I have read a lot of rendition by very eminent and knowledgeable citizens on the need for restructuring or practice of fiscal federalism in Nigeria. Some have blamed the lopsided structure of Nigeria, which is perceived as an arrangement favourable to the North and have argued that since Nigeria was birthed by the fusion or amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates, they do not understand the basis for the northern protectorate to have overwhelming advantage over the south.
These advantages they say are apparent in the number of states, legislators, and local governments, amongst other socio-political and economic benefits that the North has over its Southern counterpart.
No doubt, the incursion of the military into Nigeria’s political space caused serious harm with no good whatsoever. Even though a product of a military school, I am an unrepentant democrat and strongly believe in the principles of true federalism, ironically ingrained by a soldier-teacher, Mr. Afuwape, who played a major role in developing his students’ interest in democratic norms.
The restructuring debate
In simple and plain language, as expressed in corporate parlance, restructuring means “a re-organisation of a company with a view to achieving greater efficiency and profit or to adapt to a changing market.
The above definition can be used to illustrate the current narratives making the rounds in the country today. If you look at Nigeria as a corporate entity, which in real sense can be seen as such, you will agree with me that our nation urgently requires a re-organisation with a view to achieving greater efficiency and productivity and without this re-organisation the agitation we are currently experiencing, God forbid, might make us become a failed state.
What a true federalism connotes is a system of government that proportionately divides power between the central authority and its subordinating states with definite constitutional roles that permits for economic control over resources beneath their soil. The bane of our problem as a nation today is that we practise a deceptive form of federalism, which in real sense is a unitary system of government, where every month the state go cap in hand to receive hand-outs from the Central Government. Federalism envisages a situation where the states ought to control their resources and give returns to the centre, not the other way round.
It will interest you to know that the Philippines (through its President) Rodrigo Duterte, which practices a unitary system of government, is proposing a change in its system of governance from its current unitary arrangement to a federal system of government, where the states/regions generate income and keep 70% of such income for their own use and send the remaining 30% to central government, to address the problem of unitary form of government that has established an unfair distribution of funds between the regional government and national government in his country.
It is time for Nigeria to re-adopt a system that works and solves problems while understanding the peculiarities of respective regions thereby giving states the independence to govern and manage their resources.
Can the federating states be viable?
I can emphatically say yes, that the federating states can be viable if they are allowed to tap into their mineral and natural resources. There are huge economic opportunities that states have refused to explore.
Fear of the unknown
Fears that restructuring could erode the powers of the Federal Government are unfounded as the benefits of a nimble and efficient Federal Government far outweighs its demerits.
Those opposing restructuring can only be said to have a tunnel vision of what federalism means and the opportunities inherent in it. When a country decides to d
As the representative of my constituency at the House of Representative, I must admit that the cry for justice by my constituents in our polity has been overwhelming and not voicing my support in favour of holistic restructuring will be a disservice to them and the future wellbeing of my dearly beloved country. I must also add that as a member of the House of Representatives Special Adhoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Lagos State, a good number of the divergent positions on restructuring has been accommodated in the committee’s extensive engagements across the country. They say that those who do not leave the shore do not conquer new territories, the difference between a successful government and a failed one is determined by how it deals with the obstacles faced by its people.
Hon. Benson, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, is a member of the House of Representatives Special Adhoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Two years and the third Christmas celebration after the abduction of over 200 senior students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Assistant Editor Seun Akioye investigates how the community has been able to rise from a shocking abduction that grabbed the attention of the world.
Pa Wandazam Allen remembered the first time members of the terrorist group Boko Haram came to Chibok, a predominantly Christian community, in Southern Borno state. He also remembered the last time the attackers came to the community.
“It is a tragedy,” he said several times holding his grey head in his right hand and heaved heavily. “They abducted those girls, they just took them away, we tried to find them but we could not enter into Sambisa forest,” the old retired teacher lamented.
Pa Allen was sitting in his expansive compound in the middle of Chibok town; his house like most of the others was built of clay, with a new brick building about to be completed standing in the centre. As one of the elders of Chibok, the security of the community weighs heavily on his mind.
“My friend called me on the phone that he had information Boko Haram was on its way to Chibok, 10 minutes after he called, we heard the loud sound of gunfire, then there were bombings and everyone started running everywhere,” he said.
Pa Allen has a dramatic way of telling a bitter story which leaves one with an incredible urge to giggle. But there was no mirth in his voice as he went on to describe the arrival of Boko Haram fighters into the town from the western corridor, the loud sound of bombs which killed a soldier, his own dramatic escape and his brave return the following morning to join the chase of the insurgents.
Chibok town has known a prosperous past as a farming community, the chief crops being maize, guinea corn, groundnut and beans. In the days of its prosperity, it was a shining example for religious tolerance and peaceful co-habitation. Predominantly Christian community, it has lived at most amiable conditions with its Muslim population, commerce had thrived and educational standards better than many of its neighbours.
The community gained international attention after 276 schoolgirls were abducted from their hostels at the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) by Boko Haram fighters on April 14, 2014. The mode of execution of the plot had left many people insisting that no girl was abducted until the girls were safely inside Sambisa forest, a fortress of evil only about 40 kilometres from Chibok.
Two years and the third Christmas without the majority of the abducted girls, how the community is moving ahead and what will Christmas be without the Chibok girls.
A broken community
For all its worldwide fame, a first-time visitor to Chibok would be shocked at the non-availability of basic infrastructures. There are two main roads into Chibok namely; Maiduguri/Damboa road and Mubi/Askira Uba road. But whichever road you take there is no respite from bad road, and the quicksand and when the wind blows, a hail of red dust welcomes you to Chibok. From Mubi, the good road ends in Danga and on the northern side, it ends in Damboa.
Inside the town itself, there is no single tarred or graded road despite being the local government headquarters for 10 years. Chibok’s problem is beyond its terrible roads, the town of about 66,000 has no electricity, petrol station or bank. “The main transformers in Damboa and Mubi were blown up by Boko Haram about four years ago but they have repaired some, I still don’t know why we don’t have light yet,” Pa Allen asked no one in particular.
Since the destruction of GGSS, there the Central Primary School has played host to both the Government Day Secondary School and the GGSS. The three schools rotate the lectures within the day with each school allotted about four hours every day before vacating the premises for another school to take over.
Living in Chibok could try the patience of the most diligent, every end of the month, people send trusted relatives to Mubi with their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards for cash withdrawals. Cash is usually scarce in the town and inflation is rife, products coming into Chibok are usually twice the price one can get in Askira or Damboa leaving the impoverished people with little choice.
This year, there has been less rain and harvest has been bad particularly for beans, nobody could explain why this was so and the farmers could only wrung their hands together and lift it to heaven in supplication. “Many people planted large fields of beans this year, but there has been terrible harvest, we don’t know why this has been so but it is not good,” Pa Allen said.
An audacious abduction
Bitrus Wavi remembered the exact time he heard gunshots on April 14, 2014. The time according to him was 11:15 pm. The events of the night had always attached a sort of mystery to it, how could Boko Haram abduct over 200 teenagers willingly without protestations.
Chief Ahmed Yidan
Ahmadu Yidan is the Da Yidan Poga or the traditional head of Chibok; he said the events of that night left everyone in confusion. “Do you know that when these Boko Haram move they sometimes move with 100 vehicles, they have Lorries and there were some Lorries packed here in the town. They carried those ones. They started bombing all over and they went to the girls and said something is wrong, can’t you hear, we are soldiers, come inside this vehicle let us evacuate you to a safe place.
“So the girls were thinking it was some of the soldiers around and some of the insurgents came in army uniform, so they rushed into the Lorries, had it been known they were Boko Haram they won’t go with 20 students. That night there was confusion, every animal even the cows were in confusion those who had BP died, a soldier died because of the bombing, nothing touched him,” Yidan said.
After the initial confusion, the people of Chibok gathered and determined to pursue the fleeing terrorists. Armed with Dane guns, machetes, kitchen knives, sticks and stones, they made a blind dash towards Sambisa forest.
Yidan: “Our vigilante pursued these people, they reached close to Sambisa but they had to turn back. People carrying sticks and Dane gun, if they had armed escort at the time it would not have been like this.”
But some of the girls escaped, at least 56 of them were able to find their way back home. “After the girls saw that they were not soldiers, some of them jumped down and fractured their legs, others hung on the trees and dropped from the Lorries, those were the brave ones,” Esther Allen said.
Yidan and his people believe the government left the rescue of the girls a little too late and are unimpressed by the rescue of 21 girls. But the proximity of Sambisa to Chibok gives the Yidan Poga sleepless nights.
“Why should Sambisa exist? This is what I was thinking, why shouldn’t they make Sambisa become a desert? They should attack this Sambisa forest, it is true there will be collateral damage if they leave Sambisa and these people go to somewhere and kill more people and they run to Sambisa and you leave them because they are using human shields.
“Sometimes I think would it not be better to attack Sambisa, we are not saying they should burn Sambisa, they should match gradually with these armoured weapons and bomb detectors, we know there will be some few casualties but I think it will not be wise to be leaving Sambisa for years because they are keeping some people and then allow many more to die, this is my personal thinking I really don’t know. It is giving me sleepless nights,” he lamented.
The Chief said the people of Chibok are grateful to the world for the support it has received but Chibok remains a prime target for the terrorists.” They want attention, if they attack Chibok they will have a global attention that is why everyone must continue to speak up for us.”
Christmas in Chibok
Around 6:00 am on Christmas day 2016, the voice of an itinerant preacher broke through the violet cold wind which had descended on the town.
Moving from one dusty street to the other, he yelled into a loudspeaker “God is wonderful, his mercies endureth forever.” Soon he began to describe the “enduring loving of Christ” and urged those who are yet to do so to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ after which he wished everyone a “happy Christmas.” The people of Chibok who may have heard the unknown preacher could relate to the message of “the mercies of the Lord,” which the long-suffering people of the town are badly in need of.
Pa Allen wore his white agbada and began to walk with great strides to the EYN, Lutheran Church of Christ LCC. The church would witness its first Christmas celebration in the new building partially paid for by the Borno State Government. All over Chibok, children braved the harmattan and the wind to observe the age-long tradition of exchange of food especially with their Muslim neighbours.
During the 2014 attack, all the churches in Chibok were destroyed, the EYN lost everything and it took a long time to recover. The service was conducted in a mixture of Hausa and Kibaku, the language of the Chibok people.
There was no instrument and the microphone constantly misbehaves, the choir master hums the hymn and then the congregation followed, it was a solemn service by a determined people. The pastor preached from Isaiah 62:8 “Surely, I will no longer give your food as grain for your enemies; and the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, for which you have laboured.” It was a scripture that the people can relate to especially the displaced people of nearby Kumjalari whose grains are currently food for Boko Haram insurgents.
The parishioners have thrown their fears into the singing, groups came up one after the other to sing and ‘raise some dust’ with rigorous and energetic dancing. And sometimes, they sang sorrowful songs, a very emotional moment for the grieving parents.
Nothing can be taken for granted in Chibok, earlier in December, the people received a letter purportedly from Boko Haram informing them of an impending attack on December 15 or 16 2016. Security details in the town was tripled and a curfew from 6: pm to 6: was imposed on the main Aja road.
For every service in the churches and mosques, a detachment of soldiers and vigilantes are deployed to provide reassurance. Pastor Peter Ayuba of LCC said Christmas celebration in 2016 was the best since the abduction.
“We have many more people despite the scare from Boko Haram, people turned out to praise God as we continue to hope that everything that was lost in this town will come back,” he said. At 2: pm, Chibok came alive; the village Christmas dance which was abandoned during the insurgency would hold this year. It has been the talk all day and the space opposite EYN 2 was already filled up.
Security was provided and everyone going into the arena was screened. The dance carnival was the biggest gathering of the year and indigenes who had been in Maiduguri, Lagos and other cities were eager to prove their new social status. Everyone wore new clothes and shoes and carry on in pretended elitism.
Inside the dance arena, dancers march around the drummers and singers. For hours they circle the musicians dancing to various local songs, kicking up so much dust and leaving everyone white as snow. At 5:10 pm, the dance came to an end and social connections began, young boys ran after the girls determined to impress with their new outfits.
“Only a foolish girl will fall for these boys in borrowed shoes and Jackets,” Esther Allen said. In the night, the Allen homestead played host to a lot of young men and girls, who had come to lessen the night. It was the place to talk about the latest trends and impress with knowledge. One of the young people was 18-year-old Shuaibu Madu who considered himself superior to others because he had been to Lagos and spoke smattering Pidgin English.
Shuaibu
Shuaibu ran to Lagos when Boko Haram invaded the town where he stayed for one year in Ajah selling recharge cards. “ I am a Lagosian, now in Chibok all the girls are running after me, they are saying Lagosian come let me kiss you,” he said provoking prolong laughter into the teeth of the night.
Shuaibu is better than his twin sister Awa, a Senior Secondary 2 students who could not speak any sentence in English. “This one is ‘mumu’ (dullard), I have been trying to teach her English but she no gree,” Shuaibu said dismissing his sister, who provoked by the attack, tried unsuccessfully to repel it in English.
No homecoming for Chibok girls When news arrived in Chibok about the homecoming of the 21 freed school girls, there was wild jubilation especially among the relatives of the girls. There would be a lot to catch up on; there would be the Christmas celebration and the dance carnival to follow.
None of the released girls came from Chibok town itself but from the surrounding villages and hamlets. Family members waited for the girls in Chibok, expecting to have some private moments with their daughters.
The girls arrived in a convoy of security details and made straight for the expansive compound of the member representing Chibok in the State House of Assembly, Aimu Foni. But it was not the homecoming the people of Chibok had dreamt, there would be no church service on Christmas day, neither would the girls attend the anticipated Christmas dance carnival.
The massive security build-up to the girls’ arrival saw the Brigade Commander, 28 Task Force Brigade Mubi, Brigadier General Felix Omoigui also relocating to Chibok. Apart from the Army, there were the personnel of the Department of State Security (DSS) the Nigeria Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) with the operational name of CRACK, the Nigeria Peace Corps, The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Borno
State Vigilante Group, and the Baka Boys etc.
The security operatives were assisted by two armoured tanks and several Ak-47 rifles, only the parents of the girls were allowed into the house and that is after vetting and delay. Since their arrival, the girls were not allowed to come out of the rooms despite their protestations. Family members who were fortunate to see them were not allowed to take pictures.
“We have been waiting since 7:00am to see our daughter but the security is preventing us, we are not from Chibok and we have to ride a bicycle for two hours to get to our village, we do not understand why the government is hiding them,” a parent complained.
The residents of Chibok began to resent the increasing restrictions on their movements around the Aimu Foni compound. A member of the vigilante group who was also drafted to the girls details said: “The grip of the military over the girls is stifling, what would have been better than putting the girls in a uniform and escorting them to the
dance yesterday, let them mingle with their friends, it would have been a good therapeutic healing for the girls.
“There are more than 3000 people at the carnival, what they are saying is that the lives of the 21 girls are more important than that of the whole of the people here at the dance,” he said. The Nation also gathered from relatives who had seen the girls that there was something close to a mutiny as the girls continued to demand a chance to come out to Chibok town if not to their own villages. It was also learnt that the girls went on hunger strike on December 24, to press home their claims.
But a high-ranking security operative told The Nation that the security of the girls is of utmost importance. The official who pleaded anonymity said there are security reports that Boko Haram may want to embarrass the government by recapturing the girls. “The families should please exercise patience, we have a red alert and we have instructions to protect these girls with everything we have got.
Soon, everything will be okay,” the official said.
Winning hearts and mind
Many of the soldiers deployed to Chibok are veterans of the war on the insurgency in the Northeast. According to some of them who spoke on strict conditions of anonymity, they had seen action in faraway places like Birte, Mubi, Alaganna, Biu and Sambisa forest.
“We were the ones that captured Mubi, it was a fierce battle but we drove away the Boko Haram and killed so many of them,” a private soldier said as he held on firmly to his Ak-47 rifle. The soldier later went to Biu where he described an elaborate fight against the insurgents which resulted in the total annihilation of the terrorists.
“Chibok is peaceful, that is why people can go to church, I have been here for only eight months and I have not seen anything unusual, we are hoping by next year we will be able to go home back to normal
duties,” he said.
His team leader a Corporal wearing crisp, clean uniform agreed with him. “Our Baba (Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Turkur Buratai) has said we will return to the barracks next year, we believe in honestly. I cannot wait to see my family again.” The Corporal was
one of the soldiers who retook Chibok from the insurgents. To prove the veracity of his claims, he took out his phone and opened to a note he had on it. “See, I wrote it down that day. November 13th, 2014, Chibok on fire,” he then gave a handsome smile which lit up his youthful face. “You cannot stand here, when those people came, it was like a herd of cows, my brother, it was fire that day, no one can forget.”
There has been relative peace in Chibok ever since thanks to the successive innovative commanding officers posted to the town. Holding and locking down Chibok is no mean task as the town is surrounded by villages still in the hands of the insurgents and the borders are porous and almost endless, giving terrorists multiple options of entry.
One of the innovative ways introduced by the army is the motorcycle patrol of the various entry points into the town. Armed soldiers made a duty of cycling round the bush into the far outposts of the town, every day. Also, communication posts are built all around Chibok; The Nation also ventured far into the borders around the town and found soldiers in trenches in the bush. One location was commanded by a Lieutenant who was assisted by a Staff Sergeant.
Despite the haze and cold, the soldiers remained at their duty post, they looked white, eyes devoid of sleep and their palms were coarse and hard when they shook hands.
The soldiers have been able to integrate with the local population; they visit the markets, attend to the needs of the people and provide specialized services for them. The people have also come to trust the soldiers knowing many of them by name.
On Christmas day, many families tried to outdo each other in providing food and drinks for the security personnel.” The people here appreciate us, some of us are learning the language to better interact with them and win their trust,” a soldier said.
The soldiers too have known fear. On the night of the abduction, only 15 men were on guard in the town led by a Lieutenant Godknows. It was a bad night for the soldiers, outgunned, outnumbered and caught in surprise, the soldiers retreated, one died from the shock, “Boko Haram didn’t touch him, it was the shock that killed him,” an elder said.
But there is anger in Chibok over the fate of Lieutenant Godknows and his men. There were rumours that they were court-martialed and jailed for failing in Chibok. The Nation could not confirm the true position before the publication of this story.
“It is not cowardness to withdraw when you are faced with a superior power, what will 15 soldiers do when Boko Haram came with over 200 fighters with RPG and heavy artillery, even the US Marines cannot withstand them. We are asking the government to release Godknows, he did the best for us and we are unhappy that he is being punished,” a CJTF member who said he joined in the war as a tribute to Godknows said.
Chibok IDPs: We are left to suffer On the northern outpost of Chibok, there are 20 new building built of
red bricks lying in a rectangular form. These buildings house the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from nearby villages of Kumjalari, Kubrivu, Kaumutayahi, Kakilmari and Kwada. The houses were built by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
On Christmas day, about six children played in the sand in front of one of the houses, the house belonged to Sunday Garba, the spokesperson of the IDPs. In 2014, he had escaped from Kumjalari with
his family after Boko Haram struck. Now resident in Chibok, life could not have been more bitter.
“There is no Christmas for these children,” he said pointing to the bare feet, dirty children chasing each other in the sand. “Who will buy chicken for them, there is nothing for them to eat,” he said in a despondent voice.
Garba had known prosperous past, he was a big time farmer harvesting more than 100 sacks of guinea corn, but that is now history, he now works as a farm hand in Chibok. Sunday Kabir has joined the local vigilante; it was his way of fighting back after he was forced to leave Kumjalari four years ago.
“We have lost everything, we don’t have anything for Christmas so what do we do?” he lamented. The plight of the IDPs from the surrounding villages is telling. After the villages were sacked, they returned to their farms and planted. But as if on cue, Boko Haram fighters emerged from nowhere and chased the farmers away just as harvest was to begin.
“When our wives tried to get some food from the farms so that we won’t starve, they were chased away by Boko Haram. The terrorists have harvested our guinea corn and they are right now as we speak harvesting our beans, how do we survive now?” Kabir asked.
In Chibok, there are more than 200 IDPs living in squalor, at least two families share one room and conveniences are open to many more families. Here, there is neither privacy nor decency. “We are suffering here; we have no food, no mat to sleep on and no clothes.
Many of us escaped with nothing except the clothes on our backs,” Garba said.
Even though much of Borno state has been retaken from the insurgents many villages around Chibok are still in the hands of the terrorists. A contingent of soldiers was stationed at Kwaja but the refugees accused the soldiers of not venturing to capture other villages around Kwaja.
“When our wives went to harvest and were chased away, they ran to the soldiers in Kwaja which is only five kilometers from Kumjalari but the
soldiers refused to follow them, also when we lost some CJTF people and asked the soldiers to escort us to remove the corpses, they refused,” Kabir alleged.
While government and the international communities have focused attention on the IDP camps in the big cities, the refugees in Chibok are largely forgotten. With their food in the hands of Boko Haram, the refugees, once proud and prosperous farmers have resorted to begging.
But Chibok is not a place to beg, whatever was left in the earth was not enough for the people and they can ill afford to feed extra mouths. “ That is why the children go hungry, they are not in school and they have no clothes to wear,” Kabir lamented.
“If I am not released, let us meet in heaven” Paul Lailai and Yusuf Madu are united not only by their coming from the same village of Bulabam but together in grief mourning their missing daughters. The two had left their village for the almost two hours bicycle ride to Chibok when they heard 21 colleagues of their daughters would be in town from Abuja.
The girls who were recently released from Boko Haram captivity had been in the custody of the Federal Government. Two days before Christmas, they were ferried to Chibok to celebrate with their families. Paul and Madu hoped they would be able to get some information from the girls. Paul’s missing daughters are Ladi and Mary while Madu’s daughter is Christiana.
“I did not see my children when the Boko Haram released their video, I cry everything I think about what they are going through,” Paul said.
In the past two days, the two had remained in Chibok struggling to come to terms with the reality that they would not hug their children, at least not yet.
When Madu spoke, his voice carried no strength, it sounded hollow and far away. “ I looked through the pictures released by Boko Haram and I didn’t see my daughter Christiana, that is why I came to find out if there is any news of her,” Madu said.
He was in luck. One of the released girls had a message from Christiana to her parents and the message was not heartwarming. “She told one of the girls to tell us she is alive but there is no way she could escape. She said greet my parents and my younger ones, tell them if it is God’s will I will see them again, if not, we will meet in heaven.
“When I heard that, I cried and did not eat, Christiana was the child who looked after me, sometimes I feel it is better I am not around in the world but I believe if I am alive I will see her again,” Madu said.
The parents of the missing girls had lived in frustrated hope.” Whenever the local government calls us for a meeting and we return home, the mother would ask if it was good news, when we reply in the negative, all the women and the children would begin to cry,” Madu added.
For 60-year-old Rebeka Nteke, the tears are yet to cease. When Abubakar Shekau released a video of the girls, she saw something that gave her grief and hope; her daughter, Hauwa Nteke. “I still thank God but I am looking for my daughter, I saw her in the video but I know one day she will be back,” she said and then began to cry.
Bitrus Yanna, the father of Ruth Bitrus fares no better. When Ruth was abducted, he joined the group of villagers who went after Boko Haram in the hope of finding the girls. “ I went as far as Selari and Zangore but I could not locate her. When it happened and the government did not believe us, I was very angry but now I have left everything in the hands of God while praying that she will return to us,” Yanna said.
Mariam Wavi’s mother has remained devastated. Unable to cope with the abduction of her daughter, she has relocated to her ancestral village.
Mariam’s absence has left a gaping hole in the lives of her parents because they are both blind. Mariam’s brother, Bitrus has been consoling her, giving her hope. “ What can we do, she is yet to return but we are hoping. Our mother is devastated because she was really the main helper of our parents,” he said.
When Mariam was taken, Bitrus took a motorcycle, armed with a stick, he pursued the terrorists in vain, over two years after, he is struggling with the reality that she may not return.
The other Army Paul Martins (surname changed) has been sitting on a tree trunk on Chibok- Damboa road for two hours, like the hundreds of schoolchildren who were dragged out of their holiday to welcome the governor, he was tired and hungry.
“ The governor should have told us he is not coming, we have been waiting since 10:am, there is no food, there is no money, we are just here,” he groaned. Paul has more reasons to be despondent, as a member
of the CJTF, he claimed he has not received any payment for the past six months since he signed up.
“ We buy our own uniforms, we buy our own bullets and we don’t get paid to fight Boko Haram, we just feel that we cannot be running away from men like us, we both have one life, lets exchange bullets and if
I die, then that is it,” Paul said.
But he has not always been brave, when the insurgents struck in November 2014, Paul trekked to Biu, encountered countless obstacles and found his way to Anambra state to his in-laws. Six months ago,
tired of running, he came back to Chibok, signed up with the CJTF, bought his gun and bullets and went to the trenches.
The security of Chibok though rests on the Army, credit must also be given to the CJTF and the local vigilante. Armed with Dane guns and local charms, the young boys and old hunters helped chase Boko Haram fighters away from Chibok.
These volunteers according to investigations were spurred on by love for country and community and are not paid for their services. There was a man, one of the leaders of the CJTF in Chibok simply known as Bamal-Gana or Bagana. This Bagana was a great hunter, possessing terrifying magic; members of the CTJF claimed that he cannot be killed by iron or bullet.
In the last week of November 2016, Bagana led some of his men to Shawar village, about 10 kilometers West of Chibok. “ We have secured the place but some of us stepped on these bomb they plant inside the
ground (IED), then Boko Haram came out and started firing at us, we responded and killed some of them before we could get away but three of us died including Bagana,” one of the men who participated in the raid said.
But the CJTF has not been able to recover the corpse of their fallen colleagues and properly mourn them. “Bagana was fearless, Boko Haram can’t kill him, even in battle when soldiers turn back he won’t, his
death is a huge loss and the government has not even sent condolences to his family, he had three wives and many children,” the man said.
Two other commanders who spoke to The Nation said if the CJTF had Ak-47 or a pump action rifle, they would vanquish Boko Haram in no time. “We fought with our cartridge guns and captured many towns, what we really need is a pump action we would finish Boko Haram, but who will buy it for us?
The vigilante was reborn after the abduction of the school girls, since then, they have remained an integral part of the security apparatus of Chibok. Usually dressed in brown uniform, the vigilantes looked hungry and sad. Also working without salaries, they are poorly armed with Dane guns and charms.
“We are here to protect our community, we may not be paid but we are determined to protect our families, we can’t just sit and wait for them to be captured again,” one of the vigilantes said.
December 26, 2016 Activities began early in preparation for the visit of the governor of Borno state, Kashim Shetimma, a town crier had gone round the villages asking school children to dress in uniform to welcome the governor. Soon politicians arrived, intimidating the people with their security details, at 11: am, the students of the three schools lined up in the harmattan on Aja road, awaiting the governor.
It was a wait for godot, the children stood in the dust for many hours as the governor was said to be in Damboa, there was no food or water for them, the teachers and security details also got frustrated. With strength failing, the children lay on the dusty dirty road, the teacher too at the end of their patience could only look on helpless.
At exactly 3:00 pm, as if on cue, the students began to march to their homes, starting with the smaller kids, soon the welcome party was over, the kids were determined not to wait any longer despite protestations from the teachers.
The governor finally arrived at 5:00 pm, but the majority of the relatives of the Chibok girls had left in anger unable to see their daughters. “ My village is two hours away, by 6:00 pm, there will be a curfew and I will have nowhere to sleep,” a parent who had spent the better part of the day in a shouting bout with the soldiers said. He then mounted his bicycle and began to ride furiously out of Chibok. Ten minutes later, the governor arrived.
After days of high tensions, calm has returned to communities on the borders of Lagos and Ogun State in Ikorodu, following last week’s deadly invasion by alleged Ijaw militants who gunned down more than twenty residents before security operatives moved in to curtail their gruesome acts. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, who visited the affected communities of Elepete, Igbo-Olomu, Imaamuola, Oke Muti, Ereko, Magbon, Pakisa and parts of Agbede, reported in this piece that although calm is gradually returning to the communities, residents are still too scared to return to their normal everyday life.
After days of high tensions, calm has returned to communities on the borders of Lagos and Ogun State in Ikorodu, following last week’s deadly invasion by alleged Ijaw militants who gunned down more than twenty residents before security operatives moved in to curtail their gruesome acts. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, who visited the affected communities of Elepete, Igbo-Olomu, Imaamuola, Oke Muti, Ereko, Magbon, Pakisa and parts of Agbede, reported in this piece that although calm is gradually returning to the communities, residents are still too scared to return to their normal everyday life.
ECHOES of last week’s deadly invasion of some communities on the borders of Lagos and Ogun State, by suspected Ijaw militants, which led to the death of about 20 people, continued all through the week as residents and security agencies alike struggled to solve the many puzzles left behind by the sudden attacks.
There are many unclear details including the real reasons why the bandits decided to attack residents of the affected communities as well as the actual death toll of the unfortunate incident. A visit to some of the affected communities by our correspondent, revealed several unknown details of the incident as well as the current state of things in the area.
Affected communities include Igbo Olomu, Oke Muti, Elepete, Ajegunle, Imaamuola, Magbon, Pakisa, Ereko and Agbede. Most of the villages were deserted all through the week on account of the mayhem.
Some of the residents who fled the scenes of the attacks are gradually returning to the communities even as others vowed never to live in the area again. Many of those who are reluctantly retracing their step back are the house owners while majority of those who were tenants and shop owners in the area are not thinking of residing or doing business in the troubled area again.
Our correspondent spoke with some of the residents and got fresh insights into the incident. It was reliably gathered that the militants actually wrote the residents of some of the communities they attacked, two weeks or thereabout before they eventually came calling, informing them of their decision to invade the area to kill and maim its residents.
A community leader in Elepete, Alhaji Bashiru Adeoye, told The Nation that some Community Development Associations (CDA) had confirmed getting copies of letters allegedly written by the militants to inform the people of their coming, prior to the day they eventually unleashed mayhem on the area.
“It is actually true that they (the militants) wrote letters to inform us of their coming but nobody took their correspondence serious. I learnt of the letter from one of the CDAs around Agbede area. We were at a political meeting when one of our party members told the gathering that his CDA got a letter from some people who threatened to attack them soon.
“The issue was discussed at that meeting but not with much seriousness. At the end of the discussion, the person who raised the issue was advised to tell his CDA executives to go to the Police and lodge a complaint. Another person even said something about hearing some people discussing a similar letter somewhere in Igbo Olomu.
“Sadly, nobody did anything serious about the said letters and we all waited until we were caught unawares. It is a lesson we learnt the hard way though. I am sure should anything like that happen again, we will all take it very serious and take necessary actions. It was after the attack that more people started talking about letters,” he said
Another resident who claimed to have seen some Ijaw youth moving suspiciously around his house few days before the shooting started, told our correspondent that the invasion must have been planned for days before it was eventually carried out. Our source, a member of the local security outfit in Ereko community, said the residents of the area were not security conscious enough before the unfortunate incidents.
“I am a member of the local vigilante here. We are the ones providing security services for the communities here. W e have been doing that for many years before now. But of recent, many of the communities have been without security guards. Most of them sacked their security men and did not hire other ones.
Amongst other reasons, they claim the residents are not paying and as such it has become difficult to pay security hoards. Even some CDAs sacked their own security men too. So, for months, these areas were without security guards. Although Police teams used to patrol around here once in a while, there was no much security, especially at night,” he explained.
Calm so far
The Nation learnt that since penultimate Friday, no case of attack or killing has been reported anywhere near the area. According to visibly worried residents who spoke to our correspondent, it is being hoped that the last has been heard of the ugly development. Some business premises, which were all closed during the week of terror, are now opening for business.
“You can see that relative peace and calm is reigning here. But we hope this is not the peace of the graveyard underneath which some danger still lurk. But so far, we haven’t heard of any attack from far and near. The last incident was about a week ago now. Since then, the militants appeared to have left us to pick the pieces of the mayhem they unleashed on us.
“People are gradually returning to the communities. But many have also vowed not to come near here ever again. Many landlords like myself have no choice but to come back to their properties. But those people who were tenants, squatters or shop owners around here before the incidents are largely the ones who wouldn’t want to come back here.
You can see that the houses are gradually being opened. People are still waiting to be sure all is well before they return. I am sure more people will be here this weekend,” he said.
Another community leader, Gbade Oguntade, a Community Development Association (CDA) executive in Igbo Olomu, attested to the fact that there has been no violent incident in the area for days now following the intervention of the state government and the security agencies in the crisis rocking the affected communities.
“The attacks appear to have stopped but our people who ran away are yet to return. For two days now we haven’t had any killings or violence. That is appreciable but what we seek is permanent peace in our communities,” he stressed.
Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Sinai Agunbiade, who represents Ikorodu Constituency 1 described the attacks as unfortunate but said calm is gradually returning to the troubled communities.
He said:”Interactions with people around the axis today (Friday), revealed that the situation appears calm since the visit of the Police Commissioner and his team. I will sustain my constant link with our Royal Majesty, the Police Commissioner, the RSS Commandant as well as local security personnel and some community leaders around the axis, on this matter.
“My advice is that we continue to call and advocate that the Military and the Police be more equipped to carry out their constitutional responsibilities in and around these areas. It is hoped that when all the measures already highlighted are fully put in place by the Police, the troubled communities of Imuti, Elepete and part of Ajegunle (all in Ogun state where the trouble is more intense) and Igbo Olomu with the part of Ajegunle village that fall within Lagos state will breathe peace. “
Agunbiade urged the residents to be vigilante even as he assured the readiness of the state government to go beyond merely securing the lives and properties of the people. According to him, the government of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is determined to get to the root of the incident and identify the remote and immediate causes of the invasion.
“We are happy calm is gradually returning to the affected areas. While I want to state again that the areas largely affected are in Ogun state, we are not unmindful of the threats posed for our own communities in Agbede and its environs. It is for this reasons that I want to assure the people that the government of Lagos State will not only protect the lives and properties of the residents, but will also get to the root of the ugly incident so as to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Reasons
The Nation also got to know of some possible reasons for the unexpected orgy of violence. According to sources within the affected communities, the militants who allegedly attacked and killed residents of the several communities in the area, did not come from some far away places. Rather, they are Ijaw youths who had lived nearby in the creeks of Isawo, Majidun and Arepo, with the people they opened fire on.
“These boys didn’t come from anywhere far. They are our neighbors who lived on the other side of the meadow there. They are Ijaw youths who had lived nearby in the creeks of Isawo, Majidun and Arepo. Some of them even live amongst us here. They know these areas well, that is why they were able to come in, kill and escape for days without fear.
“What we heard was that they did what they did because they were angry over the killing of two of them by security men in connection with a robbery incident. The story is that the persons killed were two of their Commanders and they decided to avenge the death of the two by killing innocent citizens and security men.
“It was even said that they said for each one of their dead colleagues, they will kill 50 persons. So, it was the killing of those two that prompted them to cross the creek down here in speed boats and unleash terror on our communities for days. If this is the truth, then it is sad that the Polcie left us unprotected after provoking these criminals,” our source said.
But another resident, who claim to be close to some of the Ijaw boys due to his involvement in the sales of “black market” petrol, said the reason for the invasion goes beyond the story of the killed armed robbers. According to him, the militants were merely letting out months of pent up anger when they stormed the communities and rained bullets on innocent people.
“For months, these guys were idle and jobless in the creeks there. Oil bunkering business has nearly gone into extinction as the Naval boys kept eagle eyes on the vandals, killing them in their dozens. They tried kidnapping and they weren’t too lucky. So, they turned to robbery which also didn’t prove safe. It was this idleness and anger that led them to that mad outburst.
“And if you are wondering why they attacked these communities, you need to know that there has been several face-off between the youths of some of the affected communities and the vandals in the past. For example, about two years ago, Vigilante security men in some parts of Agbede and the Ijaw youths clashed when the security men refused to allow the vandals transport stolen petroleum product through their territory.
“Also, recently, precisely during the hunt for those who kidnapped the Babington Macauley girls, there were allegations and counter allegations that some residents of one of the affected communitites led detectives to the hideout of one of the Ijaw youths arrested in connection with the crime. Since then, temper has been on the rise between the two camps,” he said.
Security beefed up
The Nation observed that security in the affected areas have been beefed up immensely as the Lagos State Police Command and the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, have deployed over 2,000 security personnel to keep vigil over the people and their properties.
According to Army spokesman in Lagos, Lieutenant Colonel Kingsley Samuel, the Army has cordoned off the area in order to restore peace. He said men of the OP Messa have increased and more personnel are on the ground to avert any reoccurrence, adding, “peace has returned and our officers are there. There is no issue anymore. Our patrol team has been reinforced.”
The Lagos Police boss, Fatai Owoseni, also said there is nothing for the people to fear. “We are also working round the clock to stop the perpetrators from further terrorizing the people of these communities,” he said.
“The situation is better than it was but we are still of the opinion that something more can be done about the security arrangement,” Gbade Oguntade, a Community Development Association (CDA) executive in Igbo Olomu, told The Nation yesterday.
He added: “ What we have here are soldiers and policemen on patrol. They go and come at intervals. What we are asking for is a permanent security post to protect us from these killer gangs.
“They come without warning. They come in their speed boats through the waterways and unleash mayhem before speeding off again. If we are to rely on security people who are not permanently here with us, we cannot be said to be safe at all. The best thing is to have 24 hours security personnel on ground with us here,”
The community leader however attested to the fact that there has been no violent incident in the area for two days now following the intervention of the state government and the security agencies in the crisis rocking the affected communities.
“The attacks appear to have stopped but our people who ran away are yet to return. For two days now we haven’t had any killings or violence. That is appreciable but what we seek is permanent peace in our communities,” he stressed.
Security men were sighted conducting stop and search operations in the area. Operational vehicles of outfits like the Rapid Response Force (RRS), OP MESA and the Nigerian Army were also seen across the communities. All major roads leading into each community were cordoned off by security men
According to reports, the Rapid Response Squad is also involved in the efforts to further secure the areas and prevent a recurrence of the orgy of violence.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered deployment of more men to the place as at 12 noon yesterday. As I speak, there are thousands of policemen from the Mobile Police Squadron, the RRS, Ikorodu Divisions, Area Commands and military personnel there. Residents are no longer deserting the area because we are all there to secure them.”
Also speaking,Representative Babajimi Benson (Ikorodu) said all hands were on the deck to “ensure that life and property are adequately protected. Benson said he had been assured by the Police Commissioner and the Commander of the RRS that troops would further be deployed to strengthen the current security arrangement in the axis.
With civil servants across 30 states of the federation on strike over backlogs of salary arrears, socioeconomic activities have become crippled in the affected states. In this report Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf examines the issues involved.
EVENTS of the past 12 months have proved bookmakers right that the economy, in a manner of speaking, is in a pretty bad shape. Indeed as former U.S. President, Bill Clinton said in his now famous wisecrack, yes, it’s the economy stupid! Nigeria’s economy has taken the heat these past months due to biting credit crunch such that most civil servants across the states have been at the receiving end and thus have had to embark on strike in protest against their state governments.
When just a few state governments expressed difficulty in paying civil servants last year, no one thought it was much of a problem. Most people at the time felt it was just a flash in the pan and nothing to loss sleep over. But with the outcry by the Nigeria Labour Congress, that over 27 states like Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Bayelsa, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Edo, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara all owe workers backlogs of salaries, the enormity of the cash crisis has since sunk in.
Even President Muhammadu Buhari while addressing the National Executive Council members of the All Progressives Congress recently, expressed concern over the precarious state of the nation’s economy, saying that no fewer than 27 states of the federation were finding it difficult to pay workers’ salaries. Little wonder, the workers and pensioners in various states have continued to protest non-payment of salaries as they are seen sitting on bare floors at state secretariats in protest of their owed pay.
One of the plausible arguments being canvassed for the most part is that the parlous state of the economy has been due largely to the dwindling revenue from the federation account occasioned by diminishing oil receipts as a result of the fall in global crude oil prices. However, to policy and financial experts heaping the whole blame on the weak economic fundamentals simply begs the question.
Interestingly, one fellow who has long predicted the current turn of events is Bismarck Rewane, renowned economist and policy analyst. Rewane who is the Managing Director/CEO,Financial Derivatives Company Limited, while giving his outlook for Nigeria in 2016, in a paper titled: ‘2016 is Crunch time for Nigeria’ said the nation’s woes were largely self-inflicted.
Waxing philosophical, he said: “The bible says in Genesis 41:29-30 that, seven fat years in Egypt will be followed by seven lean years in the time of Joseph. It was to warn the profligate children of Egypt to reduce their ostentatious and extravagant ways. They were advised to save some wheat or grain in preparation for the tough times ahead.
“Even in biblical times, the cyclicality of economics was acknowledged. Therefore, it is surprising that various Nigerian administrations in the last 20 years failed to heed this basic principle of putting something aside for the rainy day.”
The above picture, clearly illustrates the macro-economic Cul-de-sac which Africa’s largest economy and country by population is facing, he said.
“The country is confronted by its steepest decline in oil revenue by 57.25% to $4.12bn, leaving a significant shortfall to fund the budget for 2016. The funding gap which translates into an amount of N2.2trn is 1.93% of GDP.
“This external shortfall in dollars resulting more from the sharp fall in the yield (spread) for a barrel of oil which has fallen by 91.57% from $95pb to $8pb. This is more than the 65% fall in the nominal price of oil in the market. In the good old days, the quarterly dollar inflow was in excess of $18bn per year. This is now down to a paltry $8.48bn. The effect of this picture is that the Nigerian economy is now tottering on the edge of an extended period of slow GDP growth.”
The truth is, Nigeria unlike other countries planned in earnest and made futuristic projections in the wake of the volatility of the global oil prices to enable them withstand the shocks. In Nigeria’s case, reverse was the case. It’s therefore little surprising that the economy is in a recession at the moment, he stressed.
Rewane who declared that the state governments will remain technically insolvent through-out 2016, was however optimistic that some states like Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom will coast along while others might need to fire staff and rationalise their expectations and expenditure.
Strikes galore
From Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Kwara, Benue states etal, there have been horrible stories, the stuff of which Nollywood blockbusters are made. There have been very horrendous stories of how citizens have been living in depravity more than they are willing to admit. Some of the affected civil servants have turned into beggars and objects of charity that sneak into churches, mosques and relatives’ houses or rely on public spirited compatriots to feed their families.
Lending credence to the foregoing, one of the affected civil servants in Osun state who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation confided in The Nation that most families within the state have been unable to feed themselves and cater for their basic needs.
So economically distressed are these breadwinners that they are now eagerly awaiting the N5,000 monthly stipends for the unemployed promised by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“There are much more deeper problems than salaries. Most of the workers also signed off on cooperatives with a mandate to the government to deduct from their salaries at the end of every month. A huge chunk of that has not been remitted for the past two years and neither can they take loans. Ditto for allowances and pensions. As we speak, workers are still being owed over five months in arrears. For the most part, the civil servants are being paid in peace meal, mostly half salaries like casual workers. It’s that bad.”
Expectedly, with no respite anywhere else, most civil servants in many states have either just suspended their strike.
In a place like Ekiti for instance, the workers called off their strike on Friday following an agreement with the state government.
Of course, in some states where they are still working, the labour movement in the states have declared their intention to go on strike.
Worried that the lingering strike action embarked upon by its members had not yielded the desired effect, the Oyo state NLC had on Tuesday sought divine intervention to end the industrial impasse between them and the state government by going on fasting and prayers.
This, the workers said they hope will spur government to their plight and meet all their demands. The Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Waheed Olojede while speaking in Ibadan said his members who are being owed over six months salary arrears, were embarking on a seven days marathon fasting and prayer because it consider it a critical time to seek God’s intervention for the government to meet its demands and to sustain the struggle.
Olojede said the union is still open for negotiation with the state government anytime, anywhere. On the issue of the six months outstanding salaries, the labour leader said “At our last meeting with the state government, they promise to set up a committee to look into how to solve the issue. We have since sent our own nominees but we are still expecting the state government to inaugurate the committee.”
Whither the organised labour?
As agitations over unpaid salaries rages, the organised labour unions have come under criticisms for literally leaving the workers out in the cold.
Barr. Ibrahim Abdulmalik while making reference to the incident in Oyo, where it was alleged that the state government rented a crowd to stage a solidarity rally on its behalf, said such attitude clearly shows the government is anti-people.
Particularly worrisome, he said, is the resort to prayers and fasting in the face of the lingering crisis.
“If a government can go and pay people to stage solidarity rallies but can’t pay workers that’s really laughable.”
While throwing darts at the organised labour for laziness of initiatives, Abdulmalik said the resort to fasting and prayers shows that those leading the unions hardly understands what the issues are.
“The question to ask is this, are they not aware that Nigeria is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), where there is a clause that if you’re unable to pay workers’ salaries at the end of the month you’re guilty of wage theft and it’s actionable? A clear case of wage theft has been evidently established here and one wonders why the organised labour hasn’t gone to court to enforce this rights infringement?”
Seething with rage, Abdulmalik queried: “Or is the organised labour saying that the people are custom-made for suffering? Why can’t they enforce that instrument in the court of law? It really baffles one.”
Bailout funds to the rescue
As the cash crisis assailing most of the states refused to abate, the Federal Government had no choice but to give bailout funds to help them tide things over.
Over 20 states last year accessed a bailout package by the Federal Government, most of which were believed to have been used to pay salaries. However, after receiving two bailouts within a space of six months, some 27 states are still in arrears of salaries and pensions running into several months.
Thankfully, the Federal Government had last week rolled out another financial lifeline, the third in a series of bailout funds. Specifically, it is a N90 billion bond with nine percent interest tied to the states’ being able to meet the 22 conditions contained in the fiscal sustainability plans of the Federal Government.
Among others, such a state must implement a centralised Treasury Single Account (TSA); ensure that it starts publishing its audited annual financial statements by December each year; set realistic and achievable targets to improve independently generated revenue and favourable ratio of capital to recurrent expenditure; review all revenue-related laws and update of obsolete rates/tariffs; ensure biometric capture of all their civil servants to eliminate payroll fraud; adopt the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) compliant software to be put to use in their respective states and local governments; establish a Capital Development Fund to ring-fence capital receipts and adopt accounting policies to ensure that capital receipts are strictly applied to capital projects and prohibition of commercial bank loans.
Other conditions are – that total liabilities do not exceed 250% of total revenue for the preceding year while monthly debt service deduction is not to exceed 40% of the average Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation for the preceding 12 months; they are also expected to publish, quarterly, the budget implementation performance report online.
Not many however agree that the bailout is the best option for the economically bankrupt states.
However, in the opinion of Henry Igbinoba, an economic analyst, the idea of giving bailout funds will simply encourage indolence on the part of the state governments.
“Giving bailout funds to state governments is indirectly encouraging their irresponsibility. Normally, state governments ought to be able to look for other means and ways of taking care of its statutory responsibilities. Any state governments failing in this regard doesn’t deserve to stay in office a day longer.”
While not completely dismissive of the whole idea of bailout, Igbinoba argued that such is only tenable in times of war. “If the country was to be ravaged by war and our means of survival is cut off then giving bailout is totally welcomed. But in a situation where you have governments that are just waiting to get bailouts, it’s awkward.”
Shiny examples
It is however instructive to note that a few state governments have been able to tide things over at this trying times. Lagos is a shining example. Other states which have not complained about payment of salaries thus far includes: Anambra and Cross River, which had ploughed some of its revenue on a sinking fund.
While decrying the abject poverty most of the civil servants across the country were been subjected to, Barrister Michael ‘Laolu Oladipo said, it was uncalled for.
Citing the example of Anambra and Cross River, where workers are enjoying a better deal in terms of welfare, he said things needed not to have been allowed to go this bad.
Oladipo who is seeking public office as governor in Ondo state under the platform of the APC said if elected as governor, civil servants will not be owed five months salary arrears.
“Regardless of the excuses being made, the truth is that a place like Ondo state failed to save for the rainy day. When the oil prices was good if the Olusegun Mimiko-led government had committed to putting away N50-75million or even N100m every month into a sinking sovereign fund for the state, that would have been a resource that can be tapped into. And I’m not saying something that has not been done elsewhere before. It has been done by Cross River and Anambra states and those states today were able to go through the rough times a little easier than our state.”
Dire consequences of unpaid salaries
There are many dire consequences of owing workers, especially civil servants.
In the view of Dr. Dare Ogun, a public affairs commentator, the moment you start owing workers’ salaries their loyalty level naturally wanes. “The moment you can’t pay your workers as and when due you lose every moral right to apply sanctions against them when they err. That’s the sad reality.”
He says this is particularly true of civil servants. “Ordinarily when you pay civil servants, especially teachers in public schools for instance, they are not hundred present at their duty posts. Now that you’re not paying them and still asking them to come to work you’re just endangering the lives of the pupils in those schools. The public school children are at the receiving end of this self-inflicted woes. You’re making it worse for the children’s capacity building and future career.”
Planless economy
According to analysts, overreliance on a monoculture economy is partly to blame for the credit crisis in most states. Prof. Chris Onalo, Registrar/CEO, Institute of Credit Administration is convinced that the reason many states are insolvent today is as a result of sheer laziness of initiatives.
“There is no state of the federation that is not endowed with one mineral resources or the other. But because of overdependence on the federal allocation most of the states with a few exceptions go cap in hand every month to Abuja to get its allocation. Of course, with the dwindling oil receipts, it is only inevitable that the allocation will be drastically affected.”
Chief Isaac Olusola Dada, Chairman, Anchorial Investment and Securities Limited is also on the same page with Onalo.
As far as Chief Dada is concerned, the country needs to retrace its steps by going back to agriculture. “Anything short of going back to agriculture is only postponing the evil day,” he deadpans.
Not many share this view. One of them is Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd). In a monitored television magazine programme in Lagos, Nyiam who was a member of the National Conference some years back, said the faulty structure of the nation’s federal system was largely to blame for the parlous state of the economy.
The overcentralisation of government, he says, is at the heart of the crisis bedevilling the economy.
“A situation where the government at the centre takes the resources of the states without leaving them sufficient is daylight robbery,” he said.
He emphasised that there is clearly a need to rethink the present economic system to turn things around for good. Pray, is someone listening?
Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, who recently toured some rural communities within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lokoja, Jos, Kaduna and Bauchi, in this report, captures how agricultural revolution has lifted the rural poor above poverty
THERE are many reasons why northern Nigeria continues to hold the aces as far as food production is concerned compared to other states of the federation.
Anyone who doubts the regions’ ‘supremacy’ in the area of food production needs to visit any part of the north to erase every iota of doubt in his mind. Truth is the north still dominates the rest of the country in agriculture. Yes, if there is an area where the north literally suffers from an embarrassment of riches of some sort, it’s her rich heritage of agriculture resources including flora and fauna.
A road trip from Okene in Kogi to Abaji in FCT, Abuja to Langtang in Plateau, Kafancha in Kaduna, Ningi in Bauchi to Mayo Belwa, Mubi, Yola, all in Adamawa across other northern states of Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi shows that their economy is largely driven by farming activities.
Some of the food and cash crops like sorghum, tomato, pepper, cowpea, millet, wheat, cotton, rice, yams to mention just a few are grown in commercial and subsistence quantities.
It also bears stating that a lot of people across both gender and age divides are involved in the agriculture value chain whether in the field or off field.
For instance, a visit to one of the largest and most popular open air farmers’ markets in Bakin Dogo in Kaduna, near the Kaduna Central Market, shows that majority of those involved in the marketing of farm produce are mostly women.
Why the north holds the aces in agricultural revolution
A combination of factors may be responsible for north’s good fortunes in the area of farming when compared to other parts of the country.
Musa Nafinji Yusuf, a lecturer in Agricultural Extension at the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State, says the main reason the north has succeeded with farming thus far is because rural development within the region has been inextricably tied to agricultural development.
Going down memory lane, Yusuf recalls that the introduction of a number of initiatives may have worked in favour of the north.
“Nigerian Agricultural, Cooperative and Rural Development Bank-NACRDB, now Bank of Agriculture Limited, National Fadama Development Project-NFDP, project which is being implemented in phases, National Special Programme on Food Security-NSPFS, are some of the initiatives that are supporting agric.”
Besides he says the north has a natural endowment in terms of its conducive environment.
“The weather and its ecosystem are most suitable for planting of different food and cash crops and thankfully they have been able to harness it to their benefits.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Muhammed Usman, RUFIN Coordinator in Adamawa, Bauchi, Zamfara and Katsina states, while assessing the level of agricultural development in the northern states he oversees, said quite a lot has happened in that regard.
“We’ve strengthened and built the capacities of rural farmers over the years. We’ve linked them to sources of finance, especially to microfinance banks, financial cooperatives, financial NGOs. Hitherto they had no interactions with such institutions. As a result of our activities in the states they now deal with the banks. They transact their businesses and their lives have improved seriously.”
However for reasons of argument some analysts have said the region may have enjoyed undue advantage when compared to other parts of the country in terms of funding opportunities by successive governments at the federal level.
But Chief Olusola Isaac Dada a renowned economist and technocrat offers plausible explanation as to why the rest of the South is lagging behind in the area of farm cultivation.
According to him, it’s not a question of having an undue advantage.
“Majority of the state governments across the country get all such allocations like the ecological funds. The question to ask is to what extent has the funds been utilised? There is nothing stopping other state governments from harnessing their resources accordingly.”
Short of blaming the south for their woes, the Chairman of Anchoria Investment and Securities Limited said: “It’s only we’ve become so lazy in the south. Time was many years back when we used to have what is called the Commodity Boards. The Commodity Boards were being managed by the different regions of the country. We had the Northern Commodity Boards, the Western region Commodity Boards and we had the Eastern region Commodity Board. This was before the creation of many states. For example, for the one in the West, we had the Cocoa Board. Cocoa Board will buy the produce from farmers look for market abroad and sell the thing there.”
Pressed further, he recalled that “In the north, we had the Groundnut Commodity Board, the Cotton Commodity Board and for hides and skin. In the east, we had the palm produce commodity board. These are all the things we had then. Unlike the rest of the country which abandoned agriculture, it was not so in the north. This is because they had always believed that Nigeria will still return to agriculture. We’ve not learnt our lessons in the South. Down South you can see the rate of rural urban migration.
“Instead of staying in the villages and do farming everybody finishing secondary school wants to live with their brothers and sisters in Lagos or move to the cities in search of the ever-elusive greener pastures. I get a lot of requests most times from folks in the village. They say oh Chief Dada, your son needs job oh. They send their CVs and all sorts. That’s why a place like Lagos is overcrowded. But in the northern part of Nigeria they still believe in rural development. We’ve to learn a lesson from them.”
Vincent Yusuf, an Abuja-based journalist who is also into farming shares his own perspective. “The major reason why farming thrives in the north is because everybody considers it a serious business. So you have the push and pull factor. Majority of the civil servants in the north are government workers from 9-2pm but devote the rest of the day to their farms. In Nassarawa state for instance, land comes very cheap to acquire around here. You can literally get it for a song. Hectares of land go for as low as N500-N600, 000. That is why a lot of people are encouraged to go into farming. You can call it the northern advantage if you like.”
Abdallah Mainasara, a shoe cobbler in Lagos boasts of large farmlands in Katsina, where he grows sorghum, wheat, millet, maize and rice. According to him, majority of his folks who ply their trades in the cities have farming as their mainstay. Like him, they only return to Lagos during off farming season.
No longer at ease with oil
At a time the nation is getting dwindling oil receipts as a result of the volatility in the global oil price, the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed its determination to diversify the economy.
It is little surprising that the Central Bank of Nigeria through initiatives like the Bank of Agriculture Anchor Borrowers’ rice and wheat production programme stepped up efforts thus far in its quest to realise government mandate. The CBN had only recently created about 500,000 jobs for farmers across the country.
The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, made the disclosure penultimate Friday during a one-day assessment tour of rice farms in Argungu and Augie Local Government Areas of Kebbi State. The CBN governor was on the entourage of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh to the farms.
Emefiele said the bank registered 70,871 farmers in Kebbi for the Anchor Borrowers Programme, adding that they had begun the cultivation of farmlands for the large-scale production of rice and wheat.
Speaking during the tour, Ogbeh re-affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to diversifying the Nigerian economy to guarantee food security and enable the growth of a multi-sectoral economy.
The minister commended the efforts of the CBN and the Kebbi State Government for the successful implementation of the programme in the state.
He stated that the government would support rice and flour millers to establish additional milling factories for the economy to thrive.
Emefiele said the bank had provided financial support to large-scale rice farmers in the state to boost farming activities and food production.
He also commended the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, for fully implementing the programme, calling for the provision of water-pumping machines, fertiliser, insecticides, and financial support to the farmers to ensure successful large-scale production.
Changing roles of women
Time was when majority of the women in the north were consigned to the positions of housewives and farm hands. Thus it was a thing of taboo for women to lay claim to economic assets of any sort. But that narrative is fast changing with many women becoming economically liberated.
Thanks to initiatives like the Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN), a pro-poor programme, today many women in the north constitutes themselves into different cooperative societies known in local parlance as ‘Adashe’ with the sole purpose of working their way out of poverty through a common front: agriculture.
Majority of these women are made up of married and divorced, single parents, widows and adolescent young ladies.
Thankfully, most of these women are beginning to earn their deserved respect from the otherwise chauvinistic male folks.
More than anything else, the men are also lending their full support to the women in a way that clearly suggests that the long held stereotype about the demeaning status of women has now given way for respect and honour for the womenfolk in their newfound roles as breadwinners.
One of such economically empowered women is Hajia Zainab Yau. Mrs. Yau who leads the Amaran Juwa Women Farmers’ Association, a group of over 25 women in Gadar Maiwa, Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi state, originally hails from Akwa Ibom state, in Southsouth Nigeria.
A proud mother of seven kids with the youngest aged 18, said she is finally living her dream. Former Miss Ekaette who has become completely accustomed to the lifestyle of the average northern woman and is very much at home with Islamic fashion told The Nation that her life is better off now than it was few years back.
The proud grandma who had contemplated divorce a few times because of the neglect is today happy with her marriage.
“From the beginning we were in total darkness. Majority of us women in this community were suffering both economically and emotionally such that some had to quit their marriage. It was really tough for all us,” she said in impeccable English which belied her rural setting.
“Thanks to programmes like RUFIN which has taught us how to fish today as we speak most of our women are dutifully engaged in one form of business across the agriculture value chain. Most of us are into mechanised farming as a group. We plant cash crops like wheat, millet, rice, sorghums. We also rear goats, rams and cows.”
With the proceeds from their chains of businesses they give out loan able funds to members at little or no interest.
Many other women groups mentored by RUFIN including the Baraya Women Foundation, Al-Heri Women Group both in Bauchi and several others scattered across the length and breadth of northern states of Kaduna, Kano, Benue, Adamawa to mention but a few are doing well for themselves.
Agriculture-driven initiatives
There are many agriculture-driven initiatives that have helped to revolutionise agriculture across the value chain. One of such initiatives is RUFIN.
RUFIN is a loan agreement of US$27.2 million between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The central objective of the programme is to develop and strengthen Micro Finance Banks (MFBs), other member-based Micro Finance Institutions (MFls), by enhancing the access of the rural populace to the services of these institutions in order to expand and improve agricultural productivity and Micro-Small Rural Enterprises.
The goal is to alleviate poverty with a particular focus on the rural poor and especially women, youth and the physically challenged.
The programme is being implemented along with four participating institutions namely: the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) and the Federal Department of Cooperatives (FDC).
The FGN and IFAD supported Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) has within one and half years of the implementation impacted on the stabilisation of the rural microfinance sector in collaboration with the CBN. The programme has been mentoring some selected MFBs, financial NGOs, financial cooperatives and the informal /community credit and savings organisations in the 12 participating states.
Shedding more light on the RUFIN initiative, Mrs. Mrs. Unekwu Ufaruna, Deputy National Programme Manager, RUFIN, said the programme has helped in no small measure to alleviate the sufferings of the rural poor, especially women in terms of providing empowerment for those engaged in farming.
“Before the advent of the programme there was dearth of credit facilities for women, especially the rural poor. But so far we’ve helped to facilitate the women into groups and also linked them to financial services providers.”
Besides, she said: “On the side of the microfinance banks, the programme intervention has led to an increase in clientele, expanded rural market for the microfinance banks. Many of the microfinance banks have graduated from being unit banks with N20million capital deposit to state banks with N100million because of a programme intervention. And the rural areas that didn’t have microfinance institutions before many of them have at least three in some local government areas.”
She readily cites the case of Sheleng, a local government area in Adamawa state which had no single microfinance bank or any commercial bank for that matter. “It’s a very large local government. But now they have at least four MFIs within the area. And the women that have assessed credit from these institutions from up to three to four times, their lives have changed. They’re very happy and they now contribute to the upkeep of their families. Their income has increased and life is going on smoothly for them.”
Speaking further, an elated Mrs Ufaruna said the level of success so far recorded with initiatives like RUFIN has been overwhelming.
At the risk of sounding immodest, she said RUFIN has done a lot in the last few years.
“It has actually enhanced the flow of financial service credit to the rural communities. Just last year alone, we trained over 400 microfinance banks on how to prepare rural business plans. They prepared their own plan for three consecutive years. They were able to make a projection of how much savings they will generate from the rural communities, how much credit they will extend to break even. And many of them have started implementing. And just six months of their implementation many of them have hit their targets and gone beyond the targets.”
To ensure sustainability, she says there are ongoing discussions as to how the states government can take ownership of the programme since RUFIN has a limited lifespan.
“That’s what we’ve been discussing with the state governments. We hope the state governments would be able to draw budget allocations for the programme even when we exit so that they can keep the work going. Thankfully, the response has been tremendous.”
Haruna Bitrus is Zonal Manager, Bank of Agriculture Limited, North East zone. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf he speaks on the prospects and challenges of agricultural development in northern Nigeria. Excerpts:
WHAT has been the intervention of the Bank of Agriculture Limited to rural farmers in the last few years since you came on board?
You know the bank has been in the forefront of financing agriculture across the country and we’ve financed various agricultural projects, particularly livestock projects because you know the environment in the north is livestock-friendly. We’ve done a lot in that area in terms of financing production. We’ve also supported maze, rice, cotton and production of several crops. We’ve participated and partnered with organisations like the Nigerian Cotton Growers Association. We’ve participated in cassava bread production through financing. We’ve partnered with All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria, we gave them some loans. We’ve also supported the Flourmill Association of Nigeria. We’ve given out loans and we also partnered with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and state governments to give loans to women through the Women Economic Finance Programme. So l can say we’ve done quite a lot.
What is your assessment of farming business around the northern part of the country, especially within the zones you cover?
Farming is very lucrative in northern Nigeria and it is because there are so many things that the south depends on around here. Most cattle are moved from the northern part to the south and so on. And it is an area where farming is considered good business for cattle rearing and as such, a lot of people here go into cattle fattening. You know once they fatten these cattle and add value to them they’re moved to the south. In fact, l can tell you that a lot of the cattle we eat here are not as nourishing as the ones they bring to the south to sell because it takes time to fatten the cows. So farming is a big business and like I said earlier, cotton, sesame seeds, wheat, rice are grown in abundance and a lot of agricultural activities that have potential for exports are also grown around here.
In terms of recovering these soft loans that you give what has been the performance like with BOA?
You know l’m the Zonal Manager in the North East and l cover six zones. I know that there are areas that we’re seriously affected by insurgency. The farmers had to abandon not just their businesses but their homes and some of them are our beneficiaries. Whatever repayment rate l give you now may not be very realistic in view of the happenings. And this is an area that I think even intervention agencies should look at because we’re mostly in business and if something like this happens and these farmers for example have nothing to fall back on and they are still indebted to us, and the loans are not paid it affects the organisation and what can we do to get them to pay when they have nothing. So we’re seriously affected by these occurrences and it’s even something l think some of these organisations should lend assistance to the farmers to clear their indebtedness so that the bank will remain strong.
The repayment rate assessment as it is when you remove all those that have fully paid and you’re now rating yourself only based on the people that are not able to pay, that’s percentage of those who have paid the amount outstanding vis-à-vis what they’ve paid, it won’t give you a clear picture of what you have done. Because if you have 400 farmers and 50 of them are fully paid nobody is putting those 50 into consideration.
May be where you scored 100% and they are just rating you on the remaining 50, it doesn’t really give a true picture of your performance. So we’ve a lot of farmers that have fully paid to us and have done well and we’re processing new loans for them. Because of what I said repayment rate sometimes becomes not really attractive. But nevertheless we’re still doing our best in areas where the operations are still ongoing and the business of farming is still on.
Talking about risks, are there no insurance mechanisms for crop farming for instance?
It’s true. All our projects are insured by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC). But NAIC does not cover things like insurgency. That is why l’m calling on the donor agencies to come in and assist because we’re just a development finance institution (DFI). And if there is a problem that affects us it should be of concern to everybody. So we hope the donor agencies’ intervention or whatever can come in and help these farmers offset these loans so that the bank can continue its developmental activities.
Can you give us a conservative estimate of the investment at risk right now?
You see because most of the areas are not accessible until now, we’ve not completed that assessment yet. This is simply because they are areas that you can’t even go to not to talk of knowing what level of damage has been done. It’s just now that some of the areas are becoming accessible like even now, we cannot say what is happening in Bama or Gwoza, both in Borno. We’ve not really compiled these things.
What has been your collaboration with the Rural Finance Institution Building Programme, RUFIN?
Personally I have a passion for what RUFIN is doing. I recall when I was a manager on my own l used to organise cooperative loans to farmers. Around here, some of our farmers don’t consider farming as a business as such they are not properly guided. Except you consider farming as a business you cannot be serious about the farming in a way that is profitable. For instance, some of our women would be frying bean cake and they see somebody they know passing by and they say come and take some. (Laughs.)
The more of such you have the more of your profits that is taken away. Because at the end of the day she would just say we thank God for what we’ve. So there is no accountability. This kind of programme can guide and inculcate basic accounting knowledge to them and let them understand better what they are doing. That’s the only thing that can bring improvement to their lives and improve the standard of living generally for the rural poor. One thing I know about dealing with the rural people is supervision to ensure that there is no diversion or distractions.
What kind of business activities are you favourably disposed to?
The mainstay of people mostly within the rural setting is agriculture. And we know that cotton is an international commodity, groundnuts, walnuts, beniseed is also an international commodity, sesame seeds so there are specific crops that when you focus on apart from the stable value, that have high potential for exports. In terms of off farm business, in the north there are lots of things you can do. Some of them are into mat weaving, cap weaving, tailoring and lots of others.
What would you consider safe investment for you in the coming season?
The thing is we support agricultural financing once there are off takers. What that means is that before production you already know your prospective buyers and that makes it easy. Because of the value chain once there are established off takers for any production we will definitely go for it.
Emmanuel Oladesu examines the challenges confronting the Nigerian Navy and what can be done to make the national institution live up to expectation.
THE Nigerian Navy is 60 years old. But, has it lived up to expectation? Many believe that it has a success story to tell, despite its constraints. Other stakeholders believe that it could have performed better, if its potentials have been fully explored. To mark the Diamond Jubilee, a Ceremonial Sunset, which is an age old naval custom that points to the end of an era and the beginning of another era, was held at the NNS BEECROFT Parade Ground, Apapa, Lagos. During the celebrations, stakeholders brainstormed over the NN’s constitutional role and how it could remain the pride of the nation during the annual marital conference.
Founded on June 1, 1956, as the Nigerian Naval Defence Force (NNDF), it took off with eleven ships. According to the Act of Parliament, it was designated as the Royal Nigerian Navy. When Nigeria became a republic in 1963, it was renamed the Nigerian Navy. The NN’s major test came during the civil war. It mounted the coastal blockade that cut off the ill-fated Biafran regime from getting international support through the seas. Besides, it was also involved in the amphibious landings on the coast, including the Bonny landing in July 1967, the first ever by a third world country. The successful operation underscored the country’s devotion to coastal security.
However, it has not always been a smooth sail for the NN. Service chiefs have always called for improved budgetary allocation to enable it perform creditably. Also, in six decades, it has produced 20 naval chiefs. Apart from checking external invasion through the territorial waters, the Navy has also tried to calm the restive creeks. Under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ekwe Ibas, the NN has launched the Choke Point Control Regime. The goal is to mobilise naval patrols to mount surveillance and ensure that all vessels passing through the creeks and channels within the territorial borders are interrogated. The result is that crude oil theft and bunkering have reduced drastically.
Two houseboats have been deployed at Akassa and Ezeotu Long Num and Pennington Rivers while plans are underway to deploy another four. In the last one year, 42 vessels involved in suspicious activities were arrested. Sixteen piracy attempts were foiled. No fewer than 221 illegal refineries were destroyed. Reflecting on these feats, Admiral Ibas said the NN has resolved to demonstrate a zero tolerance for illegallity within the territorial waters.
The resurgence of military has been a challenge to the NN. To curtail it, there is an increasing siege on the Niger Delta. The Navy is also deploying its platform and Special Forces in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast. The exercise is aimed to complementing the military operation codenamed “Operation Lafia Dole,” whereby troops and equipment will be sent to Tongeji Island along the Nigeria-Benin maritime boarder.
The NN is looking inward nowadays by building and refitting its platforms at home, thereby saving foreign exchange for the country and providing invaluable experience for local military and other maritime experts. The evidence of local efforts in ship building is the tugboat, which was commissioned during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Under Admiral Ibas, the NN has been involved in the renewal of its fleet, following the launching of 30 riverine warfare boats deployed to fight crude oil theft in the Niger Delta creeks. Another 50 boats, also manufactured locally, were commissioned recently.
Two mine sweepers, NNS Ohue and NNS Barama, which have been dormant for about 20 years, are currently undergoing trials before being re-launched into service. Besides the Navy has enhanced effective maintenance activities, leading to the availability of ships, boats and helicopters to confront threats to maritime security. The ships include NNS Centenary, NNS Okpabana, NNS Prosperity, NNS Andoni and NNS Obula while helicopters NN08, NN09 and NN10 are operational.
The NN is upgrading Naval Shipyard Limited at Port Harcourt, which is a strategic asset and force multiplier. It has also achieved success in manpower development and personnel motivation through officers’ training in higher defence and strategic management, the commissioning of Special Duty officers into the NN officers’ cadre, foreign professional training, the employment of retired personnel to augment the critical shortfall in the available teaching staff in the NN training schools, and the procurement and allocation of new staff cars and utility vehicles to senior officers and Navy Warrant officers respectively to motivate them for improved output and productivity.
The NN hosted the second edition of the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) Africa Conference in Lagos from 24 – 26 August 24 to 25 last year as part of the measures to facilitate international and regional cooperation to enhance maritime security. The conference was also aimed at sustaining efforts towards the attainment of Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050. The Conference attracted heads and chiefs of African navies/coastguard as well as global maritime experts from the US, UK, EU, AU, IMO and ECOWAS.
Despite these achievements, there is still a gap in role fulfillment. Many challenges are confronting the NN. They include the shortage of platforms, the degraded operational support infrastructure, the low level of research and development (R&D) efforts and the low industrial capacity. Others include the poor maritime culture, the inadequate Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) infrastructure, the inadequate facilities for operational training, personnel welfare and inadequate funding. Also, naval dockyards and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), which were established to help local service of platforms, have not always been in operational service.
Inadequate platforms. The available ships and helicopters in the NN inventory are inadequate to effectively prosecute the maritime security operations due to the vastness of Nigeria’s maritime space. A number of the ships are also old and have had no major refit or upgrade. Some are Beyond Economic Repairs (BER) and had been scrapped or earmarked for decommissioning. Thus, it is desirable for the NN to be provided with a mix of modern ships with capability for sustained patrols.
Degraded Operational Support Infrastructure. The naval dockyards were conceptualised and envisioned to ensure force regeneration and ship maintenance. However, due to aging and degraded infrastructure and facilities, they have not been able to meet the desired objectives of their establishment. Additionally, existing Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) meant to render operational support to ships and helicopters are under developed. Consequently, ships and helicopters on maritime security operations are compelled to return to bases in harbour, losing substantial operational time in the process. To this end, more need to be done to upgrade the Dockyard and develop the FOBs.
Inadequate Research and Development efforts. The Navy as a highly technical force needs to constantly adapt to global changes in technology and bring same to bear on countering challenges in the nation’s maritime environment. However, poor R&D is a major challenge that has affected development and discovery of new technologies. This has led to poor adaptation of NN sensors for group integration initiatives.
Low national industrial capacity. Globally, developed navies attained their heights through mutual cooperation with their national technological sectors. Thus, the low NN maintenance and infrastructural attainment is analogous to the nation’s low industrial and scientific capacity. Hence, a major constraint to the NN is the low level technology, most especially in terms of maintenance of equipment, fabrication of spares for own platforms and ships’ building efforts.
Poor maritime culture. While Nigeria is a well-endowed maritime nation, there is a pervasive poor maritime culture. This tends to undermine every effort of both the government and private practitioners to fully develop the potentials of the nation’s maritime sector. Also, despite the tremendous dependence of the strategic sectors of the national economy on the maritime environment, Nigerians remain largely unaware of the full potentials and benefits of the sea. This general lack of interest about the sea particularly by all and sundry has adversely affected the funding and NN capacity building.
Inadequate Maritime Domain Awareness Infrastructure. Currently, apart from the use of patrol vessels, Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) sensors and FALCON EYE facilities in Abuja, Lagos, Bonny, Ibaka and Badagry provide awareness on activities in Nigeria’s territorial waters and beyond. There is need to achieve comprehensive coastal MDA coverage with the installation of additional RMAC and FALCON EYE facilities at Brass, Escravos and Igbokoda. Furthermore, it is desirable for the country to adequately emplace a national maritime awareness architecture for coverage of the nation’s maritime domain.
Inadequate facilities for operational training. The NN professional schools were established to cater for the rising need for specialist and operational training of NN personnel. However, inadequate funding has made it difficult to maintain and upgrade many of the training aids and facilities. There is therefore a need to provide funds to enable procurement of training aids and upgrading of facilities.
Gap in personnel welfare: In addition to improving the standard of training, there is a need to also condition personnel mindset and attitude to work through enhanced welfare by provision of accommodation, transportation and medical care amongst others.
Inadequate funding: These constraints have persisted because of inadequate funding of the NN over the years. The NN proposed overhead, amount appropriated and released have grossly been inadequate in relations to her needs. In the last 4 years, the NN had not received up to 25 per cent of her budgetary proposals for overhead. The capital vote has been far worse, where the Service has not got up to 2 per cent.
Seventy-two hours to the highly anticipated general election of the association, Sunday Oguntola x-rays the many forces and factors that will determine who becomes the next President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
BARRING unforeseen circumstances, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will have a new president on Wednesday. The 109-strong National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet at the Ecumenical centre in Abuja to elect the new helmsman for the apex Christian body. The run down to the final stage of the transitional programme has been as interesting as dramatic with several developments thrown up by vested forces in the top position.
From the botched primary of the TEKAN/ECWA bloc to the abduction saga that rocked the Christian community, the run-off to the election has been anything but smooth. Consequently, observers strongly believe the election itself still has some drama to offer. Already, pundits are identifying some factors that will determine who leads the christian body next.
Turbulent transition
It culminated last Thursday in the call for suspension of the electoral process by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), citing alleged irregularities. The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, in a letter addressed to the national president of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, threatened to sever ties with the umbrella organisation if the process was not halted.
The CSN said: “The way and manner in which the electoral process of CAN has been handled does not show any willingness of the Leadership to do things in a way worthy of the Association. We can no longer go along with the way things are now. The CSN therefore demands that the current electoral process be suspended forthwith until the heads of the five Blocks of CAN reconvene (which we hope will be as soon as possible), to work out a way of bringing the Association back on track, so that it may serve the purpose for which it was originally founded. This is the only condition under which the CSN can positively consider its continued membership of the Association.”
Investigations revealed that CSN resorted to the measure to save it face, having failed to nick the General Secretary post of the organisation. It was gathered that the Catholic community had a pact with the President of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev Dr. Jeremiah Gado, to serve as Secretary. The inability of TEKAN\ECWA bloc to field Gado has put paid to the arrangement, leaving the CSN with little or nothing in the soon-to-be-inaugurated administration.
CAN sources told our correspondent that the CSN took the same decision shortly after its candidate, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, lost to Oritsejafor in 2010. The withdrawal of CSN from the process is not expected to have any negative side-effects as the constitution acknowledges that three out of the five blocs can conduct businesses such as elections and decisions.
There were also fears that Gado or his supporters might head to court to halt the election for his perceived exclusion from the process. But our correspondent learnt that the fears of the backlashes such an action might have on ECWA as well as the technicalities involved might dissuade his camp from proceeding with the court option.
Electioneering strategies
On Wednesday, the candidate of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches(OAIC), Elder Professor Joseph Otubu will square up to its Christian Council of Nigeria(CCN) counterpart, Rev Dr Supo Ayokunle. Investigations revealed that both camps have been lobbying NEC members for support. Many of the NEC members, it was learnt, have been pitching their tents based on certain considerations and interests.
Ayokunle’s camp is banking on the theory of continuity, telling everyone that the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) has been part of the system and understands its workings. As the current vice president, his supporters are confident he has all it takes to clinch the top seat. Ayokunle on May 6 met with chairmen of CAN south west in Ibadan where he promised to carry them along if elected. Those at the sparsely attended meeting however hinted that some of the chairmen frowned at the resort to ethnic politics.
He has also been holding strategic meetings with top echelon of the CCN, including Methodist Church Nigeria and Anglican Communion, some of whom have reportedly pledged their support. Many of his supporters are also claiming he has the backing of Oritsejafor to continue from where he stopped, a claim that could be not confirmed.
They claim his 8-2 victory at the Electoral College is an indication that Ayokunle is the anointed candidate of the current leadership. Otubu, on his own, has been playing the minority politics, telling everyone it is the turn of OAIC to produce the next president. Only the TEKAN\ECWA and OAIC blocs have never led the 40-year-old organisation.
He emerged the candidate with a narrow 4-3 votes against Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the international president of the OAIC. To have defeated Okoh, an entrenched force within the OAIC, fittingly tells of the enormous strength of Otubu. But it also means that he won’t have the support of everyone in the bloc, considering the narrow victory at the primary on Wednesday.
His campaign strictly has been that OAIC also has the capacity to lead the organisation, especially with someone of his stature as a renowned gynecologist. He also says he is out to reposition CAN as a respectable umbrella body that commands the attention of the powers-that-be. Otubu is banking on northern delegates as well as those from the south-east and south-south who considers the Oghara-born General Evangelist of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW) one of them.
Forces at play Clearly, there are two major forces at play in the forthcoming election. One is the established or orthodox churches who believe they should always determine who head the organisation. The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr Samuel Uche, told our correspondent: “We (CCN) are the kingmakers; we dictate what happens.”
Ayokunle is the preferred candidate of the establishment within CAN. It will batter the ego of the mainline churches for their candidate to lose out to someone they consider a minnow. One of them told our correspondent that over their dead bodies will an Aladura man lead CAN. This is why they have been reaching out to their allies with the organisation to back Ayokunle for the seat.
But the anticipated withdrawal of the CSN from the process might affect the number of votes for Ayokunle. But Otubu on his own is not a pushover. His father was a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance and the late Baba Aladura of the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church (ESOCS). So he has a family background that rings a bell in the Christian community.
On his own, he is a foremost gynecologist with hundreds of doctors training under him. Of the 19 Chief Medical Directors in the north, 17 of them were his former students. He has been able to rally those aggrieved with the arrogant stance of established churches within the organisation. They consider in him the best opportunity to prove that CAN belongs to all and no church is superior to the other. Those in this category are in OAIC and TEKAN\ECWA.
So, the politics of majority versus minority will go a long way in determining who gets the nod to head the organisation. But there are always more factors at work. Factors at work. According to Article 11 section b of the CAN constitution, those eligible to vote include 10 representatives from each of the blocs; chairman and secretary of regional branches with four votes; one representative from each six of the geo-political zones; chairmen of CAN in the 36 states and FCT; 10 national officers of CAN and one representative from the Youth and Women wings of the body.
To emerge president, one of the two candidates must get at least 55 votes. Based on the voting population, it makes a lot of sense to go after the 37 state CAN chairmen. Whoever gets at least 20 of them on his side is almost half-way to victory. In the South West, checks revealed that Ayokunle will have at least three votes with Osun, Lagos and Ekiti likely to support Otubu. Otubu is expected to have most of the northern states because he lived and worked in Jos, Plateau State for over a decade. He speaks Hausa fluently and is seen by most northern chairmen as one of them. He is also expected to win the 11 votes from the south-east and south-south.
Going to the blocs votes, it is a taken that Ayokunle will get the ten from CCN. He is expected to also carry at least half from ECWA/TEKAN delegates as well as at least three from OAIC. Otubu will naturally win the block votes from OAIC. His supporters believe he will win PFN/CPFN votes too en mass. It was gathered that the PFN held an in-house session last week where it was decided that Otubu is the man for the job. This, according to findings, is based on his impressive professional credentials. Considering his affinity with northern delegates, he might have to settle for half of the votes from ECWA\TEKAN.
As for the 10 votes from national officers of CAN, it is too close to call. While some believe the current administration is rooting for Ayokunle, others say the officers are all for a change. Such Otubu wins, it will be historic. It will be the first time an OAIC leader and Aladura Christian is leading CAN. It will also be historic should Ayokunle wins. It will be the first time a Baptist cleric is leading CAN. He will also be the third CCN candidate after Prelate Sunday Mbang of Methodist Church Nigeria and Archbishop Peter Akinola of the Anglican Communion.
In this report, Eddy Uwoghiren writes on the need to develop a National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths in times of medical emergencies.
Last December Pa Enoch Igbadefe, 70, died. In spite of his old age, his death was avoidable; if only he had gotten pre-hospital care. Dying at 70, when he should have being enjoying the benefits of his retirement, is painful. But dying the way he did merely because help didn’t come from where it should have come, is the most painful.
Although he had worked meritoriously and retired with a clean bill, the usual situation in a country like Nigeria where pensioners are subjected to unsavory life after retirement ensured he had no rest. He had picked up a job at the burrow pit close to Okada town, on the outskirts of Benin City, few years back, in a bid to keep body and soul together.
On that fateful day last December, he had bid his family goodbye as usual as he set out for his work place. Little did he know that it would be his last. At noon, in the scorching sun, the heap of sand from a trailer suddenly fell on him, leading to a serious fracture on his right femur and left ribs. His coworkers ran to the express way to get a vehicle to convey him to the nearest hospital.
However, the scarcity of fuel during that period made matters worse as few vehicles were plying the road that afternoon. After hours of negotiation, a driver who happened to come along, agreed to convey him to a private medical centre at Okada, where first aid treatment and suturing of the lacerations sustained were done before his referral to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Upon arrival at the emergency room (ER) of UBTH, the trauma team on call, including this reporter, battled to save his life, but to no avail. Alas, Enoch gave up the ghost minutes later. Not a few of us were devastated by his death, which was very much avoidable.
“This man could have survived if only help had come his way early enough,” said the senior Resident Doctor on call. Explaining to the relatives of the deceased, he said, “He sustained fracture of one of his ribs which lead to tear in the pleural space, thus introducing air into the pleural cavity. This resulted in a medical condition called Tension Pnuemothorax, leading to a positive pressure in the lungs, thereby preventing the lungs from expanding to its full capacity. What could have been done was for a fine bore needle to be used in making an incision at the mid clavivular line, 2nd intercostals space to remove the air and restore breathing.”
Enoch’s death is quite similar to that of Eboseremen Jude’s wife. The newlywed couple had set out on a journey to Ekpoma to celebrate the Xmas with their in-laws. They were traveling in an 18 seater bus when the vehicle had an head on collision with a lorry while trying to navigate the bend at the Iruekpen axis of the road. The vehicle was said to have somersaulted severally before falling into a ditch, leaving two persons dead on the spot and several others sustaining various degree of injury.
“It was a gory sight that day. My wife sustained injury to her head because she was not on seat belt. I had minor injuries. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth with swollen eyes. At every moment, she was gasping for breath and dying slowly. I knew time mattered a whole lot. Passersby started the rescue mission. They separated everyone based on the injury sustained and called the men of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) who took about 15 minutes to arrive the scene. When they came, they packed us in a vehicle and took us to the general hospital where they left us.”
“Fifteen minutes later, I was told to immediately take my wife to Central hospital in Benin City as that they lack the facility to cater for her at UBTH. I pleaded with them to give me their ambulance as the men of the FRSC who brought us had gone. They refused saying I will have to fuel it. I went to hire a taxi which I used in conveying her to Central hospital. At central, they didn’t even let her in. The doctor just came to the vehicle looked at her, shook his head and said that only UBTH has facilities in Benin to cater for her condition.”
He continued, “They refused to release their ambulance or attend to her. When we got back to UBTH, they took her in and started resuscitating her. I was told she has lost a lot of blood and I should go to blood bank and buy. I went there bought blood but when I got back to the ward, my wife was no longer on her bed. I enquired and was told they were wheeling her to the Intensive care unit (ICU). I was told to go and make deposit payment. I accosted them on the way but I was told the modalities for payment.
“After payment, they took her into the ICU and after about an hour of waiting, the doctor came out and broke the bad news to me. She died. He said she had injury to one of the artery that supplies the brain. It was pathetic that day. I wailed because prior to the day we made the journey, my wife had warned us not to go, saying she had a bad dream. The time it took us to transit from the scene of the accident to UBTH was over two hours.”
A dire need
The above scenarios paint pictures of how life is being lost daily during emergencies in Nigeria because help fails to come early enough for victims. Sadly, it appears the authorities are yet to grasp the full implication of the absence of emergency medical services on our roads.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a highly sophisticated type of emergency services dedicated to providing out of hospital acute medical care, transport to definitive care centre and transport of patients with illness and injuries, which prevents them from transporting themselves. The goal of EMS is to provide treatment to those in need of urgent medical care and or arranging for timely removal of the patient to a definitive care centre for expert management. Such medical conditions could include trauma, heart attack, foreign body aspiration, choking etc.
In foreign countries, EMS has advanced such that members of the public via an emergency telephone line can easily contact a suitable ambulance, equipped with paramedics, to deal with the situation. However, 56 years after independence, there is no functional national EMS in Nigeria. It is believed that victims of emergency conditions who receive care from paramedics within the first 15 minutes are likely to survive as the chances of survival gets slimmer by the passing of each second.
The failure of the Nigerian government in developing an EMS to help deal with emergency situations has placed Nigerians traveling on our roads in great danger. Even those at home are endangered as prompt help, in time of medical need, is not assured. Nigerians also lack the basic knowledge on how to deal with emergency conditions.
Along the Benin-Lagos-Ibadan express way, there is only one emergency clinic, owned by the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) at Sagamu. But when compared with what is obtainable in other countries, the FRSC Emergency clinic at Sagamu is nothing to write home about. In fact, unconfirmed reports have it that the clinic charges fee from victims for treatment.
In South Africa, the government has developed an EMS. It has converted tricycles into ambulances to care for victims of emergencies and convey them to the nearest health facility for specialized care.
Malawi recently started the use of Motorcycles equipped with stretchers, to transport Obstetrics patients to hospitals, in a bid to reduce maternal mortality. Apart from South Africa, Malawi and Ghana which has also developed a national EMS, no other African countries has keyed into it.
In Israel for example, at age 15, every Israeli has a knowledge of basic life support skills (BLS) which entails basic skills on how to handle emergency before the arrival of the Paramedics team. And by 18, they serve in the army where they are taught Advanced Trauma Life support (ATLS).
Way forward
Few years back, Dr. Ola Orekunmi instituted the Flying Doctors; which provide ambulance services to victims of plane crashes and other medical emergencies through helicopters. Sadly enough, the cost, coupled with inadequate publicity, has left only few Nigerians patronizing company.
With the knowledge of ATLS and BLS, every Israeli is equipped to handle medical emergencies before the arrival of the paramedics team to convey the patient to the nearest health centre. The situation in Nigeria is however a pathetic one as less than 3%, comprising mainly health workers, of her population, has these skills. This, stakeholders say, has put Nigerians at serious disadvantage whenever emergency conditions set in.
Jennifer Ibuzor who sells banana at Ore junction of the Benin Lagos Express way said hawkers on the road are usually the first Doctors at the scene whenever accidents occur.
“Whenever accident occurs, we are always the Doctors that first attend to the victims before FRSC people come to take them to the hospital. I have been selling banana here for three years and I can tell you that I have saved a lot of lives on this road. Most times, the FRSC people delay their coming and some people die while we are waiting for them. There was a day we waited for over one hour for them. While we were waiting, the victims were dying one after the other.”
According to Osazee Omorogbe, a lecturer in the School of Paramedics Training and Emergency Medicine, UBTH, the inability of Nigerian to develop a National EMS is leading to loss of her human resources, increase mortality, morbidity and unemployment. He added that Nigerian life expectancy has dropped over the years and this has given the county a poor ranking on the international scene.
“At times, when emergencies are brought to UBTH, some of these persons die few minutes on arrival. There is little we can do. If only they had received some form of care before arrival, their chances of survival would have been increased,” he explained.
“Corruption and misconception of the whole ideal about EMS has delayed its establishment in Nigeria. If countries that were at the same level of development with Nigeria years back could develop National EMS to deal with their emergencies, what is really happening to the giant of Africa? Take the case of India for example; there is a 1298 Ambulance that works on the principle of cross subsidization.
“The private sector runs EMS over there in India. I still find it hard to grasp what the private sector in Nigeria renowned for entrepreneurship, is doing. Since the government is not taking it serious, they should wake up and do something. We are tired of losing innocent lives because of late arrival of help. No one knows who will be the next victims of emergency conditions.
“Years back, Reihard Bonke had a crusade in Benin and there were 16 deaths. Take also the case of the last immigration job stampede, where people lost their lives. If only there were paramedics at the scene, those deaths could have been avoided. When emergency happens, we don’t have to start rushing the person to the hospital. Such people should receive some level of pre hospital care to increase their chances of survival,” he added.
Professor Pius Iribhogbe of the Accident and Emergency Complex, UBTH, is grossly disturbed by the failure of government in establishing a national EMS. He has been at the forefront of advocacy for an EMS in the last 10 years. According to him, it is the only way to save more lives on our roads.
“I have spoken about EMS on national televisions. And when I speak with Senators about it, they simply laugh over it. They don’t get the entire concept. But, I won’t stop because I know that it is what will benefit every Nigerian, both poor and rich.
Though cost effective, Iribhogbe believes Nigeria has the capacity to run an EMS adding that the advantages of having an EMS are quite numerous.
“We should borrow a leaf from Israel. During emergencies over there, the people on the scene begin the rescue mission because they have a fair knowledge of what ATLS protocols is all about. When the paramedics arrive the scene, they continue from where the people stopped and move the patient into the ambulance and continue the process of resuscitation all in a bit to give the victim a chance of survival while calling to inform the hospital of the patient they are bringing. The process of setting up the equipment also starts immediately.
“However her in Nigeria, things are not like that. I can tell you that when a person faints in New Benin market, people there don’t even know what to do. They will look for vehicle and start rushing the person down to UBTH. When they come here, you will see everyone running around because the Doctors are not aware of their coming. This ought not to be so.”
Iribhogbe is proposing a review of the NYSC scheme to include ATLS and BLS trainings for corp members. This he said, will help to reduce the illiteracy level among graduates as regards attending to emergency condition.
Uwoghiren is a 400 Level, Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Benin
Sunny Nwankwo writes on the worrisome security challenges being experienced by residents of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State in the South Eastern . He also x-rays the efforts of government and security agencies at nipping the ugly trend in the bud.
Aba, a city which sits on an area of about 1,328 square kilometer (513sq ml) with a population estimated to be slightly above three million, is noted for business and technology. Rich in both pre and post colonial history like the Aba Women’s riot and highlights of the Nigerian civil war, Aba has always featured prominently in the social, economic and political discourse about Nigeria in general and Abia state in particular.
But since 2009, the renowned Market City has made the headlines largely for the wrong reasons. Under the very nose of the immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Ahamaefule Theodore Orji, the city, fondly called “Japan of Africa” became notorious for the alarming level of insecurity within its walls which forced many businesses to close down and numerous residents, especially the affluent, to relocate to other towns and cities, far and near, for safety.
Many residents of the troubled City, while speaking to The Nation on the matter, said Aba, a city which prides itself as the commercial heartbeat of not just the state, but of the entire southeast as well as Nigeria, may soon become abandoned if something is not urgently done to reverse the ugly trend. Many lamented that already, the famed “melting pot for traders from neigbhouring West African countries like Ghana, Cameroun, Chad, Ivory Coast and amongst others” has been reduced to a “ghost town” as we speak.
Many were quick to recall the twin incidents of the kidnapping of three Journalists who were coming back from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital at the end of the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) national executive council meeting and the abduction of 15 school children near Osisioma . Both incidents were linked to one Obioma Nwankwo, aka “Osisikankwu,” who, according to reports, had thrown the residents of Aba into an orgy of fear, bloodshed and inactivity. His reign of terror, which peaked between 2009 and 2010, still lingers in the people’s consciousness like the memories of a bad dream.
At the height of the waves of insecurity that rocked the state in general and Aba, the commercial city in particular, the federal government under the leadership of then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, was forced to establish the Army 14 Brigade at Ohafia and the 144 Battalion at Ukwa West Local Government Area, amongst other Forward Operation Bases (FOB) introduced across the state to combat the menace of crimes and criminals. Of course, Aba and its environs got the lion share of such security measure.
Following these measures and the seriousness attached to them by the then administration of former Governor Orji’s, peace appeared to have returned to the troubled commercial city as residents were once again able to go about their lawful duties without much harassment from hoodlums and criminals. But that respite became short-lived soon as the orgy of violence returned in no distant time.
According to visibly worried residents of the City, recent developments in Aba leave no one induct that the dreaded days are here again. They say crimes ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other vices are back in the metropolis to shatter the peace of the city and disrupt the recovering socioeconomic life of the people.
Terror returns in new styles
Investigation by The Nation revealed that the hoodlums who now operate mainly on tricycle (Keke) now come into town with confidence to kidnap, rob and or attack their victims at any time of the day and escape to neighbouring towns and villages after their operations which have left many people maimed and dead since the return to the dark days of insecurity.
“They also sometimes escape into neighboring states of Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers State through the many exit routes which are largely terrain too difficult for security agencies to pass when chasing after them. They have hideouts in impossible places too. Those terrorizing Aba are not residents of Aba alone. Many of them come from towns and cities far and near. Some come from other states and return there after their operations here.
They have their routes out of the city after unleashing terror on the people. Omuma, Obohia, Ihieorji, Ekeapkara, Ovom road, Ohanku, Ngwa road by East, Bata junction, Azikiwe, Port Harcourt road, Ogbor Hill, Brass junction by Owerri road, Okpulu Umuobo, Umuojima to mention but a few, are some of the routes used by these hoodlums to whisk their victims out of the town,” a worried resident, whose relative was recently kidnapped said.
Recently, a retired civil servant and her only son were abducted by a group of kidnappers. According to eye-witness accounts, the members of the gang, in age, would range between 16 to 20 years. But for the efforts of Soldiers from the 144 Battalion who rescued the boy from his abductors, the mother would have had to cough out the three hundred thousand naira ransom demanded by the dare-devil kidnappers.
“Following incessant threats by the kidnappers to kill her son and come after her, the woman had agreed to pay the ramose before the brilliant intervention by the Soldiers who bravely and carefully went after the abductors and rescued the boy. That is just one of the numerous cases of attacks by these criminals. In Aba today, it is a case of ‘one day, one crime’,” our source said.
The immediate past chairman of the Aba Branch of Nigeria Bar Association, (NBA) Chidozie Ogunji, is yet to fully recover from the scares he received from a kidnap attempt on him by one of the numerous gangs littering Aba as we speak. Although he was lucky top escape being abducted by his attackers, he was shot in the thigh by after it became obvious the plan to whisk him into hostage has failed.
Few weeks back, the Abia State Police Command foiled an attempt by gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers to kidnap a businessman at Azikiwe road, in Aba. According to sources, the incident which occurred at about 5pm near the Azikiwe/ Asa road junction, caused tension and fear in the area as the gunmen fired sporadic shots into the air.
Shop owners and motorists were said to have scampered for safety to escape being hit by stray bullets. The targeted victim, who was simply identified as a dealer on industrial sewing machines along Azikiwe road, and whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, was said to have taken to his heels as soon as he escaped being whisked by the gunmen.
A Police source told journalists that as soon as the Aba Area Commander, ACP Peter Wagbara, was alerted by the sporadic shooting, ordered his men to block suspected exit routes in the city.
“The hoodlums escaped through Ngwa Road by East Street through the popular Good Morning market. We followed, but couldn’t engage them in a shootout due to the number of people at the market.” The Police source further disclosed.
This was even as a yet-to-be identified victim was kidnapped at Immaculate Junction, along the ever busy Aba-Owerri Road, while another victim was being feared dead after he was shot at severally by armed men attempting to kidnap him within the city.
While moving a motion headlined “Need to curb the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery and killing in Aba, Abia State” on the floor of the House of Representatives in January, the lawmaker representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ossy Prestige, expressed worries that the spate of kidnapping, killing and armed robbery in and around Aba Metropolis in recent time is rapidly on the increase.
Prestige lamented that an average of five persons are kidnapped, robbed or maimed in and around the Aba Metropolis on daily basis. He stressed that the act of kidnapping the high and low in the commercial city are being perpetrated both in the day and at night. He said on Tuesday January 26, four persons were kidnapped in broad daylight within the spate of 45minutes at different strategic locations.
According to the lawmaker, the abductors were not apprehended and the victims were only released after they parted with some ransom. He however noted that the such incidents are making Aba residents to live in fears as well as causing massive exodus of people, goods and services from Aba in droves. The Aba North and South Federal lawmaker expressed fears that if the situation is not nipped in the bud soon, Aba may become a shadow of itself, which will also affect the economy of Aba North and South constituency and even the state adversely.
Anxiety mounts
Speaking on the resurgence of kidnapping and other violent crimes in Aba, the Foundation for Environmental Rights and Advocacy, (FENRAD) and the Civil Liberties Organization,(CLO) Aba Unit, had in separate statements, called on the security agencies in Aba and environs to work together in order not to allow the city return to the days of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
CLO, in a statement signed by its Aba Unit chairman, Prof. Charles Chinekezi said; “These criminals are here again. They have started attacking and abducting people. As a human right and civil society group, we have a duty to alert the authorities on the increasing crime rate in Aba and environs.”
Also lamenting the harm which kidnappers had caused the city, FENRAD in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nnanna Nwafor, recalled that, “In the last five years when the military came into this place by the efforts of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Abia state government, to tackled the incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes, the criminals ran away.
But they are gradually coming back. We should not allow the residents of Aba to suffer the insecurity of the past years when many of them relocated to other places. For instance, a lot of people have been abducted in the past one month. The criminals come between 9.30am and 5.30pm. They have abducted many businessmen, medical doctors, lawyers and politicians. Security agencies should re-strategize to curtail the re-emergence of violent crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery.”
FENRAD also urged the security agencies in Aba to be more dedicated to their duties of protecting lives and property as well as abstain from involving themselves in frivolous cases. The group said Soldiers should forget about mounting road blocks and concentrate on the job of securing the lives and properties of the people fog the troubled city. The group stated that insecurity can be effectively tackled in Aba and the state if there is a greater collaboration among security agencies.
“Today, soldiers have suddenly started mounting road blocks to replace the dismantled road blocks of the police force. They use small boys to collect tolls on the road and such activities tend to distract them. This has been the real problem that we are facing right now and that is why there is this breach in security which has given these criminals the leeway to re-launch their activities.”
A security expert, Mr. Okafor Timothy, in a chat with our reporter, attributed the rising cases of kidnapping and other related crime to lack of job, insincerity of the government and using youths as political thugs. He said many youths were armed with sophisticated weapons by politicians during the last election and abandoned after the election.
“It is these weapons we are daily seeing being used to kidnap, rob, kill and threaten people. It is these youths that are now all over Aba wrecking havoc since the politicians who armed them have abandoned them after winning or losing elections. And look at the amount of money said to have been looted by people who were in government. All these are responsible for the return of crime,” he said.
“If Abia State is to make headway in tackling insecurity in the state, let them device a strategy of mopping up guns that are in the hands of wrong persons. Let Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his economic team device a means of creating wealth and job opportunity(ies) for the teeming youths in the state. If not, the state government and security agencies will be chasing shadows because these guys from what I was told, are grounded.
They know the terrain very well. They know how to beat security checkpoints. They know where they will abandon vehicles and where they will use legs to escape. All these, the security apparatus in the state are yet to know. Aba and Ngwa land is a vast place with many escape and entrance routes. And before anything meaningful can be achieved, the politicians should get the names of the people they gave guns during elections. the state government should declare true amnesty for the boys,” he said.
A worrisome dimension
Last month, the fear of armed attacks in the city reached an alarming height when the convoy of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State was attacked by armed robbers, who were robbing commuters along Aba-Owerri Road. The incident took place near the same Immaculate Junction while the governor was coming back to Aba from Umuahia at 8p.m. Though no life was lost, sources said that the security details attached to the governor fired sporadic shots, which scared the robbers away.
Eye witnesses said the gunmen were robbing a suspected Lagos bound bus, when a pilot security van without siren and amber light approached the area. On sighting the security vehicle, the gunmen were said to have opened fire without knowing that it was the governor’s convoy.
“The robbers did not know that it was the governor. They thought that it could be the Army or police, but when they discovered it was the governor’s convoy with its full complement of security details, they took to their heels. I do not think it was the governor that the hoodlums wanted to attack. It is just that the governor’s convoy that was returning from work without the usual siren and the revolving amber light, ran into them,” a sources was quoted as saying.
In a press statement released to journalists by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Command, DSP Ezekiel Udeviotu, it was revealed that Ugwunagbo and Omoba Police divisions in the city rescued two children; aged two and three-years-old who were abducted by gunmen. According to the Police PRO, the two years old boy, whose name was not given, was abducted from the parents at gunpoint on 19th march 2016 was rescued by the Police at Owerrinta on 20th march 2016.
He said that the rescue of the boy was as a result of prompt report made by his parents to the Police of his abduction. According to the parents of the abducted child, the incident happened at about 8:30 pm on the fateful day when they were about going to bed as two masked men came into their house with short guns and ordered the husband to hand over the keys of his motorcycle to them.
When the gunmen learnt that the family had no motorcycle, they were said to have tied and blindfolded the couple apparently to prevent them from raising alarm and later made away with the child who was said to be sleeping at the time of the invasion. As soon as the abductors left, the couple, who managed to untie what they were bound with, rushed and reported the incident to the Police, who promptly alerted all patrol vehicles and other teams deployed in the state to watch out for the abductors and the victim.
The child, which was abandoned by the kidnappers on releasing they could not escape the Police manhunt after them, is said to have since been reunited him with his family.
Three year old Chidiebere, according to the Police, was abducted on his way from school on 24th February 2016 but was rescued on 18th march 2016 from Divine Mercy Orphanage home at Owerri in Imo State. He said that the rescue of the child followed a manhunt launched by the Police after he was declared missing by his parents.
“The synergy with the community paid off when a piece of information was processed into intelligence which led to the arrest of one John Ugorji, male aged 24 years of EziamaNvosi community who told the Police how he abducted the child on his way from school and sold him off to one Ijeoma Okro, female, aged 40 years of Okpu-umuobo road, Aba and a mother of six children, for two hundred and fifty thousand naira.
“Ijeoma Okro in turn sold the child for four hundred and ten thousand naira to the duo of Ugochi Akajiaku, female aged 38 years of Ahiazu Mbaise in Imo State, a mother of four and Marita Agulomu, female aged 38 years of Ukuogu Aboh-Mbaise, Imo state, a mother of five. Ugochi Akajiaku and Marita Agulomu in turn sold the abducted child for five hundred thousand naira to one Princess Chioma Ononiwu, female, the proprietress of Divine Mercy Orphanage home at Owerri, Imo State.”
Renewed efforts
Worried by the resurgent of criminal activities in the troubled city and in a renewed effort to ensure adequate protection of lives and property in Aba, the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, relocated its command headquarters to the city last February. Commanding Officer, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Brigadier General Lawrence Fejokwu, while announcing the relocation, said Aba had once again become a hot spot of criminal activities.
“I have gone around to familiarize myself with my location and men. My decision is that Aba have continued to be a hot spot especially on the issue of kidnapping. To this effect, I have decided to, after due clearance with my boss, the GOC, to relocate our tactical headquarters from Ohafia to Aba to see how far we can go in arresting the situation.
He vowed to collaborate with sister security agencies to end the resurgence of kidnapping in Aba and environs and make the city a safe haven for investors and residents. But residents say they are still waiting for the effect of the relocation as the city is yet to breadth a sigh of relieve from the menace of criminals and their collaborators.
Also, the State Government, which earlier banned the operation of tricycles between the hours of 7pm till 6am in Aba and Umuahia respectively, recently demolished the house of a kidnapper at Nkporo in Ohafia Local Government Area after soldiers from 14 Brigade, Ohafia arrested members of the gang who confessed to the crime.
The Nation also gathered that the state government has equally issued stern warning and vowed to dethrone any traditional ruler in the state in whose community the kidnappers keep their victims or use same as the take-off for their operations. The Police and the Army, amongst other sister agencies are also losing sleep over this ugly development and have in recent weeks, recorded several successes which came as results of well processed intelligence reports from members of the public.
On assumption of office as the Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Joshak Habila, in one of his interviews with newsmen in Aba, assured of the commitment of his command to tackle crime and criminality. This Habila said he was going to achieve through partnership with community leaders in various villages and local government areas of the state.
While waiting to see the outcome of the various efforts being put in place by the government and the security agencies to combat the activities of the criminals before they snuff life out of Aba, the commercial city, residents of the besieged City continue to live in fear and trepidation as kidnappers, armed robbers and other gunmen continue to unleash terror across the length and breadth of the city.
