Category: Featured

A pall of uncertainty hangs over next month’s governorship election in Anambra State. The question on the lips of many stakeholders is whether the poll scheduled for November 6 would hold or not. Southeast Bureau Chief NWANOSIKE ONU reports that the 18 political parties fielding candidates  are having a hectic time campaigning for the contest

In about two weeks, the governorship election in Anambra State is scheduled to take place. But, the insecurity in the Southeast, particularly Anambra and Imo states, casts a shadow of doubt as to whether the election would hold or not. The  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed fears over the possibility of the election being held.

Eighteen political parties are fielding candidates to replace Governor Willie Obiano, whose tenure would elapse on March 17 next year. Some of the major candidates are Prof Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr Godwin Maduka of the Accord Party.

Others are Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Obiora Okonkwo of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Ben Etiaba of Action Alliance (AA) among others.

Preparations for the election are being hampered by the security situation. The electoral umpire had since September 5 concluded the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in the 326 wards that make up the state. But, most of the political parties have not been able to kick-start their campaigns because of the fear of violence hovering over the state.

The only party that has been to officially flag off its campaign is the ruling APGA, which did so successfully at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital. The other two major parties, the PDP and the APC have had to put off their plans because of threats from “unknown gunmen”.

The security situation has worsened in the last one month with no less than 30 persons being killed, with buildings and vehicles set ablaze. The sit-at-home mode of protests adopted by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) every Monday throughout the Southeast has compounded matters for residents of Anambra and other states in the Southeast.

Since it was introduced on September 9, fear has enveloped the public. Though the group said it had called off the order, the fear of being attacked by hoodlums has compelled markets, shops and even banks to remain shut every Monday.

The situation has continued to raise questions about whether the November 6 date for the election is still sacrosanct or it will be shifted. INEC’s Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye said the election must be held on the stipulated date.

Okoye said in a statement that the commission took into consideration a wide range of things before fixing the election on that date.

He said the commission had equally held an emergency consultative meeting with the leadership of all the registered political parties on October 8 which took place in Abuja, to discuss the matter.

This, the commissioner assured the people of Anambra State of its resolve to secure the processes for the conduct of the election and ensure that their right to vote in a safe and secure environment was guaranteed.

The killings and other violent activities in the state have kept everyone on their toes, including the government. Governor Obiano and security operatives have met several times, to see how to secure the lives and property of the citizens. But, the hoodlums are still unrelenting.

Read Also: Contestants vying for Agu Awka Government House

The condition of things forced the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubarkar Malami (SAN) to issue a threat that the Federal Government may declare a state of emergency if the situation becomes irredeemable.

But his statement caused uproar across the country and President Muhammad Buhari has dissociated his administration from the pronouncement, according to Obiano.

Traditional rulers in the state, led by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, and Anambra lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Uche Okafor, had called on Malami to resign or be sacked by the president.

Undeterred by the crisis generated by its threat to thwart the election, the separatist group, the IPOB, had issued another warning that it would order another sit-at-home for one month, if the Federal Government fails to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The pro-Biafra leader who had been in detention will appear in court tomorrow (October 21). It was to draw attention to his plight that the separatist group declared a sit-at-home for Ndigbo across the globe in September.

The fear already created in Igboland has stopped political parties and their candidates from campaigning. It has also stopped them from using branded party vehicles for their campaigns. The APC, the PDP and the APGA are only campaigning in rural areas, while the other parties have resorted to door-to-door campaigns.

Those driving Sport Utility vehicles (SUVs) and the Toyota Sienna brand are also at risk of being attacked by so-called unknown gunmen. The situation has made the residents ask whether the attacks, killings and violence being unleashed are politically motivated.

Governor Obiano and members of his ruling party believe the atmosphere of fear and violence hanging over the state is one of the strategies by the APC to rig the election. But a human rights activist and a member of the APGA, Comrade Obi Ochije does not see it that way. He told The Nation that no one knows the plan of those behind the violence. He called for caution, saying it is a perilous time in Anambra State.

The killings and other violent activities have heightened tension in Anambra State, especially, after the gruesome murder of Dr Chike Akunyili at Nkpor in Onitsha a couple of weeks ago.

The assassinated medical doctor was the husband of the late Minister of Information, Prof Dora Akunyili. She was also the former Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

There are other killings directed against law enforcement agencies by unidentified gunmen from Awka to Nnewi, to Onitsha, to Ihiala and other communities in recent times.

Are the killings politically motivated? Obiano said those behind the killings are from neighbouring states. But, other Southeast governors led by Ebonyi State’s Dave Umahi have debunked such allegations. Meanwhile, the IPOB says Obiano’s revelation has vindicated them.

The Anambra State governor had indicated while reacting to speculations as to why he avoided attending stakeholders’ security meetings in the zone that he did so because he would not want to stay in a meeting with those orchestrating mayhem in his state.

The governor said without equivocations that he deliberately stayed away from the meetings because he did not consider it proper to sit at a table and discuss security with those who are sponsoring the insecurity and killings in his state. IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful said: “Obiano did not mince words when he said that the killings in Anambra were politically motivated. For the umpteenth time, let’s restate that we have no hands in the senseless killings of innocent citizens in Biafraland, especially Imo and Anambra states.

“Politicians and traitors bent on implicating the IPOB to impress their Fulani slave masters are the ones masterminding this genocide in collaboration with the wicked Nigerian security agents.”

As it stands, nobody knows what to believe, as the IPOB has threatened to impose another sit-at-home this October, if its leader is not released.

But one thing is sure; the security situation in the state is not likely to improve in the coming days. Nevertheless, INEC has insisted that the November election must be held. At the end of the day, it would discourage people from coming out to vote on election day.

 

Going by the list recently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 18 political parties are fielding candidates for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

The candidates are Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP); Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Dr Chidozie Nwankwo, AAC; Ben Etiaba, the Action Alliance (AA); Dr Godwin Maduka, Accord Party (AP);  Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, the African Democratic Congress (ADC);  Umezoke Douglas, the ADP;  Prof Chukwuma Soludo, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); and Azubuike Echetebu, the APP.

Others are Emma Agbasimalo, the Labour Party (LP); Ohajimkpo Emeka, the NNPP; Victor Ezenwafor, the NRM; Nnamdi Nwamuo, the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP);

Godwin Uzoh, the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Chika Okeke, the BP; Onyejegbu Okwudili, the APM; and Dr Obiora Okonkwo,  the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

 

Valentine Ozigbo (PDP):

Valentine Ozigbo is known as a silent achiever and a gentleman throughout  Anambra State. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, a Masters of Science (MSc) degree and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree, as well as other professional certificates.

The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcorp Plc, is a natural crowd-puller and inspirational figure. The  50-year old Amesi, Aguata Local Government Area born tactician has crossed many hurdles before securing the ticket to represent the PDP in the election.

Ozigbo  is a consummate business leader and entrepreneur with over 26 years experience in corporate transformation, power, hospitality, energy, and banking (commercial, retail, investment and international).

Married  to Ojiugo with four children, Ozigbo had in March 2020, resigned from his job at Transcorp Plc to dedicate the next chapter of his life to public service. He joined the race for the Anambra governorship the same year. In less than two years, he had built one of the most efficient and impactful political organisations in Nigeria.

The focus of his campaign is better conceptualised in the following Igbo words, “Ka Anambra Chawapu” (a better and brighter Anambra). The campaign slogan has resonated with the people; igniting the most significant political movement in the Southeast geo-political zone.

 

Andy Uba (APC):

Senator Andy Nnamdi Uba, 59, is a household name in the Nigerian political environment, with his experience dating back to  the beginning of the Fourth Republic

The APC governorship candidate came to national limelight in 1999 after he was appointed as Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties. He represented Anambra South Senatorial Zone for eight years at the Red Chamber.

In 2007, he was elected governor of Anambra State on the platform of the PDP, but stayed for only 17 days in office before Peter Obi’s tenure interpretation removed him at the Supreme Court

The 62-year-old Uba has a very wide political network which explains why he has always been able to relate with politicians. He is a recipient of several awards and commendations for his good works.

Uba is a holder of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), a honour bestowed on him for his service to the nation. A Knight of the Anglican Communion, Senator Uba is a lover of fitness drills and good music. He is married with children.

Read Also: Uncertainties over Anambra governorship poll

 

Chukwuma Soludo (APGA):

The professor of Economics emerged as the candidate of the APGA under controversial circumstances, with the help of Governor Willie Obiano.

Since his emergence, many members of the APGA have defected to other political parties, especially to the APC. He is one of the three major governorship candidates being tipped to win the November 6 governorship election.

The 61-year-old Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area born APGA flag bearer was former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Soludo, a recipient of the prestigious Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) is also a former chairman of the Board of Directors of the CBN.

He is also, a member of the British Department for International Advisory Group.

He is married with children

 

Obiora Okonkwo (ZLP):

The 55-year-old Obiora Okonkwo  is a High Chief in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area.

Okonkwo joined the ZLP from the PDP after the primary election, where he lost to Ozigbo with only four votes.

He raised the alarm that  the process was manipulated to scheme him out because of the unpopular zoning arrangement introduced by powers that be in the party.

The ZLP candidate holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Political Science with distinction, from the Russian Academy of Science, Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Moscow.

He is a Knight of the Order of King Leopold, the highest National honour bestowed on foreign nationals by the king of Belgium.

He is also the chairman of the United Nigeria Airlines and the owner of the biggest Dome in Nigeria in Abuja.

Okonkwo was declared The Sun Newspaper Man of the Year in March 2020 for his entrepreneurial vision and dexterity in business, through which he created wealth among others.

In December 2019, he delivered the lead lecture titled, Ndigbo in Contemporary Nigeria: A Social, Cultural, Political and Economic Reflection, at the annual Umunri Colloquium at Enugu-Ukwu, Anambra State.

High Chief Okonkwo who is married with children is a bridge-builder across all zones and of Anambra State and Nigeria.

 

 

The United Nations has raised eyebrows over the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of State Services (DSS) and his alleged torture while in custody.

The UN’s position was contained in its Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishments; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Special Rapporteur on minority issues and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

The body said it received information on allegations of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of Nnamdi Kanu by Kenyan Security Officials as well as his illegal rendition to Nigeria to face trial for terrorism-related charges, which were believed to be linked to his leadership of the IPOB.

Since his rendition to Nigeria, the UN alleged Kanu had been denied family visits, confidential access to a lawyer and necessary medical treatment for his underlying illness.

Read Also: Nnamdi Kanu re-arraigned on amended charge

The mandate reads in part: “While we do not prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, we would like to express our concern in relation to the enforced disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu from June 19, 2021, until his reappearance at Nigerian Federal High Court in Abuja on June 29, 2021, and his reported illegal rendition from Nairobi to Abuja without judicial process.”

The UN further described the alleged torture and ill-treatment of Kanu as alarming, saying they constitute a violation of fundamental human rights.

It said: “We are further alarmed by the alleged torture and ill-treatment Mr Kanu has been subjected to during his detention by the DSS in Nigeria. If confirmed, these allegations would constitute prima facie violations of fundamental human rights, including the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of liberty and the absolute and non-derogable prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment under the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

“The Committee against Torture and the UN Human Rights Committee has repeatedly concluded that enforced disappearances may amount to torture and other forms of ill-treatment both with regard to the disappeared and with regard to their family members, due to the anguish and uncertainty concerning the date and whereabouts of loved ones.”

The UN also demanded an explanation of the initial steps taken by the Federal Government to safeguard the rights of Kanu in compliance with international instruments.

It said: “As it is our responsibility under the mandates provided to us by the Human Rights Council to seek to clarify all cases brought to our attention, we would be grateful for your observations on the following matters: any additional information and any comment you may have on the above-mentioned allegations.

“Please provide detailed information on the current state of health of Mr Kanu and the measures undertaken, or foreseen, to prevent any irreparable damage to his life and personal integrity and to ensure that he has access to the medications and medical treatment required by his health conditions.

“Please provide detailed information on the circumstances in which Mr Kanu was arrested, forcibly disappeared before being handed over to Nigerian authorities and transferred from Nairobi to Abuja. Also provide any international arrest warrant that may have been issued against him, prior to his arrest.”

The UN also requested that detailed information on the factual and legal grounds of Kanu’s arrest and detention be provided as well as formal charges against him and the legal provisions used to charge him.

It also asked that FG explain how Kanu’s arrest and detention were in conformity with the international human rights obligations of Nigeria.

As more Nigerians continue to be attracted to the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge train service, some passengers who have used the new transport means shared their experience with BISI OLADELE, Southwest Bureau Chief, ERNEST NWOKOLO and ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

Safety, comfort and reliability are crucial to transportation and logistics. These remain what attract many passengers who travel on the Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan route.

Since the commercial operation was launched on the corridor on June 10, 2021, many travellers have, like a bee to honeycomb, recognised that the train, as a means of transportation, is gradually becoming the new normal on the Lagos-Ibadan route, with a stopover at Laderin, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Dr Ademola Ololade is one of such users of the new train and he has very warm words for the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for the service. Having used the service from Ibadan to Lagos twice, Ololade said it was a better alternative to travelling on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and a perfect way of skipping Lagos traffic snarl.

On the cost of the service, Ololade said the economy ticket which costs N2,500 is reasonable enough, pointing out that it is comfortable for passengers. He said there was no need for him to board the first-class which costs N6, 000.

Another user, Babatunde Banwo, told The Nation that though the service is good, it does not take care of people’s convenience because of the strict two trips which the train undertakes daily.

He said: “The train service is not bad, but the limited number of trips it undertakes at the moment does not allow me to consider using it all the time. The train leaves around 8:00 a.m., meaning I can’t travel by it before or after that time in the morning. It is only good for me anytime I have a business to catch up within Lagos.”

Another user, a Lagos-based resident, Mrs Olawunmi Oseni, who took her children to Ibadan on a two-day holiday, also commended the service, adding that her children were so excited with the sightseeing through the window from Lagos to Ibadan. She said they cannot wait to hop on the train again for another adventure because of the comfort and peace derived from the service.

Some passengers, however, complained that the trains are not exactly as fast as expected, even as they noted that the train runs about 60 kilometres per hour. Thus, a trip from Lagos to Ibadan takes about three hours.

To support the train service, the Oyo State Government bus/cab shuttle services now ply the Moniya Railway Station from Iwo Road and Dugbe in Ibadan to pick and drop passengers. The shuttle services were introduced after the passengers’ lamented the high cost of transportation to and from the station.

The experience is the same at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital where the service is surprisingly being patronised by the middle class, the relatively rich and children of the upper crust of society.  Tucked inside the sequestered Laderin, Ori Osoko and Abule Ori areas of Abeokuta, incoming and outgoing travellers surge into the communities to book for the rail service at its station.

Many of them, who spoke with our reporter, gave convenience, smooth ride, comfort, safety and time consciousness as reasons for their use of the rail system instead of the public transport by bus or taxi.

One of the passengers, Mr Afolabi Remi, a public servant and regular user of the rail transport, said he had long parked his car as there was no need to drive it from Abeokuta to Lagos or vice versa since the rail system offers him better comfort, speed and safety.

Afolabi, who is a member of staff of an Apapa-based Emsee Shipping Line Limited said the convenience and comfort one enjoys riding on the rail can’t be quantified.

He urged the operators to increase the number of times the train runs to pick passengers daily in order to meet the overwhelming number of people who troop to the station daily to use the facility.

“I’m a regular user of the facility because of its comfortability, safety and smooth ride.  I have my car but I had to park it in order to enjoy the train services. What is the point of driving a car to Lagos with all the risks and fear of approaching trailers on the expressway when the comfortability of using rail is immeasurable?

“You have all the conveniences, it is like an airport. I think what they should do is to increase the rounds on Sundays-that is morning, afternoon and evening so that people who work in Lagos but live or spend their weekends in Abeokuta, can go back to Lagos on Sunday as they desire. This will lessen the tension and pressure at the Abeokuta station on Mondays,” Afolabi said.

Also, Mr Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, the founder of the Penpushing Media, an Abeokuta-based media outfit, who is a first-time user of the facility said he elected to try it after considering the deplorable condition of the Abeokuta-Lagos Road, adding that he concluded that he might end up spending an eternity on the road in a gridlock; hence the recourse to the rail.

Although none of the members of staff of the company was willing to talk to reporters, The Nation gathered from some of the passengers that the train operates between 9:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. on weekdays and same for Sundays while it operates on Saturdays at 10:08 a.m. to 8:02 p.m.

The price also varies in accordance with the coach of one’s interest. A trip from Abeokuta to Lagos for a 56/68-seater coach costs N3, 000 per passenger, an 88-seater coach goes for N2, 000, while a minor pays N1, 500.

For Abeokuta to Ibadan trip, the 56/68-seater coach and 88-seater coach costs N1, 000 and N600 respectively while a minor pays N400.

In all of these, the District Manager Jerry Oche, an Engineer, said the patronage of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge is increasing daily. While it runs Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Ibadan and Lagos end, while on Friday, it runs three shuttles from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m., while it runs three shuttles on Saturday 8:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., with the trains moving in both directions from Lagos and Ibadan on the dual standard gauge.

Oche said passengers’ experience has continued to be positive and encouraging. He said the Lagos–Abeokuta and the Lagos–Ibadan services are very promising and encouraging, adding that the Corporation would soon begin 16 trips daily in response to the surge it is experiencing on the corridor.

He said when the shuttle is increased to 16; it would be possible to have an express service that would run only Lagos–Ibadan or Ibadan–Lagos, while we would also have others that would be stopping at notable stations along the route.

Oche said patronage is increasing on the modern train service due to a number of reasons, which include the challenges of traffic jams on the road and principally the need to try out the new alternative that the government is providing by the train which is a modern, comfortable and convenient means of travelling.

He said as of July when the passenger count on the Lagos-Ibadan route was taken, the NRC has recorded 33, 140 passenger traffic, with more passengers being recorded on the economy than the first-class category.

The Lagos-Ibadan train tickets cost between N3, 000 for economy class (which has been further reduced to N2, 500) and N6, 000 for first-class.

Read Also: Nine die, 16 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accident

Oche said: “In July, the total passenger traffic on board the standard class stood at 24,948, out of the 33,140 passenger traffic. For business class, we recorded 6,995 and for first-class, we had 1,167 while the total passenger traffic recorded from Lagos to Ibadan in July stood at 33,140.

“In June, we recorded 7, 134 passenger traffic from Lagos alone, while the increase in July was as a result of increased awareness and addition to the number of trips after the inauguration. We are not using all the door coaches, we open only two doors; one for standard class and the second for business class and first-class.

He added that the corporation is working towards introducing snacks in the lounge and was only waiting for a go-ahead from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for its commencement.

On the convenience onboard, Oche said every ticket has a coach and seat number, and there are usually officials who are on the ground to direct passengers to their seats as indicated on their tickets.

He said the allowed luggage on board the standard gauge is 25kg per passenger and excess luggage would attract additional payment.

On the convenience of payment, Oche said though passengers now use Point of Sales (POS) for ticket payment, some banks are already indicating interest to partner with the NRC to make ticket payment more convenient for passengers at the various train stations. He was not, however, sure when this would eventually take off.

The spokesman of the Ibadan District of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Callistus Unyimadu said the patronage on the corridor is usually at its peak from Ibadan on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, which usually experiences oversubscription of the coaches available. He said passengers’ experience had been very pleasant since the commercial operation on the modern train service was officially inaugurated.

Unyimadu attributed the slow speed on the corridor which has been the concern of some passengers on the train service to ongoing construction works on the rail line, especially around the various train stations, adding that the slow speed is also discounted by the safety and security which the ride guarantees, aside from the comfort and assurance it offers. He said the work is nearing completion.

Unyimadu dismissed speculations that travellers, especially from the Ibadan end, might shun the trains due to their slow pace and the distance of the terminus to the city centre. He disclosed that public patronage has been very good,

He said: “We have more passengers on board now and people are embracing the train services. We now run four trips on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line Mondays to Saturdays because more people are now using the train services.

“The trains leave Ibadan station at Moniya and Lagos Station at Yaba simultaneously by 8:00 a.m. Mondays to Fridays. Because of the influx of people, we started the second trip. By 4:00 p.m., the trains will leave Yaba and Moniya simultaneously again on Mondays to Fridays.

“So, on weekdays, we have two trips because of people that have appointments in Lagos and want to return to Ibadan the same day. But on Saturdays, the trains leave our stations at Yaba and Moniya by 8:30 a.m. And the second trip on Saturday is by 6:00 p.m. We have not started operation on Sunday for now. We have factored in our passengers’ conveniences and the journeys are without any hitches. This shows that more people are embracing our service.”  He said the corporation is introducing a number of initiatives aimed at making the service more convenient and pleasant for travellers on the train.

The Lagos-Ibadan corridor establishes an end-to-end supply chain in railway transport as goods to the hinterland would now be transported by rail directly from the Apapa Port Quayside straight to the Inland Container Depot located in Ibadan from where it can be distributed to other parts of the country.

It is a vital line scheduled to link Ibadan with Kano, in the next segment of the Ibadan–Kano railway project, which when completed, will connect the Kano–Maradi route at Kano and a rail link from Southern ports of Lagos to Maradi in the Niger Republic.

As President Muhammadu Buhari noted, the rail network “…would position Nigerian ports as the choice for import and export business of the people of landlocked Niger Republic. This would be beneficial to the economy through employment from new business opportunities and wealth creation.’’  A factory to produce wagons and coaches and other ancillary parts to service the trains on a sustainable basis has been established at Kajola in Ogun State to avoid dependence on China for the expansion and maintenance of the train services in the country.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, at whose insistence this was done, has also ensured that the rail tracks are extended to the seaports in Lagos, Warri or Port Harcourt for cargo trains to easily carry goods right from the ports to any part of the country.

Already, the haulage services have commenced between Warri Port and Itakpe in Kogi State, while in Lagos, the rail tracks have been laid right into the Apapa Port, with some terminals connecting the loads to the trains.

 

QUOTE

The Lagos-Ibadan corridor establishes an end-to-end supply chain in railway transport as goods to the hinterland would be transported by rail directly from the Apapa Port Quayside straight to the Inland Container Depot located in Ibadan from where it can be distributed to other parts of the country

Canada-based Nigerian psychiatric Dr. Abiola Oshodi is the leader of ‘Movement for Better Nigeria.’ He spoke on the expectation of Nigerians in the Diaspora about succession in 2023 and qualities the next president should possess. Excepts:

Though you live outside Nigeria, but you seem to be more concerned about the country. Why this curiousity?

Every Nigerian ought to be curious and interested in the affairs and well-being of Nigeria irrespective of the geographical location, especially if you have had your formative years in Nigeria. For

someone like me who had primary, secondary and university education in Nigeria, I should be interested in the way things go in my home country.  Though God enabled me to have had my post graduate training abroad and now practicing as a medical doctor in a foreign land, far away from my home country, I am proud to say that I am Nigerian and as such, it is a must for me to be interested in the affairs of how Nigeria is being governed and how we can do things differently in order to make my dear country work for us collectively and not a few of us.

And to get to the point where Nigeria will work for us individually and collectively, we need a mental revolution and not the physical and or violent type of revolution or Balkanisation as some people have advocated and or still advocating.  This is the major reason why you find people like me in the political space to propagate the message that yes, Nigeria can be reformed and be made functional and profitable for the benefit of the majority of Nigerians whether they are residing in Nigeria or abroad.

What is the motivation for the social and empowerment programmes you are doing in your Owo/Ose local governments?

My empowerment program cuts across the Owo-Ose federal constituency and we have impacted several parts of the country. For example, we equipped the surgical unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki.

Sometime in 2018, we renovated several blocks of classrooms at my alma mater, Apata Community Grammar school, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State. In addition to the renovations, we also equipped the classrooms with modern chairs and desks for the comfort of both the students and teachers. We renovated and furnished the science laboratories and also

equipped same though with some contributions with old students of like minds. And as soon other schools within the vicinity of my alma mater got to know about the silent revolution that we triggered at my alma mater, some of the schools reached out for help though I won’t like to mention names, but we intervened in the little way we could to make life a bit more comfortable for our students.

The Owo-Ose dimension that you referenced in your question is only a layer of the multiple interventions that we are making to ensure that our people live and live abundantly and not just to merely exist. I am a pan-Nigerian and or pan-African to the core and the bigger truth is that, if I have access to more funds, we will certainly do much more and ensure that we impact lives positively across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

What are your expectations about succession in 2023?

With the general election approaching fast in 2023, I expect Nigerians to reflect on where the nation is at the moment and where we expect the nation to be in 2027 exactly four years after the 2023 election. I also expect Nigerians to strategise on how we can individually and collectively move the nation forward beyond the social media criticisms and ‘peppersouping’ that we often engage in. I expect every Nigerian irrespective of his or her geographical location to be genuinely interested in how the country is governed from the local government councillors to the local government chairpersons, members of the state House of Assemblies, Federal House of Representatives, the Senate, our governors and commissioners, our ministers and the president and every leader and even our chiefs and traditional rulers.

We ought to pay closer attention to the leadership recruitment processes at multiple levels and ensure that we participate actively in the leadership recruitment processes in our fatherland, which seems to me that it’s the major area where we are getting it wrong whereas other nations that are getting it right already have systems and traditions in place whereby only their best emerge as their leaders.

Whereas, we have a penchant and troubling tradition of suppressing, frustrating and or even killing our bests, thus the major reason why we remain chronically underdeveloped and the  poverty has enveloped the land.

So, for 2023, my choice is clear and my choice is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. BAT is a committed leader who is well-equipped to start the desired 6R’s i.e: the reform, the rebirth, the resurrection, restructure, repentance and reconciliation agenda for our fatherland.

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This is what I call the 6R’s agenda. There’s no better leader that’s acceptable and better equipped to drive the 6R agenda than BAT.  He is the treatment that the nation requires urgently, given his widespread grassroots oriented political structure and widespread acceptance and popularity amongst the electorates that cuts across different ethnic, religious and cultural groups.

I expect the BAT campaign message and subsequent BAT’s administration policies (God willing) to be bold, direct and courageous, and to implement deep-rooted and wide reaching structural reforms of Nigeria spanning multiple sectors. We must be determined to help arm the BAT campaign once BAT officially declares his intention with the 6R messages. And this 6R message must form the socioeconomic and political blueprint of the administration of BAT once elected into office.

I also expect that the BAT campaign must be able to evolve a message of unity and hope driven by evidence and verifiable facts that can effectively drown the messages of ethnicism, separatism and

Balkanization currently catching the attention of some politicised, polarised and ethnic driven Nigerians. The fact is none of the geopolitical regions can survive as well on their own in a genuinely fiscally and geographically restructured Nigeria. Nigeria under BAT with a resurrected spirit and soul effectively coupled to the body will birth a new and a prosperous Nigeria as the African market place and centre for global trade activities.

I also expect that the BAT campaign message and subsequent administration by His grace must demonstrate that it recognises the desires and the frustrations of our people at the heart of agitations to separate from a genuine feeling of alienation. Their agitation is one way of expressing their disenchantment with a chronically mismanaged system that has overtime dispossessed the citizens of their self-respects and the right to self-determination. Beyond the rhetoric of official recognition of this widespread disenchantment and alienation by many of our citizens, the BAT campaign and subsequent administration must be well equipped with a strategic blueprint on how we can start to live and profit from the Nigeria of our dream.

BAT campaign must be willing to create opportunities for Nigerians and private investors to invest in multiple sectors, rather than the government taking all the loans to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure; they must create the platform that will enable the campaign and the administration God willing to engage with Nigerians directly on how they can be partakers of the bigger Nigeria project.

For example, I don’t subscribe to the notion where the Federal Government of Nigeria will take loans to rehabilitate the Lagos -Ibadan expressway or any other trunk A road in the country for that matter when all that’s required is to engage some stakeholders and Nigerians in the Diaspora especially those of the Lagos/Oyo state extractions to contribute and crowd fund the Lagos/Ibadan expressway through a build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement and install tolls at strategic points where the investors can  recoup their funds overtime. Many people will partake if this type of investment is organised, transparent and made to target Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Same principle will apply to other trunk A roads across the length and breadth of the county and similar strategy can be employed in revolutionizing our health sector and other critical sectors. I expect the BAT campaign to come up with a blueprint where 36 state- of -the art -world class equipped  hospitals can be built in each of the state capitals and the FCT without the federal government taking one kobo as loans but largely financed by Diaspora crowd funding and other private investors. Just to mention a few of the revolutionary ideas that I expect from the BAT campaign ahead of the 2023 national election.

Also, the BAT administration must ensure that over 99 percent of Nigerians are insured under the national health insurance scheme (NHIS), which will make it attractive to our private investors. Our elites don’t have to travel to the UK, America or India or any other country to receive treatment being given by Nigerians in Diaspora when all we need is to reform our system and encourage such Nigerians to easily repatriate their funds to build world class hospitals in Nigeria.

Furthermore, the BAT campaign must be determined to address the root cause of the widespread disenchantments and frustrations amongst our people and develop a blueprint or template to emplace the followings:

(a) National Cohesion policy amongst our traditional rulers and with specific constitutional functions, unique and must reflect the culture and traditions of each tribe or kingdom that will make up the new Nigeria.

(b) An all-inclusive platform for leadership recruitment that will involve all stakeholders in Nigeria irrespective of political parties or religious or ethnic affiliations. Leaders of the communities and members must forget class differentiation to build a strong force for the realisation of the collective dreams and aspirations of a new Nigeria. This national leadership recruitment platform must be birthed, structured and driven from our polling units to the ward levels, then local governments, states and then federally coordinated. There must be regular interface between the governed and the government leveraging on this platform.

(c) National and well-coordinated evolution of Youth Development and Empowerment Strategy Plan to eradicate cultism and other social vices in Nigeria and equip our youths with skills, job placements and nationally coordinated mentorship programs. (d) Creation of community driven political initiatives and think-tanks for quality interface between all political interests and community leaders so as to provide political directions and generate new ideas for a rebirth so that future challenges can be well-articulated and identified and be well-prepared for before they become mainstream, unlike now where we are reactive to burning national issues than being proactive.

(e) Establishment of twenty first century Opportunity Discovery Committee to identify various infrastructural, economic and other developmental opportunities unique to each tribes and kingdoms in Nigeria and the BAT campaign and God willing, BAT administration must evolve the blueprint that will bring transformation agenda into reality within the shortest possible time. There are many minerals and metals that are raw but in abundance in different parts of Nigeria that are unexplored or being illegally mined, and these precious materials are the building blocks that are driving the global technological revolution from fossil fuel to green energy. For example, precious metals like lithium, graphite , nickel , rare earth materials just to name a few. A new chapter of the constitution must be birthed that will give 50 per cent of such resources to the people, local governments and states where such resources are found.

And lastly, the BAT campaign and God willing BAT administration must also evolve solution driven  blueprints and road maps that must urgently address the followings:  (A) the unending cold war amongst our people and now engulfing  the different tribes that have lived together peacefully for ages.

The Mindless Killings in the land, the current spate of general insecurity in the land, unacceptable high rate of unemployment amongst our youths; high rate of unemployment amongst  our women and the disabled; chronic lack of cohesion amongst the different social groups and organic structures in Nigeria, which ought to reflect our strengths and diversities but currently an albatross. Conspicuous Non-availability or non implementation of time sensitive national Developmental  Masterplan, bastardisation of our Educational System complicated by  the recent moral decadence in our public and private schools, multilevel Decay in our public institutions in Nigeria.

Do you have any personal plan to promote Tinubu so that APC can give him the presidential ticket on the platform of the party?

I have both personal and collective plans to promote Asiwaju BAT and I have been involved in the preparation as soon as the 2019 election was concluded. I am working hard with other stakeholders across multiple groups such as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Solidarity Vanguard (BATS-V), and the Patriots of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ( POBAT), we are working hard at integrating and working with other groups of similar interests e.g., SWAGA (South west agenda under the chairmanship of senator Adeyeye) towards promoting the BAT candidacy.

What are the aims and objectives of your group, M4BN (Movement for Better Nigeria)?

The aims and objectives of POBAT (Patriots of Bola Ahmed Tinubu), are (a) to rejuvenate the parts of the nation towards massive integration and inclusive governance to impute culture of growth and development to the Nigeria people through her activities; to ensure that the Nigeria electorates are superjacent in the democratic process and to appreciate the power of their votes; to embark via a geometrical progression in the sensitisation and education of the masses on electing the right candidates across the length and breath of the nation; to help identify and promote people of politically sound minds and ensure their electability across the length and breath of the nation; to embark on massive campaign against all anti-developmental interests, behaviours, attitudes and dispositions that are capable of breeding insecurities, break down of law and orders, electoral violence, political and leadership insensitivities to the plight of the people; to consolidate the aims and objectives and visional associations of like minds for practical actions ans fulfillment of peace, progress and developmental agenda with all stakeholders and groups; and to foster and ensure cohesion with the Nigerian established with the spirit of oneness, equity, Justice and fairness.

When is the inauguration of the M4BN (Movement for Better Nigeria)?

POBAT will be inaugurated on the 30th of October 2021 at  Plot 788c Wuse ii Sani Abacha express way (Graceland garden and parks). Please be our guest.

What’s your advice to Nigerians in preparation for the 2023 presidential election?

My advise to Nigerians as we prepare for the 2023 general election is that they must‘ shine their eyes and follow who know road o’. Asiwaju BAT is the key  that will start to unlock the solutions to most of our chronic multifaceted problems as a nation.

 

 

 

The Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) eNaira has taken off with over N500m of the currency minted so far.

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele said 33 banks have been fully integrated and live on the platform.

Speaking at the launch of the eNaira in Abuja on Monday, Emefiele disclosed that over 2.5 million people visit the website daily.

He said another N200 million has been issued to financial institutions.

Over 2,000 customers have been onboarded and 120 merchants have successfully registered on the eNaira platform, Emefiele stated.

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immediately after the launch, Emefiele revealed that “customers who download the eNaira Speed Wallet App will be able to perform the following: onboard and create their wallet; fund their eNaira wallet from their bank account; transfer eNaira from their wallet to another wallet and make payment for purchases at registered merchant locations.”

The CBN, he said, “will continue to refine, fine-tune and upgrade the eNaira” and he assured that “Nigerians should expect to see additional functionalities in the coming months”.

Some of the additional functionalities include: accessibility and onboarding of customers without BVN and the use of the eNaira on the phone without the internet to further drive financial inclusion, making Nigeria one of the first countries in the world to deploy the CBDC via USSD on phones without relying on internet connectivity.

Another feature that will be deployed by the eNaira is the “onboarding of revenue collection agencies to increase and simplify collections and the creation of sector- specific tokens to support the Federal Government’s social programmes and distribution of targeted welfare schemes in a bid to lift millions out of poverty by 2025”.

Details shortly…