reading of Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution which confer the right to protest has attached to it the right to freedom of movement. 

    The security agents and members of the Armed Forces of the federal republic have responsibility to maintain peace; they are to protect citizens in their enjoyment of constitutional rights, including when exercising the right to protest. It would therefore be inappropriate for the police and security forces to threaten Nigerians who want to exercise their democratic rights. They took oath to protect the constitution and by their action they should not escalate a crises situation and make it turn violence or riotous. 

    When they claim that they have intelligence of those who want to infiltrate the protest and hijack it, their duty is to go after those elements and grab them rather than prevent Nigerians from exercising their democratic rights. They should stop trading on propaganda and threat and should not shoot at peaceful protesters.  The demands of the protesters are not personal and police and other law enforcement agents are not inured from the hardship facing the land.

    There was a needless panic by the government in reaction and management of the protest. Enlisting traditional rulers and religious clerics rather than engage the organizers of the protest was not a very tactical way to avoid the protests; after all these institutions have not been seen to be on the side of the masses. Government has to stop negotiating and engaging the people and peaceful protesters with lethal force or sponsor hooligans to infiltrate and hijack the protest.  They are elected by the people and the same people have the right to draw their attention to their living conditions through constitutional means of protest. You cannot take it away; government will come and go but the people will remain!  

    Read Also: Medical doctors defy rain, embark on street protest over kidnapped member

    We saw the Arab Spring in 2011 which became violent because of mismanagement of the crises by the authorities and governments thereby leading to serious political changes in some countries.  The Arab Spring changed and radicalized the hitherto conservative feudal society and destroyed one of the best models of benevolent dictatorship in Africa, talking about Libya. If Nigeria breaks up into its different component ethnic nationality, the ruling elite will be worse for it because they have built enemies and walls round themselves that they cannot escape from. We should stop deepening the ethnic fault lines by inflammatory rhetoric and hate speeches.  Hunger has no colour of tribe and ethnicity; it has no religion.  That the Southeast backed down during the protest does not make hunger or insecurity less in the region; it was a product of the blackmail and political naivety of sectarian campaigns embarked upon by their leaders. 

    Moving forward, it is not too late in the day for the government to engage the organizers of this protest whose leadership is very well known and address their demands. It is not an issue of pride or defeat; it is a proper political engagement because the issues are real irrespective of the wrong imputation of regime change.  The cost of governance is prohibitive and government must cut cost and not be seen to increase the wage bills and spending by creating unnecessary ministries and departments. There ought to be mergers of existing ministries as captured by the Oronsaye Commission. 

    The African youths have come of age to make demands on their governments for transformation and development.  Citizens cannot afford basic food and necessities of life; our currency has lost value.  The political class live large mocking the poor masses.  The president should be perceptive enough to know that his appointees are not making a good job of their assignment from the outcome of this protest.  His critics are not his problems but want him to do something differently to succeed.

    • Kebonkwu Esq writes from Abuja.
  • The north after the protests

    The north after the protests

    • By Tunde Olusunle

    Usman Yusuf, professor in the medical sciences is working hard at being a voice of opposition. He cut a controversial image during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari during which he headed the National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS). He was fingered for a bouquet of infractions under his watch and was serially upbraided by the minister who superintended over his brief, the health minister, Professor Isaac Adewole. Yusuf was subsequently eased out of office after which he became a notable critic. He thereafter severally chastised Buhari for his below par performance and the massive looting of state resources under his watch. This was even as the former president postured as being incorruptible.

    The social media recently availed us the video clip of one of Usman Yusuf’s fire-spitting interviews. His thesis on this occasion is to the effect that northern leaders and their followers are complicit in the security quandary of their part of the country. Away from the Buhari misadventure, Yusuf believes that the north has neither deployed nor synergised its agglomeration of resources to impact on the security and economic situation up north. While the area may not have a sitting president, a position in which Buhari failed to impact his region, Yusuf maintains that the north is not short of capacity in the incumbent governance pyramid. Professor Yusuf references the fact that the: Vice President, Kashim Shettima, (Borno); Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, (Kaduna) and the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu from (Adamawa), are all from the north.

    The two Ministers of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, (Jigawa) and Bello Matawalle, (Zamfara), are both from neighbouring states in the northwest. Instructively, this is the first time in contemporary Nigerian political history that two sitting Ministers of Defence, are from the same geopolitical zone. The two ministers manning the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, (Yobe) and Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, (Nasarawa) are also from the north. Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS), Christopher Gwabin Musa, (Kaduna); the Director-General, State Security Services, (SSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, (Kano) and his counterpart at the National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, (Katsina), are similarly from the north. Let’s hope that this mammoth concentration of the leaderships of virtually all critical intelligence and security formations and services in the country, does not stir murmurs and grumbling from sections of the land. Reading this reality, many parts of the country will feel genuinely underrepresented in these critical sectors.

    The 10-day nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance kicked off on Thursday August 1.. Governors and leaders in many states engaged with their constituents and talked them out of participation in the programme. Groups and associations in many states also opted out of the exercise preferring to hold government to account on its promises. In many cities and towns, processions snowballed into uncontrollable chaos, unmanaged violence, destruction and looting. This was witnessed in predominantly northern locations. Hoodlums, vagrants and almajiris infiltrated the ranks of otherwise altruistic protesters, visiting lawlessness and utter brigandage on multibillion naira public and privately owned facilities and infrastructure.

    Read Also: Protest: Keep faith with Tinubu – Mba, Umahi urge southeast

    Shopping complexes, government establishments, warehouses were among investments intentionally and viciously vandalised by the rampaging mob. The propensity of low-lifers to the holistic ruination of everything in sight was evidenced in Kano. Protester-vandals mustered implements like diggers and hammers and chiselled concrete pallets laid across drainages for use by automobiles. The scenes as recorded real-time by television stations, reminds of the same mindlessness with which metal slippers on railway tracks are stolen and sold. It brings back to the teary mind the metal components of our bridges and roads, and even our traffic lights and street lights are harvested and sold by scrap metal merchants. You want to weep for Nigeria.

    The Nigerian police and its sister agencies attempted the containment of the bedlam in places, even as the mob outstripped their numbers in instances. There have been casualties across the land with the media reporting the felling of at least a dozen mobsters tallied from frontlines of engagement. Borno and Niger states accounted for a sizeable percentage of the casualties, while several more sustained gashes and grazes in various degrees. Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), reported the loss of one of his men on the first day of the brawl. Christopher Musa the CDS commended the professionalism of the police in managing the uprising, while assuring of the readiness of the military to intervene in the event that the police was overwhelmed.

    Governors in some states, notably Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Jigawa, have had to declare curfews to minimise the wholesale disorder. Not one state in the nation’s south has declared a sit-at-home for its constituents not because there were no protests, but because the exercise was maturely and peacefully prosecuted. Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State was launching a “back to land” agricultural programme to boost agricultural production, while the protest was supposed to be in its third day, elsewhere. Yet, the morning after in many northern capitals and cities, carcasses of multibillion naira structures wilfully incinerated by numskulls; ashes from bonfires made of rubber tyres; wilted tree branches, dot the face of the earth. Smithereens of glass; stones and pebbles; canisters of expended pepper spray; empty plastic bottles, drained sachets of water, carpet the lonesome streets.

    Again a reversal of the clock of development as rebuilding and rehabilitation of damaged resources begin from scratch, particularly up north. Professor Usman Yusuf invites the northern leadership and political class to begin a process of genuine soul-searching if it aims to crawl out of the multifaceted morass in which it has practically plunged itself. Statistics from the National Bureau for Statistics, (NBS) and similar bodies local and international, have never been wavered in quoting lower developmental indices across board for the north, relative to the south of the country. In the specific sectors of education, healthcare, industrialisation, employment, the global north is way behind the south. Protesters in Kano looted every moveable item in the National Library of Nigeria outpost in the city. Yet they didn’t pick one single book! The more forward-looking states in the north which give southern entities a run for their figures would be Kogi, Kwara and Benue.

    Beyond the all-too-well-known convergences under various names and monikers, the northern region will require more than a one-day meeting in Kaduna the political headquarters of the north to surgically dilate and dissect the issues afflicting the region. It needs to have a global workshop spanning a few days to jaw-jaw. States in the various geopolitical zones must also meet to ensure the uniform implementation of set objectives. There should be quarterly reviews of programmes and initiatives. Errant governors famous for being on permanent excursions in Abuja the federal capital loafing about like school boys must sit down in their states to do the jobs for which they were voted into office. The north requires genuine regeneration and holistic makeover, made imperative by the recent mass protest brouhaha.

    •Olusunle, PhD, is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors.

  • Hunger in the land: The heart of the matter

    Hunger in the land: The heart of the matter

    • By Oguntoye Opeyemi

    On May 31, 2023, following President Tinubu’s announcement regarding the termination of the longstanding PMS subsidy, the NNPC set a regulated pump price throughout the nation. In Lagos, where the fuel is offloaded, the pump price was established between N488.00 and N500.00. Conversely, in the farthest region of the country, the Northeast, the price ranged up to N550.00, marking a difference of N62.00.

    A recent viral video from a well-known market in Benue State, posted by a serving youth corps member, highlighted the disparity in the cost of living. She reported that a tuber of yam costs between N2,000 and N3,000 there, whereas in Lagos, the price soars to N10,000. This is particularly striking considering the freight cost for petroleum products is about N62 per litre for a distance of 1,524km. In stark contrast, farmers and middlemen incur a staggering N7,000 to transport a single tuber of yam from Benue to Lagos, a mere 772km journey.

    In an effort to bolster agribusiness nationwide, former President Buhari, early in his tenure, initiated the ground breaking project for the dualisation and expansion of the Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi highway. This project was undertaken with the anticipation that its completion would enable the ‘food basket’ of the nation to flourish and adequately feed the populace. However, despite significant progress and the completion of this road network, the spectre of hunger persists. The public has raised questions and demanded accountability from the government for the escalating food prices.

    The Netherlands, with a population of about 18 million, stands today as a beacon of innovation and development within the agricultural value chain, ranking as the third-largest exporter of agricultural products. Recognizing the Netherlands’ achievements, the former governor of Ekiti State entered into an agreement to establish a dairy farm in the state, importing hundreds of new breeds of cows from the United States to ensure self-sufficiency for his constituents. This initiative mirrors efforts in various developing nations and aligns with former President Buhari’s vision when he closed the border. The closure aimed to boost local agricultural production for domestic consumption and to export surplus goods, thereby increasing the country’s foreign exchange earnings and supporting the oil, gas, and mineral resource sectors.

    Upon assuming office in 2015, President Buhari launched the Anchor Borrower Scheme, funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which disbursed millions of naira to qualified farmers for the cultivation of agricultural products. The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), acting as the facilitator, engaged farmer associations to verify data before disbursing funds. However, the project faced challenges: some recipients began smuggling their produce out of the country post-harvest, and data indicated that nearly 30% of loan recipients diverted the funds for other purposes. Surprisingly, after nine years of the program’s inception, more than 70% of the participants have been unable to repay their loans

    Over the past eight years, the government has supplied the necessary amenities, funding, and a conducive environment to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. However, a lack of collective patriotism has hindered our progress, and it is time we acknowledge our shared responsibility for the current state of affairs.

    Read Also: Tinubu: Govt won’t allow those with clear political agenda tear nation apart

     Currently, the digital space has become a battleground of tribal disputes, with each region pointing fingers at the other for the calibre of leaders presented in the last general election. However, if we are to be honest, we must acknowledge that our leaders are a reflection of ourselves. For eight years, the northern part of the country steadfastly supported President Buhari, even amidst multiple episodes of inflation. Meanwhile, protests erupted in several southern states, challenging the leadership of the nation, which the north perceived as an attempt to dethrone President Buhari. Now, similar protests, sparked by food inflation, are being organized by some Nigerians, with the northern states at the forefront. It is crucial for every citizen to hold leaders accountable impartially, without succumbing to prejudices, favouritism, or nepotism, as these biases only foster regional animosity. Selective accountability of our leaders for failures or incompetence is unjust, especially when directed at a government that has only been in office for one year.

    In the midst of this turmoil, one must question the role of the governors, given that the land is under state jurisdiction. Despite the vast tracts of land and abundant resources, little has been achieved. In Oyo State, for instance, about five agricultural settlements established since the Second Republic remain underutilized. In 2021, Governor Seyi Makinde selected 3,300 youths for the ‘Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project’ (YEAP) in Nasarawa State. Despite the investment of billions of naira, the expectation for Oyo State to become agriculturally self-sufficient has not been met, and its citizens are among those participating in the ongoing national protests. Rather than confronting their state governor, they direct their grievances at the president in Abuja. To address the security issues plaguing some southern states, the late erstwhile Governor of Ondo State of blessed memory, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, along with other southwestern governors, established the local security network ‘Amotekun.’ While it has effectively protected farmers and the populace, this success has not yet led to the anticipated boost in agricultural production.

    In the first year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, state governments have seen a significant rise in their monthly federal allocations, a result of the fuel subsidy removal. Yet, this increase has not corresponded with an improvement in the welfare of their citizens. Accountability at the state level remains elusive, as state governments have managed to persuade their citizens of a concealed miracle in Aso Rock, effectively diminishing their roles to that of mere overseers.

    Currently, Nigeria is navigating a precarious situation where citizens expect the government to champion their cause, yet there is a lack of patriotic zeal to advocate for their own country. The task of arresting and prosecuting those responsible for food inflation remains challenging. Two months ago, a community leader in Ekiti visited the local market, acting on information that some traders were artificially inflating prices. Upon arrival, he was met with an outcry against traders who offered lower prices. This incident led to the abolition of all market associations, which were identified as instruments for extorting market women and artificially inflating consumer prices.

    To fortify national security, the previous administration appointed key security officials predominantly from the northern part of the country. This includes the ministers of defence and police chiefs. The rationale behind these appointments was to safeguard the agricultural sector in the north, which is vital for the country’s sustenance. Consequently, the government allocates billions annually to enhance the nation’s security infrastructure.

    The role of citizens must be scrutinized in the context of the food inflation currently plaguing the nation. Despite the federal government’s numerous reforms aimed at ensuring an abundant food supply and boosting exports for the country’s benefit, there are individuals within every level of power who hinder these initiatives from achieving their intended outcomes. It is not productive to lay blame solely at the feet of one individual in the presidential villa; history has taught us that nation-building is a collective endeavour. The current situation demands the concerted efforts of all patriotic citizens to engage in meaningful agricultural activities in their own backyards and farms to nourish the nation. The prevailing elitist attitude among Nigerians is perplexing, as it is unclear who we are trying to impress by abandoning agricultural pursuits.

    The question arises: where are the 3,300 youths trained in Oyo State under Governor Makinde’s initiative, along with other young individuals across the country who have participated in various state and federal constituency initiatives?

    •Opeyemi writes via <oguntoyeopeyemij@yahoo.com>

  • Protests fuelled by partisan hypocrisy

    Protests fuelled by partisan hypocrisy

    • By Wole Olujobi

    Never since the recorded history of King Henry V111 of England have I read about hypocrisy so bland in its audacious cunning than the latest subterfuge by a section of our country Nigeria in its reaction to the politically-motivated “Endbadgovernance” nationwide protests targeted at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his economic reform agenda to shape Nigeria for good.

    I had thought that the Pharisees and Sadducees had stretched hypocrisy to its wits’ end when they confronted Jesus Christ and His disciples, accusing them of breaking Moses’ fourth commandment on the Sabbath holy day of rest by engaging in the healing of the sick.

    Responding, Jesus rebuked them, asking: “Who among you will have his sheep lost on Sabbath day without searching the field to find it”?

    Tongue-tied, the Pharisees went home in a subdued, bruised ego after failing that conscience test and succumbing to a superior battle of wits.

    Which leads us to the saying that hypocrisy is setting for others the standards you won’t embrace in the world of infinite protection of self-interest while also hurting the interests of others.

    That again leads us back  to King Henry Tudor of England who was an accomplished Catholic and extremely well-schooled, and who in 1521 published a famous theological thesis  entitled “Defence of Seven Sacraments” in reaction to Martin Luther’s “Ninety-five Theses”, which Henry took a strong view against. Henry’s work was regarded by the Catholic Church as a classic, that Pope Leox even awarded him an ecclesiastical title.

    Yet in a little more than a decade, the same Henry seized the property of the same Catholic Church he defended, dissolved monasteries and establishing himself as the Head of the English Church otherwise called Anglican Protestant Church, all in a bid to legally divorce his wife (Catherine of Aragon) in order to marry another wife who would have for him a son that would inherit the church and its confiscated properties. He succeeded in his hypocrisy of value.

    Hypocrisy of value, which in moral psychology, according to British political philosopher David Runcimab, is the failure to follow one’s own expressed moral rules and principles, and this finds expression in desperate situations bereft of moral suasion, thoughtlessly deployed to achieve selfish motives.

    Hypocrisy is why those who are the architects of Nigeria’s misfortunes are the same people preparing innocent people for the Golgotha to suffer the consequences of the offences they (accusers) committed.

    The proponents of “Endbadgovernance” protests know from the history that any public protests against government’s policy always end up in fatalities, looting and arson. But because they know the motive of their position, they tell us that Nigerians have inalienable rights to protest against unpopular government policies.

    Yet, when it suits them the most, they argue against public demonstration to protest against government policies. It is all a matter of interest even though patriotism is what is most needed for national redemption.

    We saw this in 2020 when the police anti-crime squad, SARS, established to curb criminal activities across the country, turned out to be the arrowhead of criminal gangs terrorising the citizens of the country.

    Nigerians protested against the oppressive mode of operation of the SARS squads. But a section of the country up North refused to join the protest, arguing that the protest was illegal and engineered against President Muhammadu Buhari by the Southern rebellion to sack him from the Aso Rock.

    At a meeting in Kaduna, prominent northern leaders, including top federal government officials, governors, political, traditional and religious leaders, reflected on the state of the nation on the heels of the #EndSARS protests.

    In a communiqué read by the Governor of Plateau State and Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum at the time, Simon Lalong, after the meeting, the gathering dismissively referred to the #EndSARS protests as “subversive actions” geared towards “regime change.” Inexplicably, they urged the security agencies to watch the Federal Capital Territory in order to “guard against unwarranted and destructive protests to safeguard critical assets of the nation” according to The Punch report. Conclusively, protest against SARS was declared illegal by the northern leaders.

    Read Also: Protests: Police blast Amnesty over inaccurate casualty figures

    Curious at the meeting was the attendance of top federal officials at the purely sectional and regional meeting.  They included the then President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan; the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu. Also disturbing was their silence on major problems militating again decent living in the North.

    And you now wonder that if their counterparts from the South had taken a cue from them and attended a similar meeting where sentiments and views diametrically opposed to those of the other regions are openly canvassed and promoted, the basis of the unity and oneness of the nation which the Northern leaders canvassed and endorsed at the meeting would have been questionable.

    That was what prompted Southern and Middle Belt Forum to ask: “To where would this country be heading if we had also decided to call our own meeting with our governors and top officials in the federal government?”

    In fact, it is curious that the resolutions of the Kaduna multi-partisan meeting  failed to outline strategic and pragmatic action plans towards addressing the challenges of the region, namely; extreme poverty,  banditry, terrorism, insurgency, malnutrition, almajiri system and illiteracy.

    But reacting to the current endbadgovernance protests, the northern leaders declared in their communique:  “We acknowledge that the primary purpose of any government is to secure life and property, and enhance the welfare of its citizens. Any regime that cannot guarantee these basic rights loses all legal and moral authority of being in power, and would naturally incur the wrath of citizens. It can therefore only remain in office more by default than by public consent.”

    Conclusively, they supported the endbadgovernance protests, which reports indicated had turned violent with many losing their lives while looting and arson were widespread.

    It is gratifying, however, that five socio-political groups in the 19 Northern states composed mainly young elements in the North accepted the Federal Government’s offer of dialogue as a way to find solution to the nation’s problems.

    It is curious that while these young people in the North opted for dialogue to ensure that Nigeria does not slide into the anarchy as witnessed in Sudan, Somalia. Libya and recently, Kenya, where untamed riots have destroyed the daily life of the citizens and crippled the economy, the elders preferred protests that will end in arson, looting and fatality as we now see in some parts of the country.

    In particular, what is the thrust of the “endbadgovernance” protest against Tinubu if not anger against insecurity, bad governance hunger and cost of food that the northern elites supported while they opposed EndSARS anger against the same ills? It is OK to oppose EndSARS protest to protect Buhari because that protest was “illegal” but the current “endbadgovernance” protest is “legal” to hound out Tinubu who knew nothing about the mishandling of the nation’s economy, including the alleged mortgage of the nation’s crude oil, which is at the heart of the present economic crisis in the country.

    That leads to a moral question on the trajectory of poverty crisis in the country that suffers deprivation in the midst of plenty.

    Tinubu is just 14 months as President that inherited agricultural production sector that cannot feed the citizens as a result of fertilisers subsidy scams, terrorist attacks, kidnappings on the farms, and the mother of them all: the fuel subsidy sleaze.

    We witnessed the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and its devaluation of the naira component when the ruling military elites and their agents swooped on the Central Bank’s vaults to divert the nation’s foreign currency earnings from investment, manufacturing and industrial drive to trading posts in the bureau de change outlets and ubiquitous mushroom finance houses where Nigeria’s foreign currency earnings were being traded like Tom Tom and suya; thus defeating the investment in production drive that informed the structural adjustment programme in the first place. Other development schemes were also botched by the irresponsible military regimes in the country.

    Definitely, the spiral effects of these failings on the present crisis should not be blamed on a man who is just 14 months in office, but who is now being made to carry the can of the inadequacies of the past administrations.

    It is the height of hypocrisy to blame Tinubu for the failings of his predecessors who operated in a clement economic climate but wasted all the opportunities to grow Nigeria to a prosperous nation. It is callous to start scapegoating and plotting the downfall of a man who has the courage to face the nation’s challenges to save the poor from the stranglehold of the leaders whose pastime is milking the nation to her marrow while the citizens die in penury.

    It is only national spirit that can heal the economic wounds inflicted by the past leaders. It is not hypocrisy that will address the present challenges not caused by the present leadership. Nigeria is bound to a collective, national identity and destiny. Definitely, sectional solidarity is a threat to any effort that can bail Nigeria out of her present pitiable economic condition.

    The northern youths’ alliance has set the pace for national salvation to defeat the hypocrisy of the leaders with two faces of a Janus. Let sincerity and nationalism govern our conducts in making Nigeria a great nation.

    •Olujobi, a journalist and Commissioner in Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission, writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • The coming of Ogun’s e-bikes

    The coming of Ogun’s e-bikes

    • By: Elijah Udofia

    The sudden removal of the subsidy on petrol last year came with some ripple effects. It not only disrupted the social life of the people, but it also dislocated the nation’s economy, thereby putting it in crisis. The outcome led to a sudden jump in prices of goods and services, making food and transportation beyond the reach of the average Nigerian.

    While some people applauded and welcomed the decision to remove the fuel subsidy, others condemned it entirely, noting that some measures ought to have been put in place to cushion the expected effects before the removal.

    Taking a look at the whole fuel subsidy issue, many believe that ordinary citizens were not benefiting as they should, as the real beneficiaries were the elites who ran their fleets of state-of-the-art automobiles with cheap fuel, as well as the fuel importers who received payments but imported nothing. On this premise, the removal of the subsidy by President Muhammadu Buhari, which the new helmsman, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gave effect to on assumption of office on May 29, 2023, was a step in the right direction.

    The subsidy removal, no doubt, has brought a lot of hardship to the land, but no policy or programme of government anywhere in the world that will have a long-lasting positive impact on the citizenry is without a little discomfort. It can be likened to a pregnant woman going through the process of giving birth. She has to experience one form of pain or another, but in the end, the arrival of a baby will be her joy. This aligns with the saying, “no pain, no gain.” The good thing about the whole issue of subsidy removal is that a lot of money is being saved for developmental projects that will benefit both the rich and the poor.

    During the 2023 campaign for the presidential election, the three main contenders for the coveted seat indicated their desire to remove the fuel subsidy if elected. Prince Dapo Abiodun, being a major player in the oil and gas sector, had envisaged that the subsidy removal would inevitably raise fuel prices and that this would raise some issues among the people. To be ready for this scenario, the government came up with the idea of finding other alternatives to drive the transportation sector of the state’s economy.

    It is a known fact that humans, since creation, have always sought alternatives and other choices in making ends meet. Like Mary Kay Ash, a renowned American businesswoman, said, “For every failure, there is an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.”

    In finding the alternative, Prince Abiodun decided to go the condensed natural gas (CNG) and electric route. Why? If one may ask, the answer is simple: they are cheaper and readily available.

    For the people of Ogun State, especially those in the transportation industry, July 31, will remain etched in their minds as it marked the beginning when electric motorcycles and tricycles tagged “DA Bike” were incorporated into the state mass transit system.

    The programme, which came barely a year after the state blazed the trail in converting and launching CNG mass transit buses, is designed to serve two purposes: reduce the cost of transportation in the state and ensure a cleaner environment.

    At the launch of the first phase of 2,000 electric motorcycles at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the governor, Prince Abiodun, emphasized that the E-Mobility initiative marks another milestone in the life of his administration towards a sustainable and green future for the state.

    Abiodun, who was emphatic about his desire to lessen the pain people are going through, said: “Our administration is committed to mitigating the impact of the subsidy removal and the high cost of diesel fuel while reducing transportation costs for our citizens.

    “We will be releasing about 2,000 e-bikes in the first phase. These commercial motorbikes can ride up to 75-80 kilometres on a full charge, and the vehicles can travel up to 200 kilometres, thus reducing transportation costs by 40 percent.

    Shedding more light on why his administration adopted the E-Mobility system, the governor explained, “We aim to reduce our carbon footprint and bring about a significant change in how we think about transportation in our daily lives. This aligns with our energy transformation programme for a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.”

    Ogun State government, the governor noted, has led the country in energy transition, being the first state to launch and deploy CNG buses about a year ago.

    Read Also: Tinubu: Govt won’t allow those with clear political agenda tear nation apart

    A closer look at what has happened since the launch of the CNG buses last year shows that they are currently deployed on the Ita-Oshin-Adatan route in Abeokuta, as well as the Mowe-Ibafo to Lagos route, serving residents in that corridor and drastically reducing transportation fares.

    Ogun State, through the launching of electric bikes, tricycles, vehicles, and battery swap stations at specific points, is not only introducing a new mode of transportation but also pioneering a movement towards a cleaner, more efficient, and technologically advanced way of life.

    To support this laudable landmark achieved by the state, Governor Abiodun used the occasion to announce the ground breaking of a new facility, named Giga Facility, at the Special Agro Processing Zone located in Iperu-Remo.

    The facility, according to the governor, has a total investment of $40 million and would serve as an assembly plant for electric bikes, two-wheelers, tricycles, commercial buses, electric cars, and swap stations.

    “This investment will be implemented in three phases, beginning with phase one, focusing on our e-okada bike assembly, and of course, phase two with our tricycles, and phase three with our e-vehicles. It will create over 10,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs for assembly line operators,” he said.

    The initiative is not only about enhancing transportation options but also about creating jobs, stimulating local economies, and ensuring that the youth have access to the skills that will be vital in the future job market. By fostering innovation and technical proficiency, the state is investing in the talent of tomorrow and building a workforce that is ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

    As the chief marketing officer of his state, Abiodun expressed the commitment of his administration to continue encouraging public-private partnerships for the economic prosperity of the people. He equally urged investors to take advantage of the peaceful and conducive business environment to invest in all sectors of the state’s economy, as the state is open for business.

    Also speaking, the Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, who expressed delight in visiting the state again within two months, lauded the state for being the first to launch the E-Mobility initiative, adding that with this development, Ogun has joined African countries that are currently using more than 15,000 e-bikes in their transportation sectors.

    He opined that the programme would revolutionize the transportation sector not only in the state but the whole country, as it would provide an alternative to fuel at reduced costs.

    Senator Alkali called on other state governments to take a cue from Ogun State in partnering with the federal government on CNG usage, just as he encouraged the public to support the programme to create jobs and make transportation cheaper, more efficient, and environmentally friendly.

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, represented by Lekan Ogunleye lauded the state for always being the first in any innovation that would benefit the people.

    He said the E-Mobility Program is capable of cutting transportation costs for both passengers and operators, as well as saving the environment from pollution, assuring that NNPCL would have three charging points in its stations across the country while supporting the state government by making swap stations available in its stations across the state.

    Commissioner for Transportation, Olugbenga Dairo, while welcoming guests to the launch, said the programme was a follow-up to the conversion of the CNG buses last year and all geared towards addressing the increase in transportation fares occasioned by the subsidy removal.

    The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who gave his royal blessings to the initiative, lauded the governor for initiating the programme, which he said is environmentally friendly. He expressed the hope that it would bring down transportation costs and improve the standard of living of the people.

    As a state that has over the years demonstrated its capacity in showing the way through the exploits of its indigenes in various fields of human endeavour, one is not surprised that Ogun is yet again setting the pace in pioneering the e-bikes revolution in the transportation sector of the country.

    The initiative is another testimony that the Abiodun-led administration is not oblivious to the plight of the people who are daily grappling with the challenges posed by the subsidy removal. The initiative is a clear demonstration that the Ogun State government is not resting on its oars but working round the clock to mitigate the hardship.

    •Udofia writes from Laderin, Abeokuta, Ogun State..

  • Interrogating Olanipekun’s musings at Babcock University

    Interrogating Olanipekun’s musings at Babcock University

    • By Sunday Saamu

    Twenty-second undergraduate and Thirteenth  postgraduate convocation ceremony of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo in Ogun state may have come and gone, but not so its ripples. Certain national issues were brought to the fore which require further interrogations and reflections towards a better society. The colourful ceremony which drew mammoth crowds from far and near, including Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun,  Ekiti state governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, Ogaga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adejimi was climaxed with a conferment of honourary doctorate degree on a former Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun and the Managing Director of FSDH merchant Bank, Mrs. Bukola Smith.

    Chief Olanipekun who was the Convocation Commencement Speaker however gleefully spiced the occasion with his speech entitled, “Go and Replenish the Earth: Man’s Misconception of God’s Mandate.” The university had deemed him fit for the occasion, judging by  his life of a glorious harvest of fruits of consistent hard work, unsparing self-discipline and unflinching commitment to worthy pursuits. By all standards, this legal luminary approximates a conscience of the nation; as his clout has few equals, with his reputation and records remaining stellar.

     Mounting the podium in his debonair posture, and being so confident of his own truths, Chief Olanipekun raised some national issues, including over bloated population, youth unemployment, migration matter, popularly called “Japa”, citing copious examples to buttress his arguments. With his wonderfully mellifluous and stentorian voice, keeping his language at a pedagogical level: explicit and meaningful, this eloquent convocation speaker dazed the audience with the immensity of his knowledge, dazzled them with the fecundity of his mind, and mesmerized his listeners with the profundity of his thoughts, thus, commanding intermittent applause.

     On population, this one-time President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said ” as a result of man’s misconception of God’s mandate, there has been a “bourgeoning, alarming, and uncontrolled procreation syndrome in Nigeria”, saying there were “dangers inherent in unguided procreation”. To him, “to live up to the true meaning and intent of this God’s given mandate, our focus must be on contributions to humanity, rather than uncontrolled population which invariably chokes the available limited resources in diverse ways” adding that “abject poverty is the unmitigated nemesis of reckless procreation”

     Chief Olanipekun whose musings demonstrated simplicity of presentation, conciseness  of expression and clarity of thought declared, “the dangers are both intrinsic and extrinsic. Reckless procreation will inevitably lead to societal rascality, and before we know it, we will have ourselves and our world engulfed in ‘procreation terrorism”.

     On migration, the legal titan reasoned that this new-found culture of “Japa” was a dangerous reality which must not be allowed to fester. In his words, “to our youth, including adults who are nursing the ambition of migrating from Nigeria without caring what type of odd jobs or debilitating weather conditions they will meet yonder, they should be very careful, cautious, sober and reflective at migrating to any country ,as all that glitters over there, is not gold” He therefore called on government and well-to-do in the society to salvage the dehydrating situation which drives our youth from their country.

    Chief Olanipekun called on alumni of every university to support their alma maters, pointing out that “a good number of the world’s oldest universities remain what they are today because of the immense contributions and sustained assistance they receive from their alumni from time to time.”

      Indeed, as a great leader that he is, when Chief Olanipekun speaks, he does not just talk to inform; rather, he talks to transform. Indeed, better than some days in the library is a day at his feet, for one of the best classrooms is, metaphorically at his feet. The pieces of advice he gave at the occasion could pass for the needed therapy in order to prevent Nigeria from atrophy. Without doubt, overpopulation in Nigeria is symptomatic of a much graver malady. Who says the Boko Haram menace Nigeria is fighting is not unconnected with overpopulation and untrained children?

    Read Also: Excitement as Babcock University gets table tennis hall

     However, being one of the best of our brightest legal minds in the country, coupled with his numerous contributions to the society, Chief Olanipekun was at the occasion, subsequently conferred with a honorary doctorate degree of Babcock University. This is probably because, before he became a national leader, success was all about himself. Now that he has become a successful leader, it seems all his major concern now is growing institutions and individuals.

    From the University of Ibadan (UI) where he was the Council Chairman between 2009 and 2013 to Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, where he is now Chairman of Board of Trustees, to Ekiti state University where he is Chancellor, currently building Senate Chamber, Chief Olanipekun has spent billions of Naira towards uplifting humanity. Recently, federal government has also appointed him as Council Chairman of University of Lagos. Obviously, he is also going to spend a lot of his personal money. Yet, he neither listens to the pandemonium of the parrots, nor gets distracted by the market noise. Interestingly, the like of Chief Olanipekun are rare, they come once in a while. For example, how many Nigerians do we have spreading and spending their hard-earned money like Chief Olanipekun does? They are few in number. He admonished the youth to confront life’s challenges with grit and gravitas. Nothing could be more encouraging.

    Among those who graced the occasion to honour Chief Olanipekun were Ekiti state governor, Mr. Oyebanji who described him as an illustrious son of Ekiti, Ogaga of Ikere-Ekiti, Olanipekun’s hometown, Oba Samuel Adu Adejimi, Ajayi Crowther University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Abiodun Adebayo, his Deputy, Prof. Benjamin Olumuyiwa Popoola, University of Lagos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola,  one-time University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka and Dr. Gani Adeniran.

    Others were Chairman, Council of Legal Education, Chief Emeka Ngige, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oyo state, Senior Legal Adviser to Osun state government, Debo Oladinni, Managing Director, Geometrics Nigeria Limited, Dr. Festus Akindunni, President, Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers, Mr. Bode Dada among others.

    • Saanu (08034073427) is on sabbatical at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo.

    Email: sundaysaanu@gmail.com

  • A case for Kamala

    A case for Kamala

    • By Diane Francis

    Days after she became the presumptive Presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris took a slight lead over Donald Trump in an early poll. Her rise to the position has been seamless. Delegates pledged within days and donations poured in. Then on July 23, she gave a speech that completely reframed the 2024 election.

    She would not wage a conventional contest but was going to put Trump on “trial” for his behavior and beliefs in the court of public opinion. And voters will be judge and jury. The election won’t be about two old guys facing off against one another but a battle of wits between a former Attorney General and prosecutor and a 78-year-old convicted felon with a checkered past.

    Harris reminded the audience about her career in law.

    “I took on perpetrators of all kinds…Predators who abuse women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”

    In a few sentences, she upended Trump’s vaunted strong-versus-weak battle cry with her own law-and-order versus Trump, racists, misogynists, gay-bashers, and anti-abortion fanboys.

    “The American Dream belongs to all of us,” she said. “We are not going back. The election is a choice between freedom and chaos.”

    This election also pits smart against not-so-smart.

    A Reuters poll found that “some 56 percent of registered voters agreed with a statement that Harris, 59, was mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges, compared to only 49 percent who said the same of Trump, 78.”

    While their IQs are not on the ballot, her obvious mental superiority will be an advantage as will her skill at litigating a case against Trump and his sidekick, J.D. Vance.

    The Wall Street Journal immediately weighed in on the Republican side by attacking her “for steering” too far left.

    “The VP said she sees a future where ‘every worker has the freedom to join a union,’ and ‘every person has affordable health care, affordable child care, and paid family leave,’ and ‘every senior can retire with dignity.’ The promise is that Uncle Sam will deliver it all. She also pledged to sign federal laws to ban ‘assault weapons’ and override state abortion limitations,” it wrote.

    The WSJ has claimed for years that Americans won’t opt for such benefits, but the facts are that citizens in other developed democracies have opted for them and enjoyed healthcare, gun controls, and many other benefits for years.

    Harris will have a field day with Trump’s hand-picked VP nominee, J.D. Vance, who is clearly not ready for prime time. So far, he’s alienated more voters than he’s won over.

    Footage of an interview he gave two years ago to Tucker Carlson showed him expounding that “childless” women like Harris, and men like openly gay Pete Buttigieg, should be disqualified from holding public office because, without biological children, they have no stake in the future of the country.

    This is just plain weird and suicidal given that tens of millions of voters are childless by choice across America. Worse, Vance has condemned abortion in cases involving incest or rape by smugly commenting that “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Such remarks will dog him during the campaign, as will his description a while back that Trump’s MAGA movement was “cultural heroin” and his prediction that Trump could become “America’s Hitler.”

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    Harris claims that Trump will “weaken the middle class, cut social security and Medicare, and give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.” But she must also address issues such as inflation, the immigration mess, and certain controversial foreign policy stances.

    The world waits to see if Harris will stay the course when it comes to international alliances and situations and indications are that she will.

    “She would stay tough on Russia and China, and has rebuked Israel’s handling of aid into Gaza,” wrote Politico.

    She supports NATO and Ukraine’s battle to stop Russia. And her toughness – as opposed to Trumpian promises to fix everything with backroom deals – will be helpful in dealing with Putin, Xi, and the world’s other oppressive dictators. She’s not met Putin, but has publicly accused him of “crimes against humanity.”

    Politico added that “on the issue of Israel, Harris voiced support for a two-state solution as a senator and backed the Abraham Accords. As vice president, Harris privately expressed that the Biden administration needed to take a stronger stance against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death toll mounted in Israel’s war against Hamas.”

    Speculation is that she may be more willing to consider policy changes that curb Israel’s continued actions in Gaza and elsewhere. This week, for instance, she agreed to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, but did not attend his address to Congress because of a prior speaking engagement in another state. Her husband is Jewish, and stepdaughter, a model, has been raising funds for the United Nations’ relief effort in Gaza. In Asia, Harris will protect Taiwan and continue measures that “de-risk” Western economies from dependence on, or abuse by Beijing.

    But Trump, an outright protectionist, will impose enormous tariffs on Chinese imports, charge Taiwan and other allies for military protection, and restructure trade arrangements such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to benefit American interests. Such tariffs will increase inflation by causing across-the-board price hikes on most consumer products Americans buy at Walmart stores or on Amazon.

    By far, Trump’s best “card,” and Harris’ vulnerability, is immigration reform. Trump promises to deport the 10 to 11 million undocumented migrants that live in the United States and to build a wall across the entire southern border.

    A side issue, however, is that his deportation will upend and destabilize Canada because millions of illegals will head for its undefended northern border, claim asylum, and live off its social welfare system. This will turn portions of Canada into gigantic refugee camps and damage its economy, a negative to Americans given that Canada is critical to America’s economic future, as its biggest customer, supplier, and investor.

    Trump’s border track record is also abysmal. He failed to build his wall or to stop the flow of illegals during his Presidency. But he now targets Harris, calling her the “Border Czar,” to try and lay the blame on her for the mess. Facts are that she wasn’t in charge.

    She was involved in border issues tangentially and was designated to negotiate with leaders in Latin American countries to convince them to enact policies that would mitigate the exodus and combat the Mexican and other cartels. But Mexico has done little and now people arrive from all over the world, through smuggling networks, and Congress does nothing.

    Months ago Trump purposely sabotaged a solution that Biden and Congress had reached this year. “We’d be making even more progress if Mr. Trump hadn’t killed a bipartisan immigration compromise in Congress this year for his own selfish political purposes,” wrote Hilary Clinton in a New York Times op-ed in support of Harris.

    The Kremlin already launched scathing attacks on Vice President Harris, publicly and online.

    One white supremacist commentator on Russian television made a blatantly racist remark, not to be repeated here, and another launched a social media campaign ridiculing her ebullient laugh. Trump has joined in and commented “I call her ‘Laffin’ Kamala’,” he said. “You ever watch her laugh? She’s crazy. You know, you can tell a lot by a laugh.”

    In a real court all of Trump’s lies and nonsense would be ruled “out of order,” but not in an election which is why this one will become a slugfest. He will be insulting and nasty, and she will make mincemeat out of the MAGA candidates in debates and on the campaign trail.

    But what’s concerning is that if Trump loses, he will once more fraudulently claim the election was rigged and trigger violence. That’s when the world’s most important democracy may turn ugly again with MAGA zealots storming the Capitol Building or worse.

    Of course such hazards won’t stop the unflappable Harris, whether she becomes President or not. A quote from the strongest character in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” says it all: “You ought to know, I’m not the Lady to be trifled with.”

    • This article was first published in www.kyivpost.com