The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Osoba at 85 

    Osoba at 85 

    • Two autobiographical books capture his essence

    To mark his 85th birthday, on July 15, he released his new book, titled ‘My Life in the Public Eye.’ The book is described as “a fascinating follow-up” to his 2019 memoir, ‘Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics.’

    Chief Olusegun Osoba had made a name for himself as a journalist before he became a politician. After his secondary education at Methodist Boys’ High School, Lagos, he started his journalism career, in 1964, at the Daily Times of Nigeria, as a trainee reporter covering crime stories. He climbed the professional ladder remarkably well, and was appointed editor of the ‘Daily Times’ in August 1975, “in recognition of his undoubted dynamism and sound judgment in the finest tradition of journalism.”

    He was appointed General Manager of ‘Nigerian Herald’ in November 1975, which was a reflection of the professional heights he had attained. He returned to ‘Daily Times’ in 1984 as the managing director.

    His journalism practice was enriched by his professional training. Through the sponsorship of the International Press Institute in 1965, he earned a Diploma in Journalism from the University of Lagos. The Commonwealth Press Union in 1967 sponsored him for a one-year course in the United Kingdom. He studied Journalism at Indiana University, USA. In 1974, he won the Nieman Fellowship for Journalism, which enabled him to study at Harvard University, USA. He was the first Nigerian to win the prestigious Nieman Fellowship.

    “I take pride in being a reporter,” he said in a published interview, describing reporters as “the real soldiers on the battle front.” Known for his exclusive stories as a journalist, he said: “I had too many exclusive stories. People talk too much about Tafawa Balewa. It was just one out of many national stories I was involved in and shot up any newspaper I belonged to at the national level.”

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    In 1966, Osoba had discovered the bodies of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and finance minister Festus Okotie-Eboh at a roadside near Lagos, after their assassination by military coup plotters. He also discovered the body of Col. Ibrahim Taiwo, the military governor of Kwara State who was murdered in the February 1976 failed coup in which the then Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, was also killed.

    “After Dimka assassinated Murtala Muhammed and absconded, he was found in Abakaliki and I happened to be in Enugu,” he recalled. “I followed them with the military governor face to face with Dimka. I was there sitting down quietly, Dimka was being interrogated in my presence and I came back to Ilorin. For the next one week, I was doing different stories on Dimka and that shot up the ‘Herald’ as it became a national newspaper.”

    He is widely respected not only for his reportorial strengths but also for his success as a newspaper administrator.

    He is no less successful as a politician. He hails from Abeokuta, and served as governor of Ogun State from 1992 to 1993, as a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), before his tenure was cut short by developments triggered by the controversial annulment of the country’s historic June 12, 1993 presidential election by the military authorities.

    He was a pro-democracy fighter in the battle that eventually resulted in the country’s return to democracy in 1999. It is a testimony to his political credentials that he was again elected as governor of Ogun State, as a member of Alliance for Democracy (AD), and served from 1999 to 2003. He notably “brought electricity into all communities around Maun Ward one and two.” He participated in the 2014 National Conference, which sought to make the country a better place. He is a recipient of the Nigerian national honour, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and remains active in progressive politics in the country.

    Osoba stands as an example of probity in politics and high office. Significantly, he was not linked with corruption in his years as governor.  We wish him many happy returns.

  • Unbelievable!

    Unbelievable!

    • 18 states did not recruit any teacher in five years despite shortage of same

    Education is the nurturing and information every child receives from birth till death. Indeed, every fundamental education starts with the informal type given by parents and other care givers. Formal education starts from the age of six, as a logical follow-up of the play group/kindergarten stages. From age six to 12, every child is entitled to the benefits of formal education. According to the United Nations, education is the right of every child. It is the basic building block of society.

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was established by the Compulsory, Free Universal Education and Other Related Matters Act of 2004, with a mandate of coordinating all aspects of UBE programme implementation.

    The Universal Basic Education Programme (UBEP) was initiated by the former President Obasanjo administration in 1999, with the aim of ensuring and monitoring quality assurance in education at the basic levels throughout Nigeria.

    They provide; Early Child Care Development Education (ECCDE), primary education and junior secondary education. To fully carry out their mandate, they need a thorough coordination of activities between local, state and the federal governments. Teachers are at the core of all levels of education. They need to be well-trained, fully orientated and well-motivated because, how most children progress in life is often determined by the quality of basic education they received.

    This is why we feel a sense of shock, with the lamentation by the Universal Basic Education Commission of shortage of teachers in public schools across the country. ‘The Punch’ Newspaper reported that over 47 million pupils are currently enrolled in 171,027 private and public primary and junior secondary schools in the country, without adequate number of teachers. This is worrisome. UBEC claims that the total number of public schools could be around 79,775, while private schools currently stand at 91,252.

    There are reports that about 18 states in the country have not recruited teachers in the last five years. This, in a tech and AI 21st century is not only disappointing but also discouraging, given the value of education in modern times. The problems of either lack of trained teachers or total neglect of the education sector have been in the country for decades. This is a sure sign of the value that all tiers of government have put on education.

    The fact that more than half the 36 states in Nigeria have not employed teachers in the last five years is the loudest evidence that basic education does not seem to be a priority in the country. The teaching profession is the root of all other professions, including that of the political leaders whose lack of diligence affects the lives of the next generation. Indeed, the teaching profession is one of the most respected across the developed world. In Nigeria, conversely, teaching is seen as a low-level job meant only for less successful people in other fields.

    Read Also: ‘Give me more time’ – Tinubu begs Nigerians

    This issue must not be subjected to a plethora of summits and conferences that seem to be the fate of such issues that ordinarily should be treated as emergency, with actions that can reverse the trend. Today, due to lack of serious emphasis on the teaching profession through the training of professional teachers, good welfare and provision of infrastructure, many of the few people who have passion for teaching are seeking other jobs. There is lack of incentives. Many of the ones with training are being lured by countries in the West, as they provide better options.

    The idea of politicising teacher-recruitment equally affects the quality of those engaged. Lack of infrastructure makes the condition of public schools, which ironically were attended by many of the present leaders, very unattractive in ways that even the few teachers in public schools send their children and wards to private schools. The education sector must attract the attention of governments because, without well-trained teachers, especially at the basic level, standards might continue to fall, putting the country’s future and development in jeopardy.

  • New ministry coming?

    New ministry coming?

    •Creation of Ministry of Livestock Development should be given a chance

    Since President Bola Tinubu announced the plan to establish a Ministry of Livestock Development early this month, controversy has continued to rage in both informed and uninformed circles. Many of the complaints by critics are genuine, especially against the background of the inherited general mistrust of government and public officials in the country.

    There are also many who think the decision was the best way of resolving the myriad of problems plaguing agricultural development in the country. First, insecurity has, in recent times, affected productivity in the sector, with the traditional herders and crop farmers perpetually at war, sometimes leading to the spilling of blood. Livestock are usually led to graze on farmlands, thus pauperising farmers and making it impossible for them to repay loans obtained from financial institutions. Also, government that should be generating taxes is unable to do so.

    The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) drawn up after wide consultations with stakeholders by the Buhari administration has been left unimplemented for too long. The current government must have thought that pulling out the Livestock Department from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security would accelerate execution of the plan.

    Many experts are however sceptical.

     In the public space, ethnicity has beclouded rational discussion. The question is, how effective would the creation of the ministry be in curbing the perennial crises plaguing the sector, thus promoting food security? Would the establishment of the ministry sufficiently pacify the pastoralists and engender peace between them and crop farmers?

    We may not have an answer to this question until the ministry comes on stream, we see those appointed to run it and the work schedule.

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    We are, however, convinced that given sincerity of purpose by those appointed to run it, it may be one way out of the logjam. The bigger ministry has so much to tackle that internal politics could have affected implementation of otherwise good plans. Government should be given the benefit of the doubt that it means well for the nation. Already, the Cattle Breeders Association comprised mainly of the Fulani ethnic group has thrown its weight behind the new ministry.

    We see nothing wrong with the creation despite the point being made that it is contrary to the avowed plan of the Federal Government to implement the Oronsaye report that recommended trimming the federal bureaucracy. While we agree that the bureaucracy is too large, unwieldy and promotes corruption, critics should realise that there are always exceptions to every rule. The herders’ invasion of farmlands is something that should not be allowed to continue.

    We hope that the government would now accelerate the ranching scheme which is the modern mode of rearing livestock. Leading cattle all the way from Kaura Namoda or Kano to Port Harcourt or Lagos is simply outdated.

    One point that should not be lost on any objective analyst and policy maker is that rearing cattle through the forests over such a long distance affects the nutritional quality of the meat. It equally reduces quality of the milk. It is now incumbent on governments at both federal and state levels to provide the infrastructure to fast-track ranching that has been on the table for years now. Working together, it should not be difficult to put in place framework to run the sector in a business-like fashion. Provision of land, water, electricity, medical attention, improved food and breeds, and extension workers would help greatly in boosting quality and quantity of production. This is a win-win situation for all. The breeders would generate more profit, government would be in a position to monitor them as well as rake in profit from a hitherto unregulated area, and the farmers could then have a breather, thus drawing investment from local and foreign sources.

    All sides should sheathe their swords and rather encourage government to speed up the process.

  • Marching orders

    Marching orders

    •A good idea, but we also need technology to check crude theft

    Like his predecessors, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given marching orders to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa,  to stop crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism within the shortest possible time.

    The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, made the president’s directive known on July 16 at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, after a meeting of all security chiefs and heads of  intelligence agencies.

    According to Kyari, “We are here to engage with the CDS based on the directive of the president. The president has directed the CDS to take control of the crisis we are having in the Niger Delta operational area. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have become a national issue, the president has directed the CDS to contend this within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level the president and the country is expecting.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari had in January, last year, given security agencies in the Niger Delta region up to May 29, 2023, when he was expected to hand over, to end the menace.

    Really, neither the CDS nor the relevant security agencies needs any presidential reminder to do their job in this regard. But the president must have felt sufficiently concerned about the impact of the crude theft and pipeline vandalism to have to give the directive. The fact that this was not even announced from the presidency but by one of the critical stakeholders, the NNPCL boss, and after a meeting they convened, may be a pointer to the president’s frustration and anger that the crime has continued to rob the nation of necessary funds needed for development.

    Read Also: N6.2 trillion supplementary budget for minimum wage infrastructure-FG

    The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said Nigeria has been losing over 400,000 barrels per day to theft, equivalent to $12.26 billion in the last one year. Both Kyari, Sylva and indeed other Federal Government officials who should know had quoted various mind-boggling amounts as what the country was losing daily to crude theft in the past.

    The problem got to a head in 2022  when the Buhari administration gave Tantita Security Services Ltd, owned by ex-militant kingpin, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) a multi-billion Naira contract to stop crude theft. Not a few Nigerians saw this as an indictment of, especially the Nigerian Navy. But, in fairness to the company, it has made some arrests, especially in recent times. What is not clear is whether the president is not satisfied with the company’s performance or whether he just feels sufficiently worried that their efforts, if complemented by those of other government security agencies, would

    get more mileage for the country.

    Nigeria has the capacity to meet OPEC’s quota of 1.5 mpd. In fact, the country attained 2.2 million barrels per day during COVID 19 when the crude

    thieves decided to lie low. Even the 1.7 million bpd that the country attained in May, the highest in recent times, falls short of the 1.78 million  bpd upon which the 2024 budget was predicated.

    Much as we welcome the President’s wake-up call to the CDS, it must be stated that the country has to go beyond running after manual solution to a challenge that technology could better solve.

    It is sad that more than six decades after Nigeria began oil exploration, it was only about a week ago that the Federal Executive Council awarded a $21 million contract to install meters at its 187 flow stations, within six months. Another contract was awarded to install tracking facilities for all crude cargoes, leaving Nigeria, to the point of discharge. We do not think this situation has persisted this long because our officials who are to monitor these ends of the process did not know what to do. It is due more to corruption.

    Nonetheless, as they say, it is better late than never. Nigeria should continue to learn from other crude oil producing countries that have done so well for themselves and emulate them.

    We must stop the criminals reaping illegally from our collective sweat before they stop the country.

  • Welcome development

    Welcome development

    •We commend both Labour and Federal Govt over N70,000 new minimum wage

    After dragging on for weeks, the Federal Government finally came to an agreement with the organised labour on the new minimum wage. While briefing State House correspondents after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and labour leaders at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Thursday, last week, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave N70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers. The minister also spoke of the president’s pledge to undertake massive investment in infrastructure, particularly in renewable energy and in the acquisition of more buses, the compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.

    Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, on her part said that the president also agreed that the wage should be reviewed every three years instead of five years.

    Nigerians must have heaved a sigh of relief that at least one aspect of the waiting game is finally over. We expect that in the coming weeks, both the justice ministry and the National Assembly will expedite the process of getting the agreement formalised so it could be signed into law. After the

    sabre-rattling, grandstanding and the avoidable tardiness on both sides while the negotiations dragged, the agreement seems the least those institutions could do to put the matter behind us. The organised labour obviously deserves commendation for yielding to the nationalist imperative when it mattered the most; so also the government for showing sensitivity to labour’s demands at a very difficult time.

    Even now, we must acknowledge that the struggle is not over. The challenge ahead now consists in its implementation. Given the current situation of the economy, we know that this won’t be easy, particularly for our hordes of operators in the private sector, most especially those in the small and medium scale segment. In fact, there is great possibility of job losses as employers struggle to meet the burden of the new wage. The government might need to consider a bouquet of incentives where necessary, at least until such a time when things stabilise.

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    More potentially problematic however, are the states and local governments. Given what is already a notorious fact that some state governments only a short while back began to pay the old minimum wage, the question of how those states could be made to comply with the new one has remained a matter of imagination.

    Yet, it goes without saying that the states, without exception, have a duty to pay. Point is – there is nothing to suggest that the funds are not there. In fact, the quantum of accretion into the coffers of state governments in recent time should ordinarily allay such fears. The issue here, as against the usual refrain about not having funds, would seem about their need to re-order their priorities, than anything else. This is where the organised labour as a body must consider it part of its duty not just to call them out but to get such states to comply.

    The other truth is that most of our elected officials would rather mouth the need for citizens to make necessary sacrifices than practice what they preach. At a time things are supposed to be hard, with the economy generally proving unsparing to the vast majority, what the citizens are daily treated to is mindless ostentation by those elected to serve. Today, if Nigerians are any distraught about the rat race that public service has come to represent, it can only be on account of the yawning disconnect between the standard of living of ordinary citizens and those privileged to get into office. Now is the time for the political leadership at all levels to demonstrate that true and meaningful sacrifice still have a place among its ranks. A good way to start is to shed those notorious under-the-table allowances and other perquisites that have since become the norm.

  • Garrison farms

    Garrison farms

    •Not a bad strategy to put a complete stop to food imports

    Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, just made public a presidential directive to the military to convert their vast expanse of land, all over the country, into agricultural hubs.  The decision, the lawmaker added, was to combat food shortage in the country.

    “I thank Mr. President,” the representative was quoted as saying. “He has ordered the armed forces to put farming in the front burner to ensure that all the land they have across the country are cultivated for farming.”

    That is not a bad idea, especially when related to the new five-month waiver of import duties, over some grades of food items.

    On July 9, the Federal Government had announced waiver on imported maize, husked brown rice, wheat and cowpeas.  These imported foods would however come with recommended retail prices, which border on price control, since the government, by forfeiting its duties, taxes and tariffs, is putting in place some subsidy; and would therefore demand lower food prices — to bring down inflation.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, shed more light on the temporary window: The “Federal Government will import 250, 000 MT of wheat and 250, 000 MT of maize.  The imported food commodities in their semi-processed state will target supplies to the small-scale processors and millers across the country.”

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    Though this also makes some sense as a temporary measure, importing semi-processed rice and sundry grains already imports a level of inflation, in contrast to locally grown grains, even if that import would keep small-scale local millers busy.

    Which would explain why the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, outright slammed the idea.  “Nigeria’s recently announced policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hike, is depressing,” he told a conclave of Anglican bishops in Abuja.  “Nigeria should be producing more food to stabilise food prices, while creating jobs and reducing foreign exchange spending, that will further help stabilise the Naira.”

    Excellent and timely warning, there — to avert long-term woes.  So, pushing the military to start regimental farms; and opening a five-month duty-free window for food imports, can be justified only as emergency measures — not a second longer.  Anything longer would be hugely dysfunctional.

    This point bears re-stating because Nigeria is notorious for taking the easy way out, only to blunder into strategic ruin.  So, to stop pernicious lobbies from rolling out emotive campaigns for extension, the vast military farmlands and the import window should be coordinated such that both positively and maximally impact the local food horizon, in terms of access and slashed prices.

    The five-month window closes in December.  By that time, other things being equal, grains from the local harvest, combined with the imported ones, should form a big pool of reserves to moderate the market until the next harvest and reduce food inflation. 

    By that time too, the government must have emplaced firm strategies for all-year farming: dry and wet-season.  So, in 2025, no one should talk of another food import window. 

    Again, this should be taken very seriously. This 150-day period could already have jeopardised local investments in agriculture; and firmed out earnings — and jobs — of Nigerian farmers to foreign ones.  That is no path to food security.

    But beyond short-term check against food imports, the military-led farms could well plot a model for farm security nationwide, given that much of the food crisis stemmed from farmland insecurity, no thanks to bandits, terrorists and allied violent criminals.

    Still, that would depend on how the plan is implemented. The military is a multi-sector agency, with doctors, priests, lawyers and own agriculturists.  It’s a regimented agency that makes self-sufficiency its organisational pride.  So, it is best that while the military farm specialists boss the policy framework, actual growers are firmed out to farmer cooperatives.  Garrison farms are not undesirable.  Yet, the military must not be distracted from their core security functions.

  • All’s well…

    All’s well…

    All is well that ends well. This best summarises the rescue of two journalists that were abducted by bandits in Danhonu 2 community in the Millennium City of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on July 6. The duo, AbdulGafar Alabelewe of ‘The Nation’ and AbdulRaheem Aodu of ‘Blueprint’ Newspapers, were freed alongside Alabelewe’s wife and two children who were also abducted at the time.

    Expectedly, the rescue of the kidnap victims by security agents about a week ago was greeted with joy by the Federal Government and many other Nigerians.

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who received the victims from National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja expressed gratitude to the security agencies for getting the journalists out unharmed, and sympathised with them over their ordeals.

    “We are most grateful of what you have done. We are aware that this is part of your ongoing effort to ensure that all kidnapped victims are rescued alive and reunited with their families”, the minister said. He added that “I want to urge Nigerians to keep faith with the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our security agencies. The security agencies under the coordination of the NSA are working tirelessly to ensure that all those who have been taken into unlawful custody are freed without paying any ransom.”

    Of course, Alabelewe himself is extremely grateful to the security agencies for saving their lives. “The rescue mission which brought us out of the bush (yesterday) gave us hope in our country and confidence to believe that the government is serious about tackling this problem of kidnapping. I never thought that within a week of our kidnap, we could get out,” he said.

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    We join the victims and their relations in their celebration. Being abducted is like going into the lion’s den. It is a 50-50 situation as several other kidnap victims had been killed by their abductors; in some cases after ransom would have been paid to the kidnappers.

    But we are uncomfortable with the fact that kidnapping for ransom is still very much with us, despite the efforts of our security agencies to stem the tide.

    So, what could be wrong? Is it that the sanctions are not stringent enough to deter those involved in the illicit business? Or it is a tell-tale sign that the security agencies need to up their game in tackling the menace? Perhaps both and lots more.

    The truth is, kidnapping does not seem to be in a hurry to disappear from the country because it is seen as a gold mine by those who engage in it due to the huge ransom they sometimes get from their victims’ relatives. We have heard about and indeed seen billionaires who emerged not through any worthwhile endeavour but because of proceeds of abductions. This is why government must ensure that ransom payment is discouraged as much as possible.

    While we are not in any way trying to justify kidnapping under any circumstance, it is important for the government to create an enabling environment for economic activities. This would ensure that our teeming youths are gainfully employed, thus making it difficult for kidnappers to find easy recruits for their illegal activities.

    The country has to work fast on state police. Kidnappers usually take undue advantage of spaces that are not adequately policed and terrains that they are familiar with. The locals understand the terrain better and this is an advantage in that valuable time is saved in the pursuit of fleeing kidnappers.

    Above all, there is a need for change of tactic on the part of the security agencies.

  • Tackling food scarcity

    Tackling food scarcity

    •New government measures deserve support of all

    If there is one puzzling thing in the country today, it is the rate at which the cost of food items has been shooting beyond the roof. The last inflation statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that it has shot past the 40 per cent mark, which is a serious cause for worry.

    In a country where trust in government has been low for a while, a lot of conspiracy theories have been whirling around from both expected and unexpected quarters. As usual in such circumstances, while the root of the situation could be traced to previous administrations, the people are wont to visit their anger on the current government. Not many agree that there is little a government could have done within one year to tackle the starvation staring the people in the face. Truly, hunger reigns in the land and a hungry man is an angry man.

    In a bid to quickly arrest the attempt by opposition figures to hijack the incipient protest by them, and assuage frustration of the people, government has rolled out short and medium term schemes. As soon as it came into power, recognising the restiveness that followed the twin measures of removing subsidy on petroleum products and managed floating of the exchange rate markets, government announced that it was prepared to tackle food insecurity headlong. For that purpose, the finance and agriculture ministers were brought into the security council. However, despite the measures laid out, not much would appear to have been achieved, given the soaring prices of food items in the markets. Killer herders and bandits still attack farmers on their way to work, others are forced to pay taxes to be allowed access to their land. Wherever the herders face, they leave tears and blood in their trail.

    Read Also: Fed Govt, Labour, OPS okay N70,000 as  minimum wage

    It is good that the Tinubu administration has decided to take a step further in taming the food inflation monster by suspending tariffs and taxes on certain imported staple food. Those rates had been imposed to protect local farmers and boost productivity. The previous government, in a bid to promote the Central Bank of Nigeria intervention in agriculture had sought to encourage others, especially the youths, to join the league of farmers. But, it failed, hence where we are today.

    We commend the government for this intervention, especially if it takes into account worries expressed by economists and agriculturists that its decision to suspend tariffs on food items would end up stifling local initiatives and shoving aside the local farmers and others in the value chain, such as millers. One of those who have criticised the move is former agriculture minister, Akinwumi Adesina. But, the Federal Government has explained that it is aware of the danger, hence the suspension of the tariffs for only 150 days. It is thus a short term measure that would allow the crashing of prices and save lives of the vulnerable.

    To complement this, trucks of grains are being shipped to states to support the poor. Some are also on the roll for conditional cash transfer that is expected to take off soon.

    On education, about N32 billion is said to have been released for the commencement of the students loan scheme. These should count for something in terms of boosting disposable income. When the minimum wage increase is effected, this would further ease the pressure on the workers. The only concern in this wise is the negative effect this could have on inflation, given the proclivity of traders to respond swiftly to such moves.

    We call on the government to regularly consult the economic teams and implement the distilled recommendations.

    The underground campaign for a chaotic protest must be nipped in the bud by instituting superior schemes that would win the support of the majority and isolate the violent elements on the fringe of the society. Nigeria needs all the peace that could be mustered in the interest of development. The Tinubu government deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt that it would faithfully implement the Renewed Hope Agenda on which basis it was elected last year. Matters relating to scarcity of food are too emotive to be left to fester. It has led to rice or bread riots in some countries, for example. After the destructive ENDSARS riots of October 2020, Nigeria cannot afford another mischievous protest. The government is on the right track. It needs to move more swiftly in implementing the short term measures without taking eyes off the medium and long term plans.

  • Renewed mandate

    Renewed mandate

    •Tinubu’s second term as ECOWAS chair should be an opportunity to strengthen democratic institutions

    President Bola Tinubu got a fresh nod for sub-regional leadership at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with his re-election as chairman. The meeting held in Abuja penultimate Sunday.

    It was a renewal of the mandate the Nigerian leader was first handed at the authority’s meeting in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023, barely six weeks after he took the reins as president. His sub-regional leadership over the past 12 months witnessed smooth democratic transitions in Liberia and Senegal. A July 2023 military coup in Niger Republic marked a setback for democracy within the time he’s led the sub-region, and that country, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, have been undermining the unity of the 15-nation bloc, with a threat to withdraw their membership. Mali and Burkina Faso are also currently led by military juntas following coup d’états in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

    Upon his mandate renewal, President Tinubu promised to deepen democracy in the sub-region while strengthening unity within the bloc. “I have accepted to continue the service to the great members and the great minds that are committed to democratic values and our journey in the region. I will continue to serve our interest and build on democratic values and the structure that we inherited,” he said.

    The president also committed to guiding errant Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso back to the path of rectitude and commissioned pointsmen to hold talks with the renegade three. “I have appointed the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to please become our special envoy to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic, along with the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, to do round-the-clock work with our brothers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, and to coordinate with me and the ECOWAS Commission where necessary,” he stated.

    Not that the bloc had given in to indulging military adventurers in power, for it voiced frustration with lack of progress in reconciling with the junta-led countries, which recently signed a confederation treaty of Alliance of Sahel States (AES) among themselves. A communique after the meeting of the heads of states and governments in Abuja stated: “The authority expresses disappointment with the lack of progress in engagements with the authorities of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and instructs the President of the commission to facilitate a more vigorous approach.” It added, however, that ECOWAS would “develop a forward-looking contingency plan” regarding all eventualities in relations with the AES.

    We think this is a good posture in the event of the junta leaders remaining adamant. In his remarks at the authority’s meeting, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, said citizens of the three countries had much to lose if ruling juntas carry through with exiting ECOWAS. He said while the countries’ departure might weaken the bloc, their citizens would be exempted from the free movement protocol and a common market of 400 million people offered by the bloc. Besides, there would be a review of all trade and development agreements, including ongoing ECOWAS projects in those countries.

    A major proposal by the authority’s leadership is establishment of an ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) for security and economic advancement of the region in the face of growing security threats. President Tinubu urged member-states to fulfill their financial commitments so that the bloc could effectively combat terrorism, banditry and violent extremism hobbling the sub-region. “Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential,” he said, adding: “I must emphasise that the success of this plan requires, not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources. We must, therefore, ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of defence and finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilise our region.”

    The communique from the meeting said the ECOWAS leaders approved mobilisation of a 5,000-strong counter-terrorism force that would start as a 1,650-man brigade, to be boosted over time. Member-countries are expected to fund the force and will also approach the African Union (AU) for financial support.

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    We applaud the proactive leadership of President Tinubu that is moving ECOWAS away from back-footed response to crises, as was the case with ECOMOG, to anticipatory readiness. Some countries of the region, including the renegade three, had complained of battling Islamic insurgents for decades without support from the regional bloc. The standby force initiative should change that narrative for good.

    One thing we didn’t hear stressed at the meeting is the imperative of institution-building and peer review in promoting good governance in ECOWAS member-states as a way of forestalling military incursion in power. The bloc has not been particularly strong on proactive peer review among members, and has been perceived as looking out only for the interest of leaders, regardless of deviations from ethos of good governance as would serve the interest of their citizens. The authority is viewed in some quarters as a protectionist club of leaders.

    While we congratulate President Tinubu over the renewal of his mandate, we urge him to work seriously on these perceptions because they are not entirely misplaced. The regional body should work more on developing democratic institutions within the member-states so that early warning signals could be triggered whenever things are going bad. This will allow for proactive interventions rather than taking action after opportunistic soldiers have hijacked government in the member-states. As they say, prevention is better than cure.

    ECOWAS has a historic burden to actively pursue the interest of citizens of member-states, and there is perhaps no better chance to begin than under the Tinubu chairmanship.

  • Olatunji Dare at 80

    Olatunji Dare at 80

    • A rich celebration of style, purpose, conscience and total commitment to the general good

    During his University of Lagos (UNILAG) , Akoka, Lagos, teaching days, Prof. Olatunji Dare, who turns 80 today had, well, a holy grail: The Element of Style, that tiny book otherwise called Strunk and White.  It was the professor’s infinite recipe for whoever craved media writing as a life-long pleasure — and treasure — despite its high and punishing demands.

    But that was Dare’s own personal projection — conscious, subconscious or unconscious — as a man of style: that would pull all stops in his felicity to good prose.

    Indeed, the immense man of style — a treasured part of which is his famed biting satire and rib-cracking humour and wit — comes across as a connoisseur that often caresses words, as he carefully picks his diction, from his immensely rich vocabulary.

    Even at that, style occupies his semi-peak, were media writing some Abraham Maslow’s pyramid of needs.  His very peak is purpose: scratch a journalist and you’d most probably find a reformer!

    Among his many traits — unbelievable humility and bouncing humanity, even to his students — his total commitment to purpose, driven by a rigorous conscience, which even at 80 remains restive, until fair-deal-to-all is taken as given, is worth celebrating.

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    That has been his drive as celebrated columnist and editorialist.  He exploded on the nation during his exciting stint with The Guardian.  That drive has also propelled his lifetime career as university teacher and researcher, not excluding his current role as The Nation Editorial Adviser, “home abroad” from America!

    Dare and The Guardian are a tale worth re-telling, for it would appear a medium meet a rare mutual opportunity.  It’s doubtful if any newspaper, pre-The Guardian, offered that symbiotic opportunity, that led Dare to leave his basic turf at Akoka.

    That newspaper offered a rare dais of glorious public intellection that Dare grabbed, with both hands, as a public intellectual.  Both didn’t exactly live happily ever after, but it was mutual bliss while it lasted.  The reading public was the richer for it.

    Yet, that sweet eventually turned sour — which inspired the theme of Dare at 80 celebration today: “Same craft, changing times — the columnist as societal conscience”.  The times might change but the craft — and conscience — remains for the original, as against too many counterfeits, fouling up the media space.  Dare represents that rare breed.  But that constancy often comes at severe personal costs.

    The man of conscience — duty called — tussled with the unconscionable Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, maximum junta rulers with contrasting styles.  When both attained the unthinkable — the one annulling a free election, the other sustaining it with brutal force hitherto unheard of — the man of conscience balked!

    But that came at terrible personal costs.  The divorce with The Guardian, for one: begging a dictator, even for legitimate living, had no place with the principled mind. But then, The Guardian, as business, must live to fight again!  Life goes on!  But the reader was — still is — the ultimate loser.

    It poured, for Dare, even beyond the media front: a kin got retired rather prematurely from the Nigerian Army; another, in the Police, got bumped off life, for conscience-turned-nuisance, in an unconscionable state.  The victim was blind, deaf and dumb to a state desperate to “move on” after a suspected state murder during the military years!

    All these personal barbs — nuclear and extended — just echo that famous sonnet by the South African, Dennis Brutus: “A Troubadour I Traverse …”  Despite all these scars, Prof. Dare remains “home abroad” at 80!  In a special interview published in this newspaper on Sunday, July 14, the eternal lover of Nigeria dubbed himself, not an “exile” but an “expatriate”!  It’s the knight troubadour that unconditionally loves his lady, no matter how errant.

    Beyond barbs, it was quite refreshing reading Prof. Dare, the great teacher, serenading own great teachers that helped to shape his illustrious life: Frank Ugboaja, Onuorah Nwuneli, Marie Riley and Jim Scotton — the Dean, at the University of Lagos, that wrote to secure a Kwara State scholarship for Dare to complete his final two years, after running out of funds after only the first session; Alain Herbert in Modern European languages, Rev. Father Joseph Schuyler in Sociology, at the same university.

    Outside, at Columbia University, New York, where he earned his Master’s in Journalism: Luther Jackson, Norman Isaacs and Fred TC Yu.  At Indiana, his PhD: Ogan and Herb Altschul, William Gawthrop, Jack Hopkins, Ed Buehrig and Owen Johnson.

    We owe them all a debt of gratitude for shaping the genteel and remarkable man we celebrate at 80 today, just as Dare himself has helped to shape many lives.

    But the sour question in the sweet birthday pie: when will our universities re-reach the dazzling heights of Dare’s UNILAG days?