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  • As Tinubu ushers Nigeria into new era of accountability

    As Tinubu ushers Nigeria into new era of accountability

    • By Joe Mutah

    In the past couple of weeks, Nigerians have been inundated with distressing stories highlighting alleged sleaze within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and its agency, the National Social Investment Programme Agency, where billions of Naira was said to have been diverted into private accounts of some individuals. 

    In all honesty, this is not the first time that such stories would be emanating from the ministry, but what makes this one distinct is the seeming accusations and counter-accusations by the parties involved through the leaking of official memos in the social media.

    As expected, the happenings in the ministry and its agencies have triggered a significant public outcry, resonating across various interest groups and eliciting widespread concerns among Nigerians. The gravity of the allegations, coupled with the pivotal role the ministry and NSIPA are expected to play in addressing humanitarian needs and poverty in the country, have sparked a collective demand for a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations. 

    In order to reassure Nigerians that such grievous allegations would not be swept under the carpet, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday, January 7, through a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, ordered a thorough probe into the allegations. 

    Subsequently, the president ordered the minister, Betta Edu to proceed on suspension to give room for thorough investigation into the allegation. 

    There was also a further directive to the chairman of the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of financial transactions carried out by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    Already, a high-powered probe panel had been constituted under the chairmanship of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun to carry out a “comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes,” according to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale. 

    In essence, President Tinubu’s decision to probe the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is not merely a response to public pressure; it is a conscientious fulfilment of his duty to deliver on the promises of the Renewed Hope Agenda. This move reinforces his commitment to creating a government that operates with transparency, accountability, and a renewed sense of hope for the citizens of Nigeria.

    This underscores the president’s resolve to ensure that public resources are utilized for their intended purposes, particularly in critical areas like humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation. 

    With this remarkable display of commitment to transparency and good governance, President Tinubu is sending a strong message that no one is above the law. This strategy not only enhances public trust but also serves as deterrence against corrupt practices.

    Read Also: Open letter to President Tinubu: Tunji-Ojo needs protection as monstrous passport cabal fights back!

    The approach adopted by the president ensures that public officials accused of corrupt practices are afforded the right to fair hearing while also preventing any form of witch-hunt for any overt or covert reason. Indeed, President Tinubu is setting a standard for ethical governance in Nigeria.

    President Tinubu’s distinctive leadership style has unmistakably marked him as a transformational leader, poised to guide the nation by leading from the front. His approach of being “on top of the game” has set him apart in the realm of leadership.

    President Tinubu’s proactive stance in addressing corruption aligns with the nation’s aspirations for a transparent and more accountable government. It demonstrates a willingness to tackle the root causes of corruption and create an environment where public resources are used for the benefit of all citizens.

    The president’s trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose on anti-corruption is poised to deliver substantial economic benefits and rejuvenate investor confidence in Nigeria. 

    Of late, Nigerians were utterly shocked when news filtered in that individuals and corporations that were hitherto thought to be untouchables were being asked by the anti-corruption agency, to account for the huge foreign exchange allocated to them in the last 10 years.

    The ongoing investigation into the forex allocation is poised to have a far-reaching impact on various fronts. First off, from the economic point of view, the proper utilization of the foreign exchange is essential for sustaining a stable and thriving economy. Any diversion of the foreign exchange allocated to those corporations clearly undermines the nation’s financial stability, affecting currency values and potentially leading to broader economic repercussions.

    Investors, both domestic and international, are likely to be reassured by the government’s proactive stance against corruption. A corruption-free business landscape reduces risks and uncertainties, making Nigeria an attractive destination for investments.

    The anti-corruption drive is key to improving the efficiency of government institutions by eliminating corrupt practices that can hinder economic progress. Through the promotion accountability and responsible governance, President Tinubu is creating a paradigm shift and deliberately telling the world that Nigeria is ready for business.

    Renewed investor confidence is not only a result of the anti-corruption measures but also of the transparency and integrity instilled in the government’s operations. As corruption diminishes, public resources are more likely to be allocated judiciously, creating an atmosphere for economic expansion and progress.

    In the long run, a corruption-free environment, being nurtured by the president, will attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and encourage local businesses to thrive, thereby generating employment opportunities and contributing to overall economic prosperity. President Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive is, therefore, a pivotal component of the broader strategy to revitalize Nigeria’s economy and position it as an attractive investment destination on the global stage.

    • Mutah writes from Abuja.
  • How government can succeed in local wheat production

    How government can succeed in local wheat production

    SIR: The global wheat market size is huge; it is estimated at $50.21 billion in 2024. However, Nigeria is just participating as a major importer despite having the potential to be a major wheat producer. It has been projected that local production of wheat has the potential to generate around 13 million jobs in the country.

    The government is currently working to support domestic wheat production through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) project rather than the continuous pursuit of import substitution with cassava which has not yielded substantial results. Many will recall that past governments have unsuccessfully campaigned to substitute a certain percentage of wheat flour for High-Quality Cassava flour-HQCF in composite flours used for baking bread, cake, and other confectioneries. The HQCF initiative, also tagged cassava bread initiative was aimed at discouraging the importation of wheat as part of efforts to promote cassava production thereby saving the country the huge sums it spends annually on wheat importation. Unfortunately, cassava could not effectively replace wheat in bread and other wheat-based food products given its natural characteristics and the logistic problem associated with aggregating huge quantities of cassava for industrial processing.

    Wheat is the third most consumed grain in Nigeria after rice and corn and Nigeria’s wheat consumption as of today stands at about five million metric tons, while domestic production of wheat is just about 110,000 metric tons. In 2021, Nigeria imported $3.32 billion worth of wheat making her the second largest importer of wheat in the world. That whooping sum implied that wheat importation alone was almost five percent of the country’s total import bill. With the increasing demand for wheat-based foods like bread, noodles, and pastas, wheat has arguably become one of the most important agricultural commodities needing accelerated local production.

    Read Also: Jigawa targets production of 2m tonnes of wheat production

    So, developing the wheat value chain is very important for achieving food security, although before now, the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) which is a conglomerate of the major flour-producing companies, has been supporting the development of local wheat production with different kinds of support to farmers. The most significant is their partnership with the Lake Chad Research Institute for the development of improved varieties of wheat that are well suited for Nigeria’s ecology. Some progress has been made and currently, there are local varieties like Borlaug 100 and Attila that can effectively grow in places like Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Plateau, Kaduna, and Adamawa.

    For the government to succeed in the NAGS-AP project, research institutes must continue to produce breeder seeds and develop new varieties that will be further multiplied to create access to seed by farmers. The delivery of improved wheat seed varieties must go hand in hand with promotional activities to stimulate demand and popularize the cultivation of wheat seeds among farmers in Nigeria. Furthermore, incentives must be provided for farmers who will be engaged in the cultivation of wheat, these will include reduced cost of inputs, guaranteed markets, and pricing. But to join the league of wheat producers like China, the USA, Russia, and the rest, the government must lead by encouraging cluster farming. This includes providing irrigation facilities to enable production throughout the year. Finally, wheat must be identified as a priority value chain, for which the government must work with development partners working in the agricultural sector to prioritize the cultivation of wheat in their project areas.

    • Godswill Aguiyi, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa,  Nairobi, Kenya.
  • When a ministry is mired in corruption and scandals

    When a ministry is mired in corruption and scandals

    SIR: In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through the corridors of power, Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, stands accused of orchestrating a brazen disbursement of N585 Million to a personal account. This latest scandal, unveiled in a memo dated December 20, 2023, is just the tip of the iceberg in a series of corruption allegations that have engulfed the ministry since its inception in 2019.

    The epicentre of this scandal extends beyond Betta Edu, involving Halima Shehu, the former National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) coordinator. She faces allegations of embezzling a substantial sum from the NSIP funds, raising questions about the integrity of the ministry’s humanitarian efforts. Recent developments hint at a potential recovery of N39 billion from the embezzled N44 billion, underscoring the pervasive corruption deeply embedded in the ministry’s operations.

    The NSIP, initially conceived as a lifeline for the vulnerable, has turned into a breeding ground for corruption under Shehu’s alleged mismanagement. Funds intended for the most disadvantaged citizens have been allegedly diverted, transforming the program into a symbol of broken promises and misplaced priorities. The erosion of public trust in government institutions has reached unprecedented levels, as the very essence of the ministry’s existence has been compromised.

    The ongoing investigation not only seeks justice in a single case but serves as a reckoning for a ministry tasked with the noble responsibility of poverty alleviation. The potential recovery of N39 billion is a stark reminder of the colossal scale of corruption that has permeated the ministry’s initiatives, prompting citizens to demand accountability and comprehensive reforms.

    This scandal is a microcosm of broader corruption challenges facing Nigeria’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. It serves as a wake-up call for authorities to reassess strategies, fortify oversight mechanisms, and instil a renewed sense of responsibility in those managing public funds.

    As the investigation unfolds, scrutiny should extend beyond Shehu’s actions to the effectiveness of the ministry’s internal controls. The outcomes of this case will undoubtedly shape the public’s perception of the government’s sincerity in fighting corruption within its ranks.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commendable decision to suspend Edu pending an investigation demonstrates his commitment to fighting corruption. However, questions arise about Nigeria’s ability to cleanse itself of deeply ingrained corruption. Calls for proactive systemic reforms and stringent enforcement of existing regulations have intensified.

    The involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in investigating Betta Edu’s case is as a step in the right direction. The EFCC must move beyond symbolic gestures, to ensuring a rigorous examination of evidence and the construction of a solid case based on the merits of the allegations.

    Read Also: President orders probe of alleged N585m fraud in Humanitarian Affairs ministry

    While the recovery of funds is a positive development, concerns loom that it should not signify the end of the matter. The idiom “making perpetrators eat beans” resonates with the public sentiment that those responsible should face the full consequences of their actions. The EFCC’s efforts should extend beyond reclaiming stolen money to ensuring that justice is served, establishing a deterrent for potential wrongdoers within and outside the ministry.

    Amidst these unfolding events, Nigerians look to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with expectations of decisive action to curb the recurring menace of corruption in the nation. The president’s role in instituting comprehensive reforms and ensuring the enforcement of stringent regulations becomes pivotal in rebuilding public trust and fostering ethical governance.

    The Edu scandal serves as a lens through which to view broader corruption and mismanagement issues within Nigeria. It prompts a collective introspection into the systemic failures that perpetuate such practices. To break free from the shackles of corruption, a united effort is required from citizens, government institutions, and law enforcement agencies.

    The Edu Betta case is both a stark reminder of the challenges facing Nigeria and an opportunity for a renewed hope and commitment to ethical governance. The choices made in the aftermath will shape Nigeria’s trajectory, presenting an opportunity for greatness. Eradicating corruption is the key to unlocking a brighter and more prosperous future for the nation. The alleged recovery of funds from the NSIP scandal is a glimmer of hope, and it is imperative that this momentum is sustained, ensuring accountability and justice for the people of Nigeria. This comprehensive analysis unveils the layers of corruption within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, emphasizing the need for systematic reforms and unwavering commitment to ethical governance.

    • Akindele Abdulqayyum Olalekan Akindele.abdulqayyum@gmail.com
  • Turning the humanitarian affairs ministry around

    Turning the humanitarian affairs ministry around

    SIR: President Tinubu’s administration hit the ground running soon as he was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The subsidy removal regime has been putting more money in the account of government to be used for various developmental projects. Since coming into power, electricity supply has tremendously improved with Nigerians now boasting of about 80% daily electricity usage.

    Signals emerging from the various ministers appointed by President Tinubu are highly encouraging. The Minister of Works is on top of his job awarding road contracts across the federation.

    The Minister of Interior has revolutionised international passport issuance with passport issued within two weeks of biometrics capture.

    The sports ministry is agog with N12 billion released to it for offsetting the various allowances owed sports men and women.

    The FCT minister has woken up the hitherto sleeping Federal Capital Territory with various face-lifting projects.

    The achievements of this administration in just seven months diminish what was achieved in the last eight years.

    However, in every administration there is always a Judas. And that is what the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry stands for today. Within five years of its establishment, the CEOs of the ministry are alleged to have looted N84.1billion. This is a ministry established to take care of vulnerable Nigerians and also see to it that ordinary Nigerians enjoy the dividend of democracy.

    Read Also: Betta Edu: Suspended humanitarian affairs minister allegedly denied access to the Presidential Villa

    People have been suggesting the scrapping of the ministry because of the humongous corruption going on there. Such a suggestion amounts to throwing away the baby and the bathtub. The aim of establishing the ministry is laudable and still very relevant.

    My appeal to Mr. President is to appoint a man of transparent honesty and pedigree to run the affairs of the ministry.

    Such a personality is found in Ahmed Isah, of Brekete Radio, a human rights radio. He is already known for his humanitarian work and has lifted several poor Nigerians from poverty.

    Mr. President, if you ever listen to the radio station, it will not be hard to convince you that he is the right man for the job.

    His work in the ministry will project your administration in good light and further win the confidence of Nigerians. He is a detribalised Nigerian and devoid of religious sentiments.

    I thank you and wish you God’s wisdom throughout your tenure.

    • Chief Ogwuche Matthias, New Nyanya, Abuja.
  • Lawlessness at Admiralty University of Nigeria

    Lawlessness at Admiralty University of Nigeria

    • By Patrick Yande

    What happens to a nation when its laws fail and many of its citizens lose their fear of its laws? The answer should be obvious: hope for its growth fails and the few who still retain respect for its laws live in grave danger of assault by the majority who are lawless. To renew lost hope, laws must be enforced, law-abiding citizens should be protected, and law-breakers must be punished. Accordingly, it is time for President Tinubu’s attention to turn to the lawlessness pervading certain federal institutions of education and make urgent and necessary appointments to restore order and sanity. It is time his Renewed Hope Agenda extended to the education sector.

    On Saturday, January 6, an unconventional and memo was posted on the WhatsApp page of the staff of a federal university called Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN) by the registrar of the university, Commodore Isaac Mankilik retired. It carried a reference ADUN/R/GEN/IC/VOL.1/07 and the title “Regularization of the Appointment of Professor Paul Omojo Omaji as Vice Chancellor of Admiralty University of Nigeria.”

    The opening paragraph states: “Following a communication from the GMD/CEO of NHL on the above subject, I hereby notify all staff and students that the Chief of the Naval Staff has endorsed the regularization of the appointment of Professor Paul Omojo Omaji as Vice Chancellor of ADUN, for five years with effect from 1st July 2019 to laspe (sic) on 30th June 2024. This regularization is in accordance with the ADUN Act 2017 under which Professor Paul Omojo Omaji was appointed. It is important to note that the ADUN Act 2022 provides for a period of transition to avoid a vacuum.”

    It is hard to admit that the GMD/CEO of NHL and the Chief of the Naval Staff (mentioned in the memo) have openly usurped from President Tinubu (Visitor to Admiralty University of Nigeria under the ADUN Act 2022, which is mentioned by the registrar in his memo) his statutory powers over the university.

    Is there any authority other than the governing council and Visitor to a federal university in Nigeria that can legitimately give directives regarding the appointment of the vice chancellor? The Chief of the Naval Staff is expected to repudiate this illegal memo, or the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Visitor to Admiralty University of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR should cause a query to be issued to the Chief of the Naval Staff and the memo rescinded quickly. 

    The Admiralty University of Nigeria, by an Act of the National Assembly, called the Admiralty University of Nigeria Establishment Act (2022), signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 8, 2023, was legally established as a federal university in 2023. It is an enthronement of anarchy for Registrar Mankilik (who is also on his way out, being a retired officer of over 64 years) to cite a repealed ADUN Act of 2017 whereas the university presently operates a new law— the Admiralty University of Nigeria Establishment Act (2022).

    How safe would Nigeria be if citizens were allowed to cite certain provisions of Nigeria’s old constitutions (1960, 1963, 1979, etc.)? Furthermore, Mankilik’s claim that “ADUN Act 2022 provides for a period of transition to avoid a vacuum” was not followed by a citation of those “provisions” if they include an errant “regularization of the appointment of Professor Paul Omojo Omaji”, who was offered a contract of four years effective from July 1, 2019, as “Vice Chancellor/President” of the Admiralty University (as licensed then by the National Universities Commission) by the Board of Trustees of the university when it was a private university co-owned by the Navy Holdings Limited (NHL) and Hellenic Education Limited (HEL). That tenure expired on June 30, 2023 about four months after President Buhari signed the Admiralty University of Nigeria Establishment Act (2022). And this Act does not contain a provision on “Regularization of appointment of a Vice-Chancellor.”

    Additionally, in March 2018 both the GMD of NHL (then Rear Admiral Adebari) and the President of Hellenic Education Limited (Dr. Perestiani) put their seal to a new Law of Admiralty University, called ADUN Act (2018) which included the university leadership titles such as “president” and “vice president”. In the ADUN Act (2018), in Section 5 (3), it is stated that “The term of Office of the president shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.” Accordingly, the Board of Trustees fixed Professor Omaji’s tenure at four years in 2019 as “Vice Chancellor/President”, which Omaji accepted and served out on June 30, 2023. Any other contrivances such as “tenure extension” or “Regularization of appointment” are audacious exhibitions of lawlessness, which President Tinubu ought to step in and stop.

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    In Paragraph 3 of Mankilik’s memo, he stated, “The regularization, which was conveyed to Professor Omojo Omaji on 29th December 2023, is in the overall interest of the university, and intended to avoid leadership vacuum pending the constitution of a new Governing Council by the FGN under ADUN Act 2022.”

    Is it not apparent that Mankilik has undercut his argument in favour of “Regularization of the appointment of Professor Paul Omojo Omaji” in both Paragraphs 1 and 2 of his memo? This is why? His argument in favour of this illegality is to “avoid leadership vacuum” (which is tenuous, because, as in ADUN Act (2022), there are provisions in the Acts of federal universities in Nigeria for filling vacancy in the position of vice chancellor). Secondly, should President Tinubu (Visitor to the University) decide today to constitute a Governing Council for Admiralty University of Nigeria, Omaji is gone.

    On Wednesday, January 3, the Chief of the Naval Staff and a representative of the National Universities Commission (NUC) met with the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir in the minister’s office at the Federal Ministry of Education building over the leadership of Admiralty University of Nigeria. It is revealing that Mankilik did not mention this, because the minister, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), could never have “endorsed” or “authorized” an illegality such as “regularization of appointment of a vice chancellor” of a federal university. The Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Maiyaki could not have “endorsed” this aberration either. Therefore, the content of the illegal memo is a product of the Nigerian Navy alone, which is unwilling to respect the directives of Mr. President.

    It is public knowledge that the appointment of a vice chancellor of a federal university in Nigeria is one of the functions of governing councils. With the dissolution of governing councils of federal universities by President Tinubu with effect from June 16, 2023, he directed that all matters requiring the action of councils should be forwarded to him for consideration through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation through the supervising ministry. The GMD/CEO of NHL (Rear Admiral Hamza Kaoje) and the Chief of the Naval Staff (Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla), by their actions, have decided that the presidential directive is not worthy of their regard. And if President Tinubu allows this insidious slight to pass, what restrains other public officers and officials to do the same?

  • Ogun: A governor’s many laurels

    Ogun: A governor’s many laurels

    • By Olaniyi Ajibola

    In the face of murky politics and primordial leadership failure which have characterised the political landscape of Africa, it is always difficult to identify exemplary leadership with purposeful inclination.

    Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world and the largest democracy in Africa, with uninterrupted democratic government spanning over two decades had her fair  share of this inadequacy in leadership,  with attendant developmental deficit, socio-economic imbalance and palpable insecurity.

    However, the turn of events in one of the Nigerian federating units, Ogun State, elicits special attention, especially on the unprecedented zeal for infrastructural development and political stability, through inclusive leadership style exhibited by the helmsman, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    The speed and frequency of change in the quality of governance  in the Gateway State since May 2019, despite the toxic political environment and bastardized economy inherited by Governor Abiodun continue to amaze political watchers and pundits alike, hence, the torrents of awards  around the world to recognise his rare leadership style and developmental drive.

    The governor, shortly after his assumption of office and with strong determination to revolutionize the mainstay of the state’s economy in the bid of ensuring food security, conceptualized the ISEYA pillars of action, in which agriculture is being touted as an integral factor of socio-economic advancement.

    He embarked on aggressive interventions in the sector and array of its sub-sectors. These interventions transformed the sector and its various clusters as the state is being presently adjudged as the largest producer of poultry products and cassava in Nigeria.

    It was in the face of this feat that Governor Dapo Abiodun won the Governor of the Year Award at the Nigerian Agricultural Awards 2020; the award has so far served as a big impetus for him, inspiring him to do more in the sector and make the State to sustain its leading status in agricultural produce across the country.

    Also, the political sagacity displayed by Abiodun in the management of fragmented political environment he met in 2019, which restored normalcy and political stability in the state, and put a permanent end to brigandage and volatility informed the conferment of Governor of the Year Award for the year 2021 on him simultaneously by the two reputable newspapers, Vanguard and Daily Independent.

    For his consistency in providing purposeful leadership and inclusive governance to the people of Ogun State, and his vibrant mechanism for social mobilization in the collective pursuant of egalitarian society through the soul-lifting slogan of collectivism, coined “Building Our Future Together”, Abiodun again was honoured with the Leadership Governor of the Year Award in 2022.

    Meanwhile, among several awards that have been conferred on Governor Abiodun in the last four years, the Forbes Best of Africa Award in industrial revolution for the year 2023 was significant and distinct. 

    The award showcased the exceptional political will and capacity of a governor to industrialise his state and create necessary enablers for business to thrive against the age-long economic ideology of consumption without production, which has brought about stagnation and starvation in many African nations and sub-nationals.

    The status of Ogun State as the industrial hub of Nigeria, with deliberate policies that entrench the best environment for the Ease of Doing Business among the comity of states, coupled with dynamic Multi-modal Transport plan and conscious efforts towards sustainable energy sector, through the Light-up Initiative indeed culminated into this global recognition of importance.

    As the Forbes’ Award was being celebrated in the state and among Abiodun’s admirers and followers around the world, the federal government at almost the same time honoured the governor with the Industrial Revolution Award, which further gave credence to his profound achievement in the industrialization of the Gateway State.

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    Obviously, the dual recognition by the Sun newspapers and Silverbird Group did not come as a surprise; it is simply the manifestation of Abiodun’s tenacity and consistency on the path of greater and advanced Ogun State and the conscious resolve to create better environment for human development and good standard of living for the citizenry.

    Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief, of Sun newspapers, Onuoha Ukeh, while communicating the nomination to Govenor Abiodun, said the award was in recognition of Governor Abiodun’s strides in turning the state into an industrial giant, while also improving its revenue base.

    In the same vein, Silverbird Group hinted that Governor Abiodun emerged 2023 Silverbird Man of the Year Award from four nominees after a rigorous voting process.

    In a statement signed by Jacob Akinyemi-Johnson, chief creative officer/chairman editorial board of the organisation,   Governor Abiodun, since his assumption of office has contributed immensely to the advancement of the Nigerian society through his many laudable projects, hence his nomination.

    In truth and in deed, the lies and blackmails of the fifth columnists have been neutralized by the stellar performance of Prince Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State. Despite experiencing the most hostile political climate in the whole of Nigeria, where a sitting president was once stoned and embarrassed by some disgruntled elements led by an incumbent governor, Abiodun remains focused, determined and undaunted, and the rest now became history.

    Prince Dapo Abiodun, by his nature and strength of character has become an institution to study in the democratic enclave of Nigeria and Africa in general; cool, calm and collected, with strong will of leaving indelible footprints at the end of his tenure. This governor deserves more accolades and honours without blemish.

    •Ajibola, an aide to Governor Abiodun on Strategic Media writes from Abeokuta.

  • Where the writ does not run

    Where the writ does not run

    • By Olaiya Phillips

    On December 24 2023, Nigeria mined new depths of degeneracy, as further evidence was provided that we are on the brink of a descent into even more dark crevices. On that day, terrorism, masquerading as banditry, descended with inexplicable savagery. Men, women and children were slaughtered in the most inhumane ways, as if they were mere points to be scored in a medieval blood sport. In Bokkos, Mangu and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, the cold hand of death once again settled on the Middle Belt. Altogether, 17 communities were attacked, with houses burned and babies slaughtered as they cried out on their mother’s backs. Heads were smashed in and limbs decimated. The scenes recorded before the failure of the security forces to come to the aid of the indigenes were worthy of a viewer discretion warning. As if to make the point that their mission was the very antithesis of the nation’s longing for peace, the terrorists chose the eve of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, to visit their particular brand of barbarism.

    Sovereignty presupposes supreme and unrestricted sway in a defined space; it assumes the sovereign has full dominion in his domain. The Christmas massacres on the Plateau left scenes that scream to all and sundry that the abnormality of a sovereign state in which the writ of the sovereign does not run is coming close to becoming normative, at our collective peril.

    Scores of marauding murderers (reports say up to 400 of them) descended on the 17 communities and spared no one as they engaged in primeval bloodletting. The ferocity of the killing spoke loudly of unspoken but well-known agendas.

    Unfortunately, this is part of a long-standing pattern going back many years. Through a scorched earth policy, these acts have sought to change long standing demographic realities by rewriting the facts on the ground. The popular nomenclature of farmer-settler conflict is wholly inadequate to capture what we are witnessing. This is gerrymandering in the most vicious way possible, and more than that, it’s ethnic cleansing.

    The total lack of fear or foreboding of what might happen to them on the part of the perpetuators is a damning indictment of the tepid nature of the response that has attended such outrages in the past. The President, like his predecessor, directed the security agencies to “scour every stretch of the zone and apprehend the culprits”.

    He has not said what sanctions will attach to failure on the part of the security agencies, and when such sanctions will be applied. To reassure Nigerians that his government is committed to securing our territorial integrity, President Tinubu must live up to his promise to secure the Badlands. If he cannot and does not, what makes him any different from President Buhari?

    National security equates to the nation’s security. Without security across the length and breadth of the country, all President Tinubu’s laudable plans for economic and social reform and regeneration will come to nought. Why would anyone invest in a country where the writ does not run? Law and order are and must be indivisible. It is either the way our affairs are run or it is not. The government cannot cherry pick where and when it chooses to elevate fidelity to the law.

    While nation states are nominally sovereign, they are not immune to regional and global imperatives: a nation’s security is rarely divorced from its geography. The facts emanating from the Sahel cannot be disregarded, they must be tackled and overcome.

    A well-oiled security apparatus presupposes an intelligence service with a network that provides government with timely information to enable it act to prevent the kind of horrors witnessed on the Plateau over Christmas. We are not merely interested in apprehending the monkeys that carried out these dastardly acts; just as importantly, if not more so, we must bring the organ grinders orchestrating their dance of death from afar to book.

    There is only so much a people can endure before they seek solace in forms of self-help that only serve to further undermine the suzerain’s claim to authority in the sovereign space. Without being unduly dramatic, should we not be asking ourselves if these goings presage, by stealth, a de facto state of internecine war within the country Nigeria?

    After the Nigerian Civil War, we collectively determined that never again would we war among each other. Where the people cannot look to their government for day-to-day protection from egregious non-state actors, it seems to me that we are sleepwalking our way into another nationwide conflagration.

    It would be simple to merely describe what we are witnessing as evidence of a religious agenda; it would also be simplistic. The issues at play are far more complex and range over numerous cleavages and nefarious agendas. What we ought to be worried about is those that would reduce this to a Christian-Moslem conflict in the hope of sparking a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    There can be no excuse for knee-jerk reactions as this government and its security agencies have had more than enough time to apprise themselves of the many dimensions and nuances of this persisting problem. In addition, they have the benefit of institutional knowledge about a conflict that various governments have been contending with, to no avail, for decades.

    In spite of the problems that have attended the first half-year of President Tinubu’s administration, he still has sufficient goodwill to leverage in trying to secure the nation’s territorial integrity. Difficult decisions will have to be taken and be seen to be taken. He can count on the support of men of goodwill; he cannot however expect a blank cheque.

    Phillips is a former Chairman of Northern Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF).

  • Appeasement does not pay

    Appeasement does not pay

    • Has the West learned nothing from the mistakes of the 1930s?
    • By George Monastiriakos

    Mark Twain famously wrote that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” He made a compelling point. Consider the alarming parallels between the prelude to World War II and today’s international security environment.

    In 1928, 15 states signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact in Paris. This multilateral agreement attempted to eliminate war as an instrument of foreign policy. Its signatories included the US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.

    Japan was the first state to violate the agreement by invading the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. Within months, Tokyo consolidated its control over the resource-rich area and declared the autonomous state of Manchukuo.

    Paris and London, Europe’s leading powers, did nothing in response. Washington stated that it wouldn’t recognize any accords signed between Japan and China that violated preexisting agreements with American companies.

    Emboldened by the slap on the wrist, Japan attacked Shanghai in 1932. The following year, Tokyo withdrew from the League of Nations. No economic or military sanctions were imposed against Japan.

    Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was inspired by Japan’s success and emboldened by the weakness of the Allies. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia to expand its empire in East Africa. The League of Nations agreed to sanction Rome.

    Yet London and Paris were soft on Mussolini. Instead of imposing devastating consequences on Rome, the United Kingdom and France recognized the annexation of Ethiopia in the name of “not alienating Italy.”

    The Allies abandoned the principles of the rules-based international order (sovereignty and self-determination) that should’ve emerged in the aftermath of World War I.

    Never two without three, German dictator Adolf Hitler was also emboldened by the lackluster response to Mussolini’s annexation of Ethiopia.

    In 1936, three years after rising to power and withdrawing from the League of Nations, Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact.

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    Britain and France were both caught off guard by Hitler’s gamble. They failed to impose any consequences on Germany. Despite some concern in the American press, the US, then dominated by isolationists in Congress, did nothing either.

    When Japan invaded China again in 1937, France and England were only concerned with their respective colonial possessions in Asia. Washington flirted with the idea of imposing sanctions on Tokyo but decided against it.

    Congress was obsessed with putting “America first.” Even Japan sinking the U.S.S. Panay and killing 3 Americans during the evacuation of Nanjing didn’t stop the US from appeasing Tokyo.

    Reducing tensions by appeasing dictatorships at any cost became the order of the day. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain basically handed Austria over to Hitler in 1938. While the French government was helpless, Congress remained isolationist throughout the Anschluss.

    Emboldened once more, Hitler then annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 and the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Washington was not a party to the Munich Agreement, but appeased Hitler all the same by enacting the fourth and final Neutrality Act because of its “America first” obsession.

    Only when Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland in 1939 did London and Paris stop avoiding reality. They finally recognized what type of dictators they were dealing with, honored their respective pacts with Warsaw, and declared war against Germany.

    Europe was falling apart. Washington stuck to its “America first” obsession. Germany defeated France. London, left to fend for itself, begged for help. Unfortunately, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s hands were tied by US law, an isolationist Congress, and American public opinion.

    An agreement where London provided basing arrangements to Washington in exchange for destroyers was nonetheless reached. Eventually, when the United Kingdom could no longer afford to pay for military supplies, that deal was replaced with the Lend-Lease Act of 1941.

    Yet Washington wasn’t fully committed to the Allies until Japan launched a preemptive strike against US soldiers at Pearl Harbor before invading the Philippines and Indonesia, killing 2, 403 Americans. Only then did America finally understand what type of regimes it was dealing with.

    After a decade of appeasement, more than a dozen countries occupied by the Axis of Evil, and millions of people slaughtered in the name of expansionist aggression, America finally realized that the world’s problems were always its problems.

    The Allies could’ve imposed devastating consequences on Italy, Germany, and Japan at the outset of their aggression. The costs would’ve been marginal compared to the bill they would pay by 1945.

    Washington, London, and Paris appeased the Axis of Evil instead. Swathes of Europe and Asia were devastated. Parts of North Africa and the Middle East were too. More than 50 million people were killed.

    The appeasement of Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany taught the West that the cost of defeating evil increases every time we appease it. Nevertheless, the Free World is still repeating the mistakes of the 1930s.

    Aggressors are appeased instead of confronted. Leaders conceal the Alliance’s power beneath a veneer of weakness. Isolationists repeat the same “[insert country] first” slogans. Populists portray the West’s prosperity as poverty. The list goes on and on.

    These lies are nothing more than cheap excuses to abandon the West’s values, interests, and partners. They also embolden dictators like Russian President Vladimir Putin to set the world ablaze until the risk of being engulfed by the fire and the cost of extinguishing it reach existential proportions.

    The best time for the West to have prevented further Russian aggression was in 2014, when Russia invaded Donbas and annexed Ukrainian Crimea. The next best time is today, by committing to Ukraine’s victory instead of just enabling its survival.

    The West’s adversaries are clear. They have said exactly what they intend to do – to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, the US, and the rules-based international order that underwrites western security and prosperity. It’s time to take them seriously.

    The Western world neglects reality to its own detriment. By forgetting that the cost of defeating evil increases every time we kick the can further down the road, it seems that the West has learned nothing from the 1930s.

  • The Judiciary and the “I’m not a lawyer” phenomenon

    The Judiciary and the “I’m not a lawyer” phenomenon

    In recent times, the Nigerian judiciary has been “bloodied but unbowed”. Could John Milton have imagined that this phrase in his famous poem “Paradise Lost” would have been so timeless in the sharpness of its imagery and the range of its rhetorical force? And could the forebears of today’s judiciary have imagined that much of the blood streaming from the judiciary’s head would be from strikes from the bar – their kith and kin? Some lawyers seem to perceive it as a badge of honour to demean the judiciary. But have these lawyers been sufficiently reflective? If they have, they would have known that as the Yoruba saying goes, “Tí a bá ta ará ilé ẹni lọ́pọ̀, a kò lè rí i rà ní ọ̀wọ́n mọ́.” (‘If you sell your kin cheaply, you may not be able to buy them back dearly.’) An equivalent of this proverb was rendered as follows in 2019 by the former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating: “if you pawn the crown it is incapable of being redeemed at the same value.”

    Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, described in a 6 November, 2023 interview in BusinessDay as “a Nigerian human rights activist, lawyer, professor and writer [and] the former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission” remarked as follows about the Supreme Court: “The court should be the last hope of the common man, I would agree with you. Are the Nigerian courts today the last hope of the common man? No sir. … It is no longer buying and selling of court judgement; it is that people are now planting their families in corrupt relationships with the judiciary system to make sure that down the road you cannot even get any idea of justice.”

    According to a BusinessDay report of 18 November, 2023, Olumide Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) magnified the denigrating views of Odinkalu at a meeting of the International Bar Association (IBA) when he said as follows: “there is a deliberate attempt by the political class to capture the judiciary and it has serious consequences for the rule of law in Nigeria. … Just like Chidi Odinkalu pointed out to us, a good Judge can only emerge through that process by luck. Their [judges’] kids want to go to Cambridge, Harvard, but they can’t afford it, but I want to assure you that their kids are in Oxford. Your guess is as good as mine: How did those kids get there?”

    In the case of specific judgements, especially on the electoral status of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the condemnation of the judiciary has been quite strident. In a 3 March, 2023 edition of the TVC News programme “Journalists Hangout” (rebroadcast on 24 December, 2023), ace-commentator, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju who is not a lawyer, but a historian, noted that it had been decided at the Supreme Court that “you do not have to win the FCT to be elected. If you score the mandatory 25% in 24 states, even if you didn’t score 25% in the FCT, you’re good to go. But some people in this season think that they can simply hoodwink or lie to Nigerians. They are now making it look like no President can be validly elected until [they have] won Abuja or until  [they have] recorded 25% in Abuja, in the FCT … It is ignorance peddling and it’s a shameful, a very shameful level of ignorance peddling, because the idiocy in the argument is does it mean that … if you won election in 36 states but failed woefully in FCT would anybody be able to validly say you are not qualified to be validly elected just because you didn’t win a very small portion of our country?” This position accords with the views of a range of well-respected lawyers and that of both the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court.

    In the lead judgement of the PEPC on 6 September, 2023, it is noted as follows: “the futility of and hollowness in the argument of the petitioners that the votes of the voters in the FCT, Abuja, have more weight than other voters in the country to the extent [that] their votes purportedly have a veto effect on other votes is rendered bare.” This position is supported by a range of ranking lawyers such as elder statesman, Robert Clarke, SAN.  However, as bare as the point appeared to be, some senior lawyers seemed not to see it. So, even after the judgement, one of them, Mr. James Ezike in an Arise TV interview of 7 September, 2023, poohpoohed the PEPC judgement as “computer judgement” and insisted that it was mandatory for a presidential candidate to win 25% of the votes in the FCT, Abuja to be validly declared a winner.

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    Specifically, he said: “The weakest point in that judgement is their finding of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). That is very embarrassing because they were so sure of what they were saying, and they said [about] the Federal Territory, there is a provision in the constitution, that is a general provision in the constitution that says they should be treated as a state. If Abuja were a state, then Abuja should have its House of Assembly, but it doesn’t. It should have three senators, but it has only one.” He then opined that because the quality of the Justices on the Supreme Court had declined, it was not advisable for Peter Obi to appeal the PEPC judgement, because he could not hope to get justice. Eventually, the Supreme Court upheld the judgement of the PEPC.

    Even the well-known former President of the NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, declared variously that it was mandatory for a winning candidate to score 25% of the votes of the FCT, Abuja. The implication of this is that the views of some non-lawyers seemed to be of higher quality than those of some lawyers, even senior lawyers, not just on 25% of Abuja votes, but on other issues related to the 2023 elections. This draws attention to the preface, “I’m not a lawyer” (IANAL) and its variants. These variants include “He is no a lawyer” and “Those of us who are not lawyers”. 

    Senator Dave Umahi, Honourable Minister of Works, after the PEPC judgement, noted as follows on Arise News, on 10 September, 2023: “I advise him [Peter Obi] not to go to any appeal. I am not a lawyer, but the Governor of Ebonyi State is a lawyer and he has interpreted the judgement and it has left no hope for any appeal. Those judges are spirits. They went into everything and dissected them just like getting a coconut and breaking it. You will get the water and everything and get the nut.”  

    Dele Momodu, said as follows in his “Pendulum” column in Thisdayonline of 13 October, 2023, prior to the Supreme Court judgement on Atiku and Obi’s appeal of the PEPC judgement: “’Fellow Nigerians, I’m not a Lawyer.  But I’m surrounded by friends who are Lawyers … Many Nigerians seem to have given up on our Judiciary. … The Judiciary today can restore instant global prestige and adulation to our country. The Judges can automatically improve our economy by not kowtowing to the overbearing appurtenances of power, by not delivering technical judgements but being seen to ensure real justice. They can bring back the sinking influence and relevance of their profession.”

    It is not certain whether Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ever told Professor Osinbajo, SAN, “I am not a lawyer”, but the former Vice-President himself said something that made that a possibility. At the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Abuja on 28 March, 2019, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said about Asiwaju: “He’s not a lawyer, as many of us know, but there are few Nigerians who have provoked so many legal controversies and constitutional challenges resulting in several landmark judicial rulings … But how about electoral reform?  In 2007, when our party then the ACN was rigged out of elections in Osun, in Ekiti, in Ondo and in Edo States … he invited me to his residence at Bourdillon and he said to me, ‘The only way we can possibly reclaim the states that have been taken from us … is going through the courts.’ And he said to me that the only way is by proving that there was multiple voting. … I said to him, … Asiwaju, ‘Nobody has ever proved an electoral case, an electoral petition by forensic evidence. There’s just no history of it.’” Professor Osinbajo noted that in spite of telling him it was unrealistic, Asiwaju insisted that he should go and look for how to get it done. Professor Osinbajo complied and eventually 63 UK policemen were contracted to carry out forensic analyses to prove multiple thumb-printing of ballot papers. In the end, Asiwaju’s visionary and unprecedented legal propositions worked and the states wrongly taken over by the PDP were returned to the ACN through the court.

    As Stephen R. Williams observes, “when my non-legal colleagues preface their statements with ‘I’m not a lawyer, but…’, it’s a nice way of saying, ‘Look, I know you went to law school and all, and have spent countless years of your life practicing in this area, but I am pretty sure you’re wrong and I’m right.’ In five small words, they attempt to dispatch of a lifetime of education and experience as they champion their simple idea they assume we [lawyers] overlooked.” By their conduct in the turbulent 2023 Nigerian electoral season, many lawyers have substantially demystified themselves. Growing up in the Yoruba society, a popular adulating expression was “Barrister, Lawyer, akọ-níwájú-adájọ́” (‘The bold lawyer before the judge.”) It was never imagined that a time would come when these mythical legal personages would become justified targets of epithets and expressions such as “frivolous”, “vexatious”, “fishing expedition”, and be subjected to heavy fines for incompetence and/or abuse of court processes.

    In fact, like the “I will tell my father for you” tantrums of spoilt nursery school kids, some senior lawyers approached the Supreme Court lamenting that the PEPC Justices abused Obi and Atiku’s lawyers. Are many of our senior lawyers turning out to be legal luminaries with feet of clay? The judiciary-denigrating lawyers seem not to be aware of or appear to ignore the admonition of the Yoruba proverb, “Ẹní bá na ìka kan sí ọmọnìkejì, mẹ́sàn-án yòókù tirẹ̀ ni.” (‘If you point one finger at another person, the remaining nine are pointing at yourself.’) These judiciary-insulting lawyers also discountenance the perversity underscored in the proverb, “Idà ń wólé ara rẹ̀, ó lóhun ń ba àkọ̀ nínú jẹ́.” (‘The sword is demolishing its own house, but thinks it is making the scabbard miserable.’)

  • Death with malice

    Death with malice

    • On both sides, the allies of Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa betrayed bad faith

    As lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa steps into his second week as the man at the helm in Ondo State, the transition of power from the deceased and ebullient Governor Rotimi Akeredolu still seems incomplete.

    Other than the mourning, a sense of unspent rancour mixes with premature jubilation. Before he died, the former governor and his allies locked horns with the allies of now Governor Aiyedatiwa who was his deputy and later acting governor.

    There was a sense of excess on both sides. A haste to impeach Aiyedatiwa that got hooked in the court of law, while the then deputy acted as though he saw himself taking over even while his boss still battled with the debilitations of blood cancer (Leukemia) and prostate cancer.

    The impression lingered, and with palpable justifications, that Aiyedatiwa would not allow Akeredolu to, in the words of the Poet Dylan Thomas, “go gentle into that good night.” While Akeredolu was raging “against the dying of the light,” Aiyedatiwa seemed, in the eyes of not a few, stoking a different sort of fire to burn the man out of office and existence.

    No matter how exaggerated or even false these impressions may seem about Aiyedatiwa, it is a lesson in patience and respect in our political realm. The final months also showed how the malice and ambition of politics can soil the sacred, devalue life and diminish the privilege of public service.

    On the part of the Akeredolu allies, the stories of forgery can never be ascertained, but few have justified why the governor, when he returned from treatment abroad, domiciled at his home in Ibadan even though Akure is the state’s seat of power. No explanation was adduced and an air of defiance marked the silence of his team.

    The paradox was that while similar incident happened in the past, Akeredolu resonated as a voice of conscience when former President Umar Yar’adua was on his deathbed. Forces of change and egos of incumbency duelled over whether the nation’s highest office holder should relinquish his hold on the saddle. Akeredolu berated the president’s allies. It will be precipitous to judge the late governor and tar him with double standards because we cannot say he was in good enough health to make a stand. This also raises the issue of transparency in our leaders because the public, especially Ondo State citizens, had no clear knowledge about his health, whether he was recuperating or dying.

    There were also yet unproved allegations against his wife that traversed the decencies of a first lady’s role into the forbidden terrain of tribe. It unveiled how bitter it was.

    In the final analysis, both sides did not treasure enough the voter who had a big stake in the health of the governor’s office. Health, in this sense, bore an elastic definition, as it was not just about the physical wellbeing of one man, but the psychology of both sides.

    We must recognise that we do not place superhumans in office, and every man or woman voted into office could face the wild forage of disease or pain. In such a case, the least the public expects is the barest minimum of information. We did not get it.

    We need the health of a leader to make judgements about education, infrastructure, healthcare and other weighty matters. So, if one man is ill, if he or she does not act in the full mental and physical powers, it could impale a million others in ways that are difficult to determine or prevent. It may even harm a future by harming the present.

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    The greed for power often beclouds these considerations. The pity is that such values necessary from players cannot be legislated. We can only hope for a ruddy sense of legacy when such crisis erupts.

    After his death, we were appalled with the haste with which Aiyedatiwa was sworn in. He was already the acting governor. He might have waited a few more days. He declared three days of mourning, and it was a right thing for his service to the state and respect for his stature as a public servant. While this was on, he allowed himself to be sworn in. He was not a deputy. He was already the chief executive of the state with full authority under the constitution. He did not require fanfare or the extravagance of clothing. It was a great day in the life and career of Aiyedatiwa but it was also an hour of mourning. If he were a deputy and not operating in an acting capacity, it would be understandable if he was sworn in. In that case, law needed to upend culture.

    But given our culture of revering the dead and the air of mutual suspicion and disrespect and accusations of sacrilege, he might have waited. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in April, 1963, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in immediately in an aircraft jammed with his aides, his wife and Kennedy’s wife. Johnson was not acting. The position did not abide a deputy. It was solemn and without fanfare, even if they do not have our perspective on the soul and respect of the dead.

    It was Aiyedatiwa’s lack of sense of location and time that made him utter the words, “a ku orire,” meaning “congratulations to us.” Some have asserted that it was justified since, in Yorubaland, the king never dies. He only travels. Even then, the king is not replaced in a ceremony immediately or within hours.

    We run a democracy, not a monarchy, so we must respect where modernity calls for restraint. By uttering those words, he seemed to have soiled the sacred stream and grinned over his predecessor’s grave. If he did not realise it, he reflected a naïve lack of cultural intelligence. If he knew, it was unfortunate.

    In spite of the hoopla over it, he has failed to address it, not even with his own side of the perspectives. Or even an apology. It is unfair to show mirth while mourning a person you once deferred to as a benefactor and mentor and who called you a friend and publicly vowed to advance your ambition to succeed him. There was a patently partisan echo, though; in those who condemn his seeming hilarity. There was truth in the charge, nonetheless.

    All of these happened because of the bitterness on both sides and lack of decency, also on both sides. The drama of the last days of Governor Akeredolu did not ennoble our political class or even governance. It highlighted a rancorous juvenility we also want to expunge.