The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Development

  • Niger Delta minister : giving roads to people, others not favours from govt

    Niger Delta minister : giving roads to people, others not favours from govt

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, in this interview with NICHOLAS KALU in Calabar, talks about how the Muhammadu Buhari administration is redefining the concept of development among other issues. Excerpts:

    What is your assessment of the development of the region?

    It is not a story to be told. It is what is to be seen and when you talk of development. What is your idea of development? There are certain things that are basic to life, which in the misconstruction of political mischief, people think is development, which is not. Making water available, giving roads to people, people going to school, providing health facilities are not development.

    They become development when people have been cheated enough to define those things as favours from government and so far you can understand our focus is to lift people from a no-level to the pedestal of development, which is to say providing these things and going beyond to get people to have capacities and skills to make choices for themselves, which is why emphasis is on human development, while infrastructural and physical development are rudimentary baselines for human survival.

    One, laying more than 30 per cent of budgetary provision to infrastructural development, which is a propelling foundation or platform, for other development issues to take place. Two, getting people involved, politics of inclusion. Today you hear we have a programme to get modular refineries, where communities would be shareholders.

    So ,they can decide their fate by the proceeds of what returns to them. So, if want to talk about development, vis-à-vis the administration of this era, you will realise that we are redefining development in the true perspective that affects humanity, and not by the deception of what people see as flashpoints, which vanish later and that has been the reason we never ever sustained any reasonable foreign reserves.

    We should also carry on what can sustain an economy for tomorrow. Are you not surprised to hear today that Nigeria’s yam is accredited for export? Are you not surprised that within two years, the LAKE Rice, which is a collaboration between Kebbi and Lagos states are providing millions of tons towards food security and self-sufficiency. Just few days back the Vice President had gone to commission fertiliser plants and today we have a minimum of 14 fertiliser plants within two years, revived.

    And we are embarking on a programme of linkage activities between the produce, the producing subsector and the manufacturing in the Niger Delta by an initiative that puts together all the funding establishments such as the development banks, private investors, state governments and the initiative drivers to be able to ensure that we revive the agric sector in the region and moribund industries as far as they meet the terms of our templates.

     

    The issue of abandoned projects in the region has been a recurring decimal. What is your plan towards this?

     

    The policy of government is to make sure that projects are completed and that is why when you hear mass capital estimates in the budget for various ministries, you find out that most of the money goes to what they call ongoing projects because we do not want them to be abandoned.

    Go to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Water Resources, you find out that all these ministries are concentrating on projects that had been established long ago, but not completed yet. If we want to play politics with the development of our people, we will put on new things, so people will clap hands for us.

    But all will be at the same stage of stagnation in future. But this we are doing because we are sincere. People may not appreciate because it is their level of understanding, but we know that in time to come, we will appreciate what foundations we are putting in place.

     

    The Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road contract has been awarded, but so far it appears nothing is being done about it…

     

    First, remember that before November 2016, people slept on that road for two, three days. While awarding the contract for the dualisation of the road, the government took immediate action by putting on a remedial repair, which today at least enables people to flow.

    That tells you that our programmes, according to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), define short term, medium term and long-term programmes. So, people would continue to enjoy progressive actions towards the final intended goods. That is one. Two, if you hear that a contract is signed, there are procedures in government for release of funds and so on.

    We have not done anything to deceive anybody and we are working very hard because of lack of funds to get many of these things funded by various programmes or financial acquisitions from concessioning to credits and so on and so forth.

    And these things are things that normally take negotiations for years, but we are able to fast track and get some within three months, six months and so on.

     

    Would defaulting contractors be punished?

     

    The intention is not to punish anybody because even if you put a man in prison, the project is not finished. The intention is to ensure that any money released to anybody receives value so that society can benefit.

     

    What is situation on the extension of  the East-West road to Calabar?

     

    Remember we became Ministers in November 2015, so effectively we have been Ministers for about 18 months or so. And if this period is long enough not to appreciate the action of government in correcting the misdeeds from design to contractual agreements and so on, then you should ask yourself, what 11 years mean when the project was started in 2006. And I can tell you why the segment of Oron to Calabar is delaying is that from the design to the contractual terms, suggests that project would never ever have been finished. One the design fell short of every social, economic and physical expectations of a sustainable project. Even when the environmental impact assessment showed that the design was faulty, they went ahead. Now we are a stage where we have corrected it and the Federal Executive Council has given approval, and the consultants are going to deliver within the next two months, the real design by which we can then go ahead to do the proper negotiation for the contractual agreement. It may interest you to know that the contract that was negotiated in naira was signed in dollars, which means if that project had been taken off the basis of that contract agreement, in an unstable exchange regime, forever there would be no value to that contract, and we must correct it.

     

     

     

  • ‘Club facilities’ll be improved’

    The executive of Lagos State University Staff Club has promised to consolidate on the development drive of the management.

    The President of the club, Adedoyin Adekunle Babatunde, told Southwest Report that his administration would fulfill its promises on improving facilities at the club.

    Adedoyin, who is the 10th President of the club, noted that the new administration which came on board in June was faced with a task on how to improve facilities and increase membership of the club.

    In an interview with our reporter, Adedoyin said the current leadership has already set in motion mechanism to attract more members into the three membership categories-Active, Honorary and Associate.

    Adedoyin said active members are workers in the institution; honorary members constitute students, alumni, and businessmen and women who are influential members that could be approached for connections or financial aid to the club. He noted that Associate members are those willing to part with the N12, 000 annual levies and participate actively in the club’s activities.

    According to him, membership of the club which stood at 200 when the new executive came on board last this month, has surged to 250, adding that it targets additional 50 members by October by which time the club will no longer appeal for more.

    Adedoyin praised his predecessors for laying a solid foundation which his administration is now building on. He is also happy that LASU management is favourably disposed to the development at the staff club.

    “Our Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lanre Adigun Fagbohun has been a patron of the club. He and his principal officers have visited the staff club more than three times and they have shown interest in furthering its development. We want to complement this development drive by ensuring we have a perimeter fence and landscaping of the place before management fully comes in.

    “We know management is planning to have an International Conference Centre; our administration is also planning to put up a modest guest house as a means of complementing management’s developmental project.

    At present, trees at the staff club are being hacked by bulldozers; a development Adedoyin said was as a result of his administration’s commitment to landscape as well as erect a perimeter fence around the club.

     

  • The Good News of Peace and Development

    The Good News of Peace and Development

    It was the weekend of Sallah holiday but for Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku it was no time to rest all. It was time to work even more and it turned out to be one of his most stressful periods, crowded as it were, by series of events. The centres of his major engagements were in Jalingo, Takum and communities along the Taraba-Benue states borders.

    Before leaving Jalingo on Friday, September 1,for Takum, his home town for the Sallah holiday he attended a two-hour opening church service of the Second Annual Convention of Ekan Church Women Fellowship held at the Lutheran Church of Christ Nigeria , Mayo Gwai, Jalingo, where he was given a special award of excellence. The award is in appreciation of his monumental achievements as Governor of Taraba State in all departments of service delivery, for giving women a special place in his government and also for his unique skills acquisition programme that has greatly enhanced the socio-economic status of women in the state

    Governor Ishaku who was accompanied to the programme by his wife, Barrister Anna Dickson Ishaku, told the women that until he became governor he never knew the importance of the prayers that church leaders often ask the congregation to offer for those in leadership positions. He urged them to continue to pray for peace. He also used the occasion to explain some of the achievements of his administration, especially in education. He told them that in the two years of his administration, the state’s performances in the West African Examination Certificate, WAEC, has jumped to an enviable height.

    In 2016, the state recorded 67.3 percent performance in WAEC, the best in the 26 year history of the state. This year also, the state was listed among the ten best performers in the examination and it is number 8th among the 36 states in the country. This result also places Taraba first in the entire former Northern region. These achievements were made possible through the new attitude of discipline, commitment and consistent investment in the sector by the Ishaku administration.

    He also told them that financial leakages have been blocked by his administration in several areas including the payroll of primary school teachers. “A lot of people didn’t want us to screen the payroll of teachers but we insisted and the results have proved me right. We are not relenting. We even discovered fake schools in the process and those schools have been shut down.”  This achievement was the reason for the recent visit of leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, to Government House. They had come to thank the governor for restoring sanity to the administration of schools and for paying teachers’ salaries and local government staff regularly.

    Also speaking, Barrister Anna Ishaku advised women to play supporting roles in the home and never attempt to be in competition with their husbands. He urged them to ensure that they promote peace at home so that their husbands can go out and accomplish the roles they are expected to play for the advancement of society. “Our role as women is to support our husbands. We must never do anything to suggest that we are in competition with them”, she said.

    With that accomplished, the Governor’s convoy moved to Takum where Arc. Ishaku and his wife spent the rest of the Sallah break attending to other very important matters. He arrived that evening at his private residence in Takum into a huge crowd of supporters and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members. His intention was to catch some rest but that was not to be as the spirit of service to the people in him did not allow that. On Sunday, he and his wife attended a special church service at the Christian Reformed Church, Nigeria, at Gu Almasihu, Takum where the presiding Reverend Pastor, Shem B, Nuhu praised him for building a bridge and rehabilitating one of the worst roads in the community, for also building a major road in Takum and for providing the people with boreholes that have become a regular and reliable source of potable water.

    Ishaku later proceeded to the site of the special Referral Maternity Hospital being constructed by the T.Y Danjuma Foundation. He had promised the people of Takum a similar hospital while campaigning for election there in 2015 but General T.Y Danjuma decided to fund the project when the Governor complained to him that the state was unable to fund it. Ishaku expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work being done by the contractors. The day’s programme was crowned with a stakeholders meeting with leading members of the Takum community held at the Governor’s Lodge in Takum.

    On Monday September 4, it was the turn of the entire Muslim community in Taraba State to pay the traditional Sallah homage to the Governor. The event also took place at the Governor’s Lodge in Takum. They came from all the16 Local Government Council Areas of the state. Consultative meetings that followed the open reception lasted till very late in the evening but this did not prevent Governor Ishaku from rising and leaving early the following day for yet another stressful engagement. It was a peace mission to communities along the Taraba-Benue states’ borders where there had been some agitations over land ownership. He was met by the Benue State delegation led by Dr. Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue in Wukari.

    The two governors and their delegations drove in a long convoy to Ugba, a Benue border town for a meeting that would eventually lead t the resolution of the agitations. On their way, they stopped in about six communities on both sides of the border to appeal to the people to live in peace. Their message at every stop was virtually the same – that the Jukun in Taraba and the Tiv in Benue have long been neighbours who had lived peacefully for a very long time and should not fight over land ownership. They both promised policies that would encourage peace and harmony in these communities. They stressed that border lines were usually for administrative convenience and should not be seen as a mark of division and conflict.

    At Ugba, a two-hour meeting on the border issues ended that evening with a communiqué signed by both governors. The communiqué mandated the deputy governors of the two states to engage in further consultations on the issues involved and to also liaise with the appropriate Federal Government agency on boundary matters to ensure a permanent resolution of the dispute between communities along the borders of the two states.

  • Councils ‘to partner on development’

    A group, Osun State Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP), has called for collaboration among local governments to foster social and physical growth in rural communities.

    CSDP’s Chairman Abdul-Rahaman Musa urged executive secretaries of local governments to synergise with the agency.

    He noted that collaboration between Osun CSDP and local government chairmen bosses would fast-track development at the grassroots.

    Musa spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, at a strategic workshop for executive secretaries of local governments, local council development authorities (LCDAs) and area councils on CSDP operational processes and procedures.

  • ‘We’re committed to local content development’

    ‘We’re committed to local content development’

    Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, speaks on his organisations commitment to local content development, the newly acquired WWE wrestling broadcast right, and surviving the recession. He spoke with Gboyega Alaka .

    You are the first Nigerian MD of MultiChoice Nigeria, tell us about the challenges these past six years.

    As with every business, there are challenges, and as you rightly put it, I’m Nigerian, but it is important to say that there are other Nigerians in the business, not only in Nigeria. Being an African company means we have different people in different locations and we do have some other Nigerians that don’t work for MultiChoice Nigeria but work with our other subsidiaries around the continent. Nigeria is a very dynamic country; so being Nigerian is very helpful; but I think the principles of business are the same everywhere. You have to adapt to your environment and try to provide the very best services; so I think it’s been exciting times, learning the intrigues; there have been lots of changes, from the economy, which we all know has changed greatly over the last few years; being able to adapt the company, being able to stay alive to be able to provide services…

    How has the economy impacted on your business?

    That’s a very long story. But I believe it’s no secret that in the business of media entertainment, content is king; with content, you also find that the cost of content continues to rise; this is an international phenomenon. The fact that a lot of content on the platform is international also means that we get to pay a lot in foreign currency. And it’s no secret that the price of the naira against the dollar has more than doubled officially; unofficially even more. This of course has meant that the cost to our business has in some cases doubled over a one, two year period. To have your cost doubled within such a short period would surely do some damage, but that still does not mean that people earn double what they were earning. So by even refusing to do price increase means that we understand that there are challenges locally. We’ve tried to rejig the business and continue to provide excellent service with minimal price changes – I think just 5 percent. But it’s not just our market; you would agree with me that prices have really moved up right to what we eat.

    Would you say this has threatened your content quality?

    I don’t agree that it has threatened our content quality; rather what you find is that we have continued to improve on content. We are producing more local content than we’ve ever done. We recently acquired the rights to the WWE wrestling; so if you look critically, we are adding content. We’ve added a few channels in the last two years. But like I like to say, ours is a business over a long period; so we always look very far ahead. We’ve been in the country for 24 years and there are not many companies who have been around for that long.

    You have invested very heavily in the production and

    acquisition of local content; what inspires this move? Also, who bears the cost, especially with the new wrestling addition?

    Well if you look in the past, we don’t add channels and increase the price. That has never been the model of the business. It’s an aggregate service and at every point, we want to give very compelling content; we want people to enjoy watching TV. That takes me back to investment in the local market. We’re Multichoice Nigeria, we believe in our movies, in our sports; we believe that’s the model for the business going into the future. We pioneered and popularised the African Magic channels, not just in Nigeria but around the rest of the continent and made it a known brand around the world. And this is because we believe in our stories; Mnet has always pioneered telling the African stories; we can’t rely on foreigners because they won’t tell it as well as we would. We also believe there are lots of creativity and big opportunities. We all saw what just that little investment and belief in local content did to the growth of the entertainment industry in the GDP, from not even being recognisable, to about 13 percent. So we believe in developing the local content; we believe the opportunities there is even more. But it requires a lot of investments in terms of capacity development, training, equipment, studios; we’ve built lots of studios locally; and of course you need to have willing buyers and willing sellers. A few years ago when we introduced the African Magic Igbo, the big question was, are you going to find enough Igbo movies to buy? But gradually it’s a 24-hour channel because more people are investing in the production of Igbo movies because the market is available.

    A major complaint against DSTV has been signal degeneration, and the assumption is that it doesn’t happen elsewhere; what is responsible for this and what can be done to stop this?

    As with any satellite communication, be it the C Band (bigger dishes) or the K-U Band (smaller dishes), the signal can be interrupted. There are three factors: where are you on the continent? If you are on the equator, which you’d agree cuts very close to us; you’d obviously have more effect. But I think there is a misconception that it only happens here. I have been in New York in a hotel and the signal just went off. However, there’s something we’ve been pushing. What interrupts weather is the thick cloud, not just rain; but we have 99.97 percent, which is what K U band, which we use, gives you. And I dare say that the K-U Band is the best. But hopefully, as time goes on, a stronger satellite can be launched; we have also continued to train and improve our installers, so they can do a better job while installing your dish.

    Your organisation is very big on sports, especially the broadcast right of the English Premier League, how will this impact on your business and what do you plan to do differently?

    It’s important that we don’t only look at football as the only sports in Nigeria. Don’t forget that we’ve also put the Nigerian basketball on TV; and guess what happened? Nigeria qualified for the Olympics twice in a row. Before then, we had never gone to the Olympics. We also won the African basketball tournament; we also beat Angola, which we were just never able to do. But it is due to the fact that the players were able to do more regularly and there was a sort of reawakening. Recently, we identified boxing as one of the sports that was practically dead, we moved our focus to it and we now have boxers known again in Nigeria. In the next two months, we hope to have another boxing night, and it’s going to be much bigger.

    Is there any chance that DSTV will someday soon introduce the Pay per View or Pay As You Go system?

    Permit me to ask, would you rather pay your subscription and still pay extra to view the upcoming Mayweather/McGregor fight? Or would you rather have it as part of your subscription? That fight will be on Pay per View in the US; so in addition to customers’ subscription, they will also pay for that fight. That channel will be opened only for the fight and will be shut down immediately after. The last time Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao, it was about a hundred dollars. Officially that gives you thirty one thousand naira; but that fight was available for you on DSTV as part of your subscription; and that’s where we always try to educate people that the business model does not allow for pay as you go. We have no way of knowing if your decoder is on or not, so we tend to aggregate. It’s a one-way communication; with the phone it is two-way. So I can tell you that pay per view is not available anywhere in the world.

    You recently acquired the WWE wrestling broadcast rights; that’s a big one, tell us about it.

    Like I said, we will continue to evolve. Last year, we introduced a channel for athletics, which to a large extent is dead in Nigeria, unfortunately. In our glory days, we use to have three out of the eight finalists in the 100meters final. So we show a lot of athletics and we look forward to having like minds locally, who’ll sponsor it and build it up. Wrestling also used to be very popular. As a kid, I remember going to the National Stadium, Surulere to watch the Americans, Mighty Igor and the rest of them, who toured Nigeria. We’re saying let’s get back there. Why not a Nigerian in the WWE. When we acquire rights in those sports, it gives us the opportunity to learn and to say how do we develop the sport locally? So we’ll be showing WWE live and fans will have the opportunity to watch RAW and other wrestling shows live.

    Your two platforms are also reputed for bringing the family together…

    Well, I believe we are one of the reasons that men go home to be with their family, especially when there’s a football match going on. Also we have  lot of interesting shows; The Voice is showing right now and I know a lot of families that will sit together every Sunday evening to sit together to  watch. It’s something we don’t miss in my house; we’ll sit together, watch, scream and root for different people. I’d give anything for that one, two hours when we’d sit down together as a family to watch. Also the kids are home on holidays now and parents are looking to keep them engaged; we have proper parenting control in place, and they are learning at the same time. Often you feel the impact of their watching some of these educative programmes on TV, when you have to discuss something as strange as the tsunami.

    Is it possible for DSTV to create a bouquet dedicated to children, which one can buy and place in their room, because sometimes you’re watching a movie with the kids, and the scene becomes really awkward?

    Well that becomes difficult for a one-TV household. But you can buy a decoder for the kids, select the channels you don’t want them to watch and put a PIN on it. Just don’t share it with them; otherwise they may end up locking you out. We’ve had such cases before and the parents had to bring the decoder here for us to try to unlock it.

  • Bayelsa showcases own development in new TV series

    Bayelsa showcases own development in new TV series

    The government of Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State will be re-launching its weekly TV program, ‘Restoration Series’ across four stations in the country.

    A statement released in Yenagoa on Sunday by spokesman to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, revealed that the 30 minute audio-visual will be aired every Monday on Channels TV by 3.30pm, AIT on Tuesdays at 9am, TVC on Wednesdays at 12.30 pm and NTA on Thursdays at 5.30pm.

    Markson explained that theý program seeks to highlight the silent but epic revolution and developmental strides of the Gov. Dickson-led Restoration administration, adding that it isý coming back on air after several calls by Bayelsans and friends of the state, most of who reside outside the state, on the need for them to have a feel of the government’s remarkable achievements so far.ý

    He said without a shadow of doubt, the Restoration Government of Gov. Dickson has made clear progress in terms of enthroning a stable polity, public sector reforms, security, agriculture and revolutionary strides in education, health, tourism, infrastructure, youth and women empowerment, social economic re-engineering, amongst others.ý

    The governor’s mouthpiece used the statement to call on Bayelsans to religiously follow the program and get acquainted with what the government is doing with their resources in the various sector and continue to support its policies to better their aspirations.

  • Alimikhena to Obaseki: Focus on development

    Alimikhena to Obaseki: Focus on development

    Senate Deputy Chief Whip  Francis Alimikhena has commended Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki for unveiling a new economic blue print for the state.

    He urged him to remain steadfast in his action and developmental activities. The senator from Edo North said the governor should not be distracted by praise singers and critics who are bent on faulting his actions or decisions. In a statement, Alimikhena said: “Godwin Obaseki has demostrated that he is a worthy successor and has no capacity in telling lies, but committed in building on the foundation already laid by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who had laid a leadership benchmark for political office holders in Nigeria.”

    Alimikhena, who described Obaseki as a game changer, added:  “Since inception, Obaseki has displayed dexterity and passion by involving opposition party members,traditional rulers, students, traders, non-governmental organisation and critical stakeholders, to collectively think of a way forward for the state.

    “The action of the governor in exploring the best brains and effective ultilization of the state human resource as his think tank, irrespective of political affiliations, religious or ethnicity has fostered greater unity and confidence among our people in various parts of the state.”

  • Bindow’s one-legged development

    SIR: Adamawa State Governor, Senator Muhammad Umaru Jibrilla Bindow is quick to boast that he always optimizes what he has, no matter how meagre, and that is why he has been able to achieve a rare feat in urban road renewal. Indeed Bindow understands excellently, the artistry of utilization of state’s paltry resources for infrastructural development. Many Adamawa people criticize Governor Bindow’s philosophy of development. In place of parallel system; the governor cherishes “series” approach when it comes to socio-economic development. In Bindow’s Adamawa state- it is all about roads, roads and more roads.

    Despite having recorded pockets of success, Bindow’s approach to development has not favoured the common man because Adamawa is rural, poverty-ridden and backward in education with most of its citizen relying heavily on farming.

    The smiling countenance of the governor when he goes round Jimeta-Yola inspecting road constructions depicts that of a ‘happy-go-lucky’ man, who is totally unknowledgeable about politico-economy issues of a poor,  rural and salary-dependent state. For instance, Bindow declared a state of emergency on education and healthcare, yet things have not even changed to an appreciable level.

    There is no doubt Governor Bindow has achieved a feat never achieved by recent governors in Adamawa, in terms of roads construction but the state government needs to change direction and give attention to pressing issues like settling of salaries owed to local government and healthcare workers for 4/5 months. Bindow’s self-acclaimed ingenuity at achieving much with little can be extended to these issues.

    Apart from this, the Governor Bindow government should, as one of its most important strategies to tackle unemployment in the state, use the Technical and Skills Acquisition Centres in the state for agricultural entrepreneurship programmes for youths. The government should go into partnership with private sector to establish poultry, fisheries, dairy, snail farms, plantations etc. in various locations in the state. This will go a long way to sustain economic growth, as well as encourage the youths. The Technical and Skills Acquisition Centres should be redesigned and retooled for jobs and wealth creation.

    Furthermore, the centres should be well funded to serve as ‘Ideas Development Hubs’; this is an excellent way to create employment for bright youths through the well-known concept of innovate, create, invent and invest.

    Adamawa state churns out thousands of graduates yearly. The centres should be re-energized to function in such a way that it assists graduates with technical skills and entrepreneurship passion to have access to facilities and environment that support thinking for invention and innovation.

     

    • Zayyad I. Muhammad,

     Jimeta, Adamawa State.

  • X-raying Nigeria’s democracy, development

    This book takes a panoramic view of the Nigerian socio-economic and political landscape. It attempts a deconstruction of the notions of politics and of economics which underpin public policy and practice. These attempts are made in two parts spread across forty-seven chapters under themes dealing with varied issues which in the first part include among others leadership, democracy, power and power politics, the configurations of political interests and the patterns as well as implications of the constellations of these interests.

    The author engaged with the challenges of development in the second part of the book detailing his thoughts on issues of vision and growth, the imperative of education as well as exigencies of innovation and its inevitability as a catalyst for growth and development. Also capturing the analytical focus of the author are the issues of poverty eradication and unemployment, economic diversification, entrepreneurship and the prospects for Nigeria’s global competitiveness.

    The diversity of the issue areas covered by the book is indicative of the broad dimensions of the author’s concern with the multiplicity of the malaise currently besieging the Nigerian State, especially its political economy. He correctly placed the leadership question upfront and in the epicenter of his analysis. He sees leadership as ‘a complex ethical relationship’ between leaders and the led, one which ought necessarily to be underpinned by trust and good faith. Unfortunately the ‘illusion of omnipotence’ i.e. the assumption by leaders that they possess unlimited power enables the embarrassing, oftentimes dysfunctional, mismatch between policy and outcome. African leaders over promise and underachieve.

    African leaders, true African leaders, must in the author’s opinion be realistic, transparent and accountable. He bemoaned the genre of leadership in Africa and ascribed the failure of governance to them. He substantiates his argument with the point that Africa lags painfully behind on all the major indices of human development. He canvasses for courageous and committed leadership guided by truth, discipline, and transparency. He calls for leadership that is inspirational, propelling citizens’ confidence and action towards growth and development.

    But citizens’ action is predicated on the extent of the prevalence of the ethos of democracy and the pursuit of political inclusiveness. The author’s analysis of the shades of democracy was very brief, almost too brief in fact. Any one craving for more details will therefore need to consult other academic materials on the subject. However, the author elaborated fairly well his thoughts on the Nigerian situation positing that “There is currently a growing concern in Nigeria about the mismatch between democracy and development”.

    Of further interest perhaps is the author’s depiction not only of the stunted, malnourished nature of Nigeria’s political system, but even more serious the wanton display of infantile political predilection by the political elite. How else can one describe the boxing contexts that take place every now and again on the floor of the supposedly hallowed chambers of our state and national parliaments?

    The author also took a swipe at the country’s political party system. This is a particularly strong point although he came short of fruitfully and maximally exploring the several key aspects of this aspect of our political praxis. For instance, the obsession with the notions of party supremacy as well as the culture of imposition of political appointees is discussed. However, the point could have been developed further by pointing out, inter-alia, that as the statutorily recognized machinery for capturing the reins of power, political parties themselves ought to rise to the higher calling of serving as veritable breeding grounds and ‘colleges’ for the production of qualitative, visionary and law respecting leaders. But alas the reverse in several cases appears to be the norm. Banausocracy, i.e., government by the uncultured and vulgar elements of society, now prevails.

    The author passed a critical test of political economy when he attempted to link democracy and the economy. His point of departure was the perennial contestation over the value of the naira and the petroleum subsidisation policy. The author’s points are well taken, particularly his call for caution over the simultaneous adoption of currency devaluation and the removal of subsidy. However, it must be stated that the issues are more profound and ramified that the position assumed in the book. At stake is the character of the structure of the Nigerian economy especially the system of production, distribution and consumption. These in turn must be placed within the wider context of the contemporary global economy, bearing in mind also such dynamics as economic power and globalized competition. All these constitute exogenous constraints which in themselves impact domestic policy options and strategies.

    The author’s capacity for deploying useful analogies serves his communicative function very well throughout the book. Farmers and Hunters in Governance, Chapter 7 of the work, compared and contrasted the sniper, ad hoc activity of the hunter with the skillful, innovative, futuristic mindset of the farmer. Public officeholders in contemporary Nigeria are likened to the former while what is needed for long term, sustainable growth and development is the mindset of the latter.

    His illustration of governance failure with the inability of governors of oil rich states of the Niger Delta region to pay civil servants’ salaries is apt. It signposts clearly not only that there are high levels of corruption and profligacy in government, but also that there are manifest inability to be proactive, creative and resourceful.

    The author correctly identified the power politics among nations in the international arena as a critical context and determinant of national development. From this arena, the prospects and/or fortunes of nations, Nigeria’s inclusive, cannot therefore be divorced from the capacity to use economic resources and influence meaningfully.

    The author clearly and correctly commented on Nigeria’s waning power and influence not only in the region but also globally, attributing same  to its dwindling economic fortunes, especially the fall in the international price of oil. That point, as sound as it is, is however not a sufficient one in itself. The mangers of the state have also failed to harness and develop the country’s other frontiers and indices of power – population, military, industry, the diverse element of soft power including media, culture, tourism etc. Nor has the state been able to arrest and/or mitigate the fallouts associated with such dysfunctionalities like the country’s negative image abroad in terms of corruption, terrorism, kidnapping, 419, drug trafficking, election rigging and violence, etc. Efforts at rebranding the country have had suboptimal results. Perhaps because of the DNA of disorderliness?

    The scholar also elaborated on the notion of national security, linking same to the prevalence of poverty, unemployment and the general low living standards of the populace. His prescription for national security therefore is: improve the lot of the citizenry.

    The author spared a few words for the Buhari administration particularly on issues that border on quality of leadership and of appointments of state officials to drive the policies of his administration. In this connection he opines that the President ought to screen for leadership traits which are devoid of the greediness which now plagues the current crop of leadership in Nigeria. He also canvassed for leadership which is enamored of youth development, nurturing the youth for leadership roles. Unfortunately however, the president appeared, in the opinion of the author, to have succumbed to the typical Nigerian disease of using the exercise as an opportunity for providing jobs for the boys.

    Nonetheless, the author does not believe that the all was lost. In other words the ‘boys’ could still perform, rising to the billings of true statesmen and women and charting a course for the country out of the present doldrums. All these so long as they are able and willing to adopt the appropriate mindsets, develop the vision for growth and development and most importantly pursue, adopt, apply and activate complex innovations to all those processes that are germane to socio-economic and political transformations, growth and development of the country  .

    On a final note the author accessed the global development framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is noted here that the framework itself has been succeeded by the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). However the take home point remains that government must up its ante. A critical and objective post-MDG review is necessary to ensure a consolidation of past gains while reviewing areas of poor or even negative performance.

    On the whole these are the major themes around which the thoughts and analysis of the author are built and across which other subthemes were developed.

    The book’s main contribution to knowledge lies mainly in the non-technicist manner in which it intervenes in the discourse on the Nigeria social formation. Devoid of any technical jargons it is still able to dissect the problems, isolate the critical variables around which contestations turn, evaluate policies and strategies and ultimately take an informed stand on designated issues.

    A major flaw of the book lies in the structure of its presentation. The chapter outline is not only way to long (47 chapters), it is onerously repetitive.  A book so lucidly written and dwelling on so many important themes of national significance is deserving of a well-structured, revised reproduction. At such point, it is advised that the author streamline the book’s chapter outline. Chapters suitable for merging, for instance, include chapters 2 and 3; 14 and 15; 1, 12, 16 and 17; 22 through to 28; 29 and 30.

    In the final analysis this is a commendable effort and one expects to see a continuation of a very robust debate around the issues which have been raised therein by the author in the near future.

     

     

  • ‘Let there be forum for cultural development’

    ‘Let there be forum for cultural development’

    Gbenga Sonuga, the oba of Simawa-Fadesewa, in Ogun State, was the Director of Lagos State Arts Council for many years. In this interview with Omolara Akintoye he talks about his many years in public service, his love for the art and how this prepared him for the position he now occupies

     

    How have you been able to bring your experience of being a cultural administrator to bear as an Oba?

    It seems as if all my life and what God was doing, was trying to prepare me for this calling, arm me with all sources of knowledge, not money, but knowledge with what and what to do. It seems to be the most excellent preparation for being an Oba this traditional position which is well respected. Being an Oba at whatever level, it is supposed to be the zenith of a man’s success. Everything that I have done in my life up to the point where I became an Oba has been a preparation, which I am now drawing from every time, when something comes up or when I have to pass a comment, or when I have to advise. My past life has been an excellent preparation for where I am now.

    What did you do before your appointment as the Lagos State director for Art and Culture?

    That was the only job I was interviewed as the director for Arts and Culture. And that was 10years after my graduation from the University of Ibadan in 1971. It took me ten years before I could take my certificate to look for job. After graduating, I taught for one and half years in my Alma mater at Igbobi College Yaba. After that I went to Ibadan to a new Culture Studios, where I studied with Demas Nwoko for ten years. And when I came out of there, I became the director of Art and Culture. Because I had a pre requisite qualification and I had the wealth of experience. Therefore, there is no way anybody can now say, oh that is what the director of art and culture should always be. Where would they be trained, who would train them, who would have the patient to be an apprentice for ten years after graduation? Which was more or less what I was? I got exposed intellectually, artistically, culturally; I did the personnel management of the entire institution. I also edited all his magazines. All these prepared me for the appointment. Even as a graduate after having looked for white collar job and it is not forthcoming you should  get yourself engaged in some other profitable ventures so that by the time the job eventually comes you are already prepared and equipped mentally and otherwise.

    What has been your experience as a traditional ruler?

    Well, my experience in a nutshell has been that, the traditional ruler in Yoruba land, which is the one, I am familiar with, is an endangered species. What I have discovered is that, since the selection process of politicians will go through the same kind of rigours that in selecting of an Oba does, then we will have better quality leadership than we do now. Being an Oba has not disappeared from the surface of the earth, now I am talking on behalf of other traditional rulers; there is no rule in the constitution, which spells out exactly what an Oba is. They have the chiefs’ law to guide what they met on the ground. But nobody has ever sat and said may be this is what we should as Oba to be in a contemporary world. As an Oba you must be able to have a good relationship with your subjects, so that once you relate well with them and they are satisfied then you would have achieved what you want.

    As a traditional ruler, what are you doing to attract development in your Community?

    There is no way I can attract development in my community as a traditional ruler, because there is no forum for it, particularly, with our governor now. Well, he invites Obas to some events, he greases them and they go. We agitate for the small allowances that are being paid. They are paying better in Lagos, Lagos has more money that is what I am saying, there is no real definition of what an Oba is, except talking to people when there is problem. “Help me tell your people to do this.”

    There has been no forum for intellectual exchange or cultural development strategies we are employing, they are busy winning the position before they leave, so, there is no hope for the future. If we get it right, that the country can stabilize, Obas are supposed to be the Custodians of Culture and tradition. The visioners are not connecting with the subjects. The visioners see how they are going to be from the experience of their fore-fathers and watching what is happening now, and projecting to the future. The missioners campaign and get elected, when they do it well we all benefit from it and when they don’t do it well, we all suffer. So, what I have advocated in my book; An introduction to Cultural Activism in Nigeria, is that there must be bridging of gap between the missioner and the subjects. There must have a common purpose. And if the common purpose is to develop Nigeria and when we come together we are heading towards the same direction.

    But people still believe that traditional rulers have money because of the gifts and money they get from people?

    There is a Yoruba saying that, ‘’Somi kale la ngbo ni ile Oba, a kin gbo gbe rumi ‘’, that means in a royal house, please help me put this load down, you‘ve never heard of, carry this load. It is not so anymore. It is a great misconception to think that the Obas are rich. Where are they going to get it from, is it from the pittance that the government allows through the Local government? So all the Obas in any local government are entitled to only five percent of what comes to the local government. So if you are ten, 20 or 40 in that local government area that is what you will share. Lagos State is different, because there is money in Lagos state. If the individuals are wealthy and it is in the record generally that Nigeria is wealthy, but they are not, there are many that are poor, there are some that are stupendously rich. The gap seems to be widening If I didn’t have any sources of generating money, I will be living in penury. This house was built by our family; it wasn’t built by government or local government. The local government where this area is located has neglected us here, no development at all. Formerly this area was under Shagamu local government area which is now subdivided into three Local Council developments Area (LCDAs).

    How did you meet your wife?

    Obviously, because we are both artistes, and we started by working together. Sooner, after we had gone to America and came back, I was looking for an expert costumier and make up person for one of my plays titled ‘“Ori””, a professional one for subsequent productions. A friend of hers introduced her to me. And I remembered when we were in secondary school and I remembered her being an athlete in the school and we grew up in the same area without knowing each other. We worked for two years together and I found her absolutely reliable. She could work as long as any man can work. And ever since, I found her great support in spirit. Olori Peju Sonuga has been a wonderful wife.

    As a Christian, how do you combine your faith with rituals?

    My concept of religion is that one should be spiritually alert, because that is what is going to help you. As you get older, your flesh becomes weak and you need to strengthen yourself spiritually and that is the essence of religious belief. I was brought up a Christian, so I won’t tell you I am not a Christian. I don’t go to church as such. My wife is a Muslim and she goes to mosque regularly and prays five times a day. At the same time when my group comes around and say we are doing something to celebrate ‘ogun’, I will not close my door and run away, I must be part of it. Give them whatever it is that they expect from the Oba and grease them and bless them. You cannot be a rigid and dogmatic Christian or Muslim; otherwise you shouldn’t have thought of being an Oba. Because that is what the tradition has always been, the Oba must be open to all religions. So as an oba you have to be neither here nor there.