The Nation Newspaper

Category: Editorial

  • Leading by example 

    Leading by example 

    • Federal Govt’s directive to MDAs to henceforth procure CNG-compliant vehicles and generators is in order

    In a major move to save cost, the Federal Government has decided that all new generators, vehicles or tricycles to be procured by its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) must be Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or solar/electric-compliant. This was one of the major decisions taken by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting last week. According to a source, “The government expects agencies to begin to convert petrol or diesel vehicles or generators to CNG. The source added that “The Tinubu administration which launched the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) last October plans to roll out about 800 CNG buses, 4,000 CNG tricycles and 100 electric buses in the first phase.

    At the weekend preceding the FEC meeting, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun, had said during his visit to JET Motor Company (JET) Assembly Plant in Lagos (where CNG buses are being assembled) that the introduction of CNG buses under the PCNGi would lead to a substantial reduction in transportation costs, and ultimately help to curb inflation.

    Edun, who highlighted the significant cost savings that CNG buses offer compared to their petrol-powered counterparts, said “Two critical aims will be achieved. Whereas it costs about N55,000 to fill a 15-20 seater bus with petrol, it will cost between N12-15,000 to fill a CNG bus of the same capacity. This is three times if not four times less. This is a huge savings that will help reduce transport costs and at the same time help reduce inflation,” he added.

    Although the problem of incessant fuel scarcity had plagued the country for decades, despite its being a major crude producer, Nigeria’s journey to CNG gained traction with the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government in May, last year. This shot up the price of petrol per litre from N210 to about N600. The attendant economic dislocation and hyperinflation dictated that an alternative had to be found to imported petrol which gulps a substantial amount of the country’s foreign exchange annually. Mercifully, there are alternatives in other climes which successive Nigerian governments had remained blind to despite the sufferings associated with perennial fuel scarcity. The Bola Tinubu administration decided to change the narrative, a thing that culminated in the priority attention to CNG vehicles.

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    And, to show that the government means business, it has already started to implement the decision by asking the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC), an agency of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy that requested the FEC’s approval to procure official vehicles, to buy only vehicles powered by CNG or solar. Similarly, a request by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to buy generators was approved, but they must be CNG or solar-powered.

    Of course the mandatory order to MDAs to procure only CNG vehicles would mean increased demand for such vehicles and consequently CNG, coupled with the demands by other tiers of governments as well as prospective private and corporate vehicle owners. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has directed petrol filling stations to have points for sale of CNG.  But this is not enough. Nigeria is rich in CNG, but our experience with crude oil should tell us that this is not all that can guarantee regular supply of gas to power the vehicles and generators when the time comes. Everything should be done to ensure regular supply of gas.

    The government has led by example by directing MDAs to henceforth purchase only CNG or solar-compliant vehicles. Where the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NADIP) has to be reviewed to accommodate the new direction, it should be so reviewed.  The order to MDAs is a soothing balm to the pains occasioned by removal of fuel subsidy. Everything should be done to make it work as it is a win-win for all.       

  • That Naira may breathe

    That Naira may breathe

    • CBN is trying but its efforts should be complemented by other economic players

    Alongside the removal of fuel subsidy at the inception of the President Bola Tinubu administration in May, last year, and the merger of the divergent, parallel foreign exchange markets were obviously inevitable economic reforms that have had considerable negative impacts such as escalation of prices of essential goods and services as well as the consequent fall in the standard of living for the majority of Nigerians. The fusion of the extant fraud-laden twin foreign exchange markets resulted in the immediate gross devaluation of the Naira, with the local currency exchanging at N1,900 to the dollar at some point, with fears that it could even plunge as low as over N2,000 to the dollar.

    Thanks, however, to proactive measures of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and major reforms, both in the operations of the apex bank and key stakeholders in the money market such as the bureaux de change entities, the Naira has gathered some strength and now fluctuates between N1,400 and N1,480.

    Yet, experts believe that the volatility being witnessed in the country’s foreign exchange market and the successive incidence of sharp falls in the value of the Naira are more a function of the activities of reckless speculators seeking to make a kill from currency trading, than being a function of the natural interplay of the forces of demand and supply.

    The CBN and other key managers of the economy certainly deserve commendation for staying the course in devising and enforcing proactive policies to rein in reckless speculations in the foreign exchange market as well as boost availability of the dollar relative to the Naira so as to enable the local currency to breathe.

    One of the latest measures of the CBN in this regard is its decision to allow International Oil Companies (IOC’s) operating in Nigeria to inject up to 50% of their oil and gas export proceeds in the Nigerian market through direct sales and settlement of assorted domestic financial obligations.

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    Before now, the apex bank had allowed the IOCs to repatriate 50% of their oil and gas proceeds to their home countries at once and the other 50% after 90 days. An earlier circular from the CBN had directed authorised dealer banks to allow IOCs to repatriate such funds in batches, to minimise negative effects on the foreign exchange market. The bank has stated that its new policy stance on the repatriation of oil and gas proceeds was largely informed by its observation that proceeds from oil exports by IOCs working in Nigeria are transferred offshore for the benefit of parent accounts of the affected companies, with adverse effects on liquidity in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.

    The CBN explained that “In line with the ongoing reforms in the foreign exchange market, it has become necessary to take measures to address this trend. Consequently, the CBN hereby directs banks to allow pool cash on behalf of the IOCs, subject to a maximum of 50% of the repatriated export proceeds in the first instance. Then, the balance of 50% may be repatriated after 90 days from the date of the inflow of the export proceeds”.

    Some of the eligible items that the IOCs can spend at least 50% of oil proceeds on within the Nigerian economy include royalty, domestic contractor invoices, settlement of Petroleum Profit Tax, cash call as well as domestic loan principal and interest payment. Also included in this category are transactions charges such as Nigerian Content Development Levy, education tax, etc.

    It is reassuring that the CBN has restated its commitment to ensuring that the IOCs have easy access to their export proceeds to meet their offshore obligations. Indeed, the smooth and seamless repatriation of their profits from the country has been a highpoint of President Tinubu’s discussions with potential foreign investors since assumption of office. But the critical point is that the existence of a virile and vigorous Nigerian economy characterised by a reasonably stable and strong national currency is necessary for both the IOCs and domestic actors in the economy. There must thus be continuous balance and interplay between the idealism of free market dynamics and the pragmatism of some degree of regulatory intervention to stabilise and protect the local currency.

  • 200 nautical milestone

    200 nautical milestone

    • Extension of Nigeria’s continental shelf a big plus

    We heartily congratulate Nigeria on the approval by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), to extend her continental shelf by further 200 nautical miles. The good news was broken to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the High Powered Presidential Committee (HPPC) on Nigeria’s Extended Continental Shelf Project. The experts were inaugurated in 2009, to take necessary steps to extend Nigeria’s maritime boundaries in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982.

    The presentation to the president was made by Larry Awosika, marine scientist and member, and Aliyu Omar, secretary of the HPPC. Mr Omar, told the President that a series of “interactions and considerations have now culminated in the approval for Nigeria to extend its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.” He went on: “as it stands now, the area approved for Nigeria is about 16,300 square kilometers, which is about five times the size of Lagos State.’’ That is a huge potential for Nigeria’s marine and blue economy.

    The UNCLOS, “lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.” The implication is that mineral resources, marine assets like fishes and several benefits accruing from the sea surface to the sea bed, and its abuttals, extending to further 200 nautical miles, are to be harvested for the benefit of Nigerians. That will likely boost the crude oil and gas reserves of Nigeria, considering that the continental shelf is rich in those resources.

    The approval will also boost the reservoir for fishes for the country. Following this approval, many of the international companies with big fishing trawlers operating at the detriment of Nigerian companies with smaller vessels, would be required to go farther into the seas to engage in fishing. So, Nigerian companies duly licensed by relevant agencies, with smaller trawlers, can participate in the lucrative fishing business. Nigeria can also through licensing regulate international fishing firms wishing to operate within the newly acquired boundaries.

    The expanded territory would also impact the nation’s foreign exchange stability, as the nation will earn more from the new continental shelf by exploiting the abundant natural resources. There would be issuance of licenses to International Oil Companies (IOCs) to exploit the crude oil and natural gas in the newly gained territory, reputed to be five times the size of Lagos.

    We imagine the enormous natural resources the approval has added to the assets of the country, which in turn will impact its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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    The HPPC presented an interesting perspective on how Nigeria could further expand her continental shelf. Mr Omar said: “The first option is to take the area gained and finalise the registration with the UN Secretary-General and close everything, meaning that we are satisfied with what we got. This will take at least one year.” He went on: “The second option is to take what we have right now, acquire more data, do a support write-up, and make a revised submission as recommended by CLCS for further consideration. This will take another four years.”

    He noted that either way, Nigeria would keep what has been approved. We support further efforts to gain more territories, more so as the security of the littoral assets of the country would be more assured, with an expanded continental zone.

    We join President Tinubu to thank the HPPC for their patriotic achievement. As the president said: “Nigeria is grateful for the efforts that you put into gaining additional territory for the country without going to war. Some nations went to war, lost people and economic opportunities.”  

  • A new dawn

    A new dawn

    • Commissioning of three gas plants is major boost for the gas sector

    Three critical gas projects were commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last Wednesday to concretise the Federal Government’s decisive move to eliminate the chokehold of petrol and diesel dependency on the nation’s economy and, in its furtherance to push for the nation’s energy security.  These are the expansion of the Ashtavinayak Hydrocarbon Limited (AHL) Gas Processing Plant 2 in Kwale, Delta State- a joint project between SEEPCO and NNPC; the $260 million Assa North-Ohaji (ANOH) Gas Processing Plant in Ohaji-Egbema – a joint project of Seplat Energy and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company and the 23.3km ANOH to Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline projects.

    Simply on account of their scale – (the three projects represent over 25 percent incremental growth in the gas sector) and timing – (the current push to optimise gas utilisation and to deliver more value to the gas value-chain), the projects would seem strategic; a clear affirmation of the administration’s unequivocal understanding of the national imperative at this point in time.

    “When we resumed 11 months ago, I asked for this project. I made my priority and the administration’s priority clear on gas for prosperity. They said this might take a few years; these three projects. Upon later review, they didn’t make further promises. What they said was they will surprise Nigeria…

    “Today is a great day for your achievement, demonstrating teamwork, commitment, and dedication. These projects demonstrate the commitment of the administration to develop gas infrastructure to boost the industrial base and create employment opportunities for our people”, the president would declare at the virtual commissioning ceremony.

    “I wish to assure the citizenry that these are just the beginning, as the Federal Government is stepping up its coordination of other landmark projects and initiatives that will ensure the earliest realisation of gas fuelled prosperity in our country”, he also promised.

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    The project partners deserve plaudits for their commitment and the administration for its bold vision and leadership. For the country’s gas-based and other ancillary industries, the development obviously marks a new dawn in product availability and affordability. With an expected annual delivery of 160,000 metric tonnes of propane and 100,000 metric tonnes of butane from the plants, that pivotal moment – of deliberate shift from reliance on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) import to one of greater domestic utilisation of natural gas for power generation –seems to have berthed – finally.

    Equally noteworthy is that this is happening at a time the government is not only set to launch and deploy Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for mass transit in the coming days, but already has a programme in place to have one million CNG-powered vehicles running by 2027.

    Yet, as heart-warming as the development appears, it is merely stating the obvious to say that the Federal Government still has a long way to go in its quest to deepen the energy base and by extension, the national revenue. For instance, the international accounting firm – PWC – quoting the NNPC, says that although Nigeria has the ninth largest proven reserves globally, the sector remains largely under-developed with production – to – reserves at a miserable one percent. The firm would further note that Nigeria has 202 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of untapped proven gas reserves with its recoverable gas estimated at 139.4 tcf.  In the circumstance, Nigerians will be in order to hold the president to his promise of further incentivising the gas sector to help it deliver on its bountiful promise. If only in the context of the nation’s ugly experiences of volatility in crude production and prices in the past decade, or even the current global push for cleaner energy, the current time is such that demands that the administration continuously nudge the country along that long-desired path of energy balance and security.

  • Peace allergy in Rivers   

    Peace allergy in Rivers   

    •Both sides must seek a political solution while there is time

    The politics of Rivers State is cloven. Two parts of the state hierarchy are like falcons that cannot hear the falconer, apologies to Poet William Buter Yeats. Since October last year, the schism between loyalists of the former governor of the state and federal capital territory minister, Nyesom Wike and his successor and governor of the state, Sim Fubara, has been growing by leaps

    and bounds. It is nowhere near letting. It is becoming a humdinger.

    Both sides seem allergic to peace or even dialogue. The president and commander-in-chief, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, cast an avuncular figure when he intervened and worked out a formula for peace in the form of a gentleman’s agreement. Both sides yielded to the moment, including one of the elders, former governor Peter Odili. It was expected that peace may follow. It gave a respite, but not hope. Even elements loyal to the governor stoked new flames, invoking the primacy of the constitution over a political solution. They charged the president with tilting the terms in favour of the FCT minister because of some of the clauses that called for the restoration of the rights of the legislature and members of the state executive council loyal to Wike. Even those guarantees that Governor Fubara executed have fallen apart after tentative and half-hearted implementation. The hawks are still flapping their wings.

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    It was obvious that the spirit of the mini-confab had suffered. Those who did not want peace would not yield to wise counsel. Both sides ratcheted up the tension. In one episode, the 25 lawmakers loyal to the former governor declared they were porting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of the president. That has remained a sore thumb.

    This led to the charge that their seats had become vacant. It is common knowledge that the members came out in public to announce their defection to the APC. Yet, there is no evidence that they have actually abandoned the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).  Saying it does not amount to doing it. Have they gone to their wards and local government areas to change allegiances? Is there any document to that effect signed that they have moved from the PDP to the APC? They may be in APC in spirit but that cannot be proved in the court of law or even in the evidence of our eyes. But it complicates matters in the hearts of the members of the public. That does not mean a defection has taken place. The 25 members could have been urged to come out in public to tell us the status of their declaration. But the matter has moved to the court of law. One point to know about Section 109 that pertains to the state house of assembly debacle is subsection 2, which states: “The Speaker of the House of Assembly shall give effect to subsection (1) of this section, so however that the Speaker or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House that any of the provisions of the subsection has become applicable in respect of the member.” Subsection (1)g says the defecting fellow “becomes a member of another political party…” This process has not happened.

    That is why it should be left as a moot point rather than a factor for a public brawl. Lawyers of different stripes are baying for blood in pursuit of partisan

    fidelities. Now, there are clear breaches of the law that can bring the state to a brink. They are actions of Governor Fubara. One is the series of rhetoric boiling the tempo. Three are actions that clearly fly in the face of law and even decency.

    His assertion, for instance, that the “jungle has matured,” is juvenile and gangster rhetoric and lacks maturity. He was baiting his opponent for a street fight. Two, his words about a rat eating up a bag of ‘garri’ came in the context of his willingness to undertake a probe of his predecessor. This action is lawful, and we even encourage him to go along with it. No one can fight against propriety and financial integrity in a society rotted by corruption in high places. But we have our questions. Is it a tendentious financial inquiry or a wholesale inquest? It is public knowledge that Governor Fubara was the accountant-general under former Governor Wike, and he was privy to the fiduciary stumbles he might have identified for inquiry. If he is going to do it, he should be transparent. We say this because prior to the polls that ushered him in as the state’s chief executive, he was under the searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and he was a candidate in hiding for most of the period. His election has provided him with immunity. Wike, as minister, has none. Is this the calculation? Or is it just a threat to browbeat his former mentor?

    The other action is the impunity of operating a budget without a legal endorsement of a majority of members of the house. Four people cannot make a state house of assembly in deciding how to spend the state’s money in a full year. Four or five people cannot delegitimse 25 members. It is both a logical and mathematical iniquity. This happened in the wake of the demolition

    of the house of assembly complex. Fubara’s chief of staff, after he was ousted as speaker, is on the run over charges of arson.

    Three, he has withdrawn the local government funds. This is autocracy and arbitrary impulse in a democracy. This drew the attention of the National Assembly for condemnation and another look at the independence of that tier of government.

    The latest infraction was the executive order to convene the state house of assembly business in the state house. This is plain wrong and wrong-headed. The house is constitutionally independent under a separation of powers principle. It does not belong to the governor. What he has done is in bad faith. It cannot and must not be allowed to stand. He is borrowing from the script that began from the days of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who in some states, including Bayelsa and Plateau, handpicked a minority to upturn a majority to impeach a governor. It is a military-era style that we had witnessed in neighbouring Edo State under Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    The River State elite is coquetting with disaster. A state cannot be governed by sticking to laws conjured from the imagination. We commend the president for trying to be the adult when the state has lacked elders to bring both parties to a table to thrash out the issues. If both go down the drain and a political solution becomes impossible, there are precedents in this democracy on how the issues were resolved. It is obvious the president does not want to go the route of invoking the constitution to evict those in office in a state of emergency. Let it not be that when words of counsel fail on both sides, the hammer becomes the only path to social order. Let it not be that if the hammer falls, new recriminations erupt in the form of blame games. Those fuelling the flames in their streets, caucuses and law chambers may become mere cymbals when the chips are down.

    There is time now for peace. Let both sides embrace it.

  • A Speaker and 100 weddings

    A Speaker and 100 weddings

    Good that they have been cancelled. There are better ways to help the orphaned girls than sponsoring their marriages

    Speaker of Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, stirred a national controversy penultimate week when he announced his plan to sponsor the marriage of 100 orphaned girls in the Mariga local government of the state. He said that the girls had lost their parents to banditry attacks and pledged to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms, having bought all that were needed for the weddings.

    Many Nigerians have expressed their outrage at the announcement. Neither the pictures nor ages of the girls have been made public. However, there is widespread suspicion that many of the girls might be under-aged. The latest Child Rights Act (2023) guarantees the rights of all children in Nigeria. The law has been domesticated by 34 out of the 36 states in Nigeria.  Only Kano and Zamfara had not domesticated the act as at 2023.

    The Child Rights Act deals with issues of child abuse, child labour, forced and underage marriage and other acts against the interest of children in Nigeria. On the other hand, the Nigerian Constitution (Article 18) states: “Every child shall be entitled to free, compulsory, and universal primary education, free from discrimination on any grounds whatsoever. Additionally, Article 15 guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person, which includes protection from any form of degrading treatment”. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important agreement by countries that have promised to protect children’s rights.

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    The Nigerian penal code applicable in Northern Nigeria and the criminal codes set the ages of 13 and 14 as the ages that a child is incapable of giving consent and therefore, a child marriage involving this age could amount to a crime. Curiously though, in Northern Nigeria, reports indicate that 48% of girls are married before 15 and about 78% are married before 18.5 and sadly, these contribute to the high rates of maternal and child mortality, illiteracy, exposure to spousal abuse and high illiteracy.

    The speaker had earlier stated that the sponsorship of the weddings was part of his constituency project. Many Nigerians were opposed to the proposal. The women affairs minister, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, in an attempt to stop the said weddings. She equally filed for a court injunction to stop the weddings. Many other interest groups and civil rights organisations had raised their voices against the proposal. However, some Islamic clerics had risen in support of the speaker’s proposal, possibly because they feel it is the norm in the region.

    The court has issued an order stopping the proposed weddings and the speaker is reported to have cancelled going ahead with the arrangement. This, to us, is a welcome development. Even though mass weddings and sponsorships by individuals or groups in Christianity or Islam are not new to Nigerians, many are worried that the orphaned girls’ ages were not made public. In a region where child marriages seem common, many believe that marrying off the orphaned girls will be an ill-wind that blows no one any good. The girls might be orphaned but other forms of assistance can be availed them for a functionally productive life.

    We recall that in October 2023, the Kano State government sponsored a mass wedding of about 1,800 couples and equally supplied them with household furniture and other items of value. The speaker might have meant to replicate that act but there is a remarkable difference in the two events. Some of the Kano couples were up to 18 years and the marriages appeared consensual. The orphans of Niger State are feared to be under-aged as there seems to be no transparency in the arrangements.

    While we understand that there are cultural practices that some people feel must be held on to, we believe that culture is dynamic and the world has changed. The speaker ought to know the laws better and, having sworn to the constitution, is bound to respect it.  If as is being suspected some of the girls are under-aged, the speaker would have gone against the constitution if he had gone ahead with the weddings. As orphaned children, there are options better than marrying them off. We feel that they ought to have been found worthy foster parents. Nigerians have a very vibrant extended family culture. The speaker could have provided the prospective foster parents with materials to assist in cushioning  economic hardship.

    We also wonder whether there was consensual marriage proposals and acceptance.  Did the speaker merely want to  objectivise the orphans and merely found willing men to join the vulnerable girls with? The speaker ought to understand marriage better. Assuming  the weddings took place, what economic plans did the speaker have in place for sustenance of the couples? The logical next step of marriages is consummation and 95% chance of pregnancies, what plans were in place to see the brides through reproductive health?

    The maternal and child mortality rates, Viscos Vaginal Fistula (VVF), chronic malnutrition, retarded under-five growths, illiteracy and other socio-economic outcomes happen when marriages are both not well planned and or child-brides are involved. This is 21st century and Nigeria has to do better. Elected and appointed individuals must obey the constitution they swore to uphold during their inauguration.

    The speaker of Niger State House of Assembly ought to be a beacon to the people and one who acts for the interest of the people at all times.

    Governments exist to protect the welfare of citizens. If the girls were orphaned due to banditry attacks that killed their parents, we feel the speaker ought to be concerned about making laws to further protect the people.They ought to do their oversight functions to ensure the executive branch of government is on track.

    While we appreciate that there are cultural issues that often influence certain decisions, we also believe that the dynamism of culture aids human flourishing. Having chosen democracy as a form of government and swearing to uphold the constitution, every arm of government must respect same and in this case, the UN treaties and acts must be respected by the citizens because laws exist to avoid anarchy.  No individual or group should jettison the laws of the land.

    We hope that now that the people have expressed their disapproval, the court has issued an order stopping the weddings, the speaker can do the right thing by finding other options of helping the young ladies so that they can be productive and contribute to their state instead of being made mere sexual objects that could be discarded anytime soon.

    This can also serve as a lesson to many others that might want to take the route in future. The girls have already been traumatised by the deaths of their parents, they ought to be humanised and taken care of. Marriage is beyond paying for materials. 

  • Triumph of gender

    Triumph of gender

    •2nd Lt. Oluchukwu Owowoh’s Sandhurst feat shows innate human strength, no matter the sex

     Gender, in development studies, connotes innate human strength, regardless of outward sexes, though some feminists often seize the term to push female entitlement.

    Second-Lieutenant Oluchukwu Owowoh, the first Nigerian female cadet officer to graduate from the Royal Military Academy (RMA), Sandhurst, UK, just proved gender in its most pristine sense: what a man can do, a woman too can — a solid and brilliant achievement, shorn of any sloganeering.

    That explains why the First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, herself a woman of quality, wasted no time to toast and celebrate the epochal feat of this young and promising military officer.

    “Your story is that of aspiration, resilience and determination.  Really, your case is divine.  It is not because you studied very hard but because God selected you for a purpose,” the First Lady gushed, at her special reception for Lt. Owowoh.  “It is going to be from glory to glory,” she prayed.  “That is why we are here to celebrate you for what you have done.”

    Indeed, what Lt. Owowoh has done is well and truly remarkable, from the testimony by Major-Gen. John Ochia, the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, (NDA) Zaria, and the young officer’s chaperon to her reception at Aso Villa, Abuja.

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    Perhaps the news — as glorious as that was — is not that at Sandhurst, she trumped other cadets, male or female, from India, Pakistan, Quatar, Canada, Australia and UK itself — a solid gem of excellence in both brain and brawn: a summary for the rigour of military training.

    The real news is the build-up to Sandhurst where, at the NDA, Lt. Owowoh had to establish and re-establish herself, which would have been unnecessary, were she to be male.

    Hear Gen. Ochia: “The significance of Owowoh’s case is that, in the course of training, we selected the best.  She surpassed the record of over 200 male cadet officers when we did the selection.  She came first but we doubted her.”

    “If she was male, we would have left it at that,” he continued, “but because she is a female we tested her and she came first in academics, even in the physical training.  She went through a tough process until her male colleagues even noticed that we do not have to go further.”

    At RMA, one of the most iconic military academies in the world, she put everything together to trump the rest.  It wasn’t quite reserving the best for the last.  It was rather showcasing her normal brilliance and diligence on a more global stage.  Yet at home, she still had to doubly prove herself which, as the General admitted, would have been unnecessary if she were male.

    Which brings this legitimate question: if Lt. Owowoh had somewhat faltered, would it have been attributed to her sex?  That question tugs at structural barriers against women, no matter their proven abilities: the so-called invisible glass ceiling. 

    We only hope the young woman has helped to shatter that ceiling, so much so that the next Owowoh, coming through the same military academy course, wouldn’t have to prove herself over and over again — unlike her male counterparts.

    Still, it’s kudos to the Nigerian Army.  They wanted the best.  They searched for that very best.  They never allowed male bias to blight that very best.  That says something — and very positive too — for fairness in a male-dominated military setting. 

    If they had allowed male bias to water down merit, Nigeria would have been robbed of the Owowoh glory.  We expect that clinical sticking to merit — and fairness — in every arm of the Nigerian military — and even the paramilitary security agencies. Only equal- opportunity access can make everyone bloom; and make Nigeria a far better place.

    As for young Lt. Owowoh, it’s a brilliant morning in her military career.  If morning shows the day, her military career appears full of promise and sunshine.  The Nigerian Army, with their prop so far, appears set to provide the support atmosphere to make her excel and realise her full potential.

    Still, as the scriptures say, the beginning could amount to nothing if not matched by a roaring climax.  That’s the challenge before this promising officer.  She must keep on challenging herself, if she really wants the world to be at her feet. 

    The world at her feet would be glorious for the Nigerian Army, and also for her country, Nigeria, and its investment in her training and other officer cadets’.

  • Oba Sikiru Adetona at 90

    Oba Sikiru Adetona at 90

    •A revered and highly principled monarch joins the nonagenarian club

    It was a measure of his stature that the Federal Government participated significantly in the celebration of his 90th birthday on May 10. President Bola Tinubu decorated him for “his many years of meritorious service” to “our country and humanity.”  He received the second highest Nigerian national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON).

    The double celebration also marked his 64th coronation anniversary. The producer of the biopic ‘Awujale,’ Seun Oloketuyi, described him as “the longest-reigning first-class monarch in Nigeria,” saying there were “actually 19 books about Awujale that we saw written by different people.”  There is also an autobiography in existence.

    A high-profile Yoruba traditional ruler, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba Agbotewole II, the Awujale of Ijebu land, Ogun State, ascended the throne in April 1960, before he was 26. “I was able to apply wisdom and intelligence,” he said, in response to a question on how he was able to handle the exalted position at such a young age. 

    After his secondary education at Olu-Iwa (now Adeola Odutọla) College, Ijebu-Ode from 1951 to 1956, he worked at the then Audit Department of the Western Region, Ibadan. In 1958, he resigned and travelled to the United Kingdom to study accountancy.

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    Ten years ago, when he turned 80, he was “optimistic that Ijebu State will be created in my lifetime,” describing it as “a viable vision.”  According to him, “Our demand is historical, justifiable and overdue.”  The agitation for the creation of Ijebu State, he said, had the blessing of the entire Ijebu people in Ogun State.

    In 2016, Oba Adetona made the headlines when he endowed a N250m professorial chair in Governance in the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. Importantly, its objectives include “the initiation and execution of research that aims at finding solutions to contemporary challenges and issues of governance at local, state, national and global levels.” The deed spoke volumes about his promotion of education and good governance. Endowed professorships are uncommon in Nigerian universities, which is why his project is striking and exemplary.

    He took a step further by establishing the Oba Adetona School of Governance, also located at the same university, which is focused on “nurturing leaders and professionals equipped for the challenges of public governance and corporate leadership.” The vice chancellor of the university noted that Oba Adetona had contributed to the development of the post-graduate school through the donation of offices, lecture and seminar rooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) materials and a library. The presentation of a book, titled ‘Reinventing Governance in Nigeria: The Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona Model,’ during his 90th birthday celebration, underlined his legacy.

    It was a tribute to his vision that President Tinubu announced that the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos, would “take over the running and management” of the post-graduate school to ensure it benefits the entire country.

     His courageous pro-people role during the struggle for democracy in Nigeria between 1993 and 1999, under unprecedentedly repressive military rule, raised the level of public respect he enjoyed in the country. After the country returned to democracy in 1999, he notably resisted the lure of former President Goodluck Jonathan who sought his endorsement for reelection in 2015, in the face of public disenchantment with his administration.  It demonstrated his sense of dignity and honour as well as his sense of patriotism and good governance. 

    Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, in a tribute, said he also “championed the Ijebu Development Board on Poverty Eradication that has become a model in the entire country.”  His active pursuit of improved socio-economic conditions for the people is an example which shows that traditional rulers can be agents of development, and should be more involved in the country’s development.

    We congratulate Oba Adetona as he enters his nonagenarian years.   

  • An embarrassing case

    An embarrassing case

    • At last, the Malabu case against former attorney general and oil majors was a waste of time and resources

    The war on corruption has been intriguing, but it has been more when the apex corruption fighter creates its own drama of self-indictment. One, it was argued that the quality of prosecution sometimes undermines the integrity and fortitude of its battles. Hence former president, who also set it up, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, invoked a Yoruba word to demonstrate its weakness. He asked the organisation to employ ‘ogbologbo’ lawyers; that is lawyers of high stature and great acumen.

    It appears that nearly 26 years after the award of Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245 to Malabu Oil Ltd, the recent ruling of Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi of the FCT High Court has put an end to the crises, controversies and legal tussles surrounding it. Justice Kutigi ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not provide evidence to prove its charges of corruption, fraud and conspiracy against the defendants. Similar cases suffered defeats in Italian and British courts where the judges ruled that they could not see any conclusive proof of fraud and corruption in the OPL 245 agreements signed by Nigeria, Malabu, Shell and NAE in 2011. The United States Department of Justice (DoJ), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Dutch authorities all brought the matter to a close after investigating petitions filed by Nigerian, Italian and British anti-corruption campaigners who had alleged corruption and fraud in the deal.

    The controversy started in 2001 when the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration revoked the oil block from Malabu without explanation. Malabu immediately instituted legal proceedings against the Federal Government. In 2006, the Obasanjo Administration decided to settle out of court with Malabu by agreeing to restore OPL 245 to them, a decision that also irked Shell, the new allottee, which then filed arbitration claims against Nigeria. The crises appeared to have ended with the settlement agreements signed by all parties in 2011 under then President Goodluck Jonathan. But when former President Muhammadu Buhari came to office in 2015, he decided to revive the corruption allegations.

    With the controversies now seemingly over, there are a number of issues that should not be swept under the carpet. One, the Obasanjo Administration plunged Nigeria into a prolonged legal tussle when it revoked the oil block without justification. This sparked off the crises and controversies that stalled the development of the highly endowed oil block. Sadly, the Nigerian government is notorious for taking unilateral actions on contracts. This unsavoury reputation affects the country’s ability to attract serious investments. Investors are always sceptical about the sanctity of contracts and rule of law in Nigeria. It is hoped that government will henceforth take its contractual responsibilities more seriously.

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    Two, it should be considered worrisome that EFCC’s key witness was Mohammed Abacha, son of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s former Head of State. He claimed he owned Malabu Oil and that his name was illegally expunged from the company’s Form C.02 at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) while he was in detention in 2001. As a result, he missed out on the $1.1bn paid to Malabu by Shell and NAE. Although the EFCC charged seven defendants to court, most of the counts bordered on the alleged forgery which would suggest that the EFCC was indeed fighting for the Abacha family. By Decree No. 53 of 1999 (now an Act of Parliament), the Abachas are to forfeit all public assets traced to them. Was the EFCC not aware of this?

    Three, on the N300 million allegedly paid to Adoke as a bribe for his role in the settlement agreements, Justice Kutigi noted that the same sum was presented to another court by the EFCC as evidence of a mortgage the former minister collected from a bank. The contradiction was fatal to EFCC’s case. This raises questions about the way the EFCC builds its cases. The commission is regularly accused of being used as a political tool. Failings of this nature do not help its case. Adoke repeatedly said he was being persecuted because he did not help the Abachas get a cut from the Malabu windfall. EFCC’s conduct tends to support his claim.

    Four, it should not have taken 23 years to resolve legal tussles around this rich oil block. The Nigerian economy has lost billions of dollars in revenue as a result, plus the thousands of jobs that could have been created and the forex that could have accrued to the country from oil exports, among several other benefits. In the final analysis, the OPL 245 case may have ended, but the issues that the entire saga raised need to be addressed. Lessons have to be learned to improve public policies and litigation.

    It is amazing that the president who called for ‘ogbologbo’ lawyers set the stage for the drama that would expose his own shenanigan in office and the EFCC could not get a lawyer worth his salt to prosecute. Rather, the EFCC put up a slipshod job and turned an innocent man and a slew of oil companies into an international rigmarole of fruitless legal jousts.

  • Undue haste? 

    Undue haste? 

    • Government should listen to pharmacists on ban of imported needles and syringes

    Nigerians with an insatiable appetite for anything foreign will soon miss one of the items on their list: foreign syringes and needles. This is because the Federal Government has mandated chief medical directors (CMDs) and medical directors (MDs)of  federal tertiary hospitals to stop using imported needles and syringes. They are henceforth to source such items locally from manufacturers approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    A directive to this effect was issued by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, on Friday. As with previous such proscriptions, the reason adduced by government for the decision was the need to boost domestic production of the items as well as protect the local manufacturers from the influx of imported ones. Alausa added in the circular that NAFDAC should stop issuing licenses for the importation of foreign manufactured needles and syringes.

    The minister tried to allay the fears of those who believe the country was not ready for such an action by saying that the health sector had identified local pharmaceutical industries that produce needles. He said they were hitherto in serious trouble because of the importation and that, in fact, six of the nine local pharmaceutical companies that used to produce needles and syringes in Nigeria about eight years ago have closed shop as a result of the dumping of substandard goods into the country.

    “Mr President has directed that this must stop. We all agreed to take the necessary steps to immediately remedy this sad situation.

    “Pursuant to this, NAFDAC has been mandated to stop issuing licenses for the importation of foreign manufactured needles and syringes.

    “It is also to de-list companies involved in the importation of these products going forward,” he said.

    We perfectly understand government’s position even beyond the reasons adduced by it. We not only have to check the dumping of all manner of goods, in our markets, we also must encourage local producers by ensuring that they are not suffocated by foreign manufacturers, especially against the backdrop of the fact that their products are usually cheaper than local ones. Moreover, when local manufacturers are encouraged, jobs are created and sustained, unlike when we keep sustaining others that are working in foreign lands.

    Of course, we also know that some unscrupulous Nigerian importers encourage foreign manufacturers, especially those in the health sector, to produce medicaments and other medical items below required standards, a thing that has rendered many such drugs ineffective while administered on patients. Then there is the need to conserve foreign exchange by ensuring that we import only things that are not locally available.

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    But then, our immediate worry is whether the local producers have the capacity to meet the country’s needs for needles and syringes. It would seem the government is convinced that the three listed local manufacturers  —  EL-Salmat Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd (Brand Name: Salmaject), HMA Medical Ltd. (Brand Name: Deleject), and Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Ltd – do.

    But pharmacists, under the aegis of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) feel otherwise and have consequently advised the Federal Government to tread softly on the matter. According to them, they had urged the minister to exercise caution on the matter. They cited, among others, procedural errors that have led to the ‘’climax of the absurd’’.   

    Absurd and germane as the procedural errors may be, if any, that is not our primary fear on government’s banning of imported needles and syringes. Our main concern is whether the three local companies that now have the full mandate to produce the items can meet the demand. This also formed a major component of the pharmacists’ worry about the decision.

    We are here talking about the health sector, a very crucial sector involving life and death. We urge the federal government to provide the enabling environment for them to succeed. We want to avoid a situation where the hospitals would run into supply problems and therefore resort to reusing needles and syringes, contrary to medical practice, with the concomitant consequences for the people.