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Tag: governance

  • Women tackle exclusion in governance

    Women tackle exclusion in governance

    At a forum, women grapple with a perception that they are shut out of governance and policy making. They seek a better deal, reports VICTOR OLUWASEGUN

    Clearly, the puzzle has since turned into frustration. Women cannot quite understand why they cannot be president and cannot really call the shots or even match the men numerically in terms of appointments.

    At a forum in the nation’s capital, some high-profile women asked: how can we be more prominent in governance in Nigeria? How can women pull down the institutional barriers  before them in politics and decision-making processes in the country?

    This was the issue before the participants at the 6th annual conference held by the House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament in Abuja.

    The committe is headed by Evelyn Oboro.

    Women from the political sphere across the nation gathered seeking to break the jinx of economic, religious and socio- cultural challenges excluding them from having a voice in the running of the country’s affairs.

    The participants included female senators, House of Representatives members, female lawmakers from state Houses of Assembly, Local Government Councils and aspirants across the country.

    Their gathering came against the background of the inability of the 35 percent affirmative action for women to pass through in the ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly.

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu  Dogara in his opening remarks gave a damning  political verdict on Nigerian men, saying they are responsible for the woes of women in politics in the country.

    According to him, the failure of women in politics is because of the feeling of insecurity in men. He said the odds against women’s participation in politics and government are enormous.

    “The problems and challenges facing women participation in politics in Nigeria in spite of modest strides are deep-rooted,” he said.

    He said women have paid their dues in Nigeria tempered by years of struggle for economic, social and political emancipation.

    “They have borne the pains of this struggle with grace just like a woman in travails. Our strong women know how to endure these pains that only strong men can heal.

    He then wondered why it was difficult to count the women as part of the Nigerian political success story.

    “To my mind, that is the case because we Nigerian men are too weak and insecure. Anywhere in the world where women fall, it has always been due to lack of strength in men.

    “Must we continue to crush our women in order to continue feeling powerful? Nigerian men must grow up knowing that we are the ones to make possible what our women are struggling for not the women themselves although women must never give up the fight or struggle until victory is won.”

    Listing he problems facing women in politics in the country, he said the challenges facing women participation in politics in Nigeria in spite of modest strides are deep-rooted.

    This, he said, includes the patriarchal nature of our traditional society; stigmatisation of women politicians by a largely ignorant society; political thuggery, violence; financial capacity; religious and cultural stereotyping and bottlenecks; educational disadvantage; meeting schedules of political activities are in most cases not convenient for women’s to attend especially married women etc.

    The Speaker said even in parliament the reality is not less appalling.

    “According to Mrs Oloyede Olayemi of the National Bureau of Statistics, the Senate has been dominated by males. In 1999 there were only 3 women out of the 109 members representing 2.8 per cent of the members of the Senate. In 2007 the number increased to 8 (7.3 per cent). However, there was a decrease from 8 women members in 2007 to 7 in 2011 which is 6.4 per cent and 8 (7.3 per cent) in 2015.”

    “In 1999, the number of women in the House of Representatives was 12 out of 360 members which was about 3.3 per cent but increased to 21 (5.8 per cent) in 2003. It was 26 (7.2 per cent) in 2011, in 2015 the number of women in the House of representatives decrease to 23 (6.4 per cent) out of 360 members”. These are indeed very depressing figures.

    On how to involve more women in governance and especially in parliamentary representation, Dogara wondered if it could be achieved by giving women a quota for representation. Or should it evolve in the ordinary course of politicking.

    He enjoins Nigeria to borrow a lead from Rwanda which has more that 50 percent of women in politics and governance.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairperson of the Committee in Women in Parliament, Hon. Evelyn Oboro, said that there are gaps in women’s political representation in Nigeria, and that the major challenges “are around patriarchal structures, female access to education, poor economic condition and other negative cultural factors.

    “The pose challenges lie in the fact that women’s contribution is grossly under- represented and barely recognised. Although the numerical representation of women who participate in election as voters is higher, their representation as elected candidates is minimal.”

    Chairperson for House committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu- Ukeje said at the individual level, economic, religious and socio- cultural challenges are responsible for pulling women back in politics and governance.

    So also are institutional factors like “government policies, political party system, corruption and violence,” she said.

    She said the female population constitute about half of the population of the country but that it’s unfortunate that it’s not reflecting in the number of women in the political space.

    According to her, solutions to the problem include democratization of the electoral process, criminalizing electoral violence, strict conformity with electoral funding law, and elimination of all forms of discrimination against women amongst others.

  • ‘Restructuring ‘ll impact on governance’

    ‘Restructuring ‘ll impact on governance’

    Dr. Olusanya Awosan was Special Assistant on Public Relations to former President Goodluck Jonathan. In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he speaks on the restructuring debate, good governance and other national issues. 

    The on-going restructuring debate has divided the country, what is the way out?

    It is a thing the government should look into critically, in the interest of everybody, but the federal government seems not to be helping the situation. The structure on ground is not also helping the federal government to achieve its objectives. From my own experience under President  Goodluck Jonathan, I think his government tried, but because the nation is so large, people thought Jonathan did not make impact. That is what is happening right now. The federal government should devolve power to states and local governments. That will enable the federal government to concentrate on the powers it retained.  But, this is not the case. It is in the interest of the federal government to devolve power to states and local government. Nigeria is supposed to be a federal government, but this is just in paper. Federal government should not have business in tarring roads and attending to education. The country ought to have outgrown this and the ethnic nationality agitation. And when you look at it critically, does the structure favours the Federal Government? I can say that the present structure has not enabled the federal government to attain much. I believe that if power is devolved, in the areas of security, the federal government will be much efficient. The efficiency of government at every level will increase. Again, we are one country with different nationalities, it also in our own interest to create system that safeguards the unity that the country longs for. Some people said that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable, but that cannot be true because we must negotiate. Even in a family, there must be negotiation. When a father wants to go into business, he has to meet other members of the family, to explain the terms to them. They would have to agree and there must be memorandum of understanding (MoU). The terms must be cleared and just, that is what people are saying. I believe that those who are opposing it are those benefitting from the present injustice the system has thrust on the country. At the end of the day, when you look at it, it has not paid those against restructuring. Most of the people agitating against it are from the northern part of the country. Look at the massive deceit and ignorance in that part of the nation; it does pay anybody neither the oppressors nor the oppressed. I think it is sensible for us to look at the structure and tinker with it in a way that it will create a just society. Agreed that we all cannot be equal, but let there be equal opportunities at all levels. For you to talk of unity, justice is the first concern of humanity. You cannot talk of unity in a system that is unjust. And for people to look at it and draw a conclusion that the restructuring issue is a Yoruba agenda cannot be true. Recently, someone said restructuring cannot put food on the table, I agreed with them, but it can create a situation where it can put food on the table.

    The federal allocation does not want to lose anything in revenue, for this reason restructuring will not see the light of the day…

    Nigerians politicians don’t talk about service, they talk about power. They are more interested in power. The aim of any good governance is the welfare of the people under its jurisdiction. Any structure that is not serving the welfare of the people is not a good structure. We are talking of the federal government having the largest chunk of revenue, is it for the individual or for the collective purpose? If they are interested in service, the money must be put at the areas where it would be beneficial to the people. The money must have direct impact on the lives of the people; money is not just there for people to see and steal, but to be utilized for the benefit of the people. That is why some individuals could have access to funds that should have been used for the development of the country. That is why former Minister of Petroleum, Deziane Allison-Madueke could steal the amount of money she stole. With the kind of money at her disposal, she can be richer than some of the African countries. There is no infrastructural development and lot issues are begging for appropriate answers in the country, yet the federal government want to hold on to funds that would give service to the people. This is certainly not the ways forward.

    Having served in past administration, where do you think the government needs adjustment to make things better?

    I have come to the conclusion what with this type of structure in place; there is no federal government that can render service effectively. For instance, during the Jonathan administration, a number of roads were tarred and lots of things were done, but he did not create the magnitude of impact expected of him. What he did was not enough for the people to appreciate not because the government did not do anything, but because the structure did not allow the impact. You are sitting in Abuja and you are talking of Idanre in Ondo, Esa Oke in Osun, Sagari village in Sokoto, so no matter the effort the federal government puts in at the end of the day the magnitude will not be much and it will not receive appropriate appreciation.

    Government said the recession is over, what is your assessment?

    The Yoruba people say the monkey sweats, but because it is hairy, one could hardly notice it. That is the case with the federal government. All these things will still come back to the same argument, if the federal government devolves power to the state and local governments, its impact would have been felt. The pace would be faster and now it has to be slow and gradual. And before you to know it, two years is already gone and by the time you back 2019 is round the corner. You know that the citizens cannot appreciate figure, they can only appreciate the direct impact of policies and programmes of government in their lives. If people and government have confidence in our own facilities, they will not be going abroad for medical attention. Like Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is agitating, they are fighting to make our universities better. Nigeria has the manpower, but what we lack is the infrastructure. We have very articulate and resourceful manpower. I am a product of the university system here, I got all my degrees from Nigerian universities, so I know the crop of people that we have in the system. If you don’t have laboratory, how do you conduct experiment?

    What is your assessment of President Buhari ahead 2019, in view the comment of Minister of Women Affairs?

    Under the law, Alhassan is entitled to her comment. I don’t think it is a bad one as long as she is supporting somebody in the All Progressive Congress (APC). Nigeria is not the property of Mr. President; the loyalty is to be to the nation. What she said is aimed at the future, that by 2019 in her own consideration, the type of Buhari probably would have expired. But, she should be more focused than making such comment, as long as she is still serving now, she must focus on the policy and programme of government.

    It is because there is no strong political system and everywhere in the world where there are no strong structures the methodology of making effective change will be comes under scrutiny. That is why I will not support anybody persecuting her over her comments. How I wish the political system were in order. But, thank God the PDP is gradually bouncing back, to give the APC the fight. So, as the PDP is struggling to put its acts together, the APC is going apart. The party that had not held it NWC meeting for long but because a woman said she was supporting an individual they have decided to meet over the matter. It exposed the level of sycophancy, especially those who are close to the seat of power. So, as long as the system favours their position, they will never say it the way it should be. In the overall interest of the nation because of the huge responsibilities attached to that office. The President needs not only to be sincere, but needs to be vigilant. On the ground of that, I will appeal to the President that he must allow people to aspire. But, if he has the agility and intellectual capacity, he can continue.

    What is your assessment of Governor Ambode so far?

    We must thank God that at least we can point hand to a government that is working. We must appreciate what we are witnessing in Lagos and I have to say that all thanks to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the architect of modern Lagos. He laid the foundation of what we are now benefitting; he has also provided very strong and vigilant leadership. Leadership that is not only performing in government, but midwife a succession plan, that brought about capable hands. There is no doubt today that Asiwaju is the number one political leader in the Southwest. That again takes us to the issue of restructuring, his participation and opinion is very much important. At the end of the day, those who are agitating would add some political dimension and the experience of people like Asiwaju would be very useful. Like I had mentioned before, it is in the interest of all that power should devolve to the federating units. If power is devolved many of our states would do very well. So, what is incapacitating good governance in Nigeria is the structure that we have which needs to be restructured.

  • Be corporate governance watch dogs, shareholders urged

    Be corporate governance watch dogs, shareholders urged

    Shareholders have been urged to exercise their ownership functions in companies  they invest to encourage corporate governance.

    The Head, Investment Research & Corporate Strategy, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Charles Omoera, made the call at the 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN).

    The theme of the AGM, which held in Lagos, during the week, was “The Agency Dilemma: The impact of Shareholders Engagement”.

    Omoera said: “Institutional shareholders should serve as corporate governance watch dogs over the companies they invested in. Majority shareholders almost always get their way and their interests are not necessarily aligned with those of the minority shareholders.”

    He said more than ever before shareholders should be addressed as key owners of a particular business unlike now where many companies organise their AGMs without their (sharholfders’) strategic input.

    He explained that companies who align with the several provisions protecting shareholders’ rights and also allow them to contribute to the agenda of their AGMs will grow the profitability of the businesses as they have deliberately made room for alternative opinion from a dispassionate stand.

    Omoera, who was once a Portfolio Manager in the Private Equity Unit of Standard Bank, said that embracing shareholders especially the minority shareholders in the decision making process of the company, and inhibiting domination by majority shareholders has the capacity to encourage economic prosperity of a given organisation.

    He added that embracing institutional shareholders in strategic decision making and cultivating their goodwill in any organisation could lead to enhanced management credibility through improved transparency.

    For effective AGMs, Omoera recommended that voting should be reviewed and minimum qualification and standards for members of audit committee improved and further made public.

    He also suggested the improvement of market practices and institutional shareholder engagement from particular sectors such as insurance, pension, foreign portfolio investors and accounting bodies. These, he advised, should be given specific slots at AGMs to ask questions and make comments.

    Furthermore, the expert advised that the Security & Exchange Commission (SEC) should do more to ensure best practices by listed companies while institutional shareholders take some time to fully understand regulations as set out by the SEC and

    Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    Omoera observed that AGM’s do not necessarily achieve the required objective as majority shareholders have developed the art of managing the outcomes.

    He frowned at the fact that key structures do not function as expected – audit committee, independent directors, SEC and NSE.

    The expert also observed that though quality of financial reporting and disclosures by listed companies have improved over the years, they still fall short of international standards in some cases.

    He lamented that institutional shareholders either do not realize the powers they have or are reluctant to use them.

    Underscoring the strategic importance that informed shareholders hold, he referred his listeners to a case in 2013 when GSK UK disclosed its intention to increase its foreign controlling interest in GSK Nigeria from 46.4 per cent to 75.0 per cent.

    He said: “However, minority shareholders opposed the move saying it was a ploy to alienate them and delist the company from the NSE like Coca Cola used its controlling stake in NBC to delist in 2012”.

    Earlier in his keynote address, a fellow of the Institute, Mr. Adeniyi Adebisi dwelt on the expected manners of engagement shareholders should be having and what should inform the decisions of board of directors.

    He advised that in their pursuit, rule of law, accountability and transparency should be the guiding principle that should be adopted by all.  According to him, if this is done, it will be difficult to serve any other interest outside the interest of the company and that of the shareholders.

    Adeniyi said: “The paramount function of our regulators is to ensure that this principle is upheld at all times. When the regulators are lazy, not well grounded, or not adequately knowledgeable, or misguided, they become self serving, corrupt and an albatross of a sort”.

  • Corruption, governance and ailing health sector

    Recent developments in the nation’s health sector suggest that all is not well. Particularly, they serve as warning signals to the health minister, Professor Isaac Adewole, and other principal officers in the ministry to keep their house in order. At the time of writing, the nation’s health institutions are almost paralysed as a result of industrial actions by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU). Sadly, this is coming on the heels of the exchange of accusations of fraud between the Health Minister and the Executive Secretary, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf.

    In the view of industry watchers, part of the reasons for the crises was because matters were left to degenerate under the watch of the minister and his team as they failed to pay attention to burning issues thereby losing the opportunity to nip the crises in the bud.

    A persistent challenge in the Nigerian health sector is human resources’ crisis, which has the tendency to cripple the sector. Inadequate investment, weak administration and corruption remain the cause of poor health workers’ welfare and the widespread inefficiency in the healthcare work force. The importance of a country’s health workforce cannot be overemphasized; it is the building block needed for health systems to function effectively and to have a healthy populace. A vibrant health workforce can only be driven by the existence of a dedicated healthcare governance structure which provides the administrative framework for the health system to successfully function and achieve set national health objectives.

    No doubt, the lingering crises within the health work force are a big constraint to health system development and sustenance in the country. If not given the desired attention by the health minister and the minister of labour and productivity, the crises will simply compound the existing shortfall in the national health coverage. When health workers’ unions embark on incessant industrial actions as a result of unfulfilled promises or resolutions by government and health authorities, it creates more burdens for the already inadequate healthcare services and disease control efforts.

    A key reason often attributed to the incessant strikes in the nation’s health sector is poor remuneration and welfare of health workers. Workers in different health institutions in the country have, on different occasions, expressed their grievances over poor and inconsistent salaries and deplorable working conditions through industrial actions or threats of such actions. The recently suspended strike by doctors under the umbrella of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and other professional unions in the health sector exemplify this.

    There have also been supremacy tussles among medical professional unions, complaints of marginalisation and discrimination in the appointment of health authorities in the Ministry of Health, widespread discrepancies in the remuneration of health workers on the same grade levels across the various levels of government, among others. Allegation of undue favouritism/privilege towards a particular professional group in the health sector at the expense of other professional groups is also rife. This supremacy tussle, which is usually between medical doctors and other healthcare professionals, has prompted the alignments and realignments among various professional unions in the sector.

    Furthermore, poor healthcare services and the failure to fix the health sector are other issues that should be critically examined. They are often the primary reason for the rampant overseas medical treatment by many wealthy citizens of the nation who have lost faith in the Nigerian health system. This practice, which has come to be known as medical tourism, is now commonplace and grossly abused. It is no longer news that some personnel and professionals in the health ministry now run a racket with it by indiscriminately and corruptly recommending overseas medical treatment for top government functionaries for all manner of ailments, including those that can be handled in the country’s healthcare facilities and by its health experts. Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole, rightly attested to this at a public forum sometime last year where he noted that “medical tourism to India is a racket and the country loses billions of naira yearly due to the fraud.”

    It is imperative for the President to swing into action to prevent the crises in the health ministry from festering. The Ministry of Health should demonstrate the capability to address grievances by trade unions of workers under its employ. The Ministry of Labour must endeavour to bring all warring parties in this matter to the table in order to seek an amicable resolution. This crisis, if not checked by the appropriate authorities, will ultimately hinder the nation from achieving optimum healthcare delivery to its populace.

    Moreover, failure to swiftly resolve this crisis may result in public healthcare services being further priced beyond the Nigerian masses, many of whom cannot afford private healthcare services given the present economic situation. It is instructive to note that the seeming inability of government to effectively tackle prevalent health sector crisis in the country is the reason private healthcare service is barely affordable by the average Nigerian. This reason also directly or remotely accounts for why child and maternal mortality rates remain alarmingly high and preventable/curable diseases like malaria, meningitis and poliomyelitis continue to afflict the country.

    Above all, the minister of health must show strong resolve in ensuring efficient healthcare governance and management of their workforce. Any nation that wants to boast of a viable economy must have a vibrant health sector.

     

    • Odusile writes from Lagos

  • Agenda for youth and women in governance

    SIR: The problem of inequality amongst youth and women in governance can be traced to the poor representation of these groups in leadership positions.  This has created a large number of youth unemployment, poor representation of women and youth issues in policies and lack of gender and social inclusion in decision making process. Neglecting gender based issues has a linkage to casualties suffered by youth, people living with disability and women especially the high incidence of maternal and child mortality.

    The role of women and youth has been restricted by political parties to be mere mobilizers and voters.  As a result, there is a large generation of un-tapped resourceful population of youth and women.

    During election, the youth plays the role of political thugs, serving the interest of the ruling class.  They are compensated with jobs at the motor parks to work either as bus conductors, taxi or keke Napep drivers, and transport union touts.  The vast majority of unemployed youths can be found at home as willing tool for political, ethnic and religious agitations.  Women are organized into group and given stipends of salt, rice, wrappers and head ties in exchange of their votes.

    The not-too-young–to-run bill initiative was proposed to address some of the highlighted issues above; it sought for a constitutional provision to make youth of youthful age run for elective positions.  To support the effort made so far on the bill there is need for youth and women group to begin to mobilize and take active participation in the electoral process. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the total population of Nigeria is 193 million as at 2016 growth figures and the population growth by age from 18 years to 40 years is above 65million. In 2015, INEC recorded 75 million registered voters. Using these figures as a basis, if 65 million Nigerian youths come under an organized platform and vote for their interest during election, they could form the government of Nigeria and change the negative narrative faced by youth, women and the vulnerable group.

    A practical way to achieve the above might require forming a youth and women-based political party with sound progressive and developmental ideology that is set out to address issues of social inequality amongst women, youth and the vulnerable group. The political party should create an agenda that will proffer solution to the myriads of problems in Nigeria.  It should have a manifesto that contains an agenda for income distribution, youth employment, sect oral growth, creativity and innovation, poverty eradication, economy and job creation, improving maternal and child mortality, industrialization, palliatives for the aged,  technology, entertainment and sports, improving the plights of the disabled and physically challenge. The agendas shall be structured in line with best global practice that can compete with developed economies in the world.

    Such a party must make use of its first eleven as representatives in all elective positions. The positions should reflect equal representation of women, youth, and people living with disability.  Proven competence and reflection of federal character should form basis for the selection of candidates for any of the elective post.  Above all, the structure for internal party democracy, accountability, transparency and discipline should be the hallmark of the party.

    While we respectfully recognize the role our fathers and mothers who currently occupy elective offices have played in Nigeria, there is need for them to handover willingly to the youth and young women who are the real nation builders.  This might be an impossible task to ask for, but it will become possible if the youth organize themselves and get it through the ballot boxes.

     

    • Victor Emejuiwe,

    Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.

  • APC leaders praise Ugwuanyi’s bi-partisan approach to governance

    APC leaders praise Ugwuanyi’s bi-partisan approach to governance

    Recently, members and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) converged at the Convention Hall of Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, in solidarity with one of their staunch members from Enugu State, the Nigerian Ambassador to Republic of India with Concurrent Accreditation to Bangladesh and Nepal, Major-General Chris Sunday Eze (retd), who was accorded a befitting reception by Enugu State Government in respect of his new appointment.

    The auspicious event, which attracted notable leaders of the APC, namely: Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Jim Nwobodo, Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Senator Fidelis Okoro, former governorship candidate of the APC, Chief Okey Ezea, former Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Eugene Odoh, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, Senator Emma Anosike, among others, provided a veritable platform for them to appreciate the uncommon leadership style of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in Enugu State.

    The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East region, Hon. Emma Eneukwu, in his goodwill message commended Ugwuanyi for his bi-partisan approach to governance, saying that such an exceptional disposition has united leaders of the state, irrespective of their political differences. He stated without mincing words that the governor has created a peaceful atmosphere that has made it possible for everybody to be one when it comes to issues concerning the state.

    “I want to thank God for today, because this thanksgiving signifies the fact that whatever we do in this state, we are one. Whether you’re PDP, you’re APC; you’re all these political parties, once any of us achieves anything that is worth commending. It is worthy of note that the kind of governor we have is one who appreciates your talent irrespective of your party”, Eneukwu said.

    Also speaking at the event, the former President of the Senate and a chieftain of the APC, Senator Ken Nnamani, said Ugwuanyi has demonstrated political maturity in the state by creating an ambience of peace and tranquility where everybody is accorded his or her due respect irrespective of political divide.

    Nnamani applauded Ugwuanyi for providing good governance and quality leadership in the state, adding that the governor has, through the reception for Ambassador Eze, reaffirmed that he is “a governor for everybody”.

    He called on other states to emulate what is happening in Enugu State, stating that “our National Vice Chairman has alluded to the fact that we are enjoying peace in Enugu State, and we are enjoying somebody that has a large heart, not minding his political affiliation”.

    The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, also appreciated the governor’s bi-partisan disposition, saying that the APC has not and will not take such a rare gesture for granted.

    From the foregoing, it is apparent that the policy thrust of Ugwuanyi’s administration, anchored on peace and grassroots development initiatives, has yielded enormous progress and goodwill, resulting in the support the government enjoys from the opposition political parties. The governor has, through the above initiatives, redefined governance and brought it closer to the doorstep of the people – the true heroes of democracy.

    This uncommon attribute has gone a long way in reducing political tension in the state, and has provided the platform in which the government has thrived successfully in providing dividends of democracy to the people of the state in spite of the daunting economic recession in the country. It has caused an enduring political evolution that needs to be distilled into the lexicon of other states and the country indeed for the stability of the polity as Senator Nnamani opined.

    It would be recalled that Ugwuanyi, during his maiden media parley in June 2015 (shortly after his inauguration), organised to brief journalists of his action plans for the state as well as his administration’s approach towards achieving a harmonious relationship among the political class in the state, disclosed his intention to run a peaceful, inclusive and purposeful government. He said that his administration will accommodate all former governors of the state and other leaders, stressing that “everybody is our friend and the era of politics is over”.

    In view of the above, one is laden with emotions to note that the recent verdict by leaders of the major opposition political party in the state, the APC, reconfirms that Ugwuanyi has kept faith with his peace and development initiatives. The APC’s kudos for Gov. Ugwuanyi has further affirmed that the governor has, against all odds, remained focused and steadfast in his vision to continue to entrench good governance in the state, while maintaining an intrinsic peaceful relationship with all spheres of the society both the poor and the rich  an enduring leadership legacy that has ushered in a new vista for aggressive development of the state.

    Apart from commendations from the APC, the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella organisation of all the political parties in Nigeria, had during the 2017 democracy day celebration, scored Ugwuanyi   high on good governance, peace and infrastructural development, expressing delight at “the governor’s exhibition of vision, candour, humility, simplicity, inclusiveness and other uncommon leadership qualities that have endeared him to the people of the state”.

    It is also pertinent to note that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, where Gov. Ugwuanyi presides as the state leader, also enjoys the quantum flame of the governor’s uncommon leadership style.

    The governor has, through the administration’s peace and development initiatives, systematically eschewed all endemic factors that led to bickering, disunity or infighting in the PDP and has galvanized party leaders to work assiduously as one family for the progress of the party and its government in the state. This no doubt, informed the recent well deserved endorsement of his re-election in 2019 by the PDP.

    The State Executive Committee (SEC) of the PDP, the highest decision-making organ of the party before the State Congress, had, a few weeks ago “unanimously endorsed Gov. Ugwuanyi for second term in office in 2019 for his outstanding achievements and commitment to peace and participatory democracy”.

    In all, it is explicit that Gov. Ugwuanyi’s penchant for peace, good governance and inter-party relationship have brought enormous benefits to Enugu State and have reshaped the political landscape of the state for a responsible and peaceful engagement in the governance of the state.

    • Amoke writes from Enugu State

  • Mr. Osinbajo, shall we now treat ‘hate governance’ as terrorism?

    As Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo mustered a pious parallel to Nigeria’s cult worship of deviltry and vile. But despite his affectation of innate rebellion against the hateful and vile, Nigeria drowns in the flood of his expendable truths.

    Hate speech is terrorism, according to Osinbajo. Thus while his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, enjoyed medical tourism abroad, and ‘poor’ Nigerians cowed from a vicious health system, the hatred and savage antics of separatists from the north and southeast, Osinbajo ignited the dying embers of his government’s resolve, into a fierce fire.

    As Acting President, Osinbajo spat fire in measured cadence. Perhaps he meant to scald, among other ills, Biafran separatist and hatemonger, Nnamdi Kanu and his kindred spirits in the northern Arewa youth group.

    Perhaps not. But when Osinbajo declared that those found to be promoting hate speech would be treated as terrorists, discerning folk at home and abroad, rejoiced that it was only a matter of time before Nigeria’s merchants of odium and grief, scalded in then Acting President, Osinbajo’s anti-hate speech inferno.

    But for all his bluster, his fire is tame; like  the random politician’s, it will scald no one, burn no one, except human integers beneath the nation’s sociopolitical hierarchies.

    “The Federal Government has today drawn the line on hate speech. Hate speech is a species of terrorism. Terrorism as it is defined popularly is the unlawful use of violence or intimidation against individuals or groups especially for political ends,” ýsaid Osinbajo, at a National Economic Council (NEC) retreat on national security at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

    To an assemblage of state governors, ministers and other stakeholders, said: “As I have said, we’ve drawn a line against hate speech, it will not be tolerated, it will be taken as an act of terrorism and all of the consequences will follow it.”

    Sadly, Osinbajo’s pronouncement, like Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, reverberates like a rat’s sigh under the claws of a wild cat. The anti-terrorism law, like the All Progressives Congress’s ‘Change’ mantra, resonates as the triumph of noise over bite; the elevation of will from juvenile fantasy to eternal hysterics. It’s the paroxysm of mind over matter, often likable to the wishful thoughts of a cripple at the sight of a newly broken stallion.

    Osinbajo said that the intimidation of a population by words is an act of terrorism, that the APC administration intends to curtail. He noted that the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 (as amended), defined terrorism as an act which is deliberately done with malice which may seriously harm or damage a country or seriously intimidate a population.

    Such pronouncement could be considered noble and perhaps valiant, in saner clime and under more promising considerations. But this is Nigeria, a nation where politicians pay lip service to ‘change.’

    Like his principal, Osinbajo lives oblivious to the miseries and deaths of Nigeria’s hopeless, impoverished, vulnerable divide. Indigent husbands and wives, the young and elderly, toddlers and newborns, die excruciatingly by affliction of hate governance and abhorrent leadership epitomised by the incumbent ruling class.

    Many more are falling off or getting bumped off the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s wagon of ‘Change’ via deathly roads, unemployment, terrorism and poverty. Sadly, Osinbajo, Buhari and their feeble opposition in the PDP,  live oblivious to these tragic realities.

    Both men, despite their overhyped “body language” which allegedly abhors corruption, have developed a knack for platitudinous chant and sound bites; Buhari vowed to wipe out corruption and Osinbajo vowed as Acting President, to treat hate speech as terrorism.

    Yet they conveniently ignore the inconvenient truths and symbolism that insinuates duplicity in their will. Both men are unable to weed out corrupt elements in their cabinet. Their administration lacks ingenuity, ethical and intellectual capacity to resolve the country’s electricity, security, unemployment and energy conundrum.

    Even if they reclaim power in 2019, Osinbajo, his boss, Buhari and cabinet, won’t resolve the nation’s electricity, security and unemployment woes.

    This is attributable to lack of will, inventiveness, moral certitude and proficiency of their administration. Thus the rot persists on their watch: Nigeria’s road transport network is in the worst state ever and there are no concrete plans to establish a functional and dependable rail system, road, air and sea transportation among others.

    It remains extremely impossible for children of ‘political nobodies’ and commoners to access quality education, loans and self-empowerment provisions touted by Osinbajo and his boss, as part of their grand plot to combat unemployment.

    Persistent ritual killings, by Badoo gang and company, still persists across the country and Nigeria pulses dangerously with hospital corridors of death. General hospitals and other primary care health centres (PHCs) are poorly staffed and underfunded. Little wonder Buhari had to embark on medical tourism abroad, in flagrant contradiction of the APC’s mantra of ‘change.’

    The APC leadership is unable to prosecute public officers perceived to be corrupt and answerable to scandalous charges, according to the EFCC.

    While Osinbajo mustered his anti-hate speech philosophy, was he unaware of hateful governance perpetrated by the APC and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leadership across the country?

    Ogun State still looms like a gothic platitude of pain and death from its transit townships but the “Gateway State” remains Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s bower of bliss. There, in his stately Eden, he lives immune and insensate to the ravages of ill-will and pent-up fury tearing the natives apart from inside out.

    Amosun has a blast inside the Government House at Oke Mosan everyday simply because he does not have to stir and retire to bed wondering if he would die along the deadly stretch of Lagos-Abeokuta highway, particularly at the spots where innocent children, mothers, fathers – dependants and breadwinners – die like stray fowls, accidentally or by installments, in his severely cratered, administrative landmine.

    It’s the same rot across 36 States  of the federation. And this writer’s summation is amply substantiated by prominent chieftain of Osinbajo’s APC, Senator Dino Melaye, whose controversial recall was ‘unsurprisingly’ stalled in more controversial circumstances.

    “Unfortunately, we the leaders, myself inclusive, have failed this nation and have failed the younger generation, myself inclusive.

    “The reason why we are where we are today is because there is a disconnect between leadership and followership. Once there is no trust between the followership and the leadership, it will definitely have a negative concomitant effect on the economy, and every other facet of our national life.

    ‘’What we should fix is democracy; Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people.

    “What we have is greediocracy; government of the greedy by the greedy, for the greedy. ‘We the leaders want to win elections at all cost, so we spend money to win elections.

    “The followership also is greedy, they accept money to vote. So, head or tail, there is a need for attitudinal change and this is affecting everything,” admitted Melaye.

    It would be lovely and humane of Nigeria’s Vice President, Osinbajo, and his boss, President Buhari, to also treat hate governance as an act of terrorism, making sure that “all of the consequences will follow it.”

  • Distinguished Governance Lecture holds at OOU

    The distinguished Governance Lecture of the Oba Kayode Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair of Governance will hold today at the OGD Hall, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye.

    It will be delivered by Prof. Banji Oyeyinka, who until last year was the Regional Director for Africa, UN Habitat. Oyeyinka, a professorial fellow at the United Nations University, Mastricht, Netherlands and the Open University, United Kingdom, will speak to the topic ‘From Consumption to Production: A Roadmap for Getting Nigeria out of Economic Recession’.

    A wide circle of scholars, policy makers and politicians from across the divides are expected.

    It will be chaired by Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation will serve as Special Guest of Honour.

    According to a statement, the Governance Lecture will bring together town and gown and will situate Nigeria’s economic and political travails within global discourse on Sustainable Development, with a view to generating key ideas for regenerating an economy in trough and throes of recession.

    The Governance Lecture constitutes a high point of the core mandate of the Professorial Chair, which seeks to influence national development by throwing up topical ideas and alternative view points that will move the country beyond the groove of arrested development and a lagard governance culture.

  • Ambode has revolutionalised governance in Lagos—Razak

    Ambode has revolutionalised governance in Lagos—Razak

    Chief Lanre Razak is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos East Senatorial district. In this interview with EMMANUEL OLADESU, he speaks on the Ambode administration in the last two years and preparation for the local government elections.

    How will you rate the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration in Lagos state so far?

    If Governor Ambode were to be a student in your class, what grade will you give  him? Distinction, I believe. He has performed wonderfully well and all that he requires is the support of everybody to continue this magical feat he is performing. You can imagine how many bridges, roads, lay bys that he has built in a short time to eliminate traffic bottlenecks in Lagos; save man hours making it possible for the transporters to be making quick turn around and this is a lot of achievement. There are certain things you may not consider serious in governance but the governor has introduced scientific approach in resolving hitherto traffic problems in Alapere, Oworoshoki and Third Mainland Bridge. All these he achieved in two years, a period that other people would have been settling down for real governance. He has also commissioned the two newly-built bridges in Ajah and Abule-Egba to help reduce travel time and boost economic activities within the corridors. He has been working round the clock to make Lagos globally competitive city-state, by improving connectivity in the state and providing permanent solutions to the challenge of ensuring a free-flow of traffic within the city. If you visit the Lekki axis now, the Jubilee Bridge has eliminated the traffic jam usually experienced in the area. We want to thank God for his life, we want to thank God for what the governor has done so far and  pray God will give him good health and wisdom to continue the good job in the next two years and beyond.

    Are there lessons that other governors can learn from Lagos state especially in revenue generation?

    Mr. Ambode is a financial wizard and the way he has been doing it and implementing people-oriented projects, I believe other governors have a lot to learn and borrow a leaf from him. From his achievements, it is difficult to tell that he is a financial expert, also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, or an engineer. If you move round the state there is no area of governance that he is not touching positively and making steady progress. I believe strongly that other state governors are watching and will like to emulate him. Take for example the LAKE Rice project, which is a joint venture between Lagos and Kebbi states to ensure there is food security in both states and reducing the cost of rice. That is why we don’t feel the pinch of the existing ban on importation of rice through the land borders seriously in Lagos state because of Ambode’s LAKE Rice.

    What are your reflections on Lagos at 50?

    In the past 50 years, Lagos state has been lucky to have men with good vision and commitment to run her affairs both military and civilian. Take for example the Alhaji Lateef Jakande administration started very well and recorded tremendous achievements for everyone to see even today decades after he left office. The next civilian government was led by Sir Michael Otedola now of blessed memory who was there for two years. Also, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board in May 1999, you can still see the wonders he performed. He laid the solid foundation upon which immediate past governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN and the incumbent Mr. Ambode are excelling in governance. Recall that the annual budget of Lagos state increased by over 1000percent when Asiwaju Tinubu became governor. Then people especially taxpayers were worried that there would be additional tax burden on them but that didn’t happen. What he did was to plug existing loopholes and leakages in the revenue collection system and the money saved government made available for the provision of basic needs of the people. I know that Ambode is using that platform excellently because he was a civil servant then and working seriously on it. This year, we have N800billion budget for Lagos state which is the highest by any state government. When he unveiled the budget estimate, some people thought it was not possible to propose such a high figure but the governor has proved that it is indeed possible and achievable. Out of the amount, only 40percent of the targeted revenue is coming from the Federation Account while the remaining 60percent is being sourced from the internally generated revenue, IGR and the government is doing a wonderful job. What Tinubu did then I recall was to have a strong man to chair Lagos State Internal Revenue Service in person of Mr. Tunde Fowler who is now performing the same feat at the federal level as chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service. We in Lagos are lucky to have had Tinubu who introduced a sound and efficient financial mechanism to place Lagos at very high level financially and his successors have not disappointed but improved tremendously on his foundation.

    What are your expectations about the forthcoming local government elections in the state?

    Luckily, the APC will walk over every other political party because the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is dead. They were voted to power but members of the party didn’t know how to manage their success and they destroyed everything and no serious politically minded person who saw what PDP did to this country between 1999 and 2015 will stand for PDP again. That is the problem, they will not stand for the party but I can assure you that the APC will record 100 percent victory during the council poll.

    What is the assurance that those who would be elected chairmen would complement the work of the governor at the grassroots level?

    I can assure you that those elected on the platform of the APC will queue behind to deliver democracy dividends to the people. All the chairmen and councilors coming on board are already seeing the wonderful achievements of Governor Ambode, they must emulate the governor and provide quality leadership and good governance in their respective local governments and local council development areas. And the governor has provided a mechanism to ensure delivery of  quality governance and be rest assured that all our chairmen and councilors will definitely perform excellently.

  • Noisome pestilence as governance

    Monday May 29, marked a threshold for assessing Nigeria’s democracy and President Muhammadu Buhari’s mid-term. Positive as things seem, all is not well with Nigeria. Beyond Western normative idea of good governance, Nigeria missed the age of convergence, which Jeffrey Sachs once described as “the tendency of developing countries like Nigeria to make unprecedented economic advances through the deployment of best practices and advanced technologies”. Sachs’ assessment was off mark. This much is known. In five decades, statist Nigeria missed out on the best practices of good governance and technological advancement. Nigeria also missed the opportunity to lead the power grouping that Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi named the Concert of Medium Powers. Despite her rebased economy, Nigeria also missed out on the BRICS economic grouping, settling for the third-rate MINT grouping. Her non-qualification for and non-inclusion in the earlier groupings was not incidental, but self-inflicted. One may ask why such a fate? Like the question, the reasons are seemingly oblique, yet stark.

    There is merit in worrying about Nigeria. Hitherto and now, assessments of Nigeria using acceptable global development parameters have been negative. Presently Nigeria ranks 152 of 188 in the 2016 Human Development Index (HDI); 136 out of 175 in the 2016 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) and the 13th most unstable country in the world out of 178 countries on the 2017 Fragile States Index (FSI). These triple-negative indices, coupled with a double-negative challenge of corruption and double-dip recession are worrisome. Moreover, weak cohesion and poor governance, two variables known to accentuate state vulnerability and collapse, are prevalent in Nigeria. Contextually, whatever challenge Nigeria faces has cascading risk and negative spill-over effect.

    As Nigeria struggles to situate herself positively in global affairs, dissonance in her governance modalities remains high. Such dissonance which is symptomatic of her extremely weak institutions, poses grave danger to her national interest; a subject political leaders are averse to discussing publicly. Yet what is most worrisome is the tendency by Nigeria’s leadership to mistake noisome pestilence for governance. Indeed, governance in Nigeria reflects high artificiality, since political leaders now over-engineer governance by misconstruing hype, rhetoric, and incessant motion for good governance. Nigeria’s political leaders also gloss over prevailing drivers of fragility: social exclusion, resource disparity and the negative impact of politicizing national issues.

    While Nigerians retain hope for concrete change, development and advancement, Nigeria struggles at all levels with governance challenges. Change remains elusive, which explains the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recent call on the federal government to stop making excuses and tackle head on, challenges confronting the nation. CAN also asked the federal government to focus more on governance – an obvious upbraid of its anti-corruption fixations.

    As various national issues fester – herdsmen violence, absence of an operational 2017 budget, non-submission of budgets by 38 MDAs, broad violations of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, non-adherence to the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the national debt rising to 23% of GDP, Biafra recidivism, militancy, coupled with a very sick president and related coup talks, it’s now common for Nigerian policymakers to resort to obfuscating buzz words to convey a sense of good governance. Nigerians are hungry and dying. In a nation buffeted by recession, loss of purchasing power and high unemployment, the use of soundbites to convey good governance, without correlating evidence of concrete and implementable programmes, amounts to noisome talk. Relatedly, rule of law is increasingly being flouted, ignored or manipulated, and often made inapplicable to common interest. Besides the diminution of ordered liberties and extant statutes, precepts are being insinuated into the realm of governance as substitutes for law and order, due process and due diligence. These developments plus disrespect for judicial orders and separation of powers highlight the scope of the rut in the governance circles.

    Traditional benchmarks for good governance are well known. But acknowledging and espousing these benchmarks hardly guarantee their deliverables. Beyond polemics, good governance is about accountability, inclusivity, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus-building, equity, effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery and above all, sustainable strategic vision. Good governance also demands frugality, operating within available resources, plus prioritization and equitable distribution of resources.

    The down side of the prevailing dissonance in governance is that the much touted progress is marked by retrogressive indices and persistence of extreme poverty in Nigeria. A recent study shows that “Despite its vast oil riches and impressive economic growth, Nigeria has struggled to lift its people out of poverty over the past three decades.” As a recent 2017 World Bank report revealed, “35 million more Nigerians were living in extreme poverty in 2013 than in 1990.” Nigeria also reportedly lost a whopping $200bn over five years from the non-implementation of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Power supply remains epileptic nationally, despite Nigeria having spent over N5 trillion ($36 billion) since 1999 on the power sector. Expert opinion indicates that Nigeria can only enjoy 4600 megawatts of power, despite the capacity to produce 12,000 megawatts, due to infrastructural deficit and paucity of funding. Meanwhile, DISCOs are owed N600bn in unpaid power supply, and the federal government’s promise to infuse N701bn into the power sector has failed to materialize. These are revolting facts. That Nigeria is not seriously looking at alternative energy is in itself a gross policy failure. An attentive leadership should have long declared a state of emergency in the power sector. Relatedly, by now, it should be obvious to Nigerian leaders that the nation can’t tackle national infrastructure development challenges including housing deficits, without clear city rankings based on demographics, physical disposition and an analysis of the capacity of existing and envisaged infrastructure to cope with social demands.

    Dissonance has also intruded into routine constitutional dictates, including statutory appointments. It is most confounding that some policymakers even attempted to tweak the statutorily role and the delegated authority that devolves on the Vice-President in the absence of the incumbent president. Similarly, but unnecessarily, the debate of the pertinence and superiority of the Constitution, notably Section 171, has become rife, more so, where extant statutes like the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA) and the EFCC Act stand violated. Lost in the ensuing debate, is the fact that the extant checks and balances as crafted, were meant to foreclose on undue interference from the executive branch, as all statutory appointments are tenured and therefore protected until they lapse. One may ask then why political leaders in Nigeria keep repeating earlier distractive mistakes.

    The most troubling dissonance in Nigeria’s governance is the dichotomy between Nigeria’s ruling elite and her working class. Pretend as Nigeria’s political elite may, there is a badly broken relationship between Nigeria’s elite and the nation’s working class, including civil servants and unemployed youths. This chasm is reflected in the continued resistance by public and private sector employers to implement an agreed minimum wage across board. Growing bold civilian protestations against electric power distribution companies and looming strikes by the NLC and its affiliates underscore existing fault lines. Irrefutably, a great void exists where Nigeria’s middle class ought to be; and there is no assured formal migration from lower class to upper class Nigeria. Incidentally, Nigeria’s leadership elite, which is a minority, in mapping Nigeria’s governance challenges including poverty, consistently think of their needs first, then that of Nigerian working class, which represents the majority.

    In two years, Nigeria made some progress in security and fighting corruption, but not much in good governance and development; after all, national development endeavours amount to naught, absent accelerative thrust. Indeed, change, progress and development have been halting. The promised change has not materialized and the political leadership rather than focusing on governance are politicking for 2019. Since good governance is about public institutions managing public resources efficiently via good decision-making, the present state of the nation calls for a deeper evaluation. Moving Nigeria forward requires civility, inclusivity, transparency and honesty in governance. Doing so requires confidence without attitude — attitude towards the governed or attitude towards the opposition. Whilst anarchy or implosion is rarely contemplated in a democracy, they remain remote possibilities in any polarized nation. Also in a nation without differentiating political ideologies, anything is possible. Ditto any nation where noisome pestilence has replaced good governance. For these reasons we must refocus on good governance.

     

    • Obaze, MD/CEO, Selonnes Consult Ltd. writes from Awka, Anambra State.