The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Media and Osun election tribunal

    A section of the media has not served the cause of truth and has rather shown unconscionable partisanship on the Osun State governorship election and its aftermath.

    While it is generally agreed that media houses have their biases, their ultimate responsibility is to serve the cause of truth and promote democratic development in the land, irrespective of their bias.

    It is disheartening however that some media organisations either out of laziness or mischief or both are fond of taking news report written by Osun PDP media minders and slamming it on their front pages without crosschecking its veracity. This unprofessional conduct has caused confusion and portrayed the media concerned as liars and unreliable entities.

    Not long ago, an appellate court in Ilorin, Kwara State made a ruling on jurisdiction in a long standing suit on the 2011 elections in Osun. This means the trial of the suit proper is set to begin. However, in a bizarre twist, PDP rewrote the judgement and claimed that all elected legislators, state and federal, have been sacked and should vacate their seats. Almost all newspapers reported it as such. A few tried to ‘balance’ it with the reaction of Osun APC.

    One would have thought that the newspapers have their reporters in court and would rather rely on their own report. When their reporters are not in court, they should have obtained the certified true copy of the judgement and refer it to their legal departments for interpretation and meaning, in case the editors cannot understand court judgements.

    Now, the truth eventually came out that it was a preliminary ruling and to further put the media in shame, PDP has now withdrawn the original suit. How low can the media sink in the partisan quagmire?

    Again, Osun PDP spun an infernal lie that 100,000 invalid votes had been discovered among Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s lot in the ballot and this would mean that Senator Iyiola Omisore would be sworn in on November 27. The report also claimed that Aregbesola for this reason has asked for a rerun election. This evil report found its way into the website of AIT and the pages of Nigerian Tribune. Several internet rodents latched it and feasted on it with frenzy. The election petition tribunal was so incensed that it warned of dire consequences if such false reports were to appear in the media again.

    AIT pulled down the report and apologised on the same website. Nigerian Tribune, in its usual characteristics, is yet to make any amends. It is really instructive what has now become of the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    The questions we should be asking ourselves are: one, how much could PDP have paid that is worth the integrity of a newspaper? Secondly, why would media organisations deliberately inflict such pain on its audience that look up to it for the promotion of truth and justice?

    It is my sincere hope that media organisations will protect their name and integrity from being sullied as a result of Osun PDP’s fruitless desperation.

     

    • Mike Ogundele, 

    Osogbo, Osun State

  • Bring back our girls campaigners

    Kudos to the court verdict that legalizes their efforts and condemns the police

    The judgment of an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Sunday Aladetoyimbo declaring the attempt by the Police to ban the #BringbackOurGirls campaigners from holding their rallies as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void is salutary. For us and we are sure for most Nigerians that attempt by the federal government to use the police to stop the patriotic efforts of the campaigners to keep in the front burner what ordinarily should be the prime interest of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is reckless. But for the misguided interest of the administration, a government that lacks the capacity to ensure the security of lives and property has no business being in power.

    As held by the court, the freedom of thought, expression, assembly and association are fundamental rights guaranteed to all Nigerians, in sections 38, 39 and 40 of the 1999 constitution, and the Police has not right to abridge them. These rights are also guaranteed under Articles 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act 2004. But despite these express provisions of the law, AIG Joseph Mbu, then Commissioner of Police, Abuja, now AIG Zone 7, reminiscent of his conduct as Commissioner of Police in Rivers, however declared the assembly of the campaigners unlawful and threatened to ban their peaceful gatherings. It was that brazen violation of the clear provisions of our constitution by AIG Mbu that led the protesters to approach the court for redress.

    As law abiding citizens the campaigners did the right thing to approach the court for enforcement of their fundamental rights, and it is gratifying that the Honourable High Court declared the action of the police authority and the federal government unlawful. Our hope is that Mr. Mbu and his co-respondents have learnt the limits of their powers in a democracy, unless of course they are outlaws. Notably in making the order, the court granted “an order of perpetual injunctions restraining the respondent, his agents and privies from further preventing the applicants or aggrieved Nigerians from taking part in protests and rallies in exercise of freedom of expression, assembly and association as guaranteed by the constitution and the African Charter.” Now that the Court has declared Mr. Mu’s gambit as an affront to the Constitution, we hope he can now be called to account.

    Unfortunately the heart rendering plight of the over 200 students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, who were apprehended by the criminal elements, better known as Boko Haram since April 15, is yet to come to an end. Ordinarily their cause is such that should worry any sane soul, considering that their continuous detention by the insurgents has caused the deaths of many of their parents, and brought untold hardship to the others. As a nation the successful kidnap and marauding into slavery or forced marriages of the girls, as claimed by the insurgents, constitutes an unprecedented humiliation for our country.

    But to the surprise of many Nigerians, the federal government led by President Goodluck Jonathan, has shown the lack of capacity to bring that debacle to an end. Just recently, the government gleefully announced a ceasefire with the insurgents which they claimed would include the unconditional release of the Chibok girls in exchange for some of the Boko Haram criminals captured by the security agencies. Unfortunately that turned a hoax, and now the girls have spent over 200 days in captivity with no hope in sight. It is the self-sacrificing effort of the #BringBackOurGirls group to keep the plight of these girls in public consciousness that Joseph Mbu shamelessly tried to stop.

    As if to rub salt to the injury and further ridicule Nigeria, the leader of the deadly Islamic sect in contrast to the claim of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, came out recently to ridicule the attempted effort by government to make peace with the group. Since that video came out, the Boko Haram appears to have taken an upper hand in the fight to colonize a large chunk of Nigerian territory. So it is now necessary for all well-meaning Nigerians to openly canvass for support for the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners as one major way to keep their plight in public view.

    After all the Jonathan administration has clearly set its eyes on getting re-elected at all cost, regardless of their performance in office. The side effect of such a major distraction from the primary purpose of a government is that fundamental issues such as the security of lives and property continues to be neglected at a great cost to the nation. But as has been demonstrated by President Jonathan’s government, no amount of complaint is enough to redirect their attention in the right direction.

  •  Service to Nature

    •An unusual award for a Nigerian in the field of science

    Nature and its numerous forms of life came into sharp focus as a Nigerian scientist, Dr. Shiluwa Manu, received The Marsh Award for International Ornithology at the Mall Gallery in London. He was praised for his exceptional work in advancing the knowledge of birds in Nigeria. The scale and significance of the event were evident from the presentation of the award by The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, and the involvement of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Society of Wildlife Artists.

    Manu’s glorious international recognition in the area of the scientific study of birds deserves reflection, especially considering that he comes from a country where the field is possibly regarded as unimportant. It is a testimony to the power and value of unconventional thinking that Manu was able to do his unusual work at a relevant base created and sustained by those who put a high premium on ornithological studies. Manu, who called the honour “humbling”, is head of the A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), the Biological Conservatory of the University of Jos, Plateau State. It is interesting to note that APLORI is reportedly the only field station dedicated to ornithological research and conservation training in West Africa, and contributes to ornithological knowledge in countries in the sub-region.

    Given this background, it is unsurprising that Manu, who described the award ceremony also as a “propitious and wonderfully exhilarating occasion”, acknowledged the advantages he enjoyed. He said: “The APLORI, University of Jos, Nigeria, provided me the enabling environment for achieving this recognition. All my colleagues in APLORI as well as the Laminga community (our host), from where we operate, contributed immensely to this recognition.”

    It is instructive to note that the Marsh Trust, the platform for the prestigious award, according to the BTO Director, Andy Clemens, “seeks to recognise unsung heroes who all aim to improve the world we live in.” Recipients of The Marsh Awards, he said, include scientists working in conservation biology and ecology, authors and sculptors from the arts world, and those who give unselfishly to work with the young, the elderly, people with mental health issues “and for our heritage”.

    This context is not only clarifying, it also underlines the import of the prize. It is a flattering award, no doubt, but not only for Manu. By extension, his country can understandably bask in the glory too, for it may well be a sign of hope and the possibility of renaissance for a country struggling to counter the undesirable image of failure. An inspiring implication of Manu’s recognition is that competent and devoted specialists can still be found in the country’s knowledge industry, despite the crisis in its education sector.

    In this connection, it is impressive that Manu’s contribution to the advancement of knowledge in his area is further highlighted by the information that, under his guidance, up to eight West African students enroll yearly in a Master’s degree programme in Conservation Biology, towards building the necessary biodiversity conservation capacity in the sub-region. It goes without saying that in an age of increasing environmental concerns and conservation anxieties, Manu’s work is of immeasurable importance. Interestingly, the list of birds of Nigeria includes 940 species; and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list published last year indicates that 19 bird species are threatened in the country.  The IUCN publication, which presents a “useful snapshot of what is happening to species today and highlights the urgent need for conservation action”, helps to more properly situate and appreciate the work of scientists like Manu. In a profound sense, he represents the mostly understated guardians of the country’s biological diversity, if not the biodiversity of the planet.

  • Open letter to the President

    SIR: I am supposed to be in the Boxing Gymnasium training very hard so I can win my next bout, earn a place in the Guinness World Record Book (GWRB) as the oldest boxer to successfully defend his title and win another title, earn a place for Nigeria in the GWRB as the host country and above all bring honour, glory and clean money to my fatherland. Instead, I am shadow-boxing with officials at NEXIM Bank who during the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) promised to give 100 percent support but are now doing everything and anything possible to kill my vision for a better Nigeria.

    As directed by the federal government, I have had several meetings with officials of NEXIM Bank who are the coordinating bank with the Bank of Industry for the LOC.

    On May 3, I got this text message from NEXIM Bank “We apologise for our absence at the LOC meeting held on Friday, 2/05/14 at the usual venue. We shall be present at the next meeting. Please be reassured that NEXIM remains committed to the success of the GWR Championship Boxing Fight. Thanks.

    On May 4, Robert Orya, the Managing Director of NEXIM called me claiming that since the January 7, inauguration that he was yet to see a copy of the inaugural speech and the white paper from the NSC to the Presidency. May 5, I called to inform him I was on my way to meet with him at the bank. He was very happy and told me that he was expecting me but as soon as I got to the gate of the bank with the other members of the LOC and he was informed that I did not come alone, he was furious and ordered the security guard to lockout other members of the LOC but me.

    On September 1, the same thing happened but this time he ordered his security guard to push me out of the way while I and members of the LOC were at the gate waiting to see him.

    After accepting the invitation from the federal government to be inaugurated into the LOC, after having several meetings within and outside of NEXIM Bank to workout a master plan for the release of $30M and how NEXIM Bank would be part of the receivership of the $500M PPV Television profit for the sake of transparency and accountability, after sending several  text messages pledging total commitment to the success of the GWR fight and promising to be at the next LOC meeting, after almost 10 months of unsuccessfully trying to extort $110M USD from me, it then suddenly dawned on the management of NEXIM Bank that it does not sponsor sports.

    Is this a decent way to treat any Nigerian not to talk of Nigeria’s only World Boxing Champion, a national hero, a national honourS holder of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and above all a decent Nigerian who wants to bring honour, glory and clean money to Nigeria?

    My President, I know you are a decent man and a man of your words but why are you allowing these people to treat me like this?

    Since its inauguration till date, the LOC is indebted to the tune of over N50 million in logistics to various groups including the hotel that once served as the secretariat for the LOC. I was evicted from the hotel and my vehicle seized pending when the LOC is able to offset the hotel bill.

    I respectfully ask that you keep your promise to me. That you personally oversee or appoint a representative that will be in charge of the fight purse and the PPV TV profit. That because of the urgency of the moment, the overdue logistics money and the overdue fight approval fee is paid immediately so Nigeria does not lose the right to host to Germany.

    • Bash Ali, OON.                                                                                              

    Lagos

     

  • Governors v. Senators

    •The senators, just like the governors, have no moral ground on which to stand

    Going by reports of what transpired during the nationwide ward congresses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the stage appears set for war as most of its senators that lost out are not taking things slightly.

    The lopsided outcomes of the congresses across the states, in favour of the governors, have reportedly compelled the senators to threaten fire and brimstone against President Goodluck Jonathan, believed by the senators to have created the uninhibited platform for the governors to sweep the congress elections.

    To underscore the severity of the pains suffered by the senators through the outcome of the ward elections, the Senate leadership reportedly met the president to present their grievances. And if this fails, according to reports, they are purportedly planning to commence compilation of impeachable offences against the president. A principal officer of the Senate quoted in the media declared against the president:  ”….. If the best way to pay us back is by working with the governors to ensure that majority of us do not return to the Senate, we will also pay him back in his own coin.”

    The senators’ grouse is against party structures in the states being in the pockets of the governors. To drive home their selfish point, they are henceforth planning to frustrate pending executive bills, stoppage of consideration of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and other issues pending before the Senate.

    We wonder why the senators, for selfish reasons, abandoned their duty posts. Yet, they will at the end of the day collect millions of naira, drawn from tax payers’ money, as salary and allowances, for jobs delayed, or not done at all. We ask: Why would they allow whatever differences exist between them and the president/governors affect effective discharge of legislative duties to the nation?

    We refer to the maxim that says ‘he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.’ Following from the nation’s antecedent of internal political party selection process, we are aware that most of the senators are beneficiaries of the sort of imposition they are up in arms against. They are now grouchy simply because the current regime seems not to be tilting to their side. Obviously, they could not be said to have come to equity with clean hands. And this ugly trend, sadly, cuts across the political divide in this nation.

    We deplore the politics of hypocrisy that the senators and others in their shoes are trying to foist on the nation. They are currently enjoying the booty of democracy without necessarily trying to be true democrats. The same set of legislators, simply because of the untidy manner in which they got their candidacy, merely got to the National Assembly only to subordinate their constitutional rights to the executive arm of government. Rather than do the right things, they opted to scramble after constituency project votes that hardly get to the constituencies.

    The senators, having won their seats at the behest of governors, had sold their legislative birthrights to the executive. Now they are asserting their pride against the executive who made them through a perverted system. It is morally late in the day for them to cry foul.

    We note, too, that the executive arm of government could not be exonerated from this sad practice. Both the executive and legislators are shamefully not distinguished in this game where money and highly compromised delegates play leading roles in the selection process.

    The battle for political survival between governors and the legislators is rooted in lack of proper internal democracy within political parties. We condemn it in its entirety because it is an undeniable instrument that is destroying, because of individual greed for power sustenance, a salient ingredient of democracy – the political party.

  • Mubi as ‘Madinatul Islam’?

    • Boko Haram’s routine take-over of Nigerian territorial space is a national shame that should not be tolerated much longer

    Not so suddenly, under President Goodluck Jonathan, busy pressing his rights to contest the 2015 presidential elections, Nigeria is fast becoming a Hobbesian state of nature, where Boko Haram anarchists strike at will and annex Nigeria’s territorial space, where they fly their Islamist flags.

    The latest of such outrage, and intense national shame, is the capture of Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State and the state’s commercial nerve, which they have reportedly renamed “Madinatul Islam” (City of Islam). If not so tragic, it would have been so laughable! Yet, with all this unprecedented tragedy, the Jonathan administration is as distracted as usual.

    For Doyin Okupe, the presidential senior special assistant on media, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, an Adamawa native, is the problem, not Boko Haram. Instead of Dr. Okupe telling Nigerians what the Jonathan government is doing to win back lost territories and save a nation’s honour, it is Alhaji Abubakar he would rather pounce on.

    His offence? The former vice president’s announcement, at a press conference, that Boko Haram had taken over 16 local councils in the North East, and that the Jonathan Presidency should do its duty of protecting Nigerians and securing Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    Okupe, with the petulance so common with the Jonathan administration when found wanting and told to do its duty, accused Abubakar of doing public relations stunt for the insurgents, implying that the former vice president was exaggerating the security meltdown for political gains.

    But the irony is clearly lost on him: that a government negates its essence, as President Jonathan clearly does, when though it is the Leviathan that should force order, it continues to run and be terribly bruised by insurgents, with thousands of Nigerians slaughtered and Nigerian troops running for cover. Even on President Jonathan himself, the irony appears totally lost. How can a president be so resolute in re-contesting power while, on the job, he is so irresolute on the basic chores as security and safety of citizens from the hands of crazed anarchists?

    The taking  of Mubi is the latest disgrace, which ironically appears to portend greater tragedies ahead. Already, Yobe State Governor Kashim Shettima has already warned the local military authorities that Boko Haram was planning a raid on Maiduguri for tomorrow (Friday, November 5). Local governments under Boko Haram’s flag are Ngala, Kala/Balge, Marte, Askira/Uba, Bama, Gwoza, Mafa, Abadam, Dikwa, aside from parts of Konduga — all in Borno State. Kikiwa is under siege, according to news reports. In Mubi, it was so disgraceful that even soldiers were reportedly struggling with civilians for space in fleeing vehicles.

    Under the nose of President Jonathan and his military commanders, the Nigerian state appears to be collapsing fast — and all they mouth are empty excuses on why they cannot perform, not robust initiatives to roll back the shameful collapse. And to think that the government appeared finally to have regained the momentum until the controversial ceasefire that squelched the government’s advance and citizens’ relief, and handed the poor citizens over there as serfs of Boko Haram anarchists. The irony of ironies: Boko Haram pledges maximum protection to its captives, a chore that appears  beyond the ken of the sitting government. It is a monumental national shame.

    For President Jonathan and his military commanders, this is not the best of seasons. It is absolutely unacceptable that Boko Haram would just sack Nigerian territory anyhow, kill and maim innocent Nigerians at will and turn thousands of others into internally displaced persons in their own fatherland.

    What Jonathan and his aides must do is to impress and convince Nigerians that they are up to the task of protecting Nigerians and preserving our country’s integrity, not betraying nervous anger when their glaring failure is pointed out. The president must regain his honour now by rolling back the Boko Haram challenge or else everyone is doomed.

     

  • Compaore’s ouster

    •It is a lesson to sit-tight leaders that they risk being disgraced out of office 

    Blaise Compaore, one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers was on October 31 forced out of power as parliament was about pushing through a bill to allow him run again, the day before. Compaore, 63, became Burkina Faso’s head of state in 1987 after Thomas Sankara, his bosom friend and one of Africa’s most respected heads of state, was ousted and assassinated in a coup. Compaore, who was only 36 when he took power, had been reelected president four times since 1991. He had served two terms of seven years as well as two five-year terms.

    His journey to infamy started years back, what with the country’s poor showing of 183rd out of 186 countries on the UN Human Development Index. The disillusionment by youths who constitute about 60 percent of the country’s 17 million population, was understandable. They naturally could not have been expected to love the establishment responsible for such a parlous state of affairs. Perhaps they would have tolerated Compaore till next year when his fourth term was supposed to end, but apparently lost their patience when they discovered that rather than getting ready to leave power, Compaore was indeed digging in to stay put. His cup ran over with his insatiable desire for more years in office; angry protesters stormed and ransacked the parliament as well as other official buildings and burnt them down on October 30, demanding his resignation. In the ensuing chaos, soldiers took over  and eventually announced the former president’s resignation after an initial disagreement amongst the military officers as to who should succeed Compaore.

    With hindsight, the former president must be cursing the day he contemplated extending his tenure. He could not believe what hit him, as he issued two statements in quick succession indicating his willingness to vacate office at some future dates. In the first statement, issued on Thursday, he vowed to hold on to power through next year under a transition government that he would obviously have headed.

    However, he was soon to learn that the game was up and that he was no longer in a position of command. He quickly back-tracked: “In order to preserve the democratic gains, as well as social peace … I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days”, he had said. Even that was also rejected by a determined people.

    Compaore’s ouster is a lesson to other African leaders with Oliver Twist tendency. They should realise that anyone who stays too long in the lavatory should be ready to play host to maggots. It also shows People Power as a potent antidote to the question posed by sit-tight leaders who have outlived their usefulness. The Burkinabe youths decided to take their destiny in their hands by coming out in large numbers to demand Compaore’s resignation. Although a few of them were killed, they succeeded in forcing out a leader who had nothing new to offer his country but was not ready to leave the stage.

    Moreover, the role of the opposition in the struggle that some have christened “Black Spring”, is commendable. At least the opposition figures galvanised and provided the desired leadership to the people in the build-up to the protests, when their warning to Compaore not to run for a fifth term went unheeded. Perhaps particularly worrisome was the role of the parliament in the Compaore saga. Perhaps democracy would not have been truncated the way it was in the country if the parliamentarians had done their work diligently.

    It must be pointed out that they failed the people in this matter because they should have prevailed on Compaore to drop the idea of his fifth term when it mattered.  All said, however, we urge the Burkinabes to hold on and put the soldiers on their toes. The best the international community owes them now is ensuring that the soldiers return the country to democratic path within the three months that they promised.

  • Improving democratic infrastructure

    SIR: From the beginning of what seems an unending vigour of national progress in democracy, the country has experienced a turn-around in organization and management of electoral processes. We haven’t gotten it all right but the situation is not as hopeless as many have imagined. Few examples of mind shattering problems are given as: Must registration for voters be restricted to a given time? Should the registration be repeated all the time when election is close? Why must that time be close to election time? And, should we continue to have endless numbers of party with the same manifesto?

    Nigeria has failed to tell the time regarding the best of electoral practices obtainable around the world.  Every democracy is built on credible election. Credible elections are not natural resources like crude oil that could be dug from the ground. Credible elections are outcome of fail-proof planning that Nigeria has given little attention to. Resources are scarce as times are hard and the coming days will make it harder with shrinking national income. INEC might not get the normal allocation it is used to and the country needs better and credible election as democracy matures to global view. This mismatch might prompt a first order chaos difficult to resolve. For many years, Nigeria has craved participatory democracy to validate the quality of leadership. The most frustrating of all the barrier so far, is INEC registration.

    Technology has endowed us with so much to count on as blessings. These blessing have been looked down on as not vehicle for incorporation into smooth running of elections.  If voters’ registration is vital and critical and shouldn’t be despised in sensitive time as this, it should be given priority attention in next budget planning before resources deplete.

    Nigeria has numbers of experts ready to contribute to the validity of the country’s electoral processes. We haven’t given them fair chance to try their best for their country. The repetition in registration comes as another menacing affair which deserves consideration by national policy makers. If there are ways of cutting down cost in conducting one-time registration for all voters, it will be the best. The permanent voters card will be of little use if voters can’t vote in their respective location when it is time to vote. Some policies might have to change along the line though. These changes are necessary, considering the cost of conducting registrations for voter only to hand them glorified identity card.

    It would have been better if electoral laws allow citizens to convert available identity documents to a medium voting.  The best consideration will be to alter part of the restricting regulation that restrict voters and let them know it is time to vote anywhere they are. That is the time Nigeria can boast of enfranchising her vast populace. Good election is the best infrastructure any democracy can have.

    • Unekwu Peters Onyilo,

     Kogi State.

  • Zimbabwe

    Zimbabwe

    •Time for Ma Mugabe’s reign!

    From Pa Mugabe, to Ma Mugabe, and finally to Daughter Mugabe — wouldn’t that be a thrilling power profile for Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe?

    After old man Bob’s 34 years of uninterrupted rule — and still counting — Grace Mugabe, 49, the Zimbabwe First Lady, does not see why not. Speaking to veterans of the Rhodesia liberation war, at Mazowe, some 40 kilometres north of Harare, Mrs. Mugabe declared her intention to take over from her 90-year-old husband.

    Neither does her husband, it appears. If not, why Mrs. Mugabe’s sudden appointment as head of the ruling ZANU-PF’s Women’s Wing? And why Mrs. Mugabe’s blazing attack on Joyce Mujuru, long-running vice-president to Mugabe, both in government and in ZANU-PF, with the First Lady declaring that though many people were qualified to rule Zimbabwe, Mrs. Mujuru was not one of them, so she should resign — Mujuru, whose liberation war years comradely moniker was “Spill Blood”?

    Though Mr. Mugabe, in a broadcast, had decried the succession war in his party, lampooning young elements who were in a hurry to take over from him — him, that endured liberation war, prison, torture and colonial rule — he skirted the issue, when he opened parliament on October 28.

    But the atmosphere, in and outside parliament, was instructive enough. Outside, ZANU-PF cadres sang the old man’s praise, but also taunted themselves, depending on which side of the post-Mugabe era divide they stood.

    Inside, Mrs. Mugabe sat apart, while Vice President Mujuru (the First Lady’s first power target) and Emerson Mnangagwa, justice minister and durable politician, exchanged jokes and chatted away. Incidentally, either of the two is regarded as the likeliest successor to Mr. Mugabe.

    Meanwhile, Tendai Biti, an opposition Movement for Democratic Change member and former minister, has dismissed Grace Mugabe’s push for power as “madness”. “That is actually madness.  You ruin, you misrun the country for 34 years, and you expect your wife to be the next president?” Mrs Biti thundered.  “Now, you are trying to create a dynasty with no value, no claim, so it’s even worse, so Zimbabwe is actually going in a regression.”

    Indeed, Zimbabwe after Mr. Mugabe, appears on the path of further regression, towing the path of the infamous Papa Doc, Baby Doc ruinous dynasty in Haiti, the world’s first Black republic.  It is another putative disaster from the sit-tight syndrome: Iraq and Saddam Hussein, Libya and Muamar Gaddaffi; and Africa’s other long-running dictatorships: Yoweri Museveni’s Uganda and Blaise Compaore’s  Burkina Faso (who was sacked only last week after 27 years in power), just to mention two.

    For Nigeria, the spectre of dictatorship and fascism should hold special interest, no matter the democratic charades of the extant order. Zimbabwe has come to grief because citizens kept mute when Mr. Mugabe and his inner circle were busy personalising the state, subverting state institutions and generally proclaiming themselves above the law that created their respective offices. Now, after 34 years rule by old man Mugabe, 90, he appears to feel acute discomfort at leaving power for anybody except his wife!

    Nigeria is a democracy. Even then, there are alarming cases of the powers-that-be personalising the paraphernalia of state, the Presidency subverting the coercive instruments of state for partisan ends, the Parliament keeping mute at executive abuse of power; in the Ekiti case, the police and other security agencies used to subvert court cases, again for partisan purposes, and the First Lady reportedly doing political foxtrots that would appear abominable in more decent climes.  All these should alarm any right- thinking Nigerian that wants democracy to blossom.

    Once upon a time, Zimbabwe was a proud state. Though as Rhodesia it had the moral albatross of apartheid, it was politically and economically well-run, if a pariah state. After independence and 34 years down the line, Zimbabwe is plumbing all the way down to be a banana republic and, if Grace Mugabe’s power bid succeeds, the Mugabes’ personal trophy.

    If the best run of states could descend into the abyss, no thanks to dictatorship and fascism, it behooves Nigerians to be especially vigilant regarding their country and democracy. Anything less could just be a journey to Harare, many years hence. That would be tragic.

     

  • CBN’s costly ranches

    CBN’s costly ranches

    •We expect to see results for the whopping N100 billion

    The recurring conflicts between cattle-rearers and farmers across the country have left in their wake several incidents of avoidable bloodshed. This should not continue and must be addressed the right way. It seems the government has seen the need for this as the National Economic Council (NEC) has put in motion a machinery to address it. What we are worried about, however, is the source of funding of the initiative.

    The council, through its committee that was set up to assess the issue of grazing reserves in the country at its recent meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, approved 14 out of the 15 recommendations brought before it. Among the approved recommendations, the NEC wants the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide the sum of N100bn to assist states to establish ‘mini-modern ranches’ across the country. This is to stem the tide of struggles for land and water resources by herdsmen and farmers.

    The idea, though seemingly noble but suspect in its implementation was arrived at by important stakeholders including Gabriel Suswam, Governor of Benue State, Dr. Suleman Abubakar, Minister of National Planning and Moses Adeyemo, Oyo State Deputy Governor, amongst others, whose spheres of control and leadership thrusts have been turned to battle fields by the cattle-rearers and farmers. They reportedly supported the idea of CBN funding of ranches when Suswam, who spoke for the committee, declared: “Some key recommendations in the report are: CBN to provide seed funding of N100billion to assist states to establish mini-modern ranches across the federation. All grazing reserves/cattle routes already gazetted and encroached upon should be recovered and improved upon, taking into consideration the present day realities; ranching and modern technologies of livestock production.’’

    We appreciate their concerns, especially on the uncontrolled influx of nomadic farmers into Nigeria and the challenging issues of grazing reserves in most states across the country. We want the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible because of its grave implication, especially for human lives and the environment. Also, the initiative, when implemented, should go beyond official mouthing; it must essentially happen across the country since we expect nothing short of empirical result. In the past, we only heard about mere intentions with funds purportedly released without result to show for it. This experience has led to the public impression that the ranches initiative might be a decoy to siphon money for the 2015 elections.

    But, must such huge amount of money come through the CBN? Is the apex bank going to accede to this kind of responsibility? How will the bank raise the money? Whose money is it that the CBN is about to throw around? And is this the trend with apex banks from other climes? Sometime ago, the CBN laughably planned to get involved in the printing of election materials. How could this be its duty? Moreover, the executive had accused the Sanusi Lamido Sanusi era as governor of the apex bank of un-curtailed frivolous spending; now that Lamido is out of the CBN, we want to see a show of circumspection in the manner of spending of the nation’s foremost bank.

    We do not subscribe to the immunity of the apex bank from parliamentary financial oversight. Notwithstanding the fact that the CBN has its own Board of Directors that approves its decisions, it is wrong for a topmost institution with a hefty budget larger than what states in the federation control not to be subjected to treasury/legislative accountability. The most important thing to us is to state, without equivocation, that the autonomy of the CBN does not make it a parallel government.