The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Renewed hope and commonsense revolution 

    Renewed hope and commonsense revolution 

    GBADE OGUNWALE reviews the first 100 days of President Bola Tinubu’s assumption of office and the expectations of Nigerians

    President Bola Tinubu was sworn-in as President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces on May 29, 2023. He has spent 100 days in office. The “100th Day In Office” was coined by President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt who served as the 32nd American President from 1933 until his death in 1945. Roosevelt’s 100th day in office fell on June 12. Yes. June 12 of 1933. It’s a mere coincidence of dates with 50 years interval. But the date – June 12 of 1983, still rings loudly in Nigeria’s checkered democratic journey. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast to mark his 100 days in office, had sounded rather reflective: “We all wanted the opportunity of a little quiet thought to examine and assimilate in a mental picture the crowding events of the hundred days which had been devoted to the starting of the wheels of the New Deal”, he had said in his opening address. That fabled 90-year-old tradition, which was a creation of Roosevelt’s imaginative mind, has retained a symbolic significance across lands and climes to date. The period is now considered a benchmark for assessing salient actions and decisions taken by an incumbent President. For President Tinubu, this is no time for trumpet blowing neither is it for rolling out the drums in celebration. Rather, it’s time for deep reflections on the state of the nation at the time he took the reins of leadership and what the picture looks like 100 days into his tenure. Tinubu was a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), then in opposition. He had lamented the grim state of affairs in the country way back in 2015 under the watch of PDP’s Dr Goodluck Jonathan. The Jagaban had

    offered a cocktail of recipes on the way forward in an address he delivered at the 7th Annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium at Eko Hotel, Lagos on March 25, 2015. That historic address, entitled; Common Sense Revolution: The People’s Time Has Come, has, ironically, become a reference material for his own administration. It will also remain a reference material for politics and governance in decades to come. The situation in the country today calls for critical ruminations over the prescriptions offered by Tinubu in his 2015 document. Alas, the grim situation over which Tinubu lamented at the time, is today, far grimmer than it was then. The then opposition leader had stuck out his neck and reputation for then candidate Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Unfortunately, Buhari, through his many acts of commission and omission, ended up driving the country almost to a point if no return in his eight years as President. Not a few event watchers believe that the former Lagos State Governor deliberately foisted a Faustian  bargain on the nation with that choice. However, many others believe that he made a pig in the poke purchase. The preponderant opinion, is that he staked his bet on the wrong horse. And the country is back to the starting point. This piece shall focus mainly on the theme of Tinubu’s 2015 document, which has turned out to be more relevant today than it was at the time.

    Hear him: “Common Sense Revolution speaks to the need to elect patriotic leaders that can give hope to our best aspirations as a nation and people. It speaks to how we must elect thinkers and doers to work together to bring about a beautiful revival of the national spirit and the good fortune of the people.

    “It takes us to a place where luck, good or otherwise, is insufficient. We must move forward with conviction, courage and creativity to mould a better nation out of the clay we now hold in our hands.

    Read Also: I will not fail Nigerians – Tinubu

    “We must bring forth relief to the hard-pressed among us. For example, we have to finally end the sad chapter that Boko Haram has written in our history.

    “We must fight them boldly yet wisely. We must rebuild the afflicted areas in a way that extremism may never take root again. If this requires revamping our fighting forces, so be it. A few “Buhari Battalions” and “Osinbajo Brigades” (now Tinubu’s battalions and Shettima’s battalions) will do in months what the whole of Jonathan’s army could not do in six years. 

    “Some say we need a Marshall Plan to rebuild the region. They are correct in approach but mistaken in name. We shall establish a “Buhari/Osinbajo Plan” (now Tinubu/Shettima Plan) and it will work.

    “There is too much poverty in the land. We need a government that will improve the social safety net to help those who, through no fault of their own, cannot help themselves.

    “Pay the pensioner! Feed the hungry and care for the sickly! And improve the nutritional values of our school children. We will domesticate this economy to bring about recovery.

    …”Our APC Government will use its fiscal and monetary space to jumpstart the economy. Economic history tells us that countercyclical policy is the best remedy to what we face. To the present (past) government, such talk is revolutionary. To me, it is common sense.

    “Last, we must reform governance. Opaque budgets must be made transparent. NNPC, which today makes more money than we are told and other revenue-making bodies will not maintain two sets of books, one for public consumption and a secret one to show where the money really went. 20 billion dollars – enough to fund government for a year – shall no longer disappear as if by magic!

    “We fight no one and hate no one. We are all Nigerians. However, some things we do to each other must stop. We are better than how we seem and how the nation now performs. We must commit ourselves to our better nature that we may enjoy a better nation. This does not require any special genius. All it requires is the common sense to recognise we share a common fate and destiny. In your hands and actions lies so much of my future and in my hands, lies much of yours.

    …”The only violence that is to be done is to violence, injustice and poverty themselves.

    “At its essence, a common sense revolution is a call to return to a level of decency in the relationship between government and the governed, between each one of us and his neighbour.

    “This implies that the society in which we live is a far distance from the society that should exist. A revolution in mind, spirit and action is needed to close this gap between what is today and what ought to be.

    …”Briefly, these are the tenets of a common sense revolution. We need this bold approach because too much has gone wrong for too long.

    “Now is the appointed time to rise up and work together to build a new country. A new day for a better Nigeria is possible”. These are some key excerpts from that timeless document”. Quite a brilliant exposé.

    Now it’s time for President Tinubu to wholly own the concept, words and letters of his common sense revolution. Now, the cobbler has taken hold of the last. President Tinubu now has the opportunity to steer his brand of revolution in a direction he believes it should go.

    Tinubu’s policy actions and decisions so far, seem to resonate with his avowed governance perspectives. With a single whiff, he outlawed the Frankenstein monster called petrol subsidy minutes after his inauguration on May 29. It was followed by the abolishment of the dual exchange rate regime. This has led to the floating of the Naira and merging the exchange rate market. Then the suspension of the almighty erstwhile “sole proprietor” of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. Meffy’s iniquitous policy choices damaged the nation’s monetary system for nine years. Emefiele has since been holding useful discussions with government investigators and security agencies over his stewardship as CBN Governor. The President has issued four Executive Orders guiding operations in the business and financial sector. They are: The Finance Act (Effective Date Variation) Order, 2023, which has now deferred the commencement date of the changes contained in the Act from May 28, 2023 to September 1, 2023. This is to ensure adherence to the 90-day minimum advance notice for tax changes as contained in the 2017 National Tax Policy; The Customs, Excise Tariff (Variation) Amendment Order, 2023. This has also shifted the commencement date of the tax changes from March 27, 2023 to August 1, 2023 and also in line with the National Tax Policy: An Order suspending the five percent Excise Tax on telecommunication services as well as the Excise Duties escalation on locally manufactured products; Suspension of the newly introduced Green Tax by way of Excise Tax on Single Use Plastics, including plastic containers and bottles; and Order suspending Import Tax Adjustment levy on certain vehicles, to create a business-friendly environment. The President, on July 13, declared a state of emergency on food security with immediate effect. By this, all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, have been brought within the purview of the National Security Council. On July 20, the National Economic Council (NEC), rolled out palliative plans to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on Nigerians. Part of the plans was a N5 billion grant to each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. So far, each state has received N2 billion of the sum. The package also includes cash award policy for civil servants, payment of outstanding liabilities to civil servants, special funding for the growth of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Also for immediate implementation is the Energy Transition Plan. This will see a shift from reliance on petrol to cheaper and more environment friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Eventual use of electric cars in not so distant future are also on the cards. On Tuesday, August 8, the President inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms. The committee is charged with effective revenue generation strategy and raising the tax-to-GDP ratio from single digit, to above 18 percent in three years among other responsibilities. It is also charged with the job of freeing taxable Nigerians, especially low and middle income earners from the current suffocating multiple tax regime. The committee, headed by a taxation expert, Taiwo Oyedele has already hit the ground running. However, Nigerians still look up to their President for effective policy changes in the nation’s oil sector. Many believe that the government should let go of the nation’s four moribund refineries and take steps to recover the billions of dollars purported to have been spent on them by successive administrations. More importantly, Nigerians expect the Tinubu administration to urgently work towards local refining and end the shame of petrol importation. According to village analysts, it amounts to collective foolishness explaining to Mama Vero that her community sells all its yam tubers to far flung communities only to turn around and buy pounded yam from the buyer communities at exorbitant prices. They ask if it is not foolisher explaining to the villagers that the reason for the kobo-wise-naira-foolish transactions, is that the community’s  mortar and pestle at home are broken beyond repairs. “Or how else does one explain the nonsense in the sense of our leaders who export crude oil and spend the proceeds on high-cost petrol imports”, asked a village analyst. In the Nigerian situation, no amount of palliatives can take the heavy yoke of high petrol prices off the people’s already bent shoulders while importation continued. Nigerians are looking up to their President to tackle this contradiction to drive home his common sense revolution.

    Indeed, this is quite a testy job for President Tinubu and his team of cabinet ministers, advisers and policy executors. For the President, it’s a job requiring a great deal of grit and guts. And gumption too. It also demands a blend of emotional intelligence and rational anger. The rules are quite straightforward. For him to succeed, he must attune himself to an impartial credo of no-friend-no-foe when dealing with observed cases of tardiness among his appointees. Whatever is sauce for a foe (if any) should also be sauce for a friend in equal measures.

    He must learn to imbibe the shrewd wit of the Jew and be able to dispense justice like Themis in matters affecting members of his team. The President must listen more to Nigerians than to his praise-singing party men and women who will always applaud even if their man commits murder. He must grow a skin thicker than the crocodile’s to enable him deflect descructive criticisms as they come. Tinubu must learn to be deaf to the hullabaloo of sniggering voices around his person and office. Those asking for sanits to lead them are looking in the wrong places. The President is no saint.

    He does not pretend to be one. The “saints” of his critics’ fantasies can be found only in cemeteries. This reality they choose to spurn. There is nowhere in the world where preferred “saintly” leaders are recruited from cemeteries. For all they care, Nigerians are more interested in a leader that can deliver on his mandate. A leader that can guarantee and protect their rights and human freedoms. A leader that can guarantee the security of their lives and property at all times. A President who will not discriminate against them on account of their ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status. A leader with a free spirit that embraces  all without regards to race or creed. Nigerians, in their millions, will naturally go for a leader that shows a capacity to slake their hunger. Above all, the streets are more interested in having a leader that can turn their economic fortunes around for the better, even if his acronym sounds like the bat. Yes. BAT! Humans everywhere in the world, have their lives tied directly to the economy, private or public. This fact loudly resonates with James Carville’s 1992 famous quip: “It’s the economy, stupid”. Carville, a political strategist, had handled former US President Bill Clinton’s successful presidential campaign that eventually unhorsed then incumbent, George Bush. President Tinubu has just spent 100 days of a total of 1461 days he had in his first tenure. It’s just like yesterday. Ticktock, ticktock, ticktock…time is fast ticking for the remaining 1361 days. Can Mr President hear the sound of the clock? Time flies! 

  • Five ‘red flags’ in a new relationship

    Five ‘red flags’ in a new relationship

    When starting a new relationship, there are things or actions one needs to carefully observe to know whether your partner is fully into you.

    Here are five red flags to note:

    Boring conversation

    It’s important to always have lively conversation. They should be your friends first in the talking stage. And the only way to achieve that can be from the frequent conversation When the conversations goes like “Hey” “How are you?” “Fine” “Have you eaten?” and you have nothing else to say. When conversations are boring, it’s a sign there is a huge lack of compatibility and commitment.

    Conversation shouldn’t always be about S3x

    The s3xual attraction between the two of you is important, but if that is the driving point of your interactions with each other, then you need to jump ship. If, on the first interaction, they are solely focused on having s3x with you, the most likely thing is that it’s only s3x they are interested in. Plus, introducing s3x so early might cloud your judgment; if the s3x is so good, you might ignore the other red flags.

    Read Also; PDP will bounce back – Atiku

    Describing ex as villain

    Everyone else is a villain in their story. When they talk about their exes or family and friends, is everyone else wrong and they are perfect? This is a sign that they lack emotional intelligence and evade responsibility. Be on the lookout for people who talk about how good they are; this is a form of emotional manipulation. Look at how they treat others, like drivers and waiters—are they always complaining?

    Indecisive

    Whenever they are indecisive. You don’t even know if they like you or not. Today they call you for hours, but you don’t hear from them for the next two days. You can tell them how you notice they are indecisive, if they don’t change but make a lot of excuses, just leave them alone

    Faking busy

    Even if they spend all their day saving lives, they should never be too busy for you. This is the stage where you both want to talk and get to know each other. If they don’t talk to you often and their excuse is that they are busy, just know they are not interested. We are on our phones almost all the time, and if he or she can’t pick up the phone to call or reply to your texts, call it a quit

  • My battles with randy lecturers opposed to CCTV cameras on campus – UNIZIK VC Esimone

    My battles with randy lecturers opposed to CCTV cameras on campus – UNIZIK VC Esimone

    • Says two already dismissed for sexual harassment
    • Alleges host community frustrating development efforts

    Prof. Charles Esimone assumed office as the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State in 2019. He has since taken the institution from 36th position to 4th while he insists of taking it to the number one position not only in Nigeria but Africa. In this interview with The Nation duo of Southeast Bureau Chief NWANOSIKE ONU and EMMA ELEKWA, the VC, whose tenure is billed end in less than a year from now, lists the challenges, pains and gains of his tenure.

    On assuming office in 2019, you vowed to make UNIZIK one of the best universities in Nigeria. The institution, which ranked 36th then, has since moved up to fourth. How did you manage to attain the feat?

    It has not been easy because nationally and globally, we have been having a lot of challenges. And you know when the challenges come, they either hinder you from meeting expected targets or bring out the innovation in you, because your ability to surmount challenges is what makes you a vibrant, dynamic and successful leader.

    As you rightly said, we came with a vision of what we tagged “Project 200” to make Nnamdi Azikiwe University one of the best 200 universities in the world and among the 10 best in Africa and number 1 in Nigeria. That vision is predicated upon five pillars which we summarized in the acronym for ACADA, A standing for Academic excellence, C for Community development, another A for Administrative reforms, D for Discipline and the last A for Advancement for whatever infrastructure that had been laid by my predecessors. As such, we are not expected to abandon any project or destroy any but to build on the foundation.

    Read Also: ‘Embrace education with character training’

    What were some of the challenges you encountered on assuming office?

    We assumed office on June 4, 2019, and six months after, we were faced with COVID-19; a global pandemic that shut down virtually everything everywhere. That was a very major challenge because we couldn’t move or execute programmes and projects and, of course, that also came with attendant paucity of funds. No activity either from the federal government grants or local innovations we were trying to put in place.

    After Covid-19, we witnessed the strike, followed by a little space of activity before another strike occurred. One of the strikes was general, including academic and non academic staff. Even after resumption, the recent removal of fuel subsidy and its attendant troubles, we are now grappling with all of these as the center cannot hold.

    Put together, we can identify two major challenges. One is funding. It drastically reduced, especially the sources. Insecurity followed, hindering activities seriously. Some of the major foreign partners we have, who made commitments in writing and words to assist us, are afraid to come. They can’t deploy their personnel and resources. Recently we had a very vibrant team from the US who managed to come for an international conference. But before now, they didn’t want to come. Even those from Germany we are discussing a project on energy with are afraid to come. They came and did some visibility studies early last year, but when insecurity increased, they disappeared. These are people that saw our vision and showed interest, but they all ran away.

    Then, of course, is the challenge of economic meltdown, which also affected the students, who are major stakeholders. Some of them found it difficult to pay their fees and other levies, and you will blame neither them nor their parents. One of the things we have noticed is that when you have insecurity coupled with paucity of funds, you will never have a stable system, because even those who want to work with time frame to accomplish their activities will be frustrated.

    Talking about paucity of funds, I recall your predecessors complained about non-receipt of N500 million take off grant. What is the situation with that?

    We still have not received that. We’ve made a lot of efforts, but it is yet to come. So I have decided not to focus on that but to go through other means to source for funds. I must say that we have enjoyed certain level of federal government funding, but this is purely through personal relationships and manoeuvring here and there, including the National Assembly.

    We have also had lots of special interventions from TetFUND. My relationship with members of the National Assembly has made them bring their personal projects. Directly or indirectly, I’ve compelled them, through goodwill, to invest in the university. At some point, it was as if they were competing on who would do the biggest project here.

    I got a sitting House of Representatives member from Enugu to site his water regulation project in this place. But for the take off grant, we have not gotten any at the moment.

    Apart from federal government and politicians, what are your other sources of funding for the institution?

    Strictly by personal endowment; trying to reach out to well-meaning individuals to invest here. As we speak, we have reached out to Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, the BUA group man. He is currently embarking on a N1 billion students’ centre. I was able to attract Alhaji Aliko Dangote who promised us two hostels. Unfortunately, he has not commenced. The last time I reached him, he gave assurances. There were some initial hicups. I like the man; a very simple person. He opened up to me that he did not want to build an elitist hostel. He wants a hostel that an average student can afford to pay for. He said those who live in elitist hostels don’t need his intervention, because they can pay for them. We were thinking he was coming to build self-contained, air-conditioned hotels. But he said no, he wanted the type of hostel he lived in as a student.

    That mix-up prevented the project from kicking off for more than nine months, because we finished our designs and sent to him but didn’t hear from him until I met him face to face and he explained to me exactly what he wanted, and we decided to rework the plan with certain adjustments and sent back to him. Once he approves, work will commence.

    Then, through Senator Ben Ndi Obi, we are building a Zik’s centre for research also. It is dedicated to the memories of Nnamdi Azikiwe himself. He got support from the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) which is funding it. Again, there is Chief Emeka Anyaoku’s Centre. Senator Linda Ikpeazu is also doing a maritime centre situated in Onitsha. Funding for that has been released, but there is a challenge which I must confess publicly. You attract a project and the common man is thinking government is paying us money for that. For the past one year, Senator Ikpeazu’s maritime project is yet to commence because the benefactor wanted it to be in Onitsha, close to the waterways.  We’ve got sites, done procurements and mobilised contractors to site, but Onitsha indigenes are frustrating the work, sueing government and us for their land. The Obi of Onitsha has done all he could, including mediatory moves, pleading with his people to see the need for the project, which their children will benefit from, yet they refused. As a result, we have changed the location three consecutive times and we are re currently in a dilemma.

    Meanwhile, the cost of building materials keep skyrocketing, and the contractor is talking about variations. If we had envisaged this challenge, we would have pleaded it be situated in the university where we have land. This is a project that would have benefited not just the people of Onitsha or Anambra but the entire Southeast.

    On her part, Senator Uche Ekwunife is building a skilll acquisition centre which is almost completed. Also remember, during the COVID-19 pandemic, through Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, we were able to get a wonderful and standard hospital, courtesy of Anambra Progressive Union. There is also another endowment by one young man from Adazi-ani (Chiko). He is doing a 500 seater auditorium for the Faculty of Social Sciences. I think they are almost at lintel level. Yet, there’s another young man from Enugu Ukwu (Onwa). He is doing an ICT for the Environmental Sciences faculty. That one is also at lintel level. All these are personal endowments.

    At Nnewi, we had problem of accreditation because they didn’t have staff offices. So I got a young man, an alumnus of the school. He is doing office complex and classrooms for the Faculty of Medicine, which is also at lintel level. We really appreciate the man because he came at a time when the accreditation team insisted on such facilities before they would give approval. The man gave us December deadline assurances.

    There are others who have started, including Igwe of Obosi who is doing a centre for Psychology.

    We also have lots of endowments from TetFUND, including completed Faculty of Social Sciences building and Faculty of Education, Department of Vocational Education and Faculty of Pharmacy with two structures, all completed. We also used TetFUND special interventions to do the first molecular diagnostics laboratory, where we can analyse COVID-19 related issues. I don’t think we have such in the entire Southeast; well furnished and equipped.

    We repeated another one in Agulu through PPP. We got a private investor who also did a state of the art. That one is yet to be commissioned, but it is already in use. We also have wonderful TetFUND lab, a urological centre at Neni, which is part of the campus but under-utilised. We have not started using it. Hopefully, before October ending, the place will be fully in use.

    We also have a TetFUND center of excellence here for biomedical, engineering and agricultural translational research. Interest ingly, I was the one that wrote that £1.5b grant. Investors can take advantage of it. It is purely for training for Masters and PhD students. I sited it in Science Village deliberately to open up that area. We are also transforming part of the old medical centre to diagnostic centre. So altogether, we have three medical centres in the university with several consultants – pediatricians, gynecologists. So it can serve as a pseudo teaching hospital.

    What about other forms of infrastructure, like roads?

    In terms of roads, we also got some endowments. I even received a call from FERMA within the week, informing me that they have awarded another project, internal roads in Ifite Ogwari, which was previously in IGR budget which we don’t have. Before now, I got their approval to do the science village roads, which initially was impassable. There were no funds from the university on that. I only met the leadership. The one I’m focusing now is Nnewi-Okofia Road, which is in a bad state.

    Meanwhile, many don’t know we have a primary school in Nnewi, Okofia Campus, bigger than the one here in Awka, which was also built through FGN capital intervention. That was in 2020. As we are touching the university, we are also touching the auxiliary primary school. We are also working on our Zoological gardens. The project is a marvelous one. The location was completely forest but we decided to convert it to a Zoo. Even though it is a work in progress, students are already going there for sight-seeing. The bigger animals we are trying to put in fortified enclosures, like lions and tigers, are ready, but I asked them not to bring them now. We’ll be bringing them little by little so they can grow gradually.

    Students are also learning how to take care of the animals. We also have natural fish ponds. We already have monkeys while bamboos and chimpanzees will be brought in soon. We intend to make it conservation and tourist sites where actors and actresses can visit and get the history of various animals. While passing through the expressway, you will notice we have created a golf course. For the past two months now, I’ve been playing golf there. No support from the university. One of the secrets to all these is that we’re strengthening our business venture getting investors to drive it.

    In a nutshell, in terms of infrastructure and human capital, we have worked a lot. We embarked on aggressive training. Even as a faculty Dean, I noticed that the greatest deficiency of most staff is inability to write grants. People were shy and afraid. So I started building them on grantsmanship gradually. As we speak, many are now writing grants because they see how easy it is to get even external grants. That is how a university should be. In the western world, lecturers are graded by how much money they are bringing from grants, not by what you are being paid.

    The one I earlier said I wrote was meant for older university, but because of how short and articulate mine was, they dropped the one from UNN, sorry to say, but picked UNIZIK. I also got a grant during the COVID-19 outbreak. This is one of the soft skills we have been able to build in our staff, be it technologists or academic or administrative staff and even students. They go for training in batches. This I have also built in through the National Assembly. I believe in human capital development, because if human beings are not trained, whatever we’re doing will die.

    We also did a wonderful innovation in Agriculture. Environment is a major aspect of any society. I partnered with National Conservation Forum (NCF) and we started embarking on aforestation. We’re doing conscious tree planting and we’re focusing on cash crops, funded by NCF, planting about 60,000 trees – melina, cashew nuts, among others. We are repeating same in Ifite Ogwari. We are also planning a mega farm in Ifite Ogwari (outside the one we currently have here) in partnership with some investors. We are about signing an MoU. We put all these in our master plan.

    By the way, my administration masterminded the review of our masterplan. Before now, the university didn’t have an up to date masterplan. As a result, buildings were coming up indiscriminately and it was making us a laughing stock. We have also reviewed our strategic plan so we can now know where structures will be, what programmes we have in next few years, among others.

    We also have plans to establish a microfinance bank. The site has been located, it remains funding. I am already discussing with those to fund it. The cooperative society will be part of the major stakeholders. I believe that in the next six months, we will have one.

    Talking about A-C-A-D-A, how far have you gone with the aspect of discipline?

    We’ve recorded a lot of progress in terms of discipline, which is a major part of my administration. There are two things involved in discipline. First is fairness, because if you are biased, it will be difficult to instill discipline. We have a great challenge here; many still operate in the old system where people are afraid of being accused of reporting evil. But if you don’t, it will be difficult to discipline the culprit. I tell them I don’t rely on gossip or do forensic investigation. If you see something, put it down and send to me. That is evidence. Once I see it, I take action because it is verifiable. Before now, examination misconduct took two years to tackle. But now, within a few weeks, we would have taken a decision. Besides, Senate is every month and no longer once a year as was obtainable in the past. Such cases are handled during Senate meetings. I know we still have a long way to go in terms of discipline.

    Again, there are lots of people with phobia for ICT; those who don’t like changes. In everything we are doing, we’ve decided to make ICT the driving hub. For instance, our appraisals are now digital. For the first time, external appraisal that cost us lots of money and time is now digital. All our staff documents are uploaded electronically. The same applies to orientation. Before now, orientation for first year students was done manually. We gathered the students under the sun where they would be addressed by the VC and other authorities. Meanwhile, three quarters of them are busy leaking ice cream or chatting, without hearing what was being said. As such, the purpose of the orientation was defeated. Now, once you’ve gone through the clearance, you get the link and log in online and go through the entire process, which is followed by questions to test whether you understood the lectures. If you fail, it will take you back to the module until you pass and you will be congratulated for another level of module.

    All students are mandated to undergo the process, whether they like it or not. It is just seamless; all at their comfort and convenience. Within two or three weeks, you’re done, and you’ll receive a message, “Welcome to Nnamdi Azikiwe University” and you’ll be issued a registration number. This was introduced this year. Virtually everything we are doing here, e-learning management system for large classes for regular students, sandwich and Continuous Education Programme, is digital. But we’re introducing them gradually and slowly. The results are there and many are calling me to appreciate us for the innovation.

    There is also an app dedicated for students to appraise their lecturers. It is a short questionnaire filled anonymously. For now, we don’t intend to use it to punish the lecturers. But eventually, it will be used for their assessment. We had earlier installed CCTV cameras in the entire university in terms of security. But we had the challenge of sabotage. Some were removed. But we are trying to reactivate them.

    The good news is that we got an endowment from an alumnus of this institution, Onyedika, who is graciously donating 1,060 cameras to us. He has already installed about 50 of them in strategic areas, including lecture halls which will assist us detect exam malpractices. Lecturers are not using them, but we are talking with ICT officers to ensure they are all activated so we can have evidence.  Again, we intend to install the cameras in staff offices, but we are meeting oppositions. Some don’t want it, but I’m going to insist because of the several cases of sexual harassments here and there. The only way you can prove your innocence is to allow the camera in your office. This is one of the last things I’ll like to do. If they want to crucify me, so be it. But I will insist, because nobody has privacy in a public office. They can mount 20 in my office, I wouldn’t mind.

    Have you been able to dismiss any member of staff over sexual harassments?

    Yes, two of them: one from the Faculty of Law and the other from Pharmacy faculty. We don’t have many of them because of lack of evidence, because the students are afraid of reporting such cases. I have called the students’ union government executive and told them not to be afraid of intimidation when the lives and dignity of their members are in danger. That is why the cameras are needed. If only people will come up with verifiable evidence, those caught will be shown the exit door immediately.

  • How we dealt with bandits in Nasarawa – Retired AIG Longe

    How we dealt with bandits in Nasarawa – Retired AIG Longe

    Bola Longe is a retired Assistant Inspector of Police and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State. The member of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the APC in the last general elections has five degrees in various disciplines including Political Science and Law. He spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI on national security, his relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the 2023 elections, among other issues.

    What was your experience as a member of the PCC of the APC in the last general elections?

    Immediately I left the Nigeria Police on the 27th of August 2021, I travelled to Osun State to register as a member of the APC in my ward: Ilesha West Ward 1. The paper was perfected and taken to Oshogbo, the capital of Osun State. So I am a member of the APC.

    Before the election, I campaigned for the APC all over the country, particularly in Osun, Oyo and, to some extent, Nasarawa State where I served as a Commissioner of Police. Nasarawa is more or less like my second state of origin. I built a church there, and they see me as part of them.

    Read Also: ‘Embrace education with character training’

    Immediately I left the police, I was operating partially from Lafia, then Ibadan and to some extent Ilesha and Abuja, the federal capital. I went around and did underground work, mobilising people, both great and small, telling them about my belief in Asiwaju (Tinubu). I told them that Asiwaju had the capacity, aura, leverage, acumen and political sagacity, the political life and the capacity to turn around the economy of this country, and because of that, I worked for him.

    Before the election, I was nominated as a member of the Presidential Campaign Council. I was a member of the Committee for Security and Intelligence Directorate. I was a member of the Independent Campaign Council as well. I was a member of the Intelligence and Security Department of the ICC. I used the instrumentality of the two directorates to campaign for Asiwaju. We were everywhere.

    Even when the presidential campaign was launched in Jos, which was opening the campaign office in Jos, I was the one who offered Christian prayer as a pastor. Apart from that, as a pastor, I mobilised Christians to support Asiwaju. I prayed and told God to show me who would be the President in July 2022, and I saw Asiwaju. And not only that day alone, I saw him on several occasions and I recorded everything for future reference.

    I was among those who worked for Asiwaju before and during the election. I carried out an extensive campaign for him. I give glory to God, He gave us success at the poll and we are rejoicing for that now. And by the grace of God, we will continue to rejoice with Asiwaju and believe in him that he will give us the needed impetus to move this country to greater heights.

    By the grace of God, Nigeria will be the giant of Africa in every ramification; a giant with strong muscles; a giant that can lead Africa when it comes to matters of international affairs. Nigeria will lead Africa to the comity of nations.

    When you were the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, you confronted crime and criminality to the extent that incidents of crime reduced noticeably. Now that banditry has returned to the Middle-Belt, what do you think the government should be doing?

    One thing I want people to know is that this country is extensively big and we have big forests in different parts of the country. If you go to Niger State, Nasarawa, Kogi, parts of Benue, parts of Kaduna, parts of Plateau and parts of Taraba, these are northern states. There are thick forests in these areas. What we were told in Geography is that we have guinea savannah in all these parts of the country, but we have thick forests. From what I saw when I was the Commissioner of Police, the total area of Nasarawa State, Nasarawa Local Government particularly, Mararaba, Odede area, there are thick forests there. All these areas must be subjected to total monitoring. They must be subjected to surveillance. There must be a strategic partnership among

    the security agencies: the police, the military and Department of State Security Service, and to some extent, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps. By the time all of them work together, we will be able to tackle the problem of insecurity in this country. Intelligence is a must. Without intelligence, there is nothing any government can do. The police, the military and the DSS must work together. The DSS must provide intelligence for the police and the military to work. But if they are fighting or quarrelling among themselves, the impact will be negative on the security architecture of the country.

    When I was the CP of Nasarawa State, I mobilised all the security agencies. We worked together as one body. I told them that there were no super-ordinate or subordinate relationships. We were not talking about individual interests; we were talking about the corporate interests of the Nigerian state, and all of us must work together. We were established for the advancement of the Nigerian people, so there was no need for somebody to say he was fighting individualistic interests.

    So we worked together. We mobilised members of the public. I travelled all over the state. In every nook and cranny of the state, I mobilised people, telling them that without them there was nothing security agencies could do. And because of that, they were phoning me from the remotest parts of the state. I gave them my phone number. I gave them the number of DC Operations. I gave the numbers of area commanders, and the numbers of DPOs in their areas, and we were getting information. Before anything could be done, we would know and we would nip it in the bud.

    When I was the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, we dealt with the bandits. The military and the police formed a strategic partnership. We worked together and we disengaged them, particularly those of them who were trying to set up another area of influence in the Toto area of the state and part of Kogi and Benue. We dealt with them decisively. We dislodged them, we neutralised their capacity and we had a leeway over them. Because of that, we drastically reduced the influence of kidnappers and armed robbers in Nasarawa State.

    It got to a stage where people were moving freely because we formulated security policies and constructed security templates.

    Before, places like Maraba Udede Bridge, people were not passing through the place. Then from Keffi, Nasarawa-Toto was impassable. But when I became the Commissioner of Police, I said this was my route when I was a Deputy Commissioner at staff college. The road, Abaji-Toto, had been deserted. The area had been completely messed up. Immediately I came, I set up special security templates in eight places on that road, the police operational point. And because of that, the kidnappers could not come there anymore. The members of the public in that area supported us.

    There was a day we arrested 65 kidnappers in the Toto Local Government Council. There was a time when we arrested more than 50 kidnappers in Maraba, Igede area, and because of that, they were forced to relocate to other states.

    Criminals don’t want to die; they want to commit crimes, make money and enjoy their lives. If they face strong opposition from security agencies, they will relocate.

    My advice to the President is that through the National Security Adviser’s office, he must make sure that all the security agencies work together. Anybody that is not ready to cooperate should be shown the way out.

    Also, security is money. Money must be spent on security. When you neglect security, it will affect the economy of the whole country. People who are not corrupt should be put in charge of security; not people who will be looking for money to expand their financial fortune.

    The military and the police must perform their constitutional and statutory duties; not that they will be doing what they like. I told them when I assumed office as CP Nasarawa that I didn’t come to Nasarawa to make money, and that they should not give me money; they should give me intelligence. They gave me intelligence and I made use of the intelligence. So the intelligence arm of the security agency must be empowered. They must pass intelligence to end users. Intelligence must not be hoarded. Intelligence must not stay on anybody’s table. If intelligence is delayed, it will not be effective anymore.

    I believe in Asiwaju. I believe in his government. Asiwaju will turn around our security fortune in this country such that members of the public will be able to move freely. But with the way things are right now, the security of the country is in a coma.

    The question many would want to ask you is that as a member of the PCC, Directorate of Intelligence and Security, member of the Independent Campaign Council, one would expect you to assist the government in fighting insecurity…

    I’m ready to put myself forward for whatever assignment is given to me. I am a police technocrat; a security technocrat. Any assignment committed to my hand will be maximally, productively and perfectly performed by me. I have never been a failure. Even when I was a students’ union president, I performed to the extent that the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Banjo, said they never had it so good the way they had it when I was the students’ union president at the University of Ibadan. Any assignment given to me, I always do with all my strength, with my soul, with prayer, with total commitment. So, any assignment given to me in this country, people will feel the impact.

    As DC Operation in Ogun State, I worked with my commissioner and we succeeded. As a Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, I worked with my subordinates and other security agencies; we succeeded. Even as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, we worked to bring peace to the Plateau. I was the officer in charge of the criminal bureau in Oyo State. We implemented a lot of things and peace was brought to Oyo State.

    One of our problems in this country is the rootedness of the criminal industry, particularly the level of corruption in the country. We need to fight corruption. If we fight corruption, security will improve, health care will improve, governance will improve, the education sector will improve and our roads will improve. But the level of corruption in this country is high. People say they will fight corruption to a standstill. It is an abnormal situation to be talking about fighting corruption to a standstill. We should fight corruption and defeat it.

    If I am saddled with a position to handle any arm of government that is fighting corruption, they will see success. They will see improvement. They will see the defeat of corruption. The country will move forward. I have the leeway. I have the audacity. I have the boldness. I have the training. I have the acumen. I have the leverage to fight corruption. I have never been a party to corruption. My hands are clean.

  • Residents at risk of epidemic as hawkers flood Lagos Island with contaminated water

    Residents at risk of epidemic as hawkers flood Lagos Island with contaminated water

    • Most labels on sachet, bottled water fraudulent – Nutritionist  

    • We’re already supplying potable water to parts of Lagos Island – LWC

    For ages, many parts of Lagos Island have lacked access to potable water in spite of being surrounded by the sea and the lagoon. Manufacturers of myriads of sachet and bottled water are said to be feasting on this by flooding the area with their products. Tanker drivers whose source of water and hygiene of their tanks cannot be ascertained are also not left out. They are all ‘cashing out’ on the communities where clean water is gold. Experts are of the view that water sold in the area should frequently be subjected to tests to save the people from being exposed to needless health crises, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    Bassey, a resident of Lagos Island has a challenge getting clean water from his borehole. The water from the borehole, like many others in the area, contains large quantity of iron. He cannot use it in its natural form for any of his domestic needs.

    After some time of growing grey hair over the challenge, he devised a means to get around the problem.

    Explaining the strategy that he adopted, Bassey said: “I have what I call a ground tank. I pump water into a ground tank and leave it for a day for it to settle.

    “When it settles, I will pump it into the tank at the top. With that, I would have clean water.

    “With that system in place, I have been able to live in the place for about eight years without having challenges with water.”

    Good as his strategy appears, Bassey can only use the water to cook. “I can’t drink it,” he said. “We take bottled water in the house to avoid water borne diseases.”

    But the bottled water brand that Bassey prides to be very safe may not be safe after all. A water facility operated by a woman suspected to be an agent of the manufacturer of the bottled water was recently found to be adulterating the product.

    She was said to be refilling dispenser bottles of the product with content from public sources.

    Lagos State officials who visited the facility on inspection mission discovered that there was no proper storage system for the water, adding that the products were also displayed outside in an unfavourable condition.

    Many of such adulterated packaged water are feared to have found their ways to the Island where clean water is a great treasure.

    “We really have a huge problem with clean water. At times, some water may be clean but it would not be drinkable. So, bottled water is what we consider as truly drinkable here,” Lizzy, another resident said.

    “We take bottled water in my house to stay away from water borne diseases, but the truth is that you don’t know how good the so-called bottled water is.

    “It is just that you at least have some hope that it is better than consuming the confirmed polluted groundwater.”

    Asked if she fears some top brands of bottled water could be adulterated, Lizzy said: “Nothing is impossible in Nigeria, especially here in Lagos. One cannot vouch for all these things they sell all over the place as safe bottled water.

    “It is just that many people believe that bottled water is rarely adulterated unlike pure water that anyone can do at the back of his house.

    “That is why you find that the bottle water business is thriving here.  Some people buy tens of packs to keep in their houses because the water they have in their houses is not drinkable.

    “Some are not even fit for cooking. They are only good for flushing the toilet and for some other uses.”

    Mike Owhoko, publisher of Media Issues, an online newspaper, in a recent write up, raised the alarm about how Lekki and its environs have been flooded with myriads of bottled and sachet water, some of which he said have predisposed the people to diseases.

    His words: “Lekki residents are exposed to water-related diseases engendered by sub-standard and unregulated sources of water supply.

    “Increasing cases of dysentery and diarrhoea-induced pathogenic bacteria infections have sparked concerns on public health in the area.

     “By Lekki, I mean the geographical area straddling between Tollgate and Victoria Garden City (VGC).

    “Despite its aquatic location bordered by the sea and the lagoon, clean water is hard to find due to its peculiar topography.”

    Regrettably, Owhoko said, “This has encouraged all manner of water merchants, using boreholes, tanker trucks and bottled water with questionable hygiene conditions lacking the capacity to pass purity test, to flood the area with their products.

    “Ajah, an area adjacent to Lekki, has a good water table with a thick protective layer.

    “This has led to the emergence of water vendors who use trucks/tanks to deliver and sell water to Lekki residents.

    “Notwithstanding, there are concerns about hygiene.

    “These tanker trucks are seldom washed and are prone to contamination. Some of these trucks have been in operation for over 10 years, yet operators do not deem it fit to wash them, thereby exposing residents to infections.

    “Besides, in the course of dispensing water, tanker trucks pollute the environment through the generation of noise and carbon monoxide, causing health hazards.

    “This leaves Lekki residents helpless, confining them to bottled water, which they believe are reliable. But they are wrong!

    “The risk of contamination in bottled and sachet water is also high due to adulteration and imitation fueled by greed.”

    Continuing, he said: “There are so many bottled water brands in circulation, all contending to capture the Lekki market share. “Those who believe their brands lack the capacity to compete resort to producing counterfeit by faking notable brands already enjoying market patronage.  That is why at party venues in Lekki, empty bottles of consumed water of big brands are quickly taken away by quacks for recycle.

    “Despite a lack of full-proof purity, Lekki residents believe they are better off with bottled water than drinking directly from boreholes and tanker trucks. This desperation to consume any water in bottle has exposed residents to unprepared risk.

    In what appears to be a corroboration of Owhoko’s remarks, Nollywood actor, Uti Nwachukwu, not too long ago took to his  social media handle to narrate his ordeal after consuming some bottled water.

    Uti said he started stooling after consuming the water and blamed his incessant stooling on the amount of chemical contained in the table water.

    Writing on his twitter handle, the actor said: “Dear bottled water companies, please what have you started adding to your water? If I wanted to projectile poop six-seven times a day, I’d have bought slimming tea!

    “What’s all this? It can’t be only me! And it’s the biggest brands! Two of them now! Fix it so that I don’t call your names!

     “I knew there was a problem when I was pooping steady and it was smelling of chemicals, like sanitizer, or alum or something! I stopped the first one and the stooling ceased.

    “Took the second one and there were no issues. I bought a small bottle and it was worse! This one came with abdominal discomfort, acid reflux, and yes, watery stool with that same chemical/alum aroma.

    “So now, I can only vouch for one brand that’s currently safe to consume. Who checks the standards of these things we put in our bodies?

    “Reputable brands like these are causing harm! Who even knows the effects on our organs? I’m tired!”

    Some respondents to his tweet are of the opinion that the actor might have taken adulterated bottled water.

    “Maybe one … has started making the adulterated version. Who knows,” a Nairaland user who identified himself as SportsHD said.

    Our reporter, who spent some time in a hotel at Jakande area, said apart from drinking purpose, he was compelled to get a bottled water pack to brush his mouth because he couldn’t manage the water in the hotel.

    He said: “When I entered the hotel, I went to use the restroom. I was shocked at what I saw. The water in the toilet was brownish and I thought someone used it and did not flush.

    “I decided to flush it, but what came out was not different from what I thought was urine.

    “It was at that time that it dawned on me that that could be the nature of the water in the environment.

    “I was more dazed when I tried to brush and bathe. The water that came from the tap was smelly and I quickly turned off the tap. 

    “I rushed to the reception to complain but all that the front desk person could do was to apologise. She said it was not their fault that that is how their water is.

    “I had to ask them to get me better water to bathe because there was no way I could have bathed with the smelly water.

    “To save himself from a health crisis, I went to buy a pack of bottled water. It was brisk business in the area. Everybody in the hotel was going to get bottled water even for brushing.

    “Nobody cared about the brand as long as it was bottled. The other alternatives you have are to either buy pure water or get a keg to buy from the community.”

    Banana Island is the least place one would expect to hear that unsafe water is obtainable. This is owing to the class of people residing in the neighbourhood. But there, the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LSWRC), also recently sealed the Banana Island Property Owners Resident Association (BIPORAL) Water Treatment Plant for failing to meet the required safety and quality standards.

    Tests conducted by the LSWRC revealed that the water quality of the plant was unsafe for consumption and required improved treatment.

    There are feelings that water could easily have been packaged by any manufacturer for the public on mere assumption that water from such an environment will always be hygienic.

    Tanker driver, sachet water merchants also ‘cashing out’

    Aside from bottled water manufacturers, sachet water producers and people vending water with tankers are also having a good share of business in the area.    

    James, a resident of First Gate area of Jakande, said he buys water from water tankers but the hygiene and quality of the water cannot be ascertained.

     “We don’t have good water at all.  Our water is not drinkable. We don’t even use it to cook,” James began the chat with our correspondent on note of lamentation. 

    “We can only use it to wash and flush the toilet. The water ordinarily stains the toilet but we always use strong toilet soaps to keep it clean. We can’t use it to wash white clothes,” he added.

    Asked where he gets water to attend to other needs, James said: “We buy water from vendors most often. They hawk the water in tanks. That is the kind of water we use to cook. A Jerry can of 25 litres is N200.

     “I have a big drum that I fill with water worth N2,000. I do this every week. Our water here in Jakande, as bad as it is, is far better than what some people have in their areas. “The water in some communities is so bad that even if you put alum in it, the quality will not improve.”

    Godonu, a resident of Oke Ira, told our correspondent that he uses pure water to cook because the water around him is smelly. 

    “The water smells, and many atimes, I buy sachet water to cook. If there is no money to buy sachet water, we would go to Oke Ira Nla to buy water.

    “We always manage the water we buy for cooking and drinking while we use the smelly one for bathing.

    “We don’t feel comfortable using such water to bathe, but since we don’t have an alternative, we have to manage what is available.

    “We always endure the foul smell.”

    Godonu’s neigbour, Elizabeth, spoke of how the polluted water they were using before caused the children to have rashes. 

    “The place we were fetching water from before has spoilt. The water was always brown and also causing rashes for the children.

    “If you saw the bodies of our children before now, you would wonder where they came about rashes. The water was responsible for it.

     “The water that we are using now is clean but it is smelly. We only use it to bathe.

    “Before we use the water to bathe, we would fetch it into a container for some time for fresh air to blow the horrible smell away. You just have to do that if you want to at least manage to enjoy your bath.

    “Some people are still complaining that this present water is causing itching for them. But the complaints are not widespread like when we were using the other water.”

    Even though the present water is clean, Elizabeth said, they cannot use it to cook. “No, we don’t. It is not good to use smelly water to cook what one eats.

    “We always cross to the other side of the road to buy the water that we drink.

    “A regular big plastic paint costs N100.  I spend an average of N300 on water every day. This is really affecting me financially because in a month, I spend nothing less than N10,000 to buy just water. How much do I make from my petty business in a month?

    “If I don’t buy the water to attend to domestic needs, it will have ripple effects on me and the family, and this includes health issues that N10,000 may not be able to take care of.”

    Another resident, who gave her name simply as Lydia, said she had rashes all over her body when she newly arrived in the area.

    She said: “My body reacted negatively to the water. In fact, I never knew that the water in this area is terribly bad until I came here.

    “I resorted to using pure water but the truth is that you cannot ascertain if the water is free of contamination or not. You only use it because they say it is pure water and truly it does not have colour, and does not smell like the ground water.

    “Another way out when there is no money to spend on pure water is to buy water in gallons.”  

    Writing on Quora, an online platform, a dietician and nutritionist, Muhammad Haseeb, said tanker water may be susceptible to contamination from various sources. If the water source or the tanker itself is contaminated, it can introduce harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or parasites into the hospital’s water supply. These contaminants can cause water borne diseases and infections, particularly in immune-compromised patients.

    H added: “Tanker water may carry water borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid or hepatitis A. These diseases can spread rapidly within a hospital setting, especially if the water is used for drinking, hand hygiene or medical procedures.

    “Patients, staff and visitors with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to such infections.

    “Tanker water quality may also be compromised by chemical contaminants. Industrial pollutants, pesticides, heavy metals or disinfection byproducts can find their way into the water supply.

    “Prolonged exposure to these chemicals can lead to various health problems, including gastrointestinal issues, liver or kidney damage, neurological disorders, or even an increased risk of cancer.”

    If inadequately disinfected, the nutritionist said, “tanker water might not undergo adequate disinfection processes compared to the water supplied through a municipal system.

    “Insufficient disinfection can lead to the survival of pathogens in the water, increasing the risk of infectious diseases.

    “Hospitals require a high level of water quality and disinfection to maintain a safe environment for patients, staff and medical procedures.

    “The quality of tanker water may vary depending on the source, transportation and storage conditions.

    “Lack of control over the water supply can result in inconsistent quality, making it difficult to ensure reliable and safe water for hospital operations.

    “This inconsistency can impact patient care, hygiene practices, and medical equipment maintenance.”

    Another nutritionist, Seun Obembe, says relevant government agencies need to conduct regular tests on packaged water “because there is what we call alkaline water and acid water.

    “Most of the water labels are just information fraud. I am in Kaduna right now and most of the water I have tested here are apologies.

    “That is why there is an epidemic of typhoid and ulcer.  The government should test this water and do the right thing.

    “Let’s check it clinically. What is chlorine overdose, because they use chlorine inside the water?

    “The recommended allowance for water in a day is two litres.  How many sachets produce two litres? And then check the content of chlorine in them. That one is detrimental to health.

    “All these things have to be regulated. The government needs to do more work. They should encourage more scientists.

    “They should bring more dieticians and nutritionists on board. It is when there is an outbreak that they will start looking for researchers to bring out papers.”

    On the use of polluted water by the people, Obembe said: “When you say it is contaminated water, then it is detrimental to the health of the users. Even when you use it to bathe, the pores on the skin will definitely open and allow bacteria to go into the body.

    “People who are obese are prone to sickness because all these microorganisms hide inside them. So when there are issues in the body, all those pathogens that have been hiding inside the body will come out to strike.

    We’re already supplying water to parts of Island – LWC

    Regional Business Manager of the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC), South South Lagos, Mrs Adewumi Folake, said the corporation was working on making clean water available on the Island.

    She said: “Presently, water is getting to Adeniji, Idumagbo, and Iduganran. We are working towards building up our pressure so that the supply will get to many more places on the Island.

    “LWC is working towards that. We have a pipeline network on the Island.

    “Our water supply is coming from the Mainland. The Ajiyan and Iju water works are supplying the Island. We are sure that the challenge of clean water will soon come to an end when we complete our works.

    Corroborating Mrs Adewumi’s remarks, the Public Relations Officer of LWC, Mrs Kehinde Fashola, said residents of Island and Lagos in general should rest assured that there would be abundant water supply in the state.

    “The present MD is doing what one can imagine. He is working towards installing water in every household in Lagos State.

    “A lot of rehabilitation is already going on at our mini and macro water works. All hands are on deck to make sure every household has water in Lagos.

  • A steady transition from petrol to compressed natural gas

    A steady transition from petrol to compressed natural gas

    The hike in the pump price of petrol occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy has made it imperative to shift to a cheaper alternative in compressed natural gas (CNG), with the Ogun State Government leading the way in converting mass transit buses to gas-powered ones. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE, who was at the conversion site in Abeokuta, reports

    When President Bola Tinubu announced in May that petrol ‘subsidy is gone,’ it suddenly birthed a sharp rise in fuel price with multiplier effects on all essential commodities and services in Nigeria. Nevertheless, it also provided ample opportunity to look inwards. One of such positive outcomes of the post fuel subsidy removal issues is the gradual switch to compressed natural gas.

    A blessing in disguise

      After the removal of fuel subsidy, domestic pump price of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) jumps up, now selling between N570 and N620 per litre. Natural gas is said to possess less carbon than other fossil fuels, which emit much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause pollution. Switching to gas may be a blessing in disguise because petrol and other carbon-concentrated fossil fuels are known to cause respiratory disorder such as asthma. Besides making the environment toxic and unhealthy, petrol-powered vehicles emissions can trigger harmful respiratory and heart ailments as well as several cases of cancer. Nigeria is one of the leading consumers of road fuels in Africa, using around 1 million to 1.25 million Mt of petrol per month. It accounts for a large chunk of the country’s transportation demand.

     Checks revealed that GHG released in the atmosphere through the use of petrol causes global warming. It also causes diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer of the lungs. However, with Nigeria currently ranked as having the 9th largest global gas reserves with over 200 Tcf, compressed natural gas(CNG) is seen as the way to go. Experts reckon that CNG is a cheaper and cleaner alternative automobile fuel. Utilising CNG will ensure the environment and health of people are protected. It will also cushion the economic effects of the subsidy removal on Nigerians.

    Read Also: Flood: Cameroon opens Lagdo dam

     The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in a report on CNG, said: “This has several potential advantages, including lower cost, reduced emissions, and improved fuel efficiency.” One of the most significant benefits of CNG is that it is considerably cheaper than petrol, which could result in substantial savings for vehicle owners. Additionally, the cost of CNG is more stable than the volatile price fluctuations experienced by petrol. Also, the use of CNG could reduce vehicle maintenance cost due to its cleaner burning properties, which produce fewer engine deposits that clog up the engine over time.”

    NIPCO pioneers CNG use in vehicles

      NIPCO Gas Limited, a subsidiary of NIPCO PLC, has pioneered a shift to natural gas as automobile fuel in the country. The firm is also into the construction of CNG stations in Benin City, Edo State. It has more than 12 CNG stations that provide gas to motorists in the country. Three of its CNG stations are located at Ibafo, Ogun State; Ajaokuta, Kogi State and Airport Road in Abuja. The Managing Director of NIPCO, Nagendra Verma, said that fuel costs N620 per litre in Abuja, while compressed natural gas for cars in Abuja costs N213 per scm (standard cubic meter).

     He spoke in an interview on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Verma said diesel sells for N850 per litre, while CNG for vehicles that use diesel in Abuja is around N219 per scm.   “If we compare the price with diesel or PMS, the price of CNG for the different vehicles is approximately 35% of the current PMS or diesel prices.”  He said the firm’s 14-year experience of operating auto-compressed natural gas (CNG) in Nigeria, via 14 CNG stations has seen it converting around 7,000 vehicles to CNG.

     “This CNG project will be done at a very fast pace, and it will give relief to Nigerian citizens. As we all know NNPCL is the biggest oil and gas service provider in this country and NNPCL is in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. On the other hand, NNPCL has a wide pipeline gas infrastructure which becomes the backbone for the auto CNG stations. The natural gas pipelines will support the installation of CNG stations from where the gas will be taken. Also, NNPC Retail has a wide infrastructure network of retailing liquid fuels. With the support of the NNPCL, the gas pipeline infrastructure, and the downstream retail network, the autogas CNG stations will come at a much faster pace to meet the timelines and be more economical, having such infrastructure already in place,” he said.

     Verma said there is no shortage of gas in Nigeria, but there are constraints in the transportation infrastructure for gas. He noted that pipelines are available in the South-south and South-west and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline is also progressing and will become active soon.

    Inside the CNG value chain

    Verma said the CNG value chain mainly involves taking gas from pipelines and compressing it for automobile use, while the compression needed to store more gas in a specific size of a cylinder. He stressed the need to install mother stations at the pipeline locations. The NIPCO MD said there are four existing mother stations which will be connected to more ‘mother stations’ and then to ‘daughter stations.’  “Almost 20 or 21 states and Abuja will be having CNG by way of compressed natural gas, while other states will be having CNG by way of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which other companies like us are also working on and the NNPCL is on top of it.  When it comes to safety, CNG is just like other hydrocarbon products and should be handled carefully.”

     He said with any leakage, CNG escapes into the air and disperses. He allayed fears of explosion, noting that it has low flammability properties and it is safe for use.

    Last month, the Ogun State Government last month announced the commencement of the E-Mobility and Gas Mobility Programme, which involves conversion of mass transit buses from fuel to gas; and tricycles and motorcycles to electric. Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, in a statement noted that a team of technical engineers from India had arrived to kick-start the process of converting vehicles from fuel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). With this, the state is leading the way in the conversion of petrol-dependent vehicles to gas-powered ones.

     According to him, the four-man team will work on the pilot project, initiate first phase of the gas mobility programme and prepare a ‘process map to scale up’ and ensure implementation in phases on all commercial buses in the state. In March, the state government, in partnership with Nigerian Transport Solutions Limited (NGTSL), got CNG conversion kits for the pilot phase. With the fuel subsidy removal, the project is aimed at showing the commitment of the state to ensure a cheaper mode of transportation and cleaner environment.

     “The CNG team is on the ground. I was part of the team that received the CNG kits on behalf of the government early in the year and I visited the project site. The aim is to improve and modernise bus operations in Ogun State through conversion of buses to CNG by equipping them with latest technology to improve environmental and operational performance,” Talabi said.

     Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that fuelling stations for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) would be sited along bus routes across the state. Abiodun, who made this known after inspecting the first successfully converted diesel/petrol buses to CNG, said the positioning of the CNG fuel stations along bus routes would aid sustainability and smooth running of the project. The governor noted that the abundance of gas in the state would aid the project. He said plans were underway to convert close to 2000 buses at the expense of the state government.

     “Obviously, as we proceed, we will be positioning our fuelling centres on the bus routes, conveniently located so that the buses can refill from time to time. Luckily for us in Ogun State, we have an abundance of gas. Ogun State has a crisscross of pipelines, be it Epe, be it the West Africa gas pipeline that explains why we have a proliferation of industries in Ogun State. The conversion of buses is in progress. The plan is to first convert the state-owned buses and then begin the conversation of all mass transit buses that are even owned by the private sector.

     “We will be converting the buses at our expense. If we don’t do that, the owners of the buses will not be able to afford the cost of the conversion. So, the state has decided to take on that cost and find a way to amortise the expense over so many years. We are already thinking of how many gangs we need to have and how quickly we can complete the conversion of close to maybe 2000 buses in the state,” he said.

    Abiodun also said his administration would launch its E-Mobility programme. “Alongside with that, within the next two to three weeks, we will be launching our E-mobility programme, which is a programme that aims to swap all our petrol-dependent motorcycles and tricycles with electricity-powered ones that would be powered by rechargeable batteries. In another month, you will begin to see more electricity-powered motorcycles and tricycles in our state. This way, gradually, over the next three to four months, our people can begin to enjoy being moved from one point to another at fares that were obtained before deregulation,” he added.

     He said old buses operating in the state would gradually be phased out as they get older. “This is a journey; the ultimate aim is to have buses that will be powered by electricity. However, we appreciate the fact that we have relatively new buses. We have commercial buses out there that may not be so new, but are still road worthy. We cannot just wake up one day and scrap all those buses. We must transit from those buses that are currently burning diesel and petrol to those that would be powered by electricity.

     “The plan is we convert the current ones to use gas and we now begin to gradually phase them out. As they age, we phase them out and replace them with electric powered buses, while we roll out the infrastructure that they would require, charging stations and uninterrupted power supply,” he said.

    A visit to the conversion site in Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State

    Following the announcement of the state government that it started the Gas Mobility project, this reporter embarked on a journey to the Asero in Abeokuta, the state capital, where the conversion is taking place. For a first timer, the conversion site inside the Ministry of Agriculture premises doesn’t bear an air of activity. Vehicles were seen parked and many caterpillars already gathering rust. The Ministry of Agriculture also houses the Department of Agricultural Services and the Agricultural Services Office Complex.

     The conversion point overlooks the Okun Rice Mill, formerly the Mitros Rice Processing Factory established by the previous administration of Ibikunle Amosun. Indians and other Nigerians were seen working on mass transit buses. A total of six mass transit buses were sighted. One was being worked upon, two had been converted already. CNG kits, gas cylinders were seen covered on the conversion point. A source at the site noted that the conversion has been successful, adding that the Indians and other workers on site have been working effectively.

     Speaking with The Nation, Information Officer of the State Ministry of Transportation, Jide Jokotagba, said the conversion process was an ongoing thing which may take weeks and months. He said local mechanics are also being trained. He didn’t disclose the number of buses converted so far, adding that in the ‘next few days, the testimonials will be out there in the public space.’ “It may take weeks, month as long as we continue to hand over our vehicles for conversion because it is simply the best and the cheapest as it provides a greener environment.  Our local mechanics here in Ogun State are also being trained concurrently as the conversion is ongoing. There may be variations in the number of buses converted so far because as I speak now, auto- mechanics are working assiduously to make sure that the Ministry delivers on time. We will not say this is the numbers that have been converted so far, but in the next few days, the testimonials will be out there in the public space. The ones converted so far have been duly tested and certified okay and are in  good working conditions.

     “What brought about the project is the resolve to make life and living conducive, affordable and convenient for the people. It is also to create a greener environment. CNG is cheaper than petrol and at the same time covers more mileage. It is sustainable as our local auto engineers too are being trained as the expatriates working on them engaged the services of our engineers in the process,” he said.

    Presidential backing for CNGs

    A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that the CNG initiative would target over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing petrol-powered vehicles. It is aimed at mitigating the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on citizens. The statement said the initial focus would be on mass transit systems and students’ hubs, while adoption strategy will include establishment of workshops nationwide, local assembly and job creation. The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) would focus on achieving strategic objectives, which will include “the development of new stakeholder-operated Intrastate Mass Transit systems built on CNG.”

     “In furtherance of his commitment to easing the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians by reducing energy costs, President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI). This transformative initiative is poised to revolutionise the transportation landscape in the country, targeting over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing PMS-dependent vehicles, while simultaneously bolstering in-country manufacturing, local assembly and expansive job creation in line with the presidential directive.

     “The landmark initiative, which comprises of a Comprehensive Adoption Strategy, will include the following: Empowering Workshops Programme w/ Nationwide Network of Workshops, Local Assembly and Job Creation as key points of emphasis with an initial focus on mass transit systems and student hubs in order to significantly reduce transit costs for the general populace in the immediate term. Furthermore, in line with the PCNGI’s determination to ensure a seamless integration of CNG utility within the current midstream and downstream energy value chain to support its sustainability, the PCNGI will facilitate the provision of workshops across all geopolitical zones and states with essential kits and comprehensive training for newly employed staff, thus creating new opportunities for technical skill development and employment for Nigerians.

     “The new nationwide network of workshops, to be established through the initiative, would ensure widespread access and demand side utilization of CNG technology and CNG-related expertise, thereby facilitating smoother transitions for vehicle owners at the wider benefit of the Nigerian economy. Support for states to on-board new CNG buses as part of their Intrastate Mass Transit network (wholesale conversion, retro-fitting and new purchase). The deployment of CNG buses through existing Private Mass Transit operators, including new financing programmes for operators through an innovative asset finance programme.

     “Incentivise investors to invest in CNG processing, distribution and utilisation by providing incentives for enhanced investment and partnership. Deliver training and technology transfer to support the After-Sales Services and maintenance sub-industry to create sustainable jobs,” the statement said.

     It also stated that the President’s aim of assembling CNG-enabled vehicles in the country will stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and strengthen the nation’s automotive manufacturing capabilities. “The launch of this initiative also underscores this administration’s commitment to fostering a cleaner environment by reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy security through the utilisation of domestic natural gas resources,” it added.

  • BRICS: Nigeria better off as non-aligned nation, says Okechukwu

    BRICS: Nigeria better off as non-aligned nation, says Okechukwu

    The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, (VON) Mr. Osita Okechukwu yesterday gave kudos to President Bola Tinubu for rejecting the country from joining the BRICS economic group. The founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said the President deserves the commendation of all Nigerians for not applying to join the emergent grouping.

     At the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, the bloc admitted Argentina, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, among other intending developing countries into its folds, thus fuelling speculations that Nigeria’s application was rejected for not meeting some crucial membership criteria. But, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Okechukwu declared that Nigeria is better off maintaining her decades-old diplomatic standpoint as a non-aligned.

    Read Also: Six countries join BRICS as summit ends South Africa

     He noted that he was thrilled when the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, recently cleared the air and said, “So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a true democrat that believes in consensus building.” The APC chieftain argued that Nigeria is better maintaining her age-long diplomatic policy and standpoint. According to him, “Whereas one has nothing against Brazil, Russia, India, China nor our brothers South Africa that make up the BRICS; however Nigeria stands to benefit hugely if we maintain our age-old standpoint of multilateral diplomacy.”

     He pointed out the worldview origin of BRICS, saying, “records have it that to spur economic development outside the Breton wood system, the BRICS, a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa, was formed. Ironically, the acronym was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs and 2006, the bank opened an equity fund for investors in the BRICS. The group had since established New Development Bank (NDB).”

     On the proposal that Nigeria’s membership of BRICS has economic growth as the main goal, Okechukwu argued that whilst economic growth is important, it should not be at the expense of Nigeria’s cherished freedom and rule of law, which the leadership of the bloc abhors. “Whilst one agrees that BRICS may engender economic growth; however neither the West nor Russia or China is father Xmas. Therefore, our destiny is in our hands. And most importantly, we cannot gloss over our cherished freedom and rule of law which may be in jeopardy in the BRICS alliance. Otherwise, at the last count, the New Development Bank (NDB), a multilateral lending institution set up in 2014, based in Shanghai, had $25bn in recorded assets in 2022, less than a tenth of the World Bank’s total, and not much economic growth was stimulated,” Okechukwu explained.

     Accordingly, he appealed to President Tinubu to maintain Nigeria’s multilateral diplomatic strategy, which allows Nigeria today and in the future to operate and relate freely with all blocs and ultimately guide jealousy our national interest.

  • ‘Tinubu’s economic reforms are in overall interest of Nigerians’

    ‘Tinubu’s economic reforms are in overall interest of Nigerians’

    In this interview, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, Mr. Zaccheus Adedeji, explained that the focus of President Bola Tinubu’s administration is economic reconstruction of Nigeria. To achieve sustainable prosperity Nigerians desire, he said the government has been working at growing the economy, ultimately trying to raise the nation’s revenue, eradicating culture of borrowing to finance public spending, repositioning the economy to make life better for Nigerians and laying the foundation for a prosperous future for all. BOLAJI OGUNDELE brings excerpts:

    Strategies for attracting foreign direct investment/ensuring conducive environment for businesses  

    Mr. President‘s philosophy is that we should not tax investment, but returns on investment. We should not tax production but consumption. We should not tax poverty but facilitate prosperity and share it by way of fair and progressive taxation. This is the reasoning behind Mr. President’s recent remark that this government will tax fruits not seeds. The market-friendly disposition of this administration is already creating excitements in the capital market with over 20 per cent growth this year to date and best performance in 15 years. We are also working on reforms to create more jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities in the digital economy, especially for our teeming youth.

     We recognise that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on the oil and gas sector as the mainstay of the economy, especially with the uncertainties around global oil prices, which usually create shocks in the economy whenever the price crashes like we experienced from 2014 till 2018 when the price started rising again above $50. President Tinubu promised to build a more vibrant and more prosperous economy and this he is set to achieve by ensuring other sectors of the economy like agriculture, solid minerals, maritime, retail, hospitality, tourism and professional services, and others perform optimally.

    Read Also:Rep backs Tinubu’s policies for oil, gas sector

    The first 100 days in office and managing the pains of fuel subsidy removal?

    I know it is symbolic to assess the performance of a new administration within the first 100 days, sometimes even for a shorter period. However, for this government, it is not simply about the present moment or what the President has done within the short term of being in office; it is more about the medium to long term vision of how he wants to reposition the economy and make life better for Nigerians. We are laying the foundation for a prosperous future. You will agree with me that even though the foundation is the most important structure of a building, it is not always the prettiest. Once the house begins to take shape, the beauty will not only be apparent for all to behold, but also it will provide the much-needed shelter to shield the occupants from bad weather and other unfavourable external conditions.

     We have done a lot that I am proud of within the short period. These include addressing some critical concerns of the private sector regarding pressing tax issues, removal of wasteful subsidy on PMS to create fiscal headroom and limit excessive borrowing, forex reforms to address market distortions, just to mention a few. So, overall I can say that we are on track and moving in the right direction.

     You will recall that Mr. President signed some Executive Orders on the 6th of July, which reversed the tax increases on manufacturers, and suspended the excise tax imposed on Single Use Plastics, which would have affected mostly SMEs and potentially trigger higher prices and further inflation. The Orders also deferred the commencement date of various changes introduced via the Fiscal Measures and Finance Act 2023 in order to give individuals and businesses reasonable time to adapt to the changes without major disruptions to their operations and livelihoods. The removal of wasteful subsidies on PMS and forex have stopped the haemorrhage on our treasury and will ensure that government is on the path to sustainable financing with less dependence on CBN overdraft for public finance. While some of these measures have unfortunately created short term pains for many people, we are confident that Nigerians will start to reap the benefits sooner rather than later. In addition to the various interventions by the federal and sub-national governments, more initiatives are being worked on in consultation with key stakeholders, which are expected to have positive and more fundamental impacts on the people.

    Steps to diversify Nigeria’s revenue sources and reduce dependence on oil

      We believe that Nigeria is blessed if only we can improve our policy environment and enhance the efficiency of both the private and public sectors. This is one of the reasons why Mr. President recently approved the setting up of a Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee with eminent Nigerians from all spheres of the society to, not only advise government on the necessary reforms, but also support with the implementation. Ultimately the outcome of the committee’s work, along with other policy actions of the government will result in productive diversification of the economy, government revenue sources and foreign exchange earnings.

     PMS and forex subsidies were not only wasteful, they promoted inefficiencies in our resource management and created economic distortions making it difficult to attract both domestic and foreign investments. By removing the subsidies, government at all levels will have less need to keep borrowing to fund public spending while the savings will be channelled towards infrastructure and social services to reduce multidimensional poverty and build a competitive economy. For any economy to be productive, you need critical infrastructure that supports business growth and improves quality of life, especially roads, power, rail, broadband, pipelines etc. These are heavy and capital projects that only government can mostly provide. Investors will go to a place where they don’t have to worry about all of these. For ease of doing business and to make our economy more competitive, government will need to spend more on these areas. The government will re-invest the money saved from fuel subsidy to grow the infrastructure stock of the country and fund social services in education and healthcare. We want to make sure our public schools and public hospitals are up to standard and can meet the need of Nigerians and affordable too as against the more expensive services they get from patronising private schools and hospitals.

     The crux of the agenda of this government is economic prosperity, which is inclusive and sustainable. Nigerians trust Mr. President based on his pedigree, which was the main reason they voted for him as President. You will also agree with me that Mr. President has made his appointments based on competence with a good number of technocrats appointed to manage various aspects of the economy. Even the politicians that have been appointed by Mr. President are those with proven records of performance. So I can say that we are moving in the right direction and making progress. I am confident that Nigerians will begin to see the benefits of this administration’s policies sooner rather than later. The future is very bright. President Tinubu is guiding us through a challenging time and in the last 100 days in office, he has demonstrated that the confidence Nigerians reposed in him has not been misplaced.

  • Expectations, tasks before Transportation Minister Alkali

    Expectations, tasks before Transportation Minister Alkali

    The transportation sector is regarded as one of the cash cows through which the country’s economy could be boosted up. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE examines the potential inherent in the sector and urges the Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Seidu Alkali to go for low-hanging fruits and sustain the landmarks set by the Buhari administration in the industry. One other area Alkali should encourage is cycling as a commuting alternative for Nigerians

    One ministry in which Nigerians would never bargain that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration should drop the ball is transportation. The reason is that the Tinubu administration is standing on a rich pedigree of performance.

    When the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over the reigns of power in 2015, transportation was contributing less than four per cent year-on-year to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Not with a derelict sector that was at best too burdened by the sheer size of the demand on a poorly resourced infrastructure and the “planlessness” of successive leaders.

     But, notwithstanding where it met the country, the Buhari administration ran with the only compass with which it had to work, which was the roadmap for the development of the bankrupt railway sector, otherwise called the Nigerian Railway Corporation Masterplan, a 25-year-old document put together in 2002 and would serve out its term in 2025.

     The Buhari administration sustained the rehabilitation of the two narrow gauges which were the country’s assets in railway development, all totalling about 1,500 kilometres.

    Read Also: Subsidy removal: Transport Minister Alkali announces plan to acquire electric vehicles

     Within its eight years tenure, the Buhari government pushed Nigeria’s total rail assets by networks to five, adding three standard gauges to the two old fixed stock known as the Western and Eastern Rail Lines, which stretched from Lagos to Kano, on the Western Line, and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, on the Eastern Line.

     While the Lagos-Kano line has been rehabilitated, the Eastern Line, which was begun in 2021, is yet to fully gather momentum as a result of the growing insecurity in the Northeast, which had been forcing the train to stop at Gombe, as reaching Maiduguri had become impossible.

     The government delivered on the Abuja to Kaduna Standard Gauge Train Service (AKTS), which, as of 2016, had dragged for 12 years, altered the country’s and Africa’s first standard gauge line Itakpe –Ajaokuta-Warri from its initial industrial, to a commercial line, now known as Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) which had dragged for 35 years and the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge, which is LOT II of the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway, (now known as the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS)), which commenced in 2016 and began commercial operation in June 2021, adding a total of close to 4,000 kms of rail tracks to the country’s fixed rail assets.

     This is what Saidu Alkali is inheriting and must continue to push.

     Alkali, on whose laps the masterplan expires in two years, must quickly set machinery in motion to actualise a new railway masterplan.

      Alkali must ensure that the third and final Lot of the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge, which currently terminates at Ibadan be taken to Kano. It is by so doing that the Port access which was added to the initial project would make any meaning as cargoes could get to the Kano Dry Port, the final destination. That would put a final seal on the port congestion being experienced at the Apapa Port.

    He must ensure that the country continues to grow its rail networks, which the Buhari administration had proposed to reach all the state capitals, from where the states that are so willing, could link for an intra-city train network.

     He must, as quickly as possible, begin the process of unbundling the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), a process aborted in 2022, when the Abuja-Kaduna rail was attacked by terrorists and over 198 passengers, including crew members, were abducted.

     Still on the railway, Alkali must see to the workability of the amended Nigerian Railway Corporation Act, accented to by former President Buhari on March 17, this year.

     By moving the railway from the exclusive to the concurrent list, the government expected more investments in the railway sub-sector, especially either as regional rail development or the state governments. Nigerians are waiting to see how much success the Tinubu administration can mine from the amended law. Already, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have raised the bar, upon which the minister would consolidate.

     Beyond that, Alkali must ensure that the healthy relationship with Nigeria’s railway creditor–ChinaExim Bank continues to exist, even as he should ensure that the loan repayment commitments are promptly met.

    He must also ensure the completion of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects as offshoots of the current rail constructions, such as the University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, which is almost completed and ready to open its doors to first admission in the 2023/24 academic session.

     Expected to be nurtured to profitability under Alkali, is also the Kajola Wagon Assembly Plant, located in Kajola, near Papalanto, Ogun State, which is meant to be grown into a major railway assembly hub to supply the African Continent with rail parts, accessories and wagons.

     There is also a multi-disciplinary university proposed by Pota Engil Nigeria, in Port Harcourt, which is yet to take off largely because the Kano-Katsina-Maradi line had been suspended since 2021 due to the raging insecurity in the Northwest.

    As the Minister of Transportation, Alkali would go into the history books if he bequeaths to Nigeria a Transportation Policy.

     Despite a very healthy and largely youthful population put at over 200 million, Nigeria’s transportation is still essentially dominated by land transportation.

     Of the three major modes of transportation, land remained the most unregulated, the least developed and the most burdened. Despite accounting for over 180 million travel counts daily with huge potential in terms of revenue, land transportation remained a huge spinner if properly harnessed. That is what experts believed a transportation policy would help achieve.

     Happily, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr Magdalene Ajani has pledged the commitment of the ministry to move in that regard and deliver on the policy.

     Largely, Nigeria’s transportation policy has remained in draft form since 1995. Where successive administrations had failed, transportation experts would love to see the Tinubu administration succeed by giving the country a proper policy for transportation that would regulate the sector for efficiency, professionally and with zest.

     As the Chairman of the National Council on Transportation, which is Nigeria’s highest advisory body on transportation, and is constituted by state commissioners of transportation, Alkali must ensure that all resolutions of the NCT are fully implemented.

     One of the resolutions still dragging is to ensure that all 36 states of the federation have a ministry of transportation to coordinate all transportation issues of respective states.

    He must ensure that all states establish a ministry of transportation and employ workers with requisite experience and exposure as transportation experts.

    Alkali is expected to coordinate the transportation element of the N500 billion palliative, which his principal planned to inject into the economy to lift the people from the misery occasioned by the removal of subsidy on fuel.

     The government also proposes to establish Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion companies across the six geo-political zones for the conversion of vehicles to gas and the establishment of gas fuel stations across the country.

     Tinubu’s administration has 45 more months to leave an impression in the minds of Nigerians. What it does on transportation, which is the catalyst of the country’s economic development, is in the hands of Alkali.

  • Resuscitating bicycle riding for transportation

    Resuscitating bicycle riding for transportation

    Attempt to get Nigerians to re-enlist by using bicycles as a means of intra-city commuting is one that has been intractable.

     At the turn of the millennium, way back in 2001, the late Minister of Transportation (as he then was) Chief Ojo Maduekwe, had reignited the advocacy for the use of bicycles by Nigerians, especially for intra-city commuting. He caused a stir when he started riding a bicycle from his home in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

     Despite acerbic criticisms that riding bicycles on unmotorable roads was suicidal, Maduekwe wouldn’t bulge. He thought leading by example was the way to go and stayed on until he was pushed into a ditch by a bus in the FCT as he cycled to work. That near-fatal incident ended Maduekwe’s dream.

     Some years after, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) took up the gauntlet and continued to ‘push’ for the mainstreaming of bicycles in the road transportation mix.

     For the Corps, apart from its numerous health benefits, the bicycle, man’s oldest ally as a means of transportation remains the way to go if Nigeria’s cities and urban centres must be rid of hydra-headed transportation gridlock that often sends road users to nightmarish spasm.

    Read Also: ‘Adopt bicycles to promote healthy environment’

     Similar sentiments have been shared by the agency in recent times as their country joined the rest of the world to mark World Bicycle Day, celebrated globally on July 15 yearly.

     Bayelsa Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Usman Ibrahim said it is time for Nigerians to go back to the very basics and to bicycles which has been of tremendous benefit to man over the ages. For him, bicycle transport is cheaper, and healthier for the physical wellbeing of the human body.

     Many European and Asian countries among them Denmark, China, Poland, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others, are very fond of bicycles and for the FRSC, it is time for Nigeria to make a switch from over-dependence on motorized vehicular means of transportation to the non-motorized alternative.

     Like the FRSC, some transportation experts have argued that a return to bicycles, which was prevalent in Nigeria from the 1940s until the early ’80s, is becoming inevitable with the soaring pump price of fuel as a result of the removal of subsidy by the Federal Government.

    Though they argued that many of the nation’s roads are largely unsafe for bike riding, yet, they contend that it may be the best for short-distance routes.

     Mr. Ibrahim Abdullateef said perhaps, more Nigerians should begin to reconsider learning how to ride bicycles which was a pastime for teenagers in the early ’50s, right up to the mid-80s.

     Abdullateef further explained that a combination of factors among them the oil boom and the many wage reviews which civil servants as well as the new crop of “political elites,” forced the “golden era” of the bicycle to an early eclipse as the motorised alternative took over.

     Like Ibrahim, he explained that apart from being cheaper to acquire, compared to vehicles, bicycles are cheaper to maintain and healthier for the owner and the environment.

     He said it would be nice if all tiers of government joined in the campaign to revive the culture of using bicycles as a means of transportation.

     A member of the Association of Bicycle Riders, in Bayelsa State, Mr. Gift Owei said cycling helps in blood circulation as it helps the free flow of blood to the heart strengthens the lungs and helps build strong muscles.

     Owei equally said cycling helps stamina in the body, as it reduces arthritis in various joints and all parts of the body.

     Last week, the Federal Ministry of Transportation lent its voice to the call for Nigerians to consider bicycles as an alternative means of transportation for intra-city shuttles.

     The Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Mr Musa Ibrahim, said the adoption of cycling would help reduce vehicular traffic and road traffic crashes (RTC).

     The Chief Executive Officer of Non-motorised Transportation (NMT) Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John said re-injecting bicycle riding in the country at a time like this goes beyond reducing carbon footprints.

     According to him, countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) waste three per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yearly to traffic congestion.

     One state that has been at the forefront of the advocacy and Non-motorised Transport (NMT) initiative is Lagos, which tried in 2021 to designate a corridor on the Lagos Island axis for the pilot phase of the NMT initiative. It intended to roll out the NMT across 19 safe corridors in the various Central Business Districts (CBDs) in the state.

     Developing a more robust NMT Policy for the state has been part of the Strategic Transport Masterplan (STMP) developed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). Though some roads on the Mainland had been designated safe for NMT use, the initiative was buoyed by the German Government agency; Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) which, in 2018, gave Lagos State a grant on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development, to improve mobility as one of 10 cities selected as winners of the inaugural Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) Global Urban Mobility Challenge.

     For the project, 19 destinations around the Lagos CBD as well as the Ikeja Bus Terminal, which encompasses the Red Rail line had been surveyed for compliance. The areas in which traffic counts are surveyed are the National Museum, Old Parliament Building, Race Course, Independence Building, Lagos High Court, Kings College, City Hall, Freedom Park and the Old Legislative Building at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).

     Others are the Police Magistrate’s Court, Tinubu Square, Old Pierpoint Marina, Glover Memorial Hall, The Cathedral, the General Hospital, Wesley House, State House, Yacht Club and the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Centre.

     The scope of the work was the construction of new walkway kerbs and pavement, provision of new traffic and pedestrian crossing signals at King’s College/Old Defence Road intersection, provision of traffic signs and installation of bollards.

     Two years after its pilot launch, nothing concrete seemed to have been heard of the TUMI.

     According to LAMATA, when fully delivered, the initiative is to promote increased mode share for sustainable transport initiatives, improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, reduction in the use of personal motor vehicles, improved reach of public transport, improved reach of mass rapid transit, improved public safety, improved public transport, improved air quality as a result of a reduction in carbon emission, and increased access to the roads by all users.

     Director of the Centre for Intermodal Transportation, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Prof. Iyiola Oni, lauded the state government for the policy which attempts to shift from motorised to non-motorised forms of transportation.

     Prof. Samuel Odewunmi argued that notwithstanding the attraction of bicycles for intra-city commuting, state governments should continue to work on improving the road networks and deploy public sector-controlled means of transportation that would increase their share of transportation means across the 36 states and the FCT.