The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • To the rescue?

    To the rescue?

    •SA’s Famous Brands’ acquisition of 49% stake in Mr Biggs throws up exciting prospects in the fast foods business, but…  

    THE news that South Africa’s Famous Brands, a quick service and casual dining restaurant franchisor, is taking a 49 percent stake in Nigeria’s UAC Restaurants (UACR), which brand, Mr. Biggs, is the doyen in Nigeria’s fast food sub-sector, is both sweet and sour.

    Sweet, because the new synergy may well hand Mr. Biggs, pioneers in the eatery sector boasting some 155 franchised restaurants in Nigeria and Ghana, a redemptive value. Mr. Biggs may be the largest food franchise brand in Africa outside South Africa and could well daily sell some 25,000 pieces of chicken in its eateries, but it appears it has been losing space to smaller and more nimble competition, despite pioneering business in that sector.

    And sour because, for the umpteenth time, Nigerian businesses’ ability to sustain success in the long run, even when they manage niche products, is being called to question. Just like indigenised conglomerates that went to seeds and had to be reacquired by their original foreign owners, Mr. Biggs would appear far from where it is supposed to be, the way it took the market by storm in its early days. If, therefore, Famous Brands’ partnership will give the brand a new lease of life, then it is smart business move.

    Kevin Hedderwick, Famous Brands’ chief executive is upbeat about the deal, stating the mutual benefits for both parties: “UACR will be vending in a formidable brand (Mr. Biggs), local expertise and existing franchisees, as well as nationwide distribution network and Lagos-based manufacturing infrastructure,” he said. “In exchange, Famous Brands will add value to the business through our expertise in managing intellectual property, growing brands and optimising supply chain operations and efficiencies.”

    On the other hand, Larry Ettah, managing director of UACN, parent company of UACR, seems to admit tough competition, talking of an influx, in the Nigerian market, of foreign and local quick service restaurant brands, insisting however that the new deal was predicated on changing demographics, which expects the middle class to increase from 30 percent of the Nigerian population (2009) to 35 percent in 2015. A good proportion of this target market is the young population, according to Mr. Ettah, with an average age of 18.

    From the point of inter-African trade, the Mr. Biggs-Famous Brands business collaboration is a cheerful prospect. For one, Mr. Biggs would need Famous Brands’ (owners of South Africa’s well known chains like Steers, Debonairs Pizza, Wimpy & Bean) brand building expertise and managerial acumen. Though the arrangement is not quite clear, it would appear Famous Brands would manage Mr. Biggs eateries while UACN maintains the controlling shares of 51 percent in the business. For another, it would give the sagging brand a new lease of life. That is good for both parties, as well as for the consumers, assured of better service, as a result of fiercer competition.

    But the down side is – and this is not just business nationalism – even more foreign interests are raiding the economy. That is not such a bad thing. If they bring in new capital, that means they see in the Nigerian economy long term prospects, which should gladden the heart of Nigerians. But if they freely bring in capital, it is only fair that they freely repatriate their profit. Still, measures must be put in place to ensure that this very legitimate endeavour does not result in capital flight, at the slightest excuse.

    Iconic Nigerian brands must also up their acts. If South Africans can invest heavily in Nigeria’s hotel and hospitality industry, and now the fast food eatery business, there is nothing stopping Nigerian brands too from being competitive enough to invest in other countries and repatriate their profit home.

    That is the only way the much abused concept of globalisation would make sense.

  • Where water is gold

    Where water is gold

    Some rare good news has offset the usual grim predictions about the planet’s dwindling natural resources. Kenya, one of Africa’s most important countries, has uncovered a potentially huge new water source. Now comes the challenge of managing it fairly and transparently.

    The discovery, announced last week by Kenya and the United Nations, involves five aquifers in impoverished Turkana County that could mean a more secure future for the country as a whole. Of Kenya’s 41 million people, an estimated 17 million lack access to safe drinking water and 28 million are without adequate sanitation. The new underground sources, estimated to hold at least 66 trillion gallons, could be used for drinking, irrigating crops and watering livestock.

    The project shows what can be done when responsible authorities work together. Identifying the aquifers was a joint effort of the Kenyan government and Unesco, with financial support from Japan, a major donor of international development assistance. Advanced satellite equipment and expertise from Radar Technologies International helped provide technical breakthroughs. Radar Technologies, a natural resources exploration concern, has confirmed two of the five aquifers through drilling, but further exploration at the other three sites is needed before experts can determine more precisely how much water exists and what it will take to extract it.

    Kenya’s task is to figure out, with United Nations help, how to protect these supplies and tap them in ways that ensure they last for generations. Management needs to be fair and open, with clear limits on how much water can be extracted, how often and by whom. This may not be easy in a country with a history of corruption, and where the president and deputy president are facing trial by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity stemming from the 2007 presidential election.

    Water scarcity is a huge problem globally, fueling competition among states, regions and tribes and sometimes leading to bloodshed. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has estimated that by 2030 nearly half the world’s population will live in areas with severe water stress. Kenya’s remarkable good fortune is a ray of hope in this otherwise gloomy picture.

    – New York Times

  • Let them marry

    It’s high time the Catholic Church revisited the issue of celibacy for its priests

    Modern ideas may eventually sway the soul of Catholicism regarding celibacy among priests. This issue is at the heart of  a long and strong controversy, which may still not go away whether the Catholic Church eventually reviews its official position or not. So, the news that the Vatican may unprecedentedly allow formal discussion of a possible re-examination of   its age-long thinking on the subject, though welcome, should not result in any premature celebration of change.

    However, it is interesting that Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the incoming Number Two leader in the Catholic Church when he becomes secretary of state next month, reportedly declared that priestly vow of celibacy derived from an age-old rule but was not Catholic dogma. “It’s not a dogma of the Church and it can be discussed because it’s an ecclesiastical tradition,” Archbishop Parolin told El Universal in Venezuela, where he is completing his term as Papal Nuncio.

    Such development, even though not concrete, has long been awaited by champions of change, and it could open a fresh chapter. For centuries, Catholic Church tradition has required celibacy from priests. The Canon Law of the Church states, “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and therefore are bound to celibacy, which is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and are able to dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and humanity.”

    This logic is what may be upturned, but most likely not without resistance from purists. Not surprisingly, Archbishop Parolin’s remark has been interpreted to mean that the Church under reform-minded Pope Francis I would welcome married priesthood if most Catholics so desire. There is no doubt, however, that it is still a long walk to change, and there will be tough challenges on the way.

    Why should priests be celibate? Why not?  While there are pros and cons, it is hoped that such debate will not only be open, but that it will also respect the dominant wishes of the 1.2 billion members of the world’s largest Christian church. It is pertinent to note that the number of Catholic priests has allegedly been declining steadily partly because of the rule on celibacy. In the United States alone, about 30,000 priests have reportedly left because they wanted to pursue a relationship. Furthermore, in recent decades the Church has faced harsh criticism for its doctrines concerning sexual issues as well as for its handling of sexual abuse cases.

    Indeed, it is generally believed that the crisis of homosexuality which has intensified among the clergy in the Church in recent times is basically connected with its rigid rejection of new ideas on celibate priesthood. Related to the gay question are paedophilia and other deviant sexual practices, which have not only soiled the image of the Church, but have also resulted in widespread alarm over its future. Interestingly, at issue is the concept of “natural order” and what it means. In an increasingly permissive world, the Catholic Church will need to frankly contemplate the implications of celibacy for natural sexual impulse and the biological need for an outlet for sexual feelings.

    It is a moot point whether celibacy actually enhances spiritual acuity, and clearly such position is fast becoming a hard sell for the Church. In the face of dwindling attraction, it would appear to be in the interest of the Church to tone down its stance in order to draw more people to priesthood. It is noteworthy that the possibility of moderation on this issue was highlighted by Archbishop Parolin’s clarification that the idea of celibacy among the clergy was a mere convention and lacked the irreversibility of an ironclad belief. Indeed, some theologians claim that celibate priesthood only achieved popularity from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

    It is significant that a major apprehension on the part of traditionalists is the possible demystification of married priests. However, in this respect it is important to ponder whether priesthood is supposed to imply human perfection, and whether it is realistic or helpful to promote such fallacy. Priests are human, after all. It is instructive that Pope Francis I said of himself in a recent interview, “I am a sinner.”

    It is strikingly ironic that the Catholic Church, which is rated among the oldest institutions in the world and credited with an influential role in the history of Western civilisation, inspiring art, culture and philosophy, has found itself in a web of old-fashioned thinking.  It is absolutely imperative that the Church should chart a “New Way”; and Pope Francis I, who represents a breath of fresh air, is perhaps correctly positioned for reformation.

    This unusual Pope, who said he couldn’t “judge” homosexuals, and stated that atheists should be left to follow their “informed conscience”, has brought a new imagination to the papacy, and he may yet be the pathfinder in the maze. It would appear to be in character if he lent his weighty voice to the campaign to let priests marry. Obviously, if the status quo is changed, it would affect Nigeria where, according to a 2005 estimate, there are 19 million baptised Catholics.

  • Suntai’s predicament

    Suntai’s predicament

    The contrived debacle in Taraba State concerning the health status of Governor Danbaba Suntai, following his return from Seaview Hospital and Rehabilitation Home in Staten Island, United States, after all is a dangerous game. We say so based on the investigation conducted by this paper, and published Tuesday. According to a quoted medical source, “one of the strongest recommendations handed to his (Suntai) family and officers is that he should be allowed to have good rest due to what happened to him, plus the shock and trauma he had been through over the last year.”

    Now, if there was a strong recommendation that Suntai must have a full rest, to have a chance to recover from his traumatic experience, then it is strange that his immediate family and personal aides, who received the medical directive, will disregard such a life-saving requirement to fitfully rush him back to work. Quoting again the medical source, this paper reported that Suntai “is a very fragile case, but what I am sternly advising is that the instruction handed from his medical doctors should be duly obeyed and followed to save his life. Great caution must be applied if they want him to snap out of the trauma.”

    Now, against this reported clear warning, it appears that those who stand to benefit from making Suntai a stooge is in firm control in determining his fate. In the report, the medical source expressed shock on hearing that the man was back to work, wondering about the little value we place on human life in the country. The medical source also hinted that the medical condition could relapse if the medical advice for a full rest is ignored, and the consequence could be death.

    The medical source strongly advised those around Suntai not to play politics with his health, noting that right from the Hanover Medical Hospital, in Germany, it was clearly marked out on his file, “that the patient must be allowed to rest.” According to the medical source, Governor Suntai suffered what in medical terms is called, Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI), which is “a very difficult and rotational condition that is associated to brain injuries.” It also noted that “during the period of his rehabilitation, he often relapsed into and out of bouts of trauma due to the injury on his brain from the clash”.

    As also quoted in the report, Governor Suntai has difficulty to coordinate and make coherent speeches. That much has been noticed by every observer of the unfortunate development of events in the state. Despite pressure from the state House of Assembly that the ailing governor should address the state legislators, the best that came out was barely audible two minutes recorded message. In the message, the governor merely thanked the people of the state for their prayers, and apparently because of his state of health, had nothing to say about the primary function for which he was elected.

    Considering this information in the public domain, it is strange that the family of Governor Suntai and their political accomplices are bent on taking him on a journey that may prove fatal, unless there is a complete recourse to the recommendations of his medical team. In our view, while the trappings of power may be attractive, it can never equate to the life of a person. We therefore urge Suntai’s family to have a deep introspection, so as to act in his best interest, knowing that Taraba State will endure with or without the governor.

  • Fantastic football

    Fantastic football

    In spite of its lamentable fixation on the football leagues of other nations, Nigeria demonstrated its own capacity to stage a feast of football last weekend. The occasion was the finals of the 2013 Federation Cup competition held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, and contested by Enyimba Football Club of Aba and Warri Wolves.

    The match displayed all the ingredients of a true Cup finals. It was alive with atmosphere, replete with incident and brimming with the passion of a clash of titans. Both teams played with the verve expected of clubs with their pedigree, and displayed all the skill and flair of a top-quality sporting confrontation. The first 90 minutes ended in a 2-2 draw, and was an excellent reflection of the high standard of play. Goals came from set plays, well honed predation and free-kicks. The resulting penalty shoot-out was a master class of ice-cold nerves and precision shooting. Eventually, Eyimba FC won 5-4, to lift the cup for the third time.

    This marvellous outing owes its success to several sources. First is the Lagos State Government, whose selfless commitment to the development of football was once again revealed in its flawless hosting of the event. Working with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the state government handled the intricate logistics of venue preparation, publicity, ticketing, security and crowd management with competent ease, thereby ensuring that the match was devoid of the ludicrous and unsavoury incidents which often conspire to disfigure such occasions. Globacom is also to be singled out for the praiseworthy generosity that it brought to bear upon its sponsorship of the Cup finals.

    Given the all-round success of the 2013 Federation Cup Final, it is surprising that Nigerian football fans persist in their preference for football played in leagues other than their own. While it must be conceded that these foreign leagues, particularly those in Western Europe, appear to offer a more glamorous product, nothing can alter the fact that they are not Nigerian. No matter how ferociously they declare their support, no local follower of such leagues can truly be said to be a supporter. They do not go to the stadia; much of the information they receive about the clubs is obtained second-hand; the clubs they profess to love so strenuously are probably unaware of their existence.

    Nigerian football clubs, by contrast, are wholly, totally and unapologetically Nigerian. They are located in towns familiar to their fans. The players are people they know, and can therefore relate to. Their matches can be experienced first-hand. Consequently, the joy of victory and the agony of defeat taste much more authentic than anything a European club can offer, no matter how pretty it is.

    The 2013 Federation Cup Finals signals the emergence of a viable strategy for weaning Nigerian football fans off their misplaced love for leagues thousands of kilometres from their shores. It is clear that if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can guarantee that its competitions will feature good, purposeful football, fair officiating, and a modicum of comfort and safety, fans will return to the stadia and offer unstinting support. That is how it was years back when confrontation between established rivals like Shooting Starts and Enugu Rangers, for instance, often meant that fans had to arrive at the stadium hours before kick-off if they hoped to obtain seats.

    Proper organisation is the key to ensuring that league matches replicate the success of the 2013 Cup finals. Venues must be made ready for matches; proper arrangements should be put in place to ensure that fans can watch games in safety and comfort; all efforts must be made to ensure that matches are fair and free of violence, gamesmanship and cheating of any kind. Only then will the love and energy expended on undeserving foreign clubs return to those who can rightfully lay claim to it.

  • Russian fog puts WMD deal at risk

    Russian fog puts WMD deal at risk

    Just after the horrific chemical weapons attack in Damascus that left up to 1,400 dead last month, Russia argued against international reprisals for lack of evidence. This week UN inspectors delivered that proof in an exhaustive and compelling dossier. Though no blame was apportioned, the evidence points strongly to the culpability of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But now Russia has claimed the report is biased and stuffed with distortions.

    Moscow’s response to the UN report has taken the shine off President Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic coup of last week. In striking a deal with the US to place Syria’s chemical weapons under international control, Mr Putin presented himself as a positive force for resolving the crisis rather than an obstructive player determined to prop up a tyrannical regime. The accord, if it succeeds, is the best hope for ensuring these terrible weapons of mass destruction cannot be deployed again. Yet the deal is weakened by Moscow’s cavilling over evidence gathered by the UN. Such blatant disregard for the facts on the ground will give succour to those who suspect that Russia will find reasons to prevaricate in favour of its Syrian ally should it fail to comply with the WMD accord.

    Its actions may also harden the west’s stance on whether the UN Security Council resolution that will enshrine the chemical weapons accord should authorise the use of force under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter as a threat to deter non-compliance. The US, France and UK are in favour but Russia is hostile. Yet, given Mr Assad’s record of playing for time, the initiative will only achieve its aims if there is a sanction for failure to comply. This has to be laid out in any resolution, whether or not it is proposed under Chapter 7. The option of military intervention should not be taken off the table. Western powers have good reason to press the issue. Russia, which has repeatedly blocked Security Council attempts to condemn Mr Assad, will still be able to veto any suggestion that Syria has not met the terms of its agreement.

    Mr Putin last week argued for mutual trust in an article in the New York Times. He emphasised the importance of the UN and international law. If his words are not to ring hollow, and if he is to have any credibility as an international statesman, Moscow has to abandon obfuscation. Containing the proliferation of Syria’s WMD is as much a matter of strategic urgency for Russia as it is for the rest of the world.

     

    – Financial Times

     

  • Fracas in the House

    Fracas in the House

    Once again, the House of Representatives chamber on September 17 became a fisticuff zone when ordinarily honourable members and their august and esteemed guests descended into near-savagery on a matter that could be civilly settled. If this is a window on 2015, then the omens are bad and should be decried.

    The Abubakar Baraje faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had gone on a pitching spree to table their case before the House leadership; and probably seek to influence the House to support their cause. News also had it that the Bamanga Tukur faction was planning a similar pitch, which, however, news reported was put off at the last minute.

    In presidential democracy, this is called lobbying and it is perfectly legitimate. For starters, the National Assembly is a public institution open to all Nigerians and to every partisan who feels it could help in solving his or her problem. So, if the two PDP factions want to lobby for their respective causes, that is perfectly in order. Besides, fundamental rights of association and of speech are entrenched in the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    So, if these rights are guaranteed both sides, why the disgraceful scuffle, which involved fisticuffs, garment-shredding, bawling like savages and clawing like animals – and all these in a hall inside the House of Representatives, supposed to be the Palladium of civil and parliamentary conduct?

    This is because of the penchant for the intolerant which, regretfully, a good number of the extant ruling elite are guilty of. That the Baraje faction, with its seven governors and other supporters eventually met with Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha and other members of the House management just shows the futility of trying to crudely block a right guaranteed in the Constitution.

    The other faction too should follow the democratic tradition, if it feels the House of Representatives is key to its cause, and go table its cause too before the House leadership and let its cause rise or fall based on the soundness of its logic and power of its argument.

    But to heat up the polity simply because a side is trying to gag the other side does great harm to our evolving democracy. Democracy is all about peacefully settling disputes. If our ruling elite do not cultivate the culture of reasoned debates, but instead latch on to throwing tantrums and physically attacking themselves, just because they don’t have the temper to let their marshalled points speak for them, then we are building a democracy without democrats. That is dangerous.

    The PDP must realise it is the ruling party. It must check its conduct, even when in intense crisis, because its conduct or misconduct always reverberates all through the polity. It has no choice but to conduct itself civilly and responsibly.

    How the two factions settle their problems is strictly their business. But both factions must know that disputes – and serious ones as the PDP is going through – are not settled by grandstanding in the media, or by spinning “reconciliation” (when there is hardly any), or screaming “no retreat, no surrender” just to gain media attention and heat up the polity.

    The split in PDP has resulted from serious questions: fairness, equity, access, equal opportunity, legality and impunity, particularly in the internal running of the party. These are serious challenges that every democratic association must take seriously; they must live by the positive ones and shun the vices.

    The PDP should therefore get real and buckle down to settling its problem. If it doesn’t, it should accept the sad reality that it is rather hitting the end of the road. Nothing, we repeat, nothing must harm this democracy.

  • Nothing has changed

    Nothing has changed

    •Cabinet reshuffle by the President was informed more by partisan considerations

    In the run-up to the 2011 election, President Goodluck Jonathan had campaigned vigorously across the country, promising to implement a national transformation agenda if voted back into office. The high expectation engendered by this pledge was certainly one of the variables responsible for his consequent victory at the polls.

    Yet, when he constituted his cabinet, sceptics doubted if the team had the requisite quality to deliver on the President’s campaign promises. Political considerations rather than a track record of performance and the requisite experience seemed to have played a prime role in the appointment of most of the ministers. Despite the high marks he awarded himself during the presentation of his mid-term report, the prevalent view is that the Jonathan administration has underperformed abysmally and that no meaningful transition agenda is being undertaken in the country.

    This is one of the reasons why there had been persistent speculations for months, of an imminent cabinet reshuffle at the federal level. The assumption was that a President who is so obviously bent on serving a second term in office would fundamentally re-jig his team and enhance his capacity to deliver on his electoral promises, to brighten his chances of re-election. Unfortunately, when nine members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were sacked on September 11, the action turned out to be a veritable anti-climax. The issue of performance was most certainly the last thing on the President’s mind in deciding which ministers to drop.

    There is also no indication that the performance Benchmark for the FEC, which the President got every minister to sign amidst wide publicity, played any significant role in his decision-making process on this matter. As mediocre as many of them may have been, the sacked ministers – Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Ruqqayatu Rufa’i (Education), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning), Amal Pepple (Land and Urban Development), Hadiza Mailafia (Environment), Ita Ewa (Science and Technology), Olusola Obada (Minister of State for Defence), her counterparts in the power and agriculture ministries, respectively, Zainab Kuchi, and Tijani Bukur, were certainly not the worst performers in the cabinet.

    One of the most critical and important ministers in the cabinet, for instance, is Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Yet, under her watch the economy continues to stagnate and manifest the abnormality of growth in the midst of massive unemployment and pervasive poverty. Given the decrepit state of major highways across the country, it is difficult to understand why the minister of works, Mr Mike Onolememen, remains in office. There continues to be a wide hiatus between the soaring rhetoric of the minister of agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and the actual performance of the ministry as the country remains helplessly food- dependent.

    While one of the sacked ministers was alleged to have forced parastatals under the ministry to buy an SUV worth N17 million for personal use, the minister of petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke sits pretty in office despite more damaging allegations against her. Not only did the gargantuan fraud uncovered in the administration of the so-called fuel subsidy take place under her watch, the Crusaders for Good Governance (CGG) recently alleged that she wasted N2billion of public funds on chartered flights – an allegation she has not responded to.

    From all indications, the cabinet reshuffle was motivated largely by the on-going crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The move was instinctual and informed by panic rather than rigorous and methodical thinking. This is another clear indication of how partisan politicking has pushed governance to the backburner in the Jonathan administration, with elections still two years ahead. This is clearly no path to national transformation.

  • Nothing has changed

    •Cabinet reshuffle by the President was informed more by partisan considerations

    In the run-up to the 2011 election, President Goodluck Jonathan had campaigned vigorously across the country, promising to implement a national transformation agenda if voted back into office. The high expectation engendered by this pledge was certainly one of the variables responsible for his consequent victory at the polls.

    Yet, when he constituted his cabinet, sceptics doubted if the team had the requisite quality to deliver on the President’s campaign promises. Political considerations rather than a track record of performance and the requisite experience seemed to have played a prime role in the appointment of most of the ministers. Despite the high marks he awarded himself during the presentation of his mid-term report, the prevalent view is that the Jonathan administration has underperformed abysmally and that no meaningful transition agenda is being undertaken in the country.

    This is one of the reasons why there had been persistent speculations for months, of an imminent cabinet reshuffle at the federal level. The assumption was that a President who is so obviously bent on serving a second term in office would fundamentally re-jig his team and enhance his capacity to deliver on his electoral promises, to brighten his chances of re-election. Unfortunately, when nine members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were sacked on September 11, the action turned out to be a veritable anti-climax. The issue of performance was most certainly the last thing on the President’s mind in deciding which ministers to drop.

    There is also no indication that the performance Benchmark for the FEC, which the President got every minister to sign amidst wide publicity, played any significant role in his decision-making process on this matter. As mediocre as many of them may have been, the sacked ministers – Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Ruqqayatu Rufa’i (Education), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning), Amal Pepple (Land and Urban Development), Hadiza Mailafia (Environment), Ita Ewa (Science and Technology), Olusola Obada (Minister of State for Defence), her counterparts in the power and agriculture ministries, respectively, Zainab Kuchi, and Tijani Bukur, were certainly not the worst performers in the cabinet.

    One of the most critical and important ministers in the cabinet, for instance, is Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Yet, under her watch the economy continues to stagnate and manifest the abnormality of growth in the midst of massive unemployment and pervasive poverty. Given the decrepit state of major highways across the country, it is difficult to understand why the minister of works, Mr Mike Onolememen, remains in office. There continues to be a wide hiatus between the soaring rhetoric of the minister of agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and the actual performance of the ministry as the country remains helplessly food- dependent.

    While one of the sacked ministers was alleged to have forced parastatals under the ministry to buy an SUV worth N17 million for personal use, the minister of petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke sits pretty in office despite more damaging allegations against her. Not only did the gargantuan fraud uncovered in the administration of the so-called fuel subsidy take place under her watch, the Crusaders for Good Governance (CGG) recently alleged that she wasted N2billion of public funds on chartered flights – an allegation she has not responded to.

    From all indications, the cabinet reshuffle was motivated largely by the on-going crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The move was instinctual and informed by panic rather than rigorous and methodical thinking. This is another clear indication of how partisan politicking has pushed governance to the backburner in the Jonathan administration, with elections still two years ahead. This is clearly no path to national transformation.

  • The antibiotic resistance crisis

    The antibiotic resistance crisis

    The overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture has long been known to foster the emergence of germs that are resistant to drugs. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the first solid numbers on the extent of the problem. It said that at least two million Americans fall ill from antibiotic-resistant infections each year, of whom at least 23,000 die from the infections, a very conservative estimate.

    The agency warned of “potentially catastrophic consequences” unless prompt action is taken. It said that up to half of the antibiotics prescribed for people are not needed or appropriately used (as when a broad spectrum antibiotic is used instead of a more targeted drug).

    Overuse of antibiotics on farms, where they are often used to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals, also contributes to development of resistant strains of germs.

    The new report, for the first time, puts 17 drug-resistant bacteria and a dangerous fungus into three categories based on how big a threat they pose. Three were deemed “urgent threats,” including a bacterium, known as CRE, that is resistant to most drugs and kills a high percentage of people who become infected with it. Though it is rare, causing 600 deaths a year, it has been identified in health facilities in 44 states. Further spread of the germ or transfer of its resistance genes to other germs could lead to a “nightmare scenario,” the agency said. Twelve drug-resistant strains, including such common germs as salmonella, tuberculosis and MRSA, were classified as “serious threats.”

    Unless prompt action is taken to reduce overuse, track and prevent the spread of resistance, and develop new drugs, the C.D.C.’s director, Thomas Frieden, warned, “the medicine cabinet may be empty for patients with life-threatening infections in the coming months and years.”

    – New York Times