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Tag: action

  • Lagos era of less talk, more action

    Lagos era of less talk, more action

    As the countdown to the first anniversary of the Akinwunmi Ambode administration begins, it has been harvest of projects after projects, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    If there is one fact that is not lost on Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, it is that the primary objective of every government is to improve the lives of the people by ensuring it delivers infrastructure that will affect the people directly and indirectly.

    No wonder in some quarters, the governor has been nicknamed ‘less talk, more action’. Some prefer to refer to him as ‘silent achiever’. The reasons are clear.

    In the last 11 months, every local government in the state has felt the impact of the administration through one project or the other.

    From upgrade of road infrastructure to schools’ upgrade as well as street light projects, the wind of change blowing through the state is fast sweeping across all the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas.

    Last week, Ambode was in the news. As part of plans to mark his one year in office, series of projects, including those executed by the local and state government, were inaugurated across the 57 councils.

    For five days, Ambode detailed his cabinet members to hand over the projects to the people.

    In Oshodi Isolo Local Government Area, the governor inaugurated the popular Brown Street, Okota Road in Isolo and a Police Post in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area.

    Brown Street was dilapidated for years until the Ambode administration awarded the contract to Messrs Lubrik Construction Company Limited last October to rehabilitate and upgrade the road.

    The road is 690metres. With its new state, the people’s standard of living, property values and traffic flow would improve.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, said he would not leave anyone behind in his development agenda.

    He said his administration had worked to promote active collaboration among all tiers of government with the community development as the centre piece.

    In Ejigbo, the governor inaugurated the rehabilitated Ashamu Police Post in Ailegun, Ejigbo and handed it over to the police.

    He appealed to community members to support the police in fighting crime by giving out useful information that would lead to nabbing of criminals.

    In Alimosho Local Government Area, the governor inaugurated the Mosan Okunola Mini Waterworks after over 20 years of being moribund.

    The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser, Housing, Mrs. Aramide Giwanson,  said the state now has 33 mini waterworks and five major waterworks.

    The Executive Secretary of Mosan Okunola LCDA, Mrs Opeyemi Akindele,  said the water project was an eloquent testimony of a promise kept and delivered.

    A community leader and pioneer chairman of Mosan Okunola LCDA, Elder Abel Gbadejo, said in less than a year in office, Ambode has performed creditably well, adding that the Water Project would improve the life style of people in the area because water is very important.

    In Ojo Local Government, Governor Ambode commissioned the Usman Mogaji Road and the Data Capturing Centre.

    Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Urban Development, Mrs Yetunde Onabolu,   told the residents that his administration would not renege on running a transparent government.

    At the inauguration of the data capturing centre in Ojo Local Government where all unemployed youth in the area would register, Ambode urged the residents to make  effective use of the centre for engagement of their youths.

    Also at the inauguration of Usman Mogaji Road in Ajangbadi, the governor advised the residents to make good use of the road and ensure they pay their taxes as at when due.

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ayo Ogunlana, commended Governor Ambode for the laudable strides he has recorded in just 11 months in office.

    In Amuwo Odofin Local Government, the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande, handed over 10 passengers’ capacity fibre boats to Riverine Communities in Amuwo Odofin Local Government and Oriade Local Council Development Area in Ijegun Jetty to aid in conveying school teachers based in riverine areas.

    In Epe, the governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Community and Communications, Kehinde Bamigbetan, inaugurated blocks of classroom at St. Theresa’s College, Oke-Oyingbo, a Town Hall at Ita-Opo, Epe and Regional Water Scheme, Otta-Ikosi, while in Eti-Osa, the 1.9km Unity/1st Avenue Osapa London Road in Eti-Osa Local Government and block of 16 classrooms with modern facilities at Kuramo Primary School in Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    The governor also inaugurated the Job Registration and Labour Exchange Centre for the Lagos Division in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the State as part of the employment creation and wealth generation initiative of his administration.

    In Shomolu Local Government, Ambode inaugurated a Primary Health Centre and Diagnosis Centre named after him and a 400metres road in Bariga Local Council Development Area.

    In Ibeju Lekki Local Government, Governor Ambode who was represented by the Special Adviser, Food Security, Ganiu Okanlomo Sanni, commissioned the Origanrigan and Awoyaya PHC, saying it was in line with his administration’s zero tolerance for maternal mortality.

    On Monday, May16, the train was at Apapa, Ajeromi, Kosofe, Ikorodu and Badagry local governments.

    At Apapa Local Government, the projects handed over by the Governor include 9 roads within the Apapa Business District, Ultra-modern Liverpool Jetty, 12 block of classrooms at Methodist Nursery and Primary School and 4 block of classrooms at Arakan Barracks Nursery and Primary School with standard facilities such as modern toilets, sick bay, furniture, ceiling fans, ramps to accommodate the physically challenged, among others.

    The road inaugurated are Marine Road, Bombay Crescent, Randle Road, Ibikunle Akintoye Street, Commercial Road, Burma Road, Plateau Road, Zeek Avenue, Marine Road Extension and Connector Road; otherwise known as Bombay Crescent to Calcutta Road Phase III.

    The roads were designed to accommodate walkways, street light and drainage system.

    In Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government, Governor Ambode commissioned an Ultra-modern Court Complex and a 360-meters interlocking road with drainage situated in Aduke Street, while in Ikorodu, the Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Hon. Babatunde Adejare, inaugurated an ultra-modern shopping complex at the popular Sabo Market.

    He also inaugurated the Ota-Ona Dual Carriage Road as well as block of classrooms in Agbede, all in Ikorodu.

    At Badagry, the governor, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemo, inaugurated a block of 16 classrooms and another block of 8 classrooms, as well as 6 classrooms in Badagry West Local Council Development Area.

    At Kosofe, the governor represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo inaugurated road projects at Oladele, Shoyebi and Ademola Taiwo/Alamu Taiwo/Ogunsola streets.

    Speaking on the 114 LG roads, Ambode, who was represented in Ajeromi-Ifelodun by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said: “The feat is unprecedented in the history of Lagos and this has provided employment to over 9,000 citizens directly and indirectly within the year.”

    The Ojora of Ijora, Oba Fatai Aromire, hailed Ambode, saying the remarkable feat achieved just within one year in office was an eloquent confirmation that the state is progressing.

    “As the paramount ruler of this domain, I like to specially appreciate our amiable governor for the projects he embarked upon in our area. We are indeed very happy and wish the governor well in the leadership of the state,” Oba Aromire said.

    Also, Vice Chairman of Apapa Community Development Committee (CDC) Saka Yussuf said the projects inaugurated in their area were unprecedented in the history of the area, adding that the people were indeed happy with the leadership of the State.

    A former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, who spoke in Ikorodu, commended the laudable stride of the governor in just 11 months of inception, just as he appealed to people who are yet to feel the impact of government in their areas to be patient.

    At Ifako- Ijaye Local Government Area of the state, the governor, who was represented by  the Commissioner for Tourism and Culture Mr. Folorunsho Folarin Coker commissioned Oluwasijibomi, Folorunsho Streets and Iju Primary Health Care Center, Lonlo saying that the era of spending tax payers money on white elephant projects not needed by the people were gone in the state.

    He said the state has experienced improved physical and urban development, proper land administration and illumination of its highways and streets.

    The governor appealed to monarchs and communities leaders to address the menace of cultism, miscreants and hoodlums and promote peace and clean environment at all times.

    With the manner projects are being delivered, many look up to the Ambode administration taking the state to heights not hitherto attained.

     

  • Lawyers condemn legal action against Emefiele

    Lawyers condemn legal action against Emefiele

    A group of lawyers under the aegis of Progressive Lawyers Forum (PLF) yesterday condemned a suit instituted by 10 constitutional lawyers against Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Mr. Godwin Emefiele for money laundering and other offences.

    A statement issued yesterday by its leaders, Andrew Idachaba, Dickson H. Irabor and Dr. Nasiru Jikantoro, described the legal action against the CBN governor as a distraction and a project that would not yield any positive result.

    The statement said: “We view the legal action against the CBN governor was a distraction and we believe it is a project that is bound to fail and it will die on arrival, simply because they have no case to justify their action.”

    According to the forum, those that filed the legal action were sponsored by some elements that were not at ease with the rising Emefiele’s rising profile.

    The lawyers, who said although they were not out to defend the governor, noted that on assumption of office, he set out his agenda for economic policy and growth.

    The CBN governor, the forum added, has continued to pursue the agenda diligently.

    The statement added: “Today, in our history as a nation, many of our entrepreneurs lack the confidence to display Made-in-Nigeria goods because of the ways and manners the elite have deliberately substituted local products for foreign commodities and yet, we cast blames on individuals for the situations we can all stand and unite to defend.

    “It is also public knowledge how this importation has subverted our primary raw materials and thereby putting pressure on the Naira against foreign exchange by importing the secondary produce from the same materials that they took from us.

    “In the face of this short-changing, importation and arbitrary tax policies on small businesses, which daily defined our status as a nation, no group or individual has taken responsibility on why our actions and policies do not reflect our paper policy direction. What we think now is that our economic woes are the handiwork of Emefiele and all blames must be heaped on him and, therefore, he must go along with the economic crisis.

    “For instance, in spite of all positive indication and phenomenal height for economy growth, especially in the oil sector, the importation of refined petroleum products consumes 35 per cent of our annual import bill and when compared, it is very obvious that very insignificant interest was made from this God-given resources, particularly as it relates to infrastructural development of this same industry, which we depend on for economic sustainability.”

    It added: “We must put these economic blame-games on hold and begin to work collectively as a nation with relevant stakeholders to positively reverse this hash economic reality.

    “Emefiele has indeed contributed a lot to the management of our economy through various CBN economic sustainability programmes since he assumed office and in the past few months, he has alerted the nation on some critical issues and measures to take and thus proven the critique of his leadership wrong when the Eighth Senate backed up his economic policies.

    “The obviously excited senators affirmed to Nigerians then that, after careful consideration and observation through the CBN policies under Emefiele, the upper legislative house members were in support of these policies, which are aimed at increasing the local production, creating jobs, safeguarding our commonwealth and expanding economic opportunities and growth in Nigeria.

    “We strongly believed that changing the CBN governor at this particular point in time will not be a solution to the economic crisis bedevilling the nation.

    “The CBN governor is on track. He is a consummate technocrat, whose pedigree cannot be questioned and we believe he has a lot to contribute to the economic recovery of the nation. As such, all stakeholders in the economic sector and Nigerians should rally round him to support the present government’s quest to diversify the nation’s economy.”

  • ‘We need affirmative finance action for women’

    ‘We need affirmative finance action for women’

    Afoma Adigwe studied film and acting in London but today she is a woman of many parts. The energetic entrepreneur had been an air hostess, actress, designer and she has been passionate about empowering women through her organisation, Uplifting Women Through Farming (UWTF), in the last fifteen years. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, the woman who hails from Issele-Uku in Delta State talks about  poor infrastructure, accessing credit facilities for women in the grassroots and why feeding Nigeria and Africa must be given adequate priority.

    WHY are you interested in the agricultural sector? My passion has always been for women in agriculture. For me, food is life. We all eat food and we must eat to survive.  Agriculture is the only viable alternative to oil and gas. A lot has been said about agricultural development in Africa.  Recently, my organisation was invited to partner with African Development Bank from the just concluded high level conference in Senegal tagged, “Feeding Africa: an action plan on transformation of agriculture in Africa” organised by African Development Bank under the auspices of His Excellency, Macky Sall, President of the Federal Republic of Senegal, who co-hosted with the African Union Commission, UN Economic Commission for Africa and Partnership.

    Why are you passionate about women?

    Over the years, a lot has been said about the key constraints affecting women and youths’ ability in transforming agriculture in Africa. UWTF is here to walk the talk with action. I speak on behalf of our women and our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow. Our focus is not to criticise but to encourage our government and other African countries by reaching out to the different stakeholders. We are in partnership with African Development Bank and the organisation is ready to take a quick action on the solutions of transforming agriculture in Africa to the next level. The Dakar conference was marked by bold decisions to inform on the Action Plan for agricultural transformation in Africa.

    What are some of the things that would bring about the required change in the sector?

    The intention is to launch an affirmative finance action for women in Africa. The bank would therefore work with partners to leverage 43billion in financing for women farmers, agribusinesses and other women-owned enterprises. This will be achieved through the establishment of a US $300 million facility to derisk financing to women owned businesses by commercial banks and micro finance institutions.

    In addition, the central banks in Africa will set aside special funds to allow farmers access credit at reduced interest rates and also for long term agricultural loans with longer term maturity. There would also be increase in commercial financing in the agriculture sector by establishing an agricultural risk sharing facility to de-risk the financial value chain and de-risk the agricultural value chains across the continent. That is not all. Some of the other things being worked on include developing agribusiness Diaspora bonds to securitise remittance flows for investments in African agriculture and agribusiness.

    How long have you been doing this?

    I have been on this for about fifteen years now. When I started at that time, I told them that it was the alternative to oil and gas. Now you can see the trend, not just in Nigeria but in Arica as a whole. It is important to uplift women through farming. It is important for each stakeholder to partner with the African Development Bank on the transformation agenda. We need to find a lasting solution to agriculture and stop doing lip service to it, now it is action.

    My desire is to wake up everybody and I have been advocating that our first ladies should have agriculture as part of the projects they would be working on. A lot of times funds are released for women’s projects but somehow the women do not have access to these funds. I strongly believe that it is better for the women to work together and be able to access what would be beneficial to all.

    The problem that grassroots farmers have is lack of information. This, I have studied in the last fifteen years. Of course, we know that the other problem is lack of fund, but, unfortunately, if there is a fund set aside somewhere and I do not know about, how can they access the funds? So, the women are handicapped, most of them do not go to the bank and when they go to the bank, there are so many other limitations waiting for them there.

    We know the protocols in the bank. If someone like me cannot get to access the fund, how can the layman access the funds? So, we have to go to the women at the grassroots and solve their developmental needs. Sometimes, these women do not even need the funds. What they need is the facility to work with or infrastructure. When we talk about infrastructure, then we are talking about road, water, land, transportation and electricity. If you give them funds and they pay so much to transport their goods from one point to the other, then they would still not be okay.

    We also know what it takes for a woman to own land or property in some parts of the country. Unfortunately, these are some of the things that they ask for as collateral. In the banking system, there is nothing like self identification, so where do these women stand? So, my fight for women has always been how can these women have collateral or be able to access the funds that are set aside for them? We all have to solve this problem collectively. Government must make sure that the right infrastructure is in place.

    How do you intend to get to your targets?

    I am also targeting not just first ladies in Nigeria but African first ladies, so that all hands would be on deck. Right now, we are planning a summit to get all the African first ladies together; everybody has to wake up. We are also looking at the corporate sector and CEOs of banks and their spouses. If you cannot plant what your husband is eating, farm and produce for Nigeria, plant and produce for Africa.  We must all try to produce for Nigeria and bring about a positive change in the economy. If banks can set aside some staff to go look for deposits, how come they cannot go to the grassroots and look for investments?

    Experts also believe that farming would help to reduce the problem of unemployment in the country

    Agriculture has to go with patience; our youths have to be patient. If you are talking about agriculture, you do not have to grow something today and expect to get the money immediately. We have to start afresh. I was born and bred in Lagos, but now I am back at home because of farming. I have a palm plantation there. We have to take action and get things back on track. A number of people think that it is not interesting but we can learn new ways of framing. How can we do it these days so that our mothers do not carry fire wood on their heads or cassava on their backs?

    I started the program in Delta state in year 2000. The first thing I did a workshop on how to make use of cassava and we collaborated with IITA. The following year we work with FAO and later the UN. That was how we started working with women in Kogi state and then spread to other parts of the country. We have been able to access funds from the Nigerian Industrial bank for microfinance.

    Recently, I have been putting my house in order to set up a microfinance bank for women. I have always had a relationship with the international community but I prefer to have a bank which the women can access directly. We also have the Agric talk show which I would be anchoring. Here we would have the stakeholders talk about the issues and how to proffer solutions to the problems. What I did was to get people attracted to Agriculture. I have also been doing a number of things with the youths. I have also been collaborating with Embassies and agencies. Let us rise and feed Africa.

  • ‘Stay action Akwa Ibom debt’

    The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Debt Management Office (DMO) to stay action on the government’s request for debt restructuring until the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices ad Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies conduct a forensic and thorough audit of the state’s finances from May 29, 2007 to May 28, 2015, and issue a certificate of clean financial health.

    APC noted that nothing justified the state to owe after receiving over N3 trillion from the Federation Account n the last eight years.

    The party stated its position yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Ita Awak.

    It accused Governor Udom Emmanuel and his Finance Commissioner, Mr Akan Okon, of being economical with the truth on the government’s claim that the state’s debt to commercial banks was N64.5 billion.

    APC alleged that the state was owing over N500 billion and not N64.5 billion, as claimed by the state government.

  • Time for action

    Time for action

    President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking to a visiting delegation of American congressmen, gave a most pleasing piece of news: the Nigerian authorities now know the overseas banks in which Nigerian stolen oil cash is holed up.

    “We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction or pour their contents into other ships midstream,” the president disclosed, revealing the rather snaky modus operandi by oil thieves’.

    “Some monies are paid into individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved.  I have been assured,” he added, “that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy.”

    This is all very reassuring; and Nigerians must be convinced — if they need further convincing — that the president’s trip to the United States is bearing some fruits, even if it is early days yet; and only the beginning of a marathon to retrieve the stolen funds, given all the technicalities and complexities involved.

    Indeed, the president’s statement suggests a process just barely starting: banks’ names are being compiled; individual accounts being confirmed; and countries outside the United States, where those banks are domiciled, probably being  alerted, on the shape of things to come.  It just might take some time, given the expected differing response rates by each of the countries — and even banks.

    Still, time is of essence.  There was just too much alleged oil cash looting during the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency.  The painful physical manifestations are all too grimly present to ignore: mass poverty, near-nationwide default in salary commitments and even abandoned capital projects in the few states that still manage to do capital projects.  These indeed are lean times, even if wilfully caused by unpatriotic Nigerians who have betrayed their positions of trust; and put their compatriots in avoidable jeopardy.

    That is why this pitiable state cannot be allowed to continue longer than absolutely necessary.  So, for a start, why can’t the Buhari Presidency share its knowledge of these banks with Nigerians, who certainly have a right to know — it’s their patrimony, after all!  That way, the government can rally the people behind its action — except, of course, if such full disclosure could hamper further investigations and therefore become ultimately counter-productive.

    But full disclosure or not, President Buhari should move in post-haste, act on the information he now has, and nail proven culprits.  For one, Nigeria needs the money to boost a comatose economy; and re-energise a badly abused populace, now lying prostrate with criminal abuse of trust.  For another, quickly bringing to justice those found guilty of abusing public trust would teach the right lessons, and lift the people’s morale.

    There is definitely a disadvantage in announcing that “we know”, without prompt action.  If citizens could be brazen enough to betray their country; and salt our collective wealth turned personal loot in foreign banks, they certainly can further manoeuvre to save their illicit nest when crucial information gets to wrong quarters.  It is the natural survival instincts of a thief about to be caught.  That is why the Buhari Presidency should act with despatch or, if the coast is not fully clear, learn to better manage the information at its disposal.

    That as it may, we give the president our full support in this onerous battle of recovering the looted funds; and giving our much abused people the respite they sorely deserve.

     

  • Buhari orders quick action on new national carrier

    Buhari orders quick action on new national carrier

    • Orders take over of Nigeria’s airspace from Ghana

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday ordered the Ministry of Aviation to expedite action on the establishment of a new national airline for the country.

    The president gave the directive while receiving briefing from officials of the Aviation Ministry, led by the Permanent Secretary, Binta Bello, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after the briefing, Bello said  the president was worried about Nigeria not having a national air carrier and has given instruction for a new one to be established.

    She also said the president was briefed on the challenges domestic airlines were facing in spite of Federal Government’s N300 billion intervention fund towards boosting their operations.

    The airlines, she said, were hugely indebted to regulatory agencies under the Aviation Ministry, including other factors that have left some of the airlines still struggling to maintain optimum operational capabilities.

    According to her, the four state-of-the-art terminals being constructed with Chinese Bank loan will be ready by the first quarter of next year.

    She said the facilities under construction and expansion would be big and modern enough to accommodate large aircraft like the Airbus 380 aeroplanes as obtained in the largest international airports.

    “The president has directed the Ministry to look into the possibility of having a national carrier as soon as possible,” she said

    According to her, President Buhari has also ordered the take over of the nation’s airspace, over the Gulf of Guinea, from Ghana.

    She said: “We have a directive by the president to start the process of securing management of Nigerian airspace over the Gulf of Guinea which Ghana has been maintaining since 1945 and there is a move on the ground by Togo and Republic of Benin to take over the management of their own airspace from Ghana.”

    She reassured Nigerians and the international community that the nation’s airspace is safe and has just recorded a score of over 90 per cent by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

  • Omeruo relishes first-team action

    Omeruo relishes first-team action

    Nigeria international Kenneth Omeruo has told AfricanFootball.com he is looking forward to a regular first-team action with his new Turkish club Kasimpasa. The 21-year-old Chelsea defender is on loan to Kasimpasa.

    The AFCON 2013 winner said he is now looking forward to a great time with the Istanbul club when the season starts on August 15. Kasimpasa’s opening day fixture will be away to Gaziantepspor.

    “I am really excited with the deal to Kasimpasa. I am hoping to get a lot of game time with the club and also help the club achieve success when the season starts,” Omeruo told AfricanFootball.com.

    Kasimpasa could make Omeruo’s move permanent should the Nigeria defender impress during his loan spell.

    And now Omeruo stands a better chance of remaining in the Eagles setup after new coach insisted his players must be featuring regularly in the top leagues in Europe.

  • Matching word with action

    Those who have any skeletons in their cupboards regarding the running of public offices in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan now have reason to be concerned.

    This is because President Muhammadu Buhari last week earnestly began probe into some fraudulent practices that have almost milked the nation dry.

    Buhari, during his campaign period prior to the March 28 Presidential election, had put no one in doubt as to his determination to kill the corruption monster that has dwarfed Nigeria and prevented it from adequately providing basic infrastructural facilities for Nigerians over the years.

    Knowing Buhari as a no-nonsense man and one who means what he says, some of the key actors in Jonathan’s administration, probably out of fear of what they have done wrong in office, did not wait for the May 29 handover ceremony to take place before jetting out of the country.

    While many ex-government’s agency heads in this group have not returned to the country after five weeks that Buhari assumed office, many others in Jonathan’s administration, under one guise or the other, have also travelled out of Nigeria since May 29.

    Though some Nigerians might have misconstrued part of Buhari’s inaugural speech to mean that the sins of corrupt officers in Jonathan’s administration have been forgiven and that he will only look ahead, signs from the seat of power in the last two weeks have shown that it is not going to be the case.

    Buhari, who kept his plans against corruption in the past administration to his heart, at the beginning of his government had stopped immigration and other government agencies from preventing members of Jonathan’s cabinet from travelling out of the country.

    Even if he wanted to close his eyes to financial wrongdoings under Jonathan’s administration, what he met in the treasury on assumption in office couldn’t allow him.

    What he met on the ground was so bad that his administration could not pick up and move with the speed it wanted to.

    Unable to keep calm over the issue, Buhari a forthnight ago raised the alarm that he virtually met empty treasury on assumption of office.

    As if the empty treasury left behind by the last administration was aimed at crippling the nation, Buhari then vowed to recover the stolen money.

    Seeing the predicament of Buhari’s young administration, the United States and other nations, where most key actors in Jonathan’s administration have relocated to, have promised to help Buhari in his drive to recover the stolen money.

    While these happened two weeks ago, the Buhari’s administration last week Monday put action to its words.

    It sets up a four man panel comprising state governors, Edo – Adams Oshiomhole, Gombe – Ibrahim Dankwambo,

    Kaduna – Nasir el-Rufai and Akwa Ibom – Emmanuel Udom, to probe the oil sales and expenditure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2012 and May 2015.

    The panel, which is expected to report back to the National Economic Council (NEC), headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, by 23rd of this month, is also to probe expenses and other payments out of the Excess Crude Account.

    Briefing journalists on behalf of NEC last week Monday, Oshiomhole said: “This is the first time we had a National Economic Council meeting in which under the instructions of the President, NNPC and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation was compelled to provide information in black and white on issues as it relates to the total sales of Nigeria crude from 2012 to May 2015. This has never happened before and for us this is profound.

    “What we saw from those numbers, which I believe Nigerians are entitled to know, is that whereas the NNPC claimed to have earned about N8.1 trillion, what NNPC paid into the Federation Account between 2012 and May 2015 was N4.3 trillion and NNPC withheld and spent N3.8 trillion.

    “Which means the cost of running NNPC is much more than the cost of running the Federal Government. That tells you how much is missing, what is mismanaged, what is stolen, there are huge figures.

    “President Buhari has promised to do that henceforth all monies must go to the federation account. What you need, you budget for. Nigeria cannot continue with you earn the money and spend it. Where is transparency? Where is the role of the National Assembly?”

    On Excess Crude Account, he said: “We looked at the numbers for the ýExcess crude account, the last time the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, reported to the Council and it is in the minute, she reported by November 2014, that we had $4.1 billion but today the Accountant General Office reported we have $2.0 billion. Which means the Honourable Minister spent $2.1billion without authority of the NEC.” He added

    But barely 24 hours after the move by Buhari’s administration to look at past records, fuel scarcity and long queues, under whatever guise, appeared in many petrol stations across the country.

    It is not clear whether the fuel scarcity is a way the marketers, who are mostly used to hoarding fuel in their filling stations, wanted to fight Buhari’s anti-corruption drive in the sector, which may end up with total deregulation of the sector.

    Many Nigerians, no doubt, trust Mr. President will not allow the few saboteurs to continue to hold the country to ransom and make Nigerians to suffer the man-made fuel scarcity for long.

    No matter what is really causing the fuel scarcity, the masses on the street are fully behind the government in the effort to fight corruption to a standstill for the betterment of the country.

     

    Depleting Boko Haram’s foot-soldiers

     

    Besides going all out in military battle against the terrorists, Boko Haram, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is also  embracing ways to deplete the sect’s foot-soldiers without firing bullets.

    This move is in line with the positions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some other retired army generals, who believed that military option alone cannot end terrorism in Nigeria.

    The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Department in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has started to disabuse the minds of some Boko Haram members and rehabilitate them back to the society.

    Apart from drawing out those already operating within the sect, the department is also concerned with shrinking Boko Haram’s recruitment pool.

    The aims of the CVE programme in Nigeria include identifying the underlying causes of radicalization likely to be social, cultural, religious, or economic factor, and developing strategies to tackle them.

  • Judiciary workers threaten legal action

    Judiciary workers threaten legal action

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has vowed to institute a legal action against state governments that have not implemented the Federal High Court, Abuja verdict that granted financial autonomy to the judicial sector.

    JUSUN President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, made the threat after an emergency meeting of its national officers, saying the union has notified its lawyers to approach the court to freeze the accounts of defaulting states.

    Speaking on the union’s ongoing strike in some states in the country, Adamu said the strike will continue alongside the intended court action, stating that the suspension of the strike in Enugu, Niger, Kogi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Delta and Bayelsa followed compliance of union’s demands by the governments.

    JUSUN suspended its nationwide strike recently following a memorandum of understanding reached with the Federal Government, but directed state chapters not to do so until an understanding is reached on the implementation of the court judgment.

    Adamu lamented the decision by the Jigawa State Government to withhold the January salary of its members, saying that the union would use all legal channels available to challenge intimidation of its members and ensure that Nigeria’s labour laws are respected.

    “States facing various threats and intimidation from their state governments, including non-payment of salaries, are to continue with the struggle as the union, among other opinion is considering taking appropriate legal action to address each case on its merit.

    “State branches are not to submit the struggle to the whims and caprices of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chairmen, such as in Abia which has arrogated to themselves the power to determine conditions for suspending the strike. Any strike suspended without due process shall be nullified by the national headquarters of JUSUN.

    “The union remains focused and will take all appropriate legal steps to enforce its resolutions on the strike for the implementation of the constitutional provision of judiciary autonomy confirmed by the court judgment of 13th January, 2014,” he said.

  • Fayose: Yoruba’s new PDP leader in action

    I sympathise with Ayo Fayose for his current travails. It is as if it is now a crime to be resourceful enough to defeat two sitting governors at different periods. He has on account of trials by his political detractors since his second coming six weeks ago become the face of all that is wrong with us as a nation and with our fledgling democracy.  The truth however is that the Fayose phenomenon is only symptomatic of a nation ‘of anything is possible’, one that thrives in aberration of putting  square pegs in round holes, hoping the nation will wobble on.  Didn’t we not too  long ago have an ill-equipped Aguiyi-Ironsi who thought all that was required to manage society was military training and tactics, an ill-equipped Obasanjo, who thought he could play god because fortune had smiled on him, and an  incompetent Shagari who only wanted to be a senator but found himself imposed on Nigeria. He smoked while Akinloye and his NPN wrecked the economy. There was also the cunning Babangida who took the nation for a ride for eight years of ‘transition without end’; an impostor called Abacha whose only agenda was to mindlessly loot the treasury. We have similarly had a terminally ill Yar’Adua and a Jonathan who by all accounts is a good man but lacks the competence and political will to manage a multi-ethnic society which is today torn between Christians and Muslims, north and south, Fulani versus Middle Belt and Ijaws versus Hausa/Fulani – their traditional allies.

    Fayose, today’s aberration is brash, garrulous, and confident. He is well grounded in the art of street fighting as espoused by his mentor the late Adedibu, PDP garrison commander of Ibadan politics who rose through the rank as an Action Group thug in the first republic to become the leader of Ibadan thugs and road workers union. He it was that told us that to be a governor, you must be ready to remove your dress and fight it out on the street and have no inhibition about falsely swearing publicly with the Holy Koran. Fayose has been an outstanding student. But for those like Obasanjo who have continued to prolong our nightmare through playing god, Fayose would have been a celebrated success if he had been restricted to his area of core competence – protecting the king on the throne. The Yoruba with its rich culture have long warned of the consequences of usurping the throne by those not groomed to ascend thrones. Accordingly they say, “Ti a ba fi eru j’oba, ilu a tuka.” The governor  by all accounts is not a slave; this is just the Yoruba way of saying those who were not groomed to be kings but usurp the throne, will mismanage the fortune of the people while the community will be in disarray. We witnessed the consequences of such an aberration during the reign of Abacha, when NADECO members fled the country. We saw a bit of it during Fayose’s first coming as governor 2003 -2006 when Ekiti elite fled from the state while revered traditional rules like the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti who had nowhere to run to was rudely challenged by Fayose to remove his crown and sceptre and come to the political arena for contest of popularity.

    Indeed the view of George Akosile, the state chairman of defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) shortly before Fayose’s impeachment in 2006 was that “Fayose is not a proper person to rule Ekiti State. He has no certificate. He is an area boy…” This may sound harsh and uncharitable, but Akosile was vindicated by Fayose’s subsequent impeachment by 23 of the 26-member state House of Assembly in October 2006 for the mismanagement of N12 billion local government joint contribution fund and the alleged theft of N1.3 billion through the derailed integrated poultry project among 26 charges brought by EFCC to support his impeachment.

    Most people had thought that eight years in the political wilderness,  51 court appearances and months of detention over the yet-to-be resolved 26 charges EFCC  brought against Fayose would have sobered him but a leopard does not change its skin. This time around, he did not even wait for his inauguration before resorting to self-help. He simply led a band of thugs and okada riders into a court premises, beat up the judge handling the case about his eligibility to contest an election, filed long before the election. They tore the judge’s gown along with some prepared judgments.

    With inauguration, he started with the mundane. The government house commissioned on the eve of his inauguration, he claimed, was too big and too tastefully furnished for a people’s governor. He then directed okada riders and thugs to go and have a taste and feel of the place because government house belongs to them. Days later, his political detractors claimed he spent another N200 million to carry out further repair on the same house. At the state secretariat, a new entrance was to be constructed to keep ‘evil servants’ at a distance while the governor moves to his office every morning. There had been an earlier directive that civil servants who got promoted in the last one year were to revert back to their old positions. Due to no fault of theirs, they would also have to refund the allowances already earned because government is broke. Along the line, the people’s governor appointed a special adviser on stomach infrastructure. Government also issued a public notice inviting his supporters to a rendezvous at drinking joints for carousing on Fridays at government expense.

    Then from the mundane, the government moved to the bizarre. Never equipped to manage conflicts through negotiation and compromise with the other arms of government, he forced 19 of the 26 members of the state House of Assembly out of town, ferried the seven members of PDP in a government bus guided by over 300 heavily armed policemen to the assembly chambers where the seven hilariously pronounced the speaker and deputy impeached in their absence and accorded one of their seven members the title speaker. Minutes later, the governor, dressed like one of his supporters was addressing local and international press. He told bemused nation that he has recognized the new speaker and was prepared to work with him.

    With Ekiti now fully secured, Fayose who won an election without an agenda has moved on to the national stage. Last week he ferried PDP members and some leading Ekiti Obas to Obafemi Awolowo University, to sell Jonathan who is seeking re-election in 2015 to the marginalised Yoruba who the Jonathan administration has largely ignored for three years. This in itself was an arduous task. But Fayose instead of selling Jonathan embarked on petty personal wars by attacking Obasanjo’s person.

    Fayose’s answer to Obasanjo’s warning that “increasing corruption under Jonathan had damaged the economy, with possible consequences of having to borrow to pay salaries and allowances because of dwindling revenue allocation to states and local governments” was to call attention of the public to donations to Obasanjo library and an alleged sharing of N50 million to each senator and House of Representatives member during Obasanjo’s third term fiasco.

    Fayose’s answer to Obasanjo’s warning that “Nigeria cannot continue to indulge in disdain for truth, elevation of corruption and incompetence, reinforcement of failure, and celebration of mediocrity, tribal bigotry, fomenting violence and anti-democratic practices in states and National Assembly” was to accuse Obasanjo of intolerance of those with independent minds of their own.

    Fayose’s reaction to Obasanjo admonition that it took Jonathan more than three years to appreciate and understand that “Boko Haram is not simply a menace based on religion or one directed to frustrate anybody’s political ambition”, was to praise the president for refusing “to toe the path of unconstitutionality” and for respecting human rights by not committing crime against humanity” as Obasanjo once did.

    I am sure it is not only the Ekitis  at home and abroad that feel diminished by Fayose’s emptiness and attempt to wage petty personal wars with serious national issues at Ife last week, his entourage made of professors and respected traditional Ekiti rulers and even  Obasanjo who first promoted him beyond his level, would probably share the same fate. Behold the new Yoruba PDP leader, the nemesis of Obasanjo in action.