The Nation Newspaper

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  • Edo and BoI partnership

    Edo State is more than ever becoming a cynosure of not only all who have eyes for enduring development, but also for organisation and institutions concerned with the business of human and infrastructural development anywhere it is genuinely taking place. The reality of this was evident in the recent visit of the officials of the Bank of Industry (BOI) to Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki.

    The bank’s Managing Director, Kayode Pitan, cut to the chase when he said that their bank sees in Edo State government, a dependable partner and as such remains committed to working with it to complement its development efforts. He noted specifically that the bank was ready to support the medium and small-scale enterprises in the state and other major companies. “We are putting together a package to raise substantial funding from N500 billion to one trillion naira for us to move forward what government is doing,” he revealed.

    BoI’s partnership with the state, Mr. Pitan observed, has been on for some years. The renewal of the corporation, as he explained, was predicated on the need to expand the frontiers of development. Said he: “Part of the reason for coming is for us to show we can move this partnership to a higher level. We want to see how we can expand the scope of what we are doing… to know the areas of emphasis of the administration and how we can partner with the state to help industrialists, the market women, people who have small businesses and how to work to move the state forward.”

    That request of BoI to know the priority areas of development was all Governor Obaseki needed to fire on all cylinders.

    On the outline of what stands Edo State out as a viable investment destination, he said: “Edo State is so strategically located within the context of Nigeria and that’s why it’s called ‘the Heart Beat’. With a landmass of approximately 20 million square kilometres, over 70 per cent of it is arable. We have swamp, rain forest and Savannah. So, in reality, there is no crop that we cannot sustain in Edo State in addition to our water bodies. We have about 263 mining licences which span a whole variety of solid minerals. We have approximately 4.2 million people with an annual growth rate of three per cent, which is typical of Nigeria.”

    He spelt out to his visitors that, “in terms of GDP” rating among the states, Edo is about “the sixth and our goal is to push to be among the top three in the next four years. Our state capital, Benin City, is one of the top 10 cities in the country in terms of population and the one key advantage we have is that we are a nodal state and a logistic hub. Because of our location, you cannot go from the western part of Nigeria to the East or South-south without coming through Edo State. There is also an access to the North. From our logistic standpoint, we are right there as a node.”

    As for infrastructure, the governor also stated that “Edo State is perhaps the only city that has the connectivity in terms of national road infrastructure. Other infrastructure like the electricity network and transmission network follow the same pattern. So, you have the lines transmitting power from generating plants from Delta into Benin and from here it’s distributed across the country. The gas network also follows the same trend. We have a gas hub, Oben. It’s the largest gas aggregation and distribution point in the country and it’s in Benin”.

    Moreover, his administration, he explained, prioritises investment in infrastructure, “considering all the key advantages we have. For us as a government, our role is not to be involved in business. Our role is to create a suitable environment that enables businesses and industries to thrive. The other advantage we have is manpower, better than any other country in the world”. He added, “Our other core advantage is electricity, using gas to drive electricity. On the large end is Azura power plant, and it’s due for completion by March next year. So, between the first and second quarter of next year, we would have 900 megawatts power”.

    No stone, Governor Obaseki to his visitors, would be left unturned in improving the fortunes of the state. He said that his administration was making meticulous efforts to maximise the use of the resources and opportunities available in the state. The big picture, he added, is to transform Edo into a really “modern and progressive state where every citizen is empowered with the opportunity to live life to its fullest”.

    The governor equally spoke on the critical role of institution reforms to the development he and his team are working towards. He contended that without it, no development would endure. For him, economic prosperity, the type that will bring vast change to the state, would only be feasible if institutional reforms are concretised.

    He told his guests that education constitutes the bedrock of the development he is carefully working out for the people of the state: “It is the key,” he stressed, “to the development we are seeking to achieve”, noting further that “basic education is the foundation on which every development will rest and it is one area we are emphasising without apologies. If you do not fix the basic education system at the public level, whatever we are doing will not work. We are launching the teachers’ training programme immediately schools go on vacation this summer. We can talk about industrialisation and all the things we want to do, but if you are not training the children to be engineers, to have the tools to engage, then we will be wasting money.”

    As anyone knows, the present administration in Edo pays premium attention to agriculture as a driver of economic growth and prosperity. It is one initiative that Obaseki took off with after his swearing-in in November last year. He told the BoI top brass:  “Our goal is to work with large farmers who understand what to do, who have the capacity to invest and will now support the smaller farmers. In the area of agriculture, we ran a series of lectures and we have come to the conclusion that what we need to do is help de-risk part of the agricultural chain. And today, we have about 3000 hectares for maze farmers this season. Cassava is our goldmine. In rubber production, we are the largest rubber producing state. We intend to continue to grow that by making more land available for it.”

    One other area the Edo State Government is looking to modernise the state involves issue of water. In a recent visit he paid to the water installation facility in the state, the governor said he was shaken by what he saw. The summary of what he was confronted with at that facility is that he was challenged to see to it that something meaningful is done to revamp that sector. To this end, he said state government was ready to work with any willing investor in that area. With “the right investment,” he reasoned, “we will be able to supply pipe-borne water” across the state.

    Housing matter was not excluded in the governor’s discussion with his callers. He told them, “Because of our location, we have been inundated with proposals. We have done flyover Benin City and we are flying over the state. So we have enough special data to do planning and other things investors need and require to make decisions.”

    Similarly, he talked about the renewed interest his administration is according the tourism sector. Being itself a money spinner wherever it is taken seriously, the Edo government is poised to generate good money from that sector, hence the attention being given to it. To make sure that nothing upset the plan, the governor disclosed that security in and around the state was being more seriously engaged. For, as he argued, tourism cannot flourish in an insecure orbit.

    Being so committed to upping the ante of all-inclusive development, the governor revealed that a renewed relationship, one that would be “radically different from what has been”, with the BoI was inevitable. “We want to be smarter in managing the limited resources we have,” he emphasised. It is for this reason that the government is teaming up with institutions like BoI and other similar ones. The partnership, squarely, is for the progress of Edo State.

     

    • Mayaki is Chief Press Secretary to Edo State governor.

  • Only President can initiate Appropriation Bill

    While signing the 2017 Appropriation Bill into law earlier this month, acting President Yemi Osinbajo complained about the illegal projects introduced into the Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly (NASS).  Some NASS members in turn asked the acting President why he signed the Appropriation Bill into law knowing that the Bill contains illegal projects.

    Since then, there have been discussions in the media as to the power of NASS and the President in budgetary allocation.  For example, Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Prof Mainoma in The Punch of June 19 and 20, tried to provide his own answer to the question Can legislators alter budget provisions as presented by the Executive?  In an interview on Channels Television on June 21, the former Director – General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Prof. Azinge (SAN) was of the view that because it is the responsibility of the legislators to make laws for the country, NASS can alter the Appropriation Bill as it likes in order to arrive at the Appropriation Act. This according to him, includes the right of NASS to insert new projects. This piece offers alternative view to that of Prof. Azinge and to explain that notwithstanding the reservations made by the acting President, he signed the Appropriation Bill into law in order to prevent a constitutional crisis that would have arisen if there is no 2017 Appropriation Act in place by the end of this month. This is because, the power given to the President under Section 82 of the constitution to spend money before the enactment of Appropriation Act would have expired by June 30.

    The basis of disagreement with Prof. Azinge is that NASS can only modify what is initiated by the President in the Appropriation Bill.  NASS cannot include in the Appropriation Bill anything that is not initiated by the President. While it is true that it is the sole responsibility of NASS to make laws for the country, both the President and NASS can normally initiate any Bill which when passed becomes a law for the country.  However, when it comes to the Appropriation Bill, NASS cannot initiate the Bill as only the President can do so as stipulated in Section 81 (1) of 1999 Nigeria Constitution.

    “The President shall cause to be prepared and laid before each House of the National Assembly at any time in each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the federation for the next following financial year”.

    Prof. Ben Nwabueze in a paper delivered at Abuja in 2000 entitled “The Constitutional Parameters of Budget Process” advanced reasons why NASS members should not initiate the budget. According to Nwabueze, only those who have responsibility for raising money to finance government expenditure should propose such expenditure.  If legislators were free to propose expenditure, they would be competing among themselves to secure as much of public funds as possible for their constituencies and other interests they represent at National Assembly.

    If anyone is still in doubt as to whether NASS members can initiate any project in the Appropriation Bill, that person should turn to Section 81(2) of 1999 Constitution. Under this section, only the President can create heads of expenditures in the Appropriation Bill.  It therefore follows that any expenditure head that is not created by the President must be regarded as illegal and consequently cannot be part of federal government budget.

    For the avoidance of any doubt, NASS can increase the total amount of the budget beyond what is proposed in the President’s Appropriation Bill.  However, this power is not derived from the 1999 constitution because the constitution did not specifically state so. It was the NASS members gave themselves the power to do so in the process of enacting the 2007 Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).  In the original Bill sent to NASS by the President, the budget deficit allowed for federal government was limited to 3% of estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  It was NASS that gave itself the power to increase the deficit to “any sustainable percentage” (Section 12 of FRA). The power by NASS to increase the total amount of the President’s proposal is not the same thing as the power to increase the number of projects proposed by the President. To the extent that the constitution is superior to any Act of Parliament, no amount of power given to NASS members in FRA can make them insert new projects into the President’s Appropriation Bill because only the President can initiate Appropriation Bill.

    The Second thrust of this piece is to explain why the acting President signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill in spite of the inclusion of what he considered as illegal projects.

    Section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution states categorically that:

    “No monies shall be withdrawn from the consolidated revenue fund or any other public fund of the Federation except, in the manner prescribed by National Assembly”.

    The manner through which NASS prescribes withdrawal from the consolidated revenue fund is through the Appropriation Act.  One important matter arising from the above provision is what happens to funding of government activities before the budget is approved.  The answer is to be found in what the Constitution calls authorization of expenditure in default of appropriations.

    According to Section 82 of 1999 Constitution

    “If the Appropriation Bill in respect of any financial year has not been passed into law by the beginning of the financial year, the President may authorize the withdrawal of monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the purpose of meeting-expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government of the Federation for a period not exceeding six months, or until the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act whichever is the earlier: Provided that the withdrawal in respect of any such period shall not exceed the amount authorized to be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation under the provisions of the Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly for the corresponding period in the immediately preceding financial year, being an amount proportionate to the total amount so authorized for the immediately preceding financial year.” 

    This provision allows the President to spend money only on existing activity or programme before the budget is approved. The amount that can be withdrawn per month on the authority of the President is limited to 1/12 of what was approved in the previous budget. This can be done every month up to the first six months of the financial year or when the Appropriation Act comes into existence whichever is earlier.  If by the end of June, no Appropriation Act is in place there will be constitutional crisis as the President can no longer withdraw money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.  It is clear that the acting President signed this year Appropriation Act in June in order to prevent constitutional crisis.

    However, in order for the legislators to show their electorates what they are doing  for them at Abuja, there is the need for the President to accommodate reasonable demands that can be funded from the legislators in the Appropriation Bill before it is submitted to NASS. One way to go about this is for the legislators from each senatorial district to come together to identify projects that are of common interest to their senatorial district for possible funding by the President.

     

    • Prof Omolehinwa is of Department of Accounting, University of Lagos.

  • Horror on Mambilla Plateau

    When you want to exterminate a people, profile them, castigate them, stigmatize them through propaganda and leave them lying waste for attack while the world looks the other way. This is what Adolf Hitler did before he launched his holocaust against the Jews. When the propaganda against the Jews was going on nobody bothered until the propaganda reduced the Jews to mice and cockroaches and it was then too late to save them as human beings by the world.

    From recent events and particularly the current massacre of the Fulani on the Mambilla Plateau and what followed- the silence of the Nigerian media especially the southern press seemed to have fitted perfectly with the Hitlerite era. The southern press has been waging a persistent, constant and unrelenting propaganda war against the Fulani herdsmen by not only accusing them of destroying farmlands but also raping their mothers, wives and sisters. They even call them terrorists, Jihadists and Boko Haram, all in an effort to prepare them for mass execution, without the slightest sympathy from other Nigerians and the international community. Otherwise where are the stories, the features, syndicated columns, editorials etc? Where are the Jide Oluwajuyitans, the Louis Odions, the Femi Orebes, Wole Olaoyes, Segun Ayobolus, Segun Gbadegesins and my good friend Sam Omatseye et al?

    In Nigeria, religion and ethnicity can justify anything, no matter how horrendous. The recent Mambilla massacre against Fulani herdsmen cannot be a better example of the level to which we have descended in this country. All decent human beings should feel touched by the level of the destruction of human lives in this most unfortunate bloodletting attack on women and children, including infants and the old. It is one of the goriest losses of humanity the Nigerian society has suffered.

    What made this case difficult for the hate masters of the Fulani herdsmen that prevented them from turning the table against the herdsmen was the fact that there was no allegation, as usual, by the Mambilla farmers that their crops were destroyed by the herdsmen and their women raped. Otherwise these hate mongers especially their press, would have carried screaming headlines that it served the herdsmen right to be so massacred by the Mambilla tribes of farmers.

    As a son of a herdsman myself, I did not allow emotions to devastate me until I read the statement of the acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3 Division of Nigerian Army, Jos, Brig Gen. Benjamin Ahanotu, on page 55 of the Daily Trust of Sunday, June 25. Listening to him at the palace of the Chief of Mambilla Plateau, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju II: “Even Boko Haram did not slaughter women and children but here I saw young children and pregnant women slaughtered. We should know that the victims are fellow Nigerians and indigenes of this area who should be treated with dignity”, he said.

    When I read this statement from a Christian General, I wept profusely because that is when I realized what really happened! What is democracy if this is the level to which human life has been reduced to? Is democracy insanity? Even wild animals do not kill their young ones in such a manner of total brutality, without provocation and justification. Even in a war situation, such carnage does not and is not allowed to happen because people will face war crimes but here in Nigeria, anything goes.

    To further amplify this human tragedy, three Mambilla tribal men namely; 1. Muhammed A. Tersi 2. Ismaila D.M and 3. Markus Bovoa took a full page advertorial, duly signed by them, in the Daily Trust of Saturday, June 24, page 49 titled “Press release on the recent crisis between grazers and farmers on the Mambilla Plateau- the true position” where they tried to justify this attack and casualties on the Fulani herdsmen! One of their statements read – “These Fulani leaders also engaged in savage deceit when they showed photographs of the victims of the bomb blast in Adamawa sometime back as pictures from Mambilla crisis. Their strategy in the crisis has been engage (sic) in maximum deception of the public” they said. Haba! You mean Gen Ahanotu did not know the difference between the Adamawa bomb blast victims from the slaughtered women and children he had seen and was talking about in Mambilla Plateau?

    On May 3, I had the privilege of meeting Governor Darius Ishaku in his office, courtesy of the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Yunana Babas, after my meeting with him earlier where we discussed the unfortunate Takum and Ussa Fulani herdsmen and farmers boiling crisis then and we resolved to see the governor so that I could plead with him to speak on behalf of the farmers of Taraba State while I speak on behalf of the herdsmen and to call for a ceasefire and assure the warring groups that we were doing everything possible to restore peace in the areas. Governor Darius told me point blank that it was the fault of the Fulani herdsmen who killed a farmer in the river and I told him his version was different from that of his Police Commissioner who told me they were still investigating and that no arrest had been made. If nobody was arrested, how did the governor come to the conclusion that it was a herdsman or men that killed the farmer?

    Feeling a pang of disappointment, I told Governor Darius whether it was okay for hundreds of innocent lives to be lost because of the action of one man or two men who might have been mental cases even if it was true the herdsmen did it? He looked at me menacingly and said that Fulani herdsmen were planning to wage a Jihad against Taraba State and its people (farmers) and that he was equally prepared to reincarnate, resuscitate and reinvent Kororofa Empire, to subdue the Fulani herdsmen!

    I was only too glad to take leave of Darius office because of the bitterness which he showed me that did not even permit him to offer me a cup of tea while he savoured one. Seeing that my assignment to intervene for peace had hid the rocks, I left first thing the following morning. I left Taraba State a disappointed leader and the crisis continued unabated, cumulating into the seriousness that was witnessed.

     

    • Bayari, is the Secretary-General of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association.

     

  • UFUK Dialogue on national unity

    Recently, Nigeria has come under a deluge of hate speeches threatening to rend its very foundation apart. From provocative and violent language by Biafra separatists in the South-east, to the corresponding incitement by Arewa youths, the country has simply been pushed to the edge. Although those causing the trouble belong to the younger generation, some elders from both northern and southern parts of the country have done nothing to lower the political temperature. Rather, they have caused further tension.

    In reaction, acting President Yemi Osinbajo summoned major ethnic leaders to Abuja. During the meeting, he threatened fire and brimstones to ‘troublemakers’, insisting that the destinies of the various ethnic groups that make up Nigeria are permanently interwoven. Since we did not know what they told Professor Osinbajo, should we assume that what happened at the meeting was a monologue rather than a dialogue?

    Meanwhile, a civil society organization brought together opinion leaders in Abuja in a dinner dialogue. The event, organized by UFUK Dialogue Foundation and themed “Friendship and Dialogue Dinner”, had in attendance prominent religious leaders from both Islamic and Christian faiths, traditional leaders from both southern and northern parts of the country, prominent political officeholders, amongst others. They all preached peace and urged all to bury the hatchets.

    Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who was in attendance restated the importance of cautious utterances and peaceful coexistence. He said there was no alternative to living together as One Nigeria.  ”God has put us all in this one boat called Nigeria,” he said. “And we really have no other option than to try to live together in peace with all our differences. We all must recognize and respect these differences. If we do not take that route, I do not see another alternative.”

    He reinforced the fact that the alternative to living in peace was a civil unrest.

    Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, spoke in similar fashion. He said the principle of UFUK Dialogue could resolve current challenges bedevilling the country. “One thing that struck me at this UFUK Dialogue programme is this saying, ‘Reserve a seat In Your Heart for Everyone’,” he said. “That is the solution to the complexity that constitutes the problem in a country like Nigeria, in terms of interrelationship. If you reserve a seat in your heart for everyone, you won’t promote insurrection. You won’t demand for your own republic. If you reserve a place in your heart for everyone, you wouldn’t give a Quit Notice to anybody on the basis of tribe.” I cannot agree any less.

    I believe that behind every veil of agitations and tribal jingoism are dissatisfied politicians. The average Nigerian, on his own, does not really care where his fellow countrymen hail from, by and large. When doing business, he will not abandon a good transaction or better product on tribal sentiments. When seeking for the services of an artisan, he simply wants someone who can do a good job. He doesn’t care if the plumber is a Yoruba, Hausa or Ibo. He won’t go looking for a Niger Delta plumber or Middle Belt mechanic. He will ask for a good plumber or mechanic.

    A look at the reaction that trailed the recent bank robbery video in Owerri will further reinforce this point. In the video that went viral, a policeman was seen gallantly engaging the armed robbers, and, as we later learnt, lost his life in the process. In other to support the family he left behind, a national daily, with some civil society organizations, set up a fundraising with a $15,000 target. This target was exceeded within 24 hours. And who were the donors, considering that the event happened in the South-east and to an Igbo? The larger part of the funds came from non-Igbo living outside South-east.

    The illustrations above indeed show that the threat to national unity does not come from the average Nigerian. Politicians are directly or indirectly responsible. I, therefore, urge them to desist from actions that are inimical to our unity. As the US-based Islamic cleric, Fethullah Gulen, recently noted, dialogue, mutual respect, meeting at universal human values and instilling security for people are necessity to our survival as a nation. “Although there have been some recent provocation based conflicts that appear to be religious oriented,” he said, “I hold the belief and hope that Nigeria is strongly proceeding towards a peaceful and happy future thanks to the broad-minded people and the educated generations, who view the future with hope.”

    Although Gulen, whose works were referred to by the President of UFUK Dialogue Foundation, Mr Kamil Kermabci, expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its challenges, I must add that such optimism can only materialize if Nigerians are resolved to extol national unity above all else. The followership must realize that the ‘leaders’ only play the tribal card when they are not personally benefiting from the ‘national cake’. That is when you hear the song of marginalization. We must remember that the current Biafra agitation began with complaints that Igbo were being left out from federal political appointments. But in reality, what has the ordinary citizen from the North benefited from this administration despite its so-called deep northern coloration? Is he better off because the President and his inner circle hail from his region?

    The truth is, the real marginalized are the poor, whether from North or South. The real marginalized are those who cannot have education. The real marginalized are those that cannot afford good medical care. The real disadvantaged Nigerian is the one that does not have decent roof over his head. Thus, we, the ordinary Nigerians, should not add to that list by creating victims of civil unrest because in the event of tribal conflict, our rulers won’t be the ones to be affected. They will be on the next flight abroad with their families.

    So as Cardinal Onaiyekan said, there is “no other option than to try to live together in peace with all our differences. We all must recognize and respect these differences”. If we do not take that route, the consequences, I’m afraid are too grave. We must, indeed, reserve in our heart a seat for everyone.

     

    • Oboh is an Abuja-based public affairs analyst. 

  • Why Etisalat should be saved

    Etisalat, Nigeria’s fourth largest mobile operator is currently enmeshed in a debt crisis with 13 creditor banks. It would be recalled that the telecommunications (telco) firm obtained $1.2bn loan – a medium-term seven-year facility for the purpose of expanding its network and improving the quality of service on its network.

    However, the economic downturn of 2015 and sharp devaluation of the naira negatively impacted on the dollar-denominated loan by driving up the loan value, thus prompting Etisalat to request a loan restructuring from the consortium of banks. Regardless of the situation, Etisalat Nigeria is still seen as a viable investment.

    Prior to this time, Etisalat had consistently and conscientiously met up with its payment obligations. It had, in fact, paid about 42 percent of its original loan taken from the consortium of banks. In an official statement signed by Ibrahim Dikko, Etisalat vice-president of corporate affairs, he stated that: “As at today, we can categorically state that the outstanding loan sum to the consortium stands at $227m and N113bn, a total of about $574m if the naira portion is converted to US Dollars. This in essence means almost half of the original loan of $1.2bn, has been repaid. Etisalat continued to service the loan up until February 2017 when discussions with the banks regarding the repayment restructuring commenced.”

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s economy contracted by -1.5 percent in 2016 as it slipped into a recession that saw inflation figures rise double digits to 18 percent last year. But the economy is poised to get out of recession before the fourth quarter, as inflation rate dropped to 16% in May. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has sanitised the foreign exchange market such that both parallel and interbank rate have found commonality. Thus, Etisalaat Nigeria would return to keep honouring all its obligations.

    Etisalat Nigeria shareholders may yet emerge the biggest losers in the current situation unless a resolution is urgently reached. The most vulnerable are private equity holders from Nigeria. “All of the infrastructure investment and services for which the loan was secured, were paid through our banks and these are verifiable”, according to Dikko and the telco firm have managed these infrastructure so well as to deliver excellent services.

    The creditors lack the technical expertise to manage a telecommunications outfit. An erosion of shareholder value may precede a takeover. Good enough, the banks have maintained that they have no desire to run a telecommunications company. Their only intention is to recover their money. A strong brand like Etisalat Nigeria with over 23 million subscribers’ base requires minimal disruption of operations to keep their market share in a highly competitive market where subscribers are spoilt for choice and be in a position to repay their outstanding loan.

    Job losses would leave the economy worse-off.  Etisalat Nigeria currently have about 2,000 workers, 115 Permanent Experience centres, 10 Temporary Experience centres, 90 kiosks at Total filling stations all spread nationally. In addition, thousands of more Nigerians are connected with the company either as vendors, sub-contractors, ancillary support services and many indirect businesses have been built around the company’s service offerings.

    If the company goes under, Nigeria’s economy will take a big hit. However, if the loan deal is not resolved, the banks will see their bottom lines severely affected with implications for their own operations, shareholders and the economy. Hence, the Etisalat Nigeria situation has all the ingredients of a ticking economic time-bomb. Skilled bomb diffusion experts will attest to the fact that patience and well-thought out approaches lead to the best results.

    The impasse puts to test the government’s resolve to attract new investments while protecting businesses already in operation in the country but are now challenged. At a time, the country is improving the ease of doing business, it becomes more imperative to protect the investments already secured in the country.

    Admittedly, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the CBN have played critical roles to resolve the loan crisis. The NCC waded in to say the group of lender banks cannot takeover Etisalat Nigeria until they have fulfilled some regulatory hurdles. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs, NCC said the lender banks must take note of relevant provision of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 as well as relevant provisions of the laws guiding the transfer of licences issued operators by the telecoms regulator.

    Section 38 and Sub section 1 of the NCA says; “The grant of a license shall be personal to the licensee and the license shall not be operated by, assigned, sub licensed or transferred to another party unless the prior written approval of the commission has been granted;” Sub Section 2 of the same provision equally states that, “A licensee shall at all times comply by the terms and condition of the license and the provision of this act and its subsidiary legislation.”

    Umaru Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the NCC told journalists in Lagos last month, that the Nigerian telecommunication sector has been a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), adding between N1.4 trillion to N1.5 trillion on a consistent basis in the last one and half years. It has also contributed about nine per cent to the GDP in the first quarter of 2017 despite a recession. Etisalat Nigeria has been part of this success story. Stakeholders want to consolidate on the gains made in the sector.

    In situations where debtors fail to meet loan obligations, the management of the debtor institution may be taken over by the bank, a downsizing of operations and asset stripping are usually subsequent actions. In many cases, the debts are not fully recovered and the bank’s bottom-line are severally affected. If the company goes under, the customers of the company will lose the benefit of the network expansion programme, thus, the real motive the company borrowed the money in the first place would be defeated.

    In a win-win situation; Etisalat stays afloat, banks get their money back, employees retain their jobs, subscribers continue to enjoy the network’s excellent services and government also continues reaping its taxes from the network.

     

    • Tsav, a telcom enthusiast and public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.

  • Reclaiming Nigeria’s higher institutions

    Like many other things Nigerian, higher education largely tells the story of acute dysfunction gnawing bitterly at the vein of the country. The increasingly frustrating steep decline in quality and standards of higher education graphically signposts the failure of visionary leadership that combines with other equally tragic factors to make the country a canyon of punishing underdevelopment.

    Flipside, it is also true that the unmitigated disaster that defines the single biggest orbit of black people as evidenced in the spiking youth unemployment, moribund healthcare system, dilapidated public infrastructure, miserable quality of life, and absence of structured thinking is itself a reflection of the failure of the country’s higher institutions.  To voice this in another way, if successive Nigerian political rulers have failed in giving the right attention to the continual development of higher education and institutions, those institutions too have failed (and still continue to let down) the country repeatedly.

    Tragically, higher institutions of learning in Nigeria have narrowed the objectives of their raison d’être. Where they have yet to totally lose their universe – to apply the same context of usage of that word by Prof. Niyi Osundare –, they have fully embraced mediocrity and fitfully remember their noble role as the engine room of the country’s developmental efforts. The years are far behind us when universities in this country were known for being the bright lights that dispelled the darkness of ignorance, confusion, and flailing barbarity. Those who know now lament the disappearance of the great times when Nigerian universities behaved really like sites of functioning knowledge production as is the character of such institutions.

    It now appears as fiction that there was a time when universities (small in number compared to what we have today) in Nigeria were not travelling on a path that did not connect with the crying needs of the country. Those were the years when employable and innovative minds were certified fit to join the larger society and contribute profoundly to its growth and development. They were years when the Nigerian society really awaited the graduation of those young Turks with rounded education that added value to humankind. They were years when functional knowledge and strong character, not the present satanic obsession with mere certification and hedonistic tendencies, defined the products of those lighthouses of knowledge.

    Is it any strange that only an inconsequential number of retiring old hands and roundly and soundly developed minds across our universities still understand the criticalness of the university to the continual attainment of impactful and enduring development? The point has to be made that any claim by a public university in Nigeria to excellence in scholarship, research, and undivided and undiluted attention to the full realisation of condition befitting a modern higher institution of learning is the equivalence of an act not different from the exercise of winking in the dark. The claim that one or two universities somewhere in the country represent what a university should really be in all possible particularities becomes hollow and inapt when attention is accorded the mind-concentrating reality that more than a throng of university graduates are so kindergarten in their thinking capability that to employ them would be synonymous to wrecking a viable enterprise. In any case, individual redemption in the midst of collective ruination is but a pyrrhic triumph.

    Really, it bothers the mind that with more universities, private and public, licensed to operate in Nigeria comes more ignorance – the type that was only possible in the Palaeolithic age – and a proud repudiation of knowledge as the bedrock of any development that will last and benefit people. That is, the more the higher institutions in post-colonial Nigeria, the fewer the portals of ideas and creativity and the more the woes of the land. The existence of higher institutions of learning in Nigeria means nothing to the multi-layered problems that are not above the ken of the human mind to solve.

    If we must use the sword of truth whose thrust has the efficacious power to redeem, now is the time to do something about putting an end to the gaping disconnect between our universities and the development of our country. Given the reality of the knowledge economy as we see it play out in other serious countries, it is high time Nigerian universities were snatched off the ruinous alley that makes it impossible for them to lead the way in the quest for socioeconomic and political advancement in Nigeria. Indeed, it is time to help our higher institutions reclaim their real mission and the ethics of sound enquiry, critique, questioning, and query – all of which are vital to prized knowledge production.

    Happily, the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), an independent institution committed to research and executive education in support of governance and policy work in Nigeria and Africa generally, has decided to champion the move for practicable solutions to that which ails higher education in Nigeria. In collaboration with the Pan-African University Press, Austin, Texas, USA, the ISGPP is organising a one-day seminar on the theme, “Getting Our Universities Back: Conversation on Higher Education in Nigeria”. The seminar is fashioned towards this objective: initiating practicable ideas for reclaiming the country’s higher education and institutions from the yawning abyss of rot, inefficiency, misplaced priorities, illiberalism, ossification, and infrastructural decay.

    With critical stakeholders in the higher education sector of the country, including former and serving vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, government officials from relevant agencies, and international organisations with interest in higher education, this all-important gathering will meet minds on other topical issues as the Governance Role of the National Universities Commission; University Autonomy or Freedom: Academic, Administrative, or Financial?; Higher Education Funding: Challenges and Strategies; the Roles of Governing Councils and Staff Unions in Higher Institutions; Multiplication of Higher Institutions: Tonic or Toxicity for National Development?; and Global Ranking and Recognition: Impediments and Prospects. Critical attention will be given to other equally germane issues affronting higher education in Nigeria.

    This timely seminar is billed for Monday July 10, at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. While a world renowned History scholar, Prof. Toyin Falola, will be the chairman and moderator, an eminent political scientist and former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Prof. Oluwafemi Mimiko, will be the lead speaker. About six other lead panellists are expected to direct the horses of the discourse about how to reclaim Nigerian universities from forest of irrelevance. The results of those discussions will form critical policy ingredients that will be made available to concerned stakeholders and governments at state and federal levels.

    Without any modicum of doubt, the transformation of our higher education system will catalyse the sustainable development that Nigeria sorely needs. Retrogression will remain the lot of that country whose higher education structure does not play critical roles in its quest for progress.

     

    • Ademola is a Research Fellow at the ISGPP.
  • TRCN and teachers professionalism

    TRCN and teachers professionalism

    Teachers are critical nation builders. With a standard and up-to-date teacher, qualitative impartation of knowledge will never be in doubt with glowing outcomes. It is on this strength that a nation cannot grow beyond the quality of her teachers (and the way it treats her teachers). Teachers are responsible for the production of the needed professionals to drive the health, socio-economic, and industrial sectors of the nation. Hence, no serious country should joke with treating her teachers well. A pool of poorly trained doctors, lawyers, engineers; pharmacists is a calamity waiting to happen. We all know the consequences of being operated upon by a quack doctor or consulting a quack engineer for a building project. This perhaps explains why the decision to weed out ‘cheaters’ from ‘teachers’ should be commended.

    There is no doubt that the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has been catalysed with the recent appointment of former ASUU leader, Professor Olusegun Ajiboye as its Registrar. By January 2018, the Federal Ministry of Education has promised full implementation of “No TRCN Certificate, No Job” policy. Those in classrooms without TRCN certificate are also going to be thrown out of the classrooms.

    Till date, close to 1.7 million professional teachers have been registered by the council in her drive to rid the profession of quacks. As part of the policy drive of the present administration, the Federal Ministry of Education has joined forces with the council towards implementing its policy not to allow any person without a professional certification from the TRCN to teach any child in Nigeria’s public and private schools. This is a welcome development in the light of the dismal performances in Nigeria’s education sector. Regular examination and training may be needed for teachers to update their knowledge in line with global best practices. Nigerian children cannot be left behind while their counterparts across the globe are in tune with current state of knowledge. In order to set the tone for the implementation of professional standards, TRCN recently organised a workshop at the University of Ibadan where far reaching recommendations were made.

    In the communiqué signed by Professor Olusegun Ajiboye, experts at the three-day workshop resolved that TRCN certificate and license should be used as part of the requirements for the employment of teachers in all states in the country. If this recommendation is followed the issue of professionalism in the teaching profession will get the desired attention. However, political convenience among politicians may be a clog in the wheel of this suggestion as Nigerian politicians have been known to sacrifice the pursuit of the common good for selfish, personal interest.

    Nigeria’s education suffers because those formulating policies in the area of teaching are not even core professionals. This perhaps explains why the workshop recommended that policy makers in education in Nigeria must themselves be professional teachers and hold TRCN certificates. This is a valid suggestion as only those who wear the shoe know where it pinches. It goes to say that round pegs should be put in round holes. Nigeria obviously suffers because critical sectors of the economy are manned by people who do not have the requisite expertise to deliver on the job. Even when people are nominated for political appointments, the executive which ought to use qualification in assigning responsibilities usually does not.

    The Minister of State for Education Professor Anthony Onwuka has threatened not to employ anybody without TRCN certificate into the teaching profession again and sack those already teaching without holding TRCN certificate from 2018. This is why the suggestion that a mechanism should be put in place to check procurement of fake certificates and licences should be seriously implemented. A lot must be done to ensure that those teaching in private schools are cleaned-out while monetary expectations of proprietors causing marks to be ‘allocated’ rather than ‘earned’ must be investigated and sanctioned.

    The experts also made case for periodic examination of teachers to validate their licenses in such a way that teachers who do not meet the criteria could be allowed to undergo in-service, in-house training or even a full-time programme and those who are unable to cope should be shown the way out of the classroom. This, to me, is to prevent rustiness among teachers. This move if faithfully implemented will ensure that Nigerian teachers regularly update themselves knowing that a periodic examination will determine their fates. There is however a major contention to the policy. The Minister of State for Education threatened that implementation will start next year and nobody will be speared no matter how highly placed. This includes lecturers in tertiary institutions who have shown reluctance from registering with TRCN. Lecturers in tertiary institutions were enjoined to enrol for Post-doctoral Diploma in Education (PDDE).

    Teaching covers all fields of knowledge with its unique training focused on methods of imparting knowledge and these differ with many teachers having no training at all in methods. Instead of instruction in teaching, university lecturers have long period of training in a specialised field of knowledge which makes them to see themselves as professional sociologists, chemists, psychologists, economists rather than professional teachers. Unlike teachers, university lecturers enjoy autonomy fought and won by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with the Senate taking decisions. They decide who to hire and fire and enjoyed considerable autonomy. Can principals of primary and secondary schools employ teachers without the state? In the universities, students interested in becoming professional teachers come to Faculty of the Social Sciences, Arts or Sciences to borrow teaching courses in Economics, Political Science, Chemistry, Physics, English to mention but a few. Let induction by TRCN stay with those in Faculties of Education.

    Methinks TRCN should champion what will enhance the prestige of the ‘profession’, design welfare package and ensure teachers discharge their duties in a clement environment. A TRCN-certified teacher teaching students under roofless classrooms or under the tree will be a magician to be able to impart anything in a distracting context. A TRCN certificate with regular funding of education and supply of necessary materials will boost morale. Extortion and corrupt activities will fester when teachers’ salaries are unpaid for months. We cannot treat our teachers as inconsequential and expect them to deliver the best for Nigeria’s future. Beyond the TRCN certification, teachers deserve the best and need recognition.

     

    • Dr Tade, a sociologist sent in this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com
  • Ugwuanyi and Enugu traders

    Ugwuanyi and Enugu traders

    There is no doubt that the indices of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s popularity and acceptance by the people of Enugu State are gathering momentum by the day. For instance, while the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu West and North Senatorial Districts of the state had unanimously endorsed him for second term because of his unprecedented achievements in just two years in office despite the severe economic challenges in the country, the state’s workers, during a one-day symposium organized by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Enugu State Council, passed a vote of confidence in the governor and asked him to “carry go”.

    The most recent was the endorsement by the state’s traders under the auspices of Enugu State Amalgamated Market Traders Association (ESAMATA). The traders at a solidarity rally they organized in appreciation of Ugwuanyi’s entrenchment of good governance and initiation of a unique traders’ empowerment programme, also unanimously endorsed his re-election in 2019, saying that he has “performed creditably in just two years in office despite the daunting economic challenges in the country”.

    The traders, on that fateful day, shut all the markets in the state and mobilized themselves en masse to the venue of the rally to honour the people’s governor. They were full of gratitude to him for good governance and his uncommon empowerment initiatives borne out of his desire to give traders in the state a sense of belonging and bring them closer to the government as the true heroes of democracy.

    Announcing the decision to shut the markets, the president general of the association, Temple Ude, stated that “the plan to shut down the markets to celebrate Gov. Ugwuanyi was a unanimous decision of the traders in the state”.

    Ude added that the rally will be unprecedented in the history of the state as “all the markets in the state will be shut down on Thursday, June 15, and all roads will lead to Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, where excited traders will converge en masse to appreciate and celebrate our traders-friendly Governor for his support and good governance”.

    On the empowerment programme tagged “Enugu State Traders Empowerment Scheme”, which the governor flagged off on February 21, it is pertinent to note that the scheme was one of the policy thrusts of the present administration carefully designed to assist the traders to grow their various businesses for the socio-economic stimulation of the state. It has a package of N60 million annually to be won by 100 lucky winners monthly at N50,000 each through an open raffle draw.

    Consequently, 1,200 genuine traders in the state will be empowered annually and as at the moment, 400 traders have benefited.

    It would be recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration had organized a similar open lottery programme for civil servants in the state from grade levels 1-10, where 100 lucky winners won one unit of one bedroom apartment each at Elim Estate, Enugu, with the state government paying over 50 per cent equity contribution – a landmark feat that saw 100 lucky civil servants become proud landlords in the state.

    At the well-attended rally, the elated traders immediately Ugwuanyi arrived the venue, took to their dance steps praising and cheering him to a loud ovation as he walked round with other dignitaries to appreciate and acknowledge the cheers from them.

    It was indeed an enduring encounter between “a governor and his people”, as the excitement that exuded from the jubilant crowd was a reality of the governor’s swelling popularity and acceptance.

    Expressing their desire for the governor to govern the state beyond 2023, Hon. Ude said: “Your Excellency, no government in the past has ever attempted to establish the existing relationship between traders and government.

    On security and workers’ welfare, he noted that Gov. Ugwuanyi has created “an enviable security outreach in the 17 local government areas with the establishment and equipping of the Neighbourhood watch associations in all the nooks and crannies of the state, and has equally remained regular in the payment of workers’ salaries, disclosing that such feat has gone a long way in encouraging traders to do business in the state”.

    “We are convinced that even with the current economic hardship you still positively navigate the affairs of the state for the betterment of the people of Enugu State.

    The traders equally commended the state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, for his accessibility to them, disclosing that this is the first time since the inception of democracy in the state traders’ complaints are being “treated promptly without any iota of nepotism”.

    Responding, Governor Ugwuanyi thanked the visibly jubilant traders for the gesture, love, goodwill, solidarity, enthusiasm and support, adding that he feels highly honoured that they shut down the markets in the state to gather in their numbers “to show appreciation for the empowerment scheme that we launched for traders in Enugu State last February”.

    He explained that the Traders’ Empowerment Scheme, carefully designed to boost economic activities in the state and improve the lives of the ordinary members of the society, was “in line with our promise to deploy government resources and services to create fair and equal opportunity for every citizen to make a living, create wealth and enjoy life in a peaceful and secure environment”.

    He told the traders that the empowerment programme was only the beginning of his appreciation for the immense support and affection that they have continued to accord his administration since inception.

    Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the welfare of the traders, the governor said: “We have indeed resolved to do all that is necessary to better the lot of traders in Enugu State and in this regard, I promise that we will never allow anyone to harass, oppress or exploit you as you go about your legitimate businesses. Be assured that we will deal with any such case, promptly, decisively and comprehensively, as soon as it is brought to our notice.

    “We are discussing with financial institutions, international corporations and other relevant organizations on the ways and means of extending easier and more convenient lines of credit and other facilities to traders in Enugu State.

    “We are also working to upgrade the capacity of the Enugu State Marketing Company to arrange special import services for traders just as we are committed to the continuous development and equipment of markets in Enugu State as part of the efforts being made to create a more conducive environment for business and commercial activities to thrive in the state”.

    From the above narrative, it is glaring that Gov. Ugwuanyi is the man with the hearts of the people of Enugu State.  The onus is therefore, on the people to continue to support and encourage him to render more selfless service to build the Enugu State of the founding fathers’ dreams, because the state is securely in the hands of God.

    Amoke writes from Enugu State.

     

     

  • Evans as a metaphor

    Evans as a metaphor

    Without derogating the seriousness of the crime allegedly committed by Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, alias Evans ‘the intelligent kidnapper’, his misconduct draws attention to many contradictions in our ailing society. For days after the story broke, his escapades received cult-like attention in the news, with some reports digging into properties he had acquired, his family members, their lifestyle and their reactions to the dastardly accusations against the infamous fellow.

    As expected, Nigerians were shocked by the exploits of Evans and his organized gang, spanning across many cities, mainly within Lagos State. They were also allegations that some highly placed persons and law enforcement agents may have connived with Evans and his team, described as arguably the most intelligent kidnap-kingpin of our time. Evans soon started singing like canary, and as days passed, he even asked for another chance to make up for his past deeds.

    The police officials who busted the crime were hailed and celebrated, and their leader, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kyari, praised as a gifted crime buster. Interestingly, on the same day Evans and his gang were busted, there were stories in the dailies with respect to the lingering allegations of humongous corrupt enrichment by former Air Force Chiefs Alex Badeh, and Amosu, who are facing trials for allegedly stealing billions of naira, from the coffers of the Nigeria Air Force. Since Evans case, the cases against Olisa Metuh, Nenadi Usman and Femi Fani-Kayode, involving humongous sums allegedly appropriated from state coffers, have also come up.

    While Evans family got general condemnation over the allegations against him, Badeh’s son for instance, who at a time during the alleged criminal exploits of his father was in charge of ordering the disbursement of Air Force resources to build a private estate, as if it was his father’s a private resources, has not been given such a close attention like the children of Evans. Of course the same unequal treatment, in denouncing, naming and shaming of Evans family is applicable with respect to the families of other politically-exposed criminal kingpins living large from the proceeds of their breadwinners’ crime.

    The point is that the society does not feel sufficiently appalled when the crime alleged, is what can be regarded as a white-collar crime. I bet that if the public is asked to place on a scale, the crime allegedly committed by Evans and that allegedly committed by Badeh and the rest of the gang that raped our national resources, particularly through the office of the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, that of Evans would weigh many tons more than the other criminal kingpins.

    Yet, if there is a sociological study of the destructive impact of the crime committed by Evans and those who stole billions of the resources meant for arms purchase, development of physical and social national infrastructure for instance, that of the latter may have been more impactful. The point I am making, is that even though the white collar criminals may be more insidious than the rough and tumble of the street gangsters, our society appears not to care as much.

    Here, the recent admonition of Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to churches to expel her members facing corruption charges comes to mind. Indeed, comparing Evans with the white-collar criminals, I bet that while no faith-based organization would openly socialize with Evans while his ordeal lasts, many would with pomp and pageantry celebrate with those accused of having engaged in the white-collar crimes since the society don’t feel equally offended. A further outcome of this discrimination in favour of the white-collar crimes as manifested in the Evans case is cynicism.

    Not long after the family of Evans was given attention by the media, there was a hashtag for FreeEvans, which gained a lot of notoriety. While that movement is reprehensible, my guess is that the messengers are telling the authorities that what Evans is engaged in, is not much different from what those in positions of power are engaged in – criminal endeavour. In a way, it is also a vote of no-confidence on the criminal justice system – the believe that with enough resources the rich don’t get punished; so, what is good enough for the upper class white-collar criminals should apply to Evans of the underclass.

    Another significant import of Evans banditry is the wretched state of our security infrastructure. When a criminal ridicules the state, by evading its dragnet as Evans did for several years, or when criminals write to schools in Epe or elsewhere that they will strike and they go ahead to do exactly that, or when the cultists in Ikorodu, engage in an orgy of ritualistic murder with the Police appearing helpless; not many will be able to link it with the absence of reliable data of persons living in an area, otherwise called census.

    So, when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in a self-serving manoeuvre or out of ignorance, says that it is more expedient to hold an election that will be fraught with irregularities because of lack of reliable data, than to organise the national census, long overdue, to gain, among other benefits, biometric data that would knock off an Evans and give the state the muscle to deal with crime, he misses the important point.

    The Speaker, like others of his ilk, who maybe beclouded by politics, instead of the gains and the magic associated with the technology of modern data, like the ATM, reinforces preference for the opacity of the current era. They forget that each time the kidnapper climbs the school fence, to take away our children, every time the cultist scurries the neighbourhood to kill and maim, each door the armed robber breaks to gain an entry, he leaves his fingerprints, and with a mere push of button, the data would pop up, to save future victims, if we have a reliable data.

    Another significant reflection from the Evans saga is the failure or inefficiency of the so-called registration of SIM-cards. If as reported, Evans had over a hundred SIM-cards, all pre-registered before he bought them, then I can understand why, I, like many other Nigerians, still get a call or a text from persons obviously trying to dupe with idiotic tales about offer to verify one’s BVN or such other idiocy. When I get such a call or text, I usually ask, until Evans story, why despite registration of SIM-cards, putative criminals still make such dangerous calls.

    But with the information that Evans owned tens of SIM-cards, with registration particulars that have no link to him; is the essence of the registration exercise not defeated? The Nigerian Communications Commission must wake-up to that challenge. One other notable fall-out of the Evans saga is the existence of many closet ethnic-demagogues, who used Evans ethnic origin, to ply their duplicitous trade.

     

     

  • That reason may prevail

    There is presently some de-escalation of the separatist outrage that gripped this country in recent weeks, and we shouldn’t hold back saying much of the credit goes to the leadership initiative shown by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Whatever the perceived downsides of those consultations, his getting traditional rulers as well as opinion and political leaders to the dialogue table largely helped to tamp down the fury.

    It is not yet Uhuru, as they say – very far from it. But it at least seems the government now has a handle on mutually bandied ultimatums by youth groups in different geo-political zones across the country that had threatened to tip us all over the cliff edge. Spurred by those threats, the Acting President undertook serial stakeholder consultations that culminated in his meeting last week with the 36 state governors. The moderating effect of those consultations showed that the much required for managing combustible moods in our polity is a disposition by the leadership to being attentive and open for discussion. Hitting upon acceptable remedies to our nationhood challenges is a function of sustained national conversation in a convivial atmosphere, which the mutual threats had not served to foster.

    The Acting President’s push for dialogue did relieve the tension and expanded the pressured space for dueling emotions. But not that the stakeholder consultations were without red flags. For instance, the separatist Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), whose May 30th sit-at-home order in the South-east ostensibly formed the trigger point for a three-month quit notice to citizens of Igbo lineage residing in the North by self-professed Coalition of Northern Youths (CNY), faulted the region’s representation at the dialogue table and blustered that it would not be bound by whatever understanding was reached. Well, we must wait to see if it is able to continually retain the fancy of reasoning South-easterners under its nihilistic streak.

    Also, some analysts had argued that the youths’ outburst a few weeks back failed the smell test of underhand instigation by community elders and political leaders, some of who might have been among the Acting President’s invitees to the dialogue table. But that, if true, only made the consultations even more relevant, because they were like tackling the fire right at source.

    During his meeting with state governors last Wednesday, the Acting President recapped the broad points of the understanding reached at the parleys with community elders and opinion leaders of the South-east and as well the North. “We’re all agreed that Nigeria’s unity should never be taken for granted, and that no one wants to see Nigeria going down the path of bloodshed. We also agreed on the primacy of the Nigerian Constitution…The Constitution guarantees the equality of all Nigerians before the law, and their freedom to live and work anywhere in the country, in peace and safety, without fear of discrimination or prejudice,” he was reported saying.

    According to him, there was also agreement that hate speech must be reined in by leadership pressure points. And that, for avoidance of doubt, was without prejudice to constitutional guarantee of free speech, and the fact that there are genuine challenges fuelling separatist temperament in our nationhood that need to be redressed. “There is a part of all of these agitations and statements that are made that is fair and may well be considered as freedom of expression,” Professor Osinbajo said, adding: “But there is a point where a line has to be drawn, and that is when conversations or agitations degenerate into hateful rhetoric, where the narrative descends into pejorative name-calling, expressions of outright prejudice and hatred. We must at some point ensure that even in the use of words, we are careful especially because the kinds of problems that we’ve seen, the conflagration that we’ve seen all over the world, even in our own society, starts with the use of words.”

    It is curious that the Acting President, going by reportage, omitted some geo-polities like the South-west and South-south in his stakeholder consultations, perhaps because the tantrums that informed his initiative did not originate from, and neither were targeted at those zones. That, to my mind, minimised the thoroughness of the initiative, and as well degraded the opportunity to take on board all sides to the fault lines that bedevil the Nigerian nationhood. And that was so even as the current presidency buckles on taking up the report of the 2014 National Conference.

    But you can’t take away from the aptness of the basic points of consensus the Acting President outlined. Nigeria’s unity must by no means be taken for granted, but neither so the touted desirability of her dismemberment. Nigeria’s unity is organic, not given, and must be worked upon on an ongoing and incremental basis. The constituent nationalities certainly can’t agree on all the fine points of this nationhood; but we can at least agree to disagree, and from there work out those points of disagreement. It is all the more unacceptable that separatists among us deploy inciting rhetoric to push their imprudent cause. For instance, IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu is famed for having described Nigeria as a sheer cannibal zoo. But the toxicity of that remark only needs to be weighted against the experience of Rwandans in the 1994 genocide, where the majority Hutus were incited to a last push against minority Tutsis who were pejoratively dubbed ‘cockroaches.’

    And neither does the logic in the familiar argument for dismemberment stand up to exhaustive scrutiny. Advocates hastily deploy the example of the amicable parting of ways by Singapore and Malaysia in 1965 as a model. They often are silent, though, on the fact that the separation resulted from deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia – and not wildcat civic agitations – which had created communal tensions. They also conveniently forget that the United States, which the world celebrates as a leading nation today, fought a four-year civil war (1861 to 1865) between secessionists of the Confederate States of America and nationalists under Abraham Lincoln who were loyal to the U.S. constitution to preserve their Union.

    The Nigerian nationhood of today is far from being equally beneficial to constituent nationalities, and neither is it even munificent to individual citizens. But we have a nationhood to work at, and on which we can hold our leaders to some account – no matter how minimally. It simply isn’t an option to seek a fractious break-up.