The Nation Newspaper

Category: Yomi Odunuga

  • Of legislative umbrage, corruption and ear-splitting silence

    Of legislative umbrage, corruption and ear-splitting silence

    For the first time in many months, members of the National Assembly, entrusted with enacting laws for the good governance of the country, shook off their prolonged dormancy to actively engage in the national discourse on redirecting Nigeria‘s course. After months of admonitions from concerned citizens to prioritise the country’s declining fortunes over their luxuriating lifestyles, recent events in both the Senate and the House of Representatives suggest that the lawmakers are feeling the heat from their constituents. The tension is mounting faster and closer than anticipated.

    In what seemed like a coordinated effort, the pampered and overfed lawmakers spoke the language of the street as best as they could. They stripped away the façade of deceit and delusional pretence in high places and pinned the stark reality of the nation’s woes on their chests. In a rare show of strength and self-preservation, they spoke truth to themselves and, importantly, to power. They anchored their reality check on one premise—the streets are not smiling—and provided verifiable reasons for the unmitigated anger in the land: the biting hunger amidst daily stories of grand larcenies and misappropriated funds siphoned from our collective patrimony.

    Unlike past instances where the truth was shaded in all forms of grey, leaving one in a sea of doubt, they spoke with clarity, expressing their fears in drumbeats of angst. They didn’t hesitate to make cryptic allusions to the dire implications of a potential people’s revolt if nothing is done to halt the gradual descent into penury and an uncertain future. One after another, they voiced their concerns, echoing the frustrations of a dejected populace in search of answers to their daily struggles.

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    This outpouring occurred last Tuesday during the plenary, while discussing a motion titled “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Market Exploitation of Consumables in Nigeria,” sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi Steve (Kogi West) and co-sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume Mohammed (Borno South). It was an enthralling and enlivening session that truly exemplified representative governance.

    Reeling out figures to back his claim, Karimi highlighted the alarming food inflation rate of 40.66 percent on a year-to-year basis, compared to 24.82 percent in May 2023. He attributed the unbearable hike in food prices to the removal of petroleum subsidy and the absence of mitigating measures to cushion the direct consequences of this otherwise laudable action. With the naira’s value weakened by its floating, Karimi noted that many Nigerians, aware of how the political class, technocrats, and corporate elite have exploited public funds without repercussions, have resorted to price gouging to maximize profits. He emphasized the need for lawmakers to speak out and prompt the government to take proactive measures before things spiral out of control.

    Ndume, known for his frankness, did not shy away from speaking the harsh truth. He highlighted that the suffering has no political or geographical boundaries, painting a grim picture of his constituents’ struggles. Citing a report by Action Against Hunger and the World Food Programme, Ndume warned that over 32 million Nigerians are expected to face critical hunger crises between June and August. He stressed that the North is already witnessing acute hunger, with food prices soaring to unprecedented levels.

    Even Ahmed Lawan, the usually reticent former Senate President, voiced his frustrations, noting that patience has its limits, especially for Nigerians who have reached their wits’ end. He warned that constituents are facing real anger, particularly those outside the civil service or business sectors. Lawan highlighted the urgent need for government action to alleviate the food crisis, emphasizing that the silos meant to hold emergency food supplies are empty, necessitating food imports that require foreign exchange.

    “If we don’t take immediate action, we will lose the power and our citizens under the situation of increased fuel price, increased electricity price, increased everything and we are yet to get the right measures to provide answers for our constituents. We wouldn’t like the kind of thing that we will see in our streets and it is time that we take every possible action to ensure that foods flood our country, the right food”, Lawan warned.

    On the same day, 88 members of the House of Representatives moved a motion urging the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the controversial Samoa Agreement, which they perceived as unclear regarding Nigeria’s stance on LGBT rights. One member insisted that the pressing issues confronting Nigeria are far greater than the needless controversy over gay rights, a sentiment that resonates widely given the current socio-economic challenges.

    Also, while reflecting on the past in his recent article, “Catalogue of Looting,” Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) pointed out that Nigeria’s subsidy regime has primarily benefited the rich, with billions siphoned off by those entrusted with public funds. In the riveting piece, Falana pointed out that the queer thing about the nation’s subsidy regime as opposed to what happened in other climes is that “subsidies in Nigeria are primarily of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.” Billions of dollars that could have been used to make the country great had been siphoned and wasted by those trusted with the public treasury right from the days of the military down to the present moment. Shouldn’t we all be concerned that, despite the establishment of different anti-corruption bodies, there is hardly a day that passes without hearing news about how one government official or the other took advantage of the system and unilaterally stole humongous, oftentimes unbelievable amount? And so, when Senator Karimi said listed those who have dipped their hands in the public vaults without repercussions, why should anyone expect the victims of the many years of rape to stand by and watch in perpetuity?

    This historical context of corruption underscores the importance of addressing current grievances head-on. When you merge Falana’s revelations with the report issued by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics that, in 2023 alone, public officials collected over N721bn cash as bribes in different sectors of the economy, you would understand why a former British Prime Minister described Nigeria as a “fantastically corrupt” nation. It is, indeed, a sad commentary about a nation blessed with both the human and capital resources to be the biggest economy in Africa.

    Thankfully, the Federal Government appears to have awakened from its seeming silence as the nation grapples with these challenges. The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, outlined measures to address food insecurity, including a 150-day duty-free import window for food commodities, support for smallholder farmers, and collaboration with states on irrigation and increased production. Kyari emphasised that the success of these measures hinges on cooperation across all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.

    While scepticism remains due to past unfulfilled promises, there is hope that the government will deliver on its plans. As expansive and detailed as the Federal Government’s proposals appear, their success will depend on diligent implementation and the prevention of sabotage by rent-seekers. Efforts made in the past were clearly sabotaged by the emergency contractors in the system and they still operate till today. And so, it is very important to raise the awareness now that the government should keep close eyes on the bureaucracy and the unpatriotic activities of these rent-seekers who would stop at nothing to sabotage the plans with the aim of feeding fat on the expected fallouts.

    However, Kyari’s acknowledgment of these risks is a promising sign. He said that the “success of these measures hinges on the cooperation and collaboration of all relevant MDAs and stakeholders. As our nation confronts this critical food security challenge, I reiterate President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to achieving and ensuring that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry.”

    Kyari’s words are heavy. They also speak to the issues and that is why everything must be done to ensure that saboteurs are not allowed to play another dirty trick on this laudable move by the government to truly assuage the increasing anger of a hungry populace.

    In conclusion, it is refreshing news that the legislative umbrage, in one way or the other, serves as a wake-up call to the government, emphasizing the urgent need to address the suffering of the masses. No doubt, the coming months will reveal whether these measures will translate into tangible relief for Nigerians. We can only hope that, before the 180-day window closes, the smiles will return to the faces of the people, and the narrative of hunger and want will be transformed. That is what renewed hope should be all about, isn’t it?

  • Did we have a Central Bank of Nincompoops? (2)

    Did we have a Central Bank of Nincompoops? (2)

    Perhaps if Emefiele had botched his ambition to succeed Buhari, he might have acted a bit responsibly in the way he handled the affairs of the bank. But it appears he was too far gone in that weird phantasmagoria and a retreat was practically impossible. That could be my unsolicited explanation for the way he was desperate to amass wealth for the presumed political battle ahead of him. Or what else could be responsible for the dollar-looting madness?

    For example, consider the revelations in the $6.2 million stolen funds case brought against him and his Personal Assistant, Odoh Eric Ocheme, by the Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The more one reads from the court documents about how the heist was perpetrated, the more horrified one becomes. It’s not just that the money was collected in cash and shared on the pretext of funding non-existent ‘foreign election observers’ during the 2023 elections, but also that a forged letter of release of funds from the Secretary of the Federation’s office was submitted to Emefiele, and unknown individuals easily collected and shared the money so easily, with Ocheme taking the lion’s share of $3,730,000 for himself. His three other accomplices shared the remaining $2.5 million. Unbelievable!

    The court document read in part: “We commenced investigation into the case and obtained copies of the withdrawal slip as well as the accompanying documents, Central Bank of Nigeria memos, dated 07/02/2023 and 31/01/2023 respectively, staff identity card of one Jibril Abubakar, letter dated 2/01/2023 purportedly written by Muhammadu Buhari to Boss Mustapha, and letter dated 20/01/2023 purportedly written by Boss Mustapha to Mr. Godwin Emefiele, which the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja Branch relied on in making the payment”. 

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    “Investigation at the office of the President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in the State House revealed that the letters purportedly written by Muhammadu Buhari and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha did not emanate from their offices, while Jibril Abubakar, whose identity card was used to cash the money, is not a staff member of the SGF’s office. We watched the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of 08/02/2023, the day the money was cashed, and the payee (Jibril Abubakar) could not be identified by the staff of either the CBN or the SGF’s office, where he falsely represented himself as working”.

    “We visited Kuje Correctional Centre, where we interviewed Godwin Emefiele, who purportedly approved the memos authorising the payment, as the then CBN governor, and he denied seeing, let alone approving such memos. We also arrested some concerned staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who denied any involvement in the crime, before finally arresting Bashirudeen Maishanu, who corroborated the account of Abdulmajeed Muhammad and further confessed to being involved in the crime, which, according to him, was perpetrated by himself and the first to third defendants/respondents – Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Eric Ocheme. Bashiru Maishanu further confessed that he and the first and second defendants/respondents (Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar) shared the sum of $2,500,000 from the stolen money, while the third defendant/respondent, Odoh Eric Ocheme), being a fellow staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, kept the balance of $3,730,000, claiming that he had other interests to settle in the CBN.”

    It is a big shame that this happened within the premises of the CBN despite all the checks and balances put in place to prevent such scandalous activities. So, such a humongous amount was released to unknown persons in cash, and the then head of the CBN said he never saw a memo directing him to release the funds? How come then that his trusted aide picked the largest share, intending to settle some interests within the system? Who are these people? If hired hands could breeze into the CBN to pick up millions of dollars without even a bit of diligent checks, who knows how much those who connive with the officials to steal from the coffers have taken from the system over the years, especially under the leadership of conniving governors? And, with all the mandates the CBN was charged with, why does its leadership find solace in rent-seeking and round-tripping, aside from freighting dollars to powerful forces in and outside the government? Is this what central banks do elsewhere, or is our case so terribly different?

    We may not know what is currently happening at the apex bank with the change of management. However, it is clear that there is an urgent need to flush out the bad elements within the system for the CBN to regain its pride of place. With proper checks and balances in place, it would have been almost impossible for all manners of crooks to saunter into the premises and cash out the way they reportedly did in this particular case. It is laughable that anyone could easily use a forged letter from The Presidency, with the connivance of CBN’s topmost insiders, to withdraw millions of dollars and share it right there.

    Who would have believed such a story when it first leaked, with claims that President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature was forged and then CBN Governor, Emefiele’s aide was directly involved? Eedris Abdulkareem, in his latest song, said it was a lie. That was what I thought too until the revelations from the court papers confirmed that that was what happened. By the way, what happened to the whistleblower policy when all this was unfolding? And what does this say about the quality of staffing, commitment, and loyalty to the country? I wonder. I just wonder!

    It is not enough to point fingers and bemoan the state of affairs at the CBN; concrete steps must be taken to address these systemic issues. First, the recruitment process must be overhauled to ensure that only qualified and competent professionals are hired. This will involve a transparent and merit-based recruitment system that eliminates the influence of political godfathers and other powerful figures. The culture of nepotism and favouritism must be eradicated if we are to have a truly independent and efficient Central Bank.

    Furthermore, there should be stringent oversight mechanisms to monitor the activities of CBN officials. This includes regular audits and reviews by independent bodies to ensure compliance with established guidelines and regulations. Whistleblower protection should be strengthened to encourage employees to report any suspicious activities without fear of retaliation.

    In addition, there must be accountability at the highest level of the CBN. Those found guilty of misconduct, regardless of their position or connection, should face the full wrath of the law. This will serve as a deterrent to others and help restore confidence in the institution.

     There is also a need for a cultural shift within the CBN and other government institutions. Integrity, professionalism, and a sense of duty to the nation must be ingrained in every employee. This can be achieved through continuous training and a robust ethical framework that emphasises the importance of these values.

    In conclusion, the revelations about the brazen theft and mismanagement at the CBN under Mr. Godwin Emefiele’s tenure are a stark reminder of deep-seated, scary issues within our financial institutions. However, with concerted efforts and a commitment to reform, it is possible to rebuild the CBN into an institution that truly serves the interest of Nigeria and its people. The journey to restoring the integrity of the Central Bank may be arduous, but it is a necessary one for the financial stability and overall well-being of our nation. I just hope its present Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, understands that he cannot afford to sit on his hands as there is a lot of work to be done. We are watching!

  • Did we have a Central Bank of Nincompoops? (1)

    Did we have a Central Bank of Nincompoops? (1)

    There are stories that break out on the social media these days that responsible Nigerians swiftly dismiss as fake or fabrications. Often, these tales are crafted to attract ‘likes and comments’ by wannabe media gurus or social media influencers. In many instances, these individuals, with their warped mindsets, edit videos to align with the propaganda they wish to spin for or against specific individuals, ethnic groups, or political parties. Given the numerous examples where practitioners of this dark art of journalism have deceived millions of Nigerians, many of us have learned to tread carefully when encountering certain stories about Nigeria, especially those likely to impugn the integrity of our nation and our collective humanity.

    Even when some say there is nothing surprising about Nigerians amid the entrenchment of corruption as an unsung national ethos, a significant portion of the populace still believe that there should be limits to the mad race to empty the national treasury. Unfortunately, holding on to that belief becomes increasingly difficult with the kind of stories filtering in from the courts about how millions of dollars and billions of naira were brazenly stolen from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Emefiele during his nearly 10 years as governor of our once-revered apex bank.

    Before delving into the humongous and sickening pillages allegedly perfected under the watch of the embattled ex-governor, let me first question the recruitment policy into that bank. In nations that prioritise corporate integrity and robust, competitive financial system, top-notch professionals and brilliant minds in education and technology sectors are lobbied to work in such places. These are countries that understand the importance of having an integrity-based and a truly independent financial institution to regulate their monetary system, not one that shamelessly serves as a conduit for financial malfeasance and bare-faced robbery! The authorities must know that the rot within the CBN began with the under-the-table recruitment policy, hiring all manner of persons into the well-paying institution.

    Reports indicate that the easiest way to get a job at the CBN was through a recommendation letter from an influential senator, governor, or even the Presidency. Alternatively, one might buy one’s way in by paying huge sums to secure a future with the bankers’ bank. Let no one argue with this because it is a notorious fact confirmed by the actions and inactions of known lawmakers in Abuja. For instance, a serving senator once retorted, “Let’s say I have a ward in CBN, is there anything wrong with that? My daughter for example or my son or whatever, because I am a politically exposed person, does that take (away) the right of my ward or my relatives to work in CBN?”

    The same senator had once argued that should Nigerians insist on the death penalty for looters of the economy, it must be graded so that those who looted a few millions receive lighter punishments; while those caught with billions face harsher penalties.

    The problem is that they always dribble their way through the hard questions shamefacedly. He didn’t tell us how his daughter got the job at the end of his rigmarole. The fact remains that the eggheads and academic wizards with impeccable degrees and certificates hardly get the opportunity to work in Nigeria’s leading firms, where their services are most needed. Their ‘slots’ and those of many struggling others who daily crave a place in the sun are usually ‘distributed’ to candidates of lawmakers, top political aides, governors, presidents, billionaires, and chief executives. Oftentimes, government agencies write to these privileged Nigerians, pleading with them to submit names of candidates for employment. If you are lucky to ‘make the cut’ in any of these lists, your employment is guaranteed. This, in a nutshell, is how the CBN’s staff strength had been growing in leaps and bounds over the last 25 years of Nigeria’s political trajectory.

    The story is no different in other government agencies, including the Bank of Industry and related government-owned financial institutions. Professionalism is the first thing that gets sacrificed, followed by lack of a deep sense of commitment. Some employees don’t even know the mandates of the agencies they work for aside the fact that they earn seven-digit salaries while their better-qualified colleagues elsewhere wallow in penury.

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    If an inventory of staff recruitment were to be taken at the CBN today, it will , no doubt, be filled with the names of the sons and daughters of the men and women of power in the country; that of paramours and side chicks and a sprinkling of lucky persons here and there. That is the sad tale of this country. It is the reality we have come to accept as the norm. Thousands of the unemployed in Abuja today quietly wait for the day one Senator or the other would give them a note to one chief executive or the other. Some have waited for years without any luck. Yet, they cling to hope as depression kills them silently. Pity.

    To understand how badly the CBN had failed in discharging its core mandate, it is imperative to revisit its key functions as outlined in several publications. The Central Bank is mandated to promote economic growth and stability by regulating the money supply and interest rates; overseeing commercial banks, ensuring their stability, and enforcing banking laws and regulations; providing emergency loans to banks during financial crises; managing the supply and distribution of currency and coins; identifying and mitigating risks to the financial system; overseeing the infrastructure for transferring funds between banks; managing foreign exchange reserves and regulating international transactions; providing funding for development projects and initiatives; conducting economic research to inform policy decisions; and managing government accounts, collecting taxes, and issuing government securities.

    No doubt, the CBN has more than enough responsibilities and, ordinarily, it shouldn’t have the time for frivolities if it were seriously devoted to its core mandates. Unfortunately, the contrary has been the case.

    Truth be told, the problems didn’t start with Emefiele. There were flashes of derailment under the management of Prof. Charles Soludo and even during the tenure of the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, when the CBN gradually became the epicentre of rent-seeking and portfolio dollar trading by close associates and insiders. The problem is that gross misconduct became glaringly apparent under Emefiele, making him the poster boy for all that is bad with the CBN. Surely, no bankers’ bank deserves such a denigrating image and culture of gross non-professionalism.

    •…..to be continued next week

  • Tinubu’s Democracy Day Speech: A reflection on our realities

    Tinubu’s Democracy Day Speech: A reflection on our realities

    Wednesday, June 12, 2024, marked a significant moment in Nigerian history, a day whose importance was momentarily overshadowed by a viral incident. News quickly spread on social media that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had stumbled while attempting to mount the presidential parade vehicle at the Eagle Square venue of the 25th Anniversary of Democracy Day.

    Given the fervour and numbing hysteria that have permeated our political landscape, especially following last year’s election that saw Tinubu emerge as President, it was no surprise that platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram exploded with reactions. Some supporters of a former candidate in that election seized the moment to propagate misinformation and mock the President. However, this incident is of little concern compared to the content of Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, which addressed crucial issues facing our nation.

    That some fellows exploited the unfortunate incident as an opportunity to propagate heresies, half-truths and barefaced baloney is of little concern to me. It is of far greater significance that the President himself has done well to turn the barrage of unmerited adversity into an advantage. Now, the joke is on them. If only they had spent half of the time used in making a noise and dance of an unusual presidential slip on interrogating Tinubu’s speech earlier in the day, the country would have been better for it. There is a lot to talk about at this critical period when Nigeria is wobbling through a difficult and tasking socio-economic crisis.

    For as long as I can remember, conversations around June 12 and its significance to our collective growth have always been encouraged. And so, this year’s celebration is not an exception aside from the needless sideshow where those who ought to know better decided to chase shadows while neglecting the main issues.

    Be that as it may, there are still many unresolved puzzles surrounding the June 12 imbroglio. If anything, Nigeria owes it to the valiant Nigerians, both known and unknown, that paid the ultimate price under the jackboots of the military some 31 years ago when the battle for the realisation of the June 12 mandate of Bashorun M. K. O. Abiola took a bloody, hellish and tortuous twist under the watch of Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Sani Abacha.

    When people say that June 12 was a watershed in the history of Nigeria, the Twitter generation or Gen Z of today needs to understand that it is more than a celebration of a public holiday. In fact, the freedom that many of them so gleefully abuse today is derived from the patriotic struggles of that period. It was not only about the mystery surrounding the murder of the winner of an election that was wilfully annulled by a self-styled ‘benevolent dictator’ called Babangida. It was and remains the story of grit and sacrifice by men and women who gave all to ensure that never again in our history would guns wielded by the men in Khaki uniforms dictate how we live. Some of those names were mentioned by the President in his speech and they brought back fond but painful memories of that period.

    Let those running their mouths cheaply against the sacrifice made by these heroes find the time to read about the horrific killings of people like Pa Alfred Rewane, Mrs. Kudirat Abiola, among many others. Let them read articles on physical and emotional traumas inflicted on pro-democracy activists by the Abacha junta, the intrigues and the clamping down of free press by a government that would stop at nothing to lord it over its citizens.

    Reflecting on Tinubu’s speech, it is clear that every well-meaning Nigerian should consider its implications in the light of our current realities. Some critics argue that the speech was verbose and lacking in substance, but this perspective misses the broader context. Tinubu acknowledged his role as a beneficiary of the June 12 struggles, reminding us that he, too, faced danger and exile during the fight against Abacha’s regime. Could it be the same speech that we all listened to that our ever-sceptical critics refer to like that?

    What exactly were they expecting Tinubu to say that he didn’t say? In that speech, he acknowledged that he was a direct beneficiary of the outcome of the June 12 struggles. In case many have forgotten, Tinubu was not just a major financier of those who went into battle with the Abacha junta, he alongside many others escaped into exile when their lives were at stake. Many didn’t make it through the exile route and their lives were cut short.

    But on May 29, 1999 when democratic rule returned to Nigeria, guess who became President. No, it was not one of those in the trenches. Instead, it was General Olusegun Obasanjo, Abiola’s kinsman, who became the first beneficiary of a battle he neither participated in nor believed in. But as compensation for the loss of Abiola to the South-West, Obasanjo lapped power when he was freed from prison and planted in Aso Rock. For the eight years he spent on the saddle, June 12 remained an insignificant number until General Muhammadu Buhari, another military oligarch, magnanimously declared June 12 as new Democracy Day in 2018. At least, Buhari did what Obasanjo shied away from doing for reasons best known to him.

    Of major concern to me is what Tinubu said about how he plans to ensure that every citizen enjoys the dividends of democracy. For, if we must knock the truth on its head, Nigerians have been groaning and moaning under the yoke of political experimentation and adventurism in the last 25 years of its avowed uninterrupted democratic governance. They have watched politicians after politicians milking them dry and carousing in a larger-than-life style. If democracy is truly about ensuring that a better slice of the cake gets to the majority of the people, then that definition has not been entrenched in our democratic ethos in the last 25 years. That is the crying truth. In fact, what has happened is that a new set of tormentors simply abducted power in their babanriga, agbada and Isiagu from our former gun-wielding compatriots. Should this continue under the leadership of a president who lived the harrowing experiences that ultimately birthed the democracy we celebrate today, then the real sacrifices made by our heroes past would have been in vain. In a country blessed with a large human capital and natural resources, it is a tragedy that the main clog in its wheel of progress is a leadership system that is perennially sold to self-aggrandisement and wastages. That is our present reality. The leadership fritters scarce resources on satisfying their hedonistic and epicurean fantasies while asking the rest of us to tighten our belts in preparation for a better future. That has been a repetitive refrain in the last 25 years.

    Unfortunately, and rightly so, this is not what Abiola’s June 12 mandate stood for.  If Abiola, who was Africa’s richest man at the time could sacrifice his life for a mandate he believed in, it is depressing that those who have directly benefited from the restoration of democratic governance since 1999 have done nothing more than filling their pockets with filthy lucre while the populace continues to depreciate into abject poverty. So, how do they want the likes of General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Frank Kokori, Chief Bola Ige and many other eminent Nigerians who gave it all in that battle for the restoration of Abiola’s mandate to feel were they to be alive? I am sure some of them would be turning in their graves right now.

    As a reminder, Abiola’s manifesto during the election should serve as a template for good governance by the Tinubu administration. It is not by sheer coincidence, I want to believe, that Abiola’s campaign theme was ‘Hope 93’ while Tinubu’s own is ‘Renewed Hope.’ And what exactly was ‘Hope 93’ about? An abridged version of the Abiola manifesto captured it this way: “Chief MKO Abiola’s manifesto during the June 12 election was “Farewell to Poverty,” and it had the following bullet points: Social and economic justice for all Nigerians; elimination of poverty; freeing resources from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements; investment in transportation infrastructure; education; regular power supply; improved healthcare and other public utilities that will improve the quality of life.” This manifesto, which many sacrificed their lives and limbs for, was unveiled about 32 years ago.

    Today, many of those that actively participated in that struggle and are still alive to witness the shenanigans going on in this country in the name of representative democracy would just be grinning in disgust. The price they paid is too heavy and they will obviously be disappointed with the “deep fakes” on display.

    As for the President, it is important that we hold him to all the promises he made in that Democracy Day broadcast. For long, Nigerians have been made to go through an excruciating pain of deferred hope; they have gone through a staccato of failed promises and the opportunists in hallowed places have stolen with rapacious velocity from their collective patrimony.

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    That is why most of them sniggered when they heard the President waxing strong on how best to put Nigeria back on the lane of economic recovery for the benefits of the generality of the people. That is why they doubt Tinubu’s promise to pay a minimum wage that would truly be worth the name. That is why they are confused that the President was already talking about sending an executive bill to the National Assembly for an adjustment of minimum wage when the labour unions are still up in arms against the government as to what should be paid. That is why they wonder if the President has not jettisoned the promise to pay a living wage as he no longer talks about it. That is why they strongly express a sigh of disbelief when the President, in his speech, says he feels their pains and suffering. Daily, they see their leaders living in affluence and riding the best cars, earning fat salaries and allowances while the number of the poor grows in leaps and bounds. And that is why they couldn’t resist shouting and demanding for the implementation of minimum wage during the Democracy Day parade at the Eagle Square last Wednesday.

    Asiwaju Tinubu, of all persons, ought to know that, in a democracy, these voices matter. That is why democracy thrives when leaders listen and act in deference to the wishes of the people. And so, now that Tinubu has said all the right things at the right time, will he walk his talk so that the sacrificial efforts of our heroes past shall not be in vain? Only a drastic change of our present dismal realities will actualise for us all, the renewed hope that his administration promises. We wish him well.

  • Egbetokun, policing and our human rights

    Egbetokun, policing and our human rights

    The other day during one the sessions of the ministerial briefings organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, was offered an opportunity to make clarifications on what has become the incessant abductions and harassments of journalists by security agents, especially his men. Egbetokun’s cameo appearance was at the behest of the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, who had directed him to respond to a particular question regarding the frequency with which his officers invade journalists’ houses and whisk them away mostly to unknown locations on the pretext that petitions had been filed against them by aggrieved nay privileged members of the society.

    In this particular case, Egbetokun spoke on the former Abuja Bureau Chief of The Guardian newspapers and Managing Director of The Authority newspaper, Mr. Madu Onuorah, who was only released by the police after loud condemnation in the mass media and after Onuorah had spent three nights with them in a hitherto undisclosed location somewhere in the East. Curiously, Onuorah was abducted in the dead of the night from his Abuja home by officers from the Ebonyi State Police Command acting on the directive of the Enugu State Police Command. He was then taken to Enugu for interrogation over a story that his media outfit, Global Upfront Newspaper, was said to have published. The subject of the publication had allegedly found the story distasteful and had reported to the police who quickly ‘swift’ into action the way they normally do in cases involving the high and mighty. Onuorah’s humiliating experience was coming shortly on the heels of the terrible experiences of two other journalists, Segun Olatunji and Daniel Ojukwu. Both had suffered the same fate of suspenseful authoritarian abduction under the draconian grip of our security forces. In both cases, it took the concerted intervention of professional bodies and human rights groups to free the abducted journalists from the shackles and chains of a repressive policing system that pays scant attention to the rules of engagements which should ordinarily guide its operations.

    In these instances that flagrantly disregard the rule of law, an overkill of intimidation and coercion by so many fully armed men was the norm.

    Specifically, a senior colleague had questioned why it was becoming the rule rather than the exception for the police to invade the homes of journalists with fully armed officers and, in Gestapo style, abduct them when they could have easily invited the affected journalists for interrogation over allegations of cyber bullying or cyber stalking as alleged by the petitioners. It was a question that bothers on the safety of journalism practice in Nigeria as the trend only appears to be gaining traction.

    Justifying the action, Egbetokun, who was accompanied to the venue by a coterie of senior police officers, including Deputy Inspector Generals and Assistant Inspector Generals, said his understanding of the whole matter was different. He said unless journalists were asking to be treated as a special breed different from how other criminals are being treated; there shouldn’t be any complaints on the rampant cases of official abductions and humiliations of our colleagues. To him, it was a normal practice and he couldn’t just understand the public outcry as everyone is equal before the law. Speaking on Onuorah’s case, he said the Enugu State Police Command got his approval to come to Abuja and whisk the editor away as he had refused several invitations to appear before the investigators following a petition by a woman that Onuorah’s online publication had maligned her integrity. He, with dismissive contrition, said so many other things that I do not want to repeat here. Of course, he got a resounding ovation from his men who had populated the Radio House venue of the media briefing.

    For me, that was the lowest moment in the series of media briefings that I was privileged to attend before its abrupt stoppage. Unfortunately, either deliberately or due to the number of stories that emanated from the scorecards given by the various ministers that gave accounts of their stewardships that day, Egbetokun’s insipid remarks did not make the front pages neither did it go viral. But it kept coming up in my thoughts each time I read stories on policing in Nigeria and its many malcontents. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the collective hysteria that gripped the officers (both high and low). When the nation’s number one police officer says he sees nothing wrong with the ways and manner citizens are abducted and interrogated without access to either close family members or the services of their lawyers, it can only embolden his subordinates to continue with the errant and demeaning methodology of boxing suspects into surrender. And let it be known to them that no journalist was amused by that drama. Egbetokun missed the point by a long shot by assuming that members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm were asking to be treated like lords when they run afoul of the law by publishing falsehoods against any citizen. No! Journalism has its rules and guiding principles. Facts are sacred and opinions are free. Be that as it may, there are conditions everywhere in the world and they enhance the practice of journalism.

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    Surely, the coercive resort to intimidation, physical harassment and intense psychological torture by the police cannot be justified by Nigeria’s constitution or any law in its books. Anyone who was familiar with the epochal struggle for democracy and how we risked all to confront military authoritarianism would have thought that ongoing aberrations ought to have gone with the military jackboots in our governance system. But here we are, 25 years after the entrenchment of democratic governance in our polity, the Inspector General of Police in what citizens expect to see as a genuinely populist and democratic government is saying that totalitarian arbitrariness in the random abduction of citizens to anywhere in the country for purported ‘investigations’ sits well with him.

    Personally, I find it repulsive that everything was reduced to a comical display where fawning supporters merely contributed claps to encourage an insulting vomit by the chief police officer. By the way, the police need to look into the mirror and come out with a dispassionate assessment of its rotten underbelly. IGPs after IGPs, nothing seems to have changed either in its structures or in operations. The drill remains the same and corrosive corruption and connivance with criminal elements to bury justice alive have become notable hallmarks of a body that should be standing firm for the dregs of society. When Segun Olatunji was abducted by the DIA for 14 days, tortured and information was obtained from him under duress before he was released to us at an unknown location in Abuja, the Secretary of the Guild of Editors, Dr. Iyobosa Uwagiaren, had told the world that it would have been better if Olatunji had been reported to the police by the big man who directed the DIA to arrest him in the first place. Uwagiaren based his submission on the fact that the alleged offence that Olatunji was said to have committed was within the purview of the police to investigate and, if found culpable, charge to court. Today, and going by what Egbetokun said, it is obvious that the derision for journalists is deeper than we thought. Without digging deep into what I personally experienced some years back when a story published by this paper became a subject of controversy and how three editors were thrown into detention even when the matter could have been handled better, I had always known that it was better to avoid them like a plague. I am sure that Dr. Uwagiaren who had assumed that the police would have acted differently if they had been called to investigate the Segun Olatunji case must be having a second thought about that proposition now. While his subordinates were nudging him on, little did the IGP know that he was riling key stakeholders with that utterly reckless statement.

    And so, I was personally delighted when I read a strongly-worded statement issued by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) signed by its President, Mr. Eze Anaba and Dr. Uwagiaren. The timing of the issuance could not have come at a better time than now. If journalism must flourish, then the kind encumbrances being pushed by Egbetokun cannot be allowed to thrive under any circumstances. It is for that reason that the editors minced no words on how they feel about the condemnable attitudes of the police in their attempts to silence the press under the guise of enforcing the Cybersecurity Act.

    The statement read: ‘’The meeting deliberated on the state of the media with emphasis on the increasing spate of abduction and arrest of journalists in the country – under the guise of enforcing the Cyber Security Act, and warned of the implications of such illegal actions on press freedom. We condemn the method of abduction/arrest of journalists, the long detention and inhuman treatment they are subjected to which is a negation of a democratic space. Press freedom is the ability of the media to report news and express opinion without government interference, censorship, or retribution. It is a fundamental human right essential for a healthy democracy, allowing citizens to access accurate information, hold leaders accountable, and participate in informed public discourse.”

    In case Egbetokun and his men have forgotten, the resort to Gestapo style intimidation of Nigerians does not bode well for democracy; a democracy that the present occupier of Aso Rock fought for with his flesh and blood before it came into reality. Democracy operates strictly on the rule of law and any attempt to sacrifice that for the authoritarianism that is silently creeping into the system from the action and inaction of some of the leading men of this administration, be they uniformed men or civilian, can only engender bad publicity for the government. Already, things are bad. Nigerians are bleeding on all fronts. That is why the NGE, in its statement and as part of its social responsibility, called on the government of the day to attend to the harsh economic ecosystem which has led to an increase in the number of impoverished citizens.

    For the media to play its watchdog role perfectly, it should be saved from the shenanigans of the official harassments and criminal silence. No one is saying the police should not do their jobs. Far from it. But, in carrying out their duties, can the police do such without needlessly flexing muscles and making spirited attempts to silence voices of reason just to impress the privileged few who prefer settling scores by stamping down on the dignity of others? Or is this too much to ask for in a democracy that was paid for with the blood of others?

    Unless IGP Egbetokun and other highly-placed security chiefs make effort to have genuine understanding of what democratic values entail, how can positive disposition towards upholding human rights trickle down to the rank and file who randomly intimidate citizens? Could it be so easily forgotten that many, including people like President Bola Tinubu who went on exile and the mass media laid their lives on the line in the fight against such arbitrary use of power that threatens human rights, press freedom and the rule of law which are all essential ingredients of genuine democratic governance?  

  • Old Anthem as cure for old maladies?

    Old Anthem as cure for old maladies?

    There is no gainsaying that, in the last 25 years of democratic governance in Nigeria, more time has been spent highlighting the multifaceted maladies that dwarf any developmental strides. This is mainly due to the perennial leadership deficit that has marked governance here. In societies with quality leadership where service to nationhood and the general good are pivotal to assuming power, issues of national interest are handled with utmost fidelity to the collective good. When people no longer trust a leader to steer the ship of state, it is not uncommon for such leaders to voluntarily step down, even before the expiration of their tenures. Here, leaders at any level—national, state, or local—rarely quit. Public outcry over the state of affairs means little as long as they can afford a group of fawning supporters who urge them to continue their deceitful dance, watching from behind to prevent any untoward attacks. With a system that glorifies the men of power as demi gods and a populace that feels comfortable being passive for as long as crumbs fall off the slave drivers’ tables, Nigeria seems trapped in a web of contradictions. Those milking it dry can conveniently stroll off to their palatial mansions, sniggering at the impotence and powerlessness of a captive citizenry.

    Why this resort to philosophical monologue? It is because one gets tired of movement without motion. For how long will we continue to take a step forward and two steps backward? For years, the narrative remains the same. Nigeria is in dire straits, yet both leaders and citizens keep focusing on the intangibles, hugging self-deceit as a sort of escapism. A little Google search about the country’s problems would shock anyone who truly has the interest of this country at heart. Nigeria, Google reveals, is “the most populous country in Africa and faces a multitude of challenges. Some of the most pressing issues include: Economic instability—poverty, inflation, and unemployment, despite being the largest economy in Africa; Security threats—terrorism from Boko Haram and banditry in the north, as well as separatist movements in the southeast; Corruption—widespread corruption and nepotism hinder economic development and undermine trust in government institutions; Infrastructure deficits—inadequate power supply, poor road networks, and insufficient healthcare facilities are major challenges; Political instability—periods of political unrest, including coups and election-related violence; Environmental degradation—deforestation, oil spills, and pollution threaten the country’s biodiversity and natural resources; Health crises—recurring outbreaks of diseases like malaria, cholera, and Lassa fever, as well as high HIV/AIDS prevalence; Education challenges—limited access to quality education, especially in rural areas, hinders human capital development; Social inequality—gender inequality, ethnic tensions, and regional disparities persist, leading to social and political tensions; Climate change—rising temperatures, desertification, and flooding affect agriculture and livelihoods.” Ha!!!

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    These challenges require more than the passing, almost laid back attention that the various governments pay to them. With the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government precisely a year ago, many had hoped that some of these problems would be addressed headlong, especially when the President highlighted his 8-point agenda for “building a safer, stronger, and prosperous Nigeria.” Ordinarily, one wouldn’t take Tinubu seriously for saying the right things at the right time. For the record, his predecessors were never found wanting in that department of not walking their talk. They wobbled through office and left Nigeria worse than they met it. But because Tinubu and his men said they had dissected the problems and that they would  come up with a roadmap to economic recovery, the mantra for renewed hope trended for a while. At one point, sceptics started talking about some optics that pointed to a favorable outcome. That was when the naira firmed up against the dollar before the present slide, which has left tongues wagging about the sustainability of the Central Bank’s intervention.

    Despite this, the government insists it is seeing tremendous progress in its economic policies and that the impact will soon be felt by the people. In its one-year assessment published by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and as captured by all the ministers at the ongoing one-year Ministerial Briefing, a lot, the government said, has been achieved in key areas: economic reform for sustained growth; strengthening national security; boosting agriculture for food security; unlocking energy and natural resources; enhancing infrastructure and transportation; impacting citizens’ lives in education, health, and social services; accelerating economic diversification; and improving governance. In a nutshell, this is the state of affairs as seen from the government’s binoculars. Backed with data, the government says all its men in charge of strategic sectors are working assiduously to etch smiles back on the faces of the suffering masses.

    Yet, the question remains: Are Nigerians truly smiling? As they say, every story has another side. The harsh reality is that, for now, they are not smiling on the streets. From Maiduguri to Lagos, the story is the same. Life is tough, brutal, and nasty. Poverty is biting the majority of the people. The other day, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Mahmood Abubakar, said there are enough foodstuffs in the country and that Nigerians can access them. He said rice and grains are everywhere. The interesting thing is that he didn’t tell the gathering that the prices of these foodstuffs are way beyond the pockets of most Nigerians. Is the Minister not aware that a bag of rice sells for over N70,000 while a bag of tomatoes goes for N100,000? How many people can the poverty alleviation programme capture in a country where the middle class is shrinking daily and the number of the poor continues to grow? Figures and data are useful only when they directly impact the people positively. Can we say that is what is happening today? That all is well with our country and the people are happy with the turn of events?i

    Nigeria is a country of many complexities. Despite the crying poverty, the legislature, in its wisdom, thinks the best way to engender a sense of loyalty and patriotism in all of us is by reverting to chanting the old national anthem; an anthem some of us chanted in primary school. Written by a British citizen resident in Nigeria, Lillian Jean Williams, ‘Nigeria we hail thee” was composed into music by Frances Berda and played an important role in shaping Nigeria’s national identity in the 60s and late 70s before it was changed to ‘Arise O compatriots” in 1978 by the General Olusegun Obasanjo military junta. What was the reason for this sudden adoption of the old anthem? The lawmakers, in their esteemed reasoning, opined that “it will promote brotherhood and help unite them irrespective of ethnic or religious bias. It is in tandem with the spirit of unity and will undoubtedly inspire the zeal for patriotism and cooperation. It will promote cultural heritage and chart a path for greater unity.

    Though a done deal as the President has already assented to the bill, I dare to ask if this is the solution Nigeria requires to resolve its multifaceted problems. In a country where leaders are always united in raiding the public vaults after taking oaths of allegiance and office, will reverting to the old national anthem change their deadly grip on our collective patrimony? Will it stop them from playing the divisive politics that has torn us into shreds and transformed us into ethnic bigots? Will it stop the looting and stealing in high places? Will chanting this so-called inspiring anthem lead to a reversal of the prices of fuel and all other items whose prices have blown off the rooftops? Will it bring affordable food back to the kitchens of broke, broken, and beaten masses of a nation flowing with milk and honey? How well can it help revive old values and shape positive orientations? Is this the one-way solution to Nigeria’s perilous maladies? I doubt. But then, let’s all gather to hail Nigeria. We are a special breed!!!

  • One Year on: Dissecting Akume’s insight on Tinubu’s leadership

    One Year on: Dissecting Akume’s insight on Tinubu’s leadership

    Days and months rolled by, just like that! It is already a year since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took the oath of office as Nigeria’s leader. In that defining moment of history when Tinubu offhandedly announced the end of petroleum subsidy at the Eagle Square venue of the inauguration ceremony on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have and they still continue to express varied opinions not just about his leadership and capacity to steer the ship of state that seems to be forever floating precariously on a tempestuous sea, they have also been critical about his governance mantra which he boisterously label a Renewed Hope Agenda.

    No doubt, he inherited layers of challenges, some of which date back to decades of inadequate official attention in various sectors. Now, with the Naira dancing up and down against the powerful, muscle-flexing dollar and with the prices of petroleum products flying above the roof tops coupled with the volatility of the prices of daily needs, many citizens continue to question the government’s sincerity in nudging them to hope for a better future amid a poverty stricture that has impoverished millions. Where is the hope that is to be renewed when the one they relied on in the past remains deferred, they ask.

    In truth, when a government talks about rekindling hope, it means there are visible signs that hope lies somewhere and all that is needed is the will to positively tap into its potentials. In other words, there must be tangibles that would reassure the citizens that they are not on another hollow fishing expedition as it was the story in the past. Note too, that we are eternal skeptics, having learnt not to trust government since the very early days of independence. On this, I doubt if anyone who has followed the trajectory of the Nigerian leadership crisis would blame the people for shoving their noses into air and casting serious doubts on any hope lying in wait no matter how forlorn. This is not just a case of once beaten, twice shy. Several times, Nigerians have been left in the sun to dry and beaten ceaselessly by the rains without any shield. So, they have leant how to shiver in solitude, knowing that when the broom swept the torn umbrella away, the triumphant broom has only gloried in hollow triumphalism. That is their reality, at least, for now.

    Not that there were no flashes of hope especially when the economy maintained some stability with the Naira pulling its weight against the dollars some months back. At that period, it was not uncommon to hear some of the president’s harshest critics cutting him some flak and expressing optimism that the temporary sufferings might just worth the while. But this didn’t last as the Naira continues with its floundering jigsaw puzzle thereby inflaming a negative vibe that has literally empowered Tinubu’s leading political enemies to add some expensive litres of petrol to the raging controversy about the economy and governance in particular. With an assurance that hardly can the administration point to any tangible achievement in its first year in office; many had waited for the day that the President and his men would come out with a record of stewardship in office. What, for example ,would the ministers say they have been doing in the office over the months other than riding in exotic cars and disturbing our eardrums with sirens that give them the right of way on roads built with the taxpayer’s money? Would the government ever pay a living wage to its workers? Would there ever be a reduction in the soaring rate of food prices as that of petroleum products remain on its upward swing? Would the poor ever breathe in this asphyxiating economy superintended by men and women asking the rest of us to cling on to a renewed hope? Questions and more questions.

    Oblivious of the not-so-hidden grumblings out there and the urgent need to confront the narrative with verifiable evidence that it is not sleeping on its hands, the Federal Government, last week, allowed its leading men to speak directly to the several issues raised by the citizens. Tagged ‘First Anniversary Sectoral Press Briefing’ organised by The Presidency through the Office of the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the event attracted quite a number of ministers and it afforded them a rare opportunity not only to give accounts of their stewardship in the nine months or so that they had been in office but it also provides a feedback mechanism of sorts with the interactive nature of the briefing.

    For me, the sessions offered an opportunity to listen directly to Tinubu’s men talking about how they have helped their principal in the realization of the good life that he promised Nigerians. It is important for one to know what they do and say, also how they go about discharging their responsibilities should give an insight into what actually goes on the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Though a self-appraisal of some sorts, one can always form an opinion regardless of the fact that one cannot rule out the possibility that some of them would offer a potpourri of gratuitous insult by opting to tell a lie through the teeth, painting AI-generated pictures of their persons as top performers. On the flip side, many of them pleasantly surprised the audience made of senior journalists, members of the civil societies, politicians of all shades and hue; and other Nigerians. They were down to earth in the presentations and they answered questions without the kind of arrogance and needless posturing that we were used to in the past. The three-day session did throw some positive light on what has been going on in the government in the past year.  Be that as it may, the verdict still lies with the critical public who are the direct recipients of the step and misstep they take in office.

    So, what exactly did the President’s men say that should reawaken hope? Armed with data, pictures and other analytical tools, they actually said a lot in an attempt to push back what many of them consider as ill-informed narratives about the governance structure of the present administration. First to speak was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. As usual, Akume, a former state governor and Senator, was straight to the point. While acknowledging that the take-off was not something to cheer about, he said Tinubu’s determination to take on the challenges ahead with a view to take Nigeria to a better place was the singular reason why he opted for the tough but necessary decisions. He said Tinubu knew about the attendant economic hardship and every other pains that Nigerians have been made to go through over the year. Akume, while noting that were it possible to avoid the grinding anguish, a people-friendly Tinubu would be the first to toe that line. However, in the midst of all these, he said that an undaunted Tinubu has, in the last one year, displayed visionary leadership that would soon lead to a positive impact on the socio-economic life of Nigerians.

    Continuing, he said as an active participant in this government, he bears testimony to the President’s commitment to unleashing Nigeria’s full economic potential in the areas of job creation and granting access for small and large scale businesses; fight against hunger, poverty and corruption, completion of abandoned projects; human capital development; substantial investments in healthcare and education; ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians by strengthening the country’s security apparatus, enhancing intelligence gathering, and fostering greater collaboration among security agencies to address the multifaceted challenges of security across the country; the rolling out of several social intervention programmes aimed at alleviating poverty and empowering the vulnerable segments of our society.

    And here is Akume’s summation: “I make bold to say that, Nigeria, under its present stewardship, have witnessed significant policy strides in various sectors including but not limited to: the Presidential accent to the 2023 Electricity Bill, a move that dismantled monopolistic control over electricity generation, transmission and distribution at the national level and granted authority to State Governments, Corporations and individuals to generate, distribute and transmit electricity, thus decentralizing the power sector; accent to the passage into law of the Nigeria Data Protection Bill 2023 that established a legal framework for safeguarding personal information and promoting data protection practices in Nigeria; and the challenging but very necessary removal of fuel subsidy, a longstanding policy notorious for fostering corruption, inefficiency and imposing significant fiscal strain on the government annually, and primarily benefitting the affluent and smugglers, rather than effectively aiding the general populace. It is apt to say, that under President Tinubu’s stewardship within his first year in office, we have witnessed significant strides in various sectors of our economy”.

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    “Through prudent fiscal policies and strategic investments, the Nigerian economy has shown resilience and potential for growth. The administration’s focus on infrastructure development, job creation and economic diversification has laid the foundation for sustainable progress and prosperity for all Nigerians.

    Furthermore, government’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law has strengthened our democratic institutions and enhanced transparency and accountability in governance. His unwavering resolve to combat corruption and promote ethical leadership has earned the admiration and support of the Nigerian people. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are therefore gathered here today to bring to the populace a report of stewardship within the year including the challenges encountered and the implementable solutions engendered to upgrade the prospects of actualizing the Renewed Hope Agenda. It is however instructive to note, that the act of nation building is not for the government alone, it is a collective responsibility and commitment to building a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria. Let us therefore rededicate ourselves to the ideals of unity, peace and progress by working together towards realizing the full potential of our great nation.”

    Akume’s perspective above encapsulates how the government rates itself in spite of the barrage of attacks against it daily. However, while no one can deny the government to beat its own drums of praise, the government should be reminded that it will be deceiving itself if it thinks that the harsh criticisms would stop when the people are yet to directly and physically feel and touch the impacts of all the policy initiatives Akume highlighted including the others that were enunciated by the various ministers that spoke during the three-day event.

    Let me note here that, for those who think the ministers and aides were just there for the fun of it, they would need to listen to the presentations of some key cabinet ministers like that of Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Dele Alake of the Solid Mineral Resources Ministry; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; his counterpart in the Ministry of Defence, Bello Matawalle; the Minister of State (Oil), Senator Heineken Loipobiri and a host of others. Going by the thwarted logic out there, it is easy to believe the tale that most of the people surrounding the president are ill-qualified for the positions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Quite a number of these persons, I dare say, are well-grounded and they appear to understand the drill far more than a biased public would credit them with.

    But again, it is one thing to understand the problems and another to proffer seeming workable solutions to them. Nigerian leaders have never shield away from speaking solutions to recurring problems in every sector of the economy. Never. The question is: does this government have the political will to tackle the longstanding knotty challenges without brazenly inflicting further pains on a highly expectant citizenry whose interest Akume described as being at the heart of every move by the government? What happens after this low-key celebration will tell us if we can take Tinubu’s men seriously or not. For now, we are not like the dead who have no hope; all that the people ask is for their hopes and expectations to be justified with the actualization of many more people-focused governance objectives. We wait.

  • Segun Olatunji: Journalism, power and truth

    Segun Olatunji: Journalism, power and truth

    When, two weeks ago, I began seeing some stories online detailing the ‘real’ reasons why the former Editor of First News Media, Mr. Segun Olatunji, was abducted by some hooded state security officers from his home in Lagos, flown on military aircraft to Abuja, tortured for 14 days and later released following the outcry by his family, employers and professional bodies, I knew that that was the beginning of the end to the whole saga.

    When you have spent close to three decades on this job, certain things should not surprise you. With the exclusivity being claimed in the online publications coupled with the ‘dependable’ sources quoted, I knew Olatunji would soon be left out in the sun to dry. Somehow, his tortious journey and lonely nights in the dark alleys for daring to write an unverifiable story about a big man in power would be justified and the rest of us would be compelled to accept the fact that the unfortunate incident was one of the hazards of the profession. Somehow, we would be made to understand that the Olatunji unfortunate incident shouldn’t be enough reason to dissuade those who are genuinely interested in making the men of power to walk their talk and be accountable to the people. As long as facts remain sacred, the journalism profession, we would be enlightened, is not under any threat especially with the ‘professional’ way the Segun Olatunji case has been handled by all the stakeholders. For me, that appears to be the game plan.

    Now, what exactly is the news behind the news? Here it is in the simplest language possible. The DIA, at an April 14 meeting with representatives of key media organizations including Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Press Organization (NPO), Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and the International Press Institute (IPI, Nigeria), justified the Gestapo-style abduction and criminalization of Olatunji, saying it was done to “forestall a potential threat to national security.” But what exactly was the story that could have set the nation ablaze? Throwing more light on the hidden facts, an online medium quoting sources at the DIA, said Olatunji’s story titled ‘How Gbajabiamila attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses that Special Investigator traced to Sabiu’ was a potential threat to national security because it was not only false but it was discovered that some persons procured Olatunji to write and disseminate the story to some of his online colleagues, presumably to impugn the integrity of the revered Chief of Staff to the President.

    The publications stated that during interrogations, Olatunji did not only confess to the crime but evidence extracted from his seized phones by the security agency (without any court order) pointed to the fact that one Rotimi Williams supplied Olatunji with the information and paid him a lump sum of N170, 000 to enable him distribute the story to his colleagues.

    I must confess that, at this stage, I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh this off as a rude joke. My people say if a man must eat a frog, let him eat the one with eggs. With his decades of exposure in this profession and his level of education, I find it utterly demeaning that Olatunji could easily be bought with such an amount to pen such kindergarten fable about the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a serial member of that House to boot. In fact, when I first read the Gbajabiamila story, the first thing I did was to check the entire budget of the nation and I discovered that it was not even up to $30bn in naira, So, how could anyone with a scintilla of sense link just one man to a $30bn heist in one fell swoop? The story didn’t just make any sense and I didn’t hesitate to tell the person that published it to check his facts and figures before hurrying to copy-paste. Even if Gbajabiamila were to be Nigeria’s President, I doubt if he could muster the brazenness to divert such amount to his private accounts and go scot free. But then, what do I know? On this job, I have come across people who, with eyes wide open, walk into troubled waters just because they rely on fake documents supplied by desperate ‘sources’ to pen damaging stories about respected members in the society. Some don’t even do it for the love of lucre. Sometimes, their blind and bland patriotism to expose the grand larcenies that go on daily in our warped system tempts them into publishing falsehood. While I am not saying this could be the reason behind the haste with which Olatunji penned the story, I am still trying to understand why there was a complete lack of circumspection and intuitive reasoning in pushing those figures out. It is my belief that any Editor worth that name ought to have done better. Philip L. Graham who was President and Publisher of the Washington Post once said that “Journalism is the first rough draft of history”; we must first weigh the consequences of what we write about others. That is never in doubt. But this is not where I am going.

    In an earlier piece titled ‘Segun Olatunji’s abduction and the loud silence in high places’, I had raised certain questions and they still remain relevant today: “I am still trying to figure out the real motive behind Olatunji’s abduction and under whose authority the operation was carried out. It is even more confounding that this matter happened under a democratic system that has lasted for over 24 years and still waxing stronger despite some challenges. In fact, members of the pen community and other well-meaning Nigerians should be concerned that a matter that could have been resolved amicably with an official invitation to Olatunji became what the aggrieved big guns in the Office of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) handled in such a despicable Gestapo style. More troubling was the fact that, after the Nigerian Press raised the alarm on the whisking away of one of their own, those who did it for whatever reason were not courageous enough to honestly admit that the journalist was in their arbitrarily-enforced custody. Perhaps, they considered the outcry as the rants of bloody civilians that amount to nothing in Nigeria’s delicate power maze.

    In this matter, silence is not golden. Today, it is Segun Olatunji. With this conspiracy of loud silence, it could be another innocent citizen tomorrow if we allow this banditry mentality to thrive under this democracy of ours. And so, we ask again, who will take full responsibility for the abduction of citizen Segun Olatunji? After rummaging through his phones without a court order and without his permission, and after turning his house upside down, is his life safe amidst this criminal silence by the state?” I asked then.

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    In a veiled response to some of these questions, the DIA was quick to justify its power under the law to arrest, detain and force information out of any citizen at the instance of any man of power. The DIA reportedly told the media gurus at the April 14 mediatory meeting that, as regards the treatment meted out to Segun Olatunji, following a directive given by the powerful man in Aso Rock that the security authorities should fish out those behind the story, the operation was justified as it was derived from one of its powers to wit: “to execute ANY OTHER TASKS that may be assigned to it by higher superior authority in defence of the Federal Government or any of its agents.” And so, the DIA said its findings from the 14-day incarceration and torture, both mentally and physically, of citizen Olatunji did not only find him guilty of “cybercrime, cyber bullying and cyber defamation of character of a government official,” he had equally written a letter of apology through his employers to the Chief of Staff. Wonderful!

    I guess, with this, the matter ought to have been resolved amicably, isn’t it? Not really, the Management of First News Media issued an unreserved apology to Gbajabiamila for publishing a news item containing “falsehoods and fabricated stories handed out to us as facts by a misleading source which was highly negligent on our part.” Of course, Olatunji, the man at the middle of the furore, has also resigned with immediate effect from First News Media, claiming that the management had told him that, instead of going through prolonged court case, it would be better to rest the matter and allow sleeping dogs lie. Of course, there is that small matter that we normally shy away from discussing in the public. How, for example, has Olatunji been surviving in the last one year without being paid salary by his employer, the First News Media management? Anyway, this is not my business.

    Now, with the apology, I assume everyone can move on. After all, there was no need to pay the supreme price through the activities of unknown gunmen. No one has been thrown under the bus to the best of my knowledge. Or is there? The DIA and the authorities are saying that the operation was carried out in the interest of the state and in accordance with the extant laws and unwritten codes. Although the media gurus are said to have insisted that the authorities ought to have followed due process by either reporting Olatunji to the Ombudsman for adjudication; file a report to the police to invite him for questioning or even, invite him for a friendly chat instead of what they described as “barbaric and brazen disregard for the constitution and the government obligations under relevant domestic laws and international instruments.”

    It appears this may not go very far. With the way things go here, constant streams of a menagerie of bad news, economic hardship, scandals, tragedies and other contending news headlines rapidly displace one another in quick succession so, our focus would soon move to other things like the Rivers State’s show of absurdities and gutter drama or the ongoing controversies over cyber security levy and other challenges confronting citizens.

    That’s the way we roll here. Soon, people would tell Olatunji to thank his God for being alive, for the divine benevolence and the help extended to him by media organizations, the Information Minister and others whose timely intervention ensured that his case did not end up like that of Bagauda Kaltho, a journalist who disappeared during the Abacha era, only for police to ascribe the corpse found in a mysterious bomb blast at Durbar Hotel, Kaduna as his. Till today, Bagauda’s family and concerned members of the public are yet to have a closure on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death but we seem to have moved on as usual. We always do anyway. 

    Just the other day, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Daniel Ojukwu, was arrested and detained by the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos. Since May 1, he has been with the authorities. His arrest was said to be at the instance of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) for alleged cybercrime.  His employers say he was “held incommunicado for three days with no access to legal representation” and, up till now, the police have kept mute over the matter.  In Ojukwu’s case, I have gone through the story that allegedly put him in harm’s way and I didn’t see any justification for his detention. It was a well-researched piece on utterly shady contract award by one of the Federal agencies that gave a restaurant multimillion Naira construction contract said to have ended up being partly done in a privately-owned school rather than a public primary school that it was originally intended for.

    During the week, a group of human rights activists led by Omoyele Sowore stormed the police complex to demand Ojukwu’s release or, at least, access to his lawyers and respect for his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution. Yet, there remains a thunderous silence in high places. But then, maybe those who detained him have gone through his phones unlawfully as usual, and detected something different. Who knows? Let’s just move on as we wait for the next arrest by those who think they have the mandate to operate outside of the law without any consequences whatsoever. One thing is sure: Where power speaks louder than the truth, circumspection should be the watchword. Enough said.

  • Corruption and the weaponisation of poverty

    Corruption and the weaponisation of poverty

    In an interview last Thursday on The Morning Show on Arise News, Chief Edwin Clark was asked to react to the comical show that played at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission where supporters of the fugitive former governor of Kogi State and self-acclaimed white lion, Yahaya Bello and those backing the EFCC’s move to probe Yahaya’s eight-year tenure clashed during a protest. In his response, Clark, a man who enjoys God’s divine favour even at the ripe age of over 95, said with the systemic wiping off of the middle class leaving only the rich to oppress the poor regardless of how they made the money, poverty can only be the reason at the heart of the shamelessness on display by both parties. He said he was less concerned that some of those leading the protest described themselves as human rights activists and legal practitioners. He said they were hungry and they would do anything to have a bite from the crumbs that fall off the tables of their tormentors rather than insist that Bello and other former governors should summon the courage to defend their stewardship at the court of law whenever allegations bordering on graft and mismanagement of public funds are brought against them. Describing Bello as a small boy who probably learnt from his predecessors who stole huge sums of money and are now having another go at the public till as senators, ministers and heads of lucrative agencies after their cases were ‘killed’ at different stages of trials, the nonagenarian said the continuous failure by the EFCC since the days of Nuhu Ribadu to successfully prosecute corrupt cases brought against politically exposed individuals should be a cause for concern for anyone who truly means well for the country. Citing several examples of such characters in our political space and noting that they continue to strut the place while displaying their ill-gotten wealth, Clark said it is not too late for the EFCC to reopen those files rotting away in their office in order to rekindle hope that the anti-graft body was not created just for the drama and for playing to the gallery. On this one, I concur with what Clark said. Enough of the drama.

    When I look at the Yahaya Bello saga and what played out in the past week, I can’t help but agree that poverty is at the heart of the Nigerian problem. When you add the criminal docility of the otherwise enlightened and educated populace, what you have is a perfect recipe for failure. Take, for example, the Bello serial movie. We are in the third week and, despite all the fulminations, recriminations ,pontifications and hullaballoos, the man is still on AWOL, sipping his early morning coffee and observing his routine exercise whilst boxing the shadows as a white lion that he is. With the kind of humongous money at his beck and call, he knew that he could pay for the services of the best lawyers in town and have some spare funds for other professional hirelings to keep on barking for him. That is exactly what is happening. If not, can anyone explain to me why any human rights body worth that name should be at the forefront of those playing lackeys for a man who has been asked to come forth and answer questions regarding his financial dealings in a state that fortune thrust at him following the sudden death of the man that was coasting home to victory in that particular election in 2015, Alhaji Abubakar Audu. For a man who was said to have worked as a civil servant in addition to running a fairly popular transport company called Fair Plus, one would have thought that Nigeria’s youngest governor then would have exhibited the stuff that would have earned him plaudits as a true representative of what the youth can do if and when given the opportunity. Even when early signs didn’t indicate that his case was going to be different after he appropriated a whopping N250m monthly to his office as security votes while he turned a blind eye to the payment of salaries to the civil servants, people still thought those were parts of the teething problems that would be resolved especially as he was a tested seasoned accountant with a Masters of Business Administration and chattered fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria to boot! Unfortunately, all those credentials and a famed managerial expertise failed him when it mattered most. They just didn’t count for anything where pure larceny and supersonic greed were the two elements at play. Even the labouring civil servants in that state were the least in the scheme of things. Talk about nattering nitwits and you have a typical example on the saddle.

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    Inasmuch as I do not want to believe that the management of the EFCC was also involved in the rent-a-crowd strategy that has been, over the years, perfected by politicians to give a semblance of reality to their despicable activities in and out of office, it is quite difficult to ignore that possibility these days where everything has been monetized and standards have been lowered such that everything is now rationalized as part of the larger scheme. Today, we are suffering from the wages of the systemic poverty that has been inflicted on our psyche through many years of misrule. It is for that reason that some would even describe a particular government as benevolent regardless of how it tramples on its rights and milks its resources for personal aggrandizement. The other day, I was listening to a radio programme and one of Bello’s paid choir boys described his tenure in Kogi as benevolent, humanitarian and people-oriented. I didn’t even know whether I should puke or tune to another radio station in order to preserve my mental health. People just come online to spew barefaced lies. Anyway, we all know that guests, educated ones, are daily procured to appear on television stations to speak on behalf of one fugitive or the other. Writers are also known to have been paid to change the narratives of certain stories just to please the desires of a common criminal. Otherwise respected and respectable human rights bodies are not left out in the race to ‘obtain’ some millions from common thieves as they struggle to push their benefactors’ basic rights far and above the greed in their pouches. If in doubt, ask Bello how he has been trudging on since the beginning of his travails with arrays of backers nudging him on to disobey the law and make himself unavailable to the authorities. Is it for free?

    In fact, we should all be concerned about how fast the middle class has shrunk such that the likes of Chief Clark believe that it is non-existent. When poverty bites, commonsense flees especially when some crisp naira notes are being dangled at you by a crooked hand of the rich. That is why some people can kill for pittance or sacrifice their lives to defend their benefactor who is also behind their continuous impoverishment. The first thing that they throw out of the window is their strength of character. For many, the alluring sight of wealth is the clincher. At that moment, nothing else matters. They said a man front-loaded his children’s fees in an Abuja-based American school to the tune of $800000 till the year 2032 or so and his media office issued a presser saying that the man has always been paying such fees even as a private citizen without any hassles. Is that true? How come copies of such payments were not attached to the statements to justify that argument of an exceptionally rich Yahaya Bello? Could it be the same Bello whose transport company packed up less than a year after he became governor? Or the same man whose Curriculum Vitae was criminally silent about his exploits in the civil service as an accountant in the mid-2000s? Are we talking here about the same man whose rise to prominence was recorded as beginning “amid reports of violence and fraud” and “whose profile rose during his second tenure due to his relative youth compared to other Nigerian politicians, his controversial statements and his questionable expenditures?” Shouldn’t it bother these paid defenders that Bello is running away from answering questions about how over N80bn allegedly stolen from a poor state like Kogi has been linked to the purchase of properties for himself and family in Abuja and Dubai? Has poverty wiped off the residue of conscience that should ordinarily be ingrained in them? This joke is no longer a laughing matter.

    If Nigeria must move forward, then there must be a significant shift from the systemic weaponization of poverty that is killing us softly and gradually. Unfortunately, it is not just a tool that is employed by the rich to impoverish the poor and subdue them, it is also a weapon of subjugation used at various levels of government to silence the populace over the years. Take, for example, the latest salary increase announced by the government for Federal Civil Servants and the controversies surrounding the hastiness with which it was announced. Already, the usual suspects and self-titled experts have been filling the gaps with their contributions either for or against the increment. Some have said that what the government did cannot be described as fulfilling Labour’s demand for a true worker-friendly minimum wage. On his own part, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised that his government is not just committed to paying the minimum wage when the stakeholders eventually agree on its form and shape, but the government will make sure it pays a ‘living wage’ that would be truly reflective of what a take home pay should be. And, beyond all the fanciful labeling, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has also advised the leadership of the labour movement in the country to push for a productive economy instead of one that presently relies on the monthly freebies from the Federal Government. Without productive economy across the federation, one wonders how many states in the country that can afford to pay a living wage to less than 10 percent of the population that makes up the civil service. And with corruption thriving where governors act as tin gods and sole gatekeepers of the treasury, wouldn’t the country still be under the yoke of the poverty mentality? With governors barking out excuses why it is impossible for them to meet Labour’s demands in the payment of minimum wage even as the private sector is balking under floundering economic realities, can one be positive that the country will soon get to the time when its citizens will discharge responsibilities in accordance with the dictates of law and order as against the rumblings of hunger in their stomachs?

  • Between EFCC and our modern-day Oyenusis

    Between EFCC and our modern-day Oyenusis

    Let me dive into this straight, it is my unsolicited opinion that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, a lawyer and reportedly experienced solicitor in financial crimes and related offences, should stop the circus show of rushing to the media to divulge information that could jeopardise the trials of the increasing number of the sons and daughters of Ishola Oyenusi in government. Oyenusi, by the way, was a terror armed robber infamously known in the late 60s and early 70s for leading bloody and deadly robbery operations in Lagos and its environs. Said to possess a supernatural power that shielded him from being harmed by bullets, Oyenusi, whose capture and eventual death by firing squad alongside six of his gang members at the famous Bar Beach was watched by over 30000 Lagos residents, would later blame his decision to embrace car snatching, bank and factory robberies, killings and maiming as a preferred profession on the inability of his poor parents to send him to secondary school. A report said, for the fun of it, Oyenusi not only adopted the name Dr. Oyenusi, the cold bloodedness with which he wasted all his victims in any robbery operation earned him the moniker, “Doctor rob and kill.’ Yet, when he was eventually caught by the police after a robbery operation on March 27, 1971 in which one Constable Mwi was killed and robbed of the sum of 28000 pounds sterling, the notorious armed robber that was once quoted as saying that “bullet has no power” became a jelly fish when bullets were being pumped into him by the soldiers at the gang’s public execution. He fizzled out quickly but his story was always recalled by parents in those days, to drum fear into most children that grew up in Lagos in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Nobody wanted to have an Oyenusi replica as a child and no one wanted the family name to be linked with someone tied to the stake, waiting for the rains of bullets. For many of us, the undignified exit of Oyenusi was a wake-up call to abhor crime and embrace education or any other vocation that would put us on the straight and narrow path to a dignified and successful life.

    But, looking back today, it seems the fear that was instilled in us by the Oyenusi’s execution by firing squad has been replaced with the brazenness with which those who are opportune to work in government establishments blindly steal from the treasury. In saying this, I am not, in any way, implying that the corruption narrative in Nigeria started in recent times. No, it has always been there. What baffles me is the scale, sophistication and the caliber of persons who have embraced grand larceny as a vocation. In fact, they see the public till as a personal inheritance and they rape it at will. Sometimes, when you hear stories about the magnitude of continuous abuse being inflicted on our collective patrimony, you can’t help but  wonder why the nation’s economy has not sunk into irreparable depression. If we agree that Oyenusi was the poster boy for armed robbery in post-civil war Nigeria, who should we then pick as truly representative of the official corrosive corruption that has impacted negatively on the the country’s drive to reach its potentials post independence in 1960? If General Sani Abacha was the reference point for the bombardment of the national treasury under the jackboots of the military, who among the plethora of smart thieves in the political circles lead the turf? In fact, do we even have a sense of what has been filched off the system and the significant difference it would have made if the money had been deployed to building infrastructure and service that would benefit Nigerians?  Checks indicate that, as at 2012, the country was estimated to have lost over $400bn to corruption since independence, apart from the fact that it impacted over 37 percent of its Gross Domestic Product. The report declares: “Corruption is widespread in government, business and everyday life: it has a major impact on the country’s economy and the lives of its citizens.”

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    Now, when I admonish Olukoyede to tread softly and apply wisdom in the way he goes about handling the modern-day Oyenusis, it is because experience has shown us that these persons do not operate the crude manual that the likes of Oyenusi used in those days. These ones are educated and they are highly sophisticated to the extent that they know that there are many loopholes within the law that can be explored to practically set them free or, at best, make them get a slap on the wrist as punishment for the afflictions they visit on the national purse..

    We do not need to look farther. There are a number of cases that the EFCC has bungled after making a song and dance in the media of having a watertight case against the culprits be they politicians, businessmen, retired military men, yahoo-yahoo boys or civil servants. The irony is that many of these guys, including former governors, ministers and political appointees, are occupying key decision-making bodies in the country and they are having some sort of last laugh. Some others are dancing on the grave of a deflated ego of a body that barks but lacks the capacity to bite. Didn’t we witness the same circus show when the present National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was in charge of the EFCC? Did Madam Farida Waziri fair better after trying her suspects through the media? What of Ibrahim Lamurde, Ibrahim Magu and Abdulrasheed Bawa? It is not inspiring that the EFCC, more often than not, end up losing celebrated cases in which its leaders had boasted about getting convictions at the courts. Just few days ago, the EFCC, once again, was made to kiss the dust in the corruption case it brought against the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, for failing to establish a prima facie case against him. So, after all the drama over the years, this is how it all ended? And there was also the acquittal and discharge of the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, in a N8.5bn fraud charge brought against him by the EFCC in a Lagos court. The 22-count charge was dismissed in favour of Akpobolokemi and his alleged accomplice, Josphine Otuaga, for failing to establish a prima facie case against them. In other words, the no case submission by Adoke and Akpobolokemi were upheld and they were free to walk home as free men after all the media trials, klieglight and razzmatazz by the EFCC. So what has the EFCC or the country gained?

    If Olukoyede wants to succeed, he would need to do less of talking and concentrate more on working round the dubious technicalities that have been exploited severally by the lawyers of these alleged criminals to escape justice. Even the plea bargain system is laughable as the funds returned to the government are not in any way close to the humongous amount resting in private vaults in dollar and pound sterling. It is understandable that anyone in Olukoyede’s shoes would be angry when they hear that a state governor like Yahaya Bello, in one fell swoop, dipped his hands into the state’s treasury and withdrew $720000 to pay for his children’s school fees for the entire duration that they were expected to be in the school and beyond. But, as scandalously annoying as that may look, Olukoyede’s public display of impetuousness is the least of EFCC’s problem, especially for a man who has more than N82bn heist linked to his eight-year of playing a god in the lives of Kogi indigenes. Yes, there are a thousand and one things that would infuriate the EFCC chairman as he continues opening the books of graft perpetrated by our privileged pen robbers who are nothing but refined versions of the Oyenusis of the 70s. However, he would need to soak it all in and be focused.

    Who, for example, wouldn’t be riled that, after spending billions of naira to ensure that Nigeria finally gets a national carrier, what the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and his band of magicians eventually delivered few days to the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration was a one-day wonder aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines shamefully repainted in Nigerian green-white-green colours with a smiling Buhari ‘commissioning’ the hoax! And then, the same Sirika, who is presently singing like a bird with a broken beak in the detention centre of the anti-graft agency, is said to have allegedly diverted over N3.2bn out of the over N8bn meant for projects, that were either inflated or were never executed, to the accounts of his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika, a level 16 civil servant with the Ministry of Water Resources here in Abuja. In the first place, isn’t there something gross with a serving civil servant being awarded contracts  worth billions of naira and to a firm in which he has his name boldly displayed in the Certificate of Incorporation as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer? And to make the matter worse, these contracts were being awarded directly to Abubakar Sirika by his blood brother, Hadi Sirika, who was privileged to be a Minister of Aviation under a no-nonsense, corruption intolerant Buhari! How on earth did this happen and how many such fraudulent streaks were ongoing at the same time under Buhari’s watch?

    Well, no one is surprised that politicians can hardly steal these days without the connivance of the devils called civil servants. They teach them the tricks and the ways and means of starching the loot. That is why, in cahoots with these ‘servants’ of doom in the system, it was possible for those fine species in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to completely forgot the meaning of the word humanity when they pounced on the billions of naira meant to ameliorate the sufferings of the abysmally poor in the society and diverted N30bn, N3bn and $445000 respectively into their Gucci and VSL personal treasury accounts. In spite of this continuous pillage, they still smile for the cameras and feign crocodile tears as they express their passion to ensure that the poor were never left behind. They steal billions and couldn’t even leave the crumbs for the poor. How then can the poor  breathe? It is for the same reason that, sad as it may sound, many Nigerians were not stunned that the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in the latest charge sheet before another court in Abuja was said to have spent a whopping N18.96bn for the printing of N684.5m new notes during the controversial naira swap policy under the Buhari administration. With all the huge, almost unbelievable, figures being bandied all over the place as evidence of graft in government circles, even Ishola Oyenusi would cringe in his grave. Were he to be alive, he wouldn’t have hesitated to dump the gun for the pen. After all, didn’t he embrace ‘doctor’ as an appendage to his infamous name? Now, qualified doctors, lawyers, bankers, journalists and engineers are stealing with reckless aplomb while damning the consequences.

    There are many countless others that time would not permit one to recant here. And, in spite of all this, it is not impossible that all the public outcry and condemnation may yield nothing in terms of due punishment for these brazen thieves if the EFCC doesn’t desist from pandering to the games of these criminals. That is exactly what the theatrics over the Yahaya Bello matter is turning into. In fact, a newspaper report described it as “a Nollywood drama” after Olukoyede recounted his telephone conversations with Bello and how the tamed white lion demanded that the EFCC interrogators should come to his village in Kogi to ask him questions about how he spent Kogi State’s billions on himself and his lackeys. Isn’t that laughable? In any case, the point I am making is that Olukoyede need not join Bello in his delusional belief, which was propounded by a former governor who is now a big man in the Senate, that what money cannot buy, more money would buy. It is that belief that has drawn some hungry human rights activists and so-called lawyers to queue behind a man who is clearly afraid of his own shadows. If not, why was Bello scared of visiting the EFCC office to give accounts of his financial stewardship in Kogi State? Is he hiding something that we don’t know? For whatever it is worth, Olukoyede’s duty is to use all legitimate means to bring the man before the courts and get justice for the impoverished citizens of the state if indeed Bello invaded the treasury and stole it blind. If not, he may as well get a reprieve from the courts and seek damages for impugning his integrity, if there is any. Nigerians have had enough of the drama in which known Oyenusis get away with their loot and laugh at our collective idiocy. The EFCC needs to convince the citizens that it can put an end to the circus show under this administration. And, for now, that task is Olukoyede’s. Let him sit up and do the job without any needless drama or threat to resign!