The Nation Newspaper

Category: Comments

  • Aig-Imoukhuede: Ten years after

    Ten years after we lost Ikpehare Izedomi Aig-Imoukhuede, the prismatic columnist of Vanguard newspaper, we are still grieving and regretting we’ve not gotten a heir, a successor, nay a pupil to step into the great shoes of the master. It is the sign of a sinking age. A hero departs and seems to take with him the stuff of greatness that built him.

    Although Aig-Imoukhuede borrowed heavily from the biting style of two other legends, Sad Sam (Sam Amuka) and Peter Pan (Peter Enahoro), he added his own: the caustic episodic approach. Every Wednesday in his Sketches column he stood on a tripod- Sad Sam, Peter Pan, and Aig-Imoukhuede –to feast his readers. The outcome was a unique brand. For, whereas Sad Sam and Peter Pan’s columns were not always a story telling affair Imoukhuede’s would every time broach trendy events to pillory society. His writing was airy, reminding you of the ambience that envelopes you when you read the short stories of Guy de Maupassant and Ernest Hemingway.

    That was my submission when I paid a tribute to this remarkable columnist on his death a decade ago.  

    I wrote then that before he died in Lagos on January 23, 2007, Aig-Imoukhuede had this memorable encounter with the living. Writing in his long running Sketches column in Vanguard of January 24, 2007 he gave no hint of a terminal ailment nor of stalking death right on his doorstep.

    Under the title “Money in the bank”, Imoukhuede identified two counter cultures that he observed were emerging as a result of the Central Bank’s report on alleged injury to the naira. CBN, he claimed, was frowning at those abusing the national currency. It advised them to take to keeping the money in the banks rather than under  their pillows. In other words, they should imbibe the banking culture of transacting business with plastic money.

    Now the columnist wrote: “I knew exactly who the CBN had in mind. It could only have been an old friend who lived somewhere in the city of Ajegunle.” Whereupon he went on to fetch this old school pal for a dialogue.

    What followed was a superlative literary and journalistic tapestry: a measured riposte between the writer and his friend; snide rebuke of the CBN policy; ribald remarks to challenge our banking system; sharp words for a society of payday crowds who can’t go to the bank until their salaries are paid; and finally the columnist’s half-speak humour that made you wonder where he belonged: on the side of the new culture or the old?

    But Imoukhuede never left his reader in doubt that all he intended to do in his Wednesday Vanguard outings was to deliver gentle recreation even if he had to take you on a journey into his own peccadilloes of a different generation.

    His approach was to take on an issue, not necessarily one hugging the news headlines. Indeed, most times what the reader was conscious of in Imoukhuede was the seeming triviality. But mark you, because of his prose and the mastery of language in narrating his experiences or delivering a dialogue, Imoukhuede could sustain your interest till he was through.

    Here I have before me the Sketches of Wednesday March 27, 2002 entitled Neighbour’s goat, and others. He reached out for several anecdotes to drive home the point that the goat was a stubborn beast, whose “beard somehow appears to make a bolder statement than that of this columnist”.

    He dated the tale of a goat to a quarter of a century back in Okene, Kogi State. He said a man was arrested and charged with stealing his neighbour’s goat and converting it into goat meat. The exhibit on which the Police relied to get a conviction was a pot containing the stew made from the goat said to have been stolen.

    The Magistrate took the plea (“not guilty”) and adjourned the case for two weeks. And so the Police took the accused and the soup back into custody. Two weeks after, the case resumed. But the pot and its contents were missing. The Magistrate asked the prosecuting Police Sergeant what happened to the exhibit.

    Now read how sardonically Imoukhuede ended the report: “The Prosecuting Police Sergeant launched into an explanation about how, faced with difficult problem of keeping the soup from turning sour during the two weeks that the case was adjourned, the constable at the Police Station had been warming it twice a day, as culinary practice demanded. ‘As a result of all that heat’, the Sergeant concluded, ‘the stew dried up’. The long and short of it was that the Magistrate, as reported by the newspapers, dismissed the case against the accused for want of evidence”!

    Imoukhuede’s writing wasn’t about polemical journalism. His chief goal was to hammer moral and social foibles, armed with a bagful of risible darts and decent humour.

    His satirical armoury was quite rich, no matter the negligent public service he was railing against. Taking up defunct NEPA’S irregular power supply once, Imoukhuede wrote on November 24, 2004 about an encounter with a friend who came to visit. He entitled it A taste for warm beer.

    With NEPA “seizing” light for two weeks, he said, he had to give his guest a warm welcome and a bottle of warm beer. He rounded off thus: “My friend put down his tumbler. He had somehow managed to finish his beer so I said: ‘Have another beer’. He shook his head ‘No thanks. The good thing about warm beer is that you drink it in moderation’.”

    He was also known to be a keen observer of the amusing shenanigans of the man in the street. Here is one piece in the Sketches dated January 10, 2007. The scene was the arrival hall of the Murtala  Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. “…Two …car-hire operators were earnestly trying to win the patronage of a newly-arrived passenger who appeared to be a Japanese. ‘I have a very good car,’ the first… said, ‘with air condition’. ‘Don’t listen to him,’ the second man said, ‘my car is a Mercedes. His own is Pijiot,”the first man flared. ‘Who are you calling idiot? He shouted, ‘you, yourself are a bloody fool.’ That led to a shouting match, with the other drivers taking sides. There was scuffle, followed by a fist fight that spread all the way to the car park. If the airport had been closer to the city center, the incident would, with some fueling, have escalated to a full scale civil disturbance. Idiots.”

    Ikpehare Izedomi Aig-Imoukhuede wrote with wit, clarity and virtue as no other newspaper columnist has done  for a long time. His uncluttered prose led on to the precincts of the great inventors of the periodical essay, Richard Steele and Joseph Addison.

    Although I knew he was engaged in some highly successful body of drama work (Alao Shakey Shakey) and (Safe Journey) on radio as well as with Wole Soyinka’s Players of the Dawn, I often asked why Aig-Imoukhuede didn’t write conventional fiction like the short story and the novel. He was vastly suited for the genres, given his prodigious power of imagination and a creative talent for precision writing.

    We miss Sketches and the caricatured face of Aig-Imoukhuede. You were unencumbered by kilometer-long sentences; nor was the reader retarded by ponderous polysyllabic formations. All you had were brilliant sparks of quintessential writing dropping from the hairy face topping the page.

     

    • Ojewale is a writer and journalist in Ota, Ogun State.

     

  • FRC and sundry reform matters

    It is no longer news that the Financial Regulatory Council of Nigeria (FRCN), through its executive secretary, unilaterally implemented a certain clause in the Corporate Governance Code, especially for Not-For-Profit-Organisations (NFPO), which necessitated fixing the tenure of the general overseers of religious organisations in Nigeria. One of the major consequences of that decision was the resignation of Pastor E. A. Adeboye as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Nigeria. The justification of the FRCN executive secretary was that he was upholding the relevant parts of the corporate governance code. If that were the case, then it would be within the legal purview of the organisation to do so. And this has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the executive secretary, now relieved of his duty, was a former pastor at RCCG. But, as with most things legal, social and religious in Nigeria, the reality is much more complex than what we are presented. The outcry that has trailed the FRCN’s move and the reactions from several quarters, especially on the resignation of Pastor Adeboye, not only points at a complex situation, but also calls for a cautious but critical attention to some key issues concerning corporate governance, religious matters and the democratic functionality of institutions in Nigeria.

    Permit a caveat that should address all hints of prejudice. This is critical because I am aware of the enormous anxiety and anger that attend the perceived misadventure of religion in Nigeria. I am a Christian with strong conviction that the church is one and will best achieve its earthly mission if it remains one in spite of inescapable denominational imperative. Consequently, whereas I am a Baptist by birth and orientation, I was largely groomed into spiritual maturity by the RCCG as a full-fledged member. I, indeed like millions of others, holds Pastor E. A. Adeboye in the highest esteem for the tremendous grace upon his ministry of which I am direct beneficiary in a classical sense and for the achievements that the RCCG has garnered since he became the general overseer many years ago.

    But the issues at stake in this matter transcend my RCCG connection. It’s especially critical given the extent to which the legion of charlatans in the cloak of Levitical priesthood have infiltrated Christendom with diabolic and commercial mission and are daily denigrating the faith because they are provided umbrage by the absence of corporate governance codes and their enforcement.    These are issues of democratic surveillance, organisational integrity, institutional capacity and reform. In this regard, the FRCN constitutes a significant dimension of the ensemble of democratic institutions in Nigeria. And this is more so with regard to the monitoring of corporate governance matters. On its website, the FRCN outlines its mission as simply as possible: “To bring utmost confidence to investors, reputation to oversight and ensure quality in accounting, auditing, actuarial, valuation and corporate governance standards and non-financial reporting issues.” This is seriously commendable because corporate governance is a very significant aspect of democratic governance in Nigeria. Ensuring good corporate governance practices is a sine qua non for laying the foundation of an accountability principle in the national economy that will eventually devolve on the well-being of Nigerians. The Not-For-Profit-Organisations (NFPO) are equally part of this corporate governance accountability concern because they equally impact on the financial profile of the nation and of individuals and organisations.

    First thing first, every institution must react to its context and environment. With regard to the idea of corporate governance, the FRCN ought to have known that it was walking a very tight rope in its attempt to monitor a corporate atmosphere charged with complex practices. Religion is a crucial issue in Nigeria. And its mismanagement has led to critical losses for the Nigerian state. The Boko Haram insurgency that has cost many lives could be traced, in a significant sense, to some badly managed military and administrative policies. Stakeholders’ ownership is very critical in policy implementation success, and that translates into a due and meticulous diligence in ensuring that each policy issue makes the round of relevant stakeholders. The implication of this is simple: any policy arising from corporate governance issue ought to have gone through the entire stretch of policy assessment and even more. Of course, no policy is impeccable. But then the ripples and revelations trailing the corporate governance code, especially for NFPO, seem to demonstrate a sloppiness bordering on lack of professionalism and institutional hastiness. Suspending a policy in itself speaks volume about the appropriateness of such a policy for its intended purpose. Thus, as a commentator rightly notes, not properly deducing the intricate nature of this issue of applying corporate governance code to, say, churches amount to an overkill, an institutional excessiveness that poses the danger of heating up the society unnecessarily.

    But then, there is another side to the issue. And this involves the churches and other religious organisations themselves. While the FRCN is undergoing reconstitution, and the corporate governance code, hopefully, will be re-evaluated and reviewed, there is also a need for churches to look inward in the face of weak gate keeping that is undermining the Christian brand as the salt and the light of the world through the activities of charlatans in the guise of prophets-entrepreneurs riding on prosperity theology popular tendencies and vulnerabilities of a poverty-ridden and superstitious society and pervasive miracle mentality. The Federal Government has the right to instigate any policy that affects its citizens, and religion plays a huge role in this regard because whatever happens in the religious realms have extensive impact on the way people relate with themselves in the public spaces. Beyond this, the FRCN is right about the critical nature of corporate governance and why not even churches and mosques can be excused. Religious organisations owe the government an adequate compliance with regulations that probes accountability. This is even more so in a state that is attempting to increase its profile of democratic governance. A church or mosque may be theocratic but that does not preclude its legal response to certain democratic imperatives concerning structures and rules.

    On the other hand, the religious organisations owe their members a firm adherence to strict codes of accountability and other institutional structures that ensure not only spiritual adequacy but also financial openness. It would not be a sin if the financial transactions of a religious organisation are open within the bounds of regulation and best practices. Since the church or mosque is a custodian of morality, this institutional reform of its structures should not a big deal. Religious organisations are agents of development, especially within the environment of institutional incapacitation in Nigeria. From the Catholic Church to the RCCG and even several Islamic organisations, religious organisations play a dominant role in bringing the dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of members and other people alike.

    And development in this context of underdevelopment becomes a moral imperative which would not permit the organisations to champion a good cause while they are in themselves an emblem of institutional incoherence. A strong case can be made for the autonomy of religious organisations given that, for instance, some of their founding constitution sits incongruously with the legal requirements of the federal constitution of Nigeria. However, just as religious institutions have modified the way we think and rethink secularity in Nigeria, they must equally be modified by the imperatives of secularity and democracy. It will therefore be an act of good faith for religious organisations to firm up their institutional deficits in ways that will add to their credibility, spiritually and administratively. In many quarters, churches and mosques do not enjoy good public reputation. In fact, the reason why many lash out at them is the attempt to hide corruption behind the cloak of godliness to deceive the innocent.

    On the other side, and this is even more critical, it is high time Nigeria (and religious leaders would do posterity great service if they provide a lead in this rethinking and reform) commenced a deep institutional and administrative reassessment of religion and its corporate dynamics in a manner that will put to rest the debate around whether religious organisations ought to answer to corporate regulations. The review of the corporate governance code that jumpstarted the problem in the first place could be a wonderful opportunity to resolve it finally.

     

    • Dr. Olaopa is executive vice-chairman, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP)

  • Ondo, this is our chance

    At a recent conference called by some Yoruba elders to discuss an agenda for regional development, I advocated a return to Awoism or Democratic Socialism as had been christened by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. It was on the platform of this philosophy that the Great Awo excelled as Premier of the Western Region in the 50s and was acknowledged to have run the most efficient government not only in the country but also in Africa. If 30 years after his death and 57 years after he left Western Region administration, Awo’s administration is yet to be equalled in good governance, then there is a need to look back and see where we have got it wrong and repackage the act of governance as some European leaders did at the end of the Second World War in 1945, using the Marshal Plan as a road map. The Europeans socio- economic prosperity today is a testimony that those leaders had taken a wise decision.

    To Awo, the computer may be invaluable but has to be manufactured by man. Therefore Awo advocated for free education at all levels and free medical services for all explaining that “the more educated and healthier a man is, the more productive he becomes as an economic agent and the more useful and effective he is as a member of society”. If all these propositions are true, he said, “It follows that the education of and health of every citizen are indispensable to our rapid economic progress, political stability and social harmony”. Unfortunately, leaders after Awo have altered the constitution “to pamper luxury and thin mankind”. The revenue allocation formula has been reversed in favour of the centre that must now take over 50%, stomach infrastructure and constituency projects; outright stealing has replaced free education at all levels and free medical services for all; Primary School Leaving Certificate is all that is now required to become a President, Governor or Senator with a title of Alhaji, JP or Chief as an added advantage.

    Awo was   concerned with full employment. “To plan for less than full employment he said “is an admission on the part of Nigerian leaders that they are unequal to their admittedly difficult but at the same time inspiring and manageable assignment”.  “Who would be the unfortunate one to be kept out of employment?” he asked. Unlike our modern economic planners, Awo believed that government had business in business. He practiced mixed economy and economic self-reliance. He created industrial estates at Ikeja, Ilupeju, Apapa in Lagos and Bodija in Ibadan. The visionary Awo occupied the estates with government and quasi-government industries. He had established Government Trade Centres, products of which manned the industries. But today’s leaders are happy going to China, pockets loaded with ‘estacodes’,  to  inspect  technical schools; the type Awo had established  free in the 50s. He established Cocoa Marketing Boards in Ikeja where cocoa was processed for export, and farm settlements for those who could not go further academically to provide employment and promote agriculture .Farmers were so prosperous that they established a cooperative society, Cooperative Bank and built the first skyscraper in Africa-the 26 storey Cocoa House, Ibadan.  The Western House in Lagos remains a masterpiece. Criminals have occupied the vacuum poverty, ignorance and idleness have created. The money that would have been better spent on education and employment now goes for crime fighting, the rest, wasted and stolen. Why not? While Awo allocated land for industrial estates, today’s leaders allocate land for churches. While Awo created industrial estates for wealth, today’s leaders exchange the estates for miracles. Obasanjo “who never lifted a single stone” of development as Head of State and two times president is always excited to announce that he created 25 billionaires even though by  so doing  the middle class has been wiped out. While past leaders of Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia and Brazil are celebrating a legacy of economic prosperity, their counter parts in Nigeria are forming a band.

    As the focus of this essay is largely Ondo State, the government of the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin remains a reference point in good governance in the state apparently being a direct disciple of Awo. He established Oluwa Glass Industry in Igbokoda, Ceramic and Paint Industry in Ifon, Iree Bricks Industry in Ire, among other industries .He established Ondo State University, now Ekiti State University etc. If as proclaimed by the incoming governor Oluwarotimi  Akeredolu Esq., Governor Olusegun Mimiko has achieved much, there is still much more for the Akeredolu’s government to do. Like that of the late Ajasin, Akeredolu’s government must have business in business; he must embark on good governance and economic growth.

    While not underplaying the achievements of Mimiko, failure to pay workers’ salaries for about six months is a minus for the economic prosperity of the state especially for a state which collects 13% oil derivation. To regenerate and boost the economy as well as motivate workers, payment of salary arrears should be the topmost priority of the new government. This will stimulate demand and supply. Pursuing economic self-reliance, Oluwa Glass Industry, Ifon ceramic and paint Industry, and other moribund legacies of Awo and Ajasin must be revived to generate income and employment.

    The people’s welfare is the hallmark of good governance. In line with Awolowo’s philosophy of free education at all levels and free medical services to all, Akeredolu’s government must give priority to both. Education and health must be placed on first line-charge and 50% of fund received on oil derivation, devoted to their funding. Student loans of about N100,000 should be automatic for every student in tertiary institution to allow the children of “the poor and the poorest”, acquire education instead of giving their parents a paltry sum of N5000.00 monthly. Feeding of school children may be good, but it will be better to covert free food to free education at all levels. Today Awo lives forever, not because he gave the poor money but for giving their children free education and the parents, pipe-borne water, free medical services, electricity, good roads and “life more abundant”. The quality of education is not determined by big buildings in the name of mega schools. Mega schools should be discouraged for the simple types in Lagos State or the Agagu prototypes. Disadvantages of mega schools no doubt outweigh their advantages. In the next five to 10 years, the cost of maintenance may be more than cost of building them. If not maintained, they become dilapidated and may eventually be abandoned to prevent disaster. Every child is expected to attend school nearest his or her home for obvious reasons. Moreover, it is unwise to overcrowd students in a complex for security and safety reasons. The incoming government may consider turning these mega schools in the state capital to commercial buildings and schools, relocated to communities nearest to the students as it used to be.

    The incoming government must take full advantage of belonging to the political party in power at the federal level. To minimize accidents, federal roads across the state should become dual carriage ways as lasting legacy of Akeredolu’s government. If President Muhammadu Buhari would seek re-election in 2019, he must demonstrate that he deserves our votes; He must ‘dualise’ the Okene-Idoani-Owo road and Owo-Akure-Ore road, Akure-Ilesa road, give us a seaport at Igbokoda and complete the Olokola power project. Aketi, this is our chance, let’s make Ondo State great again.

     

    • Amoboye, is a journalist and political analyst.

     

  • Danbatta: Buhari got this right

    While many argue, and it’s true, that some appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari are mere flotsam and jetsam and therefore unfit for their positions, there are still a few who have manifested uncommon managerial élan and light-years-ahead vision in the discharge of their duties. One of such bright spots in a darkling horizon of political appointees is Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Since his appointment over a year ago, the Professor of electrical cum electronics engineering has stepped into the ring with the confidence of a skilled pugilist. And in barely one year, he has not only stamped his feet on the ground with unwavering boldness, he has also held his nerves to guide the telecom sector out of the economic storm that knocked other sectors and in fact the nation down on their knees. Experience has shown that in Nigeria’s public service space, most people come into their offices unprepared, sometimes unschooled and unskilled. But Danbatta came with the carriage and candour of a man fully primed for the job. He reeled out an 8-point agenda, a carefully crafted corpus of plans and ideas that would define his leadership. To date, he has rallied the diverse stakeholders in the sector to buy into his dream for telecom. And the results are there to show for his industry.

    America’s Dwight Eisenhower’s style of leadership recognises getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Just one word: Passion! President Buhari adopted this style by appointing a man who wants and desires to get things done; and he is doing it with evidential totems to show for his stewardship.

    One outstanding highlight of the Danbatta days was the fine imposed on MTN Nigeria for the non-registration of SIM cards in its network. It was a challenging moment for the nation’s telecom regulator and indeed for Nigeria.  Prior to that moment, public perception of the NCC as an independent regulator has not been pleasant. Many Nigerians, erroneously though, would swear that the regulator has been compromised by the operators; that some of the operators were simply above the law and cannot be cautioned, regulated or exerted upon.  The engineering professor put a lie to that misconception by bringing MTN to account and instilling order in the system. That singular gesture shored up international confidence in the nation’s telecom sector. It portrayed Nigeria as a marketplace where order not disorder is the rule of engagement.

    But by far, the most remarkable feat is the resilience of the telecom sector in the face of recession. Throughout 2016 when other sectors reeled and roiled under treacherous economic strain, telecoms remained largely bullish. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) suggest a steady growth in the sector from 2015, reversing the declining trend in total real GDP from 2010 to 2014. In the heat of the recession, telecoms contributed N 1.4 trillion to GDP in the third quarter of 2016, or 8.0%. Even this represented a decrease of 1.8% points relative to the previous quarter (Q2), when the sector contributed N 1.58 trillion to GDP or 9.8%.

    Experts have attributed the insulation of telecoms sector from recession to Danbatta’s non-combative, stakeholders’ participatory approach to regulation. Globally, the news is that Nigeria is in a recession complete with job cuts, degrading value of the naira and grossly eroded purchasing power of the people but telecom has managed to stay afloat. Investor confidence is growing. And if there was ever any doubt about this, the recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in Bangkok, Thailand (ITU World 2016) fittingly indexed Nigeria’s growing status in world telecom. The presence of the immediate past ITU Secretary General and the incumbent, Dr. Hamadoun Toure and Mr. Houlin Zhao respectively, the horde of foreign investors who thronged the venue of the Nigerian Investment Forum, an unprecedented number, and the resonating references across different conference halls to the resilience of the Nigerian telecom market in a moment of national economic recession were evidential attestations to the profile of Nigerian telecom.

    As at July 2016, the Nigerian telecom market has maintained an upbeat run, notching up to $68 billion in investment, the highest volume in Africa. The catalysts for such phenomenal growth are hinged on regulatory excellence and strict adherence to global best practices. In recent years, Nigeria has remained on the cutting edge of world telecoms as one of the markets with the highest returns on investments. The fact that out of this figure, $35b comes from Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) fittingly illustrates the global confidence on the Nigerian market.

    Such phenomenal landmarks coming from an African market have not lulled Danbatta to rest; rather he has rolled up his sleeves in a new push to birth a broadband revolution capable of doubling the investment profile in the sector in a few years. Danbatta believes that the Nigerian telecom value chain is so robust that it can accommodate more players, from small telcos to mega telcos, value added services providers to other operators providing diverse genre of services including the almost extinct Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators.

    His ceaseless exertion is not lost on the international community. Aside the ITU which has commended his regulatory leadership model that has helped to sustain good corporate governance and nurture a culture of order in the telecom ecosystem, echoes of his regulatory model resonates to far-flung jurisdictions.

    For his effort, the NCC was last year severally adjudged the regulator of the year by different organisations. The Commission also won the European Award for Best Practices 2016. The award ceremony which held in Brussels, Belgium was hosted by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR), an affiliate of the European Union (EU).

    No fewer than 63 countries participated in the award ceremony out of which the NCC clinched the European Award for Best Practices.  The award is “in recognition of NCC’s outstanding commitment, support and results in quality management strategies” in the Gold category, the organisers said.

    The NCC’s management style, its impact on the community that it serves and the professional manner it carries out its regulatory activities in supervising a sector that contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation were some of the considerations for the award.

    Many Nigerians have criticized President Buhari for putting round pegs in square holes.  Senator Ben Bruce, recently on the floor of the Senate, advised the President to rejig his cabinet by redeploying some appointees and appointing persons who are ready, prepared and willing to do the job. Even in the midst of his anger, Bruce acknowledged that some appointees are up and flying and have become the tools that the nation would need to chisel its way out the crushing economic cul-de-sac. Danbatta belongs to this army of round pegs in round holes. The results speak for themselves.

     

    • Ugbechie, Executive Secretary of Africa Telecom Development Initiative (ATDI), writes from Lagos.

  • Religion – Nigeria’s fastest growing industry

    With the assumed but audacious permission of Wole Soyinka and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, I am writing this piece, attempting to reduce the pontification of the icons to the language of the ‘ordinary’ Nigerian. The duo has said variously that religion as practiced in this country can be a cog in the wheel of progress.  May I repeat this is not exactly their language, but together with my close observation of the practice of the two major religions especially in the last decades and most especially currently, many religions organizations are not doing this country any good. Christianity, the second most popular religious organization in Nigeria was introduced to this country both by European missionaries/adventurists and returning ex-slaves from the Caribbean in the 18th century.  Hence urban and semi-urban   communities like Badagry, Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan (Kudeti), Calabar, Opobo, Lokoja etc embraced the early Christians.  These early Christians were mainly of the established churches of the Church of England (the CMS Church), the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Catholic Church, and later Baptists. Invariably these churches were headed by expatriates and returning slaves.

    Apart from evangelism, the churches established schools – primary, theological, teacher training, and secondary.  Their intention and modus operandi were open and unmistakable.  In some cases they partnered with governments which benefitted from the experience and benevolence of these early Christians.

    As regards Islam – I am not qualified to trace the origins and intentions of the early adherents.  All one can say is that it was the work of crusaders and jihadists that the religion took a firm hold in Northern Nigeria.  Today the population of Christians to Moslems are almost at par, and minus hot spots like Southern Kaduna,   parts of Benue and Plateau, Christians and Muslims live together in harmony and in peace.  Even in those flash points, it is not really difference in religion but destructive activities of mobile or herdsmen that disturb the peace.

    In Southern Nigeria and perhaps in parts of the North, the ravaging  emergence of  Pentecostal  sects    giving effect to the multiplication of all sorts  of pretenders  and fortune seekers have raised  many fundamental  questions about the genuineness and  ‘Christian-ess’  of these later day evangelists, preachers and apostles.  Mention must be made about the early Pentecostal churches.    Outstanding was Joseph Babalola, the chief progenitor of the world-wide Christ Apostolic Church.  A self-made true evangelist, his church now pervades all the crannies of the land. If he were alive today, he would marvel at the dimension his original vision has assumed. Now it is not unusual                                                       for couples to turn their living room to a church and thereafter declare it a parish of the C.A.C. Today the leadership of this venerable church often ends up in civilian courts pleading to be accorded recognition.

    More disturbing is the proliferation of ‘worship’ places where neighbours are denied smooth rest at night and at early hours with their microphones and loudspeakers blaring away the night.  In some of these churches, a very imaginative husband would found a church, declare himself Archbishop and each of his two wives Bishop.  Their adherents’ and devotees never give thought to any malfeasance or self-aggrandizements by these so-called men of God.

    We have heard in this country where pastors bury life animals or dead humans in their worship place.  In some, bare-face rituals take place.  Some cases are in court while many have been decided in civilian courts.

    There are of course exceptions to this national phenomenon. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and two or three others occupy a separate place among Pentecostals.  The RCCG for example has an internal administration- call it government if you like – equal to any political administration in Nigeria.  There is not much infighting, the cheeks and bellies of the General Overseers are not obscenely bulging, and although they have Jeeps and Jets, they also establish universities where the children of mighty and of the lowly receive education.

    The pastors inviting you to the mountain top every week-end have their own agenda.  While some may act in good faith, may God forgive others who harbor other motives.  Admittedly, probably some radio stations will close without the commercial advertisement of some crusading pastors.

    Religion requires quiet communication with your God, pleading forgiveness and praying that your enemy will change for the better but not calling for fire to consume him and his family.   As a result of some evangelists and pastors, a number of homes have been destroyed and family members separated.

    It is no cynicism to say that the fastest growing industry in Nigeria today is the church as represented by pastors, the evangelists, the prophets, and of course the mighty G.Os.

    There is virtually nothing anybody can do about it.  The Holy Writ has said that at the end of time so many deviants and false prophets will be at work, proclaiming to be Christians. Isn’t that day drawing ‘nigh’ ?

     

    • Fasuan MON, JP, writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Dealing with Nigeria’s worst enemies 

    The year 2016 presented us with its peculiar challenges especially in the area of security and the economy. It was the year in which our dear country eventually slipped into recession resulting in grievous social stress for the citizenry; it was also the year in which terrorism in the North-east, militancy in the South- south, the despicable phenomenon of kidnapping as well as the flash of agitations bared their murderous fangs – visiting death, pain and anguish on the populace.
    In all these, it is gratifying to note that the fundamentals of nationhood remain strong, robust and promising. We commend the gallantry, ingenuity and professionalism of our armed forces and security agencies, the political will of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government and the unbending resilience of the Nigerian people.
    Many developments in the polity require legislative and executive responses. It was in December 2016 that our citizens woke up to a heart-warming and cheering news when the military authorities declared they had captured the most strategic major stronghold held by Boko Haram terrorists. While we applaud them for their sacrifices and commitment that resulted in this military triumph, we must hasten to add that the war against terrorism is still on, our citizens must remain vigilant against targeting of soft targets by fleeing terrorists as they attempt to terrorise the populace.
    There has also been outbreak of violence resulting in wanton killings and destruction of properties in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwani, parts of Zamfara State.
    Same was the order in Benue, Plateau and some other states. Before we went on break, this House by resolution mandated the leadership to meet with the President on the challenges posed by these senseless killings.
    Having met with the President, I am happy to report that I am satisfied with the response of the President on these matters.
    I share the view that finding solutions to these crises must not be left to Kaduna State government alone or the President.
    An enduring solution can only be attained if all of us – all Nigerians regardless of ethnic grouping – northerners, southerners, Christians, Muslims, politicians, the apolitical, traditional rulers and religious leaders accept the fact that we are responsible and rise to confront and rid our communities of these evils.
    On the part of government, I’m more than hopeful that the effect of the presidential intervention, particularly in the Southern Kaduna crisis will soon be felt.
    We must make it abundantly clear that no matter the level of grievance, no individual or group of individuals have the right to kill innocent citizens or to take up arms against the nation state.
    Nigeria’s worst enemies are these hate mongers and merchants of death who seek to turn this nation into the primitive state which in the words of British born Philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, in his famous work, Leviathan, is a state of, “continual fear and danger of violent death: and the life of man; solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
    For our nation to make true progress, these enemies of the state, just like Boko Haram members, must be crushed. As the year 2017 rolls by, we should expect great challenges once again but with renewed determination and faith that things shall surely get better with God on our side.
    In this regard, I wish to remind us that perhaps the most critical and urgent task before us is the pending 2017 Appropriation Bill. The economy must be our central focus in 2017. Measures to exit Nigeria out of recession must be the critical aspect of our legislative activities. The 2017 Budget remains the major tool to rejig our economy.
    This is in addition to other fiscal and monetary policies. The recent fiscal measures including import prohibition of certain items and the increase or decrease of tariff on some items should receive appropriate legislative scrutiny to ensure that the economy and the interests of our people are protected.
    We must ensure that we take no prisoners in accomplishing this task. We must brace up and work assiduously and conscientiously to give Nigerians a budget that will not only lift us out of recession, but kick-start the needed expeditious journey into Nigeria’s prosperity. We pledge to reform the budget process.
    To this end therefore, we would ensure that the procedure and process of consideration and passage of the 2017 Budget is transparent, inclusive and professionally handled.
    The details of the budget should be debated and passed in plenary to avoid those needless pitfalls that normally characterise the budget process. 2017 is perhaps the year to pass critical bills before active politicking starts.
    Critical bills designed to stimulate and streamline our economy such as the Public Procurement Act amendment, Federal Competition Bill, Petroleum Industry bill, etc. will receive expeditious consideration. Important bills on constitution alteration and amendment to the Electoral Act also deserve expeditious consideration and passage.
    The recent spate of impeachment of Speakers of Houses of Assembly of states gives cause for grave concern. While we recognise the constitutional right of the legislature to conduct its internal affairs including the right to hire and fire its leadership, it presents a different scenario where such leadership hiring and firing is rife with accusations and insinuations of external influence and also devoid of extant procedure.
    Leaders everywhere can only function efficiently where there is certainty that commendation is the reward for good leadership and sanction the consequence of inept leadership. The Nigerian legislature needs to be afforded an opportunity to blossom if our democracy is to ever mature into adulthood. On the external front, particularly within the ECOWAS sub region, recent events call for both joy and concern.
    There have been peaceful elections and transition of power in Ghana to the delight and pride of all Africans. However, in Gambia, even though peaceful elections took place, the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh, has recanted his pledge to hand over power peacefully after losing the elections. The situation in Gambia constitutes a serious dent on the rising profile of the development of democracy on the African continent.
    I commend the President of Nigeria and indeed the leadership of ECOWAS for their principled stance on the matter.
    The recent official position that ECOWAS will ensure peaceful transition in The Gambia is most reassuring. I understand this to imply peaceful transition, but also the enforcement of peaceful transition should the need arise.
    As a foremost democratic institution, the legislature will stand firmly behind the government of Nigeria as well as ECOWAS in ensuring that no individual leader on the African continent engages in conduct prejudicial to the growth of Africa’s democracy.
    •Dogara is the Speaker, House of Representatives

  • How Ambode is making Lagos richer

    How Ambode is making Lagos richer

    It is no longer news that Nigeria is facing dire economic challenges. Notable public figures from President Muhammadu Buhari to Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun have officially confirmed that the country is bedeviled with recession. This dire situation has affected not only the ability of the federal government but also the other tiers of government to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry.
    The economic challenges have been exacerbated by drop in crude oil production and fall in Naira value. The situation has particularly hampered the effectiveness of most state governments in carrying out state functions and paying workers’ wages as most of them depend solely on the handouts from the federal coffers.
    However, the case of the Lagos State government has been a different one. The state has continued to execute developmental projects expanding the infrastructural profile of the state’s landscape and also instituting numerous welfare and empowerment schemes for its citizens.
    This has come about through the astute efforts of the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in effectively managing the resources of the state and even phenomenally heightening revenue drive. Last December, the governor had cause to publicly celebrate the success of the state regarding its internally generated revenue drive.
    Speaking at a special evening of music and camaraderie held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, to usher in the Yuletide season, the governor announced that as of December 16, 2016 the state had raked in N287bn IGR for the year under review as against N268.2bn generated in 2015, despite the economic recession in the country. The governor hailed tax payers in the state for performing their civic obligations faithfully and said the taxes paid by the people had been judiciously utilised to upgrade infrastructures and provide various services.
    Speaking on the significance of the event which featured performances by array of evergreen musicians and was attended by top political leaders, captains of industries, media executives, professionals in various fields, members of the diplomatic corps, among others, Ambode said the state government was greatly appreciative of the contributions of the people to the growth of the state in the year under review, adding that the event was principally to appreciate them.
    About a month previously in November, the governor had given a hint of this feat at another public forum when he said the state has the potential to generate N50 billion monthly as internal revenue. Ambode made this known at a colloquium on the state of the nation, organised in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the Coalition of Nigerian Apostolic Leaders (CNAL), an affiliate and the Nigerian arm of the International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders.
    The governor said that whatever the state was realising at that moment as internally generated revenue was only 65 per cent of what it could achieve. He added that the state government had the population and the youth to achieve the target and was working on critical policy objectives that would unlock the state’s potential to build a more vibrant economy.
    While he noted that the economic challenges in Nigeria were affecting Lagos State, he said the state was, however, re-strategising. He observed that the economic challenges should provide a golden opportunity for the country to re-strategise to build a sustainable economy.
    The consensus is that Governor Ambode has brought his chartered accountant expertise and many years of experience in public service to bear on the prudent management of the resources of the state, phenomenally increasing the internally generated revenue and making bold moves to adequately meet the growing needs of more than 22 million residents of the state. He has been able to reduce the cost of governance in the state by about N3 billion monthly.
    The Fulbright scholar on assuming office took steps by first restructuring the state’s exposure to commercial banks, thereby saving the state about N3bn monthly in debt servicing. He also re-jigged the Lagos Internal Revenue Service by doing away with multiple taxations and instead expanded the tax net so that those hitherto not captured would be brought on board.
    He sent to the House of Assembly the Employment Trust Fund Bill through which the newly created Ministry of Employment and Wealth Creation began to administer a yearly N6.3bn intervention soft loan to stimulate the economy, sustain small businesses and create jobs.
    Also shortly after assuming office on May 29, 2015, he reviewed the 2015 budget. He forwarded a request to the Lagos State House of Assembly, asking that the budget be reordered to address the urgent need for infrastructural development in the state.
    The House endorsed the request and signed it into law on September 23, 2015. The reordered budget comprised N19.7bn capital expenditure and N5.7b recurrent expenditure. Governor Ambode then promised aggressive construction of new roads across the length and breadth of the state. Four months later, the results of his promise were evident.
    The governor publicly affirmed that the 114 roads constructed across the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas in the state have been impacting on the state economy. He said at the commissioning of one of the roads, the state’s “Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has started increasing.”
    He has also taken far-reaching steps to improve the security situation of the state by extensively equipping security enforcement organ with modern gadgets and logistics support that have made them to be much more efficient and effective. He has also introduced a foolproof antidote to the perennial traffic gridlock in the state by expanding roads, constructing laybys and overhead bridges at various points of Lagos city and environs. He had also street lights at many locations in the state. All these measures have made the state to become largely conducive to business operations and growth.
    For Ambode, attracting investors into the state is in line with his vision to make the state an investment hub in Africa. From his inaugural speech in May 2015, he gave an insight of his mission. His decision to set up an Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment (Lagos Global), domiciled in his office clearly spelt out where his administration was headed.
    When he received the Namibia President Dr. Hage Geingoband, on May 30, he sold the investments opportunities that abound in the state. Since then, the governor has met several groups of local and foreign investors including President of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, investors from Dubai, United States of America, as well as envoys from several European and Middle East countries. During such meetings, Governor Ambode promised an enabling environment for willing investors, stressing that his ambition is to improve on the ease of doing business in the state.
    The Lagos State government under Ambode also entered into a historic deal with the city of Dubai. This deal will see Lagos emerge as the first Smart City in Africa. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU is essentially between the Lagos State Government and Dubai Holdings, LLC, owners of Smart City (Dubai), to develop a sustainable, smart, globally connected knowledge-based community that drive knowledge economy.
    The governor has no doubt demonstrated his willingness to expand the economy of the state with the acceleration of the Lekki Free Trade Zone. He released N1.6 billion to accelerate infrastructure development within the Zone.
    Another project that is dear to the heart of Governor Ambode is the Eko Atlantic City project, a multi-billion dollar undertaking sitting on over 10 million square metres and is expected to accommodate over 150,000 people who would reside there and another 250,000 who would work and commute within the city on a daily basis.
    When he embarked on an extensive tour of the Eko Atlantic City project sometime ago, he expressed confidence that the project would not only boost the economy of the state, but also increase its internally generated revenue. Ambode pledged the total commitment of his administration towards the success of the project, saying it would go a long way to facilitate the quest to grow the state’s economy.
    While commending the promoters of the project for their confidence in committing huge resources to the Nigerian economy, Ambode said their investment was a positive sign that the country remains the investment hub in Africa.

  • Demystifying Fashola

    Demystifying Fashola

    The power sector may become the political-waterloo of the Honourable Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola, just as it was for late Chief Bola Ige, himself also a lawyer, with respect to their hard-earned reputation as performers in public office. This column recalls that when the highly regarded Bola Ige, was invited by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, to take over the Power Ministry, (well, to come and eat, as late Sunday Afolabi, rather argued), the then budding minister, had boasted that he would turn around the power sector, in six months.
    Many more months after presiding over the ministry, Bola Ige who was one of the leading lights of the second republic, as the governor of the old Oyo State, between 1979 and 1983, had become so clueless as the Minister of Power that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who lured him from the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to come and save their bumbling in the sector, tactically made Ige, a political heavy weight, an object of ridicule. Like Ige, Fashola has a huge reputation as the former governor of Lagos State, between 2007 and 2015, which may have informed the three-in-one ministry, handed over to him, by President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015.
    One year plus, the otherwise perspicacious Fashola has become reticent and clueless, over the power challenges, that you would wonder whether his performance as governor of Lagos State for eight years, was a fluke. Last week, he was, as is now common, begging the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to perform their contractual obligations to Nigeria. The present Fashola is no way near the sagacious, confident and ebullient erstwhile Governor of Lagos State, who would, like the departing President Barack Obama of the United States of America, real out facts and figures about development plans in his beloved Lagos State, all through the years he was in-charge.
    Perhaps, Fashola’s best strength lay as ‘an Actualizer’, not as ‘a Dreamer’. For before his high-grade performance in Lagos State, his predecessor-in-office, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, laid a blue-print, which Fashola actualized. Perhaps, that is the difference between then and now, as some have argued. Otherwise, how can one explain that so far, Minister Fashola, has not come up with any enthusiastic template to attack the pervading darkness that has been the lot of our dear country? Currently, Nigeria is still among the poorest, even among third world countries, in terms of the generation and distribution of electricity per-capita.
    Last week, the Honourable Minister as he has done severally, prevaricated, instead of reading the riot-act, during the 11th Monthly Stakeholders’ Meeting held at the Ikeja West Transmission Station, Ipaja-Ayobo, Lagos. There he said to the stakeholders: “You will have to sacrifice perhaps more than what you have done, but I am optimistic that it will get better; I am optimistic that we can win together and we can win for the Nigerian people.” Yet, there are no laid out plans by those he was talking to, on how to even win for themselves, not to talk of winning for Nigerians.
    Unless the minister is operating in another country, the power sector is a complete mess. A Punch editorial last December, put it succinctly: “Power supply in the country is beyond pathetic. Last week, power supplied reached 3,927 megawatts at its peak, but averaged slightly less than 3,000MW, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. For a country with a population of 170 million and Gross Domestic Product estimated at $481.1 billion in 2015 by the World Bank, this is miserable. In a presentation by Funke Osibodu, CEO of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, at the PwC power forum in 2015, it was revealed that, of the total installed capacity of 12,522MW, some 5,381MW was not available; another 3,626MW was classified as “non-operational”, leaving only 3,789MW operational”.
    Like this column had written several times, the Punch editorial suggested the establishment of regional power-grids, noting the danger in relying on a single national grid, as our country currently do. If Minister Fashola, truly has the perspicuity that he exhibited, while he presided over the affairs of Lagos State, it is strange that instead of helping Nigerians develop a blue print on how to double “the 5,381MW” said not to be available, probably because of the absence of the transmission/evacuation capacity, or even how to double “the total installed capacity of 12,522MW”, he spends quality ministerial time, massaging the egos of the wobbling and fumbling DisCos.
    At that Ipaja meeting, Minister Fashola, was merely preaching to the DisCos, most of whom have no capacity, to exploit what was handed over to them, not to talk of improving on it. He said: “we need to do whatever is possible to do in our various distribution areas to improve the quality of service, to continue to train personnel, to recognise that the customer is king and even if we cannot provide or solve the problem, we owe it a duty to explain what we are doing.” He further pleaded: “we will keep in constant touch with you as they evolve, to hear your side; we will use this meeting to continue to share the details of what we are seeing and to hear what you are experiencing”.
    While this column do not support a capricious abrogation of any contract duly signed by the previous government, it will be strange if a critical national asset, like the power sector, is allowed to continue to flounder and deteriorate, just because a party to a contract while showing glaring incapacity to perform an obligation arising from the contract, is however tenaciously holding on to her right, purportedly emanating from the same contract. Incapacity to perform an obligation in a contract, particularly where there was a fraudulent misrepresentation of capacity during negotiation, is a ground to abrogate a contract.
    In the matter between Nigeria and the GenCos and the DisCos, unless the federal government officials and allied professionals, who negotiated on behalf of all of us, were glaringly fraudulent or grossly incompetent, it would be strange if they did not agree on time-line, within which to achieve certain pre-determined milestones, not to talk of the quantum of fiscal and physical investment, expected from the investors who bought over the national assets. If the investors were handed an open cheque, to ride roughshod over our common fate, then those who did us in, should be made to account.
    So, when Minister Fashola wrings his hands in helplessness over the pervading darkness across our country, I am worried whether he is hamstrung by personal inadequacies, or he is affected by structural challenges in government – because of the locus of real power, or indeed as the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo was accused of, he has become too cosy with those he is appointed to regulate. Whatever is the challenge, Minister Fashola should know that he is failing in his present responsibility. And if his performance as Governor of Lagos State was because some other directing mind laid the framework for him, then he had better seek such help again, or honourably throw in the towel.

  • Understanding Osun workers’ salary issues

    Understanding Osun workers’ salary issues

    A statement, purportedly issued by the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) in which Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State was accused of “illegally diverting over N7billion of N11.744bilion out of N84billion Paris Club funds accrued to the state by the federal government” (Thisday, January 6) refers.
    To understand the issues, some questions become pertinent. What is Modulated Salary structure and how applicable is it to Osun state’s salary situation? Was there an agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government and labour on the modulation of the latter’s salaries and for what reason? Indeed, what’s the salary status of a typical Osun State civil servant as at December 2016?
    With a particular focus on Osun State, Modulated Salary structure refers “to the payment of salaries on the basis of what is available. Full salary to Workers in Grade Levels (GL) 1-7 and at least half or more to those on levels from 8 and above.”
    The existence of an agreement between the government has never been repudiated by Labour. It was indeed the magic wand that bailed the state out of a protracted wage crisis in 2014. In the heat of that crisis, the Aregbesola government placed its cards on the table and gave labour an opportunity to choose between staff rationalization and salary apportionment, or modulation. After intensive deliberations by its congress, labour opted for the latter. Going by the principle behind this agreement, which is still in effect, Osun State could be rightly adjudged to have paid salaries and pensions till December 2016. But this is without prejudice the outstanding which the governor knows would have to be paid as soon as the fortunes of the state improve. Believe it or not, the governor has never stopped expressing his administration’s appreciation to the workers for their sacrifice at a time like this. These facts are understood by Osun workers and their Labour leaders and that is why there has not been any irrational action from the workforce.
    Prior to September last year, workers were always paid, based on agreed rates put in place by the Hassan Sunmonu-led Osun State Revenue Apportionment Committee, comprising representatives of labour and other stakeholders. Nonetheless, certain categories of workers had their salaries jerked up in September 2016 as a result of slight improvement in allocations to the state, principal among which was the Paris Club refunds. By way of explanation, workers from GL 1-7 were paid their September to December 2016 salaries 100 per cent; GL 8-10, at 75%; and GL 12 and above, at 50%. Similarly, passive workers, or pensioners, on N1, 000 to N20, 000 collected 100 per cent pensions; while those on N20, 001 to N80, 000 collected N75 per cent; and pensioners on N80, 001 took home 50 per cent. Arrears of balance of 2014 leave bonus were also paid while local government workers and pensioners were not left out. Lest I forget, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) also commended the governor for earmarking N1billion for Osun State University and the jointly-owned Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). And, in the real sense of it, only a prodigal administration will not prepare for the raining day!
    To the best of my knowledge, indigenes and residents of the state alike, especially, those who were around, pre-November 27, 2010, will agree with me that, in spite of its socio-economic peculiarities, Aregbesola was well-prepared for the task ahead as governor. In the area of infrastructure and roads, there is no doubt Osun state has been transformed. For instance, roads from Ijebu-Jesa, my Native Nazareth, and adjoining communities were at a time so impassable that one could simply wonder if there had ever been a government in place. But to our amazement, Aregbesola came on board and changed the narrative by getting those roads fixed pronto. As a matter of fact, not only in Ijesaland were such feats recorded but other parts of the state also felt Aregbesola’s presence.
    Well, while it is not my intention to bore Nigerians with rhetoric on the governor’s achievements, it is gratifying to note that this mission-minded man of uncommon courage has done excellently well in rekindling the hope of the good people of Osun State who defied all odds on August 9, 2014 to resubmit their political totality and administrative authority to him. Undeterred by the antics of pathological critics whose first instinct is to circumvent, not support, ideas, however innovative, he has to a large extent succeeded in replicating his feat as Commissioner for Works under Bola Tinubu in Osun and I’m sure he’d have done more, but for paucity of funds. Little wonder the opposition is still in shock with regard to Aregbesola’s feat in the state without taking into consideration that it was the shout of ‘Halleluyah’ that brought down the ‘Wall of Jericho’.
    When the going was good – in terms of allocations accruing to the state, civil servants were paid as and when due. Indeed, Osun was not only at a time rated as the highest paying state in the country, it was also giving ’13th month’ to its workers across board. Apart from the employment and retraining of teachers to compliment the works of existing hands, his government also embarked on the training of some of our students in institutions outside the country. And, when it dawned on us that agriculture was the way to go in the face of challenges confronting the state, his government ‘went back to land.’ So far, so fair! His administration has sent no fewer than 40 of our youth to Germany to learn technical skills in agriculture. Of course, this is in addition to other schemes which overall intention is to restore the lost glory of agriculture. People-friendly policies and programmes were also put in place through which interest-free and subsidized loans were given to farmers. Then, everyone and anyone who had cause to be happy did; and Aregbesola was seen, even by his enemies, as the best thing to happen to our state.
    Again, while one is not attempting to give approval to delay in salary as a way to go by any responsible government, the state’s present pass is, in my view, not an indefinite inconvenience but a temporary setback which demands the understanding and cooperation of all to surmount. As things stand, Ondo, even with its 13% derivation, is, as we speak, “broke”, with not less than six months in salary arrears to its workers. Only some few weeks back, its workers protested and picketed its Accountant General’s Office for his refusal to pay them just one out of their then-six months’ arrears in salary, pensions and gratuities. The situation is not any different in Taraba, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, Zamfara, Delta, Imo, Enugu, even Anambra States.
    At the national level, it is not a fairer tale! For example, just some few days back, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) threatened indefinite strike by mid-January, 2017, over “unpaid salary, non-implementation of the National Health Act and poor infrastructure in the sector”. And, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) once threatened to start obtaining bribe from motorists if they were not paid their November salaries and allowances before December 25, 2016. Indeed, the list is endless!
    But, how for God’s sake did we get here? Basically, it will be unfair and stunningly ignorant to believe that Nigeria’s slide into recession started with Muhammadu Buhari’s administration; that the events which culminated in Goodluck Jonathan’s exit from Aso Rock started on March 28, 2015; or that the unfriendly economic situation which succeeded in ‘throwing 1.7 million Nigerians into the job market in nine months’ was a product of the present administration’s ‘planlessness’. In the case of Osun, in as much as we all agree that Nigeria’s failure as a country did not start just yesterday, it may therefore amount to standing the truth on its head to assume that the only way out of this situation is by singing from the same, old hymn book of disappointment as if such is a sure ritual to accessing Bola Ige House!
    At the risk of immodest, Aregbesola’s leadership style has demonstrated to us that if we put things right with regard to the resources that accrue to the state, especially from agriculture and other mineral resources, we will have enough to the extent that we’ll not have to run cap in hand to Abuja for handouts.
    Yes! Our state is endowed with natural resources. But will the almighty Federal Government allow us to take ownership of them?
    •Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

  • Jammeh’s mitosis

    Jammeh’s mitosis

    It is three days to curtains call for Yahya Jammeh’s tenure as president of The Gambia, but he just doesn’t get the message his time is up. Seven weeks after he was defeated at the poll by opposition challenger, Adama Barrow, this title-tripping ruler insists on tossing off the electoral verdict, thumbs his nose at international opinion and digs his heels deeper into power. But his legitimacy is invariably terminating. By this week-out, he would have fully mitosised from the chief law-keeper of The Gambia to the chief outlaw. Unfortunately, his illicit and desperate hold on the levers of power would continue to stash up casualties.
    For the length of time that Jammeh manages to hold out in his political brigandage beyond the January 19 expiration of his tenure, The Gambia would inevitably be on the boil. Besides, his example is bad news for the culture of democracy – particularly in the West African sub-region, but also in all of Africa. He has to be kicked out soonest.
    It is a shame that Mr. Jammeh can’t muster sufficient literacy of mind to read the writing on the wall. Every straw he is clutching unto to justify his coup against electoral democracy isn’t serving his purpose. For instance, Jammeh said his country’s constitutional order is that only the Supreme Court could validly pronounce on who should be president, and he would thus not let go on power until such a pronouncement is made. Fact-check his assertion and you would find there is neither a constituted Supreme Court presently in The Gambia to render the important service Mr. Jammeh craves, nor is there any particular provision in the country’s Constitution to sustain his thesis.
    The Gambia’s Supreme Court that was billed to hear the petition brought by the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) against the outcome of the December 1 election, in which Barrow triumphed, could not sit as scheduled on January 10 because there were no justices. The country relies on foreign judges to staff its Supreme Court owing to lack of local skill, and Jammeh’s election challenge was slated to be heard by five judges, among them Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle who is a Nigerian. But the judges drawn from Nigeria and Sierra Leone were absent last Tuesday. Fagbenle told Jammeh’s lawyers who were in court that he needed a full panel to hear the petition, and that the outsourced judges were unlikely to be available until either May or November. Put in other words, the awaited decision on the election challenge is effectively down in the long grass.
    Following that judicial false start, Jammeh returned to his country’s airwaves, requesting Gambians to await the Supreme Court verdict pending which he would not step down. Even though the Chief Justice had openly advised that mediation is the best way forward, he said his cabinet and the National Assembly would remain in place until the court decides on his petition so to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. “(Under the Constitution), only the Supreme Court can review our challenge, and only the Supreme Court can declare anyone president,” he added.
    I bothered to check The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution, and it is unclear with what specific provision Mr. Jammeh was making his case. Section 63 of that law stipulates the terms for an elected president’s tenure, including that the electee must assume office for five years after taking prescribed oaths. Sub-section 2 of the section states inter alia: “The person elected President shall assume office sixty days following the day of his or her election.” This, obviously, is the clause that confers Barrow with legitimacy as president from January 19.
    The constitutional provision for possible extension of a president’s tenure (in the present case, that of Jammeh) is in sub-section 6, which states: “Where the life of the National Assembly is extended for any period in accordance with section 99 (2), the term of office of the President shall be extended for the same period.” The referenced section 99 (2) stipulates: “At any time when The Gambia is at war or a state of emergency is declared, the National Assembly may, by resolution supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members, extend the life of the National Assembly for not more than three months at a time, but the life of the National Assembly shall not be extended under this subsection for more than a total period of one year.”
    But The Gambia could not be said to be at war or in emergency in the present case. In any event, the country’s National Assembly has made no resolution to such effect. And so, Jammeh’s appropriation of the National Assembly’s tenure along with his own in awaiting the Supreme Court verdict seems an untidy bid to invoke the stated clause. However, election petitions are private processes on which the country’s Constitution has not made presidential tenure contingent.
    Added to his judicial adventure, Mr. Jammeh has been railing at the international community for what he considered foreign interference in his country’s domestic affairs. Against the backdrop of a threat by sub-regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deploy troops for his ouster that has been endorsed by the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU), the embattled ruler last week pilloried the world bodies for their “hasty resolutions,” which he said were at variance with the “peaceful nature” of the election dispute so far. “Our review and investigation have revealed an unprecedented level of foreign interference in our elections and internal affairs. And also, a sustained smear campaign, propaganda and misinformation,” he said, vowing The Gambia would not allow any organisation, treaty or law to supersede its Constitution.
    It is uncertain though how much longer Jammeh’s illusion of “peaceful nature” of The Gambia’s election crisis would be sustained. Adama Barrow has vowed to take oath as president come Thursday, and indications are the new president would brave the odds to assume legitimacy on January 19, while Jammeh would go all out to stop him. That isn’t a scenario that portends much peace for the country, or indeed for the entire sub-region. More important, someone needs to tell Jammeh that elections have gone from being private affairs of individual countries to an internationally benchmarked universal project. That is why foreign observers are always on hand in all countries where elections hold, added to domestic ones. Otherwise, despots would freely deploy the charade of elections to legitimize their perpetuity in office before the world.
    It is time for Jammeh to go. President Muhammadu Buhari led ECOWAS mediators on another mission to Banjul at the weekend, but it seems not much headway was made with negotiating the man out of power. Meanwhile, The Gambia has been on steady descent into chaos. Since Jammeh’s volte-face on the December 1 poll, Gambians have mounted civil actions to force his exit. A string of high profile defections from the tiny country hallmarks a bourgeoning refugee crisis. Envoys of The Gambia have spoken up from their duty stations and were summarily fired, and by implication exiled, by Jammeh. On Monday, last week, Jammeh’s Communication Minister Sheriff Bojang stepped down and fled the country; so also has Alieu Momarr Njai, chairman of the country’s Independent Electoral Commission, who has fled to Senegal. Private radio stations sympathetic to Barrow’s narrative have been shut down, while local new sites said agents of government have arrested people wearing t-shirts bearing the inscription ‘Gambia Has Decided,’ which is a known slogan of Barrow supporters.
    ECOWAS has signified it would deploy multinational forces against Jammeh if he can’t be persuaded to honour electoral verdict within his country’s constitutional framework. Now is the time to act, as further delay portends bigger crises. Kick Jammeh out now!