Category: Comments

Since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, there is no issue that has generated more heated debate and acrimony than the issue of salaries and allowances paid to our lawmakers at the federal level. As of now, nobody can say categorically the amount each of our lawmaker carts away every month from the nation’s ever dwindling resources. We read in the social media that a senator takes home every month a princely sum of N15million while his counterpart in the House of Representatives takes home an equally princely N12 million every month. Nigerians are told that their lawmakers are the highest paid lawmakers in the world. It is even alleged that our lawmakers earn more than the President of USA, the most powerful man in the world. Nobody in government has confirmed the veracity of this claim and the lawmakers have not helped matters with their deafening silence on the issue.

Most informed Nigerians are very angry at the reported huge amount being paid to our lawmakers as salaries and allowances. Most Nigerians feel that the payments made to our lawmakers are grossly out of tune with the present standard of living in the country where the minimum wage is N18000 which is far lower than the minimum wages paid in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa which are N38000, N28000 and N92000 respectively.

For a long time, it seems that all the members of our National Assembly irrespective of their political parties are united and see nothing wrong in the huge emoluments paid to them as salaries and allowances. Personally I was expecting progressive lawmakers like Femi Gbajabiamila of the House of Representatives, Olusola Adeyeye, Sheu Sani and Ibn N’Allah of the Senate to break rank and side with the people to tell their colleagues that their salaries and allowances should be scaled down to reflect the present economic agony being suffered by their fellow country men and women that they are supposed to represent. We are told that our lawmakers collect outrageous allowances which are not available to an average Nigerian for accommodation, vehicles, newspapers, clothing and other items.

It is gratifying to note that in the past few days, a lone voice of reason has come out of the Senate against the unrealistic allowances being collected by our lawmakers. It was reported that the Senate Chief Whip, Professor Olusola Adeyeye has proposed a drastic reduction in the allowances being paid to members of National Assembly as one of the ways of cutting down the cost of governance. This patriotic call reminds me of the late Senator Wuraola Esan who in the First Republic was persistent in calling on our lawmakers then to cut their salaries. Her calls were usually met with jeers and derision. At one point, even the late cerebral and calm Chief Dennis Osadebay, who was the Senate President then told her derisively to show example by refusing to take her own salary if she felt so strongly about her calls.  I wish more members of our National Assembly will join Professor Adeyeye in calling for the reduction in the allowances paid to them so that the financial yoke these allowances are putting on the people would be reduced.

A functional and vibrant legislature is sine qua non in a democratic setting. Even undemocratic regimes in Russia and in some despotic countries in Africa and Middle East have semblance of legislature whose purpose is to rubber stamp executive decisions. In Nigeria the legislative arm of the government has been functioning continuously without break for the past 18 years. This is a record in the Nigerian political history and the nearest to this was the 12 years legislative experience between 1954 and 1966. This period came to an end when the military truncated our democracy with the coup of January 1966. It is instructive in this piece to compare the activities of our parliamentarians during these two periods of our parliamentary experience.

The legislature especially the one we have after independence had solid parliamentarians who were good debaters and well versed in legislative matters. Prominent among these parliamentarians were Chief Anthony Enahoro, Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Chief Ayo Rosiji, Chief R. O. Akinjide, Alhaji Zanna Dipcharima. O. C. Ememe (Radio Moscow), Chief Okotiet Eboh (Omimi Ejoh),  E.C. Akwiwu and  Mbazulike  Amechi. A look at the Hansard of those days would no doubt attest to the high standard of debate in the then House of Representatives. Without sounding uncharitable, I am yet to see any of our present lawmakers who can be compared in terms of debating ability and legislative knowledge to these great parliamentarians. All I see now is attempt by our present parliamentarians to play to the gallery.

In those days, parliamentarians did their work on part time basis and parliament met twice a year, in March to pass the budget and sometimes in August to pass supplementary budget. They could also have emergency meetings when necessary like the one they had in 1962 to pass emergency law for Western Region. During the parliamentary session, they were quartered in Legico flats in Victoria Island and so the question of accommodation allowance was unheard of. They were entitled to car loan to buy their cars and the salary of a member of parliament then was in the neighbourhood of £800 a year which was slightly above the annual salary of a graduate. Newspaper and clothing allowances were unheard of in the parliament of old. There was also no constituency allowance in those days. However, it has to be admitted that in contrast to our present parliamentarians, the duties of our parliamentarians of old were very light. They did not participate in oversight functions and there were no regular but needed inquisitions into unwholesome practices of various government agencies. Our present parliamentarians also have the constitutional roles of approving the ministerial list of the president and other appointments so designated by the constitution. The differences in the workload of our present lawmakers and their First Republic counterpart had been attributed to the different systems of governance practiced then and now. During the First Republic, we were running parliamentary system of governance which many people think is not as intensive as the present presidential system. Our present parliamentarians are supposed to work full time with regulated vacations.

Our parliamentarians of old were loved and respected and there was no open hostility towards them and this was because of the moderation they exhibited towards their upkeep. Our present lawmakers, despite their importance in the present presidential system of governance we are running, cannot be said to be loved as they are viewed with suspicion. This is not because people are envious of them but because of the heavy financial yoke they cast on the people through their humongous and unrealistic salaries and allowances. Any part of our present National Assembly that is buying 360 units of Peugeot 508 at a price tag of N6.16 billion cannot escape the well merited accusation of being insensitive to the present economic woe of the majority of Nigerians. There is hunger in the land with the attendant social dislocations and display of opulence by our lawmakers who got to their positions through the votes of the people is very nauseating.  Our lawmakers certainly need to take the feelings of Nigeria into considerations. Nigerians want a drastic reduction in their take home pay which many feel are unrealistic. Nigerians also want moderation and transparency in the financing of election campaigns because high cost of elections has been cited as one of the reasons why our law makers appropriate disproportionate high salaries and allowances to themselves.

• Professor Lucas writes from Old Bodija, Ibadan.

It was quite gratifying seeing President Muhammadu Buhari display rare strength and character recently in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire’s capital. Strength because without betraying any sign of tiredness or weakness, he was engaged in one bilateral meeting after another, lasting well past midnight for the duration of the conference. And character as evident in the currency and depth of issues – some of them African-themed – he reportedly canvassed at the talks.

President Buhari was in Cote d’Ivoire for the just ended 5th African Union-European Union Summit which took place from Tuesday, the 28th to Thursday 30th November. Buhari had entered the Sofitel Hotel venue of the conference from around 9.00am Wednesday, the day the conference officially opened. And about midnight, precisely 12.26am, that is Thursday morning, the president was still on his feet. This writer saw him coming out of a dinner hosted by the Ivorian President Alassane Quattara and his wife in honour of visiting heads of state and government and other heads of delegation, and entering into another round of meeting for multilateral talks with some heads of state at past midnight.

The talks were on the sidelines of the conference and the All Progressives Congress’ National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was part of his entourage to the summit, was with him at some of these meetings. Also on the entourage were Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart Emmanuel Udom who attended a few of such talks. President Buhari held back-to-back bilateral talks with Quattara, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Vice President of Gambia Fatoumata Tambajang, with barely any little time between each meeting. He later attended the summit proper.

Those round-the-clock meetings underscored two things. One, having such a whole day non-stop engagements showed that the president was truly back to full health. He is fit, mentally alert, active and agile. As he moved from one meeting venue to another, he carried himself sprightly with the agility of a 50-year-old. President Buhari has his sights on the problems afflicting Nigeria and Africa. The raging issues plaguing Nigeria and Africa were the focal points, and rightly so, at his meetings. When he met the German Chancellor, the illegal migration of some Nigerians to Europe in search of elusive greener pastures and the new slavery they are being subjected to, particularly in Libya dominated discussion. President Buhari was quite emphatic at the talks: this trend must be checked. The two leaders made a passionate commitment to expand discussions on how to stem the tide of such illegal migration. They agreed to strengthen legal migration. At the talks, Buhari also spoke of his government’s commitment to securing lives and property in Nigeria which, according to him, remains paramount.

He said prompt attention was being given to gainful employment of youths in Nigeria through education and the acquisition of skills and vocational training, adding that Nigeria and Germany could draw from their experiences to cooperate effectively in the area of investing in youths for a sustainable future. On her part, the German Chancellor commended Buhari for the giant strides recorded by his administration in revamping the economy, promising to increase support for Nigeria in dealing with terrorism. Merkel disclosed that 58 German companies are at present operating in Nigeria. More companies have indicated interest in investing in the energy, manufacturing, agriculture and construction sectors, she added.

The political instability in Togo also seized a part of Buhari’s attention. In his bilateral meeting with President Quattara, Buhari expressed the view that if the instability was not averted, the Togo problem could have dire consequences for the region. He told the Ivorian president: “We must have a solution in Togo. The friends of the opposition and authorities must talk to them on the steps to jointly take to achieve stability. They must work towards gaining the trust of each other. There will be regional consequences for instability in Togo and this will surely come at a cost to development”.

These bilateral talks were held behind closed doors, with the president supported by just one or two other personalities in some cases. In one instance, at the president’s behest, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama had to vacate his seat to allow Asiwaju Tinubu take the lone seat at one of the meetings in order to be with Buhari.

It was instructive that President Buhari and Tinubu had graced most of the meetings together. Asiwaju was by the president’s side as he met with the Nigerian community in Cote d’Ivoire at the Nigerian Ambassador’s residence, barely two hours after they arrived in that country. At the meeting, President Buhari enjoined Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire to be good ambassadors. He said he brought the two governors in his entourage along because he might need their votes in future, hinting at his presumed second term ambition. At that interaction, Tinubu urged the Nigerians to help in preserving the country’s good name in Cote d’Ivoire. He spoke about President Buhari’s achievements in office thus far and his good plans for the country going forward. It emerged also that the bulk of the Nigerian population in Cote d’Ivoire are mostly of Osun State origin in the South-west.

But perhaps the most interesting bit of news for many Nigerians was Buhari’s comment about Tinubu. Speaking about Asiwaju at that meeting, the president said the APC national leader brought him “a beautiful piece of information” of which he had been oblivious. Tinubu had handed that piece of information to the Nigerian leader right inside the Nigerian Airforce plane taking them to Abidjan. Buhari did not disclose the nature of the information Asiwaju gifted him. “I also thank our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He has brought me a very beautiful piece of information, which I was not aware of until I sat down and read it this evening (penultimate Tuesday night). Thank you very much for your hard work and I will discuss that paper with you,” he said.

But what precisely is that piece of information all about? Well, only President Buhari and Asiwaju Tinubu can answer the question.

• Rahman is Special Adviser, Media to Asiwaju Tinubu.

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.”   Ben Carson

The first time I came in close contact with General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd.) was February 10, 2010 at the Protea Hotel in Asokoro, Abuja. It was on the occasion of the NGO consultative meeting organised by the TY Danjuma Foundation. It was the first substantive interaction that the Foundation would have with actors from across Nigeria.

As politics editor of Thisday newspaper in Abuja at the time, I had the privilege of attending the event, which report was given front page window treatment obviously because of the ramifications of what he said. He read from a written text and also spoke ex-tempore on his wealth and the motivation behind the setting up of his Foundation.

What he read out was as instructive and important as what he said extemporaneously. The text of his speech reads in part: “The theme of this meeting is a crucial one for our country. Nigeria is currently going through a series of trials but most urgent are the abject poverty facing the country’s citizens and the weak state of our social sector, particularly the education and health sectors.

“The Nigerian government, no matter how noble its intentions, cannot address these challenges on its own. In fact, in all developed countries, the implementation of social projects is never the sole responsibility of government; there are often strong collaborations between governments, Non-Governmental Organisations as well as the private sector. More so, the philanthropic sector in such countries is thriving, as wealthy individuals believe it is their duty to apply their wealth in supporting development projects.

“In Nigeria, this is not the case. Structured philanthropic giving is in its infancy and some will argue that it has not commenced at all. This is unfortunate as Nigerian culture is rife with examples of benevolent giving at the community level. What we need to do now is look at how we translate what exists in our culture into sustainable practice.

“Many people have asked me why I started a Foundation. I am now in my 70s and could have simply enjoyed retirement quietly; rather I have decided to embark on a new endeavour. The truth is, I have served Nigeria all my life in different capacities; and, late in my life, when I became a very wealthy private citizen, I decided to also serve my country through the channel of philanthropy.

“Following my decision to establish a grant making philanthropic Foundation, I visited the Unites States, on a study tour of successful Foundations. Having no prior knowledge of Foundations, I was intrigued by the structure of these Foundations and how they operated. They were well organised, accountable, and credible. Most importantly, I observed that they were very influential and had succeeded in contributing significantly to the lives and wellbeing of their beneficiaries….”

The above was newsworthy. But what he said ex-tempore was more newsworthy. It was, to me, the real McCoy. He said that after selling his ten percent stake in an oil bloc to a Chinese company, he became very wealthy. He claimed to have been confused initially, not knowing what to do with the money. And, for him, there were two things that he would not want to happen after his death: one, he would not want his children to fight over his wealth; and, two, he would not want the banks to steal his money.

He said the Foundation provided one of the ways through which the money could be ploughed back into society for human and societal development. The Foundation started out with intervention projects in Taraba and Edo states especially in the health and education sectors. It is to his eternal credit that he has engaged so far in other acts of generosity: donating to education causes, religious bodies, community development and even individual empowerment.

The second time I had a close contact with him was in the home of a very prominent Nigerian in Abuja. He came in gaily dressed. With his face shining and his eyes almost characteristically popping out of their sockets from behind his pair of medicated glasses, his gait confident and still military-like, he was ushered into the living room of his host. Thirty minutes later, he was done and seen off to his car by his host. He is said to be business-like in his interactions. He is said to attend to issues without much of ceremonies, always short and sharp like an Angel’s visit.

Apart from subsequent “contacts” with him through media reports of his activities, at least two prominent Nigerians, who are multi-billionaires in their own right, have narrated to me how they had, even in their Olympian heights, benefitted from Danjuma’s eleemosynary. He could be described in some parlance as a rich man who takes delight in blessing other rich people. I understand he does that obsessively, not wanting any reciprocal gesture. That raises a question about his kind of capitalist who, rather than continue to amass wealth without giving back to society, has decided to give, give, and give in all manner of ways.

Methinks Danjuma is an archetypal godfather. He does not want to owe anyone a debt of gratitude. Rather, others should owe him, but not that he cares about being appreciated for his good gestures. I was told by a friend and big brother how he requested for a favour from Danjuma through his wife, Senator Daisy Danjuma. He said that even though he made available his private jet to fly the general down to Abuja to intervene for him at a meeting with some powerful persons, he (Danjuma) insisted on paying for the cost of the aircraft movement from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos. Who can beat that? And for my friend and big brother, Danjuma and Daisy are Angels in human form.

Interrogating his act of generosity may not be a comme ci comme ça enterprise. It may require the rigours necessary to understand the innate humanity that motivates and propels him within the context of our social–political and economic complexities. But the truth is, Danjuma may have the wealth of a Croesus; he has, thus far, not splashed his wealth with the sybaritic indulgence of the late Saudi Arabian international businessman and billionaire, Adnan Khashoggi. Danjuma has the discipline and character to spend his wealth on good causes; yet he is not the richest Nigerian, despite giving out money as if he is the richest Nigerian. He is perhaps heeding the admonition of Mother Theresa: “Give, but give until it hurts.”

Now, it does not appear that it is hurting Danjuma yet, as he continues to give of himself to the service of humanity and God. And, it may not hurt him in his life and times, or put succinctly, in the remaining years that he has to live on earth, given the fact that, as a shrewd businessman, he is perfectly on top of his game. What should, therefore, be done is for people who crave the act of charity to up their ante so that, together with Danjuma who turns 80 on December 9, 2017, they can build a society that thrives on human and communal compassion. Many happy returns, General!

• Mr. Ojeifo, Editor-in-Chief of The Congresswatch magazine, sent this piece via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com