The Nation Newspaper

Category: Special Report

  • A legacy blighted by uncompleted projects

    A legacy blighted by uncompleted projects

    The former President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration thumped its chest over what it considered its sterling performance in the area of infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation. However, its failure to complete a number of critical infrastructure projects such as the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, including some road projects across the country, remains a subject of intense scrutiny of its stewardship eight years after. Some people argue that the completion of these signature projects holds the key to revamping the economy and making life easier for Nigerians. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

    The Lagos/Ibadan Expressway appears jinxed. Even after successive administrations had sunk billions of Naira into the construction of strategic highway, which holds so much socioeconomic importance to

     Nigerians, particularly those in the Southwest, the anticipated succour that should come the way of Nigerians following its successful completion has refused to manifest.

     Rather than do so, the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, which is, arguably, the busiest highway in the country, has remained a drainpipe on the national treasury, gulping billions of naira of taxpayers’ money.

    It has also become a nightmare for commuters because of the intractable gridlock along that axis.

     As if to rub salt in the wound, Nigerians were regaled with endless timelines for the completion of the highway, which never came to pass.

     The project has had a series of completion dates, the latest being May this year. It was, however, shifted to the June end, which has also passed.

     Commuters groan year after year as a result of the slow and delay tactics employed by construction giant, Julius Berger.

     Even with the June-ending set for its completion, observers had argued that it was impossible to complete the job, as areas that have not been touched were still much, except the government wanted to inaugurate an uncompleted project.

    Unsurprisingly, it’s been a nightmarish experience for commuters on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. The pain and agony the public are made to go through for years because of the alleged uncaring attitude of the government, which emboldened the construction firm to treat the job with levity, are unimaginable.

    There have also been uncountable road accidents along that stretch, with many lives lost. Cases of thefts also abound. On a daily basis, commuters decry the absence of street lights and security personnel as a result of the frequency of attacks from marauders.

     For instance, it was along the Long Bridge that herdsmen and other criminal gangs killed a retired General.

     As a matter of fact, every other day, there is always some sad news or the other. Most times, impatient drivers trying to make it quickly to their destination drive against traffic on countless occasions. This has led to head-on collisions with several casualties.

     These are reasons why in the history of construction in Nigeria, the  Lagos/Ibadan Expressway project has witnessed more demonstrations by aggrieved residents on that axis. This is apparently because of the perceived slow and uncaring attitude of Julius Berger, which, according to commuters, has continued to cause avoidable deaths.

     When, recently, the then Federal Controller of Works, Kayode Popoola was asked why the construction giant Julius Berger has not been working 24 hours to complete the job on time and give commuters reprieve on the highway, he told The Nation that the government has no provision for ransom payment and so cannot encourage them to work during the night.

     The slow speed of delivery of the project may have also fueled speculations that the supervising ministry, the Ministry of Works and its officials may have compromised in one way or the other because the ministry never gave matching orders to the contractor to speed up the work and give a breather to hundreds of thousands of Nigerians commuting on that highway.

    As a result of the persistent gridlock and chaos on that axis, many residents and commuters have resorted to the use of commercial motorcyclists, popularly called okada, to reach their destinations on time. Sadly, however, some of them never made it back alive as they died in okada accidents

     According to experts in the construction sub-sector, in any construction of such magnitude, there is always a binding contract provision made for things such as alternative roads, road shoulder and towing vehicles, but in this particular case, upon several enquiries, Julius Berger Plc said there is no provision for alternative roads to aid movement of humans and goods.

     The former Controller of Works, Lagos, Umar Bakare lamented that there is no provision made for road shoulders where a driver of a troubled vehicle can pull off to have a look on his or her car or towing vehicles, though they are acceptable international practice.

    The Second Niger Bridge also However, the Lagos /Ibadan Expressway is not the only signature infrastructure project whose non-completion has left a sour taste in the mouths of Nigerians, and also blighted Buhari’s legacies in the area of infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation.

     The Second Niger Bridge has also continued to draw flak from those critical of his administration.

     The crux of the matter, according to them, is that access roads from  Asaba, the Delta State capital, which is about two kilometres, is still a swamp; the Bridge is, therefore, not accessible from that end.

     Recall that the former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde  Fashola (SAN) had claimed that the Buhari administration achieved more in infrastructure development for the country than any other administration in recent times.

    According to Fashola, the Second Niger Bridge, which had stayed untouched for about three decades by previous administrations, was one of the mega projects executed by the Buhari administration.

     Recently, while presenting the scorecard of his stewardship in the regime’s eight-year rule, Fashola said: “When this administration came into being, the budgetary allocation for the whole country was N18 billion, but within the first year in office, the President was able to put this to N224 billion. Today, we have 13,000 roads under construction.”

     According to him, the administration has created 383,431 jobs, constructed 9,290.34 kilometres of roads; linear metres of lane marking, 2,270,319; number of road signs installed, 254,690.

     The ex-Works Minister added, “What this is doing in effect is that journey times are being reduced, improving human conditions and promoting prosperity.

    Fashola also said that on housing, there were 6, 068 housing on 46 sites in 35 states; with 2,870 housing units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) alone.

     He added that the ministry issued 1,262 building contracts, while  6,685 Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) were signed from 2015 to  March 2023. This is in addition to the ministry generating revenue of N13,09 billion within the same period.

     Reeling off the roads that were inaugurated, he said they included the Kebbi-Sokoto-Kontagora-Jega–Yawuri Road in Sokoto and Kebbi states; Shuarin-Azare Road in Jigawa and Bauchi states; Azare –

     Potiskum Road in Bauchi and Yobe States; Vandeikya–Obudu Road in  Benue and Cross River states and Nnewi–Oduma Road in Enugu and  Ebonyi states.

     There is also the joint border bridge in Mfum, Cross River State, which is a major international link to Cameroon; Ikom Bridge, which is now a gateway to the northern part of the country through Katsina-Ala in Benue State, had all been completed by the Federal Government.

     There is also the Bonny-Bodo project construction, which has four major bridges and eight minor ones. The projects are already in an advanced stage of completion.

      Fashola also stated that the project is one of the major projects which had defied execution by past administrations, but the Buhari administration tackled it and made significant progress.

     Other such difficult projects, according to him, include the Second

     Niger Bridge in Anambra and Delta states, the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria-Kano Road; the Apapa–Oworonsoki Road and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

     Other infrastructure projects across the country include ongoing tertiary institutions’ internal roads rehabilitation, construction of new Federal Secretariats in six states and the rehabilitation of 24 Secretariats across the country, including the construction of housing estates under the National Housing Programme in 34 states.

     While in Kano recently during the inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the Kano-Katsina Road phases I and II in Kano and Kaduna states, Fashola said: “As you build efficiency, you are building prosperity.”

     He said even though the President could not reach everyone physically and individually, he has had a handshake with the people through infrastructural development.

     “We feel the government’s presence through the infrastructure the government provided for us, housing, roads, rails, schools and hospitals, among others,” he stated.

     According to Fashola, if all infrastructural facilities are in place, they will ease the process of doing business and increase productivity.

     He pointed out that farmers as well as other Nigerians engaging in various businesses could now move their products or render their services with more ease.

    The former minister, however, did not mention that though they had inaugurated the Second Niger Bridge in Anambra and Delta states, for instance, the access road from Asaba to the Bridge remained inaccessible.

     Apart from bridge construction projects, a number of road projects are either uncompleted or abandoned outright.

    For instance, the Aba/Owerri Expressway and the Port Harcourt/Aba /Enugu Highway are on hold.

     In the same manner, the Onitsha and Enugu Highways are also in a state of disrepair and record accidents almost daily because articulated vehicles going to the North and Northcentral take that route.

     Some commuters in that part of the country are bemoaning the state of the highways and how they have become death traps and homes for highway robbers and recently, kidnappers who maim and kill their victims in some cases; even when a ransom has been paid.

     Nobody can quantify the man-hours Nigerians lose on those derelict highways. Yet, the past administration mounted campaigns on how it reconstructed or rehabilitated highways across the country.

  • Setting a new benchmark in education standard

    Setting a new benchmark in education standard

    Many have decried the country’s deteriorating education standard – a crisis traceable to many factors, including poor funding and lack of planning or bad implementation of plans. But the situation appears to be changing in Nasarawa State where renewed zeal on the part of the state government is gradually changing the fortune of the state’s education status. LINUS OOTA reports

    The deteriorating quality of education in Nigeria is known to everyone. But this appears unacceptable in Nasarawa State where the state government has put forth some modest interventions in the education sector.

     In the last four years, education sector has experienced a major improvement in terms of improved funding for schools, supply of modern learning facilities and renovation of schools. On assumption of office in 2019, Governor Abdullahi Sule, in his declaration speech, emphasised his determination to reposition the education sector. “Not only would there be the provision of facilities or an atmosphere that is conducive to teaching and learning, but there must be qualified teachers that would mean our schools which are in dire need of teachers to fill in the deficit of staff,” he said.

     With the firm belief that education is not only the best legacy to bequeath to the children, but one of the strongest tools to end poverty and hunger, the state government has vowed to always invest heavily in education at all levels and also provide an enabling environment for private operators to thrive and make the system an all-inclusive one. To this end, the state government constituted a committee that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting a baseline survey of all primary and secondary schools.

     The Prof Mohammed Isa Kida-led committee did what many described as a thorough job and presented a report which revealed some of the immediate, short and long-term requirements of the state’s 1, 391 primary schools and 419 secondary schools made up of 19 junior secondary schools and 320 senior secondary schools out of which 29 are boarding. Specifically, the committee said about 90 per cent of the schools are comatose.

     Disturbed by this damning report, Governor Sule declared a state of emergency in public schools and extended an invitation to philanthropists and other public-spirited individuals to collaborate with the state government in addressing the rot in the education sector. The state government then articulated a development agenda in which basic education was given special attention in view of its critical role in societal growth and development. The state government drafted an Education Development Plan (EDP) geared towards providing a fertile ground for the administration to establish its vision and mission in turning around the education sector.

     Four years down the line, the state has achieved what many other states can only dream of, especially in the basic education sub-sector. In pursuit of his avowed commitment to the provision of an improved learning environment to boost basic education, Governor Sule approved and released the state matching grant to access the Universal Basic Education (UBE) intervention funds from 2019 to date.

     Determined to reposition primary education, considering the fact that it remains the bedrock upon which the secondary and tertiary levels stand, the state government ensured that the sector is accorded top priority. To this end, the state ensures prompt payment of counterpart funds to enable the state to access the Universal Basic Education funds. The state government released 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 counterpart funds and hence has the needed funding from the Universal Basic Education Commission to embark on massive construction, renovations, remodelling and building of more classrooms and provision of instructional materials.

     In the circumstances, the state government has made some giant leaps, including the fact that 62 projects were completed, 197 classrooms built and no less than four perimeter fences constructed in primary schools using the 2016 UBE intervention fund (3rd and 4th quarter).

     Furthermore, the 2017 UBE intervention fund was also used to construct no fewer than 222 projects, all of which have been completed, with no less than 553 classrooms provided, 14 perimeter fences constructed, 36 toilets built, 50 hand-pump boreholes provided to consolidate the fight against open defecation and to strengthen hygiene. Additionally, 1,200 units of furniture comprising metal and wood were provided to ease learning for the pupils.

     The 2018 UBE intervention fund was judiciously utilised as 153 projects were completed with 542 classrooms provided, in addition to 60 toilets and 18 hand-pump boreholes sunk and 50 perimeter fences constructed with 16,000 units of furniture provided. The state government used the 2019 UBE intervention fund to provide 342 projects, 780 classrooms, 52 toilets, 25 boreholes, and 10,000 units of furniture provided. Expectedly, the 2020, 2021 and 2022 UBE intervention funds were judiciously used to consolidate on its determination to provide basic infrastructures across its schools.

     During the past four years (2019-2023), the state has remained committed to boosting education through improved budgetary allocation to the sector. In 2020, the state budgeted N26.3 billion for education. The amount was increased to N35.4 billion in 2021, while in the 2022 budget, the administration earmarked N31. 9 billion for the sector. In the 2023 budget, the state government had to jerk up the budgetary allocation for the education sector to N37. 43 billion. Adequate provisions were made for the training and retraining of teachers; just as the state has continued to collaborate with other development partners such as the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) that are working to advance education in the state.

     In the past four years, about 1,876 teachers have been trained in digital literacy. Apart from manpower development, the government has been making a mark in the area of aggressive renovation of and provision of teaching and learning materials. The evidence of the key interventions is found in the renovation of many primary and secondary schools, payments of scholarship allowances, the release of huge sums of money for boarding school feeding programs, promotion of over 10,000 teachers and engage over 5,000 teachers.

     There is also a renewed focus on renovations, expansion and provision of tools and other equipment to technical colleges in the state as demonstrated by the utilisation of the UBE intervention funds and the state budgetary allocation to the education sector. It is also on record that the state government is collaborating with UNICEF on a back-to-school initiative, a special project for which the pilot phase is being implemented in 370 primary schools in Lafia and Nasarawa local government areas. There is also an emphasis on training and retraining of teachers as exemplified by the frequent capacity-building workshops, some of which were done in collaboration with development partners.

     “In our commitment to provide an environment conducive to teaching and learning, our administration sustained the payment of counterpart funds to UBEC, which facilitated the construction of more classroom blocks, rehabilitation and equipping of primary and junior secondary schools in the state. In furtherance to the administration’s belief in education as the transformative tool of the individual and overall societal development, the government formalised the appointments of the 2,250 engaged teachers, while over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching members of staff were recruited for secondary and tertiary institutions.

    “The screening exercise for the recruitment of another batch of the 1,000 teachers is ongoing. Our efforts and investments have culminated in providing an environment conducive to teaching and learning, including infrastructure, improved conditions of service and industrial peace for all our tertiary institutions to provide quality education to all students. The state government has done its best within the past four years to strengthen all tertiary institutions in the state to continue to deliver on its mandates. Education remains crucial to prosperity from generation to generation,” the governor said recently.

    The state government said evidence has shown that all these efforts have yielded tremendous results using improvement in the performance of public school students in the state in WASSCE from less than 45 per cent to 85 per cent within the past four years of his administration and also its zero target projects on out-of-school-children, and good welfare package for teachers, among others as yardsticks. The ultimate goal of the administration is to ensure that all students in Nasarawa State received a quality education in an environment conducive to teaching and learning.

     In order to ensure academic activities at the Nasarawa State University are not brought to a halt due to strike actions as a result of non-payment of salaries, the state government has taken over the responsibility of paying the salaries of members of staff of the university. To improve the availability of technical and medical manpower in the state, the government has approved the establishment of two faculties at the state university in Keffi: the faculty of engineering and the faculty of medical sciences. The administration equally donated N20 million to facilitate the eventual take-off of the faculty of engineering of the Nasarawa State University in the 2020/2021 academic session.

    The government said that the establishment of the faculties of health sciences and engineering would assist in providing the needed manpower to develop the state in those vital areas. Other interventions in the education sector include payment of bursary allowances to students, and the upgrade of the College of Agriculture Lafia to the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology. During the period under review, a lot of students of Nasarawa origin were awarded scholarships to study at the Zaria Academy, while others were to study for higher education at the International University of Africa, Sudan.

     The immediate past commissioner for education in Nasarawa State (2019-2023), Hajia Fati Sabo, said that the number one service on the priority list of the state government is to render to the people the provision of a quality and value-driven education system. She said that the state government, in the past four years, strongly believed that making the education sector the number one priority, adding that the education sector has been repositioned not only to be about learning outcomes where students strive just to pass examinations, but how to prepare them well with the right knowledge and skills that will enable them to overcome the odds and make a great impact even before graduation.

     “The administration has demonstrated commitment to fulfilling the promises with such indices as yearly increase in budgetary allocation; completion of outstanding projects to the highest possible standards; investing in new schools; construction of new school buildings and upgrade of existing ones; and integrating technology into teaching and learning processes. The massive human and capital infrastructural development embarked upon by the administration could not be glossed over. The governor’s passion in the education sector is visible and can be seen also by the expansion of the state University in Keffi. I’m glad you know that the governor is working in the education sector as well.

    “Apart from the transformational innovation, the administration has also prioritised teachers’ welfare by improving their welfare. With the priority the Governor has given the education sector in his first tenure, there is no gainsaying that the governor would do more in his second term so that Nasarawa State becomes the best in Northern Nigeria,” she said.

  • Brain drain: Niger’s health system on crutches

    Brain drain: Niger’s health system on crutches

    Brain drain has impacted negatively on Nigeria’s health system. The loss of highly skilled healthcare professionals to institutions outside the shores of the country has resulted in the shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. This has given rise to reduced access to quality healthcare for many Nigerians. This has also contributed to the country’s high maternal and child mortality rates. In this report, JUSTINA ASISHANA examines how this has affected health service delivery in Niger State.

    Patients who patronize general hospitals across Niger State face longer waiting hours before they are attended to by doctors. This is because hundreds of physicians, nurses and other health workers have left the country in search of greener pastures. Those who have left the state’s health sector in the past five years have not been replaced by the state.

     In most of the hospitals, patients would wait for hours on end without being attended to by medical personnel.

     Wasted man-hours are not the only issue experienced by patients. Some of them have suffered the consequences of a lack of doctors, which led to death.

     The scarcity of doctors affects everyone, irrespective of their social standing. One such case is the accident involving a former Commissioner and Chief Press Secretary to the former Niger State Governor, Danladi Ndayebo, and a Special Assistant to the Senate President, Mohammed Isa. The two were involved in an accident along Minna-Suleja Road on November 6, 2022, and sustained serious injuries.

     Reports have it that the duo died due to what relatives said was medical negligence. Admitted to the hospital at 9.30 p.m., the victims were not attended to until 12 hours later when, at the intervention of a former Secretary to the Niger State Government, Kuta Yahaya, they were taken to the emergency unit.

     In a petition dated November 22, 2022, the family of the late Danladi Ndayebo, through their lawyer, Mohammed Maude, said that the members of staff of the hospital left him unattended to for 12 hours after he was admitted to the emergency unit of the hospital, adding that he died without any form of treatment administered on. His colleague who was in the same accident ward with him died a few days later at an Abuja hospital where he had been transferred for medical treatment.

     A few of the hospitals boast of modern equipment donated by companies in the oil and gas industry (NNPC, Chevron, IPPG and PETAN) as part of the COVID-19 Intervention in Niger State. But, even where the equipment is available, there are limited or no skilled personnel to operate the equipment. This is what happened to Ndayebo. The hospital he was taken to has x-ray machines and a scanner which would have helped in determining the nature of the injuries he suffered and would have informed the medical intervention required.

     However, there was no one to operate these machines and he was left unattended to for hours.

     Lack of equipment is a common problem in most hospitals but even where such equipment exists; it might be of no use because there are no trained personnel to man them. This is why patients still have to go to private hospitals and laboratories to access and use such equipment.

    Impact of brain drain on health services

    There is no recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) doctor-to-patient-ratio, but the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) said that Nigeria has a doctor-to-patient-ratio of 1:5,000. But in Niger State, the doctor-to-patient-ratio is 1:20,000, according the Executive Medical Director of the Niger State Hospitals Management Boardthe Executive Medical Director of the Niger State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi.

     Last year, NMA expressed concern that the doctor-patient ratio is getting worse. The inadequate supply of skilled human resources presented a serious obstacle to the provision of effective health services and created a serious manpower crisis in most health facilities in the country.

     The Association, which is the umbrella body for practising doctors, said that the lack of trained personnel had placed undue stress on the existing health workers, exposing them to overwork. The shortage of skilled health workers has worsened the already poor doctor-patient ratio, while the nurse-to-patient ratio in Nigeria is 1:1,660.

     The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has also stated that between 2017 and 2022, 57,000 nurses migrated from Nigeria for greener pastures abroad. The majority of Nigerian physicians want to emigrate and top among the reasons for leaving the country are poor remuneration, rising insecurity and inadequate diagnostic facilities.

    The Hospitals Management Board said that only a few of the doctors who leave resign formally as the majority of them leave without notifying the Board.

    The Commissioner of Health, Niger State, Dr Muhammed Makunsidi, said that 3,000 health workers, including medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory scientists and midwives have left the state government-owned hospitals to seek employment in other states in Nigeria or outside the country.

    Our members collapse at work-NANNM

    While patients complain of the poor services being rendered at healthcare centres, nurses and midwives complain of being overburdened with work which has seen several of them collapse while on duty. In order to resolve this issue, hospital administrators have resorted to merging wards for the remaining members of staff to cope.

     For example, at the General Hospital Sabon Wuse, the female and paediatric wards have been merged so that the few nurses available can cope with the number of patients.

     Due to the shortage, a nurse in Niger State is performing the duty of five nurses, according to the Niger State Chairman of NANNW, Anna Simon.

     Simon stated that from 2015 to 2023, more than 400 nurses had left Niger State. Some left for abroad or other states in Nigeria, while others have either died or retired.

     She said that in 2016, there were about 1,000 nurses. But currently, there are less than 600 nurses working in the state government-owned hospitals, even as she added that no efforts are being made to fill the vacant positions.

       Push and pull factor

     Simon and the Niger State Chairman of NMA, Yusuf Muhammad, conceded that the main reasons their members were going abroad or other states to work were pay, insecurity, and lack of equipment and infrastructure.

     Muhammad said that the N5, 000 paid to health workers for hazard allowance was a pittance compared to the work they do. The last salary review was in 2010 when health workers were given a 180 per cent salary increment to boost their standard of living.

     Announcing the increase at the time, the then state’s Commissioner for Health, Mohammed Sani Adamu, said the money was to be paid out in instalments with 70 per cent of the money being paid out immediately, while the rest was to be paid out in phases. Since then, there have been no salary increments and health workers who have received promotions do not get pay increments.

     In 2016, then Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello declared a state of emergency in the health sector, lifted a ban on employment and approved a 100 per cent increase in pay for all health workers. But this has not stemmed the tide of skilled personnel leaving the state.

     On average, entry-level salaries for doctors vary depending on the state. Medical doctors earn between N150, 000 and N200, 000. Registrars earn between N220, 000 and N300, 000; Senior Registrars, between N260, 000 and N470, 000, and Consultants, between N450, 000 and 800,000.

     Under the current Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) agreement, which took effect in April 2019, the least salary a medical staff working in the Federal Public Service can earn under the new minimum wage is N1,667,601. This salary scale applies to the members of the medical staff at Level 1 Step 1.

     On the other hand, the highest-paid member of the medical staff will earn N8,517,892. This applies to the very senior and experienced medical staff at Level 7 Step 9.

     Niger State is one of five states in the country where doctors and other health workers are being paid at the same level as those working for the Federal Government.

     Despite this and other measures aimed at encouraging doctors to remain in the state, the exodus of its trained medical personnel continues.

     While doctors in Niger State have incomes that match those employed by the Federal Government, their salaries still compare poorly against what doctors in the countries many of them emigrate to earn.

     Demands for better salaries and working conditions have led to frequent industrial actions which regularly disrupt health services.

     On May 17, doctors began a strike to demand the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), tangible steps on the “upward review” of the CONMESS and payment of all salary arrears owed its members since 2015.

     They also want the immediate massive recruitment of members of clinical staff in the hospitals and the abolishment of the bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who had left the system.

     Besides salary, insecurity is another reason for the mass exodus of health workers from Niger State to other states in Nigeria or abroad. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists have been killed or abducted and held for ransom by bandits who have taken over 12 local government areas in the state, leading to thousands of people being displaced and hundreds dead.

    ‘We are working hard to address the trend’

     Coincidentally, at the time the UK imposed the ban on the recruitment of health personnel, the Nigeria House of Representatives passed the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, that, if enacted into law, will compel medical and dental graduates trained in Nigeria to offer five years of compulsory service in Nigeria before being granted a licence to practise. They can then move abroad if they wish.

     The bill has been rejected by the doctors who have gone to court to challenge it, saying it contravenes their fundamental human rights of movement and association.

     The doctors claimed that the bill would not stem the brain drain unless the government addresses the challenges such as poor working conditions, lack of medical equipment and facilities, and insecurity. The revocation of the Bill is among the demands they made during the recent strike action.

     The Executive Medical Director, Niger State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi, said while the state could not stop skilled health workers from leaving the state’s health system, it was committed to improving their working conditions and welfare.

     “We are currently paying salaries on the same level as the Federal Government,” he said.

     The state is also committed to recruiting more specialists to increase the current 33 specialist doctors. Other plans include having the state university accredited to establish a medical course and a teaching hospital and the hiring of 400 additional health workers and 450 midwives.

      On when this will take effect, Abdullahi was non-committal about when the medical personnel would be hired as these were just proposals.

     Efforts by the government to upgrade health facilities and improve access by residents will amount to nothing if doctors and other skilled health personnel continue to exit for better opportunities in Nigeria and abroad. Until the state stops this trend, it will not be able to meet its goal of providing adequate resources for effective and efficient healthcare delivery.

    • This article was produced as part of the Aftershocks Data Fellowship (22-23) with support from the Africa Women’s Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with The ONE Campaign and the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).

     

  • Setting a new benchmark in education standard

    Setting a new benchmark in education standard

    Many have decried the country’s deteriorating education standard – a crisis traceable to many factors, including poor funding and lack of planning or bad implementation of plans. But the situation appears to be changing in Nasarawa State where renewed zeal on the part of the state government is gradually changing the fortune of the state’s education status. LINUS OOTA reports

    The deteriorating quality of education in Nigeria is known to everyone. But this appears unacceptable in Nasarawa State where the state government has put forth some modest interventions in the education sector.

     In the last four years, education sector has experienced a major improvement in terms of improved funding for schools, supply of modern learning facilities and renovation of schools. On assumption of office in 2019, Governor Abdullahi Sule, in his declaration speech, emphasised his determination to reposition the education sector. “Not only would there be the provision of facilities or an atmosphere that is conducive to teaching and learning, but there must be qualified teachers that would mean our schools which are in dire need of teachers to fill in the deficit of staff,” he said.

     With the firm belief that education is not only the best legacy to bequeath to the children, but one of the strongest tools to end poverty and hunger, the state government has vowed to always invest heavily in education at all levels and also provide an enabling environment for private operators to thrive and make the system an all-inclusive one. To this end, the state government constituted a committee that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting a baseline survey of all primary and secondary schools.

     The Prof Mohammed Isa Kida-led committee did what many described as a thorough job and presented a report which revealed some of the immediate, short and long-term requirements of the state’s 1, 391 primary schools and 419 secondary schools made up of 19 junior secondary schools and 320 senior secondary schools out of which 29 are boarding. Specifically, the committee said about 90 per cent of the schools are comatose.

     Disturbed by this damning report, Governor Sule declared a state of emergency in public schools and extended an invitation to philanthropists and other public-spirited individuals to collaborate with the state government in addressing the rot in the education sector. The state government then articulated a development agenda in which basic education was given special attention in view of its critical role in societal growth and development. The state government drafted an Education Development Plan (EDP) geared towards providing a fertile ground for the administration to establish its vision and mission in turning around the education sector.

     Four years down the line, the state has achieved what many other states can only dream of, especially in the basic education sub-sector. In pursuit of his avowed commitment to the provision of an improved learning environment to boost basic education, Governor Sule approved and released the state matching grant to access the Universal Basic Education (UBE) intervention funds from 2019 to date.

     Determined to reposition primary education, considering the fact that it remains the bedrock upon which the secondary and tertiary levels stand, the state government ensured that the sector is accorded top priority. To this end, the state ensures prompt payment of counterpart funds to enable the state to access the Universal Basic Education funds. The state government released 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 counterpart funds and hence has the needed funding from the Universal Basic Education Commission to embark on massive construction, renovations, remodelling and building of more classrooms and provision of instructional materials.

     In the circumstances, the state government has made some giant leaps, including the fact that 62 projects were completed, 197 classrooms built and no less than four perimeter fences constructed in primary schools using the 2016 UBE intervention fund (3rd and 4th quarter).

     Furthermore, the 2017 UBE intervention fund was also used to construct no fewer than 222 projects, all of which have been completed, with no less than 553 classrooms provided, 14 perimeter fences constructed, 36 toilets built, 50 hand-pump boreholes provided to consolidate the fight against open defecation and to strengthen hygiene. Additionally, 1,200 units of furniture comprising metal and wood were provided to ease learning for the pupils.

     The 2018 UBE intervention fund was judiciously utilised as 153 projects were completed with 542 classrooms provided, in addition to 60 toilets and 18 hand-pump boreholes sunk and 50 perimeter fences constructed with 16,000 units of furniture provided. The state government used the 2019 UBE intervention fund to provide 342 projects, 780 classrooms, 52 toilets, 25 boreholes, and 10,000 units of furniture provided. Expectedly, the 2020, 2021 and 2022 UBE intervention funds were judiciously used to consolidate on its determination to provide basic infrastructures across its schools.

     During the past four years (2019-2023), the state has remained committed to boosting education through improved budgetary allocation to the sector. In 2020, the state budgeted N26.3 billion for education. The amount was increased to N35.4 billion in 2021, while in the 2022 budget, the administration earmarked N31. 9 billion for the sector. In the 2023 budget, the state government had to jerk up the budgetary allocation for the education sector to N37. 43 billion. Adequate provisions were made for the training and retraining of teachers; just as the state has continued to collaborate with other development partners such as the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) that are working to advance education in the state.

     In the past four years, about 1,876 teachers have been trained in digital literacy. Apart from manpower development, the government has been making a mark in the area of aggressive renovation of and provision of teaching and learning materials. The evidence of the key interventions is found in the renovation of many primary and secondary schools, payments of scholarship allowances, the release of huge sums of money for boarding school feeding programs, promotion of over 10,000 teachers and engage over 5,000 teachers.

     There is also a renewed focus on renovations, expansion and provision of tools and other equipment to technical colleges in the state as demonstrated by the utilisation of the UBE intervention funds and the state budgetary allocation to the education sector. It is also on record that the state government is collaborating with UNICEF on a back-to-school initiative, a special project for which the pilot phase is being implemented in 370 primary schools in Lafia and Nasarawa local government areas. There is also an emphasis on training and retraining of teachers as exemplified by the frequent capacity-building workshops, some of which were done in collaboration with development partners.

     “In our commitment to provide an environment conducive to teaching and learning, our administration sustained the payment of counterpart funds to UBEC, which facilitated the construction of more classroom blocks, rehabilitation and equipping of primary and junior secondary schools in the state. In furtherance to the administration’s belief in education as the transformative tool of the individual and overall societal development, the government formalised the appointments of the 2,250 engaged teachers, while over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching members of staff were recruited for secondary and tertiary institutions.

    “The screening exercise for the recruitment of another batch of the 1,000 teachers is ongoing. Our efforts and investments have culminated in providing an environment conducive to teaching and learning, including infrastructure, improved conditions of service and industrial peace for all our tertiary institutions to provide quality education to all students. The state government has done its best within the past four years to strengthen all tertiary institutions in the state to continue to deliver on its mandates. Education remains crucial to prosperity from generation to generation,” the governor said recently.

    The state government said evidence has shown that all these efforts have yielded tremendous results using improvement in the performance of public school students in the state in WASSCE from less than 45 per cent to 85 per cent within the past four years of his administration and also its zero target projects on out-of-school-children, and good welfare package for teachers, among others as yardsticks. The ultimate goal of the administration is to ensure that all students in Nasarawa State received a quality education in an environment conducive to teaching and learning.

     In order to ensure academic activities at the Nasarawa State University are not brought to a halt due to strike actions as a result of non-payment of salaries, the state government has taken over the responsibility of paying the salaries of members of staff of the university. To improve the availability of technical and medical manpower in the state, the government has approved the establishment of two faculties at the state university in Keffi: the faculty of engineering and the faculty of medical sciences. The administration equally donated N20 million to facilitate the eventual take-off of the faculty of engineering of the Nasarawa State University in the 2020/2021 academic session.

    The government said that the establishment of the faculties of health sciences and engineering would assist in providing the needed manpower to develop the state in those vital areas. Other interventions in the education sector include payment of bursary allowances to students, and the upgrade of the College of Agriculture Lafia to the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology. During the period under review, a lot of students of Nasarawa origin were awarded scholarships to study at the Zaria Academy, while others were to study for higher education at the International University of Africa, Sudan.

     The immediate past commissioner for education in Nasarawa State (2019-2023), Hajia Fati Sabo, said that the number one service on the priority list of the state government is to render to the people the provision of a quality and value-driven education system. She said that the state government, in the past four years, strongly believed that making the education sector the number one priority, adding that the education sector has been repositioned not only to be about learning outcomes where students strive just to pass examinations, but how to prepare them well with the right knowledge and skills that will enable them to overcome the odds and make a great impact even before graduation.

     “The administration has demonstrated commitment to fulfilling the promises with such indices as yearly increase in budgetary allocation; completion of outstanding projects to the highest possible standards; investing in new schools; construction of new school buildings and upgrade of existing ones; and integrating technology into teaching and learning processes. The massive human and capital infrastructural development embarked upon by the administration could not be glossed over. The governor’s passion in the education sector is visible and can be seen also by the expansion of the state University in Keffi. I’m glad you know that the governor is working in the education sector as well.

    “Apart from the transformational innovation, the administration has also prioritised teachers’ welfare by improving their welfare. With the priority the Governor has given the education sector in his first tenure, there is no gainsaying that the governor would do more in his second term so that Nasarawa State becomes the best in Northern Nigeria,” she said.

  • How Nigeria can get out of poverty trap, by AfDB adviser

    How Nigeria can get out of poverty trap, by AfDB adviser

    In this chat with reporters, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation to the President of African Development Bank, Prof. Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, explains fundamental structural issues President Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to tackle to move the country from low-level equilibrium, get the country out of debt trap and sustain economic growth, Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON was there.

    What should the new government and other stakeholders do to get the country out of poverty trap?

    My proposal is that the new President must aim very high: target a minimum of seven percent growth rate so we can double our GDP in 10 years. How? There are short-term macro-economic issues to quickly deal with, but what I will be emphasising are fundamental structural issues. To move from this low-level equilibrium means a structural shift of the economy. Typically, a country’s economy has three main sectors: agriculture, industry and manufacturing and services. Poor countries are mired in low-level agriculture unlike advanced nations with extremely modern and productive agriculture. These countries have “industrialised” agriculture. The Netherland, a highly advanced industrialised nation, exported over 90 billion euros of agribusiness products in 2019.

     Agriculture is where Nigeria has comparative advantage, but technologically, it is decades behind. It is the sector with the lowest hanging fruit, but we must systematically invest in greater mechanisation, inputs such as fertiliser and at the heart of high productivity are seeds. Nigeria, with other African countries, signed the Agricultural Delivery Compact at the conference organised by the AfDB and the African Union in Dakar in January. Faithfully implemented, the country can stimulate rapid growth of the agribusiness sector. This way, we will re-ignite the long delayed structural transformation and accelerate economic diversification in ways that lead to food security. From our calculations, this kind of growth will lead to national food security while creating at least 12 million jobs.

     As you may already know, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), a flagship programme of the AfDB adopted by the Federal Government of Nigeria, aims to make Nigeria competitive in agriculture by promoting agro-industrialisation through value-addition and export of processed agricultural commodities. The first phase of the programme is being implemented in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    How Nigeria can become a production nation?

      Let me provide a simple illustration; it is an example of a country that evolved from years of devastating conflict, moved from a beggar-bowl in hand nation to a major player in global value chains. Vietnam exported an estimated US$348 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2020, a ten-fold difference compared with Nigeria’s exports in the same year.  In macroeconomic terms, Vietnam’s total exported goods represent 30% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2020. Given Vietnam’s population of 97 million people, its total $348 billion in 2020 exports translates to roughly $3,600 for every resident.

    Read Also: Katsina seeks AfDB’s support on agric, renewable energy

     In contrast, Nigeria’s total export of around $34 billion represents less than 8% of its GDP of $432.3 billion. Why the huge difference? Nigeria’s revenue basket remains constrained due to its export revenue concentration. We depend on crude oil and few primary commodities. Nigeria records high food imports with most processed foods coming from outside the continent. To record high economic growth rate, Nigeria should do the following: First, move away from crude oil dependence by urgently prioritising economic and trade diversification, including exploiting our vast gas resource that is being flared. Second, the country should aggressively aim for food self-sufficiency through a combination of land intensification and massive expansion of food production over the next five years. It is a matter of urgency that Nigeria reduces dependence on imports to enhance food security and to develop markets for its farmers and firms that will engage in adding value both for local consumption and for exports.

     Growth comes from a diversified portfolio. Contrasting Nigeria and Vietnam, although Vietnam’s export revenue these days come largely from non-oil products such as phones and electronics goods, which are now exported to the world. It also remains a major exporter of agricultural products.

    Why is the Federal Government always investing in projects that would not yield any return like the Ajaokuta Steel Company and others?

    The conception, design and implementation of complex industrial programmes have strong relationship with the capacity of the state. The state here includes the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary. The term “state capacity” refers to the state’s ability to get things done or the capacity to implement state-initiated policies. The question you raise has to do with the nature of the state and leadership and capacity of the Nigerian state. The state is either weak/fragile or strong; fragile states are also known as weak states. A state is fragile when it is incapable of meeting key needs of their citizens especially their security and economic wellbeing. A strong state capacity has been strongly associated with long-term economic development. This includes the capacity to establish law and order, enforce private property rights, defend a country against external threats, as well as support development by establishing a competitive market, transportation infrastructure, and mass education.

     The political, bureaucratic and corporate elites must agree on the vision. In poor countries, not just Nigeria, the attitude and actions of political and bureaucratic elite tend to determine the rate and direction of the country’s progress. So, the new President should sit down with political and corporate elites and agree with them on what I term his “Strategic Presidential Flagship Initiatives” to appeal on behalf of Nigerians to ring-fence them from cronyism and corruption and execute them (initiatives) using competent people. This is what General Park Chung-Hee did with the Chaebols in South Korea in the 1960s. 

    The new leadership needs an assurance of agreement by the elite. Our problem is not policy and plans; our challenge is the people and their purpose. Imagine the news trending in the last few days. Nigeria is groaning under lack of power supply yet a minister entrusted with fixing it is alleged by the EFCC to have stolen N340 billion! The AGF who was entrusted to help keep our money, he and his collaborators allegedly stole N109 billion. Somehow, like thousands of cases, it seems nobody is talking about it again. It’s not policy; its people.

    How Nigeria can double its GDP in a decade?

      Yes this is my proposal. Fast and sustained economic growth is the main route to raising living standards and creating decent jobs. China did so, why not Nigeria?  In 1953 when the Korean War ended, the nominal GDP of Korea was $1.3 billion; it grew rapidly for six to seven decades; to 1.65 trillion in 2019. The GDP/capita rose to $32,000 from a mere $158 in 1960. In contrast, Nigeria hardly diversified its economy. The country got locked-in into petroleum export for export earnings to the detriment of value-added agriculture and manufactures. The result is low contribution of the manufacturing sub-sector which fluctuates between 5% to 8% to aggregate output in Nigeria compared with its peers in Asia (Korea about 30% in the 1990s) is staggering.

     What is the recipe? First, economic progress comes only to producers, especially those that manufacture and add value to raw materials and export. Poverty has become the lot of our country as it is with those that always buy from others. Nigeria is in a state of stalled industrialisation. This is the root of poverty. Nigeria has experienced structural transformation trap. After four decades of policy implementations and effective governance, China successfully lifted 770 million of its citizens out of poverty.

     The new government, in addition to my earlier suggestions, should do the following: Maintain security and political stability at all costs; I mean by every means possible. It must also maintain macro-economic stability. The current exchange rates regime discourages investment. A non-transparent exchange regime creates uncertainty that impact investment performance.

     Focus on rural modernisation through programmes like the SAPZ. SAPZ are located in peri-urban areas. This is how to use a policy to force structural transformation of the economy. This is a bottom-up reform starting with transforming agriculture while still building the necessary industrial value chains, and manufacturing logistics; and promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) both farms and firms to be more efficient; and support the country’s large companies to become regionally and globally competitive firms. Where will South Korea be without the humble origins of its Chaebols, family businesses that we now know globally? One of them is the Korean giant Samsung electronics that has now surpassed Japan’s Toshiba and America’s Intel to become the world’s top chip producer by revenue. Beyond South Korean semiconductors we have Hyundai Motors, which recently became the world’s third largest carmaker after Toyota and Volkswagen – with quality to match. It is a matter of intention. Rather than ridicule Nigerian businesses, let us support and incentivise them to raise our nation’s flag. Great countries are branded by their corporate ambassadors: Amazon, Microsoft, General Electric, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz etc.

     The government must incentivise the production of manufactured goods by giving strong support to local firms instead of relying only on natural resources; provide consistent government support for infrastructure buildup and ensure ease of doing business across sectors. The power sector challenges need a military-like solution and the wellbeing of Nigerians has suffered enormous degradation, so we need to prioritise, especially the first three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – namely poverty, hunger and disease.

    The labour market is the most potent force for solving these challenges: create decent jobs especially for youth and embark on genuine and massive social housing programmes. The national health insurance scheme should be overhauled and made to serve the purpose for which it was created. The young people deserve explicit attention because of their energy and creativity. When a country views youth as an angry segment to be kept quiet, it shoots itself in the foot. We need new initiatives to support and drive youth entrepreneurship. For example, the AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, with the former Vice-President, recently launched a programme called Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (i-DICE). It is an initiative of the AfDB and the Federal Government of Nigeria to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the digital technology and creative industries in the context of efforts to create jobs. So far, that initiative has raised over $600 million and ready to be rolled out.

    Who should be in Tinubu’s cabinet?

    At the individual level, he must look for people with high level of competence accompanied by character, creativity and compassion for the poor. You need humble men and women who see this country as a legacy garden to tend and beautify. Not haughty and arrogant people who think citizens are doormats. We must in addition aim deliberately for good governance and strong institutions. These are essential to creating an enabling environment for economic growth. When you look at the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) index of the World Bank, which captures governance and institutional behaviour in Nigeria on all counts, Nigeria scores extremely low on governance.  Nigeria scores extremely low on anti-corruption.

     More importantly, good governance thrives on good leadership made up of a commitment to integrity, a strong vision and plan for their nation’s future, and the ability to make the most of their available resources. Good government looks beyond short-term political cycles and quick policy fixes. The actions, behaviour choices, and the ability to keep promises made will influence the level of trust that citizens and businesses have in government. A transformational leadership which premises decisions on what structurally transforms the country is what Nigeria needs now. There is little time for the government. A friend of mine calls it: One Chance! If we miss this chance, we have big troubles.

  • Will Abbas, Kalu lead 10th House of Representatives?

    Will Abbas, Kalu lead 10th House of Representatives?

    Tuesday, June 13, will be another date with history in the House of Representatives. On that day the House will elect a new set of presiding officers to lead it for another four years. The choice by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of the duo of Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the next presiding officers has generated lots of controversy among the rank and file of members. Despite the opposition generated by those who felt cheated by the arrangement, there are indications that the two men are set to win the contest. Tony Akowe reports.

    The House of Representatives is regarded by many as the closest arm of government to the people at the federal level. This is because among the three sets of elected persons, their constituencies are far smaller than the other two (the President and Senators).  It is also regarded as the more vibrant of the two houses of the National Assembly. So, those who lead the House must have what it takes to bring together members to work for the good of the country. Under the outgoing Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila-led 9th Assembly, the chamber was able to introduce reforms that made it the pride of the people, even though they couldn’t escape the tag of rubber stamp placed on them by those who felt that they had not done enough.

    When the bell for the leadership of the 10th Assembly sounded immediately after the general elections, many names began to emerge. At the beginning, 12 members elect indicated interest in leading the House. These members were those who had spent at least one term or more in the House. Those who indicated interest included House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Aliyu Betara, Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, Chairman, House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, Chairman, House Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas and Chairman House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli.

    Others are Chairman on House Committee on Disability Matter, Mariam Onuoha, as well as Abubakar Makki Yelleman and Sani Jaji and Abdulraheem Olawuyi.

    But the party kept sealed lips, allowing the actors to do their thing, while embarking on consultation. But when they finally spoke, they announced that they have decided to zone the position of Speaker to the Northwest with Tajudeen Abbas, representing Zaria constituency and a third time member who is returning for the fourth time as their choice, while Benjamin Kalu who was also one of the candidates for the position of Speaker their choice of Deputy Speaker. This has generated apprehension among other aspirants.

    One thing that stakeholders have agreed to is the fact that the election of the presiding officers will be conducted in accodance with the House Rules used by the immediate past Assembly, with the members being the ones to determine who leads them.

    The election will be conducted by the Clerk to the National Assembly in accordance with Order 2 Rule Two paragraph 3a of the Standing Order of the House of Representatives which provides the procedure for election of a Speaker during the inauguration of every assembly.

    It states that “a member-elect, addressing the Clerk, shall propose another member-elect with legislative experience as member of the National Assembly to be Speaker and shall move that such member-elect do take the Chair as Speaker of the House of Representatives”.

    Following the controversy that attended the decision of the party, National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said APC would embark on further consultation. But the words of Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, soon dampened agitations from others when he said that APC governors from the North will not oppose the choice of the party and the President for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

    The Joint Task team which promised to support any candidate the party agrees on has taken the campaign head on, moving from one place to the other to actualise the campaign.

    Aside the Minority Forum which has broken the rank of the minority caucus, throwing their weight behind the Abbas/Kalu ticket, another splinter group of the minority which called itself TBK has also thrown its weight behind the ticket. Led by the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere, the group described them as the best pair to lead the 10th Assembly. He claimed that 63 members of the minority group have signed up for the group to back Abbas.

    APC governors under the auspices of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have also thrown their weight behind the choice of Abbas and Kalu. This much was disclosed by the new chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma.

    Initially, there were fears that Uzodinma may not support the choice of Kalu because one of those aspiring for the Deputy Speaker position, Marian Onuoha, hails from Imo. But the statement by the governor has put to rest fears of possible divided votes from the state. The governor said the least the governors should do was to ensure that the party’s preference and vision is actualized come June 13th.

    Uzodinma asked other aspirants to close ranks with the party’s preferred candidates and work together to determine a purposeful legislature capable of promoting and projecting the overall interest of Nigerians, adding that Abbas’ choice by the party was not an imposition.

    As the days for elections draw closer, the Abbas/ Kalu ticket appears to gather more support across parties. The latest endorsement for them comes from the Nigerian Governors Forum. Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said his colleagues decided to support the ticket after their meeting with the President.

    He said God gives power to who He wishes at the time He wishes, noting the array of members-elect that have aligned with Abbas and Kalu. “It shows the level of support that you have. I want to thank all those that have keyed into your leadership. Like the president reminded us yesterday (during meeting with APC lawmakers-elect), these are positions for the party with the majority. But that party must seek the partnership of other political parties. You should carry along all members or most members to ensure that you succeed,” he stated.

    Asking other aspirants to step down for Abbas and Kalu, he said the block votes the opposition were banking on would no longer be available for them.

    In making a case for the APC candidates, Ugochinyere said: “Our common goal now should be beyond party and partisan politics and totally focus on Nigeria and her greater good. We want the best and we have selected the best and importantly, the selection is by merit.”

    While the battle for the Speakership rages on, a civil society organisation Order Paper, honoured Abbas and Kalu, among many of their colleagues, as top performers on its productivity index, value and impact on bills sponsorship. While Abbas sponsored 74 Bills in the 9th House, Kalu has 48 bills to his name, a feat considered by their followers as outstanding. The team of panelists that selected them include Prof. Ladi Hamalai, a former Director General of National Institute Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Ali Ahmad, a former lawmaker, Ikechukwu Uwanna, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Amos Dunia, Kemi Yesufu.

    Outgoing Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, has insisted he will go ahead to contest the position of Speaker, exuding confidence that he will emerge winner on June 13. While acknowledging that power comes from God, he said his emergence has long been predicted by the late Chief Solomon Lar, former National Chairman of PDP and former Plateau State governor.

    Wase stayed away from a meeting with APC lawmakers called by the President to drum support for the Abbas/Kalu ticket. The meeting was attended by other aspirants except Wase and Sani Jaji.

    Though there are reports that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate at the last general election, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed are mounting pressure on the party’s members-elect not to vote for the Abbas/Kalu ticket, The Nation findings revealed that the duo appeared to be gathering more and more support from all the political parties.

    For example, lawmakers from the South East may have decided to support Kalu in his aspiration to become Deputy Speaker and therefore may vote for the Abbas ticket. There were reportsthat some aspirants never wanted the Southeast to be given any of the presiding officers slots with the argument that they contributed little to the success of the party at the last general election.

    Despite their endorsement by the party, Abbas and Kalu have continued to engage leaders and governors across various parties. It is on record that since the endorsement, they have kept the tempo of engagement high, more than any of the other aspirants in the race.

    Others have not been silent though. For example, Betara is believed to have held meetings with the President when he was on vacation in France before inauguration. He is said to have also held series of meetings with leaders of the party. But it is not known whether he will go ahead with his aspiration even though he tends to command very high level of respect among members.

    However, the battle for the Speakership has also shifted to the zonal caucuses of members-elect. Available information indicates that out of the 92 members-elect from the Northwest geopolitical zone where Abbas hails from, 74 are believed to have signed up for the ticket after their meeting at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel. Similarly, 32 out of the 51 lawmakers from the North-Central one signed up for the same ticket. From the Southeast, where Kalu hails from, 35 members-elect have chosen to go back him.

    Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) who leads the Abbas-Kalu group (TBK) said the success recorded so far was victory for the going quest to build a stable, strong, united, harmonious and all-inclusive parliament that will deliver on life-changing people’s legislation that will help to deliver on the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.

    He believe that the massive support from all zones and ethnic and religious divides was clear evidence of members’ commitment to seeing Nigeria move forward and an indication of a significant buy-in into the Abass and Kalu message of unity and competence rooted in inclusiveness and teamwork. He said the legislative competence and capacity of Abbas and Kalu as well as their unrelenting reach out and door-to-door engagement with members-elect was one of the reasons for the across-board acceptance.

    For his part, Igariwey Iduma Enwo (PDP, Ebonyi) who leads the Unity Group in the minority caucus believes that more members of the Southeast caucus would join the Abbas/Kalu train before the day of inauguration.

    In addition to the support coming from the zones, the ticket has the full backing of the President who has spent most of his early days in office trying to ensure harmony in the House in particular and the National Assembly in general before, during and after inauguration.

    Tinubu has held series of meetings with the aspirants in person and as a group as well as all members and Senators-elect to preach harmony and the need to have a consensus candidate for inclusiveness. It is believed that the President may have assured other aspirants and their supporters that they will be carried along in the new leadership. With the Southeast and Northwest firmly accommodated in the new leadership, it is expected that other zones will be accommodated in the leadership

    Those who might run the race to the end Ahmed Idris Wase

    Wase was born on the 1st June, 1964. A graduate of Civil Engineering, he attended an Executive Programme at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, United States where he bagged an Executive Certificate course in Strategic Governance in 2016. He worked with Bauchi State Ministry of Environment and the College of Education Gindiri as a non-academic staff, holding various positions.

    He was first elected into the green chamber in 2007 to represent Wase Federal Constituency, under the auspices of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007. In 2011, he was reelected on the platform of ACN. He remained a committed member of the party until he later won under APC in 2015 after the merger.

    He also served as Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character for eight years (during the 7th and 8th Assembly). He is coming into the Speakership race with some wealth of experience having served as Deputy Speaker since 2019 and on many occasions, presided over plenary.

    Head was Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, a body of the entire lawmakers that considers and approves reports on investigations and bills form passage. His loyalty to the party has remained unquestioned. The party has on several occasions called him to serve in various capacities. He has been in leadership position in the House for some times and as served in various committees of the House.

    He has also served as Regional Representative for West Africa in the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) International. In 2017, he was appointed through popular support as the Deputy House Leader to replace the late Buba Jubril who passed on in June of the same year.

    He is also one of the Deputies of the ECOWAS Parliament. Many believe that the emergence of Wase as Speaker will be a continuation of the current Assembly as he has enjoyed a good working relationship with the Speaker.

    His views on issues and knowledge of the working of the legislature stand him out. Also the fact that the North-Central zone where he hails from has never produced the Speaker in Nigeria’s history is another added advantage for Wase.

    Muktar Betara Aliyu

    Betara represents Biu, Kwaya Kusar, Bayo and Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State. At 56, he has made giant strides in impacting many lives and contributed to the development of his fatherland through quality representation and impactful legislations. He is today a household name not only in his immediate constituency in Borno and the National Assembly but also, the country in general.

    He was educated at Biu Central Primary School in 1973 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1978. He proceeded to Biu Central Junior Day Secondary School, and then to Government Technical Secondary School Benishek, Borno State, where his leadership skills saw him becoming head prefect, and would eventually obtain his West Africa School Certificate in 1983.

    A graduate of Business Administration from Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Betara was first elected into the House of Representatives seat on the platform of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and got elected as the member representing the interests of Biu, Kwaya Kusar, Bayo and Shani Federal Constituency in 2007 and has been a member of the House since then

    In the 6th Assembly to the current 9th Assembly where chaired key Standing House Committees such as Army (7th Assembly), Defence (8th Assembly) and Appropriations (9th Assembly). He boasts of being the only member in the House that was returned unopposed during the party primaries.

    He has served as Chairman of key standing committees in the House since he was first elected. Such committees include Army (7th Assembly), Defence (8th Assembly) and Appropriations (9th Assembly). The current Assembly’s ability to return the annual budget circle to the January to December is attributed largely to his leadership quality. Several members are known to have lobbied to be part of his committee.

    Yusuf Adamu Gagdi

    Gagdi is a former Deputy Speaker of the Plateau state House Assembly. The lawmaker who currently heads the House Committee on Navy believes he has the capacity to give the House the kind of leadership it deserves. Gagdi who represents Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency of Plateau State was born on the 5th November, 1980.

    He had his primary school at LEA Central Primary School Gum-Gagdi before proceeding to GSS Gagdi for his junior secondary education. He later transferred to GSS Dengi where he had his senior secondary education and graduated in 1999. He got admitted to study Social Studies (Double Major) at FCE Pankshin, where he resumed with only a few clothes, a few measures of ground maize flour and the grace of God. He couldn’t afford to rent a room of his own as accommodation and had to squat with security men at the school gate.

    He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics Education and got employed by the Plateau State Teachers’ Service Commission and then posted to GSS Angwan  Rogo. He was later seconded to the office of the Head of Service of the state where he served the then Head of Service, the late Dr. Godfrey Mamzhi as a Personal Assistant. His first sojourn in politics started with a determination to serve and learn from those on the political turf and that was how he got close and became a personal aide to the then Deputy Speaker Plateau State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Usman Zumunta Musa. He won election to represent Panskhin/Kanke/Kanam in the House of Representatives in March 2019. Coming with legislative experience, he was neck-deep committed to the emergence of the leadership of the green chamber. He was made the Chairman, House Committee on Navy and a member of 13 other committees.

    A former Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Gagdi can be said to have some experience in presiding over the legislature having done that at the state level. Twelve of the bills he sponsored have either been passed into law or at advanced stage, six of which has been signed into law by the President.

    He stands on the principle of equity, justice and fairness, believing that the leadership of APC should zone the Speakership to the North-Central zone. He, however, said that as a party man, he was ready to toe the line recommended by the party, but insisted that it will be wrong for the party to zone the position elsewhere since the Northwest has held the position of Speaker four times, while the Northeast has also held the position.

    Tajudeen Abbas

    Abbas represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State and currently heads the House Committee on Land Transport.  He holds the record of sponsoring the highest number of bills in the House. At the last count, he had sponsored about 74 bills majority of which seek to either create or upgrade existing Federal Medical Centres across the country. Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, is one of those pushing Abbas for the Speakership.

    But the argument by some northern interest groups that the Northwest has held the position four times since the return to democracy in 1999 may work against his ambition.

    Born on October 1st, 1963 in Zaria, he attended Kaduna Teacher’s College (KTC) Kaduna for his Grade II certificate in 1981 and proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for a Bachelors and Masters degree in Business Administration. In 2010, he obtained a Doctorate in Business Management at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto State.

    Abbas was a Primary School Teacher from 1981 to 1988. In 1988 he became a Lecturer at a Polytechnic before moving to the Kaduna State University (KASU) when it was established inn2006. He also worked as Marketing Manager at the Nigeria Tobacco Company before joining politics and was elected into the National Assembly in 2011 to represent Zaria Federal Constituency. He has served in various House committees such as National Planning & Economic Development, Public Procurement, Defense, Social Duties, Finance and Commerce. He also served as Vice Chairman, Legislative Compliance Committee from May 2011 to May 2015.

    Benjamin Okezie Kalu

    Kalu who represent Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State graduated from the University of Calabar, with a Bachelors degree in Law.  At twenty nine years, he served as the national chair of the PDP in the Diaspora and also served as the youngest local government chairman in his state at the age of 31. He holds a Certificate in Migration and Human Rights from John Cabot University Campus, Italy, 2022, Certificate in Illicit Trade, University of Groningen, Netherlands, 2022, Certificate in Governance & Development Program, Miami Herbert Business School, Miami University, USA, 2022,Certificate in Environmental Crimes, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute,b(UNICRI), Italy, 2022, Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators United Kingdom (CIARB), University of Oxford, England, 2014.

  • TINUBU PRESIDENCY: The early days

    TINUBU PRESIDENCY: The early days

    Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines the activities of President Bola Tinubu in his first week in office.

    A new chapter has opened in the history of Nigeria, following the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The president is settling down to the serious business of governance after taking the mantle from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) six days ago.

    It was an impressive ceremony witnessed by statesmen, diplomats and other world figures. But the euphoria quickly gave way for serious work.

    Obviously President Tinubu has applied for a tedious job. But the mandate is meant for a competent man, an experienced administrator, a patriot, democrat and strategist like him.

    Governance in Nigeria, African most populous and highly heterogenous country, cannot be a tea party. On the president is the burden of diverse , and sometimes antagonistic 250 ethnic groups who, in their quest for a new lease of life, are locked in a competitive struggle for resources at the distant centre under the faulty, deformed and debased federal structure.

    Apart from the huge tasks of unification, fostering equity, fairness and justice require tact, wisdom and strong resolve. The challenges across the sectors make urgent reforms more compelling. Nigerians are impatient people who want quick action and relief. Therefore, they are maintaining keen interest in every presidential move. Predictably, the preliminary assessment of Tinubu’s performance will be undertaken by informed commentators, critics and foes at the end of his first 100 days in Aso Villa, the seat of government.

    The president is focused on his vision, goals and plans. In his inaugural speech, which has been hailed across the globe for its clarity, focus, depth and reassurance, the president raised serious concern about national unity.

    Adorning his characteristic national outlook, Tinubu assured the people of inclusiveness. “I will be president of all,” he said, adding: “Whether from the winding creeks of the Niger Delta, the vastness of the northern savannah, the boardrooms of Lagos, the bustling capital of Abuja, or the busy markets of Onitsha, you are all my people. As your president, I shall serve with prejudice toward none, but compassion and amity towards all.”

    The message should resonate with voters from the six geo-political zones who conferred the mandate on him during the February 25 poll, not as a candidate of a tribe or religious tendency, but as a total Nigerian ready to lead the country into a new dawn.

    Highlights of inaugural speech

    Consistent with his campaign promises, Tinubu laid out some programmes he would pursue in the maiden address to the nation. He spoke on his plans for the economy; business and foreign exchange; agriculture, jobs, power supply, security and, the matter of the moment -fuel subsidy removal.

    The president, in the speech titled: ‘A new deal for Nigeria,’ described the peaceful transfer of power as an evidence of political stability, which he would build upon. He paid tribute to his predecessor, Buhari, saying that history will be kind to him.

    Conscious of the nature of Nigeria, particularly its cleavages, he promised to unify. The country is big and there are peculiarities dictated by its ethnic composition. Therefore, in utter sensitivity to these differences, Tinubu promised to consult widely, mend fences, pursue a healing process, and foster good governance based on the rule of law.

    He reflected on the poll that brought him to power. He described it as a hard fought contest, which he fairly won. But, in humility, he pointed out that his victory did not make him more Nigerian than other contenders for the highest office. As a democrat and believer in justice, he conceded to his rivals their resort to the court for final adjudication on the election.

    Read Also: 10th NASS: Tinubu meets opposition lawmakers Monday

    There was cheery news, shortly after the change of baton. It was reported that intense bargain-hunting for Nigerian equity rallied the stock market to a net capital gain of N1.51 trillion, its highest in a day in two and half years. The Naira was also said to have recorded a marginal gain while the benchmark index for the stock market, the All Share Index (ASI), posted an average return of 5.23 per cent, its highest gain since November, last year.

    The president is targeting a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while trying frantically to reduce unemployment. He is proposing a budgetary reform that will stimulate economy and without engendering inflation, an industrial policy that will utilise fiscal measures to promote domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependency. Like he pointed out during the campaigns, he said Nigeria needed stable electricity supply.

    As part of strategies for guaranteeing a conducive environment for investment to thrive, he said the Federal Government will ensure that investors and foreign businesses repatriate their hard earned dividends and profits home.

    Tinubu said he will not renege on his avowed commitment to youth welfare through the creation of one million jobs through digital economy, adding that “our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill.

    He stressed: “This bill will give our administration the policy space to embark on labour-intensive infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry and provide improved social services for the poor, elderly and vulnerable.”

    Another priority is agriculture. The president plans to secure rural income through commodity exchange boards that will guarantee minimal prices for certain crops and animal products. A nationwide programme for storage and other facilities to reduce spoilage and waste will be undertaken.

    On the monetary policy, Tinubu said the Central Bank must work towards a unified exchange rate. He said “this will direct funds away from arbitrage into meaningful investment in the plant, equipment and jobs that power the real economy.”

    He added: “Interest rates need to be reduced to increase investment and consumer purchasing in ways that sustain the economy at a higher level.

    “Whatever merits it had in concept, the currency swap was too harshly applied by the CBN, given the number of unbanked Nigerians. The policy shall be reviewed. In the meantime, my administration will treat both currencies as legal tender.”

    During the campaigns, Tinubu had alerted Nigerians that his administration will halt fuel subsidy. Indeed, his rivals during the contest promised to do the same. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who described subsidy as a fraud, said what Nigeria should do after removing it totally is to channel the funds back into the economy.

    Also, Labour Party (LP) flagbearer, Peter Obi, described subsidy as organised crime. He said if elected, he will not allow it to stay a day longer.

    In fact, Buhari had set this month as the terminal date for the regime of subsidy that had only benefitted few rich Nigerians. Reiterating his determination to do away with subsidy, Tinubu said “subsidy is gone.”

    Mixed reactions have trailed the announcement. It provoked a national debate. Some stakeholders were not comfortable with the manner of announcement. Others said there was nothing wrong with the emphasis, so that Nigerians could embrace the reality.

    The president received the applause of economic experts. But, the pronouncement was trailed by uproar among workers and the masses. The attempt to resist the removal began instantly. Unpatriotic petrol dealers deliberately hoarded fuel to inflict pain on innocent Nigerians. Loading of product temporarily stopped at depots. The price of fuel also went up. Many feared the impact on vulnerable members of the society.

    Justifying the removal, Tinubu said fuel subsidy has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor, adding that it can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources.”

    On the gains of subsidy removal, which all and not few will enjoy, the president said: “We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.”

    On Tuesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima, merely reiterated the president’s position, saying there was no going back on the removal.

    When Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde visited the president along with former Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and James Ibori (Delta), he described the removal as a tough decision, urging all Nigerians to support Tinubu’s good intention.

    Breaking with tradition

    Unlike his predecessors, Tinubu broke with the tradition of instant announcements of appointments, particularly of immediate aides, including the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), and media appointees. There is no laid out rule and regulation, and every president is at liberty to adopt whatever approach that is suitable for him.

    However, the delayed appointments gave room for speculations. Some people invaded the unregulated social media with fake news, lying that certain persons had been appointed as aides.

    Also, as the controversy over fuel subsidy persisted, there was no official aide on ground until Tinubu’s Special Adviser, Mr. Dele Alake, came on air to make certain clarifications. Later, Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) explained to reporters in Abuja that the removal was non-negotiable, if Nigeria was to be pulled back from bankruptcy. He said the Federal Government owed NNPCL N2.8 trillion – being money spent on subsidy.

    Appointment of CoS, SGF

    On Friday, the coast was clear. In a statement by the Director of Information, Aso Villa, Abiodun Oladunjoye, the president appointed House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff, Senator Hassan Hadejia, former Deputy Governor of Jigawa State, as Deputy Chief of Staff, and George Akume, former Minister of Special Duties and governor of Benue State as Secretary to Government of the Federation.

    Read Also: Three ways Tinubu can cushion effects of subsidy removal without palliatives

    It means that media aides are to be appointed later.

    However, there is neither suspense nor anxiety over the cabinet list, which many Nigerians believe may take a little time.

    Resumption of office

    On Tuesday, Tinubu resumed office in Aso Villa. Vice President Shettima, who had resumed earlier on that day, led the Villa Staff and security men to welcome him.

    Tinubu, attended by his Aide-De-Camp, Lt.Col. Nurudeen Alowonle, walked briskly into the premises, greeting and shaking with officials most heartily. Later, he was led to a seat in one of the rooms where he began to hold court.

    Presidential order on EFCC/DSS face-off

    Inter-agency conflicts of the previous era were carried over. There was pandemonium at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Ikoyi, Lagos when men of the Department of State Services (DSS) barricaded access to the office area.

    It was a curious conflict arising from claim and counter-claim of ownership of the office.

    The news of the face-off got to the Commander-in-Chief, who instantly directed DSS operatives to vacate the disputed office immediately.

    In a statement in Abuja by Tunde Rahman, Tinubu directed the DSS to immediately vacate the disputed premises, saying any disagreement between both agencies of government should be amicably resolved.

    Rahman said: “President Bola Tinubu has directed the Department of State Services to immediately vacate the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos.

    “The President gave the directive when reports that DSS officials stormed the EFCC office on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from accessing their work place, was brought to his attention.

    “The President said if there were issues between the two important agencies of government, they would be resolved amicably.”

    Savouring global goodwill

    During the week, the President received some diplomats who brought messages of goodwill and solidarity from their countries

    Among them was the Special Envoy of Chinese President XI Jinping, Vice Chairman of Chinese National Peoples Congress, Peng Qinghua, who visited him at State House. He was accompanied by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, and his deputy.

    A nine-man delegation from the United States was also guest of Tinubu in Abuja. The Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge, headed the delegation sent to the inauguration by President Joe Biden.

    Members of the delegation were Mr. David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja; Honorable Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California; Honorable Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce; General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command; Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

    Others are Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Honorable Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council and Honorable Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.

    On Monday evening, after the inauguration, the president received envoys and Heads of Missions of some countries, including those of the United Kingdom, United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Israel, Cape Verde, Somalia and Nicaragua.

    From far and near, congratulatory messages continue to pour in for the president.

    First security meeting

    On Thursday, Tinubu held the first security meeting with all the heads of security agencies. The purpose was for him to acquaint himself with them and explain his security philosophy and the type of architecture he hoped to build for operational efficiency.

    At the meeting, he warned them against working at cross-purposes.

    After the “meeting of the General Security Appraisal Committee,” the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd), who addressed reporters, said Tinubu also said he would not tolerate economic sabotage and instructed the security agencies to crush the menace of oil theft.

     Monguno added that Tinubu said he would be building on gains already recorded in the security sector and that he will institute reforms.

    “The meeting lasted two hours. Having been briefed by the participants of the meeting, Mr. President addressed prevailing issues confronting the nation in terms of insecurity and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues,” he said.

    “First and foremost, he appreciated the armed forces and intelligence agencies and the wider para-military agencies for the work they have been doing in the past couple of years, their sacrifice, their loyalty, and he also paid tribute to those who died in defending this country from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy.

    Read Also: Marafa: Tinubu will strengthen reward system in APC

    “All agencies must work to achieve one single purpose. Working at cross purposes and colliding with each other is not something that he will condone.

    “He has made it very clear that all the security agencies must comply with the demands of coordination with the demands of frequent consultations and also timely reports, which must be acted on. He is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture.

    “He’s going to take a closer look at our misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft. That he is not going to tolerate, wherever the problem is coming from, it must be crushed as soon as possible. He’s already mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint.

    “President has said clearly that he will do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements, but the intelligence agencies must also make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence that they require to carry out their assignments.”

    Meeting with Progressive Governors’ Forum

    Led by its chairman, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, the Progressive Governors’s Forum visited the President at the State House.

    At the meeting were Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Professor Babagana Zulum (Borno), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).

    Others are Uba Sani (Kaduna), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Father Hyacinth Alia (Benue), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Umar Bago (Niger), Aliyu Ahmed (Sokoto), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Bassey Otu (Cross River).

    Governors Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Biodun Oyebanji, and Dr Nasir Idris (Kebbi) were absent.

    Also at the meeting were Vice President Shettima, Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar, and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu.

    Tinubu congratulated Uzodinma for his selection as Forum chairman and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRasak for his choice as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’s Forum (NGF).

    Sources said the meeting, which was the first official interaction between President Tinubu and APC governors since his inauguration, provided an opportunity for discussing salient issues, including the selection National Assembly presiding officers, appointments and fuel subsidy.

    Already, the president and the ruling APC have endorsed Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau for Deputy Senate President,  Tajudeen Abbas for House of Representatives Speaker and Benjamin Kalu for Deputy Speaker.

    The ruling party controls the majority in the National Assembly and its leadership are of the opinion that to faithfully implement the campaign promises of the APC, the President and the legislature should work together harmoniously in an atmosphere of separation of powers, with the accompanying checks and balances.

    PDP chieftains visit

    On Friday, three prominent PDP stalwarts, Oyo State Governor Makinde, former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and ex-Delta State Governor, James Ibori, visited the president. Details of their discussion were unknown.

    However, while Makinde said Tinubu has started well, Wike said the president deserved the support of every Nigerian.

  • Outrage as multibillion naira water project turns into laundry, bathing centre in Edo

    Outrage as multibillion naira water project turns into laundry, bathing centre in Edo

    • ·Project meant to generate nine million litres of potable water daily rarely produces a drop in one week ·Indigent residents lose faith, live on contaminated water

    A N3.85 billion water project designed to end acute water scarcity and curb repeated outbreak of water borne diseases among the residents of Ugboha community in Esan South East Local Government Area, Edo State, has been converted to a bathing and laundry centre by the natives. Findings revealed that the project, which was meant to generate two million gallons or nine million litres of water daily, hardly generates a drop even in one week, forcing indigent members of the community to live on contaminated water. For many members of the community, the water project is nothing but a scam, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    MATHEW, a native of Ugboha was upbeat that his pain and frustration from having to trek long distances to get water for his household was over when the Ugboha Water Project was completed many years ago.

    He lives very close to the site of the water project and had hoped to have unhindered access to not just ordinary water but potable one. For Marcus and his neighbours, however, all that has become a mirage.

    “We are not enjoying any water supply; it is simply another super story,” he retorted in a tone laced with disappointment when our correspondent sought to know how functional the project was.

    Mathew recalled how ecstatic he and his kinsmen were when the project was completed many years ago, as they had thought that their days of water scarcity were over. “But nothing has changed since then, because we are still bedeviled by acute water scarcity,” he said.

    He added that since the project failed to live up to the purpose for which it was designed, the community had resorted to going to the project’s site to fetch water each time the authorities open the tap.

    Mathew said: “Many of our people do go there to have a bath and wash clothes to reduce the stress of going back and forth to the river.  But was that what the project was designed for?

    “Many of the taps they connected to different communities are all running dry. Look at the one at Egwuare (he took our correspondent there), it doesn’t function anymore. The project is a big scam because it is not serving the purpose for which it was meant.”

    Investigation revealed that the N3.85 million project completed by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government 21 years after it was conceived, was handed over to the Edo State Government in 2018.

    During an inspection of the water project in 2019, former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Francis Okiye, had vowed that the challenge of water scarcity in the axis would soon become a thing of the past.

    Speaking in  a YouTube video obtained by our correspondent, he said: “Given what I can feel from the governor, who is so committed to the success of this project, he has told me that in the next few months, you won’t  have to go boreholes, and the tankers will not have business doing business around this area.”

    From our findings, however, all the promises appeared to be nothing but a ruse. The business of buying water from boreholes and tankers are still thriving in the affected communities as well as the adjoining towns.

    Stakeholders in the area had after the handing over of the project to the state government noted that one major action the Edo State Government needed to take, perhaps with support from the donor community and even the multilateral financial institutions like the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank was to channel potable water from the Ugboha water scheme into the homes of Esan people.

    “Piping clean water to the homes of yhe poor in Esan will go a long way in reducing maternal and under-five mortality rates in Edo Central and also help in tackling Lassa fever, which has become a threat in the area lately.

    Read Also: Minister laments low maintenance of water projects

    “This will certainly help in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal for water in the state,” a stakeholder, Dan Owegie, wrote in a piece published by ‘The Observer’.

    Five years down the line, the homes of Esan people are yet to be piped with any form of water. Children still have to leave their studies to travel long distances to fetch water every morning. Women, including pregnant ones, still have to carry or push gallons of water up hills in wheelbarrows on a daily basis for their domestic water needs.

    All the concern expressed about under-five mortality, menace of Lassa  fever, among others, fell on deaf ears as the people have long returned to their life of misery, morbidity and avoidable mortality.   

    A neighbour of Mathew, who overheard his discussion with our correspondent, dashed out his house to express his disappointment with the project.

    “There is no water anywhere in Ugboha,” he screamed.

    The furious middle aged man, who gave his name simply as Samson, went on to describe the project as a big rip-off, as he noted that “the pipes they used to connect the water to some streets are fake. On the rare occasions that they pump water, the pipes would burst and the whole water would waste away.

    “What is the essence of the project if the water would always waste away whenever they choose to pump it?

    “Go round the community and you will find that the taps are dry. People travel for an hour or more to this area to fetch water from the project site.

    “Women and children are  worse hit because they have to go looking for the water needed for domestic use before going to school or market.

    “If people would have to do this all the time, of what value then is the project?”

    Visibly  angered by what the project has turned out to be, Samson said the only difference between the project and the rivers around the community  is that one runs naturally on the ground while the other comes from the tap and maybe gets treated before it is pumped out for public use.

    “But is that the purpose of the project? To make us fetch water from taps at the project site?

    “This is arrant rubbish. The government needs to investigate the contract because it is not serving the purpose for which it was established.”

    Frabcesca, one of the ladies who were seen washing at the project site, was sarcastic in her response when she was asked about the project.

    “It is our laundry and bathing centre,” she said giggling. 

    “Yes. This is where we come to wash our clothes whenever they open the tap,  because it is not all the time that they open it.

    “At times, the tap may not run in a whole month. When this happens, we would be in for big trouble because we would have to go to Edewe River to get water. 

     “You can see all the clothes  that we have washed today. You can also see children having their bath. Some of us who are adults also bathe here, although with some clothes on as you can see.” Also sharing his thoughts, Odion, who was washing at the project site, said he wished the water was flowing in his community in the manner it was flowing at the project site.

    If it happens that way, Odion said, “it will save us a lot of stress and time.

    “I have been able to wash all the clothes I brought to the river and also had my bath.

    “Now that I am done, I will fetch water into the jerry cans that I brought here for our domestic use.

    “I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this if I were to be fetching the water from here to the house to wash clothes.

    “By the time I finish fetching the water, I would have been too tired to wash clothes or do any other thing at home.”

    Journey to solitary Oriah River    

    One issue that keeps befuddling the enraged community members is why they continue to suffer acute water scarcity when the river from where water is channeled to the water scheme for treatment and distribution to the entire area and adjoining towns like Uromi and Ubiaja is always overflowing.

    To confirm the claims of the villagers, our correspondent journeyed through the narrow and solitary Oriah Road to visit the river. It was a scary trip considering the security challenges in the country. Out of fear, our correspondent repeatedly asked the rider of the motorcycle he boarded why it was taking so long to get to the river. 

    “Don’t worry, we will soon get there,” the motorcyclist said before going on to ask a question that further unsettled our correspondent: “Did you come for this assignment alone or you came with some people?”

    Sensing danger, our correspondent responded that he was with  some colleagues who were working in other parts of the community. But it all turned out to be an innocuous question.  

    Shortly after, a cold, gentle breeze began to blow, signaling that we were near the river.

    The river was almost overflowing its bounds and even the deaf could hear its rumble. Beside it is a yellow building meant to be the operational base for the water officials, but it was under lock and key. 

    Inside the river was a young man having a bath after toiling on the farm. On top of the makeshift bridge providing passage for the people were young boys from uphill Oriah who had gone to the river to fetch water.

    Asked if they had potable water in the area, the young man in the river said: “No! This is the water that everybody in this community drinks.”

    He went on to scoop some of the river’s raw water and drank not minding it lacked any quality of potable water. “I am not joking; this is the water we drink,” he said.

    “We have an alternative, and that is to buy sachet water. But we don’t have money for it. We are compelled to drink this, not minding the health implications.”

    Still expressing concerns about their predicament, another resident, who gave his name as Osagie, said: “All manner of people including those with skin problems bathe in this river. People defecate around the whole place and the fecal materials all find their ways into the river from which we get drinking water.”

    He added: “This water is not treated before we drink it, just like it is in Egwuare. We drink the unclean water together with every rubbish it has absorbed.

    “We are really dying in silence but nobody cares because we are mere villagers without a voice.”

    One of the young boys who were seen fetching water from the river said it is a herculean task coming to fetch water at the river.

    His words: “It is very enervating coming to fetch water at the river. When coming from our camp, it is very easy getting here because the road is sloppy. But it is not easy going back home with the water because you have to climb the hill.

    “This causes body ache for many of us. Apart from that, it makes it impossible for us to wash out clothes regularly.

    “On many occasions, you have to wear your clothes for a longer time than necessary before washing them because of the challenges we have with water.

     “The implications are grave, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

    The World Health Organisation in a recent report said that some 829, 000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hand hygiene.

    The report reads in part: “Diarrhoea is largely preventable, and the deaths of 297,000 children aged below five years could be avoided each year if these risk factors were addressed.

    “Where water is not readily available, people may decide that handwashing is not a priority, thereby adding to the likelihood of diarrhoea and other diseases.

    “Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.

    “Absent, inadequate, or inappropriately managed water and sanitation services expose individuals to preventable health risks.”

    Tales of exploitation in Uromi, Ubiaja

    To check if the water project was extended to other neighbouring towns like Uromi and Ubiaja as indicated in some reports, our correspondent embarked on a trip covering 16km from Ughoha to  Uromi and 14km to Ubiaja.

    Findings in those areas were also disturbing. Unlike the people of Ugboha who could get water from rivers and streams, many less privileged people in Uromi and Ubiaja have to travel long distances to buy water. In fact, the people alleged that their plight may have been deliberately caused by water officials and their collaborators who prefer to sell the water to  affluent members of the communities who in turn sell to them.

    A petty trader who gave her name as Omonsuzi said: “We are not enjoying water at all. See the overhead tank over there. Whenever they mistakenly pump water, the whole pipes will be leaking and people will be fetching from the pipes, some of which have fallen inside gutter.

    “The water does not come regularly. If it comes today, it may not come again in the next two weeks or more.

    “When it is pumped, it stays for a very short time and stops. This is not the kind of support we want.”

    Omonsuzi added: “Instead of making the water available to us, they carry them in tankers and sell to rich people who sell to us in jerry cans.

    “A jerry can of 20 litres costs N50. If you have a large family, you may be spending an average of N500 daily on water. How many poor people can afford that on a daily basis?” Making some unscientific claims, Omonsuzi alleged that the tanker drivers often go diabolical during rainy season because the people resort to rain water.

    She said: “During the rainy season, the tanker drivers are always unhappy because their business suffers serious setback.

    “Virtually everybody harvests rainwater. During this period, the tanker driver uses diabolical powers to reduce the amount of rainfall we have here so that we can continue to patronise them.

    “It is a serious issue, as they want to perpetually milk us.” 

    Another resident of the community, who gave his name simply as Emma, said most of the pipes in Uromi are rusty, alleging that the water authorities, instead of providing water for the people, now connects pipes directly to privileged people’s homes to supply them with water.

    “How would the pipes not rust when the water is not flowing? Go to Ukoni area and see if any of the pipes is functional. They have all rust or are looking damaged because they are not seeing water.

    “Our children go out every morning to fetch water before going to school. Many of us spend our income on water, and when you don’t have money to buy, the whole house will be  in a mess.

    “What we have observed is that they are connecting pipes to rich people’s homes to give them water instead of making water available to the masses. Was that the aim of the project?

    “The government has never meant well for the masses.”

    Read Also: Adeleke suspends consultant over $106m Ilesa water project

    Journeying to Ubiaja, which is the administrative headquarters of the Esan South East Local Government Area, our correspondent was greeted by mass movements  of children and adults especially women carrying jerry cans around to look for water. From Uhe to Idumebo, Egwale and other communities, the story was the same.

    One of  the children in Uhe said going out to look for water had become a routine.

    “I don’t find it comfortable, but if we have to eat, bath and wash at home, I must go looking for water,” he said.

    A cleric who identified himself simply as Pastor Sunday alleged that politicians have turned the area to an ATM machine, using water projects that never worked.

    “Go round the whole place and you will see overhead tanks that are there for nothing sake.

    “They always come to come to commission water projects. When they come, the water will be gushing out but subsequently, you won’t see a drop. 

    “What we discovered along the line was that after putting a water project in place, government officials would come late at night and use water from tankers to fill the overhead tanks. The following day, they will come to commission the project.

    “When they come, they will open the tap and water will begin to flow. People will begin to clap, hoping that it will continue that way.  When you go to the project the next day, you will not see a drop of water from the tap. It’s all deceit.

    “At my place, we buy a full tank of water for N22,000. This takes a very short time to finish and when it does, we would order for another one.  The water comes from Ugboha. It is a brisk business for the officials and their friends.”    

    Chief Sunday Ojezele, who represented Esan South East Constituency, reportedly appealed in the YouTUbe video that the project should be extended to Ubiaja while accompanying the former speaker on the tour of the water project.

     Benin-Owena River Basin, Edo govt react

    Contacted, the Managing Director of the Benin/Owena River Basin Development Agency, Saliu Ahmed, washed his hands off the Ugboha Water project. He  said: “But we do not operate the scheme you referred to. I recall it was handed over to the Edo State Government four years ago. Your best bet is therefore the state (Edo) government.

    Media aide to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, argued that the project is in the hands of the  federal government when our correspondent demanded to know what the state government was doing about the project.  He said: “That scheme, do you know it belongs to the federal government? It is the federal government’s water works. I will get in touch with the people who worked on it last and get back to you.  But it is a federal government project.”

    Crusoe had yet to  get back to us as at the time of filing this report.

  • Foreign visibility dwarfed by domestic challenges

    Foreign visibility dwarfed by domestic challenges

    How has Nigeria fared in Foreign Relations in the past eight years, under the Buhari Admisistration? Diplomats and analysts maintain that the country has witnessed a dip in influence in African and West African sub-region affairs – no thanks to what experts describe as a domestic terrain that is completely overwhelmed with challenges of pervasive insecurity — terrorism, banditry as well as economic downturn – and corruption.  BOLA OLAJUWON and VINCENT IKUOMOLA report

    At the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, many analysts on foreign affairs say it is taxing to weigh up the government’s foreign policy stance; especially when the performances of the administration and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are juxtaposed. The ministry is the country’s number one image-maker and marketer. Besides that, it is responsible for the implementation of the country’s foreign policy, which always reflects the stand of the country on issues.

     However, the country, for ages, has been operating a foreign policy that places the African Continent high and above its immediate needs under what is termed “Africa is the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy,” meaning priority would be given to issues concerning Africa first. Nigeria wears the toga of “big brother” in Africa, which allows it to play a functional and important role in the sub-region, continent and the world. The “big brother” toga has seen Nigeria single-handedly restore peace to many troubled African countries by the snap of its fingers. But, in recent times, the country’s foreign policy has shifted to that of reciprocity and later economy.

    Administration’s projections

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration came on board with a promise to restructure the embassies and ensure they are functional.

     In addition, there were plans to also close some of the embassies and introduce what the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, called smart embassies so as to push further the country’s shift to economic diplomacy. According to Onyeama, foreign policy is to transform the country economically to become competitive in the global marketplace. To achieve this, the minister said there would be a re-orientation of the country’s foreign engagements to promote economic development by making the ministry a hub to facilitate direct market access for businesses and trades to 119 markets around the world.

     So, the ultimate aim was to transform the ministry into an effective agency for Nigerian trade promotion. The minister also spoke about the plan to put in place some mechanisms to change how Nigerians do business and the way people do business with us – the Ease of Doing Business. The minister also promised a functional portal that any Nigerian business can upload to and be accessible at all 119 embassies.

     Hence, major developments and activities on the international front in the eight years of Buhari’s administration have been around the visibility of the President. Hardly is there an international engagement where the presence of Nigeria is required that does not get representation. The President attended many international engagements, likewise his Minister of Foreign Affairs. President Buhari had travelled over 50 times, a number that the minister said was too small, being the country’s number one salesman. Onyeama had wished the President could do more of such trips because of their economic and security significance to the country.

     In the area of the fight against corruption, the President became the face of anti-corruption on the continent as he was crowned anti-corruption champion. He was also praised for Nigeria’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The minister also spoke about the plan to do comprehensive auditing with the aim of having a roadmap for the ministry.

     The administration did well in evacuating Nigerians stranded outside the country, first during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and also during the South African xenophobia crisis. The government moved fast in ensuring that Nigerians who wanted to return to the country were evacuated at the government’s expense. The same feat was repeated at the beginning of the Ukraine crisis and the ongoing Sudanese crisis where thousands of Nigerians were evacuated.

    Achievements and unmet expectations

    About eight years in the saddle, the government has not been able to achieve its outlined plans. The Minister of Foreign Affairs only recently said the plan to reduce the number of the country’s missions abroad could not fly because it cost more to shut down the missions/embassies than to run them, which is a reflection that the idea was not well-thought-out before coming up with it.

    Many have also questioned the economic benefits of many foreign trips of the President and the minister to the country. Given that one of the supposed gains was the agreement with Morocco to establish a fertiliser factory in Nigeria, the promise of the factory became an allure that would have earned the North African country membership of the Economic Community of West African States but for the Council of wise men who decided to keep the idea on hold.

     So, in the area of bilateral trade, the country did not meet its numerous expectations. There were no new trade vistas opened nor has the country’s export increased. In the eight years, the country witnessed lots of companies leaving the country, which is a sign of the country’s inability to maintain a friendly and enabling environment for businesses to strive. This is in contrast to the much-talked-about ease of doing business.

     Many experts also believe that President Buhari’s lead of the country’s foreign foray did not also show sparkles in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region, where forceful takeover of government is gradually becoming the order of the day. Currently, some member states are under military rule and Nigeria and ECOWAS have been gentle with the people working against democracy in the sub-region. The joke out there is that ECOWAS has lost its bite as Nigeria has suddenly stopped barking under Buhari’s administration. The big brother factor has given way with new competitors emerging almost on a daily basis. Ghana now takes delight in buffeting Nigerians at will and there are no consequences. South Africa and some other countries now dare Nigeria. However, it is not all failure all through in the eight years.

    Diplomats and analysts speak

    The former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador to Ethiopia, Ambassador Bulus Lolo said it was not easy to describe the foreign policy of the outgoing government. To him, the administration’s foreign policy management has been a mixed bag. “Recalling how the President started in 2015, he said the first week of his assumption of office, he travelled to Niger Republic, Chad and Germany. This demonstrated the personal involvement of Mr President in foreign policy management; given that when he travelled, he met with other leaders, especially at the G-7 Summit.

     “In 2015, he was invited by the G-7, which was a mark of recognition of his person, and the expectation they had with the promise that Nigeria will turn a new leaf. If you remember too, the Jonathan administration had become an administration that the West did not want to do business with. But when President Buhari came, the West again reset the button.

     “But down the line, our foreign policy has sometimes lost its clarity. One could not say what direction Nigeria was really going. There were moments when we thought we would hear the voice of Nigeria loud and clear. It wasn’t forthcoming. And then, add to the domestic problems that bedeviled that administration. Notably, the significant rise in terrorism, kidnapping that reached heights that were unprecedented and the general deterioration in the communities where farmers and herders were frequently fighting and killing one another. This did not project the country well in the external arena.

     “So, I would say that we now have a foreign policy that is mixed in its outlook. We want a Nigeria whose voice others would look up to as authentic. We want a Nigeria that is sure of itself; a Nigeria that is at ease and a Nigeria that can point and project an example for others to follow.

     On whether the President has achieved much through his foreign policy with other countries and bodies, he said: “When President Buhari was elected in 2015, he was seen as someone who was trustworthy, even as he was elected in a free, fair, credible and transparent election. At the time, he was seen to have won the trust of the majority of Nigerians. He equally enjoyed the best integrity that many spoke of. At the international level, trust and integrity are the commodities that a leader that has them enjoys great support and respect. The personae and perception over trust and integrity, which are two sides of the same coin, we must not take them for granted; the level of trust that people have and you’re seen to be trustworthy and you have integrity as well.

     “To a great extent, the President, in that regard, held himself well. But, there are strata in his government that would have done better and because he’s the head, if there’s a knock on any agency of government, invariably they say, the buck stops at the boss’ desk.

     “Therefore, people will point to the type of leadership that he brought. But by and large, we came out of the perception of Nigeria as a pariah state. I don’t know now what the assessment is out there, given that we are sharply divided in our country. We allowed certain sentiments to override our objective paths to development. We have put a premium on things that hinder rather than make for greater unity and collaboration in the country and I hope that this is an area where the incoming administration will pay greater attention to.”

     A former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ambassador Ogbole Amedo Ode scored the Buhari administration low in the area of security and anti-corruption. Ode, a former spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the President had campaigned with the promise to tackle security and corruption. But eight years down the line, he said the President has failed to deliver on his promises. “During his campaign for election to Aso Villa and at the inception of his administration in 2015, Buhari harped on the catchword of ‘Change.’ These included fighting corruption and insecurity and growing the economy through employment creation. Indeed, he promised to create three million jobs on a yearly basis.

     “Nearly eight years down the line, the facts speak loudly to the scenarios that have emerged in our national space. Buhari’s anti-corruption fight rests on a tripod: Implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA), Biometric Verification Number (BVN) and the Whistle Blowing Policy. These have received commendations. And there has, indeed, been an increase in savings. However, corruption still remains a hydra-headed monster in our body politics.

     “The security situation has been regarded by pundits as worse. From Boko Haram in the Northeast, banditry and kidnapping across the length and breadth of Nigeria have become a daily reality. On the economy, being categorised as the ‘poverty capital of the world’ is not a compliment! And the re-designing of currency under Godwin Emefiele’s Central Bank governorship dealt with the national economy, especially, smallholder companies that depend on daily cash flow,” the diplomat said.

     Also, an academic, author and the third Vice Chancellor of Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, said it was unfortunate that Nigeria’s foreign policy did not fit into the catastrophic scenario or address the apocalyptic situation of the current proxy war between Washington and Moscow, which, he added, speaks to the dangerous game between the status-quo forces in the international system.

     “Specifically, these forces are the United States and her allies on one hand and Russia on the other. It is a dangerous situation, which has the capacity for an escalation which can easily destroy the world! The relevant questions here are: How does Nigeria fit into this catastrophic scenario? How should our foreign policy address this apocalyptic situation? Our best and desired option is non-alignment. But non-alignment is best pursued on the platform of coherence and strength. Unfortunately, under the Presidency of Buhari, this coherence and strength are largely missing. This is because Nigeria has been laid low by features such as insecurity and poverty. In other words, to use a familiar phrase no man can argue on his knees. So, non-alignment as a policy cannot be meaningfully pursued.

     “Incidentally, it is this lack of direction which characterises Nigeria’s foreign policy under the Buhari administration. The country, unfortunately, continues to punch below her presumed demographic weight. She is almost invisible in world affairs, whereas this is a big and populous country that should be at the barricades in international relations. To illustrate what is being said here, the U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris recently visited Africa and even Ghana next door, but she studiously ignored Nigeria.”

     The Professor of Comparative International Relations again lamented that too many voices continue to speak for Nigeria on the world stage. “For instance, the recent attempts to repatriate our nationals from Sudan reflect this kind of situation. Too many and various agencies were involved in this exercise; whereas the various agencies should have sub-ordinated themselves to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is the only entity that has the legitimate capacity to speak for Nigeria.

     “The suspicion here is that since huge resources were involved in this Sudan episode, other state agencies attempted to elbow out the legitimate entity – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Prof. Soremekun said.

     A Research Fellow with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Dr Tola Ilesanmi, submitted that Buhari’s eight-year administration has been characterised by a shallow and predominantly reactive foreign policy. “This is exacerbated by a domestic terrain that is completely overwhelmed with challenges of insecurity, terrorism, economic downturn and unprecedented levels of corruption. Daunting domestic challenges and foreign engagements that focused essentially on fighting insecurity and seeking economic assistance within a climate of insecurity greatly dwarfed Nigeria’s international image and clout.

     “Nigeria’s place and position as the Giant of Africa did not receive any form of boost during this period; except, of course, for Nigerians that were appointed into leadership positions in some global and international organisations. They include Mr Akinwumi Adesina of the African Development Bank, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of the World Trade Organisation, and Ms Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General.

     “Nigeria’s voice in Africa has been silenced by the cacophony of domestic challenges, while her pride of place in Africa and, indeed, the world as the largest economy in Africa and a middle power is slowly being lost.”

  • Much talk, but little results in education sector

    Much talk, but little results in education sector

    After a critical assessment of the events in the education sector, stakeholders maintain that the increasing number of out-of-school children, long strikes by academic unions, brain drain and incessant kidnapping of school children, among others, are some of the sore areas in President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office. Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON, FRANK IKPEFAN, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE and CHINAZA VICTORIA report

    Stakeholders in the education sector and other concerned citizens are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration made so much noise about the education sector without tangible results.

     A few years ago in Abuja, President Buhari had urged state governors to “enforce very vigorously” free and compulsory basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age. On June 20, 2019, he said there would be resolute enforcement of free and compulsory education, even as he added that parents who fail to enroll their children in school would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the law.

     Then, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) announcing in October 2018 that 13.2 million children were not in schools as they should be. But, despite the threat, the figure of out-of-school children has jumped to over 20 million. Under the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act of 2004, it is a criminal act for parents not to send their children to school to attain a minimum of JSS3. The law derives its powers from the Constitutional provision for free education for all children.

    Funding of education

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said late last year that within the past six years of the administration of President Buhari, over N6 trillion was spent on Nigeria’s education sector. This is in addition to N2.5 trillion intervention from TETFUND – two per cent profit tax of companies operating in Nigeria – and N554 billion from UBEC. Adamu added that in the past 10 years, TETFUND had invested N2.5 trillion into higher education, with particular focus on human capital development.

     He said the sum has exceeded the N1.2 trillion that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) demands to be spent on the sector, as contained in the 2009 agreement. Also last week, UBEC said over N46.2 billion in matching grants for public primary and junior secondary school development remained un-accessed by some state governments. The Acting Executive Secretary of UBEC, Prof. Bala Zakari, said this on Wednesday during an oversight visit to the commission by the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education in Abuja.

     Despite the threat by Buhari about four years ago and the funding figure dished out by the Education Minister and UBEC, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged that the bill seeking to make basic education the right of every child be signed into law. Falana, in a statement, said it is the fundamental right of every citizen to enjoy free and compulsory education. According to him, it is unacceptable that little attention is paid to the basic education bill, which is among those that President Buhari has not assented to.

     The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria Representative, Cristian Munduate, also described investment in education as investing in Nigerian children. Munduate, on January 24, during the International Day of Education, advised the Federal Government to “invest in people, prioritise education” and deliver on the commitments made by President Buhari at the UN Secretary-General’s Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, to end the global learning crisis. According to Munduate, funding of education was not enough.

     Essentially, Munduate stressed that 75 per cent of children aged seven to 14 years could not read a simple sentence or solve a basic mathematical problem. For children to be able to read to learn, they must be able to learn to read in the first three years of schooling. “I commit UNICEF’s support to the government of Nigeria to transform education and to prevent the loss of hard-fought gains in getting children into school, particularly poor, rural children and girls, and ensuring that they remain in school, complete their education and achieve to their full potential,” the UN official said.

     Tertiary educational institutions established by Buhari administration

     In June 2021, the Federal Government approved the release of N18 billion for the take-off of four specialised universities established by the Buhari administration. The universities included the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko (2018); Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna (2018); Nigerian Army University, Biu (2018); Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State (2018); Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, Kebbi State (2020) and the University of Health Technology, Otukpo, Benue State (2020). Other universities established by the Buhari government are the Federal University of Technology, Babura, Jigawa State (2021); Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State (2021); Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State (2021); Nigeria Air Force University, Kaduna (2018); and the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State (2021).

    Findings also revealed that the 10 polytechnics established included the Federal Polytechnic Ile-Oluji, Ondo State; Federal Polytechnic, Daura, Katsina State; Federal Polytechnic Kaltungo, Gombe State; Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Oyo State; Federal Polytechnic Munguno, Borno State; Federal Polytechnic N’yak, Shendam, Plateau State; Federal Polytechnic Ohodo, Enugu State; Federal Polytechnic Ugep, Cross Rivers State; Federal Polytechnic Wannune, Benue State and the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, Delta State. The nine Colleges of Education established are the Federal College of Education, Iwo; Federal College of Education, Odugbo; Federal College of Education, Isu; Federal College of Education, Ekiadolor; Federal College of Education, Gidan Madi; Federal College of Education, Jama’are; Federal College of Education, Birnin-Kudu and Federal College of Agriculture, Kirikasamma.

     While many people applauded the establishment of these institutions, ASUU had questioned the rationale behind the establishment of new institutions at a time the same government has not been able to fund the existing ones.

    ASUU, ASUP, COEASU and unending strikes

    As critics would say, ASUU has become synonymous with strikes. Principally, issues of welfare and the 2009 agreement are still thorny. The Buhari administration made history as the government that superintended the longest ASUU strike in Nigeria’s history. Twice in three years, the union went on strike for 17 months. In 2020, ASUU embarked on strike for nine months. The last industrial action, which commenced on February 14, 2022, lasted eight months.

     To make matters worse, the government introduced a no-work-no-pay rule as a counter to the ASUU strike. Cumulatively, the union went on strike for about 630 days between 2015 and 2022 – the longest under any administration in the country. When the last strike seemed endless, with the Federal Government’s failure to accede to ASUU’s demands, it sought the order of the National Industrial Court to compel the union to call off its strike. The union filed a 14-ground of appeal. The court will deliver judgment on the matter on May 30 – a day after the sitting government has handed over to the newly-elected administration.

     The Federal Government also, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), ordered Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Chancellors and Governing Councils to re-open federal universities. It also issued a certificate of recognition to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a union for lecturers across federal and state universities. CONUA President, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, described the recognition as historic. But, it is not yet Uhuru, despite the suspension of the strike.

     The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) also had its fair share of industrial actions as it embarked on strike for over 150 days during the tenure of the outgoing administration. Between January 2017 and December 2021, ASUP grounded academic activities for 147 days. In January 2017, the union, under the then National President, Usman Dutse, announced a seven-day warning strike which lasted from January 30, 2017, to February 5, 2017. On November 11 2017, the union announced another strike, which lasted for 15 days. The strike was eventually called off on November 29, 2017.

    On December 12 2018, the union embarked on another strike, which lasted for two months. The strike was called off on February 13, 2019. In 2021, the union embarked on another strike, which lasted 65 days. The strike, which commenced on April 6 2021, was called off on June 9 2021. Some of ASUP’s outstanding demands included the release of the approved N15 billion revitalisation fund for the sector; the release of the Scheme of Service and Conditions of Service; continued delay in the appointment of substantive Rectors for Federal Polytechnics in Mubi, Offa, and Kaduna and resolution of issues with members in colleges of agriculture. Last year, the union had a two-week warning strike. The lecturers commenced a two-week warning strike on May 16 2022, to protest the levity of the government towards fulfilling aspects of the memorandum of action (MoA) signed with it in 2021. The strike was called off on May 30 2022.

     The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) was also not left out. It embarked on a three-month strike in 2018. It said that June last year’s strike was caused by the failure of the Federal Government to reconstitute its renegotiation team for the COEASU-FGN 2010 agreement; the non-release of the N15 billion revitalisation funds by the government and insistence on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) against University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). Sadly, the three unions adopted industrial action to make the government accede to their demands. However, to bring some sanity to the university education system, the former ASUU Chairman of the University of Ilorin, Dr Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, called for a total overhaul of the education system.

    Brain drain and its causes

    Brain drain from Nigeria nicknamed Japa – meaning to run or flee in Yoruba – is the exodus of middle-class and highly skilled Nigerians to more developed countries in search of greener pastures. It began in the late 1980s. This trend was initially restricted to certain professions. Currently, it has become free for all with the introduction of visa programmes to fill workforce gaps in developed countries. The country’s institutions are now seriously suffering from brain drain.

     “Brain drain is a human factor. Humankind always goes for greener pastures. Although greener pastures can be a sort of illusion. When it is so hot at home, take for instance after the ASUU strike, the government said that their entitlement for the period of strike will not be paid.

     “Lecturers in Nigerian universities were on strike for more than eight months and when they returned, not even a kobo was given to them. I think that was too harsh. It has never happened before. When you compare the academics in Nigeria and those in other climes, you will realise there is a difference,” a source, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said.

    Incessant abduction of students

    Statistics revealed that at least 2,000 school children have been abducted in the North since President Buhari assumed office in May 2015. He had promised to rescue the 276 abducted Chibok schoolgirls, but about 100 of the girls remained in captivity since their abduction nine years ago. The first abduction of school children during the Buhari regime was the Dapchi incident on February 19, 2018, where 110 schoolgirls, aged 11 to 19 years, were kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College.

     Five of the schoolgirls died on the same day of the abduction.  Boko Haram released everyone else in March 2018, except a Christian girl, Leah Sharibu, who reportedly refused to convert to Islam. About 344 schoolchildren of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State were abducted on December 11, 2020. Also, 80 pupils of Islamiyya School, Mahuta, Katsina, were kidnapped on December 20, 2020. On January 24 2021, seven children were abducted at Rachael Orphanage Home in Abaji Abuja. About 27 boys at GSS College, Kangara Niger State were kidnapped on February 17, 2021, while 317 schoolgirls of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jangebe Zamfara State were also abducted on February 26.

     On March 11, 2021, gunmen stormed the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State and kidnapped 39 students. Shortly after, 20 students of Greenfield University were, on 20 April 2021, kidnapped in Kasarami Village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Five of the students were killed. In May, 200 pupils and teachers of Tanko Salihu Islamic School, Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, were abducted. They were released by their abductors around Kebbi State. No fewer than 128 students were abducted on July 5 at the Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna.

    Factors responsible for the rise in out-of-school figures

    Communication Specialist, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Geoffrey Njoku, said the 5.3 million students affected by the closure of 11,536 schools in 2021 were responsible for the significant increase in the number of out-of-school-children from about 15 million in 2021 to 20 million. This was followed by the rising insecurity in the country, especially in the Northern Nigeria, which has the highest number of out-of-school children.

     Dr Njoku said: “As a precautionary measure, a total of 11,536 schools were closed for specific periods in 2021, with 5,330,631 students affected – whose schooling was disrupted and learning severely impacted. When schools are attacked, children and parents begin to see them as places of danger. The damage is tremendous–making parents scared to send their children to school. This, invariably, affect the mental health of children. Those directly impacted are traumatised and are slow to recover from the shock of an attack on their school.”

    An alarming number of unqualified teachers

    The roles of teachers in shaping the future of tomorrow’s leaders are important and that’s why teachers’ professional development programmes are vital to the teaching profession. It helps to enhance the capacities of teachers to deliver quality teaching to pupils. According to the National Personnel Audit of the Universal Basic Education Commission 2018, the quality of teachers is in short supply across all educational levels and incoming governments must tackle this fast.

     According to UBEC, 27 per cent of members of the teaching staff are unqualified. The commission noted that in the Northeast, there are 33 per cent unqualified teachers and in the Northwest, there are 39 per cent complete teachers. The lack of quality teachers has further fueled the learning crisis. According to the World Bank, about 70 per cent of pupils in the age bracket of 10 are not learning. The bank noted that globally, 125 million children are not acquiring functional literacy or numeracy, even after spending at least four years in school.

    Making school admissions transparent and introduction of teachers’ professional examination

     Another area the Buhari government has excelled in was in the introduction of the Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination championed by the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria. Since the National Council on Education in 2018 set a deadline for unqualified teachers in the country to be removed from the classrooms, they (teachers) have been running to the TRCN for licensing and certification.

     President Buhari’s administration, through the leadership of the Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, also scored some positive and enduring points. The board has modified the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into higher institutions by introducing the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).

     The CAPS is a system that ensures that only candidates who meet the requirements for admission are admitted. The system, to some extent, has eradicated activities of “middlemen” who hitherto took over admission processes. The process has made JAMB, Nigeria’s foremost admission body to tertiary institutions, not only more transparent but also more productive.

     Also, the Buhari administration also embarked on the digitalisation of activities of the National Library of Nigeria. The process was spearheaded by the former Chief Executive of NLN, Prof. Lanre Aina. One of the benefits of digitalisation is that authors can now get the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) for their books on the website of the National Library of Nigeria. Prof. Aina said before the change, authors had to travel to either their state offices or Abuja to obtain the number. He said the agency was in the process of digitising all publications so that they can be accessed globally.

     Other achievements included ending the OND/HND dichotomy in the paramilitary services and drop in the number of illiterate Nigerians estimated at 31 per cent as well as approval of new salary structure and elongation of service years for teachers.