Two days ago, Spectrum Broadcasting Company celebrated the tenth anniversary of its flagship, Hot FM, Abuja, one of the most popular radio stations in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, and in the country; its proprietor and host of the event, the delectable Senator Chris Anyawu, herself once a popular broadcaster, said in her welcome speech that her station is among the top three in the country.
The venue of the celebration was the recently constructed Nigeria Airforce Conference Centre and Suites, an architectural beauty and one of the most modern buildings in Abuja.
The top highlight of the event was the Special Awards to four prominent Nigerians – the Senate President, David Mark, for stabilising the Senate leadership after eight years of a scandalously high turnover of five presidents; Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for his exceptional service delivery in his state; Dr Oby Ezekwesili, for leading an enduring campaign for the rescue of Chibok Girls held in captivity by Boko Haram for over a year now; and the Nigerian Armed Forces for their gallantry, sacrifice and courage in the face of great odds in combating Boko Haram. The second highlight was a two-topic symposium, the first on “The Change Nigerians Expect” and the other, a panel discussion on how the media can foster that change.
Professor Pat Utomi, formerly of the Lagos Business School, and Ezekwesili, one of the awardees, spoke on the first topic, while AIT’s Raymond Dokpesi, represented by Odion Bello, one of his top managers, presented the paper for the panel discussion on the second topic. Femi Adesina, the Managing Director of Sun and president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Bello who read Dokpesi’s paper, discussed it, moderated by this reporter. There were three interesting interventions from the audience by Senators Anthony Manzo, Adekola Babalola and Adegbenga Kaka, mostly on media’s role in bringing about the changes Nigerians expect from President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.
The chairman of the occasion, Professor Jerry Gana, our first minister of Information in the current 16-year old Republic, spoke at length in his opening remarks but he did not disappoint as a celebrated orator. Neither did the Master of Ceremony, Andy Gabriel, a former broadcaster with Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, who ensured the event proceeded at a brisk, time-saving pace.
Of all the speeches and remarks at the event, however, the most profound for me was Ezekwesili’s. If Nigeria wants to get out of its current mess, occasioned mainly by its over-reliance on oil, she said in effect, its governments must begin to invest massively in education. Like Utomi who spoke before her – each of them for roughly ten minutes as they were allotted – she was characteristically eloquent, albeit not as eloquent as our professor whose characterisation of Nigeria’s politics as one “by politicians, of politicians and for politicians,” – obviously drawing from American President Abraham Lincoln’s famous definition of democracy as government by the people, of the people and for the people – should clinch gold as a sound-bite for its wit and accuracy anywhere, anytime.
However, Ezekwesili made up for Utomi’s slightly superior eloquence by talking at some length about how to bring about the change, instead of merely dwelling, as Utomi did, on the things that needed changing.
In talking about education as the main weapon of change, Ezekwesili, who once served as education minister, reminded me of an article in the New York Times of March 10, 2012 by Thomas Friedman, one of its columnists and thrice winner of the Pulitzer Prize as a reporter. It’s an article I have had cause to refer to on these pages a few times before but which still bears referring to every now and again for its relevance to our situation.
Titled “Pass the Book. Hold the Oil,” the article drew attention to the report of a programme in 2012 conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Paris-based 34-member rich-country club, of the link between the performance of 15-year olds across 65 countries in Maths, Science and reading comprehension, on the one hand, and the natural endowment of those countries, on the other. The programme was called PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment.
Its report showed that, overall, the pupils of countries with little or no natural endowment like oil and other minerals, performed better than the pupils of countries with plenty natural resources. The report also showed that the exceptions to this pattern, notably Canada, Australia and Norway which had plenty of natural resources, had established deliberate policies of saving and investing earnings from their natural resources instead of consuming them.
“Oil and PISA,” Friedman concluded in his article, “don’t mix.”
Nigeria, as a naturally well-endowed country, especially with oil, the world’s primary source of energy, has for decades obviously been suffering from the so-called “Dutch Disease” whereby over-dependence on export of natural resources for public revenue leads to a soaring of the value of a country’s currency, which, in turn, leads to the collapse of its domestic manufacturing, as cheap imports flood in and exports become too expensive. The good thing about the OECD’s PISA report, however, was that this disease is not necessarily inevitable, as Canada, Australia and Norway showed.
Ezekwesili did not have time to expand on how Nigeria should go about investing in the education of its human resources but it was apparent from her talk that what she had in mind was a much more serious and sensible approach than the clearly politically motivated building of almajiri schools and of new universities that are little more than glorified secondary schools which was pursued by the out-going Jonathan administration.
However, whatever approach Ezekwesili had in mind, it is bound to beg the question of how to raise the money to invest in the nation’s human capital for a country like ours who’s leaders as a class have stolen the country blind and squandered so much of the revenues from our natural resources.
One short answer, of course, is to fight corruption, a fight which the in-coming Buhari administration says is one of its top priorities. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as we all know too well. Even then we can make a start by sanitising our contract system whereby it seems the cost of any contract in Nigeria is invariably the highest in the world.
Take, for example, the cost at which the 30-kilometer highway from central Abuja to Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport was constructed several years ago. Or even the new four-kilometer runway of the airport itself. The highway was constructed at a cost of about N7 billion per kilometre. Some experts say it should never have cost more than a small fraction of that, frills and all.
The runway was initially awarded at N60 billion. This was so ridiculously high that the boss of Julius Berger, the awardee, told a hearing of the Senate the figure contained an “arithmetical error” after which it was reduced to N42 billion. Even then some experts say it could have been built for N16 billion and yet guarantee sufficient returns to the company’s owners to last a lifetime.
The quality of JB’s constructions may meet, indeed beat, world standards, but their prices seem to typify the country’s contract system in their lack of cost-effectiveness by the same world standards.
There are, to be sure, no quick fixes for education. But there is no alternative to investing in it massively and efficiently if we want to end our over-dependence on oil, an over-dependence which has clearly landed us in the economic mess we are in, which, in turn, has made the lives of ordinary Nigerians nasty, brutish and generally shorter than they were before we discovered oil.
However, if there are no quick fixes for education, surely there are quick ways to find the money to invest in the sector, such quick ways as raising the efficiency of our contract systems to global best practices.
Because education takes long to fix, the sooner we begin fixing it in earnest the better our chances of ending our over-dependence on oil sooner than later. For, as Andreas Schleicher, who oversaw the PISA exams for the OECD said, “Knowledge and skills have become the global currency of 21st-century economies, but there is no central bank that prints this currency. Everyone has to decide on their own how much they will print.”
Re: The Eighth Senate rollercoaster (May 13)
Sir,
Zoning is not synonymous with mediocrity. In my view the PDP was right in popularising it. We tend to have forgotten the situation that gave birth to it 16 years ago. Every region of this country can boast of people with demonstrated personal integrity and commitment to public service.
Gbemiga Ogunleye +2348054235291.
Sir,
I totally agree with your position that (Senator George) Akume is the best choice for the post, given the massive support GMB enjoyed from the middle-belt despite the anti-Islam campaign by the PDP.
+2348123341481.
Sir,
Don’t you think it would be unfair on the part of APC’s leadership to sideline PDP defectors in the sharing of positions after APC’s electoral victory? CPC has the President-elect and ACN the vice president-elect. It remains ANPP and PDP that have not been ‘compensated’. I am sure the victory may have been a mirage without their support. In summation, I believe Dr Bukola Saraki should be supported to become the senate president as PDP’s share, and am happy that, according to your testimony, he is competent.
Adewuyi Adegbite +2347013065440.
Sir,
You are not fair to the Northeast. They produced the second highest votes for APC after Northwest. Why always Northcentral? Is Northeast not part of Nigeria?
In an emotional laden voice, renowned poet Prof Niyi Osundare bared his mind yesterday on the state of the nation and its economy.
With swipes at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government and nuggets of advice for the incoming administration, Osundare said real transformation must occur in all sectors of the economy.
He made the call at the Niyi Osundare International Poetry Festival, held at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
“Change is what politicians promised us, especially the incoming administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but I have learnt not to trust politicians.
“APC has to be extremely careful in the way it handles everything. Most of our politicians are rogues.
“In the last one week, no fuel, no electricity and people are just going their activities as if all is well.
“We embrace the change APC is bringing but all I am calling for is real change in all sectors.
“We want good roads that will take us to our destinations and not early graves. Good education for our children, food for everybody, roofs over our heads, good medical care instead of sending people to India, Egypt or South Korea.
“The change we need must be a departure from impunity and those who rule us must be held accountable.
“There must be reward for good deeds and punishment for bad ones.
“We are ruled by people who steal our money and we still praise them. In this country today, it pays to do evil than good and that is why things have gone bad.
“Nigerians must ensure that we get our politicians to respect us. They buy us over with stomach infrastructure. We vote in the wrong people and we suffer for it.
“A politician gives the electorate N500 to secure their votes, and without looking at his ideology they vote for him.
“In a day or two, the money is gone. They have voted out their future and that of their children, and I know it is due to poverty.
“Government must reduce poverty and even eradicate it because we have the resources.
“We are one of the richest countries in the world and seventh highest producer of crude oil.
“Go to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates you will see what they have done with their oil money.
“We live on the ocean but we are washing our hands with saliva.“
He lamented that Nigerians have not learnt to hold their leaders accountable, adding that those who rule do so with impunity.
“Every Nigerian must know how much each politician or public office holder earns.
“We must know how they spend the security votes. The politicians are few and we are many.
“We spend over 60 per cent of our earnings on the maintenance of parasitic and prodigal political officers and the rest of us are suffering.”
Osundare warned that if the incoming administration performs below expectations, it will be voted out.
Commending on the Festival, Osundare said: ”Friendly conspirators organised this festival and I am highly overwhelmed by this kind gesture.
“I feel humbled and highly inspired. I believe they are not just doing it for me as a person but they are doing it for our society and our country.”
Present at the event were former UI Vice-Chancellor Prof Ayo Banjo; Prof Ayo Bamgbose; Prof Femi Osofisan; Vice-Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Prof Abdul-rasheed Na-Allah; UI DVC (Administration); Prof Emilolorun Ayelari, UI DVC (Academics), Prof Gbemi Oke, among others.
At last, in spite of predictions by doomsday prophets, the 2015 general elections in the country have come and gone. We are left with house-keeping until May 29, which is less than 48 hours from today, when Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect, will be sworn in as the fifth democratically elected president in post-independence Nigeria. As winner of the presidential election which held on March 28, after he is sworn in on Friday, Buhari will be the fourth president inaugurated into office since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999 following 19 unbroken years of military interregnum between 1983 and 1999.
The 2015 presidential contest was rightly regarded as the most pivotal in the country’s 55 years history since independence in 1960. There was no denying the thickness of the tension in and around the country as the elections approached. Even Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, described the electioneering process as “vicious” on account of the fiercely competitive nature of the political campaigns that witnessed the most expensive elections ever organized in the land.
Having emerged winner in a process that, although not without its own shortcomings, many, including international election observer groups, have hailed it as largely peaceful and credible, expectations are unsurprisingly high about what will come with Buhari’s presidency. Indeed, many Nigerians believe, rightly or wrongly, that the myriad of problems confronting the country will automatically vanish the moment the new president mounts the saddle.
Considering the socio-economic malaise the country has had to endure in recent years, Buhari, is at this time, seen as a messiah of sorts. In view of this, all structures – political and economic – are eagerly awaiting his much-vaunted ‘magic’ wand. In fact, it might be safe to say that Buhari is right now carrying more weight of expectation than Chief Olusegun Obasanjo bore when he was voted the country’s civilian leader in 1999. Before then, the military had dominated the political scene from December 31, 1983 till May 29, 1999.
Like Obasanjo was, Buhari is equally not a neophyte. He is not coming into the saddle unprepared. Having led the country for 20 months – from December 31, 1983 to August 12, 1985 – following the military coup that toppled the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in the dying minutes of December, 1983, he has been there before. In addition, he has a well-documented story of having previously lost elections in his bid to be Nigeria’s civilian president on three occasions – 2003, 2007 and 2011, before getting his Holy Grail at the fourth attempt this year.
It is also safe to assume that through his years in the military and even after being ousted as head of state by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and his band of coupists in 1985, he has carefully cultivated a formidable enough circle of strategic friends at home and internationally. These can, indeed, come handy in his new position. The times may have changed, but having also previously served the nation in such capacities as Federal Commissioner of Petroleum Resources, military administrator in the old North East as well as chairman of the then Petroleum Trust Fund, he is a man who must be aware of the infrastructural and indeed, economic deficits facing the country. There is no mincing word that Buhari is a dogged fighter, an incurable optimist and a man imbued with Spartan determination to succeed in spite of both natural and man-made hurdles in his path.
With these rare credentials possessed by one man, what the country needs now from him is a productive demonstration of his understanding of the avalanche of burning issues at stake through the application of practical solutions to dealing with them. For a man whose main selling card has always been his honesty, self-discipline, incorruptibility and steadfast belief in the need for government to operate efficiently by taking bold steps to eliminate wastages, the country has hardly ever been more in need of being administered by an individual that fits the profile of the incoming president. Already, the sound bites coming from the camp of the president-elect with regards to the need to reduce and commercialise the bulk of the aircrafts in the over-bloated presidential fleet, is very encouraging. Let’s hope that this will be just the beginning in his bid to bring some fiscal sanity to the overhead cost of governance in the country as he has always suggested by his body language.
Another area of exceptional national interest is petroleum-related activities, which include revenue generated from crude oil, the management of the funds, as well as the facilities for the production of the product. For several weeks now, Nigerians have been in the throes of excruciating scarcity of petroleum products, the same problem that has rendered the nation’s economy perenially prostrate in the last few years. For a major oil producing country in the world, this is a scandal of monumental magnitude. It may not be much, but, perhaps, there may be some consolation in the person and persona of the president-elect.
Each time Buhari speaks about the oil or petroleum resources sector, he seems to speak like someone who is familiar with issues around the industry, someone who appreciates the enormity of the issues well enough to be armed with very workable solutions to the industry’s seemingly intractable problems. I can’t help but notice the nostalgia with which he responds to issues about the industry. Although whether this fondness translates to concrete results in the interest of all in the next few months or years, is another matter altogether.
The Nigerian oil industry is like a patient on a stretcher being wheeled to the theatre for urgent surgical operation to save his life. In other words, the Nigeria oil industry is currently gasping for breath as most of the country’s refineries have either broken down or they are merely engaged in epileptic production which is a far cry from the country’s energy needs. This unsavoury situation has created a lacuna for very dubious businessmen and their collaborators in the corridors of power, to bleed the country dry through the payment of duplicitous subsidy for the importation of petroleum products.
For instance, some highly placed Nigerians are believed to be neck-deep in fraudulent importation of aviation fuel, only to turn round to pass on papers for payment of subsidy for kerosene. Another ploy is a situation where refined petroleum products are taken out of the country to neighbouring West-African countries and then brought back immediately as imported petroleum products in order to collect subsidy. These are some of the ingenious ways through which the country has been stolen blind. Now is the time to plug all these loopholes and save the country from thieves masquerading as businessmen.
Recall that the last of the country’s long-since comatose refineries was built in 1984, at a time Buhari presided over the affairs of the country as a military ruler. While the age of the refineries is regularly cited as a reason the country needs new ones, it is instructive to know that even in a country like the United States of America with a history of healthy refineries and efficiency in the refining of petroleum products, the most recently-built refinery was constructed around 1988. What I am trying to say here is that, with a good maintenance culture, the age of a refinery does not necessarily prevent it from delivering. Sadly, our abysmal maintenance culture has created a lot of rot in our entire social and economic infrastructure as exemplified by the sorry state into which our refineries have been plunged for decades.
Prof. Ademola Ariyo is of the Department of Economics at the University of Ibadan (UI). In collaboration with the United States Information Agency, he founded the Ibadan-based Centre for Public Private Co-operation (CPPC), which aims at sustaining development in Nigeria and other African countries. He spoke to OSEHEYE OKWUOFU on a variety of issues, including prospects of good governance and fight against corruption. Excerpts:
What informed the founding of the Centre for Public Private Co-operation (CPPC)?
I think there is a link between my person, my vision and the coming on board of the Centre for Public Private Co-operation (CPPC) in 1995. After my experience in government at both state and federal levels, I noticed a gap between the government, the people and the quest for sustainable development.
We perceived that a lot of effective partnership among the major players was and still is a necessary condition for achieving the goals of sustainable development in African countries in general and Nigeria in particular. It is also a basis for evolving and building strong institutions because, in partnerships, there should be openness and consensus.
However, government should coordinate the apportioning of responsibilities to individuals and groups and not to act as master of the process. So, having gotten some ideas, we spoke with some people within and outside Nigeria and we got a proposal funded by the United States Information Agency on issues of good governance and that led to the formation of CPPC.
The advocacy for good governance is what I have been doing since 1996. Although we have been able to get good support since we started, luckily, when civilian regime came on board in 1999, we had more disciples and other advocacy groups. We played very important roles in empowerment, exposing them to principles of transparency, accountability and good governance. That is what I have been doing over the years.
Based on your experience, what can you say about good governance in Nigeria, is the country on the right track?
There is a minor misconception about the difference between governance and government. Government is essentially two inter-related aspects that is the existence of the necessary high quantum of institutions and the degree of independence that each institution enjoys in performing its assigned roles. There should be no issues of dominance, suppression of roles or over-riding of institutions. I think by and large we have been extremely deficient in this aspect in Nigerian environment.
I am not sure since the commencement of civilian regime that we can say categorically that we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of good governance. We discovered that in most cases we are governed by the rule of the boss rather than the rule of the law.
Incidentally, the National Assembly that is the parliament is a notable landmark of the existence of democratic rule. But we all saw what has been happening over the years. I also had an insight to some of these things when I served as Budget Adviser to the National Assembly. I think we still have a long way to go, we are not yet there in the concept of moving towards good governance.
Some are due to primordial issues, some due to low literacy about the essence and benefits of procedures, processes and the benefits of good governance. Some people say that if we had galvanised support for good governance, they will lose their privileged positions. It’s not necessarily true but it’s a way of ensuring that everybody is well off without any genuine person being worse off. That is the essence of good governance.
Would you say that Nigeria has the necessary institutions that would enhance good governance?
There are two major players in this regard, the executive and the legislature. For example, the head of the executive has to be elected. That is a typical representative political system. The two of them come on board on a platform of electoral process but that is a sort of opportunity to manage the system. The way the legislative system has been handled is nothing near what we can say represents good governance. What I am saying in essence is that representative political system is a necessary but not sufficient condition for good governance. When you look at what I call the gadgets, the police or other institutions, they are not as independent as they need to be, especially the police. Even if we have the best police in the world that is willing to perform, they are within the control of the head of the executive.
There have been documented researches that we are yet to have the 21st Century police that will be able and willing to ensure the emergence of good governance. The police have a lot of work to do. The military essentially is to protect the territorial integrity of the country and help ward off any insurgency.
Also, we knew what was happening in the judiciary. Recently, we witnessed manipulation in the judiciary which shows that they are not playing their roles the way they should be.
The principle of separation of power is a necessary factor in a democratic setting. Do you think politicians have regard for this principle?
To a certain degree, I say yes. But there is over-bearing influence of the party structure, especially between the executive and the legislature. It is only in Nigeria that you will hear about political solution to serious economic and criminal issues. Most people believe that even if you committed the most heinous crime such as switching from one political party to the other, such politician is in safe haven.
Consider some of the cases between the executive and the legislature, although we don’t expect them to be enemies, there should be a limit to their co-operation; so that it will not amount to conspiracy against the people.
The legislature is supposed to be a check on the executive, but in most cases, according to information, once they have the party caucus, they want to protect the interest of the party.
So, with that we are not yet in ideal level, although I want to acknowledge that when I was in the National Assembly as adviser, the legislators stood their ground on some key national issues.
For example, it was my strong argument that led to the establishment of excess crude account. I also remember that around 2008 or 2009 when the National Assembly recovered above 450 million dollars at the end of the year balances that were not sent to the treasury. Those were landmark cases but to me, this does not create a sort of a winner or loser scenario.
I expect the legislators to be able to stand their ground on some issues. Look at what they are doing now with regard to constitution amendment bill. The executive challenged the authority of the National Assembly and going up to the Supreme Court. These are scenarios that will strengthen each party to know their right and limitations in a democratic set up. And that is an ideal scenario in an emerging democratic Nigeria.
Corruption has been an endemic issue that has undermined the country’s growth and development, even as it has hampered good governance. What prospects lay ahead, especially with an incoming administration?
I will look at it from two angles; the incoming government should and must do something about corruption because that was the flagship promise that swayed the people into voting for them massively. The second is, can it curb corruption? Yes it can curb corruption because the leadership plays a very dominant role in the life of any organisation.
•Gen. Buhari
If you go by the antecedent, the President-elect has a very good track record. People are talking about what he did while he was in power between 1984 and 1985 which is correct. But the most important issue of hope is his lifestyle that is not a fluke.
I was shocked on what he said during his party’s primaries; that he has no penny to bribe any delegates and even if he has money, he was not ready to bribe anybody because he didn’t want to buy the presidency but to serve; I was shocked because that wasn’t what we are used to.
I read somewhere that as a former Minister of Petroleum, he didn’t have a single petrol station and that at a personal level, I have a friend that has been to his house at Daura for about two or three times. As a former Head of State, it is unbelievable the way he lives.
So, for him to come back, I think there is a lot of prospect for this country. My fear is that even if he performs miracle while in office, can we sustain the gains of hat informed the founding of the Centre for Public Private Co-operation (CPPC)?
I think there is a link between my person, my vision and the coming on board of the Centre for Public Private Co-operation (CPPC) in 1995. After my experience in government at both state and federal levels, I noticed a gap between the government, the people and the quest for sustainable development.
We perceived that a lot of effective partnership among the major players was and still is a necessary condition for achieving the goals of sustainable development in African countries in general and Nigeria in particular. It is also a basis for evolving and building strong institutions because, in partnerships, there should be openness and consensus.
However, government should coordinate the apportioning of responsibilities to individuals and groups and not to act as master of the process. So, having gotten some ideas, we spoke with some people within and outside Nigeria and we got a proposal funded by the United States Information Agency on issues of good governance and that led to the formation of CPPC.
The advocacy for good governance is what I have been doing since 1996. Although we have been able to get good support since we started, luckily, when civilian regime came on board in 1999, we had more disciples and other advocacy groups. We played very important roles in empowerment, exposing them to principles of transparency, accountability and good governance. That is what I have been doing over the years.
Based on your experience, what can you say about good governance in Nigeria, is the country on the right track?
There is a minor misconception about the difference between governance and government. Government is essentially two inter-related aspects that is the existence of the necessary high quantum of institutions and the degree of independence that each institution enjoys in performing its assigned roles. There should be no issues of dominance, suppression of roles or over-riding of institutions. I think by and large we have been extremely deficient in this aspect in Nigerian environment.
I am not sure since the commencement of civilian regime that we can say categorically that we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of good governance. We discovered that in most cases we are governed by the rule of the boss rather than the rule of the law.
Incidentally, the National Assembly that is the parliament is a notable landmark of the existence of democratic rule. But we all saw what has been happening over the years. I also had an insight to some of these things when I served as Budget Adviser to the National Assembly. I think we still have a long way to go, we are not yet there in the concept of moving towards good governance.
Some are due to primordial issues, some due to low literacy about the essence and benefits of procedures, processes and the benefits of good governance. Some people say that if we had galvanised support for good governance, they will lose their privileged positions. It’s not necessarily true but it’s a way of ensuring that everybody is well off without any genuine person being worse off. That is the essence of good governance.
Would you say that Nigeria has the necessary institutions that would enhance good governance?
There are two major players in this regard, the executive and the legislature. For example, the head of the executive has to be elected. That is a typical representative political system. The two of them come on board on a platform of electoral process but that is a sort of opportunity to manage the system. The way the legislative system has been handled is nothing near what we can say represents good governance. What I am saying in essence is that representative political system is a necessary but not sufficient condition for good governance. When you look at what I call the gadgets, the police or other institutions, they are not as independent as they need to be, especially the police. Even if we have the best police in the world that is willing to perform, they are within the control of the head of the executive.
There have been documented researches that we are yet to have the 21st Century police that will be able and willing to ensure the emergence of good governance. The police have a lot of work to do. The military essentially is to protect the territorial integrity of the country and help ward off any insurgency.
Also, we knew what was happening in the judiciary. Recently, we witnessed manipulation in the judiciary which shows that they are not playing their roles the way they should be.
The principle of separation of power is a necessary factor in a democratic setting. Do you think politicians have regard for this principle?
To a certain degree, I say yes. But there is over-bearing influence of the party structure, especially between the executive and the legislature. It is only in Nigeria that you will hear about political solution to serious economic and criminal issues. Most people believe that even if you committed the most heinous crime such as switching from one political party to the other, such politician is in safe haven.
Consider some of the cases between the executive and the legislature, although we don’t expect them to be enemies, there should be a limit to their co-operation; so that it will not amount to conspiracy against the people.
The legislature is supposed to be a check on the executive, but in most cases, according to information, once they have the party caucus, they want to protect the interest of the party.
So, with that we are not yet in ideal level, although I want to acknowledge that when I was in the National Assembly as adviser, the legislators stood their ground on some key national issues.
For example, it was my strong argument that led to the establishment of excess crude account. I also remember that around 2008 or 2009 when the National Assembly recovered above 450 million dollars at the end of the year balances that were not sent to the treasury. Those were landmark cases but to me, this does not create a sort of a winner or loser scenario.
I expect the legislators to be able to stand their ground on some issues. Look at what they are doing now with regard to constitution amendment bill. The executive challenged the authority of the National Assembly and going up to the Supreme Court. These are scenarios that will strengthen each party to know their right and limitations in a democratic set up. And that is an ideal scenario in an emerging democratic Nigeria.
Corruption has been an endemic issue that has undermined the country’s growth and development, even as it has hampered good governance. What prospects lay ahead, especially with an incoming administration?
I will look at it from two angles; the incoming government should and must do something about corruption because that was the flagship promise that swayed the people into voting for them massively. The second is, can it curb corruption? Yes it can curb corruption because the leadership plays a very dominant role in the life of any organisation.
If you go by the antecedent, the President-elect has a very good track record. People are talking about what he did while he was in power between 1984 and 1985 which is correct. But the most important issue of hope is his lifestyle that is not a fluke.
I was shocked on what he said during his party’s primaries; that he has no penny to bribe any delegates and even if he has money, he was not ready to bribe anybody because he didn’t want to buy the presidency but to serve; I was shocked because that wasn’t what we are used to.
I read somewhere that as a former Minister of Petroleum, he didn’t have a single petrol station and that at a personal level, I have a friend that has been to his house at Daura for about two or three times. As a former Head of State, it is unbelievable the way he lives.
So, for him to come back, I think there is a lot of prospect for this country. My fear is that even if he performs miracle while in office, can we sustain the gains of that miracle after his exit from government? People are still queuing after the Buhari/Idiagbon administration. This is part of the legacies.
I was in government immediately after he left office; even a devil will not take bribe because you will not be sure if you are talking to SSS or police. The country had value for money, even after he left office.
But the whole thing has collapsed. We remembered Generals Muritala’s/Obasanjo’s regime was the first military to probe military officers. They reduced their ranks, freeze their accounts, but another regime came on board and threw everything away.
If someone prosecutes me for corruption and another person comes in to throw the allegation away, then what is the crime in engaging in corruption? We are encouraging corruption now and it has become the norm in the public arena.
The incoming administration has to be careful not to get confused. It must know how to start very well and their anti-corruption crusade must be focused on mopping up leaking waters and ensure that where the pipe from which water is coming out from is blocked. That means that he must block the source of corruption. But how to sustain the blocking of the leaking pipe is the problem. There is no developed country that did not address the issue of corruption. Such countries included Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and others.
What is your assessment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Allied Matters Commission (ICPC) and other agencies in fighting corruption?
I am amazed by this question because I think it was the EFCC or ICPC bill which was appraised and one thing we noticed was that the government has over-bearing authority on who should be prosecuted.
Corruption is a public disease in Nigeria. So, when you set up a government-led institution to catch a government-led disease, there is a problem. It will not work. Overtime, even though there were pockets of arrests, some people don’t believe it’s an objective organisation or that it was being used by the government just to punish the opposition. I think that what we need is an independent anti-corruption agency, and the incoming government will have a lot to do here. How they would do that, I do not know.
But given the nature of corruption in Nigeria, a government apparatus cannot effectively curb corruption in the country. It is supposed to be an interventionist arrangement and overtime the nature and severity of corruption are supposed to be going down. But we are having the opposite effect; which shows that there is something amiss. That is the challenge. There must be an arrangement to make it independent before it can succeed. Kenya tried it and it worked, so we can learn from their experience. Anything short of independent anti-corruption agencies will not work.
In what ways has the CPPC contributed to good governance in Nigeria?
The CPPC has not been too far from the government and we have been liaising with both the executive and the legislative arms of government. At a certain point in time, we had working partnership in terms of advice from a judge of Supreme Court. This is because he was very much impressed.
For instance, we did a research on economic growth and regulations when the government came on board and we sent it to the National Assembly. We discovered some outdated laws that are totally incompatible with democratic dispensation which we sent to every member of the National Assembly then. As I said, through our research, we facilitated the excess crude account because the argument was that under a democratic dispensation, a government cannot spend beyond what was appropriated. If they add one Naira more than that, they have to go back to National Assembly. That is how we convinced the National Assembly. We are not saying government should not spend money but they must not spend beyond what was appropriated.
We have assisted in the recovery of N450 billion at the end of the year balances. So, we are having the desired effects one way or the other. But as I said, it is not sustainable due to the inherent weaknesses of the advocacy groups. Some of them believe they know everything and the government do use them for their own interest sometimes. These are the issues that we need to address. The advocacy groups have to get it right with the incoming administration.
Nigeria is one of the top oil-producing countries, yet the citizens experience acute fuel scarcity. Do we truly need fuel subsidy since the argument is that it is an avenue through which public fund is siphoned?
Yes, there can be subsidy. But there are two issues we have to look at. How does subsidy arise? Subsidy arises when the government wants the end users of a product to pay less than the cost of producing that product. It’s just like a life support to make life better for the people, may be because of the level of their income.
It happens in some other countries. I think maybe in Cot’devoire there is this public transport the government provided facility to privatise the management for efficient service delivery. The management will now prepare its own budget and tell the government how much it costs them to run that organisation.
After going through the whole thing, the government will now then make that as the most efficient cost of producing the product. The government will now said if the cost of producing that product is N100, it will instruct the organisation to charge the public N30 as it will pay the organisation the difference of N70.
So, it’s not uncommon, but in Nigeria, it seems o be a novel thing.
First of all what element went into calculation of the subsidy, including government tax? Secondly, you are talking of what we called transfer cost. We should be producing locally but look at how much it costs to buy from international market. We are talking of value in exchange. They call it export parity.
But there is value in use because we have that resource. It’s like planting yam and you want to consume part of the yam and sell the balance but when you want to prepare your account, you will say no, you have to charge at the cost it obtains in the market even though it’s mine.
So, there is element of fraud in that type of transaction. The more important thing is that who is benefiting from the subsidy. Let’s say we are talking of kerosene to be sold at N50. That is the basis for the subsidy. Who is buying kerosene at N50? There is a lot to look at in that area.
I am not saying that the government should cancel subsidy, but there are some necessary and sufficient conditions to make sure it actually delivers on the premise on which it was based. I don’t think we are doing the right thing and if we are doing the right thing, it is in the very wrong way. It is not desirable, but the government should take a very close look at it and see where the citizens need support. But I am not sure there is anything beneficial from the current arrangement.
Group Managing Director, NANET Group, an hospitality firm, Ini Akpabio, has urged the President-elect, Muhammed Buhari to appoint professionals in key government positions.
Akpabio, made the appeal in a chat with journalists in Lagos at the weekend.
He said the down-ward trends witnessed in most sectors of the Nigeria economy, are as a result of the absence of technocrats in government’s positions.
“Most of the people appointed into leadership positions are not professionals or expert in such sectors given to them to manage.
“Politicians appoint people based on relationship not on experience and professionalism. If such is not corrected, no sector of the economy will work because the right people are not in the right positions,” he said.
The Managing Director also advised the incoming government to revitalised abandoned historical monuments, government built hotels and tourism sites across the country.
He said there were lots of abandoned government hotels, monuments and tourism sites that are not in good condition.
“The incoming government should focus on the abandoned historical sites, hotels and monuments to boost the sector.
“The country is blessed with enormous tourism and hospitality assets that can be used to raise revenue for the government .
According to him, the incoming government need not spend much in establishing tourism sites or monument but to reawaken abandoned ones, “ he said.
Akpabio advised the Buhari led administration to exploit hospitality and tourism sector as alternative means to oil sector.
“Government should diversify the economy through the tourism and hospitality industry as it poses less hazard to the environment unlike the oil sector.
“Hospitality and tourism sector is the third employer of labour after agric sector and government offices, “ he said.
He further stated that the industry is capable of employing over one million citizens annually, thereby, reducing employment challenges in the country.
“The industry will help to increase the nation gross domestic earnings by 50 per cent and also help in poverty alleviation,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio appealed to the Federal Government to create good road networks to tourism sites across the country and also provide infrastructure to aid the sector.
Associationof Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria(AMEN) president, Prince Saviour Iche has urged the government to address funding challenges of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the current economic situation has placed financial pressure on all companies.
Speaking with The Nation, Iche said, with access to working capital remaining a substantial challenge for most businesses, especially SMEs, there is a need to create alternatives as the resultant cycle of liquidity shortfalls puts further pressure on their ability to conduct business and service overheads.
Although many businesses are aware of potential sources of funding, he said, the costs and requirements for accessing funding are prohibitive, as a result, many potential entrepreneurs are prevented from accessing secured debt financing from financial institutions.
He implored banks to establish SMEs to promote entrepreneurial development and provide finance to local businesses.
Unreliable electricity supply, poor quality and limited breadth of road and rail networks, and poor communications infrastructure, he said, are having a significant impact on the cost of doing business.
To ameliorate this, he called on the incoming government to make energy an urgent priority to save enterprises from collapsing following increasing expenditure on generators to run their factories.
Iche said businesses have been forced to depend on generating their power needs as current problems with load shedding is not helping energy throughput for industrial consumption.
While urging the incoming government to explore and bring to fruition opportunities to secure power supply , Iche stressed the need to intensify infrastructure development such as roads and electricity, adding that achieving the vision of a more prosperous and productive nation will require successful local entrepreneurs.
He reiterated that SMEs believe that they shared responsibilities for employment creation, poverty reduction and youth development, but need the government support to participate in the national effort at improving standard of living, reducing crime rate, increase in per capita income and rapid growth in Gross Domestic Product(GDP) among others.
He noted that the economy needs industrialisation policies to favour medium and large enterprises, to stimulate economic growth and development, adding that renewed emphasis on the SMEs is a catalyst to the nation’s industrialisation quest.
The Elders Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has tasked the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari , to tackle corruption, insecurity and epileptic power supply.
The Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Dr. Bayo Orire, also urged the incoming President to ensure adherence to the rule of law, discipline and entrenching transparency in governance.
In a chat with The Nation in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Orire noted that if Buhari can win the war against indiscipline and corruption, everything will come to normal within one or two years.
Expressing regrets about the prevailing darkness in the country occasioned by the drop in power generation, Orire attributed the problem to long years of corruption in the power sector.
He said Buhari has the capacity to rescue Nigeria from the brink of collapse it has been pushed to by the outgoing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government.
Orire said: “Nigeria has all things in abundance, what we lack is discipline and conformity to the rule of law. If Buhari can win the war against indiscipline, everything will come to normal within one or two years.
“Every facet of our life is ridden with corrupt practices, we have all it takes to be as developed as any developed country in the world, after dealing a deadly blow to corruption, insecurity will just fizzle out like smoke and people will be patriotic.
“The only problem stalling power generation is corruption, we have money, men, water, wind, sun, gas and other natural resources that can generate power. We have all it takes to generate any amount of megawatts in a year.
“We have access to loans to pursue any generation and distribution of power, we can buy technology, we can import technology. Nigerians are generating power in developed countries of the world but corruption is our bane.”
Orire explained that Ekiti APC elders are not happy with the perpetual shutdown of the House of Assembly after the judiciary in the state was also shut down.
He explained that the Assembly crisis was contrived and intended to put the state legislature in the pocket of the executive.
The time was a little before midnight on Friday, May 22. The place was a small, quiet, almost rural city in the British East Midlands. Apart from a brief stroll to the university library to pay some fines and renew some long over-due school books, and the inevitable cross-over to the nearby Morrisons’ supermarket to buy a few groceries, I had been sitting up in my apartment all day, and all night, battling with a chapter in a long overdue PhD thesis.
When I found that my mind was beginning to wander off the topic of my chapter, I went to the kitchen, unpacked the few groceries I bought at the supermarket and took a couple of bananas – my favourite fruit. I looked around the fully-fitted kitchen in the self-catering apartment. What a waste – I sighed ruefully. Yes, the kitchen was a veritable waste.
When I felt I had had enough for the night, I closed the chapter and, before unplugging the laptop, I went to the Internet to read Nigerian newspapers online – a veritable companion when you are out of the country, and out of reach of hard newspaper copies. Then, as I browsed leisurely through the papers, I saw an interesting piece of news: “Buhari Jets Out on Private Visit to Britain”. The story went on to say that: “The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday left for Britain on a private visit, his first such trip outside the country since winning the March 28 presidential election.
“In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by its head, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Media Team of the President-elect said General Muhammadu Buhari will use the opportunity of the visit to take a much-deserved rest ahead of his inauguration on May 29th. He is expected back in the country a few days before the inauguration, refreshed and ready to hit the ground running once he is sworn into office,’’ he said.
Suddenly, my lethargy was gone. The journalist in me kicked in quickly. As they say, “once a journalist, always a journalist”. As a soldier and a politician, General Muhammadu Buhari was news, any day, any night. And now, as the President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Buhari is news, any day, any night – at home or abroad. Would he have any public engagements in the UK? Would he make another appearance at the Chatham House – to make a post election speech? I wanted to be there – to report it.
My desire to see the newly-minted President-to-be in London was not for any frivolous purpose like organized visits and courtesy calls. The Taciturn One does not suffer frivolities gladly. It was for the purpose of journalism work: to see if I could do a couple of reports on the President-elect’s visit for a couple of Nigerian newspapers I sometimes contribute to. Journalism is a stern and jealous god…
I hit the internet and started checking if I could find any public engagement listed for the President-elect in the UK. I drew blanks. I started working the phones. It was already Saturday morning. I called Akintayo Adetokunbo, a popular news anchor with the VOX television in London – and my erstwhile classmate in the PhD programme who has had the courage to complete and submit his thesis. Tayo called back a few moments later. He was also very interested in the news of the President-elect’s visit to the UK and would love to cover it – but he did not yet have any details of the programme.
I called the London office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), listed on a second floor apartment on the famous Grays Inn Road. The line failed to connect repeatedly. They had probably changed lines. But I hoped they had not closed shop – with the funding problems NAN is reported to be having. I sent an email to NAN head office in Abuja to Isaac Ighure, NAN’s Editor-in-Chief and an erstwhile very good friend of mine who I have woefully failed to keep in contact with. My email promptly bounced back as “undeliverable”.
Then I sent an email also to T.G. Adeniyi, the Minister / Special Assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafilda – seeking information on any scheduled public engagements of the President-elect in the UK. Then I checked my train cards and bus tickets and settled down to wait – ready for a quick shuttle to London to see Buhari…
And, sooner than later, the news broke on Saturday, May 23: President-elect Buhari had had a meeting in London with Prime Minister Cameron. In a press statement issued from Downing Street, a government spokesman said Prime Minister Cameron met with President-elect Buhari of Nigeria and the two leaders discussed the challenges facing Nigeria.
The Statement said in full: “The Prime Minister welcomed President-elect Buhari of Nigeria to Downing Street this morning. Both leaders congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the challenges facing Nigeria. The Prime Minister stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria.
“The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram. They discussed the need for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the capacity of the Nigerian army, with the UK continuing to provide military training and intelligence support.
“On tackling corruption, they agreed this was a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success. The Prime Minister agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms. They also discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and Nigeria. Finally, they talked about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the President-elect said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders.”
If President-elect Buhari was to have such an important scheduled meeting in Britain with the Right Honourable Prime Minister David Cameron – surely, that is work, not rest, or isn’t it? I have not heard it said that Buhari was just walking past the doors of No. 10 Downing Street – and then, on a whim, decided to stroll into the Prime Minister’s residence to say hi to Mr. Cameron.
When the story broke here in England about Buhari’s visit “to rest” and to “refresh” himself before his inauguration, it became a major talking point for many Nigerians here. Two Nigerians I met who were having lunch in a small, roadside Asian “chicken and chips” restaurant near the city centre were deeply engrossed in a discussion of Buhari’s visit.
“These our leaders have no shame: from Governors, Senators, Ministers to Presidents. They jet into Western Europe and North America to ‘rest’ or to treat every minor ailment – from common colds to headaches. But they cannot bring themselves to provide the same facilities in Nigeria.”
I finished my modest “meal deal” quickly and left – after exchanging brief banters with the Nigerians. I did not have the time, or the energy, to engage in a tedious discussion of Nigeria’s many ills. But as I walked away from London Road, back towards the University Road, I kept worrying about the import of Mallam Garba Shehu’s strange statement about President-elect Buhari’s visit to the UK “to rest”.
The Taciturn One is not also the Soft One. On the contrary, Buhari is known as a tough, lean, no-nonsense general, given to a very austere, Spartan lifestyle. His media handlers do him a great disservice, so early in the day, if they create the general impression that he flew into the UK, at public expense, no doubt, just to rest and to refresh – in readiness for his inauguration – while the President-elect came obviously on a national assignment.
‘If President-elect Buhari was to have such an important scheduled meeting in Britain with the Right Honourable Prime Minister David Cameron – surely, that is work, not rest, or isn’t it? I have not heard it said that Buhari was just walking past the doors of No. 10 Downing Street – and then, on a whim, decided to stroll into the Prime Minister’s residence to say hi to Mr. Cameron’
• Onyemaobi, a journalist and development communications specialist, writes from the UK.
SIR: The epochal May 29 week is here and President-elect Muhammadu Buhari will be stepping out to take the Oath of Office and related affairs. Before now, he has stated how he wants to be addressed: Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Commander in Chief, Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Buhari wants simple title and indeed, simple makes great and is the right way to start or go. But he needs also do away with superficialities and one such artificiality is the irreverent title: His Excellency.
Despite his personal worthy credentials, Buhari is human, not God. God alone is excellent. Calling leaders Excellencies has been a national blasphemy; not when everyone knows most of the title holders are nowhere near being good but engage in dubious acts.
To give our leaders a title that belongs to God is one of the worst sins of Nigeria which Buhari must end forthwith and heaven will bless him for it!
Buhari must make this CHANGE which will unleash quality changes down the line. Governors will take their cue; so the lawmakers, ministers and lesser mortals that have all elevated selves to artificial heights. Quality CHANGES are what Nigerians expect from Buhari – changes that impact positively or widely.
Part of the swearing-in ceremony is the National Pledge that ends with So help me God. This declaration is a national embarrassment and irreverent of the Most High. It is the same as saying: Therefore help me God which is a DEMAND, borne out of conceit.
Human beings must beg and never demand of the Almighty Creator. Good children plead or beg while bad children demand, even order their seniors and teachers, and on top of it, they lack the humility to say thanks.
The US president is not addressed as His Excellency; the same prevails in Europe. Leaders should earn their respect by their performance not by mere appointment.
From maritime stakeholders have come a piece of advice for the incoming Muham-madu Buhari administration – do not implement the National Automotive Policy in a hurry.
The policy was introduced in 2013 by the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan administration to build Nigerian-made vehicles.
The stakeholders, at a Town Hall Meeting by Ships & Ports Communication in Lagos, urged the President-elect to ensure that auto assembly plants roll out locally assembled vehicles before the policy is implemented.
Some of them alleged that some of the approved auto assembly plants are hiding under the policy to import fully-built units of vehicles as semi-knocked down (SKD) units to shortchange the government and evade Customs duty.
Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) Alhaji DIkko Abdulahi, represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General, Tariff & Trade (ACG) Banke Adeyemo, said in the past Customs men caught importers who removed some imported vehicles’ tyres, claiming that they were SKDs so as to pay less duty.
“Of course, we won’t allow that to happen, so we raise the proper duty and ask them to pay,” she said.
National Automotive Council (NAC) Director-General Aminu Jalal said Nigeria imported about $7.5 billion new and used spare parts in 2013.
The country, he said, has a growing middle class of 40 million people, with a potential vehicle market of one million units yearly.
The NAC helmsman, represented by the agency’s Director of Industrial Infrastructure,Kolapo Odetoro, however, said the country must check the huge foreign exchange used in importing vehicles.
“The local manufacturers of vehicles will therefore not only create wealth but generate a large number of Small and Medium Enterprises.
“It would create employment, boost our local engineering capacity through spillover effects and develop our local raw materials.
“NAC is already working with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Customs Service on this issue. Measures to control vehicles smuggling through the control of vehicle registration system are being worked out,” he said.
Chairman, Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (PCC), Otunba Kunle Folarin, said: “We should ask ourselves whether the investors can sustain competiveness, slow growth economy or change in the mobility of people.”
The Deputy President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Mr Fred Akokhia, said the auto policy is a catalyst for industrialisation.
He advised the incoming government not to rush into implementing the policy.
“The government should not rush into implementing the policy; rather, they should check for what led to the mistakes of the past in order not to repeat it. We should do it in a way that when we come out of it, it would be a near perfect policy,” Akokhia said.
The National Publicity Secretary, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr Kayode Farinto, described the auto policy as “dead on arrival”.
He wondered why NAC failed to use the money realised under its two percent levy to develop the industry.
“NAC should empower various higher institutions so that they could do research and develop new technologies.
“We must ensure that there is stable electricity because without stable electricity, we can’t get the policy right,” he said.
