The Nation Newspaper

Category: Comments

  • Nigeria could teach the West a few things

    A trip is often defined by its surprises, so here are my biggest revelations from six days in Lagos, Nigeria.

     Most of all, I found Lagos to be much safer than advertised. It is frequently described as one of the most dangerous cities on earth. Many people told me I was crazy to go there, and some Nigerian expats warned me I might not get out of the airport alive.

     The reality is that I walked around freely and in many parts of town. I didn’t try to go everywhere or at all hours, and I may have been lucky. Yet not once did I feel threatened, and I strongly suspect that a trip to Lagos is safer than a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination. (In my first trip to Rio I was attacked by children with pointed sticks. In my second I found myself caught in a gunfight between drug lords). Many Lagos residents credit the advent of closed-circuit television cameras for their safety improvements.

     So if you’re an experienced traveler, and tempted to visit Africa’s largest and arguably most dynamic city, don’t let safety concerns be a deal killer. Nigeria’s Horrors and Hopes

     The surprises mount. For all the negative publicity, many parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos, could and should serve as exemplars for religious tolerance.

    The reports of Boko Haram and terror killings are well known, and they reflect the interlocking and sometimes deadly combinations of regional, religious, sectarian and ethnic identities in the country, not to mention extreme inequalities of income and opportunity. Yet Nigeria has about 180 million people and is larger than Texas. The violence is the most frequently reported story in the West, but the underlying reality is far more complex and shows positive features.

     For instance, the city of Lagos is in many regards a marvel of religious tolerance. Nigeria is about 50 percent Muslim and 40 percent Christian, and the area surrounding Lagos is also highly mixed in terms of religion. That may sound like a recipe for trouble, but in matters of religion Lagos is almost entirely peaceful. Religious intermarriage is common and usually not problematic, as is the case in many (not all) other parts of Nigeria as well. Many top Nigerian politicians have married outside their religion, kept two separate religions in the family and enjoyed continued political success.

     Consider the scale and speed of this achievement. Lagos, with a population of about 20 million, is larger than many countries. It is the most commercially oriented part of Nigeria, and it grew so large only in the last few decades, as it attracted entrepreneurially minded people from many parts of Nigeria and other African countries. By one estimate, 85 new residents arrive every hour. That may sound chaotic, but in essence Nigeria has in a few decades created an almost entirely new, country-sized city built on the ideals and practice of religious tolerance. The current president, Muhammadu Buhari, is a Muslim who was supported in his election by many Christian leaders, on the grounds that he would fight corruption more effectively. His running mate served as a Pentecostal pastor.

     The recent history of Nigeria, Lagos in particular, is also a counterweight to some recent Western political trends. Many Westerners today fear resurgent nationalism, as illustrated by the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump.

     In Nigeria, nationalism is largely a progressive force, bringing the country together and allowing nation-building and infrastructure development. However imperfect or backward these processes might be — Nigeria has at least 270 distinct ethnic groups and 370 languages — in Nigeria one is rooting for nationalism to succeed. And it’s in Lagos, the country’s largest and most important window to the outside world, where the understanding of the importance of a common and stable national identity has made such progress.

     Many Westerners used to consider much of Africa backward in this regard, but we Westerners are learning again that national cohesion isn’t always so easy. Perhaps the political spectrum in many Western countries can realign itself in a direction analogous to some features of Nigeria, to ally liberalism and nationalism once again.

     This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

    • Cowen, a professor of

    economist is a columnist with Bloomberg Media – Tyler Cowen at tcowen2@bloomberg.net

  • President Buhari’s strides in the year 2016

    The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari completed 19 months in office at the end of December. Except for this period being the end of a year and the beginning of another one, it is not a milestone of spectacular importance.

     It is, nonetheless, another opportunity to reiterate the Buhari success story, a period in which so much changed. This is even as the beneficiaries of the old order seem even more determined to dislodge that narrative of success.

    Here, we are in a country in which an essayist with excellent online credentials writes a syndicated weekly column in which he attacks our minister of Finance, Ms Kemi ADeosun who keeps a clean sheet, not for the work she did for the country but for having graduated from a U.K Polytechnic. But pray, would you rather have as your money keeper an Ivory Leaguer, even though clean by himself/herself that allows a free-for-all looting under his/her watch, or one that is a product of a polytechnic but keeps you money safe?

    President Buhari swore to his oath of office on May 29th, 2015 on a promise to tackle insecurity and corruption; to arrest the decline of the economy with a pledge to create jobs and diversify the monocultural economy. These three big, bold ideas warranted the CHANGE in 2015 and the President never loses sight of them.

     The most important of the challenges faced by the administration in 2016 were mainly caused by weak revenues.

     Oil lost more than 60 percent of its value in the world market and output was severely curtailed by pipeline bombings in the Niger Delta, reducing production by, sometime as much as 50 percent.

    Budget for the year 2016 was caught in a serious of disputes between the executive and the Legislative arms of the government following the uncovering of a huge scam through which the  allocations to the various ministries were padded with sums that the executive did not ask for.

     When the budget was eventually passed and signed, cash backing for capital projects approved for the year came only in the second half of the year. This notwithstanding, the Government pumped an unprecedented N800 billion into the economy for the financing capital projects to lift the country out of recession.

     To everyone’s great relief, security in the country improved significantly but that too came with a number of challenges. Vast areas of the country in the Northeast were freed from Boko Haram terrorists and that opened up the humanitarian situation for the world to see: Two million people displaced from their communities faced imminent hunger. On record, we had eradicated the Polio disease, just awaiting certification. With the discovery of new, even though a few cases, Nigeria which was the second of three countries still in the Polio black book suddenly realized that there was more work to do.

     The country has been celebrating the “defeat of the Boko Haram” which was officially proclaimed by the office of the Chief of Defense Staff. President Buhari has expressed his pride on the Army’s bravery.  But Nigeria won this war on the back of a leadership that is strong and decisive; a President that believes that it is important to end terror for peace, which is a prerequisite for development, to be established.

     Given his strong will to win the war, he explored all the ways and means available to the  government to ensure that weapons procurement and supplies did not suffer a breakdown. He released the two newest helicopters in the Presidential fleet to the Airforce to strengthen their capacity for air combat and asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC to release theirs to the military as well. The Nigerian Airforce must be given credit for the successful conversion of the civilian aircraft to military uses at home here in Nigeria without any foreign technical assistance.

     The problem of cattle rustling was prevalent in the North Central and Northwestern States in the first half of the year. There has been a noticeable slump in these activities in the last six months. As can be seen, relative peace has returned to Benue, Plateau, Enugu in the Southeast although Zamfara and Kaduna States still remain flashpoints.

     With recent measures put in place by the Police and the Military, as well as the peacemaking efforts by the governments of both states, it is hoped that this too will fade.

     For the first time in many years, Christmas and New Year came and passed without a noticeable escalation of armed robbery and kidnapping in the southeast and all over Nigeria. There was a seamless supply of petroleum products throughout the country. Similarly, road accidents were minimal following intensive exercises by the Federal Road Safety Commission.

     Equally important for the country’s security is the ongoing direct and indirect discussions between the Government and the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. There is still more to accomplish in this regard but the decision of the federal government to resume the Amnesty Program and the involvement of community leaders in the region towards disarmament of the militants continue to be of help. The President is determined to see that whatever promises were contained in that agreement are carried out to the latter.

     The Buhari administration has been successful in averting public uprising in states following the issuance of bailout funds to attack the problem of unpaid salaries. Salary payments are important to the economy of the states and without this, it is hard to see such economies will keep moving.

     In the year 2016, the success of important economic policy decisions of the government began to manifest through the diversification and inclusiveness of the people in the economy.

     There is huge boom in the rural economy mainly following good rains in the year and the government’s increasing role in quality control through extension services. It is equally important in this regard that there are willing off takers of farm products.

     Agriculture failed to thrive in the past in the country because farmers were left to the vicissitudes of the market. One of the policies of the Central Bank to manage scarce foreign exchange include the restriction of currency supplies to important sectors that assist manufacturing and jobs creation. It is a systematic move to curb the importation of unnecessary goods, to serve as a boost to local production.

    Anyone paying attention to the agricultural activity going on in some states in the list of rice growers Ebonyi, Kebbi, Jigawa knows that economic diversification is taking a serious root.

     Businessday reported that there was a record 48,000 new millionaires last year in Kebbi State alone. This diversification is greatly being aided by forward-looking companies that are backward-integrating. The brewers and other manufacturers of consumables such Dangote, Nestle and Unilever are aiding the economic transformation by changing many of their formulations to integrate local content.

     As part of the goal of promoting home made goods, all cars and trucks bought by government as approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2016 were supplied by local vehicle assembly plants.

     The Power Sector which is yet another priority for the administration has made significant advances. But for the pipeline vandalism that has deprived many of the plants of gas, the country’s output would have moved up  to 6,400 MW.

     Government is also showing the seriousness of a responsible consumer by making a huge provision in the 2017 budget for the settlement of debts owed to power distribution companies.

     The Minister has been doing a lot towards diversification of power sources, talking about an energy mix that incorporates biomass, solar and increased water sources. A lot of ground has been covered towards the realization of the Mambila, 4,000 MW power plant. The highest funds allocation in 2016 went to the roads construction sector because government wanted contractors to return to site and recall staff they had laid off.

    Roads and bridges such as Lagos-Ibadan and the East-West  expressways which have perennially existed as uncompleted projects are being brought up to completion levels as a matter of priority. The 2nd Niger bridge which has been used to fool the people in the past is beginning to see action. Ghost contracts such as the Kano-Katsina dual carriage way are having life breathed into them.

     In the war against corruption, new heights have been reached with the announcement of the whistle blower protection policy. The President has also ordered that the limelight be shone on leaders around him that have been accused of corruption.

    The biggest takeaways in the last twelve months are introduction of the whistleblower program which, by the way has received so much welcome from Nigerians that the website hosted by the Ministry of Finance crashed in few days of its announcement. A finder’s fee of between one to five percent is being offered for whistle blowing that leads to assets and funds recovery. As you go around Abuja, you are likely to come across government ministries or departments moving out of rented accommodations, settling into buildings seized by the EFCC. The albatross of the war against corruption has been the slow Legal-judicial process. Some of the pending cases go back to the Obasanjo era. That’s a decade ago. This is something about which the President is limited in what he can do by the constitution.  He will, in that regard, continue to respect the doctrine of the separation of powers as enshrined in our laws.

     The program of social investment, our own version of the social security kicked off after delays occasioned by weak revenues that characterized 2016. The administration has started the payment of N5, 000 monthly stipends to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer.

     The administration is already implementing Micro-Credit Scheme borrowing for about 1.2m.

     All those that completed documentation among the two hundred thousand graduates listed of the intended 500,000 N-Power jobs have now started receiving their N30, 000 monthly stipends.

     On the International front, the president continues to focus on issues of security, economic collaboration and trade.

     He has spent a lot of quality time reaching out to regional blocks on the continent, with ECOWAS states, East Africa, North Africa and the South of the continent as well.

     He has done very well with China, European Union countries, the U.K and the US.

     In dealing with the EU, particularly France, Italy and Germany, a lot has been achieved on the issues of security and immigration. Italy and Germany are training our police and immigration officials. They are also giving skills training to our citizens who entered their countries illegally before their deportation. That way, they can have work to do here on their return. Without France, it is difficult to see how Nigeria surrounded by Francophone countries can achieve anything. President Buhari continues to improve his personal and official relationships with French leaders. U.S banks and lending institutions are giving money to Nigerian banks and other businesses entities. There is also a growing relationship with U.S.-based IT companies as witnessed by the visits by the CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates.

     With China, the administration looked at the past and the present to build and strengthen existing relationships. As a consequence, Zungeru power plant will soon be delivered. After a careful scrutiny of the fine prints, the costs of Chinese rail and airport projects in Nigeria have come down.

     In the year 2016, the President in his foreign policy looked beyond our traditional partners to undertake visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE as well as Iran. With Morocco, we just came out of very successful bilateral negotiations that will lead to the establishment of the dream pipeline to transport gas from Niger Delta to European outlets. There will be the manufacture, here in Nigeria through this agreement, of one million tons of fertilizer by the next planting season and four million tons per annum three years ahead when Dangote starts his own fertilizer plant in collaboration with the Moroccans.

     We are signing bilateral agreements leading to the creation of frameworks for friendship and improved ties around the world.

    In a country of high oil revenues, citizens had developed brutally ostentatious life styles and consumption patterns.  Assumptions were made by all of us that we could afford foreign brands from school uniform, rice and tissue paper. The fall of oil revenues means that we have to look inwards and diversify. This is proving to be very helpful.

     The Government’s tough attitude towards corruption means that there are no sacred cows in the fight against corruption.  Savings are being made from renegotiated contracts and continuous auditing of the payroll. The whistleblower program in effect means that government has handed the baton of the war against corruption to the citizens. It is exciting seeing how enthusiastically the public has responded. This will change many things in the country.

     Government is succeeding in its primary duty of protecting life and property as can be seen from the noticeable slump of Boko Haram terrorism and the gradual return of normalcy to states in the North central zone.

     The New Year 2017 has been described as the year in which the major policies of the APC administration will show results in full. President Buhari who is not a man of many words will speak through his actions. No one who messes with the President’s 2017 budget can stand his fury. It is a warning he has given. Let’s watch as the year unfolds.

     

    • Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media.

     

  • Oritsejafor and burden of leadership: A postscript

    Oritsejafor and burden of leadership: A postscript

    THE leaders of the two leading religious bodies in Nigeria are indisputably strategic national leaders. They are very influential considering the size of their followership. Conventionally, one of them often talks less in the public; he is not known to be a newsmaker, while the other has to employ the instrumentality of activism and the media to maintain some level of balance in the business of official patronage, especially in the interest of his own constituency.

    The Christian faith leadership in Nigeria shares the role of being vocal against overt and covert acts of injustice with the human rights groups. This has become more pronounced since the campaign against Nigeria’s membership of the Organisation of Islamic States, OIC, during the General Ibrahim Babangida military era.

    The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos Diocese, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, was a fire-spitting CAN President at that time. Since then, the Christian body has been more involved in speaking for the masses of this nation, along with its primary role of defending the Christian faith. Successive CAN leaders have maintained the culture, though at varying degrees depending on the nature of the man in charge. However, it may take a while for the Christian community in Nigeria to have another leader like Pastor Joseph Ayodele Oritsejafor.

    To date, Oritsejafor remains the most criticised and vilified national church leader in Nigeria. He received scathing remarks for the very reasons he assumed the mantle of Christian leadership – service! I will try to unveil Oritsejafor in this write-up beyond the parochial opinions some people hold about him. I have a sense of duty to straighten the records in the interest of future leaders who may be scared of stepping into the realm of leadership at that level. I won’t sing his praises because God is the Rewarder of everyone called to service by Him.

    I will write as someone who knows some of his activities, intentions and challenges. Jesus our Lord said in Luke 12: 48 that to whom much is given, much is required; and adopting this statement as the principle of service in leadership is what earned Oritseajafor the brickbats from a section of the media. Oritsejafor accepted to serve the Body of Christ as chief steward in the nation with so much passion as someone who has been privileged to receive abundant mercy and uncommon grace from his Maker. He determined to add value and continue the good works started by his predecessors in office as CAN presidents. In the early part of his tenure in office, Oritsejafor did not allow projects or support works to be financed from the CAN purse.

    I remember when there was a flood disaster somewhere in Sokoto State, all the relief materials and cash donated in the name of CAN were not from the association’s coffers. He buoyed the treasury of the Christian body and initiated some ideas that steadied the body across the country. He dispensed his energy, time and resources – as expected, though – to move the body to the next level.

    He was the sitting President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, before he became CAN President. PFN is reputed for intrepid responses to issues as they affect Nigerians in general and the Body of Christ in particular. So, it was much easier for Oritsejafor to fit into the demanding roles of the CAN President. He was not discriminatory in his response to sects or denominations that needed his attention.

    He was present at the Cherubim and Seraphim (Ayo Ni O) annual event in Lagos before Prophet Gabriel Fakeye transited to glory. He was also in attendance at the heroic burial of Apostle T. O. Obadare of C.A.C in Ilesha, Osun State. He was up and doing as an energetic and charismatic leader of CAN. He was very vocal against the undue advantage of one religion over the other as demonstrated in the official patronage over the years.

    Oritsejafor was despised in some quarters for being audacious by cutting-to-size the larger-than-life image of the ‘feudal lords’ in national affairs at any given opportunity. Even in the face of threats to his life at the peak of the Boko Haram onslaught, Oritsejafor used the weapon of his tongue to protect and defend his people while holding the federal government, Northern and Muslim leaders responsible for the havoc wreaked by the insurgents because of leadership failure on their part.

    These were the reasons why those uncomfortable with his unrelenting and fearless disposition silently employed acerbic media attacks against him. There are two major areas his critics talked about: his closeness to the former President Goodluck Jonathan and his frequent fiery responses to any action, policy or moves against the Church; insensitivity to the plight of the people or acts of injustice against any section of the country.

    They feel he should have been a gentleman who rarely or scarcely reacts as the leader of the most populous religious organization in Nigeria. But Oritsejafor thinks otherwise! “If I pretend to be insensitive to threatening and damaging actions against my people because I want to be nice and command respect through silence when I should speak up, it’s the height of betrayal of my covenant with God and His people I agreed to serve in leadership position,” he said, quoting legendary Albert Einstein who said “The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything.”

    Oritsejafor’s closeness to former President Goodluck Jonathan never affected his sense of duty as the Chief Priest of the nation during Jonathan’s era. He was not enjoying any special attention or privilege above his peer in the other faith. What surprises me the most is that we don’t get to hear anything about such closeness to the seat of power in all the years that the leader of the other faith (both past and present) has been the unseen hands behind many actions in our national affairs. Alas! Is it a crime to be close to any person in power, especially when it is not for conceited purposes? I think the answer is NO. Most Rev. Peter Akinola was the CAN President who completed the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, 18 months into his tenure of office. The project had been comatose for almost 15 years before Akinola was elected in 2004. He leveraged on his friendship and intimacy with former President Olusegun Obasanjo by appointing him (Obasanjo) to chair the fund raising committee to complete the edifice.

    It would have been understandable if Oritsejafor’s attackers were only from anywhere else than the Church. Some of his critics in the media are Christians. While there’s nothing wrong in constructively ‘criticizing’ (as against ‘admonishing’ church fathers/leaders as stipulated in the Holy Bible – 1 Timothy 5: 1), many of the vitriolic attacks were due to misconstrued intentions and veiled campaign to either weaken or blackmail Oritsejafor into submission. When Oritsejafor needed people to speak up for him, there was none.

    He became a loner in battle. Those who knew the truth about issues involving Oritsejafor opted to be quiet for reasons best known to them. He was frustrated to a point that he said “If there is another route to heaven apart from the church, I will follow it but, hey, there’s none.”

    He was commonly criticized for “talking too much” whenever he responded to issues of major concern; Okogie during his own time did same or even more but because it was Oritsejafor, he must be over- criticized. When his aircraft was impounded in South Africa for conveying $9.3 million undeclared cash at the point of entry, the money, said to be meant to procure arms and ammunition in the black market for our soldiers fighting Boko Haram in the North East, was said by some to belong to Oritsejafor, despite the public confession by the then National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), that the money belonged to the federal government and that the aircraft was hired for the trip. But because the aircraft belonged to Oritsejafor, tongues wagged for a long time about the “ulterior motives” behind the money and the owner of the aircraft.

    Rotimi Amaechi, then governor of Rivers State, alleged that the sum of N6 billion had been released to the leadership of CAN to mobilize and campaign for former President Jonathan during the 2015 presidential election. Even when it was obvious that the claim was political propaganda which remained unsubstantiated till date, but because Oritsejafor was at the helm of CAN leadership at the time, the story became an instant “truth.”

    While Oritsejafor enjoyed tremendous support from the leaders of the component blocs of CAN for his leadership style, tactfulness, and confidence-building capabilities, some of his people in the Pentecostal Movement were apathetic towards his challenges. It was like such a dis-affectionate disposition had become the stockin- trade of the Pentecostals.

    When Pastor Tunde Bakare became the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2011, opposition to his political career was rooted in his Pentecostal constituency. Vice President Yemi Osibajo also had his own fair share of the intra-brotherhood opposition during the 2015 electioneering campaign. Osibajo wept profusely when he was denied entry into a meeting his friends and leaders in the Pentecostal movement were holding to signal to him that “you are on your own.” In spite of these daunting challenges, Oritsejafor took it calmly in his strides and forged ahead.

    He sums it up thus: “There are almost 100 million Christians in Nigeria out of which God, in His infinite mercy, counted me worthy to serve His people at leadership position. Whatever is said or written against me is an indication that I am making an impact. If you don’t want to be insulted or blackmailed, then you are not ready for service. Even for going about doing good; Jesus Christ was blackmailed, abused, and eventually killed. It is all a burden of leadership. Only God, the faithful Judge, will reward my stewardship accordingly.” •Michael Awe is a Lagos-based Media Consultant. “mailto:mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk” mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk

  • Captain ‘Hosa: Consistent, persistent @ 59

    TODAY, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, fondly called Captain ‘Hosa, is being celebrated as he turns 59. Born on January 7, 1958, to the family of the late Reverend Robert Amos Okunbo, Captain ‘Hosa’s birthday always provides an opportunity for family members and friends to give their goodwill messages and best wishes to the investor who has positively touched many lives.

    As he does not announce his acts of benevolence and philanthropy to humanity, only those who have benefitted from his generosity would attest to his humility in giving. A man with a heart of gold, Captain ‘Hosa is not conceited in his world outlook. To him, such barriers as social segregation and economic subjugation are anathema.

    He moves about without an air of superiority; he is easygoing and always ready to assist. His garb of simplicity is partly a product of his humble and disciplined upbringing. He is, also, perhaps, well advised by Chinua Achebe’s lines in “Things Fall Apart” that those whose palm kernel has been cracked for them by the benevolent spirit should learn to be humble.

    In taking up the gauntlet of independence from the outset of his business ventures, the combination of discipline, hard work, purpose and providence has contributed to his success. When he turned 30, Captain ‘Hosa retired from paid employment as an airline pilot who had booked more than 7,000 hours of flight time, most of which was jet experience across continents. He moved into the high risk area of the oil and gas sector. He has since broken the glass ceiling with his many accomplishments in the area of marine security and marine logistics through his company, Ocean Marine Solution (OMS) Limited. He has further expanded his business scope into real estate, hospitality, entertainment, energy, power, telecoms, aviation and agriculture.

    It takes someone with the touch of Midas, and who is adroit at multi-tasking, to turn multifarious investments in these areas into gold. Indeed, Captain ‘Hosa’s life is a study in resilience. He has remained steadfast all through the years in the face of daunting challenges occasioned by unpredictable business environments, and yet succeeding in the varying circumstances. At the foundation of his business trajectory was Hosyln Ventures Nigeria Limited, which was servicing the oil and gas sector with supplies of refinery catalysts used in major projects, including revamping and procurements. It participated in the procurement of major engineering components for the Warri Refinery Turn-Around Maintenance in 1994.

    Hosyln Technologies Nigeria Limited, one of the first indigenous companies to execute engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in Nigeria, completed and commissioned the early production facility for Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Ajoki Oziengbe South Field in 2001. Ocean Marine Solution (OMS) Limited has been involved in the recovery, remediation, maintenance and security surveillance of the Escravos-Warri and Bonny-Port Harcourt pipeline segments. This has resulted in the significant turnaround of the pipeline system from its once decrepit state in the past eight years to the current efficient and highly utilised level.

    Furthermore, Captain ‘Hosa is chairman of CMES OMS JV Limited, an integrated energy-related company with the capacity to provide financing and technical solutions to the upstream oil and gas sector, ranging from explorations to first oil for public and private indigenous oil companies. He is also chairman of PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited, Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) Offshore Lagos, Gyro Air Limited, Ocean Marine Tankers Limited, Wells Farms Limited, Hoslyn Habitat Limited (a design, construction, and landscaping company), Wells Entertainments Limited, Wells Carlton Hotel and Luxury Apartments, and several other businesses. Captain ‘Hosa is a non-Executive Director of a number of companies, including: NATCOM NTEL (formerly NITEL), Funds Electronics Transfer Solutions (provider of electronic payment solutions), and Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company Limited (core investor in Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Limited).

    He began his education at Government Primary School, Benin City, from where he proceeded to the Federal Government College, Warri, in 1971, where he sat for his West African School Certificate Examination and passed with flying colours in 1975. He attended the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre (NCATC), Zaria, where he graduated as a professional commercial pilot in 1979 at the age of 21, consequent upon which he began his professional career as a co-pilot with Aero Contractors Limited, which sponsored him to NCATC. He later attended ACME School of Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas in 1983 where he obtained his Airline Transport Pilot Licence and was promoted a captain in the same year at the age of 25. He flew as captain with the Intercontinental Airlines and in 1985 he joined the services of Okada Airlines from where he retired in 1988. For his outstanding contributions to the promotion of peace and good governance as well as development of his community, Captain ‘Hosa was, in 2007, honoured with the Justice of the Peace (JP).

    In 2012, the United States Congress, honoured him with the “African Titan”Award for being a voice of the Niger Delta people through a movie, which he single-handed sponsored, titled “Black November.” The University of Benin also conferred on him a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) in 2012. The Oba of Benin, in 2014, recognised and decorated him as a worthy ambassador of the ancient Benin Kingdom. Captain “Hosa has just been nominated as the Vanguard Businessman of the Year 2016 for his great accomplishments in business. It is not in doubt that with the way he is successfully breaking new grounds, absolutely touching lives, impacting people and his community positively, he will receive more feathers in his cap in the years ahead. •Mr. Ojeifo, journalist and publisher, sent this piece via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com

  • Osun: The unforgettable years

    THE greatest managers in the world do not have much in common.. They employ vastly different styles and focus on different goals. But despite their differences, these great managers do share one thing else they first break all rules of conventional wisdom.” John Kennedy defiled conventional wisdom by creating new ones. The temptation in almost any environment is to go along with the consensus. It is often difficult to stand out.

    It take courage to so do. It has never been done either by state or Federal government to employ 20, 000 youths at once, but in 2010 Rauf Aregbesola declared that within one hundred days in office his government will get it done, and he did it. The Aregbsola administration stood on Six-Point Integral Action plans: Banish Poverty, Banish Hunger, Banish Unemployment (create Work/Wealth), Restore Healthe Living, Promote Functional Education, and Enhance Communal Peace and Progress.

    The blueprint of the direction of this administration has continued to be used as a guide till today and not even the political opponents who initially accused the governor of non-performance can today rubbish the achievements. Before the middle of his first term in office, they became so dumbfounded by the unprecedented accomplishment that they wondered about the sources of fund knowing that the state was second to the last on the table of Federal monthly allocations.

    The song of the opposition was Aregbsola has put the state into huge debts by over-ambitious gigantic projects he has accomplished. But unknowingly, Aregbsola who had his political tutelage under Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the former Governor of modern Lagos, from whom the Osun helmsman learnt his strategies and developmental procedures. First steps towards the rejuvenation of the educational sector in the state was the convey of educational submit under the chairmanship of Professor Wole Soyinka, the acclaimed literature laureate.

    It was resolved that the state education must be repland to promote functional education that will guarantee better academic performance and a brighter future for the students. Consequently, the government embarked on a new School System, which is structured as follows: Elementary Schools Under this system, pupils between the ages of six and nine were placed in Elementary schools. Pupils in the age range of 10-14 years were placed in MIDDLE SCHOOLS; this was primaries 5 and 6.

    The third category is the High Schools -students in the High Scools; SS1-SSS3. Schools Uniforms Free pairs of school uniforms were given to about 750,000 students across the state. These uniform productions have multiple positive effect on the economy. First over 1,000 tailors were engaged and trained for the production. This eventually led to the establishment of a uniform making factory in Osogbo that is still functioning till date. O’Meals The state government embarked upon the provision of free schools meals to pupils in primary 1 to 4 . 0ver 3000 women were recruited trained and empowered to provide meals on every school days in the state.

    This scheme cost the government about N3 billion annually and with the inflation now it is The Poultry Farmers Association were also beneficiaries of the free meals. Earlier on, the Aregbsola administration gave free day old chicks and feeds to poultry farmers. Those poultry farms that had no means of running their farms took the government largees to revamp their farms. Two to three labourers were engaged to serve poultry owners at the expense of the state to ease them of the burden of over work. By the end of the day, the state government purchased the eggs and chickens from them for the free meals. This is a novel exercise from government to assist farmers with birds Poultry feeds and at the end purchase with money from the farmers, is uncommon assistance.

    Fish Farmers also benefited from the free meals. A large number of the youths engaged in OYES scheme were trained in fish farming. They were also given free intrest loans to start their fish farms. The fish farmers sold their fishes to Omeal cooks. Today hundreds of them are also employers of labour. The United Kingdom was impressed with the free meals scheme that the UK government invited Aregbsola to the their parliament to shed more light on how the scheme was funded successfully. After his visit to London, the UK parliament introduced free meals in 2014 which they claimed will saved parents at least £50000 annually.

    The Federal government under Muhammadu Buhari has also invited the Osun helmsman to give lesson on the free meals scheme, this he did and the Federal government is about starting the free meals scheme for schools nation wide soon. Schools infrastructure Aregbsola, like former American President Bill Clinton, believes that ” education is the key to our economic revival and perennial quest for prosperity.

    We must dedicate more of our limited resources to ..” The government merged some schoold together in preparation for the Mega Schools. At the last count, the government has built 15 High Schools, 14 middle Schools and 22 Elementary Schools. A lot of misgivings have been said over these schools by the critics of the government, from those who felt the buildings were grandiose to those who felt the money spent on such buildings ought to have been utilised to pay salaries of workers and to those who continue to celebrate the maverick governor for such a vision that catapulted the state to one of the best schools infrastructures in Nigeria.

    The ultra-modern schools were equipped with the best laboratories for science students and best e-libraries for Social sciences and Art students. For the records, the government embarked on loans through an Islamic Banking scheme called Sukuk. N10billion bond was taken without any intrest for the schools infrastructural development. Local commercial banks were involved in the execution of the loans.

    There is no way by which a loan obtained for school projects would be diverted to salaries for workers, as no bank will accept that. Rather than crucifying the governor, he should be praised for such a vision. Opon Imo, Tablet of Knowledge The Aregbsola administration stood high on the day the Opon Imo, Tablet of Knowledge was launched in Ilesa. All those who is who in Nigerian politics were present. Even the representatives of the UNESCO were present to eulogise the governor for such educational achievement.

    A few of them that were present including; former Nigeria Vice president Atiku Abubakar, APC The invention of this tabloid has earned the government and governor of Osun several international awards. The electronic tabloid contains 63 text books, 10 years past questions in West African Examination Council (WAEC),Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and National Examination Council (NECO).The tool has begun to impact on the performance of the students in WAEC examination as one of the students has just been adjudged the best in the last examination.

    Osun youths employment scheme The engagement of the 20, 000 youths at ago, no doubts assisted the youths in fending for themselves, remove tension from the hearts of parents that have struggled for several years to train their children with the hope that they will soon be bread winners and perharps assist their junior ones.

    Their engagement reduced the crime rates as those that re employed can no longer be in the unemployed markets that can be easily be lure into crime. Over 60,000 youths have participated in the scheme. More than 40 of them are now landlords and employers of labour. The OYES Scheme success caught the attention of the former President Goodluck Jonathan that made the Federal government and some states to adopt the scheme with the aim to reduce youths unemployment in Nigeria. Aregbesola once declared ” the credo of our administration is the Action Group credo; freedom for all; life more abundant. •Obaditan is a media aide to the Osun governor

  • 10 years of KARIS Awards: an appraisal

    In a country where everything is monetised even in the religious arena, it is refreshing to see a church chart a different path; a road of genuine love and compassion that is generally less travelled by our compatriots. Shakespeare’s maxim, “nothing comes of nothing,” accurately defines the motive of the average Nigerian, who always expects something from anything in which he is involved. Thus, the heart for real charity, unconditional love and compassion – the core issues in the teachings of Jesus Christ, has little consideration in our moral ethos. These days, awards have become the latest product to be proliferated in our society.

    Trust Nigerians, the financial rewards that recipients of such phoney awards are obliged to give to organisers is the underlining motive for the conferment of most awards. In plain language, when people get awards, they are expected to pay for them – yes, in cash. Invariably, that nullifies the integrity of such awards. That is why most people have little regard for chieftaincy titles, doctoral degrees (honoris causa), titled religious honours conferred on mostly wealthy adherents of such faiths as Christianity and Islam.

    However, an award earns value and respect if given on merit, and without any ulterior motive. If the giver benefits nothing and the recipient enjoys all the accolades, recognition and financial rewards, the exercise becomes worthwhile, and therefore, deserving of respect. The KARIS Award given by Rev. Chris Okotie’s Church, Household of God, Lagos, to Nigerian achievers whose exemplary services to our country is either undervalued or unappreciated, is an exercise worth applauding.

    The story of the KARIS award is part of the church’s GRACE programme – a larger love feast that ministers every year since 1995, to four Lagos-based charities – the Pachelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Spinal Cord Injuries Association, Sunshine Foundation and the Little Saints Orphanage. Each of these organisations received N2 million at the GRACE event, held at the church’s glittering auditorium in Lagos, on Sunday December 18, 2016.

    Host, Rev. Okotie said GRACE, the acronym for God’s Riches as Christ’s Expense, is a practical demonstration of Christ’s compassion and love for the poor. The pastor himself is renowned for his generosity right from his days as music star. Back in the 80s a former Commonwealth Light Weight boxing champion, Dele Jonathan, who needed financial help when he became sick, was given five thousand naira by Okotie.

    In response to an appeal fund published by the Daily Times, the then music star responded with the donation which stunned an appreciative public. He came into ministry in 1987 with the same heart of cheerful giving. He quietly donated substantially to the late First Lady, Stella Obasanjo’s Child Care Trust, and continues to support the Gideon’s Bible ministry annually, among other charitable activities. Most of Okotie’s philanthropic activities are done outside the glare of the media kleiglights. When he conceived the GRACE programme 26 years ago, it became his church’s major outreach by which he ministers to the poor at a corporate level.

    Every year, GRACE which holds the Sunday before Christmas, attracts movers and shakers of society from all walks of life. He expanded the GRACE vision with the introduction of KARIS award in 1996, as an award to unsung heroes and heroines, whose contributions to society are not well appreciated in their generation. Thus, KARIS, first given posthumously to famed mathematician, Prof. Chike Obi, has been awarded to other achievers across Nigeria. The roll call of past awardees reflects the nation’s ethnic, religious and gender diversities, without sacrificing merit.

    This is a lesson to the organisers of the National Honours given by the federal government, which has become controversial because of the perceived degrading of the exalted honours when some folks with questionable credentials benefitted. Some Prominent honoraries even rejected the honours for same reasons. The past Karis Award Recipients (some of who being posthumous their awards were received on their behalf) include Prof Emeritus Chike Obi (1996). A former principal of Queen’s College, Lagos, Mrs. Efunjoke Coker, was given the 2016 KARIS award on Sunday, December 18, 2016 at the church’s auditorium.

    The Karis Award has not only recognised the contributions of these great Nigerians but has also succeeded in drawing the attention of Nigerians and the government to the recipients’ achievements, and in some cases, the governments and other Nigerians have followed suit in honouring the Karis Award recipients. For instance, after Mrs. Margaret Ekpo was given the Karis Award in 2001, the government named the Calabar Airport after her. Likewise after the Karis Award was given to Mr. Taiwo Akinkunmi in 2003, he was given a national honour.

    Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, Karis Awardee 2010, had gardens and monuments named after him by the Lagos and Ondo State governments, while some former members of Rangers Football Club were honoured by the Anambra State Governor after the church nominated Mr. Emmanuel Okala as the 2011 Karis Awardee.

    The Pan Nigerian coverage of the KARIS is in tandem with the spirit of federal character, even if that was not one of the criteria of the award. Few years down the line, Okotie again introduced the Queen Esther, bible costume pageant. This is a contest that involves the display of the costumes worn by women in the bible era. A contestant whose costume best reflects a female bible character is adjudged the winner of the Queen Esther pageant. This year, the crown was won by Akpobaro Ejiroghene. •Bawonda, a public Affairs Analyst, wrote in from Lagos.

  • Yoruba and Obasanjo in Nigerian politics

    If there is one person whose personage in national polity offers a case study, it is no other than General Olusegun Obasanjo. Whether in his career in the military or his debut into Nigerian politics, he is so far the luckiest person in Nigerian public life.

    To some, he is seen as the symbol of Nigerian unity. Some will not even mind giving him the cognomen of one that can lay down his life for Nigerian cause. What such people may not remember however is that whether in the military or in government, his so-called courage is shielded by mortal cowardice. Various accounts of the war showed him as somebody gifted in hiding himself away from trouble zone only to emerge from nowhere to take credit that he did not deserve.

    But even if we did not have details of his military career, the incident of February 3rd, 1976 when even as number two man, he had to disappear upon hearing the news of the assassination of his principal, General Murtala Muhammed. He was later to be located somewhere in the Ikoyi home of late Chief S.B Bakare.

    Even after surfacing, he could not on his own muster the courage to take the leadership position until the necessary courage was instilled in him by the likes of Danjuma, Shehu Yar’Adua and others. At that critical stage in his life, Nigeria was not worth dying for. It turned out to be a peculiar idiosyncrasy to him that the first thing he usually did with sword of authority was to turn that sword against those who risked their life to give it to him.  Just as it was with the likes of Alani Akinrinade, Alabi-Isama in the war front, so also was it with the Danjuma, Babangida etc. at the Dodan Barracks. The story is not different with those who equipped his wardrobe for presidential garment in 1999. Atiku Abubakar, Danjuma and business moguls like S.O Bakare, Fasawe, and Orji Uzor Kalu among others have different stories to tell on the 1999 episode.

    One may wonder, why in spite of all these, he is still being seen as the symbol of unity in the country. The reason for this is not far-fetched for those who care. The case of Obasanjo is the myth or paradox of the man who loves his distant cousin better than his direct sibling. The paradox is the passion of sacrificing the blood of his sibling brother to save the life of his cousin.

    The political narrative of that analogy is that in selling himself to other federating units of the country, he always sees his own race, the Yoruba race as the pawn or tool to ignite the lamp of Nigeria. Mention any Yoruba man, living or dead aspiring to the leadership of the country, Obasanjo would be quick to portray him to the other zones either as a tribalist or a Yoruba irredentist.

    Going memory lane, it was Obasanjo who, as military Head of State coined the slogan ‘the best candidate does not have to win at all costs in a democracy’. He deliberately coined that to quench the flame of the rising profile of Awolowo’s four cardinal programmes of the UPN.

    As if that was not enough, he arranged an official state visit to the eastern part of the country where he held clandestine meetings with the Igbo leadership regarding Awolowo’s role as Federal Commissioner for Finance which changed the face of the currency that finally led to the collapse of the Biafra dream.

    That for the East, for the North on the other hand, he would never miss the opportunity to remind their leaders that for him, one of them, Shagari could not have emerged as President in 1979 when he used his executive prowess to foil Awolowo’s aspiration.

    As it that was not enough, Obasanjo did not change his colour in 1993 during Abiola’s presidential bid. He did not hide his endorsement of the 1993 election annulment in ‘national interest’. His response to the Abacha clampdown on Yoruba leaders was a tacit endorsement of the anti-Yoruba Abacha agenda until nemesis caught up with him. In a nutshell, anything anti-Yoruba is to him in the country’s national interest. Needless going through the intrigues that brought him to power in 1999, it suffices however to state that all those who contributed in one way or the other for his emergence were to be paid back with the tag of either being a thief or crook.

    Although, ostensibly, the presidency was zoned to the South-west in 1999 at northern initiative, to assuage the pain of the Yoruba for the annulment, the period turned to be the worst for the South-west in the political history of the country. All sensitive positions that should ordinarily go to the South-west were given as bonuses to other zones with a view to portraying himself as a nationalist, in fact, as the only nationalist in Yoruba land; as against tribalists, which he had branded all other Yoruba leaders.

    Even his Vice President, Atiku Abubakar drew his anger in his bid to revive the SDP confraternity of the Babangida era. Atiku started by initiating a regular progressive meeting with the AD governors who were his political soul mates in the SDP days. Obasanjo tacitly queried him for undue interference in his political zone.

    He found a way of admonishing the AD governors for fraternizing with a Fulani man at his own expense. He thereafter initiated his own rapport with his ‘brother governors’. We all saw the end of that rapport. He made sure all the governors, except Bola Tinubu lost their second term bid. Only Tinubu can tell the story of what he went through in the hands of Obasanjo before he could secure his second term.

    Where other leaders used the opportunity of their incumbency to raise their people, the reverse is the case with Obasanjo. The Awujale had just narrated how he dealt the Mike Adenuga. Maybe one day, somebody will also tell the story of Chief Bakare of the Oluwalogbon fame in the hands of Obasanjo.

     

    • Sanni sent this piece from Ibadan.

  • The burden of MMA2

    Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, a facility providing critical services to the aviation sector for which its operator – Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) – has either been on the receiving end of some criticisms or much accolades in almost a decade. MMA2 is the first successful Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) project of its kind in the country. It was designated as the only privately-managed airport terminal approved to process local passenger traffic out of Lagos State by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). However, despite the many booby-traps placed on its path, BASL is displaying impressive managerial and operational skills on a par with any world class operator managing a terminal like MMA2.

    It is noteworthy that BASL embraced the challenges fully and stands ready to do the needful in significant ways to ensure that change is brought to the aviation sector in Nigeria. The beauty of this is manifested in the fact that the company as a pioneer has been making progress in the management of MMA2 over the years, to the admiration of those who understand the intricacies of trying to run a business where regulated service delivery has traditionally been managed by stone-age civil service mentality, who will do everything within their power to frustrate the private investor. Retrogressive and unpatriotic officials, who clearly do not understand that the private sector is the engine room of growth in any economy and that government is only an enabler, have continued their repeated attempts to kill the dream of Public-Privatisation Participation (PPP) policy. Even the most ardent detractors must commend the never-say-die spirit and patriotic zeal of BASL, in an environment where many would have given up long ago, despite the huge investments already made.

    At MMA2, Bi-Courtney has made an unimaginable sacrifice trying to provide the required services to the public and has only been able to achieve this through the tenacity of purpose and the steadfastness of the investor, who refuses to bow to the mediocrity and unwarranted injustice being perpetrated against his business concerns. One refers to those who should ordinarily join the investor in the dream to lift this country to greater heights by encouraging similar investments in various sectors of the economy, especially in a country with such severe infrastructure deficits as ours.

    Conversely, it is a big shame that after several years, FAAN cannot boast of one terminal that provides comparable comfort and meets the expectations of passengers in Nigeria. Almost all its airport terminals are already near-derelict, despite the enormous resources expended and at the disposal of the agency. In stark contrast, those managing MMA2 over the past nine years have continued to prove that Nigeria is not all about negativity and that Nigerians too, especially in the private sector, can do things better.

    Even with the hostile environment in which it is forced to operate, Bi-Courtney ensures that the facilities in the terminal constantly undergo timely maintenance and renewal. For instance, five escalators and nine elevators were upgraded recently, while uninterrupted power supply for nine years, clean environment, smooth passenger facilitation and security camera systems, among several others, are all the things that make MMA2 different from other terminals. What BASL loses in profit and fulfilment of obligations to its creditors and to the provisions of the concession agreement, is what the aviation community in the country is enjoying in terms of a safe, secure and functional terminal facility. And by extension, BASL has unequivocally added value to the image of the country in the comity of nations in its own little way, and it is proud to contribute its quota to nation-building.

    The huge loss in revenue, which is even worse today, is further accentuated by the desire of BASL to maintain the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority/International Civil Aviation Organisation (NCAA/ICAO) standards and regulations, which require huge expenditure outlay regardless of the economic recession. This is made worse because FAAN bluntly refused to obey the terms and letters of the concession agreement it signed with Bi-Courtney on MMA2, despite subsisting court judgements. The agency has effectively divided revenues due to the concessionaire into two, thus creating unnecessary duplication of activities, leading to a situation where airlines are now immensely indebted to airport operators. What an anomaly when the regulator becomes the competitor and is doing everything to pull down a partner!

    As a business, it is astonishing how the company continues to ensure that services are constantly provided. Losses since 2007 to date are colossal. The combined losses continue to dampen the firm’s spirit and have frustrated its attempts to service its huge loans borrowed from a consortium of banks and even to meet its concession obligations to FAAN. BASL is constantly frustrated that associated projects that would have enhanced its revenue base, such as the Hotel and Conference Centre, power plant and the mono rail, have not come to fruition, as FAAN continues to pile on the blockage.

    Meanwhile, FAAN, though relentless in its bid to thwart the MMA2 concession, is nonetheless busy demanding for its concession fees. The agency keeps the cost of operations up in order to ensure that BASL is frustrated from rendering the required services to the public through MMA2. This is a calculated attempt on the part of the authority to show up the terminal enterprise as a failure. Ironically, over the last few years, while FAAN has refused to allow BASL to generate the required revenues, it has continued to thrive on the revenues it is illegally earning from the operations of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) that is statutorily supposed to be part of the Bi-Courtney concession. Any wonder then why FAAN continues to ignore the court judgements in favour of Bi-Courtney, in blatant denial in a country under the rule of law.

    The first three years of operation of MMA2 from May 2007 were the most critical and traumatic. During that time, Bi-Courtney spent billions of naira of its own money to provide additional facilities to ensure that the terminal remained open to the flying public. Were it not for this huge sacrifice, MMA2 would have been shut down as soon as it was inaugurated.

    This has been the major dilemma of the terminal operator and may be the major challenge of the PPP initiative of this government, as those who are making spirited attempts to turn the success story of MMA2 to failure, those who are branding Bi-Courtney the devil, are still very much around to frustrate any private sector initiative in the country’s aviation sector. Unless and until something is done to change their mind-set/attitude and to convince prospective investors that they would be given free hand to operate, the proposed concession of four of the country’s airports may suffer the same hindrance that has beset MMA2.

    • Omolale is the Head, Corporate Communications of BASL.

  • Obama’s dark legacies in Africa

    As Barack Obama, America’s first President of African-American extraction, prepares to leave office not many days from now, a retrospective glance at and brief assessment of his impact in Africa are quite apposite. This is necessary as his successor, the obnoxious, vulgar and racist Donald Trump, has sworn to overturn all his achievements and erase his legacies, including in the foreign policy arena, within the first 100 days in office. He will begin on his first day, January 20! I’m not shedding any tears for Obama.

    A completely detached and objective assessment of the legacies of Obama’s eight-year rule is impossible in a single newspaper article. That would take tomes by several scholars and analysts. Even at that, total objectivity will still be near impossible. The Obama era is like the proverbial elephant; each writer can nibble at parts of it but none can describe it wholly, comprehensively, objectively and completely! Let me state upfront that as an African I make no pretence to objectivity in this piece – my views are more critical than balanced. Yes, it is true every coin has two sides, but it just happens that the more prominent side is the negative one. Concerning Africa, the negative outweighs the positive. Without being uncharitable, I am persuaded that the consequences of his negative actions are infinitely more real and have much longer lasting effects, while the positive ones are largely symbolic, if not merely cosmetic. His tenure in the White House never benefited Africa in any special way, more than under Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush or Bill Clinton.

    His 2008 electoral victory, without question a shattering of the proverbial glass ceiling, was accompanied by continent-wide euphoria and jubilation here in Africa. I was also jubilant and exultant, although more for racial pride than for any expectation that he would change America’s policies towards Africa in any substantive direction. I had advised my compatriots, with justification, against any bloated expectations that his reign would necessarily bring any goodies to Africa. First, he is an American, not an African, and was elected by Americans for the welfare and well-being of Americans only! Second, I argued that US presidents are generally not nearly as powerful, in real terms, as their French or Russian counterparts, and definitely far less so than African rulers with vast unchecked powers. They are circumscribed by labyrinthine political, constitutional, institutional and bureaucratic hurdles which inexorably combine to limit their freedom of choice and action.

    Third, I argued that Obama would even operate under much stricter constraints because he is Black; that white Americans would judge him by standards much higher than were ever used for any of his predecessors, assess and profile him more harshly than others, all on account of the colour of his skin; that every mistake or policy mis-step would be amplified beyond normal and the gavel of condemnation would come down much harder on him and his overall competence; that arrogant Generals and self-important Admirals (war veterans in their own rights) might even seek to look down on his ability as Commander-in-Chief for his lack of military experience. Above all, I submitted that he himself would be so cautious about his affections for and dealings with Africa and its peoples; that he would be extremely careful not to be seen to favour Africa, a continent which past US presidents considered of little value to their country’s overall global calculations. All things considered, I had felt that the deck was stacked against him more than most jubilant Africans realized.

    I noted in a previous article in this newspaper that the United States of America is the greatest military power in the world with an indisputably unmatched global reach, and that its main preoccupation since the end of WWII is global political, economic, military and technological supremacy. This “America first above all else” mentality is the basic driving force of US foreign policy no matter who occupies the White House. Translation: if sacrificing Africa’s interests would keep America above, so be it, Obama or not! Africa is only significant for America’s global imperialist outreach, check out AFRICOM’s activities since 2007 and you will be amazed.

    In eight years, Obama visited the continent thrice – first was Egypt in 2009, where he eulogized the now deposed Egyptian strongman, Hosni Mubarak, as America’s major and most reliable ally in the Middle East and North Africa, capped with a mere perfunctory stop-over in Ghana where all he did was talk down to Africans about strong institutions as opposed to strong leaders. His second was a hop through Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania in 2013; while the third and final one in 2015 was also at best a whistle-stop in Kenya and Ethiopia, more symbolic and cosmetic than substantive. In his trademark stirring speeches he again pompously sermonized about democratic governance and insulted our cultural sensibilities by seeking to impose such decadent Western values as gay and lesbian rights on Africans. The Kenyans wisely told him to, as Americans themselves are fond of saying, stuff a sock in it!

    Under Obama’s Executive Orders, America and its NATO allies diabolically executed the gruesome assassination of Muammar Gaddafi and the massive bombings that have left Libya in ruins. Because of Obama, that once prosperous and flourishing North African country is today a basket case, a veritable enclave of warlords, bandits, terrorists, human traffickers and sundry criminals. In Egypt, Obama was privy to the clinical destruction of democracy by America’s friend, Field Marshal Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, who has since civilianized himself, contested and ‘won’ a presidential election and has instituted by far the most draconic and ruthless dictatorship, vanquishing the opposition Muslim Brotherhood and putting Mohammed Morsi who he overthrew securely locked up in a dungeon. This modern-day Pharaonic incarnation, a strongman par excellence, is Obama’s bequeath to Egypt and the Africa.

    But by far the most sinister is the gradual but surreptitious militarization of the African continent through expansion of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). Under Obama, a fat chunk of America’s aid to Africa has been concentrated in the so-called security sector – in the training of so-called anti-terrorist and counter-insurgency forces in West Africa, drone-basing in Burkina Faso, logistics and training for the Multinational Joint Task Force troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria and the affected neighbouring countries; secret military locations in Somalia, expansion of Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, and countless other secretive military activities  and bases in countries such as Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger Republic, Chad, Somalia, South Sudan, Seychelles, and Uganda. African rulers have found it difficult to oppose these intrusions and subversion of their sovereignty, knowing the CIA’s predilection and capacity for orchestrating regime change at any place of their choosing. More than at any other time in its history, Africa is under a comprehensive US military lockdown, all thanks to President Barack Obama. In eight years, Obama successfully presided over the destruction of Libya, de-democratization in Egypt, and a virtual re-colonization of Africa through secretive militarization – a truly dark legacy!

    To be fair to him, I commend his commitment to African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA), a policy thrust begun by Bill Clinton, and his leadership in curbing Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and a few other beneficial programmes. But it is difficult to forget America’s blunt refusal to sell Nigeria the weapons required to combat the Boko Haram insurgency, and how it also orchestrated blockage of the Jonathan government’s attempt to purchase weapons from Israel and South Africa.

    So long, Barack Hussein Obama, have a good life in retirement. I can’t wait to see how you will capture all these in your memoirs.

    • Prof Fawole is of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

  • Quality and Nigeria e-commerce market

    The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the arm of the UN that deals with issues on trade, development and investment in its July 2016 report placed the worth of global e-commerce at $22 trillion. This is a huge market and with increasing penetration of internet and ubiquity of broadband deployment around the world, especially in emerging markets in Africa and Asia, this volume is bound for the sky in the coming years.

    In the UNCTAD 2016 business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce index which gauges the readiness of countries to engage in online commerce, no African nation made to it to the top 50 nations but the report did not fail to notice that e-commerce is on the bounce in Africa.

    Different studies by McKinsey and PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) among others have placed Africa’s ecommerce on a growth curve. The continent’s online sales are expected to top $75 billion by 2025, with Nigeria taking $10 billion of it, according to projections.

    This is buoyed by Nigeria’s fast-growing mobile internet market ranking seventh among the top 20 highest internet users in the world by country after China, India, US, Brazil, Japan, and Russia in that order according to Internet World Stats, June 2016 data. Such impressive mobile internet profile and the current zeal of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to spread broadband across the vast corners of the nation bode well for the future of ecommerce in the country.

    There are many drawbacks to online retail in Nigeria but they have not dampened the spirit of shoppers. This writer has patronized all the major online retail outfits. Yes, it gives a good feel factor doing the traditional shopping of walking into stores, seeing and feeling what you buy but online shopping frees you up, saves you time and the routine stress of moving through dodgy traffics. A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report revealed that studies show 70% of 3,000 online shoppers prefer visiting their preferred retailer online. This attests to its growing popularity and the rising preference of shoppers to online purchases.

    Jumia, Yudala and Konga are top of the range among the crowd of ecommerce stores in the country. There are many more and all of them have made lasting impressions, for good or bad, on shoppers.  But there is an inherent risk posed to online shoppers. It is an ugly global trend that is being dealt with by various governments and consumer protection cum anti-counterfeiting agencies across the globe. It’s the critical matter of online retailers offering substandard products dressed and garnished as high-end products and showcased to consumers as such. In plain language, what you see is not what you get for the consumers. In some cases, product on display for the online buyer is not exactly what is eventually delivered to the buyer. Using Photshop and sundry technological morphing tools, substandard products are garbed and sexed up as original stuff; in some cases popular brand names are misrepresented and passed off by the retailers.

    OpSec Security, a division of OpSec Security Group, London, recently did a study to monitor the level of counterfeiting and vending of substandard products among online retailers. OpSecSecurity   is reputed to be a global leader in providing anti-counterfeiting technologies as well as solutions and services for physical and online brand protection to companies and over 50 governments worldwide. The study revealed a dangerous dimension to online retailing especially in the Asia Pacific region where online B2C retailers took advantage of the desire of consumers to buy cheap products to offer them substandard products. This online buyers’ nightmare is already trending in Nigeria.

    Countless consumers have complained of how they placed orders for certain items which looked elegant, top-of-the-range on display but turned awkwardly different on delivery. Most of the top 10 online retailers have been accused of engaging in this what-you-see-is-not-what-you-get bubble. But Yudala has continued to buck the trend, offering a wide range of products on a credit line of integrity. People are more comfortable with Yudala because what they see is what they get and the online-offline scheme gives it a head-start on the integrity curve.

    Launched barely a year ago, Yudala adopted a disruptive composite style of online and offline retail, a novel formula which has also become the preferred strategy of America’s  Amazon and Alibaba of China, the two dominant players in the world. Yudala debuted as the first true composite retail platform in Africa. What the continent has seen prior to its entry was at best a window-dressing of what modern, competitive e-commerce retailing should be. It is the first to combine a world class e-commerce platform with an offline chain of retail stores. This innovative model immediately set it apart from competition.

    Nigeria’s Yudala combines B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) models through its trademark Mobile Monday and Neighbour to Neighbour campaigns. These market-deepening strategies are now being deployed by Alibaba and Amazon to cut deep into the global e-commerce markets.

    This is the sense in which Nigerians should take pride in the evolving revolution of e-commerce across the nation. With obvious limitations of poor connectivity, bad road networks to enhance speedy delivery of orders, Nigeria has through the innovative spirit of a dynamic team at Yudala added value to the global ecommerce value chain.

    It is both humbling and intriguing that the offline-online model initiated in Nigeria has become the trending global model for major players in e-commerce. It is a model that is fast bridging all the gaps that have limited e-commerce in recent years by connecting business to consumers in a more direct manner.

    Recent studies on consumer behaviours outlined a few key factors that influence online purchase decision among consumers. Credibility and trustworthiness are at the root of these factors. This is where Yudala towers above the pack. In barely one year, it has redefined the nation’s e-commerce space with integrity of products and credibility of processes.

    But no matter, the relevant agencies should be alive to their responsibilities to keep substandard products away from consumers. With more people having access to internet, Nigeria looks good to drive her big foot into the lucrative global online market. But first, she must deal with the issue of substandard products.  Standard Organisation of Nigeria, the Ministry of Trade and Investment through Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and other relevant agencies must rise and arrest this seeping miasma of substandard goods being forced on Nigerian consumers by some of the online retail stores. Nigerians deserve better than this.

    • Umukoro, a blogger, writes from Lagos.