The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Humphrey Nwosu (1941 – 2024)

    Humphrey Nwosu (1941 – 2024)

    •One of the best election umpires Nigeria ever had

    Certainly, the most enduring tribute to Prof. Humphrey Nwosu is that, as the then chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), he heroically conducted Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, which is acclaimed as the “freest and fairest” in the country’s political history.

    He was NEC boss from 1989 to 1993 and introduced ‘Option A4,’ an open ballot system of voting that required voters to openly queue in front of the picture of their candidate in an election. This innovation reflected his expertise as a former professor of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    What might have happened if he had lacked the courage to disregard an anomalous court order against the holding of the poll remains a matter of speculation. President Bola Tinubu, in a posthumous tribute, notably described him as “a bold and courageous administrator as well as a patriot and national asset.” There is no doubt that he was a champion of democracy who played a significant role in momentous events which, in his words, “marked a turning point in Nigeria’s tortuous journey towards a democratic polity.” His death on October 24 highlighted the twists and turns of the country’s democratic experience. He was 83.

    In his 2008 book, ‘Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993, Presidential Election and its Annulment,’ Nwosu said the military authorities had wanted him to “postpone the election at least for one week.” He also said they accused him of conducting “a presidential election the court prohibited,” and “helped to cause… confusion.”

    Read Also: House steps down motion to reverse renaming of Niger Delta Ministry

    A group ironically known as Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) had encouraged the continuity of military rule under Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who had designed a convoluted and deceptive programme to restore democracy. As the country looked forward animatedly to democratic governance after eight years under Babangida, the ABN, alleging corruption, dramatically obtained a mysterious high court injunction stopping the election two days before the event. The court order was reported to have been issued at night.

    However, Nwosu ensured that the election was held as scheduled, stating that the court lacked authority to stop it. The contest was between M.K.O. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

    Three days after the poll, in the middle of the collation of the votes, the ABN dramatically obtained another court injunction to halt the counting and verification. The electoral body, this time, bowed to the court order in the face of intimidation by the military authorities, and suspended the announcement of the election results the following day.  By this time, it was clear Abiola had won.

    The Babangida regime subsequently annulled the election, triggering street protests, particularly in Abiola’s Southwest base, that led to the reported killing of more than 100 people by security forces. Nwosu went into exile.  The annulment of the election led to the emergence of two other military regimes before democracy was restored in 1999 and the death of Abiola in military detention.

    Nwosu was an unlikely hero, considering the circumstances that led to his appointment as NEC chairman. He hailed from Ajali community in present-day Anambra State, and had served in the government of a former military governor of old Anambra State. He was chosen to head the NEC following the resignation of his predecessor and former mentor, Prof.  Eme Awa, after a disagreement with Babangida. Indeed, he disappointed those who had thought he would be a yes-man.

    Recognising his contributions to the country’s political development, the House of Representatives, in July, urged the Federal Government to name the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after Nwosu.

    He left a legacy of innovative thinking and heroism in the pursuit of democracy. In 2018, he was reported saying, “the democratic system of governance is the best, especially for a multi-ethnic nation like ours,” adding that “expanding the frontiers of democracy will provide economic, social and developmental benefits that will certainly make Nigeria a great nation not only in Africa but across the world.”

  • Menace of illegal arms

    Menace of illegal arms

    • We cannot be tired of talking about this because of its consequences on national security

    The menace that the inflow of illegal arms and ammunition poses to the peace and stability of Nigeria was again brought to the front-burner of national discourse with the revelation by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, that, over the last six years since 2018, 10,498 arms and 14,929 rounds of ammunition in 20 major shipments, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N9.58 billion, were seized by the agency.

    But for the commendable vigilance of the officers and men of the NCS that resulted in the abortion of the attempts to bring these weapons into the country, we can best imagine how much worse the current debilitating insecurity in large swathes of the polity would have been.

     It is particularly instructive, as Mr Adeniyi noted, that over 60 percent of these seizures occurred within the last year alone and that “this recent surge accounts for 34.67 percent of the total Duty Paid Value, 20.58 percent of the arms seized and a staggering 99.62 percent of the ammunition intercepted over the six-year period”.

    This kind of statistics should spur the President Bola Tinubu administration, particularly through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that coordinates all security agencies, to redouble efforts to curtail the spread and use of illegal arms and ammunition across the country.

    Smuggled arms and ammunition seized by the NCS included 11 guns, including pump action rifles, six pistols, semi-automatic spray guns, military vests, among others, at the Tin Can Island Port, on March 15. Again, on July 1, 2024, operatives of the NCS in Rivers State intercepted a container with a substantial cache of arms, ammunition and drugs with a total Duty Paid Value of N13.9 billion.

    According to the NCS, “We followed its sail across continents and we benefited immensely from credible information through our collaboration with intelligence communities, both at local, national and international levels”. This confirms Mr Adeniyi’s assertion that the NCS has moved from a reactive to a more proactive focus and integrated approach in protecting the country’s borders, to enhance the safety of citizens.

    Yet, the large quantum of arms and ammunition in circulation as evidenced by the intensity of the violent activities of criminal non-state actors, suggests that a sizable amount of illegal weapons still get into the country despite the efforts of the NCS.

     According to experts, some of the sources of illegal weapons in the country include arms captured from security agencies during confrontation with criminal groups, sale of weapons to criminal elements by unscrupulous security agents and supply of weapons by international terrorist networks to their affiliates within Nigeria, such as Boko Haram.

    Read Also: Withdraw illegal arms, says Oshiomhole

    Others have also attributed the inflow of illegal arms into the country partly to the collapse of largely failed states such as Libya, particularly with the fall from power of Colonel Muamar Ghadaffi, as well as Nigeria’s expansive and porous borders.

    But no excuse is good enough to justify the arms and ammunition in wrong hands. Government has a responsibility to effectively secure every inch of Nigeria’s borders and should urgently deploy latest advances in science and technology to achieve this goal.

    It is commendable that President Tinubu has assented to the bill establishing the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the office of the NSA to help address the problem.

    It is worrisome that despite the numerous seizures of illegal weapons by the NCS at various border posts over the years, those arrested in the process and the owners of the containers utilised to commit the crime are hardly ever prosecuted in court. There are thus no punitive examples to serve as a deterrence to others.

    We hope that the arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja, last month, by the NCCSALW, of 10 suspects over their alleged connection with the illegal arms importation into Port Harcourt in June will be diligently prosecuted, to mark a departure from the past trend.  

  • Pension lamentations

    Pension lamentations

    • Way out is to pay retirees at least their own contributions at point of retirement

    A week ago, an uncaptioned 1.57 minutes video on the tribulations of pensioners was circulating on social media. In Pidgin English, the speaker, sitting in a car, was lamenting the torturous experiences of Nigerian retirees. According to him, imagine how somebody who put in their best for this country retires, and rather than rest, spends their remaining energy pursuing their pension benefits for so long, without success, and eventually dies in the process.

    He said further that the children of the deceased pensioner then continue with the pursuit of the entitlements, and eventually give up as a result of the frustration they encounter in the hands of uncooperative officials.

    He also noted that it is some fraudulent officials who later appropriate these unpaid benefits. He then opined that it’s this unsavoury situation which makes some workers to steal so recklessly while still in employment as an antidote against the deprivations that await them when they retire. He noted that in other climes, it’s when people retire that they recover and live a life of ease.

     This uncaptioned video may be the product of a content creator, in which case it would be an instance of art imitating life, or it may just be a save our soul of a sort. Whatever the case may be, it has passed across a profound message which corresponds with what many Nigerian pensioners are experiencing, and which therefore resonates with a wide range of people. From reports on employers’ betrayal of pensioners and workers, three major categories of problems can be identified. First is the non-remittance or delay in remittance of pension deductions from workers’ salaries; second is the non-supply of employees’ requisite documents to the appropriate quarters; and third is the delay in the payment of the employers’ contribution to the workers’ benefits.

    Read Also: PTAD: Resolving pensioners’ issues

    To these categories of problems have been added a new one. According to media reports, the Abia State government has ‘negotiated’ with and got the pensioners in the state to sign a Memorandum of Agreement to forfeit part of their unpaid gratuities and pensions. The state’s branch of the National Union of Pensioners has repudiated the purported agreement, and claimed that some functionaries of the government have intimidated and manipulated the union to sign the questionable document. 

    All people of goodwill need to intervene in this matter and get justice for the pensioners in Abia State. This is important because of the tendency for unacceptable acts to spread across the states as was the case with the unconstitutional removal of elected local government administrations and their replacement with illegal caretaker committees by state governments. Meanwhile, to address delay, it is desirable for subscribers to be allowed to collect their pension savings which are in their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) in the possession of the Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) at the point of retirement, pending the release of the portion of the entitlements which are in the possession of the different employers or governments. An upward review of the percentage of pension entitlements which can be collected at the point of retirement is also necessary to avoid the sharp decline in quality of living that often results from the present low percentage collectable.

    Moreover, it would be helpful for the Federal Government to expeditiously clear its pension liabilities and assist states to clear theirs too, the way the Buhari administration helped them to clear salary arrears in the past, in the form of bailouts. This and the other recommendations would moderate the tendency for Nigerians to be skeptical about the policies and intentions of government as is the case now with the Pension Reform Act 2014.

    It is unfortunate that while people who served the country for decades find it difficult to get their pension, political appointees and other politicians find a way of settling theirs as they are leaving office. 

  • Timely alarm

    Timely alarm

    •NSA should move against security personnel giving government’s arms to criminals

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has highlighted the source of weapons that terrorists, bandits and non-state actors were finding handy in perpetrating their criminal exploits. He accused rogue elements within the security services of selling weapons that belonged to government to the criminal elements.

    Speaking at the destruction of illegal arms by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms And Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), penultimate Thursday, Ribadu said a sizeable number of illicit arms being used to commit crimes in the country originally belonged to government. According to him, the weapons ended up with criminals through corrupt elements within the security services that facilitated their movement into illegal hands. The NSA had harsh words for such treacherous personnel and assured that government would spare no effort to ensure the country is safe, secured and protected.

    “We have to find a way of putting a stop to this. We must, if we want to recover our country and live in peace and stability. The worst human being is a policeman or a soldier who will take arms from his own formations and sell it or hire it out for the bad people to come and kill his own colleagues,” Ribadu said. “We must fight these people… The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons remains a major threat to our national security, exacerbating issues such as insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes,” he further stated, adding that all illicit arms – not just unserviceable ones – were being destroyed in government’s demonstration of commitment to a secure future for all Nigerians. The NSA explained that any weapon that is out there in the polity without due process documentation is illegal, saying: “We have laws that govern ownership of small arms. If you do not follow it, it is an illegal arm and it is supposed to be destroyed completely.”

    Read Also: Nigeria gets it right with Yilwatda as Humanitarian Affairs Minister – Group

    At the destruction of illicit arms carried out at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Giri, Abuja, NCCSALW Director-General Johnson Kokumo, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, gave a sneak view of the magnitude of the challenge at hand. He said more than 2,400 weapons comprising a mix of unserviceable, decommissioned and recovered arms were being destroyed at the exercise, which he said was the third since the centre was established, though the first since his assumption of command.

    “It is also important to state that the national centre has in its custody some recovered/captured illicit SALW (small and light weapons) still undergoing tracing as well as investigations and legal processes. These include the illicit weapons handed over to the centre by the Nigeria Customs Service. These categories of weapons would be destroyed on completion of the processes during subsequent routine destruction exercises,” he added inter alia.

    If there is anyone who should know how illicit weapons get trafficked, it is the NSA, and it is laudable that he called out suspected channels of the deadly transaction. Was it an attempt at deflecting blame somewhat when the Defence Headquarters, last week, said government arms got into terrorists’ hands when they attacked military formations? Speaking while addressing reporters on military operations across the country, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-Gen. Edward Buba, said: “When we talk about proliferation of arms, first, you have to look at what happened in Libya years ago, in the Sahel. This allowed arms to get into wrong hands and then filtered into our country. This worsened the issue of insurgency and terrorism that we are faced with in the country.” He added: “It is not a surprise. As we have seen, several of our troops have been ambushed or killed and their arms taken. But what we have done is that in every such instance, we have made the terrorists pay a greater price than we have been forced to pay in such circumstances.”

    We have heard the narrative as Defence Headquarters plied before, and it has not helped in dealing with the scourge of illicit arms. On the other hand, Ribadu’s comment marked a radical introspection on where to look in tackling the menace – and coming from the horse’s mouth, as they say. That comment, however, was only his job half done. The security services must be made to firm up their weapons accounting system, and it falls on the NSA’s table to make them do that. Besides routine documentation, for instance, technology can be used to track every arm that passes through respective service from the point of procurement to disposal, and full account given for every government weapon. In-built chips can also be used in every government weapon, such that even if terrorists were to snatch such weapons in ambush attacks on security personnel, they could yet be tracked and recovered.

    We commend Ribadu for his courageous disclosure on how illicit arms get trafficked, but we also urge him to earnestly get to work on remediation.

  • Oba Oyinlola’s legacy

    Oba Oyinlola’s legacy

    •It is remarkable that a traditional ruler so valued education that he discouraged his children from running after inheritance

    “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”. This quote by Malcolm X best encapsulates the global view by most informed humans, living or dead, about the value of education. The legendary Nelson Mandela also had his own iconic quote about education and its value. He had said that “education is the most powerful weapon with which we can change the world”. He should know; his own education in apartheid South Africa helped in varied ways to end the obnoxious apartheid regime.

    The focus on education was recently reignited by the former military governor of Lagos and former civilian governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as he spoke during the orientation programme for the pioneer students of the newly built Alolade Oyinlola College of Health Sciences and Information Technology, Okuku, Osun State. According to him, the school is his contribution to the field of education, given his lessons from his late father, Oba Moses Oyewole Oyinlola, the late Oba of Okuku who reigned from 1934 to 1960.

    His dedication to education stems, as he narrated, from lessons from his father who had 64 children but who had instructed that each of them could only get good education from him as they go into the world. He left an instruction about his inheritance, hinting that none of the children should depend or fight over his property. Coincidentally, a Prince Oyinlola is opening the school on the 64th anniversary of his father’s passing.

    Read Also: Infinix Launches HOT 50 Series: The World’s Slimmest 3D-Curved SlimEdge Design Smartphone with Unmatched Durability

    We find it interesting that a traditional ruler in a culture that is often very fussy about inheritance of properties by children rather saw wealth and inheritance in good education. This shows the wisdom that Oba Oyinlola had. It points to why he became a traditional ruler in the first place. For his 43rd child to have grown with the values he imparted in him as one of 64 children shows that the Oba’s leadership started from his household.  In a culture where even siblings from same parents often fight over properties after their parents’ transition, late Oba Oyinlola’s legacy is very admirable. The tranquility in the Oyinlola family 64 years after his death, despite his many children, grand and great-grandchildren, is worthy of emulation.

    We commend Prince Oyinlola for bringing up the legacy of his father and for going further to invest in education because, indeed, education is the best legacy a parent or guardian can bequeath the next generation. There are several lessons to be learnt from his father. As an Oba, he had the power to acquire and amass wealth for his dozens of children. He didn’t go the greedy route. Rather, he instilled discipline enough to make his children value education.

    We have seen modern traditional, religious, corporate and political leaders corruptly enriching themselves, with some of their children and wives flagrantly leading lives of obscene extravagance. Even the holy book says that where one’s treasures are, there his heart will be. Wanton acquisition of wealth without care for the people is one of the reasons most underdeveloped countries are poor. Nigeria is equally a victim and things can only change when people begin to imbibe the values espoused by the likes of late Oba Oyinlola.

    On the flip side, while we congratulate the former governor for investing in education through the school, we wish he invested more in the education sector in his times as governor, both in Lagos and Osun states. Investing in education does not necessarily mean personally building schools but bringing to the fore the value of education as espoused by his father. Waiting to recall that very important value at the opening of his own school is good but might not carry the same information value as if he had done so on a political platform as a governor in Lagos and Osun states.

    Nonetheless, we commend the gesture, even if he is doing so as a private citizen. It is just a reminder to parents that the best legacy to our children is the values we espouse and a good education. Those are the guides and greatest investments in the future. Again, the late Oba seems immortal because of the values he lived by. We wish Nigerians of all classes can learn from this late Oba about how to lead and parent. Prince Oyinlola too has lit a candle in the education sector and we wish the pioneer students would take the words to heart and work hard and committedly to excel with the opportunity they now have.   

  • Calm down

    Calm down

    Nigerians wishing to convert to CNG or diversify to solar now have access to credit facilities

    Nigerians willing to convert their vehicles to gas-powered engines, and those intending to diversify to solar energy but lack the resources need to worry no more: the Federal Government has come up with a N10 billion credit facility for both pursuits. The facility, tagged CALM, Credit Access for Light and Mobility, was launched in Abuja, last week.

    An initiative of The Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PI-CNG), the loan has 15 to 20 per cent interest rates, and is accessible through existing participating financial institutions (PFI).

    This is another laudable idea, especially as a response to the hike in fuel prices and tariffs occasioned by withdrawal of subsidies in the energy and the power sectors, respectively, as well as the merger of the foreign exchange rates. The policies led to leap from N198 per litre of petrol when the present government took over in May, last year, to about N1,000 per litre today, and power tariff for certain categories of consumers jumped by about 200 per cent.

    The government has not denied the pains resulting from the policy measures. Rather, it has continually assured Nigerians that the subsidies were not sustainable and that the hardship encountered in the process of withdrawing them was a temporary sacrifice Nigerians must make towards economic growth and sustainability.

    Read Also: Locals allege French involvement in CAR missing genital crisis

    Beyond the words of encouragement, the government has also taken some measures to cushion the effects of the policies on Nigerians. It has reviewed the minimum wage from N30,000 to the present N70,000, it has given various items and cash to millions of susceptible persons as palliatives, it has come up with students loan scheme, among other initiatives, to cushion the effects of the policies.

    CALM only happens to be about the latest of such measures. MOFI Chief Executive Officer Armstrong Ume Takang said the fund was “In response to the growing financial strain on Nigerians due to high energy and transportation costs. MOFI, CREDICORP, and the Presidential Initiative on CNG (PI-CNG) Ltd have joined forces to launch the CALM Fund.

    “This new fund aims to provide affordable credit for Nigerians to obtain CNG conversion kits and other energy-saving solutions, making essential services more accessible to Nigerians while promoting sustainability.”

    As Takang noted, the CALM Fund offers a lifeline to households and businesses looking for practical ways to manage their high transportation and energy costs.

    Not only that, it also further expands the frontiers of credit facilities which the present government has been promoting in line with what obtain in many developed countries but which has not been particularly popular in the country.

    There is no doubt that many Nigerian vehicle owners would have loved to jump into the ‘CNG wagon’, given the cost element as early as yesterday, but they lack the financial wherewithal. In like manner, many people would like to save money on power by making the almost once-and-for-all investment in solar energy, thereby reducing the dependency on public power supply, but cannot afford the down payment.

    CALM offers both categories of people a golden opportunity of having their hearts’ desires conveniently. It costs about N1,000,000 to convert a private vehicle to CNG; that of commercial vehicles is far less because it is subsidised by the government. How many Nigerians can cough up this at once? It is envisaged that at least about 500,000 vehicles would be converted to CNG with this initiative. This is a lot.

    Although the interest rate of between 15 to 20 per cent is high, it is hoped that with time and patronage, this would go down.

    Since the sole criterion for accessing the loan is verifiable income, we encourage Nigerians to go for it and also be faithful in repayment since it is supposed to be a revolving loan.

  • Unending grid collapse

    Unending grid collapse

    •We have dissected the issues enough, now is time for action

    “The grid didn’t collapse three times in October. We had grid disturbances only two times. I think the first was on Monday (October 14) and the second yesterday (Saturday October 19). There was news that the grid collapsed again on Tuesday. That one was incorrect. On Monday, we were to fix the grid but had some setbacks”.

    That was the managing director of the government-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulaziz, disputing the initial account which suggested that the power grid collapsed for three days.  

    Going by the official account, the October 14 collapse, described as ‘partial’, was due to the tripping of a line at the Jebba Transmission Substation and recurring fault at the Osogbo Transmission Substation.

    On the other hand, the incident on October 19 was put to a deliberate protective shutdown of the grid as a result of the explosion of the Jebba transformer.

    That the incident would be the seventh of such in the current year makes their occurrence too many.

    So much for what appeared to be a cynical attempt to pass off a problem known to be endemic as normal occurrence, Nigerians must be relieved that key stakeholders are at least sufficiently embarrassed to demand prompt action.

    First was Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who last week summoned the leadership of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and TCN to an emergency meeting. Among the outcomes were a “forensic investigation committee to advise the government on necessary solutions to make the national grid robust and reliable”, and, the empanelling of a six-member technical committee to assess the critical nodes on the national grid to identify potential vulnerabilities.

    Read Also: Senate screens Bianca Ojukwu, Yilwatda, five other ministerial nominees on Tuesday

    The committee is expected to turn its report in by November 1.

    A no less embarrassed NERC would also bring together the Generation Companies (GenCos); Distribution Companies (DisCos); professional bodies; experts; civil society organisations (CSOs), and members of the general public, at its headquarters in Abuja, ostensibly to get to the root of the problem.

    “We are here again and the commission’s intention is to truly give guidance towards finding a final solution to what is a very embarrassing moment for the country. In short, we have heard this story that infrastructure is old, fragile, low generation, free governor control, all these high-tech stories that we seem to repeat over and over again about finding a solution”, NERC chairman, Sanusi Garba, reportedly told participants at the parley. 

    Also at the meeting, the TCN’s managing director, Abdulaziz, represented by the Executive Director, Independent System Operator (ISO), Nafisat Ali, reeled out the usual challenges: the lack of ‘Free Governor Control’ by the generators causing negative frequency response, most times, system instability; generation inadequacy due to equipment fault; failure of generating stations to absorb or produce reactive power as well as non-harmonisation of gas pipeline and power plant units maintenance schedule, among others.

    He also identified other factors as non-compliance to annual maintenance schedule plan and lack of spinning reserve; the need for single circuits to be doubled, the insecurity and vandalism of power transmission equipment and other related facilities, among other major challenges.

    In all, he blamed the incessant grid collapse on the defective and obsolete transmission equipment, relay settings and coordination, lack of reliability-centred maintenance, inadequate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and communication equipment and inadequate voltage compensating devices.

    Said the TCN boss: “Most of the equipment we are using are over 40 to 50 years old. So it is not possible for that equipment to work perfectly. So we are doing our best. We know we can do more. But at least, we are getting to know the problems one by one”.

    What is regrettable is not that the problems afflicting the grid are not known or already documented, but the official penchant for reminders only after things have gone wrong. What would the minister’s six-man committee come up with that the industry leaders, including the National Assembly which holds the purse, do not already know?

    Truth is that the problem has actually been over-dissected. What Nigerians expect are those actions already taken to address the problems? How much of the funds voted to address those specific problems that have constituted the giant albatross have been released, and what measurable progress could be said to have been made? What additional steps are being taken to bridge whatever gaps between what has been done and what is required? In other words, when should Nigerians hope to begin to enjoy the stability as promised under the new power sector governance framework? This seems the least Nigerians could ask for after nearly two decades of the country’s power sector reform journey.

  • FCCPC to the rescue

    FCCPC to the rescue

    • About time DisCos’ feet were put in the fire to restore long-suffering customers’ rights

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) are pushing the rights of consumers against the over-indulged electricity distribution companies (DisCos).  That’s good news, at last!

    NERC is the electricity market regulator.  FCCPC is the overall champion of consumer rights in a market economy.  Hitherto, NERC had hee-hawed but given the DisCos too much leeway, particularly on the vexed issue of estimated billing.  Might it then be right to say its new pro-consumer lobby is due more to FCCPC’s insistence?  Whatever the case, it’s a good and welcome move.

    Also, it’s significant that both are coming together on the matter of meters, the spine that secures DisCo revenues, but which DisCos had hitherto treated with levity — because they could resort to the highly fraudulent estimated billing, with which they fleece electricity consumers.

    If both walk their talk — and it is imperative they do — that era of estimated billing should come to an end.  Everyone would be better served: the DisCos would charge fairly, the consumers would pay for power they had enjoyed, and the market would be far better for it.

    What’s more?  The DisCos would enjoy a better cash flow balance since, in the routine household market, the meters are prepaid; and power blinks off immediately the money loaded in the token runs out.  That results in a twin-motivation: DisCos, get being paid before service; consumers, re-vend to avert a blackout.  It’s a win-win.

    It’s also significant that things are coming to a head with the imminent phase-out of the Unistar prepaid meter.  Ikeja Electric Plc (I.E.) — which has the biggest market of all the DisCos — has pronto hinted that after the meter’s phase-out date of November 14, its long-suffering customers might have to purchase another meter, since they risked not being able to vend — buy — electricity again.  This is because Unistar’s Token Identifier is progressively difficult to update.  The meter has been in use for 10 years.

    Now, this panic-inducing call is unfair and unconscionable on at least two grounds: the DisCos — in any case their vendors — supplied consumers the meters; so, if it became outdated, the DisCos should replace them.  Fairness says so.  Common sense bawls it even louder.  If meters are critical to DisCo revenues, why would DisCos muscle customers buy meters for DisCos — because they have estimate billing to fall back to?

    Read Also: FCCPC boss blames food inflation on hoarders

    These two grounds lead to an even more fundamental third: meters are the properties of DisCos, not consumers.  So, why should consumers buy DisCos crucial spine to gather their revenue and run their business?

    This is why the twin-response, from NERC and FCCPC, is heart-warming.

    First, NERC, per its vice chairman, Musiliu Oseni, dispelled the I.E. prime fear factor: “although there are progressive Unistar Token Identifier Rollover worries, there is no official directive — in any case, not from the market regulator — to phase out the meters, talk less of setting a definite date.”  He added that whatever announcements on its replacement had been DisCo individual initiatives.

    But even if it reached the situation that customers could no longer load electricity tokens, no customer should be placed on estimated billing, or be denied access to electricity.  Even if customers agree — or are persuaded to buy meters under the meter access programme (MAP) framework, DisCos must refund customers and provide a clear method to do so.  But this is yet another NERC hee-haw that gifts DisCos the leeway they always abuse.  DisCos should replace faulty meters — simple!

    The FCCPC was clear: It’s DisCos’ business to replace phased out meters, while it pledged to be stout champion of consumer rights in the electricity market and elsewhere.

    “We cannot allow consumers to be unfairly charged or placed on estimated billings,” Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s director of special duties, declared.  “This would be a violation of existing regulations.”  Well said!

    But after the talk, it’s time to move into vigorous action.  NERC and FCCPC should mount a blitz of public enlightenment on consumer rights under the electricity market law.  Such a blitz should put DisCos under tremendous pressure to do what is right — by themselves — for once, instead of using cunning and fear to prey on the consumer.

    DisCos must imbibe a culture of supplying their customer meters — which the DisCos own.  Both NERC and FCCPC must enforce that culture.  That’s the only way the electricity market can be fair and equitable to all.  Right now, it’s criminally skewed toward supply, thus taking consumers for a jolly ride.

  • New states?

    New states?

    • We wonder how far proponents can go in view of the economic implications and the rigours of creation

    The clamour for creation of new states has resurfaced after several failed attempts in the past. Nigeria, which currently has 36 states, started off as three entities; made up of the Colony of Lagos, and the Protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria, way back in 1914.  With the nation approaching Independence in 1960, the northern, western and eastern regions were created, while Lagos remained the federal capital territory. In 1963, the Mid-West region was carved out of the Western Region, some argue, for political machinations.

    Ever since then, it had remained the prerogative of the military governments to use arbitrary decrees to create states in Nigeria; from 12, to 19, to 21, to 30, and finally 36 states.  Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, at every constitutional amendment process, the clamour for the creation of more states has resonated. Obviously, because of the stringent process associated with creation of states as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended), every such effort came to naught.

    But undaunted, the House of Representatives has passed, for second reading, an act to create a new Oyo State out of the present Oyo State. Some Nigerians look forward to civilians breaking the jinx associated with the rigorous process of creating new states. Section 8 of the constitution provides that an act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating new states shall be supported by at least two-thirds majority of members, representing the area demanding the creation in the Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly and local government.

    Furthermore, a referendum shall be approved by two-thirds of the people within the area in question. The referendum is then subjected to the approval of majority of states in the federation, with a simple majority of members in the state Houses of Assembly. Finally, the proposal is supported by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each arm of the National Assembly. It may be this rigorous process that has made the past attempts come to naught.

    But, beyond the demand for new states, we hope the proponents have critically examined the economic viability of the new states they are clamouring for? Perhaps, because as a country, we do not practice fiscal federalism, even though we are supposedly a federation, the creation of new states is seen as a way of gaining economic advantage, since resources are allocated on state and local government basis. Thus, there are more states in the former Northern Region than the old west, east and Lagos colony, put together.

    Read Also: Can new states be created under democracy?

    As the nation progressed, the country has come to be regarded as constituting six geo-political zones, made up of three zones apiece, in the northern and southern parts of the country. While the northern part has 19 states, the southern part has 17 states. For the people of the south-east, they canvass for the creation of one more state within their zone to bring them to par with the other four zones, which has six states each, even though the north-west has seven states.

    But, beyond the political and economic benefits associated with the creation of more states, we doubt if the atomisation of states has brought better life for the ordinary people of the various zones. Sadly, the north-west zone, with the highest number of states, also has the majority of the multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians. So, instead of focusing on the creation of more states, which substantially serves the interest of the political elite, should the people not focus on economic prosperity for all, as the panacea for all the agitations?

    Arguably, the quality of life of the average Nigerian in, say the old Western Region, now made up of eight states across two zones, was way higher than what is now obtainable in the succession states.

  • Justice is served

    Justice is served

    • Lawan’s jail time proves equity of law and shows what should be the norm

    Former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, walked out of Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja, last Tuesday, a free man, after serving out a five-year jail sentence for bribery. He served the term while he fought appellate battles at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which he lost.

    Spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Samson Duza, confirmed his freedom in a statement, Tuesday. “Lawan was released this morning after completing his jail term,” he said.

    The ex-lawmaker was convicted in 2021 for extorting a $500,000 bribe from tycoon and Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited Chairman, Femi Otedola. The bribe was solicited to remove the name of Otedola’s company from a list of firms implicated in a 2012 legislative probe of a multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud. Lawan, who served as chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Panel on the Fuel Subsidy Regime Probe, was arraigned by government in 2013 on three counts of corruption after allegedly soliciting a $3million bribe from the billionaire businessman. Otedola accused him of eventually receiving $500,000 bribe.

    An FCT high court convicted Lawan in 2021 and sentenced him to jail terms on the three counts brought against him by government. He got a five-year sentence for the first two counts and seven years for the last count – all to run concurrently. The ex-lawmaker, in an appeal, argued that the prosecution failed to prove he had demanded or accepted the bribe. The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in 2022, discharged him on two out of the three counts of corruption, but upheld one count with a five-year jail term. He was also ordered to refund $500,000 to the Federal Government. Lawan took his battle up to the Supreme Court, which in January 2024 upheld the appeal court’s verdict. In the lead judgment prepared by Justice John Okoro but read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court ruled that his appeal lacked merit and, therefore, dismissed it. Lawan eventually served out the five-year term, leading to his release from jail on Tuesday.

    A striking irony about the former lawmaker’s judicial tangle was his presumed reputation for integrity, as he had led the Integrity Group of legislators in the heady days of a gruelling battle over leadership of the House of Representatives under former Speaker Patricia Etteh. On the heels of his exit from jail, he was fulsome with gratitude for his freedom. “Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah. Today marks the start of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre. I am immensely thankful to Allah SWT for guiding me through this trial,” Lawan said in a statement he signed. He thanked friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my life,” adding: “My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends and associates. I don’t take that for granted.”

    Read Also: Justices should be shielded from manipulation, says Wike

    Lawan’s subjection to the grinding wheel of justice is a testament to the supremacy of the rule of law that should be the norm in our society. Despite being a prominent lawmaker, he was not allowed – well, as far as we see – to either influence the course of his prosecution or pervert the custodial system, which incidentally has lately been in the news for abuses perpetrated through preferential treatment of some notable inmates. The ex-lawmaker’s journey through the courts and jail time is how the Nigerian justice system should work for all accused persons brought before it – that is, without favouritism or discrimination. After all, the age-long notion is that Lady Justice with her sword is blindfolded and holds in her hand a scale of equity.

    And, by the way, what has happened to the report that resulted from the 2012 probe of the subsidy scam? It is understood, of course, that the Lawan saga greatly undermined the credibility of the report; but that is no reason for it to be swept under the carpet without government interrogating the possibility of any modicum of truth in the findings and bringing factually indicted entities to justice. Much of the hardships Nigerians currently undergo owe to the gross abuse of the subsidy system, and we argue that if there are entities or persons genuinely identifiable as having brought us to this sorry pass, they should be made to pay.