The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Shocking!

    •That Nigeria imported N31b worth of maize in six years is simply disgusting

    It must signpost a total lack of strategic economic intelligence that Nigeria still imports certain agricultural products and their derivatives which she ought to be ‘feeding’ the world with. By the same token, it must be shocking to many Nigerians that this country still imports maize from the United States; she imports starch which is a derivative of cassava and she imports palm oil as well. That Nigeria imports these commodities in this age can only be a pointer to a failure of governance.

    Corn for instance, is a crop that flourishes in nearly all parts of Nigeria. With proper water management, it has a 90-day cycle which means that four harvests are possible in one year. Anyone who has ever planted corn knows it is not only among the highest yielding, it is also one of the easiest crops to maintain, preserve and process into numerous consumer and industrial by-products. The same applies to cassava which though has a longer cycle of about nine months, thrives nearly everywhere; yields massively and has nearly a dozen derivatives.

    On these two crops alone, a serious government can galvanize a massive agro-industrial economy. But it is with utter shock that we received statistics from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) which shows that Nigeria imported about 900,000 metric tons of maize valued at about N31 billion from the US in the last six years.

    The imports are mainly for industrial uses, particularly by commercial feed millers and the production of flour, malt, cornflakes, beer, starch, among others. Though with an annual production of about seven million metric tons, Nigeria is acclaimed to be the largest producer of maize in Africa but her harvests are plagued by yield losses, poor preservation and unstructured markets. Maize imports had been banned in Nigeria since 2005 but the ban was said to have been lifted because of shortfall in production.

    We are the more disturbed by this ‘revelation’ in view of the claims by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, of far-reaching achievements in agriculture under this administration. According to recent literature from MARD, “For the first time, a database of 10.5 million farmers was developed to facilitate efficient delivery of agro-inputs.” Records from the ministry show that farmers in the country redeemed 67,991 metric tons of maize seeds valued at N42.673 billion in the last three years.

    MARD noted further that as part of a scheme it termed Growth Enhancement Support (GES), an e-wallet was launched for farmers to receive subsidised inputs via electronic voucher delivered to their cell phones. Dr. Adesina stated that as a result of the e-wallet scheme, national food production increased by 21 million metric tons between 2011 and 2014, surpassing the 2015 target of 20 million metric tons.

    We wonder how a government making such unprecedented marks in agricultural production would turn around to lift the ban on a basic, easy to cultivate staple such as maize. It is our opinion that certain commodities like maize, cassava and palm oil products should never be imported into Nigeria in this age. Major industrial users of crops like maize and cassava should be encouraged to embark on a backward integration scheme that would involve communities of growers, primary processors and suppliers. This system will help in developing viable value chains both for farmers and industrial users.

    Now that crude oil prices have crashed and there is a dire need to diversify the economy, we suggest that the government should ban importation of maize into the country immediately.

  • Nigeria’s killer exports

    Nigeria’s killer exports

    Rejection of 42 food items produced in the country by the UK for quality defects says a lot about what we consume

    Nigeria may have accepted its fate as a dumping ground for all manner of products. But the United Kingdom has demonstrated that it would not compromise its own standards, with its reported rejection of 42 processed and semi-processed food products of Nigerian origin between January and December, last year. In the period, 23 food commodities from Nigeria were destroyed, 11 re-dispatched while one was recalled from consumers and another one was subjected to official detention. Statistics from the European Union Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (EURASFF) which revealed the ugly development shows that the affected food products include sweet potato, cashew kernels, nutmeg, snails, soft drinks and sesame seeds, brown beans, melon seeds, honey beans, white beans and watermelon seeds. As a matter of fact, the contaminated and substandard food products from Nigeria are not limited to the UK; worse cases have been discovered in other European countries like Italy, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Belgium.

    That the figure of such products rejected last year was by far higher than that of 2013 should worry us the more. It is a proof that the trend is worsening. In 2013, only about 18 such items were rejected by the United Kingdom authorities. The fact that the figure had jumped to 24 last year, a quantum leap, implies that the relevant agencies that are supposed to ensure that food items in the country, whether for export or local consumption meet certain criteria, have gone to sleep or lack the capacity to perform their functions.

    We agree that every country has its own standards on such items, but the fact remains that there is a basic standard below which countries that place value on human lives will not fall. We are not surprised at the development because it is on record that some iporters tell foreign manufacturers to lower standards for products produced for the Nigerian market to enable the importers make abnormal profit at the expense of the consumers. The matter is worse for drugs, some of which fail to work or even lead to the death of consumers. If, as they say, health is wealth, it follows that any serious government must be concerned about what its country’s citizens consume. A situation where, after analyses, rodent excrement, dead insects, chemical contaminants like aluminium phosphide and dichlorvos, that are carcinogenic are found in food meant for human consumption does not speak well of the country. Reports even indicate that in some cases, chemicals used in fumigation, bacteria, fungi and mould growth were also noticed in some of the products. In more specific instances, some of the products like melon seeds were rejected due to illegal importation into the UK, some were destroyed because they had no health certificates, certified analytical reports, common entry documents and for poor state of preservation.

    If we are not to deceive ourselves, we know most of these things are true because they are what we see often in processed and semi-processed food items produced in the country. Regrettably, some of the producers of these items see themselves as being above the law. A few months ago, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and a soft drink producer in Nigeria were at loggerheads over a  can of one of its products that was half filled. We cannot recount the number of Nigerians who had found strange objects in their soft drinks. These are things we have come to accept as normal. But to think that any other country would take such is unfathomable. We have had so many cases of premature and inexplicable deaths in the country which are blamed on witches and supernatural forces whereas they were the result of the consumption of some of these products. Unfortunately we never know the true causes of these deaths because many of them are not reported in hospitals for analysis and documentation.

    It would have been better to check these lapses from within. But since we cannot, the rejection of these products abroad should wake the relevant authorities to their responsibilities. Nigeria needs to earn more foreign exchange to augment its revenue from crude oil which is dependent on the vagaries of the international market. But we cannot make money when the quality of our exported items is suspect. In this respect, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) which has been mandated to certify packaged, semi-processed and processed food commodities for export should see the rejection of our food items abroad as a wake-up call. It is its duty to ensure that exporters of any item under its jurisdiction meet the required standards before certifying them for export. Where the agency needs any assistance, the government should not hesitate to provide it to save the country the perennial embarrassment of rejection of our exported food items.

  • Flight of courage

    •Are our soldiers truly afraid of taking over towns conquered  by the allied forces?

    The New York Times’ revelations through a piece titled ‘Foreign troops beg Nigerian soldiers to occupy recaptured towns,’ has further exposed our  military’s weakness. In the story, Chadian authorities were reportedly angered by “the near-total absence of cooperation from the Nigerians in a crucial regional battle.” For example, it was reported that several days after the last Boko Haram fighter had fled the captured town of Damasak, consequent upon bombardments from Chadian and Nigerien troops, Nigerian troops had shown no interest in taking over the desolate town.

    Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chadian foreign minister reportedly declared: “The Nigerian Army has not succeeded in facing Boko Haram. The occupation of these towns, this is up to Nigeria. My fondest wish is that they assume their responsibilities…Our biggest wish is that the Nigerian Army pulls itself together — that it takes responsibility in the towns. We are ready to disengage, right away.”

    Second-Lieutenant Hassan, a Chadian  army officer, puts it succinctly: “We asked them (Nigerian Army) to come, to receive this town from us, but they have not come. It is because they are afraid. We fought on the night of the 14th, and the last attack was on the 15th of March. We called them on the 16th and told them to come; they didn’t believe we were here. It is up to them (Nigeria) to hold the town, not us.” Our role is offensive. Our mission is to chase the terrorists.”

    Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information presented the Nigerian side to the story: “It is not true that our soldiers are not willing to take over such communities. There is no town that our soldiers have liberated that is not being well secured and well patrolled at the moment. We have always warned against irresponsible comments in this collaboration and we are not ready to join issues with anybody. We will do everything to sustain this collaboration.’’

    But why are Nigerian soldiers still not within that vicinity? Of course we are not unaware that not much progress was made on the insurgency until the armed forces of Niger, Chad and Cameroun came on board lately to help quell it. The reasonable mileage so far garnered, regarding the recapturing of towns hitherto occupied by members of terrorist groups in Adamawa and Yobe states, could not have been as a result of the right approach by the nation’s military authorities alone, but that of the coalition forces. With time and under the current collaborative efforts ,everything points in the direction that Borno State, the only remaining enclave of Boko Haram, would fall very soon. This is why we agree with Maj-General Olukolade that the government should do everything to sustain the on-going military collaboration with neighbouring countries.

    But by and large, it is indefensible that the nation’s soldiers still have not overcome the fears of the insurgents despite the intervention of the allied forces. What is equally undeniable is that any nation with a timid military cannot but have disaster awaiting her since the sanctity of her territorial integrity can no longer be guaranteed. This is why it is too shameful that after the liberation of some of the towns by the coalition forces, Nigerian soldiers are still afraid to take over from there even when it is certain that the coalition forces would not be here forever.

    As a responsible platform, our demand is simple: The nation’s topmost military hierarchy must not allow this insult to continue after all the huge investment the government claims to have made on the military’s training and equipment, especially in recent times.

  • Nigeria is the winner!

    SIR: Congratulations to Nigeria, Nigerians, the APC, President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President-elect Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and President Goodluck Jonathan.

    This is an indelible moment for our dear nation. The Presidential and National Assembly elections have been held. The opposition won the presidency and the incumbent President has congratulated the winner.

    President Jonathan deserves commendation for his humble and peaceful disposition. He must be praised for not dragging Nigeria into a needless civil war that could have led to loss of innocent lives. The African continent would have been thrown into turmoil with invading Nigerian refugees trooping to other countries.

    Unlike African Presidents such as Laurent Gbagbo who cared less about the lives of their people, President Jonathan has demonstrated real courage. President Jonathan also deserves commendation for organizing credible elections in 2011 and 2015 in contrast to the ‘Iwuruwuru’ ‘selections’ of 2003 and 2007, which held under the watch of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Clearly, there are areas of concerns that need improvement, but the elections conducted under President Jonathan are more credible to a far extent. Kudos to Professor Jega and President Jonathan. And many thanks to African nations and the international community that ensured democracy and peace in Nigeria.

    Nigerians are gradually doing away with ethno-religious sentiments in choosing their leaders. Igbos have been elected into the House of Representatives in Lagos State. A Christian defeated an incumbent Muslim Governor in Niger State (with a dominant Muslim population), to emerge the Senator-elect. General Buhari, a Fulani Muslim won the presidential election in Benue State. Yet, this is a state with largely Christian population and composed of Northern minorities, which traditionally voted against political parties perceived to support core Northern interest. These developments are more than significant. They remind us of the good old days when Hon. Ebube Dike (an Easterner), was elected into the Western House of Assembly and when Umoru Altine (a Northerner), and Dr. Bashorun (a Westerner), were elected mayors of Enugu and Port Harcourt.

    We hope to see a southerner elected the governor of Kano State. A non- Yoruba elected the governor of Lagos State. A northerner elected the governor of Enugu State. And vice versa!

    Our leaders must consolidate the ongoing ethno-religious harmonization. General Buhari should lead by example and all elected leaders must see Nigeria as their only constituency. We all have our rights to vote on the basis of choice and no ethno-religious group must be discriminated against for its voting pattern. General Buhari should ensure that he leaves Nigerians far more united than he met them. He must ensure that our ethno-religious and socio-political fault lines are erased as much as possible.

    Peace and security of lives and property must be enthroned. The economy must be diversified and sustainable. Systemic reform must be stepped up across all sectors. And Nigerians must embrace attitudinal reform as well as uphold ethical values if we truly want a Nigeria where things work!

    Once again, the winner is Nigeria!

     

    • Akinlolu, Abdulazeez Adelaja,

     University of Ilorin

  • Orubebe’s misconduct

    • The ex-minister’s display at the collation of presidential election result is a classical example of how an elder should not behave in public

    It is quite saddening that daily, we are reminded of the poor leadership selection process in the country.  Elder Godsday Orubebe’s display at the collation centre for the presidential election is one of the worst reminders that the country has a long way to go in recruiting men of honour and panache to handle critical national assignments.

    The former Minister of the Niger Delta did not realise that being at the centre was a rare privilege that was extended to him because he was considered mature and accomplished. The national ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had sent the elder from Delta State to represent it at the collation of the results, believing that he would be of good behaviour and portray the party and Nigeria in good light to the world.

    It is shameful that Elder Orubebe could insist on sending the presiding officer over the collation, Professor Attahiru Jega packing. It is difficult to fathom that such a man could think that by creating a scene  at the event he could disrupt and draw the curtains on such a sacred assignment that millions of  Nigerians were waiting with bated breath for its outcome. Was the former minister familiar with provisions of the law on the circumstances by which a chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could be removed from office?

    He displayed both bad judgement and bad faith. He kept calling on Professor Jega to abandon the exercise without giving him an opportunity to respond to the allegations he had made. Orubebe then proceeded to sit on the floor, refused to release the microphone and kept yelling with the intent to cause commotion. Were the former minister a minor, he would be liable to spanking by his parents, but being an elder, who knows what his bewildered wife and children would have said to him for giving them such a poor image?

    We join Professor Jega in calling for decorum by those privileged to have held public office in the land. We commend the INEC chairman for his mature handling of the situation. Even when it was obvious that Orubebe deserved to be thrown out of the room for being a misfit for the occasion, Jega remained calm and waited for the former minister to calm down before ordering for continuation of the exercise. When he chose to speak on the matter, he gave all the reasons why Orubebe had no justification for what he did.

    On the allegation that the INEC chairman was partial and selective in treating matters referred to him as the chief electoral commissioner and returning officer for the election, Jega pointed out that he did not receive any petition from the PDP. He explained that Col. Bello Fadile who attempted to present some sheets of papers to him adopted the wrong procedure and was chided for doing so. As such, Professor Jega said the so-called PDP petition was not before the commission.

    On the ruling party’s fear that the figures from Rivers State had been rejected, the INEC chairman said the commission found no basis to take such an action as an election was indeed held in the state last Saturday. He crowned his submission by saying, even if with due respect, that a person of Orubebe’s stature should not have behaved in such a manner.

    Although the former minister has apologised, we must say he should never have contemplated what he did in the first place. If Prof Jega had not exhibited maturity and the exercise had been disrupted, will an apology be able to contain the consequences of such behaviour?

    We commend the Jega example to all public officers. Had the INEC chairman ordered that the source of irritation be bundled out to allow resumption of proceedings, the outcome would not have been as smooth.

    As we move towards the second set of elections next week, we call on all Nigerians to cooperate with INEC in ensuring that the governorship and House of Assembly elections are free, fair, peaceful and credible. This is what we owe the country, Africa and indeed, the world.

  • Election for change

    Election for change

    • Buhari’s victory is at once a watershed and a chance for national healing

    Against all odds, Nigeria not only held a presidential election on the controversially rescheduled date of March 28, but also has a president-elect who trounced the incumbent in an electoral battle that was incredibly unriotous.  The countdown to the poll witnessed considerable public anxiety and tension that were thankfully not aggravated on D-day. Indeed, in a reflection of negative passion, electioneering was marred by a concentration on personality targeting rather than issues, especially on the side of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).  Understandably, the presidential contest was the focal point, even though the National Assembly elections held on the same day were also important in the context of the country’s democratic evolution.

    This election has marked a first in our history in that the nation’s leader has lost to an opposition candidate, and it has happened free of rancour. It is a tribute to the electorate that, despite the fouled atmosphere, an overriding sense of civic responsibility prevailed. In this sense, it was ultimately a victory for the voters who demonstrated a commendable capacity for focused voting, and refused to be distracted by extra-electoral negativities.

    Also, it must be said that President Goodluck Jonathan who lost in a striking manner, displayed a remarkable appreciation of his failure by congratulating the winner, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the official declaration of the final result.  On a continent known for political leaders who, more often than not, defy the voice of the electorate, Jonathan’s unproblematic surrender was a positive, which is not to discount his hints of brinksmanship in the period leading to the election.

    It is reassuring that Buhari, who had been demonised by his opponents, exhibited a large and generous spirit in victory, rather than unhealthy triumphalism. It is instructive that he said in his acceptance speech: “At exactly 5:15 yesterday (Tuesday) evening, President Jonathan called to congratulate me on my victory. For this, I want all Nigerians to join me in congratulating and appreciating Mr. President for his statesmanship. President Jonathan was a worthy opponent. I extend my hand of fellowship to him.” Perhaps more importantly, Buhari also said about Jonathan: “He will receive nothing but cooperation and understanding from me, who led this nation to democracy.” It is hoped that the president-elect would keep this promise, which should be helpful in healing the land in the aftermath of a divisive election that played up ethnicity and faith.

    Beyond the encouraging conduct of these rivals, the employment of card readers in the election proved to be a plus, especially against the background of contention over the use of the technology. Fundamentally, there is no doubt that the equipment was advantageous in minimising election rigging, despite the reported hitches which may well be insignificant when considered against the benefits. Of course, improvement is possible and should be seriously pursued, so that the Governorship and House of Assembly elections fixed for April 11 will reinforce the wisdom of the modern method. By taking advantage of modernity, logistical challenges associated with the old way of doing things would likely become history. Speaking futuristically, it is not far-fetched to look forward to electronic voting in Nigeria, among other modern-day advancements. To introduce electronic voting should be the natural next step to the card reader and PVCs. It will obviate the cumbersomeness of electoral materials and the hobgoblin of coercive thumb-printing that has shadowed our elections for decades. This is a recommendation that the next National Assembly should take seriously.

    The desirable goal of eliminating election fraud must constantly be kept in focus as the country continues on the democratic path. In this connection, it is worth reflecting on a number of complaints that have been made concerning the presidential election. For instance, there are allegations of under-age voting in certain areas as well as manipulation of figures. The deployment of security forces for partisan designs was reported. In two states, namely Rivers and Akwa Ibom, observers were whisked out of sight. Such claims of irregularities are harmful to the democratic ideal, and should be addressed with all seriousness. Tackling the allegations of electoral wrongdoing would give further credence to Buhari’s statement:   ”We have proven to the world that we are a people who have embraced democracy and a people who seek a government by, of and for the people.”

    Regrettably, the presidential election had its monstrous sides; in particular, a nauseating drama designed to frustrate normality, with a former Minister of Delta State, Elder Godsday Orubebe, as the protagonist.  A disappointed global audience watched as Orubebe introduced the tactics of a thug when officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were set to announce the anxiously expected results. In a manner unbecoming of any civilised individual, Orubebe disrupted the event with allegations against INEC boss Prof. Attahiru Jega, whose gentlemanly approach to the outrageous development deserves praise because it ensured that the critical business of the day was not aborted. In addition, it is worth noting that Jega demonstrated an impressive sense of duty in the course of carrying out his job.  In fact the whole exercise was a personal triumph for Jega who attracted vicious campaigns from the ruling party as well as hirelings who plotted his outer. He still has the next round of elections to prove his competence.

    With the presidential poll lost and won, it is time to concentrate on unifying possibilities and shun the influence of centrifugal forces. The religious and ethnic divisions that marked electioneering, and which were unfortunately promoted by sections of the media, must be terminated in the interest of peace and progress. It is food for thought that the presidential poll results largely reflected a historical tendency and pattern suggesting that concrete candidate appeal was less important than provenance, religious beliefs and other sentiments. The country needs to rise above the inconsequential.   We hope both the media and ethnic goons would realise that Nigeria is larger than all of us, and such distracting nightmare of belief and place of origin spew hate and take away from the greater fights against poverty, ignorance and disease. Fire-spitting clerics who rattled out ominous prophecies and prescribed electoral choices should also learn the limits of ecclesiastical influences in politics.

    For Nigerians, the historic transition from one administration to another, from an incumbent loser to a former-opposition-figure-turned-winner holds a promise that must not be deflated by petty parochialism. It is a time of change and a time for change, which should be premised on a healing that transcends the narrowness of tribe and faith.

  • Victory for democracy

    SIR: It is pertinent to wholeheartedly congratulate the good people of Nigeria for their courage, unity of purpose, perseverance, tolerance, dedication, determination, resoluteness and commitment to democracy that culminated in the successful conduct of the first phase of the 2015 general elections held on March 28th and 29th; as well as the final declaration of the Presidential election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The sacrifice and endurance displayed by Nigerians ensured that the elections held peacefully and orderly in most parts of the country despite the evil plots by enemies of democracy, peace, progress and national unity to truncate the process through incitements as well as the attempt to abort the declaration of results at the national collation centre in Abuja through Godsday Orubebe..

    The desperate and despicable show of shame exhibited by Orubebe confirmed the ruling party’s anti democratic plots against the people of Nigeria. It is also necessary to commend local and international observers for their exemplary conducts in monitoring the elections in order to ensure that it conforms to best global practices. Also worthy of commendation so far, is INEC for its untiring, resolute and patriotic efforts in ensuring free, fair, transparent and credible presidential/national assembly elections through innovative mechanisms like the PVC and E-card reader. However, there are concerns about poor logistics especially with regards to deployment of personnel and election materials to polling units on Election Day. Sadly, this has become a recurring decimal in election conducts in the country. The alleged compromise of some of INEC’s election personnel on Election Day in states like Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo amongst others should be looked into to forestall future recurrence.

    President Goodluck Jonathan should be commended for rising up to the occasion as a statesman by congratulating General Muhammadu Buhari, winner of the 2015 Presidential elections, even before the final declarations of results by INEC.

    General Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) deserves praise for his steadfastness, discipline, indomitable spirit, doggedness and commitment to democracy. He has to be magnanimous in victory in rallying the country together collectively and rededicate himself to the herculean but surmountable task of nation building.

    All Nigerians must remain calm and vigilant because the enemies of democracy are still on the prowl. They must be defeated for the sake of national peace, unity and progress.

     

    • Nelson Ekujumi

    Ikeja, Lagos

  • No sense of urgency

    No sense of urgency

    •Trans-Saharan Gas Project remains on the drawing board 13 years after

    Do you often wonder why Nigeria’s economy is still under-developed despite enormous natural resources deposit under her soil? Well, a classic example is the Trans-Saharan Gas Project (TSGP). The project is a 4,400 kilometres long pipeline that will take gas from Warri in Nigeria through Niger Republic to Algeria at the tip of the Mediterranean Sea. It is designed to gather the over-abundance of natural gas deposit under Nigeria’s soil for the huge European markets. Conceived in the 1970s, it was only in 2002 that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and her Algerian counterpart, SONATRACH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for preparations of the project.

    In 2005, NNPC and SONATRACH signed a contract for the feasibility study of the project which upon completion in 2006, the project was pronounced to be both technically and economically feasible. The project was again kept in the cooler till 2009 when a draft intergovernmental MoU was signed between the three partner countries – Nigeria, Niger Republic and Algeria. Preliminary joint venture agreements were also signed pending the next stage which was ratification of the MoUs and the taking of the Final Investment Decision (FID).

    For a project which was scheduled to be completed in 2015, it has remained at the level of FID in the last six years. What this means is that not a soil has been turned on this pipeline project since 2002 when the first official move was made. The immediate result of this time-lag is that the cost of laying the pipelines which was estimated to cost $10 billion has doubled to about $20 billion.

    It was projected to have an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. This would probably have mopped up most of the gas flared in the Niger Delta in the past three to four decades. In an age when gas has increasingly become the major source of fuel for the world, especially the developed West, this would have been an unassailable investment decision. Apart from the direct economic gains, the environmental benefits would be unquantifiable.

    The project is considered so viable that most of the major International Oil Corporations (IOCs) wanted to take part in it. Some of the firms that expressed interest include the Royal Dutch Shell, Total S.A. of France, Italy’s Eni SpA, Gail of India and Russia’s giant, Gazprom. Such must be an indication of the viability of the project.

    It is apparent that in the last four years or so, the NNPC never brought the TSGP project file for review as its last Group Managing Director (GMD) who spoke about it was Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo. He was fired about three years ago. Barkindo had said then that, “the MoU on the project now awaits resolution of differences and finalisation prior to execution. The challenge before us now is to clean it up. We will revisit the MoU, and assign the commercial and technical issues to the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) that will govern the project,” he said.

    Apparently, this most important economic project was not delayed by a lack of funding or technical considerations but a sheer lack of political will and, if we may add, a blunted vision about the development objectives of the nation. Had this huge economic project been delivered on deadline which is this year, 2015 it would have taken the bite off the slump in crude oil prices and helped to stabilise Nigeria’s currency.

    The same lack of seriousness, dim vision, not to mention graft, have characterised most major economic projects that would have helped to lift Nigeria to the status of an industrialised nation. Now that there is a dire need to diversify Nigeria’s economy, the TSGP is a viable option waiting to be kick-started.

  • No, Mr. President

    No, Mr. President

    •Nigeria cannot wait for four years before a serious war against corruption is waged and won

    President Goodluck Jonathan was reported last week to have pledged to put an end to the endemic corruption in the nation’s oil sector. As he made to round off his campaign for a second term in office, the President said he would do everything to ensure that the sector that has earned the country the needed foreign exchange is sanitised.

    We find it puzzling that it took the President five years to acknowledge what every Nigerian had known – that the porous processes and systems of monitoring and accounting for crude oil proceeds were a threat to the national income and, by extension, the stability and cohesion of the country.

    This is another step in the wrong direction by a President who had once tried to distinguish between stealing and corruption in a way suggesting that what many call corruption is ‘mere stealing’ and that the cry about corruption in the country is exaggerated.

    It is even the more incomprehensible why and how the President expected that Nigerians would wait patiently for another four years before decisive action could be taken to halt the progressive slide in revenue. It is an acknowledgement that the President has little or no plans for the country’s development.

    Following the protests that rocked Nigeria’s major cities in 2012, The Federal Government was quick to respond by setting up, among others, the Nuhu Ribadu committee to assess the system of accounting for the oil revenue, identify where things had gone wrong and make recommendations on how to plug the loopholes. In the past three years, the government has done nothing to give effect to the suggestions or adopt any fresh strategies to improve on the existing system.

    It sounds to us that the pledge by President Jonathan was merely to buy time and votes. It is incredible that a President of Nigeria could believe that Nigerians would be willing to wait a whole of four more years of suffering amidst plenty. The foreign reserves have been depleted, the naira keeps losing value against major foreign currencies, import is getting more expensive and poverty, squalor and starvation is staring the people in the face.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) remains a citadel of corruption and officials of the agency, led by the minister, keep flaunting unexplained wealth at the people- flying chartered planes all over the world.

    Yet, the President does not think it necessary to take immediate decisive action. He thinks merely promising to do so after four years would satisfy Nigerians, especially the youth who have been paying dearly for the inaction of government.

    We are surprised that the only move made recently to check corruption is by awarding multi-billion Naira contracts to militants who are obviously lacking in the needed experience to secure the pipelines. Corruption is a killer. It is the source of almost all the ills plaguing the country. It is therefore inconceivable for any President at this point in time to volunteer the information that he has no intention to combat the evil for about 48 months.

    We call on all Nigerian leaders at all levels to declare war against corrupt practices in all facets of life.  They must realise that the future of the country depends on how well and fast they could win the war. Corruption is not only financial, all forms of perversion of the established order must stop if Nigeria is to rise and take its rightful place as the hope of Africa South of the Sahara.

  • Electoral farce in Rivers and Akwa Ibom

    Electoral farce in Rivers and Akwa Ibom

    •In both states, the PDP did not do service to democracy and commonsense

    Can it be said that free, fair, transparent and credible elections held in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states last Saturday? It is regrettable that this question cannot be answered in the affirmative. In Rivers State, for instance, the exercise was characterised by widespread violence as well as intimidation and arrest of scores of top politicians, mainly of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Scores of APC members were killed in various parts of the state by rampaging gun men. It has been alleged that armed militias operating freely and with impunity were responsible for these acts of barbarity. At least 100 members of the party were arrested and prevented from participating in the election across the state. Surely, this is not an atmosphere in which acceptable elections could be said to have taken place.

    Rivers State had been a theatre of violence ever before last Saturday’s election. In virtually all cases, the APC had been the target. For instance, the party’s secretariat was bombed in three local government areas (LGAs) of the state. A delegation of the party’s members travelling from Okrika, the home town of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to attend the APC presidential campaign in Port Harcourt was shot at and scores wounded. And in the same Okrika, unknown gun men opened fire on the crowd of APC supporters who had gathered to attend the governorship campaign of the party’s candidate, Mr Dakuku Peterside. A few days before the March 28 polls, Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s convoy was shot at, with the police absurdly blaming the incident on the governor’s security aides.

    In all of these cases, there was no arrest of even a single perpetrator of the acts of violence. This laxity on the part of the security agencies no doubt encouraged the level of violence witnessed during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. Indeed, given the clear indication that Rivers State would be a likely flashpoint of tension and violence during the election, why weren’t the security agents better prepared to combat hoodlums and ensure that an atmosphere for peaceful elections was created? What was the purpose of the massive deployment of security personnel for the election purportedly to check violence and maintain peace and order? Can it not be credibly inferred that the security agencies actually provided the opportunity for the gangsters to operate with impunity in Rivers State?

    Even more seriously, the election in Rivers State was clearly not conducted in accordance with the electoral law and is thus devoid of both legality and legitimacy. For one, vital electoral materials, including result sheets, were reportedly distributed from the personal residences of top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, including the party’s governorship candidate, Chief NyesomWike as well as Tele Ikuru, the deputy governor of the state who recently defected to the PDP. Furthermore, in many areas, opposition party agents were driven away from the polling centres and thus could not observe the process and protect their party’s interest. Other illegal acts included distribution of over 40,000 incident forms at Oyigbo Local Government Area by a PDP chieftain, sudden change of trained ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and their replacement with untrained ones, as well as the open parading of Permanent Voters Cards in their possession by some top leaders of the PDP.

    Perhaps the most dramatic incident of the election in Rivers State was Governor Amaechi’s refusal to vote. His reason was the refusal of the electoral officials to produce result sheets and their inability to offer any plausible reason for this inexplicable situation. Indeed, the non-availability of result sheets at the polling units as required by law was reportedly a common feature across Rivers State. Ordinarily, all voting materials must be present at the polling unit and shown to the electorate to guarantee the transparency of the process. The result sheet is very vital to the electoral process. It is the document on which the results of the voting are recorded and signed by the various party agents. If the result sheets are not available at the polling unit, then arbitrary figures contrary to the outcome of the actual will of the electorate can be filled in by unscrupulous electoral officials in collusion with desperate politicians.

    It is most unfortunate that the impunity witnessed in Rivers State before and during this election, has taken place with attention of the whole world focussed on Nigeria. The perpetrators of these acts have done grave harm to the image of the country. The scale of electoral impunity in Rivers State in particular but also in Akwa Ibom State was vividly captured by one of the electoral observers, Ibrahim Zikrullah of the Transitional Monitoring Group (TMG). In his words, “I think the election was generally fair. Of course, we have Rivers State, where the election did not meet minimal standards of any recognised election. The state security took over the role of INEC. They were beating up people, smashing ballots and falsifying results”.

    And on the election in Akwa Ibom State, he said “In Akwa Ibom State, observers were chased away. Two of our observers were arrested. They were released late at night. Even when they could not find anything criminal about them, and they were identified by INEC, the police insisted that they should pay bribes … And people were chased away. Party agents were chased from the polling units and at the end of the day, results were declared in some poling units”.

    There is no doubt that the credibility of the polls in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states has been incurably tainted. We urge Professor Attahiru Jega, the INEC chairman who has proven to be a man of integrity to see that the charade paraded as elections in these states and any other one where such occurrences are reported are thoroughly investigated and urgent remedial measures taken to protect electoral justice and integrity. It is important to do this before the governorship and state houses of assembly elections in two weeks’ time.