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A banana republic, her men, and people
- By Charles Dickson
From time to time I engage in the ritual of going back to old time classic work by Nigerian authors and there are not many of them. Like our music, these days not many works of art could be classified as such. So as the year climaxes I picked up a work by the venerated Chinua Achebe.

Man of the People published in 1966 is a poignant exploration of post-colonial politics and the challenges faced by newly independent African nations. Set in an unnamed African country, the novel centres around the character of Odili Samalu, a young teacher who becomes embroiled in the political machinations of Chief Nanga, a charismatic and corrupt politician.

The novel is known for its incisive critique of the political landscape in Africa, particularly the issue of corruption and the betrayal of public trust by those in power. Chief Nanga, initially presented as a champion of the people, is revealed to be self-serving and manipulative, using his position for personal gain. Achebe skilfully portrays the disillusionment of the masses as they realize the stark contrast between Nanga’s promises and his actions.

Achebe’s narrative style is marked by a keen attention to detail and a mastery of language. He employs vivid imagery and rich descriptions to bring the setting to life, painting a vivid picture of the societal and political milieu. The dialogue in the novel is authentic and reflective of the linguistic diversity of Nigeria, adding an extra layer of realism to the narrative.

One of the strengths of Man of the People is Achebe’s ability to delve into the complexities of human nature. Through characters like Odili, who grapples with conflicting emotions of admiration and revulsion towards Nanga, Achebe explores the nuances of moral ambiguity and the grey areas that exist within individuals.

Moreover, the novel addresses broader themes of nation-building, identity, and the legacy of colonialism. Achebe underscores the challenges faced by African nations as they navigate the transition from colonial rule to self-governance. He highlights the enduring influence of colonial legacies and the struggle for true autonomy.

While Man of the People is a work of fiction, it serves as a powerful mirror reflecting the socio-political realities of its time. Achebe’s incisive critique of the political elite’s betrayal of public trust remains relevant not only in Nigeria but in many countries around the world.

The book stands as a seminal work in African literature, offering a searing commentary on post-colonial politics and the complexities of human nature. Through its well-drawn characters and masterful storytelling, the novel remains a thought-provoking exploration of power, corruption, and the quest for genuine leadership in the face of immense challenges.

Sadly, it’s the end of 2023 and not much has changed, both for Africa and Nigeria, and in many cases, the larger part of the continent has remained dark and some form of banana republic with men of the people littered everywhere.

A “banana republic” typically refers to a politically unstable and economically dependent country, often in a tropical or subtropical region, that relies heavily on a single export commodity (historically, bananas) for its economic sustenance. These nations tend to have fragile political institutions, high levels of corruption, and a significant influence of foreign corporations or governments in their affairs. The term is often used pejoratively to describe a country perceived as undemocratic, economically weak, and subject to exploitation.

While Nigeria has faced various challenges, it is a complex and diverse nation with a substantial economy, diverse natural resources, and a multifaceted political landscape.

Nigeria is not traditionally labelled as a banana republic. However, it has encountered issues such as political instability, corruption, and economic challenges. The term itself may oversimplify the complexities of Nigeria’s situation. It’s more accurate to analyse Nigeria’s circumstances using a broader perspective that considers its rich cultural diversity, economic potentials, and ongoing efforts to address various socio-economic and political issues. But try as hard as one wants to, it’s near impossible because our men and in some cases women run the show with the consent of one of the most docile follower-ships found anywhere.

In Nigeria, individuals are richer than their states, and they do nothing productive; in Nigeria success is not based on effort, not based on competence or integrity. In fact, integrity is almost a strange word; it’s not about what you put in, but who you know or who you are related to.

We have millionaires and billionaires that produce nothing, leaders without vision, or ideological philosophy. Manifestos are mere handouts, campaign slogans are like song choruses without refrain chanted by the same people who are at the receiving end of poor governance.

In our republic, these men borrow money in millions and billions with nothing to show for it and no one held accountable for squander-mania and yet again borrow some more. We lie about everything from subsidies to taxes, with millions unemployed, we threaten tax hikes for the poor at the expense of the thieving rich…

The republic lacks a corruption—free, clear, focused and dedicated people. We are a people constantly working against each at various levels; our energies spent throwing things at each other all the time. When we are not fighting corruption, we are saddled with a large concentration of population that are innocent of integrity.

So, for example again, queues have resurfaced at banks as customers battle cash scarcity. There are troubling signs from many parts of the country that the cash crunch that grounded the economy at the start of this year is making a comeback as customers are finding it hard to get cash from banks.

A substantial increase of N2 million on 40ft containers, coupled with a hike of N350,000 in vehicle clearance charges, has become a pressing concern. Importers are now contemplating the redirection of shipments to alternative destinations, potentially leading to the inactivity of Nigeria’s ports. And the men and women care less!

Stakeholders express unease, foreseeing potential inflation and an increase in business closures. There is a growing alarm over the potential surge in drug prices, posing a significant threat to public health. A call for immediate intervention from the federal government is emphasized, urging the addressing of security issues, fostering shipping growth, and streamlining operations at the ports, but the men won’t listen to the people.

A nation with men and women who refuse to produce what they eat, a people with an insatiable taste for everything foreign has seen four import exchange rate in six months, the result a palpable upswing in commodity prices and an escalation in production costs, resulting in a discernible exodus of investors from the country.

This republic, whether banana, coconut or cassava, must contend with institutional corruption; we must address the quest for genuine leadership in the face of immense challenges. Whether the current men and women of the people want to bring about real change, whether the people are ready to hold them accountable, all I want to say and desire is that may Nigeria win!
- Prince Dickson PhD, is development & media practitioner, researcher and policy analyst.
December 26, 2023
Customer service as bridge to business accessibility
- By Elvis Eromosele
As children, we were taught that communication is a two-way street. It is not just about talking, it’s also about listening. It’s not only about disseminating information but also about actively listening and engaging with others. Today, as adults, we find that many didn’t learn the same lesson or else didn’t take it to heart.

Experts argue that effective communication thrives on the exchange of ideas, feedback, and perspectives. When both parties actively participate in the conversation, it encourages transparency, trust, and collaboration. This two-way flow of communication helps in building stronger relationships, resolving issues more effectively, and fostering an environment conducive to growth and understanding.

In the digital age, the bridge between customers and businesses is increasingly built upon communication. The most important channels include the internet /website, phone calls and email. The essence of customer service contact stands as the pivotal gateway to fostering seamless accessibility. However, a disheartening trend persists – the unanswered calls and ignored emails by many businesses. This lack of responsiveness strikes a blow to the very foundation of customer experience, leaving patrons adrift in a sea of frustration and disenchantment.

For instance, not long ago, I got a message via SMS from, supposedly, my pension fund administrator.

“Kindly submit consent for us to provide your bank details to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for FGN Palliative. Visit (link) to locate our Office Address and make a physical submission or click (link) for electronic submission, on or before 19 Dec 2023. Enquiries: 08059580002, 08032752888.”

It didn’t smell right.

Ordinarily, I’ll ignore this sort of message. But this one came as part of the usual messages (chat) from the firm. My interest was pinged. I went online and got the pension firm’s phone number and email. I called several times, the lines were either busy or simply rang out. So, I sent an email and got an automated response. Five days later, nothing else from the firm.

Why can’t companies answer their customer’s calls?

How long does it take to respond to an email?

How am I not to believe that the supposed fraudsters are working hand in hand with contacts within the firm?

In recent times, several high-profile cases have spotlighted the detrimental impact of businesses failing to address customer inquiries promptly.

One poignant example is when a major airline faced a significant operational meltdown, resulting in countless passengers stranded and seeking assistance. Despite an influx of queries flooding their customer service lines, the airline struggled to cope, leaving many customers in a state of frustration due to unanswered calls and unacknowledged emails. This delay exacerbated the already stressful situation, souring the experience for countless travellers.

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There are also instances where airlines cancel flights and yet take months of follow-up and sometimes begging to refund the customers.

Similarly, telecommunications giants have faced their fair share of scrutiny during service disruptions. Instances of network outages or technical glitches causing service disruptions often led to an inundation of customer inquiries. Sometimes, these disruptions are precipitated by fibre cable cuts during road construction. However, delayed or absent responses to these queries intensified customer dissatisfaction, eroding trust in the company’s ability to address concerns promptly.

The real issue is that when businesses fail to answer phone calls or respond to email messages, the repercussions reverberate through the customer experience landscape. It creates an insurmountable barrier, thwarting customers’ attempts at accessing information, seeking assistance, or providing feedback. Such negligence undermines trust and loyalty, casting a shadow on the perceived reliability and credibility of the business.

Customers left in limbo often experience heightened frustration, leading to feelings of neglect or indifference. This negative experience significantly diminishes their inclination to engage further with the business, thereby impacting retention rates and tarnishing the business’s reputation in the market.

Several factors contribute to this lack of responsiveness. Overwhelmed customer service departments, inadequate infrastructure, or even a lack of priority given to these communication channels can be prime culprits.

By learning from these examples and acknowledging the ramifications of unresponsive customer service, businesses can strategically allocate resources, implement effective communication strategies, and build a customer-centric approach that not only resolves issues but also strengthens relationships and fosters loyalty.

To remedy this issue, businesses must undertake a holistic approach.

First, there must be an intentional investment in technology. This will involve adopting and integrating advanced communication technologies that can streamline and manage incoming queries efficiently. Implementing automated responses, chatbots, and CRM systems can significantly enhance responsiveness.

Secondly, emphasis must be placed on training and empowerment. Firms must equip customer service representatives with comprehensive training, empowering them to handle diverse queries promptly and effectively. There is also a need to establish clear protocols and response times to ensure timely resolution.

Moreover, organisations must prioritize communication channels. Firms have to acknowledge the significance of each communication channel and allocate resources accordingly. A proactive approach to responding to emails and answering calls can quickly solidify customer trust and satisfaction.

Feedback has been described as the “breakfast of champions”. Companies need to regularly solicit customer feedback to gauge satisfaction levels. They can subsequently use this information to continually refine and improve communication strategies, ensuring they align with customer expectations.

The essence of customer service contact as the conduit to business accessibility cannot be overstated. The failure to address customers’ queries through phone calls and emails erects barriers that impede accessibility and erode trust.

Businesses that recognize the pivotal role of prompt communication in addressing customer queries and concerns are better positioned to navigate challenges, build trust, and elevate the overall customer experience in today’s competitive landscape.

By acknowledging the impact of unresponsiveness and implementing proactive measures, businesses can bridge this gap thus fostering a customer-centric approach that not only resolves issues but also cultivates loyalty and elevates the overall customer experience. Responsive and efficient communication stands as the cornerstone of a thriving business in today’s interconnected marketplace.
- Eromosele, a corporate communication professional and public affairs analyst, wrote via: elviseroms@gmail.com
December 26, 2023
Of uneven distribution of scarce resources in Africa
Sir: Africa, a land of vibrant cultures, diverse landscapes, and rich resources, has long grappled with the challenge of unevenly distributed scarce resources, posing a significant threat to the continent’s stability and development. Despite its vast wealth in natural resources, including minerals, fertile land, and a burgeoning youthful population, Africa continues to face acute disparities in resource allocation, hindering its progress on multiple fronts.

A paradox often observed in Africa is the coexistence of immense resource wealth in certain regions juxtaposed with pervasive poverty and underdevelopment in others. The continent hosts an abundance of natural resources, from oil in Nigeria to diamonds in Botswana, yet the benefits of these riches often fail to reach the broader population due to systemic issues like corruption, mismanagement, and skewed economic policies.

The uneven distribution of resources in Africa has far-reaching consequences on socio-economic development. Access to basic necessities like clean water, healthcare, education, and infrastructure remains a challenge for millions. Rural communities are particularly affected, lacking adequate infrastructure and basic services, while urban centres witness disproportionate growth leading to overcrowding and strained resources.

Resource scarcity and competition have been catalysts for conflicts across the continent. From conflicts over control of valuable minerals like coltan in the Democratic Republic of Congo to water disputes between countries, uneven resource distribution often fuels tensions, exacerbates existing conflicts, and impedes peace-building efforts.

Healthcare and education are critical components of human development. However, the uneven allocation of resources leads to disparities in access. Remote regions suffer from inadequate healthcare facilities, leading to higher mortality rates from preventable diseases. Education systems are also affected, with rural areas having fewer schools and limited access to quality education compared to urban counterparts.

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The exploitation of resources in certain areas without proper regulation contributes to environmental degradation. Deforestation, pollution, and land degradation resulting from mining activities not only affect the local ecosystems but also impact the livelihoods of communities relying on these resources for sustenance.

Addressing the issue of unevenly distributed scarce resources in Africa requires concerted efforts on multiple fronts. Initiatives focusing on good governance, transparency, and accountable leadership are crucial in combating corruption and ensuring equitable resource allocation. Investing in infrastructure development that connects remote areas to urban centres can help bridge the gap.

Moreover, fostering regional cooperation and diplomacy to manage shared resources effectively is imperative. Implementing sustainable resource management practices and promoting inclusive economic policies that benefit all strata of society are pivotal in mitigating disparities.

The unequal distribution of scarce resources in Africa stands as a significant impediment to the continent’s growth and stability. It not only perpetuates poverty and inequality but also fuels conflicts and hampers overall development. Addressing this challenge demands collaborative efforts from governments, international organizations, and local communities to ensure fair and sustainable resource allocation, ultimately paving the way for a more prosperous and equitable future for the continent and its people.
- Aisha Ali Abubakar, Borno State University, Maiduguri.
December 26, 2023
Adventures of ‘Farmer Bago’

Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago comes across as deeply passionate about goals he sets his sight upon, and heavy on optics towards accomplishing them. In other words, he not only rallies followership in pursuit of his goals, he also acts out the leading charge in implementation efforts. Gut drives are typically heated and cannot but affront the coldness of conventions and habits. But to make sense of such drives, you’ll need to assess them in light of the driver’s objectives.

The Niger governor was last week reported to have banned workers in the state civil service from wearing native attires like kaftan, babanriga and flowing gowns to work from Mondays to Thursdays. The ban was said to be with immediate effect and applied to both male and female civil servants. Fridays are exempt, naturally, because it is the day for Jummat prayer and less business intense.

Reports said Bago announced the ban penultimate Saturday during presentation of land development and preparation equipment at a farming establishment in Wushishi council area of the state. In handing down the purported prohibition, he said civil servants must dress like workers who work to create wealth and not noblemen, adding that any worker who fail to comply with the directive would be dismissed from service. For contextualisation, we should note that the governor spoke in a cultural setting where wearing native attires on all days and for all purposes – including work – is the norm. He spoke in Hausa language, as captured in a video clip that went viral, and reports translated him as saying: “From Monday, we will issue an order preventing civil servants from wearing kaftan and babanriga to work between Monday and Thursday. No babanriga, no kaftan, we are here to work. Anybody who wants to wear babanriga should resign. We are also going to engage in serious farming activities going forward.” He explained that his government was committed to changing the orientation and narrative that civil service was all about sitting in offices with flowing gowns and nice clothes, expending public money and doing nothing to create wealth. The youth, civil servants, politicians and traditional officeholders, according to him, must all go back to the farm.

Apparently leading the charge in his ‘Back to the land’ battle cry, the governor, early last week, took on honorifics. He said he should no longer be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ – that conventional designation of Executive helmsmen – or ‘Honourable,’ or indeed ‘Mr. Governor,’ but rather as ‘Farmer Governor.’ The real effect of this title change on his socio-political status is inconsequential at best, if you asked me, but Bago obviously was laying into optics. After all, Canadian bi-linguist and former editor of Quebec’s largest English-language weekly, The Suburban, Beryl Wajsman, wrote in a 2007 column that “the optique (French term roughly equivalent to optics) is everything.” Speaking during his presentation of the 2024 Niger budget to the state house of assembly, the governor said the new designation he was adopting was aimed at reinforcing the priority his administration placed on agriculture “I want to inform the people of Niger State that from today, my nomenclature has changed and I wish to be addressed as ‘Farmer Governor Bago’ from henceforth.” Whether he seriously intended that anybody outside Niger State should notice or apply the title change is moot. But he put it out there.

And the governor wasn’t done with the title change: he came for the budget presentation – a thoroughly business affair – in a tee-shirt and trousers. Never mind that the outfitting was extremely odd, almost a faux pas for the business heeled occasion. He apparently intended his casual appearance to underscore the ‘down to earthness’ of the agrarian way of life he was advocating. Take that for optics! The governor also used the event to clarify his earlier directive, saying he had not banned wearing of native attires by civil servants as widely reported. According to him, he only stressed the need for civil servants working in ministries of works, agriculture and others that require physical activity to dress in outfits that would enable them to function properly. It was helpful he made that clarification because it had been difficult reconciling the earlier reported version of his directive with the patriotic advocacy promoting Nigerian culture and products – in this case, attires.

Bago’s enthusiasm for agrarian renaissance must be appreciated and applauded. But there is more to achieving the objective he touts than mere optics or sloganeering. Our nationhood experience in Nigeria shows that hypes – ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ ‘Green Revolution,’ ‘Back to the Land’ et al – have not resulted in agricultural boom because they did not address the core issue of systemic fundamentals required as sub-structure for a successful campaign. One of these is the difficulty of access to arable land. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo led the charge on ‘Operation Feed the Nation’ in the late 70s, he ended up appropriating much of the land that could have been available to ordinary citizens seeking to engage in agriculture for himself. Another fundamental is lack of access to long-term, low cost funding for agricultural enterprise. Notice that there is no financial institution as of now dedicated to citizen-level agriculture financing, with cost free allowance for the gestation period that is inevitable between planting and harvest time. The ‘anchor borrowers’ scheme that was a pet programme of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele was a ruse designed to seed-bed his political ambition, and it wasn’t even viably run to ensure successful enterprise and loan repayment by borrowers. Still another fundamental is the difficulty of access to market by farmers with their farm produce. This difficulty is in terms of huge transportation cost, compounded by awful road infrastructure. And that is not to mention lack of access to agriculture value chain that should enhance return on farm produce and incentivize increased output by farmers.

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These are some of the issues that the ‘Farmer Governor’ didn’t seem to take account of and envision possible solution pathways in his new push for agrarian renaissance. But there was a more confounding oversight – or was it connivance? – namely the security challenge in Niger State that has hobbled farmers in particular. As recent as last month (November), there were reports that more than 20 maize, soya bean and guinea corn farms on the outskirts of Kontagora, headquarters of Kontagora council area in the state, had been burnt down by suspected bandits demanding a levy of N30million each from farmers to avoid further attacks. Way back in June, bandits’ attacks in several communities in Rafi council area reportedly led to the death of more than 50 farmers. The attacks, which occurred consistently over three days and affected more than five communities, forced several villagers out of their homes and created a humanitarian crisis in the area. And in October, the media reported the chairman of Munya Local Government Area, Najume Abdulamid Kuchi, saying there had been a siege on Zazzaga community resulting in the killing of some farmers and kidnapping of many others. “Honestly speaking, insecurity in Munya has continued unabated. As the LG chairman, on behalf of the people of Munya, I want to confirm to you that attacks happen almost every day now,” Kuchi told a Minna-based radio station on 4th October. He added: “They (bandits) even tax our people to bring their farm produce for settlement, yet they will still come back to attack them. Right now, crops, especially maize, that are due for harvesting are wasting in the farms because farmers cannot access their farms to harvest them. If they go, they get kidnapped.”

It isn’t directly Bago’s responsibility to tackle these security challenges, but it falls on him to work with the security establishment for effective redress. We must ask how much has been achieved in changing the narrative to support his new drive for agricultural rebirth. It is good, indeed commendable, that the Niger governor is investing in procuring farming equipment and rallying state residents to the land. But his exertions would be sensational grand standing if the systemic fundamentals required for a successful campaign are not sorted out.

It’s Christmas!

Today is Christmas, and here is to wish my cherished readers a Merry Christmas and Happy Year 2024 in advance!

•Please join me on kayodeidowu.blogspot.be for conversation.

December 25, 2023
Emefiele as personification of Nigeria’s systemic rot
- By Mobolaji Sanusi
The rancorous murmuring about Godwin Emefiele and his leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as exposed by the Jim Obazee probe panel report, has left many mouths agape. Since the last quarter of 2022, Emefiele has become a newsmaker, albeit for the wrong reasons.

To Nigerians, the most heinous of his crimes was his sudden change of the naira without proper planning, leaving in its wake severe naira scarcity with the commercial banks struggling to meet up with customers’ requests for their deposited money. Millions went into depression whilst deaths of Nigerians who were unable to access their deposits were recorded. May Nigeria never witness such a dastard policy, with its attendant excruciating pain, again.

It is quite clear that the initiative was bereft of any altruistic intentions. It was obviously targeted at certain political interests that the then inimical presidency cabals under the Muhammadu Buhari administration tried to stop from becoming the president. The result, as they say, is history.

The essence of this piece is to highlight institutional absurdities as impediments holding down the country from realizing the Nigerian dream.

Of course, if Emefiele is prosecuted and found wanting by the court, he must not escape justice. Facing the full wrath of the law is the least prescriptions of the rule of law and the current government must pursue this to the last letter.

When Emefiele is ultimately arraigned, possibly convicted and sentenced, will that be solution to Nigeria’s problems at the CBN and other institutions of government? This writer believes that to an extent, it will serve the end of deterrence but can it cure the festering mischief and damnable rot in the country’s system? Obviously not.

Is Nigeria ready to correct its institutional rot? Hmmm! Sometimes, one wonders if Nigeria is ready to get out of this rot. We cannot be seen to be pursuing what the Yoruba sees as chasing ringworm when leprosy is indicated!

Other salient questions: How can we effectively resolve the Emefiele conundrum that is ravaging all institutions of state in this country? Do public officers, elected and appointed, have honest resolve for truly pursuing the ideals of progressive policies without expecting some unjustifiable gratification in return?

Serving the country, in whatever capacity is now considered an avenue for personal, family and friends aggrandizement. Bad enough to also note that governments in power serve the needs of close buddies in cahoots with willing civil servants that are conspiratorial tools in the corruption game against the Nigerian system. How can the country be bailed out of this vicious cycle of concentric corruption?

As things stand today, Nigeria is bereft of selfless architects and implementors of her so much-desired developmental policy initiatives. The degenerating values in the nation with the oozing odium from her public institutions have negatively redefined the principle of role models in the minds of our youths. This is expected when stealing in public offices is considered as God’s blessings with no dire consequences from the state once you belong or defected to the political party in power.

Nigeria, as it stands today, is not in any way operating a system at state and federal levels that is known to honesty or ingrained in good faith.

This can’t be President Bola Tinubu’s creation or problem but he owes Nigeria the duty of rectifying this to the best of his ability. The president cannot repair, overnight what has been destroyed several decades ago but he must be seen by deeds and actions to be realistically improving the Nigerian debilitating situation. After all, Mark Twain once said: “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” Nobody wants him to create a perfect Nigeria since no country or even individual is perfect but we demand from him, a continuously and genuinely improving country.

Until this is done, the likes of Emefiele at the local, state and federal levels will continue to thrive, unhindered. The Emefieles are virtually in all public institutions in the country hoping not to be caught.

We have only removed the CBN Emefiele but what about other hydra-headed Emefieles still lurking and thriving unnoticed in very important institutions and corridors of power in the Nigerian state?

The Obazee probe panel report has raised very pertinent questions including but not limited to: What has happened to the principle of checks and balances enshrined in our constitution? Do we really follow the law in our day-to-day official activities or we gleefully succumb to the dictates of self-avarice?

A typical example bringing forth the above questions in the unfurling Emefiele scenario is to ask what statutory role did the National Assembly of that era played in looking the other way when this alleged criminality is being foisted on the entire country. The role of the Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari in this entire avoidable CBN financial conundrum, to say the least, is demeaning.

The CBN Act 2007 when carefully scrutinized exposed the ‘conspiracy’ of the National Assembly and the then Presidency. In section 50(1), the Act provides: “The bank shall within two months after the close of each financial year, transmit to the National Assembly and the President a copy of its annual accounts certified by the Auditor.”

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In section 50(2), the Act wants the people of Nigeria to have a glimpse of the affairs of their apex bank where it states: “A report required to be submitted to the National Assembly and the President shall be published by the Bank in such manner as the Governor may direct.”

If the law of the apex bank provides for transmission of its annual financial report before the National Assembly and the president, how come all the financial atrocities committed by Emefiele were not detected by its Appropriation, Finance, and even Budget Committees or any others saddled with conducting oversight functions on the CBN and other institutions of government?

Also, assuming the CBN failed to transmit its financial report, what efforts were made by the federal lawmakers to compel the apex bank to comply with the provisions of its enabling law? Could it be said that those around Buhari at that time all went to sleep or were complicit? Otherwise, they ought to have advised him appropriately. Not doing that brings out the hypocrisy and the Emefiele in all of us.

This unpardonable dereliction of duty by the National Assembly committees’ members/chairmen and the Presidency at that period brings out the Emefieles in our institutions of state that consider personal interest over and far above national progress.

If Emefiele is jailed, what’s the government going to do to those other Emefieles identified above and those not yet known that collaborate and close their greedy eyes to injurious official acts against the Nigerian people and state? This is the question for the current administration to answer.

•Sanusi, former LASAA MD/CEO is a Lagos-based Corporate Legal Consultant.
December 25, 2023
Unknown tenant kidnappers

There is a new trend in child kidnapping. And a very dangerous one for that matter! The masterminds take undue advantage of the high poverty rate among the citizenry and the inordinate desire by sundry rent agents for quick commissions without due diligence on the genuineness of their supposed new clients.

Unless urgent and far-reaching sensitization programs including making it absolutely mandatory for rent agents to obtain credible and authentic data of prospective accommodation seekers, the vulnerability of our innocent children will continue to be exploited by these demented souls.

In this devilish business are mostly women, who cash in on the innocence and weaknesses of children to abduct them to satisfy whatever devilish needs they want. Their new tactics is to rent a room accommodation in compounds with many children. As soon as they pack in, they begin to endear themselves to their neighbours with an uncommon but pretended love for children. But that should be secured very quickly before their intentions are exposed.

Once the confidence of the neighbours is secured, they wait for the opportune time to strike by deceiving and luring the children out to buy sweets and biscuits for them. Immediately they get to a safety zone, they zoom off with the children to unknown destinations.

They plan their criminality and execute them with clinical precision within a few days of their packing in before their identity is uncovered. That is the new trend and a very dangerous angle in child kidnapping.

In the last one week, two of such incidents have been witnessed: one in Sango Ota, Ogun State and the other in Umuahia, Abia State. In the Sango Ota incident, a yet-to-be identified woman kidnapped two children aged four years each. One of them is her landlord’s son while the other belonged to a neighbour in the same compound.

The woman who moved into the apartment three days earlier had no known identity as both the rent agent and the landlord did not conduct any profile check before renting the apartment to her. She moved in, surveyed the environment and when it was safe for her evil trade, she quickly made away with the children after luring and enticing them with things they love most.

As I write, neither the woman nor the innocent children have been seen with their parents left to bear the burden of that calamity.

If the Sango Ota incident was not enough to drive home the gravity of the emerging challenge, that of Umuahia illustrates very poignantly the imperative in quickly tackling this new trend before it gets out of hand. Three tenants had four of their children taken away by a new neighbour who just packed in three days earlier.

The women said in separate interviews that the woman whose identity remains unknown, packed into the building on December 15, with another woman purportedly his sister. When they were packing in, they were only seen with a camp gas, a six-inch small foam, a mat and a little bag purportedly containing clothes.

Within the first two days of their arrival, they began to endear themselves to the hearts of their neighbours as women who love children by playing with them, buying them gifts and sending them on errands. They also cooked food and gave to the children who would playfully enter their room. That was the profile they displayed apparently waiting for the opportune time to strike.

So it was till the day of their planned escape with the children. The accomplice was first sighted moving out with a sack bag with clothes. When asked where she was going, she claimed she wanted to buy something at the city centre. But she had told another tenant separately that she was going to give her sister the clothes she bought for her.

The tenants did not suspect anything. When she left, the main one came out pretending to be playing with the children who rallied round her demanding sweets and biscuits. The mother of one of the children who witnessed that final encounter thought it was the usual show of love for the children and left shortly to fetch water.

Unknown to her; that was to be the last scene in the script written and acted out by the two demented souls in the last three days of their packing into that room. It was all a decoy to get at the heart of the children and their parents before their evil deed.

She was to discover on return that four of the children had vamoosed into the thin air with no sign of traces of them available. Frantic searches for the whereabouts of the four children yielded no positive results.

And when the landlord called the phone number supplied by the rogue tenant, it was switched off. The plight of the women was compounded by their discovery that the landlord did not conduct proper profile check on that tenant. He apparently relied on the supposition that the phone was enough to trace her.

Such has been the sad fate of these parents. Elsewhere, child kidnapping and abuse have been on the upward scale. A woman who pretended to be organizing lessons for children eloped with five kids in Port Harcourt in circumstances the police blamed their parents for carelessness. And in Borno State around the same period, another woman also made away with three children. It has been a tale of sorrow and awe as children after children disappear in the hands of these evil women.

Hardly a day passes by without reports of children abducted from homes or schools with some abandoned on dangerous routes. Our children have become endangered species as all manner of evil men and women pry on their vulnerability to satisfy vaulting devilish desires.

But as parents and guardians are getting more aware of the evil designs of these women child kidnappers, it would appear they are now finding new ways of continuing with their nefarious activities. Renting cheap accommodation in densely populated neighbourhoods largely lived by the poor have become their soft targets.

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Such vicinities are usually characterized by overcrowding, inadequate room ventilation and absence of modern amenities. In that squalid environment, children live and grow up freely sharing whatever they can get from neighbours. Invariably, the children do not get to be properly monitored or even restrained from accepting gifts including food items from their neighbours.

It is for similar considerations that rent agents and landlords do not take the pains to profile those who come before them as accommodation seekers. But they got it all wrong as the result has turned out disastrous. The criminal-minded women are now exploiting the looseness of such environments as fertile grounds for child kidnappers. And they have been succeeding.

But the situation can be quickly put under check if those renting out accommodation take little pains to do background checks on prospective accommodation seekers. It says much about us as a people that someone will just saunter into a rent agent’s office pay for an apartment without seriously being profiled including asked to produce a guarantor.

That cannot happen in saner climes. There is hardly any job you can secure today without serious profiling including credible guarantors. If those hiring labour require all that, there is no reason someone renting an accommodation where he or she will live with others should not be put to serious security checks.

The lives of other tenants are put at serious risk when new tenants are admitted without serious profiling. It is high time the government took serious interest in the activities of rent agents and landlords that fuel the spate of child kidnapping witnessed recently.

All these point inexorably to the degenerate level of moral decay in our society. We appear to have lost our senses of decency and humanity. Ours have become a haven of crime and criminality. Everything hitherto held sacred has been so desecrated as to give the wrong impression that evil ways pay. Imagine women who are supposed to be mothers enmeshed in the business of kidnapping other peoples’ children for sale or money rituals through desperate and devious guises!

Our leaders share much of the blame for the bad examples the show. The damage has been so much. It will require ethical revolution to return the country to the path of moral rectitude and sanity. But is that going to happen so soon?

December 25, 2023
Achieving food security through research, development
- By Oladele Oladipupo
Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa has a total land area of 910,770 sq. km with an estimated population of 200million people. The country is blessed with both human and mineral resources. Not only that, it also has favourable climate, good weather condition, water resources and arable lands. It is a paradox that with all of these resources bestowed upon the nation, many people still die of starvation.

The stark reality is that majority of Nigerians cannot afford three square meals a day. Every day, the prices of foodstuffs keep increasing at an astronomical rate; at the same time, our local currency has been devalued making its purchasing power to be low. It is no longer news that our country is currently experiencing food crisis.

Recall that successive administrations had, at one time or the other, embarked on some laudable agricultural initiatives, all in an attempt to achieve food security in the country. These include but not limited to the following: establishment of 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAS) in all the six geopolitical zones, establishment of the Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI) in all the 774 Local Government Areas, operation Green Revolution and Operation Feed the Nation. However, the success of these laudable programs was hindered due to poor co-ordination, lack of political will, policy somersault and lack of involvement of beneficiaries in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Today, our food security is being threatened by the following challenges namely: climate change, urbanization, population explosion, flood, insecurity and farmers/herders clashes to mention but just a few. The question now is: what can our nation do to achieve food security?

The last two decades have proved that Research and Development can play a significant role in achieving food security. There is a lot of quality research in the country that is not finding its way into industries. Recall that during the administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, cassava bread was produced. Some scientists carried out a research and came up with the idea of mixing cassava flour with wheat flour unfortunately, the idea was jettisoned along the line due to lack of political will. This idea could have saved the country substantial amount of foreign exchange.

Ukraine government supplies the rest of the world with wheat unfortunately, there is a war going on between Ukraine and Russia. Wheat is now very expensive; not only that but also difficult to come by. It is regrettable to say that African leaders do not pay much attention to Research and Development. Recall that some two decades ago, there was Abuja Declaration that required African leaders to invest two percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Research and Development but this has never happened in Nigeria. It is also crucial to remember that UNESCO once recommended that 26% of our annual budget be allocated to the education sector but unfortunately, this recommendation has not been implemented over the years.

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My concern is that we are not getting our priorities right. We do prefer to waste our resources on things that are irrelevant rather than expending it on education. It is imperative that we invest heavily in research and development if we are to achieve food security. For instance, non-availability of data has been a serious challenge in this country. There is need for us to generate data on soil quality, water quality, rainfall pattern, weather condition and data on application and distribution of fertilizers. This is to enable us make informed decisions.

Our universities are supposed to generate credible data for policy makers. Unfortunately, our public universities are poorly funded; not only that, they do not have well equipped functional laboratories where they could carry out meaningful research. Apart from the universities, there are international research organizations that carry out research on tropical crops. These include the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan (IITA), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Rome and the United Nations Food Program in Geneva. Through research, scientists have been able to produce varieties of corns, tomatoes, rice and wheat through the application of genetic engineering.

It is also important to mention here that most of the raw materials that are being employed in our various industries are products of research. For instance, “Ethanol” which is produced from cassava and corn is being used as raw materials in most of the industries as well research laboratories as “solvent”. There are quite a lot of research activities that are being carried out at the IITA where scientists are busy working on various tropical crops like cassava, yam and potatoes.

In addition, scientists are also carrying out research on various species of oil palm seedlings at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIIFOR) in Benin City, Edo State. There is also Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan.

In most of the advanced countries, Research and Development is accorded top priority while well-off individuals often make substantial donation to their alma mater for research but in Africa, the reverse is the case. Most of our rich men and women do not invest in research. African leaders too have not been doing well as far as investing their resources in research. Most of the time, they wait for foreign aid but they should understand that developed countries do have their challenges.

It is now time for African leaders to pay attention to research innovations from our universities. I would like to implore our African leaders to ensure that the two percent GDP Abuja declaration which is required to be invested in Research and Development is implemented without further delay. I would also like to suggest that the African Union should consider setting up a Regional Research and Development Centre in Addis – Ababa, Ethiopia.

•Oladipupo writes via oladeleoladipupo@gmail.com
December 25, 2023
Osun APC and some hard home truths (2)

As of July 16, 2022, Iyiola Omisore, a Prince of Ife and a celebrated political strategist and master of the game, was the party’s National Secretary. Still, APC lost very badly in Ifeland. Incidentally, that’s where Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, the party’s current State Chairman, was also born. Lawal was at the time its Vice State Chairman. Most, if not all those who pretended to be Big Boys from Ifeland who served in the Oyetola-led government lost even their polling units. Was that also caused by Aregbesola? Again, why did APC contentedly slip into its familiar routine in Oriade and Obokun Local Governments? Why did it end up soaking in the enthusiasm of defeat in Iree in Boripe Local Government, despite what the former governor planted in the ancient town?

For Osun APC to have lost 28 out of 30 Local Governments and 1 Area Office, 25 out of 26 members in the State House of Assembly, and all the National Assembly seats, that speaks volume! But, rather than address the whys and wherefores that broke its heart, among which were greed, indiscipline, uncontrolled lust for privileges and the love of pelf, blame game took over. Osun APC surrendered to the superior firepower of betrayal from the people in power, failure to connect with the people, lack of sense of purpose, lack of shared vision and lofty ideals, lack of cohesion in the party and lack of control, and it was as if the gods were angry.

Whither the roles of the opposition in democracy and why is Osun APC not delivering on its newly-acquired mandate? Take, for instance, reports have it that Adeleke has for over a year been living in his sister’s house but unfortunately, the opposition is not seen to have been hard on an issue which in Yoruba culture amounts to a taboo. Well, while it’s not unusual for governors to live in their private residences while serving (as Lateef Jakande lived in his personal house, even rode in his famous Toyota Crown car as Governor of Lagos State, which of course could be attributed to his known simplicity and frugality), Nigerians hold the notion that Adeleke opted for that path so that the real masquerades who’re behind the scene can manage him and his excesses, and shield him from those who might wish to exploit his naivety in governance.

Although the governor has his personal house in Ede, he hardly ever stays there, and it is believed that he runs Osun State with the counsel and input from her sister who has her imprimatur on every appointment in the state. She’s even believed to be the de facto Commissioner for Works, a portfolio the governor withheld to himself. So, anyone who cannot cringe in their court had better forget getting anything from the government. Is it any wonder that, in Osun, the fear of ‘Yeye’ is the beginning of wisdom?

When Oyetola was to lose power in 2022, an uninformed cross-section of the public asked that power be taken away from ‘alakowe’ and given to ‘alakori’. In their opinion, if the former could not do it well, why not hand over the destiny of dear state to the latter? Not unsurprisingly, ‘Imole Osun’ has now come to town and … ‘the difference is clear.’ Amidst a litany of avoidable gaffes, the State Chief Judge would have long been removed from office and the governor’s vuvuzelas would have stood up and clapped for the king, were it not for the timely intervention of the National Judicial Council, NJC.

Again, who will help save Osun APC from Osun APC? Well, I have argued elsewhere that opposition roles are very difficult, especially in a democracy like ours. Not even in a situation where the ruling party has many advantages to its bidding: a monstrously rich dynasty, power which it knows how to effectively deploy, resources sufficient enough to play around with, and the sympathy of the electorate which, for obvious reasons, the ruling party currently enjoys.

I have also had the privilege of raising the issue of contact persons or rallying points in some of the localities in the state. For instance, I’ve cited the case of High Chief Dele Faseru, a respected PDP chieftain in Ijebu-Jesa who, for a very long time, has been the face of the PDP in Oriade Local Government and its environs; and the colourful politician has been delivering on that mandate. How many Dele Faserus are available to Osun APC and how many of them are accessible in the real sense of the word?

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Like him or hate him, Oyetola is a fine gentleman and a true reflection of himself. He is not a pretender. Some Nigerians even accused the former governor of being accountable to the last penny at the expense of those who worked for him. In their view, it was accountability taken too far when he left N14 billion in Osun government coffers while the arrears of modulated salaries owed workers as well as November 2022 salaries of political functionaries in the state remained unsorted. Back to the substance of the situation, it needs to be noted that taking Osun APC back on the path of honour demands that Oyetola rethink strategies that can open the gate of hope. To get policies right, politics has to be alive. So, he needs to increase his efforts. He also needs to dig deeper into what variance of illness is actually attacking the party. He needs to look beyond the pathetic admonitions of the swallowers, time-servers and transactional politicians whose personal interests are at variance with the party’s overall interest. In a word, unless the party is prepared to let past troubles ignite positive opportunities, things will only get worse; and that will be bad for opposition politics.

Politics isn’t a funny game; it’s just that some of its practitioners are simply heartless and exceptionally selfish. Since ages, sycophancy has also been a big problem in politics. So, the onus is on Oyetola to rise above the deceit of the men-pleasers because money may manipulate the people but it doesn’t actually deceive the enemies. Since all politics is local, it behooves the leadership to instill a sense of trust in the followership and the followership to believe in the leadership, if the battle ahead is to be won. Who even knows if God allowed July 16, 2022 to happen to Osun APC so that He can use Oyetola to change the course of progressive politics in Nigeria, beginning with Osun State? So, it is up to the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy to see to it that this House does not fall, for this, not the office he now occupies in Abuja, will define his legacy. While current efforts in that direction are a welcome development, public opinions favour something deeper than the ongoing sensitization ritual. Most importantly, the poor reward system and selection process, which contributed significantly to the party’s dismal outings in the past, must also be reviewed with a view to righting past wrongs.

In all, just as we expect in public administration, that ‘one person cannot know it all’; and, in democracy, that ‘one party cannot be omnipotent’, let there be ‘room for admissibility of divergent opinions’. Let ideas be transformed or updated ‘in line with dispensations’. Above all, let those working with Oyetola in this task of repositioning Osun APC bear in mind that politics is not a cult and that what defines it is not always about one geography against another but inclusive winning streaks that will help return the party to its past glory.

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Osun State!

•Concluded.

December 23, 2023
Who’s hoarding naira? (1)

Nigerians are seemingly facing another frustrating period of naira scarcity as there appears to be a repeat of the Emefiele Magic/madness that was unleashed on Nigerians sometime early in the year.

Millions of Nigerians will recall with much anguish those harrowing times when under the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, decided to engage the nation in a hurried currency redesign/swap policy with the intention to phase out the old 1000, 500 and 200 notes from public replacing them with newly redesigned notes.

The babalawo in Emefiele with all his training for 36 years as a banker wanted Nigerians to believe that was easy to mop up N 3.2 trillion in a space of six weeks while it only N400 billion! Now, this was in a country of over 200 million people, where more than 40 percent did lack access to banking or some form of banking services.

The policy which was supposed to mean well for the nation rather created a theater of the absurd and nearly corralled the nation into a series of crisis, both constitutional and economic which chaos in its bosoms. It got so bad that Nigerians started buying Naira with Naira, banks witnessing much bedlam had to shut down their services in a number of areas, thousands died and millions more suffered one form of indignity or the other because the timeline for its implementation was largely unrealistic. Despite sustainable evidence and calls by Nigerians of all walks of life to have the policy suspended or extended, the CBN remained obdurate, insisting on traumatizing Nigerians, It is alleged that Emefiele who had failed to smuggle himself unto the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC had decided to collude with certain elements in the Buhari administration who were working for an Atiku presidency: the Naira swap business, just like the protracted ASUU crisis then as well as the scarcity of petroleum products were a sum total of attempts to make the APC look bad before the Nigerian voter in that election.

So one can imagine the trepidation of the Nigerian citizen as the trend of cash scarcity swept a number of cities in Nigeria, this time around the Houdini like Emefiele seems not to be the author and finisher of such confusion this time around as he is presently sitting comfy in an EFCC detention centre clutching his red bible with rapturous zeal.

In this present part 2 of this repeated situation the banks are said to be rationing cash over the counter to the frustration of customers who need such cash to carry out certain transactions. This has affected the flow of cash as Point of Sale(POS) operators who usually use banks as their major source for cash have also been affected by such policy forcing them to add to their charges which are then borne by their customers. Making matters worse, small businesses, petty traders and farmers are also affected on the lurch as such scarcity has appeared to have much decimated their business.

A number of them seem not able to get cash to procure items or materials needed in their production process and even if they do, a number of their customers have not paid for what they had initially purchased within this period, whilst many cannot afford the extra costs charged by the POS operators but the banks aren’t helping out and then there is the customer or supplier who takes cash only!

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So what specter seems to be behind such a renewed ordeal for Nigerians? Many in the banks have blamed the CBN of creating such an artificial scarcity, even recently the Minister for Information Mohammed Idris , while responding to questions on such a situation attributed such to a process carried out by the CBN, he however wasn’t specific as to the reason or nature for such an alleged process.

He however did hint that the scarcity might be with Nigerians until next year.

Typical of the Nigerian brand of confusion the CBN has in turn accused the banks and POS operators of hoarding cash thus creating such scarcity.

It rather stated that it has commenced an investigation to determine the degree of collusion between these banks and the POS operators.

Now while the apex bank throws the net around banks and POS operators, the duo have also blamed the scarcity on the CBN, describing the allegation of them hoarding the Naira as arrant falsehood. The banks have even asked why would they need to hoard the Naira when there appears to be no real premium for such an act as there is no pressure to swap old notes for new notes which would make hoarding the Naira much more sensible. The banks are accusing the CBN of being the brains behind such a policy for reasons only the CBN can avail to the nation.

December 23, 2023
Towards an enduring peace in Rivers

The lessons of the political imbroglio in Rivers State are instructive. There was a clash of ego and a test of strengths. There was a display of bravado, war-mongering, ethnic vituperations, intra-party wrangling, threats, boasting, propaganda, prevarication, hate, and malice.

In the state and beyond, there was apprehension about the fate of the people, who elected Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, to serve them.

But there was also a mutual recognition of strengths and weaknesses on both sides and the collective acceptance of the fact that the soft landing provided by the pacifist leader and statesman, President Bola Tinubu, was the saving grace.

The intervention was logical, tactful, urgent, timely, desirable, and face-saving. It may not be a perfect solution, but strict adherence to the pact may reduce mutual suspicion and create an avenue for the renewal of political contracts and cordial relations. Instructively, the President had restored peace in Ondo State between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is now acting governor. The watchword is sacrifice. The elements are tolerance, accommodation, and mutual respect.

As an implosion hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, the party’s Southsouth stronghold, its weak, scattered, petulant, ‘disarticulated’ national leaders were aloof; lacking the initiative to broker reconciliation and restore order to avoid further pandemonium. Yet, when the President decisively intervened in the political impasse, they uncritically labelled him as an interloper, a meddler, and a dictator, forgetting that the country has become his national constituency as the Commander-in-Chief and father of the nation.

Conflicts characterise politics. That is expected. People in every party have different hopes, aspirations, and expectations. When there appears to be a shift in their expectations, they raise an eyebrow; when things seem to go the other way, they raise dust. Only the rational stay calm when things do not go their way in politics. Obviously, not all those in the political field are rational players.

But dissensions among the players should not be allowed to fester. Where two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. A crisis is costly, and the road to violence is wide. Many are the gladiators who prefer to tread the path to destruction and doom. In contrast, peace is less expensive, although many combatants, more often than not, try to avoid the path to harmony. They prefer to embrace the option of war that is momentarily popular, even if it would ultimately lead to gnashing of teeth in the long run. Only a few men of wisdom would continue to drum into the ears of political warriors that violence is an ill-will that blows nobody any good.

A war is not a tea party. It is not a picnic. Its end is unpredictable. The chaos is better imagined. Even, when it is finally curtailed, it creates an open wound. The scars may not heal for many years. It brings a memory of terror, horror, and lamentations. In the end, parties in the dispute, after much havoc has been done, are still compelled to gather at the table of brotherhood.

At that stage, they reflect on their collective daftness and count their losses. Lives that have been lost cannot be brought back to life. Limbs that have been damaged cannot be replaced. Valuable property already destroyed cannot be reassembled. Friendship and fraternity are crippled. Trust is destroyed, aptly replaced by distrust and doubt. People are pacified, and they are urged to forgive. But can the sad encounter be forgotten? The psychological impact is confounding.

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President Tinubu, being a visionary and prescient leader, might have calculated the havoc an escalated political tension might cause. His fatherly heart for the nation might have sunk at the thought of seeing some Nigerians throwing missiles at one another. He must have moved in to prevent a likely degeneration into full-scale violence and avert a looming disaster of monumental proportion. Such scenarios may have propelled him to intervene in the protracted rift between the two Rivers PDP camps, led by Governor Fubara and his predecessor and godfather, Chief Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In the past, a sitting President would allow such a situation to degenerate into complete chaos to justify the declaration of a state of emergency. President Tinubu is obviously not a lover of chaos.

This period calls for sacrifice, which Governor Fubara has promised to make, judging by his remarks that no price is too much to pay to guarantee an atmosphere of peace in Rivers. Fubara is the luckiest man in Rivers of today; he is a man God has catapulted to the high table to direct the affairs and issue commands to the people he took orders from a year ago when he was the Accountant-General and a Permanent Secretary. He is expected to be firm, but humble in power, and use this God-given opportunity to unite his state, build on the achievements of his predecessors, and erect lasting legacies. These cannot be accomplished in an atmosphere of acrimony, hostility, and hullabaloo. This is also the time for the former governor and FCT minister to embrace the principle of self-abnegation.

Priority should be accorded to the interest, welfare, peace, and survival of Rivers State by the two dissenting camps. For the resolutions to pave the way for tranquility, there should be an effective implementation of the pact. The major actors should be less inflexible and more condescending.

The peace terms are quite challenging, no doubt. But they reflect the urgent need to ensure enduring tranquility. It appears to be a win-win formula, contrary to the insinuations by some armchair commentators that the deal pales into another Aburi Accord.

What the resolutions suggest is that the two camps, which are products of a split structure, should come back and become one again. The first critical step, therefore, is to retrace their steps from litigations by withdrawing court cases triggered by the crisis. Nobody returns from court after a judgment and pretends to be a friend of the winner or loser. The withdrawal of the lawsuits is the beginning of a fresh confidence building, which has motivated the House of Assembly to halt the impeachment proceedings against the governor. An impeachment threat in itself is a bad omen, a manifestation of cracks and evidence of contradictions and discord in the structure and the party.

Also, recognition of Amaewhule as the Speaker of the Assembly is inevitable. He was elected the leader of the 27 lawmakers, not Edison Ehie, the emergency Speaker of four lawmakers. It is up to legal pundits to suggest further ways out of the logjam given the subsisting controversial ex-parte injunction recognising the leadership of four over 27.

There is another hurdle to cross. It is up to politicians to find a solution to the glaring reality of a PDP governor now working in critical partnership with the APC Speaker of an APC-dominated House of Assembly. Will the 27 lawmakers return to the PDP, or will the governor join them in APC? That the remunerations of the lawmakers and their aides should not be withheld is a practical step towards normalising Executive/Legislative relations.

More importantly, the resolution that the governor shall henceforth not interfere in the full funding of the House of Assembly is a step towards legislative autonomy in genuine obedience to the principle of separation of powers. Such democratic liberty now entitles the lawmakers to choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference or hindrance from the Executive arm of government. This is because, as of now, the Assembly Complex has been demolished.

Since the governor previously presented next year’s budget to only four lawmakers, a number that is exclusive, non-inclusive, and non-representative of the diverse Rivers constituencies, re-presenting it to the 31-member Assembly underscores a sense of realism. The governor may not go through the ritual of physical presentation or long speeches. He can forward the document to the Assembly with the understanding that due process is being followed.

Also, the reappointment of commissioners and special advisers, who resigned because of the political crisis, will boost reconciliation. An acceptance of the resolution is not a sign of weakness by the governor, but a demonstration of a genuine desire for a truce.

The eighth resolution is that “there should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the local government administration is null and void and shall not be recognised”.

What this implies is that signatories to the resolutions are clamouring for obedience to the 1999 Constitution, which states that a democratically elected local government system is fully guaranteed.

May the combatants have the courage to implement the resolutions to the fullest. This is the major way the Rivers of conflicts and troubles could become the Rivers of harmony.

December 23, 2023