The Nation Newspaper

Category: Comments

  • Senate: What a way to end the year!

    Senate: What a way to end the year!

    As the Senate prepared to end the year 2016, it’s chambers were busy with a flurry activities. As members were submitting reports from the oversight visits to different agencies, so many bills were getting to their final stage with public hearings being completed. At the same time, new bills were being introduced. And in the last week before it embarked on the recess, the National Assembly hosted President Muhammadu Buhari who used his visit to achieve two objectives – submit the government spending fiscal plan for the coming year for approval and also address the nation as previously demanded by the legislature on the government’s plan to tackle the current economic recession in the country. Also, the Medium Term Framework (MTEF) and Financial Strategic Plan (FSP) were approved.

    The last week also saw the Senate concluding the clearance process of the nominees into the board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It also deliberated on the report of its adhoc committee on the humanitarian crisis in the North-East. The last days of the year were such a busy period for the Senate not only because the members wanted to quickly conclude some of the process they had started, but more importantly because they were inadvertently setting agenda for the issues that will pre-occupy the legislative institution in the first quarter of 2017.

    This end of year review will be easy to understand when one remembers that between June 9 2015 and today, the eighth Senate has passed into law 32 bills while 411 bills have been introduced by members. Out of this total figure, 68 bills have passed the second reading stage while 145 are due for second reading. There are also 54 others from the House of Representatives that are awaiting concurrence process before being passed to the President for his assent. Among the bills that are now at the final stages are nine of the 11 priority economic bills which are deliberately designed to help pull Nigeria out of recession.

    The plan, according to President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, in his speech during the presentation of the 2017 budget proposal by the President is to pass the remaining economic bills alongside the budget for Presidential assent by the end of January or thereabout. The priority  bills are to jump-start the economic, open new areas of investment and encourage investors.

    These proposed laws include the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, National Development Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, Nigerian Ports and Habours Authority Act (Amendment) Bill, National Road Fund (Establishment) Bill and the National Transport Commission Act of 2001. Others are the Warehouse Receipts Act (Amendment) Bill, Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), Investment and Securities Act (ISA), Customs and Excise Management Act, Federal Competition Bill, National Road Authority Bill and the Customs and Excise Management Act. The bills are also at the final stage of passage.

    Among the already passed bills are the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act Cap. B2 LFN 2011 (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2015, Public Procurement Amendment Act Bill 2015, Nigerian Railway Corporation Act 1955 N129 LFN 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2015, Electronic Transactions Bill 2015, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Act (Amendment) Bill 2016,, Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Bill 2016 and North East Development Commission Establishment Act Bill 2016.

    The rate of work being done on bills in the National Assembly has received commendation from the executive as President Buhari last week signed eight of the newly passed bills into law. The President’s liaison officer in the Senate, Ita Enang said “I use this medium to commend the National Assembly for the industry and dexterity they have shown and the concentration on the core functions of the legislature because compared to times like this in previous parliaments, I think this is the highest number of bills passed by any single parliament within its one year and six months”.

    The work of the legislature is not limited to law making. It includes oversight and advocacy. The present Senate has excelled in these two areas more than even in the passage of bills. For example, its oversight helped to save billions of Naira being overcharged by Remita, the managers of the platform through which state funds are collected into the TSA. Same oversight revealed the abuse of the waiver policy on custom duties on imported rice and other items, gross leakages and failure to remit funds  by  revenue collection agencies of government and the exposure of irregular remittance of profit by a telecommunications firm.

    Some of these investigations are as a result of motions. Like the probe of the humanitarian crisis in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North -East zone which has revealed the gross misuse of funds and abuse of trust by people in high positions.

    In its advocacy duty, the Senate had made critical interventions which nipped potential national crisis in the bud. It got the Central Bank to change its policy of not allowing people who have foreign currency to lodge them into their accounts and when there was a talk of punishing people who hold foreign currency in cash for longer than two weeks, Senate compelled the apex bank to stick to the free trade policy of free entry and free exit. It intervened to make the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) abandon its fixed charges on electricity tariff and bulk metering in communities.

    The legislative body swiftly moved in to get the National Communication Commission (NCC) withdraw its endorsement of proposed hike in prices of data plan. It is currently mediating between University teachers and government to avert crisis in the academia and once intervened to compel release of funds for military operations in the North east. Also, its intervention led to the sourcing of funds for the Super Eagles travel to Zambia.

    Apart form the series of achievements, the Senate is now a more united body. The members have refused manipulation so from outside that will divide its ranks. Also, Senators demonstrate both punctuality at plenary which now commence unfailingly as stipulated in the Rule Book and more commitment to their duties. That is why the bills are coming in torrents, the motions flows ceaselessly and the debates are more rigorous and informed.

    There is no doubt that the current Senate is working so hard to make positive impact on the life of Nigerians. Like its Leader, Dr. Saraki would often say, the institution’s relevance can only be enhanced and appreciated when the ordinary people feel the positive impact of its law, oversight and advocacy in their life.

    • Olaniyonu is a Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President.

  • Addressing ethnic, religious and sectional manipulation

    One of the very important values accepted by most people and nations in the world today is the equality of all men. The idea presupposes that everyone is born equal and should be treated as such regardless of racial, ethnic, religious and cultural differences. The Nigerian Constitution, the Charters of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Organisation (UNO) support this value. In fact, equality of persons is one of the very essential principles of democracy. Any government that respects democracy must highlight equality of all men in its Constitution.

    But despite constitutional provision for equality in our country, we are confronted with dangerous tendency of mutual distrust and manipulation of what divide us by powerful political and religious cum ethnic mongers. In truth, socio-economic cum political inequality is a reality in Nigeria. But in spite of various efforts to eradicate the problem as evidenced in the creation and proliferation of States, ethnic “arithmetic”, ethnic balancing, federal character, NYSC scheme, Federal Unity Colleges, various formulas for revenue allocation, the policy of WAZOBIA, relocation of federal capital, official and unofficial exhortations for national unity and interethnic tolerance and inter-faith groups, the problem still haunts us.

    It is important to understand that governments, leaders, or groups who manipulate the people have a reason for doing so. The reason is simple. Manipulators have something to hide. They want to cover the fact that they exist by exploiting and oppressing the people. So they pretend to be friends of some people. They pretend to be protecting the interests of groups to which they belong by race, ethnicity or religion while, in actual fact, they are only taking care of their selfish interests. By this manipulation, such governments and leaders want to break the unity of the entire people. They want to weaken the consciousness and opposition of the entire people to their bad government and bad leadership.

    Since independence, various selfish leaders have manipulated our people by placing emphasis on our artificial differences. For example, some have based their political campaigns on ethnicity, regionalism and religion. Today, religion has become a strong weapon used by selfish leaders to manipulate and divide the people. Their misuse of religion has led to riots and loss of lives and property. But while in office, their performances, ways of life and style of living belied their religious claims as they are more corrupt and perverted than Satan.

    This devilish manipulation of our people through ethnic, religious and sectional differences has caused a lot of harm to our nation. It breaks the unity of the people and turns their attention away from the urgent and real matters of public interest. Consequently, terrible leaders easily get away with their various acts of impunity. Furthermore, internal disunity caused by manipulation prevents the people from playing a more prominent role in the development of the country.

    It is time we recognized that the old saying, “unity is strength” remains valid. It is only in unity that we can win the war for economic development, social progress and political emancipation. It is when we are united that the war against insurgency and what actually prompted it can be successfully fought and won. Trading of blames by various leaders, to further deepen our division, is counter-productive.

    The Nigerian people must know that the poverty, ignorance and disease which oppress the working masses today, do not recognize ethnic, language, religious or regional differences. Hunger does not discern your ethnicity. So, whether you are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Longuda, Birom, Ogoja, Tiv, Gbagyi, Efik, Kanuri, Chip, Annang, Izon, Nupe, etc means nothing to poverty. Likewise, disease does not care about your religious affiliation. Neither does ignorance. Poverty, disease and ignorance attack primarily the masses. Therefore, the masses need to shun all artificial and counter- productive divisive tendencies. They would lead us to nowhere.

    The people should protect national unity and rise up against leaders who want to perpetually manipulate them for selfish gains. This is the time for our people to use religion and ethnic frontiers to promote national development and stability. The people should be educated about the importance of forming and joining popular associations, such as occupational and trade unions and clubs which cut across ethnic, language, religious and regional boundaries, so as to strengthen national identity and unity. We should not allow any exploiter, foreign or indigenous, to break this unity of experience and purpose.

    This is the time for individuals and organisations with influence and means to educate the masses on the imperative for national unity, harmony and cohesion. Of what use is a poor Fulani herdsman killing a poor Hausa/Yoruba/Igbo/Tiv farmer? Irrespective of how herculean it is, it is better today for leaders to agree on all areas that need restructuring in our polity before we approach another electioneering year. We have been fooled for too long. Now is the time to ‘shine’ our eyes and refused to be fooled again.

    As previously stated, irrespective of religion, ethnic and other such parochial divides, what every Nigerian wants is good governance that provides the basic needs of life. We don’t need all these unnecessary agitations over elemental differences that serve only the interests of our oppressors. For us to move forward as a nation, the masses need to realize that the political elite’s chief preoccupation is the advancement of parochial interests. It is only when such interests are being threatened that they resort to using the masses as canon fodders in their mischievous ploy to corner the commonwealth. The earlier the masses realize and reject this scheme, the better for our nation.

    • Musbau is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • How Nigeria can come out of recession

    The yuletide season has been rather gloomy as the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria, remains stuck in a painful recession with no end in sight. The government revenue has fallen by as much as 33 per cent while out of the 36 states, 27 cannot pay salaries of their staff with the state governors constantly reminding everyone that there is no where they can source for funds. Businesses have ceased to expand, there is decline in real income, slow-down of industrial production, high rate of unemployment, salary cuts and job losses have risen, housing prices decline and a big slump in consumer spending. Things are generally getting more and more difficult for the average Nigerian. It has certainly become imperative for the Nigerian government to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and for every Nigerian to understand the implications and adjust our daily economic activities and lifestyle.

    According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a recession is the significant decline in economic activity across the economy, lasting longer than three to four months, normally visible in real gross domestic product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales. The GDP of an economy is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period. It is a good measure of the economic activity and is a benchmark for government budgeting, income and expenditure, investment inflows in and out of an economy, among others. The private sector also relies on the GDP of a country to determine which areas have robust economic activity by helping them decide where to invest scarce resources.

    Many factors contribute to an economy’s fall into a recession, but the major cause is inflation, which is a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services. The low prices of oil, the volatile state of oil production in Nigeria now, bad debts gathered over time has led to lower purchasing power and foreign exchange scarcity. Every naira now buys a smaller percentage of good or service. With the statistics from the World Bank and other economists on Nigeria, one can’t but ponder on how Nigeria got to this sorry state.

    As of January 1, the population of Nigeria was estimated to be 184, 635 279 people, projected to reach 189, 559 502 people in 2017. About 40.9 per cent of this population is under 15 years of age while 3.1 per cent are above 65 years, meaning that each working person in Nigeria must provide goods and services for himself or herself and cover expenditure of at least one child or aged person additionally. Nigeria is now rated one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 64 per cent of her population living below poverty line, a country that was once the 30th richest country in the world in the 1970s! Life expectancy is a saddening 47.6 years while the rate of illiteracy and youth unemployment is over 50 and 42 per cent, respectively.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, in one of his independence anniversary speech had stated that: “All my adult life, I have always earned a salary and I know what it is like when your salary simply is not enough. In every part of our nation, people are making incredible sacrifices”. No doubt, governing this great nation should not be business as usual. What we need is good governance. Governments that carry out their responsibilities as expected of them. After all, it is government of the people, by the people and for the people. That is why it amuses me when I read that a governor advertises roads constructed in his state, as this act can be likened to a father telling all and sundry that he should be praised for paying his children’s school fees!

    It is quite heart-warming to know that Buhari’s administration is fulfilling their promise to fight insurgency and corruption in Nigeria. Though our collective wealth has been recovered from all over the world, it, however, seems to many that the President appears to be carefully picking his battles on whom to probe or not to in the anti-corruption stance, thereby questioning its sincerity. Our legislators are enmeshed in accusations and counter-accusations of corruption day in, day out and profligate behaviour in this administration, which is fast surpassing that of previous administrations. Allowances and pensions of the lawmakers from previous positions and the ridiculous allowances earned are indeed a Mare’s Nest by the government. The anti-corruption stance of this administration can only be achieved through judicious management of the national wealth and implementation of programmes to alleviate poverty. Beyond that, impersonal institutions, ideologies and public policies are fundamental in shaping our political life. Social, economic and political poverty has created frustration, loss of hope, prospects, value for life, compromise and abandonment of moral values because criminals seem to be living best. One would ask, is it a case of lawmakers being the lawbreakers? Where are the sacrifices made for our beloved country, Nigeria?

    Trying to win foreign investors into the country is also an impressive idea but that may not be in an environment of political and economic instability. Nigeria is undoubtedly the most attractive country to do business in Africa. With approximately 70 per cent youth population, there is an abundance of human resources. But as at today, Nigeria is fast becoming the most dangerous country to do business in. Inadequate business infrastructure, erratic power, water, telephone and fuel supply, inefficient civil service, inadequate crime control, poor judicial system, inadequate health care and educational system at all levels still plagues the country. The state appears to have relinquished virtually all its functions and obligations as each household now provides their own roads, electricity and water supply, education for their children, security of life and property.

    As a way forward, extreme caution should be taken before ideas are promulgated to the public, their implementations and execution. The government should do well to use the participatory development approach as it is appropriate for government to ensure their citizen’s active participation in formulating and implementing projects of which they are meant to be the beneficiaries. The policy of providing jobs for the unemployed without stimulating production is as good as building on a faulty foundation. If production is encouraged in a market as huge as ours, jobs will automatically be created as many of the unemployed are likely to become the job creators once an enabling environment is created.

    And for the citizenry, the underlying principle to surviving a recession is to cut back heavily and reduce spending. As the saying goes, “Cut your coat according to your cloth”. We need to spend on what we need and not what we want. Our country’s economic mismanagement and the ensuing intolerable levels of hardship are fast putting an end to our culture of being your brother’s keeper. We demand good governance and restoration of our dignity! It is high time we took responsibility for our country, Nigeria. May 2017 bring forth good tidings of great joy. Happy New Year!

     

    • Dr. Adenubi writes from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

  • Orodje Okpe: Ten years on an ancestral throne

    Let us commence this celebratory essay with a general statement about the character, dynamic and nature of kingship as a propelling force in the development of peoples. Throughout profane and sacred history, particularly in the era of Divine Rights of Kings, the personality of a reigning monarch, king or queen, often dictated the trajectory of the empire or kingdom. When nations rose to great heights, the disposition, character, capacity to efficiently deploy economic, political and human resources, and personal strengths of the king served as a crucial factor in the process.

    It is true that monarchs all over the world, with the ascendancy of democratic principles particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries no longer solely determine the fate of peoples. However, monarchs, whether in Europe, Asia or Africa, have learnt how to discharge their functions within the provisions of modern norms and cultural dynamics, within the overwhelming presence of democratic practice. Reigning monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth 11 of England, the Oba of Benin, and the Sultan of Sokoto are clear examples of this new spirit. It is against this background that the 10-year reign of the incumbent Orodje Okpe will be eulogized.

    In late November, the Okpe people trooped out in their number to mark the first decade of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue 1 Major General Felix Mujakperuo (CFR, mni; rtd) on the ancestral throne of Okpe land in Delta State. It was a week-long celebration which brought worthy Okpe sons and daughters to their ancestral homelands of Sapele, Amuokpe, Mereje, Ughoton and Orerokpe. It was a colourful ceremony with chiefs, bedecked in their beautiful regalia and non-chiefs dressed in the typical Okpe traditional dress style, depicted with pride and panache, the rich culture of the Okpe people. All the sections of the Okpe world paid homage to the king. Chieftaincy titles were awarded to deserving citizens. Indeed it was more than a celebration. It was an affirmation of cultural and political identity. It was an affirmation of presence in Orerokpe, of an overwhelming and emphatic declaration of ownership and control of Sapele town. Delta State governor, Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, his deputy, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, and the Speaker of the House Chief Monday Igbuya (a worthy Okpe son), Professor (Chief) Sam Oyovbaire (Father of Government & a distinguished Okpe son) were all in attendance in Orerokpe.

    Orhue the 1st became Orodje of Okpe on July 8, 2004 after Udogun Okpe (the highest body of Chiefs in Okpe kingdom) ratified his election in a highly contested race. His election followed the demise of Orhoro the 1st . The staff of office was presented by the Delta State government in 2006. This accounts for the 10th anniversary being celebrated in 2016.

    The Okpe migration from Benin is said to have taken place around the 17th Century. From Benin the Okpe progenitor, settled in Okpe-Olomu and Okpe-Isoko at different times. His four sons – Orhue, Orhoro, Evbreke,and Esezi – then migrated to Orerokpe from where the Okpe people founded and currently occupy about 200 towns and villages in two local governments in Delta State. The four ruling houses cover all Okpe people and communities. Orhue, the eldest of the four sons refused to take the throne as the first occupant on account of advanced age. He therefore asked the youngest Esezi 1st to start the kingship. Unfortunately, the first king fell out with his subjects because he was dictatorial, and was brutally assassinated around the middle of the 17th century. For about a century or more, there was no king in Okpe land until January 1, 1945 when John Deveno Mebitaghan was crowned as Esezi 11 in order to calm the frayed nerves of Esezi’s descendants. After his reign, Chief Domingo Amujaine Edjinyere was crowned on Dec 30, 1972 as Orhoro 1. Orhoro 1 joined his ancestors on January 10, 2004 after 32 years of a peaceful reign. When the succession process for a new king started after the passage rites for the late king, the Okpe people amicably resolved a long-standing misunderstanding that the Orhue lineage though could crown kings could not sit on the royal throne. Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd.) became the first king from the Orhue ruling House to occupy the exalted seat.

    The new Orodje set upon establishing his presence and stamp his royal authority on the land with relative ease. Not one to fight for and corner material things for himself, Orhue 1 was and is more interested in attracting development to Okpe land. He believes in building up the human capital of his people through scholarships and educational programmes. A befitting majestic palace was built in Orerokpe through a collective effort heavily financed by Chief D.O.D. Dafinone, another distinguished Okpe son. As a well-travelled man, he has brought efficient administrative machinery into governing the Okpe kingdom, the largest of all the clans in Urhobo land.

    Orodje would call subjects in high places to ask for help for a less-privileged person. He would ask whether some graduate somewhere could be assisted with a job. Can there be a scholarship for this bright Okpe man or lady? Orodje would call and ask why roads in Orerokpe have not received the attention of government; he would ask government about roads in the hinter parts of the land. When Sapele market was left comatose for a many years, he always asked questions and put pressure on government to complete the market. He has appointed Dukes to help him run the affairs of the kingdom. He has also streamlined the chieftaincy title process. It is not for all comers. A man or woman must distinguish themselves before being considered for a title.

    Orodje Okpe is the chancellor of Anambra State University where he has made enormous contributions to the development of that university. When the new government policy of giving missionary schools to their owners led to a situation in which there was no public school in Orerokpe, Orodje took it up with the then governor, and the commissioner for basic and secondary education. He has set up an Education Committee which meets monthly to review the state of education in the kingdom. During his reign, Okpe Union which had maintained its headquarters in Lagos from the early 20th century has been relocated to Orerokpe with the grassroots yet urbane Chief Robert Onome elected as President General.

    It is fitting therefore to pay tributes to the General who became a modern king; the General who conquered the throne of his fathers, not with bullets but with the will and consent of the Okpe people; the General who led ECOMOG to restore peace in a faraway land and returned home to bear the burden of his people; a General whose grand role is to maintain and sustain the culture of the Okpe people. So, it is 10 years of kingship during which the Orodje has carried the Okpe world on his head with the support of the great men in and around the palace. The wise counsellors who give wise counsel to a wise king will make the people wise and prosperous. As I wish the Orodje many more years in active service to God and humanity, I congratulate HRM and the Okpe people on achieving relative peace and calm in Delta State. Umogu, une su to! Long live the king! Long live the Okpe people! Long live Delta State!

    • Professor Eghagha is of Department of English, University of Lagos.

  • Still waiting for the ‘Damning Report’ on Magu

    Surely, there has to be a lot more to the Senate refusal to confirm Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) than the contents of what is being circulated in the media as “security report”. In all honesty, it is hard to see the ‘damning’ part of what the public has been fed with so far, or how it even qualifies as a security report in the first place.

    To be sure, Magu’s transgressions include allegations that he lives in a N20 million a year accommodation (or N40 million, whichever figure sounds more sexy) paid for by FCDA (or Magu’s “questionable” businessman friend, whichever version is more fit for purpose); that he once flew in a private jet owned by, and in the company of the same ‘friend’, a retired Air Commodore; that he once flew first class to Saudi Arabia for Umrah; that he was once arrested and detained by his bosses for taking official EFCC files home from the office.

    I have tried to list these allegations in their order of severity. However, it so happens that as you move from one to the next, you are not so sure about which is more flimsy among the charges. There are one or two more details such as the private jet in which he flew (from Maiduguri to Abuja) also had, as one of its passengers, a bank managing director under investigation at the time by EFCC.

    Now, let’s forget the flimsiness of these allegations for a while, or the accuracy of the ‘facts’ for that matter, and look more dispassionately at the case, at least now that the shock value of the report has waned somewhat.

    Starting with the N40 million naira rent, the substance of the SSS allegation appear to hinge initially on the insinuation that Magu’s residential accommodation was paid for by this businessman whose activities the DSS only recently determined to be on the wrong side of the law. However, the evidence has turned out to invalidate the narrative. First, documents that we have seen in the media, including contract details, show clearly that the rent was paid for by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the government agency that has in the past been responsible for accommodation of political appointees based in the federal capital.

    So what is the source of the misrepresentation? It is not clear at this point whether it was deliberate misinformation by the DSS or the product of spin and propaganda by the hatchet man. But for what purpose really? It is also very questionable why a two-year rent term was first made to look as if it was rent paid for only one year, obviously for exaggerated effect. The padding of evidence can only mean that even the authors of the report are not very convinced about the strength of the initial evidence and its capacity to achieve the intended “damning” purpose.

    The allegation about the private flight from Maiduguri in the company of the same “questionable” businessman was obviously constructed to achieve the same impression as the one about the link with the rented accommodation – guilt by association. Until Magu himself speaks, it is premature to reach any verdict one way or the other about the significance of this plane ride, since the DSS has not told us anything of substance beyond describing the physical encounter between the Acting EFCC Chairman and the owner of the private jet. However, it would be a real tragedy of national proportions if what the DSS does by way of top security intelligence gathering is to try to create a pattern from two disparate events with no connection whatsoever, in order to establish guilt by association.

    The allegation about the first-class trip to Saudi Arabia would appear on the face of it to be more clear cut, considering that it is a more straightforward matter whether the man violated a federal government directive or not. Never mind that it is the most flimsy ground on which to base a ‘security’ report. The matter even becomes more academic if, as we have also read in the media, Magu paid for the ticket with his own money. Why should it matter to us how Magu decides to spend his own money, as long as he is not encroaching on any of our rights or offending our sensibilities? Except you can show that the money was corruptly acquired.

    Now the one about the official files that were found in Magu’s home during Farida Waziri’s time is the most baffling, and raises the biggest question about the real purpose of the DSS secret memo to the Senate. Honestly, the DSS will have to clarify what is the problem with possession of confidential files for which the officer has been granted authorized access. In all the years that I served in the Civil Service, I am shocked to hear that taking files home to treat is one of the cardinal sins of the service. For those of us who did not recognize the distinction between private time and official hours in the amount of time and effort that we devoted to public service, the DSS report is beginning to make me feel like the biggest transgressor of my time.

    Beyond that, the DSS should come clean with the real reasons for why the candidate is unworthy of the position of chairman of EFCC. Because there is nothing to suggest that what we have been fed so far in the media is the product of any rigorous intelligence gathering or that it even qualifies to be described as security report.

    For most Nigerians who have been on the receiving end of the scourge of corruption, the interest is simply in having an anti- corruption agency that is strong enough to confront the monster with all the force that we can muster. True, there is nothing that equates an effective anti-corruption agency only with Magu at the top. But the process of selecting the leadership of that institution should not become an arena for executing an agenda that erodes the credibility of that institution as well as undermines its future effectiveness.

    In giving the DSS the benefit of the doubt, it is probable that they think the EFCC position is too serious and sensitive to allow any detail to go unnoticed. But it is precisely for that reason that Nigerians expect a supposedly serious institution like the DSS to treat the matter with the seriousness that it deserves and not with the underhandedness that they have handled the Magu report. In a proper democracy, issues relating to conflict of interest of public officials are placed in the public domain, not surreptitiously designated as ‘security report’.

    In the off-chance that the DSS has information about Magu that validly disqualifies the man from holding that position, by all means let’s have it. The EFCC and the DSS are both accountable to Nigerians. If they are holding on to a more serious version of this ‘security report’ it should be declassified for the sake of the integrity and credibility of the process – because the current version just doesn’t wash.

    • Joseph writes from Gwarimpa, Abuja.

  • Nigerian political lexicon: Reaching new heights

    Most English words and expressions endure for ages.  Only a few exist for specific climes and regimes.  The standard Oxford English Dictionary and other venerable publications give authenticity and meanings to words and expressions employed in books and used in daily communications.  Nigeria, being an extension of the English language sovereignty has by and large been part of this language heritage.  That is until recently, especially since 1960 when the country assumed political independence.  We have by our ingenuity created vast new political expressions which by their usage convey different meanings.  This literary stride has since gained ground making the Nigerian politician one of the most creative of our time.  Some familiar ones are mentioned here.

    “Well  gentlemen, my government  has an empty mind towards this conference”:   This was Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Jaja Nwachukwu who was attending a Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, shortly after Nigeria’s independence.  Europe and the New World were divided into two spheres of influence – the West headed by the U.S and the East by the USSR.  Nigeria, the newest and biggest of the third world countries was invited as ‘observer’ to the conference.  It was an act of humor, but in those days most of the advanced world recognized and loved the gentle and soft diplomacy of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa.  What our ubiquitous foreign minister wanted to say was ‘open mind’ not “empty mind”!

    “The come comes to become”:  This is from our respected Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe.  A colossal in his time, the politician was a words-worth whose mastery of the English Language especially when lambasting opponents in a formal debate was legendary.  He has been missed badly in the political space.

    Sit tight ministers: This was in early years of independence when parties and especially leaders who lost confidence of their leaders and were expected to step down refused to do so.  Early examples were A.C. Nwapa, S.L. Akintola etc.

    Akintola taku:  This was the screening headline of the Daily Times when Chief S.L. Akintola refused to quit office as Premier of the Western Region even though he had lost the confidence of the party leadership and the governor could remove him.

    Wet e. Following the flagrant manipulation and rigging of the 1964 – 1965 elections in the West, voters went on a rampage, destroying and burning  human beings and houses.  It was a sorry picture throughout Western Nigeria where life was no more sacred.

    ‘Next level’ ordinarily means moving to higher space, but now it is almost exclusively used to connote advancement not into space but in progress.

    ‘Moving Nigeria forward’ does not connote physical movement from one location to another, but attaining some national progress.

    “Inconclusive” now has no other meaning except it is tied to an election which is not completed or which does not throw up a winner.

    ‘Padding’: I bought a used Benz car in 2004, the most outstanding feature which made it more expensive than the others was that it was ‘padded’.  This involved adding a thick white metal to both sides of the car.  Today in Nigeria, cars are no more padded, but budget proposals sent    to the Nigeria Assembly are padded by chieftains of the hallowed chamber.

    ‘Sharing’ ordinarily means dividing some tangible objects between or among people.  Today in Nigeria, sharing connotes taking money from the national till and dividing it among rogue politicians or Civil Service mandarins.

    True federalism:  In Nigeria the term relates to those pundits who believe their part of the geographical space will benefit more if the country is constituted into units that allow them to control their national resources.  It does not denote equity, fairness and necessity, but an arrangement that will serve personal or group interest better.

    ‘Restructuring’ is closely related to the above as regards its objective and perceived gains.  It is a political arrangement that would confer benefits on some people.

    Resource Control:  The advocates of resources control have in mind an arrangement where they will control all their natural endowments especially mineral resources, crude oil etc.  It is a self-serving political postulate.

    Ethnic nationality:  This is a euphemism for tribes or clans.  It is an attempt by political modernists to promote, enhance and modernize the term ‘tribe’ which the colonialists used to describe ‘natives’.

    Distinguished Senator: It is the warm affectionate acclamation which members of Nigeria’s upper legislature ascribe to themselves.  It does not matter whether the new member is just about to be sworn in, on entering the hallowed chamber he becomes distinguished.  In the ordinary world, the level of your performances in the job determines whether you are distinguished or not.  Not in Nigeria.

    Oversight functions:  This is an assignment which members of our legislative houses ascribe to themselves.  For it they share luxury cars, fat allowances and generous gifts from targets.

    Constituency projects: Ordinarily preparation of budgets especially items that will be included into the annual estimates is a job for the executive, but our smart and very considerate lawmakers usually include their own for their constituents.

    Recession/depression: This is a worldwide economic situation when growth is stagnated and when the national currency is fighting a lost battle with accepted standard currency of other nations.  In Nigeria it means more.  The palm oil tapper, the gari seller, the vegetable grown around the farm house all have their market prices doubled because of recession, or simply because of the ‘scarcity of dollar’.

    Militant/terrorist:  Hoodlums who kill at will in Nigeria are called militants, not terrorists.  When does a militant graduate into a terrorist?  Perhaps when a whole community has been decimated.  In ordinary language, a militant is not necessarily a terrorist, he can be an activist, fighting or demonstrating for a course.  But a terrorist is a dangerous killer and destroyer.  In Nigeria, the two are not separated.

    Hit the ground running:  This expression became almost a household word during the last election.  It means that the new administration when it is inaugurated would move to establish itself and pursue its programme almost on inauguration day.  No such magic has been observed/even 24 months after inauguration.

    He was the best President Nigerian never had: This was the most dramatic statement made by the legendary Emeka Odumegwu -Ojukwu while paying homage to late Obafemi Awolowo. Throughout history, this expression will be crafted in ageless marble as it represents the totality of the history of Awolowo.  Abraham Lincoln, J.F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill could not have put it better.

    The Nigeria politician is very innovative as he responds to new political situation with appropriate catch-words, slogans and descriptions.

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

  • LAKE Rice: Ambode saw tomorrow

    Visionary leadership is not by words of mouth but by action and actualisation of plans that make life more abundant for the greatest number. This assertion is true of Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode who has in the last 18 months executed many people oriented policies with seamless ease.

    The latest which is novel in the country and which took many by surprise is the agricultural collaboration between Lagos and Kebbi states for the production of rice. The end result of the agreement is the recent launch of the Lagos-Kebbi rice called LAKE Rice.

    It all started in March when the Lagos State Government entered into an agreement with the Kebbi State Government and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on massive production of locally grown long grain rice. It looked like an ordinary MoU which we are all used to, the ones that would be signed and thereafter ended up in the dustbin of the two parties.

    The MoU involved the government of Lagos State investing about N10 billion in rice production and the rice would be ready and available in Lagos around December. Lagos government built a rice production plant in Kebbi which can produce 20 metric tonnes of rice per hour. The rice is called Lagos-Kebbi rice otherwise called LAKE Rice. The rice is out in record time and it is available for sale all over Lagos as planned, at a subsidised price of  N12,000 per 50kg bag and N6,000 per 25kg bag while the imported rice ranges between N17,000 per bag to N22,000 per bag.

    The success of the LAKE rice is very instructive. It shows that Ambode is a thinking governor who has a vision and worked towards realising same. Ambode knew that with the skyrocketing price of foreign rice called (aroso) in local parlance, it will not be affordable to the common man so he decided to embark on the local production and processing of rice which would be affordable which yielded result. Apart from the revenue which would accrue to the Lagos state government, it will encourage local farmers to go into rice production while thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created in both Lagos and Kebbi states. The rice will not only be available, it will also be affordable. As it was done last week when the rice was launched, it was distributed across the 57 LCDAs in Lagos State.

    It is an irony that Lagos chose to partner with Kebbi State instead of partnering with one of the South-west states in the spirit of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN). This perhaps could be explained in terms of the track record of Kebbi State as a rice growing state just like Ebonyi with the famous Abakaliki rice, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Kogi and Ogun known for Ofada rice, are all rice growing states. It is pertinent to note that Igbemo rice used to be more popular in those days before it was overtaken by Ofada rice produced in Ogun state.

    It still baffles many observers that the once rice growing states of the South-west, especially Ekiti state with the famous Igbemo rice, have taken the back seat in rice production. Ekiti State case is very pathetic in the sense that this is the time the rice farmers would have made a kill in sale of their brand of rice which is in high demand all over the South-west.

    Igbemo rice is so delicious such that many people across the Southwest especially in Lagos booked in advance to buy and this may take up to one week. Simple economic sense then dictates that the high demand for the rice ought to have gingered the state government to seize the opportunity to tap into the mass production of rice by encouraging local rice farmers to grow more.

    This may have possibly encouraged Lagos State to partner with such South-west state government even if it would still have partnered with Kebbi State. An investment of N5 billion in rice production in a state like Ekiti means a lot and this would have revolutionised the agricultural sector in the state. Alas, this was not to be in a state where the major programme of the present administration in the state is stomach infrastructure. What a missed opportunity!

    The Ambode example is a wake-up call for the governors of the South-west under the aegis of the DAWN. They should collaborate with Lagos State in the production of rice in the region. If it is only rice they produce, they cannot meet up with the rice demand of the South-west states alone not to talk of the whole country or export. Rice farmers are the richest in the USA and I believe the same thing could be replicated here with the right policy from the government. Lagos has little or no land to grow rice in commercial quantity but it has resources to make this happen in other states as we have just seen in the case of Kebbi State.

    Figures available from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics showed that 2.1 million metric tons of rice is imported into the country yearly. This amount to 42 million 50 kg bags of rice worth N360 billion while five million metric tons of rice, amounting to about 100 million 50kg bags of rice, is consumed yearly in the country. This is a lot of revenue to local rice farmers if the right environment and tools are available to them.

    Local rice production on a large scale will take many rice farmers out of poverty and make many millionaires in the value chain of clearing, planting, harvesting and processing. This will only happen if the problems militating against the commercial production of rice such as low technology base (mechanisation), high interest rates, poorly funded research institutes and corruption ridden fertiliser distribution and low public sector investment in agriculture are effectively tackled.

    Ambode’s initiative on the LAKE rice is commendable and should be emulated by other governors not only the South-west but in the country. Little wonder that President Muhammadu Buhari showered encomiums on Ambode and his Kebbi State counterpart during the launch of the LAKE rice in Lagos. The President noted, “What the two states have done is evidence of a new base being laid for the Nigerian economy, founded and propelled by agriculture, away from substantial dependence on oil and gas for national revenue”.

    The production of the LAKE rice should be sustained while other South-west governors should take a cue from this by encouraging local farmers to grow rice in commercial quantity. The Lagos State government should not allow the LAKE rice to be hijacked by shrewd merchants who are only after huge profits to the detriment of the common people whom it is meant for. If that happens, prices will skyrocket beyond the reach of the common man and the purpose would have been defeated.

    Congratulations to Lagosians who are enjoying the real dividends of democracy since Ambode assumed office over a year ago.

    • Akintunde, a public affairs analyst wrote from Surulere, Lagos.

  • National head count in Nigeria – When next?

    It is a known fact that census is an important exercise. Its relevance to socio-economic development cannot be over-emphasized. No country can make any tangible progress without reliable and accurate census figure. For planning, census figure is paramount. Population is dynamic and with the inter-play of mortality and fertility, population of an area will witness either an increase or decrease. So it becomes imperative to conduct census regularly.
    The recommendation of United Nations is that census is better conducted every 10 years; that is, decennial. With this, it will be easy to monitor the population and have a good grasp of the changes that have taken place in the population over a period of 10 years. This knowledge will assist the policy makers and the nation tremendously. For instance, in budgeting, government will know what to allocate to various sectors; the housing needs can be easily estimated; there will be adequate plan for health, education, infrastructural needs of populace. So a country with regular population enumeration will certainly have knowledge of its population dynamics and planning for the nation will not be an issue.
    Ironically, in Nigeria, census has not been regular. Historically, Nigeria experienced what can be called census in 1893 when the headcount of Colony of Lagos took place. In 1871, another headcount took place in the Colony of Lagos. This exercise continued unabated every 10 years until 1911 when the country had its national headcount which put the population at 16.1 million. The 1921 national census put the population at 18.7 million. There were other censuses in 1931, 1952-3, 1962-3, 1973, 1991 and 2006. These dates clearly show that census has never been regular in Nigeria. Attempts were made by colonial masters to make it regular but immediately after independence the exercise became irregular. After 1991 census, Nigeria waited for 15 years in 2006 before another one could take place. Since 2006, series of events have taken place; there have been changes in demographic component – fertility, mortality and even migration across the six geo-political zones. It is therefore necessary to know the current population of the country rather than relying on projections or rough estimates which in most cases are far from realities.

    The last census conducted in Nigeria was in 2006 indicating that another one should have been held in 2016 following the United Nations recommendation. We are now approaching the end of what should have been census year, that is 2016, but unfortunately, nothing is happening. Even though National Population Commission (NPopC) recently carried out demarcation of enumeration areas in some LGAs nationwide and going by our knowledge of NPopC’s activities, the commission is almost ready with the schedule that will be used, but the readiness and commitment of government cannot be ascertained. In spite of the recent proclamation of National Assembly towards the conduct of another census in 2018, there is nothing on ground to show that government is yet committed or being on the same page with National Population Commission. The Proclamation by Senate to have another census in 2018 is still waiting for the assent of the President. Again, the international agencies that morally and financially supported the National Population Commission during the 2006 national headcount is yet to show any interest in the forthcoming national headcount. What this portends is that the decennial rule has failed and nobody is sure of when the next census will take place in Nigeria.
    Census is not a simple exercise and it requires a lot of activities and planning. There is need for demarcation of enumeration area, which good enough the commission has commenced; there is need to have a very good census questionnaire that will be acceptable to all and sundry and there is publicity aspect that should be carefully handled by professionals. Apart from the above, there is a lot of training that should be done for all those that will be involved in one way or the other among various other activities. The logistic and some other activities have to be planned. For the exercise, a lot of fund will be needed. The country was lucky during the 2006 census to have received support and financial assistance from international agencies. However, this time around, it seems as if the agencies are not willing to be involved in the conduct of the forthcoming census in Nigeria. Maybe, these agencies are waiting for Nigerian government’s reaction and/or commitment towards the exercise for them to decide on what will be their level of involvement in population enumeration. This is the more reason why President’s assent to the Senate proclamation is necessary now and other necessary actions should immediately follow.
    However, from all indications, it seems census is not considered as one of the priorities of Nigerian government. For instance, there was no provision for census in the 2016 national budget and one is not sure if it is given any serious consideration in the 2017 budget. Hence, it has been difficult for the National Population Commission to say categorically when the next census will take place. Initially, the Commission was optimistic and hopefully believed that the next census would come up in 2016. When this was no longer feasible due to lack of commitment from Nigerian government and based on the attitude of all international agencies that supported the commission in the previous exercise, the hope shifted to year 2017. Now based on the recommendation of National Assembly, the exercise will take place in 2018. But if the exercise will be for the year 2018, one should be seeing the sign now; the horizon is not clear enough for anybody to see what government is doing towards having a credible census in 2018 as recommended by National Assembly. It takes nothing less than one year to plan for a census that will worth its salt for a country as huge as Nigeria. Census is not a simple exercise.
    If Nigeria could not conduct its national headcount in 2016 and 2017 is not feasible, then when will the next census come up or for how long will the country wait before another census is conducted? In Nigeria, much emphasis is placed on politics forgetting the invaluable role of population figures even for political activities. Census is very important; without accurate census, governments at various levels will continue to base their plans on estimated or projected figures. This is one of the reasons why Nigeria as a nation has not been able to make any tangible progress in all ramifications. Unfortunately, this year 2016 is already gone and census can no longer hold in 2017. The basic question then is when will the next census be conducted in Nigeria?
    •Ogunjuyigbe, Professor of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria, is President of Population Association of Nigeria (PAN).

  • Patriotism and the 2017 Budget

    The speech with which President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2017 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 14 should be of interest to Nigerians beyond the fiscal details of the presentation.
    This additional interest, which I consider as important as those fiscal details, arises from his hint at patriotism as a critical factor in reversing the country’s current economic woes in addition to the implementation of the budget, which he enthusiastically described as the “Budget of Recovery and Growth … designed to bring the economy out of recession and to a path of steady growth and prosperity.”
    He makes a direct reference to patriotism in his remark about “those courageous and patriotic men and women who believed in Nigeria” and who “are now seeing the benefits gradually come to fruition,” having seized the opportunity provided by the current economic challenges and turned them to account with their “creativity, talents and resilience.”
    But his indirect hints at patriotism as a critical factor in pulling the country out of recession and putting it on the path of sustainable economic growth afterwards are even more significant.
    They remind us that “we wasted our large foreign exchange reserves to import nearly everything we consume. Our food, our clothing, our manufacturing inputs, our fuel and much more.” And that “by importing nearly everything, we provide jobs for young men and women in the countries that produce what we import, while our own young people wander around jobless.” And that “by preferring imported goods, we ensure steady jobs for the nationals of other countries, while our own farmers, manufacturers, engineers, and marketers, remain jobless.”
    Then, he enthuses about the slow but sure disappearance of “that old Nigeria” and the rise of “a new era…in which we grow what we eat and consume what we make.”
    In this new era, he continues, “we will increasingly grow and process our own food, we will manufacture what we can and refine our own petroleum products. We will buy ‘Made in Nigeria’ goods. We will encourage garment manufacturing and Nigerian designers, tailors and fashion retailers. We will patronise local entrepreneurs. We will promote the manufacturing powerhouses in Aba, Calabar, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nnewi, Onitsha, and Ota. From light manufacturing to cement production and petrochemicals, our objective is to make Nigeria a new manufacturing hub.”
    Yes. President Buhari has his critics some of whom he can be said to have cultivated through his actions. But I doubt that any of them can contest the sincerity of these words and the relevance of the associated propositions to solving the country’s lingering economic problems if they are implemented.
    He can be summed up as saying that, regardless of our financial situation as a nation, our attitude as a people is critical to our economic survival during this period of recession, and our prosperity afterwards. We cannot be patronizing imported goods at the expense of our own, consequently starving our manufactures of funds and denying our citizens of jobs, and expect to become a self-reliant, let alone prosperous, nation.
    And when I read his exhortation to buy “Made in Nigeria” goods, I recalled when the United States, during the Clinton presidency, was facing severe economic challenges with the concomitant rise of the Japanese economy in the early 1990s, with Japanese goods, especially the technological ones, seeming generally preferable to their American equivalents even to Americans.
    Even the United States government countered the trend by sponsoring the “Buy American” campaign through radio jingles and whatnot. So President Buhari’s call to buy “Made in Nigeria” goods has an American precedent. And it is simply about patriotism, about putting the survival of one’s country first, like the Americans who responded positively to the “Buy American” campaign and returned to patronising American goods in preference to foreign ones.
    Incidentally, this is one aspect of the budget presentation speech that can resonate with economic experts and laymen alike. Even our recent profligate past, in which we earned so much from oil without saving for the future, showing lack of patriotism on the part of those responsible, is a clear indication that financial buoyancy alone does not guarantee economic security, especially in the light of what we now face partly as a result of that profligacy, suddenly confronted with lean times and the sudden drop in the price of oil, our major revenue earner.
    Without the right attitude from Nigerians and government officials who would be directing spending in implementation of the budget, without a deliberate choice to put our money where our mouth is – in our country – the N7.298 trillion 2017 budget may turn out a budget of capital flight rather than recovery and growth as the president has pronounced it.
    Unfortunately, even under Buhari’s watch, the government has been negligent in following his patriotic blueprint for economic revival. Otherwise the Senate’s purchase of “108 Toyota Land Cruisers” in April this year at the cost of “N3.8 billion” should have been patronage directed at the local auto industry, which evidently needs the money for its survival and growth more than the Japanese owner of the Toyota brand. What is worse? The Senate allegedly spent twice the normal price on the vehicles!
    Lack of political will has been blamed for the country’s inability to save in a time of plenty under the immediate past government. But I think that dereliction also reflects lack of moral will and patriotism on the part of those who should have ensured the savings, seeing that the supposed lack of political will did not prevent them from taking good care of themselves in their private capacities.
    The same situation can recur, and prevent the implementation of Buhari’s redemptive pan-Nigerian economic blueprint as articulated in the budget speech, unless he has the political and moral will to compel government to buy “Made in Nigeria,” thereby leading by example and giving governmental justification for his administration’s mantra: Change begins with me.
    Imagine the impact of Nigerians knowing that their president uses products from what he acknowledged as “the manufacturing powerhouses in Aba, Calabar, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Nnewi, Onitsha, and Ota.” Imagine the effect of their seeing him drive or be driven around in a “Made in Nigeria” car. Imagine the result of their hearing him persuade government agencies, especially those in the executive arm directly under his control, to patronise Nigerian goods as a priority, having been known to do so himself. How inspiring that would be to the cause of ensuring the country’s economic revival and subsequent growth under his watch and in accordance with his blueprint of economic patriotism!

  • Garlands for Dogara @49

    Garlands for Dogara @49

    Forty nine years ago today, a humble child was born in the back waters of what is today north eastern Nigeria. That child, against all odds is Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Coming from a very humble background, breed in the rural community of Tafawa-Balewa, Bauchi State, Dogara, is living to the expectations of the people.
    Here is a man who after excelling in university was sought after and offered automatic lucrative jobs in multinational oil companies but declined because he strongly believes that there is more to life than money and rather opted to practice law with all the attendant consequences and uncertainties. That singular decision, in a society whose values are measured in how much material possession one garners, tells volumes about his inner man, thoughts, traits, personality, and the selfless character of Dogara.
    His incorruptible character came to bear in the 6th Assembly, while serving as chairman of the Customs and Excise committee, he rejected a bribe offered in a desperate move to thwart investigation in the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service by some corrupt and unpatriotic contractors and their collaborators within the service then.
    Again, in the wake of his defection from the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), N500 million and an automatic return ticket was offered to him; only if he returns to the PDP, yet he declined the offer and moved on.
    The ability and courage to resist mouth-watering and tempting offers of that nature and magnitude, not because he had enough but for the fear of God and love of country is what defines the personae and character of Dogara as a patriotic and incorruptible leader.
    He believes and practices politics of give and take, consensus building and compromise-accommodating both friends and foes-putting aside that which is personal for the collective interests of the Nigerian people.
    He strongly believes in dialogue, negotiation and consensus building, which are the cardinal pillars of his leadership.
    His quality of being peaceful and one who strongly believes in building bridges of friendship and love across the divides has in no small way, helped in bringing the desired stability in the House
    Thus, he has continued to enjoy enormous support and loyalty from his colleagues, who acknowledge his transparency and open-door policy.
    No wonder, the House in just one and half years has achieved many firsts and surpassed records sets by all previous assemblies put together. In 18 months of its tenure, the House has passed into law about 150 bills some of which have either been signed into law or are awaiting Senate’s concurrence.
    Prominent among these is the North East Development Commission Establishment bill, the bill he conceived, personally sponsored and galvanised support from his colleagues in both chambers.
    The Speaker also empanelled a high-powered committee of renowned and erudite scholars and legal luminaries to clean up Nigeria’s statues books from 1900 to date which turned in hundreds of bills that are going through the legislative mills in the House. In total, about 800 bills and almost 1000 motions were introduced in just one and half years.
    Not only that, the Speaker embarked upon visitations to Internally Displaced Persons’ camps across the country, providing succour and giving them messages of hope that although weeping may last in the night, joy cometh in the morning because according to him, the worst that can happen to a people is to lose hope.
    In one such visit to an IDP camp in Edo State, Dogara broke down in tears after seeing a crowd of over 2000 young children aged three to 18, orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency and offered to pay for WAEC and NECO examination fees of those finishing secondary school.
    Thus, he continued his push for the convocation of international donor conference to rebuild the North-east apart from monthly financial contribution by all MPs from the region which he is spearheading.
    Instructively, for the first time in the legislative history of Nigeria since independence, the House under Dogara, introduced sectoral debates last May where ministers appeared before the lawmakers and told Nigerians about the federal government’s economic and social policies aimed at diversifying and revamping the economy and putting the country back to the path of growth, development and economic prosperity.
    Similarly, he has been leading campaigns for the deepening of the Nigerian capital market and even made history as the first presiding officer of the National Assembly to visit the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos where he sounded the closing gong and assured investors that the House will pass legislation that will ease business, attract foreign direct investment and create jobs for the teaming millions of our youths.
    Talking about youths, the speaker is also at the forefront of campaign to pass the #NotTooYoungToRun bill aimed at reducing the minimum age required by law to stand for elections in Nigeria. Already, the bill has since scaled second reading.
    Also for the first time, over 100 students from over 100 public and private Nigerian universities on the invitation of the Speaker converged on the National Assembly where he interacted with them for two days, gave them insight to the running and activities of the parliament and answered their questions- a similar meeting is in the offing for Polytechnic students which is unprecedented.
    Additionally, the Speaker continued to mediate between the federal government and the young resident doctors with marathon meetings spanning through weeks and months which resulted in calling off the strike and averted future industrial actions.
    His interventionist meetings with the Nigerian Labour Congress helped in averting a major national industrial action early in the year following removal of fuel subsidies.
    On the political front, the House under Dogara is stable and at peace with itself-busy discharging its roles and responsibilities to the electorate, thanks to his political sagacity and leadership prowess.
    It is also his belief that the executive and the legislature must not fight or be engaged in a supremacy battle before they can work to move the nation forward.
    Dogara believes that justice is needed in building a civil society and that for societies to grow, leaders must understand the workings of justice which is necessary in any democracy for equality to thrive.
    At every opportunity, he emphasises that the primary interest of leaders at all levels should be the people and not their ego or power tussle. He would insist that the bickering and animosity that characterised the relationship between the two arms of government in the past should never be allowed to rear its head again under the change administration of the APC because this government, which came on the promises of change, cannot afford to fail the people.
    This has earned him commendations from many quarters including the All Progressives Governors Forum chairman, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who while addressing a team of visiting federal MPs in Owerri recently showered encomiums on him saying: “I commend the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara for the patriotic role he played towards reconciling the National Assembly with the Presidency.”
    In March this year, Dogara was honoured by the Royal Commonwealth Society for leading the House to pass an unprecedented 130 bills in one legislative sitting which they acknowledged is no small feat. “We looked at the feat, it is an all-inclusive kind of governance for Nigerian people and he deserved that recognition and that is why the Commonwealth gave him that recognition.”
    The Speaker also received the Zik Leadership Award for Public Service 2015, Leadership Newspapers Group Politician of the Year 2015 and has just been named the Sun Newspaper Group Political Icon of the Year 2016.
    What more can one say about such an unassuming personality, master tactician, progressive, vibrant politician, erudite scholar, lawyer per excellence and one who has achieved these feats and greatness through hard work, honesty, and fear of God as is required of leaders in these trying times in Nigeria.
    It was Josiah Gilbert Holland who aptly cried unto God to give us men as like this –  ”Men with Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who possess opinions and a will. Men who have honour….” Happy 49th birthday Mr. Speaker.

    •Hassan is Special Adviser Media & Public Affairs to the Rt. Hon. Speaker.