The Nation Newspaper

Category: Special Report

  • Russian 2018: Floundering Eagles takes on the World

    Millions of football-loving Nigerians will tomorrow switch on their television sets to cheer the Super Eagles to victory against the Croats’ national team at the 30,000-capacity Kaliningrad Stadium at the 18th edition of the FIFA World Cup. ADEYINKA ADEDIPE writes on the preparation of the team for the tournament.

    The Squad

    Goalkeepers

    Francis Uzoho

    Ikechukwu Ezenwa

    Daniel Akpeyi

     

    Defenders

    William Troost-Ekong

    Abdullahi Shehu

    Tyronne Ebuehi

    Elderson Echiejile

    Bryan Idowu

    Chidozie Awaziem

    Leon Balogun

    Kenneth Omeruo

     

    Midfielders

    Mikel John Obi

    Ogenyi Onazi

    Wilfred Ndidi

    Oghenekaro Etebo

    John Ogu

    Joel Obi

     

    Forwards

    Ahmed Musa

    Kelechi Iheanacho

    Victor Moses

    Odion Ighalo

    Alex Iwobi

    Simeon Nwankwo

    Never in the history of Nigeria’s participation at the FIFA World Cup has the Super Eagles departed the country with fans feeling despondent. The team on show in the last three friendly games against England, Serbia and Czechs Republic seems to be a ‘counterfeit’ of a team that booked a slot in the World Cup with one game to spare in the qualifying round. And if this version of the Eagles’ show up in Russia, it will definitely be on the next available flight back home after the first round.

    The first half against England was awful, with the players putting every foot wrong and bumping into each other at the famed Wembley Stadium. Two Eagles defenders went for the ball in the air with no England player nearby. One of them was injured after a clash of heads. Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was the busier of the two goalkeepers in that forgettable half and the Eagles were lucky to go into the break 0-2 down.

    At the resumption of the second half, two changes by Coach Gernor Rohr made the needed impact as the Eagles halved the deficit through a goal from Alex Iwobi. With England looking rattled, the Eagles failed to seize the initiative and eventually lost the game 1-2. It was the same against Serbia, with the Nigerian team losing 0-2. The Eagles had a better game against the Czechs, but still lost 0-1 and were left to rue their profligacy in front of goal.

    The fans have shown their anger and disappointment on social media platforms, bashing the Eagles and wondering what could be wrong with their darling team that tore apart reigning African champions Cameroun, North African powerhouse Algeria and the irrepressible Zambians in the qualifiers.

    The fear of a disastrous outing at the World Cup has gripped an entire nation with only die-hard and patriotic fans still hoping that the Eagles can fly in Russia. The hope of some football enthusiasts that the Nigerian team can still spring surprises may, however, not be misplaced, considering the unpredictable nature of football. Shocking results like Cameroun’s 1-0 win over Argentina in 1990 and France’s 0-2 defeat in the hands of their former colony Senegal at the 2002 edition of the World Cup points to the fact that the underdogs can ruffle feathers.

    But, for an upset to take place at a major tournament, the underdogs must be resolute, an attribute that is lacking in the floundering Super Eagles team. From the goalkeeping to defence; to the midfield and the striking positions, the Eagles have looked indecisive.

    The defence has found it difficult to keep a clean slate. The midfield has failed to effectively link up properly with the strikers to get the goals. Even when they find their rhythm, the players have been wasteful in front of goal, a shocking situation, considering how the team scored goals aplenty in the qualifiers.

    The team has become vulnerable at defending set pieces, a weakness that the Eagles’ first round opponents – Croatia, Argentina and Iceland – can take advantage of. The team also seems to have lost the creativity it is known for, while the never-say-die spirit associated with Nigeria appears to have taken a flight.

    Coach Rohr tried two playing styles (3-5-2 and 4-3-3) in the friendly games, which seemed to improve the Eagles’ second half performances. This is an indication of what to expect as the Eagles file out against Croatia tomorrow.  However, a source close to the team said that Rohr prefers the 3-5-2 formation as it gives room for more solidity at the back.

    During the team’s trainings, Hapoel Beer-Sheva midfielder John Ogu was deployed as one of the three defenders alongside William Troost-Ekong and Leon Balogun. And in midfield, Wilfred Ndidi, Mikel Obi and Alex Iwobi, were flanked by wingbacks Tyronne Ebuehi and Bryan Idowu. Victor Moses played behind Odion Ighalo in attack.

    However, no matter the formation adopted, the players must be ready to put in their best and jettison the lethargic display in the build-up matches. The team has about 15 players making their debut. It is a young team with the few experienced players like Skipper Mikel Obi and his deputy Ogenyi Onazi as well as Ahmed Musa and Elderson Echejile, who are expected to provide steel to the squad.

    Hopefully, the coach will get it right and present his best 11 for every game. The emergence of Uzoho as the team’s first choice goalkeeper is still a puzzle as he never participated in the qualifiers

    He has shown flashes of brilliance but the 19-year-old ought to be a star for the future.

    It was good that the eight days of closed camp at the Avita Resort in Austria provided the handlers of the team the opportunity to look back at the pre-World Cup friendly games with a view of making amends and more importantly, lifting the spirit of the players, so that they will deliver in Russia.

    Realising that the players needed to be knitted into shape after scoring just two goals in the three friendly games, Rohr placed emphasis on shooting. The three goalkeepers  -Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi – took their turns to receive shots as Rohr drilled the players in a shooting practice that lasted for almost an hour a day before their departure from Austria to Russia. He ensured the players did light workout after breakfast. It was usually a short walk, but it helped in keeping the players fit.

     

    Rohr hopeful

     

    Highlighting the gains of the training in Austria, Coach Rohr expressed delight that no member of the 23-man squad suffered injuries before they arrived in Essentuki, Russia. “Nine days here was hard work. Every day, we had two training sessions in very good conditions, wonderful grass, the country side is nice with clean mountains.

    “Unfortunately, we had heavy rains for the match against the Czechs. We wanted to play on the seventh or the eighth, but we had to play on the sixth, it was too close to the England match. So, we had small time for recovery and for traveling. The organisation could not be made better. But, we did the work, especially after the game against Czech Republic.

    “Everybody is fit, no injury, which is the most important that they did very well, and I think everybody is much better now. So, it was a good preparation.”

    After arriving in Russia on Monday, the team had its first training the next day with Rohr certifying all his palyers fit. The news was delightful to Nigerians. The Eagles also had a meeting to discuss logistics, technical and administrative issues, concerning their participation at the World Cup.  The move  will ensure the players’ concentration on their primary task in Russia.

    Rohr however admitted that the Croatia team is better than the Super Eagles but added that his players would give their best in the game.

    He said: “We admire this team, but we do not plan to watch them when we play against them, we hope to fight. They are all wonderful players. They play in the biggest teams in Europe. On paper with their names, Croatia players are much better than us. But, sometimes on the pitch, it could be different. We don’t have the big stars, but we try to play collectively with our young team.”

     

    Players optimistic

     

    Some of the players also expressed optimism over their chances in Russia. Star player Victor Moses said that Nigeria has the wherewithal to achieve big things at the tournament. The Chelsea of England star told ESPN during the week that Nigerians are aware of the quality of the Croatians who are also capable of beating any team.

    Moses said: “Every team in the group is touted to be the favourite to advance to the next stage and what I believe is that the best team will progress. But, it is very important to play well in the first game and win. Croatia’s team is very athletic with quality players who can all score goals. They are strong from the goalkeeping department to others and so, we must stay together as a team against them. We just need to concentrate and make sure we give our best.

    “We need to work hard as well because I believe we can achieve big things in Russia. I am confident we can do well against any team if we play together and play as a team.”

    Kelechi Iheanacho, who had been one of the oustanding players in the team’s eight-day training tour in the serene village of Bad Tatzmannsdorf in Austria, has no doubts about the fitness of the Super Eagles.

    The former FIFA U-17 World Cup winner who scored a couple of goals during the qualifiers, pointed out that his teammates looked very fit in the preparation as the Nigerian team opens its campaign tomorrow against Croatia.

    “We are sharp, strong, fit and ready to go” the former Manchester City forward told NationSports in Austria”, Iheanacho said.

    Nicknamed ‘chief’ by his teammates, Iheanacho commended the coaching crew for working very hard to put the team in top shape.

    He said: “The coaches are doing a great job by giving us quality training so that we can be in good shape for the World Cup. We train two times a day which has been very tough for us. But, we have to do whatever the coaches ask us to do. We are in good condition and we can’t wait for the World Cup to start to show the world what we have learned in camp.”

    The Leicester forward declined to set a personal target, adding that the team has resolved to make Nigerians happy by playing well in Russia.

    Iheanacho said: “Everybody is excited going to the World Cup but we have to remain focused on our first game against Croatia. I have not set any personal target. All we want to do as a team is to work hard and make our compatriots happy.

    “We have a collective target because this team is not a one-man show. Our group is tough and therefore, we have to work together to pull through. As a striker, I want to score and make the team happy but the important thing is for the team to win even when I can’t score.”

    He also said the results of the friendly matches the Eagles played against England and Czech Republic did not dampen the morale of the team.

    The striker said: “It’s always good to have confidence going to games and training sessions. Whatever may have happened recently, you have to remember we finished well during the qualifiers and I still believe we have a good team.

    “We know that we are going to be facing big teams in Russia. But, I must tell you that there are positive vibes from our camp that we will do well.”

    Team captain Mikel assured that his mates have stepped up preparations for their World Cup opener against Croatia tomorrow.  According to the former Chelsea star, he is satisfied with the training facilities at the Super Eagles base camp in Yessentuki.

    “We need to continue to work hard; we need to continue to train and do exactly what we want and what the coach asks us to do,” Mikel told reporters, including TASS.

    He went on: “I think it’s (the base camp) good, the field is very good, the fans and the children who came to support us are amazing. It was nice that after the training, we had the opportunity to give some autographs to the guys. We are in a very good place, I believe.”

    Amkar Perm defender Brian Idowu said the team has a primary target to qualify for the round of 16. He confirmed that the fans have been backing the players as they prepared for their World Cup opener against Croatia.

    The Russia-born defender, who is scheduled to make his competitive debut against Croatia, said that just like every other team, the eagles are also hoping to do well in Russia.

    Idowu stated: “It’s clear. Everyone has come for victory in this tournament. The situation will clear up as the tournament progresses.

    “We will prepare for the first match with Croatia, Depending on the results, we will try to leave the group, achieve the maximum and common goal. There is faith and support of the Nigerian people. We will try so that they can be proud of us. The reception is wonderful, the base is pleasant, everything is in order, the pitch is good.”

     

    Experts speak

     

    Former Super Eagles star Finidi George, who played at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup tournaments in United States (U.S.) and France,  urged Rohr to ensure Mikel and Moses play in positions that would help the team against their first opponent.

    “It depends on what formation they want to play. If they want to play a triangular midfield, Mikel should be directly playing in front of the back four, Ndidi playing on the left side and Victor Moses playing on the right side,” Finidi said on a television programme.

    “If they are playing the diamond formation, somebody playing in front of Moses and Ndidi, and try to make sure we make use of the fullbacks. I will go for the Chelsea formation, the 1-3-5-2, two wide players, three players in midfield,” he said.

    Finidi stressed the importance of Nigeria controlling the midfield tomorrow, pointing out that world-class midfielders such as Real Madrid pair Luka Modriæ and Mateo Kovaèiæ and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitiæ, are expected to be in the middle of the pack for Croatia.

    “We have to play as a unit; we are not doing that now. When they go in the attack, it takes them too long to get back. If you don’t do that, you will always have a lot of space in the middle and you don’t want to do that against Croatia with Modric, Kovaèiæ and Rakitiæ. These guys are playing top football, you just have to make sure you have good grip of the midfield, with that, we have a chance,” he added.

    Another former international and one-time coach of the national team, Samson Siasia, who was part of the squad to the 1994 World Cup, said the unpredictable nature of the Eagles could work in favour of the Nigerian side.

    He stated that the combination of Mikel, Moses and Iwobi, would be key to Nigeria’s performance in Russia.

    Siasia said that despite the poor results in the friendly games, the Super Eagles can still do well in Russia.

    He said: “I am sure that many people are still at a loss on how Nigeria did badly in the friendly games but I am sure the Eagles cannot be written off. The erratic nature of the team is a trait that will also bother their opponents, who do not know which Super Eagles team would up against them.”

    He stated that the team must get a good result to be sure of progressing to the second round.

    “In top competitions like this, the first game is very important. So, the Eagles must fight for a good result against the Croats tomorrow. If the Eagles win, it will give them the needed confidence to approach the remaining group games,” Siasia said.

    No matter the permutation, the consensus is that the Super Eagles must get a decent result against Croatia tomorrow. A win against the star-studded opponent will inspire the team as it battles other group foes – Iceland and Argentina to book a place in the second round.

     

  • Offa robbery: Heated debate over Saraki-police rift

    To many, there is no big deal in inviting Senate President to explain his link with those arrested in connection to the April 5 Offa bank robbery. The invitation is an opportunity for him to clear his name. But others see the invitation as a political witch-hunt. The views are presented in this report.

    Prominent Kwara indigenes and residents were in heated debate yesterday. It was over the probe of the allegations made against Senate President Bukola Saraki by suspects in the April 5 Offa bank robbery.

    Thirty three persons, including nine policemen, were killed. Millions of naira was stolen by the gang. The police have in their custody 22 people over the bloody robbery.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police had initially invited Saraki for interrogation before soft pedalling to request for only a written explanation on his link with the suspects within 48 hours.

    Also linked to the suspects is Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed following alleged claims by the suspects that they were political thugs working for the duo.

    The senate president and the governor dismissed the allegations as an attempt to frame them.

    Not a few indigenes expressed support for the police in the ongoing investigation. They called on Saraki to respond to the allegations made against him in order to clear his name.

    Others dismissed the allegations, saying they were aimed at tarnishing the image of the senate president and the governor of his home state.

    The respondents spoke to NAN in separate interviews in Ilorin.

    An elder statesman Amuda Aluko said it would be better for the senate president to respond to the police request in order to clear his name.

    Dr. Aluko, the Tafida of Ilorin, who was of the view that Saraki could never be involved in robbery, however, said it had become expedient for him to clear his name since he was allegedly mentioned by the suspects.

    He said his Kwara Liberation Group (KLG) had spoken out about a week ago, urging Nigerians to allow the police carry out their duty on the case of the cultists transferred to Abuja from the state.

    Prof. Suleiman Abubakar, a former Minister of National Planning, said: “If the senate president has no skeleton in his cupboard, he should honour police invitation to clear his name.’’

    According to him, the claim by the suspects that they have links with the senate president makes it imperative that Saraki avails himself of the opportunity offered by the police  to clear his name.

    Prof. Abdulwahab Egbewole of the Department of Law, University of Ilorin, warned against “the politicisation of   the lives of Nigerians.”

    According to him, the police have the right by law to investigate everybody.

    “From the trajectory of the matter, it is not regarded as purely a legal issue. It has some fundamental political undertones,” he said.

    The don said that from the alleged confession of the Offa robbery suspects, it was revealed that Saraki gave a vehicle to a suspect.

    He said: “They also alleged that he gave them guns. They, however, stated that he did not tell them to rob.”

    Egbewole argued that this may be seen as being an accessory to a particular crime in law.

    He, however, pointed out that the anti-cultism law in Kwara put in place by the Saraki administration was the most stringent in the country.

    He wondered how “a person who puts in place such a law will now  go against it,”  adding that  “Saraki after all had  said he is ready to comply with the directives of the police during the course of investigation.’’

    Mr. Iyiola Oyedepo, the PDP Chairman in Kwara, urged the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the Offa robbery incident.

    He also expressed doubt that the senate president would support the suspects to engage in robbery.

    Oyedepo, however, said Saraki has a moral duty to clear his name.

    He urged the senate president to honour the police request by sending his written statement so as to clear hisname.

    “Did Saraki give them vehicle? Did Saraki provide them guns, are they his political thugs? All these questions should be answered by Sen. Bukola Saraki to clear his name,” Oyedepo said.

    The chairman called on the people of the state to rise up and demand justice so that the case would not be compromised.

    In his reaction, Rafiu Hotonu, the State Secretary of the National Union of Local Government Employers (NULGE), said there was nothing wrong with the police request asking Saraki to respond to allegations.

    “He should honour the request to clear his name. NULGE wholeheartedly supports the police because the suspects confessed that they work for the senate president, so he needs to clear his name.

    “No matter how highly placed you are in the society, once the police invite you, you are bound to honour the invitation,” Hotonu said.

    An Ilorin-based lawyer, Isaac Oladele, said there was no crime in a police invitation, urging Saraki to use the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

    Oladele, who noted that the police had even said the senate president need not appear in person, also added: “This is an opportunity for Saraki to clear his name of all the allegations of sponsoring cultists as thugs and having a link to the Offa robbery.

    “Nobody is above the law, whether you are rich or poor. The law is no respecter of anybody. I will advise the senate president to honour the invitation and clear the mess on time.’’

    But another lawyer, Tunde Jimoh, urged the public to stop politicising the matter and allow the police to conduct their investigation.

    He said: “Nigerians must allow the police to do a thorough finding. They must stop the different protests and distractions on social media.

    “Enough of interference from the external forces; there is no need to mount pressure on the senate president and the Nigeria Police in order not to complicate the matter.

    “The fact that the suspected robbers mentioned Saraki’s name in their confessional statements doesn’t mean we should jump to conclusions.

    “Nigerians must be patient and give room for thorough investigation and fair hearing from both parties rather than drawing conclusions,” he said.

    For Funsho Aina, another lawyer, the senate president must respond promptly to the matter “because of the sensitive position he is holding.

    “It is still an allegation for now and he is not yet found guilty. The best for him (Saraki) is to honourably make his statement on the matter available before it turns to another thing.

    “If there is the need for him to step down from his post as senate president to clear his name, he can do so for the sake of his integrity and that of the National Assembly,” Aina  said.

    Mr. Bayo Adeyipo, a resident, said there was need for the ruling party to close ranks and imbibe unity while shunning acts capable of derailing its future plans.

    Adeyipo stated that the initial invitation extended to the senate president bordered on a criminal act and should not be subjected to political debate.

    He said: “If anybody in power is found wanting, he should be ready to give necessary explanation by way of clearing his or her name of any wrong doing.

    “The police have laid out their facts, the onus is now on the person so accused to explore all avenues to clear his name of criminal allegations and maintain his or her integrity.”

    The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (lEDPU), a soicio-cultural organisation, however, described the police action as “a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of the senate president.’’

    Ambassador Usman AbdulAzeez, the National President of the union, said the invitation of Saraki in connection with the robbery incident was a ploy to discredit him.

    “The lEDPU, which is non-political, strongly condemns  the invitation of our illustrious son who is the number three citizen of the country in connection with the robbery case,’’  he said.

    He described the initial invitation as an attempt to drag the name of the ancient town of Ilorin in the mud, stating that the senate president could not be involved in robbery.

    Alhaji Busari Adebayo, a community leader in Ipetu, also described the development as “political witch hunt ‘’   which could heat up the polity.

    “As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, the political class should imbibe tolerance and close ranks in the interest of moving the country forward.

    “The invitation to Saraki over Offa robbery is a direct fall-out of the power play as the processes toward the 2019 general elections gathers momentum.

    “What the country needs most is absolute peace and unity to achieve the sustenance of our democratic system,” he said.

    Mrs Motunrayo Aboyade, a civil servant, believes the current travails of Saraki are part of the on-going superiority tussle among APC (All Progressives Congress) leaders ahead of   the 2019 general elections.

    “The case of armed robbery levelled against Saraki will not hold water;  it is  a result of the powerful tussle at the top.

    “You can see that the invitation has now been replaced with a written explanation, that is to tell you that the whole thing is just a power game and the drama will continue to unfold with time,” Aboyade said.

    A member of the Kwara House of Assembly, AbdulRafiu  AbdukRahnan, condemned the police over the initial invitation to Saraki, saying it has negative political implications.

    Bisi Owolabi, the APC Chairman in Irepodun Local Government Area, described the development as the “continuation of the persecution of Saraki since the inception of the present administration.’’

    He maintained that the persecution, if unchecked, could affect the fortunes of the party in future elections.

    “Saraki worked for the success of the party by winning all available position in the state and he is still very much committed to the party’s principles and ideas,’’ he said.

    Another resident, Victor Peter, urged public institutions to “refrain from playing to the gallery because of politics. The police cannot continue like this; convicting people in the court of public opinion has never worked. They should do better; Nigerians deserve that.

    “Now that they have made U-turn about their initial planned invitation to Dr Saraki, let’s see how it all plays out, but as usual, I  am confident that this case is dead on arrival.’’  Peter said.

  • Economy, security, others…three years after

    Three days ago, the Presidency released a factsheet on what the Muhamamdu Buhari-led administration has done in the last three years. OLUKOREDE YISHAU chronicles the things that have not remained the same since President Buhari mounted the saddle.

     

    It was a period many Nigerians will not forget in a hurry. And not a few are still feeling the hangover. But the statistics are looking good. A fact sheet released at the weekend by the Presidency to mark the third year of the Muhammadu Buhari administration shows that better days lay ahead.

    Just before the hardship set in, dynamites were thrown. Grenades caused chaos. Gunshots rented the air. The scenes were in the Niger Delta. The victims were not human-beings but oil facilities – strategic ones for that matter. And the effects on oil production and export were not only huge and scary. They were costly. The economy bled and needed oxygen to be on the path of recovery.

    Settling down to business, President Muhammadu Buhari and his team put up their thinking cap. The grievances of those blowing up the pipelines must be addressed. His deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, a professor of Law, went from one creek to the other, preaching peace.

    He visited oil-producing communities, listened to the people and spelt out the Federal Government’s commitment as captured in the ‘New Vision for the Niger Delta’. In the vision are answers to the 16-point Demand Agenda submitted to President Buhari by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). This vision has berthed the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta State, approval has been granted for the establishment of Modular Refineries in the nine Niger Delta states and work has resumed on abandoned projects in the oil-rich region, including the East-West Road.

    The engagements with the Niger Delta and the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) helped to raise oil revenues and ultimately in growing the external reserves, the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). The engagement with OPEC involved rallying the organisation and Non-OPEC members to discuss stabilisation of the global oil market in Doha and in Algiers. This led to an exemption from the OPEC production freeze and rise in oil prices.

    These steps, according to the government, helped to kick out recession of 2016/2017 and there is a 1.95 per cent growth in the first quarter of this year; inflation has fallen for the fifteenth consecutive month from 18.7 percent in January last year to 12.5 percent as of April; and external reserves has climbed to $47.5 billion, the highest in five years, which also double the size as of October 2016.

    The exports in 2017 were 59.47 per cent higher than 2016; agriculture exports grew 180.7 per cent above the value in the previous year; raw material exports grew 154.2 per cent above the value of 2016; solid minerals exports for last year grew 565 per cent above the value the previous year; and last year saw exports of manufactured goods growing by 26.8 per cent above the value the previous year.

    Other cheering news included: “The first quarter of 2018 saw the fourth consecutive quarterly increase in capital importation since Q2 2017. The total value of capital imported in the quarter stood at $6.3 billion, which is a year-on-year increase of 594.03 per cent and a 17.11 per cent growth over the figure reported in the previous quarter.

    “The new FX Window introduced by the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) in April 2017 now sees an average of $1 billion in weekly turnover, and has attracted about $25 billion in inflows in its first year (and a total turnover of $47.14 billion) – signaling rising investor confidence in Nigeria.

    “Nigeria’s Stock Market ended 2017 as one of the best performing in the world, with returns in excess of 40 per cent.

    “Five million new taxpayers added to the Tax Base since 2016, as part of efforts to diversify the government revenues.

    “Tax Revenue increased to N1.17 trillion in Q1 2018, a 51 per cent increase on the Q1 2017 figure. N2.7 Trillion spent on Infrastructure in 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, an unprecedented allocation in Nigeria’s recent history.

    “Fourteen moribund Blending Plants revitalised so far under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI); with a total capacity of 2.3 million metric tonnes (MT) of NPK fertilizer.

    “The contribution of solid minerals’ to the Federation Account rose five-fold from N700 million in 2015 to N3.5 billion in 2017.”

    To align monetary, fiscal and trade policies, the administration in April last year created a new forex window for investors and exporters, which has helped stabilise the market. The window has attracted more than $45 billion in its first year of operation.

    The fact sheet noted: “The Buhari administration has implemented a new debt management strategy which targets a ratio of 60 per cent to 40 per cent between domestic and external debt. The other objectives of the strategy are to moderate growth in debt service costs, free up space in the domestic market so that the private sector can have increased access to loans, and, to shore up external reserves.

    “The Renminbi-Naira Swap Agreement between the Peoples Bank of China and the CBN.”

    In the area of bond issuance in the international capital market, the Federal Government last year successfully issued $4.5 billion Eurobonds, $4 billion of this was for the part financing of the deficits in the 2017 budget ($1.5 billion) and 2018 ($2.5 billion).

    The Eurobonds were highly oversubscribed, and the country was able to issue a tenor of 30 years, the first time in its history.

    A Diaspora bond to the tune of $300 million with a tenor of five-years was also issued for the first time to part–finance last year’s budget.

    The N100 billion Sukuk issued to finance 25 road projects across the country, N10.69 billion debut Green Bond to fight climate change and the N8.126 billion raised from 11,366 retail investors through the Savings Bond since it was launched in March 2017 are key achievements of the administration in its drive to reflate the economy.

    Many states, struggling with payment of salaries, have received more than N1.9 trillion from the Federal Government to meet their salary and pension obligations. This assistance has come in the form of budget support facility (N606.55 billion), Paris Club refunds, infrastructure loans and loan restructuring for facilities with commercial banks.

    External reserves have doubled since October 2016, from $24 billion to $48 billion, while the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has seen the injection of $1.15 billion under the Buhari administration (the first government inflows since the original $1 billion which the fund kicked off with in 2012).

     

    Unlocking the potentials

     

    The administration leveraged on its goodwill to attract multi-billion investments and loans from China and Morocco. Buhari’s April 2016 visit to China unlocked billions of dollars in infrastructure funding and construction has progressed on the 150km/hour rail line between Lagos and Ibadan.

    The National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (NERGP), launched in April last year to chart a course for the economy over the next four years.

    According to the government, the NERGP is to restore economic growth, invest in Nigerians, and to build a globally competitive economy by giving priority to agriculture, power, macro-economy, energy efficiency, transportation infrastructure and driving industrialisation through Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    The administration is supporting MSMEs with $1.3 billion from the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN). The money was provided by the World Bank, German Development Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Agence Française de Development.

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) has disbursed more than N160 billion in loans since 2016. It has also established a N5 billion Fund for artisanal miners, as part of the Federal Ministry of Mines & Solid Minerals Development’s Programme to boost activities in the mining sector.

    A power reform led to the launch of the N701 billion Payment Assurance Programme to guarantee payments to generating companies and gas suppliers. This programme, known as the Power Sector Recovery Programme, was endorsed by the World Bank.

     

    The Anchor Borrowers Programme

     

    The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the CBN has raised local production of grains. It has produced a model agricultural collaboration between Lagos and Kebbi states. The country’s rice imports fell from 580,000 MT in 2015 to 58,000MT last year. The programme has seen the disbursement of N82 billion to 350,000 farmers of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, cassava, poultry, soy beans and groundnut. It has aided the farmers to cultivate about 400,000 hectares of land. Rice yields have doubled from two to three tonnes per hectare.

    According to the fact sheet, “between 2016 and 2018, eight new rice mills have come on stream. More than a billion dollar of private sector investments in the production of rice, wheat, sugar, poultry, animal feed, fertilisers, etc, since 2015.

    “Nigeria’s milled rice production has increased by about 60 percent, from 2.5 million MT in 2015, to 4 million MT in 2017.

    “The Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (which involves a partnership with the Government of Morocco, for the supply of phosphate), has resulted in the revitalisation of 14 blending plants across the country, with a total installed capacity in excess of 2 million MT.

    The benefits include annual savings of $200 million in foreign exchange, and ¦ 60 billion annually in budgetary provisions for Fertiliser subsidies.”

    “The scheme has also made it possible for farmers to purchase fertiliser at prices up to 30 per cent cheaper than previously available.”

     

    Ease of Doing Business

    Reform Programme

     

    The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council implemented its 60 National Action Plan between February and April. The plan has given willing investors the platform to search for company names on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Such investors can upload their registration documents directly to the CAC website without hiring lawyers to prepare registration documents. A single form has been created for company incorporation to save time and reduce cost. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) e-payment solution has been integrated with the CAC portal to facilitate e-stamping. The country now has a simplified Visa on Arrival (VoA) Process.

    To also ease business, a joint physical examination of cargo has been directed to ensure one-point contact between importers and officials. The CBN, Customs and commercial banks have been compelled to process Net Export Proceeds forms within 72 hours and pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies (PIAs) must issue Certificate of Clean Inspection (CCI) within three days.

    The number of documents required for imports has been reduced from 14 to eight. The ones for exports have come down from 10 to seven. Now, terminal operators are mandated to finish container’s examination in 12 hours.

    Pro Osinbajo, as Acting President, sealed the National Action Plan by signing three Executive Orders to improve efficiency in the business environment and promote local procurement by government agencies. Since 2017, three Executive Orders, Executive Order on Improving Efficiency in the Business Environment, Executive Order on Promoting Local Procurement by Government Agencies and the Executive Order on planning and execution of projects, promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering and technology have been issued. The Senate also passed the Companies and Allied Matters (Repeal & Re-enactment) Bill 2018 last month to give legal backing to some of the reforms already launched and being implemented.

    The Presidency said: “The new law allows the use of electronic signatures for company registration documents; provides for the submission of applications for reservation of names through electronic means; allows for a new form of legal entity known as Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and makes it possible for a single person to form a private company in Nigeria; among other reforms.

    The success of the Ease of Doing Business Reform Programme resulted in Nigeria moving up 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings in 2017, and earning a slot on the List of 10 Most Improved Economies.”

     

    Infrastructural development

     

    The administration is revitalising the country’s 3,500 kilometre network of Narrow-Gauge railway. A consortium, led by General Electric (GE) and comprising Transnet of South Africa, APM Terminals of the Netherlands and Sinohydro Consortium of China, is working on the Lagos-Kano Railway Narrow-Gauge Line.

    The reconstruction of the Abuja Airport runway was done within the scheduled six-week period (March to April 2017).

    Last month, the government launched the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), under the management of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). The PIDF has a seed funding of $1.3 billion. (NSIA) in March invested $10 million to establish a world-class Cancer Treatment Center at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and $5 million each in the Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia to establish modern diagnostic centres. These centers are billed for completion this year.

    The Abuja Light Rail system has been completed and will go into operation this year. The first line will connect the city centre with the airport, with a link to the Abuja-Kaduna Railway Line.

    Other projects done by the administration, according to the document, are the following Water Supply Projects and Dam/Irrigation Projects have been completed by the Buhari administration; Central Ogbia Regional Water project in Bayelsa, Sabke/Dutsi/Mashi Water Supply project in Katsina, Northern Ishan Regional Water Supply project, Kashimbila Dam, Taraba State, Ogwashi-Uku Dam, Delta State, Shagari Dam Irrigation Project, Sokoto State and the rehabilitation of Ojirami Dam Water Supply Project, Edo State.

    On ecological projects, the document shows that more than 70 projects were awarded and completed across the six geopolitical zones. Some of the 25 road projects being funded by the N100 billion Sukuk Bond are: the construction of Oju/Loko–Oweto bridge over River Benue to link Loko (Nasarawa State) and Oweto (Benue State) along route F2384, dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road Section I, dualisation of Suleja–Minna Road in Niger State Phase, dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road, rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage, rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage, dualisation of Yenegwe Road Junction–Kolo–Otuoke–Bayelsa Palm in Bayelsa and others.

     

    Social Investment Programme

     

    The Social Investment Programme (SIP) has over nine million beneficiaries drawing from its N140 billion purse. The 200,000 N-Power beneficiaries draw N30, 000 stipends monthly. Another batch of 300, 000 are being processed.

    Significantly, no less than 3,162,451 people in 26, 924 cooperative societies have been registered for the Government Enterprise and Empowerment (GEEP) Scheme. N15.183 billion interest-free loans have been issued across the country to 300,000 market women, traders, artisans and farmers. 349,000 new bank accounts/wallets for beneficiaries and intending beneficiaries have been opened to promote banking inclusion.

    In November last year, the GEEP was chosen as the pilot programme for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Policy Innovation Unit in Nigeria.

    The administration is catering for 8.2 million primary school pupils through its Homegrown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) in 45,394 public primary schools across 24 states. The benefiting states are: Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo in the Southeast; Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta in the Southsouth); Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ogun in the Southwest); Benue, Niger and Plateau in Northcentral; Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, and Zamfara (North West); Bauchi, Taraba, Borno, Gombe and Jigawa in the Northeast). Over 87,261 cooks have been engaged under the scheme.

    “The Health aspect of the programme has seen over three million pupils dewormed in six states. The deworming programme is a bi-annual programme aimed at eradicating and reducing the burden of worms,” the Presidency said.

    Through its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme, 297,973 beneficiaries now get N5, 000 monthly stipend nationwide.

     

    Cleansing budgeting

    process/BVN/Efficiency Unit

     

    Aside the activities of the anti-graft agencies, the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) is to strengthen controls over government finances through a continuous internal audit of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the initiative, more than 50,000 ghost workers have been identified and N198 billion was saved in 2016.

    The anti-corruption war has generated budget reforms, which made the President to direct all government agencies to prepare their budgets in line with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). A budget template was developed for this purpose.

    For the first time, this year’s budget was collated, using a web-based application developed by the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF). MDAs were compelled to upload their proposals on a portal.

    The Bank Verification Number (BVN) has also saved the government a lot of money. All payments are done only into accounts with verifiable BVN. This helped to detect the 50,000 ghost workers using the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform.

    The creation of Efficiency Unit (EU) has promoted efficient use of government resources. It has resulted in saving N15 billion that would have gone into travel, sitting allowances and souvenirs.

     

    TSA/Open Government

    Partnership and whistleblowing

     

    On August 7, 2015, the President compelled the MDAs to close their accounts with commercial banks and transfer their balances to the CBN on or before September 15 of that year. By this action, he gave life to a policy launched in 2012 but left unimplemented. This has resulted in the consolidation of over 20,000 bank accounts. An average of N4.7 billion is saved monthly in banking charges. The era of some MDAs having idle cash in banks and still borrowed exorbitantly from banks is gone for good.

    The government has not relented in shutting corruption doors once discovered. One of such led to its signing on to the Open Government Partnership (OGP). In 2016, President Buhari was at the International Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the United Kingdom (UK) Government, where he pledged that Nigeria would join the international transparency, accountability and citizen engagement initiative.

    He fulfilled the promise in 2016 when the country became the 70th country to join the OGP. This has led to an OGP National Steering Committee (NSC), which has developed a National Action Plan (2017–2019) to mainstream transparency in the management of public resources. The plan was submitted at the OGP Global Summit in Paris, France, in December 2016.

    The anti-corruption drive brought about the Whistleblowing Policy, which within its first two months of operation, yielded over $160 million and over N8 billion in recoveries of stolen government funds. The figures have since grown. N13.8 billion was recovered from tax evaders. In May, the government paid N439.2 million to 14 whistleblowers who gave specific tips on tax evasion. There have also been N7.8 billion, $378 million and £27, 800 in recoveries from public officials targeted by whistleblowers.

    The National Economic Council (NEC), under the Osinbajo chairmanship, carried out an audit of key federal revenue generating agencies and discovered that N526 billion and $21 billion was underpaid to the Federation Account between 2010 and 2015. The audit to cover the period until June 2017 is ongoing.

    The PICA said it uncovered 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries thus saving N200 billion.

     

    A more transparent NNPC

     

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was indicted by the independent global reports for being opaque. One of the first steps the administration took was to reconstruct the corporation’s opaque accounting structure. This led to the closure of more than 40 accounts. Now, NNPC publishes its financial reports monthly and the operational deficits have been reduced by not less than 50 per cent. NNPC outstanding annual audits from 2011 to 2014 have been conducted.

    The administration has also resolved the shadowy oil swap deals that had cost the country billions of dollars and left it at the mercy of a few rich Nigerians. The government has also introduced third party financing to eliminate direct funding of cash calls.

    It has eliminated the Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) through the introduction of the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme with reputable off-shore refineries. This has yielded annual savings of $1 billion.

    The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) put together by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, has now been passed into law by the Senate, after 17 years of failed efforts.

    In 2016, the Federal Government exited the Cash Call arrangement with Joint Ventures (JVs) with International Oil Companies (IOCs), which put pressure on government’s finances. The failure to fully fund them resulted in more than N6 billion arrears as at December 2015. The reforms have led to the negotiation of the debt arrears owed the IOCs from $6.8 billion to $5.1 billion and a long-term repayment plan has been agreed on.

     

    International hugs and kisses

     

    The international community has warmed up to the Buhari administration in the last three months. The President has enlisted the support of multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and IMF, security agencies, Western countries and other friendly nations to source, locate and repatriate stolen assets. He has met key world leaders, including President Donald Trump. The United States (U.S.) government is supplying 12 Super Tucano Aircraft to Nigeria.

    At one of his international engagements, specifically the London summit on anti-corruption, Buhari announced that Nigeria would begin the full implementation of the principles of the OPEN contracting data standards.

    It was in furtherance of the President’s trips to the Middle-East, where he sensitised the governments on the need to repatriate stolen assets and repatriate the suspects for trial at home. In January last year, Nigeria and UAE signed Judicial Agreements on Extradition, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters.

    The Federal Government and the Swiss Government in March last year signed a Letter of Intent on the Restitution of Illegally-Acquired Assets forfeited in Switzerland. Under the agreement, the Swiss government has repatriated $322 million in Abacha Loot. The cash is being warehoused in a Special Account in the CBN and it will be deployed towards the SIP.

     

    Insurgency lost its steam

     

    Although there are still pockets of attacks, but gone were the days when insurgents reigned supreme. One of the first things Buhari changed was the military structure, which led to the relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri in May 2015. The results are glaring: Over 13,000 persons have been rescued by the troops, including 106 of the Chibok schoolgirls 105 of the Dapchi Girls abducted in February. Since December 2015, all territories previously under the Boko Haram control have been regained; by June 2015, Nigeria provided $21 million to the Task Force; and in June 2015, the United States (U.S.) announced a $5 million support for the fight against terrorism in the sub-region.

    The seriousness with which the administration has pursued the anti-terror war has also led to the U.S. government further announcing an additional $40 million for humanitarian assistance in the sub-region. It is in the process of selling war planes to the country.

    Boko Haram’s operational and spiritual headquarters, “Camp Zero”, in Sambisa Forest, has been captured. The army has arrested Usman Mohammed, (a.k.a. Khalid Al Barnawi), leader of the Ansaru Terrorist group and one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, on whose head the U.S. placed a $6 million bounty.

    Also arrested and being prosecuted is Amodu Omale Salifu, leader of an ISIS affiliate group active in Northcentral.

    As the campaigns for the next general elections gather steam, Nigerians will sure be looking for more actions.

     

  • A bright future for Nigeria: How to get there

    Text of an address delivered by activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) at the 60th birthday colloquium in honour of foremost journalist Kunle Ajibade at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday

    I congratulate Kunle Ajibade on the occasion of his 60th birthday anniversary. He is lucky to be alive today because he had engaged in many risky ventures in the struggle for a better Nigeria. When Prof Wole Soyinka said about 30 years ago that his was a wasted generation, Kunle never believed that his own generation would also be wasted. But, since Kunle is still alive and active, we urge him to team up with other patriots to arrest the imminent collapse of our country.

    Through its highly reliable sources, The News magazine had confirmed in 1995 that the maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha wanted to be crowned as a civilian president. For exposing the plot to rope some retired and serving military officers into a phantom coup in a bid to eliminate any form of opposition, the brutal dictator ordered the arrest of the editors of the magazine. Even though, he did not write the story that provoked the dictator, Kunle was the only editor in the office when the security forces invaded the premises of the magazine. He was arrested, detained, tried with three other colleagues, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

    But, he and others regained their freedom when the dictator was killed in a palace coup three and a half years later. We are celebrating Kunle today because he survived the dehumanising prison conditions which claimed the precious lives of many other convicts.

     

    Unabated killings in Nigeria

     

    In spite of repeated assurances of the Federal Government to ensure the security of life and property of every person living in Nigeria, it has been confirmed that not less than 1,400 unarmed civilians have been killed in Benue State by armed herdsmen and armed gangs between January and May, 2018.

    The figures of casualties in Nasarawa and Zamfara states are said to be higher. Although the satanic Boko Haram sect is said to have been substantially defeated, it has continued to massacre scores of people through bomb attacks in schools, markets and mosques in the northeast. In the same vein, armed bandits have embarked on mass killing of people in some local governments in Kaduna and Zamfara states in the northwest. Armed robbery and kidnapping are regular occurrences in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Contrary to the misleading impression being created by the advocates of state police in the country, the Nigeria Police Force is not an agency of the president or the Federal Government. What has been established by Section 214 of the Constitution is the Nigeria Police Force. It is a police force which shall be organised and administered by the Nigeria Police Council.

    It is pertinent to note that the Nigeria Police Council is constituted by the president who shall be the chairman, the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), as well as the 36 state governors. But, for reasons best known to state governors, the President has always been allowed to hijack Police Council. As a matter of urgency the members of the Council should meet to agree on the funding, organisation and supervision of the Nigeria Police Force in conformity with Paragraph L, Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

    However, it is indisputable that the killings have continued unabated in the aforementioned states due to official negligence and impunity. Hence, the hundreds of murder suspects, arrested by the police and the army, have not been prosecuted by any of the state governments.

    I am sure that the criminal elements who murdered some citizens during the just concluded congresses of the All Progressive Congress (APC) will also be treated like sacred cows.

    Even my recent call on the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to mount pressure on the attorneys-general in all the states of the federation to arraign the murder suspects in State High Courts was ignored.

    Ours has been reduced to a banana republic where kidnappers, murderers, robbers and rapists are conferred with impunity and licensed to continue their criminal enterprise.

    Since the government has lost the monopoly of violence to criminal gangs, and life has become totally cheap and unsafe in the country, it is high time that the National Assembly enacted a law to provide for compulsory military training or military service for citizens of Nigeria without any delay.

    And pending the enactment of the law, the governments of Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara states should request the president to maintain adequate facilities in some institutions for giving military training to citizens whose lives have become endangered. This call is in line with the provisions of section 220 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

    With respect to the killing by herdsmen, the Federal Government knows the solution but has refused to embrace it.

    As far back as 2016, about 55,000 hectares of land were acquired in about 11 states for ranching. But, instead of implementing the policy, the Federal Government has been toying with the backward idea of cattle colony. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army, which has a ranch at Giri in the FCT, has offered to establish more ranches in other parts of the country. The offer of the Army has been ignored. The Kano State government, which has ranches and grazing zones, has also offered to accommodate all herdsmen who have been displaced in Benue and Taraba states. The offer has equally been treated with disdain without any justification. However, to put an end to the violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen, all relevant stakeholders should liaise with the Kano State government with a view to establishing a number of ranches.

     

    A bright future for Nigeria

     

    I believe that a bright future is possible for Nigeria. But, it can only be possible if the members of the political class are compelled to abandon politics of money and the manipulation of ethnicity and religion. Nigerian journalists like Kunle Ajibade and his colleagues should force all political aspirants to address serious issues during the forthcoming political campaign. In particular, they must extract commitment from the political class to implement the fundamental objectives enshrined in Chapter 2 of the Constitution. Section 14 thereof provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. To actualize that political objective, it is stated in Section 16 that the economy shall be planned and managed by the government to promote national prosperity and happiness.

    Furthermore, it is stated that the government shall control the commanding height of the economy and ensure that the wealth of the nation shall not be concentrated in the hands of a few people or a group. It is illegal and unjust to lease oil blocks to a few people who are turned to multi billionaires after subleasing them to foreign investors.

    Some of them have been honest to disclose publicly that they do not know what to do with the hundreds of millions of dollars made from the sublease of the oil blocks. Thus, by allowing a few people to collect rents from our national assets, the government has continued to concentrate wealth in the hands of a few people. Since it is illegal and unjust to enrich a few people at the expense of the Nigerian people, we hereby call on the Federal Government to stop awarding oil blocks to local and foreign investors.  They should be leased to the federal and state governments in order to have money for development.

    The constitution has provided that the socio-economic rights of the people to education, health, housing, living minimum wage, pension, unemployment benefits are guaranteed while the government shall provide for the aged and physically challenged citizens. Apart from the legal obligation imposed on political parties to comply with the fundamental objectives, it shall be the duty of all organs of government and of all authorities and persons exercising legislative, executive and judicial powers to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of the fundamental objectives. The socioeconomic rights of the Nigerian people have also been enshrined in the Africa Charter on Human and People’s Rights Act. Therefore, the justiciability of the fundamental objectives is longer in doubt.

    Indeed, through the struggle of the oppressed people in Nigeria, the National Assembly has been compelled to enact welfare laws which shall be funded by the government. For instance, the Compulsory, Free and Basic Education Act and the Child’s Rights Act have made education free and compulsory from primary to junior secondary school. Parents and guardians who refuse to allow their children and wards to acquire education are liable to be prosecuted.

    To fund the programme, the Federal Government shall contribute two per cent of its Consolidated Revenue Fund. The state governments shall provide counterpart fund. But due to the refusal of state government to access the fund, not less than N67 billion is lying fallow at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) while the country has about 11.5 million children of school age who are roaming the streets.

    Other welfare laws on housing, health insurance, pension and minimum wage among others are being breached with impunity. Yet, if we insist and ensure that the welfare laws are enforced by the governments there will no money left to be stolen by unpatriotic public officers.

    Since the 2019 general elections are a few months away, it is not enough to urge Nigerian voters to register and collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC). They must be encouraged to know what to do with the PVCs.

    When politicians come around to ask for votes, every PVC owner must ask questions on the jumbo emoluments of public officers, unemployment, poverty, infrastructural decay, corruption, abuse of office and human rights violations among others.

    The harassment of law abiding citizens by the police and other security agencies should be discussed with political aspirants. The answers to the questions should be noted so that the elected ones can be confronted with all promises made by them.

    To assist voters to hold politicians accountable the progressive extraction of the media must provide relevant information on public affairs.

     

  • Ambode: why Lagos is investing in Lekki Free Trade Zone

    •We plan to make Lagos destination of choice for businesses

    lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday explained why the government and the private sector are making huge investments in the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ).

    They are targeted at making the state the destination of choice for businesses in Africa, the governor said yesterday in a statement by his spokesman Habib Haruna.

    According to the statement, Ambode spoke when he inspected ongoing projects in the area in the company of foremost industrialists Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola.

    Ambode said the investments and the infrastructural renewal in the Lekki-Epe axis simultaneously ongoing were geared to prepare the state for industrial revolution taking place in Nigeria and by extension in the West African sub-region.

    The governor was quoted as saying: “We have just inspected the ongoing jetty project being done by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    “You are all well aware that we flagged off the construction of Lekki Deep Sea Port some few weeks ago. But, more importantly, this jetty is being done by the Dangote Group to more or less facilitate the movement of their heavy duty machinery to the petrochemical plant and other projects they are doing in this Lekki Free Trade Zone.”

    Reiterating the commitment of the state to encourage and support in doing what is right for the economy, Ambode said that no efforts would be spared in creating an investment-friendly environment in the Centre of Excellent.

    He said: “What we are doing more importantly, as a government, is to continue to encourage the Dangote Group to do what is right for this country and for us to join hands together and collaborate to really show that Lagos is the next destination for the industrial revolution that is taking place in Nigeria.

    “We are very happy to be doing this with him because we know that with the kind of infrastructure that we are providing around Lagos and the kind of infrastructure he is also providing, this place should be the next destination for anybody that is interested in investing in Nigeria.”

    Dangote said that the combined projects under construction at the Lekki Free Trade Zone were the largest anywhere in the world.

    The President of the Dangote Group said it was important for the right message about the axis to be communicated to the people to appreciate its impact on the economy.

    He said: “What is happening here is the largest project anywhere in the world today and this visit is just to show the governor the industrial jetty that we have built including the water breaker which is 900 meters which is almost like about a mile.

    “This is to show what we have done in terms of bringing in our cargo to build the refinery. We have done quite a lot in terms of water protection and also it is environmentally friendly and this is what we have shown the governor.

    “This is just showing that this place is going to really open for business and we are looking for a lot of infrastructure to be built and this place will be the next destination for any investment in Nigeria.”

    Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives Commissioner Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye said the jetty, when operational next month, would facilitate the shipment of equipment to rev up the projects within the LFTZ.

     

     

  • PIGB: Fresh concerns over job security, overbearing uncontrollable commission

    As stakeholders await President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent to the harmonised Petroleum Industry Bill Governance Bill (PIGB) with sublime hope, not a few workers are worried over job security. Some interest groups also see the bill as an old wine in a new wine skin. It will only create an uncontrollable commission, they say, JOHN OFIKHENUA reports.

    What the PIGB aims to achieve

    • Unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
    • Establish a Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated.
    • Establish Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPRC) to replace the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). The NPRC will issue and revoke licenses, permits, authorisations for downstream gas and petroleum products, storage depots, retail outlets, transportation and distribution facilities among other functions for the industry.
    • Establish Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company.
    • Establish Nigerian Petroleum Company (NPC) to replace NNPC. NPC is to be operated as a commercial entity that pays dividends in addition to Royalties and taxes.
    • Establish a Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) to be funded from the 5 percent fuel levy, subventions, fees and charges from petroleum products marketing companies.

    FOR more than eight years, Nigerians waited for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill by the National Assembly. The bill, which many see as the pill to end sharp practices in the oil sector could not scale the legislative hurdles.

    Its unbundling by the Eighth National Assembly and the passage of the first phase of the harmonised bill, rechristened the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), was a renewal of hope.

    But, as the PIGB awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent, the high hope that heralded its passage is fast fading out.

    As some corporate bodies, government agencies and interest groups count their would-be gains; there are fears in certain quarters that the aspect of the bill, as passed by the lawmakers, is still a rehash of the old order.

    Despite the promises and assurances made by the National Assembly committee and stakeholders, there are still feelers that the implementation of the bill, aimed at boosting competence and efficiency, would affect the job security of workers and management.

    The fear is that since the bill is essentially about competence and efficiency, the workers will be compelled to work under the conditions of a commercialised enterprise with which they were not employed.

    Those opposed to the new bill are also of the view that when it becomes law, it could thrust excessive regulatory power to the National Petroleum Commission (NPC), into which the bill is seeking to collapse the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

    The concern, according to analysts in the oil and gas industry, is that with such a merger, the commission could grow into an amorphous and a gigantic organisation, become more uncontrollable than the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    On its own, the bill proposes that “commission shall be vested with all the assets, funds, resources and other moveable properties which immediately before the effective date were held by the Petroleum Inspectorate, the DPR and the PPPRA.”

    To the critics, the bill has vested both technical and commercial regulatory responsibilities on a single organisation.

    One of the analysts, who preferred anonymity, believed that the situation will lead to paucity of manpower.

    The analyst argued: “It is just the fear in some quarters that it could grow to become a very massive and uncontrollable commission. With so many responsibilities, it will again face the usual problem of shortage in manpower.

    “In that case, what we are trying to achieve by breaking up the NNPC, we are now trying to recreate it with this one. It is going to be one very massive and uncontrollable commission, contrary to the practice in most counties which is to have both commercial regulator and a technical regulator.

    “Those two regulatory bodies are vertically unrelated. That is why some countries that have adopted it have found reasons to say they need regulatory agencies that stimulate economic growth and investments.

    “And you need another one that acts a control, which is technical. There are countries like that: Canada, some Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries and South Africa.”

    But, another source in the downstream sector argued that employees of both bodies would not lose their jobs as their roles in the commission will remain the same.

    He, however, stressed that the regulatory commission will certainly need more hands to man the 90,000 retail outlets, receptive facilities of 21 depots and seven jetties.

    “Besides, the private refineries are already underway,” he said.

    Promoters of the bill believe it remained the best thing for the industry. Some of them cannot wait for the bill to undergo any further checks. They said the bill can always be amended by the National Assembly.

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is at the forefront of those clamouring the signing of the bill the President.

    Its spokesman Fortune Obi, told The Nation in a telephone chat that the law will rid the oil and gas industry of bureaucratic bottlenecks if implemented.

    “For us at PENGASSAN, we see it as a structure that will make the organisation fitter and more efficient. I don’t think it is going to be too cumbersome, it is about having a workable structure.”

    From Obi’s analysis, the commission will be devoid of duplication of roles as it is unambiguous of what it is created to do.

    The PEGASSAN’s spokesman explained that the essence of the bill is that the government or stakeholders want a more participatory, visible and efficient regulatory body in the industry.

    Their merger, he said, “means that we will have a more structured and aligned regulatory agency, where even doing business in the oil industry will be more streamlined and the bottlenecks are also reduced.

    “You don’t have duplication of responsibilities. But, when the PPPRA is regulating and DPR is doing a different thing, at the end of the day, you have conflicts.

    “But, when you have them under one regulatory body it means they will be able to manage the regulation in the oil and gas sector properly and more efficiently. Somebody cannot go for licensing it takes ages because you want to go through bureaucratic bottleneck in the system.”

    PENGASSAN as a body, Obi said: “is in support of a more structured organisation, regulatory body that will make doing business in the oil and gas sector more efficient and more effective.

    “That is the view of PENGASSAN and moreover, I am a member of the PIB review committee. I have the view of what the regulatory body of the DPR will look like if the bill is finally passed into law.”

    Obi, who represented PENGASSAN in the PIB committee, submitted that globally, organisations get leaner and more efficient.

    He said: “There is no burden of confusion of roles in the merger of the two organisations to perform both commercial and technical regulatory roles.

    “It’s not cumbersome managing the two organisations under one umbrella. It is about creating a structure that will work. There is no need duplicating responsibilities or role when you know that same organisation that does monitoring, does regulatory, does licensing and other responsibilities attached to it.”

    An oil and gas expert, Dr. Dauda Garuba, described the NPC as a one-stop-shop regulatory body for the petroleum industry.

    He is of the view that when instituted, the new regime “stands the chances of zeroing focus and strengthening regulation as against the currently divided responsibilities and institutional weakness.”

    Ahead of the signing by the President, a cold war is raging. The bill, which says the commission shall take over the resources of the DPR and PPPRA, does not guaranty the security of jobs.

    Some of them have been the typical civil servants, who may find it difficult to cope in a commercialised atmosphere that would exert them.

    According to them the government is trying to change the rule of engagement halfway.

    They said: “Certainly, the bill makes provision for the workers to unionise but upon the commercialisation of the entities and the pursuit of efficiency, transparency and accountability, some of them may not stand the heat.

    “This is the unsaid about the new expected law that is now a source of concern to the workers. Above all, so many of them do not know the fate of the current chief executive officers of the two agencies.”

    A stakeholder within the industry explained to The Nation that “you have to prove yourself to keep your job. This aspect is not in the document but that is an informal part of it. If you want to keep your job, it is no longer whom you know or whatever. You will be following the process of appraisals now as the government will not be there to help you keep your job. It depends on your performance.”

    The ambivalence about job security, however, waned on March 22, when the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, threw light on what is expected of the personnel.

    He spoke through his Senior Technical Adviser on Policy & Regulation, Mr. Adegbite Adenij, at a roundtable on the PIGB, organised by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) in Abuja.

    He said it would no longer be business as usual because the commission will set Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for its management and employees.

    The minister stressed that any worker, who does not cope with the standard or any official found wanting in the discharge in his or her duties, would be penalised and sacked.

    His position tallied with that of the anonymous source. Kachikwu explained that the merger will open up job opportunities for new employees because three will be new ideas that will generate gaps that must be filled.

    He said: “The gaps in the manpower in there provide opportunity for people to be appointed from outside, because again, you want to put in new ideas, fresh legs in the whole process.

    “In that process, you preserve the jobs, and you also attract a pathway for the employment of other skills from outside to help energise the new system you are trying to build.”

    Kachikwu noted that the board of the new regulatory commission shall have the power to dictate the standard for staff appraisal and also hire and fire.

    Projecting into the future of the commission, the minister added: “At that time, it has nothing to do with the minister. It’s up to the management to retain their staff afterwards. You then have to make sure you actually meet up to task as far your job is concerned. That is how we dealt with the issue of labour.

    “After that, with the mandate that each institution would have for efficiency, people there have to work and display their performance in their jobs.

    “But, at the inception, the existing jobs would be there, but then people would then have to rise up to the occasion, because those Boards that would be in those entities would be mandated statutorily to ensure efficiency in the public interest.

    “Therefore, from that point on, you do not have a job for life. You now have to be worth that salary, that money you are being paid.”

    According to Kachikwu, powers would now be given to the new management to ensure efficient and effective operation to make decisions on who would meet up with the requirements for their position.

    “Once the ball gets rolling, the question would now be if I am the manager at the helm of the institution, I would want to see who is effective and who is not.  That is now the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the board and for the chief executive of the institution, to make sure he runs an effective institution.”

    What happens to the workers when the bill is signed into law by the President? Only time will tell.

     

  • Senate, IGP rift deepens

    •Stop holding on to straw, Senate tells police chief
    •Police: your declaration is laughable

    The Senate and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris are locked in a battle of wits. The Red Chamber accuses the police chief of disrespect for snubbing its summon. But the police feel otherwise. To senior lawyers Itse Sagay and Femi Falana, the lawmakers are off their track, report Onyedi Ojiabor, JOSEPH JIBUEZE and Faith Yahaya

    There is no letup in the war of words between the Senate and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris over the refusal of the police chief to honour the lawmakers’ summon.

    The verbal darts continued yesterday with the Senate telling the police chief to let go the straw and the the Nigerian Police describing the lawmakers’ verdict as laughable.

    The crossfire yesterday attracted reactions from senior lawyers, including the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) and activist-lawyer Femi Falana. Both are senior advocates.

    In their views, the lawmakers erred in summoning Idris over the rising wave of insecurity and the travail of one of their colleagues.

    Falana said the right persons the senators ought to have invited were the Interior Minister Gen. Abdulraman Bambazau (for killings) and Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami.

    The parties on Wednesday took on each other with the Senate firing the first salvo. It passed a vote of no confidence in the IGP and classified him “enemy of democracy, who is not fit to hold public office within and outside Nigeria.”

    The Red Chamber’s revolution was sequel to the IGP’s refusal to personally appear and brief on the rising spate of killings in the land and the alleged inhuman treatment meted to Senator Dino Melaye by police.

    It was the third time the police chief would be spurning the invitation for security briefing.

    But, the IGP said the resolution was mischievous and very unfortunate, describing it as blackmail.

    According to him, he had explained why he could not appear before the Senate in a memo he sent earlier. He said he would neither succumb, nor be deterred by blackmail from any individual, or group no matter how highly placed.

    Dissatisfied with the IGP explanation, the Senate told  the IGP to stop holding on to the straw on his refusal to comply with its invitation to brief members on what effort the Police have put in place to curb the spate of killings.

    In a statement by the Chairman of its Committee on Media & Public Affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said the crux of the matter that informed the invitation of the IGP was the ceaseless spate of killings across the country.

    Abdullahi explained that the matter concerning the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye had been overtaken by events.

    The statement reads: “We noted the response issued by one Jimoh Moshood on behalf of the IGP, Ibrahim Idris following yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) resolution of the legislative chamber on the continued refusal of the IGP to honour the invitation for him to come and explain what the police are doing to halt the spate of killings across the country.

    “Let it be known that the IGP, by trying to reduce the reason for his invitation by the Senate to the arrest of Senator Dino Melaye is simply holding on to straw.

    “The issue of Senator Melaye’s arrest has been overtaken by events. The courts are already handling the related cases. Our main concern is the security crisis across the country where people are being killed in scores on daily basis.

    “The primary responsibility of the Police is maintenance of law and order as well as protection of lives and property.

    “If there is a breach along the line of this responsibility, we do not see why the IGP should feel he cannot be invited to offer explanation to the arm of government which is constitutionally empowered to ask questions and investigate the breach.

    “No responsible body of representatives of the people will ignore sad reports given by members on the floor of the Senate. For instance, on April 24, two Catholic priests and 17 members of their congregation were murdered as reported by Senator George Akume.

    “Also, Senators Kabir Marafa and Tijani Kaura had earlier intimated the Senate of the killing of 35 people in Maradun Local Government Area, over 100 people killed in Anka and 36 people killed in Birani Village in Zurmi Local Government Area, all in Zamfara State.

    “Even as at now, reports reaching us showed that recent killings have occurred in Kaduna, Taraba and Benue states.

    “These were just few instances of daily occurrences of gruesome murder of our constituents as raised by Senators.

    “The IGP definitely should not have any problem with an invitation for him to tell the Senate what he and his men are doing to stop the killings as well as their challenges and needs in doing this.

    “Mr. Idris should not seek to confuse issues or play on the intelligence of members of the public with his diversionary statement or claims.

    “The resolution of the Senate leading to his invitation is clear and we invite our people to check. It is for the purpose of having a transparent and open hearing that we fixed his appearance for Wednesday when our plenary sitting enjoys live coverage on national television.

    “In one instance in the past, Mr. Idris had gone to court in order to evade honouring the invitation of the Senate and the court headed by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed of the FCT High Court on April 10, 2018, told him in clear terms that his suit lacked merit as Sections 88 and 89 of the constitution empower the lawmakers to carry out investigations on issues of public interest.

    “Any public officer who plans to place himself above an arm of government obviously is not fit to remain in office.

    “Mr. Idris is only afraid of his shadows by alleging witch-hunt when he is called to account on the performance of the duties of his organisation.”

    Describing the Senate declaration on the IGP as laughable, the Police said the lawmakers lack power to invite the IGP, adding that they have taken the matter personal.

    The Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal, David Igbodo responded to the Senate decision when he appeared on a morning programme on television.

    He said: “I don’t think the Senate of Nigeria has the constitutional power to declare the IG unfit to hold the office. On what basis are they declaring him unfit to hold office? Did the IG go to them for confirmation of appointment or what is it?

    “What you call a face-off between both parties is not a face-off. The IGP was invited on the 25th to appear on the 26th. Unfortunately, the IG was with the President in Bauchi and he delegated a DIG.

    “The IG has the power under the constitution and under the Police Act to delegate his line officers to represent him on official function. This is an official matter and not personal. The DIG was rejected by the senate even though the brief they requested for was given to the DIG by the IGP to brief the National Assembly.

    “They wrote another letter and he delegated another DIG because he was in Kaduna. He was to brief them on Senator Dino Melaye. We should all know that Senator Melaye does not enjoy immunity.

    “The National Assembly insisted again that he must come in person. At this point, a constitutional issue had arisen. The IGP decided to go to court to know whether each time the National Assembly invites him; whether he must as a matter of law appear in person or he can exercise his power of delegation. So we are in court.

    “We posed five questions and seven prayers for the court’s determination and until the court decides that, the National Assembly has no power to invite the IG on that issue.”

    According to Igbodo, the IGP had appeared before the Senate over 10 time since his appointment in June 2016.

    He said: “I want you to know that since the IGP’s appointment in June 2016, he has appeared at the National Assembly over 10 times. So where are they getting the issue that the IGP refused to appear?”

    On why the IGP has refused to appear, he said: “Because they are making it personal. The DIG in charge of operations understands what has happened between Senator Melaye and the Police.

    “I want you you to understand that when the allegation was made in Lokoja, the IG through the DIG operations wrote the Senate asking him to release Senator Melaye to report to the Police in Kogi state for statement taking but they refused to release him.

    “They said the senate president or Melaye were outside the country then two days after, they said they should allow him report to Abuja since he said he was not safe in Lokoja.

    “If he is not safe in his state, I wonder where he would be safe. We complied and wrote a letter that he should be released to Abuja SARS but he declined. Is he above the law?

    “They are making it personal. The letter they wrote to the IG, they raised two issues, inhuman treatment to Senator Melaye. What do they mean by that?  They invited him and he refused.”

     

    Sagay, Falana to Senate on IGP: you got it wrong

    •I can’t wait for ‘worst Senate’ to go, says PACAC chief •Falana sympathises with senators

    TO two senior advocates Prof Itse Sagay and Femi Falana, the Senate was off target in passing a vote of no confidence on Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris over his refusal to appear before the National Assembly.

    Sagay, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) and Falana, an activist, said the senators went to the extreme by their painting the police chief as an enemy of democracy who is unsuitable for public office in Nigeria and abroad.

    Faulting the senators’ insistence on the Idris’ personal appearance before them, Sagay wondered what the Red Chamber was out to achieve by chasing the shadow.

    The SAN said he could not wait for the Eighth Senate, which he described as the worst since 1999, to go next year. It smacks of personal vendetta for the lawmakers to reject the IGP’s representatives.

    Sagay said he was not a fan of the current Senate, which he accused of abdicating its responsibilities by not passing the 2018 budget almost halfway into the year.

    According to him, the Senate lacks the moral justification to declare the IGP as unfit to hold public office.

    His words: “You know I’ve never been impressed by this Senate. It’s probably the worst we’ve ever had since the return to civilian rule. They are more concerned about exercising vain authority and power than in actually doing anything substantive for the country.

    “These are people – the whole Senate – who would adjourn sitting and go to the Code of Conduct Tribunal in solidarity with their President. For everyday they go, the work of legislation is suspended. And they owe a duty to this country to make the laws for the order, peace and good government of Nigeria.

    “Each time they abandon their legislative duties, they’re in fact committing a breach of their obligation, apart from the fact that doing that sort of thing is infantile.

    “As if that was not enough, the whole Senate packed themselves again to visit Dino Melaye in the hospital. How rational is that? Why can’t they send a delegation of two or three people who would report back?

    “So, it’s like a showoff of power and intimidation. I don’t think it’s really worthy of them to behave like that.”

    Asked if the IGP should not have responded to the Senate’s invitations, Sagay said: “What I can deduce from the Police response is that the IGP has been honouring the Senate’s invitations.

    “You know the frequency and flippancy with which this Senate invites people. They can invite you today and next week they invite you again. And these (those invited) are very busy people.

    “They (Senate) don’t care. They just want their vanity to be assuaged, for people to know they have power and are big and that someone is disobeying their authority.

    “The IGP sent a very highly-placed representative. If the Senate really wanted information, why didn’t they get it from IGP’s deputy rather than insisting that the IGP himself must come? It suggests they’re turning the whole thing into some form of personal vendetta.

    “As I said, I’m not impressed with this Senate because as we’re speaking now, we’re going to half of this year and they have refused to pass the budget.

    “Is that a Senate that should be calling anybody unfit for anything? Are they doing their job? Budget passing is the most important job of the legislature. They’ve not done it six months into the year.

    “They were angry with the executive for not sacking Ibrahim Magu. How did they respond? They refused to confirm any nominee, regardless of how urgent and important the assignment is for this nation. Honestly we’re just praying for 2019 to come so this Senate can go.”

    Falana said the Senate lacks the power to summon the IGP, urging the upper legislative chamber to “accept his sympathy”.

    The human rights lawyer said the senate “did not get it right” by tagging Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), “an enemy of democracy”.

    Speaking on a Channels TV programme on Thursday, Falana said the senate made a mistake by bringing Melaye’s case into the picture.

    He said even with the killings, IGP is not the right person to summon, rather, the minister of interior and the attorney-general of the federation.

    Falana said: “By virtue of Section 67 (2) of the constitution, either chamber can summon a minister when the affairs of his or her ministry are under consideration.

    “The only other occasion a public officer can be summoned by the national assembly is when proceedings are ongoing to expose corruption and when a law is being debated either with a view to amending it or to have a new law entirely.

    “But there is no such powers given to the national assembly by the constitution to summon everybody.”

    Asked by the programme’s anchor if the senate has the power to summon the President, Falana replied: “No. Section 67 (1) has given the president the discretion to address the national assembly either jointly or separately, on any matter of national importance. The president or the governor of a state cannot be summoned; that is the constitution.

    “The national assembly has my sympathy, but what can be done? The constitutional review is ongoing. You can deal with this lacuna, or the gaps you have identified.

    “But don’t go outside the limit of your powers. When you do that, you ridicule the constitution. And that is what is going on.”

    He added that though he condemned the arraignment of Melaye while on a stretcher, he had told the lawmakers to not “individualise problems of police brutality.

    “When you do that, you lose public support. It is the height of hypocrisy to say because the police has brutalised our member, the IGP must come. What of thousands of Nigerians that are brutalised daily?

    “Don’t single out the harassment of your member to summon the IGP. That is where they lost it. They shouldn’t have mixed Melaye’s case with the killings.

    “As far as the constitution is concerned, the person to summon is the minister of interior and the attorney-general, and they have the powers to do that. The minister can be summoned but there is no provision for summoning the IG or the customs boss to appear in one uniform or the other, it is not there.”

     

  • Inclusion: Path to a new nation

    Being the University of Lagos 2017 convocation lecture delivered by Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State on tuesday, May 8, 2018 at j.f. ade Ajayi Auditorium , University of Lagos, Akoka.

    I Thank the Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe and the Senate for the singular and profound honour of addressing this convocation. The positive role the University of Lagos has played in Nigeria and Africa cannot be overstated.  Through its halls have walked leaders and innovators in all academic disciplines; people who have devoted their knowledge and abilities to making our lives and this nation better.

    Drawing students from across Nigeria, UNILAG is an institution fertile with the type of social and educational interaction and inclusion vital to forging a robust and progressive country.

    To declare that UNILAG is the best school in the land, is not an empty boast nor is it a hopeful prediction to be left for future evaluation. It is a present fact. Thus, you, the graduating class of 2017, are but the latest inheritors of a lineage of academic and civic excellence.

    In 1984, I attended a convocation much like today’s. On that day, I sat where you, now sit. I was an eager yet apprehensive young man set to graduate at 21. Although ready to tackle the world and make my mark, I was also a bit uncertain about what that world and life would bring.

    I knew I was blessed to have attended this University with its sterling faculty, leadership and staff, fine traditions and robust student body. Now looking back, I realize that this school had prepared me better than I prepared myself for the challenges and opportunities that were to come.

    If you ask me a thousand times if I would have matriculated anywhere else, a thousand times I would have said “No, I will stay right here.”  I am forever grateful for the chance to have studied and learned here.

    34 years later, I now look at you only to see myself. You are as I was, except for one important thing: You are better. Whatever my generation has achieved, you must go further and do more to build a new and better nation.

    True, I stand before you as the first UNILAG graduate to become Governor of Lagos. I am humbled by this distinction and elated to be the first to walk this path. But I know I shall not be the last to walk it.

    I will not be the last graduate of this excellent school to become Governor of this State that is the Center of Excellence of our beloved nation.

    Yes, all of you cannot be State Governors. Yet, in your own way, you must be leaders that correct the direction of our nation by improving our social attitudes and by relying more on conscience than on cunning in the conduct of its affairs.

    We must break down old walls in order to erect a better home.

    Yet good things do not just happen. Bad and evil come easily because they are the product of common human failings and lapses left too long uncorrected. But good and fine things are more difficult because they always must be crafted with adept care.

    Excellence is never by accident. It is the product of wise exertion.

    For you to answer the call of this nation for your generation to be better than preceding ones, you must strap yourself to courage, you must peer beyond the immediate to envision a better future and you must have the enlightened decency to refuse to yoke yourselves to ancient and irrational biases and hatreds that have no place in the nation we seek to build.

    We all must understand this important reality: None of us chooses the world into which we are born. Yet we can choose to make of that world what we want it to be.

    None of us can influence the place and time we are born or of the family or nation into which we come.

    Some will say that a person is of this or that ethnic group, nationality or faith by incident of birth as if these things occur by cosmic whim or the roll of dice.

    I don’t believe in accidents. Instead, I believe we all have been placed here by God-given design and purpose.

    If our presence is surely born of God’s hand then we have not been placed on earth to hate another person simply because they were born of a different ethnic or religious stock. We cannot allow ignorance to fuel hatred in us. If we do, then we shall hold fast to a damaging ignorance because we have grown comfortable in hating one another.

    So comfortable in disliking others and so eagerly basking in our own ignorance, we do grave disservice to ourselves.

    We have not been placed here to oppose, obstruct and destroy our fellow man.

    We honour the God who made us and we honour ourselves by honouring the rights of others and being concerned with the welfare of others as well.

    We are here to uplift and improve everything around us. This requires compassion for each other.

    Sadly, human history is checked with examples of peoples and nations that have taken the wrong path by embracing the lessons of injustice and meanness. These places too diligently studied war, prejudice and division even among fellow citizens.

    Eventually, all such peoples and nations fade away, destroyed not so much by external threats but by their own strong but ignorant hand.

    Fortunately, there are examples of nations and peoples that rose above pettiness to become great through unity, collective purpose and intelligent effort.

    We, as Nigerians, have a choice.  We can follow the path of folly or we can follow the road to our appointed destiny.

    For me, there is no choice.

    Yet, to assume the right course is also to depart from how we have misgoverned ourselves for much of our history.

    Colonialism brought many groups together into one country but manipulated our fears so that we suspected the worst of each other.

    We were wise and courageous enough to retire colonialism but we were too weak and imprudent to excise the divisive mind-set that colonialism brought.

    Thus, we live in the same house but not as members of the same family. We have known each other all our lives but behave as if we are abject strangers. In this house, we live in discomfort. We sleep with one eye open, one foot on the ground and our bedroom door locked if not also bolted.

    The minute something happens, we jump to hurl the worse accusations at fellow citizens of other ethnic and religious groups.

    This is because we have been taught to view the world as a zero-sum environment. According to this forlorn outlook, whatever one person gains must come at the expense of another. Your gain is my loss and vice versa.

    Such a mind-set is injurious to any household, be it a single family or a vast nation. It leads to constant bickering and battle. For it tells us there are no solutions that benefit all.  There is only contestation about who shall win and who shall lose.

    This mind-set constructs enmity and friction as if it were a national monument.

    This perspective implies things cannot get better. That people cannot work together to produce more wealth, prosperity and opportunity so that everyone can reasonably expect to get a larger share of an expanding flow of wealth as the future unfolds.

    Cynical people tacitly believe the supply of wealth, prosperity and all good things is static if not diminishing. Thus, competition grows more intense by the day as more people compete for possession and enjoyment of static number of valuable items.

    Dig deeper and this mind-set reveals something terribly barren in those who hold to it. They believe we are not in possession of the intelligence, ability and vision to improve our political economy in order to create more jobs and elevate the standard of living for most Nigerians.

    Things will always be as is they are is their motto.

    Well this flaccid motto cannot be our motto and the cynical ways of these people cannot be our ways.

    Instead, I hold to the proposition that we shall become the best of who we are.

    We do this by keeping our fellow man in heart so that we do not end up lunging at each other’s throat.

    Here, I offer Lagos State as an example of what is possible for all Nigeria and Nigerians when we practice the governance of inclusion instead of the old, malign ways of exclusion.

    Since the return of civilian rule in 1999, Lagos has been a fount of economic progress and social understanding and tolerance.

    Led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a group of dedicated and committed Lagosians developed a blueprint for the transformation of the State. So much of the State had fallen down and decayed. The State’s glory seemed a thing of the past.

    But we have steadily repaired it. First, the administration of Asiwaju Tinubu and then that of Babatunde Raji Fashola, moved the master plan from concept to concrete reality.

    My administration is both a beneficiary of their work as well as a continuance of that work. We strive to go further because we have the opportunity to build upon what they have done.

    Through the years, we have steadily repaired our State, modernizing and retooling things to the point where we now talk about turning Lagos into a Smart City.

    In every way, our infrastructure is improved.  Our roads are better, our mass transportation has expanded, hospitals give better care to the sick and afflicted, education is improving and more affordable housing is being constructed before our very eyes.

    The face of Badagry is changing. The makeover of Oshodi will cause you to marvel at the transformation that can take place even in densely populated urban space when there is the political will and determined creativity to give the people the infrastructure they deserve.

    We are improving and expanding the Airport Road so that a trip to and from the airport no longer takes more time than your flight itself.

    The Lekki-Epe axis was once an isolated, inactive tract of land. Now it bustles with energy, activity and prosperity due in large measure to the roads and other infrastructure our State has constructed.

    We have and will continue to build bridges linking parts of Lagos that have not been linked before so that commerce, transport and communication among Lagosians will be facilitated.

    We aim to make this state fully integrated so that one part is well connected to any other.

    All of this work is underpinned by the belief that Lagos belongs to all of us. Lagos is not an exclusive club. It is an inclusive family.

    What makes you truly Lagosian has little to do with where you were born, the origin of your surname or which Holy Book, if any, you read.

    What makes you Lagosian is whether or not you are of the right civic and individual spirit. If you want to innovate and make things better, then you are Lagosian in heart;

    If you seek to establish business, give jobs to people, and enrich the world around you, you are Lagosian at heart;

    If you do not mind if a person of a different group or religion prospers so long as you too have the fair chance to do the same, then you are Lagosian at heart;

    If you don’t mind hard work for yourself but also believe that everyone has the right of quiet enjoyment of the fruits of their legitimate labour and toil then you are Lagosian at heart.

    It is in this spirit that we build Lagos anew. It is in this spirit that we can build a new Nation.

    The roads that are built are for everyone. There is no such thing as a Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa road. Everyone equally suffers a bad road and equally benefits from a good one.

    In Lagos, there is no legitimate business or trade you cannot enter because of ethnicity, gender or religion. There is no place you cannot go. There is no section where you cannot live.

    The door is open to all whether you come from North, East, West and South or just across the street.

    As long as you seek to engage in lawful business, you will encounter no barriers from this government. If you have a good idea, we will encourage it, we will invest in you regardless of where you came from.

    We care less about where you came from. We care more about where you seek to go.

    You see, the inclusion I talk about is more than a pretty word to say; so that I sound like some type of enlightened politician.

    Inclusion is a principle by which we put to constructive use the full industry and skills of the people; Rich and Poor, Old and Young, Men and Women, Boys and Girls.

    This results in greater individual and collective productivity. Reform, change and growth come at a faster clip. Concerted effort and the visible benefits of that collective exertions further divorces the people from the zero-sum mentality that fosters stagnation because it pits us against each other in perpetual friction.

    Inclusion is not only the moral thing todo, it is the smart thing as well.

    Contrast it with societies that erect walls and impediments to keep certain people from entering important political and socio-economic fields of endeavour.

    These societies squander vital energy and waste finite resources in order to hamper segments of their populations from making the optimal contribution to their personal and collective existences. The energy and resources could have been used to develop society and promote harmony. Instead it gets used to depress growth, mistreat people and foment discord.

    In effect, much of society’s potential for growth and prosperity is used to ensure that growth and prosperity do not come to all.

    A favoured group seeks to deny another group the adequate enjoyment of its share of the collective work product for unfair reasons of religion, ethnicity or colour.

    This exclusive society is founded on the cynical premise that one man’s bounty must always come at the invitation of another man’s poverty. Again, the zero-sum mind-set rears its ugly head.

    This perspective is a tempting lure for it is simple to understand and it speaks to the element of selfishness that infects every human being to some degree.

    But having gone through the rigors of education that this institution requires, all of you know fully well that you cannot accomplish anything of excellent and lasting value by surrendering to base impulses and shallow thinking.

    Our duty is not to entertain and exalt the worst of human nature. Instead, we are ordained to cultivate the best of human ideals so that we can abide in fairness, prosperity and security.

    This is our objective in Lagos. We have recorded some progress along this pleasant road. Yes, we still have much to do and far to go. Yet, I am encouraged by the fact that we will do it as an inclusive team linked together by a just and compassionate social compact.

    It is my unyielding belief that the principle of inclusion which has served Lagos so well can be employed in other states with similar effect. In effect, our dear nation, Nigeria.

    However, for States to give optimal service to their citizens the principle of inclusion first needs to be applied to the division of power between the Federal and State governments.

    There recently has been clamour for devolution of power and true federalism. While much of this talk is good intentioned, I believe it misses the crucial point.

    The linchpin of good governance is not found in the system deployed but in the quality of its administration.

    We must implement the federal system as it was intended to be. Heretofore, too much power has resided in the National government.

    This has been to the detriment of the authority and efficiency of both State and Local governments.

    This has caused a governance vacuum of sorts. The Federal government is burdened with tasks beyond the reach of its best competencies. The States and Local government are dissuaded from treating many matters of a local nature that are better left in their hands due to their greater knowledge of local conditions.

    We need to shift some functions/responsibilities from the national government to place more of it in the hands of the States. This is how we give federalism the best chance to work. Until we do this, calls to abandon the current system serve not to fix the underlying problem.

    If people are imbued with the exclusionary mind-set that power must be centralized, any structural reform will be distorted to serve the purpose of those who favour concentration of power.

    Hence, I am concerned about the intense focus on wholesale change to our political architecture. Such a thing is inherently time consuming and costly despite the claims that money will be saved.

    Additionally, such attempts at enormous and rapid political change causes economic uncertainty and dislocation. Given our tenuous relationship to prosperity, Nigeria cannot afford this self-affliction.

    Prudence counsels that we first attempt a more equitable level of fiscal federalism before adopting drastic alternations that likely plunge us toward the unknown.

    There is widespread consensus that too much power sits in the center. We can correct this imbalance by reallocating power and responsibilities between the States and Federal government by amending the list of exclusive and concurrent powers and duties of these governments to reflect current realities in the nation.

    These changes will have beneficial impact visible within a short amount of time. The impact of these changes, though political in origin, will be economic in nature and it is in our economic life where the nation needs the most help.

    Resolving the problems regarding federalism and the herdsman’s, as with so many other problems, requires us to look beyond prejudice and hatred.

    Exploiting fear and bias is easy and sings well in the short-run. Over the longer-term, it is a bitter cup that cures nothing but ferments greater hatred and larger problems.

     

    CONCLUSION

     

    To the graduates, I ask that you refuse the old ways of ethnic, religious and regional bias that have plagued our national politics for so long.

    If you knew the vastness of the common challenges that face us all as Nigerians and Africans, you would quickly jettison the ethnic pettiness and religious bigotry that threatens to divide us. The rest of the world sees us as Black, African and Nigerian and will deal with all of us in the same manner. That larger world cares little about the internal divisions we see as so profound.  In this context, we are in the same boat and share the same fate.

    Unless we join in concerted effort to help each other toward a better more united Nigeria, we all shall fail in our different ways.

    Moreover, you did not attend this fine institution to fail either as an individual or as a nation.

    You now assume the active stage of human affairs where what you learn must be put to use and practice. Employ what you have gained here for the good of Nigeria and hold true to the mind-set that our ethnic and religious differences makes no one a lesser or better person.

    We are linked together in common destiny. Thus let us work together in common purpose in order to make that destiny, the one we truly seek, which is an inclusive and forever just and prosperous Nigeria.

  • Non-passage of Budget 2018: Our pains, by LCCI, MAN, others

    The delay in passing the 2018 Budget is taking a debilitating toll on the real sector and the economy. Many operators, particularly manufacturers, have been forced to put critical business decisions on hold, leading to a lull in economic activities. Others believe that infrastructure development projects have slowed down and that local and foreign investors’ confidence has dipped. Assistant Editors CHIKODI OKEREOCHA and OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE report.

    •Stakeholders lament relive toll on real sector

    THESE are not the best of times for real sector operators, particularly manufacturers. For a sector struggling to bounce back after a debilitating recession forced it on its knees, the delay in the passage of the N8.6 trillion 2018 Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly (NASS) may have added to its litany of woes.

    Not a few operators who spoke with The Nation lamented that the delay in the passage of the budget has naturally slowed down economic activities. To them, critical business decisions have been put on hold. Some of them believed key capital/infrastructure projects would be delayed or abandoned.

    The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, said the delay in the budgetary process would entrench the vicious cycle of poor budget implementation.

    On the likely effect of the budget delay on its implementation, especially its capital component, Yusuf said: “The risk is that recurrent spending will be fully implemented while capital projects suffer the usual implementation deficiency.”

    Strategic planning, for many organisations, takes a cue from the budget structure and the policies that come with it.

    The National Assembly reneged on its promise to pass the N8.6 trillion 2018 Appropriation Bill on April 24, 2018. The “Budget of Consolidation”proposal was on November 7, last year, presented for consideration and approval to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. But, the executive and the legislature have been trading blame for the delay in its passage. The chambers again raised the hopes of operators and Nigerians that the budget will be passed this week

    The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Abdulrasak Namdas, told reporters in Abuja:  “By the grace of God, we will lay the budget on Tuesday (tomorrow) and then try to pass it that same week. Actually, we’ve been working hard so that we can beat the deadline, and hopefully this time around, I can assure you that by next week (this week), everything about the budget will be concluded and passed.”

    His assurance followed that of the Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

    If both chambers make good their promises this time, it means that the implementation of the budget will begin five months into the fiscal year.

    The delay, according to Yusuf, has implications for planning in both the public and private sectors of the economy.

    “To the extent that the budget is not in place, uncertainty and associated business risks are heightened,” the LCCI chief said, adding “this is surely not good for investors’ confidence, either from a foreign investor’s perspective, or from domestic investor’s standpoint.

    Equally worried is the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). Its President Frank Udemba Jacobs said: “As a key player in the real sector of the economy, MAN can boldly say that the delay in passage of the budget would have dire consequences on the economy.

    “This is chiefly because the delay in the passage of the budget would make implementation of the capital expenditure component of the budget for the year an uphill task and these capital expenditure components are needed for sustainable economic growth as against our present growth rate that is premised on improved oil production and increase in crude oil prices in the international market.”

    He described the annual budget as a vital compass expected to give stakeholders in the economy information on the likely flow of the economy as well as income and expenditure in a given year.

    He also said the budget is a strategic indicator that helps domestic and foreign investors and businesses to plan their economic activities, decisions, projects and expenditures for the year.

    Dr. Jacobs, therefore, said that the late passage of the budget slows down economic activities.

    He said: “Critical to the private sector is the expectation that the budget shows the direction the government aims to take for the year in terms of provision of incentives, infrastructure development needed for the smooth operation of businesses and procurement of goods and services.”

    The MAN chief pointed out that the delay would negatively affect the job creation capacity of government contractors.

    Those job losses, he added, would worsen the purchasing power of the populace, with its resultant effect on the economy and the manufacturing sector in particular.

    Stating that the delay has dire consequences for the economy generally, he said: “For an economy such as Nigeria, a budget is more than just a plan; it a fiscal tool that has been empirically used for the development and growth of economies in many other climes.

    “In fact, national budget provides the link between public sector activities and that of the private sector needed for the growth of the economy. Taking the budget expenditure angle for instance, through public procurement for government capital projects, particularly locally-made products, the entire sectors will be stimulated as liquidity expands.

    “Expansion in these activities stimulates growth and development in terms of employment creation and poverty reduction.

    “Early passage of national budget therefore ensures early commencement of implementation and full-blown economic activities.

    “Conversely, the late passage of the budget as we are witnessing in Nigeria at the moment causes sluggishness in the economy, which affects all economic actors and agents negatively.”

    The non-passage of the 2018 budget is affecting sales of goods in warehouses of many manufacturing firms. Since the budget is yet to be passed, there has been no money in circulation, leading to low purchasing power of Nigerians.

    With lots of unsold goods, manufacturers are hurting. Their production targets have been disrupted.

    The MAN president said: “What the National Assembly is doing presently by not finishing up with the 2018 budget is causing a major challenge to the economy because the disposable income is not there for Nigerians to spend at will.

    “It is only when this budget is passed and implementation begins that the public will have money to spend freely. As long as they don’t have money to spend freely, the manufacturing sector will continue to have large stock of unsold inventory of goods and these could decay and be at production risk.”

    Jacobs also expressed worries over the proposed budgetary deficit of N2.22 billion, which the government intends to finance to the tune of about 42.4 per cent from domestic borrowing.

    According to him, this would crowd out private sector borrowing, particularly the manufacturing sector.

    Jacobs argued that with debt service charges rising to N2.014 trillion, accounting for 24.7 per cent of the 2018 budget, this portends imminent danger. Besides, high debt profile, he said, leads to debt over-hang, which discourages investment, particularly foreign investment.

    the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) warned of the dangers in delayed passage of the budget was dangerous for the economy.

    Conveying NECA’s concern at the end of its recent Governing Council meeting in Lagos, its President Larry Ettah said the development could drag the nation into a state of inertia.

    He said: “It appears to have become a tradition in this democratic dispensation for the budget to be unduly delayed, thereby plunging the economy into a state of inertia, particularly in the first quarter of the year.”

    He recalled that in December 2016, the President presented the Appropriation Bill for last year to the National Assembly, but lamented that the lawmakers did not pass the bill until May 11, 2017, almost six months after it was presented.

    Ettah, also recollected that the President presented the 2018 budget to the legislators in November 2017 and expressed dismay that the budget is yet to be passed.

    He implored the two arms of government to mutually agree on a time frame that would ensure that the budget for the following year is passed into law before the end of every current fiscal year.

    The Nation learnt that the delay in the passage of the budget was caused by the alleged refusal of heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to appear before the chambers to defend their votes.

    The refusal, or late appearance of some heads of MDAs was said to have made the sub-committees of both chambers to also submit their budget reports late to the Appropriation Committees.

    By Tuesday last week, when the National Assembly failed to pass the document as promised, reports of sub-committees were reportedly still being collated by the Appropriation Committees for onward submission to the Senate and House in plenary for passage into law.

    But, Jacobs blamed the delay on administrative challenges, saying: “From all indications, it appears that the reason for the delay of passage of the 2018 budget is due to administrative challenges.”

    According to him, economic activities have been dampened and the private sector that grows the economy in real terms could not find any impetus and direction, which the government is supposed to provide through the passage of the budget.

    On the efforts made by the manufacturers to end the cycle, Jacobs stated that in various representations, MAN has always advised the government to begin early budget preparation in the preceding year.

    He said in doing that, all administrative hiccups would have been resolved early before the current year.

    “I hope the National Assembly and the Presidency quickly resolve the current quagmire and move on to pass the 2018 budget,” he said.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba blamed the delay on lack of synergy between the executive and the National Assembly. He called on the executive and the legislature to expedite action to pass the budget.

    Pointing out the implication of the long, Wabba noted that the implication of not passing the budget five months into the year translates to delay in delivering on infrastructure development and dividends of democracy.

    The unionist said: “Based on facts in the public domain, the position of both arms of government was wrong-headed and does not warrant holding the nation to ransom.

    “We find it rather unwarranted to play politics with such issue and refuse to carry out their statutory functions. We call on the Senate and the Federal Government to bury their hatchet to expedite the passage of the budget.”

    According to Wabba, there must be synergy in the work of the three arms of government through meaningful consultations, constant communication and collaboration for the common good of the people.

    Echoing the labour leader, Yusuf said: ”They need to be on the same page with regard to the fundamental principles of the budget.”

    The LCCI the boundaries of responsibilities between the executive and the legislature in budgetary appropriations should be clearly defined to avoid the recurring problem of delays.

    Noting that the ruling party has a role to play in this matter, especially when it has the majority in the legislature, he added that a judicial pronouncement is necessary to lay the matter to rest.

    He said: “It is important as well for all arms of government to demonstrate an unmistakeable commitment to the spirit and letters of the Nigerian constitution and other complementary legislations.

    “It is worrisome that many agencies of government are not complying with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    “Compliance with this Act would improve the budget process and enhance the capacity of the NASS to discharge its responsibilities with regard to the appropriation,” Yusuf told The Nation.

    The Federal Government had in 2017, made a commitment to an early submission of the 2018 Appropriation Bill for early passage before the end of 2017. The idea was to return the nation’s budget cycle to the regular January-December.

    Subsequently, the 2018 budget, which was put at N8.612 trillion, was presented to the National Assembly by President Buhari on November 7, 2017.

    But five months into the year, the budget is yet to be passed, as lawmakers accuse the executive of refusing to submit the 2018 Finance Bill, which it said traditionally accompanies the budget proposal.

    The parliament was said to have requested the submission of the finance bill as part of its working tools, saying that it was necessary as it guards against revenue leakages and inconsistency in government fiscal policy.

    As it is, the controversy over submission of the 2018 budget and budget defence by ministers and directors has continued to hold the nation to ransom, with predictable consequences for businesses and the economy.

    The situation, according to experts, is hurting the country’s quest for both local and foreign investors.

    Because budget approval and implementation are critical to investment decisions and enhanced economic activities, experts believe that the nation’s recovery from recession on a sustainable would have been accelerated had the 2018 budget been passed on time.

  • May Day: Workers intensify push for living wage

    Workers yesterday trooped out in large numbers to mark the International Labour Day known in local parlance as May Day. TONY AKOWE (ABUJA), OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE (ABAKALIKI), ERNEST NWOKOLO (ABEOKUTA) and KOLADE ADEYEMI (KANO) report that the demand for a living wage was the singsong nationwide.

    The demand for a new national minimum wage echoed nationwide yesterday as organised Labour mobilised workers to celebrate the International Labour Day popularly known as May Day.

    From Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to the nation’s industrial hub in Lagos; to Abakaliki in the Southeast; the North’s political headquarters in Kano. Ado-Ekiti in the Southwest and Calabar in the Southsouth, it was the same song all through. The workers, under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) renewed their clamour for a living wage.

    A 30-member tripartite committee under the chairmanship of former Head of Service of the Federation Ms. Ama Pepple is reviewing the minimum wage.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to implement the panel’s recommendation, billed for submission in the third quarter of the year.

    The workers’ umbrella unions are demanding N66,500 as minimum wage.

     

    Fed Govt’s commitment

    unequivocal, says Ngige

     

    Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige restated President Muhammadu Buhari’s unequivocal commitment to the enhancement of workers’ welfare and prosperity for all citizens.

    Appealing to the workers to support the government, Dr. Ngige assured them of better days ahead.

    In his goodwill message, the minister recalled the historic role of the workforce over times and urged it to further stand firm with the President in his efforts to return Nigeria to the path of greatness.

    Ngige said: “The cardinal objective of the present administration is the revival of the economy; enhancement of the security of the nation and zero tolerance for corruption. The Federal Government has so far covered a considerable millage notwithstanding teething challenges. I therefore solicit your continued support towards bringing these national goals to fruition.”

    He urged the workers to use the occasion of the May Day to reminisce on the positive outcomes of the labour’s struggle for a better working rights and decent work environment.

    The minister said: “This is an administration that places a lot of premium on the welfare of workers and all citizenry and has done so in very transparent manner. Our openness is to provide enough windows for all Nigerians to appreciate the state of the nation and the efforts of the government.

    “Our modest achievement in creating equable condition for job security and improved welfare for workers, as evident in the fact that no federal civil or public servant has lost his or her job in the last three years of the administration despite economic downturn, as well as the on-going effort to give effect to a new national minimum wage easily bear out the government’s commitment to the upliftment of the workforce.

    “This year’s celebration therefore presents an opportunity for a collective reflection on the contributions of the labour movement to national growth on the one hand and the steadfastness of the Buhari administration to the welfare of workers on the other.”

     

    Ambode: Govt/labour

    harmony good for development

     

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode commended the workers’ unions for the uninterrupted and industrial harmony that his administration has enjoyed since he assumed office.

    Speaking at the workers’ rally at the Agege Stadium, Ambode attributed the industrial harmony and peace to the maturity and responsibility of the labour unions, applaudind them for adopting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms rather than resort to industrial actions.

    The governor said: “It is on record that we have never, since the inception of this administration, had any dispute with the organised labour and I will be the first to admit that the labour unions in the state have been most responsible and while, at the same time, being dogged in their advocacy for the promotion of the interests of workers in Lagos State, both in the public and private sector groups.

    “In proof of the maturity and responsibility of the labour unions in our State, the organised labour has consistently met with members of our administration under different fora designed to identify and address possible areas of tension and disagreement before they fester into open conflicts.

    “This approach has resulted in an unprecedented three-year period of uninterrupted industrial harmony and peace in Lagos State. For this, I most sincerely commend the labour unions in Lagos State.”

    In their remarks, chairmen of the Lagos chapters of the NLC and TUC, Idowu Adelakun and Francis Ogunremi, commended the governor Ambode for his massive infrastructural drive across the state, security of lives and property, as well as prompt and regular payment of salary among other welfare for workers in the State.

    Adelakun said: “The governor must be commended for prompt and regular disbursement of salary to workers in Lagos State. The State Government is not indebted to her workers. Today, Lagos is a big construction site, courtesy of our progressive and development-oriented and people’s governor.”

    Ogunremi said it was gratifying that Ambode has ensured payment of about N10 billion to over 2,500 pensioners, while the present administration had equally performed well in the areas of road construction, security and traffic congestion, among others.

    The TUC chief said: “Your Excellency, your listening hears to the concerns of workers and the labour centres as representatives of the workers, is quite commendable. During this time last year, the two labour centres requested the governor to replace the secretariat buses for smooth running of the unions in the state.

    “Today, I make bold to inform that both TUC and LUC including all affiliate unions in public service have been presented operational buses.”

     

    ‘Nigerian workers courageous’

     

    Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa commended the workers for their diligence and commitment to duty, assuring that their welfare would be enhanced by the government at all levels.

    Obasa’s assurance was contained in his May Day address according to a statement by his media aide, Mr. Musbau Rasak.

    In the statement, the speaker was quoted as assuring the workers that the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels has concluded plans to initiate and implement programmes and policies that will not only improve their standard of living but also enhance their wellbeing.

    The statement reads: “The Nigerian workers are marvellous. I, on behalf of my colleagues in the Lagos State House of Assembly, salute your diligence and commitment to your duty and we are also appreciative of the courageous way you perform your duty. Indeed, your courage and diligence are attributes that have made you compete favourable and positively with your counterparts anywhere in the world.

    “I want to assure you that the APC government at all levels will continue to put in place policies that will enhance your welfare and improve your standard of living.”

    He, however, urged the workers in particular and Nigerians in general, against relenting in their support for the government.

    “We need your understanding, cooperation, support and prayers all the time and we will not relent in seeking for all these from you. On behalf of the honourable members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I wish you all a happy May Day celebration,” he said.

     

    Falana: It’s time to defend

    welfare laws, democratic rights

     

    Activist-lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana urged the labour leadership to defend the welfare laws and democratic rights of the workers.

    He said the demand for it view of the depreciating quality of life for a new minimum wage by Nigerian workers was long overdue in view of what he caused “gross mismanagement of the Nigerian economy by the ruling class with the connivance of imperialism”.

    Falana urged the various labour unions to take advantage of this year’s May Day celebration to adopt concrete measures that will compel the federal, state and local governments to implement all extant welfare laws and policies.

    The senior advocate identified the extant welfare laws and policies as the products of the collective struggle of the labour movement and other progressive forces in the country.

    He listed the National Minimum Wage Act,  National Health Act,  National Health Insurance Act, National Housing Act, Federal Morgage Act, Pension Reforms Act, Compulsory, Free and Universal Basic Education Act, Nigerian Education Bank Act and People’s Bank Act as some of the welfare laws.

    According to him, the deliberate policy of successive governments to breach the provisions of the welfare laws was compounding the crisis of youth unemployment and mass poverty.

    He said: In fact, the criminal diversion of public funds earmarked for social services by unscrupulous public officers has accentuated official corruption which has continued to expose the country to global ridicule.

    “For instance, the inadequate funds budgeted for the provision of education and health, have been diverted by a few public officers and contractors. While public schools and hospitals are underfunded, public officers are allowed to receive medical treatment in foreign medical centres while workers and other poor people die cheaply in all the ill-equpped  public hospitals in Nigeria.

    “Similarly, top public officers also educate their children and wards in expensive local and foreign educational institutions while the children and wards of workers are forced to attend abandoned public schools in the country.”

     

    Ebonyi: I’ll pay new

    wage, Umahi promises

     

    In Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Governor David Umahi promised better pay rise for civil servants on the government’s payroll. He assured that his administration will pay the proposed new national minimum wage when fully implemented by the federal government.

    Addressing a crowd of workers in the state at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, Umahi recalled that workers welfare was atop his campaign promises, reassuring on his commitment to the implementation of policies that would improve the workers’ welfare.

    He disclosed that outstanding pensions and gratuities owed workers since the creation of the state would be paid on or before the May 15.

    The governor gave a directive to all relevant ministries to work out the new promotion entitlements and ensure that they reflect in the salaries of the newly prompted workers on or before the middle of the month when salaries are usually paid.

    Umahi said: “May I also assure you that Ebonyi state shall adopt proposed new national minimum wage when approved and that we shall do in keeping with our promise which we made to the workers that we shall treasure their support and repay them for their support.

    “Our administration has in keeping with the mandate of exterminating poverty out of our land and from the civil servants has secured a loan of N4 billion from the Bank of Industry (BoI) with a single digit interest for our workers to access and engage themselves meaningfully in agricultural programme that will have serious impact in their economic standing.

    “We have also organised the first-ever agricultural summit for our civil servants to get them acquainted with our new programme of returning back to agriculture as the main stay of our economy in the face of the dwindling oil price.

    “Our state have had our own share of the challenges arising primarily from the dwindling allocation from the federal government due to the oil downfall but we have kept hope alive and have taken the welfare of our workers as the topmost priority and this includes, payment of their salaries and other entitlements even in the face of the above challenges.”

    The local chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Leonard Nkah, described this year workers’ day as the best and memorable since the creation of the state, adding that the governor has met the needs of the workers.

     

    Ogun:  We’ll pay what is

    within our ability, says Amosun

     

    The civil servant in Ogun State demanded for a “living” wage, saying that N18, 000 as the minimum monthly could no longer address their basic needs.

    They urged the Federal Government to expedite action towards approving the proposed N66, 500 new minimum wage proposed by the NLC.

    But, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who restated his administration’s genuine concern for the workers’ welfare, said the state will only pay wages and salaries within its financial capability.

    The state chairman of the NLC, Akeem Ambali, who made the position of the workers known at the celebration of this year edition of the May Day at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, also called on the governor to offset gratuity of retirees before leaving office on May 29, next year.

    Ambali, whose speech was delivered by Dare Ilekoya appealed to Amosun to recall the dismissed labour leaders in the state, including himself.

    Ambali said: “It is painful and regrettable to recall that the NLC chairman had not received salaries in the last 19 months of his travail.

    He said: “We therefore join our leaders across the country to plead for your (governor’s) forgiveness and normalise labour-government relationship.”

    Also speaking, the local Chairman of the TUC, Olubunmi Fajobi, urged the state government to restore monthly payment of running cost to agencies and public schools in the state.

    Fajobi said this would ensure proper management of the institutions.

    He said: “When running cost is restored to agencies and public schools in the state, these institutions will experience proper management and fast development which will in turn result in the development of the state.

    “In most of the field offices, public servants levy themselves to pay for electricity bills in order to avoid disconnection and buy papers to generate reports to the Headquarters,” Fajobi said.

    Represented by his deputy Princess Yetunde Onanuga, Amosun reiterated his administration’s commitment to the workers’, saying that workers would be promoted as and when due with benefits.

    He, however, added that the government would only pay minimum wage the finances of the state could carry.

    The governor said: “Let me also note that we are back in the season of minimum wage negotiation. Employers can only pay according to their ability – Ability is dependent on Workers’ productivity.

    “Productivity flows from capacity. It is clearly simple logic that capacity development is the fundamental platform for workers’ reward and general welfare. Any other approach is putting the cart before the horse.

    “A higher minimum wage without corresponding fiscal capacity of the employer remains an academic exercise. It is my wish that the energy and passion that fuel the agitation for minimum wage could be channelled into productivity matters of capacity development.”

     

    ‘Workers are key drivers

    of development’

     

    In its message, the All Progressives Congress (APC) extended good wishes and greetings to the workers in celebrating this year’s International Workers Day.

    A statement by the party’s national spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, reads: “Unarguably, the Nigerian worker remain one of the most dedicated, resilient and hardworking in the world. They remain a key driver of the country’s multi-facet development.

    “Despite challenges particularly on the economy, we celebrate Nigerian workers for staying positive and being a partner in nation-building as well as contributing towards efforts to take the country to its deserved heights.

    “While we felicitate with the various workers unions in the country on the occasion of the International Workers Day celebration, we call on labour and trade unions in the country to continue ongoing dialogue with the government aimed at improving workers’ salaries and general welfare.”

     

    Anambra: we’re banking on

    improved resources

     

    Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano assured that his administration would lift the workers’ conditions of service when the resources of the state improve.

    In an address in Awka, the state capital, Obiano, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, affirmed that his administration places high premium on workers’ welfare.

    He said that showed in the establishment of a committee on labour matters to review the numerous workers’ demands to guide his government in addressing them.

    Throwing light on the committee’s terms of reference, the governor said the panel was designed to address the lingering labour issues, including an upward review in salaries and pensions, review of responsibility and hazard allowances for specific categories of workers, increment of retirement age for Nwafor Orizu College of Education staff, distribution of vehicles to directors and commencement of the contributory pensions scheme, among others.

    Assuring that his administration had developed a comprehensive welfare package for the workers in his domain, Obiano regretted that lack of funds had stalled the implementation of his plans. He promised that as the state’s resources improve, the plan would be implemented.

    He, however, revealed that promotion for all workers had been updated for 2016, while approval has been obtained for that of 2017.

    The NLC Chairman in the state, Jerry Nubia, expressed the hope that the governor would avail the opportunity of his second term to improve his members’ welfare to reward their massive support to him during the last governorship election.

    He identified the implementation of the minimum wage, non-payment of arrears of gratuity owed retired local government employees and primary school teachers since 2015, disparity in salary structure of the state and council workers, training needs of workers and low cost housing, among others, as issues for remedial measures.

    Nubia’s TUC counterpart, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, urged the government to depoliticise the minimum wage issue, even as he commended the release of the N200 million owed by the state to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) since 2010 to kick-start the construction of the Isiagu Housing Scheme.

     

    Kano: Ganduje backs

    workers’ agitation

     

    The Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje threw his weight behind the ongoing agitation by the NLC for an increment on the N18, 000 minimum wage, describing it as legitimate.

    Ganduje, who spoke during the May Day celebration at Sani Abacha Stadium, said his administration’s has submitted a memo/position to the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage constituted by the presidency in support of pay rise for the workers’.

    The governor said: “Mindful of the persistent agitation by the organized labour/NLC for the review of the current national minimum wage of N18, 000, which we, indeed, believe is legitimate, arising from our deep concern for workers’ welfare, and cognizance of the inconvenient truth that the existing workers earnings, especially, those at the lower segment is no longer realistic.

    “The Kano State government has already submitted a memo/position paper to the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum wage constituted by the presidency supporting the salary increase of the national minimum wage of workers.”

    Ganduje implored the various organised labour unions to be guided by the actual financial situation of the states which he said is generally precarious.

    According to him, “your peculiarities while pursuing your demands should be reasonable, affordable, and implementable consensus that could be reached at the end of the negotiations.”

    He, therefore, hinted that his administration has settled the outstanding payments of pensioners in the state from 2015 to date with the total sum of N12 billion, adding that, he would continue to encourage workers for the overall development of the state.

    The NLC Chairman in the state, Kabiru Ado Minjibir, hailed Ganduje for his labour-friendly disposition to workers, adding that, “we have observed with a unique sense of responsibility, the rare commitment you have exhibited in the conduct of the affairs of this state.

    He said: “Our strategy of adopting the principles of dialogue and constructive engagement with the state government, has also resulted in the steady payment of salary, which is the primary right of the workers in the state.

    “To guarantee the comfort of the worker after retirement, the Congress has successfully pursued the approval of our N4 billion by His Excellency from the Paris Club Refund that was received by the state government.

    “Out of which N2.5 billion have been released and paid to the beneficiaries accordingly. We want use this opportunity to strongly call on His Excellency to kindly direct for the release of the balance of N1.5 billion to continue with the payment.”