It will be difficult to benchmark the achievements of the Buhari administration in the labour sector without being misled by the barrage of grim indices that shape the world of work since 2015. They are unrelenting! The unemployment rate is high at 34% while a discomfiting multidimensional Poverty Index, pegged at 63%, means that about 133 million out of about 200 million Nigerians live in abject poverty. These figures are well, not belied by the realities on the ground. The gnashing of teeth across the length and breadth of the nation is too loud though the cossetted few, cocooned at the top national leadership will usually dispute in self defence. With the distorting effects of galloping inflation on the economy, the concomitant runaway prices of goods and services, the N30,000 Minimum Wage born in 2019, is now worth less than the previous N18,000. Workers, who are fixed income earners are the worst hit. The harvest of strikes by different labour unions which peaked with the infamous nine months strike by the Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities is not unconnected with the snapped purchasing power. The resilient Nigerian spirit remained strong in the face of a near rock-melting hardship though, but was almost hard done by the stern two-months of a hugely mismanaged currency swap regime, in between which, came the highly blemished 2023 general elections. Sweltering was the heat. However, while these unflattering indices are signposts to how badly the administration fared in its promise of better life, it also largely sucked the oxygen away from a relative distinction made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige. But it certainly does not tell all. The reason is that if we put together, all the indicators that connote positive change in the world of work, it becomes easier to locate the impact of the revolution the Minister engineered, though fiercely held down by a cacophony of more visible negative signs.
And nothing bears this fact out than a well-thought out, futuristic institutionalization of the labour administrative processes to replace whimsical procedures that had dogged the ministry over time. And that is Ngige’s high score in labour standards – solidifying the rules and regulations that govern the world of work! This will not be very obvious to casual observers but labour watchers and stakeholders understand the huge implications. Generally, lack of strong institutions is one of the biggest challenges facing developing countries. The former President of the United States, Barak Obama captured it better while on a state visit to Ghana in 2009. He urged African countries to “build institutions rather than strong men.” Strong institutions are the engine of growth and fulcrum of stability. In the Ministry of Labour, Ngige caused the strengthening of labour institutions in number of ways, top among which is the deliberate stimulation of the interplay of labour laws (Trade Dispute Acts, Trade Union Acts) as well as the relevant Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to dictate dispute resolution, with an unfettered social dialogue at the centre. He quietly emplaced reliance on statutory provisions rather than dependence on subjective whims. He opened a new page in labour administration where legality is ascending beyond caprice.
How would there be productivity in a zero locale of labour standards? It will be a descent to the jungle. We almost got there in the last four years. While strikes are legitimate tools in tripartite negotiations, a chance observer of its deluge lately might think the labour laws are not adequate for regulating tripartite relations. The contrary is the abundance of robust provisions whose potency is mostly untapped by successive labour administrators. Just few of them! Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act on No Work, No pay, Section 17 on suspension of strike once apprehended, Section 18 mandating the Minister of Labour to transmit a failed negotiation to the Industrial court or Arbitration Panel, Section 37 of the Trade Union Act that requires registered union to render yearly audited account to the Registrar of Trade Union on or before June of every year. There is also section 7 of the Trade Disputes Act that contemplates essential services, Section 6 of the Trade Union Act that guides against dictatorial unionism, the ILO Convention 87 on rights of workers to strike, and the protection of the employer and his business, Convention 144 on the primacy of social dialogue among so many others that were left to gather dust because of lack of political will and the fixing of institutional mechanism for labour standards which is capable of outlasting successive public officers. In two years alone while actively pursuing the review of moribund labour laws already before the National Assembly, Ngige has achieved the ratification of additional four critical ILO Conventions including 2006 C(187) on occupational safety, 2019 C (190) on Gender Violence and Harassment, 175(143) on migrant workers and 1997(181) on private employment agency. The impact of these ratified conventions in the world of work will be immense.
Significant steps in labour standards has largely succeeded in charting a new course and pushing to the centre stage, a system-based mechanism which rested the ghost of ceaseless strikes by labour unions, especially in the health and education sectors. This will definitely inspire a change in the climate of unionism, in a manner that puts penchant for strike on the backfoot. It will deter the unions from a typical perennial knives-out, a situation where strike is the first option instead of a last resort, even in circumstances where unwilling union members are played as fiddle, and the national productivity consigned on the tenterhook.
It is in this light that a hypothetical line of disinformation by Emmanuel Onwubiko, a right activist on Ngige’s handling of the last ASUU strike passes off as act in ignorance or mischief. He deployed utter lies as an effective tool and concretizes same with a blanket insinuation that the Minister failed in his responsibilities. Selective perception and wrongful deduction might have blurred his view to ASUU’s obscurantism and non-cooperation in turning down every offer made to it, only to turn round and accept same before the National Assembly, after wasting nine months at home. Onwubiko’s inchoate red herring and narrowness on the democratization of unionism as regards the unbundling of ASUU is unforgivable for an activist. The decentralization of unions makes them true representatives of workers and denies opportunity to leviathanism, which suppresses the view of a significant union membership as seen in the case of ASUU, where NAMDAM and CONUA today breath freedom. The minister has done well by extending intellectual democracy which ASUU touts to unionism also.
Key to this institutionalization is to engrave in the subconscious of unionism, that there are laws and that default carry consequences. And that the ambit of the law remains the only alternative for the expression of dissent. While this does not mean the enthronement of tyranny by the government over the tripartite, it will ensure that irresponsible strikes inured to entreaties of social dialogue, is neutered through due process of law. The reason is not far-fetched hence, the recommendation by the Minister that newly elected leadership of labour unions undergoes a compulsory training at the Michael Imodu Institute of Labour Studies to be at home with the nuances of labour laws and Conventions of the ILO.
•Ajuwon is former Director of Inspectorate, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
As the race for the Speakership of the 10th National Assembly gathers momentum, it is becoming interestingly clearer that the political landscape is as usual brimming with ambitious parliamentarians, especially returning lawmakers who are statutorily qualified to aspire for Green Chamber’s top job.
However, only a few possess all that it takes to make that office what it should be. While every aspirant has their qualities and prowess, not everyone can be Speaker at the same time hence the need to focus on the best among them.
It is against this background that the emergence of Rt Hon Aminu Sani Jaji, a former House Committee Chairman on National Intelligence and Security takes a strong root. A very firm personality, Hon. Sani Jaji is a focused personality who believes in a long-term progressive development plan for the betterment of Nigeria, a resolve which is above and beyond any short-term personal gain. His charm, honesty, and capacity to evaluate circumstances and make judgments based on what will be better for the majority stand him out of the pack.
The lawmaker representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency of Zamfara State has in many circumstances demonstrated that he is a visionary leader who has a dream for the integrity fortification of the National Assembly, and understands how to turn this vision into success stories in the 10th National Assembly if elected Speaker.
Like never before, the 10th National Assembly needs a dependable, sincere, and forward-thinking personality as a leader. It craves someone who understands the complexities of the current configuration of the National Assembly and the urgency of uniting all members toward making laws for the betterment of the entire country.
Surely, the intricacy of pulling varieties of opinion together can be challenging, but the enormous wealth of experience Hon. Sani Jaji parades as a seasoned legislator, public servant, and team player give him a visible edge ahead of other contenders. His intellect, experience, and knowledge about national issues are rare gifts.
Hon. Jaji is composed with a clear mind and a national disposition that will greatly benefit our country in the search for a perfect leader as Speaker of the 10th National Assembly who will bail us out of current socio-economic and security challenges bedeviling the country. Arguably, this is a renaissance period when Nigeria needs to rejuvenate and take its rightful place amongst the comity of nations. Hence, it is required that a forthright and visionary leader like Hon. Sani Jaji takes the “driver’s seat” at the Green Chamber.
Jaji represents the unique positive character of a true leader. His values have shaped his character and poise. He is tolerant, calm, and accommodating. His emergence as the Speaker of the 10th National Assembly will certainly strengthen our democratic journey. We need legislation and policies which will recognise, measure and plan for the specific needs of, and impact all citizens.
A core party man and a formidable grassroots mobiliser, Rt Hon Sani Jaji were the Director of Contact and Mobilisation for the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council for the northwest. When in 2015, the people of Laura Namuda/Birni Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara State elected him to represent them in the Green Chamber, Hon Jaji gave an excellent account of the mandate given to him by his constituents.
He has over the years impacted tremendously on the lives and well-being of his people. He deployed his finances to build schools, mosques, hospitals, and other social infrastructures across his native Zamfara State. A philanthropist extraordinary, Rt. Hon. Sani Jaji provided annual scholarships to students in his federal constituency as well as across the state. He also initiated several skills acquisition training and has established businesses for many women and youths.
In the wake of the 2023 electioneering campaigns, Rt Hon Sani-Jaji donated not less than eighty (80) vehicles, motorcycles, and other empowerment items to people of different political divides and religious inclinations in Zamfara State.
His foray into the Speakership race of the 10th National Assembly is surely a ray of hope for our struggling democratic experiment. He is one individual who believes in one united entity called Nigeria, and he has in effect demonstrated this attribute in most of his philanthropic lifestyle in Zamfara State. A down-to-earth humanist, Rt Hon Sani-Jaji is simply a God-sent who will chart a new and refreshing course for the 10th National Assembly.
This is a celebration of an exceptional African business icon and enigma from an insider perspective. I have interacted with the billionaire founder of Globacom and Conoil, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., for over three decades, 16 years of which I worked for him, often at close quarters. This is an unrestrained chronicling of his unique attributes; with anecdotes and perspectives you probably have never read elsewhere.
The enigma
it was one of those activity-choked days when his meetings lasted till very late in the night. He had, a few moments earlier, closed his last meeting for the day with senior managers in his signature style. “Well, everyone to himself, God for us all,” he said with reverence, yet commandingly and reassuringly. With everyone released, he treated the remaining files on his desk, passed them to his secretary and crossed over from his Oval Office at the golden building to his palatial residence, which he fittingly christened Bellissima on the waterfront. Bellissima is an Italian word coined from bella, which means gorgeous, while issima, is an absolute superlative. Bellissima, the name, absolutely complements the gorgeousness of the immaculate white buildings at the Adenuga villas and their coral-coloured roofs. You would think, at that wee hour, he was heading straight to bed once he got home. No Sir!
Dr. Adenuga is genetically fortunate to require only about three to four hours of sleep a day. The influential Wall Street Journal calls his kind the sleep-less elite who need just a few hours of sleep to function normally. In that mold are the likes of Tim Cook of Apple and former American President Donald Trump. Sometimes, he would make a few calls to give some follow-up instructions or review some aspects of his last meetings. Then, he would pour himself a glass of one of the smoothest cognacs in the world, relax and journey back to the past couple of hours to dissect his previous day, reflectively.
That, for Dr. Adenuga is a spiritual voyage of sorts where he tries to set matters straight between himself and the people he had encountered. Meditatively, he would ask himself, ‘Was I fair to him? Was she fair to me? Is there any additional value to explore and get a better result beyond the ideas the various teams from Globacom to Conoil Producing, Conoil Plc, Cobblestone Properties & Estate and others presented? How can we optimize our assets?’ He could be at this for up to three or four hours before calling it a day. That is how the genius mindset of Chairman Adenuga works. Upon deep reflection, if in the previous day there was anyone the Chairman felt he was unfair to, he would make amends, often not in an apology but in voluntary compensatory actions. If there was anyone he felt was unfair to him, he would also take corrective measures. As generous as he frequently is, he doesn’t spare the rods when he needs to make people account for their misdeeds. Where he acts the fastest is on any matter that could stimulate business growth. He takes whatever action is required to get results, particularly where the opportunity is hot and fresh, even if it requires a trip to the most distant part of the world. There were people in the Mike Adenuga Group who had travelled to the US, Europe, China and other parts of Africa and had no clue they were travelling as close as four to 24 hours before they boarded their flights. No other business leader I have known can match his mettle when it comes to pulling all the strings to get a difficult result. That perhaps is the strongest staying power of an icon his admirers call the Great Guru.
How he presides over meetings
Dr. Adenuga is a strict disciplinarian who runs his organisations with traits of the command-and-control structure of a military hierarchy. A perfectionist, he expects his officials and consultants to be prompt, organised, adequately prepared and conform to the rules of his office. “You can’t do that here. This is the Office of the Chairman”, he would thunder and remind anyone stepping out of line. He is irritated by tardiness and unintelligent responses. A voracious reader and intellectual explorationist, he ceaselessly brings himself up to speed on the latest trends in the businesses he is involved in, from oil exploration to the downstream, banking to finance, real estate, hospitality, road construction and telecommunications. You cannot pull the wool over his eyes. One moment he is discussing the network configuration management system for Globacom with his technical team, the next moment, he is discussing the result of geological surveys and offshore/onshore drilling of oil with his Conoil Producing management team. The same day, he is getting feedback from his representatives at Julius Berger, where he has controlling shares, and Cobblestone, the multibillion real estate company which has luxurious properties spread across the land. This is just a snippet of his regular undertakings. He probably would have slowed it down by now.
He is also politically and economically savvy. He has unassailable strategies on how to fix the Nigerian economy. I can just imagine how much Nigerian and African leaders can tap from his profound solutions, most of which are a bigger bang for the buck, even without asking to be paid any buck. It’s there just for the asking!
How long or short he spends with every presenting team depends on how much value he gets from or adds to the presentation. He needs only a few slides to decide if a presentation is worth his precious time. Yet, he displays a disarming humility, especially when there are visiting consultants or advisers. He is quick to spot and convert opportunities. He sees the boardroom and an entire organisation like a football team where only the players in good form keep their shirts. “Everyone must fight for his shirt”, he would say. Yet, he shows the milk of human kindness to his people. He gets personal with employees he often interacts with, cares about their welfare over and beyond the benefits they get from the system. Dr. Adenuga is also a powerful storyteller who has shared several aspects of his life relevant to topics under discussion with officials during or after meetings.
How he keeps valuable staff
Despite his strict regimen and famous quote of, “We may laugh and play together, don’t let the hierarchy be lost on you,” Dr. Adenuga is among the most involved and most caring employers of labour you can ever see. When a valued staff departs voluntarily or is asked to quit over certain developments, the Chairman does not see it as a permanent separation. If there is an opening later and he remembers any of the former staff he rates as ‘livewires’ who can fill the void, he will go after such staff, entice, appeal, incentivize or take any step necessary to bring him/her back. Dr. Adenuga goes as far as speaking directly to the staff or sending emissaries to them to gain their confidence and rekindle their collaboration. Biblical? Perhaps, yes. Leaders can leave a herd and go after a lost or missing sheep. For a business leader who can afford to hire any staff from anywhere in the world, that is a rare act of humility, large-heartedness and pragmatism. About two years after I had left Globacom in 2020, I got a surprise call from the Chairman. “Bode, mo ti’n wa e. Nibo lo wa lat’ojo yi (Bode, I have been looking for you, where have you been all this while)? Then he added, “We shouldn’t be far from each other. I shouldn’t be looking for you when I need you or you, looking for me when you need me. There is no easy way to say goodbye but there can be a pleasant way”. I thanked him for his fatherly admonition, and we have kept in touch ever since. The truth is that the Chairman really does not need me to the point of seeking me out. It is just his nature to be kind to his employees and friends he considered valuable when they were with him.
Role in turning wiz kid, others into global stars
The world today celebrates Wizkid, Burna Boy and other Nigerian music superstars who have become global icons. Dr. Adenuga played a big part in accelerating their journeys into global reckoning. He instructed his management team to engage the fledgling music stars then as brand ambassadors and take them on musical and comedy tours across the country. Many of them had the opportunity to perform in different parts of Nigeria for the first time, courtesy of the Adenuga gesture. Empowerment is one of the core reasons he founded Globacom. He wanted the fish seller in Epe or the yam seller in Aboh Mbaise or the farmer in Dawakin, Kano to be able to reach their customers and boost their trade. When things were tough for comedians, Nollywood stars and musicians, the endorsement and performance fees they got from Globacom helped in no small way to see them through. Many of the beneficiaries are eternally grateful for that deed. His impact was also felt in football across Nigeria, Ghana and at CAF where he pumped millions of dollars to promote and develop African football for almost two decades.
Adenuga’s extensive connections
The Chairman has an extensive network of connections, and he has kept many of them in his closest circle over the years. In the innermost of the circle are the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who is his older cousin, the Esama of Benin, Sir Cabriel Igbinedion, and his son, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, boardroom guru Mr. Bode Emmanuel, General IBM Haruna, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Dr. Seyi Roberts and Chief Obi Adimora. This list is by no means exhaustive. Another of the elite senior friends is General Alani Akinrinade, whom he met as the big brother of his close childhood friend. He has nurtured a sublime friendship with the Akinrinades over the years. He is particularly fond of General Akinrinade, who was kind to them in those days when the youngsters were trying to find their feet. The powerful list also includes past and present heads of state across the world, Governors, Senators, traditional rulers, professionals, friends and associates. Many thought he would be in a dilemma when two of his friends, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, went head-to-head in the last presidential election. They forgot that he is a boardroom virtuoso who understands the dynamics of leadership contests in Nigeria and would never be caught in the crossfire. His strategy over time is to leave politicking to politicians and stay in his comfort zone, the boardroom and business management.
Relationship with his children
Like every caring and doting father, the Chairman loves his children to bits. He spoils them with gifts and finds time to attend to them despite his extremely busy schedule. He prioritises family dinner which could be at least once a week, often after watching movies together at the family’s luxuriant cinema hall. He also comes hard on them when they get on the wrong side of his strict rules. He once told one of his children whom he had to compel to attend a meeting after requesting to be excused, “Come rain or shine, I’m at this desk, working. If I can do that without giving excuses, then you shouldn’t give excuses. The only thing I owe you is to give you a good education. Afterwards, if you want to stay here, you are welcome, but you must adhere to my instructions”. Surely, he cherishes them and will do anything for them, but he wants to train them in his strict disciplinarian way, believing this will strengthen them in sustaining the huge legacy he is bestowing on them. Everyone close to the Adenugas knows that his scions have also fully embraced the ethos of hard work wholeheartedly and they are adept at what they do. He once told me after a meeting at his Oko-Awo home office, shortly before relocating to the Banana Island home, that his wish was to hand over his flourishing empire to his children.
Adenuga’s legendary generosity
Dr. Adenuga’s generosity is legendary. He gives personal rewards like no other billionaire, except for probably a few like Oprah Winfrey. “If God has given you this kind of resources, it is not for you and your family alone”, he would say. That is the guiding philosophy influencing the way he reaches out through his wealth.
All year round, he splashes generous gifts on extended family, friends, associates, staff and the less privileged. The gifts could range from exotic brand-new cars to expensive perfumes, designer bags, designer wristwatches and cash. And during every festive season, he has a long list of beneficiaries he touches with life-transforming gifts; some on rotation, others in perpetuity. He is detailed and exquisitely tasteful, not only in the quality of gifts but also in the manner the gifts are presented. His Christmas cards are not only the best designed but the first to arrive. Recipients have treated them as valuables to be proudly displayed. He is unorthodox in living out his precepts. He does things his own way and the Chairman acts and moves when he wants to. He doesn’t like to be over pressurised.
His company, Globacom, recently revamped and furnished the rundown home of a former national football hero, Peter Fregene, who had been in financial distress. That altruism has the imprimatur of Dr. Adenuga written all over it. He feels a deep sense of inexplicable joy when he sends his team to look for and rehabilitate Nigerians whose predicaments caught his attention. Sometimes, he would send his team to go and enquire about the well-being of a friend and associate he had not heard from in a while and ensure such was well taken care of. He also loves enabling empowerment promotions, using his companies to give out jaw-dropping prizes like houses, cars, hefty sums of money and tools of trade such as sewing machines and tricycles, among others.
How he indulges self
The chairman enjoys the good things of life and pampers himself in remarkable ways. Yet, he believes that if it is not broken, don’t fix it. At his Oko-Awo, VI, Lagos office, he used the same TV sets for over a decade before finally giving the nod for them to be changed. His car preferences include Mercedes Benz G Wagon, Range Rover, sports cars, Toyota Landcruiser and Bentley. For some reason, he keeps his distance from Rolls Royce.
He also has a fleet of private jets, including the recently acquired Dassault Falcon, a quiet, productive, beautiful and luxurious executive jet built to withstand stormy weather. Named Sisi Paris after one of his grandchildren, the Dassault Falcon is a beauty in the air.
He has palatial homes in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Accra, London and Johannesburg. The Lagos villa is the most extensive of them all with numerous mansions, a chapel, a purpose-built auditorium, an office tower, a general office for his private staff and an executive holding bay for visitors, a residence for domestic staff, a gym, an Olympic size swimming pool, a helipad and a boat dock. The Chairman is a connoisseur of excellent wine, champagne and a power dresser who sets his own dressing standards. Occasionally, he invites special friends over to spend the evening with him and can arrange for top-of-the-range entertainers to tickle their fancy, even if they are just a couple. Sometimes, he also arranges to have dinner or lunch with his best performing staff, often at some of the choicest restaurants in town. Always looking out for the comfort of his people, he would scan the room at regular intervals and nudge those who were not relaxed enough to drink or eat more.
A genius like no other
As a business icon, he reacts to issues in a manner totally different from many other business elites. No matter the storm, he is always calm. Dr. Adenuga has spent a substantial part of the last two and a half decades of his life nurturing Globacom to the giant brand it has become. He built it all from the ground up, spending thousands of painstaking days and nights with his team. In the process, he has been celebrated locally and globally, at times maligned and a few times persecuted. He has stepped on toes; others have stepped on his toes. Sometimes, he would get his team to defend his honour, at other times, he would let it slide. He knew he could not please everyone and he endeavours to fix his shortcomings. In later years, he developed a thick skin to extreme critics. When he sees a profound gesture or publication celebrating his exploits, he reaches out to express his gratitude, sometimes personally. He likes to keep his head under the parapet, as he loves to frame it.
Dr. Adenuga has never confronted any government in power. He would always devise his own ingenious way to co-exist harmoniously with the government of the day. He believes he has too much at stake to take on any government. He uses diplomacy, tact and rapprochement to reconcile differences. The most vindictive government for Dr. Adenuga remains the Olusegun Obasanjo regime, which even forced him to go into self exile. From various reports, Obasanjo wanted him (Dr. Adenuga) to implicate General Babangida and lie to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the General owns Globacom. ‘Once you confirm that to Nuhu, everything will be fine’, he was instructed. At that time, Nuhu Ribadu was the Chairman of EFCC. Adenuga couldn’t understand why anyone would want him to lie against himself over his own business. Adenuga refused. He was hounded out of town and the rest is now history. For General Babangida, that was a commendable act of courage by Adenuga for refusing to accede to a trumped-up charge to implicate him (Babangida), ruin his reputation and then possibly give his traducers the weapon they need to prosecute him.
His love for Soyinka, Maitama Sule, Ojukwu
Dr. Adenuga is a master strategist. When he launched Globacom, he chose Glo with Pride as the payoff line. It was a rallying call to the entire nation to be proud of our heritage and accomplishments. To ingrain the brand in the heart of fellow countrymen as a national hero to treasure, he sought out the support of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; one of Nigeria’s finest diplomats, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, and the Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. They all had one thing in common. They were elder statesmen who were respected vastly in their spheres of influence. After some convincing, they agreed to do it to support a young man who was making the nation proud. Professor Soyinka was a tough nut to crack. He made it categorically clear that he wouldn’t do brand endorsements. Dr. Adenuga counted on the poet’s closest allies such as Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi to convince him to support the vision on the condition that his (Professor Soyinka’s) message would not be used for product endorsements. When the messages were launched on national television, they became an instant hit across the country.
As the first fully owned Nigerian telecommunication brand to be launched after two foreign brands in the same category had enjoyed a two-year head start, Globacom needed such a tremendous intervention to stand a chance. It complemented the Per-Second Billing narrative and propelled Globacom to become the darling of the nation.
Let the celebrations begin
To all fond admirers of Dr. Adenuga worldwide, it is an extraordinary moment of inestimable joy to see an icon of this magnitude clock the ripe age of 70 on April 29, 2023. This is not the moment to nitpick about his life or start documenting his shortcomings. This is a period to soak ourselves in unadulterated joy as we commemorate an exceptional national asset, father, husband, uncle, mentor, visionary, philosopher and juggernaut. Wherever you are on April 29, please fill your glass and let us toast to the good health and longer life of this incredible achiever who holds the highest national honour of three major countries, including the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) in Nigeria, Companion of the Star of Ghana and Commander of the Legion of Honour in France.
•Opeseitan is a social commentator, consultant and global business developer.
Curriculum development is a complex way of building and expanding a course taught in an institution. The framework for curriculum expansion is broad and may include the various stages of analysis, building, implementation and evaluation. The administration of Dr. Michael Arimanwa, an engineer, has made considerable advancements in exponentially expanding the existing curricula in the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State. This is in fulfilment of the pledge he made in his vision document to expand the curriculum framework of the institution. The aim ultimately is geared towards offering Nigerian students vast opportunities in the education industry.
There are overwhelming advantages in providing candidates with a wide range of programmes on which to leverage. World over, the success of any educational administrator at the higher level lies in the number of new programmes added at a given period. It is a clear sign of growth in quantitative and qualitative terms. The process of resource development and actual accreditation is usually complex and taxing. It is therefore a rare accomplishment to expand a curriculum at a periodic basis.
Having passed out of the institution at the OND/HND levels, the Rector may have observed vital areas of need at the institution. He may have reckoned that the institution needed to be projected further with as many courses as possible. He knows that academic opportunities abound for students when the curriculum is expanded. He also knows that the society benefits more when there is adequate manpower to service the vast needs of the society.
It is unprecedented that the gentleman Rector met the number of Schools in the polytechnic at five and is leaving them at eight in five years. He has similarly increased the number of programmes run in the institution by the same margin. The latest of such schools created by his administration is the School of Health and Related Technology hosting the departments of Dispensing Opticianry and Pharmaceutical Technology. There are already actionable plans for resource visitation for the Departments of Dental Technology and Nursing Technology. This has offered Nigerian students a broad spectrum of choices to make informed selections. The creation of the school has been greeted with loud applause from prospective students and students alike. For the first time, the polytechnic now has a sustainable policy direction in developing curriculum in varied medical and health related disciplines. When the memo for the establishment of the new school was published, I recall stumbling on a post where a prospective student profusely thanked the management for taking the action as according to her, she is naturally disposed to a discipline in health science and technology. There are other students like this “Jambite” who are upbeat in realizing their dream of becoming health personnel in the polytechnic.
Away from health, the polytechnic has prioritised curriculum development in communication studies. It is particularly remarkable that the polytechnic blazed a trail in the entire country in the area of Mass Communication where it became the first institution to unbundle the discipline in Nigeria. Resource visitations were made and they all came out successful. For this purpose, various fora were convoked at the instance of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to get further scholarly inputs on the new disciplines that emerged from Mass Communication. It is heartwarming that there are today five new programmes available for students coming for Mass Communication at the HND level. They are Broadcasting, Film & Multimedia and Public Relations. Others are Advertising and Print Journalism. This has further expanded epistemic boundaries in Nigerian educational institutions.
In the School of Engineering Technology, the administration successfully scaled through the complexities of Resource Visitation for the new Departments of Metallurgical & Material Engineering, Hydrology & Water Resources Management as well as Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology. These are marketable courses that are in high demand in the job market. What’s more, now that the institution has acquired a second campus at Abaezi Egbema, it becomes reassuring that some of these new programmes will serve the new Skill Acquisition Centre the polytechnic is establishing there. There are Oil Company clusters in the area that would need the institution to train their manpower, for instance, in Industrial Welding and Fabrication. There are youths all over the state – artisans – who may not necessarily need any O-level certification as a prerequisite to gain admission to be trained in one skill or the other.
A new course, Printing Technology, has also been added by the Arimanwa administration to further deepen the curriculum framework. The programme is listed in the School of Environmental Design Technology (SEDT). The printing curriculum offers a wide range of opportunities for prospective printers to acquire professional skills. The business of printing is a lucrative one all over the world and the polytechnic has leveraged the high market demand in the field to train skilled printers that would service the printing needs of the country.
Similarly, the administration has added Animal Health & Production to its curriculum. The addition has since then become a boost to the newly created School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology. The School took off in grand style with a brand new complex fully furnished to taste. The course not only produces animal scientists, it also produces skilled farmers that would deploy best practices in enhancing food security. Apart from the demonstration farms available, the Arimanwa administration has established a modern fish farm estate that would be a demonstration farm for students to major in the fishery. Commercial production of fish has become an enterprising industry owing to the health benefits of fish consumption as opposed to the colostrum in some varieties of meat.
It excites the mind that the administration has also added Metallurgical & Material Engineering to produce skilled workers in the science and engineering of metals, ceramics and polymers, who would also be useful in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, heat treatment and production of heavy equipment industries. The discipline will play a vintage role in the Skill Acquisition Centre being established by the polytechnic. It bears stating that the Federal Polytechnic Nekede is one of the first set of Nigerian Polytechnics to respond to the call by NBTE for the establishment of large-scale skills acquisition centres that would produce hewn and hone technical minds in varied artisanship.
The new Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management added by the Arimanwa administration is a step in the right direction. It comes at a time our environment us vulnerable to water-related disasters at both national and sub-national levels. Essentially, the discipline will produce diplomates with the requisite skills to manage the country’s water resources potential, hence their usefulness in river basin development, watershed management, erosion and sedimentation control, urban drainage system management and environmental resources and sanitation management, among others.
Curriculum development is a continuum and requires sound commitment on the part of leadership. The need to broaden the scope of an existing curriculum cannot be over-emphasized. It is only natural to consistently expand the frontiers of knowledge to take care of the ever-changing world of humanity. It is also a sign of institutional progress when curriculum expansion is prioritised. History will be quite fair to Dr. Arimanwa, the eighth substantive Rector, Federal Polytechnic Nekede in his vision document articulated his vision to expand the existing curriculum in the polytechnic. Like every other promise in the vision booklet, the Rector has genuinely committed to realising them. From five to eight Schools and from 43 to over 50 departments, Dr Arimanwa has performed excellently in the area of curriculum development.
To further underpin his knack for excellence in curriculum expansion, the Rector has ensured that the polytechnic does not lose any accreditation. All accreditation and resource visitation exercises under Rector Arimanwa have roundly been successful. The administration has been unwavering in its commitment to maintaining standards, a reason the polytechnic emerged as the best-performing polytechnic in Nigeria and the most sought-after by JAMB candidates.
• Dr. Iwuji (ugoiwuji@gmail.com) writes from Owerri
The needless hoopla is petering out sooner than was initially thought. For want of stating the obvious, opposition elements are embracing the reality that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu clearly and unambiguously breasted the tape ahead of the other major contenders of the 2023 presidential race.
Save for the incoherent braggadocio on naked display by social media goons of opposition parties, the reality of a lost and won contest is steadily sinking in, albeit slowly.
For the records, the 2023 presidential election remains a watershed in the nation’s history. It was an election like no other. In more ways than one, the conduct and outcome of the election has earned Nigeria additional stripes in her continued quest to become a global democratic powerhouse.
Far from being perfect, the election however passed the litmus tests of organisation, integrity and sanctity of one-man-one-vote. Its outcome shattered bookmakers’ predictions and shamed not a few political pundits.
The facts speak for itself. While Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was projected as the winner by credible and world-renowned organisations and polling agencies, no one predicted his defeat in Lagos, considered as his political fortress for almost three decades. But he lost to Mr. Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
Unexpectedly too, the sitting President, Muhammadu Buhari, who doubled as the Chairman of the APC/PCC lost his home state, Katsina, a state his party won by landslide in the two previous elections.
There were other shocking outcomes. The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Simon Lalong not only lost his senatorial bid in Plateau State, but could not deliver the state for his presidential candidate. Lalong’s counterpart in Kebbi State, Governor Atiku Bagudu, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), also lost his state to the PDP. Other APC governors, including Abdullahi Ganduje, Abdullahi Sule and Nasir El’Rufai lost their states, Kano, Nasarawa and Kaduna, respectively to opposition parties of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), LP and PDP. Wherein lies the claims of a flawed election being parroted by the LP and PDP!
While the recourse to legal adjudication to seek redress by the LP and PDP is welcome, but which most likely would be torn into shreds, it is heartwarming that the President-elect is focused on the daunting tasks ahead of him.
Arguably the most prepared of presidential contenders in the nation’s history, Asiwaju Tinubu in his first public declaration of his ambition had declared confidently: “I believe I have the vision, the competence and the track record to lead this country.” The self-confidence tells of a man confident in his own skin; a man who believes in his innate capacity to turn impossibilities to possibilities for the greater good; a man whose ambition is driven by his overriding belief that Nigeria’s potentials can be turned into real and concrete success if her human and natural resources are judiciously and painstakingly harnessed.
Asiwaju Tinubu’s antecedents is rich in service in both the private and public sector. Here is a man that has gone through the mill of tutelage and leadership; a man akin to a rough gold that has been through the furnace and come out glittering and sparkling like diamonds.
His scorecard as the Lagos State governor remains a reference point 16 years after he exited office. The reforms he initiated and executed, from tax administration, civil service turnaround, land processing, devolution of powers, power amongst others, and which were faithfully adhered to by his successors, have placed the state on a pedestal hitherto thought unrealisable.
A few of the initiatives stand out. For many, the Lekki Free Trade Zone takes the icing. It was a seemingly grandiose idea that opposition figures poohpoohed to no end. They lack the vision to see the big picture. But today, that zone plays host to one of the world’s biggest refineries and petrochemical complex.
Other multi-billion-naira companies have also set up shops within the LFTZ.
In close proximity to the free trade zone is the newly completed Lekki Deep Sea Port. It is the largest sea port in Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa. Occupying a land mass of 90 hectares, construction of the port was financed by private investors and a consortium of banks who have funded the project with over $1.5 billion. Rightly described as a “transformative and game changer project,” the port is owned by the China Harbour Engineering Company and Tolaram Group, with the balance shared by the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). The LFTZ success is the triumph of audacity of ideas.
The can-do spirit of Asiwaju Tinubu also shone brightly in the conceptualisation and execution of the Eko Atlantic City from the rubbles and menacing challenge of the Atlantic surge. It was a disaster-in-waiting, scary enough to submerge the entire Victoria Island. It was a recurring environmental challenge that had defied solutions. But rather than despair and fold his hands in capitulation, Asiwaju Tinubu saw an opportunity of immense value to the economy of the state and the country at large.
Sprouting out of that space is a brand-new city described as one of the 8th architectural wonders of the world, which plays hosts to the headquarters of big corporate concerns and diplomatic missions, not least the biggest US Consulate, whose ongoing construction is estimated to gulp $400 million.
The plethora of all of these reforms by Asiwaju Tinubu during his tour of duty as governor accounts for the upbeat in the local and international investment community that businesses would thrive under a Tinubu Presidency. That confidence is not misplaced. The President-elect’s glowing record as a pro-business and pro-reforms leader is widely acknowledged by even his fiercest critics. In his well-crafted manifesto launched before the presidential campaign, Asiwaju Tinubu outlined his economic plans, which dwells largely on comprehensive reforms to reposition and rejuvenate key sectors, including petroleum and gas, agriculture, ease of doing business, health, education and the tax regime.
It then comes as no surprise that savvy investors are already taking position to partake in the envisaged economic goodies that would be unleashed.
What has further buoyed the confidence of these investors is the calibre of the individuals who form the inner circle of Asiwaju Tinubu’s economic team. These are solid professionals who know their onions. Names like Wale Edun, an economist, a World Bank alumnus and co-founder of formerly IBTC (now Stanbic IBTC), Yemi Cardosso, a banker of note and former Charman of CitiBank and Yetunde Oduwole, the Head of the Presidential Enabling and Business Environment Council (PEBEC), readily come to mind.
Under Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership as governor, Edun and Cardosso were the arrowheads of the Lagos’ economic reforms from 1999 to 2005 and it is to their credit that the state dared the odds by being the first in Nigeria to float a bond in the Capital Market, funds which were spent on a massive upgrade in the state’s descript infrastructure and deployment of Oracle IT to retool the opaque civil service structure and weed off ghost workers from the system. The list is endless.
Hopes among Nigerians are, indeed, high that Nigeria is set to set sail into the frontiers of economic development. Under the Tinubu Presidency, ideas that will translate to the fulfilment of hitherto dashed hopes would flourish, unhindered. And the take-off day is May 29, 2023.
A university don has explained from the point of view of language, that whichever way Section 134-2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is interpreted, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, won the election of February 25 in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, who is a former ASUU Chairman at the University of Ilorin and also an international language scholar, made this assertion while responding to the The Nation’s survey amongst language experts on the issue. The survey sought to know the opinion of the scholars on the contentious provision of the Constitution on the criteria for winning the presidential election.
The university don also threw the bombshell that, contrary to the general tone of debate on the matter, the presidential candidate does not have to score 25 per cent of the votes cast in all of the FCT, just as he does not have to score 25 per cent in all the 36 states of the federation. Oloruntoba-Oju explains as follows: “The relevant provision states that the winning candidate must have (a) ‘the majority of votes cast at the election’ and (b) ‘not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“Given 36 states of the Federation and one FCT, the contention popularly generated by this provision is whether the 25 per cent (one-quarter) of the votes cast required by the constitution applies collectively (conjunctively) to the states of the federation and the FCT (i.e., to a total of 37 entities), or separately and disjunctively to the states and the FCT (i.e., 36 entities on the one hand and 1 entity, FCT, separately). In the former case, the candidate only has to have the one-quarter in any 25 out of the 37 entities, which may not include the FCT, while in the latter case, the 25 entities must include the FCT.
“Unfortunately, analysts have focused on this issue of conjunction or disjunction between the states of the federation and the FCT, while overlooking other salient aspects of the provision. However, every item in a linguistic string is essential to the determination of the meaning and implication of the string. The point therefore is that, given what we know of the number and manner of votes cast during the presidential election, we need not dwell long on these ambiguities at this point. This is because whatever the interpretation of the phrase ‘all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja’ a winner has already emerged according to the overall provision and overall votes.
“Thus, if the phrase is taken to mean 37 “states” or geographical entities, then the APC candidate has scored more than the required one-quarter of the votes cast in each of the required two-thirds (i.e., in more than 25 states). On the other hand, if the phrase is taken to mean 36 entities separately, and the FCT separately, then the candidate has scored more than one-quarter of the votes cast in two thirds of the 36 states, and, with over 90,000 votes in the FCT, he also scored more than one-quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of the FCT.” His score here is actually 28 per cent, which is higher than the minimum requirement.
“The mistake that those focusing on whether or not the states are taken together or separated from the FCT is in not realising that, whichever it is, the measurement unit, two-thirds, is constant and will also apply separately to each of the disaggregated blocks (that is two-thirds of 36 states and two-thirds of FCT). It is obviously anomalous to suppose that the two-thirds parameter will only be applied to the 36 states but not to the FCT, especially after you have disaggregated them. Nothing in the grammar, language or style of Section 134-2 supports such thinking. Structurally, the unit “two-thirds” is what governs both the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as shown in the diagram below:
Either together (37)
Dr. Oloruntoba-Oju went further to analyse some of the ambiguities in the provision. From the linguistic point of view, “and” is generally a conjunctive. “However, the issue in this case is whether it is aggregating or disaggregating. For example, the “and” in “bread and butter” could mean “with” or “not-with”, that is, together (e.g., “bread and butter is delicious”/”bread with butter is delicious”), or separate (e.g., “bread and butter are differently priced”).
“Similarly, ‘count the chickens and turkeys in the premises’ could mean together (total number of birds), or separate (count the species separately). Thus, the construction “states of the federation and the FCT” can be seen as ambiguous. Ambiguity usually leads to multiple meanings and interpretations, thereby subjecting the affected constructions to the vagaries of context and to idiosyncratic renditions.
“Also problematic in the provision, from the linguistic point of view, is the determiner, “each.” “Each” is an individuating concept that usually refers to separately identified entities. This may therefore suggest that the items “states of the federation and the FCT” are meant to be individuated or disaggregated in the provision. However, the “each” in this provision is helpless until the value of the other parts of the string or sequence is determined. In other words, you have to first determine the meaning by reverse or inverse operation, i.e. by first of all determining the value of the latter aspects of the equation. Thus, you have to first of all determine the value or meaning of “all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja”, then the value of two-thirds of that, before you can obtain “each’ of that value. This, therefore, brings us back still to the contention whether the two entities should be taken together or separated. The exact meaning is therefore indeterminate in the context and we have to leave it at that for now. I am of course aware that a number of “commonsense” interpretations have been propounded; for example, whether or why the framers of the constitution would elevate the electoral value of the FCT above the other units of the federation, etc. However, from the linguistic standpoint, these interpretations are neither here nor there. The resolution in such a case would, therefore, have to be philosophical or jurisprudential.
“However, as stated earlier, these ambiguities do not matter in the current context, since, fortuitously, a winner has emerged – whatever interpretation is adopted. The framers of the Constitution may well want to take another look at the provision with a view to disambiguating it for the future. The above analysis is only concerned with the area in which I have some professional expertise, namely the linguistic aspect of the contentious constitutional provision, and not with the overall politics or ideology of the election.”
Barely a year after the globally respected Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, THEIR, rated Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Nigeria, as Number 1 University out of the extant universities in the country and Number 321 globally, Dr. Deborah Tolulope Esan, an Associate Professor of Nursing, has again put the 13-year-old university on the international grid of impactful research and academic excellence.
The Honorees will be recognized at Sigma’s 34th International Nursing Research Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in July.
Esan’s Award is unique and remarkable in that she is the first Nigerian and the fourth African to win the Award since it was instituted in 2015. The Esan’s global attainment came through her emergence as one of the six Award recipients of the Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award for the African Region for 2023.
The other Africans before Esan were Dr. Siedine Knobloch Coetzee, an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing Science of the North-West University, South Africa in 2016, Dr. Lydia Aziato, a Senior Lecturer hana in 2017 and Dr. Shelley Schmollgruber of the Department of Nursing and Head of Adult Health Department, School of Nursing, University of G Education at the WITS Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa.
The 2023 Winners with Esanr are Dr. Jojo Y.Y. Kwok, Assistant Professor School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Asia Region, Dr. Heidi Singleton, Children’s Nursing Academic, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, England, Europe Region, Dr. Laila Ladak, Associate Professor, Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Karachi, Pakistan, Middle East Region, Dr. William E. Rosa, Assistant Attending Behavioral Scientist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA, North America Region and Dr. Cliff J. Connell, Deputy Director Graduate Research Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash Nursing & Midwifery, Melbourne, Australia, Oceania Region.
The Award, by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, has thus become a further acknowledgment of the quality inherent in our 13-year-old organized university.
The cheering and elevating news came vide an E-mail dated March 15, 2023 signed by the Corporate Partnerships Officer of Sigma Foundation for Nursing, Mr. Chris Beaman, to the Founder & Chancellor of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, informing him that Esan “is one of the five emerging Nurse Researchers and Scholars being recognized during the International Nursing Research Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arabs Emirates this July”.
Giving more details of the Award in their letter dated February 24, 2023, the President of the Sigma International Research Awards, Dr. Kenneth Dion, and the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Elizabeth Madigan, predicated Esan’s Award on her achievements and contributions to research, said:
“Dear Dr. Esan, Congratulations! On behalf of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma), we are pleased to notify you that you have been selected as a recipient of the 2023 Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award for the Africa Region. You will be honored at Sigma’s 34th International Nursing Research Congress, 20-35 July 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“Sigma is pleased to recognize you for your achievements in and contributions to research. Additional information regarding recognition, registration, and the opportunity to share your work at a special session will arrive in a few days…
“Thank you for your continued support of Sigma and your contributions to nursing research. We encourage you to explore all of Sigma’s awards. You can find out more about open award cycles at SigmaNursing.org/Awards.
“Your exceptional work in research is an inspiration to nurses everywhere. We look forward to celebrating your achievements in July”.
The Emerging Nurse Researcher/Scholar Award was set up in 2015 but revised in 2019. The Award recognizes early career Nurse Researchers and Scholars from each of Sigma’s seven Global Regions whose research or scholarship has influenced the Nursing profession and the people it serves.
Following the 2022 Award presentation, Sigma has recognized 27 Nurse Researchers from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America/Caribbeans, Middle East and North America as well as Oceania.
A cancer Researcher, Dr. Esan is a multiple Awards Winner, including but are not limited to the University of Ibadan Postgraduate Student Award for publishing in a reputable International Journal (2021), Afe Babalola University Founder & Chancellor Research Award for publication in Scopus-indexed Journal (2020, 2021 and 2022), Best Abstract Award (2016), Carnegie Scholarship for Female Postgraduate Students (2011), Award of the Best Student in Clinical Practice and Nurse of the Year during her Undergraduate Degree Program and the Meticulous Award of Excellence, awarded by the Nigerian Universities Nursing Students Association (NUNSA).
She is currently the Research Coordinator and the College Examination Officer for the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, University Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. Dr. Esan continues to mentor young ones towards academic excellence, moral uprightness, and scientific paper writing.
Reacting to the development, the Founder & Chancellor of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, thanked the Sigma Nursing Foundation for taking note of the research and academic excellence inherent in Dr. Esan, a seasoned Researcher, an emerging Scholar and an Educationist who is committed to mentoring younger ones towards academic excellence, moral uprightness and writing of scientific papers.
His words: “I am happy that all of these are happening in my lifetime. We started the university on a rather modest note with 240 students on Monday, January 4, 2010, but today, to the glory of God and through hard work, determination and selflessness as well as the cooperation of all stakeholders, particularly the parents, the teachers, the Regulatory Authorities such as the National Universities Commission, NUC, the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, the Council for Legal Education among others, we are adjudged to have done well. Indeed, it can be said without any fear of contradiction that we have overshot our expectations in the first 13 years of our existence as a university”.
He added: “The university’s globally acclaimed outstanding achievements in Medicine, Engineering, Accounting, ICT and the Science notwithstanding, our prayer, hope and vision is to be able to consolidate and build on these achievements of the first 13 years and make ABUAD one of the First 100 universities in the world in the next 10 years. It is achievable. If we could be where we are today within the first 13 years, with the grace of God, more hard work and the cooperation of all stakeholders, we will be among the First 100 universities in the world in the next 10 years.
• Olofintila is Director of Corporate Affairs, Afe Babalola University
Unlike before, voters are now coming out boldly to exercise their freedom of choice at general elections. Even, party members and supporters are refraining from toeing party lines. Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the change in voting trends across the geo-political zones.
Many voters in Nigeria can not differentiate between their left and right. The polity has thrown up discerning electorate who can think, reason, vet candidates, make decision and ‘rebel.’
This year’s presidential poll was an eye opener. It was full of surprises. Permutations have been rubbished. Predictions never came true in some respects. Some candidates were underrated to opponents’ peril. Results in many districts and constituencies did not align with expectations. There were right and wrong projections.
In some instances, competence and performance were jettisoned. Researches have to be conducted to determine the relationship between candidates’ blueprints and poll results.
There was no evidence of vote-buying, to which the shift in the voting pattern can be attributed. Also, the BVAS, which is now being described as a game changer, has prevented rigging, which was a factor in past elections
There were contrasting pictures of responses to the political milieu. In some states and regions, voting was influenced by ethnic affinity and religious leaning. Also, the youths, mostly motivared by social media influencers, spin doctors and propagandists, momentarily gravitated towards a newly discovered idol. They also voted as a bloc due to peer pressure and companionship, and not due to understanding and realistic appraisal of core issues germane to the general election. Thus, certain voting behaviours were products of emotion.
The emerging complex voting behaviour underscored the disparity in choice, to the extent that voters were disposed to simultaneously voting a party for president, another party for Senate and a different party for the House of Representatives at the same polling booth.
Lagos:
Voters’ behaviour in Lagos was altered on February 25 at the presidential election.
From 1999 to 2019, Lagosians were predictable. Voters in the state had consistently endorsed a dominant tendency. From Alliance to Democracy (AD) through Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state has always voted for the core progressives.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) always placed a distant second as shown by past results. The two exceptions were 2003 and 2011 presidential elections when the progressive leaders steered voters to endorse Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.
However, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, pulled the rug off President-elect Bola Tinubu’s feet.
Did the electorate vote along party lines? The poll results showed the contrary. Apart from apathy that marred the exercise, as exemplified by the huge gap between the number of PVCs collected and the number of accredited voters, it was possible that those who voted for APC in 2019 abandoned the party. There was a strong suspicion that party members did not rise in defence of their parties. People did not vote along party lines.
However, the disparity in the presidential election result and the results of the National Assembly polls pointed to the mystery of voting behaviour. In many districts and constituencies, voters voted for a party in one election and a different party in another election, although both elections took place simultaneously.
In the presidential poll, LP 582, 454 votes; APC 572,606; PDP 75,750 and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) 8,442.
While LP won the presidential election, it could only win only two House of Representatives seats. It won no senatorial seat. One would have thought that with its good showing in the state, the party would win many National Assembly seats.
APC won the three senatorial seats and 20 of House of Representatives seats.
North:
Governors and National Assembly members failed at the National Assembly elections, contrary to their permutations. Those who defected from the APC and PDP to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won. The power of incumbency crumbled in Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Plateau and Nasarawa where APC governors should not deliver the highest number of votes to the APC presidential candidate.
Southeast:
In the Southeast, Obi swept everywhere. He denied other candidates 25 per cent in the zone. But in the other elections, the other parties did fairly well. In Imo, APC won two senatorial seats. Also, in Ebonyi, APC has two senators. In Imo, APC has one senator, Osita Izunaso (West) won.
In Cross River, although LP won the presidential poll, APC won 2 senatorial seats; PDP got one.
How did these candidates win? It means that the polls had discriminative impact. Voters were highly selective. They understood how to distribute the votes in the presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections.
Indisputably, the Southeast clearly deviated from other zones. That deviation represents a changing trend because the region shifted its loyalty from the PDP to LP at the presidential election.
Obi, who hails from the zone, cleared all the votes. Other notable candidates-Tinubu, Abubakar Atiku and Rabiu Kwankwaso-could not penetrate.
But, the bloc vote could not deliver Obi. The LP candidate could not also penetrate other zones deeply. In fact, he was completely checkmated in the Northwest, where he got 350,182.
Can the pattern be sustained on March 11?
It is debatable. February 25 poll results may not predict the outcome of March 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections.
The factors that underlined the shift in political behaviour may have been altered in some states. For example, in Lagos, three factors largely influenced the voting pattern last Saturday. They are ethnicity, religion, protest by youths.
Igbo voted for an Igbo presidential candidate in Lagos. There will be no Igbo governorship candidate on March 11, although the mother of the LP candidate, Vivour, is Igbo.
The presidential poll results, which swung the pendulum of victory to an Igbo presidential candidate, may have inspired a resurgence of ethinic nationalism in Yoruba-dominated Lagos where indigenes and other Nigerians from the six Yoruba states, Kwara and Kogi resident in the Centre of Excellence appear to be building a protective shield around the ruling party.
There is also the growing consciousness that Lagos cannot exist in politically antithetical relationship with the centre at a time a Lagosian, Tinubu, is assuming political control in Abuja.
If some Christians actually voted Obi due to religious factor, this factor may be weak on March 11 because the three candidates-Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of APC, Olajide Adediran of the PDP and Vivour of LP-are Christians.
Also, on March 11, Obi will not be on the ballot and more especially in the East, the solid supoort for LP may not be sustained during the more localised governorship and state parliamentary elections.
Rivers State is a state to watch. APC won the presidential poll. It may be difficult to reenact the feat during the governorship election.
Local issues are more largely to determine the outcomes.
The ill-timed Naira redesign policy initiated by Nigeria’s apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN threw Nigeria into an unimaginable crisis, exacerbating the socio-economic challenges facing the people. The apex bank chief, Godwin Emefiele, caused great anguish and pain upon the nation, inflicting unprecedented pains and hardships on both the rich and poor. He returned Nigeria back to the stone ages, when trade by barter was fashionable. Due to the ill-conceived policy that is rumoured to be politically-motivated, businesses crumbled, anarchy ruled the land.
Expectedly, all men and women of good conscience waded in and clamoured for urgent intervention from the CBN. The argument that the Naira was redesigned to halt the plans of political money bags who had stockpiled cash for vote buying was no longer tenable as Nigerians went berserk in banking halls, stripping themselves naked unleashing mayhem on fellow citizens.
The bold Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, also waded into the crisis in his usual patriotic manners. It will be recalled that on many occasions, Gbajabiamila had spoken up in defence of many defenceless citizens. When Nigerians were facing the excruciating economic downturn occasioned by COVID-19, the Speaker was among the few leaders that advocated for interventions that will ease the pains of the people.
The House of Representatives declared it was ready to arrest the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, if he failed to appear before the House to explain the controversial policy.
The House had set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the scarcity of the new naira at the Deposit Money Banks, also known as commercial banks, leading to tension over the January 31 deadline set by the CBN for the exchange of the old notes with the newly designed ones. The deadline was again extended by 10 days after the brouhaha at the first instance.
Chairman of the committee, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, at the plenary on Thursday, informed the House about the non-appearance of the CBN chiefs before it on Wednesday. He noted that the committee had rescheduled the meeting to 1 pm on Thursday.
The lawmakers also urged the CBN to extend the implementation of the cashless policy “to at least six months as well as review the daily withdrawal limit and the charges therefrom.”
The resolution follows the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by a member of the House from Katsina State, Sara Soli.
When the crisis continued unabated, he didn’t keep silent, he raised the alarm again and said the House might reconvene before the elections.
He said: “The House of Representatives intervened on several occasions. We summoned the CBN governor the first time and again, but he refused to answer, because we had many hard questions for him.
“It was until I issued the threat of a warrant of arrest before he came, and I would’ve signed that warrant; it would’ve been the first time in the history of the National Assembly that a CBN governor would be arrested. I would have done it.
“Many have argued on the independence of CBN, the autonomy of CBN. That does not make CBN above the law. The constitution gives the House the power to issue an arrest warrant against anyone, we can summon anybody, and that was exactly what the House was going to do until the CBN governor came.
“So, we’re watching, and we’re monitoring very closely. If need be, we will reconvene the House, even though we’ve all been away for our elections. I will call the House back if need be”.
The Speaker has been vindicated, the nation can now see that he was not just playing to the gallery and making up things. Again, those who argued that he was raising the alarm because the political interest of the All Progressives Congress, APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is threatened can now have a rethink.
The well-intended but ill-timed policy is hurting the poor masses more than the politicians. The world was shocked to see scenes of commotion, everywhere – on the streets, inside banking halls, and at ATM points. Commerce and trade both in urban centres and the hinterlands were affected. Commuting from one location to another also suffered setbacks as many could not get cash to move around.
Hoodlums and other criminal elements had already started breaking into banks, Automated Teller Machines, carting away cash. Even shop owners and individuals who were suspected to be in custody of huge cash also suffered similar unfortunate fate.
The PoS operators also exploited the crisis for brisk unethical business. They raised the commission percentage for profiteering. It was as high as 25 percent.
In a deliberate move to mitigate further chaos, some State governments approached the Supreme Court to adjudicate on the matter that was threatening to consume the nation.
The State Governments argued that the Federal government’s policy had led to an “excruciating situation that is almost leading to anarchy in the land”.
After careful consideration of the motion exparte in the application, Justice Okoro granted the prayer.
Ruling on the motion, Justice Okoro held that “An order of Interim Injunction restraining the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the commercial banks from suspending or determining or ending on February 10, 2023, the time frame with which the now older version of the 200, 500 and 1,000 denomination of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction”.
The case has been adjourned to 15 February for a hearing of the main suit.
It was a soothing relief for the nation. The ruling calmed frayed nerves and brought comfort to many who are hurting.
The shortcomings and the inadequacy of the existing systems became pronounced as the NSPMC, also known as The Mint, which was established in 1963 with the objective of producing the nation’s currency notes and coins for the CBN as well as security documents for ministries, departments and agencies of government, banks and other blue-chip companies could not meet up with the printing of the volume of currency being demanded.
Data from the World Bank showed there are 16 ATMs per 100,000 adults in Nigeria. This means for a population of at least 200 million people there are at least 32, 000 ATMs across the federations.
Putting a minimum of one million in each of these ATMS will require daily cash of N32 million, some analysts argued.
The Council of State, which comprises former Heads of government also met on the matter and resolved that the apex bank should allow Nigerians to continue to transact with the both old and new Naira notes until there is stability in the system.
On its part, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, raised the alarm that recession is imminent if nothing is done to avert the crisis. It said, “While we acknowledge the submission of the Attorney General of the Federation that the Federal Government will comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court which calls for the halting of CBN’s plan to end the use of the old currency notes, we are yet to observe changes in the financial system.
“Consequently, we call on the Federal Government and the CBN to respect the Rule of Law and listen to the voice of reason expressed by Nigerians and several other stakeholders including the Council of State, before the damage to our economy becomes too great to fix by the next administration”.
The old naira notes remain legal tender, according to the Supreme Court, but for how long? Until the case filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states is heard and determined, whenever that is.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court said there was no need to renew the subsisting order. This is because there was no time-limit to it.
A week ago, the Supreme Court granted the interim injunction restraining the Federal Government and its agencies from enforcing the February 10 deadline for the use of old naira notes.
Justice John Okoro, leading a seven-member panel, held that the states’ ex-parte application raised issues of real urgency requiring the court’s intervention.
He held: “After careful consideration of this ex-parte application and the grounds in support of same, this court finds that there is a real urgency for this court to intervene by the grant of this application. Accordingly, this application is hereby granted as prayed.
“That is to say, an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria, either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and/or the commercial banks, its agents, agencies, corporations, ministries, parastatals, organisations or through any person or persons (natural and artificial) howsoever, from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February 2023 the timeframe within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender, pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiffs/applicants’ motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
Justice Okoro underscored the validity of the order yesterday.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), had informed the Justices that the Federal Government and CBN failed to comply with the order.
He said he filed a notice of non-compliance with the order because banks were rejecting the old notes, and urged the court to protect its dignity.
“We want the court to renew the order for parties to be properly guided,” he said.
Justice Okoro asked Mustapha to file a proper application that captures his complaints, which invariably may include initiating contempt proceedings against the alleged contemnors.
The Justice then clarified that there was no need for a renewal of the order.
He noted that since the order was made pending the determination of the motion for an injunction, it remained in force since the motion has not been heard.
In effect, even if the motion is heard on February 22, the order will remain binding and old notes will remain legal tender until the Justices deliver a final ruling or judgment on the motion.
The wider implication is those rejecting the old banknotes are in contempt of the Supreme Court order.
Also, litigants can challenge in court any rejection of the old notes because they remain legal tender, in line with the Supreme Court order.
Senior lawyers have urged the CBN to issue a directive to banks to continue to accept the old notes, which appears not to have been done.
Citizens can take legal action against banks that refuse to accept old notes and seek damages because the Supreme Court order that extended the lifespan of old notes beyond February 10 remains in force until set aside.
The eminent professor of law, Itse Sagay (SAN), said: “Virtually all authorities in Nigeria are bound to enforce Supreme Court orders, whether right or wrong.
“You can always apply to have an order set aside if you have a good reason.”
Other SANs said the same thing: the respondents can challenge the order, but they, especially the CBN, must obey it first.
That is what is expected of a society that operates by the rule of law.
